Reviews (19)

The Way We Were:Remembering Diana
I read Burrell's other book, "A Royal Duty" and came away feeling that the author was obsessed with his employer and that he was a neurotic.
Well written, didn't want it to end
Well written and a must read if you want to read about Princess Diana, the person. He doesn't make her out to be bigger than life. The author seems unbiased because he writes about her faults as well as her assets. Enjoyed Paul's sons remembrances of fun times with Diana, William and Harry.
Absolute GOLD !
For anyone who loves Princess Diana, this book is pure, absolute gold. Paul Burrell tells stories about her that no one else can, because he lived and worked with her for years. The book is respectfully written, yet also very entertaining. He reveals aspects of their life together with total love and not the slightest hint of gossip or nastiness. Paul Burrell remains sensitive to The Boss and I, for one, will welcome any book he writes about Diana because it's plain to see that he is telling the truth. Anyone in the royal household who has a problem with him or his books needs to get a grip. Diana belonged to the world, and they should be thankful that with all the other books out there floating around about her, that this one tells it like it was, and stands head and shoulders above the others. Highly recommended reading. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1958-    2. 1961-1997    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Burrell, Paul,    8. Diana,    9. Great Britain    10. Great Britain - History - 20th Century    11. Historical - British    12. Monarchy And Aristocracy    13. Princess of Wales,    14. Princesses    15. Rich & Famous    16. Royalty    17. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Editorial Review

A biography of the woman who, indirectly, was the catalyst for many of the troubles in the Middle East, including the Gulf War. In 1918, Gertrude Bell drew the region's proposed boundaries on a piece of tracing paper. Her qualifications for doing so were her extensive travel, her fluency in both Persian and Arabic, and her relationships with sheiks and tribal and religious leaders. She also possessed an ability to understand the subtle and indirect politeness of the culture, something many of her colonialist comrades were oblivious to. As a self-made statesman her sex was an asset, enabling her to bypass the ladder of protocol and dive into the business of building an Empire. ... Read more

Reviews (42)

It's still about oil
When Gertrude Bell was helping draw the lines for what is now present day Iraq it was about oil then and it's about oil now. Anyone wanting to understand a little bit about the culture of the Middle East should read this. A very interesting book about the female "Lawrence of Arabia."

Now we know who to blame
This is an interesting book, the most popular biography of one of the most interesting people of the early part of the last century. Gertrude Bell is largely lost to history, which is a shame. She was an expert on Arab affairs and Middle Eastern politics, a true polymath back when you could be such a thing. She spoke numerous languages, wrote "travel" books (accounts of travels she'd had in exotic places), was an accomplished historian and archaeologist, and worked during World War I as what amounted to an intelligence agent, serving further as an advisor after the war, liasing with the Arabs in Iraq. In addition to all of the above, she mapped out the boundaries of the country that became Iraq, and late in life founded the first museum for antiquities in Baghdad. All this in a man's world, where women weren't supposed to venture.
A woman who was a vital player in the modern history of the Middle East
This book was chosen for discussion by a member of our non-fiction book group. Along with other courses intended for continued learning, the group is affiliated with a local college. I would not have been interested in this bookotherwise, because I had never heard of Gertrude Bell.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Colonial administrators    6. Great Britain    7. Historical - British    8. History Of Women (General)    9. Middle East    10. Middle East - General    11. Middle East - History    12. Political    13. Women    14. Women Orientalists    15. Biography & Autobiography / Women   

Reviews (4)

Not nearly as good a book as I'd hoped
I've just gotten this book so I'm still reading it but I've already spotted some things I don't like about it. The writing style isn't what I'd expect from an experienced writer, large parts of the book consisting of page long paragraphs- it's as if she went into a trance and the stuff just streamed out. You do find a lot of information and a large number of footnotes indicating that the author used just about every Diana book you already own as research material. I don't guess it's a bad book, just so hard goingwith those looooong paragraphs!
first real biography of Diana, Princess of Wales
This is the first proper biography of Diana, Princess of Wales, as opposed to memoirs by former employees (Jephson, Wharfe, Burrell) or more or less ax-grinding efforts by journalists (Morton, Seward, Junor). Bradford, an experienced biographer, has produced a sound and workmanlike book, and without sacrificing balance or accuracy or contending that the late princess was a flawless biped makes the best pro-Diana case to date.
Superlative biography of a truly remarkable woman
Overall, I enjoyed this book very much and found it an extremely well researched and thoughtful biography of the late Princess of Wales. Diana's life is chronicled from her life as the youngest daughter in an influential, aristocratic British family to her untimely death in Paris in 1997. Diana indeed was from a notable family and of which she was rightly proud. The ill fated union of her parents is described as well as the impact of their turbulent divorce on their young children, especially Diana. Diana was said to be very much influenced by her paternal grandmother whose charitable works and compassion were passed on to her granddaughter (Diana's paternal grandmother looked remarkably like Diana as well--one of the portraits shown in the illustrations demonstrates this--it is a rather striking resemblance).
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Subjects:  1. 1961-1997    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Diana,    7. Great Britain    8. Great Britain - History - 20th Century    9. Historical - British    10. Monarchy And Aristocracy    11. Princess of Wales,    12. Princesses    13. Rich & Famous    14. Royalty    15. Women    16. Biography & Autobiography / Women   

Reviews (20)

A BRILLIANT BIOGRAPHY - WELL DONE!
This is a brilliantly written biography of one of the most fascinating characters in history.Like most of Mnchester's work (I must admit to being a big fan), this is a very readable biography, well researched and holds the reader's interest from page to page.We see so much of Churchhill in his role as a WWII leader that we tend to forget there was a young man, living, learning and growing before the back and white films we see today.It is good to be reminded of this from time to time.It is also, for those interested, to learn how a world leader of Churchill's calibre came into being, how he developed and why he was the way he was.This work gives us great insight to those questions.Cannot recommend this work highly enough.

Insight Into A Great Man

Tale of a Giant Lives Up to Its Subject
Although William Manchester didn't live long enough to complete his biography of Winston Churchill, this first book of the proposed triology begins with Dunkirk and shows Churchill at his most magnificent before switching to his early years.Manchester's prose--eloquent, clear, moving, and witty--is a fitting vehicle for the story of a master of the English language, and the story itself is filled with amazing adventures and memorable anecdotes. This book and its sequel are the best of all the Churchill biographies. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1874-1965    2. 20th century    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Churchill, Winston,    7. Europe - Great Britain - General    8. Foreign relations    9. Great Britain    10. Great Britain - History - 20th Century    11. Political    12. Politics and government    13. Sir,    14. Biography & Autobiography / Political    15. Biography: general    16. British & Irish history: from c 1900 -    17. Churchill, Winston    18. United Kingdom, Great Britain   

Reviews (6)

Queen Emma and the Vikings
It is difficult to write a positive review of this book. I would not call it good. The writer begins each chapter with a fanciful, novel- style account of what Queen Emma might have felt and done, which, in my view, is out of place in a scholarly work. This is not to be confused with actual historical fact. Also the book is permeated with slang terms that irritate. In addition there is a great deal of detail on subjects that have nothing whatsoever to do with the Queen, such as cures for pimples and warts. These sorts of reminiscences are more in line with a book on the life and times of Anglo Saxon England than with Queen Emma herself. Historical fact on the Queen is thin and is hidden in a lot of extraneuous detail. It is a mildly interesting book, once you get past all the irrelevant detail, but no more than that. In short, the author could have written the details of the Queen'slife in half the words she has used.

Kudo's to the Authoress
I absolutely loved this book, and I am confident that any fan of European, British, or medieval history will love it as well. The authoress deserves praise not only for her research and captivating writing style, but because she refreshingly tackled a new subject by writing a biography of a relatively now-obscure queen who lived a millenia ago but whose story deserves to be told. To someone such as myself who enjoys reading history and despairs that the farther back in time one goes the less information there is to read about, Miss O'Briens biography is a
Queen Emma
I have not been able to give this book my full attentioin as yet, but in browsing through it appears to have the sort of info that I expect to find on the period in question.So I really cannot give the book a fair rating until I have read it.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. England    6. Great Britain    7. Historical - British    8. Historical - General    9. Normans    10. Queens    11. Royalty    12. Vikings    13. Women    14. World - General   

Editorial Review

In the States, Nick Hornby is best know as the author of Read more

Reviews (119)

A great look at sports and life
Let me begin by noting that I find soccer/football incredibly dull.Dull, dull, dull!But Hornby's book is a great read.
Amusing, but mostly average
I'll admit, its probably just me.Maybe its just that I dont understand British culture all that much, nor the culture of football or the mind of the obsessive sports fan...but aside from a few amusing passages (between LONG spells of really dull ones) I really wasnt all that impressed with this book.It had a few moments that made me chuckle, but it certainly wasnt as drop-dead funny to me as all the reviews led me to believe.It was long, drawn-out, and filled with names and places of people I've neither heard of nor cared about.But again, its just a clash of culture; this would be like someone from England reading a book about the Dawg Pound in Cleveland or the fans with terrible towels in Pittsburgh.Basically, if you're not a sports fan or if you dont know anything about soccer or its culture, I'd pass on this one.While it did give some interesting insight into the mind of the obsessive sports fan and a glimpse of a true English soccer fan I just wasnt entertained.Then again, I'm probably not the type of person to whom this book was intended...I really should have read High Fidelity!

The Mind of The Hardcore Sports Fan
Hornby takes the reader into the mind and obsessions of the hardcore sports fan in "Fever Pitch", a tale of the author's obsessive relationship with Arsenal, one of London's main football (soccer) clubs.
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Authors, English    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. English authors    8. Great Britain    9. Historical - British    10. Hornby, Nick    11. Literary    12. Soccer    13. Sports - General    14. Family & Relationships / Parenting   

Reviews (21)

Five Royle Grand Duaghters
This book is an amazing look at five of Queen Victoria's Granddaughters that would themselves be Queens of five countries and affect the course of history.
Fascinating history book
It was always interesting to see how Queen Victoria ruled the world and reading of her granddaughters who became queens,is very fascinating!!! A part of history that will probably not be repeated except for the present Queen of England.
A good book to read if your familar with Queen Victoria.
This is a good book to read if you are extremely familar with Queen Victoria. There are two problems with this book, (1) The author did not focus or give enough information about Queen Maud's life as she did with the other grandaughters. (2) It's lacking information in certain places.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Europe    6. Historical - General    7. Queens    8. Royalty    9. Russia    10. Victoria,    11. Women   

Reviews (2)

Camilla & Charles:A Selfish Love Affair
While I felt that this was an interesting read I felt the author painted an unfair portrait of Diana.She portrayed Diana as a crazy, unstable shrew and yet it was Charles refusal to end his relationship with Camilla that caused Diana to be so unhappy and angry.I don't think there are very few women on this planet that would be happy and accept the fact that their husband has a mistress for 20 years that he refuses to give up after marriage.It proved to me at least, that Diana was justified in her ending her marriage and giving up the throne.The author paints Charles and Camilla as 2 poor lovers who go through hell just to be together.I felt no sympathy for either of them.But it is an engrossing book none the less.

Think of England
An even and informative tale about Camilla Parker-Bowles, a poor little rich girl who may someday get her prince.Read more

Subjects:  1. 1947-    2. 1948-    3. Biography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Camilla,    7. Charles,    8. Duchess of Cornwall,    9. Great Britain    10. Great Britain - History - 20th Century    11. Historical - British    12. Prince of Wales,    13. Princes    14. Relations with women    15. Charles    16. Parker Bowles, Camilla    17. Sociology, Social Studies    18. United Kingdom, Great Britain   

Editorial Review

When the editors of the Read more

Reviews (385)

Intriguing!
This book is great in that it's both a very personal story about Minor (the "madman") and Murray (the "professor") but also about what went into making the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). For the most part, I was more interested in the latter because of the detail and, surprisingly, community that went into creating The Dictionary. It was certainly not the work of a few posh men sitting in an attic; rather, the entire nation (as well as the United States) were involved in scouring works in the English language to contribute samples to go in the OED. That to me was the most fascinating part.
And you thought dictionaries were boring!
Winchester takes an academic subject and makes it read like a Victorian thriller.He weaves together the lives of two strange and complex men to tell a story that has touched the entire English speaking world-- the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary: THE authority on the progression of the English language over the past millenium.If you love history, language, literature, and tragedies this is a book for you.Beware, this book will make you want to run out and buy your own OED -- well, a full set will run you at least $1000!There are compact and CD-ROM versions available for under $200.I guess I'll just add it to my amazon wish list and hope....

An excellent story excellently told
Some readers, I know, dislike Simon Winchester's conversational, discursive, sometimes off-on-a-tangent narrative style, but I for one find it richly rewarding. I first discovered it in "Krakatoa," his book about that Indonesian volcano where it's even more in evidence than it is in this title. But even here, reading Winchester is like settling into a chair, or around a fire, to listen to a talented storyteller weave an entrancing tale. If your taste in history runs to deliberate, just-the-facts reportage, then Simon Winchester probably isn't for you. But if you're willing to trust the author and follow where he's leading you, I predict you'll find reading "The Professor and the Madman" a most satisfying experience.
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Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Historical - British    5. Historical - General    6. Historical - U.S.    7. Lexicography    8. Linguistics    9. Literary    10. Specific Groups - Special Needs    11. Biography & Autobiography / Historical   

Reviews (2)

Lex vs. Rex
John Cooke, who held progressive views of the law that were well ahead of his time and who was a key actor in the trial of King Edward I, is rightly rescued from the dusty corners of English history by the very knowledgeable Mr. Robertson.The heretofore forgotten Cooke emerges a fitting hero to all who believe in the rule of law.
What subject can give sentence on his king? . . .
And who sits here that is not Richard's subject?
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Cook, John,    6. England    7. Europe - Great Britain - General    8. Great Britain - History - Tudor And Stuart (1485-1714)    9. Historical - British    10. Lawyers    11. Lawyers & Judges    12. Monarchy And Aristocracy    13. Regicides    14. d. 1660    15. Biography & Autobiography / Lawyers & Judges   

Reviews (30)

Churchill was begging....
After the fall of France in June 1940, Winston Churchill was begging USA President Roosevelt for military aid (in fact, all sorts of support was then needed) as no one knew what would the 'fate' of the French fleet was going to be.
absolutely a delight to read
I was adrift when I finished this volume.
solitary courage
No better profile of Churchill 1932-40 exists. Whetted with acrimony and disdain, Churchill is ultimately proved right (and his real task commences).
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Subjects:  1. 1874-1965    2. 20th century    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Churchill, Winston,    7. Foreign relations    8. Great Britain    9. Great Britain - History - 20th Century    10. Historical - British    11. Political    12. Politics and government    13. Sir,    14. Biography & Autobiography / Political    15. British & Irish history: c 1700 to c 1900    16. United Kingdom, Great Britain   

Reviews (32)

Excellent "You Were There" Style
This is the best book about space travel I have ever read. Michael Collins is able to tell the story in a way that makes the reader feel he was actually there. He tells his story in a very knowledable and professional manner, but even more importantly, Collins uses polite mannerisms and dignity in his writing, a virtue absent from most modern writers. This book gave me a great deal of respect for Michael Collins as an astronaut and writer, and for Michael Collins as an American with dignity.
No Question About It--The Best Astronaut Memoir Ever!
There have been several excellent Apollo astronaut memoirs, especially Gene Cernan's "The Last Man on the Moon" and Jim Lovell's "Lost Moon," which was made into the feature film "Apollo 13." This one is still the most honest and reflective of them all. It extends a tradition of the aviator as litterateur into the age of space travel. One of the best
This is an excellent book.One of the best in regards to the space program and the ultimate in goals, the moon.Read more

Subjects:  1. 1930-    2. Aeronautics & Astronautics    3. Apollo 11 (Spacecraft)    4. Astronauts    5. Biography    6. Biography & Autobiography    7. Biography / Autobiography    8. Biography/Autobiography    9. Collins, Michael,    10. Project Apollo (U.S.)    11. Scientists - Astronauts    12. Scientists - General    13. United States    14. Astronautics    15. Biography: general    16. Space travel & exploration   

Reviews (22)

The "She-Wolf" of France
First off let me just say that I have read a number of books by Alison Weir and she really has shown herself to be the best biographer of English Monarchs currently alive today. With Isabella we may very well have her best biography yet. She sets out to give people a sense of who Isabella really was, not simply the Braveheart version of her or the "she-wolf" version of her. She shows her as who she really was, a very brave, caring, neglected, mis-treated, and powerful woman in a world where women were regarded as little more than property.
Very well written biography of Isabella, but.....
I thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Weir's biography of Queen Isabella and the demise of Edward II of England.Very well written, and much easier to read than Weir's earlier biography of Eleanor of Aquataine.Having said that, I found myself a bit dismayed by two things: 1. Very difficult to figure out what year events occurred; this author, like many others, wrote entire chapters which gave months & days, but I found myself going back in the narrative repetitively to try and determine the year...and 2. Clearly Ms. Weir's purpose was to do her best to absolve Isabella of Edward II's death!She tries very hard to make a case that Edward was in fact not killed at Berkeley Castle, but rather escaped and lived the rest of his life in exile, primarily in Italy.I found this hard to believe, and the evidence to that effect a bit lacking.One situation which really caught my eye was Weir's statement that Edward's body (or that of a substitute if he in fact was not killed but escaped?) was IMMEDIATELY embalmed and completely wrapped in waxed "cerecloth" after his death in October, 1327.The body was then kept at Berkeley until December when it was released to the Abbot of Gloucester to be buried in St. Peter's Abbey, Gloucester...at which time "the corpse had been dressed in the late King's coronation robes, including his shirt, coif, and gloves...".I found myself wondering how they "dressed" a body that was COMPLETELY wrapped in waxed cloth? Interesting! From my perspective, I don't see that Isabella needed then or now "absolution" for the death of Edward II.He was a very bad king, betrayed her repeatedly with both Gaveston and De Spenser, took away her income, seperated her from her children, etc.The way I see it, Isabella likely harbored a deadly and undying hatred for her husband, and would've wanted to ensure that, after his overthrow, he would NEVER be able to return.Nevertheless, an outstanding book and well worth the time of any reader wanting to better understand the life and times of Isabella of France and her husband, Edward II.

Outstanding author
Allison Weir is an outstanding author who takes a fresh look at Queen Isabella.She paints a picture of a woman who takes on the debauchery and misrule of Edward II and his consorts, and saves England from tyranny.Not only does Weir provide a convincing argument that Isabella was a strong and intelligent ruler, she also shows evidence that Isabella was compassionate and spiritual.Isabella did what needed to be done in a time when women were easily pushed aside simply because of their gender.
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Subjects:  1. 1292-1358    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography And Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Edward II, 1307-1327    8. General    9. Great Britain    10. Historical - British    11. History    12. Isabella,    13. Queen, consort of Edward II, King of England,    14. Queens    15. Royalty    16. Women    17. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Editorial Review

In the summer of 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton set off aboard theRead more

Reviews (361)

The original book of Shackleton's adventure
When the Endurance steamed south into the splitting ice pack of the Weddel Sea in the summer of 1914, she carried aboard the renowned British explorer Earnest Shackleton.The Endurance was specially designed and massively constructed by one of the world's finest shipyards, staffed with scientists and qualified volunteers and outfitted with meticulously tested equipment. Shackleton himself was an experienced polar veteran who had once come within a day's march of being the first to reach the south pole.But in spite of careful planning, the Endurance was doomed, and this expedition would be Shackleton's last Antarctic voyage.Unexpected cold weather froze the ship solidly into the ice, and 7 months later, the mounting pressure of millions of tons of ice crushed the three-foot wooden hull. The Endurance sank into the black water, and left the 30 exhausted men marooned on the treacherous melting ice flows of the storm-churned antarctic sea.For six months the poorly-equipped castaways wouldstruggle under inconceivable hardship until the drifting ice broke up enough for Shackleton to lead his expedition in three open lifeboats through freezing open water to a lifeless bit of rock called Elephant Island.With 5 companions aboard the remaining battered lifeboat, Shackleton left his crew and stuck out across the open ocean in a desperate attempt to reach a remote whaling station to obtain help.His faithful men would remain behind to weather the winter storms sleeping under the upended wreckage of a lifeboat -- their lives dangling by the frail promise that he wouldsomeday return. Alfred Lancing is an experienced journalist whose detailed research combines with direct and perfectly-paced prose and a handful of the expedition's original photographs.It is a tale ofleadership, unflagging courage, and determination in the face of impossible odds.But maybe the real definition of heroism is to be undaunted by the impossible.After sixteen days covering 900 miles of water in an amazing feat of open boat navigation, Shackleton struck land at South Georgia Island -- and after a three-day sleepless march over the 10,000 foot mountains in the huge island's interior, Shackleton and his remaining companions finally stumbled into a remote whaling outpost.And 450 days after being shipwrecked, after 5 attempts in three different ships, Shackleton managed to return to Elephant island to rescue his 22 remaining crew members in a tugboat borrowed from the Chilean government -- finally delivering all 29 of his men without the loss of a single life --and making Endurance one of the most inspiring stories of human survival every written.
An account of breathtaking courage
The author has clearly been rigorous in piecing together diary extracts and interview notes to put together this account of an adventure, or perhaps ordeal, which required of its survivors a degree of courage, composure and determination that cannot fail to humble yet uplift and inspire the reader.The style of narrative is rather matter-of-fact, rather than dramatic, and its coverage is limited to the expedition itself without dwelling much on the lives of the key players before or after.

An incredible book
Alfred Lansing's book, Endurance, dramatically details the 1914 expedition to the Antarctic led by Sir Ernest Shackleton.Although a non-fiction book, Lansing manages to make it read like a thriller, adventure.He wrote his story using first person accounts, interviews of survivors, journal entries, etc.While sometimes history can be a bit dry, this novel truly makes you feel a part of the adventure and reads very quickly.Ernest Shackleton's leadership abilities ensure not only the survival of the crew, but demonstrate his character as a man.Crew and officers were treated alike and shared in the duties of survival.Order was maintained and his personality and command of the situation enabled the group to survive what could have been a disaster. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. (1914-1917)    2. 1874-1922    3. Adventurers & Explorers    4. Antarctica    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Biography/Autobiography    8. Endurance (Ship)    9. Historical - British    10. Historical - General    11. Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition    12. Shackleton, Ernest Henry,    13. Sir,    14. Travel    15. History / Polar Regions    16. Journeys    17. Shackleton, Ernest Henry   

Editorial Review

The quintessential memoir of the generation of Englishmen who suffered in World War I is among the bitterest autobiographies ever written. Robert Graves's stripped-to-the-bone prose seethes with contempt for his class, his country, his military superiors, and the civilians who mindlessly cheered the carnage from the safety of home. His portrait of the stupidity and petty cruelties endemic in England's elite schools is almost as scathing as his depiction of trench warfare. Nothing could equal Graves's bone-chilling litany of meaningless death, horrific encounters with gruesomely decaying corpses, and even more appalling confrontations with the callousness and arrogance of the military command. Yet this scarifying book is consistently enthralling. Graves is a superb storyteller, and there's clearly something liberating abou