Book Description

It seems almost unbelievable that 31 August 2002 will mark the fifth anniversary of the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales. In the years that have followed that devastating tragedy, there have been several attempts to rewrite her history, or even to portray her as something other than what she was. In addition, there have been extravagant accusations and conspiracy theories about her fatal accident, all adding to the fog of myth and supposition that has gathered about her memory.

The author of this remarkable memoir was a crucial figure in the Princess's life for many years from 1987. In that time, he became a close friend and trusted confidant who shared her most private moments. His first-hand account takes issue with many of the so-called 'facts' about the Princess that have appeared in books and the media since her death, and provides an affectionate, if not always uncritical, insight into this complex, troubled, but ultimately deeply fascinating woman.

Here is the authentic voice of someone who played an important role in Diana's life, becoming a friend and confidant not only to her, but to her sons as well. It is the voice of a man who is, above all, an exceptionally perceptive observer of the extraordinary events he watched unfold around the Princess during what was perhaps the most crucial period of her life. Packed with anecdotes, his account provides the most intimate portrait of Diana to date, as well as a fitting tribute to one of the outstanding figures of our age. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Finally, equilibrium!!!
I just finished reading Ken Wharfe's wonderful account of his time with Princess Diana. I have read over sixty books on the royal family and this, by far, seems to be the most balanced account of Diana. I never had the opportunity to meet her but I knew that she could not have been as 'off balance' as much as has been presented in the past. Catherine Walker mentioned in her book that Diana had a wonderful sense of humor and Ken Wharfe expounds on that to give us examples of what she found funny and how lighthearted she could be at times. I also was not surprised that she could be a handful at times. While the world knows her past, her indescretions and some of her pain, she never let the British public down when it came to representing the royal family. It always amazed me that she could go from being with the most destitute of people, showing her caring for them, and then be at the most extravagant parties looking as though she was comfortable at both ends of the spectrum. One of the most eye-opening parts of the book is the difference of the protection officer from Scotland Yard and the protection offered by the Al Fayed family. It didn't occur to me until I read this that Mr. Wharfe had the opportunity to stop whatever may have come into play if it could possibly affect the safety of the Princess. He could do so directly with her without having to answer to the royal family since he worked for Scotland Yard. The Al Fayed protection team was hampered by the fact that they worked for their boss and I suppose their primary objective was to make all parties happy along with security and trying to keep their jobs all at the same time. It turned out to be a tragic combination. This is a well balanced book on Diana and Charles. It shows all sides and I hope that someday William and Harry will read it and realize that the author had compassion for their mother and father. I truly believe Mr. Wharfe had the best interest of the Princess in mind when he put pen to paper. I do believe she would have been proud.

Great Read!
I have collected books, magazines,and what not on Princess Diana since her engagement to Charles, and never in the 22 years of collecting have I found a book that is so worth reading! While it gives an insight to the pain and hell Diana was going through while Charles cavorted with Camilla, it also shows how strongly the Princess tried to "make her marriage right" and how only after continual rejection by her husband did she begin her affair with James Hewitt.
This book also shows a loving and devoted father in Charles,and equally shows the strenghts and weaknesses in both the Prince and Princess. It also shows the mischieviousness of William and Harry as well.
If you are looking for a "tell all" book, you will find a bit of that here, but mostly you will find a very balanced, very human look at both Princess Diana and the world in which she lived. I would highly reccomend this book to anyone doing historical research on the Princess and her day to day life.

Worth buying
This book is an excellent, balanced, well-written account of Diana's life and a heartwarming glimpse into Diana's personality. The author has no axe to grind nor is he trying to make a buck by using the most shocking stories he knows. Instead, he has produced a very readable, fun book on Diana. I would not say this is THE one book to buy on the Princess of Wales but if you like to read about Diana, this is probably one of the Top 10. There is plenty of interesting new information to make it worth your time.

Interesting Insight!
I found this book a believable and honest account of Diana's
bodyguard's relationship with her. Enjoyed reading about the
great times and not so great times she shared with this bodyguard
and the difficult job he was required to do. His loyalty is
evident in the book and also his sadness at the end of their
working friendship. Great book!

Interesting Comments About Diana's Life
Ken Warfe's book about Diana Princess of Wales was one of the more balanced and interesting accounts that I have read about her life from 1987 through the mid 90's. He was Diana's body guard provided by Scotland Yard and at one point considered himself to be close confidant for Diana in a professional way. His account neither condones or disapproves of her conduct but objecively describes her life at the time. In it, he tells about her affairs with James Hewitt, James Gilbey and Oliver Hoare yet doesn't divulge seamy details that he may have been aware of. He does a fine job of describing what Diana's life was like at that time in the royal family and how her some of her choices were effected by Prince Charles actions, particulary, his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles. He doesn't make excuses for Diana's actions some of which are very immature but impartially describes the scene and the people involved. Wharfe doesn't deny that his job was difficult at times. In fact, he is very open about Diana's complex character. He describes a woman who can be very difficult yet fun to be with, manipulating and needy yet extremely caring and selfless, a person obsessed with being in the spotlight yet wanting a "normal" life. I felt that her bodyguard, Ken Wharfe, captured her life for that time period in a well thought out, easy to read and balanced presentation about one of the most fascinating people of this century. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Not just Elizabeth but why she matters
Anne Barton, an emerita Cambridge, England professor of literature and history, called this book 'scholarly, wide-ranging, lively and witty', and she doesn't give out praise lightly: she also described it as 'a fascinating cultural history of England itself in terms of its obsession with Anne Boleyn's resilient daughter.' This was in the London Review of Books, which rarely gets that sort of thing wrong, so I bought it. And she was dead right. This is a stunning book -- broadens your whole sense of history. And such a joy and a stimulant to read. I can't think how they'll ever follow it, but thank goodness they wrote it.

Gloriana in all her posthumous glory!
This is a dazzling piece of cultural history about all the things people have wanted to be true about Elizabeth I whether they are or not, with fantastic pictures drawn from the plays and novels and movies in which her endlessly glamorous afterlife has been lived. It's a great book about why this enigmatic, dangerous woman matters and has mattered: it's funny, it's heartfelt, and it's scholarly too. Perfect for the thinking Glenda Jackson/Bette Davis/Cate Blanchett fan in your life, and a penetrating, witty meditation on fame, womanhood, and history. ... Read more

Book Description

His real name was James Aitken, though he was better known as "John the Painter." During the early months of the American Revolution, he wreaked havoc in England by performing acts of terror on behalf of America. In this first full-length chronicle of the man who attempted to burn down royal navy yards across England, Jessica Warner paints a tart and entertaining portrait of the world's first modern terrorist. At the height of the scare, King George III received daily briefings from his ministers, the Bow Street Runners were on the chase, newspapers printed sensational stories, and in Parliament a bill was rushed through to suspend habeas corpus. This is rollicking popular history with something for every reader: authentic 18th-century atmosphere, timely social history, international political intrigue, terrorism, chase scenes, spies, a double agent or two, a jailhouse snitch, the king, a young woman innocently tending her sheep . . . and much more. ... Read more

Book Description

A genius, a beauty, a leader, and a manipulator, Elizabeth I has fascinated and enthralled her public for centuries. The era that bears her name was the most exciting and dazzling in England's history.Witty, cruel, brave, and cantankerous, Elizabeth fascinated and exasperated her intimates, and when she died in 1603 at the age of seventy, she was at the height of her public popularity. Christopher Hibbert's masterful biography introduces a new generation of readers, aware of the challenges women face in wielding power, to perhaps history's greatest monarch.He has given readers today a reason to appreciate and marvel at one of the most remarkable women who has ever lived.

"[Hibbert] never writes a dull or an incomprehensible page...the details of [this book] are often brilliantly illuminating."(Antonia Fraser) ... Read more

Reviews (14)

A somewhat laborious book, with little insight to Elizabeth
Perhaps I was expecting too much of this book when I began reading it; I had hoped that this work would provide an interesting and intimate portrait of Elizabeth, as well as a clear account of the contributions of her reign. However, the book did not succeed at doing either. The book provides some interesting events of the period, but too often keeps the reader at a distance from the Queen. Through cumbersome and lengthy sentences, and boring verbiage, the author loses the reader in the reader's attempt to maintain an interest in the life of Elizabeth I. Having finished the book, I reflected on what I had learned about Elizabeth and found that I had more questions about events that were discussed in the book, than I did before I read the author's account of those events.

I highly recommend that any reader looking for a detailed and balanced account of Queen Elizabeth I look elsewhere.

An excellent fact-based story on Queen Elizabeth I
This was a hard book to put down! It is filled with interesting facts about the English monarchy. Christopher Hibbert does an excellent job giving the reader a feel for what life was like during the reign of Elizabeth I. After reading this book, I learned much about this very unusual woman and gained a better understanding of how her strength, intelligence, and cunning enabled her to command the respect and love of her people. Christopher Hibbert also reveals a very fascinating human side to a legendary, historical figure. I highly recommend this book to lovers of English history.

a good read for those who are interested in Elizabeth I
This is a biography of Elizabeth I, The Virgin Queen. And that's exactly what it is. Queen Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry the VIII is a legend, which Mr. Hibbert attempts to address. Often, this is a dry and, at times, tedious read. However, the details of Elizabeth's physical appearance, politics, and idiosyncracies are extremely interesting. The author details life with Elizabeth and her court, including both of the Queen Marys, Robert Dudley, Sirs Walter Raleigh and William Cecil and others.

The time line is obscure - Mr. Hibbert jumps around quite a bit and it can be confusing to the reader that isn't paying exacting attention. I wouldn't recommend it to a casual reader looking for a lot of melodrama and action. But, all in all, this is a good read for those who are interested in Elizabeth I.

A good Introduction to Elizabeth I
I've been a fan of Hibbert's historical works for many years and this is a solid one-volume introduction to a woman whose fascinating life almost seems made for the movies (as it frequently has been). However, specialists in Elizabeth should be aware this is definitely an introduction and does not go into the depth that authors like Alison Plowden bring to their multiple volumes. And I did find - having read a great many books on Elizabeth - that there was an indefinable quality to Hibbert's work that became slightly irksome. In the early 20th century and before, it was standard convention to write about Elizabeth's prevarication, her changes of mood and occasional bad temper, and the despair of her (all male) counselors, as a typical example of an emotional women who happened to be queen. I've even read volumes which imply that Elizabeth's reputation is largely due to her male council keeping her feminine weaknesses under control. Only in the past decades has that slightly condescending tone been dropped and Elizabeth seen for the statesman she was (albeit, still a difficult woman!) I detected the slightest hint of that condescension in Hibbert's book, particularly in his later chapters dealing with Elizabeth's agonies in deciding how to deal with Mary Queen of Scots. For that reason only, I rate it a "4" and not a "5." With that slight caveat, an excellent introduction overall.

Not just a boring bio
For those interested in the life of Queen Elizabeth, I recommend this biography. Unlike a cold interpretation, Hibbert allows us an accounting that reads fairly easily with descriptive details lively enough to keep the pages turning. ... Read more

Book Description

Stanley Booth, a member of the Rolling Stones' inner circle, met the band just a few months before Brian Jones drowned in a swimming pool in 1968. He lived with them throughout their 1969 American tour, staying up all night together listening to blues, talking about music, ingesting drugs, and consorting with groupies. His thrilling account culminates with their final concert at Altamont Speedway-a nightmare of beating, stabbing, and killing that would signal the end of a generation's dreams of peace and freedom. But while this book renders in fine detail the entire history of the Stones, paying special attention to the tragedy of Brian Jones, it is about much more than a writer and a rock band. It has been called-by Harold Brodkey and Robert Stone, among others-the best book ever written about the sixties. In Booth's new afterword, he finally explains why it took him 15 years to write the book, relating an astonishing story of drugs, jails, and disasters. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

A Great Rock And Roll Band Book
Author Stanley Booth had the ultimate access to the Stones. He managed to get a contract for a book on the Band, found access, and convinced the Stones themselves to authorize his work as well as let him accompany them on the 69-70 tours, just before the infamous stuff of Altamont happened. By managing to last with the Stones, over time actually becoming one of the rare friends who could find and hang out with the Band members, he acquired an incredible store of tales, which he tells in a remarkably literary manner in this book. Using quotes from the likes of Norman Mailer, "Hambone," the Crystals, Cynthia Plastercaster (if you don't know about her, you really need to get this book), Booth clearly demonstrates his credentials as a serious author. The book benefits.....the best story of the writing of Satisfaction by the Holiday Inn pool in Clearwater is in here as are the tales of Mick and Keith's arrival at Altamont (not at all what you would suspect). All in all, this is one of the good ones and you can't go wrong by taking time to read it cover to cover.

Great reading once you get into it
Having been a Stones fan for ever I was looking forward to reading this book, however at first I put it right back down again as the author's style was a bit hard to get into. Later when I picked it up and got through the Author Block on my behalf I found this to be a really well written insight into the the Stones and what went on around them. Having sampled first hand in some ways the lifestyles described in this book I found it bringing back memories good and bad of those times when I doubt if anyone really knew what was going.on.
This is really two books in one the history of the Stones and memories of hanging out with the Stones themselves.
A great book overall.
I hope that Stanley Booth is rewarded justly for the work he put into this book he deserves it, as do the Stones for the work they have done over the years.

Simply The Best
In over 20 years of reading books on bands, this is head and tails above the rest. The author if I remember correctly ended up a heroin addict as he followed the Stones around at the end of The Sixties. This book is so well written that it pulls you in and you can imagine being there. On top of that you get the death of Brian Jones and the buid-up and follow-up to Altamont.

Realley, this book is unmissable.

Probably the best book written on the sixties
A very well written and thoughtful book. The prose is superb. Booth alternates chapters between the saga of the Stones' 1969 American tour (of which he was a part) and the history of the band up to that time. The book provides an intimate portrait of the band's early years and evokes what it was like to be alive and aware in the sixties.

The World's Greatest Rock and Roll Book
Talk about a masterpiece; this is one! Stanley Booth was a struggling rock journalist who managed, through persistent effort and good timing, to land a regular slot on the 1969 "Let It Bleed" tour of the Rolling Stones across these United States. What was supposed to be a simple, intelligent chronicle of a rock band's work became a chilling time capsule of the end of an era, and possibly, of a dream as well, when the band's disastrous appearance at the Altamont concert rang down the curtain on the Sixties hippie dream of world peace and brotherhood. This is not just a book detailing the Stones' many misadventures with the law, with drugs, with reckless groupies and sycophants and promoters, as you might expect; nor it is simply a grisly blow-by-blow of the tragic events of that December night in the northern California wilderness, when a vicious pack of Hells' Angels stabbed a young concertgoer to death, literally a few feet from where Mick Jagger sang "Gimme Shelter" and "Sympathy for the Devil" as Keith Richards and the other Stones churned out those classic songs behind him. You will find those contents in here, but they are only a fraction of the treasures this book contains. (Booth freely admits that his womanizing during this tour cost him his marriage, and he is as unsparing in his critiques of the Stones, whom he truly loves, as he is towards his own failings.) You can almost see, hear, feel the chaos, the majesty, the confusion, and the power of the events he's describing; each character comes wonderfully to life, through his use of interwoven, somewhat kaleidoscopic scene changes, flashbacks and flash-forwards, stream of consciousness and grimly bare-boned narrative. Brilliant, hilarious, loathsome, mesmerizing, harrowing, glorious...many such adjectives could apply to the events and personalities depicted in this epic book of rock excess and human misadventure. I'd like to write another review, just so I could give it five more reviews - it's that good! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

Sir Walter the great
Sir Walter Raleigh was a little of everything. I read this book along with the new Benjamin Frankin: An American Life, and have determined that there's more to these guys than the scant information we were all given in school. What an eye-opener this book was. Well written, well researched, and well . . . just an overall entertaining good read. Highly recommended.

Also recommended: Benjamin Franklin and McCrae's Bark of the Dogwood ... Read more

Reviews (13)

This book is beautifully written and an excellent biography.
I had the great pleasure of recording this entertaining book for the American Foundation for the Blind's Talking Books program. Rather than summarize its contents, well done in other reviews on this site, I will simply say that I found it extremely easy to record because it is written in such flowing, evocative prose. In fact, it reads very much like a fascinating adventure novel, and Robert Louis Stevenson could almost have written it. The travels of Captain Cook are superbly recounted, and make engrossing, absorbing reading.

A well written biography
I was prompted to read this book after finishing Longitude which alludes to the progress Captain Cook made in a seamans health at sea. What I found was a man who rose to the top of his trade by applying himself and following his curiousity. He not only changed the way men lived while at sea, he travelled the globe in search of new and exciting places. While it's true he wasn't a great discoverer, the length and success of his trips speak for his talent and drive. Imagine spending upwards of 3 - 4 years at sea seperated from you home, family and friends and doing it on a vessel 100 feet long with a crew of 100! It's unheard of today and speaks of the fortitude adventures, such as Captain Cook, possessed. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in setting sail on the open seas from the comfort of your chair, you won't be disappointed!

This is a very solid biography.
We Aussies have a great deal of affection for dear old Captain Cook, who mapped our east coast whilst exploring the pacific. This book traces Cook's life and long career in an expert and readable fashion. Cook never advanced as rapidly as Lord Nelson, and traded in strictly military missions for other roles of importance to the Admiralty. But, as this fine biography shows, he stands alongside Nelson as a great British naval hero.

A biography that reads like a thriller
Before Captain Cook left on his first Voyage of Discovery, 40% of the Earth's surface had not been mapped. By the time he died - eaten by the Hawaiians, with only his thigh bone and uneated hands, one of them bearing a recognizable scar, delivered back to the ship - he had mapped essentially all of the unknown surface of the Earth. This biography is beautifully written. A few months ago I was sitting at a bar in Cook Islands, reading this book, and a local said to me that he had bought about 20 copies to hand out to his boatie friends. You are in for hours of discovery and enjoyment.

Was Cook Burned Out?
This is a fine biography of a fascinating man. And, judging from a search of Amazon.com, there don't appear to be too many biographies about James Cook in print. Mr. Hough's book is much easier to read than Beaglehole's; and it is a good introduction to start with before tackling Cook's Journals.

One thing that caught my attention was how radically different Captain Cook behaved on his third and final voyage. On the earlier voyages, he acted much more decisively, and showed remarkable concern for his men. They in turn developed great affection and respect for their leader.

On that last fateful voyage, Cook acted very much out of character. He was short-tempered, even cruel. He made hasty or stupid decisions and took foolish risks. At more than one point the crew was close to mutiny.

Hough explains that perhaps Cook was suffering from a parasitic infection or other physical and mental afflictions. This might explain his unusual behavior. It also occured to me that perhaps the good captain was simply "burned out" (to use a modern phrase). After having completed two round-the-world trips of 2-plus years each, the last thing this man needed was another long voyage. Even his superiors in the Admiralty knew he needed and deserved a rest. Cook himself must have known that too. Yet, his sense of duty impelled him to volunteer for one more mission. The Admirals should never have permitted it. Certainly not so soon after Cook's return from Voyage Two.

This is a good book. I have long admired James Cook; now after reading Hough's work, I list the captain among my heroes.

One final note: another reviewer asks why Cook was "always returning to Tahiti." Perhaps I missed something, but I only counted three visits by Cook to that island. Once to observe an astronomical event (the official reason for his First Voyage); later (on his Second Voyage) because his ship was in need of repairs and supplies; and then on the Third Voyage to return a Tahitian they had taken to England on the previous trip --- and this was the official reason for the Third Voyage.

On second thought, could anyone fault Cook for frequenting the beautiful Polynesian islands? Perhaps a few months on the beach --- but away from his work! --- would have saved the man's life! ... Read more

Book Description

In The Fatal Englishman, his first work of nonfiction, Sebastian Faulks explores the lives of three remarkable men. Each had the seeds of greatness; each was a beacon to his generation and left something of value behind; yet each one died tragically young.
Christopher Wood, only twenty-nine when he killed himself, was a painter who lived most of his short life in the beau monde of 1920s Paris, where his charm, good looks, and the dissolute life that followed them sometimes frustrated his ambition and achievement as an artist.
Richard Hillary was a WWII fighter pilot who wrote a classic account of his
experiences, The Last Enemy, but died in a mysterious training accident while defying doctor’s orders to stay grounded after horrific burn injuries; he was twenty-three.
Jeremy Wolfenden, hailed by his contemporaries as the brightest Englishman of
his generation, rejected the call of academia to become a hack journalist in Cold War Moscow. A spy, alcoholic, and open homosexual at a time when such activity was still illegal, he died at the age of thirty-one, a victim of his own recklessness and of the peculiar pressures of his time.
Through the lives of these doomed young men, Faulks paints an oblique
portrait of English society as it changed in the twentieth century, from the Victorian era to the modern world. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great Read
This book is wonderful. I let my art professor borrow this book and she went out and bought a copy for herself. But, not before taking time before a lecture to thank me for introducing her to this work. Most people have never heard of these men but they are fascinating and tragic. One becomes an artist after being stricken with polio. He displays talent and Picasso and Cocteau praise him. He works frantically but becomes frustrated and perhaps displays symptons of schizophrenia. His very death is a mystery, maybe he was pushed or jumped in front of an oncoming train. The second is different from the other two by his arrogance and personality. He is a pilot during WWII. Soon, he becomes the last surviving pilot of his outfit and against warnings and advice flies again, crashes and dies. He was horribly burned in a previous plane crash, which kept him from flying for a while, that changes everything for him. That's a given but he was a big flirt and used to getting women easily charmed. He even had an affair with a Hollywood movie actress. She starred opposite of Laurence Olivier in Wuthering Heights-Merle Oberon. The third and final man in this book is to me the most tragic. He is a man of complete brillance and very bright in everything he does. He flies through school with humor, charm, and by his intelligence. His teachers complain that he breezes through his education far too easily but brillantly. His sexuality poses a problem at a time when it was outlawed in Britain. His father is a sort of senator who loves his son, but there is conflict because of this law. He falls into alcoholism perhaps because of boredom. Even though intelligent in all subjects he has no one outstanding favorite subject, let's say. He becomes a journalist and gets tangled with the KGB and British intelligence and eventually CIA. At a certain point, he marries, which surprises all his friends, and talks of having children but dies mysteriously. The woman he married, he used to associate with in Russia during his stay as a reporter. Faulks engages you with his research and facts and doesn't really elaborate and digress. So, the life story of each man doesn't become murky unless he is going over a murky period of the men's lives. Each biography is told separately and like an essay comes together satisfactorily in the end. A sort of guilt comes over while reading and looking at the pictures though. It's as if someone could have tried harder for each or it makes you think about people in your life and wonder about them. Very good but I didn't like Faulk's book Birdsong. Mentioning that because I bought it after adoring this book.

The Fatal Englishman : Three Short Lives
This book is definitely worth the read. It traces the lives of 3 individuals. All live life to the full, with passion and ambition. What they have in common is not only their passion and ambition in life but that they all die young. It is an inspiring read to see what they overcame and accomplished in their quest for happiness and perfection in their life space. Read it. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (5)

Churchill, Champion of the Augustan Era
John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, is the uncontested military genius of late Stuart England, the uncrowned political/military heir to William of Orange and the famous ancestor of Winston Churchill. In tandem with Austria's general, Eugen of Savoy, he led the coalition armies in the War of the Spanish Succession, defeating in detail several of Louis XIV's French and Bavarian armies, most famously at Blenheim, but also at Ramilles, Ourdenarde and Malplaquet. Meanwhile, on the domestic front, his wife, the beautiful but intemperate Sarah Jennings, later Duchess of Marlbourough, became a "favorite" of Queen Anne and secured for him (at least for most of the war) the political support that necessary for him to field an army on the Continent for the many years.

As a writer of history, Churchill ranks with Gibbon for his mastery of prose and his ability to use vivid imagery to hold the reader's attention to minute detail. For each year of the Spanish Succession War, Churchill opens with a strategic appreciation of how the Anglo-Austrian forces plotted out each year's campaigns, and goes to great pains to explain the reasons behind Marlborough's various deployments. And he paints on a simply massive canvas: he begins with a detailed account of Charles II's Restoration, of James II's abortive reign (and Marlborough's role in ending it), of William III and Mary II's joint reign (Churchill is NOT a fan of William and Mary) and of the underlying workings of the French monarchy. He is not afraid to address the various failings in Marlborough's character, particularly his secret negotiations with both the enemy and the exiled Stuarts, but does seek to defend Marlborough (and Sarah) from the more libellous charges.

This book was written in the 1930s, politically Churchill's decade of exile (and personally, his worst years of depression). If everyone turned unemployment, financial crisis and depression to such good use, the world would be a far better place.

Churchill on Churchill
Winston Spencer Churchill's biography of, his ancestor John Churchill, First Duke of Marlborough stands out as a restoration of Marlborough's reputation, an account of England under the reigns of Charles II, James II, William III and Queen Anne, and an in-depth military and political history of the War of Spanish Succession.

WSC gives us a picture of the whole man, including his faults. One of WSC's purposes is to rescue Marlborough's reputation from the attacks of generations of historians. The book becomes a brilliant defense and of course it cannot be unbiased. WSC is Marlborough's defense attorney, not his judge.

By the 1920s, Marlborough had been called miserly, greedy, ambitious, duplicitous, disloyal and treacherous. As he recounts Marlborough's life, WSC continually picks up an episode that seemingly illustrates one of these traits, but turns it around.

Where unsympathetic historians saw miserly habits, WSC saw thrift and WSC goes further. Marlborough was miserly when it came to his own needs, such as when he insisted surgeons cut his stocking along the seem so that it could be resown. Yet he paid his army's bills and wages on time; apparently this was unusual in those days. He paid, from his own discretionary funds, which other generals often pocketed as a matter of course, for military intelligence that proved crucial to securing many of his victories.

Where accusers saw ambition needlessly prolonging a difficult war, WSC presents Marlborough has being bound by duty to achieve the best results possible, and to reject a timid peace, which would have left Europe in the hands of a despot.

WSC has a more difficult, but no less successful time defending Marlborough's continued correspondence with St-Germain, the exiled English court of James II and later his son, as recognized by Louis the XIV. The problem here is that today such acts would indeed be treason, but in the seventeenth century they were part of the normal workings of diplomacy, war time or not. After all, if passports and safe conduits were routinely given to enemies to allow them to rest and confer in between campaigns, it could not have been that unusual to keep in touch with people one knew, even if they were officially enemies.

WSC also presents Marlborough's most important relationships: with his wife Sarah Jennings; with his military ally Prince Eugene, with whom he won at Blenheim; with his political colleague Godolphin, who secured funds for his military work; with the kings and queen of England from James II to George I;

But WSC does accuse Marlborough on occasion of having been unwise. He is particularly critical of the Duke's obsession with his palace at Blenheim (where WSC himself was born). Marlborough didnft want an opulent residence, rather he wanted to leave a monument that would survive centuries and remember his name to future generations. WSC writes that as such Blenheim was a failure: it added nothing to the Duke's reputation and the worries it caused may have taken years from his life. Winston Churchill must have felt his biography was a better memorial to his ancestor.

I have to defend wellington from such major historical
oversight.

''one and only victory''?
What about the penninsular war, Between 1808-14 Wellingtons army fought up the spanish penninsular all the way to France constantly beating such noted Marshalls as Massena and Soult, battles in: Salamanca, Corrunna, Rolica and sieges: Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz to name a few.
He didn't even consider Waterloo to be his greatest victory.
Wellington is the only general to have successfully came up with a tactic to beat the revolutionary armees (using line formations versus French coloums and obscuring his armys behind obstacles)therefore desrves praise.

Wellington only once called his men ''scum of the earth'' this was in relation to the english recruiting methods (picking up drunks, prisoners) so it is true, his armys where riff raff though by 1814 he called them ''the finest fighting force in the world''

I've never considered Wellesly to have a big nose, are you not getting him confused with Nelson?

Churchills books are incredible.

Another thought.....
On re-reading I find Marlborough's contrasts with Wellington amusing, almost grotesque.

Marlborough was charm itself, Wellington coarse and foul-mouthed.

"Corporal John" was very careful with casualties (English, if not French), but the Iron Duke of course was callous to the point of carelessness, constantly calling his men "scum." (He would make a fine modern Russian general - I wonder what kind of impression he made on Kutuzov!). He treated officers differently.

Marlborough was born in straitened circumstances, Wellington in wealth and status.

Marlborough was a courtier all his life, with all the risks that came with such a position - in the end he paid for royal disfavor. Not even falling on his knees - he could have knocked two holes on the marble floor - made much difference to a Queen bent on revenge.....for his wife's misdeeds. Sir Winston calls this episode "painful to record" and an "unnatural spectacle" which "reduces the stature of a soldier [literally!]." (Book Two, p. 796-7) Wellington? The Big Nose treated HIS sovereigns with ill-concealed contempt (for good reasons, I might add) mixed with the occasional insults - unthinkable for Marlborough's character and times.

Last and above all, Marlborough's fame rested on a string of great victories - ten in all I think - while Wellington's one and only victory, a near-run thing even with Bluecher's help, made him immortal. Wellington was further assisted by the fact that Napoleon was not himself that day.

No wonder Marlborough was admired even by Louis XIV, while Napoleon turned purple at the mere mention of Wellington's name. (He did admire Nelson though.) Marlborough and Eugene thwarted Louis's ambitions, but the conqueror of Napoleon was surely Napoleon's own folly.

Why then is Marlborough less famous than Wellington, even in Britain? If I have to guess, it is because of Bonaparte's far greater importance than the Sun King's.

This book will give you hours of pleasure, especially if you keep at the back of your mind the lives of Wellington, Winston Churchill, etc., who are Marlborough's dramatic contrasts in many ways.

Maurice Ashley, who for four years did the bulk of the original research for Winston Churchill in writing this book, wrote his own biography of Marlborough, which I must confess I have not read (it may be available from amazon.com). No doubt it casts the great man in a different, perhaps even more disinterested light.

(Note: what amazon.com presents as "Volume I" is actually "Book One" - this biography is divided into two "books," each of which is subdivided into two "volumes," One and Two, and Three and Four. For me Book One is the more interesting "volume.")

Excellent
The name John Churchill, the First Duke of Marlborough (correctly pronounced: "MO-bra"), may not ring a bell among many of my American friends - except for those interested in history. It is true that he never achieved the worldwide fame enjoyed by his descendant and worshipper, Sir Winston Churchill, who is the author of this book and his unofficially official biographer. Neverthless Marlborough it was who gave the British lion its first roar - while Sir Winston gave it its very last.

It's not difficult to see why Sir Winston admired John. In his own day Marlborough was the greatest Englishman, the best general, and the finest diplomat of Europe. His spectacular victory at Blenheim was one of the world's most significant. He fought many battles; invincible, he won them all. For this he was granted a magnificent home named the Blenheim Palace (for its size to call it anything else would be a misnomer) - in which Sir Winston himself was later born. Like his younger contemporary Frederick the Great (one of my heroes), Marlborough was truly impressive in all aspects of warmaking: strategy, tactics, field command, logistics, diplomacy, personnel, intelligence. Like Frederick he was personally and physically brave (if a little LESS reckless). And like Frederick he had to run a country at the same time. In one way though Marlborough was even greater than Frederick - he never lost a battle.

It is true that without Prince Eugene, Marlborough would not have succeeded the way he did. But his prowess on the battlefield should rank him among the greatest commanders in history.

Striking was Marlborough's dependence on several women in his life, to whom he owed his entire career: his own sister, who got him his first job (as a lowly page to the Prince of Wales); the Duchess of Cleveland, who lavished money on him for his exceptional "services"; Sarah Jennings, his wife, who rose from equally humble background to be politically important; and Queen Anne, who made him Duke and head of the English army. A genius in war, he was also lucky in love. Stunningly handsome, he matched his looks with flawless manners plus sparkling intelligence; not surprisingly his charm was irresistible to women (and, as has been pointed out, men too). Yet he had a happy marriage. (His wife, a tremendous beauty in her own right, lived in constant if unfounded fear of his infidelity. Though the youthful Marlborough had a bastard daughter with Cleveland, he was no Casanova in married life.)

That Marlborough was a genius and his life a phenomenal success story, no one can deny. But in the interests of family loyalty as well as personal devotion Sir Winston was willing to turn a blind eye to some of Marlborough's faults: his insatiable financial greed, his manipulativeness, his tightfistedness with money, his suspect honesty, his all-consuming ambitions, his inability to write in literate English. But as I am a fan of Marlborough's myself, I do not blame Sir Winston. I only wish to add that his one-sided account, though the best, does not provide a complete picture.

It's puzzling to me how with increasing age, fame and fortune Marlborough's thick skin, which had served him well in his youth, got thinner and thinner, until he was almost destroyed by his sensitivity to criticisms. Too bad, because his political enemies were so unworthy compared to him. A ruthless man (though not necessarily a Stalin) would have been aggressive and hounded his enemies to THEIR death, but Marlborough lacked this killer instinct......all the stranger for a soldier! Instead he gave himself a stroke and that was the end of his career.

No admirer of Sir Winston's - I dislike him - I nonetheless recommend this book very highly. It is extremely well-written. Be sure to get both volumes. And pay particular attention to the military campaigns - these are true masterpieces of historical writing. If you must choose, however, get vol.1 - it has the best actions, including the high points of his career: marriage to Sarah, the meteoric rise, the Garter, Blenheim, the Dukedom. The chapter entitled "Avarice and Charm" - two aspects of his personality - is particularly interesting.

Not for nothing did Sir Winston win the Nobel Prize for Literature, and by common consent "Marlborough" was his best work. ... Read more

Amazon.com

He was something of a bully, something of a blowhard, without friends and always in search of a sympathetic audience for his monologues. Yet, writes John Keegan in this slender but thorough portrait, Winston Churchill was unquestionably the right man for the time.

Few biographers are better equipped than Keegan, the eminent military historian, to write of Churchill as a wartime leader. Indeed, Keegan suggests, Churchill was never more at ease than when confronting some fierce enemy, whether across the English Channel or a range of Afghan hills; it was from the saddle that he developed his "vision of how an enlightened empire might transform the future of mankind." The rise of other, less enlightened empires helped put an end to his own, but Churchill steadfastly insisted on a strong role for Great Britain in the postwar world--in which he succeeded, even if voters turned him out of office almost as soon as the war ended.

Keegan's respectful portrait assesses Churchill's many accomplishments (and a few noteworthy failures) as he sought, in Churchill's ringing words, to "resist oppression, to protect the weak, to vindicate the profound but unwritten Law of Nations." Admirers of Churchill and students of his time will find much of value in these pages. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Reviews (17)

A competent short history of World War II's greatest leader.
As a previous reviewer has stated, this is a good short history of Winston Churchill. Keegan does a competent job of giving us the short version on this great man. However it is not really inspired writing, and not a page turner. I found myself plodding through this book and wondering when the tempo would change. It didn't. All of the highlights of Churchill's life are there, it just didn't flow well.
There are many great books about Winston Churchill. Some comprise several volumes. I would rate Manchester the best in terms of biography. Keegan's book is a good first start for those who don't know much of Churchill.

Short, Sweet, and Smart
As with the entire Penguin Lives series, this book was written by an expert who was given the challenge of sharing his knowledge in less than 200 pages. John Keegan succeeds brilliantly. As an expert on World War II, Keegan has written many wonderful and insightful books and this is no exception despite the literary constraints placed upon him. His clear and beautiful prose make the book a quick and enjoyable read, but he does not sacrifice information. I did not know a lot about Churchill before reading this book, but now I feel that I have a good understanding for his achievements and why he was so significant in his own time. It is a fabulous book for an amateur historian who does not want to spend dozens of hours wading through a biography several volumes long and simply wants to know significant events and some good analysis by a renowned historian. A wonderful, well written, and interesting book.

Recommended, but with reservations
As usual, the author gives an informative and intelligent perspective of his subject. I've liked his many other books, and I have enjoyed other biographies of Churchill. Alas, I cannot agree with the author's final enthusiasm for Churchill, or for Churchill's being declared the most important figure of the last century.

As is stated in the book, Churchill had many significant accomplishments, but I am troubled by the author's lack of discussion of his subject's faults. Churchill gave every indication of being a racist. He was also a strict colonialist whose position lacked foresight of many future and bloody conflicts. These issues, that is the facts supporting these conclusions, are all noted by Keegan, but with no elaboration.

Also, why are so many willing to credit Churchill with great courage for his flying in and out of battles? I imagine that many soldiers would be similarly "courageous" if given the option (with mommy's help) to leave the field of battle as they chose. This is what Churchill did in every engagement in which he participated. For me, the courageous are those who remained regardless of the "excitement" level.

Churchill was blinded by his racism, elitism, and flighty ideas of warfare. These were not simple idiosyncrasies with no significant repercussions. His lack of respect for fighting abilities of the Asian race and his insistence on colonialism arguably led to the type of policies for which thousands of British soldiers died. Furthermore, his impulsive (and let's face it, ignorant) ideas of warfare directly led to his pushing and approving disastrous campaigns in both world wars. Again, Keegan failed to follow up on any of these issues and if anything he treated them as peculiar traits of the great statesman such as his cigar smoking, and moodiness.

Churchill wrote volumes on WWII, all of which conveniently overlooks any of his possible errors, but it received enough acclaim (by many for whom I suspected did not actually read the several volumes), and this shaped how many historians and biographers were to later judge the war and Churchill.

I only argue that it is time to honor the man for his accomplishments, but it is not heretical to want a full discussion of him. The British electorate seemed well aware of the dichotomy of the man when they demanded his rise to prime minister, but removed from office him and his party when the times changed.

Exceptional Biography by an Exceptional Scholar
John Keegan is one of the most distinguished military historians of our day. He was an excellent choice to pen this biography of Winston Churchill. Like the other Penguin Lives books, this volume presents an excellent, brief introduction to the life of Britain's WWII Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Keegan begins by telling of his own "immunity" to the Churchillian legend and how that was transmuted into an admiration upon listening to an album of Churchill's war speeches.

Keegan describes Churchill's exploits as a young soldier, his writing life, his days as a Member of Parliament, and his years as Prime Minister. Brief, to the point, this is a very nice introduction to Churchill.

This is a great book for a layman. To those who have already read lengthier biographies of Churchill, this may be a nice review. Popular, not academic.

great biography of a great man
Simply a great biography of a very great man.

It is a compact book of under 200 pages; squeezing Sir Winston Churchill's long and eventful life into this short book must have been hard but Keegan succeeded brilliantly. ... Read more

Book Description

Edward I--one of the outstanding monarchs of the English Middle Ages--pioneered legal and parliamentary change in England, conquered Wales, and came close to conquering Scotland.A major player in European diplomacy and war. with Philip IV a decade later.This book is the definitive account of a remarkable king and his long and significant reign.Widely praised when it was first published in 1988, it is now reissued with a new introduction and updated bibliographic guide. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Excellent biography on one of England's best rulers
Along with J.R. Maddicott's biography on Simon de Montfort, I would put this biography as one of the best biographies written for historical figures of this time period. Good thing is, they both compliment each other well.

Michael Prestwich's work proves to be superbly researched, highly informative and above all for me, very readable. It does help to have some previous reading on the subject since Edward I had a long career from his teen age years and it kept going until he died. The thick book covers all aspects of Edward's long and colorful life in richness of details and facts.

In this book, you will not see Edward Longshank of that movie, Braveheart, which probably did its outmost to ruined the reputation of this great ruler. In this book, the reader will understand why many regards Edward I as one of England's greatest rulers, easily in the top five, maybe the top three!!

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys this subject and had read on this material before. Good background reading would be helpful in getting the most out of this book. Written by a great scholar for other scholars or "scholar want to be".

excellent look into Longshanks' life
This books is so rich in historical fact and details, drawn from medieval records of that period. For someone wanting more than the superficial, this book supplies it, showing Edward in a scholarly fashion rather than the usual pro or con look. It's very details in what it cost to run Longshanks' kingship, right down the wars against Wales and Scotland.

Very balanced in presentation and offers us a deep insight into the man who remade England, conquered the Welsh and Irish, fought France and faced the rise of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce.

Highly recommended.

scholarly exposition of the memorable reign
Edward I (Yale English Monarchs) by Michael Prestwich is an extremely well researched, cross-referenced and influential book on the subject of early Plantagenet history. Drawn on the original records of the age (late 13th, early 14th century) is portrays different achievements of the productive reign - Edward a Lawgiver, Edward a Warrior in Scotland and France, Edward a Family Men, Edward a Diplomat, and ... of course Edward loosing his temper. Especially well presented are the accounts of the Household and Exchequer, and a review of Parliamentary activities of Edward. Books somewhat dry tone is justified by extensive reference collection. A great first scholarly introduction to one of the most important reigns in British history.

Informative, but DRY
A bit dull, but likely the best researched volume available on E1. I would recommend this title more for scholarly use than for the "armchair historian", as I think it would fail to hold the attention of any but the most devoted reader. Contemporary documentation dealing with the private Edward must be quite limited, so reliance upon administrative documentation is inevitable, but it makes the work less than personable. Prestwich's, "The Three Edwards", though grander in scope actually seems to hone in better on the personalities of the subject (and his son and grandson, to boot!) That being said, I doubt one could find a more detailed and comprehensive study.

Competent, albeit unmemorable.
Undoubtedly well researched and competently presented, I was left with the wish that the author had leavened his work with an occasional touch of humor. Only my deep interest in English history kept me going to the end, especially through long descriptions of the activities of the king's household that could have cured insomnia. Considering the inglorious end to the reign of his son, Edward II, an epilog chapter to Edward I's biography would have been welcome, or at least more attention paid to the relationship between the latter and his heir. ... Read more

Book Description

Set in the unexplored jungles of Central America in the mid-1800s, this true-life adventure story will enthrall the armchair archaeologist.

Recounted here for the first time is the adventurous life of Frederick Catherwood, the 19th-century English artist who discovered the lost Mayan cities in the jungles of Central America and the Yucatn plateau. In 1839 Catherwood and his American companion, John Lloyd Stephens, were the first Westerners to view the immense terraces, fabulous temples, and elaborate palaces that had been inexplicably abandoned ten centuries earlier. Superbly illustrated by Catherwood, Stephens' lively travel diaries recounting their extraordinary archaeological discoveries were published in 1841 and 1843.

Using these journals and his own extensive research, author Fabio Bourbon has pieced together Catherwood's fascinating biography, which until now has been shrouded in mystery. Illustrating this handsome large-format book are more than 200 engravings made from Catherwood's original drawings. Also reproduced is Catherwood's Views of Ancient Monuments in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatna rare color portfolio considered to be his best work. Catherwood's other adventures are also describedhis first trips to Europe and Egypt, his later expeditions to Central America, and finally his experiences in California. This intriguing book about an intrepid adventurer/artist will appeal to anyone interested in exploration, architecture, and archaeology.

208 illustrations, 191 in full color ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Very Nice Indeed
Frederick Catherwood's career as an artist has been dominated by the magnicent drawings and paintings that he made of Mayan art and architecture while accompanying archaeologist John Lloyd Stephens . For decades this was the only view of that civilization that most people had. Even today they still are impressive. Bourbon gives us not only a biography of the artist but wisely chose to put the book into a large format. The result is that the reader can appreciate Catherwood's work (which the book is profusely filled with) even better. Coupled with John Lloyd Stephens "Incidents of Travel in Yucatan" (available in very inexpensive editions) one can expierence the thrill of discovery that both men felt as they uncovered the lost Mayan cities of the Yucatan jungles. A feast for the eyes
of the first visions of a vanished world.

The Lost Cities of the Mayas : The Life, Art, and Discoverie
In reading the The Lost Cities of the Mayas : The Life, Art, and Discoveries of Frederick Catherwood by Fabio Bourbon, one must first take in and enjoy the full folio size color reproductions of Catherwood's engravings and drawings. The vast aray of sumptous images and the clear and concise text that takes you on an adventure through the life of Frederick Catherwood, the first real Indiana Jones is a joy to read and imagine! Oh to have lived in the 19th c. and been on the first real archaeological journey through mexico and central america, documenting the opening up of an ancient civilization to the world. A must for the adventure reader and explorer. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

An Uncommon View of Royalty
Childhood at Court is an entertaining look at the lives of royal children at the British Court from 1819 to 1914, roughly the lifespan of Queen Victoria and her son Edward VII. There have been innumerable biographies of Queen Victoria and her children, but none that have focussed only on their childhoods. This book therefore fills a gap, and does so with an interesting, fresh style which makes use of plenty of anecdotes, some well known, others more obscure. I was interested to come across some of these stories, because I have read many histories and biographies of the period, and many of Van der Kiste's anecdotes were brand new. Both Queen Victoria and her son Edward VII had childhoods best described as dysfunctional, but its interesting to see how the future king seems to have learned from his parents' mistakes and given his own children a happier upbringing. Queen Victoria also seems to have mellowed as she grew older, and its nice to read about the antics her younger grandchildren and great-grandchildren were allowed to get away with, like slapping the Queen's hand and saying "Naughty Grandmamma!!"

This is a nice addition to anyone's library of books about royals or books about children.

Very interesting!
This book was so interesting! Enough has certainly been written about Queen Victoria that you'd think yet another biograpy of her and her family is not what the world needs: but this book is very much true to its title in concentrating on Victoria's childhood, that of her children, and that of her grand-children. People say that Childhood was invented in the Victorian period, and it is fascinating to see how an ultra-priveledged upbringing changed in the 100 years that this book covers. Even the changes that took place while Victoria's children were growing up is fascinating: the eldest daughter was married to a German prince at age 15, while her youngest daughter didn't marry until she was in her late 20's!

I definately recomend this book to anyone who is interested in british royal history, or the history of childhood. Since Victoria's children married all over Europe, anyone who is interested in European history would also find this book well worth a read. Since it is not too long and not too dry, it would also be a good book for a teenager or young person who is ready for adult non-fiction, but wants something that they can relate to.

Luck of Birth
I found this book an enthralling read from start to finish. It transported me through time to the Victorian and Edwardian eras - a fascinating study of the lives of the matriarchal Queen Victoria, her children and grandchildren.
John Van der Kiste paints a vivid picture of the lifestyle of the aristocracy. I couldn't help comparing their lives to the poverty-stricken living in squalor, but that is for a different book.

The book begins with the story of Queen Victoria's own childhood which it goes into in some detail. It shows how she developed from a shy and insular young girl to a matriarch of the first order. We are then taken through the early married life of the Queen and the Prince Consort and the birth of each of their nine children.

There is a lot of fascinating detail in this book about the family life of the Queen. There are many anecdotes about the children, and although contact between parent and child was much less than we would have in a modern day family, it is plain that Victoria and Albert were loving and devoted parents who took a keen interest in the development of their children.

As time progresses we are introduced to the Queen's grandchildren and great grandchildren. It is interesting to read of the contrast in the Prince of Wales and Princess Alexandra as parents, as unlike Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as you could wish. They were much more lively and fun loving and this really comes across as you read further.
There are some wonderful anecdotes about King Edward and his grandchildren. His geniality sparkles from the page.

There seems to have been an about turn with George V who was a much more distant parent. It was interesting to read about all his children, as one usually hears most about the two brothers who later became King.

If you like English or European history you will find this book fascinating. It gives a flavour of the time and is eminently readable without being too heavy, even when going into politics, and without being frothy.
It is fascinating to learn of the inter-personal relationships within this massive family descending from one remarkable lady.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and felt that the individuals almost leapt from the page. I understood far more about them and their role in England's future having read it.

To make a history book riveting takes a particular talent and this author seems to have this in abundance. John Van der Kiste has a talent for getting right into a subject so that you can really imagine that you are there as an observer.

I highly recommend this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Peter Ackroyd's The Life of Thomas More is a masterful reconstruction of the life and imagination of one of the most remarkable figures of history. Thomas More (1478-1535) was a renowned statesman; the author of a political fantasy thatgave a name to a literary genre and a worldview (Utopia); and, most famously, a Catholic martyr and saint.

Born into the professional classes, Thomas More applied his formidable intellect and well-placed connections to become the most powerful man in England, second only to the king. As much a work of history as a biography, The Life of Thomas More gives an unmatched portrait of the everyday, religious, and intellectual life of the early sixteenth century. In Ackroyd's hands, this renowned "man for all seasons" emerges in the fullness of his complex humanity; we see the unexpected side of his character--such as his preference for bawdy humor--as well as his indisputable moral courage. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

A true Life of St. Thomas More
Peter Ackroyd has written a superb biography of this great figure Renaissance England, and Catholic history. His depiction of the sheer geogprahy of More's London world is so real that it served as guide for this reviewer on a visit to London who could trace More's steps, copy in hand. Ackroyd puts the humanist scholar, statesman, and saint in his own context and avoids the all too common trap of trying to "read" More against our own post-Christian secular world, where heresy is a "virtue", rather than a threat to the stability of an entire social and spiritual order. The only complaint this reviewer has is that Ackroyd has chosen to quote More's English works in their original spelling and grammar. This at times approximates reading a foreign language. It is this reviewer's opinion that he would have done better to use a more modern English, as his translations of More's Latin works are clear and eminently readable. All in all, however, a superb book !

One of the most elegant biographies I've ever read!
As a voracious biography reader I have never come across a more loving, generous, and fascinating biography than this one by Peter Ackroyd. The book is resplendent with tales of life in the latter part of the middle ages. It is not only a biography but a cornucopia of interesting facts about this period of history. The author shows a remarkable ability to take you from the Christian baptism of Thomas More all the way to his death as a martyr under the brutish reign of King Henry the VIII. One of the most stunning, prolific, polished biographies I have ever read in my life! I highly recommend this one for anyone interested in history and in the life of Thomas More.

The best contempory text on the life of St. Thomas More!
Peter Ackroyd is a master of drawing the reader into the experience of Thomas More. He provides a well researched and eloquent work that justly portrays the man and saint. Even though Sir Thomas More was emersed in the difficulties of state politics, economics, and law, Peter Ackroyd never loses sight of More's deep Catholic faith: "[The Mass] was the single most important aspect of his life, and the source from which much of his earnestness and his irony, his gravity and his playfulness, springs" (112).

A Biography, Not A Character Study
"The Life Of Thomas More" introduces the reader, not only to his life story, but also to the world of the Upper Class Englishman of his day. A life long Londoner, More earned his way into a rarefied world of legends. Henry VIII was his patron turned persecutor, Erasmus was his friend and St. John Fisher was his co-martyr.

In his early life, More lived a life of sanctity, but displayed traits which would not suggest a saintly temperament. Working his way into high office in what was then Catholic England, More was confronted by the early infiltration of the Protestant movement. A strong supporter of the Church of Rome, More aggressively worked to suppress the rising heresy.

More's religious fervor, which initially put him in good stead, became a handicap when Henry VIII chose to divorce and remarry. His religious consistency then led his patrons to turn on him. His efforts to avoid taking a stand on the issues of the King's divorce and remarriage and papal supremacy ultimately failed to save his life. Recognizing his fate, More made his last testimonies at his trial and in prison to supplement his prior writings such as "Utopia".

Although this book does well at relating More's outstanding life and public career it fails to give the reader a feel for the man. Upon completion of the book, I felt that I knew about Thomas More, but did not feel that I knew him. I am glad that I read it, but I had hoped for more.

A Penetrating and Artful Book
This is a first-rate biography of the sainted Thomas More. Ackroyd's goals in this biography are to present a non-anachronistic depiction of More, and through his portrait of More, to give readers a sense of the late Medieval world destroyed by the Reformation and the emergence of nation-states. Ackroyd presents More as a man exemplifying the late Medieval ethos. Deeply religous, highly intelligent, and well educated, More existed with a profound sense of human fallibility and saw all aspects of his world as manifestations of a divine order. The world as the body of Christ, a metaphor to which Ackroyd returns repeatedly, is a recurring theme. The temporal world is transient and a necessary preparation for the eternal and in a crucial sense, less real than the eternal world of Christian teachings. This world is bound by custom and inherited legal and religous traditions, hierarchial and paternalistic in its structure of authority, and deeply enmeshed in rituals that mirror the structure of divine authority. More was not, however, a reactionary except when the radicalism of the Lutherans pushed him to stringent and violent acts needed to defend the integrity of his perception of the Christian world. A prominent member of the Northern European Humanist movement, More was dedicated to the recovery of a renovated faith based on a new reading of the Patristic fathers, attention to classical, particularly Greek neoplatonic authors, and disdain for complex scholastic theology. He and his fellow Humanists hoped for reformation of the Church without abandoning the unity of