Reviews (1)

A Time-Treasured Princess
After reading most books, you can easily put the book back on the shelf without looking back. Princess Diana: Her Life Story was not like that at all. In fact, after reading it, you have to sit back and think about what a great book it was. This books didn't just tell the story of a great and accomplished woman, but it also described her thoughts, emotions, loves, and her shocking death that affected the whole world. Most biographies are all facts and dates, which for most can get quite dull. When I read the first few pages of this biography on Princess Diana, I knew for sure this would was different. The book made you feel lik you were there with Diana through the worst and best times of her life. Her life story was not just an ordinary biography, it was an amazing journey through the life of a time-treasured Princess. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (19)

Coogan takes on "The Big Fella"
Tim Pat Coogan's book "The IRA" is on the bookshelf of practically everyone with an interest in modern Irish politics. His biography of Michael Collins seems destined to join it. It is not an easy read, and contains a mass of detail of Collins' life from childhood to the ambush in which he died. The detail can be overwhelmingly dense at times, and often harrowing, and sometimes Coogan makes too many assumptions about the level of background knowledge of the reader. But if you've seen Neil Jordan's recent film, this biography will fill in the political and personal background of the man who made modern Ireland. Coogan's biography left me a lot wiser about the history of modern Ireland - and also served as a sad reminder of the importance of the gun in Irish politics

A difficult but engrossing history
The book is difficult but not tedious. It's a pity that Tim Coogan didn't supply a little background on Irish History, just to put the events he describes in context. Without that, it becomes a little difficult if you have no idea who or what he is referring to. When he gets into the main subject of this history, one tends to get lost in a maze of characters, and their various alliegences. Nevertheless it offers a very complete treatment of the Anglo-Irish War, the negotiation of the Treaty, and the subsequent Irish Civil War. The ugliness and brutality of the war with the British is upsetting, and may well leave you feeling very angry. Finally let me say that Michael Collins emerges from this story as an extrordinary young man of enormous ability in so many ways, who with a little help from his friends did manage to get the British out of Ireland, or at least out of the twenty-six counties. The absurdity of it all, is that he was killed by his own people when he was little more than thirty years old.

The Big Fellow,indeed!
One cannot understand modern Ireland with no knowledge of Michael Collins. Known as the "Big Fellow" Collins was the brains and driving force behind Ireland's triumphal revolution of 1916-1921. That struggle led directly to the formation of the Irish Free State and eventually the Irish Republic of today. One has to be careful how he phrases that statement, for Ireland has a long list of her heroes and martyrs. Collins is but one of them but Collins was different! So many others died in vain and became legends in song and story. The Big Fellow was icily prevailing. There are 4 main elements to MC: The first was Collins stunning use of intelligence to thwart the British at their own game. He was always a step ahead of the Brits. He was the most wanted man in Ireland but continually slipped through the hands of his foe. He literally hid in plain sight. The British had no picture of him and didn't know what he looked like! The second was his fearless use of selected assassination. In one night in 1920, his men (the aptly named 12 Apostles) took out 19 British agents! The demised were known as "the Cairo Gang'. The third is his uncomfortable role in the thorny peace negotiations with Lloyd George and Winston Churchill. The fourth is the most tragic: The Big Fellow, a "Free Stater", wanted to accept England's peace offer of a partitioned Ireland as a stepping stone to full independence. The so- called "Republicans"; led by the devious Eamon de Valera wanted immediate full independence. A Civil War ensued and the Big Fellow was assassinated. One could argue that author Coogan has a pro-Collins bias. Has Ireland been the same since? MC is a long story, rich in detail. This review has NOT done it justice. This is only a thumbnail's sketch! MC must be patiently read to be fully appreciated. The discipline the reader invests will be rewarded at the conclusion. Most Irish Americans, it is safe to write, have little or no knowledge of their country. If the curious learn of nothing else, they should learn of the one man who made their homeland independent. There have been so many well- intentioned statesmen, poets and martyrs who fell victim to England's treachery and gallows. The curious should read about the one man who really did get the "Brits Out" of 26/32 of that troubled island.

Great book, but a very large meal
This is a long, detailed book, printed in what I find to be a particularly unattractive typeface. It's absolutely worth reading, but unless you're already fascinated by Collins you may find it pretty offputting.

A better starting place may be Ulick O'Connor's "Michael Collins and the Troubles: The Struggle for Irish Freedom 1912-1922," which is far shorter and breezier. Despite its title, it's not so much a bio of Collins as a survey of Irish politics and political personalities before and during his era. Be warned, though, that only the last half of so of the book discusses Collins himself.

Detailed and thorough history of a fascinating life
Tim Pat Coogan brings Michael Collins alive in this thoroughly researched and thoroughly enjoyable biography. Coogan details the life of Collins with painstaking research and plenty of first-hand accounts of those who knew him. In a new, and controversial, addition to previous Collins biographies, Coogan details the evidence as to Collins's assasination and names the likely culprit in the Irish leader's murder. A must read. ... Read more

Book Description

In the summer of 1548, the thirteen-year-old Princess Elizabeth Tudor was secluded at Cheshunt, England. There she gave birth to a boy, whose father was Thomas Seymour, Elizabeth’s stepfather. The child was placed in the household of John de Vere, 16th Earl of Oxford and the changeling baby was raised as Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford.

Edward de Vere was an acknowledged playwright, poet, theatrical producer, musician, dancer and literary figure of the Elizabethan era.He wrote under several pen names and also under names of living persons.

His most famous pen name was "William Shakespeare." ... Read more

Reviews (11)

An Earl of Oxford, Queen Elizabeth 1 and Shakespeare
"Oxford, Son of Queen Elizabeth" by Paul Streitz (published by Oxford Institute Press, 2001) is an extraordinary and provocative book. It is likely to be considered totally unacceptable to "Stratfordian" Shakespearean scholars, who believe that plays and poems attributed to William Shakespeare can only be the work of the celebrated man of that name, born in Stratford-upon-Avon and christened "Gulielmus Shakspere" in 1564. By contrast, the book will be welcomed by "Oxfordians" who believe that the same plays and poetry should instead be attributed to Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, born in 1548.

This authorship question has been growing for several decades. Streitz has now contributed to the debate by compiling historical evidence to suggest that Elizabeth I was the mother of the Bard, that the biological father was Thomas Seymour, and that the 16th Earl of Oxford (John de Vere) was his foster-father. These suggestions may be considered preposterous by many critics, but Streitz obviously would not have dared to publish his book if he did not have some substance to advance them.

Consider the so-called "Virgin Queen". Streitz notes that "in over four hundred years, there have been no critical investigations of whether or not Elizabeth had children". Evidently there had been rumours circulating in 1549, when Elizabeth was just 15 years old. In a letter addressed to Edward Seymour, the Lord Protector, the princess herself referred to "shameful Schandlers" (slanders) that she was "with Child". In a second letter she appealed again to the Lord Protector, requesting that "no such rumours should be spread". Apparently she succeeded in this regard. Now, 450 years later, Streitz is the first person to link the "Schandlers" with events in the summer of 1548, when a child was born in suspiciously secret circumstances to a "very fair young lady" of about "fifteen or sixteen years of age". There is no proof that this young lady was princess Elizabeth, but Streitz considers this as a possibility in the context of events which he strings together to make a possible if not proven case. Notably, suspicions are associated with "the lawfulness or unlawfulness of the birth of the saide Edward, now Earle of Oxforde" (to quote from a late 16th century document)..

There is no doubt that the 17th Earl of Oxford was given opportunities to study in Cambridge (in 1564) and in Oxford (1566), and that he travelled to France and Italy (1575). Further, there is no doubt that Edward de Vere did write poetry, but not every modern scholar would accept that the de Vere poems correspond to the quality and style of those attributed to William Shakespeare. By contrast, Gabriel Harvey, a contemporary of the Earl, was absolutely flattering in 1578: "Thou has hast drunk deep draughts not only of the Muses of France and Italy...thine eyes flash fire, thy countenance shakes spears" (from Latin, 'tela vibrat', which can be alternatively translated as "brandishes spears"). Oxfordians venture to say that it is not coincidental that the name Shakespeare can itself be translated into Latin as 'tela vibrat'.

"Shakespeare's Sonnets", with a publication date of 1609 , have been interpreted in numerous ways. Streitz provides novel interpretations, suggesting not only that they include cryptic references to the 17th Earl of Oxford, but also that they were written by that dignitary whose dignity was diminished towards the end of his lifetime.

A poem with metaphorical references to bees is extraordinary. It includes references to henbane, hemlock and other substances, including tobacco. The line "wordes, hopes, witts, and the all the world [is] but smoke" leads to the statement "Twas not tobacco [that] stupifyed the brain". If the verse was indeed written by the Earl of Oxford, as Streitz suggests, perhaps at times he wrote under the influence of a substance more "bewitching" than tobacco: "from those [leaves] no dram of sweete I drayne, their head strong [fury] did my head bewitch"

"Oxford, Son of Queen Elizabeth" makes very interesting reading, even though one need not accept everything contained in it. There are intriguing facts, such as the Queen's grant of 1,000 pounds per annum to the 17th Earl of Oxford. That was an enormous sum of money in 1586. The obvious question is why? Was it really a gift from a benevolent mother to a playwright son? Streitz suggests that the anomalously large grant was intended to support actors and playwrights to prop up political power at a time when Elizabeth I had to be extremely careful against Catholic opposition at home, and the prospect of a Spanish invasion.

To assess the merits of the book, it is strongly recommended that it be read in its entirety. Even if one is willing to absorb and accept only parts of it, those parts may help to "flesh out" an understanding of relationships between Elizabeth I and the 17th Earl of Oxford, in the context of literary debate.

Reviewed by J.F. Thackeray, Transvaal Museum, Box 413, Pretoria 0001, South Africa

More evidence in favor.
My first review and recommendation of this book is below. I just wanted to add an interesting experience. I was channel surfing the other day and came across a program of Henry VIII and his six wives. Toward the end of that very engrossing show, Thomas Seymour, the dashing paramour of the last of the wives, is shown in very clearly incriminating circumstances with the adolescent Elizabeth. The show even quoted Catherine Parr on her death bed as, in and out of a high fever, she accused Seymour of having relations with her favorite step-daughter. This being the central assertion of this book, I thought it very illuminating to see it presented in the flesh and blood, so to speak, by another source. Readers should not dismiss this book by its outwardly scandalous assertions.

Long-suppressed, soon to be recognized¿
Ten years ago, my mother (M. Stanley Tucker, Columbia, SC) introduced me to the evidence for deVere's authorship and an "enlightened" interpretation of the plays and sonnets. Since then, I have read and studied all the works by "Shakespeare," as well as all the published research on the authorship issue. There is no doubt in my mind Oxford is the author of the works of "Shakespeare".

It is a travesty the illiterate bumpkin of Avon has been masqueraded to the public as the brilliant author of these literary jewels. The whole affair is a superb example of successful propaganda by the English royal family and the publishing industry.

This book is the most illuminating of all I have read. In his book, Oxford: Son of Queen Elizabeth, Mr. Paul Streitz builds upon the previous scholars who have been building the case for Oxford. Streitz's understanding and presentation of the complex "symbols" left behind by a frustrated artist deprived of the rightful recognition of his royal title and his unparalleled, creative body of work, greatly furthers the cause of Oxfordians.

The greatest tragedy of the "Stratford" charade is the reader's loss. Without Oxford as author, the richness and poignancy of his supremely autobiographical works are lost.

Even 400+ years later, deVere is due the long-suppressed acknowledgement that he is truly the author of the most marvelous works in the English language. One only has to read the Arts section of the New York Times today to see how many of his plays still dominate our theatres and films. No other author can equal to his gift to our society. He deserves to have his true name on his "ever-living" dramas.

OXFORD
I purchased this book after seeing the author interviewed on television and reading the reviews. I cannot understand the number of 5-star reviews this book was given. The only plausible explanation is that they were all written by Mr. Streitz himself. Whether or not Oxford was the son of Elizabeth I is irrelevant. This is one of the most poorly researched and poorly written books I have ever tried to read. I finally gave up after the third time he told of event that probably happened, but for which there is no proof yet, stating that sometime in the future "someone" should do the research. No, Mr. Streitz, that someone should have been you, and the time to do the research is before you write the book.

Bottom line - unreadable drivel.

Queen Gertrude is Hamlet's mother. Duh!
If Hamlet is indeed Shakespeare's most autobiographical work, then the obvious has been staring us in the face for too long: the Queen is Hamlet's mother.

This and other assertions are sure to shock readers and undermine the author's credibility. Mr. Streitz may be out to make a name for himself, if only in notoriety. One thing is for sure: the whole Elizabethan period needs a fresh overhaul, based on the twin assertions, that the commoner from Stratford most certainly did not write the greatest works in this or any language; and that the 17th Earl of Oxford most probably did. Once these premises are accepted as truth, then the whole orthodox history becomes a worthless conceit.

Not all that Mr. Stritz asserts is easy to accept, but enough of it falls within the realm of possibility to make this book an interesting diversion. There certainly was a whole lot going on in the second half of the 16th century that, when looked at through the eyes of the born-again Oxfordian, needs deciphering. This book makes a good start, if only by asking a lot of questions and raising possible answers. Only much further research will vindicate or villify Mr. Streitz.

I removed one star for mechanics: this book screams for a good editor. ... Read more

Book Description

In 1491, as Machiavelli advised popes and princes and Leonardo da Vinci astonished the art world, a young man boarded a ship in Portugal bound for Ireland. He would be greeted upon arrival as the rightful heir to the throne of England. The trouble was, England already had a king.

The most intriguing and ambitious pretender in history, this elegant young man was celebrated throughout Europe as the prince he claimed to be: Richard, Duke of York, the younger of the “Princes in the Tower” who were presumed to have been murdered almost a decade earlier. Handsome, well-mannered, and charismatic, he behaved like the perfect prince, and many believed he was one. The greatest European rulers of the age—among them the emperor Maximilian, Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, and Charles VIII of France—used him as a diplomatic pawn to their own advantage. As such, he tormented Henry VII for eight years, attempting to invade England three times. Eventually, defeated and captured, he admitted to being Perkin Warbeck, the son of a common boatman from Flanders. But was this really the truth?

Ann Wroe, a historian and storyteller of the first rank, delves into the secret corners of the late medieval world to explore both the elusive nature of identity and the human propensity for deception. In uncovering the mystery of Perkin Warbeck, Wroe illuminates not only a life but an entire world trembling on the verge of discovery. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Wroe your boat away as fast as you can!
I wanted to know about Perkin Warbeck. Truly, I did.

Unfortunately the mystery of who he was will have to wait for another writer to inform me. You see, it's not that The Perfect Prince isn't about Perkin Warbeck, for I'm sure it must be since it's sub-titled The Mystery of Perkin Warbeck and His Quest for the Throne of England. It's that Ms. Wroe uses every possible device to confound, distract and annoy the reader along the way in trying to tell the story that even though I've finished it, I'm still not sure I know any more about The Mystery of Perkin Warbeck than I had gleaned from the jacket flaps.

The Perfect Prince opens with a description of the only known painting of Perkin Warbeck. Well, it's not really known anymore since all that exists now is a sketch of the portrait by a later artist. Wroe spends at least ten pages describing the portrait/sketch from every possible angle, and fills us in on the opinions of the portrait from other historical characters. Since the sketch is in the book for us all to see, this seems the worst kind of patronage, as if we readers are too stupid to make up our own minds. She not only beats the dead horse, she tosses it in the woodchipper and feeds us the results. The point is so belabored that the reader will start to think the book is about art appreciation and not a real person.

Once we get past that, we think we're in the clear. Sadly we're not. The tale of Perkin Warbeck traverses such countries as England, Portugal, France, and Ireland. It also spans many years and numerous Edwards', Charles', and Richards'. All of these countries, years, and characters Wroe casually flits from higgledy-piggledy. At the beginning of a paragraph we may be in Ireland in 1491 with Perkin, but by the end of the paragraph we may be in England in 1498 with Henry. Sometimes she carefully identifies which Henry or Richard, sometimes not. If you're thinking you need a scorecard, you're right. Wroe's style is so self-conscious and distracting that you frequently find yourself backtracking in an effort to follow the timeline.

It's clear that Wroe knows the facts of the tale well, but she consistently gets in her own way. She begins to tell us one thing, then sidetracks us as if to say, "Oh, but I forgot to tell you about this first." On and on she does this to the point you just want to scream, "Get on with it!" In fact, while reading The Perfect Prince I couldn't help having my own Mystery Science Theater 3000 monologue running in my head, mocking her.

I am a voracious reader, having read more than 10,000 books at this point. I read across all genres and categories. Rarely have I read such a monotonous tale. This is a story that cries out for a more coherent progression and fewer distractions. I get the impression that Wroe's agent/publisher are so impressed with her credentials they didn't have the heart to tell her what a muddled mess this was. I'm well aware of the praise heaped on this book by the professional reviewers, and I can only conclude it's nothing more than academic elitism and/or postmodern back-patting.

The Perfect Prince: The Perfect Read
I first heard the story of the little princes when I was taking an undergraduate course in English history many years ago, and I really wanted them to have escaped death. Apparently, many people in late fifteenth century England hoped the same thing, even to the point of risking lives and fortunes to support someone who claimed to be one of the princes. Alas, as Ann Wroe recounts so well in her excellent book on the subject, it was all a charade. Regardless of the disappointment when one discovers that Perkin Warbeck was only a pretender and that the princes actually died in the Tower, it is such a pleasure to encounter a book that rises above the commonplace and takes one to another time in such fine fashion that even after 500+ pages the reader is left wanting more. This is a first-rate mystery that Ms. Wroe, whose writing skills have obviously been honed through her many years at The Economist, has turned into a tour of late fifteenth century England. The story is a compelling one of intrigue and treachery and betrayal, and Ms. Wroe has told it with elegance and wit. Hers is a book that I savored, only too sorry when it came to an end. Drawing upon her background as a historian of the medieval age, Ms. Wroe has presented us with a tour de force, a detailed journey through an age that is so far removed from our own that we might be talking about a different planet. This was a time when kings and princes and dukes and knights plotted and counter-plotted and Machiavelli was not just a name to be remembered in a "Jeopardy" contest, but an actual practitioner of the art of political intrigue. This is a book for those who want detail, for Ms. Wroe has looted and pillaged through every relevant archive and has brought to bear an enormous amount of scholarship. It is at the same time that rare volume that combines prodigious and meticulous research with writing that almost literally sings. There were times when I found myself reading sentences aloud just to hear they way they were put together. I highly recommend this book to serious readers of non-fiction, and even dare to suggest that those who normally read only works of fiction would find that it captures and holds their interest from first page to last. This book is, I am confident in asserting, the very last word on one of the most fascinating and little-known episodes in English history. A perfect read for a perfect prince.

Who Was This Unknown Person?
This epistle is billed as an unexplained mystery of the medieval era. Historian, writer for the extremist publication "The Economist", Ann Wroe uses her own type of philosophy to put a 'soul' in this person -- a soul she can't truly imagine as you have to look into a person's eyes yourself to see his soul. I saw the most gentle blue eyes (fooled me) in a person who was most egotisical. Sometimes, the eyes are those of deceit, not a person's soul at all.

Now, this story would make a lavish movie using the star of KING ARTHUR as Perkins Warbeck, a commoner of Flanders. It is just the sort they are grinding out and we are being bombarded with at the theaters with reprises of old historical epics in modern terms. It would be fun to watch a real commoner fool all those pompous royal families who know nothing except a lavish existence.

He was the Great Pretender and no one really discovered who theman was. He'd influenced rulers of Spain, France, Scotland and other principalities -- the consumate con man of all time -- as the imposter to the throne of England. For eight years, he harassed the King attempting to take the throne as Duke of York, the young Richard who had been killed with his brother in the tower of London by his uncle, Richard III.

He was courted by the aristocracy of several nations in Europe as THE PERFECT PRINCE because of his charisma, manners (where did he learn them if he had been simply the son of a boatman?), and his handsome appearance. He married into the royal family, the daughter of an earl. He'd charmed Ferdinand and Isabella, Charles of France, and Maximilian by his wit and elegance. He was used as a pawn by the rulers of European society to get rid of the new King of England.

He'd been so brainwashed by the time of his death at the age of twenty-five, it's doubtful he knew himself who he was -- only what he'd been primed (by whom?) to be -- an imposter on the highest level. He lost his campaign for the throne on the gallows, as did so many 'enemies' of the Kings of England, as history will attest.

This book, however, is not history. Using research to fuel a vivid imagination (all historians have that failing), she takes liberties as so many writers of history tend to do to expound upon their own theories.

A Fascinating Historical Mystery
I really enjoyed The Perfect Prince for several reasons. First, it covers a fascinating period of English and European history, the late 1400s when the Europeans were beginning to stretch beyond their own borders into other continents like Africa and the Americas. At the same time the European nation states were in the final stages of coalescence, so that terms like "England" and "France" were beginning to have more than just rough geographical meanings. Secondly, I liked this book for its detailed coverage of the mystery of the vanished Princes and whether or not Perkin Warbeck was actually Richard, Duke of York. This is one of the oldest European historical mysteries, but it is just as intriguing as more modern conundrums, such as what happened to the Dauphin in 1793 or to two of the last Tsar's children in 1918. Thirdly, this book is beautifully written, with fine psychological insights into Perkin himself, King Henry VII, Margaret of Burgundy, and numerous others who tend to be considered mere names in dry as dust annals.

So I recommend this book to students of royal and/or English history and to anyone who enjoys a fine, well told tale of mystery and intrigue.

a conspiracy of dunces, indeed
I was so bemused by the vigorous attacks here, and such a fan of Pontius Pilate, that I put The Perfect Prince at the head of my reading list, jumping over a few long-waiting candidates, just to see what the problem was.

In a word, I haven't the vaguest.

I didn't find the book difficult to follow at all, and it rewards readers' attention with a wealth of fascinating detail that matches the drama of the story.

I don't care to speculate as to whether the intense hostility is motivated by short attention spans or the pique that some people inevitably display when a book they don't care for is praised, but I found Prince to be a rare, cherishable pleasure. ... Read more

Book Description

Douglas Bader was a legend in his lifetime. After losing both legs in an air crash in 1931 and being dismissed as a cripple by the Royal Air Force, he fought his way back into the cockpit of a Spitfire to become one of the great heroes of the Battle of Britain. This inspiring biography of the famous World War II fighter pilot, first published in 1954, has a following of faithful readers who come back to the book time and again to re-read, share with their children and pass along to friends. Not many books have made such an impact on people's lives. Bader's story is so extraordinary that no one would dare invent it, and Brickhill succeeds in matching the excitement of Bader's war deeds with the triumph of his greater battle over a severe handicap. Told he would never walk without a cane, Bader learned to dance, swim, golf, and play tennis. Told he would never fly again, he became not only one of the RAF's top combat pilots but a squadron leader and innovator of fighter tactics that helped win the Battle of Britain. Among the thrilling incidents chronicled in the book are Bader's first successful encounter with an enemy plane, his own shoot down, and his succession of escapes from German prisons. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Most inspiring read....
It's been 17 years since I first read this book and, just as I'm on the verge of a family myself, it's damned good to see it reprinted. There's nothing about this book I wouldn't recommend. Without glorifying war itself, the true story of this WWII ace truly captures the will and tenacity of men whose nations are in conflict.

Absolutley Amazing!
People would wonder as why, me, as a girl of 15 would be reading a book about War. I love reading the war stories, and watching the war films as much as i love reading and watching horse things. Although I have a planned career in the Olympics with my horse, i've thought in the past few years, that if i weren't intersted in horses, i would go into the Air Force. My brother is obsessed with World War II, and I must admit it grew on me! Douglas Bader is an amazing man, with great courage and determination. Paul Brickhill wrote Reach for the Sky really well. Some of my favourite parts are (from the 1954 book)

"242 Squadron were changing their aeroplanes, becoming the second squadron to get Hurricane Mark II's, which were faster, had more power, and the new and better VHF raido. Now in the routine of unexiting readiness, Bader sometimes swashbuckled about, jabbing his thumb nosalgically on an imaginary gun button, with an accompanying 'rasberry' to signify the rattling guns" I just found that hilarious.

Another of my favourites is:
"Once in mid- Channel on the way out a new boy in 145 called: 'Hallo, Red Leader. Yellow Two calling. I can't turn my oxygen on.' A brooding silence followed, The voice plaintivley again: 'Hallo, Red Leader. Can you hear me? I can't turn on my oxygen."
Then Turner's Canadian voice, ferociously sarcastic: "What the hell d'you want me to do? Get out and turn it on for you? Go home!' No one made that mistake again."
You have to feel sorry for the boy, but Turner was funny!

Douglas Bader was someone who will never give up. He'll just keep on trying, and trying, and trying, until he gets it. He's a man of great wisdom, and should be greatly remembered through out history.

One of the great WWII stories
Douglas Bader was in the peacetime RAF but lost both legs in a crash. After a miserable few years on civvie street, the war came along and he volunteered. Not only was he accepted, with two prosthetic legs and several years older than most of "the Few", but the RAF returned him to fighter-plane duty. He became a leading ace until he was shot down, and then he became such a pain to the Germans that they had to take his legs away from him to stop him from escaping.

You may remember Brickhill as the author of The Great Escape. This is another spellbinding yarn. Note however that it is more of an inspirational story than a serious biography. In the days when youngsters were more literate than they are today, it would have been called a "boy's book."

My son-in-law (who is English) gave an earlier version of this book to me for a Christmas present. He had to search all the used-book websites to find it. I'm delighted (and so is he) that it's available again. Bluejacket Books are distributed in the U.S. by Naval Institute Press, so I'm sure that this is an excellent production and not a cheap reprint.

Give it to the "boy" on your list, whether he's eight or eighty. ... Read more

Book Description

In 1969, Michael Collins went to the moon with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the historic Apollo 11 flight. When he came back, he wrote the finest account we have of the training and the experiences of a test pilot and astronaut. This is the story of one of the great adventures of this century.

First published in 1974
New epilogue by the author
Drawings, color and b&w photos ... Read more

Reviews (31)

The inside story -- well written
I read it, and re-read it. I couldn't put it down. Along with the information on the US Space program itself, it has insights into the family life of the astros as well as how they interacted with each other. As a bonus, a strong sense of humor comes through in the writing that makes the sometimes technical nature of the book spring to life. It is very entertaining! Far from a dry account of "I did this," you are left with a clearer sense of the incredible magnitude of the US Apollo and Gemini programs. If you ever wondered what went through those men's minds as they made history, this is the book for you! Thank you Mr. Collins!

Great Book - Tells What it Was Like
I found this book by referral from other's reviews of lesser astronaut books. Several reviews said, in effect, "don't read this book but find yourself a copy of Carrying the Fire." So I did and now I know what they meant.

Michael Collins was the third astronaut on the famous Apollo 11 flight that landed on the moon in July, 1969. Unfortunately, because he wasn't one of the two in the Lunar Module, he isn't often mentioned. He stayed in lunar orbit as the Command Module Pilot. This book is Collins' telling of what it was like to be an astronaut, both in the Gemini and Apollo programs. He talks about the astronaut selection process, and what it was like to go through it. And he tells the story - from a very personal perspective, of what it was like, what he felt, what he worried about, what angered him, and well...you get the idea - of preparing for and flying a Gemini and Apollo mission.

Because this is his story, and his first person telling of the story, there isn't really anything here about the lunar landing itself. Rather, he talks about what he was doing when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed and walked on the moon.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It often made me laugh out loud and I certainly believe that I now know how Collins felt during his tenure as one of America's Astronauts. I found the book both well-written and engaging. I also found, to my surprise, that this is a humble, revealing and candid story. Highly recommended if you are interested in the genre.

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.

Collins had an illustrious career as an astronaut. Chosen in the third group of astronauts in 1963, he served as backup pilot for Gemini VII, pilot for Gemini X, and command module pilot for Apollo 11. On that last mission he became the loneliest man in the universe when his two crewmates, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, landed on the Moon while he remained in orbit around the Moon in the Command Module. In "Carrying the Fire" Collins writes of his solitude in lunar orbit in July 1969. As he disappeared on the backside of the Moon from Earth, he recalled, "I am alone now, truly alone, and absolutely isolated from any known life, I am it. If a count were taken, the score would be three billion plus two over on the other side of the moon, and one plus God only knows what on this side. I feel this powerfully-not as fear or loneliness-but as awareness, anticipation, satisfaction, confidence, almost exultation. I like the feeling. Outside my window I can see stars-and that is all. Where I know the moon to be, there is simply a black void, the moon's presence is defined solely by the absence of stars." He compared it to being in a skiff in the middle of the ocean with only the stars above and black water below. It proved a profoundly moving experience for him.

Michael Collins left NASA in 1970 and became the first director of the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum, continuing to write eloquently of the possibilities of spaceflight. Among other works he published "Liftoff: The Story of America's Adventure in Space" (1988) and "Mission to Mars" (1990), a powerful exposition on the value of a human mission to Mars.

"Carrying the Fire" is the first candid book about life as an astronaut. The author comments on other astronauts, describes the seemingly endless preparations for flights to the Moon, and assesses the results. He also describes what he thinks of as the most important perspective that emerged from his flight, a realization of the fragility of the Earth. He wrote that "from space there is no hint of ruggedness to it; smooth as a billiard ball, it seems delicately poised on its circular journey around the Sun, and above all it seems fragile...Is the sea water clean enough to pour over your head, or is there a glaze of oil on its surface?...Is the riverbank a delight or an obscenity? The difference between a blue-and-white planet and a black-and-brown one is delicate indeed."

It is a powerful and moving memoir. Read it more than once and lend copies to your friends. You, and they, will not be disappointed.

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.
My interests are in the Mercury through Apollo era. This one goes through many aspects in a easy to read yet not dull form.
Fact filled, humorous, humble even.
This is a must read or must own if you are a space enthusiast.
Mr. Collin's other book, "Liftoff" is another excellent book. It held my interest as did this one.
But, that is another review.

Funny stuff!
I thought Collins's book was the best of any I have read about the golden age of the US space program. Collins was funny; made me laugh out loud a bunch. I also recommend "Deke!" and "A Man on the Moon." ... Read more

Book Description

The Titled Americans is a family saga spanning three generations, chronicling the glamorous lives of Leonard Jerome, his daughters, and their children. Raven-haired Jennie ("the beautiful') married Randolph Churchill, younger son of the Duke of Marlborough and was Winston's mother.Dreamy, blonde Clara ("the good") was romanced by the dashing Moreton Frewen, a penniless younger son who unsuccessfully but relentlessly tried to parlay his immense charm into a fortune even though, one after the other, all his speculations failed, while quiet Leonie ("the witty") married into the Leslies, a distinguished Irish family who were disappointed by their son's bride.Although full of princely lovers, balls, and diamond broaches, the story's heart is the intensely supportive and laughter-filled relationship between the sisters. Waves of grave financial hardship afflicted them all, but they always rallied to rescue one another. Beginning in 1840s America and ending in the middle of World War II when Britain was under the leadership of Jennie's son, Winston Churchill, The Titled Americans is an epic story of family and fortune encompassing both the apogee and the twilight of the British Empire. ... Read more

Amazon.com

There may be a corner of the world where the name J.R.R. Tolkien is unknown, but you would be hard-pressed to find it. Since their publication, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings have been published in every major language of the world. And though he single-handedly gave a mythology to the English and was beloved by millions, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien remained refreshingly unchanged by his fame and fortune, living out his days simply and modestly among the familiar surroundings of Oxford College. Humphrey Carpenter, who was given unrestricted access to Tolkien's papers, brilliantly puts meat to the bones of the Tolkien legend in J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography, offering a well-rounded portrayal of this quiet, bookish man who always saw himself first and foremost as a philologist, uncovering rather than creating the peoples, languages, and adventures of Middle-Earth.

Carpenter chronicles Tolkien's early life with a special sensitivity; after losing both parents, Tolkien and his brother Hilary were taken from their idyllic life in the English countryside to a poverty-ridden existence in dark and sooty Birmingham. There were bright points, however. A social and cheerful lad, Tolkien enjoyed rugby and was proud of his gift for languages. It was also at this time that he met Edith Bratt, who would later become his wife. Academic life--both as a student and professor--is where this biography shines. Friendship with other men played a huge part in Tolkien's life, and Carpenter deftly reveals the importance these relationships--his complex friendship with C.S. Lewis, membership in the Inklings and the T.C.B.S.--had on the development of his writing.

The only criticism one can make about this book is that Carpenter tends to gloss over Tolkien's contributions to comparative philology.True, there is a chapter devoted to Tolkien's academic pursuits, but it tends to skim too lightly over the surface for this reviewer's tastes. Philology is a terribly methodical science, and the author clearly did not want to alienate readers who were primarily interested in Tolkien as a storyteller. Still, it would be nice to understand why Tolkien was held in such high esteem by his fellow academics. As it stands, Tolkien comes off as a slightly eccentric etymologist.

Fans who want to delve even deeper into Tolkien's life should pick up a copy of Carpenter's The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. --P.M. Atterberry ... Read more

Reviews (26)

A hobbit's life!
This hobbit is profoundly grateful to Mr. Carpenter for providing this biography of the Master of Middle-Earth. Many thanks should also be rendered to the Tolkien family for the personal access granted to Mr. Carpenter during the writing process.

This biography demonstrates what we hobbits have suspected all along: Professor JRR Tolkien was one of us! He was, in fact, a hobbit among hobbits. Any hobbit of the Shire who remembers the Great Years can sympathize with Professor Tolkien's terrible experiences during the Great War; the elves will be singing of the love between John and Edith for many ages to come; and the friendship described between the members of the "Inklings" (what a wonderful, hobbitish word!) reminds one of the love and companionship expressed between Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin.

All hobbits, especially those who love their land and their people owe it to themselves to acquire and read this book and to share it with their children and grandchildren, so that all hobbits of the Shire can be aware of their debt to the Master of Middle-Earth.

Many insights to what made him tick
If you've loved Tolkien's books all your life, and wondered what kind of person it takes to come up with works of genius like The Lord Of The Rings, The Hobbit and The Silmarillion, this book will be just what you wanted.

Carpenter makes illuminating connections, linking Tolkien's early fascination with languages to the fact that the author first studied languages with his mother (who died while he was quite young). That nostalgic attachment to language led him to a lifetime of study of all sorts of Scandinavian and Germanic myths and epics, which ultimately inspired him to create his own mythology.

Carpenter also mentions that Leaf By Niggle, one of Tolkien's short stories, expressed his own bittersweet feelings about having spent most of his life writing the Silmarillion and Lord Of The Rings; especially given that advancing age made it increasingly unlikely that they would be finished in his lifetime. This was news to me, so I tracked down the story in a secondhand copy of The Tolkien Reader... it was really quite touching.

Entertaining Biography
A wonderful book that captures the essence and life of Mr. Tolkien, Rhythmically paced read as well as extremely informative. More focused on the man rather than his works. A must read.

Tolkien
The reason why I chose this book is because I respect Tolkien for all his accomplishments as an author and I wanted to know a little more about him then I already did. This Biography did a wonderful job of making me get to know Tolkien as a person through showing me his life. This book was entertaining... because I wanted to learn about Tolkien. It was also educational because I learned a lot about Tolkien and it was thought provoking because it made me think about the reasons certain things were in his stories and also what my life would be like if I had the motivations and drive to work for what I wanted just like he had. I recommend this book to any one who is interested in Tolkien in the slightest.

Good, but feels like something is missing . . .
This is the only biography of Tolkien which I have read. It was good and I enjoyed it, but it feels like something was missing. Carpenter does a fine job of sketching the events of Tolkien's life and there are plenty of quotations from letters and diaries, and I now understand a little more about the actual creation of Tolkien's mythology and the production of The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and The Simarillion . . . and yet, I still feel like I don't know Tolkien that well. The author fails to provide the emotional connection with Tolkien and his world that would make this biography really excellent. ... Read more

Book Description

A radical reassessment of King George III from the lively and prolific pen of a master

Rather than reaffirming King George III's reputation as, alternately, a tyrant, a country bumpkin, and a lunatic, Christopher Hibbert portrays him not only as a competent ruler during most of his reign but also as a patron of the arts and sciences, a man of wit and intelligence who greatly enhanced the reputation of the British monarchy until he was stricken with a rare hereditary disease.

Teeming with court machinations, sexual intrigues, and familial conflicts, George III opens a window on the tumultuous, rambunctious, revolutionary eighteenth century. It is sure to alter our understanding of this fascinating, complex, and very human king who so strongly shaped England's -and America's-destiny. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A changed view.
Being American I was taught the typical view of "Crazy, tyrannical King George III", who forced the American colonies to rebel. After reading this biography I have the utmost respect for George III. He was a good and honest man. He did his best for his nation and his family. Maybe a little controlling in the fact of his Royal Marriage Act and how his son's had so many mistresses and natural children or the fact that his daughters, if they married at all they did it late in life. This book makes me believe he probably would have been a happier man if he were just a country gentleman and/or farmer. After reading this bio I do not believe he can be said to lack for love of his family or his country. Parliament had more to do with the American Revolution than George III. May more people read and see the great man George III, both in family life and as a national leader, was and should be remembered as.

Funny and Intelligent Biography
This book is without a doubt the funniest history book I've ever read! This is not to say that King George III's life was akin to a comedy show...in fact it was punctuated by wars, irresponsible children, incompetent doctors, and constant upheaval in the government, but there is something about the way that Christopher Hibbert conveys the pomposity and ritual of the royal court which made me laugh out loud repeatedly throughout the book. The stories from Fanny Burney, an author in her own right, but for several years one of Queen Charlotte's Assistant Keepers of the Wardrobe, are uproariously funny and intriguing. There were so many witty and brilliant people participating in the court and government of Britain at this time, with John Wilkes stirring up the English rabble in his efforts to emancipate the American Colonies, and the hilarious Horace Walpole, always good for a bon mot in any situation. King George was a sponsor of Captain Cook's voyages, a great lover of books and the compiler of 3 of history's most impressive libraries, and a patron of the theater and comedy. He was inclined to wander into the shacks of peasants along the country roads he would travel to chat with the common folk, to the utter shock of the hosts. Unfortunately his story turns tragic as the King begins to lose his mind and later on goes stark raving mad, frequently confined to a straitjacket. But in the end, King George III was greatly loved by his countrymen, and when he finally passed away, the country went into a deep period of mourning. Keep your dictionary handy because Hibbert employs a masterful and scholarly vocabulary throughout this book. This bio gets my highest recommendation! Enjoy it.

A different take on an monumental historical figure.
Historian Christopher Hibbert brings his considerable talent for writing personal biographies to the fascinating subject of Britain's King George III. Not only is Hibbert's scholarship solid, but he also does a wonderful jo of combining all the important elements of the King's life into an entertaining and compelling read. George III was on the throne for almost 60 years during a period of great social and political upheaval throughout the western world, yet many don't know much about him. Americans especially know little more about him that the tyranical caricature popularized during the American Revolution.

The book begins with a chapter about the King's dissolute father whose personality and relationship with his family were remarkably similar to that of George III's own son, the future George IV. Hibbert establishes George III's own unique personality by examing both his early upbringing and the key political players who helped shape his dedication to duty. George III certainly lacked the flamboyance of both his father and son. In contrast, he was sober and prudish, but nevertheless quite interesting and complex. During his reign he weathered both the American and French Revolutions, long periods of war abroad, and various periods of political unrest at home. Throughout, Hibbert paints a portrait of a monarch selflessly concerned about his subjects and dedication to providing thoughtful leadership. As for his personal life, the King was faithfully resigned to an arranged marriage with a rather plain and increasingly unpleasant woman with whom he had 15 children. The family dynamics make for great reading. His relationships with most of his sons were difficult and a sources of much frustration since they frequently refused to comply with his strict mandates. His many daughters were mostly confined to the royal household and were expected to wait attendance on the King and Queen. A few daughters managed to ecape into marriage late in life, and others had scandalous love affairs with the King's courtiers. All of this family drama was further acerbated by the mysterious "madness" that George III began to suffer from periodically in his middle age. By the time the madness begins, Hibbert has done such a wonderful job of establishing the King's decency and dignity that the reader cannot help but be moved as these very qualities are brutally stripped away by his disease. Also, there is an appreciation of the magnitude of the political crisis it precipitated.

My one complaint about this book is that, at least in this American's opinion, Hibbert almost completely glosses over the American Revolution. His general analysis - that the Americans unjustly demonized the King - has some merit, but it virtually ignores the significant economic and social changes that created the Revolution. Perhaps such political theory is beyond the scope of this personal biography, but it should be examined more thoroughly, not only with regards to the American Revolution but also with regards to how these changes were successfully integrated into the British constitutional monarchy.

Well done biography of a maligned king...
Before I read this biography of George III, I knew very little about him. I knew he liked Handel because we were told when we stood up for the Alleluia chorus of the Messiah that we did it because George III set the precendent way back when. Some of us still stand.

I knew that George III had been depicted as a tyrant by the framers of the Declaration of Independance.

I knew that George III had suffered from an hereditary disease that caused his urine to run purple, hence it's name

I wanted to know more about George III because I am fascinated with the history of the French Revolution and the defeat of Napoleon. I wanted to know why George wasn't rousted from his throne like the French King and the monarchy done away with.

What I discovered about George III was that he was a good man, a loving father, and a beloved king. I learned he was religious, loved Handel to excess, and was opposed to slavery. I learned that he had all kinds of charities, cared about the poor and the sick, and lived relatively frugally all his life. He admired the Methodists because of their "simple" ways, even though he was High Church Anglican. He lived until he was in his 80's and his madness did not finally put him under until he was 72. He had many children, most of whom disappointed him. He and his wife spoke German behind closed doors, and he owned lands in Hanover in Germany.

I learned a lot more, and I enjoyed reading this book even though I wasn't sure I would. Hibbert writes well, his text is interesting and his research thorough. The story is about the private life of George III, so not a lot of political or economic history is discussed although it is always in the background. This is the story of the "upstairs" at Windsor, Buckingham, and Weymouth.

A Glorious Madness
I did enjoy this book, Hibbert has a way of including small details of life within the larger context of of his subject which gives wonderful insight into both his subjects and the time he is writing of. For instance the quotes from Fanny Burney's diaries of life in Court and the stiflingly formal dress and code of conduct to which they had to adhere.

In some ways I found the chapters a bit muddling. The book doesn't follow a complete continuum of time from start to finish. The chapters are all in an ordered timeline, but often the subject digresses and they will discuss events that take place years in advance. It isn't a complaint, I just found it an interesting way of approaching the topic, and quite different from the previous books of Hibbert's that I have read.

This is a very sympathetic biography but very interesting. It is easy to see the King slipping into madness and why - and to pick the signs (such as his frenetic energy). It is also more than just an account of a mad King though and I enjoyed it for the depth of focus it bought.

Well worth reading. ... Read more

Book Description

Part One Of Two Parts

It is hard to imagine anything new about Churchill. But in this life of the young lion, William Manchester brings us fresh encounters and anecdotes. Alive with examples of Churchill's early powers, THE LAST LION entertains and instructs.

"Manchester is not only master of detail, but also of `the big picture.'...I daresay most Americans reading THE LAST LION will relish it immensely." (National Review) ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Volume 1 of the life of Winston Spencer Churchill
"The Last Lion: Visions of Glory, 1874-1932," is the first of William Manchester's projected three-volume biography of Winston Spencer Churchill. I found it a superbly crafted, supremely well researched account of the first 58 years of the life of the 20th century's greatest statesman. With wit and candor, Manchester chronicles Churchill from his earliest days as the neglected and troublesome first child of Lord Randolph Churchill and his American-born wife, Jennie, to his entry into the political "wilderness" over home rule in India in 1932. Manchester's portrait of his subject is balanced and objective; we see Churchill at his finest: a courageous (almost to the point of foolhardiness) army officer, and later a gifted Member of Parliament who became one of the youngest Cabinet ministers in British history. We also see him at his worst: a Cabinet minister with appalling political judgment at times, quick to meddle in other ministers' affairs while neglecting his own, and with an uncanny ability to alienate not only his political foes, but almost all his political allies as well.

In addition to a wonderfully written chronology of Churchill's life, Manchester provides an overview of the times in which Churchill lived. I was fascinated by the author's account of Victorian England -- its culture, its mores, and its view of itself in the world. The sections which describe Churchill's times make highly entertaining and absorbing reading by themselves.

"The Last Lion: Visions of Glory, 1874-1932," clearly shows why William Manchester is one of the pre-eminent biographers at work today. The book is written with obviously meticulous scholarship, insightful analysis, and crisp, sparkling prose; I have yet to find a better account of Churchill's life. Now, if only Mr. Manchester would give us that third volume . . .

Arguably the greatest biography ever written
I was already a huge Churchill fan when I decided to read this book. The first book I had read on him was Gilbert's one volume condensed version of the official biography. But nothing could prepare me for how wonderfully written this book was. Just as many others have said, I read the introduction and became hooked. I have yet to find another modern author with a talent for writting as great as Manchester's.

What makes these two volumes great is that they really portray Churchill as a human being--he isn't simply the man who saved Great Britain (and arguably Western Civilization) from the Nazis. He was man with human strengths and human weaknesses--just like all of us. Manchester never loses sight of this throughout his work. He stresses the man's faults just as much as he stresses his strengths. In addition to this, both volumes--particularly the first one--give the reader an idea of what the world around Churchill was like. The prelude of Vol. I, for example, doesn't even mention Churchill until the very end, when he is born. Rather, it tells of what Victorian Britain was like up to the man's birth in 1874.

One sad event to note, however: for many, many years there has been speculation about when Mr. Manchester will publish the third and final volume. I can say with absolute certainty that the third volume will NEVER come about.

The Man of the Century
Manchester's work is extraordinary and a journey into the making of a great leader of the world that was the 20th century.

Churchill was a man of vision and he was molded in his early years. Manchester makes a case for his growth coming in the Boar War period.

There is a beginning of greatness. Manchester introduces us to the world that formed this great man.

Understand the most Remarkable Man of the 20th Century
This is an excellent book on the first half of the life of a truly exceptional man. Mr Manchester's book deals with Winston's early life and his rise to power and fame. I particularly liked the vignettes about life at the turn of the century; the social situation, the class struggle, the morals of the upper and the working classes.

Just reading it makes you feel somehow inadequate against the intellectual brilliance, courage and sheer energy of the subject.

It would have merited a full five star rating but for two faults. It should have been shorter. It as if every single little titbit of information had to be written out in full, rather than filtered through the critical intellect that Mr Manchester undoubtedly possesses. Instead, he quotes too many letters, reports and speeches in full when his job as a biographer was to summarise them.

The second fault was Mr Manchester's tendency to lionise his subject. Brilliant he may have been, but a bit more acknowledgement of Winston's faults would have made him more human and reachable.

But this is nitpicking. Overall the book is a good read on a subject well worth reading about.

Read both books - Best history/biography ever!
Many lists say the best historical biography is "Disraeli" by Blake. This is better. Way better.

The only author that has ever kept me glued to a book as much as Manchester's is Michael Crichton. It's odd to compare a biography to Jurassic Park, but Manchester makes history come alive. He spends a lot of time and care setting the "culture" in a way that is not pedantic or boring (unlike some Civil War histories I've read!). And then he builds on Churchill's stories in a way that makes you feel like you're in Churchill's shoes, with the same issues and challenges.

Unfortunately, there is no Volume 3 about the war years. Manchester's illness prevented this. What a sad loss to history.

Read Vol 1 and 2. You won't regret it. ... Read more

Book Description

Churchill took his seat in Parliament in the reign of Queen Victoria, and died when Lyndon Johnson was in his second year as US President.He fought as a solider in four campaigns and as a war correspondent made an epic escape from Boer captivity.He wrote histories, biographies, memoirs, and even a novel, while his journalism, speeches and broadcasts run to millions of words.From 1940 he inspired and united the British people and guided their war effort.Sir Winston Churchill was also a man of vast humanity and enormous wit.His most famous speeches and sayings have passed into history, but many of his aphorisms, puns and jokes are less well known.This enchanting collection brings together hundreds of his wittiest and wickedest quips in a tribute to this lovable, infuriatingly conceited, wildly funny, and brilliantly talented Englishman. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent! A must for all who study the man and the language
The title of my review had simply told what I wanna say. Churchill is such a famous person of wit and words. That's beyond argument. Therefore it's not a difficult job for the editor-author to pick and pack Churchill's words, with some short sentences telling the background of each, into a thin book. Anyway, he did it alright.

I would like to pick some of my favorite quotes for your reference. Hope you like them and can share my feelings of how brilliant Churchill. and also indirectly, this book is.

1. "Trying to maintain good relations with a Communist is like wooing a crocodile. You do not know whether to tickle it under the chin or beat it over the head. When it opens its mouth, you cannot tell whether it is trying to smile or preparing to eat you up."

2. "No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeeed, it has been said that Democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time."

3. "You will never get to the end of the journey if you stop to buy a stone at every dog that barks."

4. "Virtuous motives, trammelled by inertia and timidity, are no match for armed and resolute wickedness."

5. "What if I had said, instead of "We shall fight on the beaches", "Hostilities will be engaged with our adversary on the coastal perimeter?".

and......many other invaluable quotes. In short, a must buy.

No One Is More Frequently Quoted
I cannot prove empirically that the words above these comments are unimpeachably accurate; I would however wager that were there such a system to track how often the words of one person are quoted by another, Sir Winston Spencer Churchill would rival all competitors. There are many reasons for this position, the length of his life, the events he was in the midst of, and the manner by which he memorialized all he was involved in. In the 100 years The Nobel Prize For Literature has been given out, it has been given only 6 times to English authors, and he is one of them.

His was born when Queen Victoria sat on the throne of England, and he died when President Lyndon Johnson was serving his second year as President of The United States. There were very few years he was not in the public's eye, and very few moments he was out of the midst of current events. Even the so called, "wilderness years", would become integral in his being prepared to defend The Western Democracies from the threats posed by WWII, and the men who left England horribly exposed. It is too much to say that his words alone carried England through her finest and darkest hours, but that his words were integral cannot be argued.

Sir Winston was a great believer in reading the quotations of history's great personages and then following those quotes through to more detailed biographies. Like Disraeli before him who stated one should read biography to learn history, Churchill often took the very same path. He was never concerned with how History would view him, for has often been quoted he stated, "I will write it". Write it he did, and even if he had not, with his words so ever present in the speeches of those who are in the public arena, and writers of all genres whether fiction or non-fiction, this man would never have been forgotten by History.

There are seemingly endless books about Churchill and collections of wide varieties of his utterances. As a person who has read many of these books, I can say confidently that this pocket size version is well worth your while, contains many of his better known bon mots, and while specific wording will vary with those that record his words from a variety of sources, I found only one or two that seemed to turn a word differently than I had read before.

Few lives have stretched nearly a century, fewer still a century as dramatic as the 20th. He was there for the sunset of the 19th, the dawn of the 20th, and as his lengthy life allowed him to experience the majority of the tumultuous 20th Century. The History of our World has seen few like him, and with our modern penchant for destroying those in one moment who we hold in such tenuous esteem only a breath before, it may be a very long time until his kind is seen once again. ... Read more

Book Description

Here, firmly rooted in her own social setting for the first time, is the real Jane Austen--the shy woman willing to challenge convention, the woman of no pretensions who nevertheless called herself "formidable," a woman who could be frivolous and yet suffer from black depressions, who showed unfailing loyalty and, in the conduct of her own life, unfailing bravery. In an act of understanding and brilliant synthesis, Claire Tomalin reveals Jane Austen with a clarity never before achieved, one which makes us look upon her novels with fresh and even greater admiration.

The world she wrote about--that place of civility and reassuring stability--was never quite her own. As Tomalin shows, Jane Austen's family existed on the very fringe of the world she described in her fiction, struggling to get ahead with little money and no land in the competitive society of Georgian England, sometimes succeeding but often failing with painful consequences. New research in family papers has yielded a rich, tragicomic picture of the Austen clan--their ambitions, their matrimonial alliances, their exotic connections with India and France. At the same time, Tomalin's explorations in local archives reveal a surprising view of the neighbors the family lived among in Hampshire, more extravagant and eccentric by far than anyone depicted in Austen's books. We realize how much closer her genius lies, in its splendid artifice, to the great comic operas of Mozart than to the main tradition of the English novel.

But it is in the deeply human portrait of Jane Austen herself that this biography excels. The honesty and directness of her personality (perfect heroines made her "sick and wicked"), her strength in giving up a chance at marriage to follow the path her vocation as a writer required her to take, the warmth and long consistency of her relationship with her sister, Cassandra, the poignancy of her death--Claire Tomalin here captures, with unforgettable skill, the living character of a great writer who is read, reread, read again, and adored, now more than ever. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

I read it again!
I was 'reader' from Sydney below. I did lend it to my friends (and sat on the edge of my seat hoping they wouldn't be the kind who don't return your precious books!)

Anyway, I did read it again, and I love it just as much. I re-read Austen at various times, whenever I feel like 'hearing' that crisp, ironic dialogue and beautiful observations that somehow still seem fresh today.

Tomalin has achieved something magical in this volume. She has managed to make it feel as if I really know something about Jane, her society and surroundings.

When first introduced to Jane Austen in high school, she seemed remote, a woman of another time and place. What could she possibly have to say to a young woman from a distant land? Well, perhaps not much at 15....a bit more life experience would be a good thing. But maybe a good place to start would be this biography.

I was fed on the stereotype that Jane Austen was a sickly, sheltered girl and woman, one who had little experience of life outside the drawing room, a sort of consumptive, repressed being. Tomalin shows how far from the truth that portrait is. Jane knew about the ins and outs of the country ball from active participation. She could draw affectionatley hunmorous word pictures of some of her characters through experiencing them. She was quite well-travelled for a woman of her generation, own country, sure, but then only the most extraordinary women were off on the 'Grand Tour'. All these things are obvious in her books if you think about it - Miss Musgrove and friends - male and female- off on their jaunt to Lyme Regis, for example. Jane could write about love and engagement through experience. She did love, and was loved in return, but chose not to marry. Children (nieces and nephews) were a joy to her and she was actively involved in the upbringing of some of them. But never, ever, do we meet an anachronistic Jane. Tomalin does NOT try to shoe-horn her in to some modern day feminist iconography. What we are left with is a portrait of a thoroughly modern woman of HER times. A woman who lived a full life , on her own terms, but within the boundaries of the society of which she was part. That she managed to offer us, the modern reader, such a beautifully resonant portrait of her class and times, that stays fresh today, is a tribute to Austen. That Tomalin has brought that so vividly alive in introducing us to Jane Austen the woman is a tribute to Tomalin.

Jane Austen Revisited
As someone who studied Jane Austen at university and read many of the "not-a-life-of-incident" accounts of her time, Claire Tomalin's biography proved even more compelling than I had expected. For the casual (ie non-academic) reader, this work presents the ideal combination of exhaustive research and a writer who clearly delights in her subject. Although I find myself miles away from my Jane Austen collection, Tomalin has left me longing to read again all Austen's works - including all the juvenalia and 'unfinisheds' that I somehow never quite found time for. Undoubtedly Austen fans will have rushed or will be rushing to read this book. However, I would urge anyone who has never seen the appeal in her works to give this a try, (just avoid Tomalin's excellent synopses of the novels). A call goes out, especially, to all those men out there - I know they exist, I'm married to one - who think Austen is "just for women". Read it and discover one of the greatest writers of all time.

Could this be the last word on Jane Austen?
Jane Austen's stocks rise higher and higher as the years go by. Several of her novels continue to feature in bestseller lists, film and TV adaptations of them abound, and biographies appear regularly. This masterly biography, by Claire Tomalin, is the seventh Jane Austen biography I have read in the past twenty years.

Claire Tomalin examines her elusive subject from very possible perspective. The Austen genealogy is probed, every known neighbor and witness and every witness's evidence is weighed and balanced, Jane Austen's writings are examined and assessed, and the situations of her brothers' living descendants are sometimes mentioned. Publishing and republishing histories are given, a family tree is included, and the many illustrations are given punchy captions. Gracing (or disfiguring) the cover is the only known pictorial representation of Jane Austen, an unfinished sketch done by her sister Cassandra, a sketch that was not discovered until long after Jane and Cassandra had died and which a niece said was "hideously unlike" her aunt.

Don't assume from all this that the book is merely an exhaustive effort of plodding detection. Sensitive and intelligent guesswork is here. Brilliant deductions are made. What is known, for example is that the Austen daughters and their parents had no permanent home during the "unproductive" decade when Jane was in her 20s and early 30s. What is also known is that Jane Austen had drafted three of her novels before this, as well as the novella "Lady Susan". The fact that Claire Tomalin deduces from this is that Jane Austen must have protected and cared for her manuscripts like a mother with newborn babies. Carriers would have been unreliable, cases of paper could break and spill, and a penniless young woman could hardly command premium quality cartage.

Other known facts are sometimes given a creative spin. You will read an especially creative and imaginative account of Jane Austen receiving, accepting and then rejecting a proposal of marriage from Harris Biggs.

While all this is very satisfying, the effect of this substantial biography is to leave me still unable to perfectly "place" Jane Austen, an effect that will probably prompt me to read a further seven biographies of her.

Unsubtle Analysis
Enjoyable book, for any lover of Jane Austen. The extent to which lovers of Jane Austen tend to empathise with her as a person has always amazed me, and Claire Tomalin is no exception. Which is why her book appeals.

Here, I wish to draw attention to the fact that the analyses of the novels shows occassional signs of a rather unsubtle reading of Jane Austen. To take one specific example, regarding Mansfield Park, which appears to be her favourite among the novels, Ms Tomalin makes the remarkable statement that the characters of Maria and Julia Bertram are indistinguishable. But the insight and the exquisite touch with which the characters of Maria and Julia are delineated, is in fact one of the amazing things in Mansfield Park.

The character of Julia comes through in this kind of thing: She asks Mr. Crawford, regarding his interest in renovating, "You are fond of the kind of thing?" Other places too, she is shown trying to attract his attention (maybe ingratiate herself), by taking an interest in what interests him. Julia, in fact, courts other people. Maria would never do this. She stands proud, and it is the others, including Mr. Crawford, who court her. Something that characterizes Maria is a tendency to rather pretentious, generalized statements like that about some of our best plays being devoid of much scenery, and about good horsemanship having a great deal to do with the mind. The ability to make such statements comes out of her confidence that when she speaks, there will be others to listen. Julia, on the other hand, the younger sister, and the less brilliant one, does not have this confidence.

Claire Tomalin fails to appreciate that the subtlety with which Jane Austen wrote can never be overestimated. She doesn't offer any deep analysis of Jane Austen, the woman. What she does do is to suggest the connections between Jane Austen's social circumstances at different times, her state of mind, and her art. Maybe, something of the "Room of One's Own" theme?

All said and done, this is a fine book, well worth a read.

Judging JA in the light of feminism
This book is well researched, but draws some very silly assumptions, beginning with the almost Freudian obsession with her being placed with a wet nurse. There are some very good insights but most of the commentary (which is not always easy to differentiat