Book Description

The first biography of King David I, the true “maker” of Scotland. ... Read more

Book Description

Since the publication of Richard Ellmann's James Joyce in 1959, Joyce has received remarkably little biographical attention. Scholars have chipped away at various aspects of Ellmann's impressive edifice but have failed to construct anything that might stand alongside it. The Years of Bloom is arguably the most important work of Joyce biography since Ellmann. Based on extensive scrutiny of previously unused Italian sources and informed by the author's intimate knowledge of the culture and dialect of Trieste, The Years of Bloom documents a fertile period in Joyce's life.

While living in Trieste, Joyce wrote most of the stories in Dubliners, turned Stephen Hero into A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, and began Ulysses. Echoes and influences of Trieste are rife throughout Ulysses and Finnegans Wake. Though Trieste had become a sleepy backwater by the time Ellmann visited there in the 1950s, McCourt shows that the city was a teeming imperial port, intensely cosmopolitan and polyglot, during the approximately twelve years Joyce lived there in the waning years of the Habsburg Empire.It was there that Joyce experienced the various cultures of central Europe and the eastern Mediterranean. He met many Jews, who collectively provided much of the material for the character of Leopold Bloom. He encountered continental socialism, Italian Irredentism, Futurism, and various other political and artistic forces whose subtle influences McCourt traces with literary grace and scholarly rigour. The Years of Bloom, a rare landmark in the crowded terrain of Joyce studies, will instantly take its place as a standard work.

"This book changes our entire view of Joyce's Trieste. It establishes the city as a vibrant microcosm of three cultures. Joyce was born in Dublin, but as John McCourt shows, he grew up in Trieste."-Colm Toíbín ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A terrific resource, and a good read too
Like many other readers of Joyce, I considered Trieste to be merely "anywhere but Dublin" -- i.e., it was significant to the author only because it was where he began his self-imposed exile from Ireland. In his writings, I felt, Joyce never really left Dublin, and he could as well have been in Mombasa or Ulan Bator for all the effect that his city of residence had on his work. So this book was a revelation to me: although Joyce originally landed in Trieste by happenstance, he quickly grew to feel at home there, and the city provided a cosmopolitan, ethnically diverse, and culturally rich environment in which his art grew to maturity.

McCourt provides ample and convincing evidence of the degree to which Joyce's experiences in Trieste influenced his most important works, from the Triestine puns in "Finnegans Wake" to the main characters of "Ulysses," and how productive he was as a writer during his years there. What I found especially fascinating were the details McCourt unearthed about the rest of Joyce's life: in his perennially unsuccessful pursuit of financial stability, he was (inter alia) a partner in a cinema, a bank clerk, and a would-be exporter of Irish woolens; his domestic life was continually in uproar (Nora lacked his facility at learning languages, and was marooned at home with a series of babies and, from time to time, Joyce's transplanted siblings); but he was a good English teacher, and, through his private tutoring, he became acquainted with many financially and intellectually influential members of Triestine society. (The influence went both ways: the writer/businessman Ettore Schmidt was on the verge of giving up his literary ambitions when Joyce convinced him not to, and he went on to write several classic novels under his pen name, Italo Svevo.)

This book was originally a doctoral dissertation, and it suffers at times from the graduate-student tendency to include Absolutely Every Detail relevant to one's subject (I sympathize: been there, done that). But, in general, it's readable, clearly written, well organized, and, although the basic structure is chronological, the author gives each chapter enough of a thematic focus to make it more than a mere recitation of dates and events. I found the book entertaining as well as informative, and I feel it's a valuable resource for anyone interested in Joyce or, for that matter, in early 20th century European literary history.

Superbly researched, documented and accessibly written.
John McCourt's The Years Of Bloom: James Joyce In Trieste, 1904-1920 is a remarkable and original contribution to Joycean studies. McCourt was able to acquire information never before published about Joyce's activities in the years he resided in Trieste, and which influenced his career as one of the truly great writers in the English language. Superbly researched, accessibly written, thoroughly documented, and impressively presented, The Years Of Bloom is a major work of outstanding scholarship and a welcome, enduring, seminal contribution which will be part of every college and university reading list and reference collections on the life and writings of James Joyce. ... Read more

Book Description

This new Chronicle documents the lives of tsars famous and infamous in a lively series of biographical portraits stretching from the late fifteenth to the early twentieth centuries. Discover the facts behind the reputations of rulers such as Ivan the Terrible, whose reign of terror was unparalleled in Russian history until Stalin; Peter the Great, dynamic reformer and dedicated Westernizer; Catherine the Great, the determined young German princess who usurped power and is remembered for her interest in the Enlightenment and for her colorful private life; and the last tsar, Nicholas II, vainly endeavoring to cope in a period of devastating change. Here too are the less familiar but equally intriguing personalities who occupied Russia's imperial throne: the pious but feeble Feodor I, the warm-hearted and irascible Alexei Mikhailovich, and the Empress Anna, with her taste for cruel practical jokes. Chronicle of the Russian Tsars also introduces the key debates of Russian history. How did a small principality centered on Moscow develop into a vast empire stretching from the Baltic to the Pacific? What part did the Orthodox Church play in the rise of tsarism? Why did Russia develop political and social institutions so different from those of the West? With its comprehensive timelines, data files, quotations, and stunning illustrations, Chronicle of the Russian Tsars is at once an absorbing narrative history and an essential work of reference that brings to life a powerful empire and distinctive civilization whose impact on the history of Europe and the world is immeasurable. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Well made book
I received it as a gift and was pleased to see that it is a very good book. Well written, good pictures and well researched. It makes an excellent reference.

One of the best Czar books ever
I love this book it has so much info about the Czar.Ilove the maps time lines and charts one of the best Czar books I ever read. ... Read more

Book Description

Burke's influential early writings on aesthetic are intimately connected to his political concerns according to this study of his engagement with Irish politics and culture. The heart of his aesthetic addressed itself to the experience of terror, a spectre that haunts Burke's political imagination throughout his career. Burke's preoccupation with violence, sympathy and pain actually allowed him to explore the dark side of the Enlightenment. This major reassessment of a key political and cultural figure appeals to Irish studies specialists, political theorists and Romanticists. ... Read more

Book Description

A writer's return to the old country reveals the binding continuities of family, faith, and language.

"So, Tom that went and Tom that would come back!" is how Nora Lynch greeted the young American Thomas Lynch in 1970, at the edge of the ocean in West Clare, outside the cottage that his great-grandfather—another Thomas Lynch—had left nearly a century before on a one-way ticket to America.

In thirty-five years and dozens of return trips to Ireland, Lynch has found a template for the larger world inside the small one, the planet in the local parish. The neighbors and characters he found there—spinsters and farmers, local heroes, poets, clergy, and corner boys—taught him to look, as Montaigne said we ought, for "the whole of Man's estate" in every man.

Part memoir, part cultural study, Booking Passage is a brilliant, often comedic guidebook for those Lynch calls "fellow travelers, fellow pilgrims" making their way through the complexities of their own lives and times. ... Read more

Book Description

Lawrence Donegan, erstwhile bassist, journalist, author, and adventure seeker, wanted to write about America, so he moved to California: the golden state where dreams are made, where money is made, and fame is just around the corner. Or so he thought when he departed his native Scotland to pursue his dreams, but landed smack in the middle of the largest used-car lot in America.

Donegan quickly picks up a nickname -- "Hey Scotty" -- and a reputation -- "You're the worst salesman I've seen in twenty years." His struggles as a foreign musician and writer utterly displaced on this tough stretch of car-packed concrete are classic Donegan, humble and hilarious. But with mentors such as Mickey "The Legend" McDonald, Tony "The Tank" Tognazzini, and Frankie "The Rock" Reames, it isn't long before he acquires the brass balls and lowdown cunning he needs to sell his first car. No matter how slim the odds, he puts his heart and soul into his attempt to win the Oscar of the car lot -- the Salesman of the Month Award -- and you find yourself rooting for him every step of the way.

A wonderful memoir about an aspect of American life that touches almost everybody, California Dreaming brings to mind the affectionate humor of NPR's Car Talk and Barry Levinson's Tin Men. Donegan may or may not change the way you think about used-car salesmen, but he will help you understand the inner workings of this mysterious profession and leave you with a smile on your face, and maybe even some newfound respect. As he chronicles his career as an "asphalt warrior," Donegan uses his combination of comic wit and perverse familiarity to reel the reader into this wildly entertaining, brutally honest, and yet ultimately uplifting story about this much maligned and yet somehow beloved tribe. California Dreaming is a foreigner's discovery of a real American dream, more gratifying than any Silicon Valley fantasy. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Fun, Addictive Story About California Through Scottish Eyes
It's a tale of the author's travels from Scotland to the Silicon Valley. Originally, Donegan came to the Bay Area was to work at a friend's business, but after finding that opportunity to be less than desirable, he supported himself and his girlfriend in one of the most American of occupations, a used car salesman. What really makes the story unique is that this story of chasing the American dream is retold through the perspective of a Scot, and a pretty clever and witty one at that.

I actually have more in common with the author than most, as I too came to the Silicon Valley to start a sales career about a month after Donegan came. I came from the Midwestern United States, which isn't a whole lot like California either, so I could relate.

While I had a special pleasure of knowing the euphoric Silicon Valley circa 2000 and the various places Donegan refers too, everyone is going to have blast reading this book. The author begins to wrestle with his conscience, as he slowly becomes the sleazy salesman he once despised. The fact that he becomes more successful as he gets sleazier becomes troubling. But this is likely to be the most fun you've ever had watching a man struggle with an ethical dilemma.

Sleaze and sunshine
A highly amusing look at California from the vantage point of a Scottish visitor: the criminally underfunded public institutions, the money-grubby dot com crowd, the veracity-challenged used car dealers, all against a backdrop of perfect sunshine.

California Dreaming ---does it for me!
It's the kind of book you have to renew after three weeks at the library---to go through again....Funny in kind of a non-neurotic, non Spaulding Gray style....If you've ever lived in California, it adds to the fun. This book was just a pleasure to read, to get myself out of myself...Informative about the used car buz....funny, realistic and enjoyable.....

I was here again, buying a copy of the book, looking at the reviews, agreeing with this one, and discovered it was mine.....
Oh Scooty!!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

A true master of fiction, a writer the New Yorker has called "probably the greatest living writer of short stories in the English language," brings his considerable gifts to non-fiction in this brilliant collection of essays. Marked with Trevor's deft irony and subtle gifts for illuminating characters, Excursions in the Real World collects more than two dozen deeply personal memoirs of the artistic life. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Autobiography of a Contemporary Master
Admirers of Trevor's masterly fiction will enjoy these incisive, witty, heartbreaking essays revisiting his youth and early adulthood.The short piece about his parents is probably the most moving thing he's everwritten.Most writers use autobiography to settle scores; Trevor uses itto give shape to the life of memory--a shape, in its own way, just asartful and just as true as the shape he gives to the life of his fiction. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Good Review of the Politics and the Politicians of the Era
Kenneth Rose is an excellent scholar and this book is about scholarship--debunking the myths and telling the straight story about King George V and the politicians with whom he dealth. My only wish is that I could know more about George V the man, but this is the same objection that I've had of all scholarly biographers of Kings. ... Read more

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Reviews (11)

Vexed in Paradise
Graham Greene is one of those writers whom you wouldn't necessarily want to meet socially -- however great their works might be. You could be in for some scintillating conversation, or just as likely for embarassed silence or a dose of that gold-plated chip on the shoulder. At one point in a restaurant, Greene stands up and makes a loud public announcement that some poor tourist was eavesdropping on his conversation. Another time, he publicly berates the author's husband, translator Francis Steegmuller, for feeding stray cats.

For over 40 years, Graham Greene spent Spring and Autumn at his villa in Anacapri. During much of that time, Shirley Hazzard and Steegmuller were also in attendance and struck up as close a friendship as that truculent Englishman would allow. Rather than a formal biography, GREENE ON CAPRI is a delightfully impressionistic book about Greene, the island they all held in common (though Green knew astonishingly little about its history), and the famous literary visitors whose lives partially intersected, most notably Harold Acton and Norman Douglas.

As I am planning a visit to Capri in the foreseeable future, I was pleasantly surprised how much information about the island and its history is conveyed in the book's 149 pages. Everything but the Blue Grotto was there. I was particularly delighted to see a photo of the villa that figured so largely in one of my favorite films, Jean-Luc Godard's CONTEMPT (1963): it was built by the Fascist -- later Communist -- writer Curzio Malaparte.

Many of my favorite books point the way to interesting new authors, works, and places. GREENE ON CAPRI is a keeper, and I expect it will help inform my future reading and (hopefully) travel for some time to come. Shirley Hazzard is a delightful writer, and Greene a fascinating if prickly subject. The result: a literary gem which merits my highest recommendation.

A book of ethereal beauty and grace.
I am completely baffled by the negative reviews on this book, especially the comments on Ms.Hazzard's prose. If this prose appears to be too difficult for you, stick with comic strips! This is clearly one of the most beautifully written books I have come across in a very long time. The beauty and grace of Ms. Hazzard's prose leave me breathless at times. The way she describes Graham Greene makes me believe I used to know him. The images she evokes of Capri and the times she and her husband spent there are vivid and all encompassing. This book makes you long to be there. La nostalgie est une chanson douce! I cannot imagine a sweeter song than "Greene on Capri" by Shirley Hazzard.

Give it a Go
I can only conclude from other reviews that Shirley Hazzard is an acquired taste, but would add that it's worth giving a go. She is a supremely old-fashioned writer, which I think some find mannered or awkward. It's odd, because I find her prose illuminating and exciting to read - each word is measured and beautiful. Her novels are luminous things of beauty, particularly The Bay of Noon and The Great Fire. She's just won Australia's top literary prize - very well-deserved. If you have time and patience, for her books need careful reading, they are richly rewarding. It's only an inexpensive paperback, go on, try some, you never know, you might like it!

Not Greene nor Capri...
Shirley and Francis must have lived a more interesting life than the one depicted in this book. The book is about a literary couple who interacts with Graham Greene once a year on Capri for a short time over a number of years. Or at least Francis was literary -- Greene certainly did not see Ms. Hazzard as a peer. Close friends they were not.

The book is barely about Capri and much less about Greene. However, the book is about Ms. Hazzard's pretentiousness.

What little valuable information is found in the book, is hidden among difficult prose and incomplete thoughts. Ms. Hazzard goes from one topic about herself and F. to another. Every so often Greene is introduced as an after thought.

Her book is sad, not because Greene was always difficult in personal situations, but due to her own frustrations.

Good subject - horrible prose.
Let's just say, I won't be seeking out the novels of Shirley Hazzard after reading this memoir. I read this in order to find out more about Greene .
Unfortunately , this is a pretty horrible read at times and it's all down to Shirley Hazzard's pretentious phrase - making. Her prose is ugly , clumsy and contrived.
Don't believe the reputation and the recommendations - just try some of it.

"We were light eaters of traditional dishes, of fish or shellfish from those waters." (p37)

"Mass protests against the war by persons of all ages and professions were, at that time, only beginning in America." (p24)

"...some mild excitement in the oddity of that winter meeting on a Mediterranean rock:"(p8)

"In the drear stringency of war's-end England..." (p20)
What's wrong with post-war ?

Reading this was like being in the presence of some London literary madam who is trying to impress you by name-dropping and talking in the most arch way about "when we did this" and "Graham said to me". ... Read more

Book Description

Irish actress Harriet Smithson, inspiration for Hector Berlioz'sSymphonie Fantastique, is also the muse for this mesmerizing novel.

Christine Balint reimagines the bittersweet life of Harriet Smithson, the tragedienne who brought Shakespeare to the French. Born in County Clare, Ireland, in 1800, Harriet is left in the care of the elderly priest Father Barrett, and is brought up on Lamb's Shakespeare, lime-sherbet sweets, and prayer. A child of traveling players, her ultimate inheritance is Covent Garden, London, the green room, and the theater's rough magic.

With the arrival of Charles Kemble's English Theatre troupe in Paris in 1827, the Odéon Theatre is awash with the drama and music of Shakespeare. Harriet is Ophelia. The French Romantics swoon, traffic stops, and the high-society women plait straw in their hair in honor of her mad Ophelia. The fiery composer Hector Berlioz falls in love.

In Ophelia's Fan, Balint re-creates the texture and breadth of the nineteenth century and brings alive Harriet Smithson—the actress and the woman, her roles and her loves. ... Read more

Book Description

Paul Murray Kendall's masterful account of the life of England's King Richard III has remained the standard biography of this controversial figure. 4 b/w illustrations. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

One of the best pro-Richard III books ever!
This book makes me happy just thinking about it! It's a wonderful, friendly view of Richard III, chock full of historical facts. Kendall also puts in his own conjectures concerning many events (i.e. murder of the Princes) which are extremely interesting. A completely wonderful, informative read

Superior, academic biography
You have to forgive Mr. Kendall his dilligent and thorough exposition at times. Once you do, you'll be amazed by this story of Richard III. A complex era, to be sure, and Kendall's Richard seems at times ruthless, at other times an amazingly disciplined and loyal member of his society--a sort of Heracles figure on occassion. I read this book straight through, no stops. Only Shelby Foote has come as close for me in terms of readability.

Richard III as a man.....
Personally speaking, I thought this was a well written and well researched biography that must be on mandatory reading list for anyone intersting in the life and time of King Richard III. However, it should be noted that the author proves to be very sympathic in nature toward Richard and although he does his best to clear all the Shakespearean myths about Richard, it could be said that he probably went too far in some cases in creating a Richard that may be too good. In one case, the case of the missing and presumably murdered Princes in the Tower, Kendall does go all out to proves Richard's innoence. I can lived with that but Kendall failed to realized why so many believed that Richard had a hand in it. Why? Well....the Princes disappeared as he took power and never seen again after he did. Sure, Henry Tudor could have done it and host of many, but like Edward II, Richard II and Henry VI, these princes were rightly considered as the direct threat to reigning ruler's throne which was bit shaky to begin with. Their termination would be logical, necessary and poltically acute - even in our time period. I think Kendall was one of the movers of the Richard the Innocent Man concept regarding the Princes' murders. Many books have been written to back him up or to condemn him. Just for that, the book needs to be read and enjoyed. Kendall proves to be an excellent writer, good historian and got a sense of justice even if you don't agreed.

O.K., I'm biased, but I had to check in.
Since I'm Paul Murray Kendall's daughter, and since I wrote the introduction to this edition, my predilection for my father's meticulous scholarship and his way of making biography come alive, is obvious. This book, however (my favoritism aside), has corrected a multitude of misconceptions about Richard -- and, though I say it, the book's a good read. I just couldn't help writing this.

Great, even if you're not an expert
I am no expert on medieval England, I simply find it as a hobby to read about it now and again. That said, I must say that I found this book very well written. It tells not only the story of Richard, but a fairly good description of the War of the Roses. I found this book very informitive about his life, and it tells it in a very readable way, sometimes it is as if you are reading a novel, not history, such is Kendall's skill at telling stories. It brings a fresh new perspective to the life of Richard, discarding all the Tudor propaganda.
It makes Richard out to be a real person, not the monster that the Tudors made him out to be. It even contains an excellent essay about who murdered the Princes,it does not discard Richard as a suspect, but also explains how others could have done it.
My one complaint, however, is that at some points, particularly in the middle, it can get a bit boring, and it is sometimes hard to keep all the names strait. But over all I must give this book a very good rating for keeping my attention with the vivid battle discriptions, while still informing me about the world and life,of Richard III ... Read more

Amazon.com

Michael Holroyd is the distinguished British biographer of writer Lytton Strachey (whose life formed the basis of the film Carrington) as well as the painter Augustus John. But his voluminous biography of writer George Bernard Shaw--the author of Pygmalion (made into the musical My Fair Lady)--originally published in four volumes, is probably his masterwork.This newly abridged one-volume edition has the virtue of cutting the documentation--which will be missed only by other scholars on Shaw--and is aimed squarely at the general reader, who will find here an entertaining survey with a wide base of interest. Unlike other recent books on Shaw that focus on a single aspect such as sexuality or politics, Holroyd's apporach is general, and quite successful. One feels that the biographer has grasped what was important to Shaw at each crucial moment of his life.Thus the biography becomes a kind of companion to the life, discreetly pointing out features of interest, but never overimposing Holroyd's own personality, though there are some witty details inserted--such as those about Shaw's estate in recent years--that indicate Holroyd's dry wit. Although not short at 704 pages, there are no longueurs, and this book may be called Brit biography at its best, a must for literature collections. Long live G.B.S.! --Benjamin Ivry ... Read more

Book Description

Robert Blake's masterly biography of Benjamin Disraeli, thegreat British Prime Minister, Conservative leader, and man of letters.Benjamin Disraeli (1804-81), Earl of Beaconsfield, Prime Minister ofEngland (1868 and 1874-80), and Conservative leader, was one of thegreatest and most colorful political figures in British history. Aconfidante of Queen Victoria, tireless champion of England,parliamentarian of genius, Disraeli was also a superb and enduringnovelist and correspondent. This monumental portrait by Robert Blake isconsidered by many to be one of the finest political biographies everwritten. Lord Blake is former Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University,Provost of The Queen's College, Oxford, and Editor of the Dictionary ofNational Biography. 850 pp 5 x 8 ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Essential
Robert Blake's biography of Disraeli is now nearly 40 years old (it was first published in 1966), yet it retains a freshness seldom equalled in any type of biography, let alone a political one.

Disraeli is one of the most compelling figures in British history, certainly nineteenth century political history. Yet as Blake points out, he was actually in power for very little of his career, and at a late stage in his life at that. The paradox is explained by the socio-political characteristics of the age. Blake does that with great skill, avoiding the danger of turning a biography into a general history.

"Disraeli" is a fascinating study of a complex and interesting individual. Yet this book is also a must for anyone wanting to understand political development in Victorian Britain, and in particular Conservative Party history.

G Rodgers

Dizzy he was not
During the high tide of the Victorian era, the political life of the nation was dominated by two men, Disraeli and Gladstone. Gladstone is an obvious choice for one of the top statesmen of the era, he was elected four times to the premiership. Disraeli was not quite so fortunate. However, given the short period of time that he was in office he accomplished a great deal. He brought the tories back from the dead, passed a reform bill and managed to acquire the Suez Canal. At the Congress of Berlin, Disraeli's command of the situation even impressed Bismark (not exactly a slouch in these sorts of things). Not bad from a rather foppish young man who specialized in "Silver Fork" novels (a fictional version of lifestyles of the rich and famous in the 19th century).

Blake's book is the best one on the subject of Benjamin Disraeli. The complex story of the novelist turned politican is brought out in all of its facets. Disraeli was probably one of the most interesting people to be prime minister (after perhaps Churchill and Walpole) and Blake's book shows the reader how he did it.

The Perfect Biography
Blake's Disraeli is not only flawless in its interpretation of Disraeli but also in its style. It is a work by which all other biographies must be judged. Simply put, it is the perfect biography.

First rate
This is a work of considerable scholarship which chronicles the life of one of Great Britain's outstanding statesmen. The book covers the political life of Disraeli admirably, but also gives a view of the private Disraeli: confidant of Victoria, prolific novelist, inventor of the crouton.

Robert Blake Does Not Disappoint
Robert Blake's study of Benjamin Disreali, twice Prime Minister and prolific novelist, is one of the best I've read. Both Disreali's personal life and political career are handled with respect, and there is no unnecessary conjecture to mislead the reader. The resulting biography is both fascinating and informative, advancing chronologically from Disreali's parentage to his death and detailing the aspects of his personality and the extraordinary good luck that enabled him to rise so far in the British political system. Throughout, the reader is offered anecdotes from acquaintances, excerpts from letters, and portions of the speeches that gave Disreali his reputation as a matchless orator. Particularly touching are the stories illustrating the friendship he and his sister shared, and the mannerisms which characterized his personality. Overall, Robert Blake displays great knowledge of both Disreali and the politics that he loved so much. Therein lies the book's only fault, from an amateur's perspective; at times the references to the system can confuse a reader not fully familiar with British politics. However, any admirer of this great statesman cannot afford to miss reading this work, which already shows signs of becoming a necessary reference. Any historian, amateur or not, could easily view this volume as indispensable. ... Read more

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Reviews (2)

Recommended for readers of all ages
Deftly written and superbly illustrated by Don Brown, Across A Dark And Wild Sea is the true story of Columcille (also known as Columba), a beloved figure from Celtic history. Columcille loved books so much that he secretly copied a volume of psalms from Rome against it's owner's wishes. The resulting and bitter fallout in 521 A.D. caused Columcille to deliberately leave Ireland in a tiny boat, vowing never to return. He founded a famous monastery on the Scottish island of Iona and left a legacy that endures to this day. Brought to life with moody, windswept color illustrations, Across A Dark And Wild Sea is a most engaging picture book and recommended for readers of all ages.

The Man Who Loved Books.....
"Columcille was born in 521. He was the son of a king, from a corner of Ireland scrubbed hard by ocean winds, in a time that came to be known as the dark ages..." So begins Don Brown's marvelous picture book biography of the scribe and monk, known now as Saint Columba. Brown traces the Celtic legend of this remarkable man who desperately wanted to bring learning and books back into the world after much was lost with the fall of the Roman Empire. After a bloody war was waged over the copying and ownership of a special book of psalms, Columcille left Ireland forever and with twelve followers "set sail on a dark and wild sea." Landing on the tiny Scottish island of Iona, he and his followers built a monastery and scriptorium where books were copied and scribes were trained. "Books were made and dispatched, like small boats on a dark and wild sea, to places where reading and writing had been forgotten or ignored. The books made colonies of learning, and people's minds, once dark with ignorance, were brightened." Mr Brown's poetic text is filled with imagery, is rich in history and drama and complemented by powerful and evocative artwork in quiet and subdued tones. Together word and art bring Columcille's inspiring story to life with passion and respect. Perfect for youngsters 8 and older, or as a read aloud for younger children, Across A Dark And Wild Sea includes an Author's Note to enhance and complete the story, the Unical alphabet used by scribes, and a bibliography. This is a rare and wonderful story celebrating books and learning, that shouldn't be missed. "Columcille, the man who loved books, helped the world love books. So we remember him and retell his story." ... Read more

Book Description

This book provides a new account of one of the most famous men of the English Middle Ages:Simon de Montfort.It is partly a study of the politics of Henry III's reign (1216-72), with which Montfort's career is closely interwoven; but it also looks at his lands, finances, following and religious ideals.Drawing on unusual sources, the author is able to make his biography as much a study of temperament and character as of a political career, and to write with a degree of psychological penetration rare in works on the medieval nobility. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Best biography on ol'Earl
This book proves to be a well-written if not very complex biography of Simon de Montfort, a revolutionary mediveal baron who dares to challenged the King of England about the limitation of the royal powers. While initially successful, he allowed that success to go to his head and he was finally defeated and killed.

The book revealed a highly complex character, its superbly researched, readable to a those who knoweledge of the period is pretty good, bit hard on those who may be entering this subject for the first time. The author managed to intergrate all elements of de Montfort's life, as a great soldier, as a politican, a man of God with a look of idealism and above all, a family man. Along with his strengths, lies his weaknesses, his ruthless ambition, self-centered on family promotion and wealth at expense of others and his overwhelming sense of pride that borderline on sheer arrogance. The book clearly show how his strength gained him his victories while his weaknesses sent him into defeat.

With great insight, perception and scholarship, I would say this biography of Mountfort is probably the best on the subject and one of the best on any mediveal personalities of the time period. (Although Michael Prestwich's biography on Edward I is also quite excellent.)

Most important man nobody has ever heard of
A very fair account of a truly remarkable individual. It presents him as a man dedicated to his ideals and as a man utterly obsessed with his well-being, even at the cost of his losing credibility for his government and the provisions he fought so hard for, making him believable as a real man. It is a shame so few people know about him. Highly recomended!

Facinating inside view into the 12th century
Great but tragic story of a strong character who wanted too much and lost everything. Facinating story of an educated man in a uneducated time. Inside into the economic circumstances and its motivation in the 12th century. Highly recommendable but also higly difficult to read. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Alfred for High School Students
The author of this book (Asser) was a contemporary of King Alfred's and was brought to Wessex (Alfred's kingdom) in the ninth century as part of Alfred's plan to improve education and culture in Anglo-Saxon England. The text is highly readable and gives students an eyewitness account of Alfred's kingship: military successes and failures (esp. fighting the Vikings), advancement of English culture and education, consolidation of the seven kingdoms, and cultivation of Christian kingship in the Early Middle Ages. This kind of book is especially fun for students to read as it shows us "real history," including things such as Alfred's 20-year fight with some sort of intestinal disorder. We see Alfred as a man, not just an aloof, wooden figure that died long ago. This edition also includes maps, geneological charts of the Carolingian (i.e., "French") kings and the English kings up to Alfred, and a 29-page introduction by Simon Keynes and Michael Lapidge, which provides excellent background on the period in which Alfred and Asser lived. Also included are excerpts from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which was begun in Alfred's reign, extracts of Alfred's own writings and translations, and miscellaneous primary sources such as letters, books, and documents of the era. These items make good backgrounding for teachers. When this biography is read together with the Arthurian legend, it helps students to compare the real and the ideal kings of the Middle Ages. ... Read more

Book Description

Nuala O'Faolain burst upon the literary scene in 1998 with Are You Somebody?, a fiercely candid account of her youth and adulthood that became a surprise bestseller around the world. Almost There begins at that moment when O'Faolain's life began to change, and it tells the story of a life in subtle, radical, and, above all, unforeseen renewal. It is on one level a tale of good fortune chasing out bad-of an accidental harvest of happiness. But it is also a provocative examination of one woman's experience of "the crucible of middle age"-a time of life that faces in two directions, forging the shape of the years to come, and clarifying and solidifying relationships to friends and lovers (past and present), family and self. Almost There is a crystalline reflection of a singular character, utterly engaged in life. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Beautiful and Brutal
This is the first book I have read by author Nuala O'Faolain, but it far from the first autobiographical piece I've read. The latter part of my opening comment allows me to state without reservation that I have never read a more brutally and painfully candid work. Using the word beautiful may seem contradictory but it is her unstinting honesty about everyone, herself most of all, that makes this such a remarkable memoir. I don't think I would have gotten through the book if she had only been candid about everyone except herself. Her willingness to place herself, fears, regrets and anger out on view for the world to read is nothing short of remarkable.

This book covers about 6 years from her first memoir which apparently had the same sort of candor although she did offer it to people who were included prior to its publication. How much she may have changed is not entirely clear, but judging by what was included here I doubt she changed very much.

The book is also a philosophical exercise by a woman who has seen the majority of her life and is brutally honest about what she is and is not willing to do with the balance of the 16 and three-quarter years the actuarial tables allot to her. Initially the most startling part of the book was toward the end when she spoke of the 8 year old daughter of her partner. At first I was put off, and then my reaction changed completely. If there has ever been a case of the truth hurts, and the truth will set you free, in a manner of speaking, this lady has written it.

I don't know how many males will read this book but they should. Much of what she discusses is not bounded by gender, and when there are gender specific issues there are plenty of issues that males can plug in. This is not an easy book to read but when I finally finished I found myself hoping for all the best for Ms. O'Faolain and anyone else who has experienced the pain she has. If we all could view our lives with such honesty, my guess is the level of pain in most lives would be greatly diminished.

Ms. Nuala O'Faolain, I wish you all the best!

Amazing story of potential
Enthusiastic Recommend: Almost There by Nuala O'Faolain
This is a memoir of six years in the life of a woman in her 60s. It's her story of struggling with her past, with the long series of things that shaped her into something that she decided she did not want to be. So she changed. O'Faolain's life is nothing like mine - not even remotely like mine. She's Irish. She suffered as a child from the neglect of a drunken mother. She's never been married, has no children. She earned her living being a journalist. She's not really athletic, and that doesn't bug her. One of the few things we have in common is that we both love dogs. But she also goes for cats, which I can take or leave. And yet so much of what she wrote resonated, spoke to me, got me to say right out loud, "Yea, wow, that's it." It's a wonderful read for anyone who thinks it's too late for ... well, for anything. O'Faolain shows that it's never too late. We've all suffered, physically and emotionally. Some more than others, Nuala more than I. But she demonstrates that there is always a way to strike out on a different path if you are willing to work at it. And though it's not easy, there's progress, not always in a hurriedly straight line, but it's there and it's substantial.

Everybody Has a Hungry Heart
Nuala O'Faolain is completely frank and honest without sacrificing elegant prose... sa memoirist unconcerned with image. Her experiences take on a universal quality--I'm not a fifty-something Irish writer whose parents were miserable together (one cold, the other alcoholic) when not being charming. Yet in her descriptions of fear, loneliness, hope I find myself feeling singing "she's killing me softly with her song."

This is no feel-good "How I overcame bad times" memoir in which the heroine is homeless/battered/deathly ill but survives "with a little help from my friends." Nuala recounts successes, mistakes, bad judgement, anger, joy without ever portraying herself as a victim. And the result is that her story lands in your gut.

Few writers would admit worrying about the cat being lonely if she went out for an evening-- they'd be too self-conscious and worry about looking pathetic. Not Nuala. The result is that she wins us over utterly.

This book opens with a great deal more joy than her other books (the wonderful memoir Are You Somebody? and the novel My Dream of You). She recounts with wonder the unexpected success of her memoir and the opportunities it brought her-- the waves of approval from TV talk-show audiences, the trip to New York where she met Frank McCourt, the money. But it didn't ultimately protect her heart from a painful end to a long-standing lesbian relationship, a one-sided affair with a married man, and a troubled relationship with a man she met on line, whose little girl Nuala had to struggle not to resent.

I heard O'Faolain read at Colliseum books New York, and she recounted how in Dublin, everyone criticized her for having had an affair with a married man (who, to be fair, did not ever tell her he was married until very very late in the game) while in America, people were shocked at her attitude to the child. Yet in both, O'Faolain is nothing more than honest. Who hasn't felt jealous and wished they didn't? O'Faolain is never malicious, vindictive or cruel.

She writes with candor about being down-and-out inside, though material circumstances look well. She's an inspiration in every way-- she gives the reader permission to empathize, to say, "yes, it's like that, and she survived, and I can too". You don't have to have a terrible illness or crushing poverty to have legitimate feelings of despair, and O'Faolain is proof that they can be overcome-- with grace.

And her prose is terrific. Simple without being simplistic, somehow she turns a riff on 9/11 to a consideration of voting in Africa.
She's a real writer, and one for the ages-- her main focus is on herself, but her gaze takes on all humanity.

Nuala's Long Journey
This is the first book by Nuala Faolain that I read so I don't have anything to compare it with. I am also a middle aged woman so many of the statements she made hit me right in the chest.
I could feel her pain. Although I related to her story, I found the book tedious at times. I would not recommend this book for everyone. I don't believe that women in their twenties or thirties would fully appreciate Naula's story.

Poor Follow-Up to the Great AYS
Nuala is a talented writer, but we knew that already. I found this book a bit, well, boring. It was like reading my own journal - too much stuff that would be of interest only to me and, possibly, my closest friends or kin; "boring" to most others.

She's an easy read, an acute observer, and (as far as I am concerned) one of the few writers who will address the issue of advancing age - or most other issues - with candor.

I loved AYS, as did most readers. This smells like a commerical follow-up and lacks the appeal of the original. It could be 50% shorter, and be the better for it. Bit of a shame, Nuala. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Covers the Bases
Mr. Baur's book gives a good coherent view of this great American artists life. It includes many black and white renderings of Burchfield's works and a number of colored plates. While not up to present standards for such anbook it does present Charles Burchfield's life with a minimum ofinterpretation using Burchfield's own diary entries and letters to expressthe artists thoughts. Could be better, an update would be helpful with allBurchfield's works rendered in color. Be sure to visit the new Burchfieldart center (as of 2000) at the corner of Union Road and Clinton Street onthe banks of the creek that Burchfield so loved inGardenville New York. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

An inspiring, heartbreaking, unforgettable book.
Vera Brittain is not always easy to like. She's frequently disagreeable, usually opinionated, always challenging. But she also has more courage, strength and vision than most people you will ever encounter. As part of the first generation of women to achieve a university education in England, she put her studies aside to volunteer as a nurse on the front lines of World War I. This seminal event in world history profoundly altered her philosophy as she suffered the heartbreak of losing the two men she loved most in the world. Her triumph over tragedy should be inspiring to anyone who has ever lost a loved one, as she turned her grief and anger at the war into a lifelong committment to the cause of pacifism. Brittain is a beautiful writer with a sharp wit and an incisive mind. Her portrayal of the brutality of war and the tragic consequences of "God and country before all" makes for perhaps the most powerful anti-war book ever created. This is not only a testament to youth, but also to the courage and resiliancy of the human spirit.

A wonderfully moving personal account life during WW1
This book by Vera Brittain is one of the most moving that I have read. Written as an account of the experiences of young men and women at the onset and during the First World War, it gives a particular insight which is different from, but equally absorbing as, those accounts, so often understated, of soldiers who fought in the trenches during the conflict. To be more accurate, while she recounts the feelings and experiences of the men who were closest to her, hers is the only woman's viewpoint which is given in any depth - and, indeed, it is her personal account, given in such depth that it draws in and involves the reader in a way unlike any simple factual account of events. While it recounts in some detail her own work as a nurse in the war theatres, it is a story with as much muted romanticism as those of the Brontes or Jane Austen, and belies to a degree the orthodoxy of Vera Brittain's feminism. This is a book to be recommended without hesitation, for anyone interested in the period, but also as a timeless account of human endeavour, endurance and love.

Why isn't this GREAT Book better known here in the States?!
Reading the first few pages of this extraordinary memoir convinces me that Vera Brittain was truly one of the great writers ever! In fact, it must be among the very greatest memoirs ever. So when I mention this book to friends, they without exception , have never heard of it! Granted it's about a war from long ago, starting 90 years ago, a horror that Vera B. looks at, and condemns with all her passionate genius. And there were hundreds of classics written at the time, written about this most senseless of wars, a slaughter worse than anyone could ever have predicted. But she describes with great compassion this nightmare, and its effect on herself and her generation. When you read about how her fiance is killed, it will be difficult not to put the book down, and do some serious thinking. And her nursing efforts aboard the SS Brittanica (later sunk by a German U-Boat) make a fine story as well. The book may be a bit dense, and overly literary, but it seems that during this era quoting poetry was a normal part of conversation, unlike today!.Anyway, give this book a chance and you'll be completed entranced by this incredible author!

Gift Book
I first became aware of this author when I saw the PBS series of this book. Another reviewer was right, it should be a movie, instead it was a television series. I also had this book, then someone borrowed it and they lost it. I found a new copy at a garage sale and everytime I find a copy, I buy it as I am always giving them away as gifts telling people that they must read this book.My 16 year old daughter loves it also. It is well-written. As someone who taught high school history, I know how important having an interesting book dealing with history is when trying to get most teens to think about the past.. I also recommend reading Testiment of Friendship and Testament of Experience, the continuation of this story.

it never ends
it has been a while since i have read this book, & i have to replace my lost copy, but, i still remember how unsparing it is.
i got it to learn more of what my maternal grandfather went through. several years ago, i learned from listing to john mccdermot's version of eric bogle's "and the band played waltzing matilda" my mum listened to it with me. i have never been able to listen to this song without at weeping or at least tearing up. as i wiped my eyes, my mum casually informed me that her da had miraculously survived gallipolli! knowing that fact let me on trying to find out about the nice little corner of hell known as the great war. (i am not a christian any longer, but, i retain a very real idea that hell is real, not a place you goto when you arn't a christian, but, a place we put each other in) this book is more important than ever, & i would like any person who is thinking war is glorious, or willing to rush in head first, it should be reqired reading. writing this on sept 11th, & as a person of whom some of their earliest memories are of watching the veitnam war on television, & who knows all too well the damage war does: (my paternal uncle jaime died in italy five weeks before ww2 ended) in memeory of the dead of all wars, the sept 11 victims, & the ones whose bodies lived, but their souls died. sometimes, i think the first two catagories are the lucky ones, to quote long john silver via robert louis stevenson. thank you, vera brittain. i hope that you are back with your finance, your brother, & his mates, young again, & i deeply hope that all of you are at peace now. (revised slightly on date indicated, but, written on the first anniversary of 9/11) ... Read more