Book Description

At the heart of this history of two families are the stories of two flawed and charismatic men. Joseph O'Neill's grandfathers—one Irish, one Turkish—were both imprisoned during the Second World War. The Irish grandather, a handsome rogue from a family of small farmers, was an active member of the IRA and was interned with hundreds of his comrades by de Valera's governent. O'Neill's other grandfather, a debonair hotelier from the tiny and endangered Turkish Christian minority, was imprisoned by the British in Palestine, where he was traveling to buy lemons, on suspicion of being an Axis spy.

Joseph O'Neill set out to investigate the imprisoments of his grandfathers, which were veiled in family silence, and found himself having to come to terms with shared and longstanding memories of violence; with a legacy of fierce commitment and political blindness; and with the enchanting and confusing power of nationalism and the fear and complicity of the bystander. He was changed by what he found, and he has written a remarkable book about the ties and limits of kinship. With great tact, he sets the stories of individuals against the history of the last century's most inhuman events. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A Fabulous Book
I simply could not put this book down.Much more than an entertaining portrait of early 20th century life in some remote places, this is a highly informative social and political history and a compelling reflection on nationalism, patriotism and the fears, violence and intrigues which sometimes accompany them.Mr. O'Neill obviously has talents for both research and scene-painting, and his writing is both literate and engaging.After 340 pages, I was sorry to put the book away.But I feel wiser now that I have made the journey with Mr. O'Neill.

Fascinating Personal and Historical Account
"Blood Dark Track" provides a fascinating background into the history of both Ireland and Turkey during the first half of the Twentieth Century.These two very disparate regions actually have more in common than we would initially suppose:neutrality during WWII, an antipathy to British Imperialism, persecution of religious minorities, and layers upon layers of history underlying bloody Twentieth Century history.

These areas also combine in the persona of the author, Joseph O'Neill, who has provided an intriguing personal narrative of his own family.His father's side, Catholic, poor, and Republican from Cork; his mother's, Catholic, bourgeois, and apolitical from Mersin (a coastal city near Syria).Their meeting is as fortuitous as it was unlikely.

The author deftly melds the pieces into a coherent whole, despite geographic, cultural, and temporal distances.Because of the personal connection of the author to events, people, and places, it reads more like a novel than a history.

Informing the story is the author's discovery of his grandfathers, both as family and as characters in two distinct, though subtly parallel, historical contexts.I was surprised to find the story so gripping that I finished it in three days.

Haunting enquiry into family history & historical "truth"
This is a brilliant book. The author searches for the reasons why his two grandfathers - one Irish, one Turkish - both ended up in prison during the Second World War. His Turkish grandfather, Joseph Dakad, was interned by the British in Palestine on suspicion of spying for the Germans. His Irish grandfather, Jim O'Neill, was interned by his own government in the Curragh as a member of the IRA. By subtly intercutting the two stories, the book looks at nationalism in two very different contexts - the polyglot, post-Ottoman culture of Turkey in the years between the two world wars, and the hidden story of the IRA between De Valera coming to power and the resumption of The Troubles in 1969. In searching for the reasons why these two very different men were interned, O'Neill illuminates unspoken ideas of nationalism and individuality that permeate (like DNA) the two sides of his family. While he sifts through British intelligence reports on "undesirable" activity in Jerusalem, and discovers who really murdered Admiral Somerville in West Cork in 1936, O'Neill's book is shot through with contemporary echoes of his grandfathers' ordeals. As the author watches Bernadettes Sands reject the Good Friday Agreement in the name of Ireland's republican martyrs, and interrogates former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir about the morality of political assassination and the lessons the Zionist underground (the Lechi also known as the Stern Gang) learnt from the IRA, we realise that the ghosts of these men still haunt today's headlines, and our ancestors can exercise the power of an unconscious force over our political reflexes.

an extraordinary book
This is one of the finest books published in many years.On the surface the book tells the stories of O'Neill's grandfathers.Both stories are of interest, both touch on historical events of interest; but it is the softness and absolute intelligence of O'Neill's voice that makes this book a classic.In relating the experiences of his grandfathers, O'Neill takes us through his own intellectual struggle as he attempts to apply the rational tools of the barrister/philosopher to the world of strong ethnic identities that haunted him from the world of his grandparents.If this were not enough, O'Neill treats us to a rather fine sense of humor -- again, never obvious but always there and always effective.

Interesting, Well researched, great read
O'Neill's "split" background led to an interesting life and a fascinating family history.Great read.Would like to get my hands on his other books.Picked up this book in February and missed his book signing in Dublin by hours.Would really like to know how long it took him to intricately research the book.

must read for Irish history buffs, Turkish history buffs, or WWII. ... Read more

Book Description

Soldier, statesman, and scholar, Alfred the Great was a fascinating and highly successful king, pushing back the Vikings to command what is now thought of as the heart of England as ruler of Wessex from 871-899. In this, the first major biography of King Alfred since 1902, his life, career and enduring legacy are given a radical new interpretation, putting into question most of our assumptions about this singular monarch.

Alfred P. Smyth's portrait of King Alfred rejects the image of a neurotic and invalid king who supposedly remained a pious illiterate until he was almost 40. Instead, we are shown a man of remarkable energy and intelligence who took necessary steps to defend his people from the Norsemen.We see, too, a king who had been a scholar all his life and who used his great knowledge to bolster the powers of his own kingship. Smyth also provides a detailed examination of the much-disputed medieval biography of King Alfred, attributed to the King's tutor, Asser. Alfred Smyth argues that Asser's Life may, in fact, have been a late medieval forgery--a revelation with profound implications for our understanding of the whole of Anglo-Saxon history.

Smyth's King Alfred also contains major studies on the writings of this gifted king, on the controversial charters of his reign, and on the origins of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. (Smyth shows this work to have been much more closely connected with the court of King Alfred than previously realized and suggests a new date for the completion of the earliest Alfredian section of the Chronicle.) A monumental and intriguing work of historical scholarship, King Alfred the Great will dramatically change the way we understand this early period of western civilization. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Superb biography of Alfred the Great
Alfred Smith, a professor of medieval history at the University of Kent, provides us with a masterful biography of Alfred the Great.Smith's biography is a radical departure from the traditional view of Alfred as a neurotic invalid who remained piously illiterate until he was almost 40.Alfred's life is thoroughly examined to reveal a man of great physical stamina who had been a scholar all his life and who used his intellectual abilities, military prowess and administrative skills to change the course of English history prior to the Norman Conquest. This beautifully written biography examines Alfred's writings and charters, the Anglo Saxon Chronicle, and Asser's biography of Alfred (which Smith believes was a medieval forgery).This biography should be added to the library of historians, students and lovers of medieval history! ... Read more

Book Description

Nineteenth century London produced a fine flowering of eccentrics and individualists. Chief among them was Harriette Wilson, whose patrons included most of the distinguished men of the day, from the Duke of Wellington to Lord Byron. She held court in a box at the opera, attended by statesmen, poets, national heroes, aristocrats, members of the beau monde, and students who hoped to be immortalised by her glance. She wrote these memoirs in middle age, when she had fallen out of favour. She advised her former lovers that for 200 she would edit them out. 'Publish and be damned!' retorted the Duke of Wellington. The result is an elegant, zestful, unrepentant memoir, which offers intimately detailed portraits of the Regency demimonde. First published in 1957. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Royal Collection
The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Monarchy is a uniquely complete book. This is a book very worthy of Oxford, consisting primarily of chapters on royal and political history generally, interspersed throughout with boxed essays on each monarch, special topics, maps, photographs and paintings.

This book begins with the murky beginnings of royalty in Britain, arising out of the chaos of the post-Roman world. Here we encounter names such as Aethelberht, Raewald, and Hywel Dda -- this book doesn't just concentrate as so many do on the English monarchies, but also on Welsh and Scottish clans, lines, and kingdoms. Here we find that King Eric Bloodaxe, the Viking King of York was followed not too many years later by Edgar the Peacable, king of Mercia and the Danelaw.

With the inclusion of this extensive pre-Norman section, the book is a must for any British history library. Apart from that, the history is fairly basic -- well written, interesting, but no grand and new insights, more of an encyclopedia writ as an essay rather than articles on particular subjects (for which I am grateful--nothing so disjointed and unsatisfying in many ways as reading an encyclopedia). This however can make looking up topics a bit more difficult, but I've found as I've sought out one piece of information (using the very good index) I find much more (which is always to be desired).

The final sections include chapters on Royal Residences and Tombs, Genealogies, and Lists of Monarchs, including Scottish as well as English monarchs.

This book is filled with little bits of interest--for instance, an example of 17th century propaganda: 'In the absence of newspapers, radio, and television, other means of representing events and influencing opinion assumed greater importance. A pack of cards took as its unconvivial theme Monmouth's rebellion in 1685. The six of clubs shows Monmouth's entry into Lyme Regis; the seven of spades shows the duke's fate; and the five of diamonds that of his followers.' This caption accompanies pictures of playing cards with scenes of hanged or beheaded men, etc. An interesting means of information dissemination.

A very worthy book, perhaps the only royal book a non-historian would ever need; a definite need for any historian or royal watcher.

Thouroughly enjoyable. Scholarly, but highly readable.
This book is a must for those readers interested in the history of the British Monarchy. The authors and editors have masterly created both an historical perspective of the institution as well as a personal viewpoint which is both critical and sentimental. Some may be turned off by the length of this book, but once you begin reading, you'll wonder where the time goes. And the wonderful photographs and illustrations bring their words to life. ... Read more

Book Description

Sara Walsh was born in 1919 in the west of Ireland, in a land of storytellers. In prose that is neither history nor memoir but something larger and brighter than both, Remembering Ahanagran captures her memories of her early years in Ireland, her migration to the United States, and her marriage to Harry White, the Harvard-educated son of Russian Jewish emigrants. Her son, eminent historian Richard White, in collaboration with Sara, forces history as it is traditionally written into conversation with personal recollections. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A son rediscovers his mother & father & all the family
this was recently read on our WPRadio Chapter - A story that a son rediscovers the journey of his mother, a most naive Irish girl who lands in Chicago, about all those she lives with and then later of his father - who she only met 2 times before he proposed and she accepted - he tells it so tenderly. the father's family is Jewish and hers, Irish Catholic- and in that era, a forbidden match. but his mother Sarah finds her way in life overcoming many losses of relations with their disapproval- on both sides - he discovers who they were and writes it with a way of seeing then and now and all the weaving of the many characters that we all find in our family history. I loved it and want to buy a copy to keep and reread. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

Faerie Folklore of a Shadowy Ireland of Celtic Mysteries !
In Celtic Twilight, originally published in 1902, Yeats recites several accounts of encounters with the faerie folk and with the people of Ireland of the time which gives us insight into Irish folklore, myth and legend.

Yeats associates poetry with religious ideas and sentiment.And, I believe that he saw himself as writing for Ireland, but a shadowy Ireland of Celtic mysteries and legends, not the Ireland of the modern day.By modern day, of course, I relate this to the modern day of Yeats in the late 1890s and early 1900s.

In the introduction to Celtic Twilight Yeats states; "I have therefore written down accurately and candidly much that I have heard and seen, and, except by way of commentary, nothing that I have merely imagined.I have, however, been at no pains to separate my own beliefs from those of the peasantry, but have rather let my men and women, dhouls and faeries, go their way unoffended or defended by any argument of mine."

I got the strong impression from reading Celtic Twilight that Yeats actually believed in the existence of the faeries.Not just as some myth or legend, but as actual beings that exist in this world, though perhaps unseen by the common man.He wrote each story as if it was something that actually happened, having been related to him by the storyteller, or perhaps that which he had seen for himself in some past time, now recalled as he set pen to paper.

There is a depth to Yeats' writing that lies just below the surface, something that'sperceived more than seen.The idea that perhaps magic and the faerie folk are alive in the world of today, but unseen, or perhaps only seen from time to time as a fleeting shadow until one knows just where to look.

It is interesting to note that Yeats was heavily involved in occult studies and practices as part of the Madame Helene Blavatsky's,Theosophical Society and later, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and finally in 1912 the Ordo Templi Orientis.

This would have certainly influenced his outlook on life and his belief in, and dare we say ability to see the unseen things of this world.

I too ask myself from time to time; just what unseen things exist in this world.Perhaps Yeats has seen that which other men can only hope for, or that which they turn away from in dread given the course of their spirits.

Yeats also makes a profound observation: "The things a man has heard and seen are threads of life, and if he pull them carefully from the confused distaff of memory, any who will can weave them into whatever garments of belief please them best."

I found Yeats' observation of particular interest, especially when it comes to theological or philosophical thought.If it is those things that we hear and see in life that forms the fabric of our beliefs, then surely we must take care that that which we see and hear forms strong enough threads so that the fabric we weave is not shoddy.

Yeats' works help us build those strong threads in our lives.For, he certainly influenced the world at large with his writings.In 1923 Yeats was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, and in 1934 he shared the Gothenburg Prize for Poetry with Rudyard Kipling.




... Read more

Book Description

Examining visual, musical and literary works from the late Tudor period to the First World War, Mary Queen of Scots traces a nation's long romance with the queen it once rejected.

Considering both mainstream works (from Edmund Spenser to Sir Walter Scott) and the attachments to Mary that have been formed and sustained by certain subaltern groups, particularly women, Jayne Lewis separates Mary's life from the myth that formed about her and shows how her prevailing image as a sexualized mother has made her a complicated object of political and personal desire. Lewis demonstrates how this desire emerged at a formative moment in the history of modern Britain, and, over time, subliminally shaped that very history. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

An Impressive effort, but falls short of its goal
In this book, Lewis sets out to trace the portrayal of Mary Queen of Scots as a romantic figure throughout time.The topic is fascinating, and one I've done minimal research on myself.However, I was disappointed with Lewis's final result.It seems that she bit off more than she could chew with the book, squashing too much information into too little space. For the curious reader, who has not studied Mary Stuart heavily, this book will seem cumbersome and overwhelming; it requires at least a basic knowledge of Mary's life and the events surrounding it.For those who study Mary, either professionally or as a hobby (like myself), will mostly likely get excited when they see the proposed topic of this book, but will not walk away satisfied with what Lewis has stated.What is she trying to prove?What does all of this information mean?These questions aren't answered, and for myself that was very frustrating.

Good premise, disappointing result
This is a very painful book to read.The concept is excellent, but theauthor's writing style goes beyond academic.It is pompous, arrogant and,ultimately, laughable.Often I have read a sentence in her book only tothink: "Yes, I read it, but WHAT did she SAY?" Although I am nota scholar on Mary Queen of Scots, I have read quite a bit about her.Inthis book, there is a tone that somehow just doesn't ring true.Although Iwould not recommend this book to anyone, readers who are very serious aboutMary Queen of Scots might want to read it merely because it exists.

Academic history at its worst
While the idea of writing an overview of how Mary Queen of Scots has been portrayed over the centuries is a good one, Jayne Lewis is simply not up to the task.For one thing, she seems to have only a superficial knowledgeabout Mary herself, which lends a shallowness to Lewis' interpretations. For another, her style is extremely dry and overly analytical.At times,she sounds so laughably like the stereotype of the "Ivory tower"pompous professor, that the book begins to read like parody.

Worst of allare a number of unforgivably egregious historical errors she makes, which,again, just shows her unfamiliarity with her subject.For instance, sheincludes several unflattering quotes about Mary that Lewis attributes toSir James Melville's "Memoirs."These quotes actually come from"Master Randolph's Fantasy," a libellous ballad about Mary thatwas circulated by her Protestant enemies in 1565.In discussing HughCampbell's 1825 book, which prints several letters (not to be confused withthe famous "Casket Letters,") supposedly written by Mary toBothwell, Lewis says Campbell himself forged those letters.Since Campbellwas merely reprinting letters from a pamphlet that was published in 1725(one of the letters was originally printed in the 16th century memoirs ofBrantome,) Campbell obviously was not the one who wrote them.Such obviousmistakes make it hard to take anything Lewis says very seriously. (Speaking of the "Casket Letters," Lewis gives the impressionthat these, too, have been proved to be forgeries--which is very far fromthe truth.)

In short, the idea of the book was a good one, but it waswasted in the hands of a bad writer. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Religious devotion at its best, marred by cultural ignorance
Amy Carmichael was an admirable woman who performed great deeds in India.She was devoted to God and did her best to serve him.Although she labored under some misconceptions and ignorance about Hinduism, it is possible to forgive her because she operated from a pure heart and a sincere desire to do the Lord's work.It would not be fair to judge her by today's more knowledgeable and open-minded standards.

Without wanting to detract from Amy Carmichael's achievements, I wish the authors had taken the trouble to understand the reality behind some of her misguided beliefs.For example, the following statement (from pp. 77-78) is patently untrue:"Buddhism is a religion of many gods and many statues of gods.Buddhists often believe the statue itself is a god and not just an image of a god."A cursory look at just about any middle school social studies book should prove otherwise.

The authors also depict the British contributions to India in a wholly positive light, although most scholars would agree that their legacy is mixed.Furthermore, their contention that "English rule ... brought roads, railways, industry, and education to India" (p. 96) completely ignores the richness of a great and sophisticated civilization that was the birthplace of some of the world's greatest religions, that gave the world the mathematical concept zero, that had a sophisticated infrastructure already in place (such as the Grand Trunk Road), traded extensively around the world, had a flourishing industry of handicrafts (which were part of the reason the British were originally attracted to India), and so on long before the arrival of the British.The arrogance of such a statement takes my breath away.

Finally, the author's blanket condemnation of the "devadasi" or temple dancer tradition in South India is ignorant and misguided.From the Columbia University website:

"The tradition of the ... devadasi in the temples of India, was one of dancer and sexual initiator. It is a tradition found in relatively recent times throughout the East, traditions as old as those in Ancient Greece and Egypt. The Devadasi was often trained in the art of dance from childhood and she would be officially married to the Temple God at the onset of puberty. The dance form was equally erotic and spiritual which is difficult for the western mind to comprehend. .... The Devadasis were not slaves as they are often portrayed but women of high social status, with accomplishment in all of the arts. However because the Western mind could only comprehend the woman as being married or celibate, the devadasi was seen as a prostitute by the British authorities."

Except that they were not celibate, this is not so different from the position of Christians nuns who are also "married" to the God they serve.Historically, parents in Europe who could not afford to marry off or maintain their daughters also brought them to the church to dedicate their lives to God -- often against their daughter's wishes.I applaud Amy Carmichael for assisting those girls who did not want to become devadasis.But undoubtedly they were many who enjoyed their work and were honored to serve God.Carmichael, who was very much a product of her times and culture could not be expected to understand that.The authors however have a responsibility to be more evenhanded.

Amy Carmichael
Amy Carmichael had a huge heart for God, and a huge heart for God's calling for her. She cared for many children and rescued them from a horrible life of being destined to temple prostitution. She made a huge impact on all of the children she raised, and showed them the wonderful love of Jesus. She's also a great example of a woman that wasn't bothered to serve God as a single woman. This book tells about the many ways God used her to reach people who desperately needed to know the freedom of Christ. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"What I am writing is not a chronicle biography," cautions Victoria Glendinning of Jonathan Swift, but rather what the early-18th-century satirist and his contemporaries would have thought of as a "character," a prose portrait in which, as she puts it, Glendinning "[circles] a little, gradually zooming in on the man himself, until the central questions about him can finally be confronted in close-up."

Swift (1667-1745) is best known to many as the author of Gulliver's Travels; for others, he is more vividly remembered for A Modest Proposal, in which--with the textual equivalent of a deadpan expression--he offered Ireland's British rulers a solution to Irish overpopulation and poverty:

I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout.

Reviews (3)

Well written personal view
This is no day by day chronicle of a life. Rather, a gerneral view and personal description, 'what Swift is to me'. Once this premise is accepted, the book reads easily, the style is great,the few pictures helpful. The author can be seem to be opinionated or not, but she is always in the background. I had a great time reading this,and I knew very little of Swift beforhand. Now I would like to travel to Dublin, so I guess the book achieved at least something...

PARTLY INTERESTING PARTLY TEDIOUS
Glendenning's follows an excellent life of Trollope with a soso effort on another writer who spent a lot of time in both Ireland and England- Jonathan Swift. The book is a curious effort... she calls it a portrait but its more an impressionistic portrait then a realistic biography. She dismisses the standard biographical form with an 8 page summary of Swift's life in chapter one. Her style than is more thematatic than chronological and for the newcomer to Swifts life this is confusing... Stella appears and then disapears for many pages...Glendenning is best discusing Swift's literary life in London from 1710-4 when he hung with Pope and Dr. Arbuthnot. These pages are informative as is the discussion of Swift's relationship with William Temple, his benefactor. Overall, Glendenning's effort is tiresome. She does not appear to have much sustained interest in Swift or to really have enjoyed his books.

An ordinary biography about an extraordinary man
This is an ordinary biography about an extraordinary man. Swift is the author of some of the greatest satires ever written -- funny, vicious, scatological -- full of the strength of conviction and powered by a great command of the English language. A lot of that comes through in this biography by Victoria Glendinning, but a lot of it does not.

One of the main annoyances with this book is that there is too much of the biographer in it. The biographer talks about the process of her research. She peppers the book with many instances of "I think" and "I believe", often without any indication of why she thinks or believes these things. The reader is sometimes left concluding: why does her perception of things have any more credence than anyone else's? How has she proved her case?

Glendinning's analyses of some of Swift's work also often seem a little thin and obvious. Granted, she does not have the space to provide in-depth literary criticism, but the assessments she does provide are so thin sometimes that the reader feels he could do without them altogether. The same applies to her mini-critiques of the former biographers of Swift.

The book is not all bad though. The writing style is good and plain, and she does not engage in too many speculations based on slender biographical data. She does not "make things up", does not try to paint the (imagined) scene just so the reader can have "atmosphere". The book is readable and the most of the basic facts about Swift's life are there.

The book ends on a bad note with the last chapter, however, with Glendinning engaging in some generalizations about Swift's life and about literary art which come off as very judgmental and facile. ... Read more

Book Description

Born in Belfast in 1920, Joe Cahill was an IRA man motivated by this ambition all his life. IRA activists rarely speak about their lives or their organization, but here Cahill gives his full and frank story, his viewpoint, his experiences-from death row in Northern Ireland in the 1940s to Washington and the Good Friday Agreement of 1998.  This is the story of an extraordinary journey: Cahill's own life mirrors the growth, changes, and development of the republican movement as a whole through more than sixty years of intense involvement.

Distributed for O'Brien Press, Dublin
Wisconsin edition for sale only in the U.S., its territories and dependencies, Canada, and the Philippines
... Read more

Book Description

Since Enoch Brater's essential study of Samuel Beckett's life and works was originally published before Beckett died, the author has taken the opportunity of this paperback reprint to bring his subject up to date. Beckett was undoubtedly a difficult writer, and one of the virtues of this biography is to give the general reader easier access to all aspects of his work, particularly the more elliptic theater and prose pieces of his later years. Brater follows Beckett's career from the early days in Ireland to the efflorescence in his chosen expatriate home in France just after the Second World War, and beyond that to his success in the rest of the world as a result of the universal appeal of his cryptic, moving play Waiting for Godot.

Brater emphasizes the Irish rhythms in Beckett's writing and examines, at all stages, the intriguing relationship between his fiction and his compositions for theater, film, and television. Supported by a generous selection of photographs, including many examples of Beckett productions in all parts of the world, this is the indispensable guide to understanding one of the literary geniuses of the twentieth century. 122 b/w illustrations. The first edition was published under the title Why Beckett?. ... Read more

Book Description

For good reason, the queen in chess inherits its fearsome power on the game board from the reputedly murderous maneuvers of the fourteenth-century Queen Isabella of England, as historian and biographer Paul Doherty shows in his engaging account of a savage chapter in medieval English history. What begins with a peace match-the marriage of the twelve-year-old daughter of France's Philip IV to the dissolute Edward II in 1308-ends in bloody conflict, a possible regicide, the usurpation of royal power, execution, and exile. In a lively narrative that brings a fresh perspective to the history of Isabella's catastrophic marriage, Doherty illuminates the people, passions, and politics that prompted the young queen, after thirteen years, to flee the feckless, ineffectual king who had sacrificed the English army to ignominious and unnecessary defeat at Bannockburn and to escape court intrigues and her personal persecution by men like the sinister Hugh Despenser. At Isabella's command, though, Despenser eventually met a gruesome death, when she returned to England with the exiled Roger Mortimer and a mercenary army that deposed Edward and enthroned the conquering queen in the name of her young son, Edward III. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Dull
With such interesting subject matter, I had high hopes for this book. However, it is so sluggish I can hardly get through it. The language and writing style is faux-scholarly and circuitous. As a result, the story doesn't "flow" and I find myself forced to reread several parts. The author glazes over the juiciest bits as well. There must be a better telling of this story somewhere out there!

An Engaging Entry Into Edward II & Isabella's World
I thoroughly enjoyed this well-written, logically formatted book.Unlike many non-fiction works covering this period in history, the auther manages to provide a great many pertinent facts without confusing the reader.Mr. Dougherty's hypothesis is that perhaps Edward II was not killed and may well have escaped his imprisonment and lived out the rest of his life abroad in exile.Could it be that the body contained in a tomb in Gloucester Cathedral does not belong to King Edward II?The arguments in this regard are convincing, reasonable and thus, most interesting to ponder.The absence of photographs was a slight disappointment but they are not integral to the understanding of this very good book.

A good general starter that'll whet the appetite
With an opening prologue espousing the imperial aims of Edwards 1st and focusing on the height of the English mediaeval period of the fourteenth century, Doherty focuses on London's expansion to become a true European capital and how Edward's dreams were thwarted by the Scots. Into the mix came the marriage of his son, the future Edward II and Isabella, the daughter of Philip IV of France
The first half of the book details the history of the couple right up until Edward's somewhat painful death (as reported by Swynbroke) whilst incarcerated at Berkeley. Opening with the political dynastical struggle between Edward and Philip to create future power for their respective countries the two were betrothed in 1299 with what could be seen at the time as a heavily bound contract promising all kinds of dire retribution if any party should renege on the deal. We move swiftly through the sudden death of Edward I in 1307, having some detail on the relationship between the King and the to-be Edward II, Doherty heavily emphasizing Edwards fiercely emotive personality traits. If a fiend you were a friend for life, if an enemy, he never got. This is a trait that is prevalent through Edward II's life and heavily affected his decision making. Two figures leap out as having lived and fallen with him. Firstly, Gaveston who was ultimately elevated to Earl of Cornwall and given such a place of prominence that the nuptials of Edward and Isabella were portrayed in a rather insulting manner to the French nobility. However, given Isabella's age at the time this does not seem to have been too problematic. After Gaveston's exile in 1308 and subsequent `execution' following an English noble revolt headed by Lancaster, Isabella rose in prominence and indeed fortified several treaties between Edward and Philip, whilst Edward eventually rounded on Lancaster and the remaining rebellious lords and had them effectively proscribed. Post-battle of Bannockburn where the Scots crushed the English in 1314 Edward became increasingly emotive in his rulings and Isabella found herself the subject of many plots. It is at this time Hugh de Spencer (or Dispenser as there seems to be some conflict of his name) the Younger rose to favourite under Edward, again to the same degree as Gaveston but this man appears to have been far more brutal. Indeed Doherty tries to suggest that Isabella's ultimate separation and rebellion against Edward in 1326 was due to the suggestion that there ultimately be an `open' relationship amongst the three of them. This in turn, `justifies' Isabella's adultery with Roger Mortimer during he initial self-exile in France and subsequent dealings in England when she returned to invade and execute de Spencer and capture Edward, forcing the coronation of their son, Edward III.
The second half of the book deals with the uncertainty surrounding Edward's death during incarceration, firstly placing his movements during those last few months then his subsequent burial away from Westminster as a `deposed prince'. Doherty gives time to discussing the movements of the body (it took several months to carry out the funeral due mainly to the military expedition in Scotland) before detailing the funeral of Dec 20 1327. After the internment Isabella seems to have forgotten her dead husband, moving swiftly to arrange the marriage of her son and Phillipa of Hainhault. Unfortunately, Isabella appears to have succumbed (with Mortimer) to excessive rapacity and governmental monopolisation resulting in Lancaster plotting rebellion and eventually falling out with her son, Edward III. After Edmund, Earl of Kent's admission that Edward II was not dead but imprisoned at Corfe Castle and there was a plot to free him - in itself a ludicrous turn of events - led to many arrests and death for treason. Nevertheless, by the fall of 1330, Isabella was in exile and Mortimer executed as all they had done was replace Edward's tyranny with their own. It was now the young Edward III decided to act in conjunction with Pope John XXII. Edward's close friend Montague managed to get Mortimer to declare that his word was above the King's and promptly pulled off a coup, imprisoning Mortimer then securing his execution. At the trial of Berkeley we learn that Thomas Gurney, William Ockle and Maltravers were identified as the regicides. All bar Gurney were eventually pardoned, he dying whilst under arrest. Isabella escaped and henceforth no reference was made to her being involved in any of the crimes committed. Doherty skips through the remaining 28 years of her life, noting her piety and charitable goodwill.
Come Chapter 7 the main protagonists are dead and hence Doherty's historical recreation ends. He spends the remaining 60 pages discussing the true events surrounding Edward II's death. He focuses on a letter from the papal notary Fieschi (dated by modern historians to around 1337) who claims to have met Edward II, detailing his life on the run until he ends up at a monastery near Milan. Going through the letter section by section, Doherty firstly seems to pass the letter off as fabrication then comes a more neutral stance is saying that he fundamentally believes that Edward II didn't die, but that Fieschi got his information second hand rather than in a direct interview.
Doherty's account of Isabella and Edward II and III is a good starting point for anyone wishing to gain an instant understanding of the history of England during the early fourteenth century. Immediately accessible to the general reader, it is useful for the pre-university student or for those wishing some standard reading of the subject though it should be noted the quality is nowhere near university standard. For more detailed analysis of the time and the personages involved there are better books out there, but this is not intended to be overly critical. It is a good general overview of the history with some `suggestive' theories that aren't really expanded on, that can leave the reader with questionsto which the answers need to be sought elsewhere. ... Read more

Book Description

For St. Patrick's Day, St. Martin's Press proudly presents a newly redesignededition of this classic book by Alice Taylor, one of Ireland's most respectedand highly acclaimed authors. "(Taylor) manages in this small book to evoke aprecious time and place that is quite unforgettable".--Pittsburgh Press. ... Read more

Book Description

Charles I considers the personality of the monarch and the effects of his decisions as a ruler. Christopher Durston covers Charles' role in the outbreak of the disastrous wars with the Spanish and French, the crisis of the 1640s and his execution. ... Read more

Book Description

With its thirty-three previously unpublished Oscar Wilde letters and its poignant recollections of a man as spontaneous, humane, and sincere as he was prodigiously witty, Vyvyan Holland's memoir of his famous father has come to be regarded as a biographical classic in Wildean studies. Sharply observed, vivid, and dispassionate, it offers not only an unforgettable portrait of Wilde himself, his circle of friends, and his band of persecutors, but also a touching chronicle of Holland's own childhood, of the loneliness he experienced as the son of a remarkable, notorious father and of his emergence from the shadows of cruel injustice and dark scandal. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Father and Son
For more than 20 years Oscar Wilde has been one of my favourite author, perhaps the favourite author. Because the life was taken away from him he could not wrote all the plays, poems and stories I want so much to read, so I have read his works over and over again. Each time I find something new/something to enjoy; partly it is his wonderful point of view, partly his good sense of humour. For a long time I have been aware of his downfall, but don't know what exactly happened until recently. I also knew that he was married and that he and his wife had two sons, and sometimes I revolved in my mind: What happened to them? Where did they go? So when I found the book Son of Oscar Wilde at Amazon.com I bought it immediately. This is a beautiful book by man who knew and loved his father, but suddenly his father was no longer taken place in his life. Why? It took him more than ten years to let himself to try to find the answer. In this book he tells the world how. Everybody who like Wilde's works, love an honesty, are interested in the Victorian time or want to try to understand the consequences of hate should do themselves the favour to read Son of Oscar Wilde. Vyvyan Holland wrote: ..."my father's character was his great humanity, his love of life and of his fellow-men, his sympathy with suffering. He was the kindest and gentles of men, an he hated to see anyone suffer." After reading Son of Oscar Wilde I do believe this is also the description of his son. Vyvyan Holland died in the year 1968 so I will not get the opportunity to thank him for his book, nor can I thank his father for all the good times he have gave me, but both, father and son, deserved my thanks.

A Childhood in Exile
By now, the story of Oscar Wilde's glorious rise and tragic fall are well-known. But most readers are unfamiliar with the story of how Wilde's wife and two sons were affected by his fall from grace. "Son of Oscar Wilde" is a beautifully written and poignant account of how a young boy's life was afected by his father's notoriety. Like his father, Holland carefully avoids self-pity in describing his life's events and still manages to convey a sense of loss and disorientation which is most heartwrenching. Holland's recollections of his father are priceless, and the book is an essential volume for anyone interested in Wilde the personality. Amazon.com was able to find a copy of this book for me in no time at all, and at a very reasonable price. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

"Deprived of oxygen for two hours at birth, Christopher Nolan almost died, but he lived to write, at age twenty-one, this award-winning autobiography, told as the story of one Joseph Meehan. Nolan's birth injuries left him quadriplegic and completely unable to communicate, so for years no one suspected that his mind, though imprisoned in an inert body, was burning to express his innermost thoughts and ideas to not only his family but the world. Whether he is fighting with the authorities for the right to go to an ordinary school, or going on a "normal" vacation for the first time, Nolan's story has a touching, often breathtaking intensity. Nolan recounts his ultimate triumph of finally being able to share with others the insight and whimsy of his inner world, unlocking the inventive wordsmith and gifted storyteller within. The result is astonishingly lyrical, filled with powerful description, touching moments of triumph, sadness, and anger, and above all disarming wit. " ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Because Of "The Banyan Tree"
I found my way to this book after I had read "The Banyan Tree" by Christopher Nolan. This was a book that I read and reviewed back in February, and ever since I have been mystified why the book never seemed to gain the wide acceptance of readers. All of the reviews that have been posted by readers for "The Banyan Tree" have been 5 star reviews, and the same is the case for "Under The Eye Of The Clock".

If you read you understand how difficult it is to write anything, much less a full book, and then have it selected for and win a prestigious award. In the case of the book I review now it was the 1987 Whitbred Award that was awarded to Mr. Nolan. All very impressive, but that's just the start.

This is an autobiography written by a very young man who next wrote the book "The Banyan Tree" and would take 12 years to do so. This is a painfully candid, but uplifting book about a man with the support of a wonderful Family overcomes extreme realities that are his life to become an Author of international renown.

Mr. Nolan cannot speak, he can barely move at all. He types with what he calls his "Unicorn Stick" that he wears on his head, and even then his head must be supported while he works.

An Autobiography is a courageous work if honestly presented. When you add Mr. Nolan's additional challenges he faces as a writer, and as a person living with his physical issues it becomes an extraordinary autobiographical book.

I hope more readers find Mr. Nolan, he is a unique writer of immense talent, and if you pass by his work you deprive yourself of great literature.

Wonderfully uplifting !
Christopher Nolan's "Under The Eye Of The Clock" is an autobiographical account of his incredibly awe-inspiring and miraculous life. Born a cripple, he could have been consigned to the rubbish heap but instead and against all odds became a celebrated writer of this Whitbread Book winner, "The Banyan Tree" as well as an early book of poems. Without taking anything away from Joseph Meehan (a self portrait of Nolan), he couldn't have overcome his debilitating handicaps to scale the heights he did without the steady support and tender loving care of his family. A father, mother and sister who are such warm and emotionally intelligent human beings anybody would be blessed and proud to have them as family. The school principals, teachers and fellow students who accepted him, nurtured him and gave him the chance to prove himself equal to the best among physically whole human specimens are themselves shining examples of humanity who deserve as much recognition in Nolan's lifestory. Although it has been compared with James Joyce's "Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man", it is in reality nothing like it. Whereas Joyce's work is for the most part depressing and full of pain and harshness, Nolan's story is so morally uplifting you almost forget its grave subject matter. Nolan's dazzling and inventive writing style is also unique and something to relish. He coins and mints new words which have a yet found a conventional meaning but are so emotionally accurate you know they're right. Read this if you're feeling down and need something to restore your faith in mankind !

An enchanting autobiography
Under the Eye of the Clock is the autobiography of Christopher Nolan, the talented young poet with cerebral palsy. He can't walk or talk or write in the usual manner. Since Nolan lacks the use of his hands, this book like Dam-Burst of Dreams, the book of poems that preceded it, was written by means of a typing stick affixed to his head. The book succeeds both as pure artistry and as a window into the world of the disabled. Nolan has re-named himself Joseph Meehan and told his story entirely in the objectivity of the third person. This brilliant stroke allows him to avoid excessive self-pity while making his sufferings and triumphs real and deep. Nolan's use of language had earned him comparisons with James Joyce, Yeats, and Dylan Thomas. Nolan stretches the meanings and implications of words, rearranges their spelling, and even invents new ones to communicate his moods and perceptions and illuminate life, his own and those he observes, with his unique poet's sensibility.

If this book is back in print I will make it a required read
As a college English and literature instructor, I intend to make this book a required reading if it becomes available in print again. It should bless all readers because it becomes a reminder that NO matter what the circumstances, people should still be respected, loved, and appreciated. And, with this in mind, the reader may receive a self-esteem boost when being reminded of inner-personal value. I appreciate this book so much. I have three copies and continually loan them out.

Exceptional...an education for every reader
To learn about such an exceptional poet who, without the faith of his family, would never have been revealed to the world, gives the reader a new view of people's limitations. I bought 12 copies of this book (when it was in print)and somehow have given them all away over time. ... Read more