5 comments about Forty Ways to Look at Winston Churchill: A Brief Account of a Long Life.

1. I bought this book while I was writing a book of my own in which Churchill is a central figure. I wanted new insights on the man, and listening to the author on a radio talk show, I thought she might be able to provide those for me. I was sadly disappointed when I started reading the book.
   
   The title comes from the fact that Rubin offers 40 exceptionally brief chapters (3 to 5 pages in length) that offer a different "perspective" on Churchill. The idea probably sound very good and innovative as a book proposal, but it is such a shallow account that the reader can be excused for feeling deceived. Chapter three is nothing more than a listing of people Churchill met during his life. Chapter fourteen is nothing other than a listing of facts about the man in bullet format. Each chapter as three complete sentences. Another chapter is a collection of quotes from him and another about him.
   
   I spent good hard earned money on this book, if you choose to read this book I suggest you borrow it from the library instead.



2. I was well on my way to reading "everything" about and by Churchill by the time I came across this wise and wholly admirable book. The magnitude of Churchill's life and times, and the tragic figure he cut--tragic in the full Greek sense of all that is necessary to constitute true tragedy--can create among some people an almost insatiable appetite for details. I would have to be counted among them. Frankly, I thought this book might make an interesting "snack" between the stack of Churchill books I'd just read and the stack I was about to. Instead I found that 40 ways... was a full course meal. What the author has accomplished is much more substantial than I would have thought possible in such a slim (for Churchill anyway) volume. You recognize that an individual's greatest strength must necessarily be the source of their greatness weakness, a self portrait reflected in a double edged sword, so to speak. I was impressed by the case she made that the times he lived in floodlight these strengths and weaknesses to further define him, and because there was greatness in Churchill, to help define the very times in which he lived.
   
   I was perhaps skeptical that this reduction and summation, pro/con approach would prove to be "gimmicky" or perhaps a shortcut to a more scholarly undertaking. Now I feel that the "gimmick" was instead an apt and inspired construct for examining an enormously complex thing. (It's a methodology that would be useful to apply to FDR, among others). To Rubin's credit she hasn't used this format to avoid judgment, but to elongate the period of consideration before judgment. I've read enough about the man to have done very well on the true/false test, but I still spent a long time pondering the several questions I got wrong. The test reminded me again that the complexities of his life are almost beyond my ability to assimilate them. Hence the fascination I suppose.
   
   Some years ago I was very impressed and moved by a biography of Brahms written by Jan Swafford. Swafford makes the point early that Brahms had been very fortune in both the timeframe he was borne into and in the timeframe of his death. Swafford's take was that the music world of Vienna changed immensely after 1897 and it had been Brahms' good fortune not to live to see it. I was struck at the time by looking at lives that way and Rubin makes a similar and equally valid point about Churchill in her book. He was unlucky to have outlived his time and was in a sense victimized by the nearly indestructible constitution that had served his so well for the first 70 years. There is no shortage of first-hand accounts of Churchill's flirtations with real danger. He was well aware of the historical advantage he might have had if he perished under heroic circumstances. He also enjoyed the adrenal rush these occasions afforded him. Of these accounts, none is better than the biography of his personal bodyguard of approximately twenty years, Walter Thompson, "Beside the Bulldog". More on his book at the close.*
   
   
   I noted with special interest the author's mediation on the subjectivity of biographers and the essential criteria she establishs for evaluating a life. Her comments on Manchester's "knowing insight" into a single photo of Churchill's mother illustrate the need for caution before you make a commitment to a particular version of Churchill's story and the thousands of pages that may go with it. Rubin has done a service to readers and biographers both, clarified the task for writers to come and possibly even established some ground rules. While the sales numbers for this book (and I've no idea what they are) may not suggest broad influence, I'm confident that the methodology used will have larger ramifications for a future generation of biographers. Would-be great writers long for a subject through which they can imbue their own greatness. This process of subverting one large ego for the other, a process that can subsume many years of the writer's life is full of temptations and seduction. It's almost inevitably that the writer's own feelings influence what gets exposed and what gets tidied up. The end product edges towards a symbiosis of the subject's life and the particular aspects of that life that speak to the author's own experience and or fascinations. By comparison, Rubin's approach in this book feels free of artifice. It's the case where not spending a dozen years of your life on a single project is actually a good thing, not just for the author but for the book as well.
   
   (For Churchill fans, my favorite first-hand account of his life is Walter Thompson's (to be re-released in print in late 2007). If you haven't read this former Scotland Yard detectives' account of the near twenty years he spent by Churchill's side than you have missed a great treat, for nowhere else does Churchill live and breathe as tangibly as in these pages.
   
   Thompson joined up with Churchill around 1918 and stayed with him through the end of WW 2. There were some years during the 1930's that Thompson was assigned elsewhere, but he did accompany Churchill to the US during the Al Capone years of the 1930's and was there when Churchill was hit by a car crossing against traffic in NYC. He was by Churchill's side during many of the secret FDR meetings, on ship and at The White House for Christmas. His take on things goes a long way towards answering many of the questions your book raises, though of course, Thompson hide things as well, both about Churchill, himself and the harsh treatment he received from Mrs. Churchill, who resented his constant presence to the extent that she frequently refused to feed Thompson while assuring her husband that arrangements had been made for him. Thompson's take on FDR, though only a small part of this book will interest historians. Thompson's displays a vivid command of the language, considerable wit, and more uniquely, he conveys an unusually keen sense of place. Marry those talents with his genius for sketching characters with deft precision and you get a compelling book. The panorama of Egypt, Morocco and the Gaza Strip, (eerily unchanged) circa 1920 are but a few locations that unfold before the eye. Add laying bricks next to Churchill at Chartwell, carrying Churchill's paintings materials throughout the world, (most notably in Marrakech and France), meeting Mussolini, dodging shrapnel on rooftops during the blitz and Thompson's fascinating and very favorable account of T.E. Lawrence (which led me to The Seven Pillars of Wisdom)and you've got an account unlike any other. The book Churchill's Bodyguard by Thomas Hickman will be re-released this fall. He substitutes Thompson's exceptional prose with his own dry and rather academic voice and while Hickman's account fills in the storyline for Thompson's own complicated life, it's not a substitute for the original).



3. Finally, someone wrote a biography of Churchill that didn't require a 6 month commitment. I have always wanted to read a biography of Churchill but they were all soooo darn long. Gilbert, Manchester, Jenkins.....the shortest is over 1 million pages long!!! (Okay, a bit of an exaggeration). 40 Ways to Look at Winston Churchill is the first Churchill biography to come along that can be read without having to quit your job to finish it. The format is unique and enjoyable. 40 very brief chapters that each cover his life from a different angle. The book is also an enlightening exposition on the biography genre itself. It was a very easy read. Many reviewers have complained that it is disjointed, superficial, gimmicky, repetitive, and/or self-contradictory. Some of those points are valid. I'll briefly address these one by one:
   1)Disjointed: Necessary given the format
   2)Superficial: Okay, then go read one of the 1000+ pagers.
   3)Gimmicky: I rather like the "40 ways" format
   4)Repetitive: True. That's why I gave 4 stars instead of 5
   5)Self-contradictory: This is deliberately done to show how the same set of facts can yield entirely opposing conclusions. I think this is one of the book's best attributes. It doesn't arrive at artificially certain conclusions like other biographies tend to do. True to its title, it shows the different ways to look at his life (he's a drunk/he's not a drunk, he was a natural leader/he wasn't, etc).
   
   In short, you may be disappointed if you re a Churchill buff but I recommend it if you just want a taste of who he was. It's an entertaining, well-written, easy to read book (if not comprehensive).



4. I thoroughly enjoyed this book because it allowed me to read about Churchill without being drowned by extraneous facts, battle details and drawn out war discussions. This format offers 40 "Thoughts" about Churchill and even manages to play devil's advocate. It is perfect for a reader who wants to understand his complex character without being overloaded by biographical facts.



5. The man: his oratorical magnetism, theatricality, and biting sense of humor... it's all here, in swallowable nuggets, but packing gobs of vitamins and minerals.
   
   This is probably the best INTRODUCTION to one of the most fascinating figures in the history of mankind.
   Some people will (and did) complain that this book is not "substantial" or "exhaustive". Please ignore them: they are the same "unfun" people who like to exhaust themselves and others by seeing all of life as one big never-ending PhD dissertation; and who insist on listening to, and passing judgment on, EVERY recording of Mahler and Bruckner. (YAWN...&... ffffart.)
   
   The format chosen by the author will greatly help the younger generation nurtured on Matrix, X-Box and iPOD to enter into the non-virtual world: the world of REAL blood, REAL sweat, and REAL tears.
   
   Most of the 40 vignettes are composed by juxtaposing a pair of views that contradict each other. This way structuring the narrative may come off as clever or gimmicky to some, but I found it to be a fun, fascinating, and even necessary way to show how there is no such thing as incontestable truth in biography; and by extension, in History -- with a big H. Indeed, this book shopws how History and the lives/values of those who shape it are ultimately not something that lived and died in the past but thrives in the contest of passions and interests of those that are living now.
   
   This book gives the reader a generous gamut of contradicting views culled from different bigraphies of the man. Thus the reader who is just learning about Churchill and his time will be better prepared to read, BUT strengthened to resist being completely taken in by, whatever tendentiousness that might exist even in the more substantial and penetrating analyses.
   
   Take it as a guidebook, and go on this fun tour.
   
   Here's a little something:
   
   Upon hearing that a captured German general was to eat dinner with the pompous Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery, Churchill confided: "I sympathize with General von Thoma. Defeated, humiliated, in captivity... and now, dinner with Montgomery ."
   
   (Churchill) once characterized Montgomery :
   "Indomitable in retreat; invincible in advance; insufferable in victory."

5 comments about Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens.

1. Jane Dunn, Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens - I would not advise any avid Mary Stewart admirers (or feminists) to purchase this book. Jane Dunn in my mind (and from the extensive text I have read) does Mary Stewart a great injustice with her blatant Elizabethan bias. She over looks the obvious motives of Queen Elizabeth for Mary's murder, instead painting Elizabeth as a strong woman in a man's world who had no option but conspire against, imprison and eventually have her cousin put to death.
   
   I was looking forward to an in-depth read, a psychological & sociological perspective of these two female power brokers... but instead found the book to view Mary in a very sexist fashion (surprising, as the author is female!). Jane Dunn's `Mary bashing' stems around her intolerance of Mary expressing and ruling with her female traits intact... Mary rules from the heart and is often merciful, and led by her intelligence and her emotions.
   
   In contrast to this, Elizabeth kills off the feminine aspects of herself, and rules with a cold, calculating and ruthless vision. She is the archetype that we 21st century women still struggle against...we do not want to have to behave like men to function at a effective level in this world, we want to be respected for our feminine qualities of caring, understanding and tolerance; something this world sadly lacks. Mary had these qualities and used them to great effect (i.e. allowing the blend of the two dominant religions in her land to co-exist). Mary had her faults as we all do but she accepted others and there faults and tried to negotiate for compromise and tolerance.
   
   Mary could have made a real difference in her time if it were for two factors.
   
   1. If she had the chance to grow and learn free of imprisonment.
   2. If she had had the support of her so called `sister' Elizabeth!!! Something that Elizabeth would never give...in fact Elizabeth was wriggled with the most terrible of negative female expression `Jealousy'... because she had suppressed her femininity, she became a twisted version of a woman, one who could not allow a real female Queen to share the same island...so much so she murdered her!
   Mary was wronged enough in her lifetime and Jane Dunn should be ashamed that she finds it necessary to slander her character and trivialize her even in death.



2. For anyone looking for a straight forward biography of these two fascinating queens, Jane Dunn's excellent book is not for you. This is an in-depth, sociological, and psychological study of the two rival queens and the events that shaped their lives. Critical reviewers have accused Dunn of unfair bias toward Elizabeth, but, given the extraordinary achievements of Elizabeth, how can one not be? Mary Stewart was a very romantic, tragic, almost mythical figure, but she played the traditional female role of a queen who needed a king to rule with her; surprising considering she was the daughter of the formidable Marie de Guise. And her appalling choices of husbands #2 and #3 caused her life to spin out of control. Her poor decisions regarding the treason plot against Elizabeth displayed emotion over reason, and ultimately brought about her downfall. Elizabeth, on the other hand, was magnificent. In an era when women were commonly accepted as inferior to men, she not only overcame huge sociological prejudices to become the most powerful ruler of her era, but ultimately did it well, bringing Elizabethan England to great prosperity. The contrast between the two women, Elizabeth, struggling to be equal to a king in a totally male dominated world and Mary, relying on her femininity to achieve her desires, could not be more marked. The issue of succession, with Elizabeth's choice to remain a "Virgin Queen," (in name only, I have to say, I disagree with Dunn's viewpoint that she and Dudley were "just friends") in order to maintain her control, and thus leaving England without an heir, is complex and warranted more discussion in the book. But really, after all the historical sturm und drang does anyone else see the great irony that Mary's son James became king of the British Isles anyway, ascending to both the English and Scottish throne?



3. For anyone looking for a straight forward biography of these two fascinating queens, Jane Dunn's excellent book is not for you. This is an in-depth, sociological, and psychological study of the two rival queens and the events that shaped their lives. Critical reviewers have accused Dunn of unfair bias toward Elizabeth, but, given the extraordinary achievements of Elizabeth, how can one not be? Mary Stewart was a very romantic, tragic, almost mythical figure, but she played the traditional female role of a queen who needed a king to rule with her; surprising considering she was the daughter of the formidable Marie de Guise. And her appalling choices of husbands #2 and #3 caused her life to spin out of control. Her poor decisions regarding the treason plot against Elizabeth displayed emotion over reason, and ultimately brought about her downfall. Elizabeth, on the other hand, was magnificent. In an era when women were commonly accepted as inferior to men, she not only overcame huge sociological prejudices to become the most powerful ruler of her era, but ultimately did it well, bringing Elizabethan England to great prosperity. The contrast between the two women, Elizabeth, struggling to be equal to a king in a totally male dominated world and Mary, relying on her femininity to achieve her desires, could not be more marked. The issue of succession, with Elizabeth's choice to remain a "Virgin Queen," (in name only, I have to say, I disagree with Dunn's viewpoint that she and Dudley were "just friends") in order to maintain her control, and thus leaving England without an heir, is complex and warranted more discussion in the book. But really, after all the historical sturm und drang does anyone else see the great irony that Mary's son James became king of the British Isles anyway, ascending to both the English and Scottish throne?



4. I received prompt and reliable service.... my book arrived so quickly and in perfect condition! I'm grateful!



5. This was an interesting book to read. The comapnion biographies gave me a fresh perpsective on the relationship between the two monarchs. My only criticism is that there is a lot of repetition. Dunn writes over and over again about the view of women during the 16th century and about the difficulties faced by a female sovereign. After a while I just kept thinking to myself, "OK! I GET IT!"
   But at the same time it was interesting to read about their lives side by side. I never stopped to think about the fact that while Elizabeth was spending a difficult childhood being threatened with execution after being accused of treason, Mary was the star of the French court and already queen of Scotland in her own right. Elizabeth, as a result, learned very early to tread very carefully and never give away her true thoughts. Mary, on the other hand, never had to learn how to govern. She was priveleged, and was constantly the center of attention. Hardly surprising that she made some catastrophic decisions when she returned to Scotland.
   So although this isn't what I would consider to be a great book, it did give a fresh perspective about how closely entwined the two queens were. If you are interested in the realationship between Elizabeth and Mary you may find this book to be worth your time.

No comments about Sir Winston Churchill: His Life and His Paintings.

5 comments about Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now.

1. No doubt this was a great book, a great source of information on Paul, and a must for any true Beatlemaniac.
   The pluses of this book:
   --The author was close to Paul beginning in 1964. I think he provides the right balance to all the events, and since he was in the artistic and musical circles the Beatles and the Stones were in, he's able to put press hype into perspective. There were several sides of stories I'd never before heard or considered, but his version is the best.
   --The author had unlimited interview access to Paul, and to his archives. The text is full of long quotes by Paul, describing in detail his memories of songwriting, touring, fame, daily life, and anything else you could want to know about. In this way, the book sort of has a special place as the "official" Paul McCartney biography. It would not be unfair to say that Paul was the main writer and source of information, and Miles was the ghostwriter, and provider of context.
   
   The minuses:
   --Boring/unnecessary sections. Other reviewers complain that there were parts that were very boring and unnecessary. I enjoyed the whole book, but I definitely do know what they're talking about. One chapter, "Up the Smoke," seems to be mostly devoted to name-dropping all the famous people the Beatles hung out with when they were 21 and first got famous. Miles goes to a great length to describe the London celebrity scene pre-rock-n-roll. The book talks about all these old radio stars they met, all the restaurants and nightclubs they went to, all the special treatment they got as stars, and all the other great things about their new lifestyle, then ends up saying that a lot of these old stars got put out of business because of the Beatles.
   Similarly, the chapter "Avant Garde London" spends a long time going over people's lives who seemed very tangential. After reading all of it (and it's not the first Beatle book I've read), I still don't know exactly who people like Robert Fraser, Peter Brown, and John Dunbar were or why they were important, but I see their names everywhere.
   --In the great Paul/John debate, the book always rules in favor of Paul, but that could only be expected. I've come to the conclusion that there are no clear answers as to who wronged who when the Beatles broke up, and most of it was nobody's (within the Beatles anyway) fault. Paul has a platform to defend himself in this book, and actually does a very fair job. I think he's the best steward of John's memory, and the way he talks about John and their friendship is a credit to both of them. Both John and Paul come off looking good. As Paul says in the book, he's got no reason to tear John down in memory, and he wants to present things as they truly were. He's got one advantage no other biographer has, and that was actually being one half of the friendship. Paul defends John when necessary, and is conciliatory about some of John's attacks.
   
   I definitely recommend it. Goes over every song, gives lots of interesting stories, and a clear start-to-finish review of the Beatles' career.



2. A unique approach of combining both Miles and McCartney's first person perspectives on the events and personalities of the Beatles and their era. Especially informative on the London scene of 1960 as well as the collaboration between McCartney and Lennon. While it has been criticized as being a bit parochial for Paul, it is after all, his side of things. After all, Paul is one of the main reasons that the logo on your Mac computer is based on



3. I picked up 'Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now' on Amazon. I wasn't sure if I was interested enough in McCartney/Beatles lore to slog through 600+ pages. However, it proved to be a compelling read, especially with McCartney's thoughts and opinions scattered throughout. McCartney proves to be an intelligent, thoughtful, regular bloke whose input is essential to understanding the times and the little band he was a part of.



4. Barry Miles' biography of Paul McCartney (Many Years from Now) is distinctive from other Beatles's biographies for its detailed look at how all that iconic music came together. As one example, McCartney gives an insider's view of where he was and what he was doing when he composed "Here, There, and Everywhere," as well as the off hand remark that playing one particular chord led to "Fool on the Hill." Improvisation and luck appeared to have influenced so many wonderful Beatles' tunes. By the time you've finished Miles' book, you'll begin to wonder whether some higher power was also a Beatles' fan.
   
   Donald Gallinger is the author of The Master Planets



5. There has been so much written about what Mr. McCartney did versus what Mr. Lennon did that we risk losing sight of the tremendous creativity that each spurred in the other. Mr. McCartney discusses the backstory behind a lot of the songs and what was going on in his life at the time, and what each song meant to the group as a whole. It is surprisingly candid and, as long as you remember that many of these memories were over a third of a century old when the book was compiled, I think it is as close to reality as anyone will ever get when it comes to who wrote what. In the end, though, the team was "Lennon/McCartney" and those two names guarantee a quality product. Does it really matter who penned what line, and when? This is a good book with Mr. McCartney's actual, and very extensive, recollections in it. It also functions as a nice reference if you want to look into the background of a particular song.

No comments about Warlord: A Life of Winston Churchill at War, 1874-1945.

2 comments about Charlotte & Leopold: The True Story of The Original People's Princess.

1. James Chambers has selected, from the British monarchy's treasury of sensational history, the romantic and tragic story of Princess Charlotte (1796-1817, the daughter of the dissolute prince who would become George IV) and her husband Leopold (1790-1865, Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld). This is a light biography, told sensationally and often novelistically, with a lot of dialogue, and there are no foot- or endnotes (the author claims that all quotes are already identified in the text, but I didn't find this to be true). It's also very light on the national politics and international background, with events like the Napoleonic Wars being mentioned rather than explained.
   
   Princess Charlotte was the product of the disastrous marriage between George, Prince of Wales (the eldest son of George III) and Caroline of Brunswick. The Waleses split up almost immediately, and Charlotte was brought up under a series of governesses and educated under Bishop John Fisher (whom she called the "Bish-UP", and the author annoyingly mimics this habit). Princess Charlotte was quite popular with the people, and her father, apparently in fits of jealousy, did everything he could to make her life miserable, keeping her away from her mother, firing servants that she grew close to, slighting her publicly, and treating her like a child even after she came of age. She was even grilled about her mother's activities when the Prince of Wales tried (unsuccessfully) to divorce his wife.
   
   The Prince of Wales was good enough, however, not to force Charlotte into marriage, so after an attempted match with the hereditary Prince of Orange, and an encounter with the rakish Prince August of Prussia that could have ruined her reputation, Charlotte finally met and settled on marrying a handsome officer of the Russian heavy cavalry, Prince Leopold. Even though he had not been her first choice for a husband, she quickly grew to love him, and by all accounts they had a happy and down-to-earth marriage. They did almost everything together, and Chambers relates a charming scene in which an old friend comes to visit and finds the couple at a table engrossed in piles of paper. In response to her hesitancy, Charlotte invited her in, saying, "`[T]is only Mr and Mrs Coburg settling their accounts."
   
   Things took a tragic turn when, after a worrisome pregnancy and a difficult labor, Charlotte delivered a stillborn son and then passed away shortly afterwards. The future of the monarchy was left uncertain and Leopold distraught (as was the obstetrician, whose death would complete what is known to medical history as the "triple obstetrical tragedy"). Although Leopold never really got over her untimely death (he died saying her name), he remarried fifteen years later and named his daughter Charlotte (later Empress Carlota of Mexico).
   
   Overall, this book was entertaining but a bit disappointing for its lack of depth. It's a decent introduction to Charlotte's life, but for depth and insight, a better (if older) choice is Prinny's daughter: A life of Princess Charlotte of Wales.



2. Fantastic, brilliantly written, this was so easy to read and i just couldn't put the book down. I didn't get lost in the history of who was who etc, Charlotte finally found and married her love but sadly it just wasn't to be with her early death. It has made me want to read and learn more about George 3rd (her father) sisters and i have now purchased the book George 3rd sisters (much harder reading but good so far). If you love royalty this book is a must have, very sad love story. Highly recommend.

5 comments about Samurai William: The Englishman Who Opened Japan.

1. Did you know that James Clavell's "Shogun" was based on the story of an actual Westerner who had gone native in Japan in the early 1600's? I sure didn't.
   
   I thought Clavell was just spinning tales out of whole cloth. No, no; there really was a marooned Englishman there named William Adams, although as we learn from Milton's book, he wasn't quite as mixed up in high politics as was John Blackthorne.
   
   Milton relates Adams's intriguing story in the straightforward style of popular history. It is not written in the form of fiction; Milton here is writing for a large non-scholarly audience. There are no footnotes: Any references or Japanese terms the general reader probably can't handle are explained in the running text.
   
   In addition to an index, the book features several maps and black-and-white woodcut-type illustrations throughout the text.



2. Everyone is familiar with "Shogun"; if not the book, then surely the lengthy TV mini-series. But the real story of the English pilot, William Adams is far more interesting. This is a wonderful book that encapsulate an era of exploration, the first halting attempts of economic empire-building, and the dawn of the Shogunate. And while Adams' personal story is not quite as dramatic as James Clavell's pilot, it is certainly more interesting and entertaining. Especially remarkable was to watch the speed of navigational developement and international operations over a period of a mere thirty years. One forgets at times that Jamestown and Plymouth were established within a few years after Adams' arrival in Japan, and by the time of his death, the Eastern Seaboard was almost entirely settled. A wonderful view of a time less well understood and frequently miscaracterized.



3. In my case, I learned about William Adams watching the PBS Empire Series which I recommend as a complement of this delightful book. What a story, supposedly bound to the East Indies as part of a Dutch Enterprise, Williams Adams is one of the few to reach Japan after a long and difficult voyage. From there comes an exquisite recount of Adams stay in feudal Japan of the 1600 which include a view of their customs and cities and the efforts made by other English Men to establish a trade spot in the Land of the Rising Sun. Is impressive how Williams Adams became a personal advisor of the Shogun Ieyasu and how he became part of this culture that remember him even after 200 years of his death. This book was also an excellent portrait of the Portuguese and Dutch East Indies Company of the time, the expulsion of Jesuits and eradication of Catholicism from Japan, and also provide some interesting information about the natives of Africa's Guinea Ecuatorial and of course, the South of Chile (passing the Magellan Strait).
   
   You can see a letter sent by Adams in 1613 in the British library site. Enjoy!!!



4. I'm moving to Japan in a few months and one of my buddies suggested I read the book before I go. It's very entertaining and gives you the mindset behind what makes the Japanese tick-truly amazing culture.



5. I found this to be a superbly written book, filled with fascinating details and enough excitement to fill a novel. Using quotes from contemporary sources, Milton brings history to life by focusing on the human elements rather than dry chronology. I can't wait to read the rest of Milton's books.

5 comments about Elizabeth I CEO: Strategic Lessons from the Leader Who Built an Empire.

1. I do have a comment on history content, in response to one of other reviews I read -let's keep in mind that, if it wasn't for Elizabeth I there would be no empire to pass along to James I-England would be swallowed up by either France or Spain. Surely, Elizabeth I made a few mistakes like every other monarch, but they fade out in comparison to her achievements. She truly did build an empire, and serves as a great example of a true leader.
   Tudor scholar



2. Elizabeth I CEO was a wonderful reading that inspired me a lot. It is one of those books that you hate to leave unfinished. The lessons of Elizabeths leadership are compelling and quite inspiring.
   
   I never thought that I would need a book on inspiration in my life, but this book indeed changed this view as well.
   
   Excellent work.



3. It was a woman who gave birth to the British Empire where the sun (son) never set on England's territory. None other than the Virgin Queen herself, who bore no heir, but lived to a very ripe old age. In her time, Elizabeth turned around her country from bankruptcy and discord. The book takes snippets from her life and there are some gems of wisdom from Elizabeth's reign. Like her father, Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth the First lived large and had the courage to be powerful, was an orphaned Princess who ascended to the throne and a nation in tatters ... and whose life was a testament that resulted in Rule Britannia until the last colony, Hong Kong, was relinquished in 1997.
   
   But if you really need lessons from a Monarch: read Margaret Thatcher's own words on her ascent. First hand knowledge is the most useful.



4. While I don't believe that Elizabeth was totally the excellent strategizer, I do believe she was well advised and did her own thinking. This book goes back and imposing upon historical events the decisions made by Elizabeth-I and how it would apply in business today. There are certain parallels between a monarchy and corporation that do fit together and can be seen in examples. The major portion of the book covers the image that Elizabeth set forth by taking on being the image of the Mother Mary (Catholic church) to her subjects, thus, to make the people more accepting of the new Church of England as the religious seat of power, thus diffusing the Vatican's hold over the people. My only complaint, like others opinions, there were no mention of where things went wrong, only highlighting the good things. This is a very good book still and I recommend it along with another book called Big Chief Elizabeth (which is more of the history of the new World and Elizabeth's funding of the voyages to capture more land).



5. This transaction was easy and fast. The book was in better condition than expected. Thank you!

5 comments about Warriors of God: Richard the Lionheart and Saladin in the Third Crusade.

1. I refer to this book a lot in my quest for knowledge. It provided an insightful look into the character, morals, and religious convictions of two main figures of the Third Crusade. There were many references of key battles (the venues, weapons, plans, time frame, and tactics used) even of minor skirmishes, which are difficult to find from online sources. I enjoyed the details of King Richard's military strategies, and troubles in the Plantagenet family. I didn't find it dry like some scholarly pieces can be. A very pleasant and informative read!



2. My son had to read this book for a University course. He thought that I, a history buff, might find it useful as a reference book. To my pleasant surprise, this book is quite simply a joyous read. Interesting, fast-paced, and very well written, it is fit to be consumed rapidly and then re-read. Myths are exposed, and explained, and multiple characters are presented in their historical contexts with all of their flaws, and attributes of greatness, fully discussed. This book has relevance today, as it puts the Western imprint on the Middle East at the forefront of discussion, without criticism of the West, nor undue praise. Richard the Lionhearted is portrayed as what he apparently was - a great warrior with a surprising appetite for things not often associated with soldiers. As for Saladin, it is quickly evident why he was both feared and revered, why both are deserved, and why honor is not simply a Western characteristic.



3. I've actually been planning to read this book for years and finally picked it up off the shelf at our local library. What I had hoped for was an education and understanding of this pivotal period of history.
   
   I would say I did learn things I had not previously understood but I believe I had to do so with care given not to swallow hook, line and sinker. I find, as other reviewers have mentioned, that the author seems to prefer or have taken sides with the Muslim "defenders". They are rendered in a glorious and patriotic light while the "offenders" are small and trivial people.
   
   Considering the amount of time I've wanted to read this book, I'd have to say I was a little disappointed. To credit where credit is due, I did enjoy the flow of the near storybook style of writing employed. I found there were times I wasn't sure I was reading a good historically inspired novel or the real thing.



4. This is a very entertaining piece of popular history. As usual for such work, it may be of less interest to the serious and well-informed student of history, but I would recommend it anyway just for the fun it will give you. The author manages to make the events exciting and draw the reader in, but not without the occasional hint of farce. At the same time, by keeping you reading the book brings across just how differently thought was structured in the Middle Ages. Richard's Crusade was ultimately futile and a waste both of life and of an opportunity to rule, including massacres of civilians and prisoners that would be proscribed today, although there was great chivalry between the key players. Saladin comes off better, and it is worth reading more to get a better feel for the man's flaws, but the Crusaders' acts and nature cannot really be whitewashed.
   
   A fascinating and occasionally hilarious snapshot of a very different time.



5. As a complete novice to the history of the Third Crusade (Robin Hood and Ivanhoe were about as historically deep as I got), I found Warriors of God to be a lively introduction to a fascinating and colorful cast of characters--most of whom I'd never heard of before. I enjoyed the fast-paced, episodic style of the work, and I could tell Mr. Reston was enjoying himself with these stories--that sort of enthusiasm on the part of the author can cover a multitude of sins.
   
   But not all. While the book makes for a good read, I'm not entirely sure it makes good history. As other reviewers have mentioned, Mr. Reston has a tendency to state things as fact without much bothering about proof. At one point Mr. Reston, commenting on the tangled, soap opera relations of the Plantagenet family, says that Henry II, Eleanor, and Alais: "raged at one another, as we know from the modern play The Lion in Winter" (page 61 in the hardcover). Now, James Goldman's play is excellent (go read it), but it's a highly fictionalized account of a Christmas court that never took place. Perhaps Mr. Reston merely phrased this badly, but it sounds as if we are meant to give as much historical credence to a modern author as to eye witness accounts from the 12th century.
   
   There are also several obvious fact checking errors--for example, the child king Baldwin V is referred to as the son of Baldwin IV (page 75 in the hardcover) rather than his nephew. Many historians have a tendency to be dismissive of popular histories already--there's no need to add fuel to the fire by making mistakes that any web page can manage to get right.
   
   All that being said, I did enjoy the book, and found myself utterly drawn into this world and these people's stories. The extensive use of quotations from primary sources really brought the history to life. It absolutely "hooked me" into seeking out more on the subject. And as long as that's as deeply as one needs to read it, Warriors of God is worth a look.

5 comments about Never at Rest: A Biography of Isaac Newton (Cambridge Paperback Library).

1. This is the most authorative biograghy of Newton, the greatest genius of all time!! No need to add more words to praise him. Though the book runs over 900 pages, you would be reading the book breathless until the last page!!! ( similar view from other readers. )



2. There are a fair number of Newton biographies, this one is the most comprehensive and thorough, with a full treatment of the development of Newton's scientific and mathematical thought. What is remarkable is how rapidly Newton mastered the essentials of the techniques of his contemporaries, quietly reaching the forefront of knowledge, this in a few years, and without much prior training before his arrival in the world of Cambridge, where he flowered at once despite the almost defunct educational status of this university. The myth, however, of the annus mirabilis needs replacement with the reality of the anni mirabili, next to the near abandonment of mathematics for some years as Newton's concerns passed to encompass something broader than pure physics and his deskdrawer 'calculus' still embedded in geometrical formalisms. The final composition of the Principia in the wake of the coaxing forth of De Motu is grounds for thunderous applause for Halley who had the presence of mind to grasp who he was dealing with and the politic manner needed to communicate/negotiate with the reclusive prime mover of theory. His great work complete Newton is off to rescue the coinage at the Royal Mint,thence to the forgettable episodes of the priority quarrel with Leibniz. This work is slow but superb on all aspects of Newton's life.



3. This is a remarkable biography because it so thoroughly tells the story of Sir Isaac Newton in all its various aspects. Newton's determination to know, his science (breathtaking science, his awesome brilliance), the religious and alchemical investigations, the cranky aloofness, are all carefully and fully drawn; by the end of the book, you feel, along with the author, that you have got to know the subject (at least to the extent one might get to know the great man).
   This is a great biography, because it is so detailed, so in depth and so successful at bringing Newton in view. It is also likely that it will for many years surpass any other biography of Newton because of its thoroughness.
   I think it is worth reading not only because the reader learns so much about the science and life of one of history's great thinkers, and to some extent how he thought, but also because the reader gains an appreciation of the hard work of invention even for one so gifted as Newton, and some insight into the hard work of turning observations into theoretical constructs.
   A magnificent biography.



4. I just finished Westfall's biography of Sir Isaac Newton. The man was way more amazing than I ever expected. For myself, being neither a mathematician nor a physicist, the most fascinating and surprising thing was his in depth and, for the time, out of the box examination of religion.
   
   As with his scientific studies, Newton's religious studies were relentless in the pursuit of Truth. Between the end of the Bible and the nineteen century, I can find no one who concluded more precisely such doctrines as the nature of God, the relationship of the Father and Son, the relationship of God and man, the nature of early Christianity, or the magnitude and meaning of the then extant departure of Christianity from the original. Obviously, this is from an observer who agrees with his conclusions.
   
   Newton's prodigious talent for leaving no stone unturned in his examination of his subject matter, coupled with his utter genius leaves me entirely in awe.
   
   Westfall's 20 year effort in writing this biography has yielded a masterpiece!



5. A first rate biography should include a good description of the important achievements of the subject, give a good sense of the subject's personality, provide the appropriate historic context in which to view the subject, be well written, and have good documentation. Westfall's biography of Newton is first-rate in all these dimensions. Newton is arguably the most important person in modern history. His work inaugurates both modern mathematics and modern physics. His achievements as a physicist set the pattern not only for physics but also for the other natural sciences. Newton's impact in larger culture extended also beyond the world of sciences. The historian of religion George Marsden wrote that Newton was the most important individual in the founding of the 18th century Enlightenment. Though Newton cannot be considered a member of that movement, his example of demonstrating universal natural laws understandable by human reason was immensely influential in European intellectual culture.
   Westfall provides a detailed chronological account of Newton's life that covers all his major (and minor) achievements and is simply excellent at integrating the relevant historical background information. As Westfall writes, we regard Newton as a scientist and the emphasis in on Newton's career as a working scientist and mathematician. But, this is described very clearly within the context of late 17th century Europe. Westfall, for example, devotes ample pages to Newton's study of alchemy and theology. Since Newton spent a large fraction of his life working in these areas, it would be imposing an anachronistic perspective to minimize attention to these topics. Westfall is excellent at describing both the intellectual and social milieu in which Newton functioned. The sections detailing the history of mathematics and physics of Newton's important predecessors and contemporaries are first-rate, particularly his analysis of the impact of Descartes analytical geometry and mechanistic philosophy. His descriptions of 17th century Cambridge, with its concentration of pseudo-academic placemen, and of the generally patronage driven world of Caroline Britain are excellent. Never at Rest provides a vivid impression of the nature of scientific work in Newton's time. Westfall does not shirk from presenting complex mathematical and physical topics. These sections are tough going for those who don't recall a lot of math and physics but very worthwhile because they give an excellent sense of Newton's transforming effects on these disciplines.
   Westfall delineates Newton's difficult personality very well and is fair in dealing with the numerous conflicts in which Newton became enmeshed, particularly the famous priority dispute with Leibnitz. Some of Newton's behavior is shown also to have stemmed from unexpected sources. Newton's theological researches led him to the conclusion that much accepted Christian theology is wrong and he had to conceal his Arianism and anti-Trinitarianism for much of his life. Some of Newton's achievements are shown as stemming from unexpected sources also. Westfall shows that Newton's alchemical researches, with their rather mystical element, probably contributed to freeing him from dogmatic mechanistic philosophy and facilitated his development of the idea of a universal, intrinsic gravitational force.
   Newton is a fascinating figure and this biography will remain the standard for the foreseeable future.