5 comments about The Titled Americans: Three American Sisters and the British Aristocratic World into Which They Married.

1. Interesting story about these sisters but it is very shallow in that it never gets past the surface. We never know what drives these women and never get a true sense of their personalities. then towards the last third of the book, it becomes more of an itinerary than anything else. All you read is "....then Clare went here, then Jenny went there..." I think this author has promise. Apparently, this is her first book so I am hoping that she learns more writing skills. Lots of incorrect historial information as well. Unless I am missing something, was there someone called "Grand Princess Tsarvena" and "Grand Prince Tsar"? Apparently, the author tells us these 2 people were the future Nicholas II and Alexandra, who, according to the author "..attended his sister Marie's wedding to Queen Victoria's son..." Now, last I read, Marie was the daughter of Alexander II and NOT the sister of Nicholas II. AND, Nicholas II didn't even know Alexandra at this time. This is just one historical error but since this was my first connection with these sisters how can one be assured that they are reading the truth.



2. Elisabeth Kehoe's "The Titled Americans" is a good examination of the lives and careers of the surviving daughters of American financier Leonard Jerome: Leonie, Clara (originally Clarita), and especially, Jennie, the oldest, and probably best known for being the mother of Winston S. Churchill. Kehoe covers a lot of ground, focusing primarily on the lives of Leonie and her Leslie family and of Clara and her Frewhen family. Unfortunately, as another reviewer has so aptly noted here, we do not really get more than a terse descriptive look at these sisters, their husbands, and children. Without question, Jennie Jerome Churchill (Lady Randolph Churchill) was undoubtedly the most interesting of the three, working tirelessly as a dutiful politican's wife and as an unpaid resident "American Ambassador" to the United Kingdom at a time when relations between Americans and the British were far more cordial, and far less friendly, than they are now. I was struck reading how the lives of all three sisters were in many instances quite similar, having endured either poverty or unhappily married bliss (or in at least one instance both) inspite of their matrimonial alliances to British aristocracy. This slender volume serves mainly at best as a fine overview of the Jerome sisters and of their families; those wishing to read more about them should read the elegant biographies written by family members, most notably those by Winston S. Churchill.



3. This work chronicles the rise of one American family in the first half of the 1800s. The father is able to acquire a fortune through the stock market, and the mother is determined to take her three daughters to Europe where they will be able to trade their financial prospects for a European title, coming at the beginning of a series of marriages in which American heiresses were joined to less wealthy but socially advanced British nobility (particularly minor nobility). However, as the fortunes of the Jerome family wax and wane with the unsteady stock market, so do the prospects, marriages, and lives of the three Jerome sisters. Of special interest because one of the sisters (Jennie) is the mother of Winston Churchill.
   
   Quote: "It was all the more important to women of their class to adhere to these standards because they had so little else beyond their social position. Their story thus illuminates what it meant to be a female member of the British aristocracy during its decline, when incomes were falling but lifestyles were slow to follow the downward spiral."
   
   
   While I enjoyed this story and learning about the interesting lives led by the sisters, I also felt that it dragged on for rather longer than it needed to given its subject matter. And I'm a history teacher, so it's not that I automatically think history non-fiction is going to be boring :). However, the research seemed well done (end notes, yay!), and the stories of the lives of the three sisters and their offspring were woven together nicely.



4. The author has done a good job for her first book, her writing style is engaging allowing you to imagine you are witnessing the trails and trumipths of the Jeromne sisters.
   
   However, there was times that I had to consult the family tree (found in preface pages of the book) in order to understand which family members the author was writing about.



5. My title applies to the protagonists of the book as well as the book itself. The three Jerome sisters were certainly fascinating women, though incredibly self-absorbed at the expense of their children. The husbands all come off as cads, which I suppose can excuse some of their excesses. You almost get exhausted reading all the examples of shallowness throughout the generations. There were some eggregious errors by the author (one passage referred to a Tsar of Russia as Nicholas II before Nicholas was even born! The author must have meant his father, Alexander III). It's errors like this that detract from getting into the story. It's entertaining, but not as good as other bios of the time period.

4 comments about Childhood at Court 1819-1914.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   I highly recommend this book.




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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   I highly recommend this book.




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

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




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

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

3 comments about Fanny Kemble's Journals.

1. I was attracted to this book after I saw the movie, Enslavement, based on the life of Fanny Kemble who lived before, during and after the Civil War. This book uses exerpts from her letters and journals to tell the story of her adult life, but it does not contain all of her written material. She published several journals, letter collectiions, and plays. Fanny was a remarkable woman, obviously much before her time. She was unusually independent and energenic, and her writing includes few of the steriotypes typical of the period. However, we are able to see how the customs of society restricted her ability to act, especilly her efforts to help eliminate slavery and improve the life of her husband's slaves. Because of her popularity as an actress she was able to earn a living after divorcing her husband, but he had control over their children until they reached adulthood. This book gives unusual insight into the lifestyles and concerns of the period. It actually reads like a novel.



2. I must say, I have never seen insight so dignified on such a subject in all my years of book review. When I read this book, every page enlighten me with an overwhelming sensation of sadness, guilt, freedom and anger. Every one of my emotions were totally stimulated by this master piece of modern society. Regardless of the date in which Fanny published this book, it still leaves a gruesome reminder of the pure agony suffered from the hands of Prejudice and Hate. I have just finished watching the TV movie of Fanny's story, and I am absolutely blown away by the extreme emotional precision used in creating this film. Let this film and this book be a lasting reminder, to the youth of our age. It is important for the younger teenage generations of this new century, understand the facts of what had to be done, to win them the lives they have today. I rate this book 5 plus stars. It was amazing. :-) ~ LiteratureLuver418thCentury... ~



3. Fanny Kemble provides us with a unique and courageous account of the 'peculiar institution' that was thrust upon her by her marriage to Pierce Butler, the wealthy scion of a Southern plantation owner.
   Already a celebrated actress when she came to America, Fanny was well-educated and accustomed to earning her own living when she married Pierce. It was only after traveling from Philadelphia to Butler Island, near Darien, Georgia, that she became aware of the full horror and degradation of slavery. She toured the plantation, helped to nurse the sick, did what she could to improve their conditions, and opened her door to all who dared to air their grievances, much to the dismay of her husband. Eventually, their disagreements on these points led to a divorce, and Fanny returned to Europe where she resumed her theatrical career.
   This volume also contains Fanny's letters to friends and confidants that provide a valuable insight into the cultural climate in England as well as America for much of the 19th century.
   These journals and letters are not only entertaining, but a must for any serious student of American history.

5 comments about Chasing Churchill: The Travels of Winston Churchill.

1. Ah, for the travelling life of the famous! When you read this book by Churchill's granddaughter, you get an intimate portrait of what an entourage WSC had when he went anywhere. There were private planes or yachts, villas or really up-scale hotels provided to him gratis, and a tremendous retinue of extra people to care for him. This seemed to happen even before he became world famous, and continued until his death. I don't ever want to take away the tremendous contributions he made to the peace and security of the world, but he certainly travelled like an Oriental despot! The book details his travels all over the world, and his many trips to America, both before, during and after WWII. If only the rest of us mere mortals could live in this extravagant lifestyle! This is a side of the great man's life that one rarely comes across in the many biographies of him, but it does tend to round out the picture of his life. While there are no new and startling revelations in the book, it is written in a breezy, easy reading style, and was quite enjoyable. As a granddaughter, the author tends to overlook a lot of WSC's faults, but who can blame her? We would all do that for our own family members, given the chance.



2. Celia Sandys does a terrific job detailing and following in the wandering footsteps of her incredible grandad! Starting with a trip through the Mediterranean with Onassis, and the ever-complaining opera-singer Maria Callas, when the author was about 14, and witnessing luxury on an incredible scale, even for such a famous family (i.e the Churchills). Then she goes back to 1895 New York City, and Cuba. She tell of a cigar smoking contest in 1946 Cuba between her granddad and Hemingway, sponsored by the original "Old Man And the Sea", Mr. Fueuntes, who died in 2002 at the age of 104. As both a Churchill and Hemingway buff, this was a new story for me! And the travels continue through South Africe, World World 1 France, Egypt, and in all the other famous spots visited by her legendary granddad. Some new (to me anyway), black and white photes, plus some color photos of Winston's painting are included as a special bonus. All in all, a great ride, and thanks to Mrs. Sandys for this excellent effort!



3. If there were, in fact, such a thing as Churchillian beach reading, Chasing Churchill would be it. The book begins deliciously with an anecdote describing the author's trip with her grandfather on the world-famous Christina - a voyage that marked the beginning of the epic love affair between Maria Callas and Aristotle Onassis. Wow! From the clothes to the food to the conversation, every detail drips with elegance.

   From there, though, the book loses steam, for the Christina story is by far the most interesting and well written. Perhaps because it's the only story related from the author's own memories. Other content comes in three forms: rehashing of accounts of Churchill's travels throughout his public life (most has been published elsewhere with more detail), descriptions of the author's retracing of many of those travels (not well or thoroughly described) and quotes from people Churchill met or influenced along the way (or, in many cases, their children or grandchildren relating their own family lore of encounters with the great man). Only the last of these is really worthwhile and there is so little of it that it could have made an excellent magazine article but as a book it feels sparse.

   With regards to the accounts of both the author's and her grandfather's travels, there doesn't seem to have been enough of a mandate for a full length book. As stated, most of the detail regarding Churchill's travels is rehashed from other sources (many of which were also written by Churchill descendents - what would they do without their famous relative? Seems they write lots of books about him). As for the Sandys' travels, she adds little new detail other than to impress upon the reader her ability to gain access to a series of dignitaries (Fidel Castro among them).

   The books acknowledgements thank several of Sandys' relatives for allowing quotation from their books as well as a series of corporatations for their sponsorship. The effect reinforces the idea that writing the book was more of an ego or money exercise than an attempt at further illuminating one of the last century's greatest men. It's a shame that a book that started so well ends up on such a poor note. Clearly, Celia Sandys would do better to rely on her own memories of her grandfather than on attempting new "research".




4. Churchill was a complex and enigmatic man, so it's not surprising that this book, written by his granddaughter, is itself enigmatic. It's hard to know what to make of many of the stories, because clearly the author had a prejudiced eye--she revered her grandfather. But there are stories and anecdotes and bon mots aplenty, many of them funny enough to make me burst out laughing. My particular favorite was an aging Churchill who, when upended by a large wave while bathing in the sea, made a V-for-victory sign with his legs. I think that anecdote brought home to me, maybe for the first time, just where the British sense of humor in something like Monty Python's Flying Circus came from. There's something deeply irreverent in the British psyche, and that irreverence positively glowed inside Churchill.
   
   The book is relatively short, and makes no great demands on the reader; you aren't required to bring extensive knowledge of British and world history from Churchill's history with you. (Of course, the more you know about history from 1895 or so through 1960, the better.) I did find a few spots where the author's shifts from Churchill and his world to her later travels were so abrupt that I was left confused. It took a few puzzled re-readings of some paragraphs to grasp this. A bit of editing would have been helpful in those spots.
   
   And a reader looking for historical insight is bound to be disappointed by this book. It doesn't offer any. It's more of an affectionate character portrait than a biography. So affectionate, in fact, that the harshest language the author can use to describe her grandfather (who, whatever his better qualities may have been, was far from sainthood) was to refer to him at one point as a "paternalistic Victorian."
   
   But I enjoyed the book all the same, and I'm sure I'll read it again.



5. So much of what is written about WSC...even what was written by him...is rather academic and at times difficult to get through. On the other hand this book is a joy to read. Well researched and many first hand accounts that give us a glimpse of WSC's persona against the backdrop of his fame and notoriety. Dozens of instances where you can almost see the resolve in his jaw, hear his sober voice and many times the twinkle in his eye. When I finished the book I felt a sense of warmth lacking in so many other WSC works.

2 comments about Journals and Letters: Burney, Frances (Penguin Classics).

1. I was drawn to read this book by falling in love with a portrait of the author. She had a serenely pleasant face that radiated calm and good sense, and suddenly I wanted to know more about her. When I discovered that her diaries and letters cut a broad swath from 1778 to 1838, I was hooked.

   Here is a woman who was an intimate of Dr Johnson, James Boswell, Joshua Reynolds, the Thrales, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, the Bluestockings, George III and Queen Charlotte -- to name just a few. She was the first woman novelist who did not die in penury (like Aphra Behn and Charlotte Lennox): Her EVELINA, CECILIA, CAMILLA, and THE WANDERER are still readily available after more than 200 years. For five years, Miss Burney served as wardrobe maid for Queen Charlotte until illness forced her to resign. Her descriptions of the court of George III show the monarch at the beginnings of the madness that later debilitated him and contain some of her best prose.

   By then, the French Revolution was in full swing, and scores of French nobility made their way to safety in England. When she met General d'Arblay, adjutant to the exiled Marquis de Lafayette, it was love at first sight for this 40-year-old woman who had never been married. Despite the opposition of her father, Fanny married d'Arblay and lived happily with him until his death more than 20 years later. Sadly, she also outlived her son from this marriage.

   Fanny followed her husband to France during the Consulate and met the rising young Napoleon, Talleyrand, Louis XVIII (during Napoleon's exile at Elba), and other notables. She succeeded in raising a family near Paris despite the fact that, for a good part of that time, France was at war with England. At Waterloo, she helped by helping to create bandages for the wounded.

   This is a book to read slowly and savor the feeling of another time. Fanny outlived the 18th Century "Age of Reason" and saw the birth of Romanticism and the beginning of the reign of Queen Victoria. I would like to have known her. Reading her diaries, I feel I do; and I feel even more drawn to her than before.




2. Frances Burney was in her day one of the most successful novelists in England and in later years Jane Austen was to be one of her fans. I haven't read her novels but on the basis of these letters and journals I have certainly become interested.

   This book contains extracts from her letters and diaries stretching from 1768 to 1839, from childhood to old age. Her experiences in that time are very well summarised in the review above. I think that her experience as a novelist does show through in these letters which actually do read like scenes from a novel. Some are comic such as a humourous conversation between her friend George Cambridge and an Italian singer comparing the merits of their countries. Or the party attended by the Russian Prince Orlov who when showing off a valuable jewel which impresses the English ladies present, he asks them if they want anything else they "might strip him entirely". Other scenes are very dramatic such as her near drowning at Ilfracombe or her letters about the illness of King George III (in whose court she served at the time). There are also her various experiences in France and Belgium where she followed her husband who was a French aristocrat.

   Another thing which makes these letters read like a novel is her ability at characterisation. This is especially clear in the cases of her friend Dr Samuel Johnson and her employer King George III. She records conversations she had with them so that we get a very good picture of what they were like as people. Though friends with Johnson she does not hide his tendency to sometimes be an argumentative bully or his strange mannerisms.

   So overall these are a wonderful picture of what life was actually like in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The Penguin edition has a comment on the back comparing this book to the diaries of Samuel Pepys and I fully agree.

5 comments about Younghusband: The Last Great Imperial Adventurer.

1. Even more astonishing than the fact that Younghusband marched with bayonets to Lhasa, to convince Tibetans they must have no truck with the Russians, was the complete reversal of his political persepective a mere thirty years later. The result was the historical precedent of an arch imperialist striking camp to cross over to the opposition, becoming, in the process, a hero for Indian nationalists. Ironically the man responsible for the death of hundreds of Tibetans fighting for their freedom would today be a huge thorn in the side of China, had he survived to join their successors in their continuing cause. The contradictions in his character are beautifully and arrestingly captured by French, who has done a marvellous job of bringing this paradoxical enigma to life in a thoroughly entertaining manner. I can't believe this book is no longer in print. Books this good should never be out of print.



2. Patrick French's biography of Francis Younghusband - `the last great imperial adventurer' - is beautifully written, insightful and above all humane. I say humane because at first glance Younghusband could easily be ridiculed - in his youth for a reckless jingoism that cost lives and embarrassed the British government, and in his later years for a brand of religious mysticism that was, well, bordering on insane. It is a tribute to French's understanding of his subject that he digs beneath these criticisms to bring us a deeply satisfying portrait of a surprisingly complex man.

   Frank Younghusband's most pressing claim on history was that he led the British expedition into Tibet in 1904 - even at the time seen as being based on a flimsy pretext of stopping Russia from gaining control of central Asia. Some 2000 Tibetans were killed as the British force made its way into Lhasa. Younghusband forced a treaty on the 13th Dalai Lama pledging loyalty to the British empire. The Government in London found this deeply embarrassing and almost immediately repudiated the treaty. Younghusband himself was convinced of the threat Russia presented to British interests in India and central Asia.

   But while the expedition created popularity and profile in England, it finished any chances of a senior career with the civil service. Younghusband served in India in a number of middle-ranking posts and wrote books about Tibet and his earlier exploits as an explorer in central Asia. In 1906 he played a bit part in the Jamison raid in South Africa - in the pay of The Times. Most importantly Younghusband thought about spirituality. Literally following a mountain top revelation in Tibet, he increasingly devoted his life to promoting a form of all-embracing spirituality which led in its silliest form to speculations about aliens living on a planet called Altair. His later years were devoted to boosting this form of spirituality by establishing popular movements in England, lecturing widely including in the US, running the Royal Geographic Society and supporting Indian independence.

   All of which one could easily ridicule. But French brings life to his subject and a subtlety of understanding which makes the book absolutely engrossing. One reason is that Younghusband was a prolific letter writer - the India Office Library contains 600 "bulging" boxes containing his papers. Through these we see into the private mental world of Francis - his arid and rather sad marriage to Helen, and the relationship in his very last years with Madeline Lees - truly the love of his life. These insights allow French to paint a much deeper and satisfying portrayal of a complex man - a person of his time and place but also a complete iconoclast, some one who pushed against the establishment for most of his life. Remarkably, this is Patrick French's first book, written in his mid-twenties. He is a natural, a gifted writer with a fine sense of judgement. No sentence rings out of tune in the whole book. In short Younghusband is worth every one of its five stars. If the publishers have any sense they will issue a reprint soon. If not, readers should do everything they can to somehow find a copy of this wonderful biography.




3. The book traces the life of one of most intrepid explorers of fin-de-siecle 19th century, Sir Francis Edward Younghusband (FEY).

   FEY was a man of many talents : explorer, writer, athlete, spy, thinker and philosopher. Born to English parents in `Imperial' India, FEY spent his early years at Dharamshala where he came under the influence of his maternal uncle Robert Shaw. Shaw was a keen adventurer and trekker himself which left a deep impact on the young FEY.

   FEY started his career as an official of the British Empire and because of his treks to China (Gobi desert) and within India (Rohtang Pass) he became recognised as an explorer. At the turn of the century, Tibet remained one of the last uncontrolled regions in the 'Great Game' between Russia and Britain (for increasing their respective influences in the Asian region). Curzon, afraid of Russia's growing influence over Tibet (later proven unfounded), decided to send an 'expedition' to Lhasa headed by Younghusband. (Curzon and Younghusband were very good friends). The expedition was actually a military adventure to assert British influence over Tibet. In this most celebrated event of FEYs life, he along with British troops trekked from Sikkim to Lhasa and signed the Treaty of Lhasa which was responsible for Tibet coming under British influence (till the Chinese took it over much later on).

   In the post-1904 phase of his life FEY tried, unsuccessfully, to enter politics. However, this physically-resilient explorer turned into a philosopher after he had a near-fatal accident in Belgium. He also led the `probably' unsuccessful attempts over Mt. Everest in the early-1920s (`probably' because till date the mystery over whether George Mallory did reach the summit in 1924 before perishing to his death remains unresolved).

   The author also discusses in detail FEYs relationship with his wife Helen and daughter Eileen. PF also uncovers an affair FEY had in the twilight of his life with Lady Madeline Lees.

   The book is also interspersed with details of how the author, Patrick French retraces Younghusband's steps. In true `living in his shoes' style, the author traces the travels / exploits of FEY. PF travels to Dharamshala, China, Gobi Desert and Sikkim to get a feel of Younghusband's travels. The research done by French on events of more than hundred years ago is commendable and extremely detailed. He even details the number (67) and type of shirts FEY took with him on his 1904 expedition !

   Patrick French has also recently written `Liberty or Death' which is a lucid and well-researched account of the Indian Freedom struggle.




4. This book is an excellent achievement by a young British writer. Patrick French has meticulously researched all aspects of the life of this enigmatic 'empire builder'.

   In the earlier stages of his life Francis Younghusband was desparately trying to gain fame and get his name into the annals of British imperialism. In a way time was running out, for the era of great explorations was coming to an end. Therefore the young officer set his eyes on the last frontier: Central Asia.

   Very soon Younghusband was caught up in the hike-stake 'Great Game': the competition between Britain and Russia for control over the enormous expanses of inner Asia. Both states considered this region as vital for its strategic interests. The British feared that control of Turkestan and Tibet would bring the Russians too close to the mountain ranges separating India from the rest of Asia. The Russians in turn considered the steppes and deserts of Central Asia as a buffer zone between its Far Eastern territories and British-ruled South Asia.

   Younghusband's travel experiences through the Himalayas, Karakorum, Hindu Kush and Pamir mountains would turn out to be essential for the formation of his later-day personality and activities. By temperament Younghusband fits into that strange category of the late Victorian soldier-adventurer with a spiritual bend. Just like General Charles 'Chinese' Gordon and T.E. Lawrence (of Arabia), he paired a love for action with unmistakable spiritual inclinations.

   After his military and administrative career in the British India service had come to an end, Francis Younghusband started a new mission in life. He became involved in a myriad of organizations concerned with inter-religious dialogue and the pursuit of world peace. Although, along the lines, he maintained a vivid interest in all 'things Asian' and was deeply involved with the first Mount Everest Expeditions.

   French has been extremely thorough in investigating this second career of Francis Younghusband, pursuing all kinds of vague leads and intent on turning over the last stone. Patiently sifting through years of correspondence and personal journals, he pieces together a very detailed picture of Younghusband's later life and relationships with the people around him.

   French's five year involvement with the life of Francs Younghusband was nothing short of an obsession, with the writer being determined to get into the head of his subject. The result is one of the best and most entertaining biographies I have ever read.




5. This is a worthy effort by a very able biographer. But, alas, I found the subject, Francis Younghusband, less than compelling. As Younghusband's life went on, he seeemed, like his biography, to get duller and duller. The details of his life in the Indian subcontinent and the Himalayas are superbly rendered, and anyone interested in "The Great Game", Tibet or India during the British Raj MUST read this book. For Younghusband was a major player in those events. The author also vividly conveys Britain's colonial environment of the time. But for me, as Younghusband entered the more mystical period of his life, he revealed himself as a dilettante. I think he just didn't know what to do with himself and just puttered around for the rest of his life. He was a very complex and conflicted man -- envious, I believe, of his more notable friends and associates. French paints a nice picture of this man and his times. But, in candor, beyond his Tibet adventures, he wasn't all that fascinating a character. However, at the end of the day, this is a book many will find worthwhile.

5 comments about The Lost Cities of the Mayas: The Life, Art, and Discoveries of Frederick Catherwood.

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



2. I have read all of John Loyd Stevens books and this is an excellent addition to my library. I would say this book is a must for all you amature Mayanists. Many times I have wished I could tag along with the great adventurers, Stevens and Catherwood, this is the next best thing! I also recomend all of John Loyd Stevens work. You might also check out "A Tourist in the Yucatan" A fun thriller, adventure set in the Yucatan.



3. Fans of Stephens and Catherwood should very much enjoy this volume. Catherwood is neither featured - nor ignored - in Stephens' "Incidents of Travel in Yucatan" set - their travels together being the source of most of the included drawings. This book, however, focuses not only on Catherwood's intriguing artwork, but reveals a good deal about the life of the man himself. Especially considering the price, this book is not only a must for those interested in the Mayan civilization, but also for the story of one of the first white men to discover and document this great culture for the rest of the world.



4. A very well done, review of the life of Frederick Catherwood, as well as an excellent description of the mid 19th centuries London, Paris, and New York. The efforts of the first archeological efforts, and how were the must important archeological discoveries at that time. With the beautyful work and potraits of Catherwood
   
   Excellent



5. Well written, informative and spectacular reproductions of his excellent drawings from his travels in Central America. Well worth the price.

1 comments about Lawrence of Arabia: Mirage of a Desert War.

1. What a precious story. After reading "A peace to end all peace" and after that, watching for the first time in my life the movie "Lawrence of Arabia", I was desperate to read a biography of this remarkable person. Undoubtedly Lawrence was quite a personality, who saw in the Arab revolt an opportunity to discharge his intellectual ammunition, and what an excellent work he did. Even Churchill admired Lawrence, and after reading this book, everything is clear to this respect...just imagine yourself travelling through the desert, with no comforts, figthing the Turks and trying to unite the Arabs for a definitive attack to Damascus --- well, that was what lawrence accomplished.
   
   Reading a book like this is highly recommended for anyone because beside learning history, you learn about personalities, cultures and war strategy. I hope I have the time to read the "Seven Pillars of Wisdom", and maybe one day, travel the cities that Lawrence once walked.

No comments about Churchill's Bodyguard: The Authorised Biography of Walter H. Thompson.

5 comments about Ungrateful Daughters: The Stuart Princesses Who Stole Their Father's Crown.

1. I loved this book. It is well written and contains such detail that the characters truly come to life. I have many books on the Restoration and none of them describes James, Duke of York and his second wife Maria Beatrice and the "ungrateful daughters" better. Many jucy details. What they wore, how they looked, their quirks and peculiarities give a much fuller picture of the court and courtiers. This book is an easy read and would engage a reader who does not like usual history books. This does not mean it is light. It's the writing of an author who is a keen observer of the subjects.



2. Better books on the time period can be found. The writer distorts historical fact to fit her own agenda.



3. The Stuarts were more than a series of Scots-English monarchs, they were a contentious family filled with ambitious, egotistical, often ignoble figures who were not above slipping the knife in to advance their own careers. The generational and religious tension chronicled in this well-written true-to-life soap opera began with James II's move toward the Catholic Church, which alienated both his people and his two staunchly Protestant daughters, Mary and Anne, each of whom reigned after him. Whether Mary's husband, William of Orange, usurped the crown in the Glorious Revolution depends on your point of view, but Anne (who wasn't speaking to her older sister at the time of her early death) declared her half-brother, James ("The Old Pretender"), an outlaw -- having previously claimed, in letters to Mary, that their hated stepmother's pregnancy was a Catholic hoax and plot. Waller's narrative is compelling and enjoyable as well as informative. You can almost see a screenplay waiting to be written.



4. The Glorious Revolution of 1688 was a compelling human drama as well as a major political event. At the center of the political events were Mary II and Anne, daughters of James II, real human beings who faced difficult decisions as to where their duty lay. Unfortunately, Ungrateful Daughters does a very poor job of telling this story. Instead of a story of real people dealing with an actual dilemma, Waller's book tells the tale as a shallow soap opera with the principals divided into neat categories of victims (James II and Mary Beatrice) and villains (William, Mary, and Anne).
   
   The theme of James II as victim has come into vogue in recent years, as the result of a revisionist historical interpretation which casts him as a proto-modern champion of religious toleration. Regardless of the sincerity of James's professions about liberty of conscience, they were the result of the fact that members of his own Roman Catholic faith were a minority in Britain and would thus be the beneficiaries of any alteration in religious policy. James certainly never exhibited any inclination toward tolerance that would not end up benefiting members of his own Church. There is no record that his enthusiasm for toleration ever led him to press for better treatment of Protestants in countries with a Catholic majority. At exactly the same time that James was advocating tolerance of Catholics in Britain, the Protestants in Louis XIV's France were being forced to either convert to Catholicism or emigrate, and there is no record that James II ever protested to Louis about their treatment.
   
   However, the deeper issue between James II and Parliament was not religious but political. James professed that he, as king, had the power to suspend and dispense with laws enacted by Parliament. Parliament, understandably, strongly disagreed with this claim, and there was bound to be a clash at some point. Religious policy just happened to be the issue upon which the disagreement came to a head. Waller is not as sympathetic to James as the most extreme revisionists (which incurred the ire of at least one reviewer on this site), but the theme of James as victim is a major one, as evinced by the title of the book itself.
   
   Waller spends a great deal of time discussing a pivotal event leading up to the revolution - the birth of Prince James Francis Edward (later known as the Old Pretender) to King James and Queen Mary Beatrice in the summer of 1688. It was the prospect of a Catholic heir to the throne that pushed many who were undecided into supporting the intervention of William. Even before the birth there were many rumors circulating that the Queen's pregnancy was a conspiracy on the part of the Catholics to ensure the birth of a Catholic heir to the throne, and the rumors became certainties for many people after a boy was born, just as many Catholics had predicted. The fact that both Mary and Anne gave credence to these rumors is the crux of Waller's portrait of them as "ungrateful daughters." Historians have long accepted that there was no truth to the rumors insinuating that the new prince was not the son of the king and queen, and Waller excoriates both Mary and Anne for doubting it and doing nothing to stop the rumors. Anne in particular is held up as the villain of the piece, and, reading Waller's account, one gets the impression that she single-handedly fomented the rumors surrounding the birth of her half brother and could have stopped the revolution in its tracks had she acted differently.
   
   However, Waller utterly fails to take into account that the circumstances of the prince's birth were not nearly as clear in 1688 as they are with the benefit of hindsight. At the time there were plenty of suspicious circumstances for those who wanted to doubt. The very fact of the birth of a healthy son to a woman whose eight previous pregnancies either ended in miscarriage or produced sickly babies who died soon after birth was in itself suspicious. Also, the birth took place a full month earlier than was expected. Waller argues that the discrepancy was due to a mistake on the part of the royal physicians as to the date of conception, which was probably the case, although she does not explain why this should have been clear to everyone in 1688. Additionally, although the birth was witnessed by numerous people, they were all either Catholics or political allies of James, whose testimony was regarded as suspect. Notably absent, besides Anne herself, were the Dutch ambassador and Edward and Lawrence Hyde (brothers of James's first wife and thus uncles of Mary and Anne), whose testimony would have been accepted as conclusive. From the perspective of three hundred years in the future, all these things may appear insignificant next to the fact that a baby boy was born in full view of numerous witnesses. However, in the atmosphere of 1688, with the prospect of a Catholic heir who might someday decide that a re-conversion of Britain to Catholicism was preferable to toleration (just as Louis XIV had reversed his grandfather's edict giving toleration to French Protestants), the questionable aspects surrounding the birth gave plenty of material to justify doubts on the part of those who were disposed to be suspicious.
   
   The doubts about the new prince's legitimacy did not rest upon the testimony of either Anne or her sister. Neither Anne nor Mary started the rumors, although Anne repeated them and Mary in Holland believed them. The stories were spread throughout the country by such popular press as existed at the time and many prominent political figures lent credence to them and spread them. Anne's conduct in this affair leaves a nasty taste in the mouth, but it is far from clear that she could have done anything effective to quash the rumors, even if she had wanted to. Even if she had publicly denied the rumors, there was nothing to prevent people from dismissing this as done at the behest of James. Nuance, however, has no place in this book. By portraying Anne as holding the balance of affairs in her hand and failing to accurately consider events in the context of their time, Waller gives an incomplete and distorted picture of events.
   
   There are numerous instances throughout the book of sloppy research and assumptions presented as fact. For example, Waller claims at one point that certain letters (not written by Anne) "imply" that Anne promised her father that she would restore the throne to her brother. There is no solid evidence that Anne actually made such a promise, and Waller does not present any. However, this supposed promise becomes a major theme in the book, and Waller refers to it again and again as fact, describing certain actions of Queen Anne during her reign as violations of the promise that she made to her father - a promise that there is no proof Anne ever made. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated example, but rather typical of Waller's method. Assertions are made on flimsy evidence, or no evidence at all, and thereafter referenced as fact.
   
   The story of the Revolution of 1688 has the potential to be a compelling tale of real people living through momentous events. The two princesses who are the chief subjects of this book could be portrayed as real women who had to make difficult choices when their duty to their father came into conflict with what they saw as their duty to their faith and their country. Instead, what this book gives is a two-dimensional caricature of two women who "stole their father's crown" for no better reason than petty vindictiveness.



5. Ungrateful Daughters is a beautifully written book that I highly recommend to any English history nut. I not only felt as if I knew each person intimately, but the sequence in which the author writes keeps it fast-paced and interesting. It is the first book I've read about the latter Stuarts (and I've read many) that kept me involved from start to finish. It is a skillful study of personalities, motives and all the human strengths and weaknesses everyone of us possess. Ms. Waller presents the political influences on the women in question in an engaging manner - a great accomplishment since politics during the Stuart reign are so complex one can easily be overwhelmed by them. Ungrateful Daughters is one of the best historical biographies I have ever read!