No comments about Selected Letters (Oxford World's Classics).

No comments about Letters of John Keats (Oxford Letters & Memoirs).

2 comments about Wedgwood: The First Tycoon.

1. My mother and some of my siblings worked in a pottery factory, and in my youth I went there many times and caught some glimpses of how things were done. This factory employed hundreds of workers. doing some awful, monotonous, carpal tunnel-generating routines. They made only the most basic stuff, quickly and cheaply. Nothing produced was of much beauty, but it was the town's most important employer, and many workers gave their lives over to it.
   
   Wedgewood pottery has always intrigued me--how the devil do they produce such incredibly beautiful stuff, so different from what I saw there? How are the finer pieces made with such reproducibility and perfection? There is a fine story here and Dolan has told it well.
   
   When Josiah Wedgewood was born in 1730, the youngest of twelve children, into the home of a potter in the Britain's Midlands. His humble beginnings, rising through the ranks, finally, at the age of 29, led him to establish his own small pottery business. Wedgewood was determined to achieve greater success and made a key decision--that he would continuously improve the processes used and invent new and wonderful things. He established a routine of constant experimentation and recorded all of his results meticulously into a laboratory notebook. He was constantly looking for new combinations of materials and firing methods to get new glazes and improved results. He looked for reliable, reproducible processes that could be introduced into his small factory. And he inspired his men to improve right along with the processes by paying careful attention to their working conditions, their safety, and their security. His men loved him, and he succeeded to become the foremost manufacturer of his day.
   
   Wedgewood's paid very careful attention to the fashions of the day, and strived to keep abreast. This required an approach that was constantly changing--resting on one's laurels and yesterday's success would only lead to failure. He produced much that was top of the line, and learned to market to the trend setters and royalty, then moving the product into the growing middle class.
   
   The setting in which he struggled was the early industrial revolution, where change was accelerating in Britain through a confluence of forces that are only poorly understood even today. Giants seemed to stalk the earth, and Wedgewood came to know many of them. He knew James Watt, and his metal-working partner Mathew Boulton, who at one point even tried to compete with him. This was the era of canal-building, and Wedgewood played a big role in this too.
   
   Much of this story is contained, though in much less detail, in _The Lunar Men_ by Jenny Uglow, which I would also recommend. Curiously, though, Wedgewood is counted as one of the five central members of the Lunar Society (encompassing a whole column in the index), this is mentioned only once by Dolan.
   
   The author has done an outstanding job in this book and it is well written. The sixteen pages of glossy photos contribute a lot to the book too. The story told here is an inspiring one, and will certainly encourage the reader to learn more about this astounding era.



2. There was a time when consumers had no brand names to go by, and now we have plenty of them. What was the first one? A good case could be made for the name Wedgwood, the fine pottery that has come for over two hundred years from the factory founded by Josiah Wedgwood in the pottery towns of Staffordshire, England. Not only has the name continued, but it has been from the beginning synonymous with fine taste. Its finest wares were bought for their elegance by aristocrats, and then there were other pottery creations that lesser mortals could buy as their betters set the trends for taste. Josiah Wedgwood knew all about the importance of a name, and about the need to catch the public taste and predict the next fashion. In _Wedgwood: The First Tycoon_ (Viking), Brian Dolan has given us a compelling account of a commercial success story that has many resonances with modern business practices on the cutting edge of technology, while taking into account a wider view of the social aspects of commerce in the eighteenth century.
   
   It is in many ways a rags to riches tale. Wedgwood's family had been Staffordshire potters for generations, but the potting works had been allowed to languish by Wedgwood's grandfather and father, who had no idea what innovation was. He was determined to do things differently, and he had absorbed the idea that progress and profits could be made scientifically. He was a Dissenter, a non-Anglican who favored rational inquiry rather than biblical interpretation as be the best manner of understanding the way the world works. He loved experimenting all his life. "Labor I will not call it," he said of his time-consuming and exacting experiments. He instead called it "entertainment," and he entertained himself into some of the most technically advanced potting techniques of the time. His innovations allowed calculated business gambles, which generally paid off. He was astute in predicting or making tastes; when Pompeian styles became vogue, Wedgwood was at the fore with the invention of "colored jasper", his medium for reproducing ancient pots.
   
   Wedgwood was dedicated to self improvement and to improvement of his society, and knew that business was a means to accomplish both. In pursuit of better business, he caused better roads and then a canal to be built as part of his social schemes. He provided training, housing, education, health care, and even retirement plans for those who worked for him. He was a tough boss, fuming against "dilatory, drunken, Idle, worthless workmen." When he strolled through the workshop, he might spy an offending vessel that failed to meet with his standards. He would smash it with his stick, exclaiming, "This will not do for Josiah Wedgwood." He was troubled by others stealing his ideas; there are tales here of commercial chicanery and theft that are the same as newspapers might report today. He valued fair competition; of another manufacturer, Matthew Boulton, he wrote, "He will not be a mere sniveling Copyist like the antagonists I have hitherto had," but rather a spur to better wares. Wedgwood had enormous confidence; having become Potter to Her Majesty, he wrote that he wanted to become "Vase maker General to the Universe." He largely succeeded, harnessing the technological, social, and commercial forces of his time. Dolan's admiring but full portrait shows that many of Wedgwood's values of style, research, innovation, and marketing were new with him but have continued to our own age.

5 comments about Elizabeth & Georgiana: The Duke of Devonshire and His Two Duchesses.

1. Excellent book on the lives of two amazing women sharing the same man. Highly recommend it if you like reading about 'ton' society in late 18th-early 19th century England.



2. While I had read about the triangular relationship between Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and Lady Elizabeth Foster, nick-named Bess, I never realized that Bess had such colorful life. The authors use letters and other historical documents to present Bess in a more positive way, than previously recorded. It is a fascinating biography.



3. If you haven't read "Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire," you're likely to come away from "Elizabeth and Georgiana" with a very positive view of Lady Elizabeth Foster. I had read "Georgiana," and I didn't find Bess all that likable, even after reading Chapman's glowing chapters about her life. I did, however, love this book and found it very interesting and well done. There are unanswered questions, though, about Bess and the Duke's children and what the Duchess knew; but, Chapman does a good job of filling us in on what happened to the main characters after Bess's death. Easy to read, filled with information about the Georgian period (for instance, a good explanation of how people traveled in the time), and not so mired in politics of the day as "Georgiana . . ." is.



4. I suppose few people really care now that Lady Elizabeth Foster finally got her man. This book is nonetheless a caution to historians dependent upon family archives for primary source material. Laudatory bias is bound to creep in somewhere. As the previous reviewer noted, Bess does not come across so attractively in other biographies, even those written about Georgiana's niece, Lady Caroline Lamb. The book's positives have already been noted: good descriptions of aristocratic society and travel in the 18th century. The book is not, however, good history or even good biography.



5. bad marriage,being kept from young sons would wreck a lesser woman,but bess land on her feet with duke duchess devershire.having strong friendship with duchess didn't stop her from boring two childern by duke,keeping her friendship with the duchess.this is a positive view of lady elizabeth foster who later got her duke,very comfortable life.

1 comments about The Short Life and Long Times of Mrs. Beeton: The First Domestic Goddess.

1. Who'd think reading about a woman who wrote a book over 150 years ago would be so fascinating? Was I wrong!
   
   Isabella (nee Bella Mayson) married Sam Beeton--leaving behind her mother's "blended" family of nearly 21 children. She was the oldest daughter and had done much work around the house and with the children.
   
   Sam was a struggling magazine and book publisher. Isabella joined him, mostly out of necessity, and was listed as his editor. In her early 20s she started writing a advice and homemaking column in the The Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine. She also became very savvy about marketing.
   
   As time went on, Sam and Bella had two surviving children, but also numerous stillbirths and miscarriages. Apparently Sam had contacted syphilis before they were married--and Isabelle was never told (common tact with doctors of that Victorian era). She died at age 28, as a result.
   
   However, before her early death, she put her knowledge and that of anyone else she could adapt, and cobbled together a 900-page book, Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management."
   
   Written to the middle class, a growing group, during this Victorian period, they were hungry for advice on the correct behavior. Her readers assumed Mrs. Beeton was a wizened and experienced woman who had experienced proper dinner parties, how to train servants and everything needed about running a home.
   
   Author Hughes did a wonderful job of bringing all the facts of this amazing woman's short life--giving us interesting details about a smart women whom she obviously respected,
   
   We learn about the society then, religious attitudes, sexual mores, the rise of consumerism, advertising and marketing--and the people (and especially the woman's role). Mrs. Beeton was household then--and still is in England. If you thought you knew abut the Victorian era and the people who populated it, Hughes work might prove you wrong.
   
   A very impressive biography and peak that the England of the 1850s and beyond.
   
   Armchair Interviews says: Mrs. Beeton lives on in Hughes' book and in the mind of the English.

2 comments about The King's Mother: Lady Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby.

1. Lady Margaret Beaufort was the Countess of Richmond and Derby and the mother of a king, Henry VII, whose coronation put the finishing touches on the War of the Roses. Looking at her life is a wonderful way to examine this pivotal period in English history as she was a pivotal person, herself, during this period. Sometimes she was a pawn in the plans of others but often she created her own destiny, while all the time remaining a creature of politics and a survivor at a time when very many did not. The authors have done their research well and provide a very detailed account. Often the financial details can be very revealing and occasionally monotonous to the casual historian but always important. This is a very good study of an important woman.



2. Let's face it, women of the medieval times aren't too well known, and those that are, such Eleanor of Aquitaine, are hidden behind shadows and are really only noticed through the male figure(s) in her life.
   
   That being said, Jones and Underwood did a great job in illustrating just who Margaret Beaufort really was. Not only do they capture the influence that she had and the political maneuvering that she had to do, but they also capture her life after her son became king, showing her role in religious houses and orders as well as the universities.
   
   A great bio for a great woman. Anyone studying the Tudors should read this book. Anyone, for that matter, interested in England in the fifteenth century must read this book. Margaret Beaufort's role was just too important.

No comments about Burghley: William Cecil at the Court of Elizabeth I.

5 comments about An Uncommon Woman - The Empress Frederick: Daughter of Queen Victoria, Wife of the Crown Prince of Prussia, Mother of Kaiser Wilhelm.

1. You will feel great sympathy towards Vicky, the Empress Frederick, who was an unfortunate hostage to the intrigues of the German court. Sympathy will soon give way to awe at her courage and determination to do her best while having to perform the impossible: being all things to all people.
   
   Vicky was seen as the catalyst for change in Germany. Her parents, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert did not like the autocratic, militaristic way in which Emperor Wilhelm I was running Prussia. Instead, they visualized a united German nation with a government much like that of England. Their plan was to sow seeds of liberalism and constitutional monarchy through their daughter and her marriage to Wilhelm's son, Prince Frederick (Fritz). In preparation for the eventual match, Vicky was schooled in politics and German life by Prince Albert. Eventually, she and Fritz would be Emperor and Empress of Prussia, and could bring about German unity.
   
   Little did Vicky know that upon arriving in Berlin, she was at a disadvantage from the start.
   
   As the daughter of Queen Victoria, she was encouraged to retain her Englishness yet was expected to be a Prussian wife and princess. Her efforts to raise her eldest son Willy as Prince Albert had raised her backfired. Her tendency to over-criticize (a trait passed on from Victoria) turned the young Wilhelm away, and he grew up under his thoroughly Prussian grandfather Wilhelm. Otto von Bismarck had seen his own chance to manipulate the future emperor, and along with the groveling royal court, Willy was turned into a bombastic power fanatic.
   
   Her relationship with Fritz was not seen as loving, but as an English princess scheming to Anglicize the House of Hohenzollern. Vicky was painted as "die Englanderin", unfaithful to Germany and a demon on the shoulder of her husband, whom she 'manipulated'.
   
   Hopes that Fritz's mother, Empress Augusta, would watch over Vicky were dashed. Augusta was known to be very liberal and free-thinking, unusual for royal women of the time. In her they thought they had an ally, but both the Queen and Vicky would be sorely disappointed. The once-progressive Augusta had seen her marriage to Emperor Wilhelm unravel over the years, and as a result she became a bitter, self-absorbed woman. She gave Vicky little support in her new role.
   
   When they finally became Emperor and Empress, Vicky and Fritz had precious little time to implement any real changes. Fritz died from cancer of the larynx three months into his reign. Upon his passing, Vicky was left alone and devoid of support or influence. Your heart cries at the unfairness of brilliant minds wasted, while Willy becomes Kaiser Wilhelm II - egotistical, manipulative, and dangerous.
   
   Thankfully, Vicky did not live to see the destruction of the Hohenzollern dynasty when Wilhelm II pulled Germany and England into a devastating world war. After fighting his own relations across Europe, he headed into exile, never to see the throne again. Albert's catalyst did indeed create a change, but not in the way he had expected. Germany would be unified, but the reigning royal house would fall from power, never to recover. -MandysRoyalty.org



2. An Uncommon Woman is an excellent, first rate biography of Vicky, eldest daughter of Queen Victoria who, through marriage, became the Crown Princess of Prussia, and then Princess and later Empress Frederick of the German Empire. She played an influential (and one wishes a much more influential) role in German, and more broadly European, history during the latter 19th to early 20th centuries. Vicky strove to move German politics towards a more liberal, democratic, parliamentary form of government, but was successfully opposed by the autocracy of Chancellor Bismarck and even her son, who eventually became the Kaiser. The author persuasively implies that had this "uncommon woman" been able to prevail, European history may have benefited. The book succeeds as both an intimate, full-fledged account of this remarkable woman, her family members, and the many important historical persons of the times, as well as a comprehensive history of the creation of the German Empire, the rise of autocracy and militarism, and the lead-up to World War I. The writing style is excellent; the author is exceptionally skilled at presenting a thoroughly well-researched life of Vicky and detailed history of the times in a highly readable, well paced narrative. One of the most engaging and informative biographies I have read. Highly recommended.



3. Hannah Pakula did it again in another superb biography of one of the last great princesses in the sunset of European royalty. The high-minded, brilliant, passionate, beautiful oldest daughter of Queen Victoria was a woman fit to rule in her own right and yet she was shackled by the narrow, rigid Hohenzollern court. The very liberalism with which her father Prince Albert indoctrinated her ended up working against her ability to influence German political affairs in a positive way. Her great love for her husband and their passionate relationship is captured as well as the tragic dimensions of his death. It is horrible how Vicky dies, and especially the way her awful son treated her. A book that shows that sometimes marrying the handsome prince of your dreams is not enough. Highly recommended!



4. This was a great biography that made you feel the happiness and sadnest moments in Empress Frederick's life time. Although I must admit there were moments in the book, particularly when Kaiser Frederick as well as the Empress herself were on their death beds, that made me want to box the ears of Kaiser Wihelm if he were still alive today!



5. A very well written and interesting book on Empress Frederick who's mostly nowdays remembered in relation to her domineering mother Queen Victoria and her psycho eldest son Kaiser Wilhelm II. Her childhood was very interesting and it was fun to read about her courtship and marriage to a man she actually loved and loved her and how the death of her father impacted her life completely. Another wonderful addition to anyone's collection of royal biographies.

5 comments about Edward I (The English Monarchs Series).

1. Edward I (Yale English Monarchs) by Michael Prestwich is an extremely well researched, cross-referenced and influential book on the subject of early Plantagenet history. Drawn on the original records of the age (late 13th, early 14th century) is portrays different achievements of the productive reign - Edward a Lawgiver, Edward a Warrior in Scotland and France, Edward a Family Men, Edward a Diplomat, and ... of course Edward loosing his temper. Especially well presented are the accounts of the Household and Exchequer, and a review of Parliamentary activities of Edward. Books somewhat dry tone is justified by extensive reference collection. A great first scholarly introduction to one of the most important reigns in British history.



2. This books is so rich in historical fact and details, drawn from medieval records of that period. For someone wanting more than the superficial, this book supplies it, showing Edward in a scholarly fashion rather than the usual pro or con look. It's very details in what it cost to run Longshanks' kingship, right down the wars against Wales and Scotland.

   Very balanced in presentation and offers us a deep insight into the man who remade England, conquered the Welsh and Irish, fought France and faced the rise of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce.

   Highly recommended.




3. Along with J.R. Maddicott's biography on Simon de Montfort, I would put this biography as one of the best biographies written for historical figures of this time period. Good thing is, they both compliment each other well.

   Michael Prestwich's work proves to be superbly researched, highly informative and above all for me, very readable. It does help to have some previous reading on the subject since Edward I had a long career from his teen age years and it kept going until he died. The thick book covers all aspects of Edward's long and colorful life in richness of details and facts.

   In this book, you will not see Edward Longshank of that movie, Braveheart, which probably did its outmost to ruined the reputation of this great ruler. In this book, the reader will understand why many regards Edward I as one of England's greatest rulers, easily in the top five, maybe the top three!!

   I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys this subject and had read on this material before. Good background reading would be helpful in getting the most out of this book. Written by a great scholar for other scholars or "scholar want to be".




4. At times I was very pleased with Prestwich's biography of Edward I. The detail is very precise and complete, leaving you with a very close inspection of Edward I. But this could be one of the reasons I didn't particularly care for this biography. Prestwich went into way to much detail of absolutely every aspect that touched Edward I the slightest in any way. If two kings were going to have a duel or a battle this would be described since Edward wrote a letter of conciliation to the two kings. Furthermore, whole chapters would be devoted to people that worked for Edward I, which meant the chapter was just a continuous list of names.
   
   His descriptive abilities are very dry, leaving the reader uninterested. This biography is a very scholarly, detailed work for someone looking for an exhaustive look at this important English king. This is an amazing task he accomplished, but also casts a negative shadow because it seems that he didn't really know what to write about so he simply wrote about everything. I never thought I would not care for a biography because of too much information but, alas, Prestwich has done it. Unfortunately, biographies need to have more of a structure behind them, more of a game plan.
   
   I would recommend this book to those looking for an exhaustive portrayal of Edward I. Even for those looking for information on Edward I I would recommend, but would advise to not try and read the whole thing, as this may kill your desire to read anything from this book, but instead pick and chose the chapters that interest you. So, to sum it up, a great detailed biography with too much detail. A book meant to reference, not read.
   
   3.5 stars.



5. I absolutely loved this book. Edward I, who of course is my favorite ruler of all time, was fairly covered in this scholarly work. I highly reccomend it to anyone interested in the life of a wonderful king.

3 comments about Cochrane: Britannia's Sea Wolf.

1. This book was first published in 1978 but has now been re-released to the benefit of all who enjoy a fast-paced historical account. After reading this book I am amazed that it has taken nearly twenty years to be re-released. What a great story Mr. Thomas tells of Thomas, Lord Cochrane, later the 10th Earl of Dundonald. From his birth through to his death covering all his exploits in numerous sea battles and actions, so many in fact that you find it hard to believe that he survived.

   The book covers Cochrane's battles during the Napoleonic Wars during which, on many occasions, he sent his ship in action against overwhelming odds. It was during this period that he was recognized, as one of Britain's most daring and successful captains. It was also during this period that he made many enemies, although he pressed hard in every action and took many risks, he always considered the well being of the men under his command. This later led to his single-handed campaign against corruption in the Admiralty.

   Following the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 Cochrane commenced an extraordinary career as a mercenary admiral. He subsequently commanded the navies of Chile and Brazil and launched campaigns against their protagonists, Spain and Portugal. After finishing his 'little wars' in South America he took command of elements of the Greek navy in their war against the Turks. In all these campaigns Cochrane again showed that he was one of the best naval commanders of his time.

   The narrative flowed along smoothly and although I have no great knowledge of maritime history I had no problems in following this story. In over 350 pages of text along with a number of black & white plates and a few maps Mr. Thomas tells a wonderful and exciting story. This is the type of book, which I am sure any person who has a love for history or who enjoys the novels of C. S. Forester and Patrick O'Brien will just love. A must for any serious student of naval tactics or Napoleonic warfare.




2. As the blurb on the back cover says: forget Horatio Hornblower, forget Jack Aubrey. Even the license given to them as fictional characters can't surpass the facts of Lord Cochrane's extraordinary life. A supremely creative tactician and breathtaking improviser at sea (it was no less a person than Napoleon who nicknamed him the 'Sea Wolf') his story ashore is worthy of a book in itself.

   This book has it all: blood, guts and glory pitted against both the enemy abroad and the corrupt establishment at home. Once read, there's no forgetting this man and his story.




3. This book is remarkable historical background for anyone who enjoys the Jack Aubrey, Lord Ramage, Horatio Hornblower sets of historic fiction.
   The biographer details many of the challenges met by those fictional characters, including the pervasive corruption of the British admiralty system, which fictional heroes endure and which Thomas Cochrance fought against his entire life.
   Donald Serrell Thomas highlights a few of the many ship-to-ship actions from 1793-1808. But he spends as much time investigating the politics of the pre-reform parliamentary system where a few powerful purses controlled the representation from numerous "rotten boroughs" -- one of which elected Cochrane.
   The author also outlines the details of a remarkably modern-sounding stock market fraud case, in which Cochrane was found to be a co-conspirator. The author thinks (as most of Britain came to think) that Cochrane was innocent, although another recent study came to an opposite conclusion based on the same evidence.
   If you're a fan of the "Sharpe's Rifles" series, read "Sharpe's Devil" before you read this book. But read both!