2 comments about The Exquisite Life of Oscar Wilde.

1. This book is nicely done - lots of pictures and illustrations, with a narrative that moves well, and is plenty comprehensive - Wilde was an in interesting man, but - like Truman Capote - a superficial thing. One doesn't need more detail than this book offers.



2. The book itself is nicely done. It has a lot of interestingpictures and facts. It is a must for anybody who is even mildlyinterested in Wilde. A wonderful account of his life, complete with quotes and photos.

No comments about Oliver Cromwell And His Times: Social, Religious And Political Life in the Seventeenth Century.

No comments about Histoire de la Gaule méridionale sous la domination des conquérants germains: Tome 3.

No comments about Samuel Taylor Coleridge: A Narrative Of The Events Of His Life.

No comments about Margaret Aylward, 1810-1889.

3 comments about Cyanide in My Shoe (Isis Series).

1. This is a book-on-tape selected by accident while searching for British mysteries. And what a fortuitous accident it was. This is the story of a British female physician, very familiar with France due to a long period of residence there, who was selected to be a member of Winston Churchill's Secret Circle of spies. The detail of the accounts of her preparation and adventures in France, running from the Gestapo, establishing collaborator networks, rival the best of fictional novels. This autobiography will rivet your attention from beginning to end, and hope someday for the movie. Bravo, Jay Bee, and thanks!!



2. A terrific book. I could not stop listening. It is a great story and the fact that it is a true story makes it even better. It is a fascinating story of world war II espionage. This woman is a true hero and her story should be given more attention. I would reccomend this to anyone.



3. A friend lent me this book by Josephine Butler.
   
   It is extraordinary. She reports that Sir Winston Churchill told her to tell the absolute truth and she does so.
   
   She tells an amazing story of being Jay Bee, a member of a secret circle of agents, taking orders directly from Churchill and the operatives who reported to him directly.
   
   She tells us what it was like to be an agent of the British government, in touch with the Resistance, in occupied France during WW II.
   
   Her exploits are stupendous. She has a photographic memory. She speaks French fluently, and therefore is able to operate effectively in occupied France.
   
   What was most inspirational and astounding to me was her faith in the human spirit and eventual world peace, in the midst of war, torture, and horror.
   
   Despite her direct experience with some of the most horrific atrocities in the history of humankind, she still believes in the inherent goodness of human beings.
   
   A great book -- exciting, full of information about WW II, and spiritually inspiring.
   
   Susan McGee
   somewhere near the redwoods in California

No comments about Historical and biographical essays.

No comments about The Life of Samuel Johnson (Part 1).

No comments about Lord Macaulay: His Life, His Writings.

3 comments about Edmund Burke: A Genius Reconsidered.

1. Kirk's introduction to the life and politics of Burke is essential to understanding Edmund Burke in his time and ours. More of a Political biography than a general biography, it is still a book whose prose is very readable and understandable. A biography of a great man by a great man.



2. Edmund Burke deserves better than this biography. The author Russell Kirk is full of admiration for Burke, but his unqualified praise of his subject is more deserving of a 19th century hagiography than it is a modern work. At no point in the book that I can remember does Kirk ever put anything but the most positive spin on the 18th century statesman/philosopher's actions. Burke is undoubtedly everything Kirk claims -- a great man, a genius, and his influence in both England and the United States largely underestimated - but even the greatest and wisest of men have blind spots and moments of weakness. Was Burke perhaps overzealous in his sixteen-year pursuit of Warren Hastings? Did Burke hide his Irish Catholic roots out of fear for what they could do to his ambitions if brought out in the open? Was his political philosophy less than consistent? Not according to Kirk.

   Edmund Burke: A Genius Reconsidered" does have its good points. It's well-written -- far more accessible than the Conor Cruise O'Brien biography "The Great Melody". (To be fair to O'Brien, his biography is not a straightforward work, but presents Burke's life thematically.) Kirk's book also makes some valid points about Burke's legacy, convincing the reader that Burke's philosophy is underappreciated by modern audiences. But a more balanced approach to Burke's life - without all the Great Man gloss -- would have made this point just as effectively.




3. In this easy to read volume Russell Kirk provides a succinct biography of "the first conservative of our time of troubles." Burke's political philosophy is clearly explained and Kirk introduces the reader to Edmund Burke the man.
   
   The book basically deals with the four major issues of Burke's life: his resistance to Jacobinism, England's relationship with the American Colonies, the prosecution of Warren Hastings, and the stifling of George III's domestic authority. Kirk provides wonderful quotes throughout the book and thorough, balanced analysis.
   
   Those looking for a critical assessment of Burke will not find it here, as Kirk, the great conservative thinker of our time, was a proponent of Burke and felt that his voice was still applicable in today's political climate. However, this does not compromise the integrity of this volume.
   
   This book is a must read for anyone interested in political theory, politics, and/or history.