2 comments about Sword and Blossom: A British Officer's Enduring Love for a Japanese Woman.

1. This is one of the most moving stories I have read in a long, long time. Set against the backdrop of the most turbulent times in the 20th Century, it tells the love story between a British officer and a Japanese woman that spans many years. Simply fascinating.



2. Peter Pagnamenta and Momoko Williams' book, Sword and Blossom, takes a look at this real life story, and attempts to tell the story behind a cache of letters that were found in Japan.
   
   In 1904, a young English officer, Captain Arthur Hart-Synnot, arrived in Tokyo, Japan to study Japanese and to learn as a possible advancement in his career. At the time, not very much was actually known about the Japanese, and the view that Westerners had was decidedly skewed towards the quaint and romanticized. Too, the Japanese had kept the world at bay, until Admiral Perry showed up in the mid-nineteenth century and Japan found itself rudely yanked into the modern world, and now was eager to prove themselves as one of the world's power players. Now they were starting to shift to an industrialized economy, and the British were more than happy to help, seeing in Japan a counterbalance to Russian and Chinese expansion in the Pacific.
   
   Arthur settled into an officer's life in Tokyo, and gradually found himself fascinated by the culture around him. Too, he has a talent for languages, and soon he meets somone who is going to help him in the study of both Japanese culture and langauge very much.
   
   Masa Suzuki is a young woman from a large, working class family. Unlike many Japanese women, she has had to fend for herself in many ways after being divorced from her husband, and is working in a club for officers. When she meets Arthur, they quickly become friends, and eventually that affection will turn into romantic attachment. When Arthur is sent as an observer to the Russian-Japanese war in Manchuria, he begs Masa to write to him.
   
   Soon begins one of the most remarkable romances that I have ever read about. While only Arthur's letters to Masa have survived -- it is unknown what happened to the ones that she sent -- there are enough references to hers to piece together some of the story. He is caught up in his military career in the British army, and begs for her to join him, and even proposes marriage.
   How it all resolves is the hook that keeps the reader going. I found Arthur and Masa's story heartbreaking to read. His letters are tender and passionate, filled with small drawings and stories of his life when he is away from Japan. Always he tells her that he has not forgotten her, and that someday they will be together.
   
   There are extensive footnotes, a bibliography, introduction and afterword, and a great deal of research. An insert of photographs give Arthur and Masa a face and setting, and several maps help to give an idea of time and distance.
   
   For anyone looking for a truly heartrending tale of love and cultural differences, this is an excellent read. The writing flows easily, the authors are not afraid to touch on the realities of a long-distance relationship, and don't try to whitewash some of the uglier aspects of both cultures. It also helped me to understand some of the attitudes that led up to the Second World War, and gives a vivid picture of life for a soldier on active duty far away from home. Too, the letters that Arthur wrote from the trenches in World War I are particularly harrowing.
   
   I happily recommend this to anyone interested in Japanese culture, it's a real eye opener.

4 comments about Royal Panoply: Brief Lives of the English Monarchs.

1. Starting with William the Conqueror and finishing with Elizabeth II and including every English monarch in between, Carolyn Erickson provides an intriguing overview of the royals and their spouses in a chronological fascinating sweep. Each ruler receives somewhere in the range of seven to twelve pages regardless of historical importance or length on the throne. By going chronological, the reference is easy to read and follow, but repetition also occurs as death marks the end of an era (chapter) and the beginning of the next reign (next chapter). The epigraph that starts each royal provides an interesting perspective on that personage and is especially fascinating with the more famous as the audience sees a somewhat differing view than the textbooks or romance novels. Still the lack of analysis of overarching trends takes somewhat away from a fine look that will elate those who prefer their look at the English monarchy based on facts not tabloids.
   
   Harriet Klausner



2. Dr. Carolly Erickson is a prolific author of historical fictin as well as excellent nonfiction works. Her area of expertise is in medieval and Renaissance literature. Nevertheless, she does a good job of survey all the English kings and queens from William the Conqeror in 1066 to the reign of Elizabeth II.
   Along the way the reader will read of countless murders, cabals, plagues, wars, adulteries and dynastic battles for power.
   There is nothing new here for the serious British historian;
   the book is written for a popular audience in need of getting
   the basics of British history in their heads. The book would be
   an excellent resource for courses in English history and literature. It is well illustrated and is a worthy addition to the library. It can be read from cover to cover or a particular
   monarch can be studied to coincide with the reader's interest.
   No matter how many biographies and history of England I have read this book is valuable because it:
   a. Refreshed my memory on key events that have become murky.
   b. Reminded me of how the fight for constitutional liberty in
   a democratic nation was a hard, bitter and complex struggle.
   Well done and worthy of your time and money!



3. "Royal Panoply" is an indispensible book for anyone wanting a good, well-written overview of the British monarchy. From William the Conquerer to Elizabeth II, author Carolly Erickson covers the good, the bad and the plain incompetent. It is all of English Royal history in one volume.
   
   Carolly Erickson began her career writing about the Tudors and the Stuarts, so it is not surprising that she is at her best when writing about those reigns. Her brief analysis of those characters who limned the golden age of the English renaissance are the best in the book. She is on less sure, and more gossipy, ground in the chapters on the more modern kings and queens of Great Britain.
   
   Erickson's later writing has suffered in comparison with her first efforts at historical biography, especially "The First Elizabeth" and "Great Harry." She has even condescended to write historical fiction, a "hidden" journal of Marie Antoinette.
   
   With this valuable volume in hand, the eager student of English history will find fascinating facts and tidbits on all of England's Majesties.



4. As a lay person, I found this book a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the British Monarchy. Most of my exposure to them has been through plays or movies, touching on a short vignette or period of time. Having recently seen "Henry V," I was interested in reading what happened to him after Agincourt. And "The Lion in the Winter" was a majestic play that left me wondering which of Elinor's sons would become king. This book is easy reading and a delicious look at the royalty.

1 comments about William and Mary.

1. William and Mary is a fascinating look into two of the most unique of British monarchs. The only joint sovereigns in British history, William and Mary reigned togther from 1689 to 1693, when Mary died and William ruled alone until 1702. Van de Kiste's clear writing style and interesting anecdotes make the history come alive, and a series of carefully selected plates enliven the text. Overall a very good read into what most historians simply gloss over- the feelings and aspects of daily life of the period.

5 comments about Disraeli.

1. Robert Blake's study of Benjamin Disreali, twice Prime Minister and prolific novelist, is one of the best I've read. Both Disreali's personal life and political career are handled with respect, and there is no unnecessary conjecture to mislead the reader. The resulting biography is both fascinating and informative, advancing chronologically from Disreali's parentage to his death and detailing the aspects of his personality and the extraordinary good luck that enabled him to rise so far in the British political system. Throughout, the reader is offered anecdotes from acquaintances, excerpts from letters, and portions of the speeches that gave Disreali his reputation as a matchless orator. Particularly touching are the stories illustrating the friendship he and his sister shared, and the mannerisms which characterized his personality. Overall, Robert Blake displays great knowledge of both Disreali and the politics that he loved so much. Therein lies the book's only fault, from an amateur's perspective; at times the references to the system can confuse a reader not fully familiar with British politics. However, any admirer of this great statesman cannot afford to miss reading this work, which already shows signs of becoming a necessary reference. Any historian, amateur or not, could easily view this volume as indispensable.



2. This is a work of considerable scholarship which chronicles the life of one of Great Britain's outstanding statesmen. The book covers the political life of Disraeli admirably, but also gives a view of the private Disraeli: confidant of Victoria, prolific novelist, inventor of the crouton.



3. Blake's Disraeli is not only flawless in its interpretation of Disraeli but also in its style. It is a work by which all other biographies must be judged. Simply put, it is the perfect biography.



4. During the high tide of the Victorian era, the political life of the nation was dominated by two men, Disraeli and Gladstone. Gladstone is an obvious choice for one of the top statesmen of the era, he was elected four times to the premiership. Disraeli was not quite so fortunate. However, given the short period of time that he was in office he accomplished a great deal. He brought the tories back from the dead, passed a reform bill and managed to acquire the Suez Canal. At the Congress of Berlin, Disraeli's command of the situation even impressed Bismark (not exactly a slouch in these sorts of things). Not bad from a rather foppish young man who specialized in "Silver Fork" novels (a fictional version of lifestyles of the rich and famous in the 19th century).

   Blake's book is the best one on the subject of Benjamin Disraeli. The complex story of the novelist turned politican is brought out in all of its facets. Disraeli was probably one of the most interesting people to be prime minister (after perhaps Churchill and Walpole) and Blake's book shows the reader how he did it.




5. This masterful political biography traces the life and career of one of the most extraordinary figures of British political history, Benjamin Disraeli. In doing so it gives insight into the whole structure of nineteenth - century British political and social life.
   It is told chronologically and moves with a sure and even narrative pace. One particular helpful feature of the work is the detailed chapter- headings, which serve as a kind of summary of the work as a whole.
   The story of 'Dizzy's spectacular climb ' up the greasy pole' to the Prime - Ministership, his rivalry with Gladstone, his closeness with Queen Victoria, his brilliance as strategist in defending and extending the Empire is told with quiet sympathy by Blake.
   Also there is a close chronicling of Disraeli's personal relations, including those with his somewhat distant literary father, his especially supportive sister, and very close wife.
   Disraeli's Jewish origins , his misunderstanding of them and yet his pride in defending them are also part of the story of this sensitive, insightful and supremely 'romantic' political leader.

No comments about The Last Lion Part A: Winston Spencer Churchill, Visions of Glory, 1874-1932.

5 comments about War's End: An Eyewitness Account of America's Last Atomic Mission.

1. A sad reminder that history is written by the victors. I wonder how Americans would feel if Al Qaeda would write a similar book glorifying the 9-11 attacks. Disgusting.



2. Paul Tibbet should have been tried as a war criminal. I don't see anything to celebrate about on this 60th anniversary of the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
   Perhaps the Japanese are rethinking about these events today and can write their own versions of what they think of these two genicides.
   Whether it saved lives or not is speculation, just that speculation. We all know how speculation is viewed in a court of law.



3. Neither of the atomic bombs the US dropped on Japan (not to forget the earlier fire bombing of Tokyo) were necessary to conclude the war. Japan was a thoroughly defeated country and had been seeking peace terms for over half a year. The terms ultimately granted by the US were those which Japan had been seeking all along!
   
   Irrespective of this, by the self proclaimed standards of the United States, Major (later Major General) Charles Sweeney was clearly a war criminal of the worst kind. It is one thing to attack enemy troops and fortifications; quite another to burn the eyeballs out of the heads of 100,000 *civilian* non-combatants -- most of whom were women, children and the elderly; and 10-12,000 of whom were Sweeney's fellow Catholics. Germans and Japanese swung for much, much less. Sweeney got promoted! But, what goes around comes around.



4. My my my. The hot and cold reviews that this book attracts are a reflection of why Sweeney claims to have written the book, I think. For those who "support" the manner by which the U.S. ended the war that Japan started, Sweeney wanted to provide the record from one of the key players as the pilot of "Bock's Car," the plane that dropped the bomb on Nagasaki. For those who oppose this bombing, he wanted to provide his perspective and argument. My review of the book is from the perspective of someone who wanted to just understand the facts of the bombing missions, and who is interested in reading the firsthand account of such a moment in modern history. I doubt that anyone's position on the bombings will be changed one bit by this book; it does, however, provide that eyewitness perspective of the missions, and it gives the reader some understanding of what it took for these controversial measures to have even been executed. I found the book fascinating from that angle. If you are interested in the big pro or con moral questions, I am not sure that this book is going to feed your desires.



5. Sweeney writes a compelling story about his role in the use of the atomic bomb. From an initial interest in flying, thru his early years as a pilot, to the secret preparations to train pilots and mission support to deliver an atomic bomb, and finally the actual missions over Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
   
   This book is a must read for anyone interested in understanding how and why we "dropped the bomb".

5 comments about Naked Island.

1. it is amazing that with all the hardship that these guys went thru, human nature can still make the best of an awful situation.



2. This is an unforgettable book: informative, educational, poignant and often delightfully humorous. It is a tribute to the British and Australian Forces used as slave labour in the construction of the Burma/Siamese Railway and their ability to live with dignity, compassion and decency under the most deplorable conditions imaginable. This book leaves an indelible impression on the reader and should be required reading for each successive generation.



3. One of my first introductions to Australian and Far East reading of WW11, thoroughly enjoyable, could not put it down until it was finished. Would recommend this book to all generations. Has given me the taste to find out more about the Far East and familiarise myself with further Australian literature. Thought only John Pilger could write riveting literature, I was wrong!



4. The Naked Island

   The autobiography of a young australian soldier who spent long years in captivity as prisoner of war of the Japanese.
   The first part is the description of the military life in Malaya before the attack of the Japanese with many ironical notes on that tedious life from the point of view of a soldier.
   The second part is the description of the useless fight of the Australian and British troops against the overwhelming enemy and then the attempt to escape the capture.
   Then the third, and most interesting part, is the description of the life during three long years of captivity in the different prisons where the writer was imprisoned and in the jungle camps where all prisoners were forced to work without food, facing malaria, beri beri and death for starvation.
   A book I would really recommend.
   Are you looking for another absolutely interesting book about a similar experience?
   Read the famous "Behind bamboo" by Rohan Rivett




5. The author went through some really horrific situations but at the same time can describe the strength of the human spirit. The author also has a great sense of humor. I think books like this are rare these days in our politically correct world. Well worth the read.

5 comments about Cochrane: The Life and Exploits of a Fighting Captain.

1. Basically a recital of accomplishments and events, with next to no detail about most of them. The only thing he really goes into depth about was his trial before the King's Bench. Also, it appears to be writtin almost on a 6th grade level. Not impressed at all.



2. If you love adventure, history, and a dashing and a daring true-life hero; then this is your cup of tea. However, if your closer to my taste then it would be a martini, dry, shaken not stirred. Anyone with military background will sadly identify with the upper echelon's stupidity/hypocrisy. Dare I say our hero undergoes a transformation, who at the climax of the book is on his way to rescue Napolean himself! Truth is stranger than fiction. And I might add: edge of your seat true suspence. Because in the end you can't escape the truth. The FIGHTING CAPTAIN welcomes you aboard mate!



3. As noted, fact is stranger than fiction, and it couldn't be truer than with the life of Thomas Cochrane. If you enjoy the likes of Horatio Hornblower or Jack Aubrey, you won't be able to put this one down. You'll immediately recognize their "fictional" exploits as you read the real stories upon which they're based. A great summer read!



4. I have read half of the Aubrey series and though it might be worthwhile to read about the real man...yes, that of Lord Thomas Cochrane, before finishing the rest of the series. Was it worth it, yes!!! Could it have been better written...probably, as a lot of questions went unanswered.
   
   So what did I do...I ordered one of the books Robert Harvey recommended..."Cochrane" by Donald Thomas and continued reading the series by Patrick O'Bryan. I was not disappointed in Harvey's book, in fact, I found a lot of information which I felt was left out of the series. What might that be...try reading about the real life hero of Scotland and how the Admiralty tried/attempted to shut him down. This guy was for real. Damn if we don't have the same thing happening today.
   
   Any history is worthwhile...it is what we do with it that makes it important. And give me a break...you can afford the $14 to be better informed....



5. "Le Loup de Mer", that is how Napoleon dubbed Lord Cochrane. I am from Chile, one of the countries Cochrane served and helped assure our Independence, so this book was a great reading for me, very informative on aspects I didn't know about this man and my country history. As a country, we are very grateful of Cochrane and, as you may know, there is one beautiful city named after him in the South of Chile and several streets as well, particularly remembered by the Chilean Navy.
   
   It was compelling to know Cochrane's character and part of his personal life, even to know the real Cochrane since the book include one real picture of him. So Part III was the most interesting in my case, when Cochrane arrive to Valparaiso and was greeted by our Liberator, Bernardo O'Higgins --- Cochrane almost went to the Island of St Helena to pick up Napoleon, on his way to Chile. A remarkable seaman and person, buried in Westminster Abbey, a place I had the fortune to know, so I think this book or any biography of Cochrane is a recommended reading. A great British Captain!
   
   Note: this book has an spanish version and sadly in my country the cost of the book is three times more expensive, due to a nonsense TAX on books. It is time to change that, books for everybody!

5 comments about Queen Victoria's Family: A Century of Photographs.

1. for those interested in royalty. While some of these photos can be found in many different books, some of them I've seen for the first time. Queen Victoria's decendants are so numerous and belong to so many different royal houses. Definitely a worthwhile purchase!



2. There are certain photos that I simply expect to see when perusing volumes about European royalty. However, upon receiving Zeepvat's book, I was thrilled to find so many rarely seen photos of some of the more obscure descendants of the "Grandmother of Europe." If you're a royalty buff like I am, you can spend hours immersed in this marvelous book and its detailed family trees.



3. Absolutely remarkable. Charlotte Zeepvat takes the reader into the lives of Queen Victoria and her family with the amazing photographs, both candid and formal. The pictures are rare. They are well organized and have excellent captions. Zeepvat is a great writer/historian and I recommend her books to all.



4. This is an excellent resource as well as enjoyable reading and viewing. Queen Victoria had a large, illustrious family. This book not only humanizes and personalizes the many family members, it also helps to make sense of the extended family connections - particularly with the included family trees in the back of the book.
   
   I have perused through this book many times, and have recently given one to a friend, who absolutely loved it. This is not a history book that will just sit on a shelf. It is a required addition to anyone interested in the history of Queen Victoria and the Eurpoean monarchies.



5. excellent photographs of collection of royal family of england ,from1840-1940.some of the pictures i've seen before ,but there are alot of new one's not seen before.

5 comments about Brazilian Adventure (Marlboro Travel).

1. This is contemporary American adventure: buy an SUV, watch game shows based on Lord of the Flies, try the risotto recipe Martha Stewart used on her ascent in the Himilayas. Please! Brazilian Adventure is the real thing for those who don't own their own snowshoes. Sure, the author and his companions set off with pith helmets worthy of Ralph Lauren and more elaborate gear than they'll ever use; true, Fleming is something of a good old boy circa 1932 Oxford style. Skin to be shed. When reality hits, which it does early in the adventure and continues to the bedraggled end, he rises to the occasion. The narrative is suffused with clear-eyed wit, honesty and optimism. I hope there are other Peter Fleming books out there.



2. Every so often I have to buy a new copy of Brazillian Adventure because I lend my copy to someone and they flatly refuse to return it again. This is one of the most engaging and good-humoured travel books ever. It was Fleming's first adventure and his first book - yet it became a classic work going into several editions early on and being used in schools as a study piece. It is seriously well written, and seriously engaging.

   It starts with his blandly describing how he got involved in the expedition in the first place- answering an advertisement in the paper to go on a 'Fawcett hunt" (as he later called it). He thought he would go on a grand expedition to find the missing explorer Colonel Fawcett and get a little hunting done at the same time. There have been numerous books and studies done on the disappearnce of Fawcett in Brazil in the 1920's - to this day no one quite knows what happened to him, and as it turns out the expedition that Fleming was joining was not going to throw new light on matters either.

   In fact the trip deteriorated badly the moment they hit Brazil, and Fleming's dry wit turns it all into a hilarious read - although it must have been desparately uncomfortable for them all. The expedition Leader was incompetent, the expedition split into two warring factions and they all ended up in a race back down the Amazon to try to get the banks in time.

   Peter Fleming, in case you didn't know, is the brother of the 'James Bond' author Ian Fleming - a talent for writing seemed to run in the family. Peter continued his travels and writing career but I think this first book is the best of them all. There is also a wonderful biography on his life available but I think that is now out of print.




3. I brought this book for my Brazilian trip this past Dec. I found this book slow and boring in the beginning. This may be due to the fact that the author used lot of what I assume to be late 19th and early 20th century references which I have no idea about and the British writing. But after half way through, I learned to read past the subtle British writing and concentrate on the story and this make the book more enjoyable.



4. I bought this book because I am fascinated by South America, the Amazon River, etc..and also because this looked like a real life adventure book searching for clues into the dissappearance of Major Fawcett.
   
   This book starts out slow because of the british style of writing in the early 20th century. For me it was too "flowery" and maybe that is not the right word. I nearly stopped reading the book because of it, but I didn't. Thankfully, the last half of the book, describing the race back to civilization, was much better.
   
   This book is okay, but nowhere near great



5. This is certainly not an adventure book in the classical sense. The style of writing does not allow for it. Buy it for its British humor and charm, not for adventures which don't take place.