5 comments about Truly Wilde: The Unsettling Story of Dolly Wilde, Oscar's Unusual Niece.

1. This is without a doubt the worst book I have ever read. The author's cohorts seem to have agreed upon "experimental" as the operative descriptor for this abomination. In these tedious pages, however, "experimental" means only this: bad research, no facts, meandering/aimless prose, lack of direction, and disorganization. Oh, yes, how could I forget? It also means enormous amounts of filler at the end, including recipes and a handprint analysis-all, no doubt, in an attempt to meet contractual obligations to the publisher for a page count.

   Don't take my word for it. Read the New York Times book review that appeared when this book was first published. It was written by a well-known lesbian feminist, and one would expect the reviewer to be sympathetic. Instead, she ripped this book to shreds. Deservedly so, in my opinion.




2. There is nothing like pleasure to motivate a book review and I took an enormous pleasure in reading -- and then in instantly re-reading - TRULY WILDE. This book gives such a precise and poetic view of the seductive and fascinating Dolly Wilde and such a generously ducumented look at the period in which she flourished -- a period in which conversation was still an art and identity was something that could still be invented - that you really feel yourself feeling with and for Dolly. It's an exemplary, inventive biography. And the photographs are wonderful.

   Truly Wilde assumes that its readers delight in language and ideas and bring to it a certain intelligence. I presume that this refreshing approach accounts for the stellar reviews on the book jacket by such brilliant writers as Jeannette Winterson and Edmund White; I presume that it also accounts for the few, suspiciously vitriolic comments found on this site - which seem to be motivated by something other than a desire to share an opinion.

   I HIGHLY recommend TRULY WILDE to all lovers of pleasure who like to think: this book, this life will reward you a thousand times over.




3. With "Truly Wilde," author Joan Schenkar has reinterpreted and redefined the possibilities of the biographical form. Her strategy in recreating the world of Parisian intellectual and artistic salons in which Oscar Wilde's niece Dolly flourished in the 1920s - most notably Natalie Barney's Academie des Femmes - is stunningly iconoclastic, deeply compelling, and brilliantly written. From a base of scrupulous and capacious research, from interviews with primary sources and access to original documents, illustrated with a fascinating array of photographs, Schenkar uses a thematic rather than chronological approach to bring Dolly Wilde and her world to life, and to follow with fierce attention the course of her descent to a lonely death in London at the age of 45. Ms. Schenkar does not feel bound by academic niceties. Her book is rich in the odd detail - a palm reading, for instance, or a favorite recipe - that make that era and those brilliant characters as luminous as real life. In her hands, Dolly Wilde becomes a memorable and ultimately mysterious force of nature.



4. In the spirit of Schenkar's grasping at straws to add pages to her book, I'd like to provide a recipe of my own:
   How to Bore and Infuriate a Reader
   Take 1 very interesting character
   Add vast amounts of filler and repetition
   Lard with half-baked postmodern theory
   Heap in generous amounts of self-satisfaction
   Infer that you've egregiously taken advantage of Nathalie Barney's elderly and generous housekeeper
   Stir it all up with bad prose.
   Half-bake and serve forth to an unsuspecting audience.



5. How do you relate the life of someone who never stepped forward from the shadows of her disgraced uncle, Oscar Wilde? Someone who sparkled like a thousand shards of a broken mirror on a sunlit day?
   Dolly was a wisp of a shadow, mesmerizing, bewitching permanently etching herself into onto one's memory with her mere presence. Those who knew her well, Janet Flanner, Natalie Barney, Honey Harris - true wordsmiths all- struggled to explain her enigmatic aura. Captivating, enchanting - adjectives repeated over and over in a vain attempt to eplain her effect on all she met.
   Her magic was her brilliant conversation, her charming turn of phrase, the impermanence of flowing dialogue that she wouldn't or couldn't commit to paper. She lived and died in 'The Moment' nothing else mattered. Her flame burned bright and then was gone - a willing(?) or fated victim to excesses she could not (and would not) control and the ravages of a body aged long before its time. Suicide? accident? Murder? The myth and truth of 'Wilde' consumed her all the same.
   This biography isn't linear because Dolly didn't live her life linearly. Her life was moments of sight and sound and fury that the author captures completely.
   How do you truly explain the unexplainable? This book is at it's best a series of half glimpses, whispered hints, or even dim reflections in mirrors (Dolly hated mirrors)of someone so busy 'living in the moment' that after that glorious moment she was gone with only the faint trace of pleasure and grace.
   And somehow all that works and works well, this book recreates her life so much more then a dry recording of droning facts could ever capture of such a glorious spirit. No such dullness For Dolly Wilde! I highly recommend this book.

No comments about Kings and Queens of Britain's Golden Age: The glorious monarchs of the golden age of Britain, from Henry VII, Henry VIII and the magnificent reign of Elizabeth ... of the Stuarts and the rule of Queen Anne.

2 comments about Elizabeth: The Queen Mother: A Twentieth Century Life.

1. Elizabeth The Queen Mother by Grania Forbes offers an array of photographs that are fun, but the writing is wretched. The author is one of these writers who begins every third sentence with However. And that gets really tedious, a sign of an insecure and inept writer. While there are some fine photos which cover, naturally, the entire 20th century (the subject was born in 1900 and still lives!) their chronology in this book is immensely flawed, as if seemingly by a mixmaster. You are led to believe it's chronological, then you are fooled to the point of aggravation.



2. This new edition of Elizabeth: The Queen Mother, a classic biography which provides a photo portrait of Britain's most beloved Royal, and which blends in a history of modern Britain in the process, provides a new text and new photos bringing her life into to modern times, and covers her recent death as well. Fans of the British Royalty in general, and the Royal Queen of Britain in particular, will relish this display and history.

1 comments about Violet: The Life and Loves of Violet Gordon Woodhouse.

1. A woman of uncommon strength and individuality, Violet Gordon Woodhouse defied convention on every level. She was one of the first harpsichord virtuosos of the twentieth century, when everyone else was playing the piano. Even among harpsichordists, she was unique in that she preferred the historical model to the "improved" Pleyel. She was married yet had many lovers, known and accepted by her husband. Filled with eccentric tales and juicy annecdotes, he book only comes up short in describing her art. A CD is available which will allow you to actually hear the beauty of her playing. These are old recordings with lots of hiss and scratch, but the shimmer and artistry come though.

1 comments about The Kings and Queens of England.

1. I bought this as a bargain book and found myself pouring over the pages. This all-encompassing history of England's monarchs is perfectly outlined, both in its chronology and its definition of separate family lines. I found the side-bar timelines helpful and the illustrations and pictures beautiful. This is a great reference book for any fan of English history.

5 comments about Wellington: A Personal History.

1. Author Christopher Hibbert concentrates on the personal aspects of Wellington's career, such as his relationships with family and close friends, and skirts over any lengthy analyses of the Duke's many campaigns. The Battle of Waterloo, for instance, is covered in only a few pages and the entire Peninsula War is given short shrift. Wellington's later years as a Tory politician, however, and his subsequent fall from grace with the populace is presented in detail and makes for quite an interesting read. Portraits of Wellington's brothers and other associates are also abundant in this volume and I was surprised as to how many I've never seen before. Hibbert himself is not totally enamored with his subject and portrays him as a very reticent and reserved aristocrat with little tolerance for fools and even less sympathy for the common folk. In this regard, I don't believe Hibbert has been able to lift the mask of command off Wellington and given us the definite look into his character. Wellington was certainly a man of many contradictions and Hibbert merely presents one side of him---the cold and aloof one. Still it's a worthy book with some scattered information not found in other sources. For the best read on this man, it's probably better for one to start with Elizabeth Longford's "Wellington: Years of the Sword". Hibbert's biography would certainly be a most interesting companion piece alongside it.



2. Having just finished McCullough's John Adams, I picked this up, hoping for another wonderfully vivid portrait of a great historical figure. Instead I find a book so crammed with useless details, so choked with irrelevant facts about irrelevant characters in Wellington's life, as to be virtually unreadable. I have no objection to a high level of detail, when properly employed in the advancement of a good narrative. But I can't explain the purpose of the useless details in this book, unless to parade before us the author's exhaustive knowledge.

   I fall asleep each night after reading one and a half pages. If you're an insomniac with no real interest in Wellington, this book is for you. Otherwise, don't waste your time.




3. I have always thought of the Duke of Wellington as the Hero of Waterloo, but little else. In "Wellington, A Personal History" I learned that he was much more.

   This book is, as the title indicates, a personal history of the man, rather than a history of his times. The reader learns little of the details of Waterloo, nor does he learn much about the impact of his career on the wider world.

   Wellington's story is an interesting one. Born the younger son of lower nobility, his dukedom was earned, rather than inherited. His career was diverse. He fought for the Crown in India before his first encounter with Napoleon's armies in Portugal and Spain during the Peninsular War. The possibility of service in America during the American Revolution was mentioned, but did not occur. The glory which he won at Waterloo was merely a stepping stone to higher service.

   After the banishment of Napoleon, Wellington entered the diplomatic service in France. This, coupled with his membership in the House of Lords, led to service as Foreign Minister and Prime Minister, among many other appointments. In office, Wellington was, generally, a supporter of privilege and order. Despite his dominant conservatism, Wellington was flexible enough to adjust to prevailing necessities. Although initially opposed to Catholic Emancipation, he supported Emancipation after concluding that the defeat of Emancipation would have led to more social unrest than the issue was worth. He then not only had to persuade opinion among the Lords and Commons, but also had to overcome the strong opposition of the King in order to get Emancipation passed. This is of particular interest to me, as family legend has it that we are descendants of Daniel O'Connell, whose election to the House of Commons forced the issue. Jews, whose potential for disorder was presumably less than that of Irish Catholics, did not enjoy his support when Emancipation for them was suggested.

   During his political career, Wellington endured wide swings in popularity. At times he faced the threats of the mob as a result of his policies. He was forced to turn his home into a fortress and to carry pistols while traveling about London. Even when his popularity was at its nadir, his prestige and personal presence were sufficient to insure his safety.

   Wellington's relations with his monarchs make interesting reading. Although he held George IV and William IV in low esteem, his relationship with Victoria was warm and close. He became an intimate and trusted advisor on whom Victoria and other politicians relied as an intermediatory.

   Wellington's marriage was unhappy and distant and he became a widower at a fairly young age. These facts caused him to seek and enjoy the companionship of many women through his lifetime. These relationships and their effects on Wellington account for a large portion of this book.

   As is common among heroes, Wellington's popularity grew as his vigor and involvement in public affairs diminished. Living to an advanced age, Wellington was revered as Britain's greatest hero.

   I often gauge a book by how it makes me think beyond the covers. I compared him to American political generals. His political career was more impressive than Grant's, and of longer duration than Eisenhower's. The closest comparison may be with Washington, both as his country's greatest hero and the man to whom his country repeatedly turned in crises.

   My only disappointment in this book, as minor as it is, is that it is so personal that one gets a sense of his times only indirectly. Overall it is a good study of this major historical figure.




4. I read Dr Hibbert's biography of Horatio Lord Nelson and was so impressed by it that I ordered two more of his books. I've just finished reading this one, and I must say that, although I'd never really liked Wellington's often-characterised stiff-upper-lip persona, I found Hibbert's depiction very appealing. It reveals that, even though the marshal created a mask of aloofness and control, behind it he was charming and engaging. Wellington may not have possessed Nelson's instinctive, natural flair but he was solid, reliable, courageous, determined and a good learner. He comes a close second to Nelson as our greatest military hero.



5. Christopher Hibbert's biography of the first Duke of Wellington is, as advertised, a personal history. His focus is on the man and much less on his long career in the British Army and British political life. His finding, that Wellington was a complex man with a many-sided personality, is not a new discovery. Hibbert's contribution to a crowded field of biographies is to delve into that personality with both enthusiasm and some intellectual discipline in order to put a human face on a distant historical figure.
   
   The first half of the book covers Arthur Wellesley's unpromising youth as the seemingly less talented middle child of an Anglo-Irish nobleman and his familar military career to the Battle of Waterloo. Hibbert skims the military narrative and his analysis is sometimes uneven. For example, he makes rather overmuch of a small skirmish before the assault on Seringapatam in India as a defining experience; but slights later achievements such as Wellington's disciplined and successful defense of Portugal in 1810-1811. He does provide a close examination of Wellington's unfortunate marriage with Kitty Pakenham and his relationships with other women, without necessarily exceeding the spotty factual basis for those relationships.
   
   Hibbert is to be commended for devoting the second half of the book to Wellington's long and often neglected career as politician and public servant. Here, Wellington's well-developed military talents and Tory instincts were often less useful in the indifferent chaos of politics. His relationships, alleged or otherwise, with various women, play a prominent part in Hibbert's treatment.
   
   Ultimately, this book is less satisfying as an examination of Wellington than, for example, Elizabeth Longford's longer but more balanced teatment. Hibbert's account perhaps a little too often reads like the gossip column of the Sunday newspaper.
   
   This book is recommended to those looking for a popular biography of the Duke of Wellington, one suited to contemporary interest in the personal side of public figures.

5 comments about Princess Diana - Her Last Love.

1. This book isn't one to really enjoy. Ms. Snell uses other books(listed in back) as references, no real problem with that but then she goes further and uses anonymous sources. I never really like that because you have no way of knowing how good that source is or whether or not they might have a grudge against the subject. I suspect that some enemies of the Princess more than her friends contributed, that stuff about Diana trying to pay Simone Simmons with gifts instead of cash is an example of this. Anything I've ever read indicates to me that she most likely would not have done this (although she could be very generous with gifts), that would be a trait more of the born Royals. The love life details, are they true? I don't know, the Princess is dead and Hasnat Khan isn't talking. A person should also remember that in 1997 his relatives embarassed him by talking so much, sounds to me like they're still at it.



2. Kate Snell's book is 100% fiction. She said the relationship between Diana and Dodi was not serious.

   Few months agao a priest broke his three- year silence to reveal how Princess Diana confessed her love for Dodi Fayed - and was going to marry him.

   Father Frank Gelli said the Princess even asked him if he could conduct her wedding ceremony. She confided in the highly- respected Church of England minister at secret meetings in the weeks before she and Dodi were killed.




3. Based upon the other Amazon.com reviewers, I didn't expect much from this book, but I was pleasantly surprised. The writing is good, a little hero-worshiping of Diana comes through but that's OK. I notice she only interviewed some of the more wacko or cheeseball "friends" of Diana (Simone Simmons, the faith healer, taken seriously?? but I guess Diana took her seriously at one time). However, at least you learn more about Hasnat Khan & his background (sounds like a really nice person, and all his family too) than you do from any other Diana book. I can't agree that Diana was a stronger person at the end of her life -- she seemed to be very immature still. Imagine taking up with Dodi Fayed to make another man jealous, sure he was a multi-millioniare but please, the guy had had so many women (what did he tell Diana about his fiance, Kelly Fisher??)...I wouldn't touch him with a barge pole. That's mature, strong behavior? I think she was so devastated when Dr. Khan finally broke it off, that she went into a tailspin & into her old, self-destructive, immature behavior. Manipulative, too, if you believe that she planned for the "Kiss" picture & the others being taken (which I believe). The author doesn't agree with my thoughts but she doesn't force the issue, she just mentions that other friends thought Diana sounded strong at what turned out to be the end of her life. It's an interesting book, not the best one on Diana but thoughtful & brings out some unknown background on her relationship with Hasnat Khan.



4. After reading this book, I am convinced that the author speaks the truth. Hasnat Khan's name comes up in several books, and they all state Diana felt strongly for him. I do believe she was with Dodi Fayed to make Mr. Khan jealous. I certainly can picture her with a heart surgeon more easily than I can with a playboy who didn't know what to do with all his money. I also read Paul Burrell's book, "A Royal Duty" and he alludes to Diana's true love, though he doesn't give him a name. He does say it was not Dodi. I believe that had Diana lived, she would have possibly married Hasnat Khan, or at least maintained a loving relationship with him. She didn't know Dodi well enough to even think of marrying him; the relationship was simply a summer fling. It's sad that she did not live to see that happiness with Dr. Khan come to fruition.



5. I think that the author tells the truth but I don't agree with her,I think Diana was manipulative, she planned several strategies to win Hasnat back including using the media and Dodi to make the doctor jealous.The pess describes him like a playboy, a bad man, but he was the only man who loved her so much, he was very kind with her.His life looked like her life: his mother leaved his father when he was 3 years old,he was a mediocre student,he loved to have beautiful women because he didn't like to stay alone , he believed women loved him only for his money.Sometimes he prefers to stay with a woman who did not really love him, because he didn't like to be alone.He has insecure behavior.in the past diana manipulated media in order to send a power message but this timesI think she really cruel woman because when someone was in love with you , you should't joke with his feelings, and used media to create illusion of love,it's really unbearable to an human being. I read a lot of books about Diana: her true story by andrew Morten death of a princess by Thomas sancton and Scott Macleod, the day Diana died by christopher andersen , shadows of a princess by p d Jephson
   In fact I was a great Diana 's fan but when I read this book I didn't like her anymore. The media show us a superficiel dodi's picture. people have been influenced by the press

5 comments about God Save the Queen?: Monarchy and the Truth About the Windsors.

1. I laughed so hard my gut ached when I read this book. It is a witty, extremely well-researched investigation into the monarchy, both intellectually stimuling and filled with gossip. The reviews were right. This is a must-read.



2. Mr Hari is inded a 'non-journalist', as John Pilger describes him. He is arrogant, ignorant and pompous beyond his years. It's no surprise that the reactionary Trotskyite and Bush-loving fool Christopher Hitchens likes him. This damns them both! Hari hates the British royal family and wants to get rid of them in order to make it easier for Tony Blair to abolish Britain's sovereignty and make us a province of a new undemocratic state called Europe. This would open the door for Blair to become President not just of Britain but of Europe. A new Pope, indeed!



3. Johann Hari is one of Britain's most distinguished journalists and has won loads of awards - all deserved! This book shows why he is so acclaimed. I loved its mix of gossip, political wisdom, and intellect. I cannot imagine anybody but the most crazy monarchist disliking it (and even they would have to admit there's some great anecdotes here...)
   
   (by the way, the other commenters here on this book seem to be slightly insane. An EU coup in Britain? Uh... yeah...)



4. I purchased this book in the hopes that I might learn more about some of the contemporary issues/public opinion surrounding the monarchy of the United Kingdom. I was horribly disappointed. Quotes taken out of context, unattributed quotes, and silly gossip form the basis for a nasty polemic. This is the kind of distortion one probably should expect from an acolyte for republicanism. It is not the kind of book, however, that anyone interested in serious discussion about the monarchy would want to waste his/her money on. It is so unbalanced a perspective, that even those few positive contributions the author feels forced to cite during his diatribe are attributed not to generosity of spirit but to psychological disorder. It is sad that this kind of royal character asassination does not still carry a penalty of some time in the Tower.



5. This book is very well written. It is like he is talking to me in person. He is, I feel, a little bit too harsh on the Queen but right on about Philip, Charles and the Queen Mother and Margaret. A good book.

No comments about Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery.

5 comments about Diana: The Secrets of Her Style.

1. Add this gushing paean to the Diana beatification movement. It's nicely produced with pretty photos and some designer sketches you may not have seen before, but the text is a rehash (some appear to be incorrect if the first versions I read of them are accurate) well-documemnted Diana anecdotes. I was really ready to like this book, but was disappointed--no "secrets" revealed within. sorry.



2. Currently there are about four different books on the market focussing on the fashions of the Princess of Wales. This one was written by a fan, and it suffers for that; the text is gushing and adoring, and just repeats stories told elsewhere. It also needed a good edit--notice the typos and misspelling of "Dutchess" [sic].

   For more thoughtful text (and the same pictures), buy Georgina Howell's book.




3. I own all the books written about Princess Diana and this one is very special. Yes, the writer is a fan but I think it adds something to the sincerity of the text. It seems Ms. Clehane spent a great deal of time researching her subject and got some very touching material from those who knew her well.

   The photos are beautiful (many that I've never seen before) and the sketches are very interesting, too. I love the tribute that Ms. Clehane wrote in the introduction of the book. She expresses her feelings beautifully.

   I found all the stories to be accurate. And as for errors, I found several in the Georgina Howell book that was $10 more.

   This book has a lovely spirit.




4. In the Foreward, the author writes, "DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES, WAS ONE OF FASHION'S BRIGHTEST STARS. She found a way to articulate something all women instinctively know: our clothes speak more fluently - and honestly - about ourselves that words ever could. While Diana popularized pearl chokers, designer handbags and short hair, her greatest contribution to fashion was her intuitive understanding of the power of style. It was a gift she used wisely.

   "Diana made us believe in transformation and reinvention and she did it through the clothes she wore. Her emotional life was mirrored by her appearance. Her journey from a rather ordinary-looking kindergarten teacher to Her Royal Highness to a stunning, independent single woman was rifle with images every woman could relate to. To women of all ages who grew up believing in fairy-tale endings, Diana in her unabashedly romantic wedding dress was the embodiment of a modern day Cinderella. In her short black cocktail dress worn as 'revenge dressing' to upstage her unfaithful husband and strike at those who underestimated her, she became a role model for embattled survivors. In photographs which captured her toned body dashing off to the gym in colorful workout closthes ( the same ones we own!), she represented the physical ideal of the ninties: radiantly healthy, sensual and strong.

   "Many of us saw our own reflection in Diana. When she exchanged ball gowns and tiaras for simple suits and straight hair, we recognized - the idealized version of ourselves - in her. We wanted to be like her, and she, it seemed, wanted to be like us. That is the essence of her appeal: Diana was Everywoman.

   "...Ultimately, Diana was not a woman that could ever be completely understood. Complicated and simple, outwardly sophisticated and emotionally naive, she was - so we made ourselves believe - just like us. In truth, she was like no one else in the world."

   Diana had that innate ability of putting clothing, colors, and accessories together which others dared not to try. She possessed a sense of style in clothing and in colors which always seemed to complement her surroundings regardless of where she was. In short, Diana looked elegant in everything she wore, and she always chose clothes that clearly conveyed respect for her hosts. As the most enduring fashion icon of the modern age, Diana was the woman that millions of women wanted to look at and look like, but unfortunately, there will never be another Princess of Wales like her.

   This is a great book and a must for all who collect book on Diana, Princess of Wales.




5. More than just a "fashion parade" of Diana's clothes, this book captures the real essence of the Princess of Wales herself as seen via what she wore. The author, Diane Clehane, admits that she is a great fan of the Princess, yet she gives an honest account of Diana's transformation from unknown nursery-school teacher to international superstar. She candidly points out "fashion mistakes" that the Princess made along the way in her public life while also leading the reader to an understanding that Diana's "style" was so much more than her clothes.

   Diana had a figure and height which enabled her to wear clothes beautifully, but even more important than that is the personality which shone forth. It is this which Ms. Clehane has successfully revealed in the pages of this book. She has, with grace and eloquence, drawn the line between fashion and style and shown that the clothes did not make Diana. Diana made the clothes.