2 comments about Admiral Lord Howe (Library of Naval Biography).

1. Entering the Royal Navy in 1739 at the age of 13, Admiral Lord Howe remained in the Navy until his death in 1799 -- sixty years of service. His career spanned four wars, including the American Revolution where he attempted to negeotiate an end to the revolution and when that proved impossible he commanded the British navy during much of the war. ==His was a lifetime of service and triumph. He was quite possibly the most famous Admiral of his time. Unfortunately in 1805 came the Battle of Trafalgar and Nelson, and Howe's fame faded into history.
   
   This is the first detailed biography of the Admiral. Dr. Syrett has used as many primary documents for his sources as it was possible to find. His analysis of Howe's career places it in perspective to the organization and structure of the Royal Navy through some of its most important years. It also provides an interesting perspective from the other side on the American Revolution. His report of his meeting with John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and John Rutledge has a somewhat different viewpoint than other versions.
   
   This is abook long awaited that fills a hole in any Revolutionary War library.



2. Admiral Lord Howe proves to be a mildly interesting but brief biography on England's greatest admiral of the 18th Century (and one of the greatest in British naval history). There isn't a single biography on Howe that I know of while there are hundreds on Lord Nelson who totally overshadowed him. This book is an effort to correct that absence of material on Admiral Lord Howe. Unfortunately, this book really don't add much to the literature that well. Much of what you read about Howe in this book can be found almost any book related to the admiral. Whether it due to lack of primary material or lack of research but this book lacks the depth and the detail of a real biography. Almost nothing is written about Howe's childhood and his career until he gained command. Much of Howe's career until he became admiral proves to be short and sweet for the readers. Much of what is written about Howe's latter career as commanding fleet admiral can be found in books related to that subject. This biography however, provides nothing new or insightful to these subject matters.
   
   Overall, this proves to be a biographical summary book. Lack of details, insights and in-depth analysis of the subject at hand make this a hard book to recommend for the price they are asking. Most people who are well read on the Age of Wooden Ships and Iron Men have read superior material on Howe and his battles from other books even if such books may not be centered on Howe himself.

No comments about History of England from the Accession of James I. to the Outbreak of the Civil War: 1603-1642: Volume 3: 1616-1621.

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.

1 comments about Man Behind the Smile: Tony Blair and the Politics of Perversion.

1. These are the author's own phrases characterising Blair's premiership, so first a word about who he is. Leo Abse, now in his late 80's, is a retired Labour member of parliament from the mining community of South Wales. He is the author of a similar study of Margaret Thatcher, but what I had mainly remembered about him was the story of a meeting he addressed in his own locality at which the chairman referred to him as `Mr Abs'. His surname has two syllables, so he murmured in the man's ear `Call me Abs-ey', to which the chairman replied `That's very nice of you, call me Jonesy'.

   He has a fine sense of humour himself, and some of the cattier sideswipes at various figures in this book are very entertaining. This is a study from a psychoanalytic viewpoint, and it takes in not just The People's Tony himself but his wife, the Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, the fearsome former Downing Street media supremo Alistair Campbell, Blair's political Svengali Peter Mandelson and certain others. The book originally appeared in 1996 before Blair came to power under the title Tony Blair: the Man Behind the Smile, with updated editions in 2001 and 2003. The problem for me with a psychoanalytic account is that I do not have enough knowledge of the technique to form an independent judgment of my own. Abse's approach is distinctly partisan and hostile, as his phrases that I have used in my caption to this review make very clear. It is all easy enough to understand, it is coherent, systematic and seemingly well-researched (sources are listed at the back) but there is no question that this is a full-scale frontal attack on Blair as a politician. An analysis using this technique belittles its subject, as this book is manifestly intended to do, and ordinary detachment and fairness suggests that there must be at least some temptation, for someone fluent in the terminology, to use it to promote a point of view rather than carry out a genuinely objective enquiry.

   Abse is `old Labour' as he says himself, and he draws his inspiration from the post-war Labour government whose socialising approach he believed Blair could have emulated. Among more recent Labour figures he singles out the late leader John Smith. I had the honour of knowing John personally long before Abse did, and all I can say is that if he really was the conflict-unaverse full-blooded socialist that Abse depicts he must have changed a good deal since I used to know him. Whether Abse is precisely `left-wing' is questionable, and he is manifestly unimpressed by certain recidivist trade union leaders of the kind who made the trade union movement as deeply disliked as it became in the 1960's and 1970's. He is basically a fair-minded and decent-minded socialist who believes that Blair and his motley outfit of modernisers have, in his own words, stolen the soul of his party. He recognises explicitly that the kind of social legislation he aspires to is not going to be achieved without conflict. However as he sees fit to characterise Gordon Brown as being willing to face up to anyone except himself (Brown, that is), I suppose I can legitimately question whether Abse in his turn is really facing up to the sort of obstacles his own preferred policies confront in this day and age. This is a book review, not any kind of political statement of my own. What I would have wanted from Abse is his own honest answer to the question `Given that Britain is a member of the European Union, and given even more the extent to which governments are in the hands of international capital, do you think you will achieve anything except disaster by taking on hopeless odds?' If the political will is there, anything might indeed be possible. Can he honestly claim to detect it at this stage of the world's history?

   There are real touches of brilliance in this book and it is in the main well-written, so much so that I shall ask - can there really be such a word as `aggressivity'? There wouldn't be if I had anything to do with it. There is categorically no such word as `wreaked', the word is `wrought'; it is a solecism to use `proportions' to mean dimensions; and does he mean `atactic' or `ataxic'? I enjoyed the book thoroughly. The sincere sense of disappointment that comes through it is shared from various political standpoints, not least from the prevalent view that we have no visible alternative government.

No comments about The Wallace: Selections.

4 comments about Luck of the Irish-C.

1. I have thoroughly enjoyed this fourth installment in the saga of Niall & Christine, and Deirdre and Joseph (the first chapter tells of their adoption of Joseph.) This book is very contemplative in nature, and focuses on what it is to belong to a community, a society, a nation. What does it mean to be Irish? to be American? And how are these things changing? Change is the other theme that is present throughout the book. There have been many changes in the West since Niall & Christine first moved there: some good, some bad, but most not so easily classified as "good" or "bad". This book is very thought provoking, and a very enjoyable read. Thank you Niall and Christine for continuing to share your lives with us.



2. Over the last few weeks, I've become quite the fan of Niall and Chris. Reading or acquiring all of their books -- fiction and nonfiction. This book left me feeling a bit disappointed but at the same time wanting an update.

   I had to smile at all the visitors from abroad showing up at their doorstep --- I envisioned myself doing the same thing. Now I doubt I would show up unannounced -- but I still will make an effort to see the town of Kilmihil.

   This book definitely should be read after reading at least the first book -- O' Come Ye Back to Ireland. I doubt that those who haven't read the first book will be able to keep interested. And whereas the first book made settling in the west of Ireland sound romantic, Niall Williams seems to be discouraging people from doing what he and Chris.

   That said, I am glad I read it and loved hearing about young Joseph and his sister Deirdre.




3. I just reread all 4 Kiltumber books by Niall and Chris and I must say I enjoyed them more now in 2005 than I did 9 years ago. To experience the trials and tribulations of this family in Kilmihil makes me wonder how many people followed their path and relocated to Ireland.Now, 20 years after the 1st book the children are grown,Niall is a world class and best selling novelist and Chris about to publish again soon in 2005.
   Read all 4 books in order and I promise you'll be tempted to move to County Clare.



4. Weak. The writing is simple and insights into life in Ireland are superficial. No great insights here and everything is centered around a very personal perspective with no real feel for the heart of the community or the nation. A mildly pleasant read that can be accomplished in a night or so. Not nearly the "Under the Tuscan Sun" Irish equivalent as a friend had suggested to me. I just felt like I'd learned less than if I'd watched a PBS special on Ireland. The writing was really weak and I can't believe the author is actually a playwright. Very superficial. Frank McCourts books are better if you want a feel of Ireland, albeit from an earlier time.

No comments about Gladstone and Women.

No comments about The Chronica Maiora of Thomas Walsingham (1376-1422).

No comments about The Sociology of Oliver C. Cox: New Perspectives (Research in Race and Ethnic Relations) (Research in Race and Ethnic Relations) (Research in Race and Ethnic Relations).

No comments about Thatcher (Reputations Series).