5 comments about Attila: The Barbarian King Who Challenged Rome.

1. 
   With little information available, Man gives as informative a book as might be expected. Maybe 1/3 of it is about Attila, including what is known of his family, his headquarters, his entertainments and of course his battles.
   
   While the history of Huns and the rise and fall of Attila are the themes of the book, the author presents this period of the Roman Empire in a very readable way. Last year I had read the Peter Heather book on Rome and the barbarians, and for description of Rome in this period, these two books complement each other nicely.
   
   Rome, overly large and waning in ability to defend itself, hires Huns, pays ransom $ to Huns, bribes Huns and fights Huns. There are diplomats, an assassination attempt, competition and integration of other peoples and tribes and turning points. There are marriages, hostages and proposals. There scorched earth seizures and battles.
   
   Man has interesting friends who share his passion for Hun history. The run museums from Mongolia to Hungary, dig up artifacts and study mounted bow hunting. He introduces us to them in diversionary parts of the narrative.
   
   The best part for me, aside from the description of the Hun compound, was the summation at the end. Unlike Ghengis Khan, Attila had no long term vision and built no adminstrative structure. Nothing much really followed him. Man has some interesting phrases for experssing the ephemeral nature of it all. Attila created a bunch of "speed bumps" in the building of Europe and that his life was "a perfect balance of pluses and minuses, signifying nothing."
   
   A chapter called "Aftermath" citing the numerous poems, paintings and songs that celebrate his image, however misinformed, has the best epiteph of all. Due to these cultural creations from the middle ages to Kipling and Wagner, his name resounds as an "archetype of a certain sort of power." Its really apt... "a certain sort of power."



2. Attila the scourge of western civilization and icon for the barbarians is given a thoroughly enjoyable story as written by John Man. What we are told is palatable compared to the outragous legends and Christian dogma written about Attila. Attila did not have the vision of Ghengis Kahn and left his vast empire with no clear mandate after his sudden death. This books gives fascinating details on the probale origin of the Huns, the going ons of the Roman Empire at the time and the eventual decline of both the Huns and the Roman Empire. Also I found the explicit details on how the Huns fought to be fascinating.



3. In this volume, Man explores both the biography of Attila- 'the scourge of G-D', who carved out a massive Hunnish Empire strching from the Caspian Sea to the Rhine, with it's headquarters in what is today's Hungary.
   At the same time. he threatened the very foundations of the Roman Empire.
   
   The book traces the origins of the Huns, from the area around what is today Mongolia, and their migration across Siberia and modern Russia into Europe.
   Man attempts to sort myth and legend from fact, and also deals with the differing imagery of Attila, from bloodthirsty monster, in Western Europe, to a national hero in Hungary.
   He covers much of the literature and myhtology of Attila, and explains why the Germans during the First World War, were reffered to by the British as 'Huns'.
   The peoples of Hungary and Bulgaria claim descent from the Huns, but the author does not deal in real depth with the question of Hunnic descent.
   
   Man explains the decline of the Roman Empire, and explores the wars and interactions of the Huns with the Roman Empire, and such peoples as the Franks, Burgundians, Allemani, Alans, Visigoths and Ostrogoths.



4. As someone said, a solid biography.Quite good on the aftermath of the Huns. But did anyone notice that this book has a list of illustrations but no actual illustrations?



5. Pro:
   Extensive research
   Account of meetings with people and visits to places in contemporary time
   
   Con:
   Spends more time showing research than a cogent account about Attila
   
   In historical biographies I look for focused account about the historical figure. Exhaustive research, as done by John Man, is expected. Attila focuses more on John Man's studies than on the famous, or infamous, king, Attila.
   
   There is a subtle difference here that I can not over emphasize. If your expectation is to learn how a biographer collects research of a book, this is a good resource. The author provides much detail about places he visited and people he interviewed. Scattered in this are bits about the Roman world prior to Attila's ascent.
   
   If you are looking for a book where the author synthesizes his research into a focused account of Attila's life, including connected history prior to his ascent, this book does not do an adequate job. Examples of books on other topics that do include:
   
   --Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens by Jane Dunn
   -- Queen Isabella: Treachery, Adultery, and Murder in Medieval England by Alison Weir
   
   A budding or experienced researcher may find this book intriguing. It lacks a synthesis of substance for the general audience interested in understanding Attila.

5 comments about William Wallace: Brave Heart.

1. As a child of 9 I picked out the decor for my new room - Wallace Plaid - which dumbfounded my family since our Clans were MacGillivray, Ogilvie, Grant, Fraser and Montgomerie! But I thought Wallace such a great, sweeping figure. This was decades before Randall Wallace accidentally discovered William Wallace on a vacation in Scotland and read Anne Porter's Highland Chiefs. Wallace, to me, was such a true Patriot - not a Saint, but a man willing to go to the wall, to die for what he believed. Not many of us would walk in his shoes, so I have to admire his willingness to die for an idea.
   James MacKay gives a richly details account of the Scottish clime of politics that formed and fermented Wallace. It might be a little bit more than the average reader would be interested in (I would suggest Grey's book on Wallace in that case), but for those wishing to know more without wading through Blind Harry, this is a wonderful work.

   A perfect gift to that friend that watched Braveheart more than once!!




2. I'm a big fan of the movie Braveheart, and of history, but I could never get into this book. It's written somewhere in between a novel and a work of history. Because it strattles this line it brings out the best of neither world.

   The author clearly attempted to write a biography on Wallace based on Blind Harry's poems, but he filled in many details to poems that are probably embellished history. I just found the book rather dull.




3. As a Wallace aficionado, i looked forward to reading this, but to say i was disappointed was an understatement.
   This badly researched book was full of inaccuracies.
   The author puts forward an alternative Wallace birthplace, putting forward detail that the unsuspecting reader would probably take on board. For instance, he says "Corsbie is of course, now known as Crosshouse", whereas these two places are seperate entities.
   He places one monument, that of Leglen Wood, 20 miles away from its correct location, and claims Wallace was born in Ayrshire, whereas the Wallace family were vassals of the Stewart family, who never owned land in this area, and so Wallace could not have been born there.
   Dates are wrong, one monument he claims was built in 1970, was actually built in 1910.
   I feel the author, no stranger to controversy, has jumped on the Wallace bandwagon, and has rushed this work out to take advantage of the boom caused by Braveheart. Many people see details in print, and assume they are true. This book has so many inaccuracies that it will actually lead its readers astray.



4. I have read many reviews, and as a medieval history student people need to realize when writing about the middle ages many sources are not original. This is a great book, that argues from many points of where Wallace may have lived. They are guesses, but based on the best availiable sources. Also writersd need to take into consideration where the accounts came from, and how they were altered in such a way. Of course accounts from an english lord wont be in favor of wallace. What i did liek about the book, is how it is left out about the battle at york, which in the movie got peope excited. #1 sieges almost never worked for opposing armies, also if an opposing army did break through walls were lines with archers and it was rare that anyone would take the castle. #2 It was a small rebel army, nit a trained military, and at this point the whole english army would have been sent north for protection, so i highly doubt wallace would have sacked york, the movie is incorrect as usual. As for the book, the author does the best he can with what is given to him.



5. THE GOOD: The book is interesting but largely because of the target and not so much due to the execution of relaying the story about said target. This was my first step into the life of William Wallace and will admit that I enjoyed it, somewhat.
   
   THE BAD: I felt like the book could have been laid out a little better. Through much of first part, it seemed like there was a lot of back filling about things other than Wallace. I understand the author needs to create the world in which Wallace was born, but to do so at the expense of leaving the subject of your book out I think is a mistake. I wanted more Wallace in these early chapters and while he wasn't totally absent, I think he could have been more present.
   
   THE UGLY: Not being an expert on WW, I wonder at the inaccuracies within this book regarding his life. I know the main source comes from Harry's story but there are parts in the book where the author even casts doubts on the validity of Harry's writing. There were also parts where it was explained, with surprising detail, how WW had combatted numerous English foes by himself in an almost superhuman like way. Maybe it's true, maybe it's not...I don't know. But I did find myself wondering what was accurate adn what was not.
   
   Ubermonkey says that there are probably better books one can buy regarding the outstanding life of William Wallace.

5 comments about Alexander Hamilton: A Biography.

1. The author of this book is so enamored of Hamilton that it completely blinds him to any faults Hamilton may have had. Furthermore, anyone who showed any opposition at all to anything Hamilton proposed is deemed either delusional or a traitor. His treatment of Jefferson and Adams is amazingly disrespectful. Even Washington comes accross as a feeble leader at times without the constant support and advice of his most trusted advisor Hamilton.

   As the book progresses, the bias gets worse and almost preachy.

   Shockingly, the famous duel with Aaron Burr gets only about 3 pages worth of description.....probably since it was not exactly a high point in his life.

   Avoid this book if you want a well-balanced biography.




2. Though this biography is about 25 years old now, it's one on Hamilton that I will not part with. Forrest McDonald has written many books on early colonial American history, on the Constitution and on the presidency of Washington and Jefferson. He is now a Distinguished University Professor at the University of Alabama. This biography is more substantive than Brookhiser's and Brookhiser, I believe, actually consulted with Forrest McDonald when he wrote his book on Hamilton. Our government sometimes consults McDonald on Constitutional issues. As to political affiliations, McDonald describes himself as "an unreconstructed Hamiltonian Federalist". (The federalist party doesn't exist anymore; the present day republican and democratic parties are both offshoots from the previously named democratic-republican party).
   
   I've written this review so many times, mainly because I think that this Hamilton's life deserves a careful study, particularly with regard to his work on getting the Constitution ratified and his work in the treasury department. I highly recommend Frederick Scott Oliver's Alexander Hamilton:an Essay on Union which I've reviewed previously and Knott's Alexander Hamilton and the persistence of myth. Oliver's book is really dated, going back to 1928, and is written from a British viewpoint. He was a Scottish lawyer, read by Lord Tweedsmuir/John Buchan, who unfortunately only wrote several other books; his biography on Hamilton, in my opinion, is beautiful. This biography is good too. I love the quotes from Pope that McDonald heads every chapter with. (Hamilton's favorite authors were Pope and Plutarch). Chapter 8 is entitled Funding and Assumption which deals primarily with Hamilton's solution to the huge debts the colonies owed other nations following the Revolution. Stephen Knott's suggests in his book that Hamilton's solution of setting up a sinking fund would have been a good solution to another huge debt that our Treasury Department had to deal with soon after, (I believe), Bush Sr.'s four years, yet Congress gave this suggestion little notice. What makes McDonald's bio a standout, I think, is the depth of material he provides in explaining what he did as Treasurer. He's also biased toward Hamilton which I think actually is a good thing and paints not so rosy a picture about Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, or Burr.
   
   I think this biography will stand the test of time because of its solid research from Hamilton's birth to his death; McDonald's biography is the most comprehensive and complete. (I haven't read the newer biographies yet; I do believe this one will remain the standard). I was particularly impressed with his treatment of Hamilton's youth and parentage. I'd like to give this book 5 stars, yet American politics and writers to some extent alarm me. If I could, I would give this book 4.5 stars, the 0.5 subtracted for my cautious misgivings stated previously, and, compared to Oliver's biography, Oliver really understands the characters of Hamilton, Jefferson and others, most accurately portrays them, which is what a biography should be. To McDonald's credit, his and Oliver's agree on many points. Highly recommended for serious students of American history and of this most notable, yet rarely noted founding father.



3. Forrest McDonald wrote this book out of a profound knowledge of the legal, financial, and economic environment of the world of late-colonial America that Alexander Hamilton came into, and of the early Republic, that he transformed. Hamilton was a brave soldier, an astute politician, an extremely talented administrator, a great lawyer and a man of extraordinary personal morality and honor. These characteristics were enough to vault him to the upper reaches of early American society. But his financial and economic program -- that rescued this new and foundering nation -- is the true basis of his greatness.
   
   Hamilton was a man of parts, not least of which was his technical mastery of the financial means to establish and maintain a sound currency and national credit. Apprenticed to a merchant at an early age, he quickly came to appreciate the mentally invigorating effects of the commercial life. He was naturally quick and, as in repudiation of his socially marginal origins, a rigorous adherent to morality and "gentlemanly" honor. His talents, hard work and charm bouyed him up, and he seized each new opportunity with both hands, for his ambition would not let him rest. McDonald tells the story of Hamilton's early years with vigor and interest, but it is clear that the thrust of this book is to elucidate his real accomplishment as Secretary of the Treasury. This was the funding and assumption of the debts that the just-formed United States had inherited, the taxes and tariffs to pay for these, and the financial mechanisms -- including the Bank and the sinking fund -- to create, as out of nothing (or less than nothing) a universal and sound currency, as well as a store of capital to fund businesses, which he felt must be the drivers of the economy.
   
   This book is fairly compact, but gives a good feel for Hamilton the man. If you want more in that line, then the current biography by Ron Chernow is where to look. But here you will learn what Hamilton did that no one else could have done, and that needed doing. Even his enemies -- Jefferson especially -- found, though they repudiated the man and his politics, that in the end they couldn't do without his works.



4. This biography focuses heavilty on Hamilton's fiscal policies, particularly in his role as Secretary of the Treasury. It is well written and relies heavily on primary sources. The book sometimes becomes heavy reading when McDonald disucsses some of Hamilton's more complex financial dealings.



5. McDonald seems to have set out to write a book emphasizing Hamilton's political and financial/administrative contributions to the new republic and that is what he did. There is relatively little on Hamilton's personal life. For that one must look elsewhere (to Ron Chernow for example). The book is largely successful at what it is trying to do and is very good on the finance/administrative areas. One would expect no less from McDonald. As his other works on constitutional history show, he is an expert on the political philosophy and thought of the time as well as the period's economic theories.
   
   The prose is crisp, direct and clear for the most part but perhaps not the most sprightly ever committed to paper. McDonald can certainly be serious and charming simultaneously as he was in his memoir of his life as a historian (Recovering the Past), but his tone in his more formal work is quite brisk and even heavy at times.
   
   I would downgrade the book somewhat for two reasons: First, as mentioned, it scants the personal life in favor of the ideas and actions. With Hamilton, however, the personal life and conduct were utterly intertwined with his political and physical fates, especially as he grew older and (it seems) both increasingly intemperate and fearful that he had not been accorded sufficient esteem by contemporaries and might not have achieved the degree of 18th century style fame that would cement his reputation for posterity. The duel, for example, is one of the dumbest things that a smart man ever did and was to my mind in large part caused by events in his personal life.
   Second, the book is quite partisan and even hagiographic occasionally. Most biographers sympathsize with their subjects and give them more than the benefit of the doubt; but, judging from the book, Hamilton seems to be in McDonald's all-time personal pantheon of historical heroes and it shows. This may be because McDonald appears to share in some part the distrust of popular democracy that gave rise to Hamilton's fear of government by "the mob." Whatever the reason, Hamilton is seldom portrayed as wrong or even in error.
   
   Overall this is a worthy book by a fine scholar of the period and is especially good at making clear Hamilton's financial systems and political ideas in the context of the times.

5 comments about Martha Washington: An American Life.

1. Martha Washington by Patricia Brady is a very detailed and in informative book about the life of our first first lady. Martha's was named after her grandmother, her great-grandmother and possibly even her great-great-grandmother. She was born to Frances Jones Dandridge and John Dandridge in 1731. Even though her parents were wealthy, Martha learned how to pluck fowl, can vegetables, garden, cook varieties of food, clean a household, dance and read. As well as all of the customary good manners of the day. This young lady grew into a very beautiful young women. Martha married Daniel Curtis, a very rich man, a couple weeks before her 19th birthday on May 15, 1750 and had four children with Daniel, Frances, John and Martha. Mrs. Curtis lost both Daniel and Martha shortly after birth. Martha was very happy with Daniel threw out their marriage, but Daniel was very much her senior, nine years older than her and died July 8, 1757 after only six years of happy marriage. The widow was now in a very prominent position, rich, young, beautiful, running her own plantations without any pesky relatives in her way. Then a new man came into her life: Colonel George Washington. George Washington was one year her senior and the two fell passionately in love with each other. They were married on January 6, 1759. The book goes on to explain how threw out their marriage it was Martha's job to be George's supporter, his emotional stability. Every winter threw the Revolutionary War, Martha would come from her safe, comfortable home in Mount Vernon to live with George in the winter camp. Her coming was a signal for other wives to join their husbands. Then after the war, Martha lived happily with George for only a short time. He was constantly called away to whatever business the new country needed him for. She felt that George and herself had given eight years of their lives to America and should be left comfortably in retirement. She actually didn't want George to become president, but went along anyways when he did. By now, her daughter had died of a terrible seizure and her son was also dead. Though her son, John, had married and had four children before he died. Martha was mortified when she realized that she had outlived all of her children. She and George ended up adopting two of their grand-children. They came home after George's second term on March 15, 1797. George Washington died in two years December 18, 1797. Martha tried to spend the rest of her life as peacefully as possible. She took care of her beloved grand-children until her death on May 22,1802. Where she was surrounded by family and was in her late seventies. This is a very detailed and informative book, it sometimes goes of on detours and talked about George Washington as much as it talked about Martha Washington. I think this book is fine for people who enjoy over informative books that often sidetrack and talks about other things than the main topic.
   
   
   I think that this book is very detailed and over informative. It constantly had long lists of items that Martha's husbands bought her, things like chairs and spoons. The book also goes into unneeded detail about Martha's family. It talked about Martha's great-aunt and uncle Unity and William Dandridge. Which as far as I can tell, had no impact on Martha's life at all, other than being a distant relative that she probably never met. The book also went into great detail about a infatuation George Washington had before and even after his marriage on a lady named Sally Cary Fairfax. I could see how this could be use in a biography about George Washington, but this book is a biography on Martha Washington.
   
   
   This book isn't very exciting. Maybe because it is a biography, but this book doesn't elaborate the greater events in Martha's life. The book talks more about the housing and packing that Martha did to go to winter camp, then what she did at the camps. Martha's greater accomplishments should of had more attention than what her husbands bought her and what packing she did. This way the book would focus more on Martha than anything else. All in all, I'll repeat, this book is fine for people who enjoy over informative books that often sidetrack and talks about other things than the main topic.
   
   
   
   
   written by C. Shipman



2. Rather than write a summary of the book, I would like to just cover a few main points. This was a wonderful book! While some may complain of too much detail, I found the descriptions of day -to-day life fascinating. Many times I felt like I was right there with Martha and George. I felt that this book made Martha into a "real" woman, completely relatable, not just some stuffy old historical figure(that barely gets a mention in History class). She and her husband were people of character that deserve the admiration of all Americans. This book deepened my admiration for her.



3. Martha was the best partly because she was the first- but she really set the best example of making the best of situations that were at times FAR from ideal.
   
   She loved her husband so much, as was so dedicated to his well-being she sacrificed her own happiness on many occasions to be with her husband- sometimes at the risk to her own health.
   
   This biography shows what Martha's daily life was like, shedding light on her life before she married George Washington, and giving depth into her character and how it determined her decisions regarding how she conducted herself as the very first First Lady. This is SO worth reading-and a great intro into Revolutionary War characters and events that created her motivations while being First Lady and how to conduct herself.
   
   Less than 300 pages, I found it woefully short, but VERY readable! If you are into the Revolution, this is a book to add to your library.



4. This look at the life of Martha Washington was very interesting. She really seems to be a woman lost to history by her legendary husband's very large shadow but this book gives a look at her strength and intelligence and also at the time in which they lived. A must read for any woman with an interest in American History.



5. I thought this book was pretty well written. The author did a nice job telling the story of not only Martha but the Washington family without getting bogged down by too many details. I also learned a lot about day to day colonial life. The reason I give it 4 stars is because the author let her dislike of Thomas Jefferson show through. She mentioned that Jefferson didn't really think much of Martha but then later in the book took one paragragh and really threw Jefferson 'under the bus' so to speak. I found the paragraph out of charactor for the whole book and wondered why the editor kept it in.

3 comments about The Forgotten Genius: Biography of Robert Hooke 1635-1703.

1. As a physics teacher, I had been well aware of Robert Hooke. Every year I teach Hooke's Law of elasticity to my students. Additionally, I had been aware of the importance of his book Micrographia and, since I consider myself a bit of a student on Isaac Newton, I had known something of his conflict with Newton over the Principia. However, I admit my knowledge of Hooke was sketchy. As a student of scientific history, I wanted that rectified so I turned to this book. It was certainly a rewarding experience.
   
   Without a doubt, I learned much more than I ever knew about Robert Hooke and I gained a new respect for the man. Hooke's areas of interest were wide and his curiosity unbounded. I was completely unaware of his work with Christopher Wren and his own contributions to architecture and the reconstruction of London after the Great Fire. Additionally, I came to admire his willingness to stand behind the virtues of science (as in his prescient speculations on evolution) in the face of religious prejudice. And, apart from learning about Hooke, this book gives a deeper understanding of what it was like to be a working scientist in the early years of scientific exploration. It is certainly an excellent example of scientific biography.
   
   There are a couple weaknesses with the book that kept coming back to me as I read, however. The first has to do with style; particularly, the style that I've noticed most often in British histories of science. Namely, the overabundance of information. This book is packed with detail. Much more detail than is really necessary in telling Hooke's story. Inwood often used Hooke's diary to make excellent points about the man often with respect to his day-to-day life, relationships and personalities but he also used it to excess in describing the myriad details of Hooke's work and investigations. Fortunately, I'm used to this style of writing and even enjoy it to an extent but even I found some of the lists of Hooke's doings and travels tedious going.
   
   Still, it is the second flaw I find to be much more serious. One of Inwood's main goals seems to be to rehabilitate Hooke and give him his rightful place among history's great scientists. In this, I feel Inwood failed. In England this book was published as The Man Who Knew Too Much and this seems to me to be about right. But in America we say "a jack of all trades and a master of none." Hooke never comes across to me as a genius. Extraordinarily energetic and technically brilliant, he didn't seem to me to have the kind of mind that Newton and Huygens had. Perhaps if he had focused his abilities more he would have had their kind of triumphs but I doubt it.
   
   And Inwood did nothing to dispel the image of Hooke as a bitter man who tried to claim the better work of others as his own. The repetition of Hooke's own claims to priority in his diary, letters and in the Royal Society records are probably only a fraction of the claims he made in his life and these alone are tedious. Inwood tries to make the point that the bitter man history describes could not have maintained the kind of friendships Hooke did in his life but I find that to be an argument without merit. Even the worst men have friends and Hooke was by no means a bad man. Inwood's book gives a picture of a lower class man trying throughout his life to gain the respect of the upper class and basically failing. We can sympathize with Hooke's struggles but that does not change the fact that, though often unfairly treated, many of his problems were of his own making.
   
   In the final analysis, however, this is a very worthwhile book for anyone interested in the history of science. Hooke was, in his own way, an amazing man and it is fascinating to see this revolutionary time in science through the eyes of one of its most important supporters. In Hooke we see the forerunner of every man and woman who puts their all into science and tries tirelessly to make great discoveries. He may not be at the pinnacle but he deserves his place in scientific history.



2. This book provides a great deal of information about Robert Hooke not only as a contributor to modern science, but as a person during his lifetime. The issue of Newton being an antagonistic force in Hooke's life is emphasized greatly, and helps the reader understand how much power Hooke had to exert in order to make his ideas and discoveries known.
   
   The book is enjoyable due to the fact that it does not solely focus on the science related aspect of Hooke's career. Having known little about him before I opened the book, I was surprised to find that he had a great deal of influence on structural architecture during the seventeenth century. The book provided me with a substantial amount of knowledge regarding Hooke's inventions and discoveries, as well as his personal feelings and reactions to certain people or occurrences, through the many quotations of his present throughout the reading.
   
   This book is a fantastic source for one who is interested in learning about every aspect of Hooke's life, from the contributions to science as a general subject to his contributions to architecture and his involvement in technology during his time period. Not only was I able to gain a better understanding of the scientist and inventor within Hooke, but I was also able to understand him as a person and his life as well.



3. A thoroughly readable and enjoyable book about the intellectual colleague and contemporary of Christopher Wren and Isaac Newton in 17th century London. The writing is witty and engaging and provides a vivid look at the social, scientific and physical structure of London after the Great Fire. I especially enjoyed the author's humorous descriptions of the machinations behind the scenes of the Royal Society and the often dangerous and bizarre experiments that Hooke and others would perform for the Society. A great peep into the development of many engineering, physics, astronomical chemistry and architectural discoveries.

No comments about Philip II of Macedonia.

5 comments about The Pope and the Heretic: The True Story of Giordano Bruno, the Man Who Dared to Defy the Roman Inquisition.

1. This is a horrible book. I checked it out from my local library because I didn't have much faith in it, and I was sorry I even wasted my time reading it.

   Who does this book serve? For those who know anything about Giordano Bruno, it is a waste of time. And those who don't know anything about him might be discouraged by how poorly-written this book is, and thus decide not to look further into Giordano Bruno or his philosophy.

   Only the most titilating aspects of Bruno's execution at the stake are really described with any detail in this book. Michael White doesn't really explain anything about Bruno's complex philosophical system, based upon the Art of Memory and founded through the Renaissance perspective that ancient wisdom had more to offer than the modern knowledge of the time. Bruno intuited that the sun was the center of our solar system and that the earth was only one of an infinite number of planets, not through data compiled by looking through a telescope, but by reading ancient texts -- from Plotinus to Nicholas of Cusa and others -- and picked out the parts that made sense to him. He then syntesized these ideas into a coherent worldview that reflected his perception of the world around him. In the work On the Composition of Images, Signs and Ideas, Bruno's discussion about images and ideas the humans construct in their minds and how they relate to the actual objects themselves can be seen as a precursor to semiotics.

   If you are looking for a biography of Bruno in English, then read Giordano Bruno: His Life And Thought by Dorothea Waley Singer. It is out of print, but might be out there still on the internet. The writing is clear, it avoids sensationalistic descriptions of bloodshed (unlike Michael White), and has a more firm understanding of Bruno's philosophy.

   If you are looking for inspired attempts to place Bruno's philosophical system within the context of other streams of thought in Renaissance Europe, then look into Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition and/or The Art of Memory, both of which are by Frances Yates.

   The main drawback with these books by Yates is that she thinks of everything as "Hermetic." Their are Cabalistic influences in Bruno's thought, and Yates doesn't always bring that out in her analyses. But there are other books available that follow up on the good scholarship in Yates, and question her bold enthusiasms when they overstep the evidence. Such works are Eros and Magic in the Renaissance by Ioan Couliano, the book by Hilary Gatti -- which analyzes how he operated as a scientist and not just a philosopher, and Giordano Bruno and the Philosophy of the Ass by Nuccio Ordine -- which tries to place his theory of the path to wisdom through ignorance in a well-established tradition.

   If you want to read Bruno's work itself, there are many of his works available in English, including the Rabelaisian and bawdy play, The Candlebearer, published by Dovehouse Editions in Canada, as well as his more philosophically mature dialogues, The Ash Wednesday Supper, The Expulsion of the Triumphant Beast, and The Cabala of Pegasus.

   In short, anyone expressing even the slightest interest in any aspect of Giordano Bruno should look elsewhere, and avoid this book by Michael White.




2. Michael White succeeds in personalizing the heretic monk Giordano Bruno, giving us a more complete picture of the man than we find in other sources. His book educates us about the social, political, and religious environment in which Bruno lectured and wrote. We also feel his suffering at the hands of the Inquisition. Unfortunately, we learn less about Bruno's ideas, which covered a remarkably wide range of speculations. We are given only shorthand versions.

   White's writing is very readable, but one sometimes wonders if all of it is based on documented fact. For example, he writes that "A sudden hush fell over the room; the judges sat motionless. Bruno, his confidence clearly ebbing away, his energy almost drained, looked around the room once more, seeing the still faces, the eyes of witnesses quickly averted." How does White know all these details? Passages like this read as if the author were using literary invention to make the dry records of the Inquisition more interesting.




3. I have a bad record of choosing books from the Airport Bookstores. I have made some really attrocious choices. This one is not that bad, but I could not recommend it to anyone. If I would have read the inside flap I would have realised that Michael White was the "Science Editor of British GQ Magazine" --- I did not know that anyone who read GQ would be even interested in Science, but if they are, there taste would be light to the point of idiocy, like this book.
   
   The title is inane enough. It lured me in like a sucker... I was interested in reading the counterpoint of what would be two personalities --- the Pope and Bruno. But the Pope does not even really appear in the book.
   
   The main problem is twofold:
   
   1) Lack of any discernable organisation. The book is a mess. It is hard to put together any discernable record of the like of Bruno after I read this --- was he in Frankfurt first and then Paris? Maybe it was the other way around?
   
   This means that White mixes everything up, chronology, main themes and the roles of people in the book. Ideas are not at all well developed. There is a sometimes peurile feeling about his writing style: when an idea is developed a little he switches to other things --- one feels that he is writing at times for the attention span of a 12- yr-old reader.
   
   2) Weak development of themes inside the book. Scholastic ossification of the ideas of the Catholic Church is a great topic, but White's starts with a description of how Aristotle was always wrong on everything... and vaguely brushes him off as an almost personal hindrance to development of ideas. Such comic-book interpretations really show a lack of mastery of his subject.
   
   White intimates a tremendous importance for the hermetic tradition, although he keeps this significantly nebulous (something that a reader of GQ or Omni might be interested in). As usual his work verges towards veneration for mysticism.
   
   At the end of the day he should have marshalled his forces with more discipline and spent the time on making this into a serious work that it should be, and as Bruno deserves. It appears that he merely cranked this one out. He will pay for this as readers such as I will never buy another of his books.
   
   Back to the Thompson Twins Mr. White!



4. It is strange, that religion and burning in the history of mankind frequently lie together so near: momentarily the assassination attempts of Islamic fundamentalists in New York, London, Madrid and elsewhere, or (on the other hand) the million humans, who became victims of the Inquisition of the catholic church in the Middle Ages. Giordano Bruno has been one of the most famous mourners. Because he questioned the Ptolomaei conception of the world of an earth, around which everything circles, and because he tried to replace the earth-centric-theory by an analysis, which postulated a lot of moving solar systems (plausibly spoken from today's view), in which there is no hierarchical order, - therefore he had to accept more and more furious attempts against his person, which wanted to force his obedience. Apparently unteachable he classified the subject not as passive nullity directed of God, but as active, self-constructing substance. The theories of the Vatican of the case of sin and of the predetermination of the fate Giordano Bruno rejected as life-strange. "The general opinion is not always the perfect truth..." Giordano Bruno today is still quoted. Such remarks produced expensive, bitter consequences: On 17 February 1600 he publicly was burned on the Campo di Fiori in Rome after eight years torture and dungeon detention. Hundreds of years the burning of disbelieving people seemed to be the major task of the Christian denomination. However today the Pope-administration gradually makes some steps backwards, remorseful: On February 18, in the year 2000, cardinal Angelo Sodano, the undersecretary of state of the Vatican, expressed the "deep regret" of the catholic church (according to ZENITH NEWS AGENCY with regard to the death sentence against Giordano Bruno) in a letter to the participants of a congress in Napoli, which took place for the memory of this Italian philosopher in the local theological faculty 2000. It was a "terrible death", "a sad episode in newer Christian history". Respect considering the dignity and the conscience of humans, who look persistently for the truth: this is a level, in the present not yet all countries, confessions or population circles succeed to manage. The book of the British science journalist Michael White ("Science editor of British GQ Magazine") was criticized by some reviewers, because it has been written in a teenager-language, less scientific, more thrilling like an adventure-story. But on the other hand it is an easily reading, you can practice before you will fall asleep. Short before snoring you can brood about the fact, that religion (connected with the aim to burn people of "wrong" confession) did not yet disappear as a pattern of acting among the earth inhabitants 400 years later...



5. This book is far from being either a thorough or balanced biography of Bruno. When its not digressing into the author's sweeping and judgmental generalizations about history - "For such people, everyday life was an agony and the society in which they lived was almost stagnant...all but a few... spent most of their time inebriated" - and his demonization of Christianity, it focuses only on Bruno's arrest and trial and covers only in bad summary or not at all the rest of his life. White rips on Catholicism and Protestantism beyond the facts, yet depicts Renaissance intellectuals anticipating a supposedly true faith of modern scientific theories and method as humanity's salvation. What few and poor citations and footnotes are provided - "Christian doctrine does not evolve; it is based upon cast-in-stone tenets and therefore cannot develop or offer anything radical or original." - are too little to justify the sweeping judgments, and leave one confused as to whether the Hollywood style dialogues between Bruno and his confessor are actual quotes or White's embelishments.
   
   Its no secret that the churches and governments of Europe abused their power severely during the last 1900 years. A lot of the bleakness of situation that White describes is true. But he goes beyond history to paint a black and white picture of a purely evil church and intellectuals martyred for their belief in scientific methods and theories that DIDN'T YET EXIST. The complexity of the historical situation and the intelectual relationships between the Christian clergy and scholars is glazed over; the motives and reasons for the atmosphere of suppresion are chalked off solely to the evil ignorance and greed of every single person of power in the church. The complexity of the crossover identities of European Christian scholars and their struggle to reconcile their faith and observations goes out the window - White has Bruno convenienently seeing the good in everything mainstream science currently cheers, and totally condemning everything it currently despises. His treatment of Bruno's interests is completely anachronistic and belays all the tenets he held to that scientists would balk at, and vice versa.
   
   This book isn't about Bruno's views - its about White's. Like a bad Hollywood movie set against a historical backdrop, this is more about what's going on now then what happened back then.

No comments about Grant's Lieutenants: From Chattanooga to Appomattox (Modern War Studies).

5 comments about April Blood: Florence and the Plot against the Medici.

1. When I purchased this, for some reason, I thought that this was historical fiction. What I found out was that it was history. Don't get me wrong, history about this group of people and this time frame I often find extremely interesting, but this one wasn't one of them. Unlike one of the reviewers I found the chapter dedicated to arranging marriages extremely interesting, but unfortunately, that was about the last chapter I found interesting. I finally gave up and placed this book in my "used book store" box where hopefully someone else will find it more to their liking.
   
   My star ratings:
   
   One star - couldn't finish the book
   
   Two stars - read the book, but did a lot of skipping or scanning. Wouldn't add the book to my permanent collection or search out other books by the author
   
   Three stars - enjoyable read. Wouldn't add the book to my permanent collection. Would judge other books by the author individually.
   
   Four stars - Liked the book. Would keep the book or would look for others by the same author.
   
   Five stars - One of my all time favorites. Will get a copy in hardback to keep and will actively search out others by the same author.



2. In 1478 there was an attempt made on the lives of Lorenzo de Medici and his brother Giuliano. Lorenzo survived, and he turned the event into a justification for both revenge and a consolidation of power unprecedented in the history of the Florentine city-state. "April Blood" tells a story closely connected to those events --- a narrative of sorts in which the assassination attempt serves as something of a magnetic center which binds the varied themes of the book, at times more strongly than at others.
   
   Thus "April Blood" is not strictly a narrative history, although there are long sections which seem to be that. But, as an author, Lauro Martines is no slave to chronology. His storyline frequently bends back on itself or meanders off into topical regions whose dates are simply unclear.
   
   The end result is a history, but also something closer to an anthropology of Florence's ruling class, with broadening to the rest of the Italian polities. Looming large is the papacy of Sixtus IV under whose auspices the assassination plot was hatched. Matchmaking, nepotism (especially within the church), financial structures, and certainly the making and uses of political power: all of these are treated. But the treatments are not of one piece; a theme occurs, then may reoccur at various spots in the book. The effect is something like a montage from which only gradually does a full picture emerge. (It's a picture, ironically, that includes very little on the art and literature with which we typically identify the Renaissance; most of that came later anyway.)
   
   In the decades leading up to 1478, Florence was ostensibly a republic. But as Martines describes it, the Florentine Republic was a flawed one, and, just like the Roman Republic, one already threatened by an addiction to violence. Martines describes how the assassination attempt threw completely open the floodgates of violence and asks was the death of the republic inevitable. Did the Medici's drive for power undermine the republic's foundations? The book might be seen as an ever-tightening spiral around these questions. In the end the author answers guardedly that "there can be no conclusive answers to these questions." This is perhaps unsatisfying, but certainly correct in maintaining a lack of inevitability for historical processes. But he also presents provocative, if not always clear-cut, theories of why events transpired the way they did.
   
   The author appears to have done an impressive amount of original research out of proportion to the small-format nature of the book. The book begins with a rush of names that may be difficult to keep straight for the reader not already conversant with early Renaissance Italy. To help, there is a brief "Personaggi" and two family trees (the Medici and that of Pope Sixtus). There are two maps, which prove to be sufficient, and a few portraits. This is a book more focused on themes and ideas than you might expect from the title, subtitile ("Florence and the Plot Against the Medici"), and blood-stained cover art. For sure, violence is one of themes. But what makes the book most rewarding is its ability to convincingly place the violence in the context of wider developments as well as personal dynamics.



3. I read April Blood it for a report, knowing little about the topic. Now I feel compelled to learn more about the Medici family. Beautifully written.



4. PROS: Well written by an expert on the subject. Broad approach; very informative. Extra (pictures, maps, family trees).
   
   CONS: Disjointed. Biased.
   
   This is a great book and some of the reviews on here simply do not do it justice. Of course, some reservations are understandable. The narrative does not flow chronologically, which can be annoying at times. Martines admits early on that he does not view Lorenzo di Medici favorably and this shows every now and then. He does go into great details but leaves certain other things out. Whatever the author's shortcomings though, this is a very interesting book that provides tremendous insight into a defining period of history. It is not ideal for someone unfamiliar with the Medici, although such people would still benefit from reading it.
   Martines tells the tale of the famous Pazzi conspiracy as well as its causes and effects. He also goes to great lengths to put everything into the proper context; many reviewers seemed to have misrepresented this as him going off onto irrelevant topics. The profile chapters for example should not be dismissed in any way - they help the reader to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the setting. Chapter 8 is also a great one, although it is not for the squeamish.
   For those unfamiliar with Renaissance Florence, the Medici family were extremely powerful and influential, eventually ascending to the papacy (twice). Lorenzo is sometimes considered to have been ruling at the peak of Medici power; he was a patron to some of the finest artists the world has known including Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Da Vinci. Sadly this book does not delve into much art history or the family's banking legacy, (which Lorenzo effectively squandered away).
   The conspiracy itself is addressed, but the Medici response is given just as much attention if not more so. In fact, the sections on the aftermath of that Sunday morning are some of the best in the book. I won't go into details for those who haven't read it yet...
   Again, this book is very well written. The chapters are not very long and they are divided into sub-sections that make it all an easy and quick read. I recommend it highly, especially for anyone who has some prior knowledge of the Medici and Renaissance Florence. If the author were not biased at times (it is not that bad) and some gaps were filled I would have given it five stars. It's a good read, but it's not perfect. If you're reading this review, then you should read the book.



5. The politics of the 15th century Italian states was complex, confusing and in a state of constant flux. Trade, envy, dynastic alliances and associated power all had a part to play. Against this backdrop, a plot to murder the Medici brothers was hatched. In attempting to make the complex machinations less confusing, Professor Martines has included a wealth of detail about the setting, the times, and the key players.
   
   In summary, on 26 April 1478 in the cathedral of Florence, a plan to assassinate Lorenzo the Magnificent and his younger brother Guiliano was partially successful. Guiliano was murdered, Lorenzo survived. The core conspirators were members of the family Pazzi and were backed covertly by Pope Sixtus IV. This book examines the questions surrounding who was involved, why they became involved, the consequences of the partial failure of the plot, as well as what the consequences of successful execution of the plot may have been.
   
   In this book, Professor Martines details the story behind the events of April 1478 and places them in their broad historical and cultural context. The politics and culture of the Renaissance, and the role of the Medicean dynasty in the Florentine city-state, is a fascinating area of history. This book has much to offer the reader: for those seeking to understand the plot itself, and its consequences, this book is an excellent starting point. For those interested in the politics and culture of Italian Renaissance city-states (specifically Florence) Professor Martines offers a wealth of information. For students of this period of history, there is a detailed bibliography.
   
   I recommend this book highly - both to those who are students of the Renaissance - as well as useful background reading for those who enjoy fiction set in this period.
   
   Jennifer Cameron-Smith

5 comments about Tramp for the Lord.

1. Tramp for the Lord is ONE of the most rewarding books I have ever read in my life. Everyone should read this book. She too was a human who sinned and came short of the glory of God. Corrie shares so much of her heart and life - not only because of her experiences in prison, but in every day life as she traveled the United States and to other countries to share God's work. As she experienced real life situations with ordinary people, that grew her daily in her walk with God, because as Paul learned, God's work was not easy. It was those situations that she shared in "Tramp for the Lord" that she was also growing with each situation she faced as Paul did as he continued in his day discipling for God. Corrie's book, "Tramp for the Lord," is a must read after "the Hiding Place" and will be hard to put down.



2. This book is a sequel to "The Hiding Place" a biography about Corrie Ten Boom's experience during World War II, arrested and sent to a German concentration camp for hiding Jews.
   
   Corrie surrenders to God's Will for her life to take the Gospel and her story to the entire world. Because of her humbleness, she is able to connect to people from all walks of life, from royalty to prisoners. She was especially able to connect with prisoners who were hopeless because of her own experience of being locked up.
   
   It was easy for her to minister to the victims of WWII, but Corrie resisted going back to Germany, the land that she dreaded. But she obeys and goes to Germany where she meets one of her former prison guards, one of the cruelest, walking up to her after a meeting. A chill grips her heart and bitterness wells up when he asks for her forgiveness. Leaning on the power of the Holy Spirit, she was able to forgive her enemy and found God's love overflowing.
   
   Each chapter is a story and devotional about a situation Corrie encounters. My favorite one is, "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go, Dear Lord... but Not Up Ten Flights of Stairs."



3. If you read this book you will NEVER forget it. Such wonderful testimony to the miracles that the Lord is still doing in the world. I highly recommend it. It's a real page turner.



4. Tramp for the lord is an eye opener for you to look at where you are, where you have been and where you are going. A good read for those moving through life and a must read for those that want to celebrate life to it's fullest.



5. I bought this book because I grew up hearing stories of Corrie ten Boom from my mother and her friends, and I wondered what all the fuss was about.
   
   Well now I know. I couldn't possibly describe the experience of reading this book, and what it did for me, except to say that it was so much more than just a good read. I would say that it changed my life.
   
   This book showed me that walking side-by-side with the Lord wasn't just for people in Bible times--it is meant for us today.
   
   Corrie wasn't perfect. This book isn't about being perfect. And it isn't even about giving all you can give to God. On the contrary, it's about taking all you can take.
   
   Her language is so simple, yet her message incredibly profound: there is an endless resource available to each and every one of us, and that resource is Jesus Christ.
   
   Whether you're going through the most difficult time of you life, or you simply want to be inspired--Tramp for the Lord is the book for you.
   
   I've read many of Corrie's books since this one, but "Tramp" is still my favorite. I own three copies, so I always have two to lend.
   
   Now I'm the one telling people "Corrie stories" the way my mother used to. They are stories the next generation needs to hear.