5 comments about Twilight of Splendor: The Court of Queen Victoria During Her Diamond Jubilee Year.

1. One of my favorite authors on the subject of royalty continues to be Greg King. He has focused most of his work on Tsarist Russia, but now with Twilight of Splendor he has taken a look at one of the most pivotal years of Great Britain's Queen Victoria -- a monarch who set her mark on an entire century, and whose presence still lingers today.
   
   King takes one year in the Queen's life, and explores her daily life, starting first with an outline of her childhood, and marriage to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and then to some of the momentous events of the years 1896-1897, when she became Britain's longest reigning monarch, and the festivities surrounding her Diamond Jubilee year to celebrate sixty years on the throne. By this time Victoria was not just a queen, but also Empress of India, and the British Empire was indeed a land where the sun never set. Colonies and possessions sent emissaries and gifts, all building towards a grand festival in London to mark the occansion.
   
   But King goes beyond a mere listing of Queen Victoria's children and grandchildren -- he explores the rather tempetuous relationships that she had with them, especially her daughters. Neither were her sons spared the maternal disapproval either -- her eldest son Bertie, the Prince of Wales, she blamed for his father's death and his social life brought further displeasure. He in turn, took out his frustrations at not having any sort of decision-making in political roles in hard living, mostly involving smoking, chasing women and sport. Nor was Bertie the only fast living Royal -- daughter Louise was notorious for her acid tongue and mischief making, and Helena developed a near crippling addiction to opium.
   
   The most interesting section was an exploration of the various courtiers that surrounded the Queen. There was an enormous army of servants, from those who laboured in the royal kitchens, footmen who carried messages and opened doors, housemaids who swept and scrubbed and tidied, all the way up to the aristocratic men that oversaw their work. While these men would never be confidants or friends, they would form close bonds of trust with the Queen, working with her for years, until ill-health or death remove them from the office. Much more shadowy were the servants that worked more closely with the Queen, most notorious being a Scotsman by the name of John Brown, of whom it was said that the queen had actually married him, and after his death, two Indian servants who were arrogant scoundrels.
   
   The Queen's court of servants, family and attendants moved in a predictible round of seasons and holidays. Springtime and most of summer were spent at the castle complex at Windsor, autumn in the Scottish highlands at Balmoral, and winter at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. Buckingham Palace was a place that the Queen loathed to stay in, and it was only during the most formal of events that the queen would stay at the Palace for even a night. In addition, the Queen and her household would holiday on the French Riviera every two months in springtime, an activity that continued from 1890 to nearly the very end of her long life. Pilgrimages would be made to her beloved husband's tomb every year on the anniversary of his death.
   
   And sometimes, relatives would visit from the far reaches of the world to visit. One of the more momentous occansions was when one of Victoria's favorite granddaughters visited during the autumn of 1897. Alix and her siblings had been raised mostly by the Queen after the death of their mother, Alice, and Alix had been wooed and won by Nicholas II, Tsar of Russia. Now Alix was Empress, and with her husband and child went to visit as the new couple toured Europe after their coronation. Another momentous occansion that is covered is the grand costumed affair at the height of the London season at Devonshire House. Royalty and aristocracy mingled, as much to show off their wealth, and to be seen and see. Several ladies managed to arrive as the same characters from history, accompanied by much glaring. Other little snippets included the rituals of garden parties and presentations, Christmas celebrations, and finally the Diamond Jubilee itself.
   
   I have to say that this was a real eyeopener of a book. All too often authors skip over the people who kept the various castles and palaces running and livable. King also adds in plenty of gossipy details, little touches that help to make these stiff figures from formal portraits come alive as well. While King's narrative does get repetitous what with the same descriptive passages being used over and over, the story does move along crisply, with quite a bit of detail being given. There are several inserts of black and white photos and etchings as well. Along with the bibliography and footnotes, there is an appendix that list the various members of the Queen's hosuehold during the final years of her life.
   
   For anyone interested in the details of how royals lived in the nineteenth century, this is a splendid read. I discovered that the royalty of the time were imprisoned as much as they ruled from a golden, rather spendid, cage. Days were carefully measured and plotted out, and oridinary people and the journalists were just as curious about them as they are now in the twenty-first century. While the reading does get a bit dull in spots, it's still enjoyable, and there's quite a bit of humor here and there to liven things up.
   
   Recommended.



2. Queen Victoria is the longest reigning monarch in English history. She ascended the throne in 1837 dying on January 22, 1901. During those sixty plus years she saw the Western World transform itself from an agricultural to an industrial economy. Though she preferred candles she saw electricity come into general use. Victoria stoold 4ft 10. high.She was proclaimed as Empress of India in 1877. Victoria lent her name to an age and a vanished nineteenth century world explored in depth by historian Greg King in "Twilight of Splendor." King is most noted for his earlier work on the court of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia.He focuses on her life and that of her empire in 1897 as her jubilee year on the throne was celebrated by millions of her obedient subjects.
   In this 300 page book the author examines Victoria and her family. She was raised as the daughter of the Duchess of Kent who was early widowed. She and her mother did not get along well. Victoria spoke with a German and Scotch accent. She became queen when her sailor uncle William IV died in 1837. She was plain and intelligent. Victoria came to rely on such Prime Ministers as her beloved Lord Melbourne and later Disraeli.
   She was honest and witty. She lacked a good formal education though she could read foreign languages and the occasional novel. Victoria had a fierce temper and a tart tongue. Victoria was very obese and had no fashion sense. Her tastes in art and literature were middle-brow.
   Victoria married Albert of Saxe-Cothburg. The happy couple were parents of nine children prior to Albert's death in 1861. Victoria worshipped Albert sleeping each night next to a picture of him taped to the headboard of her bed. Albert's room and possessions remained as they had left them when he died. She was buried next to him at Frogmore. The Royal Albert Hall was built in his memory. When Albert died Victoria refused to wear anything but black for the rest of her long life.
   Victoria had rocky moments with her large brood of children. She did not get along well with the Prince of Wales who lived a womanizing, dissolute playboy life. He became King in 1901. Victoria was closest to her eldest daughter Vicki who became the mother of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Several of her children married crowned heads of Europe. She was truly the grandmother of monarchy.
   In addition to telling the story of Victoria's family we learn from Greg King about the architecture of her palaces of Buckingham, Osborne on the Isle of Wight, Balmoral in Scotland and Windsor Palace. Victoria hated London living in Buckingham and prefered Windsor or her other castles. She was waited on hand and foot by hundreds of servants in a well organized royal househod. King goes into detail on what she ate along with her guests. He tells us what attendance at balls and social events was like in her day. Victoria was no snob enjoying friendships with an Indian servant and the Scottish gilly John Brown. She did not like the British aristocracy and practiced middle class morals. She enjoyed painting and wrote two books on her life in the Highlands at Balmoral. All of her life she kept a detailed diary of her life and times.
   Victoria was no intellectual but a good person who gave millions to chairty and led England with dignity and honor. When she died in 1901 over one-fourth of the world was ruled by Great Britain.
   King's book is well-researched and gives us a good insight into the private and public life of one of England's greatest rulers. He does fail to discuss the poverty of many of Victoria's subjects though he does briefly cover the conflict with the Boers in South Africa and Irish unrest.



3. just got the book on her daughter the last princess.i hope it is as good as this one was.



4. I don't think I've ever criticized a book for too much detail, but I do need to in this case. The book is obviously very well-researched, but sometimes it absolutely overwhelms the reader with details. A tour of a circa-1897 room, for example, provides the author with an opportunity to describe nearly every item in the room, how long it had been there, when it had last been moved, and who liked which items more than the others. Sometimes it was just too *much*, and I felt I was drowning in detail. In addition, every time the author cited an amount of money circa-1897, he provided a currency exchange in dollars and pounds in 2007 figures, down to the last dollar! I think it would have been enough to say that a diamond necklace would cost $22 million today, and not necessarily have to say that it would cost $22,316,812. The obsessive detail on that was a bit overwhelming.
   
   There were also a couple places where the author had favorite terms or words he liked, and used over and over. Lace wasn't just lace - it was always "Honiton lace". A member of the public who wrote something was *always* referred to as a "wag".
   
   Overall, while it was an interesting look into the Diamond Jubilee year of Queen Victoria, there was just *too* much detail. The minutiae of the book detracted from the splendor and grandeur of her celebration.



5. king explores the rather tempetuous relationship queen victoria had with her childern and grandchildern,their relationship with each other.who just happen to be many of europe's royal houses.

5 comments about Forgotten Spurgeon.

1. This is truly a great work on Spurgeon.
   
   It is by no means trying to give a complete look at his life, but rather is focused at highlighting a few key controversies and aspects of his life that are often obscured in modern analysis of Spurgeon. That is the stated goal of the book, and it suceeds at this.
   
   Even though it is limited in scope, as I have mentioned, it still does a pretty good job at painting a picture of Spurgeon as a whole.
   
   I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning more about the man named Charles Haddon Spurgeon. It is fairly short and is an enjoyable read with many quotes from Spurgeon's sermons.



2. The main thing Iain Murray believes is forgotten about Spurgeon is his Calvinism. That however can be considered a liability or a great benefit. It is sometimes forgotten that Spurgeon was a convinced believer in the Evangelical Gospel as articulated by Calvin, the Puritans and many others. Murray ask us to see his public ministry, his revivals and his controversies through this important lens.
   
   In doing so Murray also explores a number of ministry issues of the modern day and makes a preferred present path clear based on the examples of Spurgeon. His early chapters about Spurgeon's revivals and preaching of the Gospel and interaction with Arminianism come with applications to the present practice of preaching, and these, as well as the other chapters, read with Murray's own strange blend of academic information, historical facts, hagiography and devotional octane.
   
   My honest evaluation is that the book has a lot to commend it, including an exploration of parts of Spurgeon's life discussed in few other places; including copious quotations from the pen of Spurgeon himself.
   
   The liability is simply the dryness that creeps into the prose at points. Murray's thorough historical mind bored me at times and made me hunt for a considerable number of great nuggets amidst a sometimes laborious text. I found the latter chapters more of a labor than the first chapters. The first 113 pages I found mostly easy to read, and after that some of the chapters were a labor, especially those on the Down-Grade controversy, though even these chapters have some good parts sprinkled throughout.
   
   It is a good and useful book, but not in any sense essential.



3. "The Forgotten Spurgeon" is not so much a comprehensive biography of Charles Spurgeon as it is a description of the major challenges Spurgeon faced as a preacher of the Gospel.
   
   The 3 main challenges mentioned in the book are:
   
   1. 1850s - Diluted evangelicalism and resistance of churches and press of the era - Churches were more concerned about maintaining a "pleasant" sort of Gospel that does not really challenge hearers.
   2. 1860s - Calvinism vs. Arminianism - the challenge of the two extremes of God foreordaining who would and would not be saved and the possibility of losing one's own personal salvation.
   3. Late 1880s - Early 1890s - Down Grade Controversy - The Gospel and Churches were in danger of being watered down by heresy.
   
   Murray describes how Spurgeon confronted these controversies which eventually led to his persecution and opposition by ministers, the press, and other sources. Interestingly, doesn't this sound familiar to what true Gospel preachers and believers around the world experience today? Just food for thought!
   
   Again, "The Forgotten Spurgeon" is not a true biography like the excellent biography Murray produced on Jonathan Edwards. Instead, the title deals more with the controversies Spurgeon faced during his ministry.
   
   Still, an interesting and informative read. Recommended.



4. My good friend, a while back, let me borrow this book, as well as another Murray book on Spurgeon, Surgeon V. Hyper-Calvanism. After finishing that book, I was sold, both on Murray's writing, and on my interest in this 19th century preacher. However, it must be stated, in my opinion, The Forgotten Spurgeon is the weaker of the two books.
   
   Early in this book, Murray makes it clear that this is not an adequate biography, but more like a character study of Charles Spurgeon. Murray looks at the major controversies surrounding Spurgeon's ministry to help to illustrate the kind of man he was, and what kind of theology he held. Reading the pages, it's difficult to believe a so well balanced person existed. He seemed supremely committed to scripture, not necessarily to a theological camp.
   
   Spurgeon is referred to as the `last of the puritans.' He came right at the `end' of the reign of Calvanism in the church and contended passionately for its preeminence. Spurgeon saw many pitfalls and dangers in the rise of liberal theology and Arminianism; in fact, many of those predictions of danger have indeed found their way into the church.
   
   Spurgeon's life is fascinating, inspiring and offers many, many great lessons for the church today. Murray does a good job of communicating many of those lessons and painting a picture that's easy for us to learn from. Unfortunately for myself, it often seemed perhaps more dry than it needed to. During a short series of chapters discussing the `Down-Grade Controversy' it became incredibly difficult for me to keep awake. Constant accounting for denominational discrepancies is a tiresome thing to read, however it still ended with, I believe, an important lesson from Spurgeon.
   
   The Baptist Union at the time was becoming more liberal with its theology, which to Spurgeon, foreshadowed some grave consequences (again, many of which have come to fruition). However, even at the risk of standing completely alone, Spurgeon remained with his conscience. He did not budge from what he believed Scripture to say; he saw loyalty to God and scripture to be the only right loyalty.
   
   All-in-all, I wouldn't recommend the book to a completely casual reader; it requires some set of understood ideas. It will also likely require some level of commitment to get through as some parts seem drudging and hard to follow. If you're interested in Spurgeon or even the grassroots of many of today's major controversies and issues in the church, this book has lots of great information with a usually great articulation.



5. Charles Spurgeon is quoted today in all types of corridors within Christendom. Various statements from within his poetic, powerful, and Christ-centered sermons are lauded by Arminians and Calvinists alike. As a result many today wonder if Spurgeon was a type of third party theologian, devoid of doctrinal controversy and strong theological conviction. Ian Murray aims to bring to light some of the specifics of Spurgeon's life and ministry that have been strangely overlooked:
   
   "The only way to deal with Spurgeon's theology is to accept it or forget it: the latter is what I believe has largely happened in the 20th century. And Spurgeon without his theology is about as distorted as the cheap china figures of Spurgeon which were offered for sale by charlatans more than a century ago."
   
   In The Forgotten Spurgeon Murray interacts with Spurgeon's thought and teaching. The overt aim is not biographical; however, the historical contexts from which these various scenarios arise cannot be avoided. What follows is an informative and interesting survey of one of history's most impactful ministries.
   
   The book is centered on three major controversies in Spurgeon's ministry.
   
   The first was during Spurgeon's younger years and centered upon his dealing with a diluted gospel message. Spurgeon's Calvinism sparked outrage among the religious as they had thought such theology was already laid to rest. His popularity only served to fuel this controversy.
   
   The second controversy sprang forth from a sermon that he did on Baptismal Regeneration in 1864. This resulted in a prolonged debate on matters outside of just the role of baptism with respect to salvation.
   
   Finally, Spurgeon encountered, in his later years, what was called the Down-Grade movement. This effort to dilute the gospel of its heavenly distinctiveness served to consume the elder Spurgeon until his death at age 57.
   
   The truth of the matter is that Spurgeon was embroiled in controversy from the day he began preaching. His messages were biblical and so therefore theological. This, along with his corresponding popularity, caused a significant reaction by those around him. The Forgotten Spurgeon is a helpful book in restating the record and helping us to see Spurgeon as more than a happy, soul-winning, quote machine. He was a pastor, a preacher, an ambassador for Christ, and so therefore, a defender of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

5 comments about The Kennedy Women: The Saga of an American Family.

1. "For the most part Rose grandchildren observed and respected and obeyed her, tiptoeing around her life as if she were an exquisite piece of porcelain. She had led such a decorous life, blocking out the untoward, the ugly, and the unacceptable, that her eyes no longer saw the darker colours of the spectrum. "Pat drank a bottle of wine in the morning," Rose was told. "That's impossible" Rose replied, Pat doesn't drink"

   I was glad that I read this book because it has helped me to understand so much more about this so much talked about family. In Mr. Leaner's book we get to know about the Kennedy women's personal thoughts and the correct stories of the daughters and daughters-in-law. Mr.Leamer has given us indept portraits of these women and my favourite is Rose Kennedy the Matriarch of the family. For Rose was a woman so strong and who suffered great disloyalty by her husband which she took all gracefully all for the sake of her family and what she supposed the public expected of them. She was a stern Catholic and gain her strength through her prayer and trust in God.
   Also portrayed are Joan Kennedy; Ted wife who had a problem with alcohol. Jackie Kennedy Onnassis; the President's wife who remarried after the President's death to a Greek tycoon. Pat Lawford; married to a Hollywood star and spent most of her time in Los Angeles. Eunice Shriver, who was always working for the handicapped and underprivileged and was one of the Kennedys with great patience and common sense. Ethel Kennedy, Robert Kennedy's widow and Jean Smith.
   The Kennedys pushed their tragedies to the inner recesses of their minds.They refused to let others see the negative side of their lives, and carried their problems and burdens inwardly taking pains not to show their broken hearts. To some this might seem pretentious, but they honestly had their reasons. After all they were special in the eyes of America.
   Whenever tragedy struck it was not unusual for them to suddenly get physical by taking walks, riding, swimming and any form of exercise. Rosemary the eldest daughter who was mentally retarded was isolated from the public eye and sent to Wisconsin where she was looked after by those of the Sacred Order. This book has helped me to understand so much more about the choices they made and the reason they made them, though tragedy seem to follow them everywhere.

   Mr. Leamer has pulled out all the stops in the brilliantly written book, and I would not hesitate to read anything by him in the future. Bravo! Bravo! Heather Marshall 04/04/04




2. This book relates details of the lives of the many Kennedy women, from Bridget Murphy Kennedy, born in Ireland, through Caroline Kennedy, John F. Kennedy's daughter. Leamer describes the rise of the Kennedy family from the hard luck tales of newly-arrived Irish immigrants through the dynasty years in Hyannisport. While the book presents many of the historical events of the lives of political Kennedys, the viewpoint is always that of the women, and how these events affected their lives. We hear about the Kennedy women's efforts in John's political campaigns, or how the stress of campaigning contributed to Jacqueline's miscarriages. Leamer includes both women born as Kennedys and women who became Kennedys by marriage. Much of the book, however, focuses on two women who married into the Kennedy family, Rose Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The book is also about the family structure of the Kennedy's and portrays some of the sinister aspects of Joseph Kennedy as well as the positive traits.
   
   Many times I've heard the Kennedy family referred to as a "dynasty". However, it has never been clear to me why an American family would be called a dynasty. In this book, Leamer describes why this group of people is more than simply a family. He describes the relations between Joseph Kennedy's children, and how Joseph and Rose's parenting style contributed both to their children's closeness and competitiveness, and how their own aspirations were realized in the accomplishments of their children. He also relates the difficulties that Jacqueline had as an outsider in establishing a position in the family. The book provides a unique viewpoint on the political events of the 1950s and 1960s whose legacy continues to permeate our society.



3. I found this book about the Kennedy family women a very interesting read. The only problem with it is that it is so long. At over 900 pages Mr. Leamer could have written three books and had them in instalments about one pericular Kennedy family women instead of tying to write so much about so many interesting people.



4. This book arrived in good condition and in a timely manner just like the seller promised! A++



5. I did not want this book to end! It is a fascinating, fair, well-written book about all of the Kennedy women, their men, and the lives they led. I gained new insight, especially, into Kathleen Kennedy, Rosemary Kennedy, and matriarhc, Rose.

4 comments about American Connections: The Founding Fathers. Networked..

1. I have read several of James Burke's earlier works, and I had hoped that his venture into my own field would illuminate a subject in ways that would not have occurred to conventional historians. Unfortunately, this book is nothing of the kind. On first glance, It is organized in a structure giving one chapter to each Signer of the Declaration of Independence (Mr. Burke seems not to have thought of the framers of the Constitution as belonging in his phrase "founding fathers.") However, each Signer lasts barely one paragraph with Mr. Burke connecting him to someone else, and then to someone else, and then to someone else, and then on and on he goes forming a daisy-chain of references, skittering across the surface of history like a spider sliding across a sheet of ice, until he gets to someone in modern times who shares the same name as that of the Signer [or, in the case of Benjamin Franklin, to a reference back to the original Signer]. The book is slipshod, superficial, and all too often fraught with ominous undocumented claims often introduced or accompanied by such phrases as "Some say" or "according to some." I am sorry that I bought this book; it makes the otherwise-useless book by Richard Brookhiser, WHAT WOULD THE FOUNDERS DO? OUR QUESTIONS, THEIR ANSWERS, read like a marvel of scholarly comprehension.



2. James Burke, well known for pursuing the stranger paths of history, has done just that once more. This time, he follows the signers of the Declaration of Independence, following paths leading away from each one to something within the last fifty years sharing that name. If what you want is a straight history book, try a different author. This is Burke's area of expertise, and he has done a wonderful job. Again.



3. I have read nearly all of James Burke's work, and his Connections started my fascination with History of all kinds; nowadays, that's all I read. I also became a research historian and have co-authored a book; for that, I offer my unending thanks to Mr. Burke. Unfortunately, this book is nothing more than a collection of parlor tricks, one that wears thin after 2 or 3 chapters. There's no history here nor story telling nor insights; only a compendium of extremely poorly documented linkages connecting the signers of the Declaration of Independence to a current person of the same name. Within each chapter is a set of linkages or connections that typically number above 20, not the six degrees of networking that Burke alludes to. With that many degrees of networking, I could even play this game. All this book does is showcase Burke's knowledge of fairly inconsequential people over the past 200+ years and does nothing to stimulate interest in the reader. This is one book I couldn't bear to read or finish. Mr. Burke should be ashamed to have written it; it simply is not up to his previous standards. There is nothing here...nothing at all; how unfortunate.



4. Having greatly enjoyed Mr. Burkes books in the past, I was looking forward to one of his based on my soil. But proving that a name reappears (unrelated) later in history on some nameless board or committee sounds like an exercise best left to the student. The thought that the progeny of significant men in American history would have an effect later was a good idea, but not realized in this book.
   
   Disappointing, but I still look forward to his next novel.

No comments about The Palace Diaries: The True Story of Life at the Palace by Prince Charles Secretary.

5 comments about Memoirs.

1. Mr Rockefeller writes about the Bilderbergs (p. 410), at the "disppointment" of the "conspiracy-mongers" is just an "intensely interesting annual discussion group." Really? Then how come I'm never invited? What's all the secrecy about?
   
   To give you an idea of why all the secrecy, here's an excerpt from a 1991 issue of the Hilaire duBerrier Report (also reported elsewhere in the French press):
   
   "[Rockefeller] told his listeners: 'We are grateful to the Washington Post, The New York Times, Time Magazine, and other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected their promises of discretion for almost forty years....It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subject to the bright lights of publicity during these years....The supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers ... is surely preferable to the national autodetermination practiced in the past centuries.'"
   
   In "Tragedy and Hope" written By Bill Clinton's professor at Georgetown, Carroll Quigley (p. 950) writes:
   
   "There does exist, and has existed for a generation, an international Anglophile network which operates, to some extent, in the way the radical Right believes the Communists act. In fact, this network, which we may identify as the Round Table Group has no aversion to cooperating with the Communists, of any other groups, and frequently does so. I know of the operations of this network because I have studied it for twenty years and was permitted for two years, in the early 1960's, to examine its papers and secret records. I have no aversion to it...but in general my chief difference of opinion is that it wishes to remain unknown, and I believe its role in history is significant enough to be known."
   
   Now why would the "Round Table Group" want to cooperate with the communists? James Kunen, in his "Strawberry Statement: Notes of a College Revolutionary," gives one reason:
   
   "In the evening, I went up to the U. to check out a strategy meeting. A kid was giving a report on the SDS [Students for a Democratic Society] convention. He said that ... at the convention, men from Business International Round Tables, the meeting sponsored by Business International for their client groups and heads of government, tried to buy up a few radicals. These men are the world's leading industrialists and they convene to decide how our lives are going to go. These are the guys who wrote the Alliance for Progress. They are the left wing of the ruling class. They offered to finance our demonstrations in Chicago. We were also offered ESSO (Rockefeller) money. They want us to make a lot of radical commotion so they can look more in the center as they move to the left."
   
   Is this not the reason why most people think George Bush is conservative? Because the liberal hates Bush?
   
   Mr. Rockefeller on p. 405 claims that the "conspiracy theorists" fail to see the "benefit of our international role over the past half century." And what benefits are these? Quigley gives the answer in his book:
   
   "The powers of financial capitalism had a far-reaching plan, nothing less than to create a world system of financial control in private hands able to dominate the political system of each country and the economy of the world as a whole."
   
   Now how'd those silly kook populists miss to see the benefit in having a worldwide system of financial control vested in a few plutocrats?



2. This book is a wonderful view of how wealth can work to benefit society and the role of philanthropy in American society and the world at large.
   A solid view of the world according to a special man, however priveledged, who had the right philosophy and work ethic in an evolving and historical time. Read this to help yourself actualize your own potential and change the way (e.g. lighten your path), perhaps, how you view the role of government (public servants), private business (corporations) and philanthropy. A wonderful contribution to American literature.



3. The book tells of a life in one of America's prominent families. It's very interesting to know how one handles wealth, power and influence in the world's most powerful nation. I have learned so much. So will you out there. Give it a read. It's one of the best biographies on the shelf.



4. What do you think of a person who makes a statement like this, as Rockefeller did at the Bilderberg/Trilateral meeting in 1991 in Baden Baden, Germany, with Bill Clinton in attendance:
   
   "We are grateful to the Washington Post, The New York Times, Time Magazine and other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected their promises of discretion for almost forty years. It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subjected to the lights of publicity during those years. But, the world is now more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world government. The supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is surely preferable to the national auto-determination practiced in past centuries."
   
   I agree with Thomas Jefferson, who believed that if the People have the facts, we will make the right decisions. How encouraging that he acknowledges he couldn't not have advanced his agenda for global domination by bankers if the public's eye was on them- he thanks the MSM for their complicity in subverting the Constitution and the sovereignty of nations. He needs darkness to accomplish these things; he's more a vampire or a cockroach than a human being. The world will advance light years when a critical mass of awareness is reached and we lock up the bankers of the world along with the mass murderers, serial killers, child molesters and terrorists, and study them so we have the understanding needed to guard against their plotting.
   
   The Federal Reserve Banks are privately owned; your income taxes go to pay the interest on a national debt that need not exist; the Constitution authorizes Congress to coin money, and in 1913 they treasonously outsourced it to the Federal Reserve. Wilson signed the bill and later regretted it.
   
   Rockefeller is scum, don't buy this book



5. David's first trip to Europe began with an invitation to meet royal family in England. He never looked back. Bill Gates today has similar calling cards and would be welcomed in to any royal court. Money, to coin an expression, talks. That said, David climbed slowly to the top among 5 very competitive sons of one of the greatest forces of good in the 20th century, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. His father's legacy of giving is unmatched in history. David and his brothers lived in his shadow and none match his genius, but he was the sole heir, while the five had to share the family fortune. David stands out among them as the global leader. Nelson was the domestic wheeler-dealer, while the others seemed content to work more quietly. Of the group, one senses that Nelson was the least attractive. David's talents for diplomacy come forth best while trying to calm his pushy brother. Nelson was aggressive, while the others were gentlemanly. David Rockefeller's memoir seeks to show him in a good light and, in the end, he succeeds. With his death, we will finally be left without a great Rockefeller for the first time in over one-hundred years. The next generation seem more scattered, less rich, less prominent. It will be the end of an era.

5 comments about Fortunate Son: George W. Bush and the Making of an American President.

1. This Book is great, I am very much into politics and I find that this book kept me on the edge of my seat. The Amount of coruption that this family has is astonishing. To think that someone of George W. Bush's stature can be our leader leaves hope to just about anyone. In the book it explains that President Bush's Grandfather had connections to Nazi camps and I find that to be awful. The book is well written and contains some valuable information about President Bush. Read it for yourself You won't be disappointed.



2. This book caused a big controversey when it was released. Neo-cons said it was a smear job, but strangely enough mainstream type liberals didn't over do it with their enthusiasm and Bush bashing when this came out. The original publisher ended up balking at releasing it. The author was smeared, attacked and after a while turned up dead under very shady circumstances. Knowing what I know about the Bush families history I expected a lot more because after reading this I was shocked at how LITTLE dirt there was on Bush in this. You really get nothing more than Bush was a mediocre student, he had a drinking problem for several years, he MIGHT have went awol from the National Guard and he MIGHT have done a lot coke. There was so much that was left out of this that I don't even know where to begin.
   
   Overall this book is worth checking out from the library and reading but I wouldn't buy it. Webster Tarpleys book about Poppy Bush and American Dynasty by Kevin Phillips would be better choices if your researching the Bush crime family.



3. I was impressed with the fact that this book reported positives as well as negatives. Although the forward was over the top, the actual book is pretty balanced and believable. A documentary about the author (who later committed suicide)quoted him as saying that Karl Rove was his major source. The fact that they managed to get this book not just taken off the market, but burned (!) shows the power of the machine that originally got Bush elected. Long may they stew.



4. I hate George Bush almost as much as I hate my ex wife, venereal disease, child rapists, Nazis, litterers, termites, cancer, real estate agents, collection agents, rich people, stupid people, dishonest people, and graffiti "artists". I always have since the first moment I ever saw him. I could tell this was a spoilt, rich brat that would never be asked to do anything at all difficult, yet would have all. My god, I cannot believe he became president. But of course, he had more than just a little bit of help. (thanks to Choicepoint, Diebold, and the US Surpremely stupid court - "but, if they have the recount and it shows more voters preferred Gore, it will be difficult for Bush to retain the presidency" - Scalia)
   
   Anyway, I love to read anything that confirms my biases, just as everyone else who is a lazy reader/thinker (I am not always lazy, but I am sometimes). I did not find that to be the case for this book. I found that I was starting to like "W" as I read it. I was very surprised. He is a human, after all. This is not a book for the bush haters.
   
   I would love to see a movie, or maybe a made for TV mini-series about the Bushes. People need to know in a way that will make them care and understand how we let this guy get away with everything, short of murder (that is if you exclude murder-by-proxy of millions of the poor and dark skinned, here and abroad). The financial stuff is really compelling. How did he invest $200K in the Texas Rangers, and take out $130M? Was that not really just a bribe? Just how stupid do you think we all are? How about his double insider trading with Harkin Oil? He scooped all the insiders by knowing that daddie was going to start his war and that the oil leases would be valuless, out he sold, not even any of the other insiders knew about. Man, you and I would be in prison still if we pulled those things off. Raiding the University of Texas trust for $400M. That is classic. A great crook to have working for you. To bad, he is not nor did he ever work for anyone except his own trifling self and his elite circle. America? Hah! Well, it is all clear to everyone now. Let's not make this mistake again.
   
   Enough of that, this book will improve your opinion of Bush, no matter what you think. You will be surprised. Well written, we researched, well balanced. Now, where did I put my Molly Ivins book?



5. This book is honest. A sincere account of Bush Jr.'s life. I have to say, it's hard for me to believe Hatfield took his own life, despite the trouble he had getting this book published. This book is well documented and should be read by every good American.

5 comments about The Devil Knows How To Ride: The True Story Of William Clarke Quantril And His Confederate Raiders.

1. ....and Colonel William Clarke Quantrill called in the debt. He sure as hell did. Hart was an assumed name that Quantrill used as a young man when he went west from Ohio seeking fame and fortune, or at least a living. Problem was, he landed right in the middle of the "Bleeding Kansas" mess that was especially hot along the Missouri-Kansas border. Quantrill worked as a teacher, and is said to have been a good one, but trouble was brewing...Charles Jennison and his Jayhawkers, John Brown and his murders of innocent whites....more than enough motivation for a young man to follow the South when war came.
   
   Missouri was even more deeply divided than the rest of the country; it really was brother against brother. The Confederate commander in Missouri was Major General Sterling Price, a fine and decent man, but not our best General. Initially, Quantrill served in the regular Confederate Army, but gradually broke away, with a band of followers, to form The Missouri Partisan Rangers, forerunner of the modern Special Forces, complete with proper Confederate commissions. At first, they played by regular rules...taking prisoners, giving paroles, etc. But when Jim Lane wantonly burned Osceola, and murdered civilians, the black flag came out...
   
   Quantrill's followers are the stuff of Legend...Captain Bloody Bill Anderson...Captain George Todd, who eventually supplanted Quantrill [I am married to a direct descendent of Captain Todd; our son will gladly tell you about it]...Archie Clement...Bill Gregg...Cole Younger...Frank James...Jesse James. Some died in the cause; others went on to fame after the war.
   
   Quantrill's Raiders lived off the countryside, and made things hot for the Yankees wherever they went. They even fought, and won, regular battles, like Baxter Springs. Finally, the Yankees imprisoned female relatives of the Raiders in a structurally unsafe jail in Kansas City...when it collapsed, five innocent girls, including Bill Anderson's sister and Cole Younger's cousin died...enough was enough, the bill was due, and Lawrence paid. When Ewing issued his infamous Order #11, clearing northwest Missouri of Southern civilians, resolve hardened.
   
   Eventually, Todd and Anderson were killed, and the war ended. Quantrill was mortally wounded in Kentucky in 1865. Or was he? He was seen alive as late as 1915...the ultimate legendary status...seen alive after death, joining such company as Jesse James [seen as late as 1951], Houdini, Elvis, and JFK. His skull was used as a prop in a college fraternity initiation for years; he finally received a military funeral, and Christian burial, in 1992. Surviving Raiders held reunions from 1898 till 1929; interestingly, there were two black Raiders at the reunions, though no one knows much about them.
   
   This is a well researched account of a little known aspect of our Civil War. "Quantrill's War" by Duane Schultz is more academic, but this is more readable...both get five stars.



2. As little as I heard about William Qunatrell and as much as I wanted to know about him, I found this book sadly lacking in any depth or insight. Even though the author writes an introduction about knowing a sociopath who massacred a dozen people in a McDonald's and how this led him to be interested in serial killers and the like, he falls back on narrative devices of the Gone with the Wind cliche.
   
   Whilst there is a fascinating story buried in this narrative about a man who took up guerrilla warfare and how he scared the hell out of Kansas and Missouri, the retelling sucks the life out of it. The author relies too heavily on the original histories and reports some of the hokiness bits of dialogue and fictions without comment. Sure, the guerrila bands MIGHT have been avenging their sisters and the good southern women, or that might have just been the melodramatic recreation. Sure, a man might have said "D-mn them. They are desecrating the flag" upon seeing a Lawrence raider dragging an American flag on horseback. Or he might have just been running for his life and thought up the story later on.
   
   Sadly, this is considered the classic of the historical accounts. So it will be many more years before a better book comes along - one that actually attempts psychological insight and historical accuracy and actually discusses the original texts instead of swallowing every bit of romanticized twaddle without question.



3. I am a history fanatic and I loved this book. It is about a time of which I did not have a lot of knowledge and this was so well done.
   I am sorry Mr. Leslie doesn't have more books as he is an excellant story teller.



4. Mild-mannered teacher. Mama's boy. Impressionable Army teamster. Professional gambler. Lady's man. Expert horseman. Cold-blooded killer.
   
   William Clarke Quantrill, the leader of the most feared group of guerrillas in American history, possessed all of these personas at one time or another in his short life. Tackling a subject of this complexity requires an author who is up to the task, and Edward Leslie proves that he is the man for the job in The Devil Knows How to Ride.
   
   Leslie does an admirable job transporting the reader back to a time when people's survival was day-to-day and the difference between life and death often depended on one's political sympathies. Leslie probably comes closer than any other author to understanding Quantrill the man and his motivations. This is all the more impressive when one considers that Quantrill, the most important figure in the story, died a month shy of his 28th birthday, leaving behind few correspondences and no memoirs.
   
   The book is thoroughly researched and meticulously detailed. Well-known events such as the Lawrence Massacre are covered. But so are little-known historical nuggets, such as the story of Quantrill escaping from the headquarters of a Confederate general who had placed him under arrest near Bonham, Texas. It seems that every raid ever undertaken by Quantrill's gang gets a mention, whether it be for one sentence or an entire chapter. Despite the book's great detail, its pulse-pounding pace is rarely compromised.
   
   Besides good research and an easy writing style, another of Leslie's hallmarks is that he brings objectivity to the subject of which he writes. He projects a balanced view that never resorts to "purple prose." Many of the more incendiary allegations against Quantrill are presented very carefully. For example, Leslie takes issue with stories of Quantrill gleefully abusing animals as a youth and attributes them to a single source who had reasons for disparaging his character. Perhaps because of Quantrill's fierce reputation, many such stories about him were taken at face value when they were first published.
   
   This book is ideal for readers with a basic knowledge of the Civil War who don't want to sift through long narratives of troop movements, flanking maneuvers, and the like. The irregular nature of guerrilla operations makes for interesting reading. The story is also interesting because guerrilla groups were small units compared with the regular Army. As a result, the participants in the story have related their experiences in very personal terms.
   
   Leslie's attention to detail and fresh perspective on Quantrill ensures that Civil War aficionados will appreciate the book as well.
   
   If you are looking for one book on Quantrill, or even one book on the Civil War in the West, you can't go wrong with The Devil Knows How to Ride.



5. You won't find a better, more up-to-date analysis of the border war and the guerillas and bushwackers. And now is a good time to bone up on the subject, as we are in the midst of the 150th anniversary of the Border War and the anniversary of Quantrills raid on Lawrence is just 5 years away. Lock and load, people.

No comments about Baldwin's Harlem: A Biography of James Baldwin.

5 comments about Bess of Hardwick: Empire Builder.

1. My first experience with Bess of Hardwick was through a historical romance novel several years ago. After some research online, I discovered so much more about her. I find her to be an extraordinary woman who lived in difficult times. I felt that Mary Lovell captured her perfectly. There was so much more information that I had never read before. I would recommend this biography to anyone who enjoys reading about life in the Tudor era.



2. I love history and this was a great book. My friends want to read it as well and they are not history lovers. So it is a great read.



3. Bess of Hardwick was born the daughter of a gentlemen squire, that is, a sort of farmer with a few servents, but an ancestry that allowed him (and his wife) to be part of the "gentry" in the age of King Henry VIII. She was able to become, by the time of her death at the (then) remarkable age of 80 the second most powerful and richest woman in England, after her friend Queen Elizabeth I. She had been able to marry off her children and step children very well,into the most powerful names of Tudor aristocracy and the author shows how many aristocratic houses of England are directly descended from this woman, including the Dukes of Devonshire.
   Bess began the building of the fabulous home "Chatsworth" which is still a showpiece, though re-done over time. (See the biography of "Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire for more on Chatsworth).
   Bess was the grandmother of the Princess Arbella, who could have just as well been the next Queen of England after Elizabeth I: Arbella had the exact same blood lines as her cousin James I, but her life, plotted and planned by her grandmother who had raised her with Queenship in mind, ended tragically).
   Bess was a formidable yet at times kindly woman, as the author says, a type of CEO in the Tudor world.
   It was a fascinating biography and a great glimpse in the Tudor/ Elzabethan world. (Having read so much about Henry VIII, Elizabeth, Mary Queen of Scots, etc, it is interesting to read about a non royal person, for other insights into that world.) Very well and clearly written. Highly recommended.



4. To be honest, I was hoping for (and thought I ordered) a work of good historical fiction, such as "The Tower and the Dream," a book about Bess that I couldn't put down. This book is a biography and I don't find the author particularly interesting to read. Her style of writing tends to be dull and unimaginative, which is a shame because the story of Bess of Hardwick is quite a fascinating one. In my opinion, the one word that sums up this work is "dry."
   
   If you are looking for details and facts about the life of Bess of Hardwick, this work will provide them. If you are looking for a good read, this just isn't it.
   
   Alexandra, Visalia, CA



5. Bess of Hardwick defied the norms of Tudor society and became the most powerful and wealthy woman in Tudor England after Queen Elizabeth I. Bess married four times, each time more successfully then the last, negotiating before the marriage to ensure she was financially stable should her husband die.
   
   She was a loving, but strict mother and grandmother, dedicated to advancing her family, through court contacts and cunning marriages. She is known for marrying well, but it is her second husband, Chatsworth, through whom she set up her dynasty. Chatsworth House is still one of the finest in England. Bess is also known as the "houser" of Mary, Queen of Scots, held in England by her cousin, Queen Elizabeth for years.
   
   This is a great story of one woman's power of personality and sheer determination in a man's world.