1 comments about James Joyce and the Burden of Disease.

1. This book sheds devastating new life on Joyce's life and art, and is a must read.
   
   The infection he contracted in his teens cause Joyce's iritis and near blindness, his funny walk, sexual impotence, his wife's miscarriage and hysterectomy, his daughter's madness, his early death and much else besides.
   
   Ulysses and Finnegans Wake are crawling with allusions to syphilis and its symptoms, as is "The Sisters" of which the first version was composed in 1904, the year in which Joyce was first treated for the disease.
   
   Victim of a nasty joke, Joyce responded to his miseries by clowning. His masterpieces are also confessional. Ferris asks us to "suspend Ellmann's construct of Joyce as a secular humanist" and see him "as a guilt-ridden, diseased, deracinated Catholic who repented his sins" and remained a frequent church-goer.

4 comments about Public and Private Worlds of Elizabeth I.

1. The Public and Private Worlds of Elizabeth I is a nicely written look into her personal and private life. It is very informational; from the workings of Elizabethan politics to the fashion of the time. It is informative with out getting overly academic. It is great for anyone wishing to research and/or recreate aspects of that time period. I encourage anyone who is intererested in Elizabeth I to purchase this book. One of the greatest features of this book is the full color pictures. Definitely a must have!!! A wonderful coffee table book too.



2. Excellent, excellent book for anyone who is interested in Quenn Elizabeth I or the Elizabethan era. Interesting little tidbits of knowledge about court life, politics and Elizabeth's private life. The pictures are absolutely beautiful and go along so well with the the written text. Definate A+!



3. This work has a wealth of information about Elizabeth I and
   the era itself. She is portrayed as an elegant monarch, dressed
   in silk and other fine clothing. A portrait of Elizabeth
   depicts her stately appearance as a Tudor. Elizabeth liked to
   stroll in the area of the Great Hall at Hatfield. A personal
   astrolobe is depicted-a fine personal item created circa 1560.
   Her coronation was a stately affair depicted in a personal
   portrait considered to be priceless today. This work is perfect for historians and others interested in the period of Elizabeth. The full color portraits are valuable
   in their own right.



4. After checking this book out of the library multiple times, I decided to buy it because of the balanced overview of the Queen and her England. Many biographies of Queen Elizabeth I are riddled with the author's personal prejudice for or against the Queen and this one does not. I enjoy the photos as do students in the workshops I teach.

No comments about Anne: The Private Princess Revealed.

4 comments about White Goats and Black Bees (Classics from the Southwest Ireland Series).

1. Donald and Mary Grant, two well paid journalists living in New York City, decide to do a career change in their late 50's. They purchase a cottage sitting on three or four acres, later to become 11 acres, and live off the land. They visit the local Irish Pub on Saturday nights, chat about farm animals, and throughout the year entertain friends from their previous life who thought them totally "bunkers". Donald for added income writes a column for an American newspaper describing their new life. At a time when Americans have had to make career changes late in life, I would highly recommend this book. I think they added to the success of their endeavor by choosing Ireland, for it is definitely a country where nature has it's way. Untamed, perhaps, but also unspoiled. I believe in my heart that the troubles in Ireland should not be and Great Britian should give Northern Ireland it's freedom just as Donald Grant felt after living there. The Irish are unique, pleasantly unique, and should remain so



2. I may be guilty of a little bit of nepetism (Mary Grant being an aunt, a bit removed and seldom seen), but this book has been a family treasure around the house for years. Anyone looking for an inspiring story about a simpler life should look into this one for sure.



3. If you loved Under the Tuscan Sun than you will find a great book here! Donald Grant's book will make you reexamine your life and reorganize your priorities all while providing good reading pleasure. A bit dated as it was written in the 70's, but it is more about finding yourself and the cultural life in rural Ireland.



4. Donald Grant and his wife, NY journalists, retire and move to a cottage in Ireland. Their experiences and adjustments to their neighbors, to small scale farming, and to the culture of Ireland makes entertaining reading.
   They learn goat keeping, rabbit raising, and the ways of bees and geese. The evenings chatting in the pub, the village interactions, the local customs and other trivia of daily life make you feel a part of their Irish experience.

No comments about Guns, Kites and Horses: Three Diaries from the Western Front.

5 comments about Samurai William.

1. Did you know that James Clavell's "Shogun" was based on the story of an actual Westerner who had gone native in Japan in the early 1600's? I sure didn't.
   
   I thought Clavell was just spinning tales out of whole cloth. No, no; there really was a marooned Englishman there named William Adams, although as we learn from Milton's book, he wasn't quite as mixed up in high politics as was John Blackthorne.
   
   Milton relates Adams's intriguing story in the straightforward style of popular history. It is not written in the form of fiction; Milton here is writing for a large non-scholarly audience. There are no footnotes: Any references or Japanese terms the general reader probably can't handle are explained in the running text.
   
   In addition to an index, the book features several maps and black-and-white woodcut-type illustrations throughout the text.



2. Everyone is familiar with "Shogun"; if not the book, then surely the lengthy TV mini-series. But the real story of the English pilot, William Adams is far more interesting. This is a wonderful book that encapsulate an era of exploration, the first halting attempts of economic empire-building, and the dawn of the Shogunate. And while Adams' personal story is not quite as dramatic as James Clavell's pilot, it is certainly more interesting and entertaining. Especially remarkable was to watch the speed of navigational developement and international operations over a period of a mere thirty years. One forgets at times that Jamestown and Plymouth were established within a few years after Adams' arrival in Japan, and by the time of his death, the Eastern Seaboard was almost entirely settled. A wonderful view of a time less well understood and frequently miscaracterized.



3. In my case, I learned about William Adams watching the PBS Empire Series which I recommend as a complement of this delightful book. What a story, supposedly bound to the East Indies as part of a Dutch Enterprise, Williams Adams is one of the few to reach Japan after a long and difficult voyage. From there comes an exquisite recount of Adams stay in feudal Japan of the 1600 which include a view of their customs and cities and the efforts made by other English Men to establish a trade spot in the Land of the Rising Sun. Is impressive how Williams Adams became a personal advisor of the Shogun Ieyasu and how he became part of this culture that remember him even after 200 years of his death. This book was also an excellent portrait of the Portuguese and Dutch East Indies Company of the time, the expulsion of Jesuits and eradication of Catholicism from Japan, and also provide some interesting information about the natives of Africa's Guinea Ecuatorial and of course, the South of Chile (passing the Magellan Strait).
   
   You can see a letter sent by Adams in 1613 in the British library site. Enjoy!!!



4. I'm moving to Japan in a few months and one of my buddies suggested I read the book before I go. It's very entertaining and gives you the mindset behind what makes the Japanese tick-truly amazing culture.



5. I found this to be a superbly written book, filled with fascinating details and enough excitement to fill a novel. Using quotes from contemporary sources, Milton brings history to life by focusing on the human elements rather than dry chronology. I can't wait to read the rest of Milton's books.

No comments about The Star Chefs Cook Book.

5 comments about Is That It?.

1. I don't usually read biographies books but this one is a very good one



2. This book is one of those books that will renew your faith in the ability of normal people to change the world for the better. It is also hilarious and a great read!



3. Bob Geldof's book is a stunning odyssey into the mind of a rock star. he also happens to be a philanthropist who can teach a thing or two to the best of them. the man behind `live aid' not only collected hundreds of millions out of a telethon for africa's famine victims, but made sure they reached the right hands. his forthright language and no-holds-barred style are refreshing. if you must read an autobiography of a rock star, read this one.



4. A wonderfully crafted autobiography. Honest and personal, Geldof puts the first half of his life under the microscope and you grow to love him for his warts and scars.
   A riveting book especially for those who recall the music of his era. You will laugh and you may cry even if it is only because the book ends years short of the present day.



5. It's severly dated by today's standards, but what an excellent read, all the same. I look at it as the music industry version of Julia Phillips "You'll Never Eat Lunch In This Town Again". Biting with sardonic wit, lots of muck-raking (most of it spot-on), and just a wee bit 'o' honesty.

   How much of it is true, we'll never know. But the essential bits (the inception of the Boomtown Rats, their immersion into the music scene, other bands, Live Aid, etc.) are required reading for anybody who gives a damn about the music industry. There's loads of comedy as well as pathos, as well as some of the greatest quotes I've ever read in an autobiography.

   If you can still find a copy, it's well worth owning.

No comments about Wee Guide to St. Margaret and Malcolm Canmore (Wee Guides).

2 comments about The Diaries of John Dee.

1. The Diaries of John Dee edited by Edward Fenton has really impressed me as a student of philosophy and history. The author was able to take a portion of John Dee's diaries and not only modernize the wording and name of places but also translate some of the Greek and Latin passages. Hence it creates a down to earth but yet scholarly edition of John Dee's Diaries. What really impressed me about this book were the references at the end of the chapters. Not only does Fenton list numerous sources where to gather more information but also goes a bit more in detail about what is going on in the life of Dr. John Dee. At the end of the book there is a "biographical guide." This part of the book is not only interesting but also invaluable. It lists all the major characters that were involved in John Dee's diaries and shows when they were born, died, and gives a brief description of the person. The only thing that kept me from giving this book five stars was the author's attitude towards Edward Kelly. Edward Fenton often portrays Kelly as a trickster (which he may very well have been) but seems to add his opinion at the wrong times when there appears to be no real evidence suggesting his opinion. Other than that one minor flaw I recommend this book to the student, teacher, casual reader, philosopher, & even to the mage. It has made a great addition to my library & again I highly recommend this book.



2. The very good working book to work with spirits. Recomendet