2 comments about Edward the Elder, 899 - 924.

1. Edward the Elder is perhaps the most neglected of the Anglo-Saxon kings. Overshadowed by both his father Alfred and his successor Æthelstan, he did much on his own to expand the domination of Wessex across all of England.

   This book is a series of papers presented in 1999 at a conference on Edward the Elder held at the Manchester Centre for Anglo-Saxon Studies. Twenty-two papers by some of the most noted experts in their fields explore the archaeology, charter evidence, textiles, dynastic marriages, coinage, foreign relations, scriptorium production, and more of Edward the Elder's reign.

   Of particular interest is the consideration of Edward's activities as king. Was he merely continuing his father Alfred the Great's program of recovering the Danelaw, fortifying the burhs, and incorporating Mercia into a comprehensive "Kingdom of the English"? Or did Edward follow his own policies in light of the opportunities he faced?

   An outstanding multi-disciplinary insight into this much overlooked Anglo-Saxon king's rule.




2. King Edward the Elder (871-924) was the son and greatly overshadowed heir of Alfred the Great. This series of essays attempts to remedy the the absence of published research and prove that he "arguably did as much as any other individual to construct a singly, south-centered, Anglo-Saxon Kingdom." However, the amount of evidence from his reign is almost negligible in comparison to his famous father. And sadly, he is ignored by the Frankish chronicles (who wrote key sources on Alfred's reign) and many other non-English writers as well nor was he praised by his contemporaries.
   
   This essay set contains essays from very respectable historians on this period who explore Archaeological evidence, written sources, coinage, etc for Edward's reign. The essays are arranged in a chronological manner with strategically placed essays that deal with more broad overviews before delving deeper into the facets of his reign. For example the essay 'Edward, king of the Anglo-Saxons' is followed by 'The Coinage of Edward the Elder.' This also has frequent charts, pictures, maps, photographs, and lists that assist the reader and make the read much more interesting. One of the great benefits of having a collection of essays is the ease in ignoring some that deal with an element of history that you might not be interested in and simply move on. Likewise, some essays have extreme detail that may interest someone who actually wants to see how the historians conclusions have been reached. A must buy for anyone truly interested in Anglo-Saxon England. Another great asset are the topics that a single historian writing a book might ignore such as textiles, crafts, and coins. This is a much needed multi-disciplinary resource for a sadly maligned and neglected king who greatly extended the bounds of his empire.
   
   List of essays:
   Edward the Elder's Reputation: an introduction - Nick Higham
   What is not known about the reign of Eddward the Elder - James Campbell
   Edward as Aetheling - Barbara Yorke
   Edward, king of the Anglo-Saxons - Simon Keynes
   The Coinage of Edward the Elder - Stewart Lyon
   The West Saxon Tradition of dynastic marriage: with special reference to Edward the Elder - Sheila Sharp
   View from the West: an Irish Perspective on West Saxon dynastic practice
   Cloucester and the New Minister of St Oswald
   Aelfwynn, second lady of the Mercians - Maggie Bailey
   Edward the Elder's Danelaw - Lesley Abrams
   The Shiring of Mercia - again - David Hill
   Edward the Elder and the re-establishment of Chester - Simon Ward
   The Nort-West frontier - David Griffiths
   A kingdom too far: York in the early tenth century - Richard Hall
   The (non) submission of the northern kings in 920 - Michael R. Davidson
   The Northern Hoards: from Cuerdale to Bosall/Flaxton - James Graham-Campbell
   Edward the Elder and the churches of Winchester and Wessex - Alexander R. Rumble
   Dynastic monasteries and family cults: Edward the Elder's sainted kindred
   On pa waepnedhealf: kingship and royal property from Aethelwulf to Edward the Elder - Patrick Wormald
   The Junius Psalter gloss: tradition and innovation - Mechthild Gretsch
   The Embroideries from the tomb of St Cuthbert - Elizabeth Coatsworth
   Endpiece - Nick Higham

No comments about The Zeal of the Convert: The Life of Erskin Childers.

No comments about The Exiled Collector.

No comments about Maurice Davin (1842-1927): First President of the Gaa.

No comments about Lord Bute: Essays in Reinterpretation.

2 comments about Amedeo: The True Story of an Italian's War in Abyssinia.

1. This book is a fun read for anyone interested in the colonial history of Africa, and of Eritrea in particular. It suffers somewhat in comparison to other works of pop history about the region, such as Anthony Mockler's Haile Selassie's War, the most glaring shortcoming being a lack of important details, such as dates. The reader is likely to come away with the feeling that the subject, Amedeo Guillet, is worthy of a better effort. That having been said, I still recommend the book. It's a ripping good tale about a fascinating character.



2. This is a truly excellent book for military and non military readers alike. As a love story, its gripping, poignant and emotional. As a war tale, its a 'must read', an account of a truly brave and rambunctious war hero. As history, its also a wonderful, acessible and mature rendering of Italy's tragic involvement in Colonialism, Fascism, and the demise of her Noble families who fought for Italy - and suffered the consequences of Musollini's ill-concieved marriage with Nazi Germany. Pertinent to today's American adventures in Iraq, the hero of the story both fights against and later himself employs the kind of irregular desert warfare that the US Forces now are confronted with in Iraq. A great book.

5 comments about The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Perfect Resume, Second Edition (2nd Edition).

1. before I bought this book I had a resume that I had 10% confidence in. Now in 24 short hours I have created a document that I have 110% confidence in. This book is a must have for anyone who wants to improve their resume without paying a professional to do it. Great as a graduation gift. Filled in the gaps where the educational system fell short.



2. On the cover of the book it says, "the only resume book you'll ever need". I found that to be very true. I went to an employment resource centre and took a look at more than 15 'expert' resume books, most were garbage, and then i found Susan Ireland's book. I still find the title of her book, "the complete idiot's guide..." insulting. However, don't let the title discourage you. this book does an excellent job for people going through a career change (myself). I have written many resumes and found this book taught me new tricks, boosted my confidence, and best of all showed me how to write a successful resume. Excellent for both expert and novice resume writters. I rated this book 4 stars because of the terrible Cover Letter section.
   For example, p.186 from book:

   "... Dear Mr. Foremost,
   Do you believe in fate? I didn't until I opened the Sheridan Bee this morning and saw your ad for Job Placement Officer....."

   or this clever one:

   ".... Dear Mr. Callahan,
   Research shows that women have a greater sensitivity to color than men. for that reason, I propose that I create a marketing program for Household Paints that targets women....let's talk in person about your new 'Colors for Women' program. I'II call you in a few days to arrange an appointment..."

   Those are some of the weakest examples of cover letters i have ever read. Completely unacceptable in my opionion. My advice, check out the book for the resume section only.




3. Yes this book may be good in showing you how to write a resume and I used it to reformat my resume. But like everything else in this world, results obtained is the ultimate judge. I sent about 50 resumes using the format/s suggested in this book and it did not bring me a single interview. I am fully qualified for the positions I applied for yet could not land an interview! My own style of resume ( 2.5 pages) got me the job I was seeking. Enough said.



4. I believe you need more than one resume book these days in order to get a feel for the various styles available to you. With that in mind, the "The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Perfect Resume" is an interesting and valuable asset.
   
   I have usually relied on "The Damn Good Resume Guide" in various editions and had pretty good luck. Still, the Idiot's Guide had some styles that I hadn't really seen before. For example, they have resumes for individuals with specialty degrees and experience and for those who have been high achievers in their field.
   
   Two big caveats, however.
   
   The Idiot's Guide doesn't seem to be organized in a logical way. It feels like it jumps around from topic to topic instead of just concentrating on illustrating various resume styles and approaches. Perhaps that's just the Idiot Guide format and they're just trying to present as much as possible about how to write a resume. In any case, experienced resume writers will likely find this frustrating if they're mostly just looking for fresh ideas.
   
   The second issue I have with this guide is the cover letters section. Here's one example they give for a first paragraph: "Do you believe in fate? I didn't until I opened the Sheridan Bee this morning and saw your ad for Job Placement Officer. It sounded like the job I've been searching for."
   
   Maybe this is just personal style issue, but I've been on the hiring end myself and read a few cover letters. If I saw a letter with that paragraph I'd probably question the job candidate's professionalism. It just comes off as overly eager with a touch of inexperience. Granted, this is just one letter in the book. Still, I found the cover letter section to be one of the weakest chapters and not all that helpful.
   
   The Idiot's Guide would probably help a lot of people in creating a better resume. I recommend it as an addition to one's collection of books on the topic. However, I would not recommend it to anyone as a sole primary source of information.



5. This is a good source for the visual learner who needs to see other resume formats and structures.

No comments about George VI: A New Biography.

No comments about Lord Grey 1764-1845 (History).

No comments about Michael Collins: A Life in Pictures.