No comments about Who's Who in Roman Britain and Anglo-Saxon England (Who's Who in British History).

1 comments about The Fast Set: Three Extraordinary Men and Their Race for the Land Speed Record.

1. Really interesting and well conceived book, written in an easy-to-read style ... but I found myself putting the book down and firing up the internet to see an image of what he was talking about ... time after time ... e.g. racetracks, cars etc
   I know its not meant to be an encyclopaedia but it needs more photos and illustrations - then it would be a lot better and get the "4" it probably deserves.
   Don't read it in bed, you'll drive yourself nuts getting up to go to your computer to find photos of what you're reading about. Read it at your desk, preferably next to your computer ... and you will enjoy it.

3 comments about Daniel O'Donnell: My Story.

1. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have been a fan of Daniel O'Donnell for a long time and it was enjoyable reading his life story. This book is worth reading if you are a fan of Daniel O'Donnell.



2. Received book on time. I enjoyed it. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in Daniel.



3. Book was in very good condition and was very enjoyable to read. I looked everywhere for this book but could only find it on Amazon. Thank You!

1 comments about The Amazing Career of Bernadotte 1763 to 1844.

1. From rebellious soldier to Scandinavian monarch, the life of Jean Baptiste Bernadotte is a remarkable piece of military history. I highly recommend reading this book.

5 comments about Queen Mary.

1. Once in awhile I can judge a book by its cover-I have now owned a copy for 11 years and I also re-read it once a year or so. Mr Pope-Hennessey does a brilliant job bringing a huge cast of charachters to life, and Queen Mary herself is a fascinating study in early 20th century womanhood. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading about women in the royal family. All the elements are there, in great detail-but don't expect dirt digging. But you will not be dissappointed!



2. While it's not the fashion these days for biographers to betray afffection for their subjects, James Pope-Hennessy clearly held his in the highest regard. Although born into the fringes of Germano-British royalty, the one-time May of Teck was, by the end of her long life, an icon of British life (she pops up in the oddest places, from a cameo as a waving hand in Virginia Woolf's "Mrs. Dalloway" to a recent BBC film in which she is portrayed by Miranda Richardson as the mother of what we would now call a "differently abled" child).
   
   Pope-Hennessy's biography is at once a respectful portrait of the Queen and a fascinating glimpse into royal life between the Crimean and Second World Wars. It bristles with colorful supporting characters, from the spiteful Lady Geraldine Somerset (whose fly-on-the-wall perspective as a lady-in-waiting gave ample room for her spleen) to the Queen's doting aunt, the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg Strelitz, to the exceedingly patient Duke and Duchess of Beaufort, who had the dubious honor of hosting the elderly queen during her wartime evacuation from London. Presiding over them all is the vast and benevolent Princess Mary Adelaide, the Queen's mother and a memorable figure in her own right. The author bids farewell to the Princess in a lyric passage that would seem at home in Woolf and that, as a teenager first reading the book, made me weep.
   
   With lengthy excerpts from letters and other primary sources, unfailingly acute and frequently amusing observations of the foibles of royalty and those around them, and, in the end, a remarkably balanced view of the Queen, this book is both a model of how an authorized biography can be written and an invaluable resource for those interested not just in the life of one woman but in the times in which she lived.



3. Before I read this biography I had no interest in the Victorians, didn't think much of the Royal Family and thought all biographies were boring. This book changed all that. It was the story of a remarkable life, well told, and it covers an important period in history it was good to read- in fact, it deserves to rank as the best biography ever written, even though it's 47 years old!



4. After all the gleaming reviews of this book, and because of my interest in the Windsor Royal Family, I read this book with initial relish, and growing ill-ease. It is pure hagiography, the besotted official biographer writes well, and with great love of his subject, but there in no real study of the character of the woman, nor the impact on her of the abdication crisis; no sense of the Queen having the slightest character flaws, or any strong life experiences. What was her voice like: did she have a non-English accent; what about the anti-German sentiment in the country during WWI how did she deal with it? Nothing of this nature was discussed in any detail in this book. It is official court writing; and if you think that that tells you anything insightful or perceptive, then you might like this book. It was all right, but so much was left out that it could have been around 100 pages and could have told this same story. After reading it I feel I know very little about anything other than garden parties, trips to the Continent to visit a beloved aunt, and that the Queen was generally a nice but just moderately intelligent person. I am not looking for shocking details such as the euthanizing of her husband or how she treated her children, but some verisimilitude on real life issues would have been nice. This is evidence that court approved and appointed biographers don't tell very much of the story.



5. I have owned this book for nearly three decades and have read it several times, and each time is a joy. This book. by far, has to be one of the best "official" biographies of a monarch. When it first came out in 1959/1960 it was a bestseller on both sides of the pond as they say. Take a few hours with it and you will see why. You won't be disappointed!
   
   James Pope-Hennessy does a brilliant job of evoking the life and times of this dignified lady. This book was commissioned by Queen Elizabeth II so therefore Mr. Pope-Hennessy had access to all the royal files as well as to the people that knew Queen Mary best. While the book is exhaustive it is by no means dull as the author is a fine writer and knows how to spin a tale. The reader will be enchanted by stories of the young princess growing up as well as inspired by her stalwart devotion as consort during some of the most tumultuous times in England's history. I defy any reader not feel the proverbial lump in their throat when near the end of her life, Queen Mary, aged and infirm, stands at attention as her son's (George VI) coffin passes the palace and utters the phrase, "There he goes," as tears roll down her cheek.
   
   From Mary herself, to her entertaining mother The Duchess of Teck, to the tragic Prince Eddy, to King George V and finally King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Mary's circle comes to life through anecdote after anecdote. The author also has a fine feel for the eras that surrouded Queen Mary: Victorian, Edwardian, WWI and WWII and into the modern age.
   
   Some people have referred to this book as hagiography--a word I detest. It is ironic that what was once considered a brilliant work is today thought of in such light. Actually QUEEN MARY is biography the way biography used to be and still should be. Today there is to much emphasis on the inner thoughts of the subject (if an author does that then doesn't the nook become fiction) to all the salacious details that can be unearthed. I have often wondered why people write about someone just to tear them down.
   
   While Pope-Hennessy does a great job unravelling the life of George V's consort he doesn't resort to any kind of analysis of the woman, which would have been impossible as he did not know her. Therefore the reader is treated to a great story without all that armchair psychology that often bogs down royal biographies today. Sadly, this seems to have become the vogue in this genre in the late 1990s when all those books were written about the late Princess Diana of Wales and members of the House of Windsor.
   
   QUEEN MARY is the chronicle of a remarkable woman and remarkable times that is told with respect and objectivity. The fact that it is still in print says alot about the book itself. If you love history and royalty, and want to read a great biography as the genre should be written, sit down and have a cup of tea with QUEEN MARY, you'll be glad you did.
   ----Michael J. Powazinik

4 comments about Enough to Make a Cat Laugh.

1. Here in Australia people love their cats. They care for them. Most have them desexed. Take em to the vet if they are sick, etc, but i find that those who have a real relationship with them are very few. Deric has the ability to bridge the gap between human and animal, to see the personality under the fur coat.

   Working in an animal shelter and adopting out hundreds of cats and thousands of kittens, I applaud the men who mostly chose adult cats for their character, sadly most women wanted kittens and went for looks.

   Our eight cats came to us at various ages, one lived with for eight years arriving at age 17. Each had unforgettable and unique personalities and enriched the lives of the humans and other animals in this household. How incredibly lucky we were that they all lived very long healthy lives and that they left a legacy of laughter, companionship and sweet, sweet memories.

   After reading listening to 'Enough to Make a Cat Laugh' whilst on the net. I immediately told everyone i knew and blasted the internet Pets/Cats/Animal/Welfare groups to tell them of this fabulous book, as most books about cats are purrile and banal in the extreme. Well done, Deric, I think you are a brilliant humourist and eagerly await more thoughtful and inciteful work from your pen.

   I am very cheesed off that the ABC here hasnt shown your play with Thora Hird and I intend to plague them with requests. The local library has your books and they are harder to get hold of than hens teeth and i have complained loudly for more copies.

   I adored your cameos of people and am still laughing at the indian gentleman with the pen.

   How marvelous it was to find a book that presented our beloved cats as they are, warts and all.

   With sincere best wishes to you, your wife and family and any cat lucky enough to be owned by you.

   Lori Holland




2. This is an ABSOLUTELY delightful book to listen to! Mr. Longden's ability to give voices and personalities to animals, and especially inanimate objects is a remarkable gift. His accent is charming and the voices he gives his cats and their pets - a wire brush, a walnut [an especially ugly one] and a sultana, will have you giggling down the highway. While listening to this I went straight to see if he had any other books on tape, but sadly, he does not. I do hope he's working on another one. This would be a wonderful gift for a cat lover or anyone who enjoys a clever turn of phrase. His writing is excellent! This was one of the best books I have ever listened to - and I listen to lots! Absolutely worth the price!



3. I do love Longden's writing. He can handle tragedy (I'm thinking here of a couple of his other books) and high humor (or should I say humour) equally effectively. And, he certainly does know his cats. The scene with the gentleman and the pen just cracks me up every time I've read it--obviously more than once. If you like British style humour and cats you'll love this book.



4. Loved revisiting Thermal and the other cats of Deric Longden. As good as 'The Cat That Came In From The Cold.'

No comments about Growing Up in England: The Experience of Childhood 1600-1914.

2 comments about James II (The English Monarchs Series).

1. James II has been vilified as representing monarchical absolutism and militant Catholicism almost since the 1688 revolution. How such a tyrant could have been
   Removed from power by a bloodless coup (in England at any rate) sits somewhat uneasily with the accepted wisdom. Miller paints a more complex picture of James eventful early life - escaping from Cromwell, shadowing his elder brother around Europe. He gives a fair account of James prowess as a naval commander and his organisational and administrative skills in the later years of the reign Charles II.
   James was torn between his complete loyalty to Charles and his conversion to Catholicism in the 1680's, Charles also showed both exasperation and loyalty towards his rather awkward brother - preferring Monmouth, his natural (though not legitimate) son, but insisting that James be his successor, despite increasingly virulent opposition.
   James came to view the fact of his succession - despite many travails, false alarms in terms of Charles producing a legitimate heir, and almost hysterical Whig opposition - as a sign of divine favour. Miller also points out that , for most of his reign James accepted that William of Orange - a Protestant married to his Protestant daughter, Mary - would be his successor. This gave impetus to James to improve the plight of his co-religionists and explains his haste to do so. However Parliamentary opposition to an Act of Toleration led James both to use his power to dispense with Parliamentary acts for particular individuals and to attempt to shape Parliamentary support for his proposals. Both acts were interpreted (after the Revolution) as proof of his authoritarianism. His need for a standing army became an even great cause for concern as he began to nominate more Catholic officers. In actual fact Miller shows James as acting in the tradition of the later years of Charles' rule - attempting to influence the selection and election of loyal parliamentarians, and Miller argues that James' view on legislation, dispensing and suspending powers were at least legally arguable. James did overstep the mark by attempting to populate the judiciary with loyalists (or toadies).
   Miller's view however is that having succeeded in getting the most loyal parliament in 1685, James failed to recognize the limits of his parliamentary support.
   Having failed to win parliament to toleration, he believed he could again reshape parliament to elect people more amenable to toleration. In this he was, to say the least, poorly advised; and this effort, combined with its consequent attack on the Church of England, led to the fall off in support which led to the invitation to William of Orange to come and help sort out the situation.
   Once William landed - undeterred by French threats, the English Navy and Winter weather - James' belief in Providence seems to have collapsed and he viewed the subsequent desertions by his family and officers as a Divine punishment for past sins.
   His subsequent years seemed almost to embrace the failure to regain his position and he was viewed by Louis XIV as a figure of sympathy and pity.
   Millers scholarship and use of direct contemporary sources is most comprehensive, his judgements of James are clear, direct and credible. This is a book to be cherished.



2. The life of James II is extremely intriguing: flight from England early in life, prowess as a miltary commander, conversion to Catholism, and eventual ouster in favor of William III and James' protestant daughters. Sadly, this biography does not cover in detail any of these fascinating events. Rather, Miller's focus is solely on the relationships between James, his brother, his chief advisors, Parliament, and Louis XIV. A reader unfamiliar with the political climate of the later 17th century will have difficulty enjoying this book.
   
   In my opinion, the political intrigues (clearly important in understanding James II) could have been interwoven with a personal study of James to produce a more compelling, and well rounded, biography of a largely unknown monarch.

5 comments about Discoveries: Lewis Carroll in Wonderland (Discoveries (Abrams)).

1. This tidy, colorful book presents an evenly balanced look at the life and times of Lewis Carroll. The reproductions of rare photos are outstanding, and are cause enough to buy the book on it's own. The text aviods the loathesome practice of trying to find deep symbolism and imagery in Carroll's works, but rather focuses on them with a pleasant reverence.



2. This book provides a well written description of the conditions and environment that led to the writing of the Alice books. The reader is immersed in Victorian culture both verbally and visually. The profusely illustrated book is a joy to read and informative as well. It fills the niche between biography and textual analysis.

   Joel Birenbaum, president of the Lewis Carroll Society of North America




3. A small in size book, being about 5 x 6. It is printed on glossy paper with many photographs. It is an exceptional buy for the amount of money tendered. If you read anything by Mr. Carroll you have to have this book too. Mr. Carroll's work is a must for anyone writing anything. The simple truth is his writing means nothing as far as plot, but his style is brilliant.

   Is there anyone out there that knows what the name of the writing style used by Mr. Carroll. For instance his characters are telling a story to someone small Mr. Carroll aims his text at a small animal. The small animal answers back in small type. When someone is running and talking, there are long drawn out sentences.




4. I hardly ever buy nonfiction but seeing this at Borders I knew I had to have it. Lewis Carrol is one of the greatest writers of the nineteenth century, surpassing even Tolstoy,Dostoevsky,and Dickens. I have a complete collection of all of his works and enjoy them all(except for the math puzzles, math has never been my strongest point.) If you are a fan of Lewis Carroll then this is the book for you. Gorgous illustrations and photographs, an interesting and informative text, this is a wonderful little book to own. It is also informative if you are interested in Victorian England such as Iam (probably due to my Lewis Carroll fixation) There are also examples of Lewis Carrolls photography and pictures of the Liddle children. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the world of Alice and who is obsessed with Mr. Dodgson's books.



5. I mention the 'train book' aspect because this book is just the size to tuck into a handbag. As one who loves Lewis Carroll's works, and has studied Victorian England in depth, I found this work to be a surprisingly rich, delightful treatment of Lewis Carroll's life and work.
   
   It is not an in-depth study of all aspects of his life, and, somehow, I found it most refreshing that, unlike some books which are, there were no diversions into Freudian speculation or treatments of bizarre theories about Dodgson's ways. Instead, the reader is treated to a fairly thorough survey of biographical information and essentials of Lewis Carroll's writings.
   
   The illustrations are exceptionally extensive, including many photographs (of or by Carroll), varied illustrations from editions of "Alice," and, as far as textual illustrations are concerned, excerpts from Dodgson's private correspondence and diaries. One comes to the end of the book with a sense of having covered an amazingly large scope. For example, other authors have mentioned (without showing) the supposedly notorious nude photographs of children which Dodgson prepared. This book not only includes the pictures (which tend to the cherubic, with no flavour of the erotic), but places them into the Victorian cultural perspective with taste and dignity.
   
   The author's style is superb - with a blend of beautiful language, concise but thorough treatment of the material, and impressive dignity. There is none of the excesses common in many books on Lewis Carroll, where rash speculation and prurient "let's pander to the 21st century love for 'dirt'" ruin the essentials of the story. Lewis Carroll is presented in all his brilliance, humour, and eccentricity. The classic works, with all of their fancy, wit, and wonder, are not ruined by excessive analysis or so filled with 'dark' speculation that one forgets what every child can see: they are delightful diversions.
   
   Pair this book with an annotated edition of Lewis Carroll's works, and you will have the perfect gift for anyone who has ever loved "Alice" and her creator. And creator indeed Carroll was, for, as this book shows well, the Alice of fiction was hardly a model of Alice Liddell. The author speaks in some detail of the relationship of the "real" Alice and Charles Dodgson, with no tired attempts to confuse them with the book's contents. As well, the references to other Victorian literature and art places Carroll's work, and the friendship with the Liddell family, in an enlightening perspective for the contomporary reader.
   
   Witty, insightful, and extensively detailed for a pocket book, I would highly recommend this work for anyone who already loves Lewis Carroll or would like a further acquaintance.

1 comments about Miscarriage of Justice: An Irish Family's Story of Wrongful Conviction As Ira Terrorists.

1. Having read Gerry Conlon's Proved Innocent, I was very interested in the story of the Maguire family and their perspective on what happened to them. Annie Maguire does a very dignified job. It is amazing that even though it was such a traumatic experience for her whole family, she is able to relate stories and situations that really bring a smile to your face. She tells it like it is but retains her sense of humour.
   
   The book is a very easy read and one that you will not want to put down. I highly recommend this book.