1 comments about The Double Life of Doctor Lopez.

1. From its Joycean opening to its meticulous and affable investigation of the life of Lopez, this book is simply gripping. It's rare to find a writer with so obvious a love of language and such a firm grip on the Elizabethan mileau. If this era is of the slightest interest to you, this book is an essential addition to any self-respecting library.

1 comments about Joseph Chamberlain: Entrepreneur in Politics.

1. British industrialists were never considered "parliamentary material" prior to Joseph Chamberlain's election to Parliament from Birmingham. His years as Mayor, town councillor, and school board trustee were marked by tremendous reforms of all aspects of Birmingham: the schools, the workplace, sanitation, the local economy & government, and the town infrastructure all benefited from his business know-how and political skill. He built what was in fact the first political machine, the National Liberal Federation, in British history, and which delivered first Gladstone than Salisbury the Prime Ministry. A master of coalition politics, Chamberlain was also a destructive force. He shattered the Conservative & Liberal Parties, and never achieved his dream of becoming Prime Minister. However, serious legislation addressing land reform, the introduction of social insurance, the extension of the franchise, the rights of labor, and industrial welfare, all bore his mark, and might have taken longer to bring about had it not been for him. Initially a Liberal, he split with Gladstone over Irish Home Rule, formed the Liberal Unionist party, and from then until his death supported the Conservatives. This biography is unsurpassed in it's detail and impartiality. All aspects of Chamberlain's life are addressed: his family history; his marriages; his religious views; his gradual conversion from Liberal to Conservative, all are given considerable detail without sacrificing the joy of reading. This is biography at its best!

No comments about A Bestiary (Irish Literature).

4 comments about My Life in the Irish Brigade: The Civil War Memoirs of Private William McCarter, 116th Pennsylvania Infantry.

1. The Civil War has always been of great interest to me. Consequently, when I find a book that tells of real-life experiences coming directly from the pen of the man who experienced the things he wrote about, I am automatically interested. Private McCarter wrote candidly of what he witnessed, felt and thought while in the Irish Brigade. His book is easy to understand and evokes vivid mental pictures of the scenes he describes. He seemed to be an educated, good-hearted man who, if he was alive today, I would love to meet.



2. William McCarter was a twenty-one year old Irish immigrant when he enlisted in the 116th Pennsylvania Infantry in August 1862. The unit soon became part of the Second Brigade, First Division, Second Corps, Army of the Potomac, better known as the fabled Irish Brigade and Carter's memoirs, "My Life in the Irish Brigade" has the distinction of being the first full-length memoir published by an enlisted man in the Irish Brigade. McCarter's account covers the brigade from the Seven Day's Battles in which it made its battlefield reputation, to its assault against the Bloody Lane at Antietam, to the charge up Marye's Heights at Fredericksburg where McCarter was gravely wounded and forced to leave the army. Because he was detailed as the personal scribe to General Thomas F. Meagher, commander of the Irish Brigade, McCarter was able to meet and judge the famous generals of the Union Army such as Ambrose Burnside and Winfield Scott Hancock. Kevin E. O'Brien, who has written widely on the Irish Brigade, edits the volume and in addition to his Endnotes he has included several interesting items in the Appendixes, such as the poem "The Irish Dead on Fredericksburg Heights" which was printed in the "Irish-American" in 1863. McCarter's recollections are quite engaging, and his description of the Brigade's actions at the fateful battle of Fredericksburg, where the vast majority of its 1,200 men were killed or wounded, is the best part of the book. If you have more than a passing familiarity with the history of the Irish Brigade, this is an excellent book to give you a unique and fascinating perspective on their glory days during the Civil War. It is also one of the better written memoirs, by enlisted man or general, you will find.



3. William McCarter's book is quite an interesting tale of his involvment as a private for the famous Irish Brigade. McCarter's vivid descriptions of soldier life, marching, camping, facing cold weather, hard living and the Battle of Fredericksburg was very well done. McCarter missed Antietam although his regiment did face the Confederates at the heights of Fredericksburg. McCarter tells such a facinating, informative, sad, happy, yet chilling story at times during his soldier career that it was hard to put this book down. His vivid story of Fredericksburg and how the brigade battled it out, how he was injured and how he escaped death while suffering upon the battlefield was certainly the best part of the book. I wish more soldier accounts were written as well as this one as this book is one of the better books I've read that tells a soldier's story. 5 STARS!



4. Doing research on the Irish Brigade for some writing, This book was just what I needed.

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

5 comments about 44: Dublin Made Me.

1. As if drawn by a gravitational pull, Irish yarns seem to center on the relationship of children with their mothers. In a break from this natural order, Peter Sheridan's memoir, 44 Dublin Made Me turns to the bond of a boy with his father for its compelling tale.

   Sheridan writes about his childhood with grace and ease. Readers are catapulted into his large Irish family in 1959 from the first sentence onward.

   Peter Sheridan is a good Irish boy who enjoys school and loves the hectic life Dublin offers. His best friend, Andy, hates school but loves traipsing around the city in search of fortune.

   The two boys influence each other in both good and bad ways - Andy gets involved with the church after a stint in reform school, and Peter learns to stand up for himself. In the end though, Andy remains the rogue and Peter the goody-two-shoes.

   A steady presence throughout the book is Peter's Da. The man has his own outhouse in the garage, preaches to his family like they are his disciples and relies on his wins at the horse races as a major means of income.

   Peter is his Da's helper and is ordered to do just about every imaginable task - from climbing up an ariel on the roof to fix the TV's reception to digging holes in the garage to fix water pressure.

   When Peter's brother, Frankie, falls ill, their Da finds himself unable to cope. Peter tries to fill in for his father and be someone for his mother to rely on. After his father regains his strength, he and Peter find their friendship stronger.

   Peter also runs errands all over the city and helps out with the tenants his parents have taken in.

   One of these boarders, Mossie, plays a crucial role in Peter's life. Mossie robs Peter of his innocence, terrifies and scars him so deeply that Peter withdraws inwardly. Unable to find comfort, Peter then seeks solace at the hands of the church.

   Illness and deaths make Peter grow up quickly and 44 Dublin Made Me documents his maturation. Andy gets a girl "in trouble" and quickly marries to take responsibility for the situation. As his world changes, Peter adapts.

   Sheridan's strength is that he writes his story, which could be sad, as hopeful and happy. Rather than just have stories from his childhood strung together as some memoirs do, 44 Dublin Made Me creates a touching story.




2. The story is about Peter growing up with his family in North Dublin and is set in the 1960's. The tightly knit family relations with his own family and those of his extended family of lodgers, which his parents took in to supplement his father's income, forms the backdrop to his story at 44 Seville Place.
   The pace of the book has the rhythm of the sixties. The short sentences beat out the rhythm of the sixties and keeps the tempo up-beat throughout the whole of the book. For those who have experienced Dublin in the sixties this book will take you back to that place and that time.
   The metaphorical pieces were very touching and masterfully executed. One example of this technique was when Peter tries to get to grips with his emotions concerning the possible loss of his brother Frankie before Frankie goes into surgery. A joy to read.
   Da is the Sun and all the minor planets revolve around him. Peter takes to his role as Mercury the messenger with great relish. There is a strong bond between father and son.
   I feel this story should not be compared to Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes. A one generation step into the future in Ireland can make a very big difference in how life is experienced.
   It was a very enjoyable read whereby the need to laugh out loud in places could not be silenced. However there were places in the book where the need to cry out loud could also not be silenced.



3. Happiness is in the eye of the individual..to me this was a tragic family life...a mother overburdened with a houseful of children and a self centered husband. All the sader for me to review since I'd read 47 Roses first and knew the father to be less than honest with family.



4. Peter Sheridan gives a brave and honest account of his formative years growing up in a working class Dublin family, reminiscent of Roddy Doyle's "Paddy Clark: Ha Ha Ha." It is a deeply felt book, full of the frustrations and joys of everyday family life. His parents, in particular, are beautifully renderred. At times, I found the choppiness of Sheridan's style a little jarring, and the final chapters seemed a little rushed, but on balance, I definitely enjoyed the book, and do not hesitate to recommend it.



5. When I bought 44: Dublin Made Me, it was primarily because my mother had been born on the same street, at No. 77, a generation before, in 1917. All I knew of the place was the stories she had told me of her childhood.
   
   As you might guess, I ended up loving the book for itself, and enjoying Sheridan's voice (I buy his other books as I find them). I fell madly in love with his entire family. However, my original purpose was satisfied anyway - Sheridan has painted a wonderful portrait of a place and a culture, which was what I'd been seeking all along.

5 comments about U2: Faraway So Close.

1. This book allows you to do what every U2 fan has always wanted to do: go on tour with U2. It is told through the eyes of someone who is doing just that, in a plain, day to day format. Although the arrangement is a bit random, it lets you peek into the offstage life of the band. The pictures alone are worth the price of the book.



2. A book about U2 with pictures included seemed to me a chance to find out more about U2 than I ever wanted to know. In some cases that was true, but I came away from this book wanting to know more! I wanted to scream, "Where are more pictures? Where are more stories?" B.P. Fallon gives us a glimpse of life on the road for U2,and after reading this book I wish that I could have seen it through his eyes. It is a quirky diary, however, and the time sequences change enough to drive you batty. You wil be page flipping back and forth. But the craziness was worth it. While the book uncovers U2 on tour, the pictures provide more mystery than ever about the world's greatest band.



3. I can't see why every U2 fan wouldn't have this in their collection. The pictures in this book are amazing. It is by far the best behind-the-scenes photo's collected in one book for U2, if not any band. If you love the band (especially the 'Zoo TV' period, in which this book thoroughly chronicles) then grab this book.



4. A warning: If you are looking for an easy-to-read book to enjoy on a nice afternoon or before bed, this is not for you. While the content of "U2 Faraway So Close" is nothing short of absolutely fascinating, the book's layout is highly stylized and can be visually assaulting and rather difficult to read.
   
   BUT...
   
   If you want fabulous pictures and fun, often hilarious, anecdotes about the greatest band in the world (U2...duh!), track down a copy of "U2 Faraway So Close" and snatch that puppy up as fast as you can!
   
   "U2 Faraway So Close" takes you on the Zoo TV tour with U2, as seen through the eyes and camera lens of B. P. Fallon (before he got kicked off the tour, but that's a story you can learn more about in "U2 at the End of the World" by Bill Flanagan). Fallon shows us the band in concert, partying, relaxing, with friends. He captures a couple of great shots of Adam in his famous skirt, as well as some faboo pictures of Bono's wife (she's gorgeous!), The Edge's Morleigh (she's gorgeous too!), and Adam's then-fiancee Naomi Campbell (no comment from me on her). All the photos are accompanied by entertaining, sometimes roll-on-the-floor-laughing hilarious, stories from the tour, offering some juicy tidbits for people who just can't get enough U2.
   
   While its format doesn't lend itself too well to bedtime reading, "U2 Faraway So Close" does make a great coffeetable book, gift or obsession-feeder for U2 lovers. Go snag a copy and enjoy!



5. what can i say? um...yes i am a U2 fan. U2 fans like glossy covered books with the "four lads from dublin" inside and on the cover...books that put them up on the rock n' roll pedestal (is that even how you spell it?). so...what i'm saying is...well YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING if yer a fan and to quote Bono (just cause i want to) "rock n' roll dooggie!!!"

2 comments about St. Margaret Queen of Scotland.

1. This book was first published in 1993, in time for the 900th anniversary celebrations of Margaret's death. Herein lies one of the major problems with this book as it accepts the official line of the organisers of the anniversary celebrations and does not seek to question some of the more mythical aspects of Margaret's life.

   The book is easy to read but unfortunately trots out the traditional stereotypes about Margaret's life without providing much analysis of the small yet available body of chronicle evidence. Many of the current debates, particularly those dealing with the true extent of her pious works as Queen of Scotland, are largely glossed over and sometimes the author seems to be caught up in the cult of personality that continues to surround Margaret.

   Wilson and Selby provide a useful starting point for those who want to know more about this elusive figure, however I would advise caution about accepting some of the myths about Margaret's family origins, birthplace and life which constitutes the proliferation of legends which are now being called into question by some notable academics.




2. Having read another reviewer's dismissive opinion of this book, I was prepared to be underwhelmed. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised by this book, although my previous understanding was admittedly based on pamphlets and short hagiographic summaries.
   
   I do think it is hilarious that the author proposes that King Malcolm's first wife, Ingibiorg, must have been an undocumented daughter of King Malcolm's dead rival Thorfinn of Orkney (who co-ruled Scotland with MacBeth), rather than exploring the possibility that she was the widow of his rival (and, if so, much older than Malcolm). The author doesn't speculate on what could have provoked Margaret to argue for such a sweeping change to marital customs (banning levirate and other 'inheritance' marriages) - cited as one of the five great works for which she deserved to be sainted. I think waiting two years for an elderly wife to die, or worse, nursing an aged first wife after marrying Malcolm, could have provided such passion. I admit, it could have been the then-almost commonplace practice of murdering relatives to obtain property through marriage to widows, without reference to any interesting factoids about Malcolm's first marriage.
   
   Unless you are thoroughly steeped in cutting edge research into Saint Margaret's life, I think you would find this an interesting and informative book.

No comments about Forged In War Churchill Roosevelt and The.

No comments about Queen Margaret of Scotland.