2 comments about Charles II: The Last Rally.

1. I've read several biographies of Charles II, the best of them Antonia Fraser's, with Stephen Coote's more recent Royal Survivor much less so. Almost all treat their subject as intelligent, but lazy, at best, feckless and disloyal at worst. Belloc takes the unique view that Charles had a strong and well developed set of principles that were reasonably adapted to a free and just society, but which were irreconcilable with the nouveau riche elements of his economy. This treatment was quite reasonable and fairly convincing, but most of all made good reading. As with much of Belloc's work, there is a strong institutional Roman Catholic orientation. Belloc does downplay the licentiousness of the Restoration Court in general and its monarch in particular, but those details can be readily found elsewhere.



2. Hilaire Belloc is truly without peer as a historian. His works are beautiful and riveting. One has the feeling in reading Belloc of having a long and deep conversation with an old and extremely wise friend. The mood of the discourse is intoxicating, and we don't want the interlude to end. But end it does, the good news being we can always find more of this prolific and insightful author to peruse.
   
   In Charles II, Belloc tells the story of the restoration of the Stuart monarchy after the Cromwellian "Commonwealth". We heartily recommend reading Belloc's "Cromwell" first and then this excellent work. Simply by reading the last chapter of each respective work, the reader will grasp firmly one of the great truths that Belloc imparts, what it is to die in an unrepentent state, that of Cromwell, and what it is to leave this Earth, being reconciled in the Eucharist, as Charles II finally was. The story of the good English Priest who both introduced Charles to the Catholic faith, once saved his life, and finally gave his last rites, is far more powerful than any dramatic fiction I have ever read. His brother James, later to be James II of England, perfectly sums up this scene in saying,
   
   "The man who saved your life has come to save your soul."
   
   This is wonderful. Read it. And be richly blessed.

3 comments about War Of The Windsors.

1. Brilliantly and painstakingly researched, entertainingly and well written (there is an attempt to weigh up various arguments, rather than being biased towards one...), with very relevant and timely comment regarding this family.
   
   My only critisisms are:
   1. The choice of front cover/main title on this book (somewhat tabloid) marks it as being written by a journalist. Nevertheless, there are other authors involved here (including 2 historians - one specialising in intelligence, the other - military history), that bring a level of seriousness and meticulousness with them, beyond which is conveyed adequately by the (front) cover.
   2. The lack of an index. Sources and references are thankfully provided, however as a work of research this book also needs an index.



2. To anyone with an elementary knowledge of British history, this is a disgraceful book, filled with errors. It is an exercise in phoney mock-scholarship - for example the authors quote "sources" which on investigation have no more authority than they do. Other sources are conveniently not named, with authors falling back on the trick "some say," or "it has been alleged by some that ..." You get the idea? Treatment of well-known historical events such as the outbreak of world War II are simply ignorant.
   
   Since the royal family don't sue for defamation, you can print any falsehoods you like about them. Maybe they should start suing, as this might clean up the tidal wave of garbage written about them a bit.
   
   Facts are plain false or distorted. Allegations are made for which there is no real evidence and which cannot possibly be proven. The book so fails to deliver the information it promises - it delivers nothing but rumor, gossip, innunedo and conspiracy theories - that it should seriously be reported to ther consumer protection authorities as an exercise in taking money under false pretenses.



3. It is easy for the previous reviewer to complain about hearsay, innuendo and conspiracy theories, but it is also going to be difficult to satisfy everyone while you shed a different light on the pre-packaged sanitized mainstream version of Twentieth Century history.
   
   Some speculation is indeed included, but where it occurs the author clearly presents it as such. On the other hand however, she also raises a lot of questions that have never properly been dealt with. These include the real reasons behind Edward VIII's abdication, the absence of the Duke of Kent from popular history, the Profumo cover-up, the Blunt cover-up, the real life of Louis Mountbatten and much, much more.
   
   The style is honest and definitely not sensationalist while it offers convincing arguments for many historic anomalies. Why, for example, is the last Royal to die on active service never honoured on Armistice Day? Why did 'Sir' Anthony Blunt keep his title and honours while remaining in the Queen's employment after being unmasked as a Soviet spy? Why was Mountbatten assassinated when he had been the most leftist of all the Royals? Many more are dealt with.
   
   This book is highly recommended for all those who believe that they are not being fed the full picture on the Six 'o Clock news...

5 comments about PRINCESS A TRUE STORY OF LIFE BEHIND THE VEIL IN SAUDI ARABIA.

1. I read Princess the first time many years ago and was very intriged by it. It also made me look into Islam and I can say today I am a Muslim. I read the book again recently and did not find it as good. What must be said is that a lot of horrible things that happened in that book were culture and *not* Islam. (I will also say that Saudi is not a good example of a Islamic country.)
   
   Other than that issue I think it's a good read. Just don't read too much into it. If you really want to get a look into life in Saudi there are Saudi feminist bloggers on the net. That would give you a better view than this book.



2. I read this when I was high school and was shocked and appalled at how those poor Middle Eastern women live. Now grown, I have Middle Eastern female friends who laugh their head off at this book. Perhaps some of the incidents that are related happened, but I highly doubt they happened to the same person. It's like if someone from Saudi Arabia came here and wrote a book, "Senator's Daughter" or something. The girl was sexually abused starting at age 3, starved by her mother so she wouldn't get fat, pressured into sexually servicing the football team. The father has affairs with both women and men, is a pedophile, and likes to torture cats. The mother is a beaten-down woman who undergoes dozens of plastic surgery procedures and ends up locked in an insane asylum. Have these incidents, separately, happened to American females? Yes. Are they representative of American women, or senator's daughters? Nope. I suspect Jean Sasson did something similar, and it completely destroys any argument she was trying to make! A fun read, but don't take it as gospel.



3. I read this book without regard to ethnicity or political belief. I read it as a woman -- as a human being who suffered at the thought of what other women are enduring in the name of "religion" or "culture."
   
   There is no explanation possible to make this palatable to anyone with a conscience. To let it pass without mention is an abomination, akin to denying the Holocaust. There is no justification possible in the eyes of God.
   
   To the perpetrators of this inhumanity to women, I can only promise you that God is watching. Any other comment on these perpetrators is superfluous.



4. I first read this book when I was 16, and I loved it. It is a work of non-fiction, and based on a true story of a Saudi Arabian princess and her family. She opens up about the injustices the women of Saudi suffer (sexism, FGM, favoritism, not having a say in one's marriage, how society turns a blind eye to abusive husbands, and how she supports a woman's right to freedom.) It is an empowering read, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
   
   It also has 2 sequels, "Daughters of Arabia" and "Desert Royal" which are equally stirring and totally worth the buy if you like "Princess". The sequels are tough to find at a library, though.



5. The author relates the story of Sultana, a Princess of Saudi Arabia, from childhood to adulthood. We see Sultana's life of unimaginable luxury with palaces, servants, and jewels but, alas, being a female she is a prisoner in her home, subject to the iron will of her father and brother.
   
   This is a good story, but I took it as a fictional story. I never once believed that Sultana was real and that she told these stories. I know the cruelties described in the book exist, but I think "Sultana" is a combination of many nameless Saudi women. Had the author not tried to present this as a memoir but just factually reported the officially-sanctioned abominations that women endure there, I would have liked it better. She tried to manipulate me into feeling pity for the poor little rich girl with tedious and amateurish fiction. None of it rang true.
   
   The author lived in Saudi Arabia for ten years; I would have rather read an account of her experiences than this phony-sounding autobiography. It's right to expose these injustices but the truth is enough; there's no need to embellish it with trumped-up characters.
   
   For a moving and much better-written story of women behind the veil, I recommend A Thousand Splendid Suns.

No comments about Henry Viii/the Politics of Tyranny.

No comments about A Queen Of Napoleon's Court: The Life Story Of Desiree Bernadotte.

5 comments about Tutankhamen: The Life and Death of the Boy-King.

1. Christine El Mahdy's wonderful biography finally presents to the general public what really happened to King Tutankhamen (information that Egyptologists have probably known for years, but may have alluded the rest of us). She presents to us all the hard evidence so far uncovered by Archeologists (including the famous Howard Carter) and then makes inferences based on that evidence. By doing so, she allows the reader to examine the evidence along with her, and in the end she presents a clear chain of events based on that evidence that makes perfect and complete sense.
   
   Most of the book is actually devoted to what happened before King Tut came to power, mainly the interesting lives of the monarchs of the infamous Eighteenth Dynasty (such as Ankhetaten and Nefertiti). Before you ask yourself "what does this have to do with Tut?" it all comes together in the end. By doing so, El Mahdy sets the stage and political environment under which Tut came to power.
   
   After completing this book, you will feel satisfied knowing what happened (or what most likely happened) to the young king that has captured our imaginations since his tomb was discovered by Carter in 1922. In fact, you'll be surprised to learn that his tomb was pretty mediocre according Ancient Egypt standards, but is the most famous since it is the only Egyptian tomb to remain virtually intact through the modern age. My only complaint about this book is that it didn't have more pictures of the tomb and its contents. El Mahdy's descriptions made me want to see them for myself!



2. Very good book, thought-provoking and insightful. Comes to the same conclusion regarding Tutankhamen's death that the most recent MRI results reached. Also has a very good history of the Amarna period.



3. The author, Christine El Mahdy's wonderful biography finally presents to people of the world what King Tutankhamen was really about. She presents to readers all the evidence so far uncovered by archeologists and then makes inferences based on their findings. By doing so, she allows the reader to examine the evidence along with her, and in the end she presents a clear chain of events based on that evidence that makes perfect and complete sense. The book also covers what happened before King Tut came to power, mainly the interesting lives of the monarchs of the infamous Eighteenth Dynasty. All these events that El Mahdy describe come together in the end. By doing so, El Mahdy sets the stage and political environment under which Tut came to power. After completing this book, you will feel satisfied knowing what archeologists think must have happened to the young king that has captured the world's facination ever since his tomb was discovered in 1922. In fact, you'll be surprised to learn that his tomb was pretty mediocre according Ancient Egypt standards, but is the most famous since it is the only Egyptian tomb to remain virtually intact through the modern age. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the great mystery behind the Boy-King; Tutankhamen.



4. This book is part of a class I am taking so for me is a text book. It must be the first text book I've ever read entirely. It kept me engaged and when I had to stop, I just wished it was time to read again. I learned a lot about ancient Egypt and the discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb. All the theories of his life and death were very intriging and interesting. The book is written in a way that you are looking to read more...I finished it in 10 days or so. Christine El Mahdy's style is one that goes back and forth so when you think you are finally going find out something, she takes you back to analyze some supporting theory. Sometimes I felt I just wanted to know what had finally happened but I understand that this is the way of a writer to keep one engaged. I recommend this book to anyone interested in ancient Egypt and Tutankhamen. I think I am going to read it again!



5. El Mahdy's argumentation is detailed and meticulous. She presents the reader with an overview of the evidence in the form of the artifacts found in the tomb of Tutankhamen. She also outlines the `traditional' view of the Amarna period and proceeds to refute many of the traditional arguments using the evidence she has laid out. Her presentation of the so-called traditional view (Akhenaten as radical heretic, forced out of Thebes by the priests of Amun) is somewhat exaggerated and melodramatic, but it does provide a useful background for the presentation of her own views.
   
   Many of the arguments she puts forward are cogent and persuasive. Evidence is carefully analyzed to suggest that Akhenaten's beliefs were in some respects not as radical as they appear, that the reign of Tutankhamen saw a co-existence between Atenism and more traditional religion. The possible events surrounding the succession on Tutankhamen's death are also methodically reconstructed from the evidence available.
   
   Some of the major arguments in the book remain unconvincing, however. Akhenaten is supposed to have shifted the capital of Egypt to Akhetaten because he `wanted a place of his own'. After claiming that the priesthood of Amun could not have forced Akhenaten out of Thebes, whatever role they did play is left unexplored. El Mahdy rails against others who have speculated on the events of the Amarna period on the basis of mere shreds of evidence or have used modern concepts to interpret events in the past, but occasionally falls into the same trap herself. Her claims that Nefertiti was intent on establishing a female dynasty to succeed Akhenaten, that Akhenaten `lived for peace and brotherhood', that Ay and Horemheb made a power-sharing agreement on Tutankhamen's accession to the throne are largely speculation, but are presented as fact. This is unfortunate, as it tends to undermine the painstakingly thorough argumentation she presents in other areas.
   
   All in all, the book is a fascinating engagement with the evidence available for the period. I thoroughly recommend it.

No comments about The Queen & Us: The Second Elizabethan Age.

No comments about Isabel I, Reina de Inglaterra (Mujeres en la historia series).

No comments about Prince Phillip: His Secret Life.

No comments about The Letters of Elizabeth Barrett Browning Vol. 2 (Echo Library).