5 comments about Jane Boleyn: The True Story of the Infamous Lady Rochford.

1. Not only is this book poorly researched as history, but the sentences within it are poorly contructed too; some are so laughably bad as to merit entry in the Bullwer-Lytton competition. I agree with those other reviewers who tired of reading about where Jane might have been and what she could have known. What a lot of hooey!



2. I definately enjoyed this book. I read various reviews before checking it out of the library and I do see what some people said about it not being about Jane very much. There is a lot of information about Anne and George Boleyn and Katherine Howard. While I already knew the info. about Anne and George, I didn't know much about Katherine Howard which I found interesting. THe book reads like a novel which helped me get into the time period and stay focued. It's a great book about the Tudor monarchy and court from Anne's to Katherine Howard's reigns with Henry VIII. I think the title is misleading though since it's not exclusively about Jane and at times, her name is not mentioned for a while. But all in all an informative and good book



3. I was very skeptical about a book on a minor figure who has been largely a footnote in all the books on the Tudors that I have. I have many. I found this an engaging read. The author has woven a very lively picture of Tudor life for a highborn woman. Like Anne Boleyn and her brother and sister, no true portrait exists. Like Pharoah Akenaten, the next reign tried to obliterate the previous one and everything with it. Almost every portrait in the book of the courtier contemporaries of Henry VIII met their end at the hands of the King. Catherine Parr, Anne of Cleves being the exception. Truly thunder did roll round the throne.



4. There are countless historical personages about whom very little documentary evidence remains extant, and Jane Parker Boleyn is one of them. Julia Fox has attempted to piece together a biography of this woman, lady in waiting to 4 of Henry VIII's ill fated queens. As wife and widow to Anne Boleyn's brother, George, Lord Rochford, Jane was a firsthand witness to the madness that swirled around the court of England's most monomaniacal monarch. Fox portrays her not as the infamous, self-serving turncoat, but as a woman buffeted by the demands and restrictions placed upon Tudor women of her social class. Whenever I read about the women in Henry's court, I marvel that they could have been so blind to the likelihood, almost the certainty, that they would come to the same tragic end as their immediate predecessors. But it's impossible to place oneself in the shoes of another, especially after more than 400 years, and that's part of what makes Tudor history so fascinating. Was Jane a social climber? Undoubtedly. Julia Fox has done a service in depicting this ancillary courtier in the context of her available options, as far as they can be known.



5. Before I read this book, I'd heard it was more about Anne Boleyn than Jane Boleyn. After reading it, however, I don't think this is the case. Fox set out with a near impossible task...writing about a woman who lived in obscurity in an age where women, even noblewomen, were rarely considered worthy of paperwork. The sheer amount of research that went into discovering Jane's real story is astounding.
   
   Granted, a lot of the book is based on speculation, or perhaps educated guesses would be a better phrase. Since so little is known of Jane Parker's young life, though, Fox's extensive knowledge of what life was like for the average daughter of Tudor nobility gives a real insight into the way her ideals and character would have developed and, in turn, her life played out.
   
   I began this book with the faint hope that within its pages Lady Rochford's character would be redeemed. For so long she has been villified in both historical texts and fiction. I'm a big fan of both Tudor history and fiction, and I've always had a hard time believing anyone could be both as scheming and twisted as Jane was portrayed in the Anne Boleyn scandal, while also being as stupid and careless as she seemed in the Catherine Howard affair. Thanks to Fox's book, I feel the mystery of this ambiguity is clearly explained.
   
   I could break down Foxes theories on Lady Rochford's behavior, but instead I'll point out a few of the important points. First, there is her actual involvement, or lack therof, in the trial of the Boleyns accoring to records. Then there is an inspection of what Lady Rochford could expect to gain, or lose, from "betraying" her husband. Most touching, however, Fox examines a text translated by Jane Rochford's father and presented as a gift to King Henry after her execution...a text which alters from the original in a way that seems to subtly comment on his daughter's innocence.
   
   Perhaps this book isn't as precise as many one would expect from history but, all things considered, it does and excellent job of what it set out to do...vindicate Jane Rochford. Any true lover of Tudor history would be doing themself a great disservice by overlooking it.

5 comments about Memoirs of the Second World War (An Abridgement of the Six Volumes of the Second World War).

1. With so many books that have been written from the American viewpoint (and I was born in the good old USA), it was refreshing to get the British view, straight from the Lion's mouth. Yes, he does make himself a bit more of a hero then he needed to, and it is a bit slanted, but what memoirs aren't? In fact this makes me very sad that Stalin and Roosevelt never wrote one, it would be wonderful to have been able to compare the three memoirs.
   
   I really enjoyed his "proper" English tone and words. By the time I was done reading it, it almost made me wish I had read the full 4,000+ unabridged one. Perhaps one day I will find the time. A must read for anyone getting deep into WWII.



2. `Memoirs of the Second World War' by Winston Churchill
   
   This abridged (6 volumes) edition of Churchill's WWII memoirs is as important today as it was when penned. One is left with a true sense of the thoughts passing through the Prime Minister's mind which led to the extraordinary choices he was to decide through the bulk of the `40's. I've always felt the European perspective of the war years was under appreciated in America, when after all, these were the souls who dealt with the ravages of war at their front door.
   
   Churchill's beautiful prose and detailed account of all major Allied decision making is required reading for any history, and certainly any WWII aficionado. It probably should be for all American high school students, as well. Whether or not you agree with these opinions, I definitely think you'll find a passionate, wonderfully composed piece of history in this excellent abridgement from one of history's greatest intellects.



3. This book is one of the most comprehensive I've ever read.
   
   I have a huge quantity of books about Second World War, including biographies of important people who took part in it; I can ensure this one is always within easy reach of my hands.
   Of course, you must be conscious before reading this book that it's been written by an English leader who was responsible not only for his country but for lots more and the War itself. He wrote it, based upon his documents and remembrances of those hard days.
   I didn't read the six volume set that is his thorough and complete biography, however "Memoirs of the Second Word War" is a wide-ranging book, starting in the thirties and going through all periods of war, till some time post-war.
   
   If you have a deep knowledge of WWII, might see that some facts are missing.
   In this book he does not make any mention of allies who took little but important part during those tough days. For example, he just talk about the capture of Monte Cassino , in Italy, without making any mention of Monte Castelo and Montese which resulted in prison of one entire German Division (148º Infantry) in a hard fighting, by FEB (Brazilian Expeditionary Force). These details however, do not take his merits away. On the contrary, Sir Winston Churchill show us others things that we, mere mortals, would not imagine that could be happen at that time, such as how dubious, distrustful and cheek Stalin was!
   He also exposes his disagreements and discussions with American allies when they had different point of views in some issues, and shows himself as a human being and not as a superman.
   
   We must be aware that, as he has said, "It must be not supposed that I expect everybody to agree with what I say", so it is a book to explain his point of view of this important event and not to please someone. Of course, you do not have to get this book as unique reference for researches or studies but as an addition to them.
   
   "Memoirs of the Second War" is a masterpiece which must be read for everyone who enjoy and study WWII.



4. Since this book was updated, there are new facts have come out about the statistics of WWII and the roles the Allies and the Axis played in it.
   That's to be expected.
   It is one sided with Churchill at times believing in his absolute right and his problems getting his view across to the Americans and the Russians.
   At times he lays too much emphasis on the fact that Britain won the war with the "help" of the Allies. And at other times he states that without the Allies Britain would have been sunk.
   As confusing and horrible as that time was, reading another book about the American side would be also helpful as we had to fight the Japanese also and it was our POW's on the defensive there. It seems to downplay the effect the Japenese had on the war which was not trivial at all.
   
   Though he seems to describe the battle of Leyete and Midway fairly well.
   It's a good read, and it's interesting to see the other "side" of the war from a great man and you won't be sorry to read it.



5. I read this good book, here in Brazil.Among the World War II great leaders, only Churchill wrote a book about that war.
   About american eugenics , race and gender relations, there isn't a single word against or about, in this big book, with more than 1,000 pages.There's some maps inside.This book isn't only about World War II, but also about the war's roots and fruits, includind about Cold War.
   This book is very biased.The Churchill's mistakes in World War II, were enormous.About France's battle in 1940, seems that Churchill was in another planet then, not as England's leader then.Ever big Churchill's or England's failure, has almost nothing or no place at all, in this book.About war production and military weapons, there's almost nothing.
   Secrets about Colossus computer and the breaking of german Enigma code machine or "purle" japanese code,were war secrets and also had no place on this book.
   Even with so many bias and other failures, this book remains good and easy to read.

5 comments about Churchill on Leadership: Executive Success in the Face of Adversity.

1. This book is very well crafted. I especially like the section on "Churchill The Inventor And Innovator." Hayward's well researched book synthesizes so much of what was the essence of Churchill's leadership foundation (not just his style.)My sense is this book is best for the business (or govt) leader (or soon to be leader) eager to understand some of the less obvious leadership fundamentals of WSC's leadership evolution. By pulling from diverse references over time, Hayward displays a leadership trajectory, and perspective absent in so many leadership books. Also, great insights as to how WSC was able to get opposing constituencies to work together on a variety of issues. A great investment if your career has a leadership component to it!



2. Although Sir Winston's leadership skills manifested themselves in the military realm, his skills can easily be transferred to the business/ private sectors. The author used great examples and wonderful quotes to convey his message. His method of ending each chapter by focusing on the leadership skills discussed in the chapter was very helpful. I do not normally read this type of book, but I enjoyed it thoroughly and found some of the skills applicable even to me, a Management Analyst. Of course with the subject being Sir Winston, how can one go wrong.



3. I have been a manager for over 10 years, and have worked in different industries and different countries. And I gladly admit I still have a lot to learn concerning management. This book talks about concepts we know we should all be applying, such as learning from mistakes, responsibility and organization, attention to details as well as to a master plan, communication, etc. However understanding how Churchill put these concepts to work is fascinating. I did not know that much about Churchill in the first place, perhaps that is why I enjoyed the book so much. It is a nice change from CEOs' biographies. And yes, I am putting some of what I read to work, so it was worth my time and money !



4. I read this book without having known anything about Chruchill, as a lesson on leadership under stress. I learned a lot, but I also became very interested in the man. He is fasinating and very brave. I'm very gald I read this book.

   The main idea is to study how Churchill made his leadership decicions, and what the reason for that decision was. It's an informative study of the man, and even funny at times. It's always entertaining, but somewhat short of a great story (so 4 stars).

   By all means read this book. It's a great way to begin to learn about Churchill, aside from the 3 or 6 volume works available at the bookstore. It's also a good study on decision making based on principles and honest living, strength, and forward thinking. There are good lessons here as well a good reading. I recommend it highly.




5. I just completed this book yesterday and I must confess if it was any longer I might not have. While it was mildly entertaining, it contains little that is new or particularly informative. The book generally repackages concepts that are written elsewhere and ties them to passages in Churchill's life. Many of the comparisons seem strained. In fact, comparing Churchill's almost single-handed stand aginst tyranny with normal business competition, seems inappropriate and a little silly. It's probably fair to say that the book contains a few kernals of wisdom which would be helpful to anyone in business, or otherwise. These kernals are relatively simple and (it seems to me) obvious. It begs the question, Why, exactly, do we need a book such as this? The people most apt to pick-up the book in the first place are those who already have a more than passing affinity for Churchill. If so, those people will likely have read books which are more informative, historically significant, insightful and generally worthwhile. If this is your first introduction to Churchill, do not let it be your last. Overall, I think there are much better uses for all of our valuable time.

5 comments about Too Close to the Sun: The Audacious Life and Times of Denys Finch Hatton.

1. "Denys had been out of Africa for the whole of 1921, Tania for the whole of 1920. They were reunited at the end of the long rains, when fireflies came to the highland woods and skyscrapers of clouds topple through the blue."
   
   I wanted to like this novel very much but it never happened. I thought that I would have found deep and interesting characters, and get to really know the blue-eyed boy Denys Finch Hatton. It was repetitive and vague in many parts, but although it was not for me, others may like it. I was not impressed.
   Reviewed by Heather Marshall Negahdar (SUGAR-CANE 05/08/08)



2. Best detailed info on Denys that I have ever read. The book has a unique charm-- it has words that I had to actually look up in order to determine exactly what the author was saying. Her vocabulary will intrigue or frighten you as you read the book, and I think dinner with her would be most memorable.



3. I really enjoyed reading this book. It was thoroughly researched and beautifully written. It contains a lot of interesting information about Dennis Finch Hatton, his background and his life. A must read for any fan of "Out of Africa".



4. Sara Wheeler's "Too Close to the Sun" is as much a biography of a place and of an era as it is of a man. The author went looking for Denys Finch Hatton and found East Africa as well as her elusive subject.
   
   The man, himself, was once a nearly mythical East African figure. Finch Hatton is best known today as Karen Blixen's long-time inamorata in the film version of her book "Out of Africa." In life, he was a privileged Englishman who often worked as an African guide and professional hunter and who flourished and died during Kenya's colonial period. He was also a reluctant soldier, a glad aviator and a man who loved theatre, photography, dance, books and women.
   
   Ms. Wheeler says that her aims in writing the biography were: "to depict a figure in the landscape, to explore the universal themes threaded through his story, and to find out why he was an engine of myth." Other than a few personal letters and some newspaper articles, he wrote little. Because of this, and because she writes so many years after his death, Ms. Wheeler is left with little more than trace evidence and the words of others with which to develop her theme and achieve those goals. Fortunately, she's an able writer and tenacious researcher. She also uses the words of Teddy Roosevelt, H. Rider Haggard, Ernest Hemingway, Siegfried Sassoon, Elspeth Huxley, W.B. Yeats and Evelyn Waugh, among others, as sources to help her develop her African story.
   
   Karen Blixen is, perhaps, her most famous source for direct Denys Finch Hatton information. Karen Blixen (aka Isak Dinesen) wrote about Finch Hatton as her lover and used her version of him as an element to drive her own story. Sara Wheeler, on the other hand, is a graduate of the same Oxford college as Finch Hatton and seems more in sympathy with him as a human being.
   
   Beryl Markham, an aviatrix, writer and renowned wild child, is another useful source. Martha Gellhorn (Hemingway's third wife) described her as, "Not your ordinary Circe." Beryl says of Denys, "As for charm, I suspect that Denys invented it." Those may be the final words on Denys Finch Hatton. In two-hundred-fifty-two pages of text, author Wheeler can't find anyone to say a bad word about him.
   
   Sara Wheeler certainly charmed this reviewer when she quoted Anthony Blanche, a character in Evelyn Waugh's "Brideshead Revisited." Antoine, as he's known, warns another character about the danger of English charm, stating that it blights anything it touches. Ms. Wheeler believes that Finch Hatton's own charm nearly destroyed his ambition.
   
   Ms. Wheeler's writing skills are (to say the least) fully developed. She calls the disastrous British 1916 offensive in France the "Apocalypse on the Somme." In one chapter, she describes the deteriorating relationship between Finch Hatton and Karen Blixen by saying, "They were living in different mental worlds...coexisting like the twin beaters of a rotary whisk." In passing, Ms. Wheeler notes what she calls "the spiritual journey at the heart of all great literature."
   
   She's made some interesting choices in her own life, both as an author and as a person. By her own reckoning, she spent three years researching and writing "Too Close to the Sun." She also traveled to three continents (Europe, Africa and America) doing research. She's also written "Terra Incognita: Travels in Antarctica," and "Cherry: a Life of Apsley Cherry Garrard." She spent six months in Antarctica paying part of the personal tariff for creating these two works. She paid another similar price to research her South American book, "Travels in a Thin Country."
   
   There's a theme here: Much time and energy spent on projects with a limited market potential. That may be crass, and those of us who are interested in any of her subjects do have reason to be glad that she invested the time as she has. Considering her enormous writing ability, however, had she devoted the same amount of skill and effort in another direction, she might well have become the new James Michener or the next Donna Tartt or A.S. Byatt. Instead, she's chosen to forgo the probability of huge literary or popular success and with such success, big bucks and big acclaim. Perhaps this is too American a perspective about writing or living, but Ms. Wheeler's choices do remain interesting questions. In his day, Denys Finch Hatton was already becoming an anachronism. Sara Wheeler, who refers to modern-day Istanbul as Constantinople may also fit into that category. Bless them both.
   
   The bottom line on the book is that for anyone with even a drop of Walter Mitty blood, "Too Close to the Sun" is a splendid read. James Joyce has given Daedalus his modern day due. Let's hear it for the new Icarus.



5. So this book is definitely not for everyone. There has been a lot of criticism regarding the content and whether the author provides any novel insight into the life and times of Denys Finch Hatton. On a personal level though, I found the book intriguing from multiple standpoints. For those of us who seem to be eternal wanderers this book provides valuable insight into the perils and rewards of pursuing your own dreams and wandering off the beaten path. Success is defined differently by each individual and while Denys may have appeared to lack direction, his constant quest for knowledge and experiences were the driving force for the many and varied initiatives and ventures he took up in his lifetime. He was a romantic and was perhaps better suited to an earlier time. His non-conformity and unwillingness to change with the times may have lead some to perceive him as being unsuccessful, but in reality he marched to the beat of his own drum. In the final analysis the only definition of success that matters is an individual's own.

5 comments about Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery.

1. This book is not only a masterpiece of authorship, but also one of content. Unfortunately, as usual, the liberal media has considered it as a Christian treatise, and therefore, unworthy of dissemination or discussion. I have never read a better author, or a better historical explanation of the battle for human rights. I predict, for whatever it is worth (probably nothing), that he will be eventually recognized for his extrodinary talent. Hey, out there, are you listening!!!!!



2. William Wilberforce shunned his wealthy political class, sacrificed his powerful career and fought against a wicked tradition by dedicating his life fighting the human scourge, called "Slavery". He became an icon for oppressed people all over the world.
   How ironic is it that "Todays" world knows little or nothing about William Wilberforce, the conscience of the world and the justice crusader who began it, before it became fashionable? The vote to abolish slavery came in July 1833, the month that William Wilberforce died. The victory was a befitting epithet to his life and career.



3. I hate to judge a book I haven't read, but a previous reviewer stated that this book has no index. That to me is a No-No. It suggests the author is either lazy or does not wish to be challenged or, at best, does not wish to open his work to be examined by others. Wilberforce was an extremely important figure in the anti-slavery movement. Any biography of him simply HAS to be open to scrutiny by others in the field. As someone who has written a biography (Thomas Garrett) an Index is an essential guide to help readers find what the author has to say about the subject, as well as about other figures and events in the subject's life. Without an Index, the reader is asked to accept what the author said about the subject as being the first and last word. No serious researcher will accept that. So I will delete this book from my Wish List and wait untill a serious biography is written.



4. This is a well written book with lots of insight, humor and a good snapshot of life in 18th and early 19th century England. BUT, there is no index which was frustrating for me when using this book to prepare a lecture for my adult Sunday School class and no bibliography and no notes which buts some question to the validity of some of the material.



5. This is not an all-emcompassing biography of William Wilberforce. Its author tips his hat to John Pollock who did write the reformer's most comprehensive biography. But for those who want an overview of the anti-slavery movement in Britain and its players, this is an excellent choice. I found Mextaxas's witticisms to be a deligtful contrast to its grim subject. When Wilberforce won a seat in Parliament from a previously safe seat in York, the author described it as "an unprecedented and truly shocking leap, like someone pole-vaulting into the balcony at the opera [and saying], is this seat taken?" Some of the descriptions of cruely to animals, so common at this time, and the conditions of the slave ships make for difficult reading, but it is important that we read it as slavery and animal cruelty continue to this day. The only problem I had with this non-fiction work is its lack of an index.

5 comments about Jane Austen: A Life.

1. Noticing that one review was very caustic of this book, I would like to say that I thought it was very well written - especially considering that there is very little documentation to go on. I found the author's explanation of child-rearing, at that time, very interesting. I did not feel that she was trying to put it into perspective to "today's standards", as one reviewer wrote.
   
   What was really fascinating, to me, was the difference in what her family lifestyle was like - compared to what her books portrayed. I realize books and plots are just that - but the lives and atmosphere was definitely not as "dark" as a lot of her own was. Just fascinating.
   
   I think she would have been an interesting person to have met because I came away with the impression that she wasn't really the "private" person her brothers and other family made her out to be. Sounds like she had quite a wit - biting at that.
   
   Anyway, thanks to the author for writing this and doing a great job with little documentation.



2. A book with a panaroma view and lots of details about not only Jane herself, but also her direct family (sometimes even including her neighbours and her parents' cousins). Found it extremely useful in learning about Jane's experience as a woman living in the Georgian England. A page-turner indeed! Strongly recommend it!



3. 1997's "Jane Austen: A Life" is Claire Tomalin's highly readable, even dramatic account of the life of the popular romance novelist. Jane Austen left little for her future biographers beyond her published novels and some surviving letters and manuscripts. Tomalin addresses Jane in the context of her large and interesting family and their Hampshire friends and relatives. The result doesn't necessarily add a great deal to our limited store of knowledge about Jane Austen; it does provide some interesting insights into her context, and should bury forever any concerns about the source of Austen's acute understanding of human nature or the material for her novels.
   
   The good news about "Jane Austen: A Life" is that Claire Tomalin is a gifted writer and her book will be a page-turner for many fans. Tomalin has done her extensive research. In addition, Tomalin is not shy about speculating when it comes to the signficant gaps in our knowledge of Austen's life. Her speculation is generally reasonable and plausible, and almost always fascinating to read. It is less clear how much of the book is reasonable inference from the limited record and how much edges toward historical fiction.
   
   Tomalin includes her own literary criticism on Jane Austen's various works. This criticism is frankly hit or miss. Her comments on "Lady Susan" highlight its unusual leading character. Her analysis of the novel fragment "The Watson" explains why Jane Austen never finished it. However, she unfairly slights one of the main characters in "Sense and Sensibility", misreads the fate of Mr. Wickham and Lydia in "Pride and Prejudice", and perhaps misses the point of "Mansfield Park." Readers familiar with Jane Austen's novels can draw their own conclusions.
   
   Jane Austen is as vivid as Claire Tomalin can make her in this biography, a clever, acutely observant woman who must on occasion have been a little intimidating in person. She is very much a family person, at the beck and call of brothers, cousins, nieces and nephews all her life. We come to appreciation for how difficult Austen's life was after her father died. Her failure to marry lfet her, her spinster sister Cassandra, and her widowed mother in genteel poverty, dependent on support from her brothers and with few choices about where and how they would live. Unfortunately, Jane's writing did not begin to produce real income before her early death in 1817.
   
   "Jane Austen: A Life" is highly recommended as an interesting, even dramatic biography. The book includes an excellent selection of portraits of Jane Austen's family members. It is perhaps ironic that the one verified portrait of Jane Austen in life was said by her family to be inadequate, just as the person behind the novels continues to be elusive to biographers and fans alike.



4. Claire Tomalin in Jane Austen: A Life really delivers a wonderful story, not just a boring listing of events from the author's life. I've used this book for research before, and finally decided to buy it for my own collection and read it just for fun. I recommend this to anyone that has been curious about the author's life or any serious Janite.



5. Claire Tomalin is one of the foremost biographers in the world today, in an exclusive group that includes Peter Ackroyd, David McCullough, Doris Kearns Goodwin, and a few others. Having read and thoroughly enjoyed her recent books on Samuel Pepys and Thomas Hardy, I purchased this book to look at one of Tomalin's older works. I also knew next to nothing about Jane Austen. I was not disappointed on either count. The book is outstanding, and I am currently in love with Jane Austen.
   Jane Austen was a brilliant, witty, unsentimental woman who led a remarkably unremarkable life. One expects great writers to live dramatic lives, but this just isn't true in Austen's case. She had written her first three novels by age 24, but wouldn't publish them or write another for ten years. She would never get rich off of her writings.
   Though she certainly drew on characters and scenes in her own life, much of Miss Austen's novels come from her vivid imagination. For instance, Jane Austen didn't socialize with the rich upper crust, but many of her books are about them.
   It seems Jane was a bit of a tomboy as a youth, and her high intelligence and biting wit often intimidated potential suitors. She was apparently in love only once, and this didn't work out. So she became, like her sister Cassandra with whom she was very close, a spinster. At least she was able, in her thirties, to support herself through her writings.
   Jane Austen died young, at age 41. Thus her life, her career, and Claire Tomalin's biography end prematurely. But as Jane Austen herself wrote, "If a book is well-written, I always find it too short."
   This book ended too soon. It is a beautifully written biography, highly recommended.

No comments about There Is No Alternative: Why Margaret Thatcher Matters.

5 comments about The Lodger Shakespeare: His Life on Silver Street.

1. If you want to learn more about a brief moment in WS's life, and a good deal more about London of that time, then this will be a good book for you. It is definitely for folks with some background and an interest in WS, and its tone (while never dry) is more to the scholarly end of the spectrum.
   
   Not for the Fox News crowd...



2. Charles Nicholl's earlier book, *The Reckoning,* about the spy-murder of Christopher Marlowe, combined historical research with the conventions of the detective novel to tell a compelling story. Essentially, Nicholl established that Marlowe hadn't been killed in an Elizabethan bar fight. (That was only the cover story.) Instead, Marlowe was murdered because he was an international spy who knew too much and who'd been trapped between the political factions of the Earl of Essex and Sir Walter Raleigh.
   *The Lodger Shakespeare* tries to be the same kind of book, but it isn't as good.
   As his starting point, Nicholl takes the fact that in 1604, Shakespeare rented a room in London from a family of French émigrés whose livelihood involved making elaborate women's headdresses. Years later, a deposition revealed just how involved the playwright had become in the lives of the Mountjoys: The mother had urged Shakespeare to intervene in the daughter's betrothal. The father had refused to pay the wedding dowry; a lawsuit had ensued.
   Much as James Shapiro does in *A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare: 1599,* Nicholl meticulously tracks down scenes and objects that the playwright witnessed, along with then people he knew, then draws parallels to the plays. Shakespeare had chosen to lodge with foreigners in a part of London not convenient to the playhouses; we don't know why, but we do know that Sir Thomas More (for which Shakespeare wrote a scene) . Brothels show up in *Pericles* because Shakespeare collaborated on that play with a hack writer who was also a pimp. The plays' many detailed references to dressmaking; the dowry in King Lear; the preoccupation with the technicalities of Elizabethan law regarding betrothals in *All's Well That Ends Well* and *Measure for Measure*; the several late plays that examine father-daughter relationships -- all of these, Nicholl suggests, may well have emerged from the years he lived with the squabbling Mountjoys.
   But only suggests. Nicholl conjectures a great deal about what might have happened; while he uncovers new connections, conclusive proofs simply aren't available. *The Lodger* doesn't have the suspense or high stakes of the story of Marlowe's murder. About a minor episode in Shakespeare's life, we're left with some intriguing maybes.



3. I heard about this book because of Michael Dirda's Washington Post Book World review, and I knew I had to read it. Sometimes Michael Dirda's reviews are better-written than the book he's reviewing, but in this case the book is as excellent as he says. If you love Shakespeare and the history around him, you will really enjoy the painstaking detective work that went into putting this book together. It's a glimpse into what life was really like for Shakespeare and the people around him -- the work, the milieu, the perils...it's a great read!



4. This book offers a fascinating look into everyday life in Shakespeare's London, specifically the few years Shakespeare lived as a lodger on Silver Street. The book is very well researched, and while Mr. Nicholl sometimes speculates on how events in Shakespeare's life may have affected his work, Mr. Nicholl is always cautious about doing so. Because any information about Shakespeare's life is so precious, I highly recommend this book, even though it is more about the people who surrounded Shakespeare than about Shakespeare himself. Finally, I always find it interesting how the sleazy side of life went hand in hand with perhaps the greatest literary renaissance of all time. It certainly adds to my belief that great literature is not reserved for the few, but for the many.



5. THE LODGER SHAKESPEARE starts with a clever insight. While we have millions of words written by Shakespeare, we have only a few words--a deposition in the case of Belott versus Mountjoy--that may reflect Shakespeare's spoken words. In TLS, Charles Nicholl builds from this deposition to create a story about the world of Shakespeare in 1603-1605, when the Bard rented a room from Christopher Mountjoy on Silver Street and had a role in persuading Stephen Belott, Mountjoy's apprentice, to marry his daughter. In the deposition, Shakespeare testifies about the shortchanging of the dowry.
   
   Overall, I'd say Nicholl has mixed success with this story. On the plus side, Nicholl makes ingenious use of old maps, church registries, court records, and contemporary descriptions of Elizabethan and Jacobean London to create a plausible version of Shakespeare's life on Silver Street. In particular, I enjoyed his chapters on the probable appearance of the Mountjoy house, its neighborhood, its household stuff, and even Shakespeare's chamber--including the books on the Bard's shelves. This stuff is fantastic.
   
   Further, Nicholl explains Shakespeare's decision to rent from the Mountjoys--a French couple in xenophobic London--with great insight. And, he shows how elements of the Mountjoy's trade--the creation of stylish and elaborate female headgears called tires--became metaphors in Shakespeare's plays. In TLS, Nicholl also offers perspective, establishing that the GREAT MAN was, in his days in London, a person in the entertainment business with a mere foothold at court. He was a good match for the Mountjoys who counted the Queen as a client for their tires.
   
   On the other hand, the book does develop information about the Mountjoys, as well others who were deposed in this case, at greater length than this reader needed. While Shakespeare clearly knew and worked with these deponents, these were also ordinary people that Nicholl has pulled from history's dustbin. Yes, their stories enable Nicholl to identify subjects influencing Shakespeare's work. But the plays themselves get pushed to the side, as we learn about tire-making, prostitution, marriage customs, and so on in Jacobean London.
   
   THE LODGER SHAKESPEARE is based on conscientious and inspired research and is a good read. Still, I think I learned more from A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare: 1599, Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare, and Shakespeare the Man.

5 comments about Carrying the Fire: An Astronaut's Journeys.

1. Collins writes a richly detailed and intelligent account, laced with smart-alecky humor, of what it was like to join the astronaut corps, the training and planning that go into a mission, and what it's like to go into space. His description of his anxiety during the period that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon really puts you in the moment and makes you realize that making it back was no foregone conclusion.
   
   It makes me sad to see how this book has become dated. We as a nation gave up on manned space exploration 35 years ago, and the shuttle has been a dead end. While I reading the book, I felt a sense of futility that Collins, who wrote the book in the '70s, could never have anticipated.
   
   Carrying the Fire is an excellent astronaut memoir; maybe one day there'll be a reason for somebody to write some new ones.
   
   Reviewer: Liz Clare, co-author of the historical novel "To the Ends of the Earth: The Last Journey of Lewis and Clark"



2. My father gave me his copy of CARRYING THE FIRE in 1975 when I was eleven. His recommendations were rare, so I knew the book was special--I was not disappointed. Mike's narrative is beautifully delivered, poignant and funny as hell. This is a personal account that lets the reader enter the world of Apollo from Mike's point of view. The complexities of the Apollo 11 mission (and spaceflight in general) are presented in a flowing, readable style--you won't want to put this book down. Reading it again after all these years, I enjoyed the experience even more. He was a young man on that flight, but his insight, intelligence and humor reveal him to be a deep thinking, passionate, brave human being who helped change the history of mankind forever. As a high school English teacher, I can honestly say that this book is more than a good read, it is a must read for anyone interested in knowing what it was like to fly to the moon on the adventure of a lifetime! FIVE STARS--read it!
   



3. Of all the astronaut bios & autobios this one is the best. Michael Collins' style is natural and funny.



4. I was reading Deke! By Donald K. (Deke) Slayton and Michael Cusset. Deke Slayton was the highly respected chief astronaut and godfather to the astronauts of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions; In this book, I noted a positive reference to Michael Collins's book Carrying The Fire so I figured this as a must read.
   Michael Collins takes the reader through the stages of astronaut training and spaceship design and his own flights of Gemini 10 and the pioneering Apollo 11 with self- depreciating humour and irony. He manages to present a great amount of technical detail in an easily understood fashion in an articulate, intelligent, flowery, almost British manner.
   With a forward by Charles Lindbergh himself, this book is nearly 500 pages but seems only half that by the man who stood station 60 miles above Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on that historic first lunar landing.



5. The best (and one of the earliest) book by an Apollo astronaut. Very witty, with candid appraisals of other astronauts. Actually written by the astronaut himself. A must for anyone interested in the Apollo program.

5 comments about Chronicles of Wasted Time.

1. This book is what I call "chewy" - not one to just breeze through in a day or two as you would a bestseller. There is a lot going on here. I think MM had a manic-depressive disorder, and that comes to light in his other autobiographical book (of his diaries) as well. Interesting to read about his
   rocky journey through all the highs and lows, and how he finally finds serenity later in life.



2. It is almost sixteen years since the death of this great writer, broadcaster, actor, soldier-spy and latterly Christian apologist and his voice is greatly missed, particularly at this time with so many major and controversial issues dominating the news agenda. Because love him or loathe him, Muggeridge always had a unique, and often tangental, view to offer on the significant events of the day.
   Without doubt, Chronicles was his greatest work and should be compulsory reading for anyone learning English literature, for it will be found a totally engrossing read, start to finish. Spanning the early part of the twentieth century, Muggeridge was a master in use of the English language and his love of writing comes out on every page, together with his wit and wisdom. The Malcolm Muggeridge Society is bringing more of his work back into print and I'd like to think that it will be read not by existing fans but by a new generation.



3. While I don't claim to have read everything in English, this is the best-written book I've ever read. I remember hoping not to pass on before I'd finished it. Five stars is not enough for this absolutely delightful book, or rather two books. It was originally published in two volumes, "The Green Stick" and "The Infernal Grove", both included here. This is the first edition to include the remnants of the barely-begun third volume, "The Right Eye" (the Chronicles were to have been a trilogy).
   
   Thanks to the efforts of the Malcolm Muggeridge Society in London, here are all three (or two and a bit) books together. What's more, the introduction is by Ian Hunter, who penned his own riveting bio of MM, Malcolm Muggeridge: A Life, as well as assembling short bits and shreds from hither and yon in The Very Best of Malcolm Muggeridge.
   
   To my view, the Chronicles are the very best of MM. Were he to have some place in the literature of the last century, this is the book that would assure it. Not that he would want a place. He considered himself a journalist, not a writer, or as he loved to quote St. Augustine, "a vendor of words". However, as Ian Hunter reveals, he was not simply an observer but a player on the scene of the most tumultuous century in history. As biographer Richard Ingrams has noted, he seemed to know everyone and be everywhere.
   
   In a sense, there was a third book, called Conversion, which appeared instead of The Right Eye. It's the only book he wrote after becoming a Roman Catholic in 1982, and appeared with various subtitles. It's not, as one might think, about becoming an RC, although it does cover that. Oddly enough it's written in the third person, and subject-wise takes up where his book and TV show, A Third Testament, left off, in chronicling his various inspirations. It's best read after the Chronicles, as he retreads some of the same ground, commenting and adding anecdotal reflections.
   
   As much as one would long to read The Right Eye in its entirety, this is all we have. One imagines him reciting that third book somewhere to rollicking applause, for closing this volume one gets the sense that even after a long and prolific life he left us much too soon, and with music still in him.



4. I have only recently discovered Malcolm Muggeridge's writings, and wow! what a man, what an awesome writer! He can make you laugh, cry, and scream all in the same paragraph. I could not put this book down, even though at first it seemed way too long. Every page was crisp with details of a fascinating life! Truly an inspiring, unforgettable memoir.



5. For those who don't know, Muggeridge was a British journalist - editor of Punch, television journalist, etc. He was raised among some of the most "forward thinking" (an ironic phrase) socialist minded, trendy (naturist, vegetarian, etc.) people in London - very much a Fabian set. In his 30s, after he had been a policeman in India and a journalist in the U.S.S.R., he underwent an awakening to the fraud in much of the "progressive thinking" with which he had been inculcated and by which was completely adopted by all his right-thinking journalistic and political circles. He underwent a religious conversion to a high Anglican church (I think - or is it Catholic?) belief - it was later he who publicized Mother Theresa to the world. He is quite moving in describing his religious beliefs and is among the finest prose writers I've ever read - shockingly out of synch with secular modern ideas, and truly an original. He's terribly funny in his tales of the absurdity of Emperor without Clothes leaders and thinkers of the 20th century - particularly those who believe that collective policies by governments can improve mankind. He is as humorously cynical about man and his pathetic attempts to "improve himself" as anyone you'll ever read. He is also truly a fantastic prose writer - these two successive volumes in one are beautifully written and moving.