No comments about Churchill and Roosevelt, the Complete Correspondence: Volume 1, Alliance Emerging; Volume 2, Alliance Forged; Volume 3, Alliance Declining.

No comments about The History of the Kings of Britain: An edition and translation of the De gestis Britonum (Historia Regum Britanniae) (Arthurian Studies).

4 comments about Peter Cushing: An Autobiography and Past Forgetting.

1. If you are a Hammer, or an Amicus, Tigon, Tyburn, and all the english gothic periode fan, you are already acquainted with Sir Peter Cushing. Unlike Christopher Lee, he didn't live long enough to bring his commentary to the audio tracks of his numerous films now released on DVD. But this book gives us his memories and his commentaries on the films we love.



2. It seems an amazing fact that the majority of actors who have tied their stars to horror have had personalities that couldn't be farther apart than the characters they played. Certainly, Peter Cushing may be the classic example of this. He often played unethical murderous characters in horror films and appeared as the hero in countless others, but he was one of the most soft-spoken gentleman one could ever meet. This book includes both of Cushing's books - written in the late 80s. His Autobiography and the follow up "Past Forgetting." The first is excellent, recounting his life and career from its early days to the present and includes many thoughtful anecdotes and his great love for his wife Helen shines through. The second part - Past Forgetting - is for fans only. It's not badly written or boring but contains little of substance and is not easily recalled. A disappointment after the first book, but then again - when you already told your life story, what are you supposed to do? Tell it again. Still, this is highly recommended for all fans of Cushing and Hammer films.



3. Peter Cushing was fiercely devoted to his wife, Helen and this autobiography certainly drives that point home. The death of his wife in the early 1970's left Cushing in a deep state of mourning that he never really recovered from, in his own words, he spent the remaining years of his life after Helen's death, awaiting his own death. Cushing regales us with stories of his early years, his years in Hollywood, his eventual return to England and his association with Hammer and Amicus, but throughout the entire book, we never lose sight of the fact that Cushing was deeply in love with his wife. One seldom hears/reads of such devotion to one's spouse, but always the gentleman, Cushing gives us all a glimpse into what his world was really like and although it would have been nice to hear more tales of his Hammer/Amicus days, the fact that he opened his heart and bared his soul unashamedly is enough to make this book a must for any Cushing fan.



4. Peter Cushing's two-volume autobiography, now conveniently combined into one volume, is indispensible reading to any Hammer fan like myself, who grew up looking forward to each new Cushing shocker. It is the essential companion volume to Christopher Lee's autobiography "Tall, Dark & Gruesome". Mr. Cushing's considerable personal charm and famous gentlemanliness shines from these pages. For my own taste, I could have used less on his great romance with Helen and more day-to-day off screen at Hammer & Amicus, but other readers, especially women, will react differently. Cushing was nothing if not madly in love with his wife, and her early death left a void nothing ever filled, though Cushing lived on past her for over 20 years. The photos have been well & generously selected, and overall, the book is a pleasureable read about one of the nicest men ever to make a career scaring the pants off us. Those who know Peter only as Grand Moff Tarkin in "Star Wars" will find a wealth of career that led to that pinnicle, and even his die-hard Hammer Frankenstein & Van Helsing fans may not know he worked with Laurel & Hardy, Cary Grant and James Whale! It makes you feel like you're sitting in a lovely seaside cottage, sipping tea and nibbling cakes while Peter regales you with tales from a life you may end up wishing you had led.

3 comments about Churchill and the Secret Service.

1. As Stafford says that Churchill appreciated the value of good intelligence and how it could influence the outcome of any struggle .But on the whole I must express my profound disagreement on some of the information contained in this book. The LUSITANIA episode: Fortuitously-Magdeburg incident 26th August 1914- the Room no.40 of the British Admiralty cracked German Navy's tactical codes .Bulk of naval traffic related to the movements of U-boats and German High Seas Fleet it was able to read .Churchill as the First Lord of Admiralty was privy to this fact .What now follows is difficult to digest for a rational mind .If one were to believe the author the movement of U-20(which sank the American ship)was detected and all ships in the immediate vicinity warned of its presence.Message received by LUSITANIA but ship's captain instead of changing course continued with the voyage thus courting disaster. In other words author has implied the American ship was commanded by a mad man who sent her to the watery grave, a chain of reasoning difficult to follow.It looks as though Stafford wanted to defend the British leader from accusations of his detractors who have claimed the latter staged the incident to bring America on a collision course with Germany. It is very hard to accept Churchill's innocence in certain matters because I know him as a shrewd practitioner of Realpolitik .Desmond Morton ( an influential figure in the Whitehall corridors of power and later SIS officer )connived with Churchill to forge Zinoviev's letter which damaged Labour Party's electoral prospects in the early 20's. Coming to the Second World War, soon after the captitulation of France there came invasion hysteria . Now it must be said when it came to invading Britain the Nazi dictator was strangely reluctant . Early July 1940 Hitler disclosed his intention of invading Soviet Union to Schmundt his chief-adjutant and Von Brauchitsch the Army Commander-in-Chief .Churchill via ULTRA decrypts knew that much of German troop deployments along Channel coast was sham. Yet he kept up the invasion bogey because this was bringing public support. Later in January 1941U.S.Presidential envoy Harry Hopkins visit to war-torn Britain was stage-managed to draw American support for Britains' war effort. Author has demolished claims that Churchill sacrificed Coventry (heavily bombed by Luftwaffe on 14 November 1940) for protecting ULTRA. The target was identified very late but the argument that it was not brought to PM's attention sounds skeptical. Instead Crete was sacrificed .However I am of the view that Britsh Commonwealth forces could have defended the island without blowing ULTRA.The battle for Crete hinged upon the possession of Maleme airfield . A spotter aircraft could have been sent to show it had detected the approach of German aerial armada carrying elite paratroops instead of denuding Maleme defences for masking ULTRA.The exercise is cleverly contrived attempt to cover up British Middle East Command's lack of resolve in defending Crete.I endorse Stafford's view that British leader was not knowing Japanese plans to attack Pearl Harbor.However it is difficult to accept the naivete of US political establishment in this matter . Suffice to say the US intelligence had broken codes used by Tokyo to exchange information with Consul -General Kita in Honolulu.String of messages showing Japan taking unusual interest in Pearl Harbor were intercepted . One such message intercepted divided the place into five areas asked for exact location of Pacific Fleet warships and carriers . Washington correctly guessed this could be a grid system for a bombing attack.Had Roosevelt and his men been shrewd ,vigilant, the ensuing tragedy could have been averted The author has misinterpreted the train of events that led to the German intervention in the Balkans April-May 1941. It was Mussolini who dragged Hitler into the Balkan mess .On 28 October 1940 Italian troopsinvaded Greece . Invaders were soon bogged down which gave British the pretext to land troops in that country .Besides RAF bombers started operating from bases in Crete.They had the range to strike Ploesti in Rumania from where Wehrmacht drew bulk of its oil..British deployment also menaced the southern flank of German armies slated to take part in Barbarossa :invasion of Soviet Union .Germany intervened to neutralise the flank threat . Churchill's role in fomenting guerilla warfare in Nazi-occupied Europe forms underlying theme of this book. British leader's brush with partisans in the far reaches of the Empire during heydays of his youth made him advocate this mode of fighting. It must be said , however , in the final analysis the role of the guerillas in the victory over Nazi Germany appears minimal.Owing to reasons of geography guerilla warfare never struck roots in Europe,much of the continent lay inert under the Nazi jackboot.Exceptions being Greece , Yugoslavia where mountainous terrain favoured large -scale guerilla operations .Finally a few things I like about this book: Churchill during prewar years exaggerated the capabilities of Luftwaffe,failed to appreciate the role tanks would play in the coming war ,underestimated the threat posed by Japan . Information such as that he bought Spain's neutrality in the war through bribes , came very close to compromising ULTRA during the speech marking German invasion of Soviet Union , approved a plan to assassinate Hitler , 'Operation Foxley', came close to carrying it out. Upon reading this book I gained the impression that Stafford has condoned the British leader's misdemeanours ,author no doubt is a Churchill apologist. To me Churchill was the most reactionary politician thrown up by the Western World. He stroved to ensure the Britains' domination of the post war world .He resisted Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy not because they were fascist regimes rather to their interference with Britains' imperial interests. Neverthless a remarkable man ,patriot who presided his country's fortune at a critical time of her existence .To his credit it must also be said Churchill realised, unlike other leaders of the Conservative party, the threat posed by Nazi Germany could only be contained by entering into a defence alliance with the Soviet union .In June1940 he took the decisive step in his career by deciding to continue the war against Germany.



2. "Churchill and Secret Service" documents the life long connection between him and secret intelligence. The author traces this back to Churchill's experience as a journalist in the Cuban revolt against Spain. His romantic nature, combined with the undisputed effectiveness of the guerillas, instilled in him a faith in guerilla warfare and its requirement of good intelligence. The book continues through Churchill's association with "room 40" during WWI, and his continued receipt of intelligence reports during the years "in the wilderness". Naturally the bulk of the work concerns itself with the Second World War, the creation of SOE and the secret armies. The author delves into the "special relationship" between the UK and US and reveals in detail the serious conflicts between SIS/SOE and the OSS-an area that often does not receive much attention by historians. Churchill's second term as prime minister,and subsequent retirement conclude the work. What it shows is that Churchill, probably more than any other political leader, understood the value and the dangers of secret intelligence, and knew how to employ it (most of the time). His experience provides excellent lessons to those who collect or use strategic/operational intelligence,"intelligence was not an end in itself and did not belong to those who produced it." Would that our current intelligence structure followed this advice...



3. This is an excellent work from an author that thoroughly researches every detail of the subject before it is put to print. As all of Staffords work, the factual basis is unquestionable. Anyone that reads this work will have a deep understanding of the time period and the personalities involved.

5 comments about The Love There That's Sleeping: The Art And Spirituality of George Harrison.

1. This book is like a sunrise in George Harrison literature and the Beatle Literati are quite pleased with this one. It is a brilliant look at how spirituality and art married well and how George Harrison's work showed this to be a match made in heaven.
   
   This author celebrates George's art, core values, beliefs, religious views as how each had an affect on the art he created. I am glad to see more information provided in re George's view of Catholicism in adult life, indeed, a beautiful statue of Mother Mary graced his home at Friar Park. While this author suggests that George abandoned it and viewed the church as being corrupt, I don't quite get the sense that George jettisoned Catholicism out of his core values for good. While as a young man, George explained his disillusionment with people using church as a place to showcase new clothes and his questions about Jesus being God's only child, he still retains some seeds of Catholicism in the beliefs he would later embrace.
   
   While he does take a bit of a poke at Catholicism in "Vatican Blues," where he questions the morality of church officials, I don't get the sense that he is critizing the faith, per se. Again, in this song, one hears a young George lamenting about how the priests in his boyhood neighborhood would knock on doors, requesting money and use it to build pubs as well as churches. It is the actions of people that George has criticized, not the faith itself.
   
   In "Rising Sun," one gets the sense that George has reached a point of acceptance. In a somewhat ironic twist, my church (which is a Catholic church) uses a lot of George's songs for our prayer meetings and discussions. There are parishioners who have said that George's music helped them appreciate and recognize their own spirituality. It was George himself who said that our search for God cannot wait; he was making an inclusive statement and not one confined by any one religion or ideology.
   
   Allison is truly a scholar and is brilliant in outlining George's view of life, death, religion and the beliefs of others with dignity and grace. It is always a treat to find genuinely good books about my favorite Beatles, the Messrs. Harrison & McCartney, but to find one of this caliber is a bonus treat.



2. This book is a study and a celebration of George Harrison's life, religion, and music, and will be a joy to read for any Beatle's fan or devotee.
   Allison follows George's spiritual journey beginning with his childhood experiences of Roman Catholicism to Harrison's eventual discovery of his love of Hinduism. With knowledge and insight that only a scholar of his caliber could possibly offer, Allison does a grand job of sorting out the turmoil of George's feelings about this world and the afterlife with class and candor.
   And not only is this book an insightful read on so many levels, it is also full of delight and entertainment for those who perhaps don't know very much about George's music or want to know a little something about Hinduism and his beliefs in general. Also, "The Love There That's Sleeping" will hold enchantment for those who just plain love classic rock.
   
   Also, who knows what's wrong with the moron below who didn't realize this book could be purchased in paperback for $12.95. By no stretch of the word is this book a "rip-off."



3. Allison brings his considerable skills as an exegete of religious texts to Harrisonology. The results are stunning. See the blurbs below from the dust jacket.
   
   "What have we here? A delightfully revealing analysis of George Harrison's songs by a world-class, religious scholar. An obvious labor of love, this book is as lively and as enlightening as its subject matter warrants. Fans of the former Beatle are certain to learn things about his songs that no ordinary rock historian could teach them -- and students of religion and culture will find a compelling introduction to a pop-icon whose imaginative work merits serious attention. It is enough to catch more than a glimpse of that elusive inner light Harrison himself hoped we would see." --Mark Allan Powell, Professor of New Testament (Trinity Lutheran Seminary) and author of The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music.
   
   "A sensitive, thorough and fair-minded appraisal of the issues and beliefs central to George Harrison's life and art presented with great clarity. I welcome this addition to the newly formed genre of Beatles' theology!" - Steve Turner, author of The Gospel according to the Beatles
   
   "For more than forty years fans have celebrated George Harrison's music, enjoying its poetry, sharp wit, and virtuosity. But as much as his songs delight, they also puzzle those not familiar with the Hindu inspirations behind them. Harrison enthusiast Dale C. Allison comes to the rescue with The Love There That's Sleeping, an accessible introduction to the religious and philosophical worldview that informs so many Harrisongs. Allison is well known for his careful analyses of religious texts and in this book he brings his considerable skills to the religious poetry of George Harrison, helping us appreciate Nelson Wilbury's art on yet another level." --Michael J. Gilmour, author of Tangled Up in the Bible: Bob Dylan and Scripture



4. I just want to thank the author for this work on the spirituality of George Harrison's music. He was always my favorite Beatle and I came to love his solo music because of its spiritual expression. I have a very personal spiritual life myself, and very much enjoy the insights in this book regarding his lyrics and experiences. It is by far the most interesting work I've read about him aside from George's own words.



5. When will Beatles fans realize they are being ripped off. This book is a real bust.

4 comments about The Soul of an Indian 2 Ed: And Other Writings from Ohiyesa (Charles Alexander Eastman).

1. Very profound words of wisdom written over 100 years ago. An excellent read and reference to timeless knowledge that crosses over all cultures. I would recommend this book for one's private library or for a great gift.



2. This book is good, but has been heavily edited.

   I would recommend against buying this book, but instead buy "The Soul Of an Indian" Charles Alexander Eastman (Ohiyesa); published by University of Nebraska Press; ISBN: 0803267010.

   Ohiyesa puts his spirituality in simple words without getting bogged down in ceremonies by rote, and dogma.

   I HIGHLY recommend the writings by Ohiyesa. Just not this heavily edited version.

   I encourage questions and comments via E-Mail. Two Bears.




3. If one wants to know what it is "really" like to have the problems of a drug addict, one doesn't ask the therapist (sorry), but rather the addict. Only a true Native American can explain the life, in its many aspects, of a Native American----and, although we have many examples of the wisdom of Native American chiefs, few attain the level, from a philosophical/religious view, as does Ohiyesa (C. Eastman). He is truly a poet in the simplicity of the words he uses, while simultaneously imparting a veritable glimpse of the meaning behind his words. For this reason alone, he, I believe, will be time-honored, when one wants to get a view of Native American life in the future.
   Sadly, but perhaps necessarily, Ohiyesa was torn between two worlds---the white (education and profession, as well as residence in the East) and his heritage, which he felt bound to,as the atrocities continued to unfold in his lifetime, some of which he experienced firsthand.
   For persons of "a certain ilk", I believe that the many people who respect the wisdom of "The Prophet" (Khalil Gibran)will equally respect this writing.



4. The presentation of the indians life and purpose will challenge a persons prespectives of life and the purpose to which all of us have been called. Do you live a life of love or are we so drawn to the material and success orientations of this world that we have lost perspective of the real purpose of life? Ohiyesa will challenge each of us to look into yourselves and ask the question do I truly care for what is right or are my values based upon what I have acquired. Do I walk in truth or do I live a lie? Do I care for my neighbor or do I only think of myself? Do I see God in what has been created or do I deny His existence? Ohiyesa, will challenge the very foundations of western society and our ways of thinking. He challenges the christian and the church as presented in our society today. Do we live as Christ, or do we use Christ to obtain control? I found this book a great treasure of clear thinking and profound statements that make me question the values that I have what of you?

5 comments about The Verneys.

1. As I finished this book, I turned to the next selection on my summer reading list, Peter Clarke's "The Last Thousand Days of the British Empire." Clarke records a comment by Winston Churchill reflecting his frustration with not being able to meet with President Roosevelt as much as he would have liked, relying on letters instead: "What an ineffectual method of conveying human thought correspondence is." While that is likely true in the abstract, even for one of Churchill's remarkable writing talents, the thought will likely not occur to you as you read "The Verneys."
   
   I must say that I bought the book without knowing much about it, willing to take a chance because of my interest in 17th Century England. And then I was a bit distressed to realize that the work is based almost entirely on the correspondence by and among the Verney clan, a formulation that I have seen yield some very dry and much less than compelling historical accounts. I needn't have worried.
   
   Tinniswood has done a simply remarkable job of bringing this fascinating family to life. Perhaps this is not that surprising given the fact that letters were the email of the day, and it was not only normal but expected that people wrote letters as we dash off our electronic messages, regularly more than once in a single day, and just as often as we, they were not as careful as they should have been, frequently ruing the products of their haste. Several of the Verneys, intentionally or not, enhanced the historical record by retaining drafts of their letters, so that the modern researcher has the benefit of both ends of many of the communications.
   
   But all this is not to detract from Tinniswood's accomplishment. It's one thing to have all these documents available to you, and quite another to be able to weave them into a compelling narrative. My only cavils are that the author assumes on the part of the reader a fairly extensive knowledge of the period's major developments such as the Civil Wars and the Restoration although I'm reasonably certain that a tyro will be able to navigate. The other is the occasional insertion of editorial comments which are all the more bothersome by reason of their unpredictability and inanity.
   
   The Verneys were not one of the preeminent English families of the period. But they were sufficiently close to, and involved in, the most significant political and commercial activities and developments of those years to fairly represent the trials and triumphs of their class. Full marks to Author Tinniswood for guiding us into their world in a most entertaining and edifying way.



2. I received this as a Christmas present from my wish list and it was a great read. Most times we only get to read about the higher eschelons of society so it was interesting to here how the gentry lived. I enjoyed the details of family and home life and believe it or not, the little items remembered in wills. I was surprised by the discussion of how mental disease was viewed and how an insane person was treated by family. This is a different view of 17th Century England and the strains the Civil War placed on families.



3. This is history at its best - it's readable, compelling and thoroughly enjoyable. Tinniswood's book achieves many goals in one - a fascinating social history, meticulous biography, powerful family saga, and not least it is a really good and engaging read.
   
   The tale begins with Sir Francis Verney who ran away from his teenage wife in 1608, sold off much of the Verney property, converted to Islam and became one of the most feared pirates on the Barbary Coast. Carry on to read about Bess, who ran off with a clergyman; Cary, a heavy gambler, and Henry who was obsessed with horse racing; not to mention those involved in the English Civil War; Mall, who became pregnant out of marriage, or one of the later relatives who was hanged at Tyburn. A really good and compelling portrait of seventeenth-century England, and especially the Verney family. The history is based predominantly on the extensive records of the Verneys, particularly hundreds of letters kept by Sir Ralph Verney (1613-96) who presided over Claydon House in Buckinghamshire for over 50 years



4. I expected this book to be of great interest to me, since I read everything I can find about the history of England. But I guess I am not the scholar I thought I was. This book was written in such a way that by the third page I was beginning to feel bogged down. I was taken by the fact that my family name was mentioned on the first page, and I thought "This is going to be a good read." But I couldn't get thru it. I would advise anyone who wants to get this book, try to find a copy and flip thru it first. If I had done that, I would have passed it by.



5. Last year I read Blood and Roses: One Family's Struggle and Triumph During the Tumultuous Wars of the Roses. In it, the author used a collection of family letters to bring to life a 15th century British family, the Pastons, who struggle to keep their estate and their recently achieved social prominence. This book, The Verneys, interprets a similarly in tact collection of family letters to draw a portrait of a family from the landed class 200 years later.
   
   Through these families, we learn about the daily life of the gentry of their respective times. In the 15th century, the Paston's number one son loses his birthright in a dubious deathbed testament. This change in fortune wreaks havoc on him and his nuclear family. For the Varneys of the 17th century, the system of primogeniture plays out to the unhappiness of its presumed beneficiary. Sir Ralph inherits the responsibity of preserving the estate, paying debts and managing a never-ending parade of requests for assistance from most of the other disinherited relatives.
   
   In both books, property is a major issue. (Could it be because there are supporting legal documents that survive, or because this is the major preoccupation of the families?) In both times, ownership is vulnerable to the whims of the crown; however, by the 17th century, the rule of law has evolved such that there seems to be a more defined process for claims and no pitched battles of gentry v. gentry to try take land by force.
   
   The Verney sons who do not inherit have some options, whereas if John Paston has any, he does not recognize them. Second sons of the 17th century can seek fortune in colonizing Barbados or in trading in the Ottoman Empire and/or seek wealthy brides on their own.
   
   The women in either century have no legal options. Considerable time and resources are spent treating them as commodities. As noted at the end, many of Verney women, who seem to support the system, defy it. The issue of the imagery of women, and their actual behavior is certainly worth a wider study.
   
   Tinniswood gives more interpretation than Castor and does not quote the original letters to the extent that Castor did to tell or confirm the story. This makes The Verneys a smoother and more pleasurable read for the pleasure reader. Both books will be important for future researchers.

No comments about Edward and Alexandra: Their Private and Public Lives.

5 comments about Churchill Wanted Dead Or Alive: Wanted Dead or Alive.

1. The author, Celia Sandys, is the subject's granddaughter. As such, she had access to papers, people, and places that few individuals have. She presents a view of the early Churchill (age 20-25) that gives one an objective glimpse of his early life, ambitions, and personality. She has done much field research by access to original papers, actual locations, and descendants of those who knew Churchill in his early 20s. Much of her research is centered in South Africa where the young Churchill had a yen for being where the action was in the Boer War, and having an inordinate amount of luck escaping death and danger. Additionally, she gives detailed maps of his movements, and tries to bridle some of his self-sustaining writings that could not be independently verified. This work should give any reader an understanding that Churchill's early years were a prelude to his more famous leadership role during the dark days of World War II. An excellent read.



2. This is the first book that I have ever read about Churchill, so I was very surprised to read example after example of his arrogance and his "at all times" sense of entitlement. His granddaughter (an obviously biased author) recited many of Churchill's actions during the Boer War as examples of his bravery and courage. I, however, interpreted these actions in quite a different manner. One example of Churchill's "bravery" was when his train was ambushed by Boer troops. The author described his behavior as brave and heroic, whereas I viewed his actions as a very calculated tactic for self-advacement. In fact, it was Churchill's fault that the train went so far into Boer territory in the first place--he wanted more information for his newspaper, and his subsequent actions only put the British troops in more danger. The book was also not well written or organized; it reminded me of reading a high school book report.



3. This time last year, appropriately enough, I was reading this book of Churchill's epic escape from the States Model School in Pretoria, an event that had happened 100 years earlier to the very day.The 12 December 1999 was also a day in which I lost a friend in a road accident, thus, the centennial anniversary date becomes etched with the personal. Churchill was clearly a larger-than-life figure all of his life as his grandaughter and author Celia Sandys clearly shows in this historical work in which she followed in his footsteps, visiting campsites, battlefields etc and speaking to descendants of friends and foes alike. Contrary to the assertions of some other reviewers it is a well written and enjoyable book. Some of the interesting vignettes include the detective work the author did on tracking down the gold watches that Churchill had sent to various people for their assistance in his escape from the Boers (or Afrikaners as they are known today). At the time of publication Mrs Sandys had located 6 of the 8 watches. Mrs Sandys is not afraid to challenge Churchill's assertions that he was captured by Gen. Louis Botha himself (later the Union's first Prime Minister, 1910-19)and she rightly dismisses talk that there was ever a romantic entanglement with Helen Botha , the General's daughter. The author is partly correct when she records that Churchill's "huge political ambitions demanded a wife who would be a political asset..." However, that would cut both ways, something Helen Botha alluded to 60 years later when she said it was unlikely that she could fall for him as she was "a Transvaaler." Her father and Churchill may have "got along famously" but it is the author who is disingenous, not Helen Botha, in considering that a personal political rapport could see the leader of the Afrikaner volk, or a member of his family, contemplate such a marriage -particularly after the deaths of some 26,000 Boer women and children in the world's first concentration camps - British concentration camps. Nevertheless, this is a good read about a remarkable soldier-stateman in his younger days. Enjoy.



4. This book presents several interesting vignettes relating to Churchill's life and activities during the South African "Boer" war, but overall I was disappointed, and finished wanting more. Overall, I thought this was rather superficial, and I didn't feel as tho I had gained any substantial insight into the life of one of the giants of the late 19th/early 20th century.



5. I am a great admirer of Sir Winston Spencer Churchill, and so being I read nearly every book that is published. As I write this Mr. Churchill was on the cover of one of our National Magazines last week, and the title was "The Last Hero". A man who is completing another biography of Mr. Churchill's life wrote the story inside.

   A book by his Granddaughter Celia Sandys could be easily dismissed as a biased treatment, a work lacking objectivity. I believe The Authoress did a remarkable job of adding to the Historical Record without being a revisionist in her Grandfather's favor or to his detriment.

   I have read Churchill's own accounts of the adventures contained in this book, and many other books written about this amazing story and I still would recommend it be added to any existing collection of Churchill books.

   Mrs. Sandys manages to bring to light new bits of information that at times reinforce the contemporary accounts, and at other moments confirm what might have been an Historical Embellishment passed down through the years. She portrays her Grandfather with candor, and shares the information she collected while reconstructing herself the trip that her Grandfather made so many years ago.

   Sir Winston Spencer Churchill M.P. has already taken his place in History. He was a man who seemed to know what destiny held for him, and also what History would say. He once said, "I know how History will remember me, as I shall write it." He once described the human race in the following terms, "We are all worms, but I believe I am a glow worm."

   A well written, balanced account of a small part of a life that was full of momentous moments. Mr. Churchill is unique as he is not just part of our History, he is History. That he is still quoted almost daily, new books continue to be written, and a College is to be built confirm this is true.

   When confronted with "if you were my Husband I would put poison in your soup", the retort, "if you were my wife I would eat it." Oh to be at that dinner.

   Thank you Mrs. Sandys.

4 comments about Queen Victoria.

1. this book is a good little read with a overview of the life of queen victoria.



2. Actually, I probably shouldn't review this book as I am more familiar with the approximately 600 page biography of Queen Victoria that the Countess of Longford published in 1965. It is excellent. I only mention this as one reviewer was disappointed by the length of this version. Those seeking a far more in-depth account by the same author should search for QUEEN VICTORIA-BORN TO SUCCEED.



3. I enjoyed reading this book. It gave a good overview of Queen Victoria's life. The information was complete and pertinent.
   
   I also found it to be a very quick read.



4. I was expecting a bigger book, so I was surprised when this whimpy little paperback arrived. It reads more like a textbook, but is full of great information. Highly recommend if you are looking for a fact filled biography.