5 comments about Stalking Irish Madness: Searching for the Roots of My Family's Schizophrenia.

1. A friend told me about this book and I am so very glad he did. Patrick Tracey's work is the quintessence of a memoir and all-encompassing - history, journey, quest, confession, expository, literary. The story he tells is gripping from the very start; his work opens with a setting in a cave which I read as a metaphor informing the rest of the book. Tracey explores the dark, seemingly unknown world of schizophrenia - debunking myths and educating the reader; he cites many studies including a fascinating and promising genetic approach to understanding and, hopefully, treating this terrible illness. Aside from the science and medicine, Tracey tells a compelling story that is sad, painful and even frightening (his "toothless" grandmother springs immediately to mind), yet his book is not a dark work; there is hope and Tracey finds it. He takes the reader on a journey through the Irish and Irish-American past and to Ireland itself, and this is yet another powerful feature of the book - we travel along with Patrick, his journey becomes ours. Such a book as this could easily fall into a sentimental and depressing gloom but Tracey does not allow this to happen. His writing is personal and heartfelt; it is a literary narrative replete with allusions to James Joyce and other Irish writers. This informative and eclectic work is a must read and deserves more recognition for society needs to better recognize and devote more resources to the study, treatment and cure of schizophrenia. By confronting his family's struggle with schizophrenia, Patrick Tracey also gives all sufferers and their loved ones a voice; he advocates for them, champions their plight, and offers a truly memorable work.



2. This is a decent biography but gets boring now and then. It doesnt speak much medically of the disease as I would have liked. It doesnt tell so much about how he dealt with the disorder in his family...except his travel to Ireland 'tracing his roots'. This book is more about him actually in Ireland than the disease itself. I cant be mad-that is what the title says. If youre interested in Ireland then I recomend it. If you want to learn about Schizophrenia then I do not recomend it.



3. I really enjoyed this book immensely. It was so sad and it hit home with my own feelings. I was impressed with his writing and the history was great and the best part was his love for his sisters. It was shared already with several people that have children affected by this disease by far the worst disease on earth. It robs young people of a life. I enjoyed the book and would highly recommend it.



4. I absolutely love this book! So interesting and well written! My husband is reading it now and is enjoying it just as much. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.



5. Well, this certainly explains my family, all my uncles, my father, the one aunt, my cousins, all coming from my father's side. Irish to the core. Protestant Irish, but I guess that doesn't matter. Actually, I feel pretty good knowing that there is a reason for this. And why the Irish are known for drinking. Keeping something away . . .I don't know what, though. Most of us are agoraphobic and about a third of us have hearing/deafness problems. I can't wait to buy this book and I'm actually feeling better and calmer about myself just by reading the reviews. So, I am crazy, but not crazy . . .so it's not me, there really is a reason. Still, even Protestants from the Ulster area believe, like me, in the "little people." Leprauchans? I wouldn't bet against them. Thank you for the book.

4 comments about The House of Mitford.

1. Mr. and Ms. Guinness' massive biographical study of their family is tremendously interesting to any devoted reader of the Mitfords. However, their attempts to rehabilitate the legacy of unrepentant fascists Diana (Guinesses' mother--so it's an understandable lapse) and Unity are nearly comical in their reach. They go to great lengths to discredit those who've criticized Unity and Diana's reprehensible involvement in and enthusiasm for Hitler and his British minions, including of course Diana's husband, Mosley; rather than adequately contextualize Diana and Unit's fervor, these attempts serve only to make themselves appear as familial apologists. The authors' unstinting criticism of Jessica's Communism brings their blind spots when it comes to Unity and Diana's fascism into particular relief.
   
   As scholars, the father-and-daughter biographers are lacking in appropriate perspective and historical context; however, the "insider" information they impart makes the book a veritable treasure chest of Mitfordiana.



2. Really a fascinating study on one of the British Upper Class's most contriversial families. It really is the limit though, how the author tries to excuse the support of some of the sister's for the Third Reich, granted this was the feeling of most of the Upper Class at the time, they loved the idea that some people, namely themselves, were naturally superior to the rable. You see this in such films as Gosford Park and Remains of the Day. Having said that, this book is very good, it really lets you in to the lives of the British Aristocracy of this era. These woman are to the manor born and never let anyone forget it. They chose different paths, but I really don't think deep down they are all that different, as an American this is all so foreign, but fascinating non the less, though it makes me appreciate the Revolution.



3. Prompt shipping; book arrived in pristine condition. Will do business again and, by the way, the book is fascinating.



4. this book is (almost) "the holy grail" of the mitford family history. it is a great read and so fascinating. it is everything the reader wants to know and is written by a close family member. author jonathan guinness is diana mitford's son.
   i recommend this book highly as a "starter" book for those who are interested in learning about this unusual family. i would also add,to check out other books by other authors. this gives a more,broad perspective of the mitfords and would be written by someone who can see the family in a different light,so to speak...still a great book!

5 comments about Venice from the Ground Up.

1. 
   
   
   
   
   
   If you have been to Venice or are planning to go, "Venice from the Ground Up" is a great book and necessary for you to own.
   
   Why would a city become established and then flourish in what would seem to be the unlikeliest place--in the middle of a lagoon? In answering this question this excellent book proves the basic concept of the other "From the Ground Up" book, ("Rome from the Ground Up"), that you can't understand a city without knowing how it developed-and understand the interplay of natural and historical forces, and cultural institutions.
   
   Like the earlier book, this one visualizes a city at various moments in its lifespan. In Rome one grasps immediately that a modern city is overlying a classical one. Venice is different because after it consolidated from clusters of islands and channels became defined as canals, a city of waterways instead of streets emerged which presents a bewildering labyrinth to the visitor.
   
   This book is ingeniously well organized to sort it all out. The text presents a development of Venetian architecture, history and society in stages coordinated to the series of clearly legible maps at the end, with the places discussed in the text located in numbered sequence on the map, so that the book can be also be used as a guide to this exploration of Venice in a slice in time, by foot and boat. (Practical information is included on catching the Venetian bus, the vaporetto, etc.)
   
   I also own a thick comprehensive guidebook to the city organized in itineraries in various neighborhoods which I carried around with me in Venice--but "Venice from the Ground Up" is more valuable in understanding what you are seeing, which is more a matter of perspective and context than of minutiae.
   
   This is still a very complete and scholarly book, elegantly designed, illustrated with wonderful historic prints and paintings and beautiful contemporary photographs which seem to keep you moving between the present and the past. The author is a sparklingly inventive writer, and his descriptions are as vivid as paintings. I had to read through just to find out how the story of Venice would arrive at our own day.
   
   I love Canaletto's paintings, and this book has enlivened his paintings for me in new ways. If you love Venice, or are planning to go there, you need to have this book to enhance your understanding or renew your love of this amazing city.
   
   
   
   



2. This book is not a typical guide - where to eat and sleep - but rather a detailed architectural guide with enough history mixed in to put it all into context. Having explored most of the sites discussed, I found that the author gives excellent insight into the buildings, adds detail that enhances visits and turns the buildings that would otherwise blend into the city into treasures. A must for architecture fans and those who want to explore beyond the traditional half day in the St. Marks area.



3. After reading throughfully several books of Venice (both English and Spanish) this one provided insightful information, perfect tips, great history coverage. Highly recomended if you want to learn about Venice or planning a trip there.



4. This is a beautifully written and illustrated book for the Veneice lover. Nice mix of history and building descriptions.



5. Don't purchase the Kindle Edition of this book. It is an excellent book, but you won't have any of the illustrations or pictures that are a crucial part of the text.

5 comments about A New Genealogical Atlas of Ireland, Second Edition.

1. Now in a new and expanded second edition, A New Genealogical Atlas Of Ireland by genealogical expert Brian Mitchell has added maps detailing the location of Roman Catholic parishes in all thirty-two counties of Ireland, and Presbyterian congregations in the nine counties of Northern Ireland. A complete geographical picture of the three major religious dominations in Ireland during the middle years of the 19th century is another newly added feature. An invaluable reference and guide for doing genealogical research for an Irish ancestry, A New Genealogical Atlas Of Ireland continues to be an indispensable, core addition to personal, professional, and genealogical society reference collections.



2. Now in an updated second edition, genealogy research expert Brian Mitchell's A New Genealogical Atlas Of Ireland is a very straightforward, accessible reference, presenting maps of each Irish county. Each county has five maps: one depicting the Church of Ireland parishes, one showing the baronies and Church of Ireland dioceses, one of the poor law unions and parishes included within probate districts, one of Roman Catholic parishes and dioceses, and a fifth set of maps for the nine counties of Northern Ireland shows Presbyterian congregations. Since civil registration for everyone in Ireland didn't begin until 1864, A New Genealogical Atlas Of Ireland is an extremely useful reference for tracing ancestors who lived prior to 1864. An invaluable contribution to genealogical reference and resource materials.



3. This book doesn't give me all the answers I needed, but it has been a trememdous help in getting closer to finding my Irish Ancestors. Worth adding to my bookshelf.



4. This book is just what it is called: an atlas. It does not give advice or information about irish history, genealogy, or anything of the sort (which is what I had mistakenly hoped for). It is a very, very detailed atlas of the counties, parishes, and every other conceivable subdivision of the land of Ireland over the last 200 years. It could be a valuable resource for anyone who has their genealogical research within Ireland already. If you are like me, and have traced the family to the boat ride but no further, this will not help you quite yet.
   
   Thank you still to the author for the extensive research that must have gone into this!



5. This publication perfectly fills my need as a tool to visually orient myself with Ireland's complicated system of local area boundaries. Invaluable when sorting through parishes, townlands, poor law unions and baronies.

5 comments about The Irish Pub.

1. This stunning book on The Irish pub is sumptuous and gorgeous - if you have an interest in pubs, Ireland, history, interior decor or indeed anthropology then you should get this book for your self as well as for as many others as you see fit - engaging text - seriously beautiful photographs - this is a very important book that will become a collectors must. I can't recommend this more.



2. If you have an interest in visiting Ireland for the first time, you are a frequent visitor or a resident of Ireland, this book is a must read. The author managed to capture the flavor of the Irish Pub with his historical discriptions, and the photographer captured the vision. In the course of reading the book, I could see my relatives sitting in a number of the featured pubs debating current issues, tossing a few pints back and wondering what tomorrow will bring.



3. The Irish Pub is a terrific book with wonderful pictures, descriptions, and stories of several historic pubs in Ireland.



4. "The Irish Pub" captures the warmth and charm of this vanishing mainstay of Irish culture. The book invites you into its pages with beautiful photographs and histories of urban and rural pubs.



5. We were in a pub in Wexford called the Sky and Ground Pub. Great place. Johnny, the owner bought this place after it had burned to the ground with intentions to rebuild. When he first walked through the door, all he could see was the sky and the ground. So he named it that. He recommended this book, which we ended up buying the next day and using as our tour guide. It was a very good recommendation. We ended up hitting about 11 pubs out of the 38 or so that are in the book. We had the pub owners sign their respective pages. They were very excited by the idea. Most said none had asked them to do that before. This book is fantastic. If you have any interest in Ireland or pubs at all this book is a must, there is a ton of info in here, with a map to plan your route. Plus the photography is fantastic.

5 comments about Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy (updated).

1. i bought this book to use for research. i love genealogy and this book on british royalty was perfect.



2. I bought this to look up ancestors. I found them after digging into the book. Even now, I've the nagging feeling that I'm related in a different way. The layout confused me abit but I don't have the time to read the entire book in detail.



3. I am an avid reader of historical fiction in British history. I enjoy Alison Weir's works with her thorough research and readable style. I bought this book as a reference book to keep track of all those kings and queens..and the pretenders.



4. Excellent historical information but hard to keep up on who is who and who's kids are whos's. Take some time with it and yuou will enjoy it for it's informative history.



5. Alison Weir is renowned for her historical fiction and her historical works. One of the problems I have when perusing her works is keeping the players straight. Who was related to whom? Who were the children (legitimate and illegitimate) of kings and lords? In this work, Weir provides us with a resource that can be consulted while reading works on Britain's rulers over time--and keeps the players a little straighter!
   
   Weir notes at the outset (Page 3): "This handbook is about the monarchy, and it begins with the first ruler who properly may be accorded the title of monarch, Egbert of Wessex." For each ruler, one to three or so pages suffices. We learn details of the family (mother and father), siblings, wife/husband/lover, children (legitimate and not so), and death details. The work begins, unsurprisingly, with Egbert. Other early rulers--Alfred (born in 846-849), Canute (born 995), Harold II (overthrown by the Normans, ending the Saxon reign), William the Conqueror (born in 1008 and beginning the Norman Dynasty). The Norman dynasty included Henry I.
   
   Then he Plantagenet line, beginning with Henry II in 1154. The line ended with Richard III, in the battle at Bosworth in 1485. Among the monarchs in this line--Richard I (the Lion heart), Edward I (Longshanks), Edward III (and note John of Gaunt, one of his sons, and his role in the line of monarchs), Richard II, Edward IV. Then, after this lineage came the Tudors, beginning with Henry VII and ending with Elizabeth I. After that? The book runs through the different families--Stuarts, House of Hanover, House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha morphed into Windsor, with Elizabeth II being the latest monarch.
   
   All in all, a useful resource, helping to keep the players straight in English/British history.

4 comments about London: A Life in Maps.

1. Peter Whitfield's "London, A Life in Maps" is a must-read for anyone with an interest in, and/or love for, Britain's capital city. Having lived in London for three years in the 1970's, and returned many times since, I found the maps, drawings, photos, and text enthralling, shedding light on innumerable aspects of the city that previously were unknown to me. What an incredible amount of research Peter Whitfield has done, and how brilliantly he presents it. The book would make a superb gift for any Anglophile or student of English history.



2. The British Library published this beautiful book of maps of London. The reproductions of maps and plans are enhanced with engravings, paintings and photographs. Peter Whitfield's commentary for each map is informative and engaging. Each map stands alone, but taken as a whole the book presents a panorama of a great city.
   
   A few of my many favorites include:
   
   Caesar's Camp called "the Brill" located just outside St. Pancras on the River Fleet just outside London.
   
   Matthew Paris's 1250-54 diagram from London Bridge ('pons Lond.') and the Thames ('Tamise'), through Rochester and Canterbury to Dover, then crossing the sea ('La Mer') and reaching France.
   
   A 1593 guide for Cuntrey men In the famous Cittey of LONDON.
   
   Section and Plan of a Gateway to Westminster at Hyde Park Corner, 1778.
   
   Plan of a Proposed TURNPIKE ROAD From St. JOHN'S CHAPEL, ST. MARYLEBONE into the Great North Road Near the 8 Mile Stone at Finchley, 1824.
   
   A small sample of Whitfield's prose: "Between 1850 and 1945 London changed beyond recognition as a result of the interplay between population pressures, novel means of transport, a revolution in building techniques, and a new leisure ethos. By the early 20th century there were a variety of Londons. Buildings spread deep into the countryside until Green Belt legislation was passed to save what remained. Distinct types of suburb developed. Ramblers took advantage of the remaining commons, heaths and woods around London. And those two icons of modern London, the A-Z and the Underground map, were created."
   
   The book is a delight to hold and to study. Even better, the British Library has mounted an interactive exhibit of 40 the 100 maps in this book. And, many of the maps are available for sale in the Library's shop.
   
   Robert C. Ross 2008



3. Now and then, I come across a book which I quickly discover must be opened with care, and not when any other responsibilities are pressing, because it will prove almost impossible to put down. Whitfield's marvelous cartographic treatment of the history since the 16th century of one of the western world's premiere cities is just such a book. Along with chronology, maps are one of the key adjuncts in the study of history, visualizing and placing in context the relationships between events of the past. Whitfield is a well-known expert in the history of exploration and of maps, and he provides here a guided tour of London's development since the mid-16th century, when the first maps of the city began to appear. They were really "views," with elevations of buildings, and designed with a low point-of-view, not the schematic plan from directly overhead of the modern urban street map, but they get the point across: London, while already one of the largest cities in Europe, was tiny by today's standards. The Strand was almost a country lane connecting the City of the London with Westminster, upriver. Spitalfield was still the open land before St. Mary's Hospital, just outside Bishopsgate -- which was still a gate in the city walls. And because of the Great Fire and the complete loss of the old wooden city, these early maps are our best source for what medieval London really looked like. In fact, the Fire itself gave impetus to the development of urban cartography, as an aid in rebuilding the city. In addition to early plans of the major thoroughfares, certain important buildings and districts also drew attention, including Henry VIII's Whitehall Palace -- now completely replaced, except for the Banqueting Hall, by the machinery of modern government -- and the new developments at Covent Garden, Grosvenor Square, and the other elite foci of the West End which the nobility built from their estates (and from which most of them amassed enormous fortunes). The building of sprawling docks downriver to accommodate London's vast international trade were of cartographic interest as early as 1700. The volume continues through the Hanoverian dynasty and the Victorian era, following the City's ever-outward expansion, the incorporation of older villages, the establishment of entirely new suburbs, the desertion by the gentry of much of the inner city, the covering over of London's numerous small rivers, and the building of thoroughfares like Marylebone Road to accommodate the boom in commercial traffic. Many of these projects, moreover, were private initiatives, proposed with profit in mind; taxpayer-funded public works didn't become important until much later in the 19th century. Railways, factories, commercial cemeteries, green spaces, tenements, the Great Exhibition -- Whitfield covers them all. And he ends with the establishment of the London County Council, the transport revolution, and the great commercial boom that followed World War II, threatening to destroy and replace what little of the pre-modern city remained. This book, a perfect combination of absorbing information and visual delight, is almost a mandatory acquisition for anyone who studies modern British history, or who simply loves London. The city's biography resides in its maps.



4. Two things I love: historical maps and London - in one book.
   It's a good mix of maps/graphics and supporting historical text - easy to read, not dry and organised by themes.
   If you love maps and have an interest in the history and development of London, you really should buy this.
   
   I was surprised by the good (physical) quality of the book too, as it seemed relatively inexpensive compared to similar books.

5 comments about The House of Rothschild: Volume 2: The World's Banker: 1849-1999.

1. [Also see: Fritz Springmeier's Bloodlines of the
   Illuminati]. Ferguson, who teaches at a Northea-
   stern University in the US, did yeoman work here
   on at least defusing some of conspiracy talk about
   how fools like Bernard Piper-Collins claim Roths-
   childs alledgedly control ALL things.The Rothschilds
   never ran the bank of England, the gentile Baring
   Bros. did. They are however a very corrupt family.
   Author Ferguson did excellent work here.



2. the book had some good pictures, however prof Ferguson not once, but on numerous occasions, claims to refute the story of how Nathan brilliantly deceived the London Stock Exchange players after the battle of Waterloo, earning $40 billion (2007 prices) in one day. A bit jealous I suppose.
   
   Verdict: Ignore the anti-semitic propaganda and the book is worth a look.



3. What has Ferguson not told about the Rothschilds in his seemingly exhaustive two volume set?
   
   He all too facilely dismisses Victor Rothschild's being the fifth man in the World War II Soviet spy ring of Blunt, Burgess, et. al. He does not bring up the 1776 Masonic Illuminati order of Adam Weishaupt with alleged connections to Mayer Amschel. And he dosen't discuss the Rothschilds' connection with Freemasonry at the highest level, and their gift to Israel of the Supreme Court building, a New World Order artifact, heavily laden architecturally with Freemasonry symbolism. Likewise, glaringly absent from note are 19th, 20th, and 21st century Illuminati activities, which the family has been widely thought to be involved with. History Professor Ferguson could fill in his blanks on some vital but shady Rothschild history from Henry Makow, a researcher and writer--and a Jew.
   
   According to an article on Ferguson in Harvard Magazine (May/June '07), he is about to take on biographical writing of Henry Kissinger, at Kissinger's request. This should generate caution. Could Kissinger's "papers" be entirely relied on? Kissinger probably saw what sheen Ferguson could put on the Rothschild's archives as raw material, ignoring or minimising important but dark concerns.
   
   Same question on the Warburg's family papers that he is availing himself of. What will Ferguson tell us about Paul Warburg's role in establishing the egregious Federal Reserve, and Max Warburg financing the Bolshevik revolution?
   
   Let's hope that Ferguson can either put this and other allegations to rest once and for all or illuminate them if true--but now that he's shown his colors with the Rothschilds, I doubt that he will, either way.
   
   It seems that sympathetic academic interest in these elitist families and individuals is inevitable in part because that is where the big bucks for research and publishing would be, especially for a scholar who professes to have, as he says in the Harvard Magazine article, "become a thorough philo-Semite".
   
   Is there a whiff of opportunism here at the expense of objectivity?



4. I bought those books (1st & 2nd volumes)'cause the writer says he did the research with the Rothschild family consent and with the family's data.
   Then some "mitology" (how they knew before all the Napoleon defead is one of them)is clarified. But he didn't see what is behind some facts that may be the family data doesn't reveal 'cause nobody reveals all the secrets .How the House of Morgan and the House of Rockfeller has long ago tied themselves with the Rothschild's House.And 'cause this the Author says the Rothschild failed to come to United States... and has a lot of writes(Eustace Mullins,Edward Griffim ,etc)that say ,when and how ,the links, between those Houses ,is working since they began a long time ago untill now and how the Rothschild's House control the Global Economy.This was a great deception...I was with the Author in B&N to ask for his signature and I told about this failure to him .



5. This book is not for the casual reader. I might have enjoyed this book more if I were a historian or an economist and had a vast knowledge and interest in both of these subjects. That being said, I found the book not interesting enough to finish reading. Instead of being given a summary of the overall strategies and business relationships developed by this famous family, I seemingly had to read every detail about every individual loan the family ever made. If you like reading accounting books, maybe this is your cup of tea.
   
   To me this book is analogous to a three hour movie that should have been a properly edited two hour movie. I prefer the writing style of economist/historian William Engdahl, Pat Buchanan or Gore Vidal. They have a talent for telling history in a concise and informative way that the average reader can enjoy.

5 comments about A World Lit Only by Fire: The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance: Portrait of an Age.

1. This book is atrocious. It is almost willfully ignorant about its supposed subject matter, and does little more than repeat long-debunked stereotypes about the "dark ages." I have an MA degree in medieval history, and have taught western civ and world history for eight years. Only mentioned to show that I have some actual qualifications for this opinion.



2. Manchester is a good writer. I'll grudgingly give him that. However, I wonder exactly what his purpose was in writing the volume? He must have known it would take a beating for its inaccuracies, so he didn't write it for the academics or scholars. I can only conclude that he wrote it as popular history, that is, to entertain the general public. Just the same, though a more casual approach with more entertaining material is justified for a general readership, still these people deserve a book that at least attempts to be truthful. Did he have an agenda? I don't know but it seems so. He skims over some individuals and periods while devoting multiple pages to others. I can't tolerate historians who cover fascinating times so dully that even fellow history buffs can hardly stifle the snores. However, I am picky enough to want reasonable accuracy too. Manchester could have done better.



3. When I pick up a "researched historical" I expect to find factual information and a truly well-researched thesis and presentation. Apparently that was too much to expect from this author. If I want a sensational, fantastical story, I can go straight to the National Enquirer, get my cheap thrills and save some cash.



4. William Manchester collects all the anecdotes to support his view of the Middle Ages: it was a terrible time (he defends the now abandoned term "Dark Ages") when nothing of value had happened. According to him, no innovation took place and everyone was backward and brutal. He supports this bleak and inaccurate view through carefully selected tidbits of facts and throws them at the reader without giving a complete picture. This leads to an incomplete understanding of this era and I pity the reader who gets their complete view of the Middle Ages from this book only. This book is VERY misleading and downright dishonest, but aims at sensationalizing and confirmation of the worst stereotypes that exist among the uneducated about the Middle Ages. It's classic yellow journalism masquerading as history.
   
   Overall it's a book to endure for a fanatic of the Middle Ages who wants to fish out some new info or for a person who would like to confirm their preconceptions about "the set back in human history called The Dark Ages".



5. Imagine, centuries from now, you are given the opportunity to write a popular history book on Modernism (19th - 20th century). What aspects of the age do you include? Surely, the past two centuries have given what future man may still regard improvements. In the social realm, to use just one example, the abolition of slavery, the granting of suffrage to women, and the recognition of natural freedoms and rights regardless of class or blood, rightly may be called improvements of this age.
   
   Yet, it is the same age that has given us examples of totalitarianism, communism, genocide on unprecedented levels, the devaluation of the human person and the family, the decline of culture into commercialized sterility, and the rise of nihilism. What approach does one take in writing such a book? Can one say of our age: it was a World Lit Only by Enlightenment?
   
   William Manchester gives a book that, while enjoyable to read, sadly offers a simplistic and polarized representation of the late medieval and early Renaissance Age. The thread of William's portrait of the age is not hard to identify. On the one hand there are the faithful (read "superstitious" and "ignorant") Christians, who form the majority and who blindly follow what the Church teaches them regarding their roles and the world around them. Any violence, oppression or prejudice is attributable to their ignorance, which William has no qualms linking with their faith. On the other hand, there are the select few whom Manchester lauds as pure individuals, men of reason, who question the medieval assumptions and who alone merit our recognition as our forebears in knowledge.
   
   This polarized representation does not give an accurate portrait of the age. William excels in viewing the age from the perspective of a secular humanist with Enlightenment thought as his patrimony, but he cannot, without lapsing into condescension and mockery, truly enter into the medieval mind and acknowledge the internal logic that guided it. There is no shortage of medieval scholars who have done just that. I have no problem with William Manchester writing from a secular humanist viewpoint, but the frequent snides about those with whom he disagrees does little to William's credit, and makes otherwise enjoyable reading at times annoying.
   
   Better books have been written on the age, ones in which good and bad are considered together, and the man of the age is not looked down on for being born into his circumstances and living according to the world view in which he was raised. Jacques Le Goff, in his Medieval Civilization: 400-1500, does a finer job in placing the medieval people in the context of barbarian invasion and the movement out of towns and into the country. Important advances were made (as in agriculture) but perhaps not in all the areas considered important by an educated Western person today.
   

5 comments about The House of Medici: Its Rise and Fall.

1. This is one of only handful of books that I have started and not been able to finish. I love history and thought this book would be a nice change from some of the "fluffy" books I have been reading lately. To be honest, I had a time time following the book. There were too many names that I found hard to keep track of, plus there were many historial references that I made the book very confusing. I couldn't even make it past chapter 3. Dont waste your money like I did!



2. This history read like an adventure movie, especially the discription of Lorenzo the Magnificient's life. I'm surprised someone here thought it lifeless! Murders, riots, wars, seductions! What more could you want?



3. The many very good reviews on "The House of Medici: Its Rise and Fall" compelled me to read it. It was a pretty good read indeed. The author covers the entire Medici history in great detail and the book reads quite well. There are also some nice illustrations. However, what was extremely disappointing was the lack of important supporting information, which is essential to history books. There were only two relatively poor maps (with very small font) and no map of Florence. Therefore, the location of the Medici villas, important battles and events are not shown. What is even worse: there is NO genealogy chart! I had to go back and forth and even tried the much inadequate Index to figure out who was the sister or brother or cousin of whom. I don't comprehend how this was not caught by any of the acknowledged proof readers or the Editor. Nevertheless, if you can get your hands on some good maps and the genealogy (e.g. Encyclopedia Britannica) the book is worth reading.



4. This book is a terrific narrative on the Medici's of Renaissance Florence. Hibbert captures the various Medici family members which included Cosimo and his banking empire which funded the dynasty. His grandson Lorenzo who was the greatest of all the patrons of Rennaisance artists such as Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Galileo. We meet Medici's who become Pope even though their only qualifications seem to be that they were Medici's. Hibbert also introduces us to their lethal competitors, the Pazzi family. The book includes murder, betrayal, ambition, sexual dalliances, great artists, and the fabulous setting of Florence. What more do you need for a great read.



5. This book provides a good overview of the Medici dynasty and the source of its power in Florence.