5 comments about The Hundred Years War: Trial by Battle (The Middle Ages Series, Volume 1) (The Middle Ages Series, 1).

1. The Middle Ages in Europe, a time of poor sanitation and brutal men terrifying local communities into submission; where the rule of law may have been as tenuous as the mortality people might expect to achieve. The Middle Ages in Europe is as near as one might get to the post apocalyptic nightmare depicted in the movie Mad Max 2 the Road Warrior where decisions are terrible and give very short shrift to our political correct world of today. This is the world Jonathan Sumption evokes in his Trial by Battle. It's a time of shortages of food and resources, the golden age of the plentiful thirteenth century is drawing to a close and the economy of Europe is coming under strain. Thrust into this crisis are the rulers of the lands of those times. Principally the Kings of England and France. But theres a host of other lesser nobles, of Dukes, Earls and Counts in north west Europe effected and effecting the politics of the times. In this book, Mr. Sumption gives a crash course in the organisation of the various kingdoms, principalities, counties and dukedoms as they become involved in the story of the Hundred Years War. Its not necessary to know in depth about the running of a kingdom though it might help to have a little background knowledge. The pace of the book carries this history at a good rate of knots. My only criticism is while Mr Sumption produces a suitable statistic here and there to back up the picture he paints in words, there can be a lack of colour, the description of an event or cultural or technological details, is lacking in places. This left me at a loss for an image to anchor my understanding (after all I am a product of an age addicted to visualisation), That said it is only a small detraction from a really interesting work. The battle descriptions are spot on and the developments in between give the theme a sense of continuity. This volume brings the history from the origins of the war to ten years into its execution. You'll have to buy the next volume (which I did) to find out what happens but Trial by Battle is good in itself if you like the at times bizarrely mystical and nonsensical Middle Ages and at times utterly no nonsense people of those hard times



2. Sumption's history of this sordid and bloody conflict will be the defining opus of this era. In this first volume of 600 pages he covers intimately all aspects of the war's first 10 years. He is mostly skilled at both the economic and diplomatic machinations of the conflict, emphasising how armies were fielded and then supported.

   His scope is grand and he covers events as far away as Scotland, Flanders, Britany, and the Popes involvement from the Avignon palaces.

   His strategic interpretation is superb, without equal. He has an ability to get into the head of participants and show their ultimate motivation in fighting. Why particular courses were decided upon are also fittingly reviewed; why a campaign in Flanders? Why get involved in Britany? How did England ultimately expand and prevail in Aquitaine when their foothold was so tenuous? Why were the French completely unable to exploint a fundamental postion of strength by working with their internal lines of communication? All of these questions are answered in good detail.

   There are no real weaknesses in this work but there are a few things that readers should be prepared for:

   1) Sumption is not writing a biography of any of the characters and although we understand a lot of their emotions in the heat of dimplomacy and battle, we hear little about the individual idiosyncracies of both Edward III and Philip VI. We learn almost nothing about their respective sons in this volume, which is amazing considering the future role they played.

   2) Although this is a story of battle and slaughter, we are largely spared the details of the minutea of battle, who fought whom, the real intricacies of the weapons involved and the fate of those who were turned to bones. Sumption leaves that to other military historians who have written hundreds of pages on individual battles. There are however amazing revalations here about Crecy which deserve to be noted; Sumption notes that the repeat regrouping and charging of the English lines was not characterisitic of a disorganised French attack. As such this contracdicts the traditional version of the French falling over themselves in the battle. In the end the longbow won the battle. No new surpises here.

   3) There is little actual focus on how the war effected the peasant. Perhaps because we know so little of them, but Sumption's research is so exhaustive that he purposefully concentrates on the diplomatic, military alliance structures and their respective figures.

   This was a major project to get through. I had to admit that times I did wander in my attention span. But the detail in the text is rich and his coverage of the impact of the war in Britany and the northern English Marches against the Scots, is something largely ignored by other historians of this war.

   I have already bought volume II and determined read all future volumes as he finishes.... although at this rate it will be a total of at least 10 volumes to get throught this particularly depressing interval in human history.




3. Trial By Battle is a magnificent achievement. Though daunting to look at, the 600+ page narrative sweeps by with the excitement and suspense of a great novel. Sumption fails to give any real background details (the marriage of a king will be mentioned in passing without so much as a clue as to his wife's name!). We learn nothing of castle construction, arms and armour, architecture, geography, or anything else of the spectacle of life in 14th century Europe. But the step-by-step analysis of the intricacies of medieval politics more than compensates, throwing the reader headlong into the meeting rooms of the royal courts. The narrative, for all its complexity, never ceases to be anything but fascinating. The reader is able to see all the seemingly small and random details, the mistakes and misunderstandings and mistimings, and how they build to create a situation in which all out war is the only option.
   
   Trial by Battle isn't simply the best book I've read about The 100 Years War, but the best I've read about the challenges faced by the medieval politician, and the strategic maneuvering required to achieve an acceptable outcome. Brilliant.



4. the title says trial by battle but never once does any battle ever rate more then one or two sentences. this book is very slow. If you are looking for the total history of this conflict and era including the armour,weapons and battles hence the title the hundred years war trial by battle, this is not the book for you.



5. This is the first book(part 1) of the authors' lengthy study of the hundred Years and covers from the beginnings of the war to a little after Crecy.He starts by comparing the 2 kingdoms of France and England,with France appearing to be 5 or 6 times more populated than England and France with alot more financial resources.French allies are also formidable with the Italian kingdoms including Genoa which had a powerful navy and well equipped army.True,Genoa was a "piracy type" kingdom but with really deep pockets.England at this time had vitually no navy of any consequence and relied on private contracts and war loans for transport.Privateers seemed like the English naval mainstay although Edward III had a few ships which he owned.The author spends alot of time on the English wool industry and its threats of economic embargo to get its way in continental politics. Other books I've read on this "King Cotton" type bullying downplay the English wool industry and point out that the Netherlands areas had previously sought out other alternatives to English wool.With the economies of France and England so unevenly matched how could the English midget overcome the French giant other than a cheap groin shot.The "jokers in the deck" that could overcome the odds were the alliances and here is where the author spends time on diplomacy and counter lawsuits of both English and French interests.This includes the use of both papacies to legitimate the rival claims.After all noone wants to appear like the "bad guy". A groin shot however is fair in war.The French giant was badly arthritic and that was an awfully "scrappy" midget anyway.
   I liked the way the author spent alot of time on the conflict between Scotland and the English because this aspect of the 100 Years War is often either omitted or covered sparsely.It is important because the wars with Scotland gave the English practice and expertise in regard to strategies and combat.The author points out the evolution of longbow tactics used by the English came about as the result of the numerous wars with Scotland.The French were tied to continental warfare practices,the crossbow and cavalry charges and the strategic retreats that can use up an opposing army through attrition more effectively than combat.Also this book gives a good deal of information on the more easterly Germanic speaking territories and their swinging alliances.So far the English to be somewhat the beneficiary of swinging Germanic sympathies,a love/hate relationship which will flower in Germanic speaking English kings and then degenerate to the worst later on.French nationalism is budding at this time and the author mentions that "France for the French"is becoming an issue in itself although still not prominent enough to overcome local infighting and schisms.Then there was the powerful Flemish influence,ruled by France on paper,but independent in reality and pro-English to the max.Remember this is still just the first book,there is another volume of equal length!
   There is a good section of the book devoted to ransoms of captives(knights only worth 100 pounds), which could in some cases make this war not appear as so savagely conducted.After all why fight too hard when you could be ransomed and go home with honors(and spoils).Next year you might be on the winning side since the fortunes of war shift so rapidly during this conflict. Edward the Third vs. Phillip of France is the main billing in the book. However you can realize that the general population must have suffered immensly from these roving bands of commissioned armies and freebooting mercenaries(as well as outright brigands).I was never able to figure out however if Edward the third really believed he was the King of France or if he was just asserting his realization that England was too vitaly immersed in Continental politics for his kingdoms' lifelines.Was Phillip of France a "milquetoast" or were his avoidance of battles more strategic hopes of attriting the English and their alliances.Still his strategy seems cold at times as the English and numerous bands of roving brigands roam the countryside virtually unopposed.In book 1 of Sumptions study the English seem to be gaining the advantage but with major setbacks.Now you're ready for book 2.

5 comments about The Money Men: Capitalism, Democracy, and the Hundred Years' War over the American Dollar (Enterprise).

1. Dr. Brands never disappoints. His research and witty style makes him a must-read in any topic on American history. Here, he's taken what some might consider a dry economics topic and turned it into a pleasurable experience that will help anyone understand this important current in the course of our country.



2. I found this book to be a bit of a challenge, since it takes the reader through the history of U.S. money from before the nation's establishment as a country independent from the crown of England, and the accompanying tax structure, all the way through the Federal Reserve days of Alan Greenspan. Yet what I learned about the men profiled in this book gave me a glimpse of their "inner workings" and how their business - and personal - biases have had an affect on the entire development of the U.S. An excellent read.



3. I was expecting to read a brief history of the US monetary system and, in particular, the contribution thereof by each of Brand's five "money men". Instead I got a series of disjoint, narrow biographies on five guys who helped shape American banking.
   
   To be sure, the book has its moments, for example, there is an interesting discussion about the way in which funds for the civil war were raised through war bonds -- but it is apparently left as an exercise to the reader to consider how this approached changed the US economy in any broader sense (other than that it helped the North win the war). There is no over-arching description of how each man contributed to the current system or how their work impacted the monetary system over time. Part of the problem - a few specific exceptions aside - is that Brand does not paint any broad strokes that would give the reader an idea about what the economic, monetary and political climate were like during the lives of each of the men. I was left wanting for more thorough discussion concerning the monetary and economic issues of the era.
   
   Perhaps there is a book that describes the continuous evolution of American banking, money and capital markets, but this one isn't it.



4. It is VERY difficult to make an interesting book on the history of central banking and money in the US, especially without a pet agenda ("Bring back the gold standard!" or "Outlaw Central Banks!"). The Money Men contains American history, Economic history and Banking history, linked together in the stories of Alexander Hamilton, JP Morgan, and the powerful bankers between them.
   
   Does is succeed in being a page-turner? Not really - it's best read in several sittings. Does it avoid partisanship? Depends on the wording... While largely unbalanced, "Capitalism vs. Deomcracy" paints a biased view of the participants. "Capital driven democracy versus Economic populist democracy" could be less biased words. But all that said, the book certainly beats other alternatives of US central banking histories....



5. I have long been a fan of HW Brands - In fact he is the author of two of my favorite works on US History ("The First American" and "The Age of Gold") However, what has consistently made Brands a favorite of lovers of American history is missing in "The Money Men" - that is his amazing attention to personal details. Typically, Brands is able to bring his subjects alive like no other. Unfortunately, "The Money Men" is a very brief glimpse at five loosely associated men... each is given between 30-50 pages.
   
   
   The result of Brands work is an overview of the formation of the banking industry in the United States. I would approach "The Money Men" as a way to decide if you would like to tackle one of the more complete books on the subject... such as Chernow's masterful books on JP Morgan, Rockefeller, and Alexander Hamilton (And I highly recommend each of them).
   
   A final note.... at the time of publishing this review the price of "The Money Men" is less than three dollars. This is an outstanding price - and definitely worthy of a place in your library at this price!

No comments about The White Company (Dover Books on Literature & Drama).

2 comments about The Hundred Years War: England and France at War c.1300-c.1450 (Cambridge Medieval Textbooks).

1. Christopher Allmand has taken a very long timeframe of medieval rivalry between the two great powers of the time, England and France and has done an excellent job of describing the begining, preperation and culmination of a very Bloody and Nasty war between England and France. These two great nations were always antagonistic with each other and had finally reached a "boiling point" around 1300, thus declaring official and unofficial war with each other that did not end until the beginning of the 19th century. Allmand doesn't use schollarly details to confuse the reader, he writes in a good prose and is easy to understand the background of the French and English Kings who honestly did not like each other, even though in most circumstances they were related to each other by blood or marriage. This book also gives analysis of how the war between these two nations affected the innocent victims such as the villiagers, serfs and even nobility. This was a war of gaining territory, sacking villiages in the name of the King, very nasty and terrible battles and political status in Medieval Europe. I highly recommend this book to all who want to know about how the rivalry between England and France developed and how the rivalry led to war that made it not just a hundred year war, but a war that lasted well over 400 years.



2. Read this for graduate history course in medieval history.
   Christopher Allmand, is an excellent historian who tells the story of the Hundred Years War in a very succinct manner. End of 14th C England emerges with a real national identity. Edward III 1327-77. An example, 1362 Edward III has official records kept in English, not French, moving away from Norman influence, this is a defining moment. This helps English literature to flourish. A political identity is being built as well.
   
   Edward III (13 November 1312 - 21 June 1377) was one of the most successful English monarchs of the Middle Ages. He remained on the throne for 50 years; no English monarch had reigned as long since Henry III, and none would until George III. Having restored royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, he went on to transform England into the most efficient military power in Europe. To a large extent, Edward III can be credited with the birth of the English nation. He pushes idea of 100 Year's war his reign saw vital developments in legislature and government--in particular the evolution of the English parliament--as well as the ravaging of the Black Death. Where 1/3 population dies which also causes him to scale back on 100 Year's war.
   
   Parliament as a representative institution was already well established by the time of Edward III, but the reign was nevertheless central to its development. During this period membership in the English baronage, formerly a somewhat indistinct group, became restricted to those who received a personal summons to parliament. This happened as parliament gradually developed into a bicameral institution. Yet it was not in the House of Lords, but in the House of Commons that the greatest changes took place. The widening of political power can be seen in the crisis of the Good Parliament, where the Commons for the first time--albeit with noble support--was responsible for precipitating a political crisis. In the process, both the procedure of impeachment and the office of the Speaker were created. Even though the political gains were of only temporary duration, this parliament represented a watershed in English political history.
   The political influence of the Commons originally lay in its right to grant taxes. The financial demands of the Hundred Years' War were enormous, and the king and his ministers tried different methods of covering the expenses. The king had a steady income from crown lands, and could also take up substantial loans from Italian and domestic financiers. To finance warfare on Edward III's scale, however, the king had to resort to taxation of his subjects. Taxation took two primary forms: levy and customs. The levy was a grant of a proportion of all moveable property, normally a tenth for towns and a fifteenth for farmland. This could produce large sums of money, but each such levy had to be approved by parliament, and the king had to prove the necessity. The customs therefore provided a welcome supplement, as a steady and reliable source of income. An 'ancient duty' on the export of wool had existed since 1275. Edward I had tried to introduce an additional duty on wool, but this unpopular maltolt, or 'unjust exaction', was soon abandoned. Then, from 1336 onwards, a series of schemes aimed at increasing royal revenues from wool export were introduced. After some initial problems and discontent, it was agreed through the Ordinance of the Staple of 1353 that the new customs should be approved by parliament, though in reality they became permanent. Through the steady taxation of Edward III's reign, parliament--and in particular the Commons--gained political influence. A consensus emerged that in order for a tax to be just, the king had to prove its necessity, it had to be granted by the community of the realm, and it had to be to the benefit of that community. In addition to imposing taxes, parliament would also present petitions for redress of grievances to the king, most often concerning misgovernment by royal officials. This way the system was beneficial for both parties. Through this process the commons, and the community they represented, became increasingly politically aware, and the foundation was laid for the particular English brand of constitutional monarchy.
   
   In the 1356 Battle of Poitiers against Edward, the Black Prince (son of King Edward III of England), John II suffered a humiliating defeat and was taken as captive back to England. As a prisoner of the English, John was granted royal privileges, permitted to travel about, and to enjoy a regal lifestyle. At a time when law and order was breaking down in France and the government was having a hard time raising money for the defense of the realm, his account books during his captivity show that he was purchasing horses, pets and clothes while maintaining an astrologer and a court band.
   
   The 1360 Treaty of Brétigny set his ransom at 650,000pounds and 1/3 French territory. In keeping with the honor between himself and King Edward III, and leaving his son Louis of Anjou in English-held Calais as a replacement hostage, John was allowed to return to France to raise his ransom funds. While King John tried to raise the money, his son Louis, accorded the same royal dignity, easily escaped from the English. An angry King John surrendered himself again to the English, claiming an inability to pay the ransom as the reason. The true motive of John's decision remains murky today, with many pointing to the devastation in France caused by war with England and the Jacquerie peasant uprising as likely candidates. His councilors and nearly the whole nation was critical of the decision, since they had raised the ransom through painstaking sacrifice. However Jean arrived in England in early 1364, looked upon by ordinary citizens and English royalty alike with great admiration. Accordingly, he was held as an honored prisoner in the Savoy Palace but died in London a few months later. His body was returned to France, where he was interred in the royal chambers at Saint Denis Basilica.
   
   Richard II (6 January 1367 - 14 February 1400) was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan "The Fair Maid of Kent". He was born in Bordeaux and became his father's successor when his elder brother died in infancy. He was deposed in 1399 and died the next year. He was arrogant and had problems with Barons; he wanted to be more of an autocrat. As Richard began to take over the business of government himself, he sidelined many of the established nobles, Instead he turned to his inner circle of favorites for his council, men such as Michael de la Pole, whom Richard created Earl of Suffolk and made chancellor of England. The nobles he had snubbed formed the head of a group of the disaffected who called themselves the Lords Appellant. The central tenet of their appeal was continued war with France against Richard's policy of peace, an aim that many of them pursued in the interests of personal gain since it is the best way for them to make money by looting France. Rather than the interests of the nation.
   
   In 1387, the English Parliament, under pressure from the Lords Appellant, demanded that Richard remove his unpopular councilors. When he refused, he was told that since he was still a minor, a Council of Government would rule in his place. Richard had the Earl of Arundel, leader of the Lords Appellant, arrested; but Richard's small army led by de Vere was overpowered by the forces of the Lords Appellant outside Oxford, and Richard was imprisoned in the Tower of London. Subsequently Richard agreed to hold a parliament in order to resolve the Appellants' grievances; the unpopular councilors were forcibly disposed of (eight being executed for treason and the others exiled) in the Merciless Parliament of 1388. Richard was forced to accept new councilors and was temporarily stripped of almost all his authority. By 1398, some of them are repealed.
   
   However, Richard was more concerned with Gaunt's son and heir Henry Bolingbroke, (Lancaster his cousin) whom he banished for ten years on a spurious pretext in 1399. After Gaunt's death, Richard also confiscated Bolingbroke's lands, this is seen as a violation of Baron's rights. Bolingbroke's inheritance was huge, large enough to be seen as a small state within the greater state of England and thus an obvious obstacle on the path of a unified and peaceful England. At this point Richard left for a campaign in Ireland, allowing Bolingbroke the opportunity to land in Yorkshire with an army provided by the King of France to reclaim his father's lands. Richard's autocratic ways, deeply unpopular with many nobles, facilitated Bolingbroke's gaining control quickly of most of southern and eastern England. Bolingbroke had originally just wanted his inheritance and a reimposition of the power of the Lords Appellant, accepting Richard's right to be king and March's right to succeed him. However, by the time Richard finally arrived back on the mainland in Wales, a tide of discontent had swept England. In the King's absence, Bolingbroke, who was generally well-liked, was being urged to take the crown himself. Richard was captured at Flint Castle in Wales and taken to London, where crowds pelted him with rubbish. He was held in the Tower of London and eventually forced to abdicate. He was brought, on his request, before parliament, where he officially renounced his crown and thirty-three official charges (including `vengeful sentences given against lords') were made against him. He was not permitted to answer the charges. Parliament then accepted Henry Bolingbroke (Henry IV) as the new king.
   
   Richard was placed in Pontefract Castle, and died there in 1400. He is believed to have been killed by starvation (perhaps he refused to take nourishment and starved himself) or otherwise murdered. Richard was dead by 17 February. By 1400, England has a stable government. You see the tensions play out between King, Barons, and Parliament, Edward III did well at this.
   
   France- Lots of problems. It has a much larger population 10-12 million as opposed to England's 3-4 million. This makes the country unwieldy to deal with. It also suffers from bad politics from a slew of bad kings. Philip IV the Fair (French: Philippe IV le Bel) (1268 - November 29, 1314) was King of France from 1285 until his death in 1314. The Valois Dynasty succeeded the Capetian Dynasty as rulers of France from 1328-1589. They were descendants of Charles of Valois, the third son of King Philip III and based their claim to be ahead of Edward III of England and Jeanne de Navarre on a reintroduction of the Salic law.
   
   Philip VI of Valois (French: Philippe VI de Valois; 1293 - August 22, 1350) was the King of France from 1328 to his death, and Count of Anjou, Maine, and Valois 1325-1328. He was the son of Charles of Valois and founded the Valois Dynasty.
   
   John II of France (French: Jean II de France; April 16, 1319-April 8, 1364),
   Charles V the Wise (French: Charles V le Sage) (January 31, 1338 - September 16, 1380) was king of France from 1364 to 1380 and a member of the Valois Dynasty. His reign marked a high point for France during the Hundred Years' War, with his armies recovering much of the territory ceded to England at the Treaty of Bretigny.
   
   Charles VI the Well-Beloved, later known as the Mad (French: Charles VI le Bien-Aimé, later known as le Fol) (December 3, 1368 - October 21, 1422) was a King of France (1380 - 1422) and a member of the Valois Dynasty. The king would suffer from periods of mental illness 1/2 his life. This is disastrous for France.
   
   France doesn't have Parliament or any central control due to fact the King was never able to interfere with the autonomy Baron's had in the lands. Also political problems because many French baron's side with the English. In addition, the English are used to having assemblies under Anglo-Saxon rule, French have no such tradition. French king has great councils like English Privy but it's not well defined. No exchequer, but 2 men in control of money, income and expenditure, thus both become corrupt, spendthrifts, bankruptcy. French kings have habit of devaluing money. The 100 Year's war goes bad for them which causes them trouble. He has no money to pay his professional army, so they become organized bands of highwaymen and robbers even laying siege to towns for ransom money. The French country is scarred by war thus harder to get tax revenue from people.
   
   Lavish living among nobility. Systematic taxation becomes harsh by 1356 because they are having to raise ransom money. Bureaucracy has to use non nobles so they will be loyal to the king and not their family interests. Court is 500 people who are a drain on money, don't do much. Only 200 bureaucrats do the real governing of the country. Flanders is a constant problem for them. Textile manufacture using English wool makes them close allies against French interests. Gascony in France is an English possession. 1347-50, low point for taxes because of devastation of plague. 1330's 210K hearth tax, 1378 30K this is a big drop.
   
   Recommended reading for those interested in medieval history.

5 comments about Ashes to Ashes: America's Hundred-Year Cigarette War, the Public Health, and the Unabashed Triumph of Philip Morris.

1. I'm not a smoker (fortunately my parents totally discouraged me from it, and I had enough smarts to avoid it anyway) but I found this history of the cigarette industry to be quite interesting--especially the facts about the early years.

   It got a little dry towards the end, and the whole indictment of the industry has gotten a bit repetitious; I suspect at the time the book was published the message was new, but the message has gotten old fast. (Yes, it's clear that they knew about the health issues, and yes, they did very little about it.)

   Overall it's a good read, especially the first half. If you're at all curious about how the cigarette industry came to be, the book does a great job of describing the companies and personalities involved.




2. I highly recommend Ashes to Ashes, by Richard Kluger, to anyone who wants to know more about the tobacco industry. Kluger provides a comprehensive history, beginning with the temperance of the tobacco leaf and the physical labor involved in producing marketable tobacco, and ending with the struggles the tobacco industry now faces with public health groups and government regulations. Kluger's narrative style makes this thick, fact packed book easy to read. Rich in history, critical, and thought provoking, Ashes to Ashes is a worthwhile read.



3. Well deserving of the Pulitzer Prize that it won, this book
   tells the story of the growth of the industry - and the political
   controversies about it - largely through the eyes of the main Tobacco Industry executives and lawyers. Beautifully written and
   wittily objective, this is the best single place to start to understand this complex 20th century American phenomeon.



4. Just about every great society has one crop whose presence is intertwined throughout its history, effecting the history, culture, and economics of the nation. For China it would be rice, potatoes for Ireland, coca for Columbia, and most likely tobacco for America. This Pulitzer-Prize winning book shows how and why tobacco is so important to America's history. Specifically, the book traces and examines the economic role of tobacco and the economic policies of the tobacco companies (growers, traders, sellers, etc...) from the 1800s on through the 1990s.
   
   Subjects that are covered in this tome include tobacco farming, the making of cigarettes, advertising in papers, radio, TV and billboards, lobbying of govt officials to reduce regulation, PR wars with health advocates, promotion of overseas sales, and of course, the court cases fought between Big Tobacco (RJR,Philip Morris, Brown & Williamson, etc...) and various consumers, consumer groups, government agencies, and governments. The book puts all of this together in a chronological history of tobacco with an emphasis on the role of big corporations like Philip Morris. The author has put this book together using a wide variety of sources both primary and secondary, including a lot of interviews with former and current employees at tobacco companies.
   
   By reading this book, one learns a lot about various aspects of American law, culture, economics, and history. These include consumer relations, agro-business, medical research, lobbying, and advertising. OVerall, this is a great book, and I highly recommend it for anyone to read.



5. The strongest part of the book follows the business side of tobacco. The author is especially adept (as you would expect from a novelist) at sketching out the players in the history of tobacco. He is also very good on the history of various cigarette brands, their composition, advertising, their ups and downs, sales strategies. This is the best part of the book. A number of wonderfully told stories and incidents pepper the book. The author weaves this information into a steadily growing body of evidence that smoking is harmful, and then pits the industry figures against scientists, and tosses in politicians and anti-smoking groups as the battles go on.
   
   The book has one glaring weaknesses, obvious to anyone. The author badly needed an editor to exercise control over his tendency to go off course and to go overboard and tell everything he knows about something. For example, the business diversification of Philip Morris is really tangential to the story, and should have been cut. The author's style is encyclopedic, which is not a problem at first, but it wears the reader down by the halfway point.
   
   The author seems very weak in essential areas of chemistry and biology. At one point he even refers to cellulose as "protein-like". He struggles badly with the effect of air and flue drying on the chemistry of tobacco, particularly nicotine. He seems to miss the boat on ammonia technology and the rise of Marlboros. But maybe that information came out too late for him to include it.

4 comments about Joan: The Mysterious Life of the Heretic Who Became a Saint.

1. This book disappointed me, but I think it was probably inevitable. I have a lot of respect for Spoto as a celebrity biographer, and as a professional theologian with a Ph.D. in religion, he's got the chops to write Joan's life. And, as he points out, due to the extensive contemporary historical records, including her long interrogation sessions, we probably know more about her life than we do about any of her contemporaries.
   
   So why doesn't the book work for me? I think it is simply that Joan is ultimately unknowable. Much of how you regard her comes from what you think about the "voices" that guided her life -- were they legitimately divine, were they imaginary, were they the product of psychosis? Spoto knows this and spends a substantial amount of time on the voices, but in the end it's just impossible to come to any kind of opinion other than the one you held before you opened the book. And Joan in her testimony, straightforward and occasionally brilliant, is nonetheless opaque. When I finished the book, I felt I knew almost nothing more about her: she was an extraordinarily brave and clear-headed girl who heard voices, led military campaigns that essentially restored the king of France to his throne, and was abandoned by the monarch she returned to power and burned to death by the church that later sanctified her. But who was she, moment to moment? I'm not sure anyone will ever know.
   
   Spoto subtitles the book "The Mysterious Life of the Heretic Who Became a Saint." I'm not certain the mystery is one that can be solved.



2. Having seen several films on her life, I wanted to know more.
   The book explains the Englishes motivation to prosecute her, the wisdom of her responses, her belief in her life purpose/mission and expectation of an afterlife.



3. Spoto's picture of Joan is of a brave, patriotic, spiritual girl who followed what she believed to be God's will.
   
   His descriptions of her months of loneliness, terror and suffering -- chained in a dark dungeon and nearly starving -- and the disgraceful and dishonest onslaught from her tormentors will touch even a Joan skeptic.
   
   Spoto's message: 1) God is against imperialism; and 2) He often sends the least likely person to do the job (in this case, defending the French nation and culture from English invasion).
   
   Spoto's writing is lively, and he doesn't try to hide his admiration for this teenaged girl or his religious sensibilities. It is not a sermon, though, but an enthralling biography that makes a good introduction to Joan of Arc or adds to the understanding of those whom she continues to fascinate nearly six hundred years after her execution.



4. Donald Spoto takes a departure from the pop-culture biography and applies his efforts toward the life of a young woman whose name is recognized by practically everyone, but whose life, although very well documented, has been perpetuated with myth and mysticism. There is something about Joan of Arc that that draws affection and devotion from people, something beyond her remarkable exploits--something about Joan herself. As Spoto tells her story, he avoids the mythological and mystical: he does not dwell on the provenance of her sword, her seemingly divine ability to have been able to recognize the dauphin Charles, or the sudden change of wind at Orleans. He focuses instead upon the girl, in language that is often poignant and revealingly endearing.
   
   For those who have studied Joan's life, through countless books, films, poems and plays, Spoto's take will read with the freshness of clean mountain air. Those who are just now taking up Joan's life (and especially those who have only seen the movies) will probably benefit more from Spoto's telling than any other available account. He embeds a chronology into the story, sometimes a day-by-day account, which helps the reader to comprehend events. He applies some of his own translations, which helps to clarify some of the fuzzier aspects of Joan's popular interpretation, and he includes some key details that are often overlooked, such as the unrelated deaths of Joan's older brother and sister, that two other brothers joined her during her campaigns, that her mother and father met her at Reims, and that her family was in Rouen during her imprisonment and execution. These are small details, but make for a more thorough story while eliminating the embellishments that have given rise to so much mythology. Spoto shows that Joan's factual life is much more compelling than her mythological life.

5 comments about The White Company (Books of Wonder).

1. I discovered the White Company while reading Louis Lamour's "Education of A Wondering Man". It was included in Lamours reading list from the 1930's. On a lark i checked it out.
   
   What a gem this book is! I simply could not put it down. The language, the characters, the history and the humor simply crackle off the pages.
   
   If you have a son, here's your next gift.



2. I loved this book as a kid, and found new depths to it when I came back to it as an adult. A must-read! The breadth of imagination and the color and vividness of the descriptions are hard to match, and the characters are memorable -- Samkin Aylward the master-archer is my favorite.



3. An 18th century author writing about the dark ages. It reads more like incidents within a narrative rather than a single story. I found the ending abrupt and not credible. I expected more of the creator of Sherlock Holmes.



4. Each poetically descriptive sentence is as a brushstroke that paints a colorful, lively picture of the scenery, landscape, characters, and events. You can picture everything very vividly in your mind. The characaters were each unique and fascinating. The story unfolded quite differently than I would have expected for a book about a war. It was a beautifully constructed story; an education about chivalry and how wars used to be fought. I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this book, and hope to re-read it in the future.



5. My parents had a series of books when I was a child. They a book-of-the-month collection that contained the collected works of many of the most famous western authors such as Shakespeare, Balzac, Wilde, etc. They had them mainly for show but being an avid reader, I went thru many of them.
   
   My first introduction to Sherlock Holmes and Watson were in Sir Conan Doyle's volume but the story that fascinated me more than any other was "the White Company." I read that story dozens of times. When my parents moved and decided to give the books to the school library, I kept that volume. Somewhere in the last 35 years it disappeared. Thank goodness I found it and the previously unread companion piece, Sir Nigel.

5 comments about Heretic (The Grail Quest, Book 3).

1. As I wrote in my review of The Archer's Tale, I was very disappointed in the way this series fizzled out in this, the third installment.Bernard Cornwell was one of my favorite
   authors up until "Sharpe's Waterloo", but I feel he's again showing
   symptoms of being too prolific.I just don't feel it.....



2. Tim Pigott-Smith performed a brilliant narration of the abridged audiobook version of Heretic by Bernard Cornwell. I don't usually enjoy audiobook abridgements of favorite books, because so much action is lost. Pigott-Smith, however, managed to portray all of the characters in this audiobook in many distinct accents, whether giving voices to men or women, or to French, Italian or English characters who were holy, fanatical, brave, cowardly, or evil. True, seiges which took days in the book seemed to take a day or two in the audiobook. Marches that took weeks in the book seemed to take a week in the abridged version. The people in the book, however, glowed, and the action scenes were rousing. Great!Heretic (The Grail Quest #3).



3. "Heretic" may not be the strongest installment of Bernard Cornwell's outstanding trilogy of Thomas of Hookton and his reluctant quest for the Holy Grail, but it is nonetheless a raucous, lively, and brutal portrayal of life in 14th century France. If there is a weakness in "Heretic", it is the absence of historical events to lend even more credibility to Cornwell's authoritative depiction of the culture, religion, politics and especially the warfare of the period. Where "The Archer's Tale" and "Vagabond" were based upon the famous battles the kicked off what was later known The Hundred Year's War, "Heretic" is mostly pure fiction, wrapping up Thomas' quests, both spiritual and personal.
   
   In this final episode, the title refers to Genevieve, an innocent and beautiful young girl sentenced to be burned at the stake for heresy. If there is a central theme in the series, it is the virtually absolute power of the Church, and the influence the Church wielded over the masses, from the most powerful kings and barons to the lowliest of peasants. If Cornwell's treatment of the religious hierarchy is a bit heavy-handed, it is difficult to argue the well-recorded abuses of an institution that twisted the word of God to attain rewards that were anything but spiritual. From the barbarous tortures of the Inquisition delivered by the hands of pious priests to fraudulent relics and "absolution for sale", Cornwell skewers the corruption heaped upon an uneducated and superstitious populace - practices which would lay the foundation for the Reformation in the centuries to follow.
   
   But setting religion aside, "Heretic" is at its core simply a terrific story of love, adventure, and war in a fascinating period of western civilization. As expected from Cornwell, battle scenes are as vivid and deep as the rivers of blood he cascades through battlefields of broken men and horses. Cornwell's primer on the impact and influence that the virtually impregnable English archer held in Medieval warfare was riveting - one wonders what course western history would have taken were it not for these humble bowmen who would strike terror in opponents far greater numbers, launching stream upon stream of goose-feathered ash missiles capable of penetrating the thickest shield and heaviest plate armor.
   
   In short, a gripping tale of love, betrayal, trusts forged and trusts broken, and ultimately redemption compensate for what "Heretic" may be lacking in historical underpinnings. This and the two titles that proceed it are simultaneously the most educational and entertaining works of historical fiction I've ever read - I couldn't give Cornwell and the Grail series a higher recommendation.



4. 
   Bernard Cornwell is the author of the acclaimed Richard Sharpe series, set during the Napoleonic Wars To my shame I have not read any of these. The books about Arthurian England are much more my cup of tea and I read those avidly. He has also written among others, Stonehenge 2000 B.C. Bernard Cornwell lives with his wife on Cape Cod.
   
   This is the third instalment of the Grail Quest series and it picks up the story in 1347. The war with France has been suspended by an uneasy truce. The English have captured the port of Calais and now there is a lull in the proceedings. Although this gives a respite the armies of both nations, there is no break in the fighting for Thomas of Hookton. He is still pursuing the grail, the most sacred relic known to a Christian.
   
   Thomas is in his homeland of Gascony, seeking out his long-time enemy Guy Vexille. Thomas is playing a dangerous game, leading his group of archers on daring raids that will draw out the enemy, but soon there is a change in fortune and Thomas becomes the hunted rather than the hunter.. Even worse is to come. Worse than his enemy Guy Vexille, worse than the might of the whole of the Fremch army. The deadliest plague know to mankind arrives in Europe. Is this a sign of anger from God himself . . .



5. With the very fine "The Last Kingdom" and "The Arthurian" Series it was too much to hope for the same quality of story telling in "The Grail" series. While I dragged myself through the first two books,"The Archers Tale" and "The Vagabond", the "Heretic" was a welcome relief. Thomas finally revealed some character strength ( I loved the final pages with Guy)and the story came alive where the first two books didn't.

5 comments about The Hundred Years War: The English in France 1337-1453.

1. This is a straightforward and well presented narrative history of the Hundred Years War. It concentrates mostly on the military conflict, with some asides on major figures. It is quite detailed and pithy. On these terms it's a good book. Alas it gives short shrift to the wider aspects of the war and the time. The rest of Europe, the Great Schism, the growth of nationalities, the effects of the Black Death ... these all get only a glancing look. I also hoped for more on military tactics and weaponry.



2. Seward does a great job in illustrating what the Hundred Years War was and how it affected the French and the English. For someone looking for a concise overview of this important time, I would recommend this book. It does not go into too much depth within the actual battles and how they were fought, focusing only on who fought and the general formation taken, so if you are looking for the military approach this book should only be used as a reference.
   
   Seward is a great historian and one that I will gladly turn to when I have a question.



3. This series of conflicts really starts with the ascendency of the plantegenet line at the time of Henry II. This was an inevitable conflict due to a sovereign King of England also having a Lordship over Gascony, a title held when King Henry II married Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine. With Edward III having a legitimate claim to the throne of France through his mother Isabella, Seward's book tells the story of the off and on conflicts that occured from 1337-1453.
   
   Early in the conflict, with victories at Slurs, Crecy and Poitiers, the French became aware of the fact that they could not defeat the English forces in the field. However, though the English were capable of conquering territories, they never possessed the strength to hold them indefinately. Seward does a good job of putting the reader in the shoes of the main characters, from the proud but unlucky Philip VI, to the crazy mental patient known as Charles VI. He also gives a good biographical sketch of English monarchs and princes during this period, from Edward "the Black Prince", to John of Gaunt's militarily incompentent bastard granchildren, the Beaufort brothers John and Edmund.
   
   Seward gives a historically accurate portrayal of English hero Henry V that is a far cry from the anglo-centric version we all know through Shakespeare. A man with a tenuous claim to the throne of England invaded France and nearly became the King of France. The atrocities he committed are repugnant, even by the standards of the day and should include him with other evil despots who have ruled through terror and murder. After Henry V's death, despite the competence of his brother the Duke of Bedford, England was doomed to a protracted conflict when the young religious fanatic Joan of Arc decided she was called by God to evict the English from France.
   
   Seward does a good job of viewing the conflict from the perspective of the French peasant, who suffered mightily under the oppression of English rule and the anarchy that existed in the conquered lands. He also details how the loss of the alliance with Burgundy, coupled with the ending of the minority of the incompetent Henry VI doomed England and precipitated the Wars of the Roses.
   
   This is a fascinating period of time in English history that impacted greatly the history of the world. One of the most significant conflicts that shaped the modern world, I highly recommend this book as an overview of the period.



4. Mr. Seward gives a good overview of the war and a fair overview of the consequences to everyday peasants. His accounts of the crushing English victories are well told. What's missing is the ultimate French victory. They drove the English out, but the battles and campaigns by which they did are very slightly recounted.



5. This book gives an economic explanation for the 100 years war.Remember at the time there was no France per se nor an England.The area comprising the present day France was very wealthy, but not united, with bitter rivalries between territories.The English were able to exploit these rivalries very successfully in the beginning of the war and continental plunder became a major source of wealth for the Brits.It took about a hundred years for the French speaking continental territories to finally come together and make the War too expensive for the English to continue.
   The book downplays any role by Joan of Arc,but it must be noted that by the time of the maid,the French were well on their way to unity and Joan was "icing on the cake",a heroine for the times.Someone to rally around,and whose to say if her martyrdom didn't give a final push to french morale.Her burning did make the English seem very cruel,even their staunchest allies deserted the English shortly after the burning.

5 comments about Vagabond (The Grail Quest #2).

1. Whether you fancy 14th Century England/France and its historical interest or not, you cannot escape the excitment which Cornwell brings out in the characaters who existed in that time. Such good writing with attention to detail is lost and Cornwell brings it back. I thought I would never find a writer like Glenn Cook or Michael Moorcock, but I have and I will continue to enjoy his good writing for years to come....
   
   T. Williams, Michigan



2. Second Book in an outstanding series about an English Archer tasked with trying to find the Holy Grail. Great descriptions of English battles against the French in the 1300 or 1400's. Super character development, great story line, I'm anxious to get the 3rd book in the series delivered any day now.



3. If we were taught history the way Bernard Cornwell writes it, we'd all be historians. "Vagabond", the middle of Cornwell's superb "Grail Quest" series, is as raucous, brutal and riveting as the best contemporary thrillers, yet manages to stay close to the historical record, slashing and burning life and meaning into the early days of what would later be called "The Hundred Year's War". I was mesmerized by the prequel, "The Archers Tale", finding it the most illuminating and insightful primer of Medieval England found between pages. But after reading "Vagabond", I'm convinced that only a time machine could deliver a more vivid description of love, war, politics, and religion in those turbulent, treacherous times.
   
   Back from "Archer" is Thomas of Hookton, the English archer whose black-yew bow makes widows of enemies while he is half-heartedly seeking the Holy Grail, part of his family's history that Thomas would prefer didn't exist. Instead, he continues on a more personal quest, hunting down his murderous cousin Guy Vexille who torched Thomas' village and murdered his father while seeking the Grail for himself.
   
   In "Vagabond", it is 1347 and Cornwell resumes his tale in northern England. King Edward III, still in France holding down his conquests in Normandy and Brittany, has apparently left his northern flank exposed, inviting the Scots, with some prodding from their French allies, to stream into a vulnerable England. Cornwell's description of the very real Battle of Neville's Cross between the Scots and an outmanned English army is a literary classic, from the strategy and tactics to the stink and gore of war fought helmet-to-helmet and shield-to-shield in violence and carnage simply unimaginable in today's gentler times. But aside from documenting the mechanics and horrors of war in the 14th century, Cornwell, as usual, spins his fiction in a fascinating backdrop of the culture and lore of the period. The power of the Church, as well as the hypocrisy, is never quite as disturbing as when told by Cornwell, burnished in this episode by the righteousness terror of the Inquisition. Indeed, the medieval punching bag Thomas finds little respite this time around, having his suffering delivered by the hand of a sadistic priest.
   
   In short, if you love an action-packed page-turner, but prefer some education and even a bit of history infused with your time spent reading, I couldn't recommend a better author than Bernard Cornwell, and a better saga than "The Grail Series". This one just may be the best of the bunch, but then, I'm looking forward to giving sequel "The Heretic" a chance to better it.



4. 
   Bernard Cornwell is the author of the acclaimed Richard Sharpe series, set during the Napoleonic Wars To my shame I have not read any of these. The books about Arthurian England are much more my cup of tea and I read those avidly. He has also written among others, Stonehenge 2000 B.C. Bernard Cornwell lives with his wife on Cape Cod.
   
   This second book in the series is even better than the first, perhaps because the reader is now more aware of the storyline and is familiar with the main characters. Although the first book was a good read and well up to Mr. Cornwell's high standard. In this one the story gathers pace and takes the reader along on a wave of emotion for Thomas of Hook ton.
   
   Thomas, a young archer has been fighting in what became known as the Hundred Years' War. He has been with the English army in France and while the English are on foreign soil the Scots see it as their opportunity to come down from the north.
   
   Sent back to England Thomas becomes involved in the fighting at Durham. He he meets an enemy, a Dominican, who, like most other people is looking for the holy relic, the grail. Thomas has one advantage, an old book left by his father seems to offer clues to its resting place. But after all the turmoil and upheaval will the relic even be in the place where it has rested for so many years . . . ?



5. 
   If you've read the very fine "The Last Kingdom" and "The Arthurian" series, you already know what an exceptional writer Bernard Cornwell is.
   So what happened with "The Archer's Tale" series? Repetitious, meandering, and downright boring, with Thomas wandering aimlessly about the story. Such a one dimensional character! Bring back Uhtred! Bring back Dervel! Give us characters that jump off the page!
   
   Take it from me, if you've read "The Last Kingdom" and "The Arthurian" series, you will be bored.