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3 comments about Mary Tudor.

1. David Loades wrote a biography of Queen Mary Tudor fifteen years ago. His earlier work has been revised and looked at afresh in this biography written for National Archives in the UK. His biography has been based primarily on original documents about Mary in the archives - and many of these have been reproduced in this publication as well. Its something that serious historical authors used to do in earlier centuries and its actually welcome to see the practice return as a way of preserving this information if the original is ever lost (and that happened quite a bit).
   
   Loades has come to some unusal conclusions about Mary with a fresh look at her life - but I would also say that this is a very balanced assement of this woman who lived though a bitter divorce and the overthrow of all she loved in her youth. If you have an interest in Mary Tudor this book is one you should pick up.
   
   Bloody Mary



2. David Loades is an authority on Mary Tudor and a fine author. Just a point of clarification on the earlier review, however; the first reviewer confuses Mary Tudor and Mary Stuart, two very different rulers. Mary Tudor was the eldest daughter of Henry VIII and the only surviving child of Catherine of Aragon. She succeeded to the throne in 1553 after her brother Edward VI and died in 1558. She has indeed been criticized for what many consider her overzealous push to return England to Catholicism, but in her defense, she was doing what she thought was right.
   
   On the other hand, Mary Stuart was the cousin of Elizabeth I (who was in turn the younger sister of Mary Tudor and daughter of Anne Boleyn) and was the one ultimately beheaded during Elizabeth I's reign in 1587. It should be noted that Elizabeth I herself was briefly imprisoned by Mary I (Mary Tudor) but was released unharmed.
   
   This is a fascinating period of history and this book is a good starting point to learn more about Mary Tudor's brief and sad reign. Mary Stuart's life is also very interesting and Amazon carries several good biographies on her as well.



3. There have been many biographies of Mary Tudor, the British contender against Elizabeth I for the throne of England. History being largely written by the winners, Mary Tudor became notorious for her lethal persecution of the Protestants, her unceasing efforts to deliver Britain to the Catholics, the loss of Calais to the fledgling British empire, and her decades long struggle to gain control of Britain that was to result in years of confinement by Queen Elizabeth and her eventual death at the headsman's axe at an advanced age. In "Mary Tudor: The Tragical History of The First Queen Of England", historian David Loades (Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Wales and an Associate of the Centre for Early Modern History at the University of Oxford) fully explores the dimensions of a complex life in a time of political volatility, religious wars, male domination of government, royal marriages for political advantages, personal devoutness, and a woman who was in many ways stronger than any of the men with whom she associated in her quest for royal power and Catholic supremacy. "Mary Tudor" is an articulate and very highly recommended work of impeccable scholarship that should be a part of every academic library British History & Royal Biography reference collection and supplemental reading list.

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1 comments about The Charles Kuralt Collection: Charles Kuralt's America a Life on the Road.

1. I enjoyed listening to this audiocassette. I find that the journalist's job is one of the most intriguing. Kuralt explains one of his early first assignments in the beginning of the book, and works up to some of his favorite stories that he had covered during his stint with CBS.

   Although this book may not be as exciting as watching it on video, his biography is one that shouldn't be missed if you are interested in the field of journalism & writing.

5 comments about The SEDUCTION OF HILLARY RODHAM CASSETTE.

1. At the time of its hardcover release - 1996 - David Brock was the top-gun reporter for The American Spectator, writing several exposes on Anita Hill & Bill Clinton and penning a best-selling 1993 book, The Real Anita Hill.
   
   With a dour photo of Hillary Rodham gracing the front cover of the hardcover edition - a la Hill's picture on the less-than-flattering biography - it appeared at first glance that Brock was positioned to attack the then First Lady through new revelations and late-breaking angles.
   
   In this case, the picture is quite deceptive, as Brock writes a straight-forward unauthorized biography of Rodham, where journalism pushes sensationalism into the gutter, with a focus on the core values which led her into the political arena before her marriage to Bill Clinton.
   
   Brock depicts Rodham coming of age in the 1960s, growing up in a conservatative suburb of Chicago, Illinois, having an early education in Republican politics. Her political conversion can be summed up in a line from her 1969 Wellesley College commencement address: "And the challenge now is to practice politics as the art of making what appears to be impossible, possible."
   
   What appeared to be a fast-track to a career in politics - after a stint as a staffer on the House Committee on the Judiciary during the Watergate investigation - Rodham abandons this quest, marries Clinton and moves to Arkansas. Brock meticulously moves through this period of professional triumph, setbacks and personal anguish within a rocky partnership caused by Clnton's peccadilloes.
   
   By striding past banner headlines and finger-pointing accusations, Brock shows a profile in courage due to following the whims of the heart, which is a timeless tale.



2. David Brock's Seduction is a great read, and it will be curious to see this work rise on AMAZON's sales list now that Hillary has lifted her skirts for a run to the White House (watch those cankles!).
   
   Brock's Seduction of Hillary Rodham will satisfy no one on the tails of the normal distribution of those with an opinion of Hillary Rodham Clinton (HRM HRC).
   
   Which makes it a surprisingly honest book, but one that mostly lays the blame of her political development on the round heals of her opportunistic and amoral husband.
   
   Still, Brock's prose packs a punch, and his journalism alternates between thorough and tedious to sloppy and careworn. Errors a plenty, but about evenly divided into the camp of ones that hurt HRC and ones that help her, so no prize on elevating one error over the other to prove an ideological point on the one-upmanship game.
   
   This book was originally commissioned by The American Spectator and offered as a subscription renewal premium, so it would be fair to anticipate that there might be a slant or agenda attached. Yet delivery of Seduction was delayed for a good while, both from Brock's missing deadlines, and the ultimate lukewarm conclusion the book comes to about HRC: she's not the devil incarnate, nor particularly great, nor hopelessly Lady Macbeth, but rather an intelligent ambitious pol of the old entitlement school of rule and divide spoils. The editors of The AmSpec were probably not amused, but by then articles were appearing about Brock's private life and journalistic techniques in The Washington Post. The book disappointed everyone, and eventually Brock was given the heave-ho from AmSpec (deserved) but well remembered and thanked for his great book The Real Anita Hill (also deserved).
   
   The two weakest areas are Hilary's handling of Federally subpoenaed documents for the Whitewater investigation (she hid and suppressed them is about the only logical conclusion you could come to) and her amazing 10 sigma event of earning 1000% returns on cattle futures glancing at headlines in the Wall Street Journal (I have a bridge to sell you, comes with the Eiffel Tower). But neither Hilary haters nor Hilary defenders (she doesn't need them) will be happy with this book.



3. David Brock's Seduction is a great read, and it will be curious to see this work rise on AMAZON's sales list now that Hillary has lifted her skirts for a run to the White House (watch those cankles!).
   
   Brock's Seduction of Hillary Rodham will satisfy no one on the tails of the normal distribution of those with an opinion of Hillary Rodham Clinton (HRM HRC).
   
   Which makes it a surprisingly honest book, but one that mostly lays the blame of her political development on the round heals of her opportunistic and amoral husband.
   
   Still, Brock's prose packs a punch, and his journalism alternates between thorough and tedious to sloppy and careworn. Errors a plenty, but about evenly divided into the camp of ones that hurt HRC and ones that help her, so no prize on elevating one error over the other to prove an ideological point on the one-upmanship game.
   
   This book was originally commissioned by The American Spectator and offered as a subscription renewal premium, so it would be fair to anticipate that there might be a slant or agenda attached. Yet delivery of Seduction was delayed for a good while, both from Brock's missing deadlines, and the ultimate lukewarm conclusion the book comes to about HRC: she's not the devil incarnate, nor particularly great, nor hopelessly Lady Macbeth, but rather an intelligent ambitious pol of the old entitlement school of rule and divide spoils. The editors of The AmSpec were probably not amused, but by then articles were appearing about Brock's private life and journalistic techniques in The Washington Post. The book disappointed everyone, and eventually Brock was given the heave-ho from AmSpec (deserved) but well remembered and thanked for his great book The Real Anita Hill (also deserved).
   
   The two weakest areas are Hilary's handling of Federally subpoenaed documents for the Whitewater investigation (she hid and suppressed them is about the only logical conclusion you could come to) and her amazing 10 sigma event of earning 1000% returns on cattle futures glancing at headlines in the Wall Street Journal (I have a bridge to sell you, comes with the Eiffel Tower). But neither Hilary haters nor Hilary defenders (she doesn't need them) will be happy with this book.



4. Almost ten years have passed since the publication of this book. From before then and until recently, David Brock has appeared now and again on C-SPAN's "Washington Journal," during which time he moved from the right to the left on the political spectrum, eventuating in his disavowal of the right-wing attack machine in which he had played such an important part. Compelled by a sudden interest in Hillary Rodham because of her possible run for president, I selected THIS book to educate myself on her because it was during the research and writing of it that Brock turned away from the dark side of the force. Something about her inspired him to take a political one-eighty, so one would assume that he shared in this book something of what it was that brought him to such illumination. I remember when it was released, right wingers were furious to learn that their heretofore reliable hitman hadn't delivered the magic bullet that would put an end to the Clintons, and Hillary in particular. Instead, Brock presented a detailed account of the influences that drive Hillary Rodham, and to a liberal's delight and a right winger's disdain, she's basically a deeply spiritual person, with her ideology steeped in Christianity, the type known as social gospel activism. It's hard to take the moral high ground in opposing her after these submissions, and you'll have to find something else to hate her for besides your affected righteous indignation.
   
   The book focuses primarily on her moral influences, and shows how they consistently affected her. She had always been personally conservative, despite the influences of the campuses she attended in the 60s, shunning the libertinism, refraining from drugs, and remaining relatively chaste; politically she rejected the destructive anti-establishment revolutionary thinking preached by the harder activists. Her activism lay in the belief in making change within the system by altering how the law is viewed. It was all very fascinating stuff, and the reader will learn to split a hair or two.
   
   What some readers in some of these reviews possibly objected to was the way Brock mentioned some of the rumors -- gossip, mostly from her detractors, alleging lesbianism or an affair with Vince Foster; the gossipers should make up their minds -- but these stories had to be discussed if the book was to have any credibility at all. Brock inserted some incredulity into the comments by putting them in the context of hardball politics played by her husband's political enemies, jealous backbiters, and sometimes just plain old Arkansas male chauvinism. When Hillary moved with Bill back to his home state, she didn't deal graciously with a male-dominated political system that resented strong women. Some of Bill's closest friends panned her. Her strenghts made them feel weak. From what I gleaned, she was committed to intelligence itself as a tool, as a gift, and as such, regarded it as an asset she was sure principled people would appreciate. This was not the case, as most people's agendas were less noble than her own. Eventually, she learned to play the political game, to take on APPEARANCES, using tactics every politician on Capital Hill uses every day, and, as in everything else she sets her mind to, she excelled in it. Lacking her practicality and her commitment to her long-range goals, some people were harshly critical of her, accused her of selling out. The truth is, she detested the political games even as she played them -- preferring instead entreaties to reason -- but she brushed aside her objections for what she felt was a greater good, the use of her gifts to make positive changes in society.
   
   More instructional to the reader is the detailed accounting of the scandals that had eclipsed everything and anything else about the Clintons. The tableu that had played out via hundreds of insinuating soundbites was revealed as just a shadow play. The financial scandals were too complicated to be appreciated through snatches of news, and Brock here lays them out in detail, connects the dots, forming a cohesive story, and you realize that a lot was made of nothing, that the whole fiasco resulted from machinations of a partisan political system, polemics gone wild. He doesn't explicitly say so here in this book, as he does in a later one, but that is indeed the case.
   
   Overall, it's a good read. Only one part was boring, an interminably long description of how people were selected for President Clinton's cabinet, a tedious detailing of the relationships Hillary relied upon to establish control. This is only a minor point. Most of the time, he moves along. Brock's criticisms were always accompanied with a mitigating point, describing Hillary in the context of a political food chain. And while Brock's criticisms seemed harsher toward the end of the book, the rest of it betrays his very high regard for her.
   
   And why wouldn't he have a high regard? She possesses a moral conviction to advance society for everyone's benefit, and a superior intelligence at her disposal to aid her in accomplishing it, qualities that would add up to greatness in any other politician. Brock's main detraction is how Hillary dealt with a hostile poltical environment, that her education and her values inhered in her a more principled approach, one based on moral arguments she might deliver in a courtroom, and this worked to her detriment in the final analysis. But she's unable to set the rules, and thereby forced to play by them as they are. That's a small detraction in my estimation. By the time I had turned the last page, I had come to see her in an entirely new light, as one fine human being with only minor character flaws. I recommend this book to anyone interested in a clearer picture of her.
   
   On the other hand, to the rabid Clinton bashers, I say this: Don't bother, as YOU won't get much out of it; it is simply not spiteful enough.



5. In page after page of "facts" based on assumptions, presumptions, and lies, he produces a tale of flimsy accusations of improperity against a woman who is much brighter, quicker, and kinder than her male counterparts. It was easily apparent that he manufactured much of the "facts."

5 comments about Game and the Glory, The.

1. Michelle Akers is the example of what persitence can do for you in any area of your life. We are taken into her world and shown what the career of an athlete entails. I was presently surprise to not be hit over the head with a sermon of why I should be Christian. In this book metaphors can be drawn and you can take her inspiriation to apply it to your daily life. An easy read and you don't have to believe in Jesus to love this book!!
   I reccommend this book!!!



2. I play select and I alway enjoy reading books on awsome soccer players. When my friend told me about this book I jumped at the oppertunity to read yet another soccer book. I read it and couldnt put it down. As a Catholic I diffently could relate and found it pretty cool we share the same faith.
   It was a very good and inspiring book! IM GONNA BE THE NEXT MICHELLE AKERS SO WATCH OUT AMERICA CUZ HERE I COME!!!



3. Michelle Akers writes a truly inspirational story. As you read The Game and the Glory you feel as if you know Michelle personally. The book is easy to relate to because she tells her story on such a personal level. We see Michelle grow through her relationships, her spirituality, her CFIDS (Chronic Fatigue Immune Deficiency Syndrome), and of course soccer.
   Michelle is honest about the carefree wonders of childhood. She tells about two of her childhood dreams: One of being the next Mean Joe Green of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the other dream of being an Olympian. Although, for Michelle, childhood is not always carefree dreams. When she is only in the sixth grade, she struggles to understand the reason behind her parents' divorce. Ironically, even Michelle herself cannot believe when she goes through her own divorce. Michelle, with the guidance of a few friends and through her struggles, finds a relationship that will help her cope with all of her problems.
   As a child Michelle always found mass to be boring and going to church on Sunday was never something to look forward to. It is not until Michelle is in high school, with the guidance of a teacher, that she truly finds a relationship with God. However, she gets distracted from this newfound relationship quite soon. After her divorce, Michelle realizes that there is something missing from her life: God. She turns to God at this point in her life, and this time she holds on to what she has found. Michelle promotes her Christianity in a way that no one else has ever done. She founds an organization called the Soccer Outreach International. An organization to promote Christianity in sports especially soccer. Michelle did not only turn to God for answers about relationships and soccer, but also about her CFIDS.
   Not long after her World Cup experience in 1991, Michelle begins to suffer from CFIDS. However, Michelle is not diagnosed with CFIDS until 1994. From 1991 to 1994 she did not know exactly what was causing her to feel always fatigued and never well. Michelle has done what no other athlete that competes at the level she competes at has done. She played while suffering with CFIDS. This truly shows her unstoppable compassion for the game.
   Michelle played many sports as a child, but soccer was her first true love. When she was only nine years old she attended a soccer camp. During the soccer camp she competed in a juggling contest to see who could juggle for the longest. Michelle stayed out at the field juggling for hours without once loosing control of her ball. The camp director stayed and counted her 5,392 touches, which shattered the previous record set by boy who went on to play collegiate soccer at Duke. This is only one of the amazing stories about Michelle and soccer. Through soccer Michelle has traveled to many countries around the world and established lifelong friendships. She is an original member of the first United States Women's National Soccer Team of 1985. With the National Team she has won many individual awards and is a 1991 World Cup Champion, a 1996 Olympic Gold Medallist, and 1999 World Cup Champion. Michelle admits that God has carried her through it all and without Him she would have never accomplished everything that she has.
   It is amazing to think of how great a person she is and how truly human she is. Michelle has accomplished so much for women's soccer. She opened up a new door for girls around the U.S. by using her position as the best women's soccer player to promote the sport. She is one of the reasons that women's soccer become an official Olympic sport. Michelle is a role model to many not only as a world class soccer player but also through her display of Christianity in her every action. In reading her story I have learned that sometimes you just have to "show up" and let God take care of the rest.



4. I know I would love this book even if the writing sucked, which it doesn't...it's beatiful. Still, I'm bias. Michelle has been my role model as a soccer player for years, and I've always her respected her deep faith in Jesus Christ. I'm Catholic. I think Michelle's faith is wonderful, after all she has been through. And the fact that she is grateful for her suffering makes her, in my eyes, a true follower of Jesus.

   You will enjoy the thoughts of this excellent (tough as nails) soccer player, and Christian who inspires many others who share her faith. Go USA!

   PS. Since this book was written, Michelle has retired.




5. This is a great book for a young girl because it feels like Michelle is talking to you. I felt like I was her best friend, because I could relate to her family situation, and like her, I'm a tomboy. I don't care for soccer, but now I have a giant Michelle Akers poster hanging in my room, and I feel like I know her well even though I've never seen her play. I recommend this to any girl, ages 8-15.

5 comments about Educating Esme: Diary of a Teacher's First Year.

1. "Educating Esme" is a great book for any new or perspective teacher. She uses humor to demonstrate the struggles of a first year teacher, and yet the book isn't entirely about those struggles. It also includes some cute anecdotes about the little things that make you want to be a teacher and some great classroom ideas! This book is a great read if you want to be inspired as a teacher!



2. Things have fallen to a very low level indeed when the best an institution has going for it is a single star. Think of a ballet company, a baseball team, or even a corporation. What would it be like if only of person in the group was doing a good job? This is the premise of Esme's memoir. "Look at me! I'm edumacating 'em!" Mind you, this has been a trend in American education now for some thirty years. These earnest Antioch College types with zebra leotards and high-top tennis shoes want to dance on their desks. It's the Robin Williams to-the-rescue syndrome. Meanwhile the schools fall apart: there is no discipline, no curriculum, no learning. Ms Esme's is a name-caller, whose deepest insight is that her principal is "homophobic." Of course. But she'll straighten them all out with her philosophy of inclusion and her love of diversity. The career teachers are dismissed by these walk-through reformers as standing in the way of change, with the result that most inner-schools are revolving doors of "burned-out" do-gooders who take Fridays off to recharge their batteries. After two years they hit the road and tell everyone they miss the kids. How long can a society survive such an assault?



3. This book is a great book for anyone looking at the teaching profession. I used it in an education introduction class and it is very insightful as well as just a great read. This is a real life personal experience in the first year of teaching for Esme, and shows the good and the bad of teaching as well as effective and ineffective teaching strategies. Great for education, thought, or just enjoyment!



4. Everthing that Esme says really hits me hard because I'm a student in the typical public school. I really wish I had a teacher like this, who could make boring subjects interesting, instead of reading everything straight out of the text book.
   I didn't think she was too self-absorbed, as many reviewers have said, I think her need for approval is very appropriate. I mean, I would just scream having to be in the unhealthy enviroment Esme is in. She handled everything with confidence and was always there for her "children."
   This is a great read for anyone who has ever stepped foot in a public school. All of her stories are either entertaining or shocking, and definitely worth reading twice.



5. In our day and age, years equal experience. Well, not in this story! As an educator, I, like Esme, can see the profound lack of capability in American schools. Teachers are expected to follow guidelines and do what the principal suggests with no argument (apparently that is a guarantee of keeping one's job these days). Esme questions the status quo and challenges each of us to do the same. Many of the decisions that are made regarding schools are done by politicians who have never set foot in classroom. I've read some of the other reviews. I think the people who didn't like the book thought so because they are the types of people that Esme bulldozed in the story; those lousy teachers who run any idea into the ground because it wasn't their own-- who have sat all day in front of a class for 20 some years and have yet to come up with an individual thought. She deserves self-promotion. Clearly she's not too bad-- she got asked back for a 2nd year at the same school and won an amazing literary award. I think I would share my excitement with my diary.

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