5 comments about The WHEEL OF LIFE: MEMOIR OF LIVING & DYING CASSETTE: A Memoir of Living and Dying.

1. Kubler-Ross had a massive impact on our society and the way we approach death. Her collection of 20,000 interviews with people who died and came back to life showed common threads in almost every way, a spiritual goldmine of positive and loving experiences. This autobiography details how she came to be the person who let us know for sure that death isn't some hokey religious shell-game available only to those who tithe but rather a guaranteed return for all of us to a more loving place.
   The first half of this book is tear-inducingly sad and beautiful, and it's hard not love the young Kubler-Ross as she lets her heart lead her through very tough times. There are some exceptionally moving passages that make this book a real must for those who want to feel better about letting go of life and living it more fully here and now.
   Unfortunately, the latter part of this book and her life found her enamored of charlatans and spiritual quackery, but in no way does that lessen her accomplishments. Not a one of us is perfect, and very few of us change the way the world sees life. Elizabeth was one such soul, so it's easy to accept her foibles.
   I read this book while preparing for an interview with Kubler-Ross, which sadly turned out to be the last she gave before her passing. She was as gracious and wise and funny as this book indicates, and was very much ready to die. She spoke lovingly of her life and happily of letting it go to move on homeward, and she clearly embodied the many positive attributes of this truly moving autobiography.
   Highly recommended for those who like to both feel and think.
   Knowing that death will be joyous sure takes the load off.



2. Heard THE WHEEL OF LIFE by Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, the author
   of the classic ON DEATH AND DYING . . . here, facing her own death
   at age 71, she tells the moving story of her life and what makes life so
   worthwhile.
   
   It is love!
   
   As she notes, "I have never met a person whose greatest need was
   not love."
   
   She then concludes with a powerful final statement, saying, "It is very
   important that you do only what you what you love to do. You may be
   poor, you may go hungry, you may live in a shabby place, but you will
   totally live. And at the end of your shabby days, you will bless your life
   because you have done what you came here to do."
   
   It seems that doing so will make dying easier. Or so it can be
   hoped!
   
   Ellen Burstyn's narration added to my enjoyment of the book . . . in
   addition, I liked that there was an introduction by the author.



3. I never received my product. I only purchased this product as it was of very sentimental value to my mother, however I was bitterly dissapointed to find the product was lost in transit. I would love to say amazon made every effort to find my product, I personally could not believe this to be true. I do appreciate the jesture of a full refund, but I can honestly say I feel totally dishartened by the whole ordeal. I only purchased from amazon as I knew the item was difficult to locate but to pay almost 13 dollars for it to be lost is in my opinion both unacceptable and extremly unsatisfactory. I shall not purchase from amazonm in the future.



4. Those who grouse & are dismayed at the second half of the book perhaps have not traveled far enough on their own spiritual journeys yet to understand. I found the book, like all her works, thoughtful, insightful & honest. Having worked in hospice nearly 30 yrs, in part due to Dr. Kubler-Ross, I can honestly say that in hospice you see many things that are beyond the scope of everyday life. The more I see of human Spirituality in hospice paitents & their families the less judgmental I tend to be.



5. It is definitely a book worth reading. For a week or so, it actually inspired me to go to med school. (I quickly gave it up when I picked up Sam Walton's Made in America, and applied to business school) The author has a very interesting view of death, which is in my opinion, why people think the second half of the book is a little wacky. You don't have to agree with her, nor believe in everything she says. Despite all the wackiness, it's still a good book.

No comments about Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story Of The Largest Covert Operation In History- Blackstone Exclusive [ABRIDGED].

3 comments about Peggy Noonan on Ronald Reagan (Character Above All, Vol. 6).

1. Peggy Noonan is one of President Reagan's most well known & ardent admirers. Fine story telling. Like the one about the President, the old lady, the fund raiser & screwed up computers. Quite touching. True? Anyway if you believe the stuff on this tape I have a bridge for you in Brooklyn .



2. Working my way through the Character Above All series has been a pleasant and often enlightening experience. However that was not the case with the lecture on Ronald Reagan. Peggy Noonan, who worked with the president, made no attempt to sound objective. For most of her talk Ms. Noonan alternates between defensiveness and partisan pining for her glory days gone by. The rest of the series is quite excellent and features some of today's towering figures of presidential biography. Doris Kearns Goodwin talks about FDR. David McCollough tells stories from his award winning book on Truman. Robert Dalleck rescues LBJ from being totally obscured by Vietnam. Even George Bush gets a fair hearing from Michael Beschloss. But Ronald Reagan gets a cheerleader. Ms. Noonan's partisanship seems grossly out of place among these historians. Reagan deserved better.



3. Peggy Noonan, whose clear, articulate voice could bring life to the dullest text, here paints a picture of Ronald Reagan as vivid and colorful as any portrait ever could. Her insights into the types of people who become president (the type who wants to BE big, and the type who wants to do BIG THINGS) are indispensible to anyone seeking a leadership position, from the home, to the world stage. Here, Reagan is seen not as the "affable dunce" of the pundits and intellectuals, but rather as the determined and mysteriously detached mastermind of the fall of communism, and the restoration of American pride and economy. Using Reagan's example of integrity, Noonan shows us that what counts in a president-or any person-is truly Character Above All.

5 comments about In the Hands of Providence: Joshua L. Chamberlain and the American Civil War.

1. 
   In the Hands of Providence is a very well researched look of the life of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. Alice Turlock presents a definitive biography of this modest professor from Bowden College, who met challenge after challenge to become one of the greatest leaders in Civil War history. Chamberlain had extraordinary observational and superb writing skills. His persistence at recording the historic events, which included his emotional reactions, gave Trulock's wonderful historic accounts for her book.
   The book starts by giving us an in depth look at his obscure Christian upbringing in rural Maine, and follows his processes of becoming a great young man. He was an exceptional college student, receiving the praise of his instructors. He was also highly regarded by his neighbors and towns' folk alike. Many considered him to have the highest moral and ethical standard. He was so trusted and respected as a young man in his home town that an older business man of Maine, who was an acquaintance of Chamberlain's, entrusted him with the dealings of his estate.
   
   While finishing his studies at Bowden, Chamberlain married his sweetheart Frances Caroline Adams. They had a very close and loving relationship. But during the war, the constant distance between them put a great deal of strain on their relationship. After graduation, he accepted a position as a professor at Bowden, and held that position for several years. Chamberlain maintained a very close relationship with his family, and he was especially close to his father in law George Adams.
   
   When the war broke out in 1861, Chamberlain ask for a leave of absence from Bowden to enlist, but was turned down. Not to be left out of the war, he again applied for a sabbatical to study in Europe, and this time it was granted. He had no intentions on going to Europe, and instead immediately enlisted in the army as a lieutenant colonel, and never looked back. He played a huge role in the recruitment of the men for a regiment, which would later come to be known as the 20th Maine.
   
   With no military experience, Chamberlain showed great promise in his leadership shills and military expertise. He became friends with his unit's commander, Colonial Ames, who became his tutor. According to Trulock, Chamberlain held a great deal of respect and admiration for Ames, and he gave Ames credit for his military success.
   
   Trulock's description of Chamberlain's military life is extraordinary, and she supplies us with great details about the battles in which he was involved. At the battle of Antietam, Chamberlain was not directly involved in the fighting but was brought up in reserve the next day. Trulock gives a very vivid description of horror that Chamberlain witnessed upon arriving at the battlefield that day where 22,000 lay dead or wounded on the field. It was the bloodiest, one day battle in the Civil War.
   
   Next, she transports us to the Fredericksburg, and the final assault by the North on Marye's Heights - the charge that involved the 20th of Maine. All the other divisions that day were either driven back, laid dead or wounded on the field. She describes tremendous courage that Chamberlain and his men showed as they made their charge on the now famous wall at Marye's Heights, the wall that was heavily guarded by Confederates. The division suffered great loses that late afternoon. They remained among the dead or wounded for 2 days and nights before the order was given to retreat.
   
   The episode in history that Chamberlain is most remember for is the courage and heroism he displayed at the battle of Gettysburg. He was ordered to the top of a hill known as The Little Round Top where he was placed at the far left flank. There, Chamberlain was instructed to hold that position at all cost. The 20th Maine repelled assault after assault by the Confederates that day. When ammunition ran out, Chamberlain ordered a bayonet charge, an event that many historians say was the turning point of the Civil War.
   
   Trulock also gives a very detailed account of the battle of Petersburg, where Chamberlain was horribly wounded. After hearing of his heroic actions during the battle, General Grant immediately promoted Chamberlain on the battlefield to Brigadier General. This was the only battlefield promotion ever issued by Grant. Somehow, Chamberlain survived his wound, due to the skilled surgery that was preformed on him that night and next day. Chamberlain's two close friends, Dr. Shaw and Dr. Townsend worked for hours repairing the damage inflicted by the mini ball. The wound he received that day would trouble him all of his life and required numerous surgery's to repair the damage.
   
   His persistent heroism and outstanding leadership were the deciding factor when Grant chose Chamberlain to receive the Confederate surrender at Appomattox. He showed great respect for his fellow countrymen that day when he gave the order to his men to give a solders salute to the surrendering confederate men. His honorary actions that day were later critized by many people.
   
   This book contains a lot of historic photos of Chamberlain's family, friends, fellow soldiers and numerous battle maps. The book also gives a great account of Chamberlain's life as Governor of Maine and President of Bowden College, but these accounts do not compare to the bravery and patriotic devotion that Chamberlain displayed during the Civil War. His actions made him a hero to his men, and the country he served.
   
   Trulock has given us a great biography, not only one of the Civil War's greatest commanders, but one of the United States most distinguished citizens. The book flows very smoothly while covering details of battles that would interest even the most die hard Civil War enthusiast.
   
   Finally, a book that does justice to an astonishing person. I highly recommend this book.



2. Chamerlain's heroism is similar to Teddy Roosevelt, Alvin York, and Audie Murphy who came behind him, but have been better publicized.
   
   The difference is that his act of confidence, courage and decisiveness may have been the one that changed the outcome of the Civil War, the 1864 election and the future of America.
   
   In The Hands of Providence is the story of Chamberlain's exemplary character before, during and after that momentum changing moment. All Americans should read and learn this story.
   
   - Richard V. Battle - Author of The Four Letter Word That Builds Character



3. I found Alice Trulock's biography on Joshua L. Chamberlain to be quite readable, well researched and well grounded. Considering the length of the book, Trulock's book read quite well for most readers of any level. Well, it may not be good as the one written by John Pullen but it definitely is superior to the one written by Edward Longacre. I put that in just for comparison purpose.
   
   I think this biography may served as a good introduction to Chamberlain who's name have definitely reached near mythological level nowadays among Civil War readers thanks to Jeff Daniels and his role in that movie "Gettysburg". Of course, most readers would probably be disappointed that Jeff Daniel's portaryal of Chamberlain will not jive with Joshua Chamberlain of Trulock's book.
   
   The biography covers all aspects of Chamberlain's life. The book does a good job covering Chamberlain's military career which proves to be the most important period of his life from which Chamberlain's life will be centered around until his death. I do wish to make a point here. He died at the age of 86, a very ripe old age and I doubt if his wounds he got from Petersburg really hasten his death, it may have cause him a lot of pain but even in modern days, most people don't live that long!
   
   Overall, an very good biography on one of Union's more natural soldiers. A non-professional who performed better then most professional soldiers.



4. The Duke of Wellington supposedly stated that it is impossible for a Christian to serve in the military. Too bad he wasn't around during the American Civil War! Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson from the South and Joshua Chamberlain and Otis Howard from the North are notable exceptions to Wellington's thesis.
   
   Trulock has written what is the best account of the hero of Little Round Top and who personally oversaw the surrender of Confederate troops at Appamattox.
   
   Among the important events in Chamberlain's life covered include:
   
   1. Birth and Christian upbringing in rural Maine.
   2. His days as a student and adminstrator at Bowdoin College.
   3. His early Civil War service including the formation of the famous 20th Maine Regiment.
   4. Fascinating accounts of his involvement in major Civil War battles: Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Petersburg, and other engagements.
   5. The horrible wound suffered at Petersburg that eventually killed him some 50 years later.
   6. His loving yet strained marriage to Frances Caroline Adams.
   7. Postwar public service as President of Bowdoin College and Governor of Maine.
   
   Reading the book was a joy - the narrative flowed smoothly while covering several details of a fascinating character. The author managed to keep the story from becoming too bogged down in dry detail without insulting the reader's intelligence. Oh, how I wish more biographies were written like this!
   
   The book also contains excellent battle maps and numerous photographs of the main characters: Chamberlain, his wife, parents, sister and brothers, many Civil War officers, and other important people in Joshua Chamberlain's life.
   
   All in all, an excellent and highly recommended read. Read and enjoy!



5. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was the epitome of the American citizen-soldier. Since the birth of the republic, American soldiers have left home and hearth to serve the nation and many of them have come home physically shattered and haunted by what they have seen while still others have not come home at all. Thrown into the breech, some of the citizen solders found they did not have the fortitude for what was asked of them while many others have excelled, performing better than graduates of West Point or Annapolis, America's most prestigious military academies. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was a citizen soldier who became a great hero of the Civil War, a man who met challenge after challenge and became a great leader of men and afterward, the course of his life was forever altered. An academically inclined young man, Chamberlain left Bowdin College and his studies and teaching in theology to accept a lieutenant colonel's commission in the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The modest young professor took part in most of the important battles of the North's Army of the Potomac. He was a participant in the Battle of Antietam, still the bloodiest single day in American history. Today, we can walk the battlefield off Sharpsburg Pike, in rural Maryland and see "Burnside's Bridge and the cornfields where so many men fell and get some small measure of what men like Chamberlain went through. We can also visit the battlefield at Fredericksburg and see the heights that he and his 20th Maine and the Union Army tried to take in bloody frontal assaults into the teeth of Confederate guns and under the pounding of their artillery on the hills. Today Chamberlain's comrades - as well as the fallen Confederate troops - are buried on the commanding heights they failed to take, one of the Civil War's bitter ironies. Colonel Chamberlain then immortalized himself at Gettysburg's Little Round Top where he anchored the Union left, repelling assault after assault and winning the day by leading a charge down the slope that broke the Rebel troops. He was given a general's star by General Grant at Petersburg and was honored to receive the Confederate surrender at Appomattox. His heroism and leadership qualities helped him win the Governorship of Maine no less than four times, after which he retired to the Presidency of Bowdin College, his alma mater. Alice Trulock who wrote this book, was not a professional writer and after her retirement from civic affairs, this book took her ten years of careful research, writing and rewriting to complete. She based her work on a great deal of new research and handles the account of infantry combat beautifully. Unfortunately, Trulock died before the book was released and so she wasn't able to accept the accolades that were due to her for such a well-written and moving biography of an emblematic Civil War figure.

5 comments about Adventures of a Psychic.

1. I've seen Sylvia Browne a few times on the Montel Williams show
   and have always been amazed by the gift she seems to
   have . . . so when I came across the CD version of her book,
   ADVENTURES OF A PSYCHIC, I decided to give it a listen.
   
   Doing so enabled me to learn about her fascinating life
   story . . . I also appreciated the point she made several
   times; i.e., that despite her desire to help others, her abilities
   have not enabled her to guide her own actions.
   
   Brown contends that all people have psychic abilities . . . I'm not
   sure that listening to and/or reading ADVENTURES OF A
   PSYCHIC will help you discover yours . . . yet if you're open
   to what might be a new way of thinking about yourself,
   you will gain better insight into the events that help shape your life.
   
   That Browne was also the narrator of this program added
   to my enjoyment.



2. What a load of tripe! This Browne lady is not only a felon, but a liar when it comes to her education, psychic abilities and being a non-smoker. She doesn't even write the books her name is attached to. Even watching TV is more entertaining than this garbage.



3. I have to say that I was somewhat disappointed with Sylvia Browne. I have watched her for years on the Montel Williams Show. When I first bought this book, I was disappointed once I started reading about Francine who I come later to know as part of Sylvia Browne's psychic abilities. By studying psychics like Sylvia Browne, I gain a better understanding of myself more than her. I don't agree with her a hundred percent of the time but it doesn't mean that I don't love her or admire her ability. She's here to help us. Her life has been traumatic, difficult, and messy at times. That's because psychics too are human and make mistakes. We're terrible with predicting ourselves but we can guide our family and friends to better lives if they only listen to advice. Maybe the book is beneficial in helping us unload the stress of our lives. No, being human and alive is not easy. Psychics tell me that I'm going to live to be about 90 and I'm scared. I don't want to live that long. I'll outlive all my family and friends and be all alone. If Sylvia Browne might be outrageous, outspoken, and opinionated, it doesn't mean that she gets it wrong most of the time. All psychics make mistakes and are not perfect. But if you love Sylvia Browne, you will love this book. But by reading it, i had to seek out my own knowledge and it's been a whirlwind adventure of trying to become more psychic, intuitional, and better atuned to natures and our surroundings. We don't have to pack up and move to find serenity, peace, and love. We just have to close our eyes and let your mind go there. This book and other books about the paranormal are not suggested for skeptics, atheists, and those who seek to disprove her claims. That's such a waste of energy!



4. A common sense approach to life-keep it simple.Many of the things she
   wrote about were things I felt I already knew on some level and this was the first time I had seen them in words.
   Reassuring,comforting,thought provoking and humorus.



5. Just because Francine says its sooo... doesn't mean it is. She has been debunked three times on CNN so really ... these adventures are more mischief than soul serving.
   
   The Mystical Life of Jesus: An Uncommon Perspective on the Life of Christ

5 comments about The Last American Man.

1. This is the biography of a man who has spent his whole life in the woods, living off the land. The difference between him and the many others who live off the land? He has flourished. Plus, he does it partially to convince others to give up the trap of luxury and return to a simple nature-centric lifestyle. The author gives us a solid background then weaves interesting tales about the "last american man" and how hardworking and different he is compared to an average man. A well-written book that drags a little in the end reiterating the same dogma that keeping up with the joneses is futile. However Elizabeth Gilbert hadn't quite polished off her writing style as she does in Eat, Pray, Love. A worthy read for anyone disinterested in suburban sprawl along with Into The Wild.



2. I enjoyed reading this book and I have often dreamed of living the type of lifestyle that Eustace Conway lives, though not quite so harsh. It seems to me that his many hang-ups have created a personal "river" that no one is able to cross and join him. He seems to be a carbon copy of his father, with just enough minor differences to convince himself that he is nothing like him. Sadly, he has decided to turn away from the only source that could give him true happiness, a relationship with Jesus Christ. I think the old saying, "no one is as blind as he who refuses to see" fits Eustace well. His desire for acceptance from his father has blinded him to the joys of life. The disatisfaction that his apprentises experience and which Eustace cannot understand appears to stem largely from his use of them as slave labor. The expectations of those who come to work on Turtle Island are not the expectations of Eustace himself, which seems to be based on a phylosophy of, " hey, I dug a one hundred foot long ditch, three feet deep through solid rock! It took me two months and nearly killed me, and though I didn't really learn anything about living off the land, by golly I know I can dig a ditch through solid rock and knowing that gives me a warm feeling about who I am." No. The book gives the impression that the apprentises thought they were there to learn how to live off the land but Eustace failed to tell them that they were there to find out what he himself had always practised, "I will do one thing no matter how hard or how impossible it may seem until it kills me or I master it. Then I can stand straight and in my mind know that I am worth something if to no one but myself."
   This is somewhat of a harsh review of a book about a man I've never met but it is based on the impression I got from the book. I wish you eventual happiness Mr. Conway. You've certainly strived for it.
   I recommend this book.



3. I really enjoyed this book. It gave an unbiased account of a man, who even in his best intentions, falls short of what he wants to be. Contrary to some of the negative reviews, Gilbert DOES see all that is not right about this man, and she tells us about it.
   This book is a journey through the mind and heart of a troubled man and those people who were raptured by his personality and then inevitably disappointed. I loved it!



4. I have purchased approx. 10 copies of this book-- I find it entertaining, amusing and cannot decide if I liked this man at the end or not. As I live in North Carolina; not far from the subject- guests often think it would be fun to meet him and see how he as aged. Great gift book for -mostly the men in ones life.



5. 
   This book is more than the biography of an American eccentric. It allows us to look at our own, peculiarly American, mythologies through the lens of one person's life. Many American men aspire to the kind of skills and challenges that Eustace Conway provides for himself. We have a long tradition of reinventing ourselves by way of trials-by-nature. And we are running up to the end of an oil-based economy that has given many Americans unprecedented freedom and mobility, as well as the luxury of ignoring the limitations imposed by natural systems. It is good that Gilbert, with her gentle sense of humor, has documented Conway's achievements and philosophy for us by way of the durable technology of the written book. It may come in handy in years to come.

5 comments about Arcanum: The Extraordinary True Story.

1. Porcelain, the ceramics world's equivalent of gold, is among humankind's most celebrated and beautiful inventions: the perfect porcelain item is translucent, and infinite variations of usage exist for it. It was notoriously expensive because for centuries it could only be obtained overland, through China - some thought it was created by magic, and even among educated people despaired that the sands and clays necessary to make it would be unavailable in the West. All until a rather mad semi-conman, who had already been chucked out of one royal house, lucked upon the patronage of the Elector of Saxony, and then lucked upon the winning formula, thus bringing the art of porcelain-making to the West. For about a generation, Dresden had the monopoly on porcelain manufacturing; following that, industrial spies were able to sell the secret to France (Sevres) and various other European capitals. Nevertheless, Meissen porcelain is still celebrated as Europe's best. Gleeson's story is an excellent recapturing of the strange conventions of the seventeenth and eighteenth century economies and the strange means by which one might make one's fortune under the ancien regime. She is also blessed by some truly colorful characters: Bottger the fortunate (if not accidental)inventor; Herold the painter (who found a way of decorating and tinting the porcelain), and the Elector himself, who was ruthless enough to hold Bottger prisoner until he yielded the formula.



2. Janet Gleeson is not a storyteller. This becomes apparent as she pops between explaining the arcanum, porcelain making, political strife and the lives of the people involved. The subjects are so compelling, however, that you will not mind too much. It is apparent, too, that she has a passion for the subject of porcelain making, and she does manage to infuse the reader with her interest.



3. There were many advances during the rennaisance era in Europe that are far reaching. You would think that something so ephemeral as a luxury item wouldn't have much impact, but history demonstrates otherwise. Deception, espionage, war, and even treason were common occurences in 17th and 18th century Europe. All that in pursuit of the secrets for making porcelain is conceptually challenging to say the least.

   When one alchemist searching for the legendary philospher's stone performs one illusion too many, he finds himself a "guest" of Augustus the Strong until he provides him with the gold he needs to pay for his extravagantly decadent life style. Fortunately, for the alchemist, he's bright and talented, and just may provide the king with another type of gold to keep the executioner at bay.

   The Arcanum, is well written and researched with an extensive bibliography. I was very impressed with the level of scholarship exhibited by Ms. Gleeson. Considering the subject matter, and my preconceptions, I was suitably suprised and impressed at what I learned.




4. If you enjoy splendidly written historical stories, this is a must read. I must admit that the story started to lose its lustre around the time that Meissen loses its lustre; but, in its entirety, the book is a must read. If you've read The Professor and the Madman, this story is equally enthralling.



5. Today, porcelain, china, and dinnerwares are common items in a household. This was not always true. Once, hard paste porcelain, the world's best, was literally as valuable as gold. But only the Chinese knew the formula, and they kept their secret from Europeans for nearly 1000 years. So it is fitting that the person responsible for discovering the Chinese's secret was an alchemist, whose true quest was to find the secret for making gold from other less expensive metals.

   This swashbuckling tale of adventure, double-dealing, and final victory, is a basic manual for porcelain collectors and dealers, and it is a must for antiques enthusiasts, no matter where their interests lie. Porcelain and its history touch every collecting area to some degree. The knowlege contained in this short history is a must for anyone who aspires to a full education in the decorative arts.

5 comments about Joan of Arc.

1. Never thought that Mark Twain would have written this book. It shows his admiration for Joan of Arch. It is a great portrait of her life. Excellent reading for our youth now a days. With God on our side, we can conquer the impossible!



2. I am not sure what got me interested in joans' story but i was pleased to find that twain had taken on the subject. the genius of this book is twains narrative gimmick; a translation of a fictional characters first hand account of the life an times of 'the maid of orleans'. the use of a fictional narrator allows him to stick to the bones of the story without endless digression and and scholarly citation that would have dried up such a wonderful story. while staying true to the important historical facts(except the physical description of joan) the trick allows twain to cobble together several years of research into a story that is readable and moving. some complain that twain made no issue of joans' divine visions, believing that the events the book describe become uninteresting to those who are of a skeptical nature. i too am skeptical but if she did have visions the story is amazing if on the other hand she made them up the story is all the more profound...



3. This is one of Mark Twain's best books, in my estimation. It was the last book he wrote. He also wrote it under an assumed name, for fear that his reputation as a humorist would detract from the seriousness with which he hoped his readers would approach the topic. Moreover, it is a highly spiritual book written by a self-described atheist.
   
   The book is narrated by Joan's aide-de-camp, and childhood friend, as an old man telling a story to his grandchildren. And what a story he tells. Of the transformation of a poor village girl into the military savior of France from the English invasion, while hardly more than a child. A transformation which not only resulted in the military hero of the century, but which is at its center based on Joan's love for God and trust in his miracle. My book buddy Marcia Makepeace read Joan of Arc, as her 21st book, in this the 30th day of our 60 day readathon. I'm close behind with 18, reading furiously in San Francisco.



4. The master storyteller, Mark Twain, used his immense talent to create this fictionalized account of Saint Joan's life. Even though it is fiction, it is still very historically accurate and stays true to the story of Saint Joan of Arc. Because it is fiction, Twain is able to bring out Saint Joan's personality in a way that reminds us that she was a beautiful, vibrant, passionate young woman who sacrificed everything to serve God and save her country
   
   I think the very fact that Twain would even choose to write a biography about Saint Joan is a further testament to her greatness. Twain was personal friends with U.S. Grant and could much more easily have written a biography about him. He also lived at a time when some of the greatest military leaders ever lived like Lee, Jackson, etc., so if all he had been looking for was a famous military leader he could have also chosen one of them. Obviously, he was looking for someone even greater to write about. I think his own words probably explain why he chose Saint Joan when he said that: "She was perhaps the only entirely unselfish person whose name has a place in profane history."
   
   Whether you are a Saint Joan devotee or not I think you will enjoy reading this book. It is well written and easy to read and covers one of the greatest stories in world history. If you already know about the life of Saint Joan, I also think you will end up loving this account because of the way Twain brings her to life. Definitely one of the best of all the biographies written about Saint Joan of Arc and considered by Twain himself to be his greatest work. Five stars are probably not enough.



5. How amazing it is to find the usually sardonic, faithless Twain so moved to write a work as glorifying, uplifting and devoted as this novel! In fact, I read this book just to find out what Twain's angle might be. There is no angle, no slant to the story.
   
   It is told in beautiful and moving prose, with Twain using his skills to their utmost, proving by eyewitness the sanctity and goodness of a peasant girl raised to the level of a saint by the blessing of God. Twain, inspired, is quite unmatched in his use of imagery and emotional appeal. The novel is quite stunning in places.
   
   On a historical note, though the words Joan speaks and the events are true, Twain takes liberty with minor characters and their lives in order to follow Joan more closely and give some much-needed comic relief.
   
   Also, on the flip side of the story of the beautifully pure maiden turned warrior, is an indictment against the church who allowed an archbishop to carry out an evil scheme in order to further his own career, and against the King of France who failed to save the girl who saved him.
   
   I will never forget this story, or the faith and courage of Joan of Arc that shone so brightly against the corruption and sin of the church in that age. I am so glad I read this novel.

5 comments about The Royals.

1. This book while big is full of lies and no wonder it isn't available in England because if it where the Queen would be all over it for the lies that it says about the royals.
   
   Here are just some of the things that Kitty Kelly says in the book that are not true
   
   1.The Queen Mum was illegitimate-she was the 8th of 9 children and her parents were married long before she was born
   
   2. The Queen Mum had to be impregnated by turkey baser to have Elizabeth and Margret
   
   3. Princess Margret was an anti-Semite because she walked out of Schindler's List
   
   4. Prince Harry is not Prince Charles' son- so not true. Harry's maternal grandfather had red hair and Princess Diana did not meet Harry's supposed father until he was already at least one year old
   
   Do not bother even reading this book. There are much better, more accurate books out there about the royal family.



2. I love reading about the royal family and I just loved this book! I have read several books about Diana so I knew the history there but I never knew what an awful mother the Queen is! And I didn't realize how everything has to be approved by her! Nor did I realize what a womanizer Price Philip was and all the mistresses he had over the years!
   
   Would highly recommend if you like reading about the Windsor Family.



3. I give this wonderful book 5 stars because it discusses the private details about the royal family behind the closed doors of Buckingham Palace and what they're really thinking!
   
   If you enjoy scandals, then you'll enjoy this expose on the House of Windsor!
   
   Find out how the Royal Family thinks and acts!
   
   An interesting read and quite fascinating!
   
   If you're a royal afficionado as I am, then you'll enjoy this book!
   
   Buy it, or check it out from the library--you'll be glad you did!



4. Having previously enjoyed books by Kitty Kelley about Frank Sinatra,
   Nancy Raegan and the Bush Family, I was excited to come across
   the taped version of a book she wrote in 1997: THE ROYALS . . . it
   continues in the tradition of her other works; i.e., being very
   gossipy . . . I'm not sure how much of this was the truth, but I
   nevertheless had fun in a guilty pleasure way reading how Prince
   Charles snatched one last rendezvous with Camilla Parker-Bowles
   on the eve of his marriage to Diana Spencer . . . how both Charles
   and Diana were unfaithful during their marriage . . . how Diana used
   bulimia to keep her shape, etc.
   
   Others member of the Royal Family are likewise covered, though
   in not quite so much detail . . . you'll "learn" all you wanted to know
   (and some you probably didn't) about such other notables as the
   Queen Mother, Andy and Fergie, Prince Philip, and Prince Edward.
   
   Kelley's narration added to my enjoyment of THE ROYALS.



5. You really get excited about this book when you first see it and open the cover. It's so well designed, and it just all looks like great fun and cant wait to sit down by the pool to dig in. After days of struggling to get through just a few chapters, then fighting off the temptations to put it down and read something else, I have to come here to say you wont get your money's worth out of this one. How can I describe it? It just goes off into these rambling, resentful sounding diatribes of what the Royal family has or owns, anytime one of them gets a new dress or rug. Even how she thinks the English citizens were cheated over how much sugar was used in the wedding cake of Princess Elizabeth's wedding. Huh??!!!! ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
   
   If you want to read a fantastic, attention keeping book about the Royal family, read Donald Spotos book on the Windsors. It's a real history lesson and filled with interesting tidbits and "gossip", but not this over dramatized, pathetic, petty rambling on, and on, and on............

5 comments about Chronicles: Volume One (Chronicles).

1. If you're not very familiar with Bob Dylan and want to learn more about the man this is really not the book for you. I suggest you read Clinton Heylin's tome, "Behind The Shades, Take 2" which compiles just about every known fact about Dylan from the people who have known him - an excellent book in every way. Chronicles is a different animal. I think you are more likely to appreciate it if you are a fan of Dylan's work. I'm in the process of going through it for the second time and have realized that I am enjoying it more after I have cast aside all notions of what I want the book to be. WHAT THIS BOOK IS NOT: 1. It's not a tell all biography. You won't find out much information that's not out there already. There are no intimate revelations of Bob's love affairs or anything sensational. 2. It doesn't cover Bob's whole career, just 3 brief periods. 3. It's not necessarily all true. Dylan often paints himself in the best light, as a normal guy. I have my doubts. 40 years of unabated idolatry will screw anyone up to some extent. You'll read about the pressure he's under, but don't expect specific revelations about a dysfunctional Dylan. WHAT THE BOOK IS: A fascinating discourse on specific times in Bob's life. I don't know why it was such a surprise to me but Bob is a great writer. Whatever percentage is BS I don't care; I enjoy it anyway. He has an amazing attention to detail and I was able to lose myself in descriptions of places and situations. Plus he does reveal his thoughts on songwriting and many things. When I stopped hoping for him to discuss something specific I was able to sit back and enjoy whatever he gave me. Again I shouldn't be surprised; it's always been that way with his music also. I hope he does continue this series and give us another book or two, whatever he chooses to write about. I will surely go along for the ride.



2. Bob Dylan takes his prodigious talents for language and turns out one of the most remarkably honest rambles of raggle-taggle prose since Jack Kerouac. From the first few pages, describing an ambitious but reserved young man whose future role had not yet been defined, I was willing led down memory alley. The artistic subworlds of New York, with its hanger-onners and would-bes. invoke countless anecdotes about the creative lives of others. Remarkably sketched, and poignantly personal, I never felt the usual strain that often comes with more self-important memoirs. Dylan's voice remains remarkably rough and earnest, glissing between gorgeous metaphors and cowboy expletives . . . but always uniquely his own. His own assessment of his artistry, usually inferred than described in achingly obvious detail, lure the reader into a smoky area in between the lines. Simply one of the best autobiographies I've ever read . . . by no means intended only Dylan mavens, this work will readily appeal to anyone who knows that the music industry involves a lot more than what 'American Idol' has led us to believe. Here's a real damn American Idol, from what I think at least. This book packed more punches than five years worth of New Yorker short stories.



3. Skipping all over the place, definitely not a chronological account of Dylan's rise, but more of a stream of consciousness series of the highlights, lowlights, or significant moments in the life of a true artist. Chronicles volume 1 is accessible and an interesting read to anyone who loves to read, the flow of words very easy. They just pull you along. I for one wasn't sure how good a writer Dylan is, but he's pretty good. I recommend this book to all Dylan fans, and anyone who likes to read a good autobiography.



4. Count me as one of the skeptics who felt positive that they wouldn't like this memoir. And, please, now feel free to point out how snotty and wrong I was for feeling like that.
   
   To say Bob Dylan has written something great is not an unusual thing to do in most situations, but to say he wrote a great book, about himself no less, does seem surprising. It is surprising because of both the candidness Dylan shows in this book and the right level of self-examination that doesn't cross the line into plain ol' weirdness or didactic ramblings. What comes through is that Robert Zimmerman seems to know exactly who Bob Dylan is, and he appears to have a more measured respect for the complications of his inseparable doppelganger than any of his cultish fanbase could ever hope to have.
   
   There are two other things that really delighted me about this book. The first is how Dylan is a very accomplished writer...not just of lyrics, but of prose. From reading his vivid descriptions of something as simple as the snow falling, I realize that in another time, had his life pointed him in another direction, this guy would have been a top-notch novelist, right up there with the best. The other thing that I loved, and perhaps the thing I would most expect from him, is the non-linear approach he took to telling his story. Chapters jump around in time, and large portions, decades even, are left out of the story. With a lesser writer this would have been a real distracting way to go about business, but in Dylan's capable hands it becomes stylistic, mirroring the way the mind works, in which connections aren't always made from one moment to the next, but, rather, from one moment in time to another moment years earlier...or later.
   
   Even if you are, like me, not a major Dylan fan, I still suspect you would be hard pressed not to admire the writing here, or the manner in which the story is told like scattered scenes from a disorganized scrapbook that suddenly come to life so as to show the fleeting facets of one unknowable person. Very recommended.



5. God, what a great book! I was not alive, sadly, during Dylan's reign in the sixties. But I've been a fan of his since I was in the 9th grade, 1998, not that long ago. He's been an artist I've found myself revisiting often during the last decade, probably due to the massive amount of media being released on/by the man.
   
   He's had the bootleg series which are great, new studio albums, the awesome Scorsese doc "No Direction Home" and soundtrack of the same title, reissues of old doc "Don't Look Back", this memoir, and now the Hollywood film by Todd Haynes called "I'm Not There", with it's amazing soundtrack of covers by modern artist.
   
   It's been obvious for decades that Dylan is a good writer, but now he proves he can write decent, novel prose, which I think is similar to the style of Hemingway or Steinbeck-- real simple, but more playful and fun. He has a real sense of humour about things, himself included. It's great to hear him put it into his own words.
   
   Anyone interested in Dylan, the sixties, or fantastic writing prose should check out this book. It's brilliant. I can't wait for the other parts of the series to be written. I can't wait to hear of his personal account of his electric days, the days of Highway 61 and Blonde On Blonde, which he may never include, who knows. Maybe he doesn't wanna talk about it. Either way, I'll be there, ready to read whatever he has to say.