3 comments about Churchill's Empire: The World That Made Him and the World He Made.

1. i did not become her majesty prime minister to see the brekout of the empire . churchill said . his refusal to grant dominion status in the thirties is typical . nevertheless he had to give way this book explain the story of a man who saw the empire at his zenith , and saw it fades away. informative book .



2. A quick overview of Winston Churchill's long career with the focus on his interactions with the lands that were once part of the British Empire.
   
   The British professor Richard Toye's book seems accurate but somewhat superficial when one considers the complexities of such big issues as home rule for Ireland, the Jewish state in Palestine, the racial divide in South Africa, and the eventual partition of India. A first time reader about Winston Churchill or one lacking in last century's historical background may feel somewhat lost. However, other readers, especially those more familiar with Mr. Churchill's life story, may be inspired to do further in-depth reading about any number of the issues touched upon that still reverberate in today's world.
   
   (One Hollywood story on p. 307/308 with foul language seems to me a pointless addition to the epilogue of this book.)
   
   Mr. Churchill was a great man, but a man of his times--especially in his attitude toward those other than white and less than civilized.



3. At some point in 1942,Churchill declared that he did not become a prime minister to preside over the dismantling of the British Empire. His views about the many peoples that were living under the British were well-known. Racist and derogatory terms about the "African savages", Asians and Indians made up his many speeches. For him,Gandhi was a subversive fanatic,while the white man was superior to any other race on earth,thus his Anglo-Saxon superiority mode of thinking.
   Although his greatness,Churchill was also a racist who thought that the British Empire was destined to live forever. Mackenzie King,the Canadian prime minister,wrote that the "British Empire and the Commonwealth are a religion to him". Churchill dismissed the notion of Indian independence,claiming that the Indians were not a nation at all.
   Toye has written a balanced book about a controversial leader, and does not condemn or praise him. He lets the reader pass the final judgement.

5 comments about Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage.

1. Plan on traveling to Antartica in the future, and even though this was a failed expedition I always wanted to learn more about this. Took this book to read on vacation, and finished it by the 2nd day - couldn't put it down. In my opinion, this has got to be one of the greatest stories of survival and determination in modern history, and the author keeps you hooked the entire way through. Details of emotions and struggle become that much more profound when you realize the extensive research that was done in crafting this book. An amazing tale of the power and determination of the human spirit - we all can learn from Shakleton and his men, and Lansing plays a brilliant role as a medium of delivery.



2. This is a wonderful tale of survival. Shackelton is an inspiring leader and the crew who traveled with him to the ends of the world are equally heroic. I would compare this favorably to The Bounty (also excellent) and other great adventure stories. It's a story of a time when men dared to be great, and is truly inspiring. The photographs taken by the ship's photographer are wonderful visuals to accompany this great story. (photos are a bit harder on Kindle, but still manageable.) Definitely recommend to those who love a good adventure/survival story.



3. This book is one of my top two books I have ever read. It recalls the historic event of survival in Antarctica written in an informative yet captivating way. It also speaks to the power of great leadership. I usually check out books from the library and only buy the book if it is one that I will read over several times. I not only purchased it for me but have given it as gifts to many people. A must read.



4. Absolutely one of the best books I have read. Should be required reading for all High School students.



5. Just got done watching the 3DVD set Shackleton 5 stars. I wondered how the book Endurance could possibly compare with this fantastic DVD set. The book was just as good 5 stars.
   
   We see Sir Shackleton in 1914 and his 27 men heading for a cross continent trek across Antarctica. Unfortunately the Endurance gets caught in the ice. She is crushed and sinks. Shackleton orders abandon ship and his men are on the ice. Against all odds, low temperature and little food they get on an ice flow and move 3 small boats toward open water. They are starving and must kill and eat their sled dogs as well as seals and penguins. Some of the men are almost killed by 1100pound Leopard seals but the seals are shot and supply the men food and blubber for their cooking pots. They eventually get off the flow and face horrific seas and bad weather and make it to Elephant island. Some are frostbite and the youngest member has to have his toes on one of his feet amputated. Another developed a boil on his back the size of a football.Unbelievable hardships.
   
   Then Shackleton and 5 men must sail almost 800 miles to South Georgia island to get rescue for his men from a Norwegian whaling village.They make the horrendous voyage across the Drake passage that has some of the worst weather on earth. Eventually they arrive on the wrong side of the island and Shackleton and 2 men must trek about 30 miles across part of the island and a glacier before arriving at the village. They are ushered to the Norwegian leader and the 3 stinking, dirty, nasty, badly clothed humans knock on his door. He says "Who the hell are you". Shackleton says my name is Shackleton. The Norwegians knew of Shackleton's expedition as it had stopped at South Georgia before but after over a year they thought them all dead. The Norwegian leader cries for them. Shackleton's 3 men left behind on the other side of the island are rescued. After 3 attempts with different ships the others on Elephant island are rescued.
   
   Its amazing. Shackleton INMO was not a great planner and made serious mistakes but his leadership and survival skills were legendary.He had a huge ego but believed in himself and inspired others to give 110% of themselves in order to survive. The expedition across the Antarctic continent was a failure but Shackleton's indomitable spirit and superb leadership skills helped save every man. No one was lost. All return as heroes. The most incredible story of survival ever told with diaries, logs and pictures( many lost) to prove it. An incredible man and a fantastic story. Endurance 5 star.
   
   PS. For scientific Antarctic matters learned give me the explorer Scott. For speed, planning and efficiency reaching the South Pole, Amundsen. For leadership, survival skills and surviving in the worst conditions give me Shackleton. The 3 great Antarctic explorers of the heroic age of exploration.

5 comments about Winston's War: Churchill, 1940-1945.

1. As I finished the last words on page 486, I yearned for more. Except for the acknowledgements, bibliography and such, there was no more.
   
   The excellent writer and detailed-obsessed military historian Max Hastings had brought us to the end of Churchill's reign as the war leader of the British Empire.
   
   You can measure Churchill, the man, by the thousands of books, movies, documentaries and other expositions about him.
   
   In Hastings, we find much that is new. As with many contemporary histories of WWII, more than a little comes from the once again closed Soviet archives. But much more comes from the diaries and unpublished letters of people, particularly the little people, the ones who in a democracy elect those who lead.
   
   Hastings leaves us in absolutely no doubt of Churchill's unique accomplishments - and his failures.
   
   For many months, the future of any vestige of democracy in Europe and perhaps the world rested on Churchill's shoulders. Through his oratory and pluck alone, Churchill encouraged battered and, in fact, defeated Britain to rally itself and fight on, despite the fact that literally all its artillery, amour, small arms and military vehicles had been left on the battlefields of France. Churchill pleaded and cajoled to get Franklin Roosevelt into the European war, but Roosevelt basically wouldn't budge.
   
   For a while, it was Churchill, a few hundred brave pilots, a few thousand ground crew and radar plotters who kept Britain in the war.
   
   Hastings tracks the public opinion of the day. Churchill had long been a divisive character, long relegated to the back benches of Britain's ruling class for his outspoken opinions on the dangers of a rearmed and resurgent Germany. Neville Chamberlain had captured the support of the people who believed that giving Hitler what he wanted was the road to peace.
   
   It was not and the 66 year old Churchill, called a war monger by so many, was asked by the King to become Prime Minister.
   
   It is now widely agreed that Churchill was the only man who could have saved Britain.
   
   Hastings keeps his focus on Churchill as war leader, but lets us see how the world around him reacted to his larger-than-life presence. He irritated and frustrated his military leaders by his constant interference and demands for action now. He lifted the spirits of his people in his visits to the bombed out streets of London. He bestirred the Members of Parliament (and controlled them) with his wit and guile. Finally, he roused the world through oratory of a brilliance rarely seen.
   
   Churchill, as Hastings endlessly points out, was not perfect. Far from it. His military plans were more often than not entirely impractical and when he did succeed in getting his ideas acted upon, they often resulted in disaster. But strategically, Churchill was ahead of his generals who for the most part never rose to anything near Churchill's greatness.
   
   Hastings correctly believes that it was the military of the Soviets that defeated Germany and that Britain and the United States played a subordinate role militarily. No serious student of the period can disagree. It was the Soviets who broke the armies of the Germans and their allies. But Churchill believed he enjoyed some kind of personal relationship with Stalin, a delusion he persisted in almost to the end of the war.
   
   It is fascinating to read the letters and diaries of the average citizens, many, if not most, of whom revered Churchill the war leader, while reserved about Churchill the domestic leader. The letters of the committed leftists are chilling to read. Military men and Churchill's staff left behind copious memoirs, published and unpublished, about their impressions. Hastings draws upon all of this and more to produce a truly in-depth history of Churchill's six years as the most powerful leader in British history and one of the most remarkable men to have appeared in Western civilization.
   
   The pity is that history is no longer taught in American schools and what has replaced it has little relation to history. Thus the children of today will grow up with little idea of how close the freedom they abuse came so close to being snuffed out were it nor for Winston Churchill who roused the West to save itself.
   
   Next time, perhaps, we will not be so fortunate as to have a Churchill.
   
   Hastings makes it clear just how remarkable Churchill, as the war leader of his people, was.
   
   Jerry



2. This book provides an interesting perpective on the stengths and foibles Winston Churchill possessed that made him one of the most important individuals in the Second World. He was a person at the right place in the opportune moment to influence the course of world history. He was a mystery inside an inigma.



3. Hastings has the wonderful ability to synthesize an enormous body of material, weave it into an interesting narrative, and to make sound judgments about the historical questions presented. In this book, he tells the familiar story of Churchill in World War Ii, but does so in a fresh way, adding negative as well as positive criticism of Churchill's performance.
   
   Hastings contrasts Churchill's will with that of French premiere Reynaud and some of the defeatists in England. Churchill's combative instincts and his ability to communicate to mobilize all of England explains much of the difference between the outcomes of the Battle of France and the Battle of England. Of course, one should not ignore the geographic vulnerability of France versus the benefits of the English Channel and one should not ignore the effectiveness of the RAF.
   
   Hastings is critical of the performance of the English Army, which surprises me. However, he does make the case that unlike World War I, the English troops simply never were a match for the Germans unless they had overwhelming advantages in men, air cover, and artillery. He is also critical of the English commanders. Hastings is also effective at coveying the great crisis of confidence in England and Churchill's ability in overcoming it, but the ultimate inability of even Churchill to reverse the inevitable downfall of the English Empire by the end of the war.
   
   Churchill's penchant for distracting adventures and reluctance to focus on the need to win the war in the west via a cross channel invasion are criticized. Although Hastings believes Churchill was right to dissuade the U.S. from mounting suicidal cross channel invasions too early, he does concede that Churchill was too hesitant to launch D-Day.
   
   In the end Hastings makes the case for the great man theory of history -- without Churchill's strong leadership, exceptional energy, and great communication skills, the war in the west may have turned out much differently.



4. Of course, there are many books written about Churchill but this one very good. It seems fair, balanced and not in awe of the folklore that surrounds Winston. Highly recommended for history buffs and biography fans.



5. great book could not put down. hastings writes in a "cant put book down" style. anyone interested in ww2 will find this book full of historical events not found in other books.

5 comments about The Royals.

1. It's a good read, but it's obvious that Ms. Kelley has bought into the woe-is-me victimization ploy used by the former Princess of Wales that nearly brought down the British monarchy. Being an American, I admit to a certain curiosity and wonder when thinking of the Royals. I was almost seventeen when the former Princess of Wales was killed in Paris and while I was sad for the humanitarian and mother who had been in over her head with the royal establishment, I boasted no particular affinity for a woman whose face had saturated every tabloid paper for nearly a decade before that.
   
   Ms. Kelley has a style of writing that's very easy to get through, but once I got through it (having thoroughly enjoyed the experience as well), I found myself with questions as to sources. Ms. Kelley is obviously no fan of the Royal Family, aside from the afore-mentioned Princess of Wales and though she did occasionally refer to Diana's dark side (her continuing vindictiveness toward her ex-husband, her blatant ploys to turn her sons against their father, insinuating that Prince Charles is not fit to be King, her behavior to anyone who dared to call her out on her attention-whoring ways, her treatment of her stepmother following her father's death), she never once deviated from the erroneous supposition that the Princess of Wales was somehow "driven" to that level of vindictiveness in her private life.
   
   It was a very well-done, very enjoyable piece of historical fiction, emphasis on the fiction.



2. I enjoyed this book very much, I travel a great deal and therefore am very appreciative to good authors and only give five stars to those I believe tell a good story, have a great ending and have me wanting more. I don't always need all the sex or blood and gore, sometimes a romance, a love story or a drama is what I need. I highly recommend this book. And have recommended it to our book club in New York and Aspen,..I also recommend reading....The Boy He Loved - Obsession Into Darkness (Gay Suspense), Reflections In The Looking Glass - A Murder Mystery That Will Surprise you (Gay Murder Mystery), My Gay Socks (Gay Romance)and From Boys to Men (Gay Classic), you may also want to read,The Crane & Pelican (Gay Romance).



3. Kitty Kelly collected anecdotes about the Windsors, drawing on everyone who hated them. I bet she got most of the info from the guys who created the "Spitting Image" series.
   
   Kitty Kelly's books are great if you like cheap gossip at the National Inquirer level, and are a little too smart for the Weakly World News. Read this if you're stuck in an airport during a snowstorm.



4. If you ever wondered about how human the "Monarchy" of the U.K. is, here's a great answer. Imagine letting your close cousins die because of the inconvenience, changing your family name to avoid prejudice, and redefining what "integrity" means with "Because I said so."
   Wow- so good to be a mortal in the world and not a figurehead. Perhaps King William, if U.K. survives, will prove to be enlightened and not end up a social/party figure like so many descendants of the former European Royal Families.



5. This is fun and gossipy. Four stars considering the genre. I wish Kindle handled pictures better. I learned a lot of the German history of the family, which I didn't know. A really good history of British royalty is On Royalty: A Very Polite Inquiry into Some Strangely Related Families.

5 comments about The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary (P.S.).

1. CD in excellent condition. Story is awesome. Time of delivery A+. Thank you.



2. This book is excellent for any word lover, but is a bit stilted and detailed.
   
   It was very clever how the author put a page from the dictionary as the beginning of each chapter and the subject of that chapter dealt with the word.
   
   From page 220..."The total length of type--all hand-set, for the books were done by letterpress, still discernible in the delicately impressed feel of the inked-on paper--is 178 miles, the distance between London and the outskirts of Manchester."
   
   Dr. Minor, the madman, was an interesting character and the perfect person to "write" the English Oxford Dictionary...the professor, (Professor Murray) was perfect as well. You feel sorry for Dr. Minor in his circumstances, but rejoice at what he did.
   
   His death and burial are described as this: From Page 219..."Dr. William Minor, who was among the greatest of contributors to the finest dictionary in all the English language, died forgotten in obscurity, and is buried beside a slum."
   
   It isn't of high interest, but keeps you reading because of the history.
   
   I was wavering between a 2 and a 3 but am going with a 3/5 rating.



3. This book was given to me to read by someone else and just sat on my shelf for ages because it didn't feel that appealing. What a surprise when I actually read it. It is a fascinating tale of how the Oxford English Dictionary came into being. Historical, educational, based on fact, and thoroughly entertaining.



4. Winchester definitely knows how to tell a story. His account of the unusual relationship between James Murray, chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, and William Chester Minor, the American-born "madman" of the title, is unforgettable. He understands the incredible hubris of Victorian England -- its belief that Englishmen, their empire, and their language were superior and were destined to control the world -- and also the irony that men acting under these chauvinist beliefs made remarkable contributions to civilization. The OED was one of those works, and Minor, the former Civil War surgeon who was confined to an insane asylum, was the gifted amateur who contributed thousands of entries to the pioneering dictionary.
   
   I highly recommend this book. My only hesitation relates to Winchester's rather cavalier speculation about the origins of Minor's mental illness. Although he appropriately cites contemporary psychiatric theory in the later part of his book, some of the connections that he makes between Minor's experiences and his debilitating illness are hard to accept.



5. I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys some history stitched together with a little story telling. It is a page turner that is very intriguing, interesting and at times shocking. I have read a lot of books and wondered how they ever got published, this one however is a solid piece of story telling. Read it, you will be glad you did.

5 comments about The Six Wives of Henry VIII.

1. This book is a must read. I recommend it to anyone interested in Tudor History. Very detailed, easy reading and very intriguing. Excellent!



2. Words cannot express how wonderfully written and interesting this book is! I was cautious when I saw its length but, trust me, it reads very well and will keep you enthralled. Ms. Weir is a masterful writer. I'm almost at the end of the book and I feel as if I'm biddng farewell to a friend!



3. This is my first book from Alison Weir and I could not put it down!! It is so well written and easy to read. She makes sense of some confusing situations. This book is full of detail and I could not recommend it more! 5 stars for sure!!



4. I was interested in reading this since it covered all 6 wives. The first half of the book is Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, since they are probably the most interesting/most well known of the wives. I thought this was easy to read, although it took a while. Not because of the subject or style but that it's a large book. I think it would be difficult for someone with little to no knowledge of the subject to read this as it would be difficult to keep people/stories straight. I think Alison Weir is biased toward/against all of them and I'm not so sure the opinions are factually based. Interesting read if you are interested in this subject though. As for a history book, it's not boring or slow at all. I would gladly read more of Weir's work.



5. I LOVE this book! I have had it for about 2 weeks and don't have much time to read but I'm already almost finished. It is very detailed and is written so that the 'average' history lover can still read and enjoy!

5 comments about The Duchess of Windsor: The Secret Life.

1. This book was so difficult to read on the Kindle (2nd generation) that I am about a third through and am pretty much ready to give up reading it because of the technical problems with this book in Kindle form. For some reason almost every sentence that begins with a capital H has the H separated into two parts; some on two separate lines. Words are "random-ly" hyphenated and sentences here and there are hi-lighted for some unknown reason. At first I thought it was all some kind of foreign language that I didn't recognize before I realized it was a technical problem with the Kindle type-set. I've seen this before in some Kindle books but not to this extent. This is kind of an interesting book but there are so many characters it's hard to keep it all straight and the author calls the people by one name sometimes and another at others and it's just all pretty confusing. It has interesting parts but overall, I don't think it's worth the effort.



2. At the time, the "romance of the century" was seen through the lenses of love. Behind the scenes, however, Edward VIII of England was a weak man totally in the thrall of a domineering and dangerous woman, Bessie Wallis Simpson. (Thank heaven, she dropped the Bessie.) When he abdicated and became the Duke of Windsor, he and his Duchess became not only roving mooches, seeking out wealthy patrons to pay their way, they were Nazi collaborators. They could have lived within their means, except she had an insatiable desire to live like a queen -- including the jewelry to go with it.
   
   Meticulously researched, this tells the story of how they fell into the thrall of Hitler -- even visitng him and giving the vile salute all over Germany. The Duke of Windsor was not unlike many Englishmen who had been through the horror of WWI. Anything was better than another war, even that horrid little man with the funny mustache. As well, many Brits were afraid that Hitler was the only thing standing between them and Communism, a bogeyman of epic proportions. Besides, he treated them like "royalty" so they were silly enough to fall for him, hook, line and sinker. They thought he's just expel the Jews -- no one really liked them anyway. Much better they go to America. (I kid you not, this is what they thought.)
   
   This book not only details the romance, the abdication, the involvement with Nazis, but their petty and petulant view that she should have the HRH before her name. This went on until her death!!! Give it up, guys. Not gonna happen. She embarrassed a nation.
   
   Personally, I enjoyed the book and am glad that he wasn't on the throne. He was a weak, insipid and dangerous man. Far better his stammering but clear headed brother -- George VI, Queen Elizabeth's father.



3. I love history, royalty and reading. I have found many good authors here and promote the development of new authors. I find it far too easy to give a bad review, so I don't, I don't need to, but good books and authors, even the developing ones, need the positive input we all seek. I enjoyed this book very much, it was everything I was looking for and at a price no one could complain about. As a member of a few book clubs, I inform our New York book club and our Aspen club about books they should not miss and authors they will enjoy such as this one. Other books recommended are: Obsession Into Darkess (Gay Thriller), The Boy In The Window (Gay Romance), Reflections In The Looking Glass - A Murder Mystery That Will Surprise you (Gay Murder Mystery)and Ride 'Em Cowboy (Gay Cowboy) also recommended is From Boys to Men (Gay Classic) or the revision, From Boys To Men - Revision By Hector Vance (Gay Romance).



4. Sometimes a person just deserves to have a [...] gossipy book written about them... and Wallis Simpson is one of those people! Charles Higham spent his time dredging up all the best bits about this horrid woman and poured them into one great read. We hear about everything here: the rumors of her serial adultery and fooling around (even on the man who gave up a kingdom for her -- "stupid is as stupid does"), the possible lesbianic interludes, the possibility that she was a man (if my memory serves me correctly)... Its all here. Nothing is more hilarious than the description of how much Wally hated thier posting to the Bahamas (where Govt House was filled with sand) - the on time that Wally had the oppportunity to semi-officially play queen. How the Queen Mother must have checkled thinking about it. This is a hatchet job of the highest order, not only on her but on that dining room table of a third husband she married. One thing we can all be thankful to Wallis Simpson is that she got David out of England - where he might have really done some damage.



5. I ordered it without realizing this is the exact same biography on the Duchess of Windsor I read about ten years ago but the book seems to have been so updated with new facts it really is worth buying the newer version. She really was a tenacious and riveting woman...no wonder the King left his throne for her. I would have done the same. I find the authors writing to be very unbiased...he does not seem to approve of the politics or the activities of the Duke and Duchess very much, but he gives a very balanced presentation of the facts. Like most people born after world war 2, anyone who supported the Nazi's was automatically evil in my mind but this book caused me to reconsider such a snap judgement. The arguments presented for why so muchof the European elite and American elite supported Hitler are very sound. Fascism was just another right wing philosophy...most of the royals and aristocrats who believed in Hitler were not interested in committing genocide. Hitler went off on the rails on his own in that aspect.
   
   In addition to being insightful and gossipy, this book made me revise some of my own opinions.

5 comments about Churchill.

1. Purchased for my father-in-law as a birthday gift, he's a Churchill fan. He was delighted but wanted more.



2. The Washington Post review is on target. This adoring biography subjects Churchill's policies to uncritical scrutiny, excusing every blunder as the fault of others. Most egregious--he blames the success of Nazism on the unwillingness of Churchill's colleagues to support intervention in the Russian civil war following the Bolshevik takeover. According to this interpretation, if Britain had sent more troops, the Communists would have been defeated, Stalin would never have happened, and fascism would not have succeeded. The causal link there is not spelled out but evidently in his view Europeans supported fascism to escape Communism.



3. Johnson, the "great explainer" of modern times and expert dissector of the pretensions of modern intellectuals, has been coasting on his reputation of late. ART: A NEW HISTORY was robust (and colorful) enough, but I wasn't particularly taken with either CREATORS or HEROES. With this engaging "quick sketch" of the life of Winston Churchill, the author is back on form. Some snarky reviews to the contrary, this is not a hagiography, though it certainly gives Churchill the benefit of the doubt more often than not. Its simple goal is to explain why Churchill must be regarded as a major historical figure, regardless of what one thinks of the man and his policies.
   
   The book divides neatly into two sections. Part one is a more or less straightforward biography which takes us up to the point at which Churchill first became Prime Minister in 1940. Johnson avoids the cliche of saddling Churchill with all the responsibility for the failure of the Gallipoli campaign of 1915-16, instead focusing on other, rather less dramatic examples of Churchill's tendency for occasional lapses in judgment. Foremost among the latter is Churchill's bull-headed defense of King Edward VIII during the 1936 Abdication Crisis. This stand had severe consequences for Britain, as Churchill became so unpopular that his (increasingly heeded) warnings of the menace of a rearming Germany were tossed aside as a result.
   
   Johnson then devotes the bulk of the remainder of the volume to an analysis of Churchill's record as a war leader. Johnson sees Churchill as the "indispensable man," the key to Britain's survival, and lays out the reasons why. These reasons are generally convincing, though I wish that even more was made of the salient fact that Churchill regarded both forms of 2oth century totalitarian tyranny -- Fascism and Communism -- as equally evil. While always willing to "jaw-jaw" to preserve peace whenever practicable, he did not fall into the trap of "pas d'ennemis a gauche (ou a droit)" that hinders a sense of moral clarity. One wonders how history would have been altered had Britain and the U.S. heeded Churchill's advice and met the Red Army as far to the East as possible.
   
   The book's ending is its weakest point. Johnson skims over Churchill's second premiership (1951-54) with indecent haste and concludes with a list of "lessons Churchill teaches us today." The latter has the tone of a particularly uninspired business seminar, while it is telling that Johnson prefers to tell us what Churchill did not do during his second turn at the top. (A.N. Wilson's OUR TIMES treats the second Churchill government in a considerably harsher manner, and, given the state of the war-ravaged country and Churchill's own age and weariness, Wilson's treatment rings a bit truer to me.) Happily, in an afterword, Johnson is generous enough to recommend more in-depth treatments of Churchill and his times. If CHURCHILL encourages the reader to forge ahead to these other works, then it will have done its job.



4. I liked this breezy essay by Paul Johnson on just how great Churchill really was, but was left wondering what exactly was the point of the exercise?
   
   Johnson's praise for all things Churchill is so lavish I'm not certain "worshipful" really captures it. Johnson speaks of his own childhood remembrances of Churchill's speeches and deeds, and at times the book indeed feels like an intellectual fan letter, steeped in nostalgia and memories of youth.
   
   I'm not taking anything away from as titanic and large a figure as Churchill -- he looms over the 20th century, deservedly so.
   
   But Johnson's short look adds little to the historical record and remains the kind of thing you would like best if you were both a Churchill and Johnson fan.



5. I am a Paul Johnsom fan and for me 3 stars is a disappointment. this book was brief but thrilling. I fear Johnson may have researched and written it in haste.

5 comments about There Is No Alternative: Why Margaret Thatcher Matters.

1. The title somewhat confused me when the book initially came out in 2008. I failed to sense the impending worldwide crisis now threatening the economies of the Western World. It is now two years later---and Claire Berlinski has turned me into a total convert. Margaret Thatcher clearly understood the benefits of the free market. She realized that any compromise with members of the Labor Party or the squishy moderates within her own party hurts the British citizenry. The woman was not for bending. Thatcher committed herself to achieving her goals regardless of the costs. She would push aside and irritate in countless other ways anyone who got in her way. Thatcher was not known for always being gentle. Winston Churchill was a wartime prime minister. He never got to serve during peacetime. Thatcher is therefore the role model for today's challenges.
   
   The author interviewed individuals who were not hesitant in revealing Thatcher as a strong willed lady that may have even occasionally rubbed them the wrong way. France's Francois Mitterrand even described her as "Brigitte Bardot with Caligula's eyes." She was also born and raised in modest middle class surroundings---and the elites never forgave her. One is also readily reminded of the friction between the American Sarah Palin and her big government Republican detractors. Mrs. Thatcher worked closely together with President Ronald Reagan to defeat the Soviet Union. This same sort of focus and vision is currently needed to combat Islamic extremism. Claire Berlinski has successfully made her case. The title of the book says it all. Margaret Thatcher still matters and there is no alternative. Great Britain is experiencing an existential crisis that may destroy its democratic institutions. Can it find another Thatcher before it is too late?



2. Reading the book, I felt that Mrs. Thatcher had landed in my living room, handbag included. Reading about the Frost interview, her stand towards the unions, or her thumping of the famous bag, I started understanding the Iron Lady's thought process and the roots behind her (admittedly strong) convictions especially on fiscal policy. You may not like Mrs. Thatcher after reading this book, but you will certainly appreciate her leadership.



3. Superficial and disappointing. The best parts are when the author is actually quoting Thatcher. Overall the author seems to find herself more important than Thatcher. Vast amounts of the text consist of uninformative digressions about the author -- for example the time she (an American) spent at Balliol during the Thatcher years, and discussion about the process of researching and writing the book, including unnecessary details about the logistics of arranging to lunch with interviewees at various London clubs. Particularly weird and irritating is the author's penchant for including large chunks of verbatim transcipt of mealtime interviews, including placing food orders and other interactions with waitstaff. You can tell from the transcribed comments that her interview subjects were not very impressed by her. The author's longwinded attempts to answer the question in her title are glib and unconvincing.



4. Better biographies and writings on Thatcher and Thatcherism exist out there. Earl Reitan's book and Lady Thatcher's own writings are better than this condescending exercise in egotism by the author. The style is lazy, the editor must have been asleep at the keyboard when it came to the interviews in this book, and if I had to read one more time the author make reference to her time at Oxford (in the sense of 'see I'm smart, really.'), I'd send this book through the shredder. Margaret Thatcher matters because while socialism has its faith in man and history, Thatcher had hers in the power of the market. And with that faith, she transformed the United Kingdom. But how she put that faith into action is not given its due in this book. The more interesting question than the one the author concludes with is this: would Thatcher have bailed out The City in the current economic crisis? Would her absolute faith in the market been tested?



5. A very interesting book about Margret Thatcher. Certainly not a scholary biography but has some interesting ancedotes about her. If the book has a fault she could have edited her interviews a little more. Is it really necessary to know what they had for lunch when she interviewed her sources? But the book is easy to read and has a bit of depth to it.
   
   This book remimds me of When Character Was King the story of Ronald Reagan by Peggy Noonan. It is along the same vein but the Reagan bio is surperior.

5 comments about Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery.

1. The story of William Wilberforce's fight to abolish the slave trade in England. His life is a fascinating, inspiring story; what he accomplished both politically and in the mind-sets of the people is incredible. It was such an utter upheaval of popular opinion that I can only compare it to what it would be like if someone inspired the majority of Americans, including politicians, to become pro-life and outlaw abortion today. The author waxes a little too poetical sometimes, almost sounding ridiculous in parts, but the story is incredible.



2. An engaging story about a remarkable man, it serves as a great introduction to his life and work.
   
   Wilberforce radically transformed, not only the issue of slavery, but also the entire perspective of the English (and English-influenced) world. The author additionally introduces the reader to the diverse cast of characters who were a part of this social transformation. Many of these men and women are virtually unknown in our time, but had tremendous influence on their's and subsequent generations.
   
   The content is great, the writing decent. Some of the author's writing style (a little too clever at times and too many metaphors) was mildly annoying. This IS however an otherwise engaging account of a life that every (and I do mean EVERY) modern person needs to be familiar with.
   
   Written in a very readable manner, this book will grab the attention of teens and adults alike. This is not the in-depth, detailed account that the serious student of Wilberforce will be satisfied with, but it certainly succeeds in introducing the reader to the man and whetting the appetite for more.



3. After seeing the movie, which I found well done, compelling and inspiring, I read the book. It is anything but. Disjointed, lots of name dropping of folks not really discussed and repetitive. A good editor was badly needed! The lack of a serious bibliography is troubling as is the lack of an index. In general, if this style suits you, read it happily. If not, there are probably better books.



4. It was obvious that the author also writes children's books. His attempts to be as witty as the man he writes about and use of awkward modern references to illustrate characters or events was extremely distracting. I desperately tried to ignore the writing style and concentrate on just the facts b/c the subject is so compelling but, sadly, I couldn't make it past chapter 3 and am now reading a different biography of Wilberforce which I feel is much better written.
   
   I prefer reading a biography that describes events and facts without diluting the subject down with a constant interjection of the author's own personality.



5. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The biography gives a very good background of the problem of slavery in a very interesting manner. I especially appreciated the way the author treated the man who was Wilberforce. He was not a superhero, but a man who fought with all that was in him against a heinous practice. Through perseverance and hard work Wilberforce triumphed over the system of slavery that had been accepted and acceptable for ages. I recommend it to anyone who wants to be inspired by greatness.