2 comments about The Star Factory.

1. I was led to this book via Partickane's list of contemporary Irish literature on .... Partially a memoir, partially a meditation on language and history, and not quite like anything I have ever read before. Carson's prose style is lyrical, melodic and absolutely engaging without being in the least showy.



2. As unlikely as the link may seem, Cairan Carson is to Belfast and traditional Irish music what Nathanial Mackey is to California and jazz.

   Carson's memoire of life as an adolescent in Belfast is ripe ground for etymological meanderings in an out of English and Irish. He dally's with Catholic dogma and sources whose only connective thread is his passing interest in them.

   The Star Factory is an internal play of language, image and memory that gives spunk to the genre and good craic to the reader.

No comments about The Divorce of Catherine of Aragon: The Story as Told by the Imperial Ambassadors Resident at the Court of Henry VIII. In Usum Laicorum.

No comments about Gladstone and Disraeli.

No comments about The Correspondence of Jonathan Swift, D.D.: In Four Volumes in One (Correspondence of Jonathan Swift).

No comments about The Peculiar Sensation of Being Irish.

5 comments about Anthony Blunt: His Lives.

1. Miranda Carter has written a splendid book about Anthony Blunt, appropriately subtitled, "his lives." Reading about the Cambridge Fellow, Soldier, Double Agent, Art-Historian, Director of the Cortauld Institute, Surveyor of the King's/Queens Pictures, etc., etc., is like peeling an onion, or perhaps--more appropriately--opening a Russian Matrioshka doll. As one probes into a deeper layer one discovers yet another persona, and although one might begin to understand Blunt's motives, one never really gets to know who he really was, thanks to his ability to compartmentalize his multifarious activities and interests.
   
   Although I began the book with considerable prejudice, since Anthony Blunt seems to have prospered while his fellow Cambridge spies were living comparatively miserable lives in Moscow, Ms. Carter's sensitive portrayal of this man, whose aloofness stemmed from a fundamental insecurity, changed my mind. She shows us a man who was unwavering in his ideals and loyal to his friends (He waited until 1964--after Guy Burgess had died and Philby and Maclean were 'safe' in Moscow-- to admit his complicity.). She also portrays a tormented man, whose ability to lose himself in his art-history scholarship preserved his sanity and probably saved his life. Publicly disgraced in 1979, stripped of his knighthood and other honors (after a promise of immunity), deserted by all except a few loyal friends, he died soon after. Miranda Carter depicts him as a man who was courageous but tragically flawed.
   
   This book is meticulously researched, so much so that an average enthusiast of espionage literature may find himself adrift among the dozens of friends, acquaintances and enemies whom Anthony Blunt knew, not only Guy Burgess, Kim Philby and the other Cambridge spy protagonists, but also literary figures, including Julian Bell, Louis MacNeice, W.H. Auden; and other characters--who have come in for their own share of speculation--Victor Rothschild, Michael Straight and Goronwy Rees. Precisely because of the plethora of names, the book presents a fascinating glimpse into a fifty-year history of Great Britain from the 1920's onward. And while probably only the most passionate art historians will read every word about Nicholas Poussin and Baroque Rome, the persistent reader will be rewarded by a colorful and witty glimpse into the outrageous life and times of Guy Burgess (Inexplicably no one has written a biography of the wayward spy, but if they do, it should probably be called "My Noisy War"!).
   
   For those afficionados who cannot get enough of the Cambridge Spies (Judging from the numbers of books still being published about them, half a century later, such readers are numerous.), this book is highly recommended!



2. Anthony Blunt was a child of the British Establishment, born to a middle class family with Church of England and royal connections. He received a fine education at Marlborough and Cambridge and became one of the most acclaimed art historians and teachers in Britain in the twentieth century. At the same time, he was a spy for the Soviets. The story of how Blunt became a communist, worked against his country while supposedly serving it in MI5 during World War II, then became a courtier for two monarchs and the highly regarded head of the Courtald Institute, which he made into one of the finest art schools in the country, is fascinating.

   Blunt was a man of many contradictions. At the same time he stood at the side of the Royal Family as the Surveyor of their art collection he was leading a secret gay life notorious for its seaminess. While he appeared to be a pillar of the Establishment he gave secret information to the Soviets and became the long sought after Fourth Man who was in league with Burgess, Maclean, and Philby before they defected to Russia. When he was unmasked in the 1960s the British government did its own contradictory little dance around him, granting him immunity while pumping him for information.

   Miranda Carter is sympathetic to Blunt and emphasizes his positives, like his fine teaching abilities and helpfulness to many of his students, but without whitewashing his treasonous activities. She helps us understand the pressure Blunt was under for many years and the fear of being unmasked that dominated him until he was finally publically denounced in 1979. Above all, she does a fine job of depicting the man's numerous contradictions. Highly recommended.




3. Carter wins on giving us numerous minutia about Blount's life and his odd selection of friends. But her book was not of great interest to a reader who was aware of Blount's peculiar nature and interest in art. It is difficult to understand how Blount or his friends, seemed completly oblivious of politics as Carter has laid out. Unless she is making the case that Blount was the perfect mole - at all times on guard against exposure. But I don't think she is trying to make that case.Carter gives us a blur of names, quotes, and a failure to find mention of expected comments in corresspondence such as the passing of Blount's father. It may be Carter's intention to show Blount's world as an extremely focused life which was hardly influenced by outside events; such as the end of World War One and the rise of Communism. I suspect Carter is trying to explain Blount as a Good Boy Who Does Bad Things.



4. What is the purpose of this account of the life of Anthony Blunt, the great traitor?
   
   This biography is a long emollient salve applied to Blunt's traitorous and murderous life. Its strengths are all associated with its depiction of the milieu in which he moved so effortlessly, the upper class institutions of England which he betrayed.
   
   The author, a product of St. Paul and Oxford, is an excellent writer and an indefatigable researcher. Her style is mellow and balanced--her analysis subtlely and consistently biased in favour of Mr. Blunt. The only time her mellifluous prose veers into ascerbity is when referring to Mr. Blunt's detractors, including Brown, Deacon, and the various former KGB operatives who have written memoirs. Their opinions, Ms. Carter assures us, are unreliable, badly researched, poorly judged, and so on.
   
   But not to worry--Ms. Carter does have the facts, and, she assures us, the proper perspective on Blunt's actions. Despite her many portentuous references to KGB archives, most of her research is based upon secondary sources, a great deal of which is journalism, and on interviews with people to whom she gained access no doubt because of her social background and elite education.
   
   And these sections of the book are indeed fascinating: Ms. Carter refers authoritatively to climates of opinion in the English upper classes that allegedly prevailed during periods before she was born. Her account sometimes reads like it was written by a contemporary of Anthony Blunt's, one with a remarkably benevolent attitude towards the traitor. This authenticity of tone is a testament to Ms. Carter's long years of research and her supple and even-tempered prose. It is also a testament, however inadvertant, to the tolerant, clubby upper class climate which allowed a traitor like Blunt to flourish for so long.
   
   On the surface, the purpose of this book is to present a balanced judgment on the life and deeds of Anthony Blunt. Its rhetoric is indeed a model of moderate, even-tempered balance. But that is not the character of the book, nor is a balanced account its true purpose. What this book actually represents is an example of what it sets out to document--the extraordinarily forgiving attitude of the English upper classes to the Cambridge spies who betrayed their country.
   
   It can only be hoped that its appealing surfaces will not persuade the public to accept this Blunt biography as anything other than an all-too-refined case of special pleading on behalf of a cunning, unrepentent, and all-too-refined traitor to his country.



5. Miranda Carter has been justly acclaimed for producing a biography on Anthony Blunt that cuts through all the weird and assorted myths that have attached to him over the years since the revelations of his spying were made public. This book is richly rewarding as it connects the many lives of this very private public figure. Blunt is a complex personality and it took thorough research and the skill of a good writer to fully appreciate and capture these many and varied layers. The examination into the world of academia and art history was particularly well done and held the interest of this reader. I picked up this book because of the spying details but, to my surprise, found myself as riveted by all the other aspects of this man's live. This book, unlike all the others written about the Cambridge spies, does not come with an axe to grind and it is all the stronger for that abscence. Highly recommended.

No comments about The Mind of Oliver C. Cox (African American Intellectual Heritage Series).

5 comments about Madame Tussaud: A Life in Wax.

1. The record of Madame Tussaud's early years in France, other than the dubious one of her own hand, is scant to non-existant. In this absence, the author documents what is known with an analysis of popular "entertainments" of the time and the role of the Curtius waxworks in it. The theme of popular culture carries through to Madame Tussaud's time in England, although at this time there would have been more biographical record to draw upon. In short, while in part a biography, this book is more the story of Madame Tussaud's role in the development of popular culture.
   
   This book was enlightening for me. In the US we think of PT Barnum as THE pioneer in marketing popular entertainment. Berridge demonstrates, without making the direct analogy, that this marketing phenomenon was happening on both sides of the Atlantic. Both Barnum and Tussaud latched on to an idea who's time had come.
   
   Berridge contrasts how Madame Tussaud's "edu-tainment" provided accessibility in contrast to public institutions of the time such as the British Musuem. Interesting here are the stories of Barnum (who would like to buy her out but does not succeed) and Dickens (who has discovered his own niche in popular culture). Unlike these two men, Madame Tussaud bears extra burdens. Despite being, essentially, a single mother, she prevails against the sexism of the time, an exploitive partner and a ne'er do well husband.
   
   Madame Tussaud learned her craft and entrepreneurship from her mother's employer, Curtius, who may have been her father. In the 8 years that she would have us believe she was living at Versailles as a tutor to a French princess, what was she actually doing? Is there a reason, besides her marketing needs, that she wants to refashion these years? What were her actual experiences during the French Revolution and did they inform her decision to leave her mother and one young son (we can easily guess why she would want to leave Mr. Tussaud) to embark on a speculative venture in England?
   
   The author does not describe how Madame Tussaud developed her wax images--- how long they took--- how she got their clothing --- how she moved them in her touring days --- how she traveled with the infant, later child and adolescent she toured with. How many horse driven carts did she need? How did she procure space? Set things up? How did she cope with the many men who had never worked for a woman before?
   
   The author stays with the theme of Madame Tussaud as a pioneer in popular culture. She analyses how she met the needs of the crowd in visual display, content, and visitor expeience. We learn how she analysed the competition, selected her venues, marketed to different groups, sold souvenir programs (upsell) and adjusted hours, prices and content to attract an audience. As a book on the Madame's role in popular culture this really succeeds. In some places, the prose is so intriguing that it cannot be put down.



2. Contrary to "Avid Reader" (above), I did NOT find this book dry or lifeless. I did find it a bit repetitive in passages where the author wants to place emphasis on a particular point or issue. This is a wonderfully written and researched narrative about an intriguing period in European history as well as an interesting biography of Madame Tussaud. Also, contrary to "Avid Reader", I think the author did show empathy for her subject. Were we reading the same book? If you like "A Life in Wax", you may also enjoy Dominic Smith's more fictional book, "The Mercury Visions of Louis Daguerre", set in a similar time period.



3. Considering that Madame Tussaud had such an interesting life story, I am amazed how difficult this book was to read and enjoy. Ms. Berridge seems to want to wow her readers with the thoroughness of her research, and the result is a dry dissertation of disputed facts. Ms. Berridge apparently has taken a dislike to her subject , and spends much of the book criticizing Mme. Tussaud. The reader never gets close to the characters in the book and feels at though he/she is viewing Mme. Tussaud as a wax figure herself. Nothing comes to life. The only really interesting section of the book is the time period while the French Revolution takes place. It is there that Berridge's thorough research and penchant for minutae pay off.



4. If the name of Madame Tussaud sounds familiar, just think of the House of Wax to get the association: House of Wax museums exist across the country and even in London and Asia - and her name is on each museum marquee. Despite this, relatively little has been written about her life, until now: writer Kate Berridge uses Tussaud's memoirs, British and French historical archives, and interviews with her descendants to reconstruct her life and times from birth to her business associations. She was the first to bring art and entertainment to newfound middle-class and working-class groups and her influence extended far beyond the wax museum cult, as MADAME TUSSAUD: A LIFE IN WAX proves.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



5. Though the focus is on the woman who brought wax figures of blood and gore to the forefront in the late eighteenth century this terrific biography also showcases the era. The concentration on Madam Tussaud's life also contains an interesting underlying theme that seems apropos today and perhaps can be generalized as a human condition that the macabre of "if it bleeds, it leads" especially if a celebrity is involved. This has always fascinated mankind. Born in 1761, to a teenage cook, Madame Tussaud using chutzpah that PT Barnum later adopted learned her trade from a traveling showman before turning to the French Reign of Terror to recreate wax scenes of the guillotining of King Louis XVI and Robespierre. She was a businesswoman first and foremost, but also was a wonderful artist and a terrific reader of the human condition as her work, which moved from Paris to London became part of the pop culture of the first half of the ninetieth century and remains a fixture today (movies like Waxworks). Biography readers will enjoy this fascinating look at a competent female whose life in wax still fascinates people over a hundred and fifty years after her death as her "name" Madame Tussaud brings up interesting gruesome images.
   
   Harriet Klausner

5 comments about Business the Richard Branson Way: 10 Secrets of the World's Greatest Brand-Builder.

1. Des has done a good job into explaining how Richard Branson does business.
   A fun read full of practical ideas!



2. And that's pretty much all this book does. And truly I'd be okay with that if it were at all well written or offered ANY real insight into his method. Y'know how reality shows always spend like one-third of their air time repeating stuff they already told you? This book is like that.
   
   The King of Virgin is clearly a marketing genius. Surely there's another book that does him justice.



3. This book is a handy compilation of observations, hypotheses and speculations on the subject of Richard Branson. Author Des Dearlove freely and frankly admits his debt to several other writers who have probed the Branson story in depth and breadth. There is little if anything original to be found, aside perhaps from the author's style of presentation, which tries hard to be light and deft. Although the book carries you along, its biggest punch resides in the author's list of "10 secrets" of Branson's success. Readers who would like to know in the most general terms what Branson has done and how he has done it, and who are willing to swallow a few clichés in lieu of explanations, will seize upon this book.we think you will enjoy it and, after all, enjoying your work is one of Branson's great secrets.



4. I believe that Richard Branson is a unique character and that information about his life and business philosophies would make an interesting read. Thus I chose to read this book.

   However I was somewhat disappointed. Although I did learn a few things and there were some interesting passages, a great deal of the book consisted of quotes obtained from OTHER biographers and journalists attempting to document Branson's life.

   Each chapter concluded with a summary (read: repetition) of the information in that chapter, and dozens of other sections/quotes/anecdotes were obviously repeated in various chapters. Perhaps because of this, it only took me an hour to read the entire book (admittedly I am a reasonably fast reader).

   One thing that I can say in its favor is that the book was structured well; there were 10 main sections, each devoted to a different "Branson philosophy" (for example, "pick on someone bigger than you").

   In short, although I did get some interest out of this book I am looking for another Branson biography to read because this one fell short of expectations.




5. I suggested that we choose Virgin as a company to research as an MBA Project. Our group used this book as research material. We found it wonderful, and uplifting, exactly what what was necessary for this project. I would highly recommend it to others as well as the book "Losing My Virginity". Virgin is a company that should be studied by US business'executives, its shows you can create an empire - differently!

5 comments about The Diana I Knew: Loving Memories of the Friendship Between an American Mother and Her Son's Nanny Who Became the Princess of Wales.

1. Mary Robertson tells of a Diana that could have been one of our daughters or the girl next door who babysat for us. She explained several incidents, such as Diana eating out of their refridgerator that were so human. One wanted to reach inside the book, pull out Diana, and hug her. The way she opened up to the Robertsons is detailed and the pictures are so special. Mary Robertson writes as she knew Diana; she doesn't brag about knowing the Princess, but truly explains "The Diana She Knew." Highly recommended-definately one of my most favorite Diana books because the author is not intending to capitalize or sensationalize.



2. I wanted to read this book for the longest but it was unavailable. I finally bought it used through Amazon.
   I was not disappointed! A truly readable and enjoyable book. Diana often was dismissed by critics as a shallow, self-serving woman who only "cared" about people when the cameras and press were recording an event.
   Mrs. Robertson refuted this often repeated attack of Diana's character by showing us that behind the scenes and away from the press, Diana continued a warm friendship with this American woman and her family. A common family who could in no way further Diana's reportedly selfish agenda.
   Why?
   The only explanation is that Diana truly was a very warm and caring person. The book captures that simple quality of Diana.
   Many books have been written to show the world what the real Diana was supposedly like.
   These books deride fans for believing in a media image of Diana and have attacked Diana's every move.
   Mrs. Robertson knew the "real" Diana and her memories are refreshing, honest and much in tune with Diana's worldwide image.
   Mrs. Robertson's friendship with the Princess of Wales was not based on a phony media image.
   Thank you Mrs. Robertson for writing this book and showing us the lovely "inner" Diana.
   Diana proved it was possible to be warm, unpretentious, radiant AND royal.



3. I bought this book as soon as it came into the shops and have read it so many times. It is good to read Mary's account of her relationship with Diana. One of the most readable books I have ever read. I wonder if Mary has written other books?



4. I guess that I'd have to give this book about 3 1/2 stars if I could do that, it's an interesting little book to read. Written by Mary Robertson, the American woman who once employed Diana as a nanny, it isn't nearly as bad as some critics would suggest.The book starts with an Aug 31-Sept 6th recap of learning about Diana's death and attending the funeral, in the next chapter and for most of the book details Robertson's experiences over the years with the Princess. While Mrs. Robertson does talk about herself (not particularly boastfully)she tells a lot of harmless little details about Diana, various meetings & so on, that you just don't see elsewhere. I wouldn't put it at the top of your list of books to accquire but it makes a nice little addition.



5. I've read most of the Diana books on the market, and this one is my all time favorite. The warmth, candor, and respect that Mrs. Robertson uses in describing her ongoing relationship with the late former Princess of Wales is refreshing (who else treats Diana with dignity anymore, anyway?), well paced (I can stay into it, even on the treadmill), and wholly respectable (staying exclusively in the realm of what Mrs. Robertson herself saw, learned, or experienced, and not crossing the line into lurid speculation, armchair psychology, or maudlin reflection). This is an idea purchase or gift with anyone having an interest in Diana, and I would recommend it wholeheartedly as a sweet (I know it's an overused word, but it's the RIGHT word) tribute to the relationship from one mother to another and their friendship which spanned 17 years.