No comments about Brian Trubshaw: Test Pilot.

2 comments about 200,000 Miles Aboard the Destroyer Cotten.

1. This book is unlike most first-person accounts of sea duty during WWII. It includes aspects of seamanship and detail that don't ordinarily make it to the page. It expresses the exuberance and wonder of a young naval officer, despite having been written from the vantage of maturity. Perhaps this is because it was written from the author's contemporaneous ships' logs, but may be intended to relate experiences together with original feelings and attitudes. This has charm. It's self-effacing rather than self-important. One listens more closely, as to a youngster. The book deals with the Allied occupation of Japan; this is unusual, too. Also, the author's preference for Spruance over Halsey, shared by many, but expressed by few. The author served on one ship throughout the war. His theme comes through clearly: Many more served than saw action. The greater threat was boredom, not terror. Well written, though its language is a bit stiff; interesting; useful for young officers, as a guide to getting along. Demonstrates "can do" attitude of those who served on destroyers, including reservists.



2. C. Snelling Robinson, 200,000 Miles Aboard the USS Cotten (Kent State University Press, 2000) The Cotten was a Fletcher-class destroyer, built in 1943 for the express purpose of protecting America1s new fleet carriers from Japanese aircraft, submarines, and surface vessels during the final years of the greatest naval war in history. Indeed, it would be this hard-hitting combination of ships -- the fast carrier task forces commanded alternately by Admirals Marc Mitscher and "Slew" McCain with their supporting cast of battleships, cruisers and destroyers -- that would prove decisive in the Pacific War. The carriers captured the glory, but their success was greatly facilitated by the largely unsung "small boys," the hard-working, hard-riding destroyers. Snell Robinson1s superb account of his three years aboard one of the most ubiquitous of these destroyers is therefore a welcome new arrival among the body of literature of the savage fighting in the Central Pacific. Robinson came of age as a junior officer among the 300-member crew of USS Cotten (DD 669). He served principally as the ship's navigator, qualified as officer-of-the-deck underway, and stood his General Quarters post in "Sky One," the exposed gun director at the highest point in the ship. By fate, Robinson and his ship survived some of the greatest and bloodiest naval battles in history -- the forcible amphibious assault landings at Tarawa, Saipan, and Iwo Jima, and the enormous fleet engagements in the Philippine Sea and Leyte Gulf. The vast scale of this sea war is reflected in the record of this one small destroyer, needle-thin with its maximum beam of 39 feet, steaming the equivalent of eight circumnavigations of the earth in its endless screening missions to protect the precious carriers. Robinson describes life aboard Cotten in its alternating monotony and terrifying action with a navigator1s attention to time and space and an honest appreciation of the strengths and weaknesses of himself and his shipmates. Few authentic veterans have ever done a better job portraying life at sea on a small man-of-war. His narrative is crisp, informative, authoritative. Robinson describes the difficulty of his gunners trying to shoot down a night-raiding Japanese bomber by aiming at the exhaust flair -- "like shooting at the white tail of a running deer." He admits his awe at observing Task Force 58, now some 95 ships strong, sortie from Majuro Atoll in the Marshalls, heading west towards Saipan. He admits his fear -- everyone's fear -- at the report that the Japanese Mobile Fleet, including the two largest battleships in the world, had erupted into the Philippine Sea in search of Mitscher1s carriers. He describes how a destroyer at flank speed tends to squat by the stern; a sailor standing on the fantail would actually have to look up to see the surface of the ocean. And he informs us that the greater danger in the suicidal Japanese kamikaze attacks actually came from "friendly fire" as the entire fleet blazed away at the low-flying intruders. Nicely illustrated with maps by cartographer Mary C. Hoffman, this book is a hand-crafted jewel. I heartily recommend it to anyone interested in an unblinking account of the great sea war of the 1940s.

1 comments about William Wallace: Man and Myth.

1. First of all, Graeme Morton's book is NOT a biography. If you're seeking a biography, there are several on the market, although I wouldn't credit any of them particularly highly.
   
   Instead of taking the usual biographical road "William Wallace: Man and Myth" chooses to bring a vital truth to light - a biography of the actual William Wallace, as he appears in chronicles and sources contemporary to his time, would fill all of three pages. Any book purporting to be a biography of the enigmatic Scot is actually a collection of "Wallaciana" - compendeum of 700 years of reconstruction and downright fictionalisation. The truth is very simple: Wallace has become a myth almost as potent (and controversial) as Arthur, and it is this Wallace, the man made out of myth, that Graeme Morton's book sets about deconstructing.

   He provides a sequence of chapters comparing the Wallace myth with a)the actual sources b)subsequent literary and cinematic adaptations (like Blind Harry's 15th century epic "Wallace" and its glory-child of the 1990's "Braveheart") c)localised/national legends of Wallace. He follows up with an analysis of why and how an obscure medieval rebel leader has become a national (and international) symbol of identity and independence, including an interesting examination of the connection between Wallace and the ex-pat Scots communities of North America.

   Overall, a tolerably written study, although it lacks some relevant scholarship and, like its recent counterparts, is born out of popular Wallace history rather than academic texts. Certainly worth it for those interested in the connection between the real Wallace and the Wallace we now know.

No comments about Winston Churchill and Emery Reves: Correspondence, 1937-1964.

5 comments about A Positively Final Appearance: A Journal, 1996-98.

1. I picked up this book because I like Alec Guinness' work in "Lawrence of Arabia" and his other David Lean films (not because of "Star Wars" which I can take or leave). To be honest, I was worried it might be kind of boring.
   
   Well, it was not boring -- it was delightful. The man was full of many profound observations about life that he communicated by writing about everyday things such as the birds in his yard or the weather. His vivid memories of his stage career and the people he knew were vastly entertaining. I was surprised to find him to be a humble, not-too-well-off everyday kind of man, not some fabulously rich egomaniac as I had supposed him to be.
   
   Even though I could not be more different from him politically, I still enjoyed reading his views on politics. It was like talking to a dapper, well-bred older gentleman you bumped into on the street. His writing was assertive, yet polite and genteel.
   
   If you miss reading this book, you've missed a simple pleasure that will make you smile. It's worth buying!



2. As previously said, this is a very well and beautifully writen errr... memoir. The cover tells you the whole story of what to expect inside. At first glance Alec dancing appears as a comical figure almost, but as you look closer you can see he is in some sort of agony. And as the book moves on, it is hard for him to not show his melancholy.
   Despite being a bit of a emotional downer, this is still a very worthwhile read for any of his fans.



3. The late Sir Alec Guinness was a lovely writer, and with this, his final memoir, he improved vastly over his previous gift to us, MY NAME ESCAPES ME. Whereas the latter was strictly a selection from his diary, with this Guinness moves beautifully from journalistic descriptions of day-to-day events (from eye surgery to walks with his wife, Merula, to the indignities of moving slowly in an ever fast-paced and impolite world) and wry reflections on current events to anecdotes spanning his entire career in theatre and film. Each chapter is arranged by a theme, mostly seasonal, but they meander charmingly.

   Those interested in his encounter with the church and his beginnings as an artist should find his autobiography, BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE. Those who might want reflections on STAR WARS will be disappointed. When one gentleman asked Guinness for an autograph from Ben Kenobi immediately after mass, Guinness admonished him, "Not in front of the parishioners!" and disappeared as nimbly as a young Jedi.




4. Alec Guinness is undeniably one of the most gifted actors of our times, and now, with his offering of "A Positively Final Appearance," we get to know something of the man behind the mask. This journal, kept between the summer of `96, and 1998, is chock full of insightful musings, reminiscences and anecdotes that are a delight. He shares his love of the theater, discussing many of the plays he attended during this period, and gives comments on recent movies, as well. An avid reader, he talks enthusiastically of favorite authors and books; his love of literature is unmistakable. The stage is his first love, however, and he speaks fondly, and frankly, of many of the plays he's done, and of his experiences with many of the actors and directors with whom he has had the privilege of working. He invites you into his private life, discussing the love of his life, Merula, and discoursing on their life at home, as well as their many travels. You learn what the greatest regret of his life is, who some of the people are he admires most, and a few of whom he could do without. He explains his negative attitude toward the "Star Wars" phenomenon, and addresses many of the events, large and small, that have in some way affected his life, and helped mold his perspectives. His concern over world events and the human condition is poignantly evident. Guinness writes so fluently, you can almost hear that distinct, familiar voice; you seem to be listening, rather than reading. There is a dignity and charm to his words that reveal, to some degree, the man behind them. That he values his privacy is apparent, and it becomes very clear that he is not the most accessible person, yet without any rancor; he holds his fans in high esteem, but there is a sincere humility to the man, who simply doesn't feel worthy of all the fuss. In a world seemingly rife with crass sensationalism and indifference, "A Positively Final Appearance" is like a tonic to the soul; it is so refreshing to discover that somewhere elegance and refinement still exist. My positively, final word on this book is that it is a joy, and should not be missed.



5. The journal of an extraordinary gentleman, one of the greatest actors ever to grace stage or screen. His reflections on his career are moving and perceptive, totally lacking in self-aggrandisement. His thoughts on the whole "Star Wars" phenomenon are particularly witty but smack of the desperation of being hounded by that film's fans. It's tragic that this great man may only be remembered by modern generations for his appearance in that opus instead of for his work in the Ealing comedies, "The Bridge on the River Kwai", his lengthy stage career and his magnificent turn on TV as George Smiley.

No comments about Charles II.

1 comments about Lloyd George: From Peace to War 1912-1916.

1. The British political world at the outbreak of the First World War was populated with remarkable personalities: Prime Minister Herbert Henry Asquith, Conservative leader Andrew Bonar Law, Lord Kitchener of Khartoum, economist John Maynard Keynes, and of course, about and beyond anyone else, Winston Churchill. First among equal in the cabinet, "a team of ministers as gifted as any in British history" as John Grigg writes (p. 471), was Chancellor of the Exchequer, and future secretary of war and Prime Minister, David Lloyd George.
   
   The third volume of John Grigg's life of David Lloyd George, subtitled 'From Peace to War', begins with his pre war campaigns for agrarian reforms and labor settlements. By far the dullest parts of the book, the pre-war descriptions dwell upon what are by now utterly trivial political controversies. Here and later Grigg seems to assume his reader has read his previous volumes, or at least is very much familiar with the British political situation in the early 20th century. For this reader at least, this was not the case, and at times I felt at the dark.
   
   Most interesting of the pre-war chapters is the one dedicated to Lloyd George's personal life and particularly to his affair with Frances Stevenson, his secretary, who was young enough to have been his daughter. Lloyd George, though he needed and was much in love with his mistress, was unwilling to risk his political career by marrying her, and even went to the length of considering marrying her to a young protégé of his (pp. 398-401). Stevenson agreed to the illicit relationship with Lloyd George, at least partly because, as his secretary, she had unique access to the political world. Thus, Grigg writes that the marriage scheme "designed to protect his [Lloyd George's] career" may have failed "partly because she [Stevenson] sensed it as a threat to hers" (p. 400).
   
   As the Great War approached, heralding the end of the Victorian world, Lloyd George and John Grigg's narrative rose to the top of their game. As Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lloyd George was already intimately involved in the production of munitions, and he would soon become Minister of Munitions, making an invaluable contribution to the war effort. As a military strategist, Lloyd George was an "Easterner" rather than a "Westerner"; he believed in making a strong engagement in the Balkans rather than throwing away manpower and resources in pointless offences such as the Somme. Upon becoming Secretary of War, Lloyd George found himself as something of a figurehead in a department ran by the generals, pursuing a course he considered ill-advised, and hardly able to do much about it.
   
   Besides his Ministerial duties, Lloyd George also played a central role in the government's temperance campaign, (although like most of the Cabinet but unlike the King, he refused to lead by example abstention pp. 230-233), in the campaign for better labor relations, and in the political maneuverings, resulting first in a coalition government, and later in the fall of Asquith's government.
   
   John Grigg clearly admires Lloyd George, but he can be scathing in his criticism of his subject's failures, petty hypoacidity and various misjudgments. He is particularly critical of Lloyd George's abandonment of a settlement reached with the Irish leadership following the 1915 Easter Uprising. The agreement, which would have granted home rule to Ireland, was killed by Conservative MPs; thus passed what Grigg judges to have been the last chance for a British Ireland.
   
   Some biographers use their subject for wide range commentary on the character's time and world (Fehrenbacher's brilliant book on Lincoln in the 1850s is a prime example), but John Grigg does not. The focus is squarely on Lloyd George, and vital events are discussed only in so far as they affect him. Grigg hardly discusses the reason the war broke, or the reason the United Kingdom went into it. He writes that the UK didn't go to war for Belgium's sake, and that "her own survival" was at stake at the war (pp. 170-171). But what threat did Imperial Germany constitute to Britain, and was the threat grave enough to justify the millions of dead that the war entailed? Some historians (such as Niall Fergusson) answer in the negative, but Grigg hardly comes to grip with the question. Nor, it is worth pointing out, does his Lloyd George.
   
   In 'A Peace to End All Peace' David Fromkin's brilliant narrative of the Middle East in the second decade of the century, a rather different Lloyd George emerges - a bona fide British Imperialist, not the semi "American business man" reflected in the interview with US Journalist Roy Howard (p. 429). That Lloyd George fought for the aggrandizement of the Empire - but it is hard to spot him in Grigg's account.
   
   The book ends with the fall of the Asquith government and the formation of the Lloyd George administration. Asquith, though an extremely able politician, was ineffective as war leader. As the war lengthened and the slaughter brought no tangible results, demands for change intensified. Asquith rejected a compromise which would have given Lloyd George de facto control of the war effort, and thus was forced to resign. When he refused also to serve under Balfour or Andrew Bonar Law, Lloyd George's prime ministry was assured.
   
   For all its flaws, John Grigg's biography tells the story of a great man in dire times, and his story is gripping. Although I have no wish to go back to the earlier volumes, I'm sure I will read Grigg's final volume, published posthumously: Lloyd George, War Leader 1916-1918.

1 comments about Queen Victoria: Fifty Golden Years ; Incidents in the Queen's Reign (English Heritage) (English Heritage).

1. I thought this book was going to be bigger, and less stylized. I came to appreciate it better, though, because of that reason. Its produced very much like it was released in 1887, with that high-Victorian feel, and its size makes it easy to store on a shelf or on a coffee table.
   
   If you admire the Victorian age, or better still, Queen Victoria herself, this is a book that is fun to own and display!

5 comments about Behind Palace Doors: My True Adventures as the Queen Mother's Equerry.

1. This is a Bio of the World Number One Tennis Star from Switzerland. I have kept up with all his tournaments and love to watch him. The book is excellent and tells a lot about his early life.I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in Tennis. Thanks Amazon for having it!



2. I got this book for my birthday (the new one wasn't out yet) and i assumed from the reviews that it wasn't going to be very good. But I was happy to find out that the book was not cheaply made, the pages weren't too thin, and the type wasn't over-sized. I'll admit that I love everything and anything to do with Roger Federer but, with as much objectvity as i'm capable of, I thought it was a fairly good book. I learned a lot of things about Roger's childhood and early junior career that I didn't know. Looking at him now it's hard to believe he lost SO much back then! It was almost hard for me to just READ about him losing! I still havn't read the new one but in the mean time i'll give this book a thumbs up.



3. This book was okay, interesting tid bits about the Queen Mum and other members of the Royal Family. For someone who wants to read a book over the weekend, vacation, or holiday...this book is the one for you!



4. I'm totally agaisnt biographies about sport personalities that are still at their prime (or even having the potential to achieve so much more, as it's the case with Federer!)
   
   So, I do not reccomend this book.



5. This book had some interesting content and details, but overall it was a disappointment since it really isn't packaged well. The type-face was huge and kind of juvenile and it looked as though the publishers were struggling to get to 250 pages in the book. The paper was also kind of cheap. In general it was just not a quality book. I've read both Fantastic Federer and the Roger Federer Story: Quest for Perfection and I would definitely recommend the Roger Federer Story for better content and quality!

No comments about Churchill and the Great Republic.