No comments about Letters Of Queen Victoria, A Selection From Her Majesty's Correspondence Between The Years 1837 And 1861, Published By Authority Of His Majesty The King; Vol I.

1 comments about The Stuarts.

1. John Miller's book is one of the few books to cover the entire House of Stuart. Unfortunately, as a beginner to learning more about this house, I found the book to be mostly dry and dull. Miller seems to have no interest in introducing the monarch's to us as people first, to help us understand their decisions. No, I do not need details on the latest fashions of the time, but at the least he could have illustrated the atmosphere of court at the time. Instead, Miller goes into excessive detail about excise taxes and some of the least interesting administrative aspects of the day. The only time he seems to get excited are when he writes about the confrontations between James I and Charles I and Parliament. The Glorious Revolution, for example, is almost passed over! Finally, while Miller's presentation of the dynasty may be balanced, this is probably because he does not offer much in the way of analysis or opinion as it is. I am now beginning my quest for individual biographies, especially since Miller only allocates about 20 pages each to the 4 late post-Restoration Stuart's.

No comments about The World of Mary O'Connell (1778-1836).

1 comments about William the Conqueror.

1. William the Conqueror was an ambitious political leader who was the driving force of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Scholar David Bates' new biography WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR documents the man's achievements in Normandy and England, examining these successes in light of European history as a whole. A 'must' for any student of the era.

5 comments about Requiem: Diana, Princess of Wales 1961-1997 - Memories and Tributes.

1. Yes, this book is now 10 years old. And it's been 10 years since Princess Diana died, but this book is a very vivid reminder of that horrible week following her death. That week where I, and I'm guessing millions more, stayed glued to the TV not quite believing what had happened. This book brings the chaos of that tragic time back, but gives us the most beautiful remembrences of the late princess from people she touched. People she visited at hospitals where she shined her brightest helping people.
   
   I was hoping there would be pictures in this as well, but the picture on the cover is the way I'd like to remember her. Beautiful, happy, radiant. And really I wouldn't want to see pictures from that week anyway. It was too sad to remember it just reading about it. This book captured that one week in a tiny time capsule in a way I've never seen any book on history do. Because now that is what she is believe it or not-history.
   
   During the 10 year memorial stuff my 5 year old niece asked who the pretty blonde woman on the TV all the time was. We told her she was a princess who was very kind to sick people and cared for others, but had died before she was born. She looked up at me and asked, "A REAL princess?" When she's older I'll gladly give her this book to show her how the entire world stopped to grieve over the most amazing woman in the world. And tell her how one ordinary person CAN change the world. Princess Diana was proof of that.
   
   So YES! This is a book for anyone's collection!



2. I think Princess Diana was one of the most loved royal family members of England and the world and this book proves that! I felt like she connected with everyone she met. I never met her but I was in a car traveling through the streets of London once and her royal auto passed by, it seemed to glow with her warmth. Review written by the author of Bruised But Still Strong which contains a poem about Princess Di called HRH.



3. at least in a very long time. I picked up the book as soon as received and had a difficult time putting it down. Its been a long time (over 2 years) since Diana's passing but this book made it feel like it was last month. All the feelings and emotions came flooding back & made me remember what a great loss this was to the world. Obviously the writers of the essays etc had very strong emotions towards Princess Diana. The feeling of love for this lady comes pouring out of each story.



4. While dozens of pictorial testimonials to Princess Diana have already appeared Requiem offers more than eighty written tributes and recollections. Dont buy this book for pictures it leaves that to others. But this 43 year old does not mind saying the tributes and recollections moved him to tears. If you are a Diana fan this book is a must have.



5. THE GOSSIP AND SNIPING THAT SURROUNDED HER IN LIFE IS CUT TO THE QUICK BY THE HONESTY THAT CAME THROUGH HER DEATH. THIS BOOK PROVIDES A REALISTIC LOOK AT DIANA. A MUST HAVE FOR DIANA COLLECTORS AND DEVOTEES.

1 comments about Novelist to a Generation: The Life and Thought of Winston Churchill.

1. I just won a trivia contest, coming up with the "significance" of the person herein described. What did I win? Nothing. Imagine what you'd win, if you knew ANYTHING about this NOBODY.
   Read this book and see if you can amaze your friends.

4 comments about Iron Jaw: A Skipper Tells His Story, Charles N. Bamforth 1895-1975.

1. "Iron Jay" is classic American stuff; a great reading experience and absolutely absorbing from a social/historical perspective. Truly a working man's autobiography, the story sustains a tension that makes it intriguingly essential reading. Captain Bamforth's spirit is extraordinary -- chaotic and poetically tender in one quick flash. At one point you're in love with the man, idealist and poet; the next moment he looms up at you in patriarchal horror.



2. I wish everyone would get their own copy. I gave up waiting for those who borrowed mine to part with it so I bought a second copy that I will NOT loan out. It is a must for my library of favorites.

   Suzanne Seller




3. As the Skipper's granddaughter, I dutifully picked up this book... and then found myself turning pages late into the night!

   Throughout the book, Captain Bamforth's voice comes through as authentically human and intensely engaged in the world around him, revealing an honest naivete, an unflappable work ethic, a remarkable sense of satisfaction in the rich details of his travels, and the challenges that his chosen life at sea imposed on his family and home life.

   Some have said that my grandfather's stories are the stuff of legend. Keeping his crew alive for six days after his ship was torpedoed in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean certainly falls in that category. At the same time, I think what's fascinating is the day-to-day perseverance of a very ordinary man, grappling with and embracing his understanding of right and wrong, of loyalty and betrayal, of life and peril in the 20th century. It is this testament of a hard-working man that, through its sincerity, becomes extraordinary and perhaps legendary.




4. An enjoyable and informative book. The narrative gives insight into the many aspects of being a sea captain far beyond the mere steering of a ship.

5 comments about With Lawrence in Arabia (Prion Lost Treasures).

1. 
   Most reviewers, even the detractors, reckon this book as extremely well-written. Well, it isn't. It's written like a 1930s American newsreel - flash, upbeat, parochial, excited. Nevertheless, in parts it's great, and overall it's well worth reading for the information it provides and the insight it gives into the character of T. E. Lawrence.
   
   There can be no question that Lawrence was a great figure in Middle Eastern history, together with his flaws, his depth, his many mistakes and his fantastic successes. The vast majority of the time it's easy enough to tell when Lowell Thomas is writing for effect and when he is simply relating facts. He does not try to hide his excitement for the campaigns or his fondness for Lawrence.
   
   It's well worth reading this book for yourself and making up your own mind. As an eye-witness account of an important part of Middle Eastern history, it can scarcely be beaten. Virtually everything that happened in the Middle East during the time of Lawrence has had a direct bearing on the events of today.



2. Thomas' book is worth reading because it's a nice antidote to the Lawrence revisionism that reached it's hysterical peak in the late eighties with David Fromkin. A Peace to End All Peace, which has been quoted on this website as some kind of definitve debunking of Lawrence, is now sixteen years old, an eternity in the world of Lawrence ebb and flow. I know of five biographies of Lawrence published since then including Jeremy Wilson's definitive work. The pendulum has been swinging back the other way for over a decade and the mainstream thought now among military historians is that inspite of one or two exaggerations, Lawrence's masterpiece, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, is an accurate account of one of the most remarkable military adventures of modern times. Lowell Thomas, who was an eye witness to some of Lawrence's exploits, also captures the essence of why Lawrence was important. If you had to read only one, of course you should read Seven Pillars. In the March 1, 2004 London Times there are actually two different articles addressing the vital relevance of Seven Pillars of Wisdom for those fighting Arab guerrillas in Irag today. It seems the sales of this great work has exploded. In the Oxford Companion to Military History published in 2002, Lawrence is given credit for virtually inventing effective modern guerrilla warfare (see the entry "guerrilla warfare"). According to this distinguished reference book, every formidable guerrilla fighter from Mao, to Che, to the Israeli guerrillas of the forties, to the Arabs, to the Viet Namese etc., have used Lawrence's writings and experiences as a model for their efforts. Lawrence is back and very relevant, so Thomas' account should be read as an enthusiatic if flawed version of an extremely important development in military and middle eastern history. A word about Fromkin and some of the other out dated debunkers. Lawrence stepped on a lot of Arab, Zionist and British Establisment toes. It's as important to examine the motives of a revisionist as it is to scrutinize the intergrity of an enthusiast.



3. David Lean included a journalist, Jackson Bentley, in his epic film "Lawrence of Arabia," an obvious take-off on the great journalist and author Lowell Thomas. In fact, Thomas was with Lawrence in Arabia and used the experience to make a name for himself and to create a legend. Sadly, it is also true, that T.E. Lawrence did not want to be a legend. As a biography of Lawrence or an introduction to the Middle East this volume has suffered a bit over the years..."it's all right," but there are better books on each subject. Still, this is something special, at least for this writer. This was the first book on the Middle East that I read and when combined with Lean's film which I saw about the same time in early 1963 I was hooked. I have studied, taught about and written about the Middle East ever since. Lowell Thomas and David Lean were inspirations for this modest scholar. I had the privilege to spend part of an early evening with Lowell Thomas in 1973, in of all places a press box awaiting a football game at the University of Utah. It was an unexpected and rare treat. Thomas seemed quite moved that he had encouraged the work of a graduate student. He was was quite a man. His greatest talent was to tell stories, and that he did, with some dramatic embellishments. This work on Lawrence is not unfactual, indeed it provides a good deal of fact. It is also quite sympathetic to Islam and the Arabs, as it should be. Lawrence seems larger than life. But in truth there are men like that. Both Lawrence and Thomas were such men and that can be seen in this wonderful book. It reads well, and it educates, even if some of it is the stuff of legend.



4. In writing his book about Lawrence of Arabia, Lowell Thomas knew how to package a story for selling it to a wide variety of audiences. Thomas was, after all, a multi-media professional. Thomas sometimes took liberty with his subject such as how he recalled his first meeting with Lawrence (pg. 1). At other times, Thomas indulged in histrionics (for example when he grew emphatic about the most brilliant and spectacular military operation in the world's history) (pg. 179).

   Despite these shortcomings, "With Lawrence in Arabia" has the merit and talent to make a complex man accessible to the great majority of people. "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" by Lawrence himself, though a literary masterpiece, is not an easy read compared to Thomas's recollection of Lawrence's exploits. Furthermore, Thomas has defended himself with conviction when he reminds in his foreword that he has not created the myth of Lawrence of Arabia (xiv). Lord Beaverbrook put it nicely when he commented on vain attempts to smear Lawrence's reputation: Every great man is subject to vicious, venomous attack. There are no exceptions. The one who will suffer will be the author (xviii). Lawrence had admirers such as Winston Churchill, Field Marshal Viscount Allenby and Viceroy and Viscount Halifax, to name a few, who knew Lawrence's strengths and weaknesses from personal experience. Most Lawrence's detractors did not know him at this level.

   Most importantly, "With Lawrence in Arabia" gives contemporary readers valuable insights into the Middle East. The last chapters are probably the most fascinating and also the most actual of all. Thomas recalled how Lawrence helped his old friend, King Feisal, become king of Iraq after being kicked out of Syria by the French. Media-savvy, Lawrence convinced the British Empire to come to the realization that the occupation of Iraq was a burden both to the Imperial Exchequer and Mesopotamia (pg. 230-234). The Coalition in Iraq knows it very well and is working on a transition plan to help Iraqis regain their sovereignty. Probably elections will be held across Iraq in the near future to accommodate the concern of the Shiite community.

   After these elections, the mandated framers of the new Iraqi Constitution could proceed as follows:

   I. On Iraqis and their rights

   The U.S. Bill of Rights could serve as a source of inspiration to govern the relationships between Iraqi citizens and the state. However, the wording of some constitutional amendments should be slightly amended to be fully understandable to a 21st century audience. Although the predominantly Islamic character of Iraq could be stressed in the Fundamental Law as a concession to the Muslim clergy, the separation of religious institutions and state should be made very clear to preserve the rights of religious minorities. Finally, the incorporation of economic, social and cultural rights and their corresponding obligations into the Fundamental Law could be considered as well.

   II. On Power

   Separation of powers and checks and balances should define the legislative, executive and judiciary powers and their respective competences. The Constitution should also promulgate that the Iraqi federal authority only has power in the matters that are formally attributed to it by the Fundamental Law and the laws carried in pursuance of the Constitution itself. Finally, the Iraqi presidency could be modeled after the provisions of the German Fundamental Law because of the recent dictatorial past of the country.

   III. On Federal Iraq, its components and its territory

   The Belgian Constitution could serve as a useful model to regulate the relationships between the center and the regions as well as between regions in Iraq. Unlike other regions such as former Yugoslavia, Rwanda or Northern Ireland, to name a few, Belgium, sometimes branded as an "artificial state," has been very good at making possible for different communities to live at peace with one another for many years. The "Belgian compromise" could work wonders in a country under stress of centrifugal forces.

   IV. Energy-revenue management

   Because easy money encourages corruption in most energy-producing countries, Iraq should set up a fund after the example of Norway. Part of the money should be reinvested to modernize the aged Iraqi infrastructure; part of these funds should be redistributed directly to Iraqi citizens based on census data to strongly discourage manipulation of the fund.

   As Lawrence himself put it, "whether the (Iraqis) are fit for independence or not remains to be tried. Merit is no qualification for freedom. Freedom is enjoyed when you are so well armed, or so turbulent, or inhabit a country so thorny that the expense ... is greater than the profit (pg. 234)." Light at the end of the tunnel, hopefully, is in sight for Iraqis to rebuild their country with success after decades wasted by a variety of ineffectual dictators.




5. Reporters have been known, now and then, to play fast and loose with the facts to entertain their readers or elevate themselves. This phenomenon is not limited to our own age. For proof, look no further than this fanciful volume.

   In 1917, Lowell Thomas was a 25-year-old part-time instructor at Princeton, a "fledgling showman from Ohio who had knocked about North America in search of fame, fortune and adventure," according to historian David Fromkin (A Peace to End All Peace). Thomas then raised enough money to travel to Britain and the Middle East front as a World War I cameraman. With this coverage began the Lawrence of Arabia myth.

   Thomas was "in search of a salable story with romance and color," Fromkin writes. He found one in Lawrence, who dressed in Arab robes and lived with Arabs. Thomas altered the facts to meet his own mercenary needs. Backed by the New York Globe, Thomas returned to New York with a false story of an Arab revolt he claimed had destroyed the Ottoman empire. At Century Theater in 1919, Thomas played a slide show and lecture, which soon moved to Madison Square Garden, then to London's Royal Opera House and Albert Hall. It eventually became With Lawrence in Arabia.

   Unfortunately, many readers still accept as gospel the Lawrence of Arabia myth that stemmed largely from Lowell Thomas' hype. This was long ago debunked, along with critical points in Lawrence's own Seven Pillars of Wisdom, but not everyone seems to know it.

   Fromkin writes that in 1920, when poet and scholar Robert Graves proposed to describe the liberation of Damascus, Lawrence himself warned Graves, "I was on thin ice when I wrote the Damascus chapter...." A onetime junior officer in the Cairo Arab Bureau, Lawrence admitted that Seven Pillars of Wisdom included a false tale of Arab bravery to aggrandize the followers of Sharif Hussein of Mecca and his son Feisal. As early as 1818, reputable newsmen reported that the Australian Light Horse division liberated Damascus from Ottoman control, not Feisal's Arab troops, who marched in afterwards, for show.

   Efraim and Inari Karsh write (Empires of the Sand) that Lawrence's victory in Damascus was "less heroic" than he pretended: Feisal was "engaged in an unabashed exercise in duplicity and none knew this better than Lawrence, who whole heartedly endorsed this illicit adventure and kept most of its contours hidden from his own superiors." Yet Lawrence basked in the limelight, attending at least five of Thomas' London lectures.

   By 1921, Fromkin writes, Winston Churchill was in charge of Britain's Arab policy in Mesopotamia and tapped John Evelyn Shuckburgh to head a new Middle East department and Foreign Office man Hubert Winthrop Young to assist him. They arranged transport and supplies for Feisal's Arab army, earning hearty endorsement from Churchill's Masterson Smith committee, which simultaneously took grave exception to T.E. Lawrence as a proposed Arab affairs adviser. The committee considered Lawrence "not the kind of man fit to easily fit into any official machine."

   Fromkin reports that Lawrence was frequently insubordinate, went over his superiors and in 1920 publicly disparaged Britain's Arab policy in the London Sunday Times as being "worse than the Turkish system." He also accused Britain of killing "a yearly average of 100 Arabs to maintain peace." This was of course untrue. Those who want to know what really happened should consult A Peace to End All Peace and the Karsh's Empires of the Sand.

   Clearly, With Lawrence in Arabia is well written. But Thomas took liberties, to say the least. William Carlos Williams and Archibald MacLeish, two of his contemporaries, became more famous as poets than as journalists. Yet unlike Thomas, they wisely kept poetic license out of their reporting. Alyssa A. Lappen

1 comments about The Self-Fashioning of Disraeli, 1818-1851.

1. Locates Disraeli in a European, cosmopolitan context, not merely as either a conservative empire-inventor or novelist but also as an outsider establishing himself as an insider. It contains a compelling essay on the breakdown or hypomania he suffered in his 20s.

3 comments about PASSAGE TO EGYPT: The Life of Lucie Duff Gordon.

1. Lucie Duff Gordon was raised unconventionally in an age that placed great premium on convention. As a young woman in Victorian London, she was part of a literary circle that included Dickens, Thackeray, Carlyle, John Stuart Mills, Tennyson and others. Lucie made a living by translating books into English - but her greatest literary work was brought about by the circumstances that lead to her death.
   
   Seeking out a hot dry climate in a search for a cure for her tuberculosis, Lucie traveled to Egypt in the 1860. And there, in a house built on top of one of the ancient temples of Luxor, she made her home. Unlike some colonial British who recreated a piece of England in foreign lands, Lucie embraced the culture and people of Egypt. And she was, in turn, embraced by the people she met. Noor a la Noor - Light of the Light - was the name bestowed upon her by the people whose lives she touched. Her letters home, with their vivid descriptions of the life she found were published to great acclaim. Lucie died in Egypt far from her family but surrounded by her Egyptian friends



2. Frank's account of the life of Lady Gordon is an interesting addition to the previous work by Lucie's great-grandson, Gordon Waterfield. Frank brings in elements not touched on by the 1937 bio, although Waterfield's account is equally as interesting. Both books do an admirable job of conveying the story of this remarkable and unconventional Victorian. If they pique your interest, be sure to seek out Lucie's own works. Gordon Waterfield's 1969 reissue of "Letters From Egypt" contains more of Lucie's letters than the original publication did. Lucie's daughter Janet also wrote bios of the family and her own autobiography, "Fourth Generation" is interesting in its self-portrait of Lucie's very odd eldest daughter.



3. Lucie Duff Gordon was raised unconventionally in an age that placed great premium on convention. As a young woman in Victorian London, she was part of a literary circle that included Dickens, Thackeray, Carlyle, John Stuart Mills, Tennyson and others. Lucie made a living by translating books into English - but her greatest literary work was brought about by the circumstances that lead to her death.

   Seeking out a hot dry climate in a search for a cure for her tuberculosis, Lucie traveled to Egypt in the 1860's. And there, in a house built on top of one of the ancient temples of Luxor, she made her home. Unlike some colonial British who recreated a piece of England in foreign lands, Lucie embraced the culture and people of Egypt. And she was, in turn, embraced by the people she met. Noor a la Noor - Light of the Light - was the name bestowed upon her by the people whose lives she touched. Her letters home, with their vivid descriptions of the life she found were published to great acclaim. Lucie died in Egypt far from her family but surrounded by her Egyptian friends