5 comments about Lilla's Feast: One Woman's True Story of Love and War in the Orient.

1. "Lilla's Feast" describes a time not so very long ago that seems impossibly distant. The world-wide expansion of European colonialism in the 19th century caused thousands of people, especially British, to seek their fortunes in the colonies and the trading emporiums in the exotic East, especially India and China. Lilla, the great-grandmother of the author was one of them. She was born in Chefoo, China in 1882 and spent most of her life in China or India.
   
   Lilla never did anything of great importance, but she stands for all the Brits born and raised abroad who felt a bit foreign when they returned "home" to England on visits. During the course of her 100-year life Lilla was present during the peak of Western power and prestige in the Orient before 1900 and its rapid decline thereafter culminating in World War II in which Lilla and her family ended up in a Japanese concentration camp.
   
   We follow Lilla through marriages, births,deaths, family troubles in India and China, the hardships of Weihsien internee camp in China during World War II, and finally back to an uneasy old age in England -- the money, power, and prestige of life as a privileged Westener in China now gone. It's a good story to be read about a class of people who saw their pleasant lives and lucrative livelihoods destroyed by war and politics. We don't feel all that sorry for Lilla, nor even that fond of her, but we are interested in her experiences. Along the way we get some fascinating pictures of the life of Brits in China -- and especially the hardships of Weihsien, a concentration camp that has catalyzed a sizeable body of literature. See "The Call" by John Hersey, a novel about a missionary who is interned in Weihsien and "Shantung Compound" by Lawrence Gilkey, a sociological classic about people under the stress of imprisonment.
   
   Smallchief



2. This is one of the most amazing stories that I have recently read. The book is beautifully produced, and the Author has gone to an enormous amount of trouble in collecting photographs and information concerning her Great Grandmother, who defied every hardship she faced. This incredible Lady lived to the age of 100, having survived a Japanese concentration camp in World War 2, preceded by other trials and tribulations. Her story is an object lesson to us all, in how not to give in, how to keep going whatever the circumstances that life brings to us. The early days of her first Marriage tell us how to keep a man happy even though she had a miserable time with him!!!This is a book to be read again and again, a wonderful read and most inspiring.



3. What we have here is a woman's life spanning just over 100 years. Lilla is not a particularly likeable woman, but if you digest the details you can see why (possibly). She is an interesting woman who weathered particularly exhausting situations and managed her life so that she did what was expedient.
   This book has numerous photographs.
   The book isn't well-written or edited. That aside, the details of survival, one way or another, are quite out of the ordinary and at times fascinating. It became even more so when I realized I had actually seen this cookbook when I was lucky enough to come across it several years ago at the Imperial War Museum. It was a nice , unexpected connection. And I have never before read of the Japanese prison camp existence within China. An easy read of eras gone by.



4. The previous review which reviles the colonial bias of this biography has little relevance ... this is the world as it was then and the story is not being told to address the right or wrong of it, but rather to tell the story of the author's great grandmother in the grand sweep of WWII. The woman in this incredible story makes the best of deprivations and a bad marriage and far flung family, circumstances take her from her beloved China to England, India, all of this in that bygone time with none of todays conveniences and she remained a figure of dignity and elegance who also has experiences of sublime beauty and love... I think this little masterpiece will make its way into your heart and stay there, it did with me.



5. But I for one was not. The book is steeped in a bias towards colonialism. The tone of the book encourages the reader to think of the Chinese, Japanese, and Indians as faceless "others" surrounding the more civilised and elegant British and European populations, only to be depicted in elementary-school-textbook-like passages about historical events.
   Although the author's inclination to view her great-grandmother as a victim of nearly everyone and everything (fate as well!)is certainly understandable, it hardly makes for captivating reading. The writing style is a dry mix of "facts" derived from personal effects and sheer speculation.
   This book is based upon a recipe book which was donated to a British museum.... as opposed to the priceless artifacts which Britain so self-righteously helped itself to during it's tyrannical episode of colonization... and still doesn't feel the need to return.
   I suppose it's hardly possible to expect an unbiased view of colonization from the wife of the youngest conservative member of Parliament, but one can hope.

2 comments about Trafalgar's Lost Hero: Admiral Lord Collingwood and the Defeat of Napoleon.

1. On the whole, this proves to be an pretty interesting biography on Admiral Cuthbert Lord Collingwood. Since not much is known about this man and his career, that made the book even more interesting par say.
   
   The book appears to be well written and researched. The lack of primary sources seem to hampered the author. But its pretty clear that the author covers most aspects of Collingwood's life and his naval career. What will surprised most readers appears to be Collingwood's close friendship with Horatio Lord Nelson who appears to be Collingwood's total opposite in personality. The book appears to be geared toward the novice reader although its informative for all readers. If there were any great weakness in this biography, it may be that the author appears to be over enthusiastic about his subject as if Collingwood can do no wrong.
   
   But on the whole, this biographical work does justice to Lord Collingwood and managed to bring this naval warrior from under Lord Nelson's shadow and give him a bit of little lime light of his own. While the book tries to paint Collingwood in the same likeness of one of these fictional naval heroes, the book clearly shows that Collingwood is definitely no Aubrey, Hornblower or Bolitho. I strongly recommended this book for those whose interest in Napoleonic naval history remains high.



2. Collingwood was an outstanding naval officer who contributed much to England's maritime victories during the Napoleonic wars. Unfortunately, he lived and worked along with Britain's greatest, most controversial, and most fascinating admiral, Horatio Nelson.The immense volume of literature about Nelson has overshadowed interest in the life of Collingwood. While we know an immense amount about Nelson's life and career (read Sugden's new biography of only the first part of Nelson's life), we know little about Collingwood. His childhood and early career are almost entirely undocumented, posing a challenge for a biographer. His later life shows him to be a sailor of skill, a brave and aggressive fighter, and, in all likelihood, a better diplomat than Nelson. This book is pleasantly written, a quick read, and probably tells us as much about Collingwood as can be unearthed. Collingwood was not as complex and fascinating a personality as Nelson, but he comes across as a solid officer, and a kind person. Worth reading to fill in some gaps in our knowledge of this remarkable period in naval warfare.

5 comments about The Execution of Major Andre.

1. Long a student of American History and a teacher of it, I am always interested in alternative perspectives on significant events. This book, however, is mere character assassination disguised as historical fact. I have read every available source on the events leading up to and the trial/execution of Major John Andre, and by all accounts, he was an honorable man. Walsh attempts to paint Andre as a narcissistic, self-serving social climber, when according to those who were there (his enemies, no less), he was a genuinely sincere man who was merely out of his league. He was not a spy, and could not have been expected to have behaved as one. That he held his composure so well in the days leading up to his death speaks volumes as to his character. A truly narcissistic man would have done almost anything to save himself. Andre did nothing other than to preserve his sense of honor and dignity. Where did Walsh get his ideas? I read the same material, and I have no idea...



2. First let me tell you I am not a fan of the narrative approach in history because it gives the author some leeway in slanting history. I think Walsh does a good job with the available material to make this narrative work in the executuon of John Andre. What I disagreed with in this book was Walsh making Andre appear as a calculating arrogant person, when in reality he was out of his element as a spy. After reading the book, I came away with a good impression of Major Andre, not the one the author was trying to convey.
   I learned from this book how a brave man met his end with dignity. I also learned the severity of Arnold's treason, and why he should have dangled from the rope, rather than Andre.
   Washington came across as a distant figure trying to save the young Republic. The three captors of Andre came across as patriotic men trying to perform their job. It is sad that in war, some brace, decent men have to die doing their duty. Andre was just such a person. He may have been an inept spy, but he was a decent soldier.



3. John Walsh does not like Major Andre. This is what you come away with after reading Walsh's book. Walsh sees Andre as some master manipulator. This is at odds with the fact that Andre couldn't amanipulate his way out of capture despite having a legitamate pass from Gen. Arnold. All Andre had to do was to show the pass and say nothing. Instead Andre takes a guess at his captor's allegiance and blurts out his own. Is this the work of a master manipulator?

   Walsh's section on the trial is informative.

   I think it speaks volumes about the author that on page 69 of his work he adds a footnote informing the reader that the lower arm of the Hudson River has regular tides as it is part of the sea. "This fact and its bearing on the Andre story has escaped almost all previous writers. None dwell on it." On one hand I am glad that Walsh mentions the point becuase it does make clearer why two men were needed to row a boat out to the Vulture. On the other hand it seems as if he stops his story to take a bow. It left me a little confused.

   I suggest instead J.T. Flexnor's "The Traitor and the Spy".




4. John Walsh does not like Major Andre. This is what you come away with after reading Walsh's book. Walsh sees Andre as some master manipulator. This is at odds with the fact that Andre couldn't amanipulate his way out of capture despite having a legitamate pass from Gen. Arnold. All Andre had to do was to show the pass and say nothing. Instead Andre takes a guess at his captor's allegiance and blurts out his own. Is this the work of a master manipulator?

   Walsh's section on the trial is informative.

   I think it speaks volumes about the author that on page 69 of his work he adds a footnote informing the reader that the lower arm of the Hudson River has regular tides as it is part of the sea. "This fact and its bearing on the Andre story has escaped almost all previous writers. None dwell on it." On one hand I am glad that Walsh mentions the point becuase it does make clearer why two men were needed to row a boat out to the Vulture. On the other hand it seems as if he stops his story to take a bow. It left me a little confused.

   I suggest instead J.T. Flexnor's "The Traitor and the Spy".




5. This book achieved a very important objective of nonfiction writing which is that it caused me to reexamine my understanding of Andre's character and his role in the events leading up to and after the discovery of Benedict Arnold's attempt to turn over West Point to the British. In other words, it made me think pretty seriously about what I believe about Andre.

   There are many conclusions and arguments in this book that I disagree with. I don't agree that Andre was so selfserving and so manipulative that everything he did was for effect. Evangelist did not make a persuasive case for me. I was not pursuaded to conclude that it was solely due to Andre's manipulation that his three captors are routinely disparaged by historical writers. I still don't know what to think about the captors.I don't think the author made his case that Washington's views did not affect the outcome of the trial.Subsequent actions of Washington lead me to believe that he had lost his usual clear thinking when it came to Benedict Arnold's treason.

   However, the author made me seriously think about all of these issues, and more. This is not the best revolutionary war history of the year and it is unlikely to win any awards. I recommend it because it raises questions and provokes serious thinking. At least it did so for me.

5 comments about The Princess Who Changed the World (Diana Princess of Wales).

1. I get so tired of hearing people "trash" a woman who (although she made her share of mistakes--like everyone else),did so many things that brought joy and happiness to the lives of so many people--usually the less fortunate.. Sure, she was a Princess, and wealthy and famous, but she also lived a life full of pain. Money and fame cannot take away the pain other people caused her. She was thrown into a lifestyle and a family who did very little to help her. She wanted to learn! No one wanted to bother to teach her. Just throw her to the wolves...She did very well, despite all of the troubles she had to deal with in her own life. She tried to put her unhappiness aside to help others. How many people do that in the world we Live In today. All people seem to care about is themselves. Frankly, even though Diana made mistakes, she also tried very hard to deal with her problems, while helping others with theirs. And she couldn't have possibly been a better mother to her children. She just wanted and needed love, like everyone else in the world! I am very proud that I knew a woman who did as much to help others, as Diana did. Anyone who wants to "knock" her, should try living the life she had to live and see how well they do!!!



2. I felt the author attempted to shed new insight on a beautiful woman who died far too early in her short life. Prince Charles said it best once...he felt that in time she would have come back to him, possibly very ill, and he would have taken care of her. I do believe, in spite of what he had told the press in his famous BBC interview, that he did love her. She was the mother of their boys.



3. A good book about the lovely and wonderful Diana though perhaps not the best I've ever read. Still, those of us who truly loved and admired this wonderful woman will want to read it.

   To the "Reader From Oxford England" whose nasty review appeared above: Why bother to share your vapid and meaningless thoughts? My suggestion for you is to go and find other Diana-bashers, such as that two-faced Robert Fellowes, and have a great big BLOW-FEST with one another!!




4. This book seems to be either an attempt to just make money from Diana's death, or perhaps a belated apology for the trash he had written about Diana in his earlier book. This book is more sympathetic to Diana, but not as extensive in the biographical coverage of Diana's life, mostly about the last days of her life.



5. This glutinous tribute to England's Great Whore and Traitoress made me want to spew.

No comments about Finding God in the Story of Amazing Grace.

2 comments about Disraeli: A Biography.

1. I found this book to be a solid, scholarly biography of Benjamin Disraeli. The subject is thoroughly researched and presented in great detail. One will certainly come away with great insight into the Prime Minister who Queen Victoria so adored.
   But Weintraub's book is so detailed and his prose can be so very dry in places, that one finds oneself sometimes plodding along.
   I found Christopher Hibbert's biography (Disraeli: The Victorian Dandy Who Became Prime Minister) to be superior. Hibbert's prose is more lively, and one comes away feeling that they have gotten to know "Dizzy" far more intimately.
   Having said that, however, Weintraub's Disraeli is certainly well worth the effort.



2. Dr. Stanley Weintraub's biography of Ben Disraeli is excellent. The scholarship is at the top. The only other biography that I would consider but I have some reservations is the one by Lord Blake the problem with his as compared to Dr. Weintraub's is it is too thick. This one spends plenty of time on his political and publishing career. I thoughly enjoy the biography, and for all those who harken back to a time when are politicans had some flare and style will enjoy this book.

1 comments about King Edward II: Edward of Caernarfon His Life, His Reign, and Its Aftermath 1284-1330.

1. Roy Martin Haines is a life member Clare Hall, Cambridge University, a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and the author of numerous scholarly works concerning British history. In King Edward II: His Life, His Reign, And Its Aftermath, 1284-1330, Haines presents a scholarly, exhaustive, painstakingly researched, in-depth, and authoritative account of the days and rule of Edward of Caernarfon (1284-1327). King Edward II inherited a war with Scotland, yet his lack of skill in the art of war would eventually precipitate Scotland's independence. Ultimately, Edward would also become the first anointed king of England to be dethroned since Ethelred in 1013. King Edward II is an informed, informative, and very highly recommended contribution to personal and academic British History & Biography reference collections.

No comments about Margot Asquith, an Autobiography: Two Volumes in One.

1 comments about Henry VIII (Life and Times series) (Life and Times Series).

1. I am a newcomer to the life of this amazing English king, but this book has been truly fascinating. Well written, informative, and easy to read, I recommend Mrs. Fraser's book to anyone who wants to start learning about Henry. For an expert on the subject, this is probably too basic for you.

5 comments about Vindication: A Life of Mary Wollstonecraft.

1. I actually preferred this over Frances Sherwood's novel about Mary Wollstonecraft. Whether you believe that Wollstonecraft had an affair with the painter Fuseli makes a big difference in how you perceive her. It makes her seem like a perpetual victim who was always making mistakes about men. This discredits Wollstonecraft as a pioneer of feminism. Lyndall Gordon rightly points out that there is no evidence that Wollstonecraft was involved with the married Fuseli and calls it "the Fuseli slander".
   
   On the other hand, Gordon does engage in speculation herself. They are mostly educated speculations and there is a good chance of them being true. I thought that the speculation that Wollstonecraft's lover Imlay was a spy had the least credibility because there are other explanations for his behavior that seem more likely to me.
   
   I was glad that Lyndall Gordon included such tantalizing bits about Shelley's first wife, Harriet Westbrook and Clare Claremont, the daughter of William Godwin's second wife. The little she has to say about them makes me think that they were extraordinary women and I'd love to know more.



2. In my opinion a better conceptualization Of Mary Wollstonecraft's
   Life, Ideas, and Experinences is author: Frances Sherwood
   Tile: Vindication.
   
   However the Gordon book is an adequate read



3. While I respect Gordon's decision to stick closely to journals and letters in writing her biography of Mary Wollstonecraft, I wondered why she offered so little in the way of the broader political world Mary was a part of it in the late 18th century, especial since she responded to it in her writings. The author offers little in regard to the meetings that were most intriguing, like the dinner parties hosted by her publisher, Joseph Johnson, that included leading revolutionary figures like Thomas Paine and her eventual husband, William Godwin. Gordon does talk about the revolutionary ferment in Britain at the time, but doesn't expand it into a broader discussion on how Mary's writings reflected these concerns, and how she managed to effectively escape censure, unlike Thomas Paine, who found himself being tried for sedition in absentia. What we get is a set of very intriguing stories, such as her long affair with Gilbert Imlay that took her to France and Scandinavia, that wet one's appetite but fails to satisfies one interest in her as a revolutionary figure.
   
   Mary Wollstonecraft reached a broad audience with her writings, in particular A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, which was in response to the new French government's Rights of Man. She, like other women who were part of the revolution, felt left out when the new government essentially turned its back on the rights of women. Mary avoided house arrest by secretly marrying Gilbert Imlay, an American in Paris. Gordon sets up many of the situations that befell Mary in Paris and her frustrating relationship with Imlay that came for nought after a long voyage to Scandinavia trying to recover his losses in regard to an ill-fated shipping venture. As with her brothers and sisters, Mary felt a strong responsibility to the man she loved, but this feeling was never fully reciprocated.
   
   Gordon shows in detail how Mary had to deal with the paternalistic world of the late 18th century, from her good-for-nothing father, to her miserly elder brother, and the varoious relationships of her friends and family. All this is well and good, but Mary was a political writer, and we get so little of her actual thoughts on government, which were the focus of her many writings.
   
   After all, Mary was one of the early suffragettes, and her writings form the cornerstone of feminist writings in the 19th century. Gordon alludes to Jane Austin and Virginia Woolf and other writers she felt were influenced by Mary in one way or another. Gordon had a pension for comparing Mary's real life to the fictional lives Austin had created in her novels. Time and time again, we read about what Mary suffered through, lending emotional weight to her writings, but there wasn't any real attempt to probe the intellectual origins of these writings. Mary may have saw herself as a new genus of woman, but her writings didn't come out of an intellectual void, and that is what is missing in this biography.



4. This book is not the place to begin if you are not already convinced of Mary Wollstonecraft's genius. I began reading to find the author referring to Wollstonecraft as a genius without any preface for this claim. I was immediately thrown out of the narrative by this assumption. The author describes each of the books that Wollstonecraft wrote without bothering to asses their merit for the reader, are we to take for granted that they were great literary works? I found this lack of any sort of judgment of the subject strange. The book similarly failed to engage me in the narrative. The author leaves her subject for long discussions of the history of the family that she was a governess for. This subject did not have enough baring on Wollstonecraft's life to make it worth including. That such a unique and groundbreaking woman should have her life reduced to so dull a narrative, with so many assumption about her life disappointed me. The book itself failed to hold my interest.



5. This is a beautifully written biography about a fascinating woman. While she was a serious thinker in advance of her times, her life was of the stuff that would make a good romantic novel. The backdrop is not only England and Ireland, but the French Revolution and includes the machinations of various representatives of the fledgling United States stationed in Europe. No less interesting are the chapters on the women who were her biologic and ideological heirs including her second daughter who married Shelley and wrote Frankenstein.