5 comments about The Queen & Di: The Untold Story.

1. 
   Seward should be ashamed of herself for this enormously biased gossip rag. It's quite easy to trash the Princess now... after all, the dead have a much more difficult time defending themselves.



2. This book is definitely biased in favor of the House of Windsor. It appears that the author thought it prudent to align herself with the powers that be rather than report an accurate historical account. There are too many contradictary sources to believe that this is an accurate portrayal of the relationship between the Queen and Princess Diana.



3. I find Ms. Seward's writing to be painful to read. For an editor of Majesty magazine, I expected her to have class in her manner of writing and respect in her depiction of the British royal family. She would have been well suited as a writer for the tabloids instead. Her manner of retelling is very gossipy, and biased. She can't seem to help but include her spiteful opinions of the late princess. I find her to be a very disrespectful person to be writing such a book. If you are looking for historical background or a respectful account of the Queen and the late princess, this is not the book to read.



4. If you are like half of the population and interested in all the gossip about the House of Windsor and the late Princess of Wales, then this book should be one that you should read. This book is about the relationship between Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana. This book, to my belief, is a piece of evidence on why we as the public should respect Her Majesty, and why we should understand what their relationship is truly about. The book describes Diana's first State duty with the entire Royal Family in November 1984 at the State Opening of Parliament. Diana was having her hair being done for the event and insisted that she wore her hair up knowing that it was not long enough and looked different. The next day Diana's hair was on the headlines not the Queen, on which should have been a day of her publicity. This was the beginning of the popularity contest between these two women.
   The author Ingrid Seward, is editor of Majesty magazine. She has written many books about the Royal Family that has kept her in the bestsellers list for twelve years.
   This book all and all will give you a better knowledge about both women and will teach you the inside story of what happened behind the palace walls of two remarkable women and there relationship that is so widely known and questioned by the public.



5. Thank you, Ms. Seward for writing a fair and reasonable book. It's gratifying to read a work that illuminates how hard our queen tried to accomodate the late Princess of Wales and what a truly lovely person she is. Elizabeth II is a great queen -- history will bear this out -- and I think we often take her far too much for granted. God bless and keep her!

   As a British subject currently residing the states, I remain astonished at the rabid interest our royal family holds for Americans.

3 comments about My Just Desire: The Life of Bess Raleigh, Wife to Sir Walter.

1. I could not put this book down, enjoyed (almost) every minute of it. Some of the details were a little too much, but I loved learning something about running a household, women's rights (or lack of them)and the book is full of details about the many players of the times. I loved the book.



2. "My Just Desire," a superficial look at the life of an Elizabethan gentlewoman, leaves much to be desired. Peppering her writing with modern phraseology, such as "boy toy," author Anna Beer's diminishes both her subject and her readers' interest in it.
   
   Better that the fascinating life of Bess Throckmorton, wife to Sir Walter Ralegh, had been treated in a more reverant and scholarly manner. This is a choice subject poorly limned.



3. Anna Beer's biography of Bess Ralegh follows a current trend amongst English literary historians who are intent on re-examining the supporting cast of English Tudor and Stuart history. In the same vein as Weir, Gristwood and Somerset, she has produced an in depth look at a single aristocratic female set against a common backdrop, in this case, Elizabethan England.
   Opening with her own fictionalised account of Bess early morning as Gentlewoman of the Privy Chamber, we find our subject, Bess Throckmorton, five months pregnant which leads to a brief discourse on the sexual politics that pervaded much of Elizabethan politics. In chronological manner, Beer gives an early account of Bess life, of her Throckmorton relatives who constantly interfered in matters political meaning they often got send to Court, of her mother Anna and her presentation to the Court in 1584. Beer also weaves in an account of the major events of the time featuring Mary, Queen of Scots, Essex, Dudley et al before focusing on Bess' education which was "neither democratizing nor meritocratic". In parallel runs the biography of her future husband, Walter Ralegh and the sexual scandals that seem to have been rife at Court.
   (...)
   Beer, in a simple and entertaining style, has created a story of a woman who was, at first, infatuated with a charming adventurer, then married to one of the most powerful men in England, risking her Queen's fury, then a stoical and steadfast wife displaying brilliant political and legal acumen to keep the Ralegh and Throckmorton family afloat during years of political upheaval and royal dynastical change. Ever-loyal to her increasingly disillusioned husband and afterwards the consummate matriarch it lends credence to the statement that behind every great man there stands a greater woman.
   Well worth reading.

No comments about James Boswell (1740-1795): The Scottish Perspective.

4 comments about Michael Collins: A Life.

1. I must have ready a dozen or so bios of Michael Collins in the past few years and this is one of my favorites. Some of them seem to spend so much time on Michael Collins, the administrator, that they don't pay enough attention to Michael Collins, the human being. If you have to read one, I recommend this one. If you want a more exhaustive bio, then read Tim Pat Coogan. My other favorite is by Frank O'Connor.



2. For anyone wishing to know more about the bombastic, bullish side of Michael Collins, look no further. James MacKay captures Collins' thoughts-- even the most flamboyant-- with style and verbal panache. It is clear that his work has been very heavily influenced by the biographies from Frank O'Connor and Tim Pat Coogan, but MacKay distinguishes himself by emphasizing Collins' personality and his military accomplishments. He describes Michael's physical stature (5'11" with a bulky build), Michael's nature (quick to laugh, quick to cry, quick to anger, and quick to make an apology), Michael's health (his bouts with pleurisy, Spanish flu, stomach and kidney problems), Michael's orderly manner (he hated pencil writing and signatures from rubber stamps), and Michael's many other contradictions. MacKay includes several b/w photos along with explorations of Michael's military brilliance, e.g. his ability to run an entire guerrilla war from the back of a bicycle. MacKay begins with Collins' boyhood and concludes with an epilogue regarding the aftermath of Collins' assassination. If you are curious about Michael Collins the man, I can strongly recommend MacKay's biography.



3. This biography was my introduction to the life and times of Michael Collins and it was a good one, though not as detailed and extensively annotated as Tim Pat Coogan's. The author is clearly an admirer of Collins but the portrayal appears to be objective and covers all the biographical bases in Collins' life--the Irish childhood and indoctrination with nationalist ideals from family and teachers; the years between 15-25 working in London; the participation in the Easter Rebellion and imprisonment in Wales; the return to Ireland and rise to leadership in the War of Independence; and the transformation to statesman in the Treaty negotiations. What Mackay particularly brings to the portrait of Collins is a warmth that allows the reader to see the real man behind the legend--the interactions with the men and women who shared his struggle or who opposed him, and the reaction of his countrymen to his leadership and to his untimely death during the bitter Civil War at the hands of former comrades who in many cases still revered him. Overall, an engrossing read.



4. This was the first biography of Collins I read and it is a good one, though not as exhaustively detailed and annotated as Tim Pat Coogan's. The author is clearly an admirer of Collins but it does not seem to slant his portrayal of the man and he covers all the biographical bases in Collins' life--the quintessentially Irish childhood and indoctrinization with nationalist ideals from family and teachers; the years between 15 and 25 working in London; the participation in the Easter Rebellion and imprisonment in Wales; the return to Ireland and his destiny as leader of the Anglo-Irish War of Independence; and the transformation into statesman in the Treaty negotiations. What Mackay particularly brings to the portrait of Collins is a warmth that allows the reader to see the real man beneath the legend--the interactions with the men and women who shared his struggle or who opposed it, and the reaction of his countrymen to his leadership. Overall, an engrossing read.

5 comments about An Englishman in the Court of the Tsar: The Spiritual Journey of Charles Syndney Gibbes.

1. Like most people who would be interested in this book, I was expecting some insight into the life of the last tsar and his family, as seen by someone close to the family. But, as the title implies, it's his SPIRITUAL journey the book chronicles, with a few well-known anecdotes on the imperial family thrown in. If your looking for a book on the Romanovs or Imperial Russian history, don't buy this book.



2. Although this book is one of many written about the tragic deaths of Tsar Nicholas II and his family, it is different than those which often appear explotive. Gibbes's relationship with the Tsar and his family provides us with a deeper insight into the family life, and the unshakable rich faith of this noble family. The book is one of a kind, and an "easy" read. As one who has read many books on the subject of Russian hsitory, I could not recommend it more highly.



3. I bought this book expecting its majority to discuss the life of Charles Sydney Gibbes, but it's more of an ill-researched portrait of history twisted to fit the author's opnions. Although the first and last few pages are devoted entirely to Gibbes, the rest is about this mass conspiracy that lead up to the revoultion that rarely mentions Gibbes at all (at least a hundred pages do not even relate to his journey or him in any way). I prefer a favorable picture of the imperial family, but even I cannot believe these "facts" presented, espcially since Ms. Benagh doesn't even to refute other opinions; moreover, she seems to say the starving peasants could have lingered on for a few more days. She uses a maximum of eight sources to support her book, all published and most are famous first-hand sources written in the 20s-40s that have been prooven to have some major falacies. Do not believe its claims to be using new resources from the collapse of the Soviet Union because unsolved mysteries in here have been solved and thoroughly explianed in many other books. This book does a decent job as presenting Gibbes as an affable person but is primarily conncerned on trying to rewrite history. If you decide to purchase this book, I want to forewarn you to read a good Romanov or Russian history book beforehand to be able to identify An Englishman in the Court of the Tsar's faults.



4. American author, Christine L. Benagh, has written a moving biographical and historical journey of an Englishman who went to Russia in 1901 to escape the disillusionment of his faith-shattering theological education. As Charles Sydney Gibbes' reputation as an English tutor in St. Petersburg grows, he comes to the attention of the royal family, whom he eventually serves for ten years until their tragic demise. Through Gibbes' letters and papers, we catch an intimate view of the Tsar, the Empress and their children in their home or on vacation, having tea, doing their studies, playing games and going to Russian Orthodox services. Their lives are placed into historical context with quotes from the biographies, letters and papers of people who knew them.

   Sadly, Gibbes is among the first to investigate the fateful Ipatiev house in Ekatarinburg, where the Romanovs and their entourage were murderously slaughtered by the Bolsheviks. Due to his intimate knowledge of the Romanovs, as well as his command of the Russian language, Gibbes continues working in Russia for a time for the British High Command. He eventually ends up in Manchuria, working for the Chinese Maritime Service, during which time he adopts a teenaged Russian orphan and studies firsthand various Eastern religions.

   At the age of 52, Gibbes decides to return to his Christian roots, but he is once more shattered by politics in the Anglican Church. After a much soul searching, he embraces the Orthodox Church, where, back in England, he is tonsured as a monk and then ordained into the priesthood.

   As Father Nicholas Gibbes, he spends the remaining years of life devoted to the Orthodox faith in England, and to preserving the memory of the Romanov family with the many artifacts and relics he personally collected.

   While this outstanding book is called a "spiritual journey," the spiritual journey is actually a pretty slender thread through these turbulent times until the last two chapters. It works as an interesting biography within this period of history, as an intimate portrait of the royal family, as a small slice of Russian (and English) history, and finally as a spiritual odyssey. I'd recommend this to those interested in the Romanovs, the Bolshevik Revolution, spiritual journeys or the Orthodox Church.




5. If you would like a good, honest, brief explination of the events leading to the fall of the Romanovs, this is a great source. Nicholas II is one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented historical figures. Written from the perspective of Mr. Gibbes we have an insider's view of the events discribed. This book is well written, and presented in an interesting manner that keeps the reader turning the pages. Having read many books on the subject of Tsar Nicholas II and his family, I find this to be one of the better ones. Read this and Massie's "Nicholas and Alexandra" and you will have a good picture of what really happened. Thank you Chiristine for this excellent study!

5 comments about E.W. Bullinger: A Biography: A Biography.

1. This book is very helpful, if you are a Bullinger fan, in putting his life into it's historical and cultural context. It helps one understand the man better, and his passions. I was very sad to read that he died before he completed The Companion Bible, because one can almost feel where he stopped in that Bible. Very good reading.



2. Anyone who is a fan of E.W. Bullinger's work will appreciate this book! The author does an exceptional job portraying E.W. Bullinger's life from youth to the masterful bible scholar that he became. The book gives helpful insight to the man that gave biblical truth's to a Christian world that was severally lacking biblical accuracy and understanding.
   
   E.W.'s work inspired many people including myself, to study God's Word with great care and great love. I've read many of his books, but knew very little about the man that wrote them until I came across this book. Naturally, I was very excited to find out that a biography has been written about him. And after reading this biography, I have even more appreciation and respect for the man whose books taught me the spectacular accuracy of God's infallible Word. A must have for anyone who is familiar with Mr. Bullinger's works!!



3. This book gives great detail and care to the historical surroundings of a great era of Biblical truth. If you do not know who Dr. Bullinger is, don't worry because your Seminary professors all do. He stood for the fundamentals of the faith and is counted as faithful to the Word of God.



4. A must read about a great man.



5. I read this book some years ago. It is a very good work that gives insights to the life of this man and encouragement by seeing his example. He died almost a century ago, yet his work is still alive. It is good to read his books but it is also good to know the life that produced them. After all, it is not only a matter of the work but most a matter of the life that produces the work, and this book will give useful insights to it

3 comments about Bill Wallace of China (Library of Baptist Classics, Vol 9).

1. Bill Wallace was the first cousin of my Grandfather, Raymond Wallace, so this book was a great resource for my children and grandchildren and the understanding they will have of how dangerous our missionaries have it in foreign lands. The love of God and people has to motivate one to sacrifice family and life to answer the calling of our Lord to service. I love and appreciate all the men and women who do this daily without thinking of self. I wish and pray that we all appreciate our religious freedom in America and don't take it for granted.



2. In a recent chapel sermon at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Dr. Paige Patterson recommended reading "Bill Wallace of China." Most people know of William Wallace of Scotland through Mel Gibson's movie "Braveheart," but relatively few have heard of William Wallace of China. What a shame. . . .
   
   I have had this book in my personal library for several decades but it never seemed to make its way to the top of the "next to be read" stack of books that I keep by my bedside. Like most booklovers I have a problem . . . a big problem . . . well, an obsession - - - I buy more books than I can read. If I started reading right now and read twelve hours a day for the rest of my life I would not be able to read even half of the books in my personal library. So, it is not uncommon for me to own but neglect a book. I regret that I neglected this book as long as I did.
   
   When Dr. Patterson recommended this book I had just finished reading Homer Hickam's book "The Coalwood Way" (which, by the way is a great read), so to paraphrase Augustine, "I heard the voice on the other side of the wall calling out `Pick up the book and read.'"
   
   As a young man in Tennessee Bill Wallace felt called of God to prepare for service as a medical missionary. After completing his preparations he was appointed by the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board (now International Mission Board) to serve in Southern China. Nothing so amazing there, . . . so why the book? Wallace served in China during the Boxer Rebellion, the Japanese invasion during World War II, and in the subsequent revolutionary war when the Communists wrested control from the Nationalists.
   
   The book is full of drama, intrigue, and suspense. Without those elements the book would not succeed. But, what makes the book compelling is that the reader experiences Wallace in a similar fashion as did the Chinese people. The reader, like the Chinese, is introduced to the quiet unassuming Wallace, gradually comes to like Wallace, then respect him, love him and finally finds that Wallace's life story compels both introspection and committed personal action.
   
   I add my voice to Patterson's in recommending this book. The book is a quick read, but the reader will take much away from it in terms of clearly defined informational content as well as a tacit knowledge that drives volitional intent.



3. This is a great little story of a missionary who was arrested as the Communists took over China. When he was arrested the Communist could not find one local person to testify anything against Wallace's character. When you read this book, you will see why.

2 comments about John Soane: An Accidental Romantic.

1. 1st paperback edition, Yale University Press, New Haven, 1999, soft cover, 358 pages, 2.73 lbs, over 7¾" - 9¾" tall, lavishly illustrated biography filled with 219 illustrations: images, photographs, paintings in color and grayscale; index; bibliography & notes. It is not an architectural monograph, though the author "concentrates on putting the background to his buildings in focus".



2. This book is an outstanding introduction to the life & amazing works of John Soane.

No comments about Winston Churchill.

No comments about BackStage with Bryan Rooney: From Liverpool to Ringo to Donna Summer....