5 comments about The Country Diary Of An Edwardian Lady.

1. I have the 1977 version and I think it is far better than the recent one. It's lovely to follow the months day by day, learning facts about trees, flowers, insecs. The artwork she drew is enchanting.....
   
   A precious not much heard of book....



2. I borrowed this book from the library and fell in love with the delicate watercolors of plant and animal life, the occasional quotes from poetry, and the rare observations about the weather, etc. Then the book went out of print but it has returned and remains a treasure on my bookshelf, a book I will not lend out to anyone lest it not come home again. A resonant reminder that there is so much going on if only the train would break down and leave us free to walk a while.



3. I became drawn to the work and life of Edith Holden after I saw the TV series that was made of her life. I became very intrigued and even bought and read the Ina Taylor biography. Her bizarre and mysterious death intrigued me almost as much as her life. Although there was no sign of struggle, and the inquest ruled her death an accident, I'm not entirely convinced that Edith died accidentally. I'm somewhat convinced that she may have committed suicide. Even if she couldn't swim, it's hard to believe that a woman can drown in 4 feet of water that close to shore unless she did it intentionally.

   This is an enchanting book full of nature illustrations by Edith Holden, with excerpts of poetry by great poets, and nature diary entries and observations by Edith, about about birds, insects, flowers, rural places she visited, that sort of thing. Very appealing for those with a nastalgia for country surroundings and the country life.

   David Rehak
   author of "A Young Girl's Crimes"




4. When i found out that the Country diary of an Edwardian Lady was to come back in print after more than five years in the wilderness, i remembered feeling elated, why, because Ms Holden and her talents was the best thing ever to have happened to the book world,and this new edition showing what the diary looked like at the time it was written is the best ever, she put rural warwickshire on the map in a way no other author could have or will do, the book is not only a teaching of nature (remembering that Edith was a teacher) but also a portable art gallery of in my opinion some of the best surviving examples of her artwork, i have long been a holden devotee (the word fan is reserved for rowdy pop stars)i have and always will treasure this beautiful book and its sister publication the nature notes of an edwardian lady, we love this book perhaps for its nostalgic charm for all things turn of the century, but more importantly because most of ediths beloved nature trails around her home in Olton Hollow, solihull now no longer exist, so my advice, buy this book and give it pride of place in the cabinet



5. I bought this book years ago and foolishly gave it away. I recently repurchased it and am glad to have it back. I give it four stars instead of five because I figure five stars should be reserved for John James Audubon.

   For the most part I like the older edition (ISBN 0-03-021026-7) better. It is printed on yellowish paper with darkened edges, purposely made to look a bit aged. The colors are darker and the detail on the illustrations shows up better. But this 2001 edition has its good points too. It's printed on pure white paper so even though some of the pictures look a little washed out, the colors look clearer and brighter, not so muddy. So some people might prefer this new edition.

   There's a biography of Edith Holden, out of print, that I'd be interested to read. (Edwardian Lady: The Story of Edith Holden, by Ina Taylor.)

5 comments about In the Footsteps of Robert Bruce.

1. Alan Young gives us a great political bio of Robert the Bruce but without as much bias as other books. Michael Stead's pictures make it all the more real with the reader. One can imagine the ruins of the castles and churches as they once were. This is a great book for people newly interested in Scottish history and Robert I. Young's story uses many sources and attempts to not fall into the trap of making the Bruce the ultimate warrior of freedom and the Comyn family the evil traitors. They were both competing families with dynastic plans. Young shows Bruce as a man who started on his path by protecting family interests and forwarding his families dynastic goal for the throne after the death of Alexander III. Sometimes he was with the English and sometimes back to the Scots. Once the Crown was claimed Bruce fought his Rivals, the Comyns, in a civil war he then took on England to separate Scotland from its political grasp. The fence sitting nobles with lands in both countries were forced to choose and help lead to a new National pride and Independence. The Comyns get a fairer image as rivals not traitors but still trying to push their own family agendas. They ended up the losers so were painted in a poor light by history. Bruce suffered some amazing tragedies with the deaths of his brothers, wives and even his daughter but ended as an amazing leader and King saving Scotland from a fate similar to Wales. This book is a great companion to "In the footsteps of William Wallace" by the same author and photographer. Braveheart may peak your interest but these guys set the record straight and give us some enjoyable and believable history.



2. Alan Young and Michael Stead's "In The Footsteps of Robert Bruce" is a well-written and lavishly illustrated account of the life of Robert Bruce, who overcame long odds to restore independence to Scotland in the 1300's.
   
   Alan Young's account of Bruce is remarkably even-handed, describing Bruce's legendary fortitude and battlefield skill against invading English armies and his rivals in Scotland while acknowledging that Bruce was a master of the cut-throat politics that were the custom of his age. Robert Bruce rose from marginal malcontent to revered King of Scotland; this account places his career in context for the casual reader. Alan Young has done a remarkable job making sense of the twisted dynastic conflicts of the day. Michael Stead's superb photographs document locations in Scotland and England that were important in the life of Robert Bruce. They capture the rugged beauty that was and is Scotland, and would have been worthy of a book in their own right.
   
   This book is highly recommended to the reader with an interest in Scottish history and to the visitor to Scotland looking for some historical background.



3. "A Reader" (which is debatable) from Troy, New York" says, "Oh, heavens! Is nothing sacred? What next, crooks buying pardons from outgoing presidents?"...what in the world does this have to do with anything about a book about Robert the Bruce? It never ceases to amaze me the places that the dittoheads find to take a shot at the last legally elected POTUS (Bill Clinton.) Perhaps the "Reader" from Troy would prefer the current Commander in Thief's favorite book, "The Hungry Caterpillar" to a serious work of history.



4. The review given here by "A Reader" from Washington DC is virtually verbatim (only one word was omitted) from the blurb for this book as shown at QPB! I would assume that blurb came from either the publisher or the author, which means so did the review here! It appears that someone is padding the reviews! Oh, heavens! Is nothing sacred? What next, crooks buying pardons from outgoing presidents?

   To confirm this you need to see it on QPB.com but you can't unless you're a member since they don't offer this book as a premium for joining.




5. Robert the Bruce was a legendary figure: a man who led his nation in victory and overcame odds to win power in Scotland. Packed with black and white and color photos and drawings is this survey of Robert the Bruce's life and times, presenting history in an attractive package which lends life and interest to the result.

3 comments about Darkling I Listen: The Last Days and Death of John Keats.

1. It is so amazing that in a career lasting only four years, John Keats established himself as English poet who best embodied the sense and ideas of Romantic poetry. That his short life was cut off at such a young age was a tragedy in the sense of all the unwritten works that could have flowed from his pen, but even so, he achieved his life ambition of being "one of the English poets".
   Darkling I Listen is an incredibly moving account of the last days of this most tragic (and most romantic) of poets. From his passionate letters to Fanny Brawne to his last moments under the care of his truest friend Joseph Severn, this story will wring your heart.



2. This book really is a little jewel -beautifully researched and written and incredibly moving. Keats is vividly portrayed, and , as the previous reviewer noted, Joseph Severn is given his due as the best person Keats could have had with him in his dying days. Severn was a devout Christian, according to Walsh, and his life after Keats' death exemplified the Christian belief that if you give selflessly, you will receive... Just have a box of tissues handy while reading this book...



3. Love may not kill, but it can certainly give you a smart shove down that road. Walsh's vivid, neatly researched book gives us a new look at the one whose name was writ on water and his curious agonies over the girl he would have married. Keats, impassioned, gifted, doomed, is even so not gilded here; from the surviving materials he is revealed as intense, a bit obsessive, and never more so than concerning Fanny Brawne. This is one of the most famed loves in history, freshly examined with the fairest look to date at Fanny's equally complicated character. Whether they take place in British rooms or Roman, the dramas within are drawn with lively and poignant detail. Special care is taken, too, to give Joseph Severn the full credit due for his constant vigil at Keats' long dying. To me, Severn's character was by far the most appealing, and Walsh's story left me certain that a steady, loving heart is genius of its own kind.

5 comments about The Unruly Queen: The Life of Queen Caroline.

1. Both Fraser Mother & Fraser daughter can research a subject to death. However, neither writes gracefully or entertainingly. This book reads like a compilation of notes. Yawn. I'd rather read a loosey goosey Mitford biography, as if I wanted sleep, I'd read dissertations.



2. This is a fascinating, almost incredible, true story, but (as reviewers who've preceded me here have pointed out) Flora Fraser hasn't managed to do it justice. Queen Caroline's actions are so baffling, so inconsistent, and so seemingly self-destructive that a writer really must have a "take" on her for a biography to be enlightening or moving. Fraser seems almost afraid to take a stand, or else so mired in her research that she's lost the need for a big picture. The result is that when Caroline veers in completely new directions-- suddenly taking lovers after years of faithfulness to a husband who despised her, or leaving England at the drop of a hat after years of determination to fight her battles there-- the reader gets the (highly detailed) facts without any insights that could help us understand a seemingly random shift. We don't even learn why Caroline, with few marital prospects into her mid-20s, was chosen to marry the future George IV in the first place. It's not even clear whether Fraser likes her subject, approves of her actions, or felt much enthusiasm for the project except as a collector of commemorative objects she calls "Carolingiana." I guess writing biographies is just the family business...
   
   Specific oddities include no real sense of George IV's personality or motivation, the tendency of key people to drop out of the narrative altogether when they're not present in Caroline's life (even those important to Caroline, like her daughter Charlotte), and detailed descriptions of paintings (by one of Caroline's supposed lovers, Thomas Lawrence) that Fraser hasn't actually included in the illustrations. So much is made of the transformation of Caroline's appearance over the years that we really do need to see more from her later life than caricatures and cartoons.
   
   It would seem inevitable that someone will make a great drama out of this story-- as a biography, or even as a play or film. It's a shame that Fraser didn't see that she could convey some of this drama, and real insight, without compromising her extensive research.



3. Flora Fraser writes beautifully, and her research is impeccable. This is one of the best "life and times" set in Georgian England available today. The popularity of Queen Caroline with the populace, always looking for symbols of opposition to the monarchy, makes clearer the similar fascination in our time with as inexplicable a figure as Diana, Princess of Wales. The books is a great read that has something to say, rather like the wonderful Mediterranean histories written by the late Sir Steven Runicman (e.g., History of the Crusades). The Unruly Queen, along with David Gilmour's Curzon, are must reading for those interested in British history.



4. Whatever were they THINKING!?! I mean, the author, and worse, the editors. This is an appallingly bad book. I staggered through the whole University of California paperback version, convinced that eventually it would improve. Sadly, I was too optimistic.

   Caroline of Brunswick was clearly quite an unpleasant person all 'round. Ill-educated, dishonest, gullible, ill-bred, plain at best, lacking in style and sense, desperate for any sort of attention, she would be difficult to like in the hands of the most talented biographer. It's a shame that she was left to Flora Fraser. This particular Ms. Fraser is living proof that a talent for biography isn't hereditary. She is pendantic, tedious, and apparently without enthusiasm for her subject, whom she abandons regularly in pursuit of political minutiae.

   I was startled by the ineptitude of the editing. In a number of instances the vocabulary used was clearly anachronistic slang, but the quotes were not footnoted, leaving the reader bewildered as to the meaning of the quote. In these instances, the Oxford English Dictionary was no help, surely a responsible standard for an editor of a British/American release? Some quotes are simply inaccurate.

   I suspect the editors may have been overawed by Flora Fraser's lineage, and hopeful of a comparison between Diana Spencer and Caroline of Brunswick. If Caroline was as Flora Fraser describes, there is scant ground for such hopes.

   I majored in British history, am quite accustomed to dry texts, and have read each and every one of Lady Antonia Fraser's splendid works with pleasure. In this case, the daughter should NOT have attempted to go into the family trade, she has no talent for it.

   I very much regret the time I wasted plodding through this exceedingly dull book about a sad, dreary woman who would have been best left to rest in peace.

   And no, to the best of my knowledge, I'm no relation to this branch of Frasers.




5. A biography about one of England's most enigmatic and on this side of the pond at least lesser known Queens. Charlotte born into the rather stogy provincal atmosphere of the Hanoverian Court was married off while still a teenager to her first cousin the future King George IV. A dandy and bon vivant who had already contracted a marriage years ago to the attractive and apparently virtuous widow Mrs. FitzHerbert. Alas Mrs. FitzHerbert was not only a commoner but a staunch catholic and George was a spend thrift. When His father refused to continue filling his coffers unless he found himself a proper (i.e. Royal) bride he abandoned Mrs. FitzHerbert and wed poor Charlotte.

   Almost at once however he was repulsed by his cousin (whom he had never before met). After siring one child (a daughter Charlotte) he promptly returned to the far more worldly and appealing Mrs. FitzHerbert. This led poor Charlotte to rebel.

   Her rebellion was to cost her dearly. Leading in the end to a notorioius and flawed trial headed by parliment to decide if she was in fact guilty of adultry.

   Charlotte led a tragic but interesting life. As with Marie-Antoinette it can be said that Charlotte's own bad judgement and ignorance were as much (if not more) to blame for her misfortunes as the ill will of her enemies.

   Overall it was an engaing account of a fascinating woman and period in time. It gave glimpses into the lives of the rest of the British Royal Family. From George's rather embittered maiden sisters to his mad father King George III and his outwardly sweet but meddling mother Queen Charlotte.

4 comments about Public and Private Worlds of Elizabeth I.

1. After checking this book out of the library multiple times, I decided to buy it because of the balanced overview of the Queen and her England. Many biographies of Queen Elizabeth I are riddled with the author's personal prejudice for or against the Queen and this one does not. I enjoy the photos as do students in the workshops I teach.



2. This work has a wealth of information about Elizabeth I and
   the era itself. She is portrayed as an elegant monarch, dressed
   in silk and other fine clothing. A portrait of Elizabeth
   depicts her stately appearance as a Tudor. Elizabeth liked to
   stroll in the area of the Great Hall at Hatfield. A personal
   astrolobe is depicted-a fine personal item created circa 1560.
   Her coronation was a stately affair depicted in a personal
   portrait considered to be priceless today. This work is perfect for historians and others interested in the period of Elizabeth. The full color portraits are valuable
   in their own right.



3. Excellent, excellent book for anyone who is interested in Quenn Elizabeth I or the Elizabethan era. Interesting little tidbits of knowledge about court life, politics and Elizabeth's private life. The pictures are absolutely beautiful and go along so well with the the written text. Definate A+!



4. The Public and Private Worlds of Elizabeth I is a nicely written look into her personal and private life. It is very informational; from the workings of Elizabethan politics to the fashion of the time. It is informative with out getting overly academic. It is great for anyone wishing to research and/or recreate aspects of that time period. I encourage anyone who is intererested in Elizabeth I to purchase this book. One of the greatest features of this book is the full color pictures. Definitely a must have!!! A wonderful coffee table book too.

5 comments about Charles: Victim or Villain.

1. This is a run down on Prince Charles' behavior. A single guy(and a future king) cheats with his friend's(Andrew Parker-Bowles) wife(Camilla); then continues to cheat with this same married woman while engaged to Lady Diana.
   Then takes gifts to his married lover against the wishes of Lady Diana. On his honeymoon, tokens of his continuing love affair shows up in Camilla photos falling from his diary and cuff-links(two C's connecting).
   The new Princess of Wales is rightfully hurt and confused.
   This behavior of Charles hardly gets the marriage off to a good start.
   Throughout the marriage, Diana is witness to numerous occasions where Charles(through actions or words) declares his never-ending love for a married woman and continues with his adultery.
   Charles and Camilla showed as much disregard for Andrew Parker-Bowles' feelings as they did for Diana.
   What is especially upsetting is that rather than publicly admit he was a heartless, cheating man, Charles continued to portray himself as a loving husband to Diana and a respectable man who would one day be crowned king. He was willing to let his subjects believe he was an honorable man.
   Not only is the future king a cad, he is a liar as well!
   Besides there is NO evidence showing Diana as metally ill, un-balanced or anything before her association with Charles. As for her tantrums, I would site inmaturity and sheer frustration as the reasons for her outbursts.
   Diana was a normal, sane, healthy young woman prior to her engagement. Her bulminia did not start until after she moved to Buckingham Palace and she realized she was a Lamb to the Slaughter. It was then she realized her future husband did not love her and was very much committing adultery with a married woman. Adultery was something that Charles would continue to practice throughout their marriage.
   What is equally the mark of a cad, is Charles even cheated on his mistress!
   To write a book that basically white-washes Charles' moraless antics, is a disgrace and an insult to everyone's itelligence.
   He is a Villain if I ever saw one!!!!!



2. This book is very pro-Charles which was to be expected. After all, both author and Charles are still alive. Diana can't fight back. And who knows what the truth is anyway?

   There isn't anything really new in this book except details about how news of Diana's death was received at Balmoral, actions of Charles and the Queen then, etc. There are conflicts with other accounts I've read. Was Diana's face damaged? Was an autopsy done in Paris? Other sources said her face was unmarked and body was not autopsied until it was returned to London. It is little details like this that make me wonder about rest of the book. What is the truth?

   I continue to be amazed at the influence the press has in England. Do they really have that much control over the Royal Family? Apparently they just make stuff up and everyone believes it. The Royals are so out of touch and isolated. I think they should just be left alone and out of the newspapers like they used to be.




3. I knew when I picked up this book that Ms Junor was always very anti-Princess Diana - even when she was alive she was very outspoken - and was obviously very pro - Prince Charles. I had hoped though that with the death of the Princess even this hardened lady would present a balanced view of both sides. Instead I was left with the distinct impression that she had swallowed the whole "poor Charlie " line. It takes two to make a marriage and two to destroy it. But her bitterness towards both the princess and the Queen were quite frankly astonishing - especially for someone who used to be editor of the Majesty magazine. This lady has more chips on her shoulder than a totem pole.

   I was horrified when Ms Junor decided she had the right to take on the role of amateur psychiatrist. That for me - was the end. I finished the book - but at the end of it all her superior attitude and downright condemnation of the Princess was appalling. I have no illusions that the Princess was not perfect. But she sold the princess as someone so calculating and evil that it does not equate with anything the rest of the world saw. I am not sure any of us thrown into that kind of limelight at the age of 19 would have coped any better - most of us would not. That does not excuse bad behavior. We all behave badly but most of us do not have "staff" to tittle tattle and exagerate our worst points.

   I enjoyed certain parts of the book and learned a lot more about Prince Charles - assuming that that part of the book is a true and detatched discription. However - having just read the introduction to another biography where the biographer states that it is easy to become self absorbed with the person they are writing about and to loose their sense of detatchment. I feel that Ms Junor did not achieve that.




4. Where does the author get her evidence? First that Diana was first to cheat, second she threatened Camilla Parker Bowles. The book seems to justify the fact that Charles was involved with Mrs. Parker Bowles from even before the marriage and that it was alright because Diana was scheming and nasty to him. It tries to create a spin on the royal marriage favoring Charles and his liaison with Camilla. This is the book to buy if you are ardently pro-Charles and agree that Diana was completely to blame for the breakup of the marriage.



5. This book is very interesting! The author is obviously a GREAT fan of Prince Charles! From interviews that I have seen with the author, I fully expected a Diana-bashing book and I wasn't far from the mark! Just the mere fact that the Princess of Wales is not here to defend herself against these so-called "facts" of Ms. Junor's shows you what kind of diabolical mind the author has! Ms. Junor herself is making quite alot of money writing about the misfortunes of the Prince & Princess of Wales. I should hope that the proceeds for this book would go directly to royal charities and those who are TRUE victims all around the world! Surely Ms. Junor would not want to line her own pockets with this scathing book - or would she? Think on, Ms. Junor!

5 comments about Married to the Sas.

1. Having known a few military families, and having the odd friend or two in similar circumstances, the book rings pretty true. Interesting but also so very predictable. Too many partners marry into the military with no real understand of the stress and strains that the military places on a relationship. Every prospective military "other half" should be required to read this book as preparation!
   
   And yes, she's very likely capitalizing oo her former husband's fame - but so what, she went thru a lot herself - without being paid to do it. The shame of it all is, the military hierarchy knows what the military does to family relationships but makes no effort, or at the best, very little, to help families, to provide any serious "relationship counselling" and to provide assistance when things "go wrong." This is even more pronounced for special forces guys, who are under a lot more stress and away from families a lot more than the regular army guys. This book and the similar book by Jenny Simpson are very much descriptions of the symptoms of a major military problem that extends far beyond the SAS.
   
   I give the book 3 stars for a good personal account. A good editor would probably have ensured a bit more analysis of the problem was added.



2. well I am not menopausal but I am a female who does dishes after I get home from work. I am also a big fan of Andy McNab's writing and recommend his books to anyone.
   
   I'm glad to say I didn't buy this book but rather mooched a friend's copy. No offense to the author it's nothing personal. But despite all the naughty bits this book is BORING and offers no insight. I will stick with my B.Davies and Andy McNab books, thanks.



3. To be honest I haven't read the book, but looking at the front cover and reading other reviews it's an obvious attempt to make money from her ex husbands success. She apparently tries to make mcnab come off as an insensitive something or other but being in the army is a very demanding and stressful job, adding a family to that doesn't make it any easier. McNab put his life on the line for his country while she did the dishes. No need to say who has more of my respect.
   
   Personally I don't like to read the whining of a menapausal woman. I'm sure this book will appeal to many bored housewives but I doubt that fans of mcnab will be too pleased with it.



4. I roared with laughter while reading the book, it's like watching monkeys in the zoo. But after I finished it, I understood it's a sad book. Yes, sex is a very important part of our lives, but in Hereford, UK, it seems they have nothing else to do except for drink hard and ... with their own lives, each others' and their kids'. What adults do to each other is their own business, but I'm really very sorry for their kids.
   There are some clever thoughts in the book, but it seems they belong rather to an editor than to the author, who not only made all her intimate life public but even cynically devoted the book to her daughter, Jo. Good luck to Jo, hope her parents did not manage to make another "Hereford girl" of her, though her mother tried hard and father, according to the book, stayed passive.
   If even the tenth part of the book is true, all the 'SAS and Co.' need a looooong session with a psychiatrist and a sex-pathologist. Just hard to believe that all that dirt that Mrs. Nicholson wrote about is true. But the desire to tell the world about that dirt says much about the author's personality. Congratulations to her new American husband!
   Can't really say whether the book is good or bad. It's a collection of bizarre and amusing stories of sexual lives of primates in the zoo called Hereford. I stay neutral, 3 stars.



5. I KNEW ANDY, SHE HAS WRITTEN A LOAD OF DRIVEL THERE ARE LOADS OF SAS WIFES THAT ARE MORE THAN HAPPY WITH THERE LOT FRANCES NEED TO GET A LIFE AND THIS TIME HER OWN I AM JUST SORRY I HAD TO GIVE THIS BOOK ONE STAR

2 comments about The Erotomaniac: The Secret Life of Henry Spencer Ashbee.

1. Face it-- if you're reading a review of this book, you're knowledgable and interested enough to enjoy it. I'd guess that 1 out of 1000 readers might get a kick out of "The Erotomaniac," but if you read "My Secret Life" and wondered about who "Walter" was, or know who Gershon Legman is, or have a bibliographic bent, then this book is for you. Ashbee wasn't the most likable of men, but his utter obsession to collect and classify his erotica ruled his life, and the people he met (including Richard Francis Burton, who comes off even more perverse than I'd imagined) make for a compelling narrative. I developed a great sympathy for him-- he was ruled by sex, but enslaved by his books. He could only share his fetish with a few other devotees, and had to hide his love for smut from his own family. If only he could have lived to see our century!



2. The ongoing detection of the mysterious author of the huge erotic classic _My Secret Life_ has advanced a step further (although the sources of information are only slightly better) by Ian Gibson, in _The Erotomaniac: The Secret Life of Henry Spencer Ashbee_ (Da Capo Press). Ashbee had a Jekyll-and-Hyde existence as a successful London businessman, travel writer, and paterfamilias. He also tended his huge collection of pornography. It was so large a collection that he rented rooms in Gray's Inn especially to contain it (and perhaps to keep it from being a family concern). Ashbee was no supporter of the suffragettes, but he liked the idea that women took pleasure in sex and could actively participate in it, ideas that were unfashionable or obscene at the time. In his own writing, Ashbee railed that "the English nation possesses an ultra-squeamishness and hyper-prudery peculiar to itself." He was furious that missionaries were trying to intrude this morality into societies where sexuality was more open.

   It is clear that Ashbee's books ridicule these notions, even when Ashbee made it seem that he was supporting them. He is the author of three books, magnificently produced private editions cataloging his own books and those he was interested in. The titles give away his game: _Index Librorum Prohibitorum_ ("Index of Books Worthy of Being Prohibited," mocking the Vatican's own catalogue, 1877), _Centuria Librorum Absconditorum_ ("A Hundred Books Worthy of Being Hidden Away," 1879) and _Catena Librorum Tacendorum_ ("String of Books Worthy of Being Silenced," 1885). Ashbee produced his volumes under his scatological penname Pisanus Fraxi; he seems to have enjoyed rebuses of his name, and Pisanus Fraxi is an anagram of the Latin words for "ash" and "bee."

   When it is known that Gibson has produced this biography after being allowed the first glance at Ashbee's diary, one might expect that there would be many personal revelations. Sadly, with some exceptions which Gibson quotes, the diary is discontinuous, and mostly dull. Ashbee was too busy reading and buying books to spend much time on a diary. If Gibson is to be believed, he spent a good deal of time writing _My Secret Life_, too. The final third of _The Erotomaniac_ is an amusing list of correspondences of style, phraseology, and philosophy between the writings of Pisanus Fraxi and those of the "Walter" who wrote _My Secret Life_. Gibson allows that someday electronic scansion of the texts may make the identification more positive (and perhaps someone will pay literary sleuth Don Foster, of _Author Unknown_, to take the case). To me, the most compelling evidence is that Ashbee's volumes all have an obsessively inclusive index, just as "Walter's" book hilariously does. Under the gerund form of the most shocking verb in English, Walter has seven columns of entries, including: in masks / wheelbarrow fashion / modesty hinders complete pleasure / is the great humanizer / in a grotto / in cabs / in a church / in a calf shed / in a cow shed / against trees. On and on the list goes, a tribute to someone obsessed with sex, with lists, and with compilations. As Gibson says, if Ashbee didn't write it, who on Earth did? Gibson's own book, meticulously researched and genially entertaining, has just about as much of Ashbee as we will ever know, as well as genuine insights into Victorian times and morals.

No comments about Masters of the English Reformation.

5 comments about Julie Andrews: A Life on Stage and Screen.

1. A great book with lovely pictures. I just couldn't put it down.
   The writer obviously knew her well and shared her amazing story. It was witty, sad and yet it often made you smile. She's also a gutsy lady with a gentle kind nature and very, very talented. Recomend this to anyone..



2. Julie's a great actor, but this bio isn't as interesting as its subject. An editor is needed for Mr. Windeler's overdrawn overdone prose.



3. What's with the cover picture? I mean, I love Victor/Victoria, but Julie is a beautiful woman... why did he choose this picture? Also, there were times in the book where Windeler's personal opinion was a little offensive to me. I suppose that is alright, because he is allowed his opinion, but it seemed to me like he was bashing the movie "Star!", which happens to be one of my favorites. Other than the difference in opinion that occurred occasionally between the reader and the author... this book was a delightful, yet 'real' holiday about Julie Andrews. It's loaded with anecdotes and great accounts of 'The Adventures of Julie and Carol (Burnett)' (as I call them). Over all, this is a good read for the Julie Fanatic, just keep in mind that you don't always have to agree with what this biographer has to say . ;)



4. This book about Julie Andrews is extremely interesting. Julie has had many inspiring experiences in her life and continues today to have many more. This book explains how she became what she is today. Also, this book tells the reader many interesting facts about Julie Andrews personal life and career.



5. Julie Andrews: A Life on Stage and Screen is a great read and I have to say that I found it rather informative. Aside from a few spelling and grammatical errors, it was a good book. Any serious Julie fan should read this!