5 comments about Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources.

1. I ordered this book through Amazon from a seller called Book Worm. I never got the book. I wrote to Amazon to complain. They never answered. I wrote to the seller to complain. They never answered. I wrote to each of these parties a second time, using Amazon's own feeback link--which came to me in my personal email. They never answered. My Amazon credit card bill came--I was charged. I wrote to Amazon to complain. They never answered. My review? Be smart: do not order books from Amazon, at least not used books from third party sellers.
   Tamim Ansary



2. Westerners are confused why Muslims reacted the way they did when the Danish cartoons about Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) were published. This is because Westerners are not aware of where Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is placed within Islam and how He is viewed/revered by Muslims.
   
   Martin Lings biography of the Prophet (pbuh) is a good starting point for those seeking to understand the life and times of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the Muslim perspective. This is also a book that is considered recommended reading (for English readers) by Muslim scholars the world over.
   
   It's a well written book and easy to read.



3. Its hard to put down the book,once you have started it.The effect is almost like a movie,you are restless till you have seen it all.Particularly,Martin Lings did an excellent job of making the reader familier with the Arab culture 1400 years ago, a must have, while studying the life of the Prophet(pbuh).
   With Muslims from diverse cultural backgrouns, this is an excellent source.



4. Excellent work by Martin Lings ( who has now reverted to Islam). Alham dullia, may Allah guide us all on to the rightious path.



5. This is a book to keep for life, to lend and EDUCATE your friends and family.
   The author has simply laid down the life of Prophet Muhammad (saws) for both Muslims and non Muslims to appreciate his greatness .
   It is in great detail, and it is amazing to see how much Muslims know about the life of their Prophet, as compared to the LITTLE Christians know about Jesus.

5 comments about America's Queen: The Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

1. This was a great book - it was packed with information. Sometimes it had a little bit too much detail in certain sections and it got a little bit boring. Overall, it was really interesting and I was glad that it was so well written as opposed to a quick read that leaves you with more questions. Highly recommended.



2. Sarah Bradford has written a very complete story from Jackie's childhood to her death. There is lots of details about Jackie, as well as her husbands, JFK and Onassis. The book also focuses on JFK's affairs, and how much it hurt Jackie.
   
   Even before Jack died, Jackie was determined to be free from the Kennedy family. To separate from the Kennedy family, Jackie used wit and charm and focused on her children and her own interests, like art.
   
   One of the highlights of the book for me was how Jackie restored the White House. She asked for free donations, like a valuable portrait of Ben Franklin. She enlists the help of experts.Everyone seems willing to help her, because of her charisma and her position as first lady.
   
   I have no way to know how accurate this book is, but the author cites a lot of other books for research. Jackie was a very intelligent and determined lady. It is a shame that she died at only 64 years old.I enjoyed reading it.



3. Jackie Kennedy was the closest thing that America ever got to home-grown royalty. Her birth and upbringing in New York City, refinement, etiquette, and Olympian cool ... Jackie radiated a deep mystery that remains. She was iconic in her need for privacy and protectiveness of it. A woman of another era who remains enigmatic and unique in her persona ... an American icon who seems both American yet not typical of the United States. A sophisticate, debutant of the year, equestrienne, well-manner, posh Park Avenue social doyenne who intrigued the world until she died in 1994. Fluent in several language, a writer of poetry, political wife, patron of the arts, native New Yorker, and poised like any Queen in Europe. She wasn't perfect but she was Jackie. America may never see another quite like her.



4. My comments concern the narrator of the audio cd who felt that she had to change her voice inflection when she read quotes of various people. She talked in a soft wispery tone when quoting Jackie, however, she continued to use that same voice for any of the females quoted. She then attempted a deeper tone for the male voices. Due to all the voice shifting it was disruptive and the reading did not flow. Since it was a narrative and not a play it would have been more pleasing to the ear if the narrator did the entire reading in her natural voice.



5. It was fantastic to be able to grasp a better understanding of the stoic, graceful beauty that was Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. It was great to see the different facets of her personality from political darling to yacht hopping party girl. Her desire to control and veneer everything that happened in her life was inspiring. Couldn't put it down, was consistantly interesting throughout.

5 comments about Alicia.

1. I had a hard time putting this book down! It is amazing, and horrible, the things that this woman went through as a child, and I am so grateful she relived the nightmare so that we might know what went on.



2. I feel that the book depicts exactly the kind of life the Jews lived in Germany. The author did very good when giving discriptions of the horrific sights of everything that was going on.



3. I just finished another very painful but interesting and shocking memoirs in "Thanks to my Mother" by Shoshana Rabinovici and started this book. It's absolutely shocking and heroic struggle to do everything possible to survive day-by-day and minute-by-minute the Systematic Nazi Plan to annihilate the Jewish People.
   Highly highly recommend to every one who is interested in Holocaust and to everybody to read and to learn what was really WWII about.



4. An avid reader of Holocaust memoirs, I found "Alicia" an unforgettable story of survival.
   
   Only a child at the onset of World War II in her native Poland, Alicia Jurman soon lost both her parents and all four brothers -- murdered, in different ways, for one reason, being Jewish. It was only through a strange destiny that young Alicia kept surviving herself -- once being pushed through a gap in a train window, heading for a concentration camp; another time, falling unconscious and being presumed dead by the Nazis, only to be rescued by an astute and caring Jewish gravedigger.
   
   Yet even when a person is at her lowest, she can always find others even worse off. It would have been easy for Alicia to say she had nothing left to give; yet even during the most destitute and desperate of times, she shared food and supplies with other Holocaust survivors.
   
   It was also this loving attitude that made Alicia take action after the war, when she noticed a number of starving orphaned children roaming city streets. Only 15 and an orphan herself, Alicia took it upon herself to establish a Jewish "orphanage," moving some 24 youths aged 10 to 15 into a vacated apartment and securing financial help to get their new lives underway.
   
   Still a teenager, Alicia eventually sought refuge in Israel. But, as always, problems arose...
   
   Alicia Jurman is a modern-day hero, guaranteed to inspire readers for generations to come.



5. This eye witness account of the holocaust in Poland is so horrific it would be too depressing to read, if it weren't for the author's lucid, straight forward prose. Alicia Jurman was 13 years old when she fought for survival against literally impossible odds in southeastern Poland and witnessed the destruction of her entire family, friends and neighbors. Her survival was accomplished through truly incredible pluck, strength of character, resourcefulness, and unbelievable good luck.
   We already know (or should know) all about the horrors of the holocaust: the depth of depravity to which the human soul can sink; and we know that to forget this worst of all possible nightmares is to face another genocide in our lifetime (we already have in Darfur, Rwanda, Bosnia, and elsewhere).
   What distinguishes "Alicia: My Story" despite the unspeakable horror is this horror as viewed through the eyes of a girl who simply refuses to give in and give up. She is an amazingly strong girl who used everything she had to survive. And she tells the story in a matter of fact way that propels the narrative forward and keeps the reader turning the pages to find out what happens next.
   If one has never been exposed to what went on during World War Two, this excellent book is the perfect place to start.

5 comments about Island of Saints: A Story of the One Principle That Frees the Human Spirit.

1. When I picked up this book, I had no idea what it was about. I only knew it was written by one of my favorite authors, Andy Andrews. I found this to be a little different from Andrews' other books, but like the others, ISLAND OF SAINTS did not disappoint me.
   
   This is a true account of Andrews' own personal discovery of some WWII memorabilia that just didn't seem to belong when Andy had found it. His curiosity sent him searching for clues as to how and why these items ended up buried on his little Gulf coast island property. What he uncovered was a riveting true story that promotes valuable lessons of forgiveness along the way.
   
   The story does take a while to develop. Several times I wondered just where the story was going and it was not until about half way into the book that things really began to take shape. The subject is one I have long been fascinated with, and that is the German activity along the east and gulf coasts during WWII. The fact that we hear so little about this aspect of the war makes one wonder just how many prominent citizens were a part of the effort to supply the Nazis.
   
   The underlying message here is learning how to forgive. In this vain, there are some very profound observations here, as one would expect from Andrews, although they do come quite late in the book. Overall, this is a wonderful true story that includes some valuable life's lessons.
   
   I do feel obligated to point out a flaw. At the conclusion of chapter 10, Joseph and Helen are having a conversation in which Joseph describes the rise and fall of democracy, attributed to Professor Alexander Tyler of Scotland in 1787. The trouble is, even though the description of the self-destruction of any democracy is, I believe completely accurate, study has shown there is no record to indicate that this notion originated with Professor Tyler.



2. This was my first Andy Andrews book. I picked it up in a Christian bookstore off the discount book shelf and assumed it was a book with a religious message.
   
   While it does contain a good message and I appreciate it even more because I see the "principle" as one that Christ taught, it falls somewhat flat. The fact that this "principle" is biblical doesn't excuse the fact that the characters end up being a bit too much of the "self-help" variety. True love works wonders and can teach us this "principle" because God modeled it for us, and the story is very effective in explaining why it is so helpful for all involved. This story is very much about good ethics and morals, but is also too humanist in it's approach to be considered profound or even remarkable.
   
   The story is believeable, while the character development is bit light. The historical element was interesting and pretty accurate, I believe. This is the kind of book I'd recommend to a light reader as beach or vacation fare so that, if they don't get around to reading it, it won't seem like they've missed out on a life changing lesson.
   
   I was surprised that the book includes instructions for obtaining a study guide and a video. That's a bit presumptuous on the part of the publisher I think. This is not ground shaking stuff and any study group based on this book might do better to wean themselves off Dr.Phil and Oprah for a more lasting benefit.
   
   Read (and believe) your Bibles and you'll get a much deeper and meaningful explanation of this "principle".



3. .
   ....But is it?
   
   Andy is an amazing storyteller, and this book is proof positive of his skill.
   
   Pulled from the little known theater of World War II, the American Gulf Coast, Andy weaves fact and fiction into a story about two people on opposite sides of the war, but on the same side of the heart...



4. It is like Andy Andrews is standing there telling you the story. And it is an amazing story! If you want and need a good book, choose this one. You will never be sorry!



5. I loved the book. Andy Andrews does a wonderful job retelling a true story while he teaches eternal truths. Awesome!

5 comments about The Lost King of France: How DNA Solved the Mystery of the Murdered Son of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

1. LOVED it!! I'd recommend it to anyone. Be sure to have a box of tissues close by when you get to the middle! I sure needed them.



2. everybody knows what happened to the little king. He was rescued by the Scarlet Pimpernel and arrived safe in England.



3. I got this because I had read a book about Eleanor of Aquitaine. With all the different countries & the royal families I thought it would be interesting to read a little more. I had no interest in Marie Antointette, I thought she was a little overdone. I found the book about her son & vaguely remember hearing about the scandal in my High School French lessons. I read the book in about 2 days it was that captiavting. I thought I would have a hard time with the French names & places, but it seems like 2 years of French all those years ago stood me in good stead.
   This is a great book for someone who is looking to learn facts & resolutions from research, not someone looking to find idle gossip about a most noted royal.



4. This well written and compelling work of non-fiction recounts the political events that led up to the French Revolution and the tragedy that befell the royal family, Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, and their two living children, the Louis-Charles and Marie-Therese. It gives insight into just how the royal family was treated after the revolutionists were in charge.
   
   The book details the terms of their imprisonment in Temple Tower. It is almost hard to believe the cruelty with which they were met. The heartbreak of the King and Queen is palpable as they realized what fate had in store for them. Moreover, their fear for the fate of their children must have been an incalculable agony, piercing the heart and soul of the King and Queen.
   
   While the indignities imposed upon the King and Queen were insufferable, once the royal couple met their fate at the guillotine, what was done to the now eight year old King Louis XVII was downright cruel and inhuman. Barbaric beyond belief, his treatment was nothing short of shocking. While his thirteen year old sister was also cruelly treated, her experience paled in comparison to that of her once happy and cherubic little brother.
   
   When Louis XVII was declared dead two years later, the fact that there was no marked grave sparked rumors that the he had escaped and was still among the living. Over the years, many came forward claiming to be the lost King of France. It was not until the twenty-first century that the mystery was laid to rest, thanks to DNA testing and a heart purported to be that of Louis XVII.
   
   This is a fascinating, well-researched book that will keep the reader turning the pages. Bravo!



5. You read about how this little boy, who'd known only the best the world had to give, ended up in a sunless room, curled in a fetal position, full of puss and unable (or unwilling) to speak. This is a creepy tale that makes what happened to the son of the Tsar Alexander's son in 1917 (or there abouts...who knows for sure?) seem like a kind ending. It also gives you insight into his mother's execution and his sister's life.

5 comments about Billy the Kid: The Endless Ride.

1. Michael Wallis delves into the figure known as Billy the Kid. Wallis begins his book by presenting the mysteries in themselves as to just what was Billy's real name (McCarty, Bonney, or something else), where was he born (NY, Indiana, Missouri), even when he was born and whether brother Joseph was older or younger than him. Most of the early portion of this book deals with the possible travelling and moving of Catherine and her boys around the expanding frontiers and the hookup with William Antrim, eventually to be Billy's stepfather. Just when you think things are going to move on, suddenly Wallis goes back to talk about Billy's heritage and whether he may have even been half-Hispanic as one story goes that he was descended from someone named Salazar in Missouri.
   
   The book is subtitled "The Endless Ride" but really the only thing endless here are the sidetracks that Wallis takes you on. Whether it be the history of Silver City, editorial writer Owen Scott, hotelier/criminal John Ledford, or for some reason, the conviction to spend a chapter on PT Barnum visiting the southwest. Before long you get a rather long introduction to Tom Catron, Kit Carson, and an event called the Horrell War which took place 4 years before Billy ever got to Lincoln and really had absolutely nothing to do with him. Maybe Wallis is just trying to build an interesting setting like John Myers Myers did successfully in Doc Holliday (Bison Book). Either way, Wallis just ends up distracting you with filler.
   
   Events in Billy's life range from the early influence of friend 'Sombrero Jack', riding with Jesse Evans, and finally his entrance to Lincoln County and the more well known events of the Lincoln County War, McSween house seige, and through his death. This section finally holds your interest only to be quickly and abruptly ended. The book is technically 328 pages long but from page 251 through the end is bibliography and index (78 pages!). However the most important year of events for the Kid's history (his last) which includes his arrest, escape, capture, escape again, and death, takes up a mere 18 pages. Much of this should have had more influence on the book, possibly covering Garrett's movements to capture him. Really, Wallis seems to just tire of writing this book and then quickly runs through the remaining facts for this last year.
   
   Overall, the descriptives fall flat, the sidetracks are burdensome and many are unimportant, and there is a lack of any passion in the subject matter. Some people will groan and others will agree, if you want one truly good book on Billy the Kid, go with Robert Utley's, Billy the Kid: A Short and Violent Life.



2. Michael Wallis does a great job in placing Henry McCarty aka Henry Antrim aka Kid Antrim aka William H. Bonney aka Billy the Kid into his proper context. Here is a young and slight boy who is literate and most importantly alone, making his way in the world. He becomes fluent in Spanish and practiced in gun craft, horse-riding, and gambling. Inspite of a livid earlier review, post Civil War America had created conditions where available weapons, unavailable justice, and the pain/callousness of the Civil War made using guns a regular way of settling disputes.
   
   Wallis deals with the overall political situation in New Mexico: Republican (at least for convenience) Masonic Anglos upending the existing land grants to Hispanics--the corrupt sutler/US Army connection that became the rationale of the Dolan-Murphy enterprise and the target of John Tunstall and Alexander McSween's greed and ambition.
   
   Billy is thrust into all of this and at the end of the Lincoln County War, he becomes the survivor and the scapegoat for the losing side. An offered pardon disappears and in the end, only his death can satisfy the winners. As Wallis details, his end in a bedroom at Pete Maxwell's ranch becomes the beginning of the legend.
   
   My only beef with the author is that three card monte is a confidence game, not a gambling game, although both 2 card and 4 card monte were played at that time. Not anymore because casinos would risk too much money in a game that like faro, has virtually even odds for the house vs. the players. Still that is small potatoes for the way Wallis has taken the work of others and made his story in many ways, new again.



3. This book presents the most detailed record of the Kid's background-family origins, early life, locales, and influences on his behavior that I have ever read. Michael Wallis is a master at presenting "the whole story" plus the many photos of the characters in the Lincoln County War, from the Robert G. McCubbin collection add tremendously to the story. This is a very good book, enjoyable to read, and presents a detailed, factual picture of the subject.



4. Henry McCarty/Billy Antrim/William Bonney/Billy the Kid is biographized here, in an OK attempt to weed out the myth surrounding this very young man's very violent life.
   
   Wallis spends much time talking about what isn't likely to be true and bemoaning the lack of verifiable information about the life and actions of his subject, and not enough time talking about those verifiable facts.
   
   Wallis does place The Kid in the context of his place (a fluent Spanish-speaker who loved and was well loved by the Hispanics of his stomping grounds, Wallis mentions but is ambivalent about recent research that suggests that The Kid may have been part-Hispanic) and time (in the Lincoln County War in which he was just one participant of hundreds but the only one convicted, Wallis believes The Kid was--intentionally or otherwise--made the fall guy for the political and business interests who "won" the "war"). However, the last two years of The Kid's life, when Wallas says "William Bonney's activities can be documented week by week and sometimes daily," are accorded a bare 30 pages out of a 250-page book with lots of images and white space.
   
   So, Mr. Wallis, if you can document your subject's activities on a daily basis, in a biography in which you claim to separate the fact from the myth and constantly bemoan the lack of fact, one not use the ones you have to the fullest?
   
   See also my review of Lucky Billy a new fictionalized account of Billy the Kid by novelist John Vernon, which I found perhaps better at capturing the person at the core of the legend than was Wallis's biography.



5. I wanted to like this book. The author, with his subtitle and thesis ("The Endless Ride") implies that he's going to look into not only Billy himself, but his myth and legend. Instead, what we have here is a lengthy biography replete with guesswork and innuendo, and lots of padding, some of it vaguely worthwhile, some of it not, really.
   
   Billy was an interesting character, if only because of how little is known about him, and how many people have been almost hypnotized by his mythical persona. I was hoping that the book would concentrate on this aspect of his life: instead, it spends most of its words discussing the life and the possible origins of Billy. The author is well-versed in the story of Billy's life, and in the circumstances of his fame and death. He's also very conversant in the various rumors, stories, and theories about Billy's origins and roots. That's all very well and good, but beyond that there isn't much here, to be honest. For one thing, the book isn't as long as it appears. The publisher used pulpy paper, which makes a 328-page book look longer. They put a picture at the front of each chapter, and inserted a large picture section in the middle of the book. With chapter breaks (which result in blank pages frequently) and other devices, this book isn't really that long.
   
   Much of what's in the book isn't directly related to Billy anyway. Imagine my horror when in the first pages I ran across a reference to America's "love affair with guns," turned to the bibliography, and discovered Michael Bellesiles' book "Arming America" in it. For those who aren't aware, Bellesiles was the darling of the gun control set when he released "Arming America" in 2001, right up until it turned out he'd fabricated or distorted much of the evidence for his thesis, which identified a large conspiracy among 19th-Century gun manufacturers to fabricate a "frontier myth" which would include settlers who carried guns, when (according to Bellesiles) everyone went unarmed in the frontier era. Anyway, Bellesiles lost his job teaching at Emory University, and the Bancroft Prize his book won was revoked, the first time that's ever happened. No historian, including most of the liberals who were supporters of his, takes him seriously any more. Unfortunately, Wallis appears not to have gotten the memo.
   
   The PC angle of the book turns out, in the end, to be not quite as bad as you'd think. Wallis uses Bellesiles for context, but when he discusses the Lincoln County War, he becomes much more common-sense-oriented. He basically thinks that the whole war was between two groups of greedy oligarchs who used the various gunmen as pawns in a deadly game of Monopoly. That might not be a completely fair opinion, to those who have a side they root for in reading the history of the war, but it's always been closer to my opinion than anything else I've read. I don't think it particularly PC: the author makes it clear that both sides engaged in back-shooting, skullduggery, and general viciousness.
   
   I generally enjoyed this book, within limits. I wish the author had been a little less interested in injecting his 21st-Century politics into a biography of a 19th-Century person. It also could be a bit better organized. There's a lengthy passage at the beginning where the author discusses Billy's origins, and then later in the book there's a chapter where the author skips back and discusses the possibility of Billy being part Mexican-American. All, or most, of this would have probably been better-placed in an appendix. Frankly, you wonder what the point to the publication of this book was: there's almost nothing here, that I could see, that's not contained in Utley's book. That being said, this isn't necessarily a bad book. Recommended, but only guardedly.

5 comments about Grass Beyond the Mountains: Discovering the Last Great Cattle Frontier on the North American Continent.

1. My wife visited the area of Canada described by the book when she was a child, and we plan a return visit this summer. The book is an essential prerequisite, and a very enjoyable read!



2. Here I am ordering another copy of this book. I keep "loaning" them. I received my first copy in the mid-1950s as a horse/cowboy-loving teenager in Indiana. My USFS Ranger uncle sent it to me because he knew....!!! Knew it would be another huge nudge in getting me out to the Great Pacific Northwest other than just for visits. I made it in 1968 and my husband and I have visited the area depicted in the book countless times. I will soon turn 70 and have enjoyed reading this book every few years throughout my life. It is most compelling. The reviews of others are definitely right on. What more can I say other than, read it?



3. A personal look in living real life in a land that little is known



4. Pan Phillips had the "Pan Phillips International Airport" at his fishing camp beyond Anahim Lake B.C. For several years, we flew into his little airport between 2 lakes. Pan told us some of the same stories that are in this book. Louis Soukup was one of the first pilots to the area. Louis would fly in, any equipment that Pan needed, on the pontoons of his airplane. This book gives the stories as though you were sitting at the feet of the men who were the first settlers in this area of British Colombia. It is really an adventure to read.



5. We own the Legacy Ranch high in the mountains of Northeastern Utah. For years we have loved the beauty of the unspoiled wilderness. Nursing newborn elk calves, watching Canadian Lynx outside their lairs, and many other adventures have cast us in the mold of lovers of the wilderness. To read the adventures of true cowboys, who started with nothing else but their "grit" and ended up with lives spent plumbing the depths of fun and hard work was one of the top literary experiences of our lives. This book, far better than the sequels, will be part o four Christmas giving this year.

5 comments about The Wagner Clan: The Saga of Germany's Most Illustrious and Infamous Family.

1. Yes well I thought this was a very interesting book. It explains alot of connections between Nationalists of the day and read like a who's who of the right. Really put alot of it all in context for me. I would recommend it to all Nationalists as a good history of what was going on at the time.



2. Wonderful history of the Wagner family that would be enjoyed by music lovers and non-music lovers alike.



3. If you are into Wagner (and all you have to do is listen to any of his music and you will be) this is a most interesting book. Great background on Bayreuth and the festival. Yes, sad that Winifred went gaga over Hitler and a low mark for Bayreuth. But it happened...let's move on. To attend the festival at Bayreuth is a grand experience. This book brings it back...with all the good and bad memories. Hitler did say one good thing: "You can never have too much Wagner." I highly recommend this book.
   Beautifuly written to boot.



4. Jonathan Carr's book on the Wagner clan is bascally an interesting look into the lives of an interesting family. The Wagners' devotion to the works of the patriarch, Richard, is unusual in this day and age. Each member of the family is a facinating topic per se. However, Carr's obsession with German politics gets in the way; yes Wagner displayed antisemtism in his life, yes his daugher in law was fascinated with Adolph Hitler and yes the Bayreuth Fesitval became a showcase for Nazi pretensions to high culture. All that is regretable and well known. Carr however goes into post war German politics with the intention of smearing people like Conrad Adenauer and his administration for not sufficently denouncing the Wagner ethos at Bayreuth. At the same time Carr gives his fellow European socialists a pass by praising how they owned up to the evil connections to the Nazi past of their countrymen. It would have been interesting and fair had Carr mentioned that his fellow Leftists turned a blind eye to the brutality of the Soviet and Communist regimes and that Left wing artists like Brecht and Gunther Grass made common cause with these brutal regimes in the latter half of the twentiet century. Maybe Adenauer et al did not do enough to highlight the connections of post war Germans with the evil of Nazism but the Left continued to praise the evil of Communism within their own artistic world.



5. Well written. If you looking for a biography of
   Richard Wagner this is not it, and you need to buy another book. This is the story of how the family was able to retain control of Wagner's preformances. I found the first part of the book to be most interesting since it discribes Richard and events up to 1947. The post World War II porition of the book is less interesting since it resembles a "soap opera" and I lost interest in the spoiled Wagner grandchildren and great grandchildren.

5 comments about Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens.

1. 
   This dual biography by Jane Dunn is an excellent and highly engaging work of history, and tells much of the Elizabethan age regarding not only politics but also society, religion relationships and gender.
   
   Elizabeth refused to marry and reigned for 45 years as the solitary monarch of England, at the time a revolutionary decision.
   A women of great strength, a wise ruler (although as the author points out, unlike Mary, she was blessed with dependable and skilled advisers) and as we see a great orator and poet.
   Her rallying of the people of England against the Spanish Armada certainly was something of a reflection of Churchill's rallying of Britain against the Nazi menace 400 years later.
   We need leaders in the West today who can stand up against the threat of Islamo-Fascism and terror.
   
   Mary was a passionate and wilful adventurer. married twice for political gain, but took several lovers, and certainly was passionate at different times in her love for Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley(who she came to despise for good reason later) and for the Earl of Bothwell.
   
   Mary was a vengeful ruler and the more ruthless of the two queens, she felt nothing plotting the overthrow and death of Elizabeth, while it was with great anguish that Elizabeth was forced to sign Mary's death warrant, after Mary's plotting (The Throckmorton and Babington plots) made her end inevitable.
   
   Essentially the book is about a fatal and tragic clash of interests.
   "A fatal complication ensued when Mary turned her sights on the greater crown of England. believing it her rightful inheritance and a claim worth pursuing. Elizabeth's fundamental insecurity in her own legitimacy, where the whole of Catholic Europe was ranged against her , 'the bastard child of a whore' increased the tension and emotional volatility of the issue. The complex rivalry, the feint and parrying of their personal relationship, sprang from the challenge Mary made for Elizabeth's throne, and the unassailable legitimacy of her claim. The powerful passions this relationship engendered in each was a result of their strikingly different natures. The fact that they never met allowed their rivalries to inflate in each Queen's imagination, their qualities elaborated upon by ambassadors and courtiers intent on their own ambition".
   Elizabeth was a prisoner accused of treason and threatened with execution as a young girl, before gaining the throne, seen by the majority of England's people as a great deliverer from her older sister 'Bloody' Mary I's 's tyrannic religious repression of the Protestants.
   As was written in John Fox's 'Foxes Book of Martyrs' where he records the names and circumstances of ordinary people put to death for their faith under Mary I "When these at Maidstone were put to death
   We wished for our ELIZABETH."
   
   At the time of her mother's execution Princess Elizabeth was two years and eight months old.
   She was soon stripped of her title of princess and declared illegitimate.
   Elizabeth who was an incredibly bright child, did not notice that her mother was gone but she did notice the change of her name. She apparently said to her governess. "how haps it governor, yesterday my Lady Princess, today but my Lady Elizabeth?"
   
   Elizabeth must have grown up under great trauma , her mother executed when she was three years old, on her father's orders, all but rejected by her father and declared 'illegitimate.'
   
   
   Mary of Scots became Queen in a blaze of glory before a series of intrigues and catastrophes led to her being cast off the throne in a civil war, before fleeing to England.
   She was detained on Elizabeth's orders as she was a very real threat to Elizabeth's life and throne on which she had designs, but lived in great luxury and with a large degree of freedom.
   Elizabeth did all she could to be merciful but Mary's plotting and attempts to take the throne sealed her own fate.
   As Elizabeth wrote to Mary "You have in various manners attempted to take my life, and bring my kingdom to destruction by bloodshed. I have never proceeded harshly against you but have on the contrary protected and maintained you like myself. These treasons will be proved to you, and all made manifest' before asking Mary again to answer for her actions and admit her guilt, and Elizabeth would again be merciful.
   Mary's actions played into the hands of Elizabeth's council who then forced elizabeth to give the signal for her execution.



2. This was an interesting book to read. The comapnion biographies gave me a fresh perpsective on the relationship between the two monarchs. My only criticism is that there is a lot of repetition. Dunn writes over and over again about the view of women during the 16th century and about the difficulties faced by a female sovereign. After a while I just kept thinking to myself, "OK! I GET IT!"
   But at the same time it was interesting to read about their lives side by side. I never stopped to think about the fact that while Elizabeth was spending a difficult childhood being threatened with execution after being accused of treason, Mary was the star of the French court and already queen of Scotland in her own right. Elizabeth, as a result, learned very early to tread very carefully and never give away her true thoughts. Mary, on the other hand, never had to learn how to govern. She was priveleged, and was constantly the center of attention. Hardly surprising that she made some catastrophic decisions when she returned to Scotland.
   So although this isn't what I would consider to be a great book, it did give a fresh perspective about how closely entwined the two queens were. If you are interested in the realationship between Elizabeth and Mary you may find this book to be worth your time.



3. I received prompt and reliable service.... my book arrived so quickly and in perfect condition! I'm grateful!



4. For anyone looking for a straight forward biography of these two fascinating queens, Jane Dunn's excellent book is not for you. This is an in-depth, sociological, and psychological study of the two rival queens and the events that shaped their lives. Critical reviewers have accused Dunn of unfair bias toward Elizabeth, but, given the extraordinary achievements of Elizabeth, how can one not be? Mary Stewart was a very romantic, tragic, almost mythical figure, but she played the traditional female role of a queen who needed a king to rule with her; surprising considering she was the daughter of the formidable Marie de Guise. And her appalling choices of husbands #2 and #3 caused her life to spin out of control. Her poor decisions regarding the treason plot against Elizabeth displayed emotion over reason, and ultimately brought about her downfall. Elizabeth, on the other hand, was magnificent. In an era when women were commonly accepted as inferior to men, she not only overcame huge sociological prejudices to become the most powerful ruler of her era, but ultimately did it well, bringing Elizabethan England to great prosperity. The contrast between the two women, Elizabeth, struggling to be equal to a king in a totally male dominated world and Mary, relying on her femininity to achieve her desires, could not be more marked. The issue of succession, with Elizabeth's choice to remain a "Virgin Queen," (in name only, I have to say, I disagree with Dunn's viewpoint that she and Dudley were "just friends") in order to maintain her control, and thus leaving England without an heir, is complex and warranted more discussion in the book. But really, after all the historical sturm und drang does anyone else see the great irony that Mary's son James became king of the British Isles anyway, ascending to both the English and Scottish throne?



5. For anyone looking for a straight forward biography of these two fascinating queens, Jane Dunn's excellent book is not for you. This is an in-depth, sociological, and psychological study of the two rival queens and the events that shaped their lives. Critical reviewers have accused Dunn of unfair bias toward Elizabeth, but, given the extraordinary achievements of Elizabeth, how can one not be? Mary Stewart was a very romantic, tragic, almost mythical figure, but she played the traditional female role of a queen who needed a king to rule with her; surprising considering she was the daughter of the formidable Marie de Guise. And her appalling choices of husbands #2 and #3 caused her life to spin out of control. Her poor decisions regarding the treason plot against Elizabeth displayed emotion over reason, and ultimately brought about her downfall. Elizabeth, on the other hand, was magnificent. In an era when women were commonly accepted as inferior to men, she not only overcame huge sociological prejudices to become the most powerful ruler of her era, but ultimately did it well, bringing Elizabethan England to great prosperity. The contrast between the two women, Elizabeth, struggling to be equal to a king in a totally male dominated world and Mary, relying on her femininity to achieve her desires, could not be more marked. The issue of succession, with Elizabeth's choice to remain a "Virgin Queen," (in name only, I have to say, I disagree with Dunn's viewpoint that she and Dudley were "just friends") in order to maintain her control, and thus leaving England without an heir, is complex and warranted more discussion in the book. But really, after all the historical sturm und drang does anyone else see the great irony that Mary's son James became king of the British Isles anyway, ascending to both the English and Scottish throne?

5 comments about Dark Genius of Wall Street: The Misunderstood Life of Jay Gould, King of the Robber Barons.

1. The great contribution of this book is that it clears many of the historical misunderstandings that one has come to accept as fact about Gould from other sources.



2. The author has done excellent work in condensing Jay Gould's colossal business career into this enjoyable biography. Since Jay Gould was involved in thousands of enterprises, no book can ever cover his dealings and career and personal life without coming short on one end or another. But for anyone wanting to get a balanced view of all aspects of this correctly titled genius, there is no better than this book. No other biography of Gould -- Klein is less objective and too sympatetic, or Warshaw, or O'Connor which are mean-spirited if not sensational, or Grodinski, which disregarded Gould's personality completely -- does such a good job in bringing it all together. I doubt there will be other Gould biogrpahipes since this one is a conclusion to all others. A must read. Nitsan Ben-Horin, New York.



3. The author has done excellent work in condensing Jay Gould's colossal business career into this enjoyable biography. Since Jay Gould was involved in thousands of enterprises, no book can ever cover his dealings and career and personal life without coming short on one end or another. But for anyone wanting to get a balanced view of all aspects of this correctly titled genius, there is no better than this book. No other biography of Gould -- Klein is less objective and too sympatetic, or Warshaw, or O'Connor which are mean-spirited if not sensational, or Grodinski, which disregarded Gould's personality completely -- does such a good job in bringing it all together. I doubt there will be other Gould biogrpahipes since this one is a conclusion to all others. A must read. Nitsan Ben-Horin, New York.



4. This entertaining volume reminds me of a book my mother bought decades ago by a descendant of Count Dracula that sought to rehabilitate his ancestor's reputation while cashing in on his notoriety. Thus in this work, Gould who was denounced in his day by even spokesmen of the conservative business community, to say nothing of labor activists, as an unscrupulous rogue, cutthroat, "financial vampire" and "pirate" is depicted as a misunderstood entreprenuer who did nothing that his rivals would not stoop to. While there may be more than a kernel of truth to that assertion, Gould's historical reputation as one of the most infamous incarnations of his day is backed by more than substantial evidence.
   
   Gould was a highly skilled financial operator who rose from humble roots in upstate New York, where after starting out as a surveyor's apprentice, he began his business career in the thuggish intrigues of the tanning industry. Thereafter, at the outset of the Civil War, he moved to the City where he quickly rose to take on some of the titans of business like Commodore Vanderbilt, who detested him. Unlike Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Rockefeller and even Morgan, however, Gould dealt almost exclusively in stock and financial manipulations to build his fortunes with little regard for building up industry and the means of production. Thus he would acquire properties, like the Erie Railroad, and run them into the ground and dump them after they had been milked dry as cash cows. Needless to say, the interests of the rank and file workers of these enterprises meant little to him, commenting once during a labor dispute he was embroiled in with them, that he could hire half the working class to kill off the other half.
   
   In his financial and stock dealings he was known as the most skilled and unscrupulous operator of his day, the top dog of Wall Street, that even those who considered themselves his closest colleagues needed to watch their backs around. In that regard he would have made the Transylvanian noble blush; and no, he was not, as widely believed, Jewish, although he made a point of not gainsaying his "Hebraic" roots as he felt this added to the aura of mystery and fear around him that he found useful to his purposes. Most notable of his escapades was his attempt to corner the gold market in 1869 which almost collapsed the entire U.S. economy.
   
   Jay Gould was a predatory speculative capitalist who rightly makes latter day embodiments of this type like Boesky, Millken and Skilling seem like bumbling amateurs. Like them, he did from time to time face legal troubles, but unlike these financial pirates of today, he was usually able to, sometimes quite brazenly, in a way that is fortunately no longer tolerated, bribe judges and politicians to escape any significant consequence, although on one occasion he was forced to temoporarily decamp to New Jersey with much of his wealth in carpet bags after Vanderbilt and his rivals had outmaneuvered him in this game of graft in the New York courts.



5. I leave this book with a feeling that Jay Gould is viewed as an evil villain who was a wrecker of companies. He is perceived a lot worse than some other robber barons of his day like Rockefeller. Maybe it was the difference in their generosities, or maybe it had to do with Jay playing the stock market so secretively where you know there is just so much illegal "goings-on" at the time. There are plenty of reasons to keep you guessing...
   
   Jay was excellent at spotting opportunities - this was his specialty, and once he had his sights on something, he didn't quit until he acquired whatever he set out to obtain. He was a man who moved in secrecy at every level to achieve his goal. In any event - besides Jay starting his huge career in railroads, he was a mammoth manipulator of the market using any tactic possible to make a buck in the street; Wall Street that is. This included bribing judges, and whoever else stood in the way. He was definitely a man of his times and a product of his environment where: you either take what you can get or you get eliminated! Jay exercised many illegal devices to build his enormous empire. This is yet another classic example of a man using his abilities which were so far advanced that the government had to insert new laws to curb what activities were permissible in future business practice.
   
   There are a few lessons that one can learn from this book regarding life, and business savvy. One of those being the following: Jay was another man who built such a vast empire in his time that I realized "one can build his own prison" meaning that even with all the money in the world, a man in his position has so many responsibilities that it can weigh you down to the point of getting physical ill. You know that you have to take care of the day-day business problems yourself because you can't depend on anyone else to do it thoroughly. You can get too big, or become too wealthy for your own good... something to ponder over...
   
   In my opinion, this story does have its' slow points. There are lots of details which can take away from a consistent reading flow. I found myself struggling to stay with this book at times; then it would pick up again (maybe I'm just unfamiliar with this author's style of writing). I give the book 3 stars for I thought the book was good, but again very slow at times. I have read other biographies on similar characters that were much more entertaining, and free flowing.