5 comments about White Savage: William Johnson and the Invention of America.

1. This is an immensely enjoyable book. As a fan of Colonial history, I find Johnson himself is a subject of inexhaustible interest. Author O'Toole brings to the table a lyrical yet droll Anglo-Irish style and a master's hand at story telling. Many of the chapters are framed with illustrative incidents from Johnson's life that give theme and sweep to the historical accounts sandwiched between them. O'Toole also uses Johnson to bring the vast and complex colonial frontier (when upstate New York and Ohio were exciting places) to life with a boundless appreciation for all the many participants - Native Americans of many ethnicities, British agents, soldiers, English, Dutch, French, Scots-Irish and African colonists. I haven't enjoyed a biography this much in quite some time.



2. There is better coverage of William Johnson's life but this work by Fintan O'Toole is quite acceptable. Born into near poverty in Ireland, Johnson moves to America to develop his uncle's estate in the Mohawk Valley in the early 1700s, begins trading in furs and land and ultimately buys his own property. Befriending the Mohawks, he is adopted into the tribe and continues to rise within North American politics to become a Baronet, Superintendent for Indian Affairs for the Northern colonies, a position equal to a Colonial Governor.
   
   In this capacity he serves as the Crown's principal intermediary with the powerful Iroquois Confederacy, becoming a principal within their Councils. He commands the British, colonial and Iroquois forces in the victory over the French at the battles of Lake George and Niagra and developed the first group of "rangers" for colonial forces, the precursor of the Rangers within today's US Army.
   
   He dies in 1774, just prior to the American Revolution, but is credited with keeping the Iroquois on the side of the Crown during that conflict. A remarkable colossus in North American history, the Iroquois Confederacy, which lasted for over 200 years, is destroyed during the French and Indian War, due in no small part to Johnson's participation within its governing during that conflict. A well researched work, this is a good rendition of a most amazing life.



3. William Johnson may be the greatest colonial American in our history. Had there been no revolution, or had the British won, he would be remembered with the esteem we now reserve for "founding fathers". Johnson proved himself a giant in three arenas. First he made a fortune in the fur trade and parlayed his wealth into vast real estate. The Iroquois preferred to deal with him because he respected them, didn't cheat and kept his promises. Secondly, Johnson became a master diplomat. For most of the 18th century, he kept the six Iroquois tribes pro-British and important allies in the French and Indian War. Thirdly, Johnson was a valiant commander in that war, winning the Battle of Lake George, capturing Fort Niagara and assisting in taking Montreal.
   
   
   O'Toole's book is especially good at bringing out the diplomatic history.
   In fact, if you are thinking of joining the Foreign Service, Johnson has left a record that is still of use today. One can learn what it takes to negotiate with a non-Western, non-progressive people who are given to barbarism and who control extensive natural resources.
   
   O'Toole is Irish and never misses any nuances regarding Johnson's heritage. Such an approach is unusual, but does give clues to the man's psychology. What I hoped to find, but did not, were numerous anecdotes and personal asides revealing the fascinating character that was William Johnson. Alas, the 18th century collected little trivia. Still it's a worthwhile read.



4. Once I started reading, I found this book hard to put down. It is about a paradoxical man and a fascinating period of history.
   
   Unlike some reviewers, I thought the references to Irish history were a logical link to understanding William Johnson's identity and actions. In the process, I also learned something about Irish history.



5. I confess that I was waiting for this book for a long time. By my own admission, William Johnson is probably my biggest hero in Colonial America and his death probably changed the way the revolution in NY turned out (a feared loyal citizen soldier many who rose against his sons would not have done so against him).
   
   This book though left me bored in spots. I find no reason for the author's constant attempt at apologizing for Johnson's conversion to being Protistant nor do I care much about the break down of Irish land ownership. It was not until several chapters in that the book focused on William himself and his time in America.
   
   If the book consitrated more on Johnson as an individual and less on Johnson the Irishman it would have been a better read to me. The most important contributions Johnson made was as a negotiator with the Natives and more time should have been spent building up to this.
   
   I think the author has a great person to write about, but does not do Johnson proper justice. The author should stick more to Ireland and its history in future works. He shows a love of Ireland and its history and his time would be worth spending on that. Writing on Colonial American subject just did not hit home with me.

4 comments about The Kennedys: America's Emerald Kings A Five-Generation History of the Ultimate Irish-Catholic Family.

1. ...the author began to write about the latter-day Kennedys: old Ted Kennedy, his nephews, his nieces. Then, it seems all the careful research and non-biased authorship went out the window. I can only suppose, maybe because Ted is still alive and could have played hardball with the materials granted to the author, the author decides to give him a pass. How can you write a book about the Kennedy family and not discuss Chappaquidick's ramifications?
   
   But until that point, the book is excellent; plenty of actual letters from Rose, Joe, young Joe, Kathleen, Jack et al., are quoted (letters which reveal so much more of their feelings and their characters, rather than just an author stating an opinion about them -- this is great). The trauma that Jacqueline Kennedy endured after the assassination is finally explored in detail. Really, this part of the book is stunning, particularly in regard to what the Kennedys' faith meant to them (particularly Rose) and how it was practiced -- UNTIL the chapters regarding Teddy and the latter-day Kennedys. Then, I get the distinct feeling that the author is indicating it's OK that most of the latter-day members of the family have become the new "pick & choose" Catholics of today -- the type of so-called believers that want to manipulate and practice this faith THEIR way, not their Church's, way. In other words, if a Catholic belief doesn't suit their life choice, they know to make a slick excuse about the choices they make or the political positions they assume. For instance, Ted becomes pro-choice since about 1972 (but never before) --ironically, just when women really started speaking out and became a political force on this issue, and just about the time of Roe v. Wade. Was it really a belief in women's rights that changed him, or was it just a convenient time to sway the way the political wind was blowing?
   
   I can't quarrel with the quality of the writing, or the research, so this book deserves 3 solid stars. Maybe some of my disappointment in the book is with the current Kennedy family itself (and, in respect to the book, the author's failure to point out how the family has lost its way). It is disappointing, seeing the younger generation's campaigns, marriages and even some lives going bust, due to drugs, embarrassing scandals & so forth; seeing how the Catholic values have been degraded, when compared to the stringent yet strong inner core that Rose Kennedy, Eunice, and I think even JFK (despite all his affairs), had.
   
   Most of the younger generation (and Ted, too) seem to lack this core of strength and determination to achieve things not just for their own good but for the good of others, which I believe, for the most part, came from their Catholic faith. The author does a great job showing what the old faith as practiced by the Kennedys meant to them and how it informed the older generation's lives, but fails to point out that its loss and/or its current application as a sort of "only at my convenience" religion has left its mark on the current generation.



2. Professor Maier has documented a side of the Kennedys that many readers are quite unfamiliar with: their ongoing commitment to their religious heritage. As Maier writes, Americans are more comfortable with Kennedy's as power operators and libertines. The essential Catholic nature of these men and women, however, either bores us or makes us uncomfortable. Some liberals don't appreciate the Kennedys as Catholics because they dislike Catholicism itself. Many conservatives deny that the Kennedy's are Catholic because, for such critics, morality means sexual prudery. Maier is able to strike the proper balance in portraying Joseph, Sr., John F. Kennedy and Edward as committed, believing albeit flawed Catholics. Robert is correctly drawn as the most conventionally devout of the Kennedy males. This should not be a revelation to readers, but in a sense, it is. And the author makes one more very important and routinely ignored point: It is very significant that Americans have been unwilling to nominate (let alone elect) a Roman Catholic to the Presidency since John F. Kennedy, over 40 years ago. This work ranks as one of the best, most carefully-documented and readable of the hundreds of books published about this family.



3. While this is an excellent history of the Kennedy family, tracing its roots like few histories have done, this book is far more. The author neither shows a bias to adore this large, well-known clan nor does he show a disdain for them. He simply tells the story as it is and leaves the reader to his own conclusions.

   The main thrust of the book is the family's dealings with the Catholic church. We learn what many have suspected, that the Kennedy family paid off the churches leaders, providing them with much personal and institutional wealth, for the benefit of various Kennedy family members --- for special treatment and services.

   The book covers just about all family members who were helped by the Catholic hierarchy but, of course, it spends more time on JFK who benefited from payments made by his father on his behalf. But it goes on to the more recent affairs including marriage annulments of lesser family members.

   While this clan is of much less importance than it once was --- indeed it is of little importance --- this history and the new revelations add a good deal of knowledge for the student of politics and religion and leaves us with a distaste and distrust of both.

   Susanna K. Hutcheson
   Owner & Executive Copy Director
   Powerwriting.com LLC




4. this new kennedy's book is very great.
   there are a lot of picture and the texts are very complete.
   you can learn a lot about the kennedys.
   it's never boring.
   So read it!

1 comments about The Nine Day Queen of England: Lady Jane Grey.

1. Nine Day Queen of England is a wonderful book, convincing and truthful. Faith Cook tells the true story of Jane Grey as no other book I've read has! This book is truly amazing. I highly recommend it for anyone who is interested in Lady Jane Grey, or in English Monarchy!
   This is certainly a truthful account of one of England's most tragic and brave monarchs.

5 comments about Twenty Years A-Growing.

1. I haven't yet read the book but I will submit a review when completed. However the book came highly recommended to me by many people. they found it a delightful memoir and as i just returend from the Dingle Peninsula, i wanted to read it myself.



2. This is an extraordinary book, described by the well-know author E.M. Forster as "here is the egg of a seabird - lovely, perfect and laid this very morning".

   The author, Muiris Ó Súilleabháin, is an Irish-speaking boy growing up on the Great Blasket Island (An Blascaod Mór). He describes his childhood in the twenties on this 100% Irish-speaking island in Co. Kerry. The population of the island never reached 200, and life there was very archaic - resembling the society in Europe thousands of years ago. Nowhere else in Europe did the shear joy of speaking and love of words live on as here, where thousands of pages of folklore has been collected as well. This love of the language is obvious in this vivid book, in which Muiris presents an affectionate, lively and interesting account of a way of life that no longer is.

   Despite being published 70 years ago, the book still feels fresh and manages to blend fond memories and humour in an extraordinary way. This is definitely THE book to buy for anyone interested in the Irish way of life.




3. Twenty Years A-Growing by Maurice O'Sullivan is one heck of a "coming of age" story. I'd never even heard of it until a friend of mine told me that he was reading it. I'm sure glad he did. This is a great book!

   I've actually read several coming of age stories recently. I didn't plan to...it just kind of occurred that way. Some of them were really good (David Copperfield by Dickens being one of them); but none of them, Copperfield included, spoke to my heart like Twenty Years A-Growing.

   Twenty Years A-Growing was translated into English from Gaelic. I personally find this astounding. They (whoever "they" might be) say a book always loses something in translation. Yet Twenty Years absolutely sings in English...the translation is so powerful that the original must truly be a thing of beauty.

   It is an autobiographical tale of growing up in the Blasket Islands off the coast of Ireland around the time of the first world war. For me at least, it was a thing of wonder to be able to enter into this world which has since moved on. It is a story told in a wonderfully simple yet almost lyrically beautiful way. Each chapter is a story in itself. The story as a whole slowly ingrains itself upon your heart and mind.

   I felt an affinity with Maurice and his friend Thomas. The adventures they find themselves in ring true even as they entertain the reader. Likewise, the character of the grandfather in particular now feels like an old friend to me. I particularly appreciated some of the wisdom he espouses to Maurice.

   I dare anyone to read this book and not be charmed by the lives of these wonderful people who lived almost a hundred years ago in a kind of societal setting that seems all at once foreign, yet somehow more sane than today's world of constant "time management" in pursuit of hollow "muchness" and "manyness."

   It does not happen often that I do not to want a book to end. I usually approach the end of a book with satisfaction. Rarely am I left wanting more. Yet that was the case with Twenty Years A-Growing. It is a truly special book.




4. Twenty Years A-Growing by Maurice O'Sullivan is one heck of a "coming of age" story. I'd never even heard of it until a friend of mine told me that he was reading it. I'm sure glad he did. This is a great book!

   I've actually read several coming of age stories recently. I didn't plan to...it just kind of occurred that way. Some of them were really good (David Copperfield by Dickens being one of them); but none of them, Copperfield included, spoke to my heart like Twenty Years A-Growing.

   Twenty Years A-Growing was translated into English from Gaelic. I personally find this astounding. They (whoever "they" might be) say a book always loses something in translation. Yet Twenty Years absolutely sings in English...the translation is so powerful that the original must truly be a thing of beauty.

   It is an autobiographical tale of growing up in the Blasket Islands off the coast of Ireland around the time of the first world war. For me at least, it was a thing of wonder to be able to enter into this world which has since moved on. It is a story told in a wonderfully simple yet almost lyrically beautiful way. Each chapter is a story in itself. The story as a whole slowly ingrains itself upon your heart and mind.

   I felt an affinity with Maurice and his friend Thomas. The adventures they find themselves in ring true even as they entertain the reader. Likewise, the character of the grandfather in particular now feels like an old friend to me now. I particularly appreciated some of the wisdom he espouses to Maurice.

   I dare anyone to read this book and not be charmed by the lives of these wonderful people who lived almost a hundred years ago in a kind of societal setting that seems all at once foreign, yet somehow more sane than today's world of constant "time management" in pursuit of hollow "muchness" and "manyness."

   It does not happen often that I do not to want a book to end. I usually approach the end of a book with satisfaction. Rarely am I left wanting more. Yet that was the case with Twenty Years A-Growing. It is a truly special book.




5. Twenty Years A-Growing, or Fiche Bliain ag Fás in its original Irish, is a humorous and well written book about the sometimes hard life at the great western island, An Blascaod Mór, off the cost of Ireland. It tells about the everyday of the islanders in the beginning of the century in a surprisingly modern and lively way. The language of the Island was Irish, and although the Great Blasket is now abandoned, the Irish language still lives on in the mainland parishes in this area. I strongly recommend this book to everyone interested in Ireland, its culture, the Irish language or readerswho just want a fun and good book. I myself have only read the whole of it in its Irish original, but the passes I've read in English shows a well-done translation

2 comments about An Old Woman's Reflections (Oxford Paperbacks).

1. In spite of other reviewers making light of this wonderful woman's story, I see it in a different light altogether. I think we all have a lot to learn from Peig's life and experiences. We are spoiled on material goods and suffer from spiritual deprivation. Peig may have had the "poor mouth" but she never whined about it. We whine about a red light that doesn't turn green fast enough or the fax machine when it seems to take forever. Does anyone really think we are better for that? I think not. I am now in my third reading of Peig Sayer's autobiography and, over the years, I keep getting more out of her vision. Do I want to live like her? Not entirely. Who wants to lose their children and be separated from those we love? Do I envy her close ties to nature and her personal relationship with God? Yes, I do. It's not that I want to be Peig Sayers, its just that I think she has a lot to say to those of us who have become so far removed from the essentials of God's world. I love her story and I wish I had known her.
   Marion Brown



2. This is the story...of a lovely lady! This book was the bane of every school child in Ireland for decades. It used to be on the curriculum so that, despite the fact that you would have to grit your teeth to read it, it was a bestseller in Ireland. It tells the story of Peig Sayers, a woman who lived in the poor and rural south-west of Ireland in the early 20th century. In this book, everyone was poor, no-one had anything, people were evicted from their hovels, life was hard, people died young, children were barefoot, the livestock slept in the house, it was always raining....well, you get the idea.

   Peig was born on the mainland of Ireland, but married a fisherman who lived on the Blasket islands, a small collection of islands a few miles off the coast of Kerry. Tough as things were on the mainland, things were tougher still here! You were lashed by the Atlantic, the wind could blow you off the cliffs, and you could be drowned while you were fishing, and that was on a good day! The book tells of her struggle to be accepted by the islanders, how she brought up her large family, how she coped with the death of some of her sons fishing, and the folklore, stories, and culture all around her.

   This book, and others like it from other authors on other islands ("The Islander" being another good example) formed a literary style which became known as "the poor mouth". They all share similar characteristics as they described the oppresive hardships suffered stoically by the people. Even now in Ireland, anyone whinging about their bad situation would be dismissed as "putting on the poor mouth" and everyone would know what was meant. There is even a spoof "poor mouth" book by Flann O'Brien, which is well worth reading as an antidote to all the hardship and depression!

   Now that Peig is no longer force fed down poor school children's throats, it has been re-appraised as a valuable historical record of western Irish culture, and no longer as an instrument of torture. Now that you don't HAVE to read it, more people now seem to WANT to read it! The book was originally written in the Irish language since that was the only language Peig spoke, but this translation in English is available.

   If you want a glimpse of an Ireland now long gone (and it really is long gone, despite what anyone might tell you), you can't go wrong with Peig. Just make sure you have a good supply of prozac close to hand.

5 comments about O Come Ye Back to Ireland: Our First Year in the County Clare.

1. Easy read, entertaining and educated me about what County Clare was like a few decades ago. Took place in the area my grandmother came from so was especially interesting to me. On a recent trip to Ireland, I met one of the authors, Christine Breen. She gave us a tour of Kiltumper Cottage which was center stage of the story. Fascinating lady. And such a treat to see the cottage I read about! Highly recommend this book!!



2. This book was interesting as I am married to an Irish woman and we travel to Ireland often. The descriptions of everyday life in Ireland are grand and are usually explained as compared to life in the states. It's not a very humourous book, but worth resding if you long for Ireland.



3. Before I knew it, I was done with this book and on-line ordering all three of Niall Williams' next books. Rather than just another quaint book about "the Irish", this book weaves a funny and entertaining story of two Americans trying to fit-in in rural west Ireland. From learning the customs to waiting to get a party-line phone, there was a smile on every page.



4. I am planning a trip to Ireland and always enjoy reading some books set in the place I am visiting. This story of a couple who moves to Ireland definitely gave a feel for the place. Both the material poverty but social richness.



5. When I traveled to Ireland two years ago and felt like I'd "come home" from the beautiful scenery (I never knew there could be *that* many shades of green) to the friendly people, to the rather mystical appearance of a Dolmen-shaped cloud in the sky just after we had viewed Dolmen in north County Clare, the experience was one I will not only never forget but hope to repeat sometime soon. During this time it was County Clare which spoke to me most of all.

   Niall Williams, born in Dublin and Christine Breen, from New York, have left their Manhattan home to move to County Clare and into the cottage where Chris's grandfather was born. The struggles and triumphs of their first year are engagingly told in this wonderful little book. I was able to be transported back to the rural west of Ireland I learned to love in just a few short days.

   In leaving their jobs and friends in Manhattan, Niall and Chris took a very big risk. To go to a place with no central heating, a telephone out of the early 20th C., and to one of the wettest summers on record took real courage. They quickly fit right in with their neighbors and by the time they host a New Years Eve party they are definitely one of "them."

   If you're an armchair traveler, someone who's visited the Emerald Isle, or just hope to someday, this is a story to cherish. I have also now read their book of travel essays and am awaiting arrival of their other two books which I have recently ordered.

   Although I am too old to do what Niall and Chris have done, it's great to live vicariously through them! Well done!

5 comments about In Code: A Mathematical Journey.

1. Miss Flannery book is great. I remember the interesting puzzles littered through the book. Otherwise an inspiring story which doesn't abstract away achievement by attributing it to the authors intelligence.
   
   I found it a delightful read. I would strongly recommend that you buy a copy to gift to your 15 year old kid/niece/nephew....



2. everybody knows that number theory is notoriously abstract and at times, completely unfathomnable to the layman's mind and at worst the realm of the pure intellect. But Sarah and her dad has done a excellent job in breaking that notion!



3. If you know any youngster who's interested in math, do them a favor and buy them this book. Heck, even if they don't care about math, buy them this book anyway. I don't see how anyone who doesn't have a brick between their ears can fail to be inspired by the curiosity and enthusiasm of this down-to-earth young lady.



4. 
   In Code is written by Sarah Flannery (who won Ireland's Young Scientist of the Year Award at the age of 16). Part biography, it discusses this young woman's remarkable journey to mathematical celebrity, beginning from her solving logic brainteasers from a very young age. Cultivated and influenced in large part by her mathematician father, Sarah attempts to develop a new algorithm that encrypts/decodes more quickly than RSA, the standard public key algorithm.
   
   This book provides a detailed discussing of cryptography and mathematics and includes various technical questions/references that stumped me. As another reviewer wrote, "she digs deeply into number theory." Nevertheless, her fluid and engaging writing made up for these hurdles.
   
   All in all, a definite read!



5. "In Code" provides a readable and thorough overview of cryptology in the context of Sarah Flannery's experience in this field of science. The book provides both good coverage of the mathematics underlying encryption technologies used today and a compelling and interesting story of a bright young individual making her way through an exciting field of science.
   
   I recommend this book as a good introduction to the field of cryptology with an overlay of an enjoyable character-driven storyline.

5 comments about Good-Bye to All That.

1. Obviously a must read for all Graves fans and pre-world war Britain. Later chapters will be worth the wait for World War I fans. The reading is clear, fluid, and to the point; making it am excellent reference to the war. I gave it four stars since I am not a Robert Graves fan; although he seemed like a nice bloke.



2. If you want to learn about and from Graves, then you will love this book. The Great War was a turning point for the generation of Robert Graves just as post September 11th is a turning point for the current generation: nothing can ever be exactly the same, but it takes a great poet to put those changes into context for the rest of the world. Graves was that poet for his generation.
   Misunderstood early in life, at times labeled a subversive, after ninety years, he departed this world as a wise sage. This is the story of his early life, including his experiences in the Great War. It is a must read for any ex-soldier and for anyone who wants to understand the core of Graves' thought.



3. This account by Robert Graves is one of the better personal journals I have read concerning the Great War. The very fact that Graves is in almost at the beginning of the conflict / situation of Trench warfare make this a very valuable work. Because he is an accomplished writer, it flows and reads very well. There are no sections of the book that lag. You will absolutely gain some insight to the way that the officers and men behaved and especially appreciate his commentary on French citizens caught in the middle of the conflict, individual soldiers that have some sembelance of a brain versus the moronic mass, and how much stupidity there is in military conduct based on previous experiences in war, not realizing that this was a new and different sort of conflict, yet trying to constantly apply outdated and dangerous methods in attack. One such crazy result of it is that officers had a high casualty rate. Why? Well, you could always identify them in the field of battle. They were the guys carrying a pistol and swagger stick versus a rifle. Easy pickings to say the least and you would think they would learn and make adjustments accordingly but tragically the practice continued. Anyway, a great book. Well worth your time and small investment to a window on another era by a first hand witness.



4. Good descriptive text of WWI in the trenches and on the way to them, but other than that, not a particularly well-written book. Graves's 'better than thou' attitude sours what could have been a masterpiece if written by somebody with a heart. A bitter story by a bitter man who should have stuck to his poetry.



5. This is the edition that Graves edited to all Jesus hell! I've seen excerpts of the unedited version and THAT is the book to aim for, though you have to find it through an antiquarian book peddler and the cheapest edition I could find cost $300. Rats. But hopefully perhaps an electronic edition of the original will somehow find its' way to the internet one day.
   
   What is left is still an excellent read. Concerning the up to that date unprecedented rate of slaughter and the technological changes of modern warfare that made it so, his way is understatement which I believe made it that much more impactful. I like this man's mind - I like him. It would have been very interesting to corner him by a fire with a bottle of good sherry and to let him expound on the Latin or WWI or poetry, or perhaps Hebrew mythology.
   
   Speaking of Hebrew mythology, he wrote a wonderful wonderful book on it, a treatise really on the book of Genesis. If you have any interest whatsover in religion, etymology or anthropology, please read this book - it is wonderful! Just google or "amazon" Graves and Hebrew myths and you will find it.
   
   I have his "White Goddess", but have not read it yet.

5 comments about The Desert Generals (Cmp).

1. What follows is from the preface of Desert Generals, and it is THE reason to read this book:
   
   "The theme of this book is the struggle of individual will against circumstance. The subject matter is human characer. In these five uncommon men during the Desert Campaigns (of World War II), as in the condensed action of a tragedy, were displayed nobility, frailty, resolution, loyalty, indecison, vanity, fear, simplicity, selfishness, greatness and littleness..."
   
   "Desert Generals" delivers all of that and more..much more.
   
   And make it six generals, not five. The Desert Fox, Erwin Rommel, must be included as well. Six generals, five British, one German, a study in character, leadership, the lack of it, and meddling politicians in a time of war.
   
   Good read. Very good. It's about men, not war.



2. Barnett's "warts and all" bios of so many of the British officers involved in the African campaign stirred up the Montgomery worshippers, despite the length of the rest of the work when compared with the section on Montgomery's command. The author succeeded with the original edition because of his reliance on facts already of record; the later editions beginning in the 1980s included the revelations from the declassified Ultra program. At the end of each section Barnett has new commentary based on the new information available, but apart from one or perhaps two instances, finds even more support for his conclusions, and often enough, more reason to criticize the Montgomery deification. The original edition remains intact within the new edition, which is an excellent approach.
   
   Winston Churchill is criticized for his incoherent meddling. A great war leader like Churchill is bound to have made really monumental blunders, and did. By forcing one of his African commanders to launch an unwinnable and (at best) ill-advised to save Greece, he prolonged the war in Africa by two years. Auchinleck and Dorman-Smith produced the plan which defeated Rommel, beat Rommel, and were then relieved by Churchill. Montgomery's victory at Second el Alamein cost him more than half of his tanks and ended with Monty's failure to chase and catch Rommel before he could slip back to Europe. And the "victory" was entirely due to Hitler's failure to resupply Rommel; its timing was determined by the landing of US troops far behind Rommel, which was the cause of Rommel's retreat.
   
   Barnett's use of sources is splendid. He relies on British sources, but also uses German and Italian sources thoroughly and appropriately to illuminate the back and forth struggle in North Africa.
   
   Regarding "What If" scenarios -- Despite some claims to the contrary, the threat to Allied war efforts posed by the loss of the Middle East was real and serious. Loss of the Middle Eastern oilfields would have crippled, even eliminated, the British fleet, opening the road to a German invasion of Britain, thereby ending any possibility of a western, second front such as the one opened on D-Day. At best, it would have required even more US convoys; the few dozen miles of English Channel was a terrible logistical obstacle to the use of Allied armed forces after D-Day (although that can in large part be attributed to Montgomery).
   
   Loss of the Suez Canal would have cut the British Empire in two, leaving the Far East the exclusive domain of the Japanese. Luckily, Germany was led by a military bungler and meddler worse than any other produced in the 20th century.
   
   Omar Bradley's "A Soldier's Story" has some more truthfully negative remarks about Montgomery, and is also worth reading to find those.



3. I don't think I may have read a better account of Desert War than Barnett's Desert Generals.By all means a revisionist history ,the book traces the careers of five British Generals in North Africa: O'Connor,Cunnigham,Ritchie,Auchinleck,Montgomery.Their operations represent collective British effort in preventing Rommel's Deutsche Afrika Korps from seizing Egypt, Middle East.
   
   The book opens with brilliant campaign of Maj Gen O'Connor which began as a raid but climaxed in the Battle of Bedda Fomm resulting in the destruction Rudolpho Graziani's Italian Tenth army.Unfortunately British political establishment in London failed to exploit this victory.O'Connor's Western Desert force could have easily taken Tripolitania thus completing the conquest of Italian North African empire.Instead forces were diverted to Greece .This was a blunder of monumental proportions for which Churchill must be held accountable.
   
   The diversion prolonged North African campaign,for it helped Germans land troops in Tripolitania.Besides forces assigned to the Far East were sucked into the defence of egypt ;consequently British were unable to resist Japanese onslaught.Author also is highly critical of Churchill's direction of war in North African theatre.PMs continous prodding led to Battle Axe-premature offensive to defeat Rommel-which ended in a fiasco.Ultimately Gen Wavell was made the scapegoatand had to resign.
   
   Poor British performance continued under generals who succeded O'Connor.How can we explain heavy British defeats in Desert War?
   Author says this was due to poor,faulty armoured tactics.During Crusader offensive General Cunnigham split the armour across length and breadth of the battle field.Instead armour should have been massed enabling it to strike like a clenched fist.Cardinal failure of British was unlike Germans they failed to organise Combined Arms Teams with tank as the pivot.Mad onrush of tanks against fixed German defences without artillery support led to heavy losses.Barnett attributes this to comparmentalised,orthodox ,regimental tradition of British army.
   
   British tactical conduct of battle improved considerably under Gen Auchinleck's dynamic leadership.Author calls Auk as the man who saved Egypt.Against this it must be said when Rommel started probing Egypt's defences Afrika korps had shot its bolt.Ammunition and fuel shortages -due to failure of Axis High Command to neutralise Malta-crippled the movement of German armour.Besides Rommel had lost the services of his efficent Radio Intelligence Service commanded by Alfred Seebohm.With the result he had no idea of British plans ,intentions ,capabilities and was now boxing in the dark.
   
   On the other hand his opponent had a clear picture of Rommel's intentions thanks to Enigma decrypts.Auchinleck's calculated aggression helped British defend Egypt.Swift punches here, there unhinged Rommel throwing his battle plans into disarray.
   
   The book contains virulent criticism of Montgomery's generalship.Firstly ,author condemns Montgomery for claiming credit for repelling Rommel at Alam Halfa.Facts show the plan for repelling German assault had been devised by Auchinleck with the help of his brilliant chief of staff Eric Dorman Smith.Montgomery while becoming Commander of desert army inherited those plans and put them into effect.With the battle progressing favorably ,Montgomery ,according to the author,botched the opportunity of annhilating Rommel's Panzer Armee.He could have done so by unleashing his armour from Alam Halfa ridge which would have descended into the Africa Korps rear- at a time when it had bitten deep into British defences-severing it from its base.There would have been no El-Alamein then.
   
   Further author impugns the wisdom of fighting this set- piece battle.Auchinleck's successful defence of Egypt prompted the Allies to sent a expeditionary force to North Africa.Landings which were to be effected on Rommel's rear would have compelled him to abandon fixed defences and withdraw.British then could have launched their superior mechanised forces to cut off retreating Germans.Instead yearning for national prestige made them fight a battle which came close to disaster.
   
   Author faults Montgomery's breakthrough plan .Armour was used a battering ram.Sheer weight of metal helped Eighth Army hack,crunch their way through German defences.Despite suffering tremendous losses Montgomery knew that victory would be his.Thanks to Ultra, he knew German strength was ebbing away.If he could sustain this attrition for few more days enemy would break.This happened precisely.Despite possessing superior mobility British failed to cut off retreating Germans owing to the chaotic nature of their advance.
   
   All the above are intresting observations which have combined to demolish Montgomery myth.No doubt book raised a storm when it was first published in 1960.I feel author has displayed remarkable courage,intellectual honesty in challenging the established views which made this book military classic.



4. I recently took part in an online discussion over the merits of O'Connor and Montgomery and came to the conclusion that my knowledge was lacking on the details of their respective attributes as General Officers in the field, so when I came accross this book I thought "Just what I want".

   Once I read the introduction however, whilst assuming the details and history to be correct, what jaundiced my view was that the purpose of the book was to "prove" that Montgomery inherited his good actions from Auchinleck as opposed to 'creating' them himself. This raised the possibility of a 'slant' to the text in order to "prove" the authors contention.

   Having said that, I thoroughly 'enjoyed' the read which was most informative.




5. In this book, Barnett again demonstrates a unique ability to dissect high command. Barnett was ahead of his time with his critical analysis of Montgomery. The latest edition includes a section which details the extent to which the allies in North Africa knew in advance what Rommel's moves would be, thanks to ULTRA intercepts. With this additional information, Montgomery's cautious conduct of the campaign in North Africa comes into even greater question. Barnett also details how the British, under O'Connor, were on the verge of driving the Italians from North Africa in 1940, but instead chose to send an expeditionary force to Greece on what was basically a poltical mission masterminded by Winston Churchill. That mission, like Churchill's foray into Gallipoli during the First World War, collapsed and Axis forces were not cleared from North Africa until early 1943. This book is highly recommended for anyone who enjoyed *Hitler's Generals* or *Swordbearers*, both also by Barnett, or anyone interested in the history of the Second World War, North African theater.

5 comments about The Secret Life of Oscar Wilde.

1. I admit that I knew very little of Oscar Wilde when I chose this particular book, at random. What an excellent choice for a novice as well as a Wilde devotee! Not only did I appreciate the tragic love story of Oscar, Constance and Bosie, but I also gained an insight into Victorian mores and political machinations. We apparently can't claim the corner on the market of corrupt zealots.
   If you haven't read Mr. McKenna's work, you must. In the biography arena, this book is beyond the realm.



2. McKenna has carved his own niche among the Wilde biographies by concentrating on Oscar's homosexuality (too often marginalized or avoided by other writers), with emphasis on his long relationship with Bosie; McKenna considers theirs a great love affair, but it appears to have been something along the lines of codependency. It's quite remarkable how much detail is known about Oscar's antics through letters, journals and books, maybe too much, since this long read is at times a bit tedious as we move through one young man after another. McKenna has a couple of annoying habits as a writer -- all the young men couldn't have been quite as "breathtakingly" attractive as described, he makes a lot of suppositions about what someone must have thought, or might have done, and he's a bit melodramatic with the "but he would find out all too soon" chapter endings.
   
   But these are quibbles. The book is important is several ways. Above all, it portrays Wilde as one of a group of early advocates of gay rights, a fervent believer that society and the law should treat homosexuals with equality and respect. It also provides a fascinating "decoding" of Wilde's most famous works by explaining the double, ie. homosexual, meaning of words, phrases and behavior on the part of his characters, who were often based on real people. The book paints a vivid picture of the seamy side of London's "Uranian" underground of rent boys, petty thieves and blackmailers and the "respectable" men who took their pleasure there. And it delves into his marriage, the ill-fated consequence of having to protect his reputation from the circling vultures.
   
   Wilde is a fascinating, maddening subject, so sure of his own superiority that he considered himself above the law and the strictures of society, making him ultimately the instrument of his own self-destruction. This book will be of interest primarily to Wilde junkies and people interested in the sexual aspect of his life, but it should be read in conjunction with other bios, lest one get the impression that the great man did little but go at it like a rabbit.



3. "I find it harder and harder every day to live up to my blue china," Oscar Wilde confessed while he was a student at Oxford (p. 14).
   
   For anyone who has visited his lipstick-kissed tomb at the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, Wilde's "secret life" is really no secret. Wilde (1854-1900) was primarily an Irish playwright, novelist, and poet, known for his brazen wit ("Little boys should be obscene and not heard," p. 257), which made him one of the greatest celebrities of late Victorian London. Following Wilde's death, his friend, Frank Harris, wrote a biography, Oscar Wilde: His Life and Confessions, which was followed by H. Montgomery Hyde's 1975 biography, Oscar Wilde: A Biography, and more recently Richard Ellmann's 1987 meticulous work, Oscar Wilde. Whereas these earlier, excellent biographies focused primarily on Wilde's literary achievements and dealt with his sexuality only in passing, Neil McKenna's The Secret Life of Oscar Wilde examines Wilde's sexuality and sexual behavior in detail--and at times, in graphic detail.
   
   Most biographers concur that Wilde was introduced to homosexuality in 1885, but McKenna speculates--in charting Wilde's "journey" to find his true sexual self (p. xi)--Wilde was first aware of his homosexuality much earlier when he kissed another boy at age 16. After his arrival at Oxford in 1874, Wilde experienced passionate, romantic feelings for Greek beauty (i.e., cultivated, youthful, "fair," "slim" choirboys) (pp. 6-7), but was drawn sexually towards rougher boys. Following his visit to America in 1882, Wilde boasted, "I have the kiss of Walt Whitman still on my lips." In his struggle against his sexual feelings for young men, Wilde attempted to "cure" his sexuality in 1884 by marrying Constance Lloyd (the daughter of Queen's Counsel Horace Lloyd) and by fathering two sons, Cyril (1885) and Vyvyan (1886). But he continued to have regular sexual relationships with Robert Baldwin Ross, Lord Alfred Douglas ("Bosie"), and random teenage boys, whom he would meet in bars or brothels, culminating in his May, 1895 conviction and two-year imprisonment for "gross indecency." Later, after remarking, "my wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. One or the other of us has to go" (p. 463), Wilde died in Paris, knowing that "he was a martyr in an epic struggle for the freedom of men to love men" (p. 465).
   
   Drawn from interviews, letters, memoirs, journals, and Wilde's own writings--although McKenna's controversial but highly readable biography has been criticised for being too speculative, it nevertheless succeeds in bringing Wilde to life as a literary genius, a dandy, a pagan, an "extreme aesthete" who attempted to live his life by burning hard like a gemlike flame (p. 13), and as a gay Victorian outcast.
   
   G. Merritt



4. See the other side of famous author Oscar Wilde with this biography. You'll gain new insight and perspective on his life.



5. I bought this book after reading a rave reviews in The Washington Post.
   It is everything that it promised to be: brave, fresh, exciting, and
   scrupulously researched. I have read most other biographies of Oscar
   over the years and really thought that there was little left to say.
   McKenna's biography has proved me wrong by proving not a wealth of new
   and exciting material, but also a wealth of new insights and
   interpretations. I cannot recommend this book too highly - it is a
   beautiful and magical read. At the best part of 600 pages, it's a long
   book, but for me it wasn't long enough. Incidentally, I don't
   understand the comments of the latest reviewer about footnotes. In my
   US hardback edition there are nearly 60 pages of notes which
   scrupulously source every quote.