2 comments about The Six Wives of Henry VIII (Women in History).

1. Antonia Fraser's book focuses on the six queens as individuals, one chapter about each queen. They are very different personalities and no doubt there was quite a bit of jalousy between them. Anne Boleyn (2 - The Most Happy?) may seem the most colourful and famous of the six, but this book shows that both Catherine of Aragon (1, Arthur's Dearest Spouse), Jane Seymor (3 - Entirely Beloved), Anna of Cleves (4 - An Unendurable Bargain), Katherine Howard (5 - Old Man's Jewel) and Catherine Parr (6 - Obedient to Husbands) were all every bit as interesting.
   
   I felt very symphatetic to these ladies. Maybe in particular Anna of Cleves, whose marriage to the King was never consummated and finally nullified. After 6 months as Queen, the docile lady Anna submit to the King's will and spent over 17 years as a "good Sister", never to return to her native Germany. Her burial place is, however, magnificent, her fine tomb to be found in Westminster Abbey.
   
   The book also explains a lot about the King's relationship with his queens as a young man, when he was a strapping attractive youth, not only the old, sick and fat man who is usually pictured/painted in history books. It would not have been difficult for a young woman to fall in love with, as the book says, "this fine figure of a man, with his tall blond good looks".
   
   The reason for the many marriages and their unfortunate/cruel outcome, was Henry VIII's desperate attempt to get at least one male heir to the throne. His marriages failed in ensuring this succession, and therein lay the unique fate of his six queens and the religious and political developments in England during Henry's reign.
   
   There was, of course, Edward, Prince of Wales, his son by Jane Seymor. But Edward was not strong and died at an early age. In the end, his daughter by Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth, became Queen Elizabeth I of England, but in quite a different connection and not as a succesor to her father.
   
   I enjoyed Antonia Fraser's book immensely and learned numerous new facts about both the King himself and his six interesting queens.
   
   This is a book which is not a tedious history lesson, marred by too many dates and facts. Apart from an interest in six unique women and a very special time in English history, one does not need any particular qualifications to read and enjoy this book. And at the same time, learn!



2. There are dozens of books on the bookshop shelves about Henry and his willing and not so willing wives. So why pick this one up and buy it. Two simple words, the authoress. Antonia Fraser has written many excellent historical works, most of which have become best sellers. Why? Because she is the best there is at it.
   
   Her eye for detail brings all of her books to life and takes the reader into a magical world. This is not one of those boring historical tomes that sit on the shelf gathering dust from one year to the next.
   
   This book takes the viewpoint of the women in the life of the then monarch of England, Henry VIII, not a very nice man, one would think from the information most of us have about him. But did the women in his life think of him in the same way. Was he funny? Did he make them laugh. Anne Boleyn, I am sure did not find him very funny when she was on the scaffold, but something must have attracted her to him. Was he charming? To have wooed so many women I am sure he was.
   
   Anne Boleyn was the second wife of Henry and bearing in mind what happened to her, the four wives who followed her must have been either very brave, or very foolish. Although in those days I know that women of rank did much as they were told, either by their parents or by there advisers. I use the term lightly.
   
   This book gives you the answer to many questions you may have wondered about and much more besides. It is more than a work of historical fact. it is an excellent and interesting read.

No comments about Changing Conceptions of National Biography: The Oxford DNB in Historical Perspective.

4 comments about Moscow Farewell.

1. The first time I read Feifer's book, I was 14 years old. I read it again this summer, after I had returned from Russia, a trip that "Moscow Farewell" helped inspire. The book is so brilliant, so accurate, so timeless that some 30+ years later, the paralells between his life in Moscow and mine in St. Petersburg are eerie. It is a story that lives in your imagination and your heart, and I often find myself wondering about George and his life after the book ends...



2. Fantastic, I have been in moscow for 5 years and been working, meeting people and got the street-pulse. George Feifer's book is showing the russian's mentality with happiness and large respect. The russian people is a proud people who has been through some hard times and Mr Feifer lets you know how they got by. Today Soviet is Russia, but a lot is still the same, still true...The book is very up lifting, I lift my hat off to you George...



3. I think this book is great. Plus, George Feifer is awesome. He's a friend of the family and he's definitely one of the coolest guys I know. And coming from a teenager, that's a lot. Well, anyways, everyone should definitely read this book. You won't regret it.



4. This fantastic book offers a wonderful view of a young man experiencing life to its fullest--in Soviet Moscow. Extremely well-written, funny, and insightful, it shares its best qualities with those in Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye," Roth's "Portnoy's Complaint," and Kerouac's "On the Road." Reading this book will make you feel good. It is a book for everyone.

No comments about The Memoirs of Captain Hugh Crow: The Life and Times of a Slave Trade Captain.

2 comments about Pierce Brosnan.

1. The order was filled quickly. The book is perfect. Thank You!!!



2. I've been a fan of Pierce Brosnan since I was eleven years old and watched him twice a day in Remmington Steele, on the USA network sindication. When I spotted this biography in the library, I picked it up and knew it would be interesting reading about one of my favorite actors. I was wrong. This book has got to be one of the most stone boring biographies I have ever read, about anyone. Most of the chapters are a few short pages and tend to snap off facts about Brosnan in a dossiere-type fashion. And the author tends to wander off into writing a full page or two, or three, about other people besides Brosnan (by other people, I mean just about everyone he's ever lived or worked with). These, too, are boring little summaries of fact. It seems unlikely that Brosnan cooperated with the book, as there are only a few short quotes from him, which seem to be taken from other interviews he's given. The author just fails to flesh out a person for his readers. Rather, the reader is offered a book-long resume that will tell them nothing they didn't already know if they are Brosnan fans. I suggest readers skip this book and hope for an autobiography, or at least one that the actor will be cooperating with.

5 comments about Diana: The Portrait.

1. First of all I saw this book at the library of Hansabanka Latvia . I decided - I want this book. When I ordered it in Amazon I thought it is not this book because price was about less than $ 15. When I received Diana's album The Portrait I saw - it is book I need !



2. I bought this book as a gift for my 97 year old mother (still mentally alert and an avid reader) and had it delivered to her house. She complained that the print was peach colored and very light and she couldn't read it, but that the pictures were beautiful. Assuming that I had received a bad copy I went to a Barns and Noble store, purchased a second copy, and sent it to her.
   
   Upon inspecting the second copy, prior to sending it, I quickly discovered what the problem was. The font size in this book is very tiny; so small I have to struggle to see it and I have intraocular lens implants and read a couple of books a week. I solved the problem by including a big magnifying glass in the book shipment.
   
   The bottom line is; the print in this book is just too small for older eyes. Otherwise, it's a beautiful book.



3. This is a well organize book. The photos are excellent. I have seem most of the photos, but not all. This book is well put together. As I turn the pages, I remember the outfits and events. This would make an excellent gift for a Diana fan.



4. I have this book and let me tell you, this books has the most beautiful and stunning photographs of the Princess Diana I have ever seen. I am so glad that my birthday is 2 weeks after hers (july 1st) mine is July 13th!!!! I just love looking at the photos, especially with her 2 sons William and Harry. This is a book I will treasure forver of our beloved princess. What a remarkable women. I suggest for those who haven,t read or seen the amazing photographs in here should.



5. I love Princess Diana. I love Diana so much that I went to Althorp to pay my respects to her. This book, Diana: A Portrait brought back those memories. The book is filled with photos of Diana throughout her life, not just when she was a princess. Many of the photos come straight from items that are on display at the exhibit at Althorp, such as her school uniform and report cards. I feel that the book is a companion to that visit I made. If you get the opportunity to go to Althorp, by all means do go. If you can not get to Althorp, this book brings the Althorp exhibit and feeling to you. The photos are beautiful as is the text about Diana's life. The price tag is steep, but this book is a must for a Diana fan. As the exhibit says: The work continues.

No comments about Queen Victoria and the Discovery of the Riviera.

No comments about The Life and Times of James Connolly.

No comments about A Companion to Contemporary Britain: 1939-2000 (Blackwell Companions to British History).

No comments about Island of Tears, Island of Hope: Living the Gospel in a Revolutionary Situation.