No comments about Louis the Great King of Hungary and Poland.

5 comments about Patrick's Corner.

1. I can count on one hand the titles of the books I have been unable to put down, and this is one of them. I went in search of more when I read Sean Patrick's column in Catholic Digest and found short, but full, chapters in the life of a true boy - basically faithful to his religous upbringing, but full of mischevious adventures. It reminds me of Roald Dahl's book, "Boy" - another I couldn't put down.



2. This book is a treasury of wonderful stories that will make you laugh and cry and wish that you had known this family personally. I am only sorry that I finished the book so quickly. I hope that Mr. Patrick will soon be compiling another book from his Catholic Digest columns. READ IT!



3. This book will touch your heart. This was my go to lunch alone book. I had enjoyed Sean Patrick's column in Catholic Digest. So I went looking to find anything else that was written by him. It's not Bible thumping but it is inspiring. Makes you wish you grew up in a big family. Each chapter is a story of it's own. 6 Irish brothers growing up with their widowed mother. It will remind you of your own youth, sibling love. READ THIS BOOK!!



4. Sean Patrick writes of the trials and triumphs of being part of a large, poor family. I found this book very uplifting and true to what it means to be part of a family and community who care for each other. Anyone who grew up in the 40s and 50s will understand the spirit of those times. I laughed and cried through most of his stories. Written in a very loving, humorous manner.



5. sean patrick, if thats his name, wrote a self grandizing piece of dribble. Don't waste your time.

No comments about The Prince in the Tower.

No comments about T.E. Lawrence: Biography of a Broken Hero.

No comments about Irish Immigrants in the Land of Canaan: Letters and Memoirs from Colonial and Revolutionary America, 1675-1815.

5 comments about Kings, Queens, Bones and Bastards.

1. There is a lot of history in this book. Over 1500 years is covered. The author digs deep into history to give us the histories of the people that became the Kings and Queens of England from the reign of Egbert in the 800's to Queen Elizabeth II who is currently reigning.
   
   The book is broken down into sections. The first section details the lives of the King or Queen in question. The next details the people that they married. The next is how the person died and where they are buried. The next section details wither the King or Queen had any illegitimate children.
   
   Very informative book for people who are interested in the royal family or just want to learn more. It also has a family tree that connects the first King of England to Queen Elizabeth-fascinating stuff!



2. This is a fun book that gives interesting and little known facts occuring in the royal history of England. It ties together many unions, births, deaths and other important events of English royalty and lesser royals. It is an easy read and a great reference for understanding the royal succession.



3. Honestly, people - calm down. Did any of the previous readers/reviewers honestly expect a book with the title "Kings, Queens, Bones and Bastards" to be a flawless description of centuries of English history ? And that with scholarly accuracy and intellect ? Take it for what it is worth. Read the "Oxford Illustrated History of the British Monarchy" if you want accuracy. This book is a highly entertaining, easy read. I highly recommend it for its amusing anecdotes and enjoyable style.



4. leading to Princess Sophia Dorothea`s apartement.

   In fact Count Königsmarck was last seen whe he left his house in Hannover on the evening of 11.July 1694. No corpse was ever found. Of course there were rumours all over the town that he had been assassinated and murdered and that his body had been thrown in the river Leine. But wether this had really happened an if it was being carried out on the instruction og George Ludwig (the latter George I) or his father Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hannover or the Countess of Platen (who was not only Königsmarck`s mistress but also Ernest Augustus`s) will never be known. Princess Sophia Dorothea was not divorced and put under house arrest in Ahlden because the dying Königsmarck was found lying before her bodouir But because she was forced to return to her father in Celle. This business was called run away and although she did not "flee" voluntarily and although of course her father turned her down she was accused of wilful deserting thus justifying George Ludwig to divorce her. As a note of history she became not only the mother of the english dynasty of Hannover but through her daughter, another Sophia Dorothea, the mother of the prussian dynasty of Hohenzollern.

   But on the whole the book is remarkably enertaining and gives you a fascinating insight into 1500 years of englisch history.




5. The book is entertaining but if your goal is the study of history, do not buy this book. It is, as another reviewer pointed out, full of mistakes. The first one I found (that stood out) was on page 10. The author states that Mary II (of William III and Mary II) was the sister of James II. She was, in fact, James II's daughter. William's mother, Mary, was the sister of James II and Charles II.

   I also found that Hilliam's method of tracing the lines of descent of the various royal houses of Great Britain seemed designed to confuse, rather than enlighten, the reader. I think that it even confused the author himself(see page 10).

   On the plus side, the sections on Bones and Bastards are entertaining to read, if you don't plan on using this book for research purposes.

1 comments about From the Bloody Heart: The Stewarts and the Douglases.

1. From the Bloody Heart; the Stewarts and the Douglases by Oliver Thomson, is a basic Douglas family history. The Douglases are definitely impacted by and connected to the Stewarts throughout the ages but this book focuses on the Douglas family specifically.
   
   The book is divided into sections, the Black, the Red and the Queensberrys; referring to the different branches of the family. The Douglas family comes to fame under the Good Sir James Douglas, right hand of Robert the Bruce. His amazing life and successes supporting the Bruce and the independence of Scotland led to him being asked to take the heart of Robert the Bruce on Crusade after the hero King's death. The Good Sir James died valiantly in Spain fighting and the family adopted the crowned heart as a symbol on their coat of arms. The Douglases were, from then on, linked to the throne of Scotland. First the Black Douglases and then the Red Douglases rose to power around the throne, some marrying princesses. Others became regents or high officers for the Stewart Kings. The family was large and ambitious and soon obtained numerous Earldoms and lands all over Scotland. Murder, treachery, and deceit was rampant both in politics and internal in the family as each generation of the Douglas family came of age. Although most competed against or used the Royal Stewarts to forward their cause, many Douglases helped and followed in the tradition of the Good Sir James giving their lives for the Stewart Kings. Their impact on the Early Stewart Kings was huge and the Douglases were definitely impacted by the Kings, especially the Black branch. Then in more recent history Mr. Thomson shows how the family ended with 3 Dukes going into the Union with England and today the head of the Douglas family is the Duke of Hamilton.
   
   The family is strong and spread across Scotland and then into Europe and out into the British Colonies. There is an Italian and Swedish branch of the family mentioned as well as specific successful Douglases in America, Canada and Australia. An amazing family indeed. At the end of the book is a nice Tour guide around Scotland and a short reminder of each location's history related to the Douglas family and the individuals discussed in the book.
   
   Over all I think this book is a great intro for those interested in the history and impact on Scotland of the Douglas family. It is not very detailed but definitely gives you the taste. Anyone familiar with the history of the early Stewart Kings will be able to follow the text a little easier. This book covers a lot of different Douglases, many who deserve their own biography, in a short amount of time. I also wish a clearer family tree was included to aid in following the different branches.
   
   This is a must book for anyone interested in the Scottish Douglases or for those with the crowned heart in their genealogy. Thank you, Mr. Thomson for giving the Douglas family some attention is definitely deserves. This family could arguably have been the most influencal and powerful Lowland family in Scotland from the 13th to the 18th century. This book helps explain why.

1 comments about Deep End.

1. I have read some books and almost always felt that the authors were not totally candid. Ger's book faithfully chronicles the entire range of emotions that he experienced dealing with the tragic loss of his companion and his dread of perhaps turning up HIV positive. A hard hitting and candid account of his own personal experience.

No comments about Scarlet Boy.

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