5 comments about The History of the Kings of Britain (Penguin Classics).

1. With details of troop deployments and excerpts from speeches kings deliver to their men before battle, it becomes obvious it is unlikely that the details are historically accurate. Little time is spent discussing personal relationships; most of the stories revolve around battle. The book is easy reading for the most part. Some of the details offered before any given battle are hard to understand, but they rarely have a significant impact on the course of the plot. The price is more than fair, considering the volume of the book itself and the multitude of fantastic stories. Despite the fact that the work cannot be considered a true source of history, there is still a great deal of educational value.



2. I had to read some parts of this book for class and there were times when I was so confused by the writing that I had to reread parts three or four times. At other times I had no problem understanding what was going on. Overall, it is an enjoyable read if you are interested in how biographies were written in the middle ages and if you don't take every word seriously since the author wasn't very faithful to history.



3. I'm not sure why another reviewer asserts that "this is not a translation of the Latin HRB." Thorpe is translating the Latin Historia Regum Britanniae from the Cambridge MS. 1706 (see p. 34 of Thorpe's intro).
   
   Geoffrey composed the History of the Kings of Britain ca. 1136-38. It is a medieval chronicle, and it adheres to the standards of historiography of the time. While it does not provide the kind of coherent reading experience one might expect from a modern novel, it does offer early versions of what will become familiar tales. Most Arthurian courses (including mine) begin with excerpts from this book--which places the figure of Arthur and his prototypes somewhere in the twilight between Late Antique history and medieval romantic legend. Later vernacular versions of the HRB will be Layamon's Brut (in early Middle English) and Wace's Roman de Brut (in Anglo-Norman French).
   
   Geoffrey was probably Welsh, and some believe that he writes the HRB to please the Norman ascendancy as they have defeated the Anglo-Saxons (the old enemy of the Welsh) a few generations earlier.



4. In The History of the Kings of Britain, Geoffrey of Monmouth presents a detailed history of the Britons, beginning with Brutus in the twelfth century B.C. and ending with Saxon invasion in the seventh century A.D. Through the main characters of his book, Brutus, Belinus and Arthur, Geoffrey illustrates Britain's glorious past, recalling the events in chronological sequence and providing detailed descriptions of every event, especially those strategic to the building of Britain.
   While Geoffrey's source has yet to be proved, in his own introduction, Geoffrey claims to follow a reliable and ancient source given to him by a friend. The lack of evidence to support this claim, coupled with the supernatural elements incorporated into The History of the Kings of Britain, makes it difficult for the modern reader to place complete trust in the text as a historical account of Britain's history. The text is, however, rich in historical value as from his writing, one can deduce much about the political structure of Britain in that time frame, as well as the sociological makeup of the nation. The emphasis on politics, war and international relations, form a rough picture of Britain's power system, and the lengthy stories revolving around his characters give the reader insight on the lives of the British nobility.
   The History of the Kings of Britain deserves as much credit (if not more) for its literary value as its historical one. While Geoffrey considers himself a historian, his artistic talents, fluency and extensive use of vocabulary bring his accounts to life, turning the text into an enjoyable literary piece. Especially in key passages (in particular those concerning Arthur), Geoffrey makes very fine and detailed points, often narrating livelily.
   Lastly, Geoffrey writes "to be read by the solitary reader, not to be declaimed aloud...recital." While unable to resist the temptation to exalt certain characters he favor, Geoffrey is sensitive to leave much room for the reader's imagination. The experience of reading Geoffrey includes filling in the gaps in his stories with speculations of your own, giving every reader a personal "version" of the book.
   The History of the Kings of Britain is both an acclaimed literary piece and a famous historical account. The richness of its text lies in the careful description of the events, and the accessible style of writing. A marvelous attempt at introducing Britain's early history, the History of the Kings of Britain also provides one of the greatest accounts of the Arthurian legend.



5. Geoffrey's "The History of the Kings of Britain" is an engaging book about the King's who ruled over Britain and the great deeds they accomplished. I will concentrate particularly on the tales concerning Uther Pendragon and Arthur, since these are the characters that, in one way or another, helped form the image of Arthur we relate to in today's society.
   The book is, for the most part, event driven. Geoffrey describes one battle after the next after the next. It is almost certain that he will name each and every important character just as he will explain what happens to them at one point or another. He takes great care in describing how the battles take place. You can be sure he will never miss a name. Although these and other little details about battles and events are interseting, they do not make up for the lack of insight into the characters lives, especially Arthur's.
   Throughout the novel it is possible to get a feeling that Geoffrey continues to try and convince us that Arthur is the noblest and most generous of men. Arthur's actions, however, don't always seem to be so. Was his generosity true at heart, or was it a form of subtle bribery to keep his people's and allies favor? Why was Arthur so eager to enter battle, one after another, despite losing so many of his mens lives? Geoffrey does a good job of "telling" us of Arthur's greatness, but does a poor job of "showing" it.
   Despite these minor flaws, The History of the Kings of Britain is, if not historically acurate, at least entertaining. The constant battles, change of events and the casual appearance of supernatural powers gives the book that old, medieval feel. As for the text, it is not difficult to understand. Some effort is required to completly comprehend the events taking place, but it's nothing too time consuming. Personally, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading about conquest, battles and anything relating to King Arthur.

1 comments about The First Queen of England: The Myth of "Bloody Mary".

1. Mary I of England (1516-1558), the elder daughter of Henry VIII, has long been overshadowed by her younger half-sister Elizabeth. As it happens, Mary's "Bloody" reputation is a partly a construct of the following era, due largely to John Foxe and encouraged by Elizabeth herself. But many of the successes of the Elizabethan period, resulting in economic prosperity and flourishing of the arts, were actually continuations of Mary's reforms and policies. One of Elizabeth's advantages was sheer longevity, together with the country remaining Protestant. As a result, historians have traditionally had a rather foreshortened view of Mary's reign.
   
   In her new biography, Linda Porter aims to rehabilitate Mary as a good and competent monarch on balance, and as a pioneer among reigning queens. Porter sets out by explaining the woman that Mary became, examining the people and events that shaped her life--especially her increasingly complicated family and its drama. The resulting depiction of Mary, usually convincing and very well-written, is a worthy addition to historical studies of the Tudor era and queens regnant.
   
   From her mother Katherine of Aragon, Mary learned at an impressionable age that "conscience was the most important justification for behaviour that anyone could make." Katherine refused to step out of the way for Henry's dynastic concerns--she wouldn't even countenance retiring to a nunnery, though Henry, by declaring their marriage invalid from the beginning, actually foreclosed that option. Because Henry divorced Katherine in the end, Mary had to be declared illegitimate.
   
   Strangely--or naively--Henry didn't think that displacing Mary in this way would affect her negatively. But for the young lady who had yielded precedence within the kingdom only to her parents, being uprooted from her (as she saw it) God-given place was simply inconceivable. She objected to any perceived affront, and Henry in his lenience only made the matter worse by not forcing her obedience right away. "The delay raised false hopes and developed in her a pattern of opposition based on conscience and self-identity, where suffering almost became a goal in itself."
   
   Anne Boleyn's jealousy towards Mary grew as the king's divorce dragged on, and in 1531 she became so defensive ("Did she fear that Mary could still salvage her parents' marriage?") that she didn't allow Mary at court at Christmas. Even after Henry married Anne, Mary refused to recognize her as queen, and their encounters always degenerated into rudeness and reprisals. The moral victory was always Mary's:
   "A more subtle woman [than Anne] might have considered outmanoeuvring Mary by occasionally bringing her to court, treating her with kindness and consideration and letting her show the world that, if she continued to defy her father, she was just a sulky, jealous child and a disobedient daughter. The new queen, who liked to be the centre of attention, feared Mary too much to follow such a strategy."
   
   After Anne's death (which Mary may have helped bring about indirectly) and a brief euphoric period in which Mary thought she would be restored to her former position, Henry finally forced his older daughter to submit and acknowledge her reduced status. Mary endured another fifteen years of subjection, first to her father (although she got along quite well with Catherine Parr, her last stepmother) and then to her half-brother Edward VI, whose tolerance of her Catholic observance did not last.
   
   Against the background of this understanding of Mary's character, the events of the last six years of her life fall into place: She rose up with the support of the people to triumph over John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, who would have ruled in the name of his daughter-in-law, Lady Jane Grey. She resumed the practice of the traditional religion, whose beauty and mystery most people probably missed (Northumberland even reverted to the Catholic faith, a huge propaganda victory for the new regime). She married Philip of Spain somewhat reluctantly, it seems, and made it clear that her motherly relationship to her people would take priority. She encouraged trade and reformed the currency that both her father and brother had debased. As for her sobriquet, the level of violence during her reign, although inexcusable to our sensibilities, was not that different from other early modern regimes. As for Calais and its loss, the author glosses it over as ultimately untenable and not all that valuable (an explanation that is not completely satisfying). But when Mary's poor health finally overtook her, she brought about a smooth transition to the next regime by acknowledging Elizabeth as her heir.
   
   Only in the last thirty years or so has Mary I has been rehabilitated and recognized for her own accomplishments, by a series of sympathetic (but not hagiographic) biographers starting with David Loades (newer version), and continuing with Carolly Erickson, J. A. Froude, and others. Porter's biography is not just the latest of these, but also one of the best, with an admirable level of detail and accuracy (especially in the characterizations of supporting figures like Catherine Parr). It is a riveting book, and I finished it with the sense that the traditional smears had been peeled back to reveal something of the pivotal ruler that Mary actually was.

5 comments about The Emperor.

1. What is most astonishing in Kapuscinski's book is not the fact that it was written in a more than evident biased tone with no regard whatsoever to Ethiopia's history and achievements throughout the 20th century, it is rather the fact that the book was deemed to deserve many a positive review. A a journalistic work, it is poorly written and conveys the impression that all the author wished was to defame one of the most important heads of state of the past century and justify the revolution that overthrew him. As for the style, a second-hand copy of P.G. Wodehouse revisiting the Duke of Saint-Simon, it is a regrettable example of how cynicism may be employed as a replacement for the truth of historical facts. As an historical document, it is null. It must be reminded that Selassie was a dynastic monarch, not an opportunist, that he played quite an important role in the League of Nations and through his political ability secured the very existence of Ethiopia as a country. Also, to keep a fair perspective of his reign and of his time it must be recalled that until the 1930's much of Ethiopia was an unexplored frontier, where one would still find native warriors drinking their foes' blood and eating their hearts, as one may notice in one of Wilfred Thesiger early books. Briefly, the Emperor is a sad example of how widespread ignorance of African history makes possible that a badly written and poorly researched piece of political propaganda - serving both imperialist and communist interest -may be the object of so many undeserved prints, translations and awards.



2. A great insight to a problematic past through the eyes of the directly effected. Selassie is seen as a God to some and an evil man by many, you can see both sides through these stories of real people who lived in Ethiopia during his reign.



3. This book reminds me of two novels I have read, Autumn of the Patriarch by G. G. Marquez, and Rene Leys by Victor Segalen. They both are about the labyrinthine palaces of out of touch emperors, a sort of politics mixed with overtones of Gormenghast. The Emperor is not a novel, however, it is reportage -- the author was a Polish foreign correspondent who interviewed the palace attendants of Selassie after the Emperor had been deposed. It makes Selassie out to be a idealistic but somewhat corrupt aristocrat who was simply too tired to put up a fight against what became the savage Mengistu regime.
   
   I would differ from the other two reviews in different ways. First I wanted to say that even though he is critical, the author is in some ways sympathetic to Selassie. He realizes that at the beginning Selassie was a force for good. And I think saying that "if enlightenment means killing 50,000+ citizens of your own nation, I am again grateful that we in America have not yet had an 'enlightened' leader...." is sort of missing the fact that we've had leaders recently who have killed over ten times that many people, though they are citizens of other nations.
   
   But the other review is nationalistic and doesn't engage the book at all. I know that after the Derg and then Meles, many Ethiopians look back to Selassie as a "Golden Age" ruler -- and that is a useful myth. But although I think that there are probably some fanciful parts of the book, as far as I can tell this is mostly based on real interviews. Selassie was not a perfect ruler, and you can't criticize a foreign reporter for not buying into a nationalist myth.



4. I am amazed at how misguiding and angry the previous review is. It is well known that Haile Selassie being the leader of a non-aligned country, an anti-colonial advocate and a denouncer of the injustice of western nations perpetrated against third world nations was a victim of an intense propaganda by those nations. Books based on idiotic rumors and hearsays were written by people who are in no way related with this part of history. No world leader was more enlightened than Haile Selassie who was even awarded the title of Prince of Peace by the international orthodox church. Haile Selassie has not only abolished slavery in Ethiopia, but is the inspiration behind the organization of African Unity through which He helped resolve many African conflicts. This is just a few of His achievements and I would recommend the following books for a more intelligent look into his life: "The Mission", "Selected Speeches", "Le dernier Roi des Rois". I will end with this quote from "The Mission": "In the eyes of many today, his image appears blurred, but the most striking characteristic of Western public opinion, where the person of Haile Sellassie is concerned, is ignorance..."



5. I purchased this volume seeking some insight into the origination of the Rastafarie religion from Ethiopia but learned nothing on that topic. What Kapuscinski did teach me was well worth the read, engrossing, captivating and intense. This is the story of Hallie Sallasie and his almost 40 years in power. The story is told through the mouths and eyes of various courtiers and sycophants of his and his kingdom - all as they realize that he is not in fact the "one God" but rather a real person with real failings. It is a read that can't be put down and I would advise buying more than 1 copy since you will invariably give a copy away to a dear friend. Those who imagine that Hallie Sallasie was "enlightened" would do well to read this documentary novel of a very scared, very intense, very faithful man who killed every one who opposed or disagreed with him. If enlightenment means killing 50,000+ citizens of your own nation, I am again grateful that we in America have not yet had an "enlightened" leader....

5 comments about Cooking for Kings: The Life of Antonin Careme, the First Celebrity Chef.

1. This is a wonderful book. I'm writing a historical romance and I used this book for reference on the food and times of France and Europe in 1815. It's marvelous.



2. In addition to telling the story of the great chef, this book also provides a lot of insight into the history of food and its evolution, and some of the "dark" side of being a chef during the days of Careme. His health suffered mightily from the fumes from the poorly ventilated kitchens during the time, and the long hours that he worked pushed him into exhaustion, further compromising his health.
   
   I found this full of detailed research and interesting anecdotes. The recipes included were also very insightful, and well chosen. It was also written with a good pace and narrative style. Would highly recommend. I've moved on to "Escoffier: The King of Chefs."



3. For an excellent blend of biography and cookbook, choose Cooking For Kings: The Life Of Antonin Careme, The First Celebrity Chef, a survey of the life of the first known celebrity chef Antonin Careme and his recipes. The cook's own memoirs are used to trace his rise from an abandoned child to becoming one of the greatest cooks in Paris. Careme was more than a chef: he invited chef's tools, he cooked for kings and noblemen, and he even made Napoleon's wedding cake. His marriage of food with glamour made him a notable figure - as well as the first chef to become rich by publishing cookbooks. This is a lively history recommended for food fans.



4. I am currently in school for my bachelors in culinary and this book is a must have for all students i believe i have only started to read it but so far it is great



5. The review before me explains well the contents of this book. I would only add that you learn how Careme pulled together the skills of speciality cooks to create grand meals and, in turn, earned the title of chef. Sadly, the very process or cooking (carbon monoxide and partilate matter in the lungs from charcoal-fuled stoves and ovens) killed him while only in his 40s but he was dedicated to writing about his skills as much as he used them, thus codifying what we know as Haute' cuisine and creating the first modern cookbooks.
   
   Fortunately Kelly's writing style does not bog down in detail and he is quite readable. The parallel social history of the upper classes is enjoyable reading as well.

5 comments about Sex with Kings: 500 Years of Adultery, Power, Rivalry, and Revenge (P.S.).

1. Author Herman gives us a racy, fun, interesting, fascinating, sexy look at the 'royals' and their lovers of the past. I enjoyed it and thought she did an outstanding job in bringing some of these flamboyant, humorous characters (and sometimes ugly and nasty) to life for us to have a chuckle in the 21st Century. I also liked her dressed up in her royal dress and crown - nice touch! It's obvious that Princess Diana and the Windsors come from a long history of love, lust and romance. There's nothing new between 'boys and girls' but it's still intriguing and fun to read about it from the past. The research was excellent and I'm sure the author's family lost her many days to the archaives and museums. Imagine what the modern paparazzi could have done with Charles II or Henry VIII, or Lola Montez or Lady Castlemaine? The index was very helpful in keeping all the players straight.



2. one of the funniest and most interesting books i have ever read. i would highly recommend this book. think of it as a sassy history of monarchs.



3. this author make history something you want to read.i can't wait for her next book.



4. I couldn't wait to read this book, but when I saw the photo of the author in a costume, I started to worry. Very interesting subject material, but the organization made me crazy - people kept jumping back and forth in time, I felt as if I were reading the same story over and over again. And yes, some of the stories were fascinating, but the book seemed like an overlong magazine article. Very disappointing.



5. I was very excited to pick up Sex with Kings as a juicy read. It was definitely juicy, and the subject matter was extremely interesting, but Ms. Herman's writing style was redundant and torturous. The chapters are thematic, so you will cover more or less the same king's mistresses in each chapter, again and again and again. I would rather have read this as short biographical sketches of most of these women. The book feels very disjointed to me, but like I said, the material is extremely interesting. I just wish it had been presented better.

5 comments about Royalty's Strangest Characters: Extraordinary But True Tales from 2,000 Years of Mad Monarchs and Raving Rulers (Strangest series).

1. Let me be honest, I love these types of books, they are so much fun to read. This book is not only interesting on many levels, but the author is also witty and this is a must for a book of this sort. It's incredible to believe people like this existed and ruled countries, though I have a feeling the poor subjects of these nuts didnt find all this so funny.



2. This is not just a book with simple facts laid out for you it read as a fun look into lives of these real figures in history, Amazing crazy facts of their odd behaviors and wacky ways! Keeps you wanting to turn the page. Written with a great sense of humor.



3. In this remarkable book, fifty royal individuals are briefly profiled, spanning a period from the third century BC to the present day. In these profiles, the author has gone to great pains to focus on these individuals' various types and degrees of weirdness: from having odd but notable quirks to being stark raving mad. But what makes this book so enjoyable is the author's irreverent tongue-in-cheek writing style. On several occasions I found myself laughing out loud at his careful, well-thought-out choice of words and witty descriptions. This book should be of interest to everyone, but especially history buff who are looking for light historical narrative with a most pleasant twist.



4. 
   
   This book is a very interesting and entertaining look at some of Royalty's weirdest characters
   
   The people in the book range from Chinese Emperors in the 200 BCE's to the mad Roman Emperors about the time of Christ to people like Prince Phillip and Michael Abney-Hastings who people think is the rightful king of England



5. Anyone who likes books such as "Royal Babylon" by Karl Shaw, or "A Treasury of Royal Scandals" by Michael Farquhar will love this book!

4 comments about My Life and Ethiopia's Progress: The Autobiography of Emperor Haile Sellassie I (Volume 1) (My Life and Ethiopia's Progress) (My Life and Ethiopia's Progress).

1. It is a must read for any person seeking the truth and for those of us who are ORthodox Christians.



2. It is of the highest inspiration for I to read the words of His Majesty. Such humbleness, reverence, and clarity in His pure personality. Cast aside all doctrines and dogmas they tell you about HIM and Empress Menen. Find out for yourself, straight up from the source. I and I father is truly devoted to the Most High, to his people, yes I, to his children of all generations. Through trial and tribulation. But don't take it from another. Hear for your self Idren.
   His Words Live
   His Spirit Lives
   Emperor Sellassie I Lives to Infinity



3. This is a book that should be read and studied by all believers in God. It should also be studied by people who are interested in a career in political science or people who eventually want to become a prime minister. And, it should be read by national leaders who still believe that Plato's 'philosopher king' can lead the people of a democratic nation. As President Putin of Russia continues to say correctly that there are many different forms of democracy that will work properly.
   
   This book showed me that Germany's Hitler and Italy's Mussolini were very ugly and inhumane. It also shows that religions can be ungodly when they force a religion onto free people. It shows the origin of today's terrorism.
   
   Emperor Haile Sellassie I was a great developer of the human spirit and Nature's resources. Everything he did was for the benefit of the people of Ethiopia and those nations that joined the League of Nations. His work to unify science and theology was new and should become a 'development' model for all nations today.



4. The whole work of the book is very inspirational, historically it is educational and legendary. The new generations of Ethiopian or the Eritrean will learn from it what they have not been told correctly. History never chnages. The book has it all. It is compiled very well, charismatic and the writer is to be admired for his great work. Everyone must read this book for self uplifting or for your edification.

5 comments about A Charmed Life: Growing Up in Macbeth's Castle.

1. I stumbled across this book when searching for something else. I was intrigued by the title because I once traveled to Scotland and wanted to visit Cawdor, but it was closed as it was the off season. I did however travel the general area, and I looked forward to reading about her life at Cawdor. I was richly surprised to uncover a wonderful gem of a memoir filled with references to the Scottish landscape I so enjoyed visiting. Ms. Campbell is an excellent writer. Her use and command of the English language was a pleasure to experience. Her story, and that of her siblings, was something out of a fairy tale in many regards, yet it was also a nightmare, easily recognized by others who grew up with an alcoholic parent. I enjoyed the book immensely and recommend it highly. I have tremendous respect for her, cemented by the fact that in the notes at the end of the book, she thanked her mother for her permission to share with readers intimate, yet privately painful experiences of her marriage. I greatly look forward to another book penned by Ms. Campbell.



2. This was a beautifully written memoir about what goes on behind closed doors in the so called "upper class" Campbell family. Sad to see what drugs and alcohol can do to someone who had so much already and so much to give (but didn't). I found the historical background to the scottish aristocracy really fascinating and educational without being boring. I would have liked to know more about the other members of the family and how they all felt about the way they were ultimately betrayed by their father and revolting step-mother.



3. Liza Campbell's account of growing up at Castle Cawdor is hard to put down. She shares the tale of intensly personal detail which left me a bit envious at the end of the first chapter, but weary with relief by the end of the book. The story had an enevitability, yet was surprisingly fresh as it rocketed to the horrible conclusion. She was brutally honest, right up until the conclusion, where I felt that her love for her father greatly softened her final assessments.



4. I found this book well-written and thoroughly engrossing, although I believe that the original British title ("Title Deeds") is more descriptive of the contents, particularly given the current and continuing legal wranglings. However, the double entendre would be lost, I think, on most Americans. The author aptly calls this a personal memoir, rather than a biography, of her father, but I couldn't shake the feeling that, notwithstanding her attempt at some rudimentary psychoanalysis of and conciliation with her father's memory in the final chapter, she is still highly conflicted about her feelings concerning not only her father, but also her birth mother and stepmother. Charmed life? I don't think so.



5. I was very disapppointed in this book and am very surprised it has received so many positive reviews. It was shallow and offered little - if any - insight into the author's family. The stories were superficial and often just depicted the author's narrow view of each set of circumstances.
   I am now reading Miranda Seymour's book "In My Father's House," and the difference is remarkable. It is so much more insightful and the writing is outstanding.

5 comments about Eating Royally: Recipes and Remembrances from a Palace Kitchen.

1. This is a wonderful cookbook on several levels and I am happy to see that it has received consistently positive reviews!
   
   Darren McGrady deserves congratulations for creating an entertaining cookbook that also delivers delicious recipes. His personal anecdotes about the Queen and Princess Diana are both amusing and discreet.
   
   The book is well structured according to seasons and royal residences, such as Christmas at Sandringham and Autumn at Balmoral. The beginning of each chapter contains an overview of the season and location, and Chef McGrady weaves his own professional memoir into this structure.
   
   Copies of formal menus, handwritten notes of instruction from the royal family, and informal snapshots of the various royal kitchens are interspersed in an elegant scrapbook fashion. Then come the recipes for the chapter, back to back.
   
   Favorite recipes of the royal family are included, many with an introductory paragraph of just what it was that made that particular recipe so special to the individual. I must add, though, that you will have fun reading between the lines in a description of a culinary episode about a former duchess. You will have to admit, Darren McGrady has style.
   
   The recipes that I have tried so far come from the Kensington Palace section, nicely subtitled "A Home for All Seasons." These are Princess Diana's favorites and are lighter and more contemporary. I particularly enjoyed the stuffed aubergines and the lobster Thermidor (OK, not so light and not so contemporary, but a delicious classic). And after eating a salad with the Pureed Herb Dressing, I have to take a bit of bread to sponge up the remaining dressing because it is that good. The recipes that I tried worked perfectly and most of them are accompanied by photographs.
   
   This was very neatly done. I was left with the impression of a great chef, good writer, and generous man: 100% of the proceeds of this book go to the Elizabeth Glazer Pediatric Aids Foundation.
   
   Naughty thought: I wonder how Paul Burrell, Diana's tell-all butler, feels about this?



2. This was well worth the investment. It contains many recipes served to the Royal family. Wonderful pictures and information on the Queen's dinner events and occasions. Filled with many memories of the food service given by Chef Darren McGrady. I would recommend it to any one who is interested in the Royal family lifestyles.



3. Very enjoyable book with beautiful illustrations. Mouth-watering recipes included as well as the feeling the author knew and loved the royal family.



4. Elegant and beautiful book. Great to give as a gift. Recipes are wonderful. Very well put together, as a cook book and keepsake.



5. I love this book!
   I love the recipes and the stories.
   This is truly a book that is great for a gift or yourself.
   Recipes are well nice!

5 comments about Princess Sultana's Circle (Princess Trilogy).

1. The bravery of this woman is brilliant. I have read only two of the three books. She has overcome remarkable odds to open the eyes of all women to what goes on in Saudi Arabia with women. Jean P. Sasson has proven beyond all doubt that the pen is mightier than the sword. What these two women have done is remarkable. I was wondering, does Princess Sultana's Circle come on audio cassette or cd perhaps?? I wanted to get copies of these books on audio cassettes or cds for friends. BRAVO!!!!!
   
   Yocheved Cook



2. Excellent read . Makes me glad I am an Autralian able to live a free life. Could not put it down.



3. This story is written simply but soon captivates the reader by taking them into the mysterious palace, heart and world of an Arabian princess. I was pleased to discover a well told story that gave me a light but unprotected look at Sultana's world and the culture of her nation. American women are generally aware that Middle Eastern women live under great restriction. What we don't see is how they live with it, feel about it, rationalize it or deal with it when it becomes too much. This book gave me a sense of understanding from a point of view other than my own very American one. I found myself understanding the weights that tug at the hearts and manners of these women. For American women, to defy is ordinary and not typically met with resistance. This story follows the fuel that ignited the courage to stand up to long standing injustice... no matter the cost. Admittedly, it was an easy read but it did it did offer some cultural education.



4. I highly recommend reading the Princess Trilogy. I had a hard time putting the book down. It's a really easy read.



5. My review is the same as I gave for the book "Princess" It is very good