5 comments about Counting My Chickens . . .: And Other Home Thoughts.

1. The Dorothy Sayers mystery novel fans out there will understand me-- the Duchess of Devonshire reminded me so much of Lord Peter Wimsey's mother, it was amazing. :) She is charming and utterly unconcerned about political correctness. This is a oollection of stories and thoughts from a woman raised in an earlier time. Lots of gems, well worth reading.



2. The Duchess has that touch of Mitford wit that can also be seen in Nancy & Jessica's writings. Filled with pithy observations about aspects of life in Britain and history, I was laughing out loud at her recountments of ancestral adventures (brothers sharing one hotel room with a dead body, everyone crying at the birth of another girl) and encounters with the general public ("Saw the duchess in the garden, she looked quite normal."; "That's the Dowager Duchess. It was taken the year she died.")



3. The Duchess of Devonshire is of course the youngest of the 6 Brilliant Mitford sisters born early in the twentieth century, and she is the only surviving one now. This book is really two things, a collection of her various writings and collection of her memories both of friends and of family.
   
   I got this at the same time as I bought her Chatsworth Cookbook, and I have to say I think the other was a better buy - maybe in food I find more relevance, but the anecdotes relating to food and people seemed more real and interesting. I don't think the Duchess is a naturally good writer. When talking about herself I found I was interested - she revealed things like her favourte books (including Beattrix Potters Ginger and Pickles) to her love of chickens and hwo they are looked after. I found the anecdotes about her friends and family less easy to read. It wasn't like she was name dropping - these people really were her friends and family - but I found the writing felt more stilted, more formal and less easy to read. Her various writings for papers have been reprinted in collection here and are of interest for their subject rather than for their eloquence.
   
   There have been better memoirs of the Mitford family, and better writing, but I have never seen a memoir of the latest Ducehss of Devonshire and given her acheivements and interests I think one is long overdue.
   
   Personally while this was 'nice' I would be more inclined to purchase the Chatsworth cookbook which has lots of nice stories in it and seems to flow better - but if you are a hardened Mitrodite then don't walk past this, it is enlightening and I really would like to know more about this youngest mitford's life.



4. Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire, shows to the world the emotional warmth and range of interests which have endeared her to her family and friends for over eighty years. Extolled by James Lees-Milne throughout his life, Debo, the people at Hatchards tell me, is their favorite author when it comes to book-signings. When I bought a copy of this book there the clerk remarked "Ah, the Duchess, bless her." And so she has been, and is, by all.



5. Counting My Chickens is a collection of newspaper and magazine columns by Deborah Freeman-Mitford Cavendish, the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire. "Debo" is the youngest and only surviving Mitford Girl, the fabulous daughters of Lord and Lady Redesdale who scandalized and delighted the British and the world from the 1930s onward.
   
   Although this is a very short book cut into many small, fairly unconnected segments, there is nevertheless much that charms. The celebrated Mitford wit,most clearly displayed by Debo's sisters Nancy and Jessica, is in evidence, particularly in the sections that deal with Debo's childhood and early adult years (she once traveled by train from Scotland with a goat, milking it in first class waiting rooms on the way.)
   
   Also in evidence is the extraordinariness of Debo's life as wife of a Duke and as chatelaine of one of England's great mansions, Chatsworth House. She casually drops names like Harold Macmillan and John Kennedy (both of whom were indirectly related to her husband) and at the same time records some of the merriments and aggravations that come with having your home on display to tourists several months each year. Occasionally Debo will drop a barbed comment or two on the silliness of some politicians and visitors, but for the most part she is soft spoken and accomodating.
   
   Few Duchesses have written or revealed much about their lives, so its nice that one has done so now, at a time when the House of Lords is being democratized and the aristocracy must seem more anachronistic than ever.

1 comments about A History of Jordan.

1. Jordan is a nation that according to some accounts, was "dreamed of from the backseat of Churchill's car." Formerly an Ottoman ruled area, Jordan Stretches from the Syrian Desert in the north to the Gulf of Aqaba in the south. the nation was considered by most to be a backwater inhabited by various Bedouin tribes. It is interesting to note that on Amazon.com I have seen only a few histories of this pivotal nation, when you search for "Jordan" most of the results deal with basketball player Michael Jordan. This book came as a fresh surprise.
   
   After the allied victory in 1918, over the Central Powers (including the Ottoman Empire), Ottoman lands were split up by the victorious French and British. As a result the nation that later became known as Transjordan and later Jordan was administered by British as part of the Mandate of Palestine. Another result of World War 1 was that England's former ally the Sherif of Mecca needed to be rewarded for his assistance. After the French kicked Abdullah out of Damascus, the English had to give him some slice of land, that "slice" was Jordan.
   
   Later in 1922 Jordan gained "independence" from the British Palestine Mandate becoming Transjordan, and achieving full independence in 1946. After the Israeli War of Independence in 1948 Jordan had complete control over the West Bank and the Eastern half of Jerusalem. Later in 1967 Jordan lost control of the West Bank and 3 years later fought a civil war with Palestinians (and Syria).
   
   In the present time Jordan has proved itself to be not just some desert backwater inhabited by warring Bedouin tribes. It has become a geographically strategic nation, bordering Syria, oil rich Saudi Arabia, war torn Iraq, and Israel. This nation has seen a succession moderate kings who have pushed for peace with Israel in addition to a tourist Mecca (with sites like Petra and resorts like Aqaba).
   
   Robins has done quite an exstensive job explaining the many facets of Jordanian culture, history, and politics. From when the Ottomans ruled to the modern era, the author has delved into a wide variety of topics ranging from the influence of Islamists on Jordanian politics, the result of massive influxes of Palestinians (that are now over half of the population), descriptions of leaders ranging from Wasfi Tall to King Abdullah, to how familial and tribal relations still effect the nation.
   
   The book while only about 200 pages long does offer a very exstensive and well written history of this nation. I would recommend this to anyone studying the Middle East. While it is a shame that many books on this small nation have not been forthcomming, this book does a very good job at explaining the nation, its people, and its politics.

5 comments about Nicholas and Alexandra: The Family Albums.

1. In my opinion "Nicholas and Alexandra: The Family Albums" is worth every penny. It contains some of the best pictures of this doomed family. Highly recommmended!



2. It had many Romanov pictures I had never seen before. I don't know if it was worth the $105 I paid for it, but I really do like it. A good book for my collection.



3. This is one of the best Romanov albums that I own. I think it is defintely worth it! It is filled with beautiful and rare photos not published often. Although there are some date and place mislabelings here and there, it is not so bad as some other albums I have seen. If your main area of interest is NAOTMAA, in other words the Last Imperial Family, than this is the book for you. You will truly get a glimpse of the private lives of the family. This book is worth it's weight in gold!



4. There are many books of pictures of the Romanov family, but Nicholas and Alexandra: The Family Albums by Prince Michael of Greece is probably the best of the bunch. Since Nicholas became tsar and husband at almost the same time, their family life is very well documented in pictures. There are the usual official photographs taken by professional photographers. But the Romanov's were also big shutterbugs. They all owned cameras and it is in these candid shots that we really get a chance to see life within the palace walls. In addition to formal portraits, we see the Imperial Family at work, at play, on vacation and just relaxing. We also see extended family members (most of them European royalty from England, Sweden, Germany, Denmark and others). Many of these photographs were taken from the albums of individual family members, and were hidden in communist archives. They were only made available after perestroika.
   
   This book also gives us a glimpse of the many residences of the Romanov's. While the Alexander Palace was their primary home, they also spent time in the Crimea (Livadia Palace), Spala (their hunting lodge in Poland), Standart and Polar Star (Imperial Yachts), and The Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Some of these photographs are of never before seen interior shots.
   
   Nicholas and Alexandra are criticized for being ineffective rulers, but in one thing they can't be faulted--they were loving and devoted parents. The closeness of their family life comes through very clearly in The Family Albums. There are also pictures of their captivity, that are extremely haunting. But looking at this book just magnifies the tragedy of their fate. They gave up not just palaces, jewels, clothes and priceless objects, but because of poor leadership, they also cost this beautiful family their lives. That is the most heartbreaking loss of all.



5. This book is great in nearly every way. It is well organized by year and the photographs are very rare. The set up when it comes to the photographs needs work. Often, a photograph is cut in half by the center of the book. Despite this, it is one of the best books for Romanov fans and fans-to-be. To see the photographs shows you how Russia's last Imperial Family lived. Absolutely amazing and definitely a must read.

3 comments about Alfred the Great: War, Culture and Kingship in Anglo-Saxon England (The Medieval World).

1. Alfred, being the only English monarch styled "the Great", is a notoriously difficult subject to write history about. The Victorian cult of Alfred made him a marked man for the debunkers of the Dead White European Male focus of history. Attempts at an even-handed review of the Wessex king's life are fraught with peril.

   This book does the job magnificently. Alfred the warrior, ruler, innovator, strategist, and moralist are all presented well within the context of a 9th century Anglo-Saxon world. Alfred the pious and Alfred the ruthless are both shown as parts of the same man.

   While concluding that Asser's "Life" is a legitimate source of biography for Alfred, the author does not limit himself. Extensive use and comparison between versions of the "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle" is combined with what limited charter evidence survives, archaeological discoveries and an examination of coinage patterns to round out the picture of Alfred and his times.

   One major strength of this work is its very careful comparisons of Alfred and his activities to those of predecessor kings of Wessex and successor kings of the Anglo-Saxons. Alfred's reign is not studied in isolation. How Alfred was both traditional and innovative in contrast to his father and brothers helps place Alfred in the context of his times. The legacy which Alfred left his descendants (to become kings of all England) is given special attention.

   The author is circumspect in trying to get inside of Alfred's head. Alfred's physical afflictions are examined with an eye to a modern medical diagnosis and their effects on Alfred's personality. Using the marginalia in Alfred's own translations from Latin into the vernacular, the author tries to see inside Alfred the man - all the while cognizant that such a review is only speculative.

   This is a great book and a very good read.




2. I enjoyed this book and, unlike some others, was engrossed by the military expeditions of Alfred the Great. The author gives enough information that one can well imagine how incredible it was indeed to fight off the Vikings. Further, the defensive works and the creation of the burghs led to modern economic England, and this point is brought out quite well.



3. I bought this book on the recommendation of a professor of mine when embarking upon my senior thesis this spring, and though Abel's book did not end up playing a large part in my paper, I went back to this book after the term was over. This book was an easy, quick, and absorbing read, while informative, cohesive, and clear in its aims and the points it was trying to express. My only criticism might be a minor one -- As an English major, I am more interested in the ideological, cultural, or literary influence or views of an individual. Naturally, as a history professor, Abels interests were not the same as mine. He devotes a lot of the book to details of Alfred's battles with the Vikings, and at times, this failed to hold my attention. This criticism, as a result, is only the result of a personal preference.

5 comments about The Rise and Fall of Anne Boleyn: Family Politics at the Court of Henry VIII.

1. I enjoyed this book very much, lovely to read a biography of Anne by someone that's as biased toward her as I am. The speculation that her downfall was caused by miscarrying a deformed child is interesting, & believable, but is not backed up by the sources. The chapters on Anne's childhood & family are fascinating, & the author has a deep understanding of the period which she convincingly portrays. She also points out that some of what we've always been told is fact comes largely from the the very unreliable Spanish Ambassador, & isn't stated elsewhere. It's refreshing to have an author tell us that there's a lot about the people & the times we don't know.it's a reminder that history is what's written down, opinions rather than facts. Buy this book, it'll make you think as well as informing you.



2. Retha Warnicke is an expert on family relations in early modern society. This brings a unique perspective to the already interesting life of Anne Boleyn. By understanding not only court politics but the gender roles of time, she effectively introduces new and exciting ideas in the history of the Tudor period.
   
   It seems Warnicke would be the first to admit that she does not have a "smoking gun", no deformed fetus was ever recovered, no secret diary detailing the events ever found. However, she bases her conclusions off logical reasoning and a knowledge of the superstitions of the time. Though this book was not written as a popular history, it is readable and very informative, though you might want to do a little bit of research on the Tudors before you pick it up.
   
   I happened to like this book very much, but if you are old school and do not like to be challenged in set beliefs then do not pick this book up. Her ideas are thought provoking, scholarly and make the reader re-evaluate what they might have learned growing up. She presents a different perspective on Anne Boleyn than any other historian before and that is what makes this book scintillating and readable, even if you do not agree with everything (or anything) she writes.



3. I'm still reading this book, but so far it's an excellent review of how family politics came in to play with the Boleyn family putting up Anne as a possible match for Henry VIII. The book just doesn't do a very good job of explaining who's who in the courts of that time, but if you've read any other books about the court of Henry VIII, it's not too bad



4. This book is full of errors and unsubstantiated presumptions. To start with, although it has now been conclusively proven by many historians that Anne Boleyn was the younger Boleyn girl(Eric Ives,Alison Weir, Antonia Fraser, David Starkey to mention a few)Warnicke insists she was the elder daughter.
   She also insists that Anne was born in 1507 when we now know for certain that Anne was born in 1501. The narrative is slow and laborious. I always try to be objective with any book I read but simply could not take this one seriously when it is so full of errors. The historical fiction author Philippa Gregory based her story 'The Other Boleyn Girl' on this book but it really is hard to decide which work is the bigger piece of fiction!



5. I read this book several years ago but returned to it to refresh my memory after being referred to it as a source for Philippa Gregory's The Last Boleyn Girl. While some of Wernicke's assertions are speculative and her writing is a bit dry (especially if you're used to some of the more novelistic writing in popular history these days), she makes a lot of good points, corrects some incorrect assumptions that have been repeated ad nauseam, and generally emphasizes how much we DON'T know.
   
   While there is no definitive evidence for her theory that Anne miscarried a deformed fetus in 1536, it certainly has plausibility and explains a lot of the mystery surrounding Henry's rejection of her and her precipitous downfall. On the other hand, Wernicke makes a good argument that there is virtually NO evidence that George Boleyn's wife was a principal witness against him in the accusations that he had committed incest with his sister, yet as far as I can remember this has been repeated as undoubted fact in just about every book on Anne I have ever read, fiction or nonfiction.
   
   As other reviewers have said, while this book is definitely worth reading, it should NOT be the first biography of Anne that someone newly interested in her or her period picks up.

2 comments about Ermengard of Narbonne and the World of the Troubadours (Conjunctions of Religion and Power in the Medieval Past).

1. This book is a very well written and researched account of medieval Narbonne, a city in southern France. The book hinges upon Ermengard, a noblewoman who ruled the city and includes extensive information about the role of women in the medieval society of southern France, and the social, political, religious, and land ownership structures of the time. After detailing all these subjects, the book finishes with the ravaging of the area by the Albigensian Crusaders.
   Ermengard emerges as a real woman of grace, strength and intelligence. Sadly, no image of her survives.
   A fine book to read for the student of the times, but entertaining enough for those seeking a good read.



2. The parenthesized title gives a better explanation of the topic of this book, rather than the somewhat romanticized main title. What the author has done is provide an acutely focused eye on a small geographical place and period, namely that of the eleventh and twelfth centuries and the region known, at the time, as Occitania. A multi-parted text, multi-chaptered discourse where Cheyette uses Ermengard of Narbonne as a focal point to discuss the secular and spiritual power of a region that played an important part in Mediterannean history. The implication is that it was a microcosm of the funtioning social, political and commercial whole that was modern day France and Spain. Nevertheless, a history of (based on very little extant documentation) Ermerngard's influence as the ruler of Narbonne in both local and spiritual dealings; and a greater part (akin to Eleanor of Aquitane or Stephania) in the history of the region from the situation at the time of her inheritance, her wedding to Alphonse of Toulouse and subsequent rise to power through alliance, right through to Raymond V and crusade - all serve to demonstrate the power held by heiresses during the Middle Ages and the reality of their rule as they struggled with the Church for ascendancy. This gives rise to a fuller history of the regions of Narbonne, Montpellier
   What Cheyette does so well is to display the lot of the common man, the realities of daily life within the feudal system, the monastic regime and the commerical and political shifting partnerships that all occurred - fundamentally, it would seem to be argued - to ensure that general accession of new generations would be smoother.
   This piece of scholarship is not so heavy that it becomes unreadable, but it does go into far more depth about the sheer detail of life than the romantic title might suggest Ultimately, it succeeds for it and any student interested in a more precise look at the region and the period would be well advised to read this.

2 comments about Queen Elizabeth II: A Celebration of Her Majesty's Fifty-Year Reign.

1. I wanted a biography. This is a coffee table book of pictures - nothing really to "read." Very little insight into the woman or the monarchy. Two stars instead of one because the pictures are good, if that's what you want in a book.



2. If you collect books on British Royalty, this book is a must-have. Not only does it record the life of a lady who personifies dignaty and duty, but it's sections are divided into sections of interest rather than a boring chronology. However, I bought it for two reasons: 1) I don't have books on the Queen and this is a great collection of her history 2) I LOVE Tim Graham's photography! I have collected many of his books on the royal family, particularly his photographs of Diana. The trust the royal family has given him shows in his work. The photos are real, but they're not "fake" or demeaning. Even non-royalty fans should own this book as a piece of history.

5 comments about Catherine de'Medici (Profiles in Power Series).

1. Catherine de' Medici is the topic of much controversy and little publication. There are very few biographies of her printed in the English language, so I was very hopeful that R. J. Knecht's would fill in that gap with a scholarly study. However, there is a bit to be desired in this volume. It is more of a survey of Catherine's political career and events in France during her lifetime, than it is a biography. This is not necessarily a fault--however, events are passed over lightly. I was very surprised that some topics were not elaborated upon more, such as Catherine's relations with Mary Queen of Scots. Knecht sometimes does not even explain when a new monarch has come to power in other parts of Europe; for example, Henry VIII of England's death is not noted but in a few lines later, Edward VI is mentioned. And there is not a decent character analysis of Catherine herself.
   
   This book is part of the Profiles in Power collection, so one would assume that it is geared more towards the novice in history, and that would make sense given its brevity, but if one completely new to the era read this book, they may get lost in its sometimes lack of explanation. If one desires a summary of Catherine de' Medici's political tenure in France, this book may fit the bill--but don't have expectations set too high.



2. I agree with "Names and Dates, Names and Dates." I'd forgotten why I hated history classes so much in middle and high school. Two graduate degrees later, and constant readings in sociology, psychology, and history - especially the Italian Renaissance (in which the Medici's played a very important role) I was painfully reminded by Professor Knecht. He knows his specialty, without a doubt, but either needed a few crash courses in effective sentence and paragraph construction or a better editor. The book is so poorly written, one might logically ask why I continued to plug away at it. A testament to my persistence and ultimately unrealized hope that it would magically transform itself somewhere before the final pages, I'm sure.
   
   I didn't mind so much that it had very little information about Catherine specifically and much more about the religious wars and the stirrings of the Reformation. It certainly supplies numerous names and dates - definitely not a book to start with! Sadly, the man honestly cannot write however skilled and knowledgeable he may be as a university lecturer.



3. Half French, half Italian, this 16th century queen of France was a fascinating figure in many aspects.
   This book focuses on Catherine's struggle to survive and maintain herself as the head of the French Monarchy for almost 30 years. Witchcraft,massacres,poison, but also culture, arts, and architecture characterized the reign of Catherine.This book explores such myths, and places Catherine in the 16th century mentality.
   however, I do not believe a 300 page book is enough to explain the life of such a controversial woman who lived 70 years.
   Also I disagree with Knecht when he says that Catherine was an insignificant member of the Medicis clan. She was in fact the legitimate heiress of the Medicis, the great grand daughter of Lorenzo the Magnificent... how is that insignificant? Also Knecht minimizes Catherine's French roots. Francis the 1st of France surely wanted Italian territories, but he also wanted the rich and wealthy Auvergne region in the center of France. Who was the heiress of that noble and rich French family? Catherine herself, from her mother's side.Catherine was indeed countess of Auvergne, countess of Boulogne, countess of Clermont, and Baroness of de la Tour. In other words, she did have royal blood and she was Diane de Poitiers, Francois of Guise, Mary Stuart and the future Henry IV's relative.
   This is a good book for people who have not read a anything about Catherine: it is brief and quite easy to understand. Hopfully there will be a better edition in the future.



4. I'm surprised that the author completely ignored the economic conditions of France during the reign of Catherine. No mention of the economic force played by the Huguenots. Just names and dates. Author took a three-dimensional figure and reduced her to one-dimension. Just names and dates.



5. I agree completely with the previous reviewer from Florida and I, too, would like to know why all of Catherine's children were considered bad. Professor Knecht has done a very admirable job in this well-researched book and it is quite obvious that he knows his subject well. Catherine de'Medici was an interesting woman--a member of the Florentine Medici, but an insignificant one. All that changed when she married the man who was to become Henry II, King of France. Although she may have been a peripheral member of the Italian aristocracy, Catherine was of pre-eminent importance to French history. She was controversial, but, as the previous reviewer states, Professor Knecht was very fair. He explores both Catherine's virtures and faults in a level-headed fashion. This book, however, is far more than a biography of one of France's most controversial and enigmatic figures. It is also a fascinating narrative heavily laced with French history. If you like your biographies a little light, I wouldn't recommend this book. But if you really want to understand this period in French history, and this fascinating woman, I would recommend it highly.

4 comments about Cnut: King of England 1016-1035.

1. I found this book frustrating to read since Lawson constantly refers to the source material assuming that every reader is a professional historian. The main things I learned from this book was what we do not know about Cnut and his times. The source material is scanty but overwelming the reader with ambiguities does not help. I was not very familiar with late Anglo-Saxon England but the book should have been more accessable for an important figure in English and Scandinavian history.



2. This book is good. Unfortunately, it is the exact same book written by M.K. Lawson under a different title. If I had known that, I wouldn't have spent another $20 on a book I already have. M.K. Lawson has the SAME book on Cnut out by two different titles.
   
   Anyway, it is a good, thorough, scholarly work.



3. This book does a really good job of covering King Cnut's reign in detail. I didn't like the way it ended, though. We are told what a skillful king Cnut was, both politically and militarily, and then we are told that he has been all but forgotten. Kind of ruined the mood!



4. Lawson's coverage of the reign of Cnut and of the Danish conquest of England in the 11th century, is a thorough examination of a subject rarely covered in most histories of the island. About 50 years before the famous Norman Conquest of 1066, the Danish conquest was accomplished on the battle field by Cnut's father Svegn and cemented in Cnut's law codes. The England they conquered was one tired of wars and eager for a chance at peace. Lawson's study examines the ways in which Cnut engineered an aura of legitimacy to his reign, by using personal loyalty, legal codes, close relations with the church and, finally, by marrying the widowed queen of the Anglo-Saxon king, Aethelred the Unready. This is a very carefully researched work, shedding light on a compelling period in English history.

   This book is not for the historically uninitiated or for those who like their history on the light side. However, for those who enjoy an in-depth study of primary sources, this work fills an important gap in scholarship.

2 comments about Encomium Emmae Reginae (Camden Classic Reprints).

1. If you are interested in the life of Emma of Normandy, wife of King Canute, then this book will captivate you. It is a fascinating, contemporary look at the legendary events of 11th century England.



2. This is a detailed, fact-filled book on Queen Emma of the 11th century. It is a fascinating portrait of a queen who lived through a lot of tragedies. Not for the light reader, though.