4 comments about Mad Princes of Renaissance Germany (Studies in Early Modern German History).

1. The piece de resistance of this book has to be the theological memorandum concerning the mental condition of the Duke of Prussia which begins with the unfortunate Osiandrian sympathies displayed by his parents prior to his birth and their possible contribution to the current situation. The majority of the recommendations, however, came from physicians and were medical rather than theological.

   It's solidly researched -- if anything, one would have wished more detail on some of the episodes, such as that of the Duke of Saxe-Weimar in the bath house.




2. This is the book that inspired me for starting my Mad Monarchs Series (http://www.xs4all.nl/~kvenjb/madmon.htm)! Before I found this book, I had often seen references to "the last mad Duke of Cleves, married to a sister of the last mad Duke of Prussia". This book has finally shed some light on that odd pair of Dukes.

   The first part of the book focuses on the early 16th century, when mental problems was not regarded as an illness and melancholic Princes were locked up and often neglected. Sometimes they were exorcised. The cases described are, among others, Princes of Hesse, Saxony and Baden. William the Younger of Brunswick is the 1st Prince whose mental state is described in more detail, because unique reports have survived: "He ran out into the streets of Celle half-dressed, [..] spoke unintelligibly and gestured weirdly". He was actually treated by doctors.

   The second part of the book describes Albrecht Friedrich of Prussia, Rudolf II of Austria and the last Dukes of Cleves in more detail. Midelfort describes detailed accounts of their mental and medical conditions and the doctor's crude attempts to cure them.

   The book is a serious and detailed study of 16th century Princes that were described by their contemporaries as "melancholic" or locked up as being "mad". Black and white images of most of the described mad Princes and Princesses are included. An unique book about an unique subject!




3. Although the title initially almost seems like a parody of historical research on incredibly arcane topics (and, as Midelfort points out, there is no particular reasons to believe that Renaissance German royalty were more prone to insanity than anyone else, inbreeding not withstanding), the book in fact uses the unusually high levels of documentation available on these individuals to create a fascinating and detailed study, not only of the medical and religious treatment of insanity during this period, but also of the political implications when a monarch or his heir became "unfit" to rule.



4. Designed to appeal to a wide range of individuals and schools of thought, this book reaches nobody. Midelfort throws a collective bone to feminists, microhistorians, historians of science, etc. but his demonstrates an inability to understand their theoretical underpinnings that borders on disdain and condescension. While working with impressive archival materials, this book seems like the product of market research--all flash and consumer demographics, absolutely nothing of substance, interest or importance. A failure in all respects.

2 comments about Diana: A Princess Remembered.

1. Lovely picture book in tribute to a lovely lady. If you are a fan, you will also appreciate the bonus DVD that comes with the book. I'm glad I bought it, well worth the money.



2. Very nice picture book of the life of the late Princess as photographed by Glenn Harvey. It's divided into sections, sometimes a country- other times by subject matter and not all in chronological order. Almost all of the shots are of the Princess (some of these appear to have been cropped just to show her) with a few crowd shots or something like that.
   
   The text is a sort of autobiography of Mr. Harvey as he followed Diana around, it's worth reading and very respectful of the Princess.
   
   The DVD is a kind of slide show, set- in my copy (from Amazon.UK last January)- to a jazzy piano soundtrack. It is also worth a look.
   
   Maybe not the best, most informative book on Diana but it is worth having if you're interested in her.

No comments about Edward III (English Monarchs).

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.

2 comments about Louis XIV.

1. I bought this book in the bookstore at Versailles. After my tours of the palace and the gardens looking for ghosts and wondering what life was like and what was in the heads of the people at court of Louis XIV. This is a very readable yet scholarly history book. It doesn't get into the head of Louis XIV quite so well as Antonia Fraser was able to do in her biography of Marie Antoinette, "Marie Antoinette The Journey". Louis XIV doesn't quite become a real person in the pages of this book however it is a beginning. This is one of the better written histories I have found.



2. Levi's Louis XIV is an odd book. After the introductory first chapter, the next seven chapters proceed chronologically from his birth to the affair of the poisons, although Levi does jump around within that chronological order. The final five chapters are arranged topically on Versailles, the king's religion, war and foreign policy, Popes and Protestants (one would think that this chapter should have followed the one on the king's religion), and finally the king's character, health and death.

   
   This is not a very good book. It is jammed with facts but many of them are not right. For instance, on pages 263 and 264 Levi discusses Marshal Vauban who has been a heroic character throughout the book. On page 263 Levi says that Vauban had been appointed a member of the Order of the Holy Spirit in February 1708 with all kinds of special permissions by Louis XIV. Yet on page 264 Levi says that Vauban died in March, 1706. (He actually died in March, 1707.) Either this is sloppiness on the part of the writer or bad proofreading by the publisher. And this is one example out of many of apparent misstatements of fact or sloppy publishing.
   
   Some of Levi's sentences are unreadable. On page 269 in discussing the death of Louis XIV's grandson the duc de Bourgogne, he writes the following: "No fasting was involved, and doctors were not being provoked by being told against their judgement (sic) by a miscellany of priests and royalty that the danger of death was imminent, although it was." This is just one example of some of the monstrosities in this book.
   
   Levi makes a pair of linked outrageous claims in this book. First, he says that Louis XIV was not the son of Louis XIII but was a product of a union between Anne of Austria and Cardinal Mazarin. Then, he compounds this claim by saying that Louis XIV was aware that Mazarin was his biological father. Previous authors (John B. Wolf and Claude Dulong among them) have said that Mazarin and Anne of Austria became and remained lovers after the death of Louis XIII. And many people have wondered about the possibility of Louis XIV being produced by a one-night stand between Anne of Austria and the consumptive, possibly homosexual Louis XIII. Levi comes out and states that Louis XIV (and his brother) were not produced by Louis XIII. And he makes a strong case, but, given his problems with facts discussed above, can we trust him?
   
   And, if Louis XIV was aware that his mother had had an adulterous relationship with Mazarin, how did that affect his attitude toward monarchy? Louis XIV is widely regarded as the leading proponent and example of absolute monarchy based on divine right of kings and Levi says that it was all based on a lie that Louis XIV was aware of. Levi makes very little of this argument or of the psychological impact it may have had on Louis XIV, but instead he talks about Louis XIV as being uncertain, timid, shy, etc. This is a missed opportunity at best.

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.

5 comments about The Nearly Departed: Or, My Family & Other Foreigners.

1. It's a crime that Brenda Cullerton isn't writing novels, because her style (reflecting years as a professional writer) is powerful and distinctive. So is her story of her upbringing by a pair of eccentrics protected by their talent and family wealth from any need to face reality. Cullerton, having escaped her parents after college, bravely decides to wade back in and come to grips with them in their declining years (which are every bit as colorful and maddening as their mid-life crises). I found her unvarnished account of her relationship with them enormously heartening. With the support of her husband, she got as close to them as she could and came away with some peace of mind--and a great book.



2. "As mother taught me, life was a stage - a real stage, with no metaphor intended - and everyone on it but us was an extra."
   (-The Nearly Departed: Or, My Family & Other Foreigners)

   Far from prosaic and most definitely diverting, Brenda Cullerton's unabashedly candid memoir "The Nearly Departed: Or, My Family & Other Foreigners" is a refreshing departure from the autobiographical norm. Dancing between dark humour, stinging wit and poignant life realities, the author's recollections of her wildly outlandish family are often more bitter than sweet. To be sure, the collective confessions from the `Cullerton Family Crypt' will have you sobbing, guffawing, sighing, and feeling strangely schizophrenic - all in one chapter.

   The truth is, Brenda Cullerton's family would raise anyone's eyebrow. At the forefront of these eccentric anecdotes are her parents - a social misfit mother who gardened in baggy black undies, lavish jewelry coupled with pop-it beads, and her hair bedecked in curlers; and an alcoholic father who was usually found anywhere but home, and amassed a hidden fortune as traveling businessman in the shoe trade (only to later hide his cash in their dilapidated barn, stuffed in the toes of moldy footwear).

   Now in their winter years, Brenda Cullerton's parents - suffering from ill health - evoke her return to this alien landscape called "home". As the author painstakingly sifts through piles of family memories encountered along the way, not only does she learn more about these virtual "foreigners" who are family, but ultimately discovers herself and the all reasons for her insatiable desire to escape the past.

   Artfully and intelligently captured on paper, it is Cullerton's ingenuous journey through introspection which makes "The Nearly Departed" quite nearly flawless.




3. I must say that I particularly enjoyed the review of the Fla. resident. I am a 23 year resident of this town that Brenda C
   ullerton describes. I only wish I had known her, AND her family! The "McMansions", now an everday word here, are ridiculous! She saw it with the building of one behind her own home!!
   But the most compelling thing about the book is the waste,of human lives!! These people were disfunctional, no doubt about it!And probably would be charged with "child endangerment" today. But the love that the author shows for her mother and father, NO MATTER THEIR QUIRKS, and her inability to express that love, makes a true study in the nature of human beings!Sometimes, we lose what we choose to. She chose to make it front and center in this book! I can't say that I agree with all the author did, nor her family!! Some people will go "AGHG"! But as a resident of this town for some time, it sure is nice to see the veneer crack, and people weren't so perfect I truly loved when she described her mother gardening in her black bra and baggy panties!! And her mother going to town in the pink foam rollers!!That would be a REAL NO- NO today! This is a town of "Stepford Wives"! Would THEY go to town in pink foam rollers and snap-it beads?? Thanks, Brenda, for bringing a little "real" back to Ridgefield!!!



4. Far from prosaic and most definitely diverting, Brenda Cullerton's unabashedly candid memoir "The Nearly Departed: Or, My Family & Other Foreigners" is a refreshing departure from the autobiographical norm. Dancing between dark humour, stinging wit and poignant life realities, the author's recollections of her wildly outlandish family are often more bitter than sweet. To be sure, the collective confessions from the `Cullerton Family Crypt' will have you sobbing, guffawing, sighing, and feeling strangely schizophrenic - all in one chapter.

   The truth is, Brenda Cullerton's family would raise anyone's eyebrow. At the forefront of these eccentric anecdotes are her parents - a social misfit mother who gardened in baggy black undies, lavish jewelry coupled with pop-it beads, and her hair bedecked in curlers; and an alcoholic father who was usually found anywhere but home, and amassed a hidden fortune as traveling businessman in the shoe trade (only to later hide his cash in their dilapidated barn, stuffed in the toes of moldy footwear).

   Now in their winter years, Brenda Cullerton's parents - suffering from ill health - evoke her return to this alien landscape called "home". As the author painstakingly sifts through piles of family memories encountered along the way, not only does she learn more about these virtual "foreigners" who are family, but ultimately discovers herself and the all reasons for her insatiable desire to escape the past.

   Artfully and intelligently captured on paper, it is Cullerton's ingenuous journey through introspection which makes "The Nearly Departed" quite nearly flawless.




5. I read a review of "The Nearly Departed" in the Ridgefield Press, which I still have delivered to my new address in another state. The review had me laughing so hard, I decided that I simply had to get this book. Having spent 23 years in Ridgefield, CT was a plus as I could picture so many scenes as described and these are NOT things one would see in Ridgefield! Perhaps one would see people going down a Main Street in pink foam curlers elsewhere, but certainly not there. Now that that is in perspective, Brenda Cullerton has a wit that will get you laughing out loud, but the book is so much deeper than one might first think. I realize that the average family is dysfunctional to a degree. Unfortunately for Brenda, her family seemed to encompass every dysfunctional element known to man! Hopefully in writing this book, she was able to come to terms with issues in her life; I know that in reading it, she helped me to both understand and come to terms with some things in mine. Thank you Brenda, for both a terrific laugh and a learning experience.

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.