3 comments about Napoleon III and His Carnival Empire.

1. The improbability of this ruler makes the story! I might have never known for the positive things that Napoleon III was responsible for, like the Eiffel Tower.
   
   If you enjoy reading about the lesser known facets of history, I highly recommend this book.



2. The author gives a vivid and amusing picture of Napoleon III and the French society of his time. The fascinating story of how an almost comic character, who very likely did not even have Bonaparte blood running through his veins, was paradoxically shrewd enough to resurrect his alleged uncle's empire and then lose it all due to his own incompetence is told in a amusing way but without neglecting references to sources and documents. The mild despot Louis Napoleon was a omen of much more barbaric dictators that would taint with blood the landscape of 20th century Europe.



3. This is History as sheer entertainment. The story of how a used car salesman of a man becomes the Emporer of France. Against all odds, with shameless optimism, populist appeal, administrative incompetence and relentless sexual exploitiveness, protected and tolerated by virtue of a booming economy, Louis Napoleon proceeds Clinton in a virtual parody of the present by coming to power in an unlikely set of scenarios filled with irony and hilarity in the middle of 19th century France. The first elected populist turn Dictator - Louis Napoleon Bonaparte preceded Hitler by 90 years. More Clinton than Hitler, This story of a harmless flirt turn despot is a marvelous parady of the banal ambitions of all politicians. This man is so much like the present day Clinton in shamelessness, ambition, optimism, sexual opportunism and maybe unlike Clinton, gross administrative incompetence as to form the most unlikely story in all history. With so many cunning men greedy for power, how is it that such a man should come to power? Not only did he achieve power but the Charlatan Napolean III out lasted the Original Napolean by ruling France from 1848-1870 (22 years, The First Four years as an legaly elected President, the Last 18 years as Emporer). His reign gave stamp to an age and a style refered to as "Second Empire". Napolean III's rule, like Clinton's, was sustained by a period of unprecedented Economic Growth - preciding over the initial stages of Industrialization in 19th Century France. All but forgotten now, Napolean's greatest legacy to the present is modern Paris, to which he gets very little credit. Of course none of this would be worth while if not exploited properly. Fortunately John Bierman is more than equal to the task. Well written, both insiteful and humorous, Bierman's sophisticated repartee never fails to exploit an opportunity for irony or the humor in his subject. Reading this book was more like eating a box of candy - I could not put it down - and was sad when it came to an end. It has been said great men are produced by times of dire circumstances. Bierman proves this postulate by pointing out how great times produced, in 19th century France, a man of small stature. Despite the shallow glamour of the Second Empire, it crashed on the sham that it was when confronted by the politics of real consequence in Bismark's Prussia (Bismark's Realpolitik of Blood & Iron). For the next hundred years, begining with the tragedy of the Paris Commune, France had to struggle to cope with Napolean III's other great legacy: a unified Germany on its eastern boarder. Napolean III stands as an important history of the dangerous consequences that self serving populist charlatans pose for all history. Clinton ought to be carefull of the entanglements he gets involved in. Like Napoleon III, it could very well be his undoing.

No comments about Crown of Thorns.

No comments about A Royal Affair: George III and his Troublesome Siblings.

3 comments about Isabella of Castile: The First Renaissance Queen.

1. Any potentional historian of Spain must contend with the work of William Prescott. Though cutting edge historians of Spain dismiss Prescott as old fashioned (he wrote over 150 years ago), his work can still be read with pleasure and little awe (particulalry when one remembers that Prescott was blind when he was active as a historian.

   Nancy Rubin makes use of Prescott and in a sense pours old wine in new bottles. Her Isabella is more acceasable than Prescott's pius queen. She also very ably puts Isabella in the proper perspective as the co-founder of modern Spain (at least from a geographic perspective). Isabella's reputation rests on her funding of the voyages of Columbus, but as Ms. Rubin's book ably demonstrates, she was much more than that. In a time when political couples (like FDR and Eleanor) are described as "political partners" Isabella and Ferdinand were true co-equals. He fought the wars and she tended to the quartermaster functions. No wonder they were a magnificent success.

   If this book has one problem it is the rather ambiguous relationship between Isabella and the Jews and Moslems of Spain. Though she made use of the former throughout her career (particularly early on), she later was a willing participant in their forcible conversion. Perhaps this subject requires a book of its own.




2. Nancy Rubin's work on Isabel la Católica was very refreshing and difficult to put down. As a Spanish Literature student at UCLA, I recommend this book to anyone interested in the brightening their knowledge of this great woman. The chronology was consistant and the surrounding facts of the Catholic Queen were just the right size. It emphasized the rennovations that the queen implemented on the broken kingdom and the tenacity of her character, all fueled by her faith.



3. Maybe should be called, "I, Isabella". One could think Isabella's reign was decidedly a mixed blessing, but still appreciate the drama of this book. Rubin takes us step by step through the bewildering maze of Spanish politics; she suggests answers to a lot of nagging questions (we see what a long shot it was against Columbus getting his funding); she conveys, ultimately, a sense of the loss and tragedy that followed on power.

No comments about Diana: Fashion and Style.

4 comments about Diana: The Last Days.

1. This is the book that finally shows the Diana/Dodi murder and conspiracy stories to be what they are - complete figments of the imaginations of Mohamed Fayed and his minions. Mr Gregory had access to Diana's friends and the bodyguards who shared her final vacation with Dodi Fayed, and with their help he sheds the true light on the relationship. Why would anyone want to murder them when the relationship hadn't even lasted for 2 months and gave no indication that it would lead to marriage? And who would choose a car accident to commit murder when it's the most inefficient way of killing, since we have no control over the laws of physics which govern car accidents? I commend the author for having the courage and common sense to write this book, since he, and I, seem to believe that some people would see sinister conspiracy plots in 2 people planning to go grocery shopping together.



2. I'm really sorry to say this and I hope you don't take offence, but there's only one word in the English language that most precisely describes people like Martyn Gregory: propagandist.



3. As far as Princess Diana books go, this one is as wrongful as you can get ... the reporting is fundamentally flawed. Like the French authorities, Mr Gregory is willing to declare the Earth is flat and more nonsense in the desperate attempt to keep the lid on this cover-up.

   Judging from statements and the relief expressed by some British politicians, the death was needed to save the throne. Diana and Dodi had become a threat to the British establishment. The scenario opening in front of their horrified eyes was of a possible marriage to an Egyptian playboy. It was unthinkable that the heir to the throne and his younger brother should have a Muslim stepfather. It was equally unthinkable that the union might produce an Anglo/Egyptian half-brother for the royal princes.

   British Intelligence, under their rules, was "justified" in wiping these people out for the purposes of the monarchy, protection of the realm, and "national security."




4. Those who seek the truth should ignore anything Gregory says about Diana/Dodi. Gregory is associated with Dominic Lawson, editor of the Sunday Telegraph, who has been named in the House of Commons as an agent for British intelligence.

No comments about Kings & Queens: The Concise Guide.

No comments about Two Years In The Forbidden City.

4 comments about The Diana Conspiracy Exposed: The Definitive Account.

1. Martyn Gregory STILL does not explain why the following happened!
   1. Why was a partial embalming done on Princess Diana while she lay in the French hospital.
   2. Why did street cleaners come into the tunnel just a few hours after the accident to clean the street where the accident was.
   3. Why did they reopen the tunnel just hours after the accident.
   4. Why was Henri Paul's blood packed with carbon monoxide.
   5. Why wouldn't anyone let Henri Paul's family do an independent study on Henri Paul's blood
   6. Why were witnesses that saw certain things eliminated from the investigation. And on and on and on. In my mind, Princess Diana was 'eliminated' by top professionals....and they got away with it. Read 'The Hidden Evidence and 'The Murder of Princess Diana'!



2. I'm still in the process of reading this book but two things are already apparent to me. 1. Mr. Gregory seems to have a powerful dislike for Mohamed al Fayed. 2.Since the wildest conspiracy theories don't hold up he seems to think that means none of the rumors could be true. I agree that the Princess likely did die in an accident but to absolutely rule out foul play is going too far. Many of Mr. Gregory's debunkings seem very well thought out and informative, even probable, I just have a feeling that something is missing.



3. Martyn Gregory's account of the couple's final journey is riddled with inaccuracies, distortions and falsehoods.



4. It is quite obvious that Mr. Gregory has done his homework here. There were several interesting details which I had not read before. He is very anti Al Fayed. But he did strain his credibility with me when he twice mentioned that JFK was assasinated in Houston. Mr. Gregory must be very young! I enjoyed the book. He argued his "case" very convincingly.

No comments about Two Years in the Forbidden City - with a new foreword by Graham Earnshaw (Tales of Old China).