5 comments about Arabian Sands (Penguin Classics).

1. Excellent travelogue by Thesiger. Thesiger was one of those 'desert-loving English' guys. He traveled across the Empty Quarter (southern Saudi Arabia, northern Yemen, Oman) with members of several different Beduoin tribes. You get a great feel for how the Bedu lived and survived in such a harch environment, and you'll have a different perspective on the origins of today's conflicts with extreme muslim fundamentalists when you're through. Thesiger wasn't out for glory; he loved the Bedu way of life and the desert, and it shines clearly through in his writing. Interesting from beginning to end.



2. This book, correctly available in the Penguin classics range is a non scientific, not overly academic telling of one British chaps journeys with local Arabic people in the `Empty Quarter' of the Arabian Peninsula. Ostensibly financed to increase biological and scientific knowledge of the area these journeys seem to have been undertaken by Thesiger for vastly different reasons. And it's these cross purposes that inform much of the conversational style of this dry yet at the same time engaging display of man against nature and the rich and varied experiences Thesiger converys.
   
   And indeed it must be said that Thesiger is a keen albeit haphazard chronicler. One minute he is imparting explanations of local attitudes and throwing in anecdotes to illustrate them and the next he is giving precise information regarding some feature of the local flora and fauna. While he is busy describing the grinding nature of the journey he is to be found digressing to present some moment of idle whimsy. And all at the same time he is actual giving you a chronological description of his time `mucking in' with the locals, getting involved in their everyday lives and sparing himself no hardship - in fact he seems to court it like it's a beast to be fought at the most base level. This guy seriously missed his time, he should have been born a couple of thousand years ago in Sparta. I came away not so much beguiled by the writing style or even the physical part of the world this journal portrays but for the all consuming experience the author quite obviously had. Not to mention his stoic and inspiring indestructibility both physical and mental and the reader is forced to consider their own fortitude in the face of descriptions of soul sapping hunger, endless deserts, infinite hardships and debilitating remoteness.
   
   Wilfred Thesiger was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, went through Eton etc and is in many respects an anachronistic throwback to a very different time, as are his attitudes to a great many things. But it's important to remember that being born in 1910 he IS from a very different time. And it would be churlish of the reader to expect his writings of over half a century ago to conform to our ideas of political correctness. Not to mention that when it comes to attitude/anecdotes and his conclusions derived therefrom he is perfectly entitled to his opinion, informed as it is by direct experience rather than a preconceived philosophical standpoint.



3. Arabian Sands is an intriguing, extremely well written work that chronicles a journey across the Arabian desert with the Bedu (Bedouin) tribes who inhabit it. Wilfred Thesiger describes in fascinating detail his arduous journeys into and across the Empty Quarter - a parched and for the most part lifeless area of the desert. As the reader travels with him he describes the interactions amongst the Bedu, their culture, habits and beliefs with intimate knowledge and honesty. He crossed the desert at a time when Saudi Arabia was literally on the brink of drilling for oil and deplores the inevitable loss of the traditional way of life in the name of greed. Anyone remotely interested in the Arabian world, the Bedu, or the trials and tribulations overcome by a man whose sole passion was to conquer the Empty Quarter will find this book compelling.



4. I like giving my first impressions in these Amazon reviews. Often I'll post a review before I've finished reading it. Such was the case with this book.
   
   An Englishman persuades the British colonial government to permit him to travel in dangerous Arabian hinterlands. Britain, it seemed, had no shortage of eccentric colonial adventurers, at least before the second World War. During his travels, he encounters threats of assassination, fevers, and bears all with charming aplomb. (Exhibit A, this passage from p. 27: "While we were in Bahdu I stayed for several days in the village of a young chief called Hamdu Uga. He had a charming smile and a gentle manner and I enjoyed his company. Though little more than a boy, he had lately murdered three men on the borders of French Somaliland and was celebrating his achievement with a feast when I arrived at the village.")
   
   The point of view seemed very dated: nostalgia for a brave and fearless people, the Bedu. I felt it romanticized them, though I must admit Thesiger writes beautifully.
   
   His prose and the vivid descriptions, however, kept me reading to the very end. I initially gave this book three stars, now I would give it four.



5. What a challenge! Living for years among the Arabs of old. Thesiger was one of the few westerners who made the experience. And he seems to be the last one who can claim to have lived as an Arabian nomadic tribesman. In our days it is difficult to find an opportunity to repeat such a feat as there are hardly any nomads left who give you the unspoiled experience. What kind of difficulties the author must have faced when travelling through the ever hot endless sand dunes of the Empty Quarter, can be very well suspected by anybody who travel on a camels back for just a few days through a sand desert and got exhausted by it.
   The narrative is much more than just a travel report. It contains many anecdotes of a real nomad`s life in the deserts. But much more than this it is an ode about and to the Arabs, it is indeed all about the Arabs, the Sand is nothing more than a staffage.
   No doubt the author is an adventurer par excellence but I have a problem with him which other readers might share. He is just relating what he lives for, he is an observer, interesting enough, but where are the more sophisticated observations? It is not fair to claim from all great voyagers to be an Alexander von Humboldt who puts travel in and gets a depiction of cosmos out. But going through an "Empty Quarter" of southern Arabian sand deserts without emptying to a remarkable extent the never filling quarters of the human mind, is -sometimes - tiring on the long run.
   No, Thesiger is not a philosopher, he has no "wisdom" to offer, except to let the peoples live their traditional lives, whether they include killing out of revenge or insult or treating women in the Allah`s angel given method or whatever.
   Thesiger is not very critical with the Arabs; he admired them. "I knew the essential decency which was the bed-rock of their character, their humour, stubbornness, and self-reliance. I knew that if called upon they could adapt themselves to any kind of life, in the desert, in the jungle, in mountains, or on the sea, and that in many respects no race in the world was equal." Which is true for any race. So Thesiger was a racist? No, he is not constantly over-stressing romanticism. He is of the kind, I presume, who would have emphasised the preferences of any human tribe.
   Thesiger seemed to have himself such qualities he praised of his chosen customers, no wonder that he got along with the Arabs. He was just lucky not to fall victim of any representative of Arabs who assault, kill and forget to ask afterwards for the merits. Of course Thesiger is not blind to this: "Always reserved in front of strangers and accustomed on formal occasions to sit for hours motionless and in silence, they are a garrulous. Light hearted race. But at the instigation of religious zealots, they can become uncompromisingly puritanical, quick to frown on all amusement, regarding song and music as a sin and laughter as unseemly. Probably no other people, either as a race or as individuals, combine so many conflicting qualities in such an extreme degree."
   Everybody who wants to get acquainted with the real Arabs, as we would like to have them, should read this book. And sweep the sand away with an iced drink!

5 comments about In Cod We Trust: Living the Norwegian Dream.

1. I enjoyed this book by Dregni as much as his memoir of his year in Italy ("Never Trust a Thin Cook"). This time he and his wife (pregnant with their first child) travel to Norway courtesy of his Fulbright Fellowship. He wants to discover his ancestral roots as his great grandfather came to America from Norway in the 1800s. As with his other book, there are the usual cultural and language barriers. His writing isn't award-winning but it is consistently good and humorous.



2. If you are of Norwegian heritage, you will laugh yourself into a partial coma as you read about the year-long adventures of this family. Not Norwegian? That's OK. It's still really funny and might inspire you to take a trip to the beautiful Land of the Midnight Sun. It's also insightful into the Norwegian customs and way of life. It's easy reading because the author has a colorful (and funny) way of storytelling. It grabbed my attention from the very first page. I heartily recommend it!



3. Dregni is a great story teller, not a fantastic writer by any means, but his writing is down-to-earth and very consumable by everyone. That it is written in a conversational tone and not academic/analytical musings makes it much easier to relate with than similar books. That said, I was expecting a...broader perspective on his time spent in Norway. Recently, I had the honor to take a similar journey, but perhaps mine was not as isolated as his because I was in southern Norway and with very distant relatives. However, for a month I lived on my own and the Norway I experienced was far different, but it must be emphasized that Norway is quite regional and where I was might have played a large role in my interactions with Norwegians.
   
   His tale is one of most Americans; longing to discover the family roots, implanted by an old-timer who clutched at whatever parts of his heritage he could find to at least give his children something to know and with which to identify. The reader is taken through Dregni's childhood of a father wanting desperately to maintain some ounce of his Viking ancestors, much to the chagrin of the family, who doesn't share his enthusiasm about lutefisk. Dregni decides to compete for a Fulbright scholarship to research his family history in Norway, and is granted the opportunity. His wife, however, doesn't seem too keen about it, as she has just found out she's pregnant.
   
   Perhaps this is what bothered me the most, but the wife seemed to be such a stick in the mud. Now, I've never had the displeasure of being with child (thankfully), so what I can conjure up is lots of morning sickness and irritability, and combined with a foreign country with no family to help you through your first pregnancy could make one rather cautious and otherwise dreary. She just seemed to really prevent many real Norwegian experiences (parties, exploration, soaking up the culture, etc). Dregni does force her out, but most of the time she seems to stay in the house, quietly fuming about her "predicament." Neither she nor the author comes away from Norway speaking the language even slightly fluently, it seems as though they just existed in a tiny bubble of imported America. Dregni did take Norwegian classes, but I don't remember the book having anything about her taking language classes.
   
   In all, what I see is what could have been a great experience for someone majoring in the subject, or perhaps, fully interested in learning about other cultures. Instead, we have observations made from afar, and it pains me to see the scholarship used in such a way, as there doesn't seem to be much else here other than: "I lived in Norway for a year with my pregnant wife, our son was born here, it's icy and cold, the Norwegians are antisocial, and rakfisk is worse than lutefisk." There are redeeming qualities (humor, jokes about Norwegian Americans, reflections on both Americans and Norwegians), but as an anthropology major I was expecting more from a family being paid to STUDY Norway, all they did was exist in it.



4. We visted Norway and want to go back - this book reminded us of so many things we saw and did & people we met.



5. This is a "tongue in cheek" cameo written by a Fullbright student as he and his wife lived one year in Norway. It is an introduction to life as it is lived in the country of his ancestry. Anyone who is of Norwegian ancestry will find this an entertaining book. If you are among those who has dreamed of Norway as an ideal country in which to live, you will find it an eye-opening experience mixed with some nostalgia inherited from your immigrant ancestors.

5 comments about The Far Traveler: Voyages of a Viking Woman.

1. Yep, I spent 19 cents for this book. Was it worth it? That all depends. If you're looking for trashy beach reading save you money. Having spent mine I decided to read it anyway. The book turns out to be a semi-scholarly attempt to define every day life, particularly that of women, in Viking times. The result is semi-interesting but not exactly a page turner.



2. Very interesting book on a under reported part of European history in Iceland, Greenland & North America.



3. Fascinating!!
   
   I only wish more photos, diagrams and website links and/or information (on those specific archeological discoveries and digs) would have been provided, so that we could have researched it a bit more, and tracked any furhter progress.
   
   The listings of the incredible array of artifacts found in these archeoligical digs would have also benefited by some drawings and photos.
   
   That being said, this is a wonderful book that brings the action to life -- I can almost see the ship rise and fall with the waves. The natives (skraalings) and the landscape of the new world is rendered in vivid word pictures. The descriptions of the Viking farms in Greenland and the hazardous trips sometimes needed to be made to reach those farms, gives me a sense of the tremendous resiliency and resourcefulness of those heroic people way back then.
   
   Exceptional -- but would definitely benefit from photos, diagrams, links, -- even a rendering of what Gudrid may have looked like.



4. This is an extraordinary acheivement. The author follows the character of Gudrid throughout her journeys through in Viking world of the late 900s and early 1000s and, along the way, paints a vivid picture of life at that time. The writing is engaging and apparently effortless, but the research that supports it is massive, as described in 35 pages of footnotes and references at the end of the book. The author's passion is clear throughout, and further evidenced by her having worked as a volunteer archaeologist one summer in Iceland to excavate Gudrid's home. This is essential reading for anyone interested in the Vikings.



5. This book enlightens a period of history not well known to date. It is very interesting reading, especially for anyone with Scandinavian roots. The research the lies behing this work is remarkable. I highly recommend this book.

3 comments about Report From #24 (No. 24).

1. I received this book as a gift. It is a great read for a Norwegian (&anyone else) of how Norway fought back during WWII. The Nazi did them a great wrong but Norwegians did with what they had.



2. Sonsteby was obviously one of the unsung heroes of the war. His work with the resistance was essential in keeping the Germans looking over their shoulders for the next incident. But, the book seemed to ramble for much of the first half of the story. I found it hard to keep up with the details, and often had to look back in earlier chapters to get myself re-oriented. The later chapters were much easier to follow. It was a quick and interesting read, but there are better books available on this topic.

   I'd highly recommend Blood and Water (by Dan Kurzman) if you are interested in a related story of the resistance in Norway.




3. REPORT FROM # 24 THIS IS A GREAT BOOK TO READ WHEN GOING TO BED .. YOU COULD BE DREAMING ABOUT BEING A MEMBER OF THE MILORG WITH GUNNAR. YOU THINK JAMES BOND IS EXCITING, WELL, YOU HAVEN'T READ GUNNAR'S BOOK. WHY WATCH TV? YOU HAVE THIS BOOK TO READ.

5 comments about Christina, Queen of Sweden: The Restless Life of a European Eccentric (P.S.).

1. This is a wonderful book - rich in historical detail, intellectually stimulating and emotionally engaging. The author has a deep sense of humanity - and a dry sense of humour - which provides wry and insightful commentary on the mores of the time, and the excesses of the incredible Christina. The outcome is a warm and ultimately forgiving portrayal of a woman who would have been controversial in any age. The philosopher Descartes, the great artist Bernini, the composers Scarlatti and Corelli -they are among the many who have surprising walk-on roles in the drama of Christina's life.



2. I have read a number of Christina biographies, and am familiar with seventeeenth century Scandinavia. When I saw this book I was excited that someone, an English-speaker, had something new to say about this extraordinary queen and her times. Perhaps I was expecting too much. If a reader knows nothing about the history of the times, and is an admirer of the works of Carolly Erickson or Jean Plaidy, he will probably enjoy reading this book. Anyone who knows a bit about seventeenth century Europe, and wants some scholarly rigor to heighten and challenge his knowledge base, will probably feel -- as I did -- cheated.
   
   One never gets the sense from this biography that Christina was a real human being. She certainly was notable and eccentric, even considering her position and unusual personality. She was an appalling individual, both by present day standards and the standards of her own time. Even so, it must be asked why she was as she was. And, further, how she was typical of and different from what might have been expected of a royal figure in Europe at that time. Did she also possess traits that might make her easier to understand as a fellow human being? I did not find these questions adequately addressed by this book. She remains a circus freak, a human deformity.
   
   This biography might well serve as an introduction to the subject for someone who has never heard of Christina, and who is not troubled by romance-novel writing. Still, I would rather recommend Georgina Masson's or Sven Stolpe's "Queen Christina" to such a reader.
   
   In any event, it is heartening to see Scandinavian history being brought to an English-reading public. Personally, I am still waiting for a satisfactory biography of this troubling figure.



3. While Buckley has admirably and extensively researched and detailed her portrait of Europe in the 1600's, her characterizations of Christina of Sweden are irritatingly judgemental and peevish. If you are looking for a curmudgeonly psuedoanalysis of the extraordinary Queen, you will be happy. If you are looking for an impartial biography or an exciting story, you won't find it here. Buckley cobbles the flow of her own narrative by nitpicking Christina's motivations at every turn. YAWN!



4. Buckley has done a wonderful job with her first book and I am hoping that others will follow. This is a well-researched and well-documented biography of Christina. The queen is placed within her time period and Buckley wisely refrains from enforcing a modern view on the queen's lifestyle and decisions. Instead the author leaves the reader to make up their own mind.
   
   And excellently written work, Buckley gives those of us with little knowledge of seventeenth century Sweden a context from which to view Christina's life. And the discussion of Karl Gustav, Christina's father, the man who made Sweden a powerful military nation, is an important part of understanding Christina's idea of herself.
   
   For a pleasurable and enlightening look at one of the many high born (I would hesitate to call Christina powerful, except in her own mind) women floating around seventeenth century Europe, this is as great place as any to start.



5. Unfortunately, there was a lot of Swedish history to slog through at first. When I finally got to Christina's misadventures, things picked up. But this was not a really compelling biography--I kept counting how many pages I had left til the end. If you want a biography you can't put down, go read "A Million Little Pieces" by James Frey.

No comments about Sibelius: A Composer's Life and the Awakening of Finland.

2 comments about Dear Danish Recipes.

1. I own a few volumes of Penfield Press cookbooks, including Dear Danish Recipes. I'm not of Danish heritage, but I'm very interested in ethnic cuisine and Penfield really gives the customer good value for so little money.
   
   I like a little history with my cookbooks and every volume contains the history of that country's cuisine as well as information pinpointing significant settlements of that people (very interesting to know that Danish people settled Solvang, California, complete with a windmill, that mirrors Denmark. The late actress Inger Stevens took solace in the town, saying it reminded her of her childhood in Sweden).
   
   Of all the things in this cookbook, every Christmas I challenge myself to make the Danish Christmas Bread. That bread is the singular most difficult thing I've ever baked in my life and the most labor-intensive.
   
   This is definitely worth it as is any cookbook from Penfield. - Donna Di Giacomo



2. Dear Danish Recipes, in the popular recipe-card file Stocking Stuffer format, is full of the best recipes and notes about Danish foods and culture. Compiled by Michelle Nagle Spencer, a Scandinavian American with a love a gourmet cooking. Dear Danish Recipes contains recipes, facts, and cooking hints from contributors of strong Danish heritage. The cover features calligraphy and traditional red hearts by Esther Feske.

   In addition to wonderful recipes, Dear Danish Recipes also includes information on Danish American culture, Sites to See, such as The Danish Immigrant Museum in Elk Horn, Iowa, and Danish Table Prayers which gives a reader a true sense of Danish heritage. This book is a must for chefs and tourists alike

   The recipes are wonderful individually or to create a full Danish meal! Included are a variety of soups such as Split Pea and Danish Soup Dumplings. Served with a homemade Rye Bread, this is a hearty meal for those cold days! The Appetizers and Snacks section has wonderful suggestions for your next get-together. Try a Cheese Buffet that serves up to twelve people, or a Salmon Log. For a main entrée, Shrimp au Gratin with Sugar Browned Potatoes and a Spinach Soufflé make for a wonderful meal. Top it off with Danish Tea Cakes for dessert!

   Dear Danish Recipes is excellent for personal collections and as a memento of Danish American culture.

1 comments about Westward We Came: A Norwegian immigrant's Story, 1866-1898.

1. Westward We Came: A Norwegian Immigrant's Story, 1866-1898 is the first-hand memoir of Harold B. Kildahl, Sr., a Norwegian immigrant to America who came to the New World in 1866. He and his family witnessed historic events such as the notorious James-Younger gang bank raid in Northfield, Minnesota and the beginning of St. Olaf college. Westward We Came offers insight into the hardships, satisfactions, and daily routine of pioneer life. In 1888, Kildahl returned to Minnesota to gain an education at St. Olaf College and the Lutheran Seminary, where he was ordained, married, and became a pastor in the Lutheran faith. An authentic settler narrative, that virtually opens a window in time to over a hundred years ago.

2 comments about I Go to America: Swedish American Women and the Life of Mina Anderson.

1. I read about this book on a Facebook link called Swedish Passport. It said if you had a relative who immigrated from Sweden to the US between 1880-1920, this book would pretty much describe what life was like. I was curious and have a new admiration for my grandparents and their siblings. This is a history book, not a novel.



2. "I Go to America" is much more than a retelling of Mina Anderson's life. The author has performed an amazing study of the Swedish woman's life in Sweden and subsequently in America following immigration. The book is well written and easy to read. This is a must for any person interested in Swedish-American history.

3 comments about Gustavus Adolphus.

1. This book, first published in 1895, offers the reader an interesting account of the Swedish King, Gustavus Adolphus (1594-1632) and his role as a commander during the Thirty Years' War. The book is illustrated with numerous maps and line drawings, although the maps are a bit hard to read at times but sufficient to get an idea of the movements being described.
   
   The book continues past the death of Gustavus Adolphus and the end of the Thirty Years' War to look at his influence upon the great captains who followed, including such commanders as the French leaders; Turenne and Condé and also the partnership of Eugene and Marlborough. Overall this is an delightful book to read for those interested in this little covered period and even though the style of writing takes a little time to get use to its well worth the effort.



2. When I first took this book out of the Amazon.com box, my first thought was, "What have I gotten myself into?" It was a massive tome, covering a century of European warfare in considerable detail. Not only was it huge in size and scope, but I was worried about the prose, given the age of the text.

   Fifty pages into the book, I could not put it down. This is quite simply an extraordinary military classic. T.A. Dodge is an exceptional military historian. Unlike many of those who ply that trade, Dodge was a veteran officer and possessed of exceptional military judgement. This is no chairborne commando, but an insightful and experienced soldier whose wealth of practical military experience brings the reality of 17th Century warfare alive.

   Any understanding of military history from 1618-1815 (yes, that's 1815, even though the book stops in 1712) will be deficient without this book. Dodge tells the critical story of how armies evolved from relatively disorganized and short-term field armies to vast, professional military establishments controlled by the monarchs of Europe. The evolution of the modern state cannot be fully understood if one does not appreciate this facet of the military revolution of the 1600s. Dodge is equally adept at bringing the battlefield tactics of the time to life, and illustrating their development. He skillfully guides the reader along the path of military evolution which ultimately sets the stage for Frederick the Great and Napoleon Bonaparte.

   The caveats of this book are that it is long on text and short on maps. The lack of maps makes following the course of marches and counter-marches somewhat difficult. Furthermore, a basic knowledge of the geopolitics of the time is helpful.

   For anyone with the fortitude, this book will bestow upon them a deeper understanding of a seminal period in European history.




3. I read this because I really enjoyed Dodge's military biography of Hannibal, but this book, possibly due to the period covered, was episodic, and without knowledge of European political history during the reign of Louis XIV, hard to follow. The first section, covering Adolfus's campaign in the Thirty Year's War, was quite entertaining, mainly because his efforts were dramatic, innovative, and successful against overwhelming odds. However, once into the military exploits of Conde, Turenne, Cromwell, Eugene, and Marlborough, the narrative becomes rather monotonous, describing one siege after another, one uneventful campaigning season after another. (This, too, no doubt reflects the time: the whole period of the post-Adolfus Thirty Year's War and the War of the Spanish Succession was one vast war of attrition.) Dodge does describe the important battles quite well, and offers incisive assessments of the character and abilities of the period's leading military figures. The book is long (about 850 pages), and long on military facts and figures. Dodge, a veteran of the American Civil War, writes in a rather formal and technical style, adding to the difficulties in wading through the text. I would give the book an "A" for information, but a "C-" for readability. If the subject matter really interests you, I'd say give it a try. If not, pass.