4 comments about Hitler, Donitz, and the Baltic Sea: The Third Reich's Last Hope, 1944-1945.

1. I found this book interesting as an insight into an area od Donitzs' life and command which has not been covered elsewhere. Other than that, there is not that much to commend about the book. Yes, it is well researched and reasonably well written. If you are interested in Donitz, then you will need to read the book. As far as the area of operations covered - well, that is your choice; it would not "grab" me. As a counterweight to the Atlantic and Med, it is about as interesting as that of his U-boats in the Far East.



2. This book offers an excellent view of hitlers final months, and his over-arching strategy. I highly recommend this book!



3. 
   A well written and researched book with some compelling arguments that offers a convincing explanation that Hitler had indeed a strategy in the last two years of the war, other than a mad obsession with holding every inch of ground, no matter what the cost.
   
   The basis of the book is that Hitler based his strategy on one simple premise, that to avoid total defeat he needed to neutralize the western allies for just enough time to defeat the Soviet Union, which would allow him to broker a peace deal with the western allies. To do this, he needed to keep the Baltic Sea firmly under German control; to allow for new revolutionary U-boats to be commissioned, (despite heavy allied bombing the new U Boats were starting to be produced faster than ever in early 1945) and their crews trained away from constant allied air and naval attacks, this would allow Germany to stop the flood of US supplies to the Soviet Union as well as making further British and American offensive operations in the west more difficult due to the disrupted supply lines.
   
   The book shows how Hitler quite rightly understood that alternative strategies offered by his Generals merely proposed to delay Germanys defeat, while only Donitz and his new U-boats offered the only if slim possibility of victory.
   
   The book is a delight to read, and deserves a wider audience.



4. Hitler's selection of Commander in Chief of the German Navy, Karl Doenitz as his succesor in the closing days of World War II is often viewed as puzzling and illogical. Howard Grier's "Hitler, Doenitz and the Baltic Sea" attempts to explain why the selection of a Navy man rather than a high-ranking Nazi party hack or a German Army Field Marshal to succeed Hitler made sense, at least to Hitler.
   
   The reason for the selection stems from the Nazi's long-range plans for Germany to dominate, if not conquer outright, the entire world. Such plans would naturally have to include a full scale naval fleet. Nazi Germany, however, was never able to develop such a fleet, particularly after the invasion of Poland when the declarations of war by Britain and France against Germany, and Germany's subsequent invasion of the Soviet Union, necessitated Germany's primary economic and military focus on land-based warfare. Japan, however, in 1941 did have a full scale navy (arguably even the biggest and best in the world). It was for this reason, the use of Japan's naval forces against the navies of the Western powers, that Germany appeared to welcome Japan's attack on the U.S. and why Germany declared war on the U.S. immediately thereafter.
   
   The author's book examines how the Nazis never lost sight of their hope for world domination through their own naval force and how even in the last year, months, and weeks of the war they planned to at least force a peace with the West (and then re-conquer lands lost in the East) by utilizing a new type of submarine, the XXI U-boat, to damage and destroy British and American shipping, with the end result being that the British would starve and the Americans would not be able to re-supply Britain or ferry troops and materiel to continue the war in Europe.
   
   The book is a thoughtful analysis of the overall strategy of the Nazi Empire in the closing months of the war and helps explain why Hitler believed up to the end that the Nazis could reverse their fortunes. It also helps explain why the Nazis were desperate to hold onto ports in the Baltic Sea and retain possession of Norway: After the invasion of Normandy, these were the only areas left under German control that could be used to test the new submarines, train their crews, and launch a U-boat counteroffensive.
   
   Although the book may appear to be of interest only to naval historians, particularly as it relates to World War II, its scope is more wide-ranging than that and would be useful for those interested in World War II in general as well.

2 comments about Splendid Swedish Recipes.

1. I got this cookbook as a Christmas give for my Swedish wife. She loves the dessert recipies, especially the Cocoa Balls and the Coffee Bread. If you combine this book with "Good Food from Sweden" by Inga Norberg, you'll never lack for recipies to remind you of your Swedish roots.



2. Splendid Swedish Recipes, in the popular recipe-card file size Stocking Stuffer format, is chock-full of the best recipes and notes on Swedish cuisine. Compiled by Kerstin Olsson Van Gilder, who came to America from Sweden in 1961, and refers to Swedish foods as "cooking the naturally delicious way." The Swedish diet consists mainly of fish (herring) and potatoes, making the food lighter than traditional American cuisine. This cookbook is inspired by the Swedish love of wholesome, natural foods. The cover shows a little girl in a Swedish folk-style outfit.

   In addition to recipes, Splendid Swedish Recipes contains information on The Smorgasbord (a long table buffet Scandinavian tradition), Foods for Special Holidays and Seasons, Notable Sites and Events as well as historical information on the Swedish-American Experience. The book offers you plenty to choose from to make a Swedish feast for family and friends. Try the Swedish Kale Soup or the Swedish Meatballs. Stuffed Cabbage and Rye Bread will suit almost any table! And desserts are the Swedish specialty! Try the Coffee Bread or the Cocoa Balls to end the perfect meal! This is just a sampling of what is offered!

   This book is excellent for personal collections and as a gift for anyone interested in Swedish cooking and heritage.

5 comments about Out of Isak Dinesen in Africa: Karen Blixen's Untold Story.

1. If you loved the movie "Out of Africa,"you will love this book. Isak Dinesen is a superb storyteller.



2. Dr.Donelson's well-researched biography of Karen Blixen is a balanced look at the Danish writer's years in Africa. Wonderfully sympathetic and leisurely paced, this "Untold Story" is less a revelation of startling new facts as a skillful new presentation of the many facets of Blixen's life on a Kenyan coffee farm. Donelson's sensible narrative is enhanced by a keen insight into Blixen's literary works. The biographer peels back the onion to reveal the link between Blixen's fantastic adult fairy tales and her relationships in Africa.
   
   I am a great fan of literary biographies and this book remains a solid favourite. Donelson shows a great understanding of Blixen's story but her restrained approach lets both Blixen herself and Africa share in the telling.



3. The difficulty with writing a biography about Karen Blixen lies in the fact that until the latter part of her life, she lived very much as a solitary and intensely private individual. Consequently, the part of her life we are most interested in, her time in Kenya, are closed except for the glimpses one gets from her letters back home. Donelson has done an admirable job of trying to move beyond Blixen's letters. She relies primarily on interpretations of Blixen's books to give more flavor to Blixen's motivations and state of mind. Naturally, it will always be speculative to speak of someone else's intentions. What I appreciated most in this book was the presence of hard numbers. We do get a better sense of the economics of the whole farm deal than with Thurman's biography.

   Ultimately, the picture that emerges of Blixen is an unflattering one. Donelson downplays Blixen's self-avowed attachment to Africans and points at her neediness and helplessness. I'd recommend this book as a good counterpoint to the unrestrained romance of "Out of Africa". Why did Blixen write "Out of Africa" the way she did? On reading "Out of Isak Dinesen in Africa", as was suggested in the introduction, Blixen wrote the book to convince others that her experience in Africa was not a failure; but perhaps also to convince herself that despite the trauma of personal and financial loss, it was worth it.




4. Linda Donelson's book is so far (to my knowledge) the only work on Dinesen to move beyond the Hollywood movie "Out of Africa", the glossy version of Dinesen's own glossy memoir by the same name. Judith Thurman in her wonderful and lauded biography also writes a great deal about Dinesens's years in Africa, but Donelson's book is concentrated wholly on Dinesens's time there.

   Donelson's writing is wonderful, transporting the reader to another time and place, but at the same time making Dinesen seem very real and very human. It is also the only work that gives us a Dinesen profile that in fact fits the one that comes to light through Dinesen's OWN letters from Africa (still in print and a must read for any true Dinesen fan) to her family in Denmark during the years 1914-31.

   Her memoir "Out of Africa" was Dinesen writing nostalgically in retrospect about her lost paradise several years after her return to Denmark from Africa. The film "Out of Africa" is without doubt a gorgeous and highly entertaining composite version of Dinesen's memoir as well as other works on Dinesen, including Thurman's bio. However, Donelson's book gets at the truth. Whether one likes her work or not depends. If you are the kind of Dinesen fan who prefers the glossy nostalgic version, you might be irritated that someone would "dare" to go beyond the pretty fiction. If however you want the truth, confirmed in Dinesen's own letters, you will enjoy Donelson's book immensely.




5. Karen Blixen/Isak Dinesen

   In the movie "Out of Africa" I believe that the writers of the film script missed a wonderful opportunity. In the book "Out of Isak Dinesen in Africa, Karen Blixen's untoldstoy, by Linda Donelson" a reader can find an exciting, wonderful, semsual, complex woman. A woman that is not the same person that appears in the movie. Sometimes, too often movies are made with just the vision of great profits alone, artistry be damned. Too often movie moguls seem to be most interested in maintaining the glory of the lead characters and less interested in telling the great story they have to work with. The Out of Africa Movie would have been so much better with new leading people and a script that didn't have to paint Barron Blixon as such a heavy and could have given a more realistic picture of the marvelous unique man, Denys Finch Hatton. I suspect that the script may have been contaminated by impute from forces that might have been less than insightful. As past history has demonstrated the Moguls some time miss the mark by a long ways.

   Linda Donelson in her book, which is smooth reading, does a most wonderful job of letting us see inside the rich character of the real people in this story. But not only that, a long the way you taste and feel Arica and you begin to understand the remarkable history , not only of Nairobi and it's surrounding African wonderlands, this book is magic in the way it blends in social history and world events with close personal feelings and experiences.

5 comments about The Palace of the Snow Queen: Winter Travels in Lapland.

1. I discovered this book in the new section of the library and immediately was engaged by it. My mother's family was from Norway, so in recent years I've been reading about this part of the world. This particular book was not just about the Ice Hotel but also about the origins of the people in this part of the world and the struggles they have faced. I found the writer's adventures to be quite interesting and her own journey from unhappiness to curiosity, and ultimately to a special fondness for this area inspiring. I told my husband, upon completing the book, that I wanted to visit that area some winter, and he said, "feel free to e-mail me from there." Someday I hope to sleep in the Ice Hotel and experience what she did.



2. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the Palace of the Snow Queen. I would read for a while only to realize that I had just finished a series of perfectly crafted sentences.
   
   Most people never venture to Lapland due to the distance and expense. This book takes you on Ms. Sjoholm's journey and gives you the space to draw your own conclusions. Travelers have always been drawn to the beauty and cold of the far north. This book reveals what it is like to be there while retaining a sense of awe and appreciation.
   
   I felt like I too was staying in a room made of ice in the Ice Hotel and watching Macbeth while wearing 15 layers of clothing. I understood why intoxicated guests of the Ice Hotel don't want to walk down the hall to the bathroom in the middle of the night and instead make yellow snow in their room.
   
   I traveled to Lapland in 2007 and upon returning discovered that Ms. Sjoholm had written the book I wish I had taken on my trip. This book is a perfect example of how two people can take very similar trips and have totally different experiences and interpretations. That is one of the joys of travel.
   
   The Palace of the Snow Queen is not your classic adventure survival story about a man alone battling the elements in the far north. It is instead a thoughtful journey of a woman traveling independently and forging relationships with the local people. Reading it makes you want to sit under a furry blanket with a mug of hot tea.
   
   This book is for anyone who loves to travel (armchair or not) with an open heart and mind to new places and people. It is honest and emotional. Travel is not always fun and it is often cold, lonely and uncomfortable. Ms. Sjoholm works through personal loss and holds a mirror to herself throughout her journey. It is also well researched and very informative.
   
   While in northern Finland I visited a dog sledding park with about 400 dogs. I was fascinated to learn about dog sledding, but never heard that dog sledding is disruptive to reindeer or the Sami. Ms. Sjoholm presents a balanced view of why dog sledding is offered to tourists and why there is local opposition to it.
   
   If you enjoy this book you may also enjoy This Cold Heaven: Seven Seasons in Greenland by Greta Ehrlich.



3. Sjoholm's book is an intriguing read - part travelogue, part history, and part social commentary about Lapland and its indigenous people, the Sami. Struggling to cope with the breakup of a long-term relationship and post-9/11 anxiety, she decides to travel to this region encompassing the areas of Norway, Sweden, and Finland above the Arctic Circle in the winter of 2001, and again in 2003 and 2004. At the center of her odyssey is the Icehotel, a 60-room hostelry constructed entirely of snow and ice on the shores of the Torne River in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden. The hotel, visited annually by thousands of people from around the world, reminds her of the ice palace in a beloved fairytale from her childhood, Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen." Over her three trips, Sjoholm explores the building as it is being built, spends the night there as a guest, and watches as it starts to shrink and drip and melt into the river. Through the eyes of the workers and artists involved in the project, she demonstrates the fascination of creating an object of beauty not intended to last. The Icehotel exemplifies the drive to promote winter tourism in the area, an effort, Sjoholm soon discovers, that is often at odds with the needs of the reindeer-herding Sami. Sjoholm gives them voice through her thoughtful, empathetic descriptions of their history, their culture, and their determination to survive as a people amidst the march of progress. In so doing, she effectively sensitizes the reader to the plight of indigenous people everywhere. Her lyrical descriptions of light make a forbidding place seem almost appealing, as when she views the sky one morning from a steamer off the Norwegian coast: "suddenly the light was no longer bone gray, but, in the east - blush pink and turquoise, then hot rose, mango orange, the sunrise churning into sunset, all in two hours, with the sun below the horizon, invisible below the iron-hard water." And she never lets the bitter cold stop her from taking advantage of the area's attractions, from riding a sleigh pulled by reindeer and eating fried reindeer meat in a smoky tent, to watching Macbeth sitting in an icy reproduction of London's Globe Theater. I hate being cold, but as I read the book, I could actually picture myself taking the trip she did. My reaction is testimony to Sjoholm's ability to engage readers from the outset and keep them with her until the last page of this fascinating adventure.



4. If travel books are about making far away, different, and maybe even unbelievable landscapes accessible to those who will never journey to them, then this book has hit the mark. I found it truly engaging and felt every below zero day and snowy landscape that Sjoholm traveled through. The cold and the colors and the people of the north became alive to me in a way that surprised me given my own penchant for reading about and traveling to more equatorial climes. Fascinating! This book has a bit of everything, from the social to the political to the environmental. And why not? It's a complex landscape, as Sjoholm points out, and not at all the "wilderness" that so many have previously deemed it to be. The writing is vivid and lively, but it is also the exhaustive research that went into the storytelling that I am impressed with. The history of Lapland suddenly comes within reach of the present day because of the ways in which Sjoholm chose to tell her story. I would highly recommend the book to anyone who is thinking of traveling to northern Scandinavia, as well as to those who are not. I admire Sjoholm for doing the work and obviously being completely enthralled with the cold and darkness and people and animals; it surely couldn't have been an easy journey but readers will benefit from her efforts.



5. Lil' 50-something Babs from Seattle has written a tale of her time in "Lapland" which reveals both a humorless, hypocritical, condescending person's view on travel, and a weak spirit that comes from a spoiled victim mentality. Then to add to the "fun", Ms. Sjoholm throws in many uninformed details and historical references that are neither accurate nor documented. For example, she goes so far as to describe the working dogs that pull the tourist sleds as being "Shelties" or "Pug-like". In addition, her book has no footnotes to support statistical data she presents, such as a comparison of the destruction of Hiroshima, Japan to that of the Scandinavian city of Rovaniemi.
   
   The author whines a lot in the book. At one point, she complains that she can't hear the information she needs to feel comfortable before starting out on a dog sledding adventure, but she doesn't speak up to ask for help. Later, she quits the trip less than half way through it, which was only three days! She even abandons a friend in doing so; someone who'd traveled a long distance and spent her own money to go with the author.
   
   The negativity of this author is neither interesting nor deep, it's just self-indulgent. She took advantage of many people's time and hospitality to write this story, as she inadvertently reveals in her book, but she certainly did not repay it properly in a meaningful way.
   
   If you want to read books about interesting and intrepid people, try "North to the Night" by Alvah Simon, "Otchum" by Nicholas Vanier, "Back of the Pack" by Don Bowers, or "Yukon Alone" by John Blazar for starters, but don't waste your cash on this one.

No comments about Scandinavian Modern Furnishing, 1930-1970: Designed for Life (Schiffer Book for Designers and Collectors).

1 comments about Dear Danish Recipes.

1. 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.

3 comments about The Fairy Tale of My Life: An Autobiography.

1. I really liked reading Han's Christian Anderson's biography. You learn a lot about him, and his stories from this book. He is one of the greatest writers ever. He tells the story of his life beautifully. It was full of adventures and travels, of which he tells a lot about in his book. He truly liked all people. I highly recommend this book, and would give it more stars if I could.



2. The Fairy Tale Of My Life is Hans Christian Andersen's autobiography. Andersen (1805-1875) had an undeniable gift for storytelling that led to the creating of a series of classic fairytales that included "The Little Mermaid", "The Ugly Duckling", and "The Snow Queen. His sense of fantasy, descriptive abilities, and sensitivity to human emotions are also evident in the candor and engaging self-told story of his life from the extreme poverty of a provincial childhood to the international celebrity of his final years. Careful readers will also find valued insights into the sources for many of his most famous and enduringly popular stories. The Fairy Tale Of My Life is a "must" for the legions of Hans Christian Andersen fans!



3. The Fairy Tale Of My Life is Hans Christian Andersen's autobiography. Andersen (1805-1875) had an undeniable gift for storytelling that led to the creating of a series of classic fairytales that included "The Little Mermaid", "The Ugly Duckling", and "The Snow Queen. His sense of fantasy, descriptive abilities, and sensitivity to human emotions are also evident in the candor and engaging self-told story of his life from the extreme poverty of a provincial childhood to the international celebrity of his final years. Careful readers will also find valued insights into the sources for many of his most famous and enduringly popular stories. The Fairy Tale Of My Life is a "must" for the legions of Hans Christian Andersen fans!

No comments about Scandinavia; a Political History of Denmark, Norway and Sweden from 1513 to 1900.

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.

2 comments about The Diary Of Soren Kierkegaard.

1. Well it isn't really a diary. It's more like reading his philosophy, but more intimate. Even though I like his philosophy, I preferred this the most. In this, he doesn't make subtle hints about his father and Regine. He completely bares his relationship with them and it's rather heartbreaking. Also
   Kierkegaard has a fresh sarcastic wit that I wasn't expecting.



2. This highly condnsed anthology of some of SK's journey entries provides a good overview of many of the key events which shaped his life, as well as his own reflections about these events. Worth reading in conjunction with other works.