English Books

This is one of my childhood favorites; I had this book growing up but lost it somewhere and when I found it here I bought it.

This is a book from another time.

Here's a summary of the action: Sal wakes up. While brushing her teeth she notices that one is loose. She tells her mother. She makes a wish. She goes to tell her father who is digging clams. On the way she sees a fish hawk, a loon and a seal. She tells her father. She drops the tooth in the mud and loses it. She picks up a seagull feather. Sal, her father and her sister go into town. Her father cannot start the motor on the motor boat so he rows across the bay. Sal tells several people in town about her missing tooth. The motor is fixed. The grocer gives Sal an ice cream cone (her wish). They return home for clam chowder.

That's it.

But this is a book from another time.

The cadence is graceful, the illustrations spare but satisfying, and really, when it's over you realize that everything that needed to happen, happened.

There is much wonder in small things...

My 8 year old thought it was old and boring but he did seem interested in a few parts of the story. Probably a little outdated for kids these days but I loved it. It was the kind of story I would read when I was little, but I am going on 50.

This is a very long, very wordy book. It's not suitable for last minute bedtimes, nor for toddlers.

It's very suitable for kids in the older end of the 4-8 range, or littler kids with a good attention span, though.

Not much happens in the story - girl loses a tooth, gets her wish of ice cream, has clam chowder for lunch - which is just the way real life works. It's so well-written that you don't even *notice* that the story moves slowly, you might as well be talking about your own life.

I really sound like I'm criticizing, but I'm not. All the points I'm mentioning actually make it a good book. Really :) Definitely don't pass this classic book by.

To a child, every morning is a new start with infinite possibilities; at least that's how it should be. In this classic 1953 book Robert McCloskey brings a child's simple world to life. McCloskey, better known for his Make Way for Ducklings and Blueberries for Sal, gives us another look at little Sal. The story is timeless and his line drawings bring the children to life.

The simple coastal lifestyle of more than half a century ago may be hard to find today, in part because of the high local tax valuation of shore and island properties. Still, if you were to take a child to the rocky coast of Maine this summer, she could be little Sal in the clam flats. One Morning in Maine (Picture Puffin) is full of that magical atmosphere where the land and ocean meet. We all want that magic!

McCloskey's Caldecott-honored book tells a simple story. Young Sal wakes up on a sunny morning in Maine with an adventure in store. She and her little sister are going with their father in the boat to Buck's Harbor to dig clams. There are idyllic family scenes, lessons from their father about the world around them, ice cream cones at the store, and the disappointment of a loose tooth lost in the clam flats.

Simple stuff? It certainly is, and just the sort of simple stuff children thrive on. Sal's morning may be long ago and far away, but the curiosity and wonder of a child's new day will be with us forever.

Linda Bulger, 2008

This inspiring book is a must for all recruiters who understand the leverage power of online sourcing and networking.

As its subtitle suggests, The Virtual Handshake is all about interfacing with business and social contacts through the worldwide web. In my field (recruiting), the lines between business and social contacts blur since everyone I encounter might need either a new job or project, might know someone who does, or might be in a position to hire. Networking is not just about pressing flesh and passing business cards at a luncheon these days. There is a rapidly growing area of opportunity to meet people and make deals on the internet. However, please note that The Virtual Handshake does not merely expound the virtues of the internet or report results of deals closed and marriages made, the authors also make the technologies easy to understand and provide practical advice on how to use what's out there. Published in 2005, the book provides current information on various virtual options and their uses. The authors cover topic such as social software and services online; virtual clubs and associations; tips on managing the deluge of email; basics on blogging; effective use of email blasts without being perceived as a spammer; netiquette; privacy protection; and, of course, real-life examples of the use of the virtual medium. Easy to read and very useful, The Virtual Handshake is a primer for those of us who haven't been hip to the virtual world that's out there. It made me wonder if I've been living under a rock! The good news is it's not too late to learn, and this book will definitely help. I was so inspired by this book that I boldly went out there into the virtual world and set up my own blogsite!

This book delivers everything it promises. It is interesting from beginning to end and is obviously written by someone who is inspiring, articulate and experienced. It gives really good advice abot how to handle and manage one's growing familiarity with Internet capabilities and offers several good references for aspiring networkers. It even explains how to write a good resume.

The world is changing and so is business. The Internet, and various "Web 2.0" technologies, for lack of a better (or even good) name, are rapidly becoming an integral part of business and life.

The Virtual Handshake doesn't attempt to get you entirely up to date -- that's impossible, but up to speed -- that's far more valuable.

If you don't have any trusted colleagues you've never met in person or maybe not even talked to over the phone, you need this book. Even if you've spent a quarter of a century online like I have, you need this book. I learned a lot, and still refer to this book often. (If your secretary reads your email to you and you dictate answers, I suggest you retire or read this book ASAP.- You need help catching up).

After reading The Virtual Handshake, and I strongly suggest you do, you'll understand the basics, importance, and success guidelines of social software. You'll be up to speed in perhaps the most critical area of business change in our lifetime. The CURRENT wave of the Internet, and probably more important than the original commercialization and popularization of the Internet.

Hey, what's more interesting, the Big Bang Theory or How Life Came About?? This is the "How Life Came About" part and you'll learn about things like virtual communities and social networking, but far more importantly,- you'll know what to do. Actual steps you should take --- and plenty of case studies to help you understand their importance. Guidelines to harness the power of these new whateveryoucallthem.

Hint: be yourself, act responsibly, and remember you are the same person both online and offline and don't forget it!

There is a lot of valuable information in this book. Plan to read it, enjoy it, and then study it. And plan on concrete benefits.

It's a rehash of common sense. Do not waste your time reading this book.

Lots of interesting recipes for unusual ingredients, such as pig's ear, lamb's tongues, eel, skate, I could go on. Also some good looking ones for things I might actually try to cook! Great fun just to go through, and intro is by Anthony Bourdain. What more could you want?

Fergus Henderson is fascinating for a number of reasons. Primarily, of course, he runs an incredibly popular restaurant cooking the offal and off-cuts most chefs don't have the balls to put on their menus. (Henderson would, I'm sure, put balls on his).
Where this book shines is in bringing to light Henderson's apparent love affair with the food he cooks. He honors his ingredients by wasting nothing, animal or vegetable. If it's edible, he'll make it famous.
Henderson's writing style is charmingly eccentric. You, too, will start ascribing whimsical personality traits to food as you read on. Always just thought of curly parsley as an irrelevant garnish? For Henderson it's a key ingredient in his signature dish, roast bone marrow and parsley salad, and reading what he has to say about it has made me reevaluate parsley. He's that good.
The Whole Beast is more than a cook book; it's a manifesto. It's an easy-reading one at that, and I blew through it in one sitting, enraptured by Henderson's humble genius.

Fascinating book. Even if you never make any of the dishes covered in the book it is a real hoot to read. I have made a couple and they turned out great.

A wonderful cookbook to scare the children and vegetarians in your life with. A diverse collection of recipes using various critter parts that you may not have though of as being edible.

I don't have the bravery to try some of the recipes, but there are a few that are on the list to try next time I'm feeling adventurous in the kitchen.

A delightfully intriguing, simple, and elegant collection of recipes and techniques. Unlike some of the reviewers, I see little or no problems getting the ingredients or reasonable substitutions. Pig's head, tripe, tongue, etc just go to a Mexican or Asian market. I may not be able to get rocket but I know I can get nasturtium leaves and flowers (also peppery greens) from my backyard. Most of the shock seems to come from the ingredients we all used to eat, and may still eat if you have had ground meat products. Honestly where do you think it all comes from? Ninety percent of these recopies can easily be made without any searching for ingredients. Most of the rest need a little bit of searching, pre- planning or pre-orders from a meat or fish market...or even a good counter at your neighborhood grocery store will do special orders with a down payment of some kind. Having been part of a group that does historical medieval reenactments (yes SCA) I can tell you even in this day in age you can get much of this stuff easily. There are no true exotics in here. If you don't have exactly what the recipe says any search of internet cooking sites can give you substitution charts and http://www.foodsubs.com/ is a personal favorite. Live a little. Try something more like what we ate when we had to use ALL the animal, because we couldn't afford to waste anything...and you might find it tastes not only good, but better than the more commonly found fare in your supermarket prepackaged, precut, preped foods and meats section.

Looking for this book for my daughter who loves Foxtrot. Was able to get in within the week.

I've been a Foxtrot reader for a long time and personally I think there is something suspiciously wrong with people who don't find Bill Amend's characters funny as all get out. If you want a good laugh, check out Bill in your local newspaper, or better yet, get one of the Foxtrot books. They are all great, really, they are.

Like many of Mr. Amend's fans I'm a bit disappointed he's switching his strip to Sunday-only, but fortunately I can still read him daily in the Foxtrot books. Get them one and all and you can keep right on a laughing.

Who will like this book? All Foxtrot fans (even the finicky ones)!


Round up the usual suspects:

Jason: always living to the fullest of his 180 IQ, interest in computers, and irritating Page.

Page: will she ever get a boyfriend? Isn't she happy that Jason goes to summer camp?

Peter: his appetite will always exceed his interest in sports, but not by much.

Andy: are there any tofu recipes she DOESN'T know?

Roger: even with his golf and chess game, caffeine can't fix everything.


Camp FoxTrot is a fat collection of your favorite comics...250 pages worth. You will not read it all at one setting!

This book was the first Foxtrot book I ever got, the second was "Beyond A Doubt", and Jason and Marcus in this one are your typical geeky guys who think girls have cooties. At a sleep-away camp they go to for the summer there are 2 girls who do there best to out-do them in every way. This, of course, leads to hilarious situations. Anyone pondering the thought of buying a Foxtrot book. This one is the way to go. Of course, they're all great!

I have been a faithful FoxTrot reader for years. Roger, Andy and their kids Peter, Paige and Jason are always good for a reality check with a large dose of laughter. I've got two girls and let me tell you, I see a lot of my kids in Paige with, I believe, even a healthy dose of Jason thrown in. And they have Peter's bottomless stomach. Of course, they're faithful FoxTrot readers too. I used to read the strip to them, explain what was going on, but now they get it just fine and we three all laugh together. Then my girls try and explain the strip to their dad, who pretends he doesn't get it.

The FoxTrot folks are a great family, one we sort of got used to checking up on every day, so we took the news that Mr. Amend was going to cease daily distribution of his wonderfully funny people and turn his strip to Sunday only, with a bit of sadness. Still, we have these terrific FoxTrot books to keep us going with our FoxTrot fix. Mr. Amend is to be commended for his great gift to our culture and his great gift to so many lives. I truly believe a laugh a day, helps keep the blues away and the FoxTrot gang are always good for a laugh. Heck there are a lot of laughs in the FoxTrot books. I know, I have them all and I am, along with my girls and my hubby dear, eagerly awaiting the next one.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention, we don't have an iguana, but my girls do have a pet gecko and, you guessed it, his name is Quincy.

Excellent advice on how to write, what to write, and where to send it once you've finished it. A realistic look at the romance industry.

I have pretty much every book on romance writing I can get my hand on, and while there's certainly a lot of overlap among them, this is definetly the best.

While all of the books have helpful information on the romance industry, this one really stands above the rest. It's wonderfuly organized - it's the one I turn to first when I need to find something quickly. It's also well written - the information doesn't differ a whole lot from the other books, but this is by far the most fun to read. I've also found that the suggestions are truly helpful. The hints/suggestions sound really basic, but have made the writing process MUCH easier (I'm a beginner).

Most of the books in this genre have something new to offer, but if you're only going to buy one, this is definetly your best option.

This was the first book that I had ever read by Julie Beard. After reading her thoughts and ideas, I'm sure that it won't be the last. The book was intresting and to the point. Her ideas were well organized and thought out. A two year old could understand and utilize the information. At points there was humor and it felt as though you were talking to an old friend. Julie Beard has a new fan in me. Even if I find that I'm not intrested in her romance novels, when I am asked who is my favorite author, my answer will undoubtably be Julie Beard. The help and confidence that she offered me in this book were well worth the price. I'm not sure that I'll ever be an author, but if I fail it won't be due to anything that was lacking in her book. If I were given the opportunity I would send her a personal thank you. My out look and my life were changed in a couple of hours.

Having read hundreds, maybe even thousands of historical romances over the last 20 years, I always dreamed of one day writing my own novel. This book is an extremely helpful tool for anyone that dreams of one day becoming a bestselling author. Julie Beard shares information about the industry and the various tricks to getting published. For those aspiring historical romance writers bogged down by the research process, Beard also gives insight to resources with which to build your historical framework.

This book is a great read. It's funny and inspiring. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to break into the romance industry.

If you are truly serious about becoming a successful romance writer then you MUST have this book. I've read TONS of books on writing, not only romance but fiction and non-fiction as well. None of them were as user friendly and focused on how-to info as this book. Most other books quickly brush over the how-to. This book actually shows you step by step what to do from choosing the type of romance to write, structuring your book, synopsizing each major part in 4 paragraphs to getting published!! This puts other writing books to shame and it makes me feel like I've wasted so many years with the others when I could have had this gem the entire time.

If you want to write romance and you want to get started on the right foot then you MUST HAVE THIS BOOK. No exceptions. And if you are trying to decide between this book and another (or several others), get this one! The others can't hold a match to this one. Not by a long shot.

In. My. Purse.

All. The. Time.

Seriously ---- This book is amazing. It has a permanent home in my purse... (it's not too small, not too big - just right) And I use it almost daily....or at least a few times per week. Sometimes I'm in a bad place and need a quick inspirational message, and sometimes I just feel like feeling better about something....Whatever the reason, you will LOVE THIS BOOK. I ordered 5 more after I got it to give to friends and family...that's how much I love it. I know when some open it they will think "ummm....ok..?" at first....but they end up thanking me later.

GET THIS BOOK you wont be sorry!

this book has been so helpful at valuable to me so many tough times like i'm going through now. the messages are short but powerful. this book will certainly help you restore your peace. like another poster said mine is getting worn out.

Each time my spirt is down, or I'm going through a situation, I turn to this book. I hold the book in my right hand by its spine, fan the pages with my left hand to stop at randum. The passages I've read, I have felt its deep spirtual feeling and I understand its meaning. Then I reflect on my situation and the passage fits. It helps me to understanding whats going on. It uplifts my spirit to deal with my situation. It give me insight to view my problem from a different angle. It also assures me that what I am currently going through will end. I will get through it. In my view, its a powerfull book. I have read several other books by Iyanla, even watched her talk show (sorry that went off the air), but like the bible, I keep Faith In The Valley near by.

This is my FAVORITE book by Iyanla Vanzant because of: It's size(small enough for your tiny purse), its lack of preach-i-ness and how the index is organized by subject. I feel its a synopsis of all the subjects covered in her other books. I also feel the book is applicable to women of ALL cultures. You can use it as a daily guide or you can use the index to find a subject for which you could use guidance.

I can not express how insightful and helpful this book is! It really makes you look deep into the reason(s) why you thought you needed a book of affirmations in the first place. This book is perfect for those "why me" and "I really can't take any more" moments when you feel like life, and everything in it, needs to give you a break. If you're a woman experiencing a lot of change in your life and it seems like you just can't handle another crisis (or is it a crisis afterall?), this is the book for you. I carry it in my purse!

From reading the other reviews here, I can see I'm not the only person who looks at this trilogy as a "cult favorite." It seems that the Borribles definitely have a devout following!

Good news, friends! A publisher in the UK has recently re-printed all three books, in a single volume. These stories are available again at last! Click on "United Kingdom" at the bottom of your screen, and have "The Borribles Trilogy" shipped to you from Amazon.com in Great Britain.

Wow. What a great, original book. I read if for the first time in the late 70s...when I was 12 years old. It was a stunning work then, and remains such. I didn't care for the sequels that I discovered and read several years later, though. I think the story works best as a stand-alone book.

Regardless, this is an awesome book. Do yourself a favor and read it!

Don't get caught!

Like many here I read this book as a young man. Borribles are children that have chosen to run away from home and live on the street. As they live on the street their ears become pointed, which is why they wear hats to hide the fact from those that hunt borribles. Once you become a Borrible you will remain a kid forever...unless... Many of the cops that work the beat that Borribles can be found are on the look out for them. If a Borrible is captured, then the cops will clip his ears and he will turn back into a normal kid. People that were once Borribles become insanely jealous of those that still are Borribles and also hunt them. Couple this with extra large, intellegent sewer rats that are the sworn enemy of Borribles, and you can see that a Borribles existance is a bit dicey. As a Borrible you can't get a job, so they live by their wits, stealing their supper and defending themselves with thier trusty slingshots. They live in small tribes / street gangs throughout London scratching a rough existance from the sewers and back alleys. Forming alliances and rivalries with each other as well.
The first book of Borribles, a Borrible finds a scout Rumble (really big sewer rat) and his tribe elects to seek out the rumbles and disrupt any plans of attack they may have. Think about a tiny Delta Force unit with sling shots and a candy fixation. Gritty and Tough as the Outsiders with a little Peter Pan thrown in, a great read. I highly recommend this book.

This book brings back a lot of memories. I read it in my teen years, and it reminds me of one of my English teachers who took the trouble to track down and buy me one of the sequels. That was an act of kindness I never forgot, and why I think teachers are such marvellous people to this day (I had excellent ones.)

The basic premise is of children who run away from home to an underworld/sub-world (yes, it's a kind of urban fantasy). The new arrivals have no name until they can prove they deserve one, and they can earn several. I don't remember the plot, but I know that the tribal/merit-based culture and the way they interacted was really interesting to me, and I'm getting ready to track down a copy for my niece who will soon be of an age to enjoy this one.

If it weren't for their pointed ears (which you should know are always well-disguised under a woollen hat whenever they're out in public), it would be very difficult to distinguish a Borrible from a normal human child. They're generally "very skinny", "pretty tough looking", and "always scruffy". Sums up this generation perfectly, don't you think? ;-)

Anyhow, the story itself begins when an enemy Rumble is spotted on Borrible territory by two lookouts, Knocker and Lightfoot. The Borrible instantly smell trouble and in no time at all have assembled a crack team of adventurers to assassinate the Rumble High Command. Naturally of course, not all goes according to plan...

From page one, Michael de Larrabeiti's 'The Borribles' is brimming with action and adventure of epic proportions. It isn't perfect, but whether you're young or simply young at heart, there's something here to be enjoyed.

Highly recommended!

Big beautiful book. There's no index, nor no page numbers.
Type face is easy to read. Style of writing is easy to comprehend.
It's highly illustrated and the ideas cleverly presented.

I was expecting the usual fae-inspired absolute in-depth fluff, but was pleasantly surprised to discover that this book instead is an interesting anthology of life of the gnomes from hat to toe. Daily life from day to day through all seasons.

There's no definite storyline, but there are many stories scattered throughout. At the end of the book, strangely, it kept eluding to the fact that there may or may not have been gnome involvement. I never figured out why the authors wanted to add that bit of sentiment unless it was to protect their reputations. It doesn't matter to me if gnomes were involved or not.

I enjoyed reading the book. They covered most any aspect that one can think of in pondering the dynamics of existence of such a tiny being. I was especially impressed that there was very little fluff or magic in the telling about the gnomes.

This book would be an interesting addition to a nature folks fancier collection because of it's presentation of ideas for possible ways of survival of nature folks in the woodlands.
:)

Excellent resource items for collectors who have just started or are ole hats at it.

I Wasn't Quite Sure..What to do when I was in the company of gnomes but this book has helped me fit in. A tremendous help!

If there is a better book suited to bridge the gap between children and adults, then I have yet to see it. In this book, all aspects of the lives of gnomes are presented, from their physical attributes to the way they interact with nature. In between you will also learn about their economy, diet, their dwellings, social and family structures, how they court, and the games their children play and even the fact that the females are bosomy but do not need to wear a brassiere.
I "learned" a great deal from this book, for example I was unaware that there are six different types of gnomes. They are:

*) Woodland gnome
*) Dun gnome
*) Garden gnome
*) Farm gnome
*) House gnome
*) Siberian gnome

Illustrations accompany most of the descriptions; they are very well done, adding a great deal of charm to the book.
If you are looking for a way to amuse your children for hours, then read this book to them. It is a fascinating fantasy, presented in such a serious manner, it will make them believe that gnomes do in fact exist.

This delightful book has been a wonderful resource to my family over the years. It has charmed all six of my children when moping in bed because of sickness, and is now loaned out to grand-children. It doesn't sit on the shelves with the other books; and visitors invariably pick it up and flip through it - then need to have it torn from their grasp to come and sit up to table.

I think the most extraordinary thing about it is that it has no age range - it really is for anyone and everyone......

This book is full of authoritative information for screenplay formatting - however there is one major problem. The author makes no real distinction between what is required for spec scripts and scripts already in production.

The majority of the book lists the correct way to format shots (wide shots, close ups etc) but these should not be included in spec scripts. A great deal of the information provided is aimed at production script format. Ideally, the book should have been divided into two sections, but unfortunately the organization of the book will likely lead novice writers to include unnecessary direction information and thus format their scripts incorrectly - a great (and surprising) shame for such an otherwise useful book.

I only disagreed with the format used for montages. You don't need alphabetized bullets for each montage sequence. Readers aren't that dumb. Otherwise I refer to it constantly.

Great reference book for the screenwriter. I've written a couple of screenplays, and thankfully I got this book. It let me go back and fix all the little formatting things that probably tagged me as an amateur. This book is seriously detailed mechanics.

I'm a working screenwriter with two produced films under my belt and several more in development, but I still refer to this book on a constant basis. No matter what kind of formatting question I have, this book has the answer. I don't think I've been stumped yet. Case in point: Today I was writing a scene where I wanted to smash cut to some footage from a character's amateur documentary with a minimal break in the pacing. I didn't know how to do it. So on a long shot, I scanned the index of this book and found "home video" addressed on p. 22. Sure enough, Christopher had the answer for me. (You just put "Home Video" in parentheses at the end of the slug line.) So thanks Chris for getting us all of us on the same page. Now if only you could do the same thing for comic book scripts!

John August put me onto this book. He said it pretty much covered every question he gets asked about screenwriting format issues. And he's right.

Even if you've already written enough screenplays to think you have format down, I guarantee you'll find this a handy reference. It's precise, concise and easy to understand. A good book to have on your desk.

I'm almost 40 and I'm new to the reading world, although I know how to read well and I've always been a keener with good grades in english somehow I managed to go through school without reading a single novel, I just didn't read it and that really brought my grade down. I've never - until recently read novels or much of anything else... When I began to read earlier this year- the feeling was euphoric. It was the discovery of this treasure I was surrounded with and never knew... Now I love, love, love to read. I've collected so many books I'm sure it'll take a few years to get through. I started shallow splashing around with light reads such as Sophie Kinsella, Emily Griffin and soon dove in deep and gravitated toward historical fiction. I enjoyed this trilogy a lot. Although I know Josephine was going to die in the end, it didn't stop me from crying (something I try to avoid if I can)... Any suggestions for other interesting reads, please let me know. I suggest this set, it was wonderfully written... As well I enjoyed Ken Follet's "pillars of the earth" I have't yet started the follow up "a world without end" I also enjoyed Phillipa Gregory's books... Until I read Sandra's books of Josephine I knew little of Napoleon. It has sparked my curiosity and I research online to learn more about Napoleon, Josephine and the others. Enjoy.

i found all three books in this trilogy fascinating. it was a painless way to learn about the french revolution, napolean and josephine's lives, and a multitude of other historical facts. the books moved very quickly and from the time i picked up the first one i was hooked!

I don't need to repeat what eveyone else seems to be stating in their reviews of this book and the entire Josephine trilogy; the story flows from start to finish.

I very highly recommend this book!

A perfect ending to a wonderful trilogy. Gulland has clearly done her research and France comes alive through the eyes of Josephine Bonaparte. Compassionate, kind and well-loved in France, Josephine also gives us a very intimate and sympathetic insight to Napoleon Bonaparte. I enjoyed this whole series and would heartily recommend it to anyone interested in the French Revolution, the French Republic and the rise of Napoleon. It is engrossing, humorous and heart-rending. Highly recommended.

I can't express how much I loved this wonderful novel. The most accurate adjective I can think of would be 'interesting'. This book was soooo interesting. Gulland's attention to detail is absolutely meticulous. She used over 400 sources in the writing of this trilogy. I learned so much--not only about Napoleon and Josephine, but also of other historical figures of that time. I also found the daily life of the aristocracy not only fascinating but also exhausting.

Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine Beauharnais are some of the most intriguing characters in history. Their story is so compelling and Gulland does a wonderful job of presenting it. Her 'Josephine' trilogy tells the story of Marie-Josephe-Rose Tascher (Beauharnais Bonaparte) who was born on the French Caribbean island of Martinique in 1763. She died, as she was still known, as the Empress Josephine at her beloved Malmaison in Paris in 1814. THE LAST GREAT DANCE ON EARTH begins in March 1800 at the Tuileries Palace in Paris and ends at her death. But, Gulland has a special treat for her readers. She ties up all the loose ends by telling us what happens to all the characters in her novel. I loved that! In fact, I was taking a tour a couple of weeks ago in St. Augustine, Florida and the guide told us that this is where Napoleon Bonaparte's brother came to....I now know that it was Jerome. The author also has a chronology with detailed accounts and dates of events in the last fourteen years of Josephine's life. Gulland also used actual letters of the pair in this book. And again, the pages are peppered with footnotes that add credence to this story.

In book three we're treated to more of the deep and abiding friendship of Josephine and Napoleon. The love they had for each other is legendary. Napoleon was a wonderful father to Hortense and Eugene and they also adored him. But Josephine had to put up with her horrid in-laws, their jealousy and constant designs of destroying her marriage, their lies and the constant undermining--geesh, she was more patient than I could have been. They eventually succeeded. Despite going through horrible and archaic treatments for infertility, Josephine could not conceive. As we all know, Napoleon divorced her in order to gain an heir. Even then, they continued their friendship and love.

I have been mesmerized with Napoleon and Josephine since visiting the Lourve for the first time as a college freshman and falling in love with David's "The Coronation of Napoleon." Then, after visiting the famous, albeit headless statue of the former Empress at her birthplace in Martinique, my curiosity became insatiable. We learned that Josephine's head was cut off because she influenced her husband to reinstate slavery. I was hoping to read an explanation in these novels but it was never mentioned (although Martinico is mentioned quite often). Which comes to another point: Gulland mentions that researching the lives of Napoleon and Josephine is addictive; I've already bought two more books, maybe I'll find the answer to my question!