Queen The Books

Superbly translated and deftly edited by Mustansir Mir, Tulip In The Desert showcases the poetry of Muhammad Iqbal, one of the Indian sub-continent's most influential thinkers who Urdu and Persian poetry helped to inspire the idea of an independent Pakistan. Rumi And Goethe: In paradise that perceptive German/Happened upon the Master of the East./Where is a poet of such stature!/Though not a prophet, he is possessed of scripture!/To the one who knew divine secrets/He read about the pact of Iblis and the doctor./Rumi said, 'You who bring words to life,/And hunt angels - and God -/Your thought has made its home/In the inner recesses of the heart,/And created this old world anew./At one and the same time in the body's frame,/You have seen the tranquillity and the restlessness of the soul,/You have been a witness to the birth of the pearl in the shell./Not everyone knows the secret of love;/Or is fit to reach these portals./'He who is blest, and a confidant, knows/That cunning comes from Iblis and love from Adam'.

Mustansir Mir has done a superb job of bringing to life selected works of Iqbal to a generation of Indian and Pakistani Muslims who do not read, write of speak Urdu fluently.
The author has gone into a detailed analysis of the work of Iqbal. Each poem is introduced with text and there are plenty of foot notes to grasp the meaning of each verse. It is said that poetry loses its charm when translated and is not as good as the original. In Mustansir Mir's case, I cannot subscribe to this view. His work has made me appreciate the true nature of Iqbal work in full force that even my parents who were well versed in Urdu and read his work did not enjoy.
For this invaluable gift to us, that is Indian Muslims, I offer a collective thank you!

Nadir Mir Ali

My students were excited to see a sequal to Once Upon A Marigold! I wish I could buy a whole class set! This is a great addition...hopefully, there will be a 3rd book!

I like to read what my children are reading because it gives us common ground for conversation and I like to know what's on their minds. Sometimes this can be tedious, i.e. reading fiction written for primary school kids.

The Marigold series is not a tedious task for me. I thoroughly enjoy the engaging, witty writing, and the subtle lessons that resonate from the narratives are good seeds to plant. I highly recommend these books. Children and adults will enjoy them.

My 10-year-old son has long been an avid reader, but with the Marigold series he briefly gave up his MP3 player during the morning ride to school. He read instead.

I definitely started reading this book as non believer. How would you ever expect to sympathise with Henry VII? He who desroyed the plantagenets and an upstart with no right to the throne of England? And yet, as I read, Jean Plaidy wove a tale that might suggest the reasons for the man he was. Firmly believing he could set England straight - a thrifty king who made England rich, the book brings out the reasons for all his decisions. Uneasy lies the head is an apt title for this book, for he was uneasy about how he claimed the throne. All the blood that flowed between him and the legacy haunting him to the very end. His tormented soul is a mirror to read in this book.

The answer is both. In this Jean Plaidy book, Henry VII is portrayed as a man bent on doing what is best for his country. That may include usurping a crown, killing innocent men and children, and being on the miserly side. Although from that description you may take an immediate dislike to him, beware. Jean Plaidy has a way of changing your mind. She even made me feel more understanding of Philip II of Spain in The Spanish Bridegroom!

At first, I thought this book might be on the boring side. I quickly changed my mind. When has Jean Plaidy ever let me down? Also, this gives back some dignity to Richard III, after it was wrenched from the Tudor propagandist, William Shakespeare.

If you open a chess game with 1 d4 and answer 1...d5 with 2 c4 then you need to be prepared for three "unusual" Black replies, namely 2...e5 (the Albin), 2...Bf5 (the Baltic), and 2...Nc6 (the Chigorin). Perhaps you'll even want to try one of these defences yourself. This well written book can help you do both.

The Chigorin is the soundest of these three choices. White can try 3 cxd5, 3 Nc3, or 3 Nf3. I think the line that gives Black the most trouble is 3 cxd5 Qxd5 4 e3 e5 5 Nc3 Bb4 6 Bd2 Bxc3 7 Bxc3 exd4 8 Ne2 Nf6 9 Nxd4 0-0 10 Nb5 Qg5 11 Nxc7. This book tells about it and gives some suggestions. But, sure, I'd rather have White here.

The Baltic isn't a good choice for Black. 3 cxd5 Bxb1 4 Qa4+ c6 5 Rxb1 is good for White. And even 3 cxd5 Bxb1 4 Rxb1 favors White. Black has to hope for 3 Qb3 e5 or 3 Nc3 e6, which, as this book shows, are not nearly as good choices for White.

Still, there is a line in the Baltic that is worth knowing if one plays the Slav, namely 3 Nf3. The reason is that White may try 1 d4 d5 2 Nf3. Now what? What happened to that Slav you were going to play? And is this your chance to get that Queen Bishop outside your pawn chain?

Yes. It is. You can play 2...Bf5 and if 3 c4 e6 4 Nc3 c6, with a favorable version of a Slav. Ward gives a couple of games to show how this can go, but one can see more in books on the Slav.

In the Albin, my suggestion for White, which the book does not entirely agree with, is 3 dxe5 d4 4 Nf3 Nc6 5 Nbd2 (the book recommends 5 g3) Bg4 6 a3. Here, Ward recommends 6...Nge7 for Black, but I still prefer White and so does he.

The Albin seems to me to be a bunch of traps. The most ridiculous is the following suicidal play by White: 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e5 3 dxe5 d4 4 e3? Bb4+ 5 Bd2 dxe3 6 Bxb4 exf2+ 7 Ke2 fxg1=N 8 Rxg1 Bg4+ 9 White resigns. But the author shows us some quick wins for Black in saner lines. One is 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e5 3 dxe5 d4 4 e4 Nc6 5 f4 f6 6 exf6 Nxf6 7 Bd3 Bb4+ 8 Bd2 Ng4 9 Nf3 Ne3 10 Qe2 0-0 11 g3 Bg4 12 a3 Ne5 13 Bxb4 Nxf3+ 14 Kf2 Rxf4 15 gxf4 Qh4 mate.

You may protest that White ought to play an early a3 to avoid all this. But Ward also shows us the following: 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e5 3 dxe5 d4 4 Nf3 Nc6 5 a3 f6 6 exf6 Nxf6 7 g3 Bg4 8 Nbd2 a5 9 b3 Bc5 10 Bb2 0-0 11 Bg2 Qd7 12 0-0 Rae8 13 Re1 Bh3 14 b4 axb4 15 Nb3 b6 16 Nxc5 bxc5 17 axb4 Nxb4 18 Ra5 Bxg2 19 Kxg2 20 Ba3 Qh3+! (winning for Black).

Even in Ward's recommended line for White, namely 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e5 3 dxe5 d4 4 Nf3 Nc6 5 g3, we see a couple of games where Black wins fast by pushing her h-pawn and getting her Queen Bishop to h3 (generally via e6 or f5).

I wouldn't want to play the Albin with Black, in spite of all these possibilities, but some of you might want to try it, or the Baltic or the Chigorin, for Black. And I do recommend this book to learn all these openings for White.

Being a 1-d4 player, I have to be acquainted with unusual replies by Black. This book gave me enough theory and explanations to feel more confidence if confronted by these monsters! The frame of Everyman's Chess Publications (Cadogan) is efficient. A limited amount of selected games by the best players possible with a lot of explanations.

The new user name policy at Amazon has disassociated my former reviews from my identity, so I will reiterate my views of this book here under my "new" name.

This book gives very fair coverage of the issues raised by the television documentary series The Valour and the Horror. Including the report of the CBC Ombudsman, as well as the rebuttal by Galafilm, the meat of this book is the detailed anaylysis by several distinguished Canadian historians. Even and balanced, written in a very scholarly way with extensive notes, this book is an effective tool in deconstructing the flawed TV series and understanding the basic objections raised by scholars and enthusiasts alike. An absolutely brilliant book.

In order to truly understand the objections to the TV series, it is important to read detailed critiques such as this one. The series has high production values and in that way is deceptive. The Hong Kong episode, according to Ferris in this book, only has about a minute and a half of objectionable material in it. The other two episodes, however, are more complicated and objections to them not as apparent.

A very good starting point for those trying to get to grips with the controversy over this series, and the "true" story of the history being discussed by the series.

A very fair coverage of the issues raised by the abysmal TV show The Valour and the Horror. Including the report of the CBC Ombudsman, as well as the rebuttal by Galafilm, the meat of this book is the detailed anaylysis by several distinguished Canadian historians. Even and balanced, written in a very scholarly way with extensive notes, this book is an effective tool in deconstructing the flawed TV series and understanding the basic objections raised by scholars and enthusiasts alike. An absolutely brilliant book.

This is another wonderful book by Phillippa Gregory which I think surpasses her others. The story of the passionate love affair between Elizabeth 1 and Robert, Lord Dudley settles, for me, many questions which have previously been a puzzle. Yes of course this is purely supposition but it makes complete sense and it could well have been played out in this manner. Dudley came from a line of courtiers who were well known for treachery...his father and brother were executed for treason, but, despite this, Dudley's overweening vanity and arrogance had convinced him that he could marry Elizabeth and become King. The fact that he was already married to his childhood sweetheart, Amy Robsart, was something that he was sure could be overcome by divorce. Amy was a secret Papist and refused to be divorced to clear the path for his marriage. Elizabeth was clearly besotted with Dudley but, as was ever her way, refused to take a stright line and was certainly NEVER going to share her throne with any man.The death of Amy is explained in a logical way, which along with other aspects of history, could well be the true answer. It's a fabulous read for any lover of historical fiction.

This is romantic historical fiction at its finest, replete with an abundance of period detail. The focus of the book is the romantic triangle involving the newly crowned tempestuous Queen, Elizabeth I, her lover and Master of Horse, Sir Robert Dudley, and his long suffering wife, Amy, whose dreams of a simple life with her husband are shattered with Elizabeth's rise to the throne upon the death of her half-sister, Queen Mary.

There is also a cat and mouse game involving Elizabeth, her Secretary of State, the canny and shrewd William Cecil, and Robert Dudley, which develops as it becomes clear that Dudley has his heart on becoming King and ruling alongside Elizabeth as an equal, something that can only be accomplished through marriage to Elizabeth.

Unfortunately for Sir Robert Dudley, his wife, Amy, a secret Catholic, has no intention of divorcing him. Moreover, Elizabeth has no intention of letting Dudley rule as King rather than just being King consort, were they to someday wed. Yet, she is in a quandary, as she finds herself unable to resist Dudley's charms and can refuse him nothing. Elizabeth turns to William Cecil for help in saving her from herself. William Cecil knows all too well that marriage to a Dudley would be disastrous for England, as Dudley, being the Queen's favorite, is one of the most unpopular men at court with the other courtiers. Moreover, the Dudley family, though a powerful and ancient lineage, has a treasonous history.

What Cecil devises is diabolical but plausible. This twist in the tale is certainly an ingenious way of explaining a mysterious death, a death that has never been satisfactorily explained by historians. It is a death that certainly served to cast a pall upon Dudley's ambitions and ensured that he and Elizabeth would never wed. It also ensured that the canny William Cecil would be the most powerful person in England, excepting Elizabeth.

This is a wonderful tale of the Tudor Court and the beginning of the Elizabethan era. There are those readers, however, who may find it difficult to reconcile the histrionic and besotted, love-struck Elizabeth of this work of fiction with the more familiar image of Elizabeth as the self-reliant and strong willed Queen Regnant. Still, those who enjoyed the author's book, "The Other Boleyn Girl", will surely enjoy this one. Set against a backdrop of political intrigues, it is a well-written, well-researched work of romantic historical fiction that will keep the reader turning the pages.

The book was in excellent condition. My daughter and I used it for a report in school. It served our purpose well.

John Cabot and the Matthew are to Newfoundlanders and Canadians what Christopher Columbus and the Santa Maria are to Americans. When the modern replica of Giovanni Caboto's (Cabot's Italian name) caravel Matthew visited our shores in 1997 to celebrate the 500th Anniversary of the originals voyage, I was smitten! The fact that it was the 20th Century, and not the 15th, didn't detract from the realism of the reinactment of John Cabot's transatlantic crossing of 1497. The modern crew battled north atlantic gales, encountered icebergs and vast fogbanks, much as had Cabot's crew of 500 years previous. On June 24th, 1997 amidst freezing temperatures and a howling gale, 500 years to the day after the original Matthew landed in Bonavista, the modern replica sailed out of a fog bank at landed at the very spot where Cabot reportedly first sighted land! After 53 days at sea in oftentimes trying conditions, the mostly novice crew, ranging in age from 20 years to 77, managed to sail their tiny replica ship from Bristol, England to Newfoundland and into the hearts of all Newfoundlanders. Fisrstbrook's book chronicles the birth of the idea for the recreation of Cabot's historic voyage through to the ships design and construction and her sea trials in 1996/97. Also, the book deals with the medeival world of late 15th century Europe that spawned such explorers as Columbus, Cabot and Corte Real as well as the historical facts surrounding Cabot's three voyages. Firstbrook also entertains the various theories dealing with Cabot's subsequent disappearance during his mysterious and ill-fated third voyage of 1498. For anyone interested in sailing ships, or history, or just an interesting read, this is an excellent book. The book is a companion to a BBC TV documentary which coincided with the Matthew replica's voyage in May/June of 1997. I haven't had the opportunity to see this series, as it has yet to be carried by local television unfortunately. For those who may tend towards the actual adventure of sailing a replica of a 15th century caravel across the stormy North Atlantic during one of the worst times of the year, I recommend "Bound Down for Newfoundland; the Diary of a Young Seaman Aboard the Matthew" by crewman Chris Legrow. You'll feel the stiff salt breeze reading this one!

This book gets right down to the heart of the matter about what is going in the Catholic Church with the changes that effected it with Vatican II! What are polkas, rock, rap and liturgical dancing doing in a House of God? Entertaining Him? Trying to draw people into church? I do not think so but this book will tell you how and why tbe sacreligious things are happening in the Roman Catholic Church today. The video, The Vacancy, was a 5 star as well.

This is a must read for anyone who wants to know how and why the Second Vatican Council has changed the Catholic Church. The authors who are both priests include statistics and a thesis that are hard to refute. For all Catholics who want to know that the Catholic Church is still alive and well and where to find it.

The little gnomish people on the front cover encouraged me to open it up, and I was pleasantly rewarded with a tale that is as engaging as the colorful illustrations. The tale is indeed silly, with a few tales of its own tucked inside. I liked the way that Shulevitz didn't villainify the emperor - I find that most children's books have a clearly defined "bad" and "good," and Shulevitz allows children to see the traditional "bad guy" character as a person who has some flaws rather than evil incarnate. Great imaginative use of words. Most importantly, this book answers the question that has plagued mankind for centuries: "If one had an itch on a Sunday at 3:16 in the afternoon, should one scratch with the third finger of the right hand or with the second finger of the left hand?" You'll have to read the book to find out what answer this wise bird gives.

What do you get when you take a strange land called Pickleberry, inhabited by an emperor and his brother, the janitor, a very wise bird named Lou and Lou's, Aunt Millie, a half invisible man with half a large mustache, a traveling salesman and a bear who's lost his tail? Easy...a charming, creative, laugh-out-loud picture book by award winning author and illustrator, Uri Shulevitz. And Mr Shulevitz has done just about the impossible, woven three seemingly unrelated nonsensical stories together and made it work. His wonderfully absurd text, full of imagery, made-up words and wild, ridiculous events is only outdone by his truly inspired and magical artwork and youngsters will be mesmerized by the colorful, detailed, expressive illustrations. What is a Wise Bird Like You Doing in a Silly Tale Like This? is a very special story, really three special stories, that's perfect for children aged 4 and older. Uri Shulevitz never disappoints and he's not starting now!

My daughter received this book as a gift when she was 2 1/2. She loves to do the puzzles and now knows all of her shapes, including trapezoid and hexagon. Very educational and fun.

We bought this for our 2.5 year old daughter and she loves it! It's great for finding patterns, learning shapes, sorting, matching edges, symmetry...there's a lot going on in this activity book. The pieces are solid and bright, and it's nice to have a storage container built right into the spine of the book. As a (former) math teacher, I'm thrilled to have this for my toddler!