Journals Books

Alan Clark was only a moderately successful politician, but he ranks with Harold Nicolson as one of the best British political diarists this century. Clark was a wealthy (but not aristocratic) Tory MP under Margaret Thatcher (whose ankles he praises) rising to Minsister of State for Defence Procurement frustatingly short of the Cabinet. His diaries record his hopes, fears, lusts, successes and failures (including memorably the occasion when he addressed Parliament when drunk). His account of Thatcher's fall is gripping. You need a good grasp of British politics in the 80's to understand all the nuances, but anyone can enjoy this candid record. Sadly his recent death may deprive us of volume 2.

Alan Clark comes across as a bastard, but a stylish one at that. There is none of the self-serving drivel that even the best autobiographies normally serve up. Instead, you get raw, mostly unedited thoughts straight from the mind of the author. Of course only an English aristocrat would have the nerve to have diaries of such a nature published and not give a damn about what others think. Therein lies the charm of this enormously entertaining book.

This is funnier than "Yes Minister" and is a memoir of a real minister. Very incisive comments by Clark, critical of many, praising others. Makes a cabinet minister of pedigree and lineage look like a real person, showing the great difficulty of an elected official in changing the course of the "ship of state". It really appears that this is a private memoir now made public - seems totally fresh and honest. A very good read.

Johann Ewald was acknowledged by the British for whom and with whom he fought in the American Revolution as one of the best light infantry officers (termed outpost officers) in their service. A dedicated, trained professional from Hesse-Cassel, who was 'hired out' by his sovereign for the American War, he knew his job 'from muzzle to butt plate' and was an excellent leader of men, as well as a shrewd observer of what he saw. Fortunately for us, he also wrote all of it down.

This book is one of the most valuable, if not the most valuable, memoirs of the period. The petite guerre (little war), also called partisan warfare, of the period is of great importance in understanding the picture of the whole for the War of the Revolution. The jagers that Ewald commanded were also some of the most deadly light infantry in the world at the time, and they were greatly feared by their American opponents. Armed with short German hunting rifles and dressed in green and brown, they not only blended in with their surroundings, but they served in almost every action and battle of the war.

Ewald's direct, observant prose paints a vivid picture of the war, his British comrades, and his American opponents. He respected the Americans, especially their officers' attempt at becoming more professional as the war progressed, exemplified by the military books and treatises they read, which Ewald saw from time to time as he came across captured officers' baggage. he was amazed at the American attempts, which he noted were sadly lacking in his brother British officers. He noted this with care.

Ewald ended up in the surrender at Yorktown and was eventually sent home to Germany. His dedicated service service not being recognized by promotion by his sovereign, he resigned from the Hessian service, entered the Danish service, and ended up a general serving Napoleon in 1813. An interesting career, a more than interesting individual, and a superb memoir.

The best first hand account of the War for American Independence I've read. Because Jaegars were used primarily as skirmishers and flankers, it seems he and his men were constantly engaged with the Patriot forces. Also covers often neglected role of Hessian Auxilliaries in the Crown Forces during the American War.

Captain Johann Ewald belonged to a small elite force of German auxiliaries hired by King George III to suppress the American Rebellion. They were the green-clad Jaeger riflemen from Hesse-Cassell. From 1776 to 1781, Ewald fought in almost every major action, often leading the vanguard or guarding the rear of the Royal Army. In this book you get his first hand accounts of those actions, and of the courage of the men around him - like Sgt Bickell who led an 8-man squad round the American flank at the battle of Brandywine, causing it to collapse. Moreover you hear of hundreds of unknown skirmishes fought almost daily with the Americans, of recon missions and fighting patrols deep behind enemy lines. His journal was often written the very same day, or soon after he returned to camp. You can also listen to his insights into the courage and occasional incompetence of his superiors. There are also some humorous anecdotes, and at the end of the book - just to put this warrior in a different light, are several love letters he wrote to a young American beauty from New Jersey. Just in case you're interested, there is further bio info on Ewald from the editor: After the American War, Ewald left the Hessian service - disillusioned at being passed over for promotion because of his common birth. He entered Danish service, became a general, and in this capacity served as an ally of Napoleon, before dying peacefully at a ripe old age. His treatises on Light Infantry combat were highly respected.

Gombrowicz was a uniquely poetic writer in prose. His work is full of strange displaced and distorted perceptions and a crabby impatience with human failings, mixed with a singular, often childish, sense of humour.

Nobody else wrote like Gombrowicz; nobody else was like Gombrowicz. The Diary, across all three volumes, is distilled essence of the man - a Polish pure spirit, if you will.

Excellent east European writer. And just as all east Europeans, deeply in love with its country. The book is an exquisite piece of style and subtlety. The suffering of living far from Poland gets mixed to the joy of discovering a new land that fits so well his Romantic vision upon life. His Romantism though is overwhelmed by Naturalism (deep introspections and microscopical descriptions of nature) and even more often by Rationalism. The latter one seems to predominate the book, which is not simply a "book": it is a sample of LIFE in its most unsophisticated and primary values. Gombrowicz questions everything: art, death, human nature. What are these? And all the answers the writer has emerge in one single core: his own personality. No prejudice, no apriorical opinion. The Diary could very well be named "Gombrowicz's main phylosophical work".

It would be superfluous to praise Gombrowicz's Diary. It is one of the landmarks of European avangarde literature of the 20th century... The French and German translations made Gombrowicz well-known outside Poland. The Vallee perfectible translation, however, not only fails to reflect the most sensitive nuances of the original, but, also commits a lot of material mistakes, too many to quote at this place. Yet, all this could have been avoided, if the Polish-born editor had taken enough trouble to revise the galleys more thoroughly before the work was ultimately published... Even so, this unusual book, the most authentic confession of a great Polish writer, will delight everyone seeking to fathom the European thought of the elapsing century.....

I picked up Johnson's book on Don Quixote because the novel is large and intimidating to me and I felt I'd need some preparation before reading it. I also felt I needed something to undo the prejudices I had formed against the main character from seeing The Man of La Mancha. Johnson provides an excellent orientation to the many things going on in the novel. His scholarship is current and insightful; the extended discussion in the chapters "A Book about Books" and "Readers and Reading" were especially helpful. I also liked his explanations about how Parts I and II relate to one another (part II is clearly more than just a sequel or "more adventures"). Johnson concludes his study by revealing his own personal reading of the text. I found it plausible (it's mostly a psychological reading), but Johnson by no means suggests that his reading is conclusive or better than any other reader's reading. This is a book I plan to keep at hand as I begin (once again) to try to make it all the way through Cervantes' classic and ground-breaking novel.

My comment. I took a two semester course on the Quijote. This book is excellent in that it points out why this work of Cervantes is landmark for all world literatures in the way that it discusses fiction and metafiction, and also, the merits of the different theories about realism and verisimilitude in literature. It very simply and easily points out to the reader why the Quijote is such a masterpiece and why it continues to be. ...BW

I'm a fan of the Twayne's series of studies, which offer an undergraduate course in about 100 pages. Johnson's little book on Don Quixote is one of the best. It's much better than either the Nabokov book or the studies in the Norton edition, all of which are chatty and interesting but not very helpful in coming to terms with Cervantes' long, often boring, brilliant novel. Johnson provides enough dollops of literary theory, history, biography, culture, and critical exegesis for the reader to really start to work independently. What I liked most was his final reading of Quixote as a man fleeing his incestuous desire for his niece, madly projecting and fantasizing to relieve the pressure. His description of a world where Moors and Jews lived secret lives while passing as Christians, ne'er-do-well aristocrats like Quijano suffered lives of quiet desperation, and encounters with the Other in the New World radically altered Western consciousness at the very time that print brought people into closer communion, provided grist for many hours of thought and appreciation. The sections on reader-response and literary theory were a bit more conventional, but they were clear and compelling nevertheless. If you choose one pony while mounting Rocinante, this is the one to ride.

On the surface, this "historical fiction" includes all the elements of a classic spy novel: Deception, intrigue, murder, and plenty of action. But wait, there's more to it than that! As you delve deeper into the book, you will find this is not just the result of the author's ruse. It is a carefully drawn conclusion about the "Whats" and "Whys" of the U.S.'s involvement in Viet Nam, and the less widely undersood repercussions of our actions there.

Check the facts if you must, but you will find many of the events, places, and people really do (or did) exist. These facts are woven into an excellent piece of storycraft that asks the reader to consider this very plausible explanation of what may have (or did...?) happen beyond what most believe (or would have you believe) about the Viet Nam war. A great story, a great investigative piece, or both? Read it and decide!

A definite must read for anyone that enjoys a book that makes you think!!

Doomsday Journal is one of those rare stories which breaks all the rules. The author not only challenges everything we knew about the spread of Weapons of Mass Destruction, the Cold War and the struggle in Southeast Asia, but intertwines the facts within a riveting story. I picked it up on a Friday night and didn't get much else done until I closed the back cover late Sunday night.

My brother described it as the `Mother' of all conspiracy theories, but I didn't see it that way at all. It is true that the story is chuck full of murder, mayhem and treachery. It starts out with a young American agent investigating a series of deaths of top ranking United States military officers. He learns more than anyone would want to know, thereby putting everyone he knows in jeopardy.

However, I saw it as more of a historical revelation. For thirty years we've known there was more to the Vietnam war than anyone was admitting. Now I know what it was all about. That's worth far more than the price of this book.

To the U.S. intelligence community and the CIA in particular, "Doomsday Journal" (DDJ) is the loud knock on the door that they were hoping would never come. Bruce Booker, through the impeccably researched and superbly written DDJ, has in fact kicked open the door to reveal a SINISTER BUT POSSIBLY TRUE EXPLANATION of the how's and why's of the Vietnam conflict. For those who are haunted to this day by their experience in Vietnam, this book may well be life-changing. Even if only part of this story is true (and, rest assured, all of the logic at my command suggests that it is), DDJ provides a wonderful "unified theory" that explains much of what happened in Southeast Asia from the late 1940's through the mid-1970's. DDJ should be required reading for any serious student of modern history. Moreover, it utilizes a delivery vehicle that proves to be consistently and highly entertaining throughout the story. As for author Bruce Booker, I don't think there are many people in the world who possess the combination of intellect, perseverance and panache that it takes to accomplish what he has here. Be the first among your literate friends to discover this one!

This is a wonderful glimpse into the development of Hopper's paintings. It appears to be a photocopy of Hopper's working journals, which were assembled and maintained by his wife Jo over a period of 30+ years. Jo wrote the text and Edward drew a thumbnail sketch for the paintings. For many of the paintings, the text includes the brand of paint (e.g., Rembrandt, Blockx, W&N), the type of canvas and the priming, the studio in which it was painted, and to whom it was sold. Jo frequently included a description of the place, the people, or the mood portrayed in the paintings.

If you're an artist or a serious Hopper fan, you'll enjoy this book.

The synopsis for this title is incorrect. The text refers to the title "The Poetry of Solitute". THIS publication is a facsimile of Hopper's record keeping journals. It includes mostly thumbnail drawings, paint recipes and sales information for many of his works.

I just want to add the note that this book contains a selection of the Hopper notebooks, not the complete works. However, it is, as far as I know, the only way these are published, and the pages are very interesting indeed. It is amazing to see how fine these little sketches are of his more famous paintings. It was meant to be a record, a simple catalog, but it reminds one that Hopper was an excellent graphic artist as well as a painter. i think it is a brilliant idea for any artist as a way of keeping touch with larger works instead of with photographs.

When Thomas Merton retreated from the civilized mainstream to enter the Trappist Monastery at Gethsemani, an unknowing observer might view his spiritual struggle as ending, becoming completely lost in the routine of monastic life, its repetition and overt acceptance of spiritual discipline. The battle against personal desire versus group obedience to higher powers beyond flesh and blood one would assume to have been a forgone conclusion. Merton brilliantly shows us, however, that within the souls of men the battle still rages. And it is how he dealt with that struggle that makes this book so marvelous. His caring and loving approach to life and others is tempered with griping about the choir's proficiency, the demands of writing within the monastic framework, the lack of understanding by superiors and comrades in spiritual arms concerning his shifting spiritual needs, for solitude, quiet and letting God sort things out for him, vice pushing his own, highly tempered will into the whirling mixture that made up this complex, brilliant man. The writing is first rate, his descriptions of the surrounding countryside are marvelously genuine as is his analyis of himself and his motives. (like to move onto a more strict, Carthusian order to reach the apotheosis of perfect contemplation). This book is a good building block for future reading of this author and I would recommend reading the entire biography/journals before even wandering into the not so clearly written efforts of Merton's theological books. Many thanks to the publisher for finally making such great writing available!!

The second of Merton's private journals in a series of seven, editor John Montaldo brings out the struggle that Thomas Merton, already a noted writer and critic, endured during his earliest monastic days (1940-early 1950s). Merton tackles a sort-of internal battle between the man who writes in the wee hours, and communicates with his New York society friends (among them was poet Mark van Doren!), and the monk who seeks to live out the Rule of St. Benedict to its fullest extent. First time Merton readers might be lost, but Montaldo skillfully fills in the details so that all readers will be able to focus on the struggle between man and Creator. Seasoned Merton fans will be given a deeper appreciation for the writer and devout monastic that emerged as a result of that internal confrontation. Not something to pass over!

Thomas Merton's journals take up here in the momonastery in Gethsemani abbey in Kentucky in the 1940"s. An expurgated version of these entries has previously been published as THE SIGN OF JONAS,my personal favorite before the publication in the late 1990's of these unexpurgated diaries.Here we see the dutiful young monk, full of the zeal of the newly converted, seeing all of his brothers as "signs of God's wonder and Mercy." Needless to say, the tomne shifts slightly as the aura of conversion wears a bit, and Merton is given time to write. One of his most famous pieces done while he was on watch in the abbeys fire tower is included here, without the editing. Firewatch in and of itself is worth the price of the book. We begin to see here Mertons wish for a life of more seclusion, and here he mentions the Carthusians and the camaldolese as possible places he could find that solitude.{a wish that he held,apparantly until the end of his life]Merton's insaitable curiousity,his honesty in dealing with himself and his foibles, and his crystaline perceptions on the life of the spirit are being formed here in this volume. Indispensible for Merton fans, and welcomed to any who seek the path trod by a spiritual giant, and a very honest man.

This monograph consists of four papers written previously. Each one is a gem itself and brings fresh ideas to the topic of Germanic religion.

The first essay looks at Indo-European components of Germanic religion and reconsiders the story of the death of Baldr from a comparative method. The analysis is well done and very detailed.

The second essay looks at the story of the creation of humans from logs, the scant parallels in other Indo-European traditions, and the internal structure. Particular attention is paid to the role of Lodhurr and his gifts.

The third essay looks at divine names from Indo-European and their connection with the sky and with sovereignty.

The fourth essay is an overview of Germanic religion. This essay, which occupies nearly half of the monograph, forced me to reconsider some of Dumezil's theories on Germanic concepts of law and sovereignty and in my view adds greatly to the theories.

I would highly recommend this monograph to anyone studying Germanic religion.

Introduction; The Indo-European Component in Germanic Religion; Some Comments on V?luspá, Stanzas 17-18; Divine Names in Indo-European; Germanic Religion; Postscript.

I honestly liked this monograph from Polome. It brought up sources that I had only glanced over before, making me re-read them with renewed zeal. For some the academic nature of the work may be daunting or view it a bit dry, particularly in regards to the etomology of words, although it is a must read for those with a serious interest in the subject.

very smart idea simple but yet awesome book and i am going to buy 5 or 6 as gifts thanks mr ganteeni.

very smart idea simple but yet awesome book and i am going to buy 5 or 6 as gifts thanks mr ganteeni.

THIS BOOK IS ABSOLUTLY HONEST AND FUNNYEEEEE FROM COVER TO COVER WE LOVE IT .

This is a very readable autobiographical account of the writer's personal and professional alertness to the fluctuating political/environmental milieu during the last 40 years. In addition to observations on the passing scene (1960-2003) and numbers of his columns that provide context and direction to some of the most pressing contemporary environmental issues, there are strongly-written, almost novelistic, descriptions of the writer's on-the-scene experiences during the 1968 shootings in Mexico City and the civil disturbance in Washington, D.C. the same year.

Evolution Of A Columnist is an anthology the published columns, journal entries, poetry and more of Edward Flattau, and span some 40 years ranging from the 1970s down to the modern day. Short pieces (each only a few pages long) reflect the often biting insights of the only nationally syndicated environmental columnist who has been continually writing for newspaper op-ed pages over the past four decades. A strongly dedicated and passionate compilation that reflects the evolution of environmentalism in America despite severe opposition from business interests, Evolution Of A Columnist (also available in a hardcover edition - 1413403557, $34.99) will prove of especially interest for environmental activists and students of journalism.

A brilliant recounting of the national environmental movement's history and how a columnist came of age in his profession. I am
familiar with Mr. Flattau's columns over many years, and I have
always found him to be a thorough researcher and a very objective observer and reporter. Enjoyed his first book immensely (Tracking the Charlatans) but this is superior!