Europe Books

There are two reasons to read this book. First, a marvellous account of life at sea in the 18th century, written beautifully and yet spontaneously by a simple sailor. Second, a moving human microstory of genuine love, adventure and lost hope. The two intertwine magnificently and I could not help identifying with the writer's plight.

This is gripping history as seen by the average participant in it. It's not about Admirals or Generals or World Leaders, it's about everyman and every woman. I first learned about John Nicol from another excellent history book "The Floating Brothel: The Extraordinary True Story of an Eighteenth-Century Ship and its Cargo of Female Convicts" by Sian Rees. John Nicol was on that extraordinary voyage and his memoir done when he was in his 60's was the only first-hand account of those voyages. I decided to seek out his memoir. After reading either of these two books, the readers will probably no longer yern for a romatic voyage on an ancient sailing vessel. Life wasn't pleasant on those sea voyages for anybody on board. The story of how John Nicol's story was eventually dictated to John Howell, an Edinburgh book binder who found him wandering the streets is also amazing. Howell is another average guy who made a great contribution to history through small acts of charity and publishing.

This is the life of an ordinary seaman at the time of the beginning of scientific exploration. John Nicol a seaman on the voyages of discovery and later trade to Australia, the Americas and to Africa. He observed life of the captains, the ordinary men at sea and the people of the lands he visited. He went to sea at an early age was imprisoned, married and lived to 94 and died in England. The diarys are a remarkable work of an eyewitness to history. It is written and edited in an easly readable style and brings history to life.

I love nautical fiction set during the age of sail (O'Brian, Pope, Kent, etc.) and so I enjoyed this memoir of a real-life sailor from this period. There are two disappointing things about this book though; it's very short (only about 160 pages if you exclude the introduction) and Nicol doesn't spend very much time relating events from the voyages themselves or his day-to-day life in the Royal Navy. Nicol mostly describes the places he visited and the cultures of the people who lived in those places. He does do a wonderful job describing these people and places, and he does it without being long-winded. He also relates a few humorous stories and gives us some details of his personal life, such as his ill-fated romance with a convict during their journey to Australia. Animal rights advocates and environmentalists would be horrified by one of his voyages in which he claims that he and his crew clubbed about thirty thousand seals plus many sea-lions. The way I look at it though, it was just a very different, more primative age. In any case, I enjoyed this book, and only wish that it had been longer and more detailed.

This account was first published in 1822, and has been republished with a forward and added footnotes by the editor. Unlike most seamen in the Royal Navy, John Nicol enlisted for the adventure, first serving at the age of 21 as a ship's cooper during the American Revolution, mostly in Canada and the West Indies. For the next 25 years he served on a large number of Royal Navy and merchant ships. He was present at some well known battles including the victories by Admiral Jervis at Cape St. Vincent and Admiral Nelson at Aboukir Bay. In the merchant service, he went to China 3 times, to Australia, Hawaii, the west coast of the Americas from Cape Horn to Alaska, Brazil and Portugal, and to the West Indies. He served aboard whalers and sealers that took him to Greenland and the Falkland Islands.

As noted by the editor, mortality rates among seamen at that time could average 15 percent per year from disease, shipwrecks, accidents aboard ship, or armed conflicts. John Nicol was one of the minority who survived to old age. He had saved his money and would have been reasonably well off ashore, but he married a cousin, and then abandoned a well paid trade as a cooper to escape the Royal Navy press gangs after 1801 and stay with his wife. He was a widower living in poverty when offered the opportunity to publish his story.

This is a well written account by a man who had only a basic formal education. I would highly recommend it as a "must read" book for readers interested in naval and merchant marine service of that time period. The book contains many tidbits of information not available elsewhere, including his recollections of female convicts in the second fleet to sail for New South Wales.

Rosenstock's classic black and white images evoke the spirit and power of the Irish landscape. The photographs are exquisitely reproduced, elegantly presented and then, wisely, left to speak for themselves. Rosenstock's artistic vision and his love of Ireland are clearly reflected in this beautifully designed volume. A must have for connoisseurs of landscape photography and lovers of Eire.

A beautiful art book containing 25 black and white photographs of Ireland. Anyone who loves landscapes, photography, or the rugged beauty of Ireland will appreciate the images and artistry shown in this volume. The photographic reproductions are of the highest quality and reveal the subtle details and tonal gradations present in the photographs. Mr. Rosenstock's statement at the beginning of the book is a wonderful introduction to the power and mystery of the light of Ireland. In short, it is illuminating. The Light of Ireland is a lovely book that invites the viewer to look at it again and again.

Iam thrilled to own this fabulous book; it is a work of art. I feel such a connection to these spectacular images. The reproductions of the photographs are wonderful. The simplicity of the silvery gray book jacket enhances the volume. I just love having this book. The Light of Ireland is a complete treasure!

This book is a MUST for the serious collector of photography. The 25 finely crafted images on the highest quality paper focus on Mr. Rosenstock's unique perspective of Ireland's mysterious landscape. Each page is a calming meditation. The people of Ireland ,among them notables, are already singing the praises of this book.

The Light of Ireland is a portfolio of twenty-five black and white photographs made in the west of Ireland over a period of nearly thirty years. Rosenstock's stunning images, rich in detail and range of tones, are exquisitely reproduced in a handsome volume in which the binding and typography contribute to its overall artistry. The few words of introduction are also carefully chosen; permitting the eloquent voice of the visual to command the attention of the reader.

On the one hand, this oversized-but-not-quite-coffee-table book isn't really a guidebook, certainly not in the mold of Fodor's or Frommer's. There is no list of hotels and restaurants, no star-ratings, no chapter on "where to take the kids," no advice on where to get your money changed. On the other hand, this is the best all-round travel book about London I have ever had the pleasure of losing myself in. Reading this book, especially if you have at least a superficial familiarity with London, is like strolling through the city with an urbane, witty, and very knowledgeable uncle, someone who knows everybody and every place in it. For example: On a rainy day, you can go to the Sloane Square station of the Underground and listen to the remnants of the River Westbourne sloshing through a conduit overhead. You can visit Leadenhall Market and know who designed the roof. You can read the "Cockney Alphabet," or discover what happened to the Crystal Palace, or learn the ins and outs of the Chelsea Flower Show. You can find out why Brixton smells different than other neighborhoods, where the psychological division between north and south London originated, and how the Thames Barrier works. Or what happened at the first-ever FA Cup Final at Wembly in 1923. Or where Princess Diana bought her shoes. Or why you mustn't miss the engine room at Tower Bridge. Or why Old Billingsgate was more glamourous -- and much more fun -- than New Billingsgate. Because it was published six years ago now, some things have changed; Jack Straw's Castle, an inn and pub Yapp recommends for a visit, has now been sold and carved up into condos. But Hampstead Heath hasn't changed, and neither has Portobello Road. The eclectic topics covered are gathered into eight sections, either geographical (The Thames, The City, Westminster) or by subject, and each topic neatly fills a two-page spread, so you can really open the volume anywhere and just read. And every one of the 350 pages has at least one photo and often more -- most of them shot specifically for this book by Rupert Tenison. Yapp, a Londoner-born, also is obviously an afficionado of pubs. No matter what corner of the metropolis he's escorting you through, you can bet he'll point out the best watering-holes along the way, with something of their histories and unique personalities and notable regulars of the past -- nor does he hesitate to note those chains and themed houses that aren't worth spending your coin in. This is a truly marvelous book, nicely conceived, beautifully written, gorgeously illustrated. My attention actually was brought to it by an American friend, an historian, who has lived and worked in London for more than twenty years -- and who had discovered in it a great many things he didn't know and places he wasn't familiar with. It's out of print, unfortunately, but buy it used or get it through Inter-Library Loan -- but read it.

London: The Secrets and the Splendor is a wonderful book. It is the book for anyone who has ever loved the city of London. This book is a must, and anyone can read it.

London: The Secrets and the Splendor is a wonderful book. It is the book for anyone who has ever loved the city of London. This book is a must, and anyone can read it.

I wanted to buy a really good book about London after returning from a recent visit there. I was a little wary buying a book such as this over the 'net, but I have to say I was not disappointed with this gem.

It is a classy, beautiful book, packed with slighlty off-beat information that is more than just a summary of what you read in your travel guides. The pictures are just gorgeous, not only capturing what I discovered of London during my all-too-brief trip, but also uncovering so much more.

If you want a great book about London, then this is the one for you.

This book is excellent - the perfect gift for anyone who has visited or ever wanted to visit London. It covers all of the usual tourist attractions in the city, but it also covers the areas and sights that make London unique. The photographs are high-quality and Yapp offers bits of interesting history and stories that the average visitor would not know. It covers all aspects of the city...pubs, museums, literary and military history, shopping markets like Covent Garden and sites found just outside the city, such as Hampstead, Kew Gardens, and Greenwhich.

It is not a travel guide by any means, as the author notes in the preface, but it allows you to check out areas and historical notes about London that even a frequent visitor may not know.

A wonderful way to relax over a rainy weekend. If you've been to London, it will take you back. If you haven't, the tape will prepare you for when you do go. Powell livens up the tour with interesting, amusing, and startling facts and anecdotes. The contemporary and historical information, the accents, the readers, the mood - all make for a quick trip to the U.K. in one little box. Very much enjoyed it.

Great book. Tours are easy to follow and take you into some really great parts of London that even locals don't know. I got to school our host on Aldephi.

Having read London by Rutherfurd made the tours even better.

The huge and bustling metropolis of London does not reveal itself to the casual visitor. To discover its hidden wonders, you must investigate streets and alleyways on foot. Now with the LONDONWALKS auido guide, visitors to London can put on earphones and slip a LONDONWALKS tape into their portable cassette recorder and start walking, while they listen to the history, scandal, and intrigue of one of the most magnificent cities of Europe. Each of the four audio walking tours in this two-cassette package takes about two hours, or as long as a morning or aternoon. They are narrated by the English actress Jean Marsh.

Self-directed (and very explicit in terms of getting you around) this book is a wonderful find. If I want to re-think all the great times my friend and I had trekking through districts/neighborhoods, I don't go look at my photos... I grab this book. The gentleman who wrote it (at the time we visited) also led guided tours of the areas described in the book ..20 pounds! Do it yourself for the price of the book. Funny, informative, and definitely worth the bucks.

We also bought the New York Walks (Manhattan) and found it equally informative, although written by a bunch of people from the NY "Y". Hester Street, Lower East Side, Upper East Side, etc., etc. GREAT.

LONDONWALKS Audio tours was the high point of our quick trip to London last month. We did two of the four walks and now we must return to do the rest. We will be looking for more Sound Travel Audio Guides. What a great idea!

My husband and I have just recently returned from a two week trip to Mauritius. Although we booked our trip through a well known travel agent and stayed in a hotel, the Lonely Planet Guide was invaluable. If you are considering a trip to Mauritius and are toying with the idea of a self catering option (which I actually would recommend), you need this book. If you are going for the hotel option but are interested in seeing the island and sampling the local cuisine outside the hotel, you need this book. Don't go without it. Everything that there is to see and do on the island of Mauritius, is in the book.

Two summers ago we went into Seychelles, and Mauritius,Reunion& Seychelles LP travel guide was essential for us. Thanks to it, we could discover Seychelles was not just a diving and incredible beaches paradise, but its interiors landscapes were the best of our journey. We recomend it,because its fantastic information about Mahe,Praslin and La Digue islands, their national parks (such as Sainte Anne or Vallee de Mai). Prices were as high as the author wrote! and all information about public buses, rent-a-car and restaurants was right. Just one thing, we couldn't find where La Gogue Reservoir was! If anybody can strength the lake exists, please let us know!!

I spent 4 weeks living with a family on Mauritius this past summer, and this book was invaluable. I had many days to myself, and this book made it very easy to get around, with tips on restaurants that were up to date, good info about getting places on the bus and what things to see. The maps were probably the most helpful, especially in places like Port Louis and Grand Baie. I would recommend this book to anyone traveling to Mauritius, whether on a package tour, or on their own.

I used an earlier edition of this book on a trip in 1996, in which I visited the Seychelles, Mauritius, and Reunion. I was travelling independently (not as part of a package tour) and the book helped in many ways to make my trip a great one. It provides a wealth of information about hotels and restaurants, island culture, and places and things to see on the islands. If you can only visit one of these three islands, I would recommend the Seychelles, which offer some of the finest tropical scenery I have ever seen. One advantage of Mauritius for the budget-minded traveler is that it is considerably less expensive than the Seychelles.

This guide was my Bible while I traveled through Mahe and Praslin islands in 1999. The Seychelles are full of kind, open-hearted locals who are generous and more than willing to show Westerners around. My trusty LP guide helped me find several reasonable b&b's, Michael Adams' studio (wonderful local artist) and the most perfect beaches in the Indian Ocean. What I love about LP guides, and this one in particular, is the extensive history of the area the book is covering, as well as the locals' interests. Those intending to visit this incredible area should take this guide book - the photography alone will tempt anyone.

Fine text & phenomenal photographs.

Wonderful photographs and narrative; this book captures the life and spirit of Berlin during its heyday. The final few pages address the emergence of the Nazi influence; other books thus are left to relate the ensuing horror that befell Berlin. One of my favourite Berlin books. Also worth a read are "Before the Deluge" and "Faust's Metropolis", two excellent books which cover Berlin in the 20's and 30's.

This book is a picture book. Most of the pictures are of a Berlin that disappeared under allied bombing. Other pictures are of the picture takers, artists, and movies of that Ziet. The time period covered is the 1920's and 1930's. There are several pictures of the Freicorps, and images from films such as "The cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
The table of contents reads:
1. BERLINERLUFT 6
2. BAUHAUSSTADT 34
3. CABARET AND FILMSTADT 66
4. MUSIKSTADT 108
5. STADT MAHAGONNY 140
INDEX 204

ACKNOLEDGMENTS 208

This book of Pre-World War II Berlin is eloquently told in a series of photographs the have an undeniable melancholy effect on the reader for days of tranquility and simplicity long gone. If you can get your hands on a copy it is well worth it.

This book is a picture book. Most of the pictures are of a Berlin that disappeared under allied bombing. Other pictures are of the picture takers, artists, and movies of that Ziet. The time period covered is the 1920's and 1930's. There are several pictures of the Freicorps, and images from films such as "The cabinet of Dr. Caligari.

The table of contents reads:

1. BERLINERLUFT 6

2. BAUHAUSSTADT 34

3. CABARET AND FILMSTADT 66

4. MUSIKSTADT 108

5. STADT MAHAGONNY 140

INDEX 204

ACKNOLEDGMENTS 208

These are comments from my students...

"Lucha Libre: The Man in the Silver Mask is a book about fighting or wrestling. 'Lucha Libre...'is a good book for Spanish people that don't know how to read or speak in English. It's also good for people who don't know how to speak or read in Spanish because on each page it has an English part and a Spanish part, too. My opinion about the book is that it is a good book and it has good pictures. Also, on each page there are pictures that are colorful." --Duaa



"I like this book because it's a good book and it's interesting, especially the part about El Vampiro. I like when he stretches and his stomach pops out and his muscles get stronger. You should read this book because is has Spanish and English. It's fun. You should read it!" --Feras



"My opinion about 'Lucha Libre: The Man in the Silver Mask' is that it is good because it's bilingual and people who speak Spanish can understand the two different languages, Spanish and English, and learn them a little better. The good thing about this book is that it has two boxes, one in English and one in Spanish. It is a good book, and you should read it. The books was interesting through the whole thing. As I read it, it was getting more and more interesting. You should read this book because it will be a nice book for you!" --Kiara



"I like this book, 'Lucha Libre: The Man in the Silver Mask', because it has English and Spanish. However, it has too many pictures. My favorite part is when the Man in the Silver Mask jumps on El Vampiro, and he lands on the ground. That's when the Tecnicos won. " --Daniel

"My opinion of the book 'Lucha Libre: The Man in the Silver Mask' is tha this book is a good book to read because this book helps people that speak no Spanish learn to speak some Spanish. Also for people that speak no English, they can learn to speak some English. This is also a good book for little kids because it has a lot of pictures. Another thing I liked about this book is that most of it is understandable, but it does have some hard words to read. This is why I think this is a good book to read." --Victor

"My opinion of the book 'Lucha Libre: The Man in the Silver Mask' is that it is a great book to read. I liked reading this book because it is interesting. You read one page, and you want to keep on going. One thing that I don't like about this book is it looks hard to read. I love the pictures because they have action, and they are so creative, the colors and all. One thing I really like is that it is in Spanish and English. I liked the end of the book; it is wonderfully interesting. This book is awesome, very great. You need to read this book. " --Diana

"My opinion about 'Lucha Libre: The Man in the Silver Mask' is that it was a really good book. I liked this book because it was really interesting. I was interested to know what would happen at the end of the book. I liked this book because in the beginning it started in an exciting way and ended in an exciting way, too. So, I would like to tell youi to check out this book; it is really interesting. It really has great illustrations and a great story." --Gisela

My opinion of 'Lucha Libre: The Man in the Silver Mask' is that I like it because it has pictures and it has Spanish and English words. It is about a man in a silver mask (that's the book title), and they have fun. They have other luchadores, like El Cucuy, El Vampiro, El Carvenicola and more, but the best one is the Man in the Silver Mask. He's the best luchadore, and that's what the boy (Carlitos) said, but he doesn't know if the Man in the Silver Mask is his uncle." --Alondra

The young narrator has the opportunity of a lifetime; not only does attend the Lucha Libre matches with his grandfather, but a chance to purchase a mask of his favorite luchadore, the Man in the Silver Mask, and the opportunity to meet the legend before he does battle inside the squard-circle.

Though the book is written for ages 9-12, the wonderful artwork - in a classic, graphic-novel style - and endnote on the history of Lucha Libre makes this a collectible for any fan of professional wrestling.

The mask may be silver, but this luchadore is pure gold to the young fan; with the story evoking memories - for those sharing it with children - on real past heroes in the ring.

"The Man in the Silver Mask" is an overt tribute to "El Santo, El Enmascarada de Plata" but its also a beautiful story of familial love...

The story reminded me of the fascination lucha libre and pro-wrestling held for me in my youth. The story can be compared to the youthful feelings a child experiences during Christmas and the stories of "Santa Claus".

I took great pleasure and pride reading this story to my two year old daughter, who I believe really experienced the feelings of joy the artist provided within the pages. The pictures were bold, the emotions were strong.

A beautiful story for all ages.

This is a charming story, beautifully illustrated (for the record, I am a collector of Xavier's artworks, including some wonderful "portraits" of Lucha Libre masked men and women). The historical background at the back of the book is like dessert....Xavier's telling of the real story of Lucha Libre makes this book a real treasure. We have a copy in our library, and have bought copies for the "older" grandsons (10 & 12) and the younger grandson (6). We are all going to enjoy the book for a very long time.

Just like the little boy in the book I now too love Lucha Libre and its masked heroes and villains! This book was great, kids will just love it.

Some people embroider their family trees on samplers, others create momentos and books for the family. Fortunately Di Robilant went further than this, making his great-great-great-great grandmother a research subject and having Knopf publish it for the general market. This ancestor was witness to and active in a critical time in the life of Venice and through her story we get an idea as to how the nobility coped during the Napoleonic years.

We are introduced to Lucia when she is 15 and her father is involved in extended and stressful marriage negotiations. At this time the Venetian elite are leading la dolce vita. Soon, Venetians and their republic will be jolted into new and uncharted territory.

Through the Mommo and Mocenigo families we see how the nobility adapted. Many fled. Others chose to work with the French, the Austrians, the French again and again the Austrians. Marriage and family scenes are just as striking as those of the famous events.

Lucia is resiliant. From an entralled young bride, she becomes realistic about her marriage that will only end when death due them part. There is infidelity, child birth and death, long separations, primitive medicine, fine entertaining, perilous travel and fiscal constraint.

Lucia learns to set up and manage households and farmsteads and to "wait" on a Princess who is half her age. Despite the many problems of her son and his education, she is a successful parent. She gets herself recognized in the Austrian court, educates herself in Paris, becomes a friend of Napoleon's Josephine, manages the family assets and has famous tenents in Venice. This woman is amazing for any age, but for her time, totally impressive.

There are two problems with the book, neither serious enough to take away stars. There are two maps but others are needed, one showing the various estates and others showing the travel routes to Vienna and Paris. The other problem may not be addressable. Lucia, while running what seems to be a large farmstead, refurbishes the main house. Then she raises, for sale, a small number of animals (are there not a lot of other animals on this farm?). Similarly, as a lady in waiting she raised two head of cattle. The economics/practicality of this husbandry does't compute for me.

What is wonderful about this book is that it makes history alive. It shows how larger events effect people's lives. The writer draws portaits of people whom we tend to care about and of the turmoil of Europe at the time.

I just finished reading this sequel to A Venetian Affair. Lucia is quite different from Giustiniana (the main character in the previous book) but this true story leaves you with the same mixture of fascination and melancholy. Unlike Giustiniana, Lucia immediately marries her first love, Alvise, and despite also being the protagonist of a scandal, her life is not as thrilling as Giustiniana's. Like Giustiniana, Lucia lives first hand through the European aristocracy, from Venice to Vienna and to Paris. But while in A Venetian Affair the source of dismay is the missed happy ending for Giustiniana and Memmo (her lover), in Lucia it's another demise that characterizes the book: the fall of her beloved Venice.
Through her detailed correspondence to her sister we learn of Alvise and Lucia's efforts to keep their status once orphans of the Most Serene Republic. This is what I believe defines this book. It's the story of a power couple who in their prime loses their motherland, and that helplessly witness a millennium of history being crushed between the French and Austrian power struggle. Alvise and Lucia, they really try. When Napoleon has the upper hand they get back on their feet and are actively involved in being part of the new world order. But as soon as the Austrians take control they have to start from square one, and we find Lucia mingling with the Viennese aristocracy while living in the Hasburgic capital. But then Napoleon is back, and off to Paris they go. These are not merely social ladder moves. There are estates to save, and the underlying theme is the slow but inevitable decadence due to unfortunate geopolitical circumstances that this otherwise very capable and visionary couple is subject to. Of course the book is packed with affairs and loaded with illegitimate children, but the force of this book is its historical value. It's the first hand account of how a historical European nation was phagocytized and of why its resurgence has been suffocated in the following decades.

Let's start with the lovely cover image: thanks to the research behind Lucia, this previously unknown work by the widely acclaimed Swiss painter, Angelica Kauffmann, came to light. And thanks to the owner's permission, its appearance on the cover allows us all to enjoy it. This is our first meeting with the blossoming young Lucia. Her glowing complexion, full bosom and that chestnut tendril that curls downward along her neck bespeak an innocent yet eager anticipation of life's sweetnesses. But this is not a love story. Lucia's life is much larger than her courtship and marriage with Alvise Mocenigo, and emphatically disproves what we think of as the bounds for a woman then.
From the start, Lucia's story shows her caught in the middle of things, from local power struggles in Venice to empires rising and falling and the devastating wars they brought about. Political events determine one challenge after another for her, as daughter, fiancée, wife, mother, woman on her own.
Accounts of political moves, diplomatic dealings, warfare strategy might not seem the stuff of a woman's life story, and yet they make perfect sense here, are fundamental, illuminating and intriguing. As these combine with finely wrought details of the everyday, the past truly comes to life. Di Robilant's style, as in A Venetian Affair, draws the reader in. When you read Lucia, you feel welcome and respected. And at once you are involved.
Di Robilant works with some very special material, unearthed not only among family papers but also in archives around Europe. In the end, he did not write the story exactly as he had set out to, for his research uncovered unexpected turns in what he knew as his family's history. He never makes an issue of this, but leaves it tacitly to his readers to imagine what it must be like to see a family legacy twisted into a different shape and to discover fundamental family ties you never knew existed. Di Robilant set out to bond with his past, which in the end he did, but not with the past as he knew it when he set out.
I highly recommend this book to readers with a passion for Venice, the Napoleonic years and memoirs about women who rise to unexpected challenges; to readers curious to have an insider view of life at court (Paris, Vienna, Milan) in the nineteenth century or a landlady's perspective on the scandalously libertine Lord Byron; to readers simply fond of books where biography and history elegantly merge with great merit to both genres.

Lucia: A Venetian Life in the Age of Napoleon begins where Andrea Di Robilant's A Venetian Affair left off. Lucia Mocenigo was the eldest daughter of Andrea Memmo, and she married at seventeen into one of the best-known patrician families in Venice. When the Republic fell in 1797 to Napoleon, Lucia went to Vienna, where she became friends with Josephine Bonaparte. Later, Lucia moved back to Venice, where she became Byron's landlord. She died in the 1850s, when she was in her 80s.

Lucia is a compelling look into the life of an intriguing woman. She was at the heart of European political change, as her letters to her husband and sister show. What Di Robilant does successfully in this book, as he did in A Venetian Affair, is bring the event s and people to life. Everything Lucia, her husband Alvise, and her son Alvisetto, do is documented here with precision. Sometimes with too much precision: when her son was a teenager, Lucia obsessively worried over his progress in school. But in all, Lucia was an impressive woman who rose to the challenges she faced with courage.

In this book Venice at the end of the eighteenth century comes to life. Lucia was only a young girl when she returned to her native city from Rome, where her father was Venetian Ambassador, to be married to a much older man. She lived in many of the great courts of Europe, travelled extensively, witnessed the fall of the Venetian Republic to Napoleon, and as an impecunious widow was the landlady who rented out her fabulous family palazzo to no other than Lord Byron. It was in the attic of Palazzo Mocenigo on the Grand Canal that her correspondence, recounting every minute detail of her long and fascinating life, was preserved and handed down through the generations until it came into the hands of the author, who is her descendant. A wonderful book. Highly recommended.

This is the best book I have read about what the average young man entering the war in the air force experienced in WWII. It takes you from college years to combat to missions and being shot down, then a prisoner of war for almost two years. You experience the real feel of the effect the loss of comrades had on these young men taken from homes, and colleges etc. to fight in a war. They had no fighters to protect them as they went over German targets in occupied and German countries. Day by day they saw more and more fellow airmen go down in flames. It is real and gripping to read and the emotions you experience stay with you long after the last page is turned. What heros they were.
Many details, many photos, a book we all need to read.

Many books have been written on the air war in the ETO but none have captured the detail of the early raids of the 8th Air Force as does Frank Murphy's book, "Luck of the Draw". The early portion describes his younger years up until joining the USAAC. His descriptive powers and keen observations of events and missions leading to his final one on the Munster raid, have a clarity and insight on what it was like in those early days of combat, without the benefit of fighter escort. His time in Stalag Luft III is graphically recalled with an almost detached view of what was going on around him as he and his comrades struggled to survive. His observations and detailing of events for one so young, is truly remarkable. To be able to relive them in his writings marks this as one of the finest historical accounts of WW II combat from a man who saw it all. He was fortunate enough to be blessed with the ability to write it for the benefit of those who have followed WW II air combat history. If this book is kept along side the "Munster Raid" by Ian Hawkins, you don't need to have any other books to cover what it was like in the horror that was the air war in its early days over Europe. The sacrfices of those "teenagers" who made up the majority of the aircrews and those in their early twenties, makes one realize why they are looked upon as a remarkable generation.

Ken Wright

Luck of the Draw is the best personal account of the strategic air war over Europe that I have ever read...and I have read a lot of them. It is much better than Ambrose's Wild Blue and it is a shame that Wild Blue get's all of the attention. In addition to the usual personal account, Mr. Murphy provides a lot of very interesting technical information unique in books of this type; such as layout of the box formations, records on the fate of the Bombers and crews, descriptions of German attack strategies. Highly recommended

The true, courageous story of a young Atlantan, thrust into the climactic event of the 20th century. You must read the amazing adventure of the young Emory University student as he responds to his country's call to arms. From full-filled college weekends to the dark, cold and dangerous Stalag Luft III. Walk, fly, fight and parachute with Frank as he travels from his home in Atlanta, Georgia to Hitler's Nazi Germany as a POW of the Third Reich. Read of Frank's amazing journey back home again to his beloved Atlanta. If...you've read Tom Brokaw's "The Greatest Generation", If...you've read Andy Rooney's "My War", If... you've read Stephen E. Ambrose's "D-Day", If...you've seen Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan, If...you plan to see the new "Pearl Harbor" movie opening in May - Then, "Luck of the Draw" is the book for you!!! Frank D. Murphy was an eyewitness to history. He writes in vivid detail of the emotions of Pearl Harbor. He flew the missions that Andy Rooney wrote about. On D-Day, Frank was a POW in Stalag Luft III. Frank IS one of the Greatest Generation that Brokaw wrote of. Please read this book, it is truly the journey of a lifetime. To Frank D. Murphy, to all who served in the "Mighty 8th AAF" and to all U.S. veterans, THANK YOU for my freedom......

Generally, Military History literature can be assigned to one of two categories -military leaders with their grand strategy and tactics or the fighting man and his weapons. For the Second World War there is still some room for the literature that addresses the first category, especially with the recent opening of former Soviet Union archives. Yet as important as it is to analyze the success and failures of the Hannibals, Napoleons, Pattons, Montgomerys, and Zhukovs, it is the common man, not the brilliant military leader, who determines success in battle. Whether on land, sea, or in the air, Generals and Admirals can only inspire and motivate the soldier, sailor, and airman to make the ultimate sacrifice for his country. As we have seen in Enemy at the Gates, it is the Vasily Zaitzevs of this world who turned the tide at countless Stalingrad-like situations throughout the history of warfare.

Frank Murphy, a B-17 navigator, would be the very first to challenge the notion that he or any other member of Crew 31 assigned to the 418th Bombardment Squadron, 100th Bombardment Group, Eighth Bomber Command in the summer and fall of 1943, did anything extraordinary. Murphy and Crew 31 would rather "define themselves as ordinary Americans" (page 263). Having finished Luck of the Draw I would disagree with Mr. Murphy. He, Crew 31, and the rest of the Eighth Bomber Command (Eighth Air Force) who flew during those desperate times throughout the summer and fall of 1943, were the American Zaitzevs in the European Theater of Operations. With ever increasing strength, they carried the war to Hitler's Germany, attacking his means to conduct war. This effort came at a price - the Eighth Bomber Command paid dearly in blood and machines.

Luck of the Draw is extremely well written and well researched. Frank Murphy uses his recollection of events, research of the subject, archival sources and even letters written to home while in England and while a POW. The words simply flow off of the page, giving the reader no excuse to put the monograph down. As the back cover correctly states, this is "more than a war story." It is in fact, a very revealing slice of Americana. You learn about Murphy, his ancestral roots, and what motivated him to join the Army Air Corps. You also learn about the formation of Crew 31, those who died in combat and those who became prisoners of war. The "power and honesty" of Murphy's prose captures the essence of what it takes to be an American. Interspersed with the insightful prose are photographs capturing the essence of Murphy and Crew 31. Nor does Murphy disappoint those who cannot get enough of tables, charts, and graphics, Luck of the Draw contains over 70 pages of historical data detailing the men and aircraft assigned to the 100th Bomb Group between June - October 1943.

This reviewer chimes in with the remarks on the back cover of the book by saying that I too am "glad that Frank Murphy elected to fly one more mission for The Mighty Eighth." It is a must read book for anyone with an interest in the Eighth Air Force.

Everyone in our family loved this book. The drawings are great and the story is inspired.

This is a wonderful book. It balances themes familiar to childhood along with actual information on why there are such people as picky eaters in the world. Thank you again, Alice Flaherty.

A.W. Flaherty's THE LUCK OF THE LOCH NESS MONSTER: A TALE OF PICKY EATING enjoys fine drawings by Scott Magoon as it tells of a little girl who tosses her oatmeal overboard all the time. She's a picky eater - but a small worm who swims alongside an ocean liner bound for Scotland finds much good about her throw-aways - too good, perhaps... it's a zany, fun Loch Ness story offering quite a different premise.

This is a fun book to read to kids who are picky eaters. Since they have probably never tried oatmeal, this might entice them to take a taste, maybe (who knows; they might like it!). It also sheds some light for parents who get frustrated trying to get their kids to try new food.

The Luck of the Loch Ness Monster A tale of Picky Eating

Author: A.W. Flaherty

Illustrator: Scott Magoon

Publisher: Publication Date: 2007

Type of Book: Picture



Have you ever wondered how the loch ness monster came to be? Well this is the tale for you. A little girl is off on a long boat journey and has to eat oatmeal each morning. She hates the oatmeal and throws it over board when a tiny worm goggles it up! That tiny worm grows and grows and turns into "Nessie"