Europe Books

This is a genuinely great book. It it basically an economic history of the Mediterranean regions of Western Europe from the last centuries of the Roman Empire to the time when the Roman traces of Western Europe had all but vanished. The author make the intriguing claim that the economic "collapse" of the Southern part of what had been Rome's Western provinces did not decline as much as many historians believed (though it was still very bad) and, more importantly, began their recovery far earlier than is usually credited. The book follows methods made justly famous by, say, Pirene and Braudel, and relies heavily on archeology. But the author goes beyond his model to focus on the accounts of merchants, churchmen and other travelers to demonstrate what the world of the Southern dark ages seemed like to its more literate denizens. The author is particularly enlightening (and, to me, original) in pointing out the pivotal role of the slave trade with Islam in laying the foundations of European recovery and preventing overpopulation in a time of economic contraction. In the end, the author comes to the intriguing and well-founded claim that it was the Islamic Caliphate which played the decisive role in forcing Europe down the path to a modern economy. The book is magnificently researched and magisterially written. I know -- I gush. But this is a great book.

First, before you proceed any further with this book, you ought to know that it is not abou the origins of the European economy. If you are looking for a book about economic life and change in Europe between 300 and 900, this is not really the book for you. McCormick's book is specifically about trade, and largely "international" trade, between these years.

Having said that, McCormick's book is the most brilliant work on medieval history in years. He sets out to examine the patterns of Mediterranean commerce during the early middle ages, focusing on different aspects of the Pirenne thesis. This, of course, has been done repeatedly over the eight decades since Pirenne's famous publications, but McCormick's approach is startlingly new. Rather than simply argue over the same tired scraps of evidence, McCormick works hard to incorporate old, non-economic, data into his argument, and also brings in entirely new evidence. To begin with, McCormick focuses on the accounts of non-commercial travellers -- pilgrims, envoys, missionaries, etc. -- to see how they travelled, when they travelled, and whom they travelled with. By looking at these accounts McCormick puts together a picture of frequent Mediterranean travel, demonstrates the frequency of specific routes, and, the interaction of travelling merchants and other travellers. McCormick uses these accounts as evidence of a vibrant shipping network in the Mediterranean in the eight and ninth centuries. He then backs this inferrence up with "hard" data from recent undersea archaeology, numismatics, and the study of relic hordes.

In the end, McCormick discusses the export of Europeans as slaves to the Caliphate, and, to a limited extenct, Byzantium. McCormick's final argument is that this slave trade was massive, and provided the fuel for the growth of European commerce, growth that was sustained even after the decline of the slave trade.

When all is said and done, McCormick's book is amazing. His arguments and evidence are controversial, and it is easy to predict that this book will be the focal point for scholarly debate for the next generation. Well written, engrossing, and thought provoking, this book is a must for anyone interested in medieval studies or good scholarly debate. The beuatiful maps, charts, and graphs, and the detailed accounts of travellers in the appendices simply add to the value of this book.

No one who is seriously interested in the transition from the Roman Empire to the Early Medieval West should pass up the opportunity to own this volume--in hardcover!--for only $52. Michael McCormick analyses the economic transformation of the Mediterranean world ca. A.D. 300 - 900. In doing so, he presents a nearly compendious wealth of data (including a vast and multi-faceted bibliography) on various aspects of the question.

"Origins of the European Economy" joins works by Chris Wickham, Charles McClendon, and Peter Heather (among others of like quality) that re-analyze questions concerning the fall of Rome and the rise of Latin Christendom from various angles, including the economic, architectural, and military-political. In this first decade of the 21st century, the old debates between the catastrophist and continuist views on the Roman-Medieval transition are being informed by a fresh influx of data and analysis. The new studies, including "Origins of the European Economy," promise to bring about a quantum step-up in our understanding of this ancient issue.

Arnold Lelis

To write a history of the changing patterns in economy between the slow end of ancient world and the slow birth of middle ages is a great challenge for any scholar who tried, but I do recommend this "Bible" to all who are interested in this subject. It's clear, wide-range, full of good ideas and comparisons between different type of sources.

From primarily economic and historical perspectives, this is a wonderful and very scholarly book. From the perspective of sociology and anthropology, it is however unfortunate that virtually all Muslims despite their actual national or ethnic backgrounds are referred to as "Arabs." Even Berbers are nowhere mentioned. With this exception, this is a monumental work of scholarship.

It is difficult to convey the emotional fever that this book induces, but suffice it to say, that I read it for two days running, with few breaks and little sleep! Mischa Kopiec, the main character, is the living definition of a true hero--a brave-hearted warrior, but a compassionate and moral man. He is further endowed with a keen presence of mind, an innate ability to assess characters and situations, and a well-trained, but still, almost preternatural understanding of military strategy. I was exceedingly heartened to read this memoir about Mischa, one tough Jewish soldier,who,though tormented by the knowledge of the Nazis' perfidy, fought or eluded them in many treacherous situations,as the quintessential survivor.

I have been a student of the holocaust since graduating with a major in Judaic studies. I am also a relative of survivors of the horrors of nazi Germany. Mischa's experience was an incredibly unique perspective from an unusual human being. Most Holocaust experiences do not parallel this unique perspective. The lessons and sense of family that Mr. Kopiec brings to this story are uplifting. I hope that this book can find its way into the homes of not only the Jewish community but also those of any human being that has no tolerance for discrimination, or the atrocities of genocide. Further, I believe that there are important lessons embodied in this story, that are a contribution to the Jewish people.

I won't be spoiling your read of this amazing, gut wrenching, action packed book, when I tell you that in the end the human spirit prevails. Author Michael Kopiec, son of the protagonist Misha, moves the reader out of their comfort zone of neutrality, and into the active role of a witness. You will find your emotions ebb and surge, along with Misha as he calculates his every move. His thought process is akin to the manner of consideration one might expect from a Master Chess Player. The significant difference here is that the stakes were life and death. This book is a wonderful read, and you will most assuredly be moved.

Michael Kopiec's book "The Outrage" is a well-written book about a very special holocaust survivor - Misha Kopiec. Through Misha's eyes, the reader will feel the horror and reality of the Nazi occupation of Poland. Misha was an extraordinary person. In any other time and place, he would have been recognized for his keen mind, kind heart and extraordinary strength. But, this was Poland under Nazi domination and Misha was Jewish - that equated to being nothing and nobody. Michael Kopiec helps us to see what life and death was like for Jews in Eastern Europe during this time period. The events are unbelievable - but real. Man's inhumanity to man is detailed on the pages of this extraordinary book - a must read!

This book was amazing! It was almost impossible to put down and incredibly moving. Misha's strenth and the love for his family is inspiring. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about this important time in history or to anyone looking to read a story about a true survivor.

The only reason I ordered this book is because I am a member of a local choir and ordered it as it is in the choir's repertoire and contains a wide spread of Church Choral Music for SATB voices. I prefer to have my own copy rather than a library one.

This is an excellent book of some of the better choral classics. I have sung some of them for years (Mozart's Ave verum) but others are not so familiar (Viadiana's Exaultate justi) to some old friends in a different arrangement (Franck's Panis Angelicus in SATB). Difficulty ranges from fairly easy to difficult, with something for everyone. A good collection for any serious classical chorus or church choir.

A usual Oxford Press is top rate! From the clean voice leading to the acurate translations - you simply can't beat it. For my madrigal choir this is a required book.

If you only ever purchase one volume of sacred choral music, this should be the one. Oxford + Rutter = 54 "Standards" of European choral music in an edition that is well researched, edited and engraved. Some notes from the preface:

The period covered in this volume is from about 1500 up to the twentieth century...
Sacred music from Britain appears in a separate volume.
With only one or two exceptions, only complete, self-standing compositions are included, not extracts from larger works such as masses, cantatas and oratorios.
With few exceptions, pieces wiith orchestra accompaniment (...) appear in the Sacred Choruses volume.
With one exception, choral arrangements of music not original for choir or vocal ensemble are excluded, as is music in less than four voice parts.
Advent, Christmas and Epiphany motets appear in a separate volume and are excluded. (From page iv of the preface)

Now that we've listed what isn't included... well... what IS included is simply fantastic. I can't think of a more useful volume for concert or high-church choirs. The efficiency of purchasing a collection over individual octavos should not be overlooked. The average price of choral octavos these days is about $2.00. With a volume like this, you couldn't even copy (from a legal source, of course) these pieces so cheaply.

This volume makes a lovely gift for choral singers, too.

This compilation of choral gems is one of my prized possessions! It has some tried and true classics like the Cantique de Jean Racine (Gabriel Fauré) and some less mainstream but equally gorgeous pieces, like the Salve Regina (Francis Poulenc). There are some historical and performance notes included. To a teacher, a conductor, student: this is a book you will use and use; there is something for everyone!

This massive 1,000+ page guide to all things British is a solemn, sometimes irreverent dissection of the United Kingdom. More than just a reference work describing the doings of politicians and generals. This companion carefully moves into areas not normally covered by such works. There are entries that discuss various major industries - shipbuilding, mining, gas and cotton - and on aspects of private and domestic life, like childbirth, housing, health and food. While the growth, meaning and importance of sports is discussed, only two athletes rate their own entries (the soccer star Stanley Matthews, knighted for his accomplishments on the field, and cricketer W.G. Grace, the Victorian star who continued playing first-rate cricket until he was 60). The only flaw in the entire book is a production problem that caused the deletion of pages 949 through 980, or between James Ussher and William Whewell. Not a noticeable problem, unless you're looking up information about Queen Victoria.

I have been using the "Oxford Companion to British History" on a regular basis since its publication. I am not a specialist in British History, but my work as a cataloguer of rare and antiquarian British books has required me to have a working knowledge of British History. This book has proved invaluable to me in my work. Moreover, I can rarely resist the temptation to browse the Companion--it is a text that draws the reader in. Highly recommended.

Nice little pieces on the areas Britain has affected but now leaves alone - nearly 4 pages on Australia, 1 each on Canada and New Zealand. Also helpful to find those weird, typically British obsessions: pigeon-fancying, seaside holidays and Tractarianism (go look them up). The kind of book you go to to look up one topic and find yourself reading for an hour. Failed to score 5 stars because it failed to record biographies on influential British sportsmen.

Now in a newly revised and expanded edition, The Oxford Companion To British History is a dictionary-style, 1056-page resource reference which is filled from cover to cover with names, places, terms, and events comprising the history of Great Britain and organized alphabetically for easy lookup. Compiled and edited by John Cannon (formerly the Chair of Modern History at Newcastle-upon-Tyne until 1992) and brimming with extensive facts and details, The Oxford Companion To British History is a top-notch reference which is enhanced with the inclusion of 12 maps, and would prove to be an invaluable cornerstone for any academic library's British History collection.

I just purchased the book a few days ago and highyly recommend it. Pages 949-980 are in my copy so do not be afraid that they are missing.

Simply better than the first... and it's on my bookshelf now.

I got this book from a local bookstore. Only one was available and the cover was not in a very good condition. But I find the content stunning... the combination of photographs and no faults with the manipulations/modifications done could have easily fooled many in earlier days. Today we know such mastery is possible powerful computer software.

This book eye candy to me.

Paintbox No.1 shows the power of image manipulation. With a simple digital pen these artists blend together images that will amaze your eyes. Pages upon pages of eyecandy!

This book is chocked of photographic pictures that are skillfully modififed to blend seamlessly. Some of these may be done by using plug-ins, but others require more effort, skill and thought. For example, you cannot just mask an object and paste it on another photo; need to consider shadow, lighting, etc. and I think the pictures here involved such considerations. Great work. When I look at the pictures, I think, "That's great..." and a great challenge to me to produce similar results.

I am also intending to get "Paintbox No. 2" !!

Sometimes we come across advertisements (eg. posters) that catch our attention and make us wonder---"How REAL!!" and amaze us. This book is filled with wonderful pictures, carefully designed, composited, etc. with consideration of details such as shadows to make things realistic. Everything in the pictures blends well with other elements in the pictures. With the power of today's photo editing software, some of these may not be difficult to produce but for the rest, they seem like wonders to me. Imagination and skills are essential.

If you are in advertising and designing, it would be a great challenge to yourself to try to produce similar effects in the book. Or if you are just looking for a book that shows you great pictures in advertising, you will find this book to be an eye-candy. However, this book does not teach you how to produce the effects; which, I think is not the aim of the book.

I am happy to have a copy of this book.

I bought this to read on a school trip and believe me, my friends wanted updates on everything that happened in this story. Give it a try!

I really enjoyed this enstallment in the S.A.S.S. series.
Nicole is aboslutely against going to France to study abroad. She has friends, a great boyfriend, and American stuff to do. And to top it all off, the family she stays with is a little on the crazy side. And their 'babysitter', Luc, is annoyingly adorable. Nicole just wants to be back at home. But when she finally relaxes a little and learns to enjoy herself while studying in France, Nicole finds that her stay was a life-changing experience.

I didn't flip the pages furiously or read this one in a day, but it was a cute little book that I enjoyed reading. A good read if you too wish to study abroad and find love along the way. :)

Nicole's (the main character)parents really want her to go to Paris but, Nicole really does not want to. Nicole cannot speak or read French at all and she is very happy with how her life is. She wants to spend the rest of her life with her boyfriend Nate. Nicole gets sent to Paris but, is staying with an American family. Nicole meets some friends at school and a boy named Luc. When Nicole gets to Paris, she is not very happy at all. She wants to be home with Nate and her friends. As Nicole is in Paris, she starts to think more about things and ask more questions. She begins to realize new things about her life back home. At the end of the book, she is very happy that her parents sent her there.
This book is really good! I read it in 1 day because I couldn't stop reading it!

If you are the type of person who loves to travel, this book is for you. Although this novel can be taken to merely discuss Nicole's journey to France, her emotional journey is also an important one, and rightfully shows the struggles of today's exchange students - along with the romance they meet along the way! In France, she is forced to experience new, unknown French ways instead of being a sheltered teenager. For example, she must learn to navigate around the French metro.
On a romantic level, this novel was a bit cliche for me. She falls in love with a French guy - why does this always happen in every exchange novel/movie?!?! The romance did add a little fun to the book, however, so I would recommend this book as a great read, especially if you like to be exposed to different cultures. There are also other books in the S.A.S.S. series, so after you read this one, go for them!!

While many teenagers would do anything to leave their small hometowns, and get away from their parents for a semester, seventeen-year-old Nicole Larson is stricken with feeling the complete opposite. Instead of going to Paris for the semester, she would do absolutely anything to stay within the confines of Peabody Corner, Maryland, ringing in the first day of senior year with her three best friends Zara, Patrice, and Annie; and planning what she'll wear to Homecoming with her boyfriend of two years, Nate. But, alas, Nicole's parents are put-off by her constant discussion of how things will be once she and Nate get married, and can't help but feel that she's selling herself short by deciding to follow Nate to whatever college he decides to attend. Not only that, they're sick of seeing their daughter follow the lead of her friends, and want to see her break free from their control, and find her inner self. So, they force her to enroll in the S.A.S.S. (Students Across the Seven Seas) Study Abroad Program, which is how she finds herself smack dab in the middle of Paris, where she can't speak the language, and is forced to reside with an American family named the Smith's. The Smith's are perfectly nice people, of course, but their four children...well, their constant screaming leaves much to be desired. Nicole can't stand Paris almost instantly. The food looks creepy - there's no way she'll ever eat a snail - and the cars move way too fast. And the metro is more confusing than anything she's ever encountered in her life. But, as Nicole begins attending Parisian school, and learning more about the culture and the atmosphere of Paris, along with her new friend, a Swedish girl named Annike, Nicole's Parisian perspective begins to change. Suddenly, she isn't so creeped out by all things France, and begins to embrace the culture, as if it were her own. And, with a few sightseeing tours from the Smith's manny (male nanny), Luc, Nicole finds herself actually enjoying the Parisian life. However, when she learns that Nate isn't missing her as much as she expected, Nicole begins contemplating whether cutting her trip to Paris short, and returning to the States would be a better idea than breathing in more of the sights with her newfound friends.

In recent months, I have fallen in love with the idea of sitting in outdoor cafes in Paris, sipping cafe au lait, and munching on croissants, and have even begun embracing the works of various artists who display these types of scenes in their paintings. However, I realized that I knew very little about Paris, aside from the Eiffel Tower, and various other landmarks. So I was ecstatic to stumble upon an S.A.S.S. novel that took place in the city of lights. Cathy Hapka does a wonderful job of describing the nervousness that one feels when stepping out of their comfort zone, and being forced to take on an entire new culture - including language, to food, and even transportation! Hapka's character development for Nicole is wonderful. The way she brings Nicole more and more out of her shell throughout PARDON MY FRENCH, giving her the chance to become more confident with herself, and make her own decisions is truly uplifting; while her ability to really make Nicole realize the error of her ways back home is interesting to delve into. While Nicole is a fabulous character, it is her Swedish friend, Annike, who really claims the spotlight in my eyes. While Annike is not an extremely large character in PARDON MY FRENCH, her presence really puts all eyes on her. Her positive outlook on everything surrounding her - from the Nutella and banana crepes she savors, to the Parisian museums - really makes the reader feel more positive about their own surroundings. She is so jovial, and kind, and just really sparkles as a character from the moment she's introduced. In fact, I hope that, someday, Annike is the star of her own spin-off S.A.S.S. novel, because I'd love to learn more about her. Grab a crepe, and explore the city of light alongside Nicole!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

Now in a completely updated and expanded sixth edition, Paris Inside Out by David Applefield (an American writer who has been living and working in Paris for almost twenty years) is a thoroughly "user friendly" and comprehensive resource for finding housing; getting a job; studying in a university, exchange program, or language school; or simply becoming immersed in French culture, society, vocabulary; arts, and cuisine. Paris Inside Out is particularly recommended for its "insider" tips for such newcomer survival skills as how to use the phones, computer and online needs, accessing health care, and even banking information. If you are planning a trip to Paris for business or pleasure, whether for a weekend, or a summer season or a year 'round adventure, then begin your planning by getting a copy of David Applefield's Paris Inside Out!

This book is clearly written by someone who knows! Appelfield speaks to the American with a firsthand account of the French experience, and with humor to boot. Many references to websites and other materials make this book a must have, especially for the potential expat.

Paris Inside Out is written for people who intend to live in Paris, either permanenetly or for a while. Much of the information is of use to tourists, too - at least, tourists who want to do more than just see the top ten sights in Paris. As one other reviewer noted, the book is written for an American audience, and consequently some of the discussion (such as the political and social differences between France and the U.S.) may not be entirely relevant to non-Americans.

Let's just say, I don't even like to think what would have happened if I hadn't had this book when I moved to Paris. The format and writing makes it a pleasure to read. People ask me about living in France and I just tell them to read this book. I wish there were one like it for Strasbourg!

Having moved to Paris from the States myself, I rate "Paris Inside Out" as one of the two most helpful books on my bookshelf. The other would be Polly Platt's "French Or Foe?" Platt's book gave me vital information on understanding French culture and how things work here in general. Applefield's book gave me technical information on how things work specifically - laws, processes, names, addresses, etc. I have read it countless times and still continue to refer to it even now that I'm well settled.

I especially appreciated Applefield's attitude on moving to France. Whereas other books I've read have been pessimistic (or completely dismissive) about the chances of Americans finding work in Paris, Applefield remains positive. He explains the obstacles involved, then brainstorms up a multitude of ways that it could be possible. Other books might take a tone of exasperation when talking about dealing with French bureauocracy or laws, but Applefield greets them with determined enthusiasm. Anything is possible so long as you understand how things work and keep the right attitude. Applefield has the right attitude and it easily rubs off on you.

This book also goes beyond other books in that explains more than just how to rent an apartment and get the telephone plugged in. His "insider tips" teach you how to get plugged into Parisian life, as well. He gives you pointers on finding the Paris arts scene, sports scene, French language schools, cooking classes, and a number of other things that help you build your new life here.

The book has only a couple of minor shortcomings. First, even though this Sixth Edition was completely revised, some of the addresses and phone numbers given in it are already out of date. Applefield makes up for this, however, by keeping the website that accompanies the book (www.paris-anglo.com) more up-to-date. Definitely check the website before wandering off in search of an address.

I also found the sections on getting a visa/carte de sejour to be a good overview, but not enough specific information. The book gives lists of documents that might be requested, but little more information than this. (e.g., What should an "attestation d'hebergement" say? How much money do you need for "proof of financial resources"? What exactly do you need your insurance company to state? What's involved in the medical visit?) Applefield states that these rules and processes change too often to detail them fully in the book. However, I doubt that they change more often than any of the other specific information he gives.

Overall, if you are planning to live in France for more than a couple of weeks, "Paris Inside Out" is essential reference material and even a fun read.

"Paris Stories" is an amazing collection of short stories by Mavis Gallant, who is best known for her work in "The New Yorker." The 15 stories in this collection are all set in Europe, and they offer memorable characters, humorous observations, witty commentary, and brilliant prose. Gallant's writing style is very rich, unique, and beautiful. In the afterword of the book, Gallant herself recommends not reading this book entirely in one sitting, and I agree. This is such a fantastic collection that readers are much better off savoring every page. I usually prefer novels to short stories, but "Paris Stories" is amazing and flawless. I highly recommend it!

I was delighted to see that Mavis Gallant is back in print. I have loved her work for many years, and always eager to buy the NYer when one of her stories was featured. The only drawback to much of her writing (not present in any of the stories in this collection, though) is that much of what she writes are satirical sketches of French intellectual or expatriate life (for example, the "Grippes and Poche" stories in Paris Stories) which would be totally lost on people who have not visited or lived there. The best of her stories are however profound meditations on loneliness and rootlessness. In this I believe she is an archtypal modern writer who can describe the almost universal experience of being an immigrant, refugee, or escapee from some previous stultifying existence. I think this is why so many people respond to her writing. She is, of course, also a master prose stylist. I urge any aspiring fiction writers to read Mavis Gallant. Contrary to what the above reviewer quoted, I think she can be very instructive and inspiring.

I read this book based on an excellent review of it (a good primer for Mavis Gallant newbies, btw) in the April (or May?) Harper's (a great store room for hidden gems.) I had never heard of Ms. Galant before I read the review and her book, but after reading Paris Stories, all I gotta say is, Where the hell have I been since she's been writing for the past 30+ years? Actually I'm only 30, but still. Her writing is magical on so many levels that I'll only mention a couple of them: the consistency and the sublime richness of her prose - it's like really rich fudge, a phrase or two of one of the 15+ stories is often enough for one sitting; the hauntingly subtle rendering of European life; the authority and command of her voice - there is no doubt in my mind that Mavis Gallant was put on this earth to write fiction as her job, and she writes like she knows it. I love that.

2 recommendations: read Michael Ondaajte's intro (in it he mentions that he knows other writers who intentionally refrain from reading Mavis Gallant when they are writing themselves, so they don't lose confidence in themselves); read the afterward, written by the auther herself (in it she makes the wise suggestion to the reader NOT read the stories in the book back to back, but to take one's time and savor every morsal - I concur. Read this book very slowly pausing to read other stuff perhaps - you don't want to miss a word, it's that good.)

Lovers of sublime artwork in literature, read Mavis Gallant. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. I can't wait for Volume 2 to come out this fall!

For better or worse, Mavis Gallant was one of a stable of writers who, for several decades under the editorship of William Shawn, wrote what came to be known as the "typical New Yorker story." Indeed, in a recent interview, the poet Michael Casey recalled a Benjamin Cheever character mocking "a New Yorker story" as "one that goes on and on and nothing much happens but you feel sad at the end of it." And, reading Gallant's stories in the magazine over the years, I likewise felt that they were consistently well written, occasionally interesting, often melancholy, but rather long-winded and ultimately unmemorable.

The fifteen stories collected here offer readers a chance to revisit their impressions of her stories. Behind the Jamesian tea-and-crumpet facade of Gallant's prose lurk human transplants: lost souls away from home, nomads and exiles trying to find a place in the world--Gallant has based virtually her entire career on this theme. The two exceptions are about "the French man of letters" Henri Grippes, Gallant's comic, curmudgeonly, aging alter ego. (Incidentally, the title of the collection, as Michael Ondaatje notes in the introduction, is misleading: not all the stories are set in Paris, nor are they about exiles living in Paris or from Paris; instead, Gallant wrote them all in Paris--which, since Gallant has written nearly all of her fiction there, makes the moniker rather meaningless.)

One of the stylistic quirks that transform many of Gallant's stories into wrestling matches with her readers is her blithe disregard for transitional devices within and between paragraphs. Ondaatje touts this as a virtue: "the next sentence can bring a complete shift of tone or content, while a quick aside can include whole lives--sometimes halfway through one person's thought you will get another's history." At first, the reader might understandably regard these "sudden swerves" as merely untidy--that's certainly the way I felt about them when I read her stories in The New Yorker. But, as often as not, there is some method hiding in the madness; the disorder echoes the jumble of her characters' lives and especially of their thinking.

Savoring these stories, one by one over a couple of months, I found that I truly began to enjoy Gallant's idiosyncratic style and her subtly wicked wit when I reached "Speck's Ideas"--the seventh story of the collection. (At some point, I should probably go back and read the first six.) In sum, I picked up this collection to revisit my judgment of her fiction and came away with a better opinion--but also with the understanding that Gallant will always suffer from that damnably faint praise: she is an acquired taste.

I was delighted to see that Mavis Gallant is back in print. I have loved her work for many years, and always eager to buy the NYer when one of her stories was featured. The only drawback to much of her writing (not present in any of the stories in this collection, though) is that much of what she writes are satirical sketches of French intellectual or expatriate life (for example, the "Grippes and Poche" stories) which would be totally lost on people who have not visited or lived there. The best of her stories are however profound meditations on loneliness and rootlessness. In this I believe she is an archtypal modern writer who can describe the almost universal experience of being an immigrant, refugee, or escapee from some previous stultifying existence. I think this is why so many people respond to her writing. She is, of course, also a master prose stylist. I urge any aspiring fiction writers to read Mavis Gallant. Contrary to what the above reviewer quoted, I think she can be very instructive and inspiring.

This wonderful book allows the reader to experience a place and a people now gone. The "stars" of Ballymenone come alive again in story, song and the descriptions of their lives by Henry Glassie. Unlike most academic books, this one is written by a poet...lyrical, powerful and evocative prose by a writer with suberb descriptive powers and spiritual impact. My husband and I recently visited Ballymenone and spent the day searching for what we had read about...but the people described are mostly gone, the landscape altered, the old replaced by new. For anyone who loves Ireland and wants to understand its ways and its culture this book is a must.

I read this excellent book over a year ago and am amazed at how often my thoughts return to visit. I find that many of the folkways described by this extraordianary observer are part of my own everyday life as American Scotch Irish over two centuries removed from roots in Ulster, Ireland. The descriptions of the kitchen hospitality, even the arrangement of the kitchen furniture are very familiar to me. The gifts of storytelling and musicmaking so vividly described are as frequently celebrated in my current mileau. Thanks for an excellent piece of research and writing.

This wonderful book allows the reader to experience a place and a people now gone. The "stars" of Ballymenone come alive again in story, song and the descriptions of their lives by Henry Glassie. Unlike most academic books, this one is written by a poet...lyrical, powerful and evocative prose by a writer with suberb descriptive powers and spiritual impact. My husband and I recently visited Ballymenone and spent the day searching for what we had read about...but the people described are mostly gone, the landscape altered, the old replaced by new. For anyone who loves Ireland and wants to understand its ways and its culture this book is a must.

For years anthropologists and folklorists have often "looked down" on the subjects of their studies, attempting to fit their subjects into preconceived boxes and categories. Unfortunately some anthropologists and sociologists continue to regard their "subjects" with condescension or even amusement. Henry Glassie's work is a much needed antidote to such practices. _Passing the Time in Ballymenone_ is a jewel. Henry Glassie regards the people of Ballymenone with respect and affection, allowing them to describe their ideas, life-ways, and values on their own terms, not his. Recognizing that theirs is a mindset and lifestyle that must be seen as an integrated whole, Glassie studies everything about Ballymenone from traditional songs to entertainment to religious beliefs to architecture, liberally quoting from the people who welcomed him into their homes over his extended stays. Some of his insights are pure brilliance, such as recognizing the way the poets and storytellers of a rural Irish district have adapted ancient Gaelic metrics to the English they use today. You will learn more about Ireland and its people in this one book than in a host of others. You may also find yourself re-evaluating your own lifestyle after encountering the wisdom of these tradition bearers. The book also serves as an excellent model for those who plan to work and study in folklore or anthropology.

As a study of the folklife and history of a community in Ulster, this book is full, rich, fascinating, and moving. I've used it as a first reading for graduate classes in fieldwork because it merges useful ethnographic research techniques with insightful analysis and eloquent prose. Students find the book both practical and inspiring, and it is a tour de force of the best of folklore research. Glassie's insights are more than relevant today for thinking through contemporary concerns about a range of important social and political concerns including what it means to foster healthy community life and provide honor and respect to old masters and stars. It is also a wonderful read for anyone interested in storytelling and Irish history and culture.

These essays or articles are engrossing reading for the insight they provide into the mind of one of the most fascinating revolutionary leaders in modern history. Thought of by many during his time and even now as a 'terrorist' or gunman, these writings reveal Collins to be a thoughtful, intelligent leader with a far-ranging interest in all aspects of the present and future of his country. Had he lived it seems very clear that the quality of his mind and the compassionate concern he had for his people would have made him as formidible a leader in peacetime as he was in war. His death was Ireland's great loss but he left an impressive legacy.

"Of all the words/ Of tongue or pen/ the saddest are these/ 'It might have been'/". Such go the words of a poet that I cannot identify. But they adequately encapsulate the emotions intended to be evoked by this finely-edited collection of various writings by Michael Collins, the Irish patriot, hero, and martyr (or traitor depending on one's perspective) who led his country's successful war of independence betwen 1919 and 1921. Assassinated during the Irish Civil War of 1922-1923 because of his role in setting up an Irish government not sufficently independent of Britain nor sufficiently encompassing the whole island to satisfy many of his former comrades in the struggle, he never got to be tested as a peacetime leader. Path To Freedom allows us to see the man through his own writings where he emerges as far more than a warrior. Keenly interested in economics and culture, well-informed and articulate on virtually every issue of state, foreign or domestic, Collins' legacy to the reader is to make him/her wonder what would the history of Ireland (North and South) be like -- even the history of Europe itself in the time of a coming Depression and Age of Dictators -- had Collins survived. The renowned modern Irish scholar-journalist Tim Pat Coogan provides a good introduction which is mostly lifted verbatim from his earlier biography of Collins.

It is difficult to top a book on Michael Collins composed primarily of his own words. After all, what better way to peek into his brilliant mind than by reading his words? This book was indeed published to coincide with the release of Neil Jordan's film in 1996, ostensibly to give curious moviegoers a way to better understand Collins before or after viewing the biopic. Tim Pat Coogan's foreword to the book is excellent and shows him in his usual top form. The book's chapters are "Advance and Use Our Liberties," "Alternative to the Treaty," "The Proof of Success," "Four Historic Years," "Collapse of the Terror," "Partition Act's Failure," "Why Britain Sought Irish Peace," "Distinctive Culture," "Building up Ireland," and "Freedom within Grasp." This book sheds light on how articulate, well read, historically aware and insightful Collins actually was. It is too often thought that Collins was a country bumpkin whose knowledge of anything beyond 'murder and mayhem' was quite limited. This simply isn't the case and it becomes apparent almost immediately into the book that Collins was a more than capable thinker. Collins discusses Ireland's tumultuous history, the accomplishments of the Easter Rising, the political events of 1914-1918, the many aspects of British rule, the potential resources of Ireland, and the work of Sinn Féin.

If you are looking for a traditional biography on Collins, this is probably not the right selection for you. _Michael Collins: The Man Who Made Ireland_, the book Tim Pat Coogan excerpted his foreword from, would be a much better fit for that need. If you are already basically familiar with the life and times of Collins, this book will give you a much richer sense of how his mind worked.

Tim Pat Coogan's account of the life of Michael Collins is full of information. The time and people come alive, and you are left knowing a lot more then you started with. This is the definitive biography of Mick.

Michael Collins own words provide a clear and insightful look at life in Ireland circa 1921, delving into the social conditions and circumstance that led to the infamous Black and Tan War. This book helped me see that enormous importance of the independence movement of the time, how Ireland was not even recognized as its own country, and what it meant to finally achieve that status. I could not picture a world without a free, seperate Ireland, its amazing to me that this was the case up until well into this century. Micheal Colins here is addressing the people directly, so you get a head-on view of the realities of the times without a lot of historical or sociological analysis. Thats good, because its better to encounter his words personally, to understand the case he is making in all its simplicity: The Irish people are, now and forever, Free!