Europe Books

This is a well-written and fresh look at John Winthrop, first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Bremer derives his view of Winthrop from the "Model of Christian Charity" sermon, which Winthrop delivered sometime around his emigration to North America. Rather than the stern, unbending, and judgemental character that is the common perception, Bremer shows Winthrop as a pragmatic leader who often worked behind the scenes to reconcile diverging points of view. As portrayed in this book, Winthrop was a man of humility who strove to include anyone with a "spark of godliness" into the community.

At 385 pages of text, the book moved along quickly. I was sorry to get to the end.

Thanks to an absent minded John Winthrop falling into a foul smelling peat bog and surviving (which he took as a sign that he should emigrate to the colonies) the settlers of the Massachusets Bay Company were blessed with a practical and efficient administrator. Elected Governor many times over, John Winthrop is portrayed as an honest and god fearing a man as any patriotic American would want.
Although a good third of the book describes Winthrop's life in England, it is justified and necessary to see the religious and social preparations for his career in America. Once he came to America, his life was devoted to the preservation of his religion, his family and his colony.
Those readers familiar with Boston and surroundings will enjoy the detail in this biography; the streets he lived on, the configuarion of the city, its growth during Winthrop's lifetime.
And how easy it is to forget how little in the way of goods and services was available to the settlers in the 17th century. John Winthrop was not in the first wave of New Englanders in Plymouth, but even 10 years later he had to bring with him wheat, barley, oats, beans and peas for cultivation, potatoes, hop roots, hemp seed, tame turkeys and rabbits, linen and woolen cloth, bottles, ladles, spoons and kettles, among a long list of other essentials.
In spite of harsh conditions and personal tragedies, Winthrop prevails and the reader will learn much about this "forgotten" Founding Father in this compelling and interesting biography.

This is a wonderful book. The author demonstrates a rich, nuanced command of the period and the players. I especially appreciate how he works to portray the characters from their own perspective instead of juding people who lived four centuries ago by todays ideas. I appreciate that he goes to great length to provide historical context. Indeed, he provides so much context, beginning with the subject's grandfather, that the book starts out a little slowly. But once the book reaches the point of Winthrop's departure for America, it remains compelling up to the end. A wonderful book for a more complete picture of the settlement of our country and a valuable addition to a balanced view of the puritans.

John Winthrop: America's Forgotten Founding Father

by Francis J. Bremer

Oxford University Press, published 2003

Millerstown University Professor Francis Bremmer's John Winthrop: America's Forgotten Founding Father is the first major work on the Massachusetts's governor in over fifty years. It is an engaging and comprehensive volume serving as the author's attempt to provide a more balanced view of Winthrop than has been seen in other works. Bremer writes, "The Winthrop of modern histories has been constructed to suit particular agendas. It is time for biography that is interested primarily in John Winthrop himself." (pg. xvi) Bremer is well qualified to take on this task, as he is the editor of John Winthrop's papers for the Massachusetts' Historical Society.

The narrative traces all of Winthrop's known ancestors in England. Almost a century before John was born, his grandfather, Adam, was a successful London cloth merchant. Adam profited handsomely from Henry VIII's reformation of the church. He purchased monastery lands from the government and established the family's seat in Suffolk. It was to this estate that Adam retired during the Catholic restoration of Mary I. The Winthrops were staunch Protestants and the move was designed to prevent retribution from the Marian government. The estate was to be the family's headquarters until John's departure for the new world in 1630.

The family estate was located in the Stour Valley, which was a hotbed of reformed Protestantism. Bremer deliberately avoids using the term Puritan because he feels that it carries to strong a connotation to the modern reader. "Godly" was the description used most often by the Winthrop family and their circle. Like many others in Suffolk, the Winthrop's were non-conformists to the Anglican model and hoped for continued reforms of the church.

John Winthrop was born in 1588. He attended college at Cambridge for two years and left without taking a degree. While he considered entering the ministry, his early marriage and family obligation precluded that career path. In 1605, he married for the first time. From 1605 through 1630, John Winthrop lived the life of the minor gentry. He was involved in running his estate, raising his family and practicing law. In 1615, his first wife died in childbirth and Winthrop soon remarried. His new wife died a year later in childbirth; John married again in 1617 to his third wife, Margaret Tyndal.

Winthrop became involved with the civil government when he was appointed to the Court of Wards and Liveries. It was at this time he grew increasingly displeased with the corrupt state of the civil government. After considering emigration to Ireland, he and Margaret decided instead to join with members of the Massachusetts Bay Company and move to the new world. The venture was seen as a way to serve God and to make a profit. The founders of the company decided on John Winthrop as Governor for the colony. This is a reflection of the modest nature of the project in the eyes of the founders because, "if Massachusetts had been a larger, more important venture, he would not have been entrusted with the responsibility." (pg. 170)

As Governor, Winthrop was responsible for seeing the colonists through the bitter early years and for establishing order among the colonists. It was at the start of the emigrating that his famous "Christian Charity" sermon was given. He compared the colonists endeavors to a "city on a hill" that all could see. This biblical reference is Winthrop's most enduring literary legacy and is often quoted by politicians to this day.

Winthrop strove to live a good Christian life and to ensure the others the opportunity to so as well. He sought unity amongst the settlers but was willing to compromise and attempt to reach consensus. He was unwavering, however, in his principles and showed no reluctance to expel Roger Williams or Anne Hutchinson from the colony when their unorthodox theologies threatened the stability of the society.

Winthrop served as governor for 12 of the 19 years he lived in Massachusetts. He was untiring in his efforts to promote the growth of the colony. In the winter of 1649, he became ill and died. Bremer sums up the man and his accomplishments, "Zealous but not a zealot ... he helped to prevent his colony from being blown off course by the winds of extremism and from being wrecked on the rocks of fanaticism." (pg. 385)

Accessible to all levels of interested readers, John Winthrop: America's Forgotten Founding Father is a valuable portrait of an important figure in American History. Sources are extensive and meticulously documented. They primarily come from the records of the Courts of Assistants in Massachusetts Bay, Official Records of the Governor and Winthrop's own papers and journals. In addition, a host of sources from both sides of the Atlantic is employed in the work. The in-depth coverage of the Winthrop family background can be tedious to readers only interested in American events, but they provide needed insights into the English Reformation and the events that lead to colonization of New England. Bremer's work takes its place as the definitive biography of John Winthrop for the next fifty years.

Bremer has brought us a sensitive and balanced portrayal of Winthrop, one that is at the same time truly gripping. One of the significant contributions of the book is Bremer's attention to Winthrop's forty or so years in England prior to coming to New England, which helps create the sense of organic development and shows points of continuity between English Puritanism and that of the New England colonies. The relationship between Bremer's presentation and other scholarly opinions is covered in many of the endnotes, which makes it useful to the scholar but not burdensome for the average reader. Scholars, history buffs, and even those just interested in the human experience of life, will find this book rewarding. Highly recommended.

New information is always one of the factors I like to glean from a non-fiction book. Sometimes the new material is major, sometimes minor. I immediately liked this book because I found a tiny bit of information that I've been curious about for years. A famous unsung, middle-class patron of many of the world's great artists who resided in Montparnasse ran a "Cremerie" directly across the street from Academie Colarossi Art School. The tiny café was described in numerous biographies but the shop owner was always described simply as "Madame Charlotte." I'd done a little research trying to discover more about this fascinating businesswoman whose building was stuffed with artworks and who loaned money to Gauguin so he could travel to the South Seas, but was unable to find her last name. It seemed to have been lost to history. On page 22 of this book the mystery was solved. She was identified as "Madame Charlotte Caron." That discovery immediately led me to buy this book that is chuck full of interesting biographies as well as more than 700 photographs of the artists described and their work as well as information about the people around this legendary Roaring Twenties artist's community. This encyclopedia of information is tied together by featuring Kiki (Alice Prin) at various points. It could have been tied together by using anyone of several artists who were such an integral part of the "Camelot of Paris Art." Picasso or Man Ray would have done equally as well, but neither of them was French or as sexy to look at in the nude.
This book is well worth reading. In many ways, it's like looking at a personal photo album with really good captions explaining the pictures and the people in them. Unlike most personal photo albums this one includes pictures of the "underside" of Paris along with pictures of its residents dressed and undressed. The residents apparently loved to party as demonstrated by the huge number of masked balls and other wild parties shown in picture after picture. This book is extra interesting because of the informal portraits of so many famous artists at work and definitely at play. With snapshots of the smoky world of the cafes, the brothels, the art schools, and the hedonistic picnics, the book makes that by-gone era live again. Kiki, with her cabaret dancing, nude modeling, infamous lovemaking and bubbling personality was the very personification of the hedonistic age that produced creativity the likes of which the world has seldom witnessed. She makes a perfect sexy trunk and limbs upon which to hang this elm tree-sized collection of colorful historic portraits.

This book gives both an excellent pictorial and verbal description of the evolution of the artistic life in bohemian Paris in the early twentieth century. Well researched and written, it brings the ongoing revolution in art (what defines art?) as well as society (the role of classes, women, etc) into both clear focus and understanding. The pictures are both numerous and superb and gives the book a real 'you are there' sense as well. The wealth of detail is sometimes almost overwhelming in fact. An very readable and enjoyable book!!

"KIKI'S PARIS: Artist and Lovers 1900-1930" faithfully evokes the era when Paris served as the nexus for the flowering of artistic movements as diverse as cubism, fauvism, futurism, and dadaism. Each photograph tells a rich story of the personalities and the city that shaped and inspired them.

This is a book that you'll want to read and re-read again and again. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

A time long gone of the parisian model for the teeming artists. Lots of great photo's and listings of the people of that time period. Puts you " there " as soon as you open the book. A timeless book of a wonderful age.

This book gives a wonderful photo journal insight into the free-spirited years of early 20th century Paris. The photos and descriptions are magnificent. This book will take you there in an instant.

. Informative book which is easy for all ages to follow wether reading it themselves or being read to. My children used it for projects and i myself took it into school to show children the system the English have as many think the Queen is voted in. I also enjoyed this book as i enjoy my country's history.

My bible of Royal British successions for almost 20 years, I keep it at my elbow for constant reference. A wonderful thumbnail sketch of each King and Queen, as well as a snapshot of the times in which they lived and the causes of their sucesseses and failures. Great reading--beautifully illustrated.

I bought this book many years ago, and I still pick it up at least once a month. The book gives you the most important information of every king and queen who has ever ruled England or Scotland.

As I turn the pages, I can see that there is something interesting about every regent, and by the way; this book makes you realize that royal scandals are not a new invention.

I have now read through this book twice - once before each of my trips to Great Britain - and have found this book to be immensely helpful in understanding Britain's past and present. The book purports to be about the British monarchy, but in addition to thoroughly covering royalty, this book also covers a fair amount of history so the reader has some feel for the cultural setting of the monarchs as well. There are numerous color illustrations and photographs throughout the text, finely placed, and quite instructive. Each monarch has typically 2-4 pages devoted to their reign, with important dates and events set out in an easy to consult style. Some attempt is made to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each ruler and to assess how the British peoples fared under their guidance. In general, the presentation is fair-minded, following Shakespeare's dictum to comment on each ruler as s/he appeared, "nothing extenuant, nor aught set down in malice."

There are periodically pages devoted to related topics such as the origins of Parliament, the Magna Carta, Chivalrous Orders (such as the Order of the Garter), War of the Roses, coronation of the Prince of Wales, castle construction (explaining terms like motte and bailey), or Empire Building. Events such as the 1381 Peasants Revolt, the 1666 Fire of London, or the Great Exhibition of 1851 (sharing scientific advancements from the Industrial Revolution) are richly illustrated, with commentary provided to explain their significance.

The Kings of Scotland are discussed separately, with historical figures like Robert the Bruce or William Wallace being treated in the narratives. Eventually, the Scottish and English/Welch monarchies converged with with the coronation of James I in 1603.

In all, Plantagenet Somerset Fry has done an absolutely first rate job of creating an introductory book on the British Monarchy. I found it quite helpful in keeping things straight in my mind (e.g. keeping all the Edward's and Henry's and George's distinct.) It is an excellent book to read either for pleasure, for instruction, or for historical guidance while touring the British Isles.

I read this book cover to cover just prior to my trip to England (along with Antonia Fraser's "The Lives of the Kings & Queens of England"). This was a fun and easy read with nice pitcures. It is nice for anyone looking for a brief overview about the English Monarchy and also for anyone who just wants to have a handy reference.

These Knopf Guides are fantastic. They are beautiful little books, they are not quick guides, they are conscious and indepth. The images are well presented and the text highly informative. This book on New York is especially good, New York is unique and lends itself well to a guide of this kind. Highly recommended.

It's the most handy guidebook I ever used. It tells you all the attractions in Manhattan and it doesn't flood you wth words. It organized into sections, so you don't have to fold the map over and over to find where you want to go. If you love to travel by yourself and you don't want to carry a big book around and look like a tourist, you should get this book.

It's only good for Manhattan though.

If you are traveling to NYC, and spending your time in Manhattan, this is the only map book you will need. It's compact, and will fit in your pocket, and is easy to use and to read.

It starts with a map of Manhattan, which is divided into several sections. Each section has a corresponding map. When you open the book to a section, you will see some text and small pictures showing some of the highlights that you may want to see in the area. Then, the page folds out to a detailed map that is large enough to read easily, even while your walking, but still quite compact. The paper is very heavy, and after ten days of extensive use, my book has no torn maps, or even battered edges.

The back of the book has both bus and subway maps, and although they are pretty small, you can still use them to get around on public transportation. The only thing I used to supplement this book was a compass, which helped when we emerged from a subway tunnel, and needed a quick direction.

The cost of this book is only slightly more than a traditional map and is, in my opinion, an incredible value for the money. As a first-time visitor to NYC using this book, I was amazed that I never got lost; not even once!

We used this book on our first visit to Manhatten and found the book to be very helpful. After preparing for our visit with this book, I felt comfortable and a familiarity with the city.

folks, this is the best idea for a tourbook/map that i have stumbled across yet. i'm not prone to raving, but this will garner praise from me until the cows come home (bearing foot & mouth) no doubt.

so, why is this so great? first of all, it's simple and well designed. the city is broken down into sections. you turn to those pages and there is a brief description of places to eat, shop, etc. the pages then open up into a map of the section with a description of major sites in the area.

brilliant! no fumbling around a big map trying to find your street. no squinting to figure out where you are. it's easy to find landmarks, metro stops, etc.

the card stock is nice and heavy and has lasted well even in my back pocket. the descriptions have been helpful without being too lengthy. and at this price, it's quite competitive with other maps while providing much more.

Best travel guide bar none. Fits your pocket or small purse.. Visually great looking. There are actual pictures .... All high recommended hotels different prices..Great maps.. hard to get lost . Great recommends for food I am a shopper.. Absolutely great & unusual shops ..None of the bad tourist gear only the styling gear.. .I am familiar w/ New York but I still use this guide. This is the one I get around with...I do not go anywhere without this guide if there is one available for the destination Im will be traveling to....

This is the most ergonomically designed useful city guide I've seen.
100 percent portable, no batteries, internet connection and user friendly.

I have bought several editions of this handy little guide over the years and am now giving one to all the guests at my daughter's New York wedding. It is very easy to use and has great suggestions for dining, sight-seeing etc. with very simple sections for each area of the city. I call it my New York bible.

I went to New York for the first time for two weeks. This map is great. It's small, easy to carry, and easy to read. You won't feel so obvious if you have to pull it out on the street corner or on the subway. It was so much better than the full size map that I got from the hotel. Beware, it only covers Manhattan. So if you have to travel to the outer boroughs (Brooklyn, Bronx, Staten Island, Queens) you'll need a different map. However, since all the siteseeing, shopping, and eating I wanted to do was located in Manhattan, it was the only map I needed.

The first time I went to New York, my mom bought this for our trip. It's been a life saver since. The maps are very detailed but small enough to carry with you without looking obnoxious. The subway map is detailed as well and when you use them with your sectioned maps, it completes the whole picture. This is a must have especially for first time visitors as the maps are very easy to read. I'm going on my third trip in two months and had to pick up another copy of this, as I can't seem to find my older one. I couldn't imagine a trip to NYC without it!

Every Swiss should read this novel. It takes you back to a time when Switzerland, Geneva, was a much quieter place. When the police would tell noisemakers to shush. When the tourists only came in the summer. And there's plenty of action that moves the plot along. A must read.

I really enjoyed reading the love story of those two kids. They loved each other so much and put so much faith into Dosie's mother. Boy, did she throw them a curve. What a letdown.

I am nuts about old bikes and this guy rides a Puch 125, made in Austria, for 6000 miles. This bike was more of a scooter than a motorycle and how he pushed that bike that far is hilarious. And the rest of the book is too.

Eine grosartige Tour von Europa nach dem grosen Krieg. Am interessantesten. Herr Frey schreibt eine gute Gerschichte. Gerd Schute

Un livre fascinat. Le contnent de l'Europe il y a 50 ans, avant que je sois meme ne. Je ne pourrais pas mettre le livre vers le bas.

I can only echo the praise of other reviewers. I am not a big non-fiction reader, but this book really captured me. These people led lives more fascinating than fiction could ever have been.

Excellent and interesting historical review through one family's experiences offering good insight into the times.

This is a great book about a country and a culture and a time that too many of us know too little about.

The narrative begins just before World War I and carries through World War II, the Communist period and the present day. It provides insight into the life of one family that made up part of Poland's priveleged class. The shortcomings and weaknesses that plagued Poland through much of its history seem to be manifested in this one, markedly dysfunctional family--the author's own.

Mr. Tarnowski's writing is clear, descriptive and enjoyable. He is forthright in telling the story of his family's disintegration--a process that began long before the Nazis ravaged Poland and the Soviets subsequently crushed and neutered it.

His writing quickly makes the reader familiar with the main characters; all of them are colorful, but only a few are likeable. In the end, although he doesn't say so, it is obvious that had the Germans and Soviets never crossed into Poland and stolen the riches of the ruling classes, the author's volatile, arrogant, greedy and alcoholic father would likely have singlehandedly destroyed the family's wealth and standing anyway.

It reads nearly like a novel--but is all the more enjoyable because the story is real. Although a sometimes painful read, it is a thoroughly gratifying one. I'm glad the author had the talent and courage to write it.

I found this book to be one of the most fascinating books I've read in years. It is the story of the demise of an aristocractic Polish family during World War II written by a family member born during during the war. Their odyssey took them back and forth across Europe, into (then)Palistine, Egypt, etc. During their travels, they rubbed elbows with King Farouk and Ali Kahn. On more than one occassion they were saved by family connections originated in more prosperous times. When all else was gone they sold their last possession of any value, Romanov jelewry from Catherine the Great.

What really caused their demise was when, after the Germans left, the Communist regime, similar to Russia in it's revolution, took away the ownership of their estate. This was the Communist's effort to end the concept of aristocracy. In the end, some of the main characters went from enormous wealth to poverty.

This book is an easy read and gives an aspect of WWII that was new to me. An interesting side light that was not in the book, but I read in another review, was that the author was ostricized from his family for writing this book. Much of the book came from family interviews and I guess they didn't want this to be aired to the public. This included the breakup of marriages and family bickering.

In this outstanding book, Andrew Tarnowski describes the fairy tale like lives of his Polish aristocratic relatives from the early 1900s up until world war II, after which their highly privileged lives came to a crashing halt. He continues to describe what happened in the lives of key relatives into the 1970s, '80s and '90s. For instance, his parents, Chouquette (Sophie Jaxa-Chamiec)later married Malcom Wolfe Murray and his father Stas Tarnowski later married Ada Lubomirska (with whom he had six children). They all lead fascinating lives but their past haunted them even then. The author did a marvelous job of chronicling and piecing together his family history from interviews, memoirs, historical documents and oral family history. As the old adage goes "truth is stranger than fiction" and it holds true for this book which reads like a fictional account of immensely exaggerated proportions, only the stories in this book are facts, they are true and really happened, just as they are recorded.

We learn that the beautiful tall thin, auburn-haired Countess Wanda Zamoyska of Dzikow, who was strong willed and self-assured and loved glamour and high society had - through parental guidance and arrangements married Count Hieronim Tarnowski of Rudnik, in 1914. He was congenial looking, had dark wavy hair, a high forehead and a rather too prominent a nose but most importantly was the heir to a substantial fortune, which was the main consideration for Wanda's widowed mother whose family fortunes had fallen on hard times. Hieronim was highly educated and besides his native Polish, he spoke seven other languages fluently, English German, French, Greek, Italian, Spanish and Latin. His ancestors played prominent roles in Polish history from the 14th to 16th centuries. His father Professor Stanislaw Tarnowski was a renowned academic who was showered with great honors and held a prestigious postion with the Jagiellonina University in Krakow. His ancestors helped found the university over 500 years before. Unfortunately, this couple was ill matched from the beginning and their lives and those of their children, Sophie and Stas, showed the after effects of their less than happy union throughout their lives. Furthermore, it was whispered that Wanda was likely the illigitimate daughter of Hieronim's first cousin so -it was a marriage which should not have happened. The aristocracy hid these types of indescretions very well ...

Wanda and Hieronim had two children, Sophie who was born in 1917 and Stas (Stanislaw) born in 1918. Stas was the father of the author of this book. He was a handsome man, with a somewhat arrogant attitude, who resembled the actor David Niven. Just prior to the outbreak of World War II, his sister, Sophie had married Andrew. Their marriage had taken a papal dispensation because both were too closely related. They were second cousins, grandchildren of two brothers from Dzikow. They had twelve great-grandparents in common. Although the marriage was discouraged because they were so obviously in love, a family friend intervened and got Pope Pius XI to provide the proper approval.

This book is filled with many fascinating details about Polish aristocratic life at the turn-of-the-century, including arranged hunts for wild game in the nearby forests and lavish balls. The book shows how this aristocratic family managed to survive World War I, and rebuild their lives after the damages done to their property and many residences. It shows how due to circumstances of birth, they lived highly privileged lives compared to the majority of the population. The threats of World War II loomed, so the Tarnowski's planned an escape route via an auto caravan into Romania. Forty four relatives narrowly escaped to live in poverty compared to their previous lifestyle. They became refugess like the majority of those who escaped their homeland. Unlike many, they had contacts such as relatives or close friends who worked in embassies abroad. These people helped ease their adjustment to their new status. Through chance, two unrelated young ladies, Chouquette and her sister Boule, were visiting the Tarnowski's home when Hitler bombed Poland on Sept. 1, 1939. They escaped along with the family. Fearing Romania was getting too close to the Germans, they remained only one month in Romania, and moved to Belgrade because the Serbs were determined to fight Hitler and the Nazis. In Belgrade, the author's mother, at the age of 19, Chouquette married her fiance Stas Tarnowski who was 21 years of age that year.

From Belgrade, this young married couple moved to Palestine, along with Stas' sister Sophie and her husband Andrew. The young men joined the Polish Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade, who trained in Egypt, to fight the Nazis along with the British in Northern Africa. The ladies settled in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv but soon moved to Cairo, Egypt to be the guest of a family friend, PrinceYouseff Kamal ed-Dine, third in line to the Egyptian throne. From turmoil and confusion, their lives transformed into indescribable luxury. They were provided a villa complete with a servant and cook. By then, Chouquette had given birth to Andrew, the author of this book. He was nick-named Boubi Pasha but more often was called, gnomek, Polish for "little gnome." The ladies moved in a select circle of friends. They were often the guests of the royal family and of British diplomats and British officers, at polo clubs, sports clubs, race tracks, tea parties and special functions held in the best hotels. Their husbands fought with the British at some of the most famous battles of the war in North Africa ...

This book is a fascinating true story which the author shares with the reader. He also provides the history of the lives of his grandparents, Wanda and Hieronim, who remained in Poland and managed to survive the war. He gives very interesting details about the love lives of his Uncle Andrew and even of his own father, who was a womanizer and often cheated on his mother. In fact, his father had an affair with someone in Belgrade, the night before he married his mother, Chouquette. The story of the strained relationship of his parents is a very worthwhile read ax is the story of their divorce. The story of the lives of the author's Aunt Sophie and his Uncle Andrew are also complex, and sound more fictional than real. Andrew's father is a colorful enigmatic character who could be the leading character in a best selling novel, a figure larger than life, more a figment of someone's imagination than a real person. Both of his parents eventually built new lives but remained close due to their shared history and past which created a bond that could never be broken. Despite having lost their Polish homeland and the privileges of a lifestyle that totally dissolved after World War II - the past remained a constant shadow which followed them wherever they lived, no matter how different their current lives were. Erika Borsos [pepper flower]

The fact that Trotsky tried to devise a revolutionary strategy to cope with the issues aroused by the existence of a Popular Front government in 1930s France made this collection of short pieces and pamphlets to remain consistently out of fashion for the next 70 years, as Marxists tended more and more to make a fetish out of Liberal Bourgeois political forms. Therefore the relevance of this book, as a discussion of the shortcomings of said Bourgeois Democracy in terms of the overall sclerosis imposed by it on the Body Politic.

Paris, February 1934: tens of thousands of rightists attempted to overthrow the French government in a violent demonstration. The Radical government was soon replaced with a Bonapartist ruler. How could the powerful working class movement respond? The French Communist Party was moving to the "Peoples Front" alliance with the Socialists and the Radicals, in reflection of Stalin's search for alliances with one or other of the imperialist powers moving towards war to redivide the world. Together with the Socialists, the Stalinists politically disoriented the French workers. Six years on from the 1934 demonstrations, Hitler was able to crush France, and the fascist Petain ascended to power. "Leon Trotsky on France", a collection of writings from throughout those six years, brings the light of Marxism and the experience of the Russian Revolution to bear in showing the way for workers seeking a revolutionary way forward. As the 21st century takes us deeper into a situation like the 1930s -- economic depression, political volatility and instability, rapidly sharpening inter-imperialist rivalry, the rise of ultrarightist forces -- the lessons of the 1930s loom large. With each passing year, books like this one are becoming more relevant for workers and fighters for social justice.

More than a history text, this is a compelling day-by-day analysis of the great political developments in France during the 1930s depression-- and incisive arguments for what working class parties needed-- and failed -- to do to fight their way victoriously out of the crisis. The brutal economic depression and the crisis of capitalist political rule, the approaching world war, the fascist uprising in 1934, the rise of Bonapartist-police state regimes, the great workers strike wave of 1936, the stakes in organizing a workers militia, the political basis for alliances in working class struggles-- all are explained clearly and logically, with the aim of helping working people understand and organize to defend their interests.

Trotsky writes with the experience of a leader of the 1917 Russian Revolution and the early years of building an international communist workers movement. He was particularly familiar with the French workers movement from years in exile before 1917, and spent time in France in the 1930s after being expelled from the Soviet Union by Stalin and his henchmen-- this experience helping him give rich political detail to his writings.

Above all, the questions posed here do not belong just to the 1930s. The perspectives of the capitalists, the petty-bourgeoisie, the workers and the peasants, and the question of leadership of the working class, of the forging of a revolutionary party with a correct program and the confidence to act are issues for today and tomorrow. Trotsky's writings here are invaluable in helping understand and organize in today's world.

Best part of the book -- Part Two: A Program for the French Revolution. For anyone who has had to deal with trade union brass who caution that the union membership must be careful not to alienate the friendly wing of management, for anyone who has had to suffer through debates in parties such as Canada's New Democratic Party, this book helps straighten things out clearly. As Europe thrashed its way through the 1930s, socialist revolution or fascist victory was put on the agenda in country after country. Trotsky goes over all the key issues as they arose concretely in France: elections and picket lines, workers armed defense versus reliance on the middle class, the relationship of general strike to the fight for a revolutionary change in government, how to win over the farmers. He hammers away at the fact that while capitalism was degenerating before everyone's eyes, nothing was automatic, nothing would inevitably change for the better without conscious action and organization by the powerful French working class. He pointed out that he was fighting for the lives of French workers who went into the streets in strike waves, who occupied their workplaces, who fought the police and fascist gangs over and over throughout the decade. And went down to defeat. Difficult to read simply as a historical document since so many issues are of burning relevance today.

France in the 1930s was wracked by mass struggles by workers, fascist, monarchist and other right-wing conspiracies two futures: the future of war, Nazi occupation and the Petain regime that aped fascism, and a victory of workers and farmers like the one in Russia in 1917 and Cuba in 1960s. Battles went on that could have prevented World War two, prevented fascism in Spain, and more.
Trotsky's advice here is not just directed to analyzing the big questions, but also discussing how small groups of revolutionists were affected by these big events, how they could deepen their role in the mass struggle.
With war, and what some call a gathering world depression looming in front of working people around the world, the same questions before French workers in the 1930s are coming before workers, youth, farmers and others who want to fight today. We are fortunate to read these writings by Trotsky to fight to avoid a future of war and fascism.

We bought this book and the information was very useful. We especially found the information on transportation and lodging to be helpful. The book lists plenty of restaurants too. There was so much to see and do on our trip and this book really helped us plan out a wonderful vacation. There is a lot of information on some of the smaller towns in Andalusia and elsewhere. All were amazing. All in all it's a very helpful book and worth the purchase.

I used this guidebook while touring Spain and Portugal. It was full of good information on places to visit and places to stay. The directions were easy to follow and I found their reviews of the places I stayed to be accurate. A word of caution - the Lisbon bus depot has relocated since this book was published - check with the tourist office for up to date info.

Excellent information for all tourists. . For the older traveler willing to spend a few more dollars forget the lodging advice, use the food, transportion, money information,etc.For the young on a budget all the information is important.

Whenever you would want to travel on "a shoestring" consider this guide. It gives some great suggestions for things to see, places to stay and nice restaurants. All this information is presented in a structured and clear way. Let's go is not afraid to express their own opinion without being biased. It is also great read if you want get some background on Spain and Portugal.

The big question at hand of course is if it beats the Lonely Planet and other budget guides. I feel this is something of personal preference. The information in the guide is not that different from one of the other guides but the way they structure it is different. An advantage of the Let's go is that it seems to somewhat less popular than the Lonely Planet.
Therefore you run less of a risk that this "special place" that is mentioned somewhere in the guide is crowded with other travelers that bought the same guide.

...and I used this guide both times. Incredible amounts of information for the budget traveler. I especially appreciate how accurate everything is. The food recommends are great, too.

Basically, of the guides I have used before, this is the best for somebody on a budget. Also, this guide seems the best for anybody traveling alone.

First, as a long-time member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, I always recommend this book to newcomers as a VERY ROUGH GUIDE to feudalism and 12th C. France (and warn folks not to bother with the rest of WSD's work, unfortunately - this was the pinnacle of a strange teacher/textbook author's work, who, near as I can tell, used only tertiary sources (I also tell them to AVOID Will and Ariel Durant like the PLAGUE).
Written as what we would now calla light-read adult-YA crossover, this is a quick-paced tour of life from top to bottom in rigidly-stratified Feudal society, dirt, plague and wonders all. (The second book I tell folks interested in the High Middle Ages to read is A Distant Mirror by Tuchmann.

But WSD died in 1930, which should put his books well out of (c) which means the publisher gets full profit for this very expensive paperback - very expensive, given that a decent 1st or 2nd ed. can be had for about the same money! (I purchased an UNREAD first for $10 a decade ago, prices have gone up since then.)

Look for a gold-stamped maroon copy sans dj. as issued. The post-Depression 3rd, bound in gold-stamped green imitation leather is both less valuable and printed on poorer paper owing to the economy of the times. Even if eventually Gutenberged, you will want to own one if you have any love of the High Middle Ages.

Note my connection with the SCA is listed as an indication of my familiarity with, and use of the material, which was also incorporated (while still under copyright unfortunately) into the 1st Ed. of Chivalry and Sorcery, an RPG designed by our first two Canadian knights in the 1970s. This is NOT any kind of endorsement or recommendation of this material by SCA Inc. a 501(c)3 a US/international Educational Not-for-Profit. For more information on its re-enactment activities, see sca.org.

This book has frequently been thought of as a juvenile or children's book, but as an adult, it is still one of my favorites. Professor Davis had a way of discussing the day-to-day life in historic times in a way that was both comprehensible and interesting.
There are many books that purport to discuss the daily life of other civilizations, but they are often so dry and academic that they are not even a trifle entertaining. Davis has shown that it is possible to write amusingly while pouring a great deal of information into the reader's mind.
The book is about the fictional Barony of St. Aliquis--Latin for "Saint Anybody"--in the Duchy of Quelqueparte--French for "Anywhere"--and the politics, wars, religion, marriages, and other aspects of life in what is arguably the cultural flower of Medieval France.
I highly recommend this book for readers of all ages.

I want to leave positive feedback for Keith at chaplinkt, the seller for my book. He was friendly and courteous. The book is in great condition; and it is hardback, which I wasn't sure of when I ordered, and which I much prefer. thanks

This book is written in a conversational style and tells the story of a year in the life of a family in France. The information is detailed and written very clearly. The chronological ordering of the events makes it easy to select the information most applicable to your research. The book covers deaths, weddings, harvest, travelling to visit other nobles, Christmas and other holidays and daily life of all levels of society on the barony. I have done a lot of research in this area and this is my favourite resource and the one I keep rereading.

Life on a Mediaeval Barony: A Picture of a Typical Feudal Community in the Thirteenth Century by William Stearns Davis; Harper & Brothers, 1923

Dr. Davis first had his work published in 1923 while still a Professor of History at the University of Minnesota. The book presents a very interesting and insightful view into the life of a northern French medieval community (certain seigneury of St. Aliquis). This work is 418 pages in length and consists of twenty-four chapters. The book is centered around the time of A. D. 1220. Although depicting French customs, one could assume that many were also indicative of England and Germany.

Topics such as hospitality, women's lives, clothing, cooking, falconry and hunting, literature, education and much more are covered in great detail. This is one of the first texts I used when teaching an introductory course to medieval history. I have found the work clearly written and one of the best books ever written on medieval daily life.

The Preface states, "Northern France was par excellence the homeland of Feudalism and hardly less so of Chivalry, while by general consent the years around 1220 mark one of the great turning epochs of the Middle Ages. We are at the time of the development of French kingship under Philip Augustus, of the climax and the beginning of the waning of the crusading spirit, of the highest development of Gothic architecture, of the full blossoming of the popular Romance literature, and of the beginning of the entirely dissimilar, but even more important, Friar movement."

The work was re-printed in 1990 by Biblo & Tannen Booksellers & Publishers. However, the new edition remains true to the excellent quality of the Harper & Brothers text. The text is a much needed reference work for any medieval historian.

Dr. Carl Edwin Lindgren
Professor of Medieval and Military History