By Region Books

I was referred to this book by an American Artist whom had lived in Japan for almost 50 years. As a Chinese, I thought I know Chinese history, but after reading through JD's detail account of events with vivid description of the personalities, I can visualize the historical moments through the paper. It is so well written that I have to read very slowly to digest it. Combining this with other readings during the same period, including Ray Huang's lesser known Yellow River Blue Mountain (his autobiography), I am beginning to see history in perspective!

John Davies has crafted a superb tale of his years in Asia and Moscow. He was a classic Old China Hand, raised by missionary parents in China, a fluent speaker of the language, and a natural to serve in the State Department and as Army liaison during World War II. The book combines period documents with later reflections, dazzling readers with thrilling adventures and portentous encounters with the era's major figures: Generalissimo and Madame Chiang, Stilwell, Mao, Zhou Enlai, Roosevelt, Marshall. The 1948-9 Nationalist debacle sparked an anticommunist hunt for scapegoats blamed for "losing" China (it was never ours to lose), tragically depriving the US of wise counsel from Davies, John Service, Oliver Clubb, John Vincent and others. As J.K. Fairbank noted, neither before nor since has America had such gifted country experts to advise on foreign policy. Davies's view of a defense-minded Soviet Union again was more realistic than the official line which helped provoke the Cold War. His globetrotting is a little hard to follow, and fuller coverage of post-1945 events would be welcome, but these are quibbles. See L. Van Slyke ed, "The China White Paper." E. Sevareid, "Not so Wild a Dream" augments Davies's modest paragraph on their celebrated parachute jump and escape from Burma. E.J. Kahn, "The China Hands" details wartime conflicts and postwar persecutions, while J.S. Service, "Lost Chance in China" contains prophetic field reports by Davies's most astute colleague.

If you wish to understand Sino-American relations in the 20th Century, this book by our most brilliant (and persecuted) Political Officer in the State Department, must be your starting point. It is more than educational. His digressions - descriptions of the voyages of Cheng Ho during the Ming Dynasty; Mukden during the early years of the Japanese occupation of Manchuria; the celebration in Moscow after V-E day; etc., etc. - reveal a literary gift of the highest magnitude. Truly, one of the best books I have ever read. In fact, it irks me that so few people have read it.

While I had previously read Seagrave's Soong Dynasty and Tuchman's Stilwell, it was the bibliographical notes of Ambassador Lilley's China Hands that got me turned on to this book. I ordered it from an Amazon seller and I wasn't disappointed.

Mr. Davies offers vivid, evocative descriptions of events and people he encountered in China from his birth in Sichuan in 1908 until the Communist takeover in 1949. Apparently a religious record keeper, Davies is able to rely on his contemporaneous diary entries and letters to produce colorful details that would have been impossible to to recall 30 or 40 years after the fact. Davies does an exceptional job of mixing macroscopic historical events with his own microscopic personal narrative to create a flowing portrait of early 20th century China.

Though very much loyal member of Stilwell's China detail, Davies offers even-handed analysis of the events that eventually led to the fall of the Nationalist regime in China. Instead of putting the blame for the "loss" of China on any individual, Davies seems to point at the prevalence of sentimentalism over China in the minds of American foreign policy actors as leading to the mishandling of China during the 1940s.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in China, Asian studies, or WWII history.

As above, a wonderful description of Chinese history in the 20th century by someone who was there. From the manchu's through early revolution to Chiang and the Communist struggle; one insight follows another.

Imagine how cold it gets in the winter in states like Colorado and Maine. From my experiences, it is tremendously cold. Now imagine what it would be like to be at the top of the world where it is more than -30 degrees below zero. Would you have the guts to stand up to the harsh weather conditions?

Well, this is exactly what Alvin, the main character in the book North by Donna Jo Napoli does. North is an extremely well-written book in the third person with the theme of bravery. This is one of the best realistic fiction books I have ever read.

Alvin is a middle school student in Washington D.C. who was doing a book project on African-American heroes so he picked Matthew Henson, a North Pole Explorer. Alvin learns all the great challenges that Matthew Henson went through that would seem impossible. On page 41, the author describes what a classmate said to Alvin which drove him to start his adventure.

"In your dreams," Chanelle laughed. "You'd never have the guts to get near a polar bear in real life. And you'd never travel that far. You the mamma's boy, I hear."

Alvin then takes the risks that no other boy would be able to face which included escaping from home and jumping on many different trains to take to the Artic, standing up to a polar bear, and finally surviving the harsh conditions in the Arctic. Over the course of the book, Alvin learned how to survive and certainly became brave to walk away from two protective people in his life (his mom and grandma) who did not even let him walk to school on his own and then to travel away for more than half a year. If you are into exciting and intense books, you should definitely read North. It is a quick read and is an unbelievable book!

I've read at least half of Napoli's books, and have enjoyed all the ones that I've read, but this is my favorite so far. Her amazing retelling of Rapunzel, ZEL, was my favorite for years and I was surprised when I liked NORTH even better.

Young Alvin dreams of adventure, but he never gets to go anywhere. His mother is very protective and afraid of all the dangers lurking in the world. Alvin's father is dead, and though his elderly grandmother understands him better, she basically agrees that there are a lot of dangers and Alvin is too young to explore. When Alvin takes his saved money and sets off to see the parts of Canada where his hero, Matthew Henson, visited, the young boy gets more adventure than he bargained for. The novel starts out a little slow, but once our young thrill seeker begins his journey the intensity of Alvin's exciting travels makes up for the slow beginning. A fun story that also teaches fascinating facts.

Chrissy K. McVay
Author of 'Souls of the North Wind'

I am a 10 year old boy (fifth grade). I loved the book! The runaway theme was amazing. The end was really good. If you're around my age you'll like this book. The book is 354 pages and it only took me 3 days to read because I couldn't put it down. Every other page, something interesting was happening. Buy this book - you won't regret it.

This book is based on a young black teen growing up in an urban town (enough said) with an over protective hard working mom, and elderly grandmother. (dad is deceased) When mom's protection goes over the top, he decides to follow his dream of going north. This book gives a very descriptive view of rural northern life and customs and a touch of early exploration. After touching the hearts of many up-north, his own heart is touched and he comes back home to his mom and grandma with a whole new mature outlook on life. This book is hard to put down after the first few chapters.

Textiles & Clothing is an Excellent resource for all who are interested in historic research of Textiles and Clothing. The book shows detailed pictures of artifacts excavated from London as well as reconstructive drawings showing weave and knitting structures. This is book 4 of the series. Others in series - Knives & Scabbards; Dress Accessories; Shoes & Pattens. All are great reference books.

Textiles & Clothing is an Excellent resource for all who are interested in historic research of Textiles and Clothing. The book shows detailed pictures of artifacts excavated from London as well as reconstructive drawings showing weave and knitting structures. This is book 4 of the series. Others in series - Knives & Scabbards; Dress Accessories; Shoes & Pattens. All are great reference books.

Focusing on the excavations of clothing and textile reminants of Mediaeval London, this book reveals the vast range of fabrics available in Mediaeval London. The book also looks at the weaves of textiles, the craftmanship and needlework skills. This book is definately an interesting read for historians, re-enactors, and costume enthusiasts.

This is another of the brilliantly conceived and carried out, detailed works of the Medieval Period but out by the Museum of London. Dress Accessories; The Medieval Household : Daily Living c.1150-c.1450 (Medieval Finds from Excavations in London) and Shoes and Pattens : Finds from Medieval Excavations in London (Medieval Finds from Excavations in London) by Francis Grew, go with this book. They are worth every penny. They will bore the average reader, so they are really geared for the serious student, researcher or writers.

They start with excavations, and then go into the technique used to produce textiles - wool, hair, linen, silk, dyes an the looms. They show you actual pieces of material in very close up detail so you actually see the weave, in some cases they should the reconstructed "how it really appeared".

This is simply the best book on the subject and a must for Historical writers of this period.

Yes, this is it. This series of books (4 so far) is the bible as far as historical recreation is concerned. Yes, it is wonderfully detailed. Yes, it has great examples of how to make/cut/do a lot of clothing related details.. but to quote another historical author "Sometimes the Museum of London folks are just flying kites".

Take, for example, the pattern and redrawing of the fitted 14th century dress. The pattern given in MOL:T&C is from one of the Greenland tunics. In fact, according to Robin Netherton, it's a redrawing of tunic that the is attributed as a man's tunic that isn't particularly fitted. There just isn't enough evidence to say that a tunic from Greenland is a good indication of fashion in mainland Europe.

That said, this is a fantastic resource. It should be in every recreationists library. But reader beware not everything in it is exactly 100% accurate.

I wish I would have ordered this book when I first saw it on Amazon several months ago - I'd have saved hours and hours of Internet searching. YOUR SWEDISH ROOTS is easy to read, loaded with every resource you'll need to trace your family tree, how-to instructions, a dictionary of helpful words, and a chapter suggesting where and how to travel within Sweden to visit the areas of your heritage.

This is the best book I have read on researching your Swedish heritage. It gives good illustrations and gives step by step information on how to work your way through the parish records to find your family. I purchased this before paying for a subscription to Gen Line so I would know what to do and how to go about searching for the records I need. It also tells how to find out which parish to research to locate your family. I discovered that I have more research to do before I spend the money for GenLine. Thanks to this book I'm saving money in knowing what information I need before going through the parish records. This book is worth every penny.

Detailed many things my great-grandparents didn't mention. Have now located the area of my families roots and plan to visit.

Well written and not too complicated to follow. This book lends great insights into how best to utilize the tools available - especailly when researching data bases available in Sweden.

If you have any Swedish heritage (and a surprising number of Americans do), then look no further for an informative and practical reading experience about Sweden. It's all here: history, cultural references, highlights of different regions, and maps and old photographs that let you connect with the country-and your heritage.

Do not miss this book if you are planning a trip to Sweden. This book will definitely help sketch out for you what your trip should be about. Then you can go ahead and buy a travel book for the details of surviving and getting around.

But the main focus of the book is tracing your Swedish ancestry through the different available sources. All the other stuff works to support you in your research. There are examples of how to find and use the church records, locations that now have them available on microfiche, other possible sources of information, and up-to-date web references. And it's all presented in a useful, readable, and quotable style. You may even find yourself talking out loud in Swedish as you read what the different church records may have recorded to keep track of the people. I have gone through this book twice on my own, and even now, I still read parts out loud to impress my friends with my Swedish heritage.

please get in touch with me, I have a book that I have had for twenty some odd years I know that after researching Rockwell Kent that someone can give me a historical and monetary value, it was edited by Rockell Kent in 1939, it has the most beutiful paintings from world famous painters. Hence the title World famous Paintings.

A glorious story of adventure when Kent and two friends sailed on a private schooner from Labrador and Newfoundland to Greenland. We are carried along through deep fogs, icebergs, storms and calms until the men are shipwrecked in a violent storm on Greenland's rocky shore. The story also presents an absorbing and tender tale of the relationships of Kent with the people of Newfoundland, his two shipmates and the Stone Age Eskimos of Greenland -- who threw him a highly successful party in spite of the language barrier. Kent illustrated the text with over 100 magnificent sketches and woodblock drawings that in themselves are worth the price.

North by East is truly one of the greatest sailing books I have ever read. High adventure through the eyes of a true poet and artist.

Rockwell Kent is arrogant, verbose, and totally charming. N by E is his account of a near-disastrous sailing trip to Greenland via Labrador and the Davis Strait, undertaken in the late 1920's. His beautiful woodcuts illustrate nearly every other page, and Kent's mix of intelligence, enthusiasm, and attitude are the perfect complement to his art.

What a fantastic view into what it was like to be a poineer and what it was like during the formation of western Washington State. I'm from the east side of the state and enjoy our state history but to see an overall picture of what it was like by someone living through it was just a fantastic experience. Much more interesting that just learning "facts" about the history of Washington and the early settlers.

Great book - even if you're not interested in the state itself!

An excerpt from this amazing book:
"While adoring the various brilliant tints of (October foilage)we are reminded "that we all do fade like the leaf." A more perfect simile could hardly be given. For a time "we flourish like the green bay tree," and then comes adversity, trials and griefs that sear and beautify the soul, as the strong blasts and chilly frosts bring out the beautiful tints of the leaves, making "old age" as glorious as the autumn season of the year." p 81

scence Phoebe is my Great grandmother it gave me a background on my history alone! this is a great book!

"A Pioneer's Search for an Ideal Home" provides an outstanding window into the life and times of the American migration westward. Through the eyes of Phoebe Goodell Judson, one lives the trials of the Oregon trail, the challenges of pioneering, and a powerful perspective on the American mind during the last half of the 19th Century. 20 years old and 7 months pregnant, Phoebe begins the 7 month treck from Ohio to Vancouver, Washington. Through her diaries, she chronicles the life changing experiences of exploration and community building that did so much to shape the American culture. One only wishes that she had kept additional records and thoughts as the reader is left wishing that there was more. First person story-telling at it's best, be prepared to go looking for maps of Washington and the Oregon Trail.

This is the ultimate account of a corporate whistleblower whose life was torn to shreds as a consequence. Not only did the European Commission successfully prosecute HLR as a result of Adams' information, but they stood by as both his and his family's lives were systematically destroyed. I read this book seven years ago and I still grit my teeth at any thought of Roche, the EC, and especially those god awful Swiss.

You MUST read this book. The more people who know the story, the better. Pharmaceutical cartels aren't as sexy as Big Tobacco, but Stanley Adams' ordeal blows even the dramatised Hollywood account of Big Tobacco's "Insider" completely out of the water.

This book has left a mark on my life and despite reading it over ten years ago I can still remember the tale in some detail. I recommend it to anyone who wishes to understand the true power of the multinnational

A most distrurbing tale of what happened to an executive of a Swiss pharmaceutical company after he had left the organisation.

Doing what he felt was right for the good of consumers and the EC, he passed cartel and shady dealing information to the European Parliament.

His subsequent arrest, the 'suicide' of his wife, and his ensuing struggle for freedom will bring a genuine tear to the eye of even the hardest reader.

I have tried to contact Stanley Adams and John Prescott (who assisted him in his plight) but to no avail.

All in all a gripping read - at times you will not beleive it is NON-fiction.

I read the book more than three years ago. Even though I have forgotten most of the details of Mr Adams's story, I am deeply impressed by this man's courage and ability of not showing even the slightest sign of grudge agaisnt those who have played him out. This shows that he is a very forgiving and loving guy. I admire him for the way in which he reacted to the whole incident. It's a very touching story, undeniably. May he live in peace and happiness forever.

I used this map to navigate Venice for 5 days and I would have been lost without it (literally). It was better than any other map I looked at and any of the maps for sale in Venice. Even my friend living in Venice commented on how good a map it was. The map also includes info on the water bus route and opening days and times for churches, museums, etc., basically eliminating the need to carry a guide book around all day. It is durable and waterproof, but it feels like paper and you can still write on it.

I'm glad I didn't buy a map for Florence, because I got by just fine on a free map from a hotel. But a map was essential for Venice and this one was perfect.

I have lived in Venice for four years. My sister still lives there so I go every year. I still have some trouble finding restautant locations. I have used many maps of Venice, most of which I purchased there. Well, this was the best map I have ever seen. No one should go to Venice without it. There is absolutely no other map on which things are so clearly marked. Judy Potter, Esquire

Used the Rough Guide maps for Venice, Florence, and Rome and found them to be top notch. They have far more detail and accuracy than the maps handed out by hotels and local TI offices. The paper is coated so that it withstands serious abuse, fold, refold, stuff it in your pocket in a wad, it always comes out with all the print intact. The coating adds negligible bulk, more than worth it for the durability.

I went to Venice for the first time in May 2007 and found this map indispensable. It was better than many other maps I had researched and better than maps that I saw for sale in Venice! Would definitely recommend to anyone going to Venice, particularly if it is your first visit to this beautiful yet very easy to get lost in city.

An excellent piece of work for those interested in fashion history or the items of everyday life in Medieval London. The extensive bibliography has been of great help to me in my own research.

I was highly entertained when I came across the section dedicated to the "compact mirror"! I must also point out that the section on pins was very informative. I was a little disappointed that the 3 sections on belt buckles and bits takes up almost half the book.

However, one cannot blame the authors for what the people of London threw away over 500 years ago. What has survived has been revealed in the best possible light with this book. A must have for the avid and sometimes historian. Bravo!

The Museum of London is putting out invaluable book for writers and researched. This is never going to be a bestseller, or even something the casual reader will be interested in. It's very details, extensively photographed artifacts of dress accessories for the Medieval Period, running 1150-1450.

They go into the field work and the finds, how the items are date. They cover girdles (not the kind Marlyn Monroe tells Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon to take off and spread out!) but the style women wore around the waist of their gowns. They ranged from fabric ones to metal. They cover buckles, how they were made, very detailed pictures, then diagrams of how they were constructed. Brooches, buttons, belts, pins, hair accessories, chains, pendants, fingers rights, bells, purses, mirrors, combs, cosmetic sets, needlecases and more. Often they included patterns.

They discuss the metallurgical of these items, how they were made. It will bore most people bloody stiff. To the historical writer of the period, they will be in heaven.

Highly recommended for the Historical Romance writer who wants to get it right. It's perfection for someone wanting the tiny details.

This book, part of a collective of what has become to be known as "the London Excavations" is invaluable for academic or hobbyist alike. Complete in its recording and detailing of dress accessories such as brooches, buttons, buckles, bells, purses,hair accessories, etcetera it provides a complete breakdown of information with excellant quality illustrations. Provides extensive commentary on materials and methods, uses, and contextural information. This is not just a compilation of data, its an extensive body of work on dress accessories of the period and their use.

THE EMPEROR LAYS AN EGG is one of the most fact-filled books directed towards young children that I have come across. The book begins with a mother emperor penguin laying an egg and then goes on to explain how the egg is taken care of (mostly by the father), how the chick hatches, and how it grows until it becomes an adult. And the illustration appeal to children, containing a lot of blues that calm the nerves. I have just two criticims about the book. First, the book has so much information that younger readers will be overwhelmed. Much of the material will be far too confusing for a 1st grade reader. Most children won't be able to read all the material until they are in 2nd grade, but the book is marketed towards those in 1st grade and younger. Also, the illustrations, though peaceful, are kind of dull; the lack vibrance and vitality. Nevertheless, the book can be read to younger children and they will enjoy flipping through the pages looking at the pictures. THE EMPEROR LAYS AN EGG is a great non-fiction text to read to young children and a great gift for any child who likes penguins.

This is a wonderful fact-filled book that will appeal to toddlers and their older siblings as well. There are surprising facts: The father's instinct to balance an egg on his feet away from the snow is so strong, that "one emperor who doesn't have an egg shuffles around with a chunk of ice about the size of a softball." It's nice that both mother and father penguins get their due as hard-working parents. The mother must travel "waddle, waddle" ninety miles to the open sea (at less than one mile an hour) to get food after the egg is hatched. If lucky, she may find a "field of slick ice, and toboggan on her white belly to speed up the four-day trip. Swoosh! Swoosh!" (The author has a lot of fun with verbs!). The father stays with the egg for over two months in temperatures as low as -60 degrees F., and loses half of his body weight.

Some passages are longer and more complex than others, although in some way this widens the book's appeal. The pictures are boldly colorful and uncluttered (made from hand painted paper shaped formed into collages), my only complaint is that some there are too many pages of static penguins. True, this is the frozen North, but in other sections of the book there is more detail and action. Replete with interesting penguin facts and bright, friendly pictures, this is an excellent combination picture book/fact book.

"In late May, as an icy winter wind blows across Antarctica, a mother emperor penguin lays an egg. Plop! To keep the egg from freezing, she catches it on her feet and covers it with a flap of skin..." So begins Brenda Guiberson's fascinating and engaging story of life and survival in the coldest place on Earth. Mother and Father penguin take turns eating, traveling on a harrowing journey ninety miles or more to an opening in the Arctic ice to feed. Their mate is left behind, standing still for months to care for the egg and eventually the fluffy little chick, in the worst of winter. Finally as the short summer begins, the baby chick leaves his parents' feet, grows black and white waterproof feathers, and learns to swim and feed on its own. Soon the winter will come, the ocean will freeze, and the emperor penguins will return to their mating grounds to begin the process again..... Ms Guiberson's easy to read and well researched text is chock full of detail, interesting facts, drama, and even appropriate sound effects, and is enhanced by Joan Paley's captivating artwork. Together word and art paint a marvelous and intriguing portrait of the life cycle of the emperor penguin. Perfect for youngsters 5 and older, The Emperor Lays An Egg is non-fiction at its very best, and a treasure of a book that definitely shouldn't be missed.