History Books

Claire's book on his time with the LA Dodgers is a great read for any baseball fan. He provides a clear picture of the behind the scenes events in the front office of one of the most revered sports franchises.

Fred Claire writes about his days with the Dodgers-- and does it well. The book flows together in a way that makes you love reading, with in-depth stories and experiences, one of the best GMs of all-time amazes baseball fans with his profound book.

How many times have true baseball fans wanted to be a fly on the wall in a baseball general manager's office? Fred Claire's book, "My 30 Years in Dodger Blue," does just that. It is an interesting, informative and very entertaining look at baseball from the inside out.

This behind the scenes look at how a baseball organization operates includes an insiders look at the game. Much like a ballplayer who does more for his team than shows up in the box score, Claire's book takes into account the personalities that make up an organization. He explains player transactions and some of the politics that are part of every team.

In short, "My 30 Years in Dodger Blue" is a must read for die-hard baseball fans as well as casual fans who would like to learn more about the game. After reading this book, I sincerely hope that Fred Claire will grace us with another book about baseball. It would be well worth reading.

I am a big Dodger fan and found this book very interesting. The book focuses mostly on the 1987/88 seasons and the Mike Piazza trade. I don't read a lot of books and I found this one interesting and an easy read. The chapters are short and the language is very easy to read. I actually read the whole book over a weekend.

Fred Claire's story is a virtual travelogue of 30 years of baseball history, a blast for anyone who loves baseball, especially Dodger fans. He brings a variety of perspectives to his story, falling for the game as a boy in Ohio, covering the game as a beat writer for the Angels and Dodgers, becoming an insider as the Dodgers' publicity director, and building a world championship club as a general manager.

Along the way, Claire recounts unforgettable stories, everything from his own one-game Spring Training "tryout" to signing World Series hero Kirk Gibson, from the release of Orel Hershiser to the day Tommy Lasorda nearly gave up bleeding Dodger Blue to join George Steinbrenner's Yankees. Claire also shares a behind-the-scenes look into the business side of baseball, tracing the Dodgers' evolution from a family-owned business under the legendary O'Malley family to a piece of Rupert Murdoch's Fox empire.

Claire remains connected to the game through a radio show and column for [...] If you've heard or read his work there, "My 30 Years in Dodger Blue" won't disappoint.

I live in Old Louisville and David Domine gives not only ghost stories, but what appears to be some researched history for this area which I found very interesting. One night when driving past the First Church of Christ, Scientist, I looked up at the stairs and could have sworn I saw "The Lady on the Stairs". I tried to pull over, but because of the traffic and the fact that it is a one-way street, by the time I got back around, she was gone. I loved the book and also read the next book, Phantoms of Old Louisville. I am awaiting the next book that I've heard rumor of.

I thought the book was fantastic. And best of all it has alot of pictures of the wonder old victorian homes in the district. The book made the stories believeable to me

Ghosts of Old Louisville by David Domine presents the haunted past of America's largest Victorian neighborhood in an entertaining and informative format. His unopinionated, objective way of fleshing out the stories of those residents who haven't quite yet vacated their former abodes in the magnificent historic preservation district known as Old Louisville makes this a unique and spellbinding collection of true ghost stories. When so many writers of ghost stories today simply rehash stories that have been around for generations, Domine has taken it upon himself to track down dozens of stories of true cases of hauntings in his adopted neighborhood that have previously remained hidden. What I like most about this book is the fact that the author kept my attention throughout the entire book. Each story is fascinating because of the paranormal aspect to it, but also because it brings in a large amount of local history, appetizing bits of architecture and colorful characters. Although I have never been to Old Louisville before, I feel as if I know this area intimately, and I cannot wait to 'return' to it. Domine includes a chapter about the interesting haunting in his own home, the Widmer House, which was built around 1895. This lends an extra bit of credibility to the book and adds a nice personal touch as well. If you like history and ghost stories, you can rest assured that this book will satisfy your cravings for both. The good news is that this book is only the first in a series of five that will some day document the extensive haunted history of Old Louisville. Volume II, Phantoms of Old Louisville: Ghostly Tales from America's Most Haunted Neighborhood, carries on the tradition of ghosty goings-on in this unique area and is just as captivating as the first.

I just finshed reading this book last night. I felt that I needed to come express my opinion before it got pushed back into that recess of my brain that causes memory loss.

I must say that Mr. Domine's literary style is astute and never fails to keep the reader immersed in its depths at all times.

*begin spoiler*

Him sharing his story of having the hardwood floors in his home redone was one of my favorites. The way he described his thoughts and feelings while Lucy crept around his bed made me examine my own as I lay there reading (in the bed). He is blessed with the skill to give a description that shares his world to the reader for a short time.

*end spolier*

Not only is Mr. Domine an excellent writer, but he also seems a very likeable person. From his description of those days during, leading to, and after his encounters I found myself thinking "Wow, this would be a cool friend to have!".

Whilst reading this novel I imagined that the only things he loved more than the idea of the supernatural was his friends, animals, Louisville, fine drink and food. Probably in that order.

This piece of work has been very enjoyable. If you have any curiosity concerning the supernatural you need this book. I can't wait to aquire the rest of his novels and gobble them up!

I've also included a link to another one of David Domine's books that I intend to make my very next read.
Phantoms of Old Louisville: Ghostly Tales from America's Most Haunted Neighborhood

Ghosts of Old Louisville is an excellent book from an author who has a highly entertaining writing style. Full of history and paranormal tales.

Rose Pressey
Author of "My Haunted Family"

Beautifully written. Historical depiction of medieval life is colorful, gritty and real. The characters are multi-layered and fascinating. The plot twists and turns are edge-of-the-seat exciting, and the stories of these people are deeply emotionally moving. Historical fiction doesn't get any better than this.

I have read other historical fiction based in this time and place (most notably Sharon Kay Penman's trilogy of Here be Dragons, Falls the Shadow and The Reckoning). This book was written long before Penman's books, but compares very well. I was very touched by this trilogy.

You have to really WANT to finish these three books. Otherwise there are plenty of paragraphs where you might put the volume down. But the relationship between Isambard and the younger Harry, and the final payoff are well worth that effort.

These do not read as smoothly as the Cadfael series: there are a couple of sentences employing subjunctive, one early on that may leave you scratching your head, you might have to grab a good dictionary the first time you encounter "liefer", and "doubt" is often used to mean certainty. The sort of descriptive passages that Peters makes sing in the Cadfael series sound an occasional sour note here.

The core story is quite a good one, though, and the characters well-developed. Isambard is a great "honorable villain".

I'm trying to avoid spoilers here, but I will say that the circumstance that placed 3 of the characters in an important location near the end of the final book felt contrived. Also, a bit more conflict in book one would have helped add some suspense and realism. Simple setbacks like running low on the supply of a certain color stone, or having a wall collapse would have balanced things a bit. As it stands it's nearly one big happy journey until the one big conflict.

The first book in the trilogy, The Heaven Tree, tells the story of master stonemason Harry Talvace as he is hired by Ralf Isambard to build him a great cathedral at Parfois along the Welsh Marches. Isambard also brings courtesan Benedetta along with him as mistress, although he is unaware that Benedetta bears a lifelong unrequited love for Harry. Harry makes a desperate choice to save a child from hanging that has dire consequences for himself, his wife and Benedetta, although Harry returns to his commitment to complete the cathedral despite the sentence of a traitor's death hanging over him.

The Green Branch, the second book in the trilogy takes up the story of Master Harry's son (also called Harry) who has been raised in Wales as a foster son to Prince Llewellyn. Harry is unknowingly drawn into the adulterous affair between Llewellyn's wife Joan (also known as Joanna) and William de Braose, and as a result of the scandal Harry flees Llewellyn's court and heads to Parfois to enact his revenge against Isambard for his father's death, but fifteen year old Harry is no match for Isambard and is taken prisoner. Ralph refuses to ransom Harry back to his family, and eventually the hatred that first existed between the two sworn enemies develops into something very different and unexpected to both men.

In the final book, The Scarlet Seed, Harry continues to learn the masonry craft of his father whilst still being held prisoner by Isambard. Desperate to free Harry, Benedetta offers Isambard another hostage, one he cannot refuse, but a choice unacceptable to Benedetta's servant John the Fletcher. John makes an attempt on Ralph's life that takes a tragic turn, and as a consequence the jailer now becomes the prisoner in his own home. As the Marches explode into civil war, the Welsh storm the unassailable Parfois and the fates of Isambard, Madonna Benedetta and Master Harry are forever entwined through eternity.

While the start of The Heaven Tree may be a bit too slow paced for some readers, Pargeter's beautiful prose and lyrical writing is one to sit back and slowly savor like a fine red wine or chocolate (or both!!) and I highly recommend this for any lover of medieval fiction. It's not quite as perfect a read for me as Penman's Here Be Dragons, but pretty darn close, and that final scene in the cathedral between Isambard, Benedetta and Master Harry (I'm not telling!) was nothing short of perfection. Five stars.

It took me several attempts to actually read this book. It's over 900 pages and the opening chapter is rather verbose. However once I got fifty pages into The Heaven Tree, I was hooked! I love this book!

This is an awesome book. Everything you ever wanted to know about Jane Austen, her novels and the customs, environment, habits, etc. for the settings of her novels as well as for the setting of her own background is in this book. I practically read it from cover to cover when I first sat down with it. I had gotten it from my local library, read it, told a friend about it, loaned the library copy to her, bought my own copy. She read it from cover to cover also - couldn't put it down. Fascinating!!

Answers such questions as:
Why were some ladies/'Ladys' referred to by their last name and why were some referred to by their first name - i.e. Lady Jane or Lady Smitherman (if the lady was a LADY and her name was Jane Smitherman)?

What was the MAIN indicator re: whether a man was wealthy or not?

Lots of information defining each main character of each of her 6 main novels throughout the book.

If you are a Jane Austen aficionado or just want to know more about her and/or her writings - GET THIS BOOK!

A fantastic, light, accessible, engaging, and easy-to-read guide to Jane Austen, her life, her world, her novels, and her impact on our world. I have read all of Jane's books and some of her biographies, but this book still provided new information for me, explaining things I only had a vague idea about (concerning her characters and the world/manners). Whether traveling through Gregorian England or contemporary England, this book is a real help. My only complaint is that the author does do some interpretation of Jane that I might disagree with (i.e. characters, etc.) without making it clear that it was interpretation. Otherwise, a great read, for both the seasoned reader and the reader just beginning to dabble in Jane. I definitely will be recommending this one to friends. Grade: A-

Interesting background. More indept than I thought as it included societal and economic restraints

Thank you Ms Ray for a book that helps readers, like myself, who are not academic but need help in understanding certain aspects of Miss Austen's world and her wonderful books. Recommend it to all but especially those who need help with the period culture. Thanks again.

It's a really quick read and it's a fun way to learn the very basics about the Regency era. It covers fun topics like dancing, dinners and courting and even gets into more complex topics as wills and entails. The author constantly sites examples in Austen's novels, so if you haven't read all the novels, I believe it's possible some of the information might spoil things for you.

My only complaint is a few obvious typos and for some reason Edward Ferrars is called Edward Dashwood a few times(not sure if it was just overlooked because the proofreader didn't know anything about Austen or not, but it is annoying to say the least). Otherwise a great introduction to Austen's life and times.

This massive coffeetable book does exactly what it sets out to do: photographically chronicle the 20th century, showcasing the famous and the not-so-famous. Along with familiar images such as the flag-raising at Iwo Jima, the Buddhist monk immolating himself, the sailor kissing the woman in Times Square on V-J Day, the kneeling girl screaming over the body of one of the Kent State dead, and the man facing down the tanks in Tiananmen Square, there are lesser-known images such as Soviet soldiers leaving Afghanistan in 1989, an alternate scene of a flag-raising at Iwo Jima, a very young Dick Clark sitting among the chart-topping records of 1957, old men lining up to get their social security benefits, and a Muslim groom and Christian bride picking their way through the rubble of Beirut on their way to crossing the Green Line so they could reach her church and get married.

Instead of dividing the book up by decades, it goes by historical era--1900-13, 1914-19, 1920-29, 1930-39, 1940-45, 1946-63, 1964-75, 1976-92, and 1993-99. After all, more often than not things from the previous era are still influencing a new decade, such as how the Seventies were by and large a continuation of the Sixties instead of an entirely new era. Each chapter begins with a short essay by a prominent historian, and each features a "Turning Point" section, focusing on subjects such as space travel, discovering our prehistoric ancestors, closing the gender gap, outlaws, bandits, and mobsters, civil rights, and the conquest of the atom. Each chapter ends with a requiem, highlighting some of the prominent people who passed away during that era. In addition to the usual suspects such as James Dean, Thomas Edison, Amelia Earhart, Dr. Benjamin Spock, Charlie Chaplin, and Susan B. Anthony, there are also some lesser-known personalities, such as Albert Woolson (the last surviving Civil War vet), Martha the passenger pigeon (the last of her kind as well), Sen. Cornelius Cole (the last surviving person who voted in President Andrew Johnson's impeachment trial), Aimee Semple McPherson (the now-largely-forgotten evangelist who faked her own kidnapping in the Twenties), and James Naismith (the inventor of basketball).

This is a great book for all those who are interested in 20th century history, and many of the images are bound to bring back memories the readers, whether they were born in the early century, at mid-century, in the later decades of the century, or anywhere in between. (Although it should be noted that some of the pictures are a bit disturbing and graphic and might upset children or even some adults, such as the ones on page 8 and page 178.) One wishes the book were even longer and had been able to include even more images of the past century; there were a couple of events and images I was rather surprised to see excluded, such as the killing fields of Pol Pot's Cambodia, the Armenian Genocide, the fiery end to the stand-off in Waco, the disastrous U.S. excursion into Somalia, the Black Power salute at the 1968 Olympics, and the war in Bosnia. Still, in a book this size, one can't expect absolutely everything to be included, and all of the images that are included are stupendous.

I first noticed this book in fourth grade, as my teacher liked collecting interesting books. I ended up reading it cover-to-cover about 6 times. I am a major fan of history, and always have been. I am in the seventh grade now, and when we talk about things in history class, some of the beautiful pictures still come back to me. I also really like how the written part of the chapters are written by authors like Avi. This falls in the class of my "most favorite books of all time," including the Ender's Game series by Orson Scott Card, The Breadwinner, and any and all E.L. Koningsburg books. A great read!

I bought this book for my 85+ year old mother in law for Christmas 2005. She loved it so much, she later asked me to help her find one for a close family friend. A few weeks later, her sister Corrine came to visit, and they poured over the pictures in her copy of the book - "remembering when" they had seen this or that. They especially loved the pics of San Francisco in 1940's when they were young and going clubbing. I later ordered (yet) another copy for Aunt Corrine's 87th birthday - and she just loved it! It's so hard to buy gifts for someone over 80 - this is a sure fire hit!

Life has done a superb job of pulling the whole century together into one book.I wont't tell you what picture was the first picture the started the book off with.But I'll tell you this;they got it right! This in not only the most important and best picture of the 20th century, but also; the most significient picture to portray what man has done;ever.Check out the book and see if you don't agree.
It must have have been a difficult,but rewarding, task to decide what to include and what had to be sacrificed.Everyone must have their favorite pictures of the century and will find many of them in the book.A very good balance was made between text and pictures.
An excellent book to have or to give as a gift regardless of r age.

Life has done a superb job of pulling the whole century together into one book.I wont't tell you what picture was the first picture the started the book off with.But I'll tell you this;they got it right! This in not only the most important and best picture of the 20th century, but also; the most significient picture to portray what man has done;ever.Check out the book and see if you don't agree.
It must have have been a difficult,but rewarding, task to decide what to include and what had to be sacrificed.Everyone must have their favorite pictures of the century and will find many of them in the book.A very good balance was made between text and pictures.
An excellent book to have or to give as a gift regardless of age.
There are other similar books;but none better.What else would you expect from TIME!

Es lo mejor que he tenido , el libro de un diseñador donde estan patrones, diseños y fotos...que mas se puede pedir!
Ojala se hicieran mas libros como este .
España,profesion: patronista

This is an outstanding book on a revolutionary designer. Wonderful photos, and "patterns" from the clothing. the only problem is Kirke never bothers to tell you what the scale is, so making these patterns is almost impossible. Her directions for making the patterns are laughable. The patterns are white lines on black. Why include patterns if you aren't going to put them in a usable form? There are people out there who can and have made clothing from this book. You will have to be very smart and well trained to do so. that said it is still one of the best books on a fashion designer I have seen.

Maybe Kirke will redesign the book with the pattern section properly done. Then the book would be worth more then $100.

This book is even better than I hoped. The photographs are stellar and for some designs - a bird's eye view of the pattern peices are included. Try to wrap your head around those non-conventional cutting techniques! I bought this for myself but this would be an excellent gift for someone interested in Fashion History, Fashion Design, Fine / Decorative Arts, etc. Super-Gorgeous book!

A great book on Vionnet's work and life. It has a lot of sewing patterns with instuctions from the WWI era to late 1930's; the patterns include day and evening dresses and frocks, capes and coats, slips and pajamas. Plus there a lot more pictures of Vionnet's clothing. The perfect gift for a fashion student. It is a pity that you do not hear so much about her.

This book is an absolute dream right through from the beautiful hard cover to the wonderful photographs, history and patterns. I am a Designer/Patternmaker and is the most beautiful book I have ever bought on fashion. Betty Kirke has put a lot of love and care into this treasure and any student of fashion, especially patternmaking and draping has to purchase this and learn a whole lot about bias cutting.

Superb! An excellent story based on reality. You feel like if Dr. Sharma was at your side telling. Thinking....

I was born in Burma (post independence era) of Indian Descendants. I would love to read this book but at the same time I am concern that I might get too sad for it would remind me about the Japanese Occupation era in Burma that costed my grandfather's life (for no good reason). May be I will read it someday when I can handle the pain a little better.

This book caught my attention as one of the very few books written on the traumatic events in India/Burma/Pakistan during the post ww ii era. I did not expect a lot from the faded cover and even the beginning - a somewhat prosaic/english-composition like narrative that moved but was not particularly great language wise. But the characters developed as i went along, and the writer has an amazing knack of weaving together their story, although it goes down stereotyped lanes sometimes. The essence of this book is the basic message of tolerance and simplicity of narrative on a difficult/complex subject. That in itself keeps one absorbed in it until the very last page.

Prem Sharma's story had me mesmerized from the first paragragh. I felt as though I was sitting with him as he told the story of Devi Lal and his family. Prem Sharma is a modern day freedom fighter, using his intellect and the written word instead of the fists and lathis of his youth. The effect of Gandhi's teaching is evident throughout the story. Can't wait for the sequel!

It all started when I was assigned to write a Senior paper on the little known country of Burma. In search of literature, art, history and economics I found Mandalay's Child and Dr. Prem Sharma. This book is an amazing piece which inspired a theme that I worked through my paper: suffering and hope.

In November of 2000, I had to pleasure of meeting Dr. Prem Sharma when he was in my area and visited my class at school. He talked to us about having respect for all people and their personal/religous beliefs and how important it was to realize that fighting does not help situations. Dr. Sharma, who lived in Burma during World War II, was forced to leave with his family because of the Japanense threat to the Burmese people. He moved with his family to India, but here found himself amongst the battle between the Hindus and the Muslims for Pakistan and India.

This book is truly a magnificent piece of work and something that all people, whether interested in Burma or not, should read. It gives insight into the lives of the Burmese people, the struggle for their freedom through war, and things that Dr. Sharma has witnessed in his life since the piece is partially biographical. The story is composed in a way so that the reader truly becomes attached to the family in the story. The power that this novel has over the reader is amazing -- you will shed some tears at least twice!

Dr. Sharma was a wonderful man to meet in person. He appeared very open to comments and questions about his novel and his homeland of Burma. As I correspond with him in Wisconsin through letters, I find that he is one of the most amazing people I have met in my life because of his talent and what he has been through.

As I anxiously await the publication of Dr. Sharma's other parts to the trilogy I urge everyone to pick up this novel and read it for a true experience of Burma and wonderful writing!

The book can look very promising to you. And it is. It offers a great amount of history and vividly describes the structure of the Marines. However, the book isn't very much a manual as it is a set of chronicles. I recommend it to any with an interest in the Marines or military overall.

I purchased this book for my husband, for our anniversary. He had, many times, picked up this book at our local bookstore and thumbed through it. The book drew numerous smiles and comments from him. "Hey hun, look at this.." became the regular statement made, while browsing through the pages. Not only did the book offer a throrough history of the Corps, but it brought back endless memories for him. I've enjoyed this just as much as he has! The book is a beautiful presentation of history, wonderful photos, artwork and facts. We've had the book quite some time, and he's still admiring it, learning new things from it..... still smiling as he "looks" through it! In effect, what I have is a Dashing Grunt, who's so happy you'd think it was November 10th. :-) A great book for all.

As the proud mother of Two of The Few, I'm unashamedy too "moto" for Things Marine. The first time I saw this book, I had to have it. From the beautiful cover with its USMC Seal to every single bit of information inside, it is a fitting tribute to our country's BEST - United States Marines. Chesty Puller himself would give it a gruff "Good To Go!"

I cannot find a single aspect of this book I don't like. For proud parents of Devil Dogs especially, I highly recommend this book!

This book is absolutely amazing. This is a "must have" for every former and current Marine and military historians. You will be pleased with this one.

Despite an aching back, I stood for over an hour this afternoon thumbing through the pages of this book at a local bookstore. It was outstanding. I was a Marine combat correspondent in Vietnam ('67) and saw a number of photos taken by my colleagues, including David Douglas Duncan in Con Thien where I also was. What struck me about "Marines" is the extensive and well balance coverage of the history of the Corps. I found it very amusing the "political correct" comments about several of our controversal commandants. How true. How true. Great work. I came home and immediately ordered this book from Amazon.

Semper Fi!

I must say, that before I bought this book I was a little apprehensive. A media person commenting on the case. I figured it would just be another book bashing MJ. Much to my surprise the book gave a non-biased point of view of the actual occurances inside that courtroom. I have watched and read the cases in many criminal trials. NEVER have I seen the media, law enforcement, the D.A., and such an immoral, resprehensible group of people (the Arvizos), go to such lengths to destroy another person all for the sake of money.
What was done to Michael Jackson I would never wish on my worst enemy. I was so sad and so angry at the lies that were being told. At how this family tricked their way into his home, how they ransacked his home, and how they grifted money from several celebrities. What hurt me the most was that his mother had to sit through every vile detail that was made about his personal life and alleged relationship with the Arvizo boy. After reading this book, you will understand why the jury found MJ NOT GUILTY on all criminal and misdemeanor charges.
I must commend Aphrodite Jones for having the courage to write this book. Everyone in the media shunned her and refused to publish it. They only wanted to hear the negative. They didn't care about the real facts. Remember Ms. Jones is one of those media people who was "out to get Michael Jackson" also. But after sitting through the trial, and listening to the testimony she had a change of heart. What you saw on CourtTV was a biased, slanted point of view. After reading this book, I believe many people will change their negative opinions of Michael Jackson.

Wonderful. That's the only word I can use to describe this book. If you want to know why it's wonderful, BUY IT!!! It's definitely worth the money!!

And one last thing... MICHAEL JACKSON IS 100% INNOCENT!

I trust this author. She went into the court room a full fledged believer in the accusations and left dumb found. A few years later wrote this book.
Mr. Jackson is an easy target for indictments. He wears more make-up than the Avon lady and he dresses like Captain Crunch. He is not your average "Joe".
I don't know for sure that he didn't do these terrible things. Nobody does really except for him-- and of course the accusers.
What I do know, is he has been very loving to those who know him well and to those who don't, and enormously generous giving over 300 million dollars to charities around the world.
Lets face it your gonna believe what you wanna believe. But if you are really in search of the truth behind all the speculations and sensationalisms that have surrounded this famous case pick this up. My heart broke for him, and yours will too.

A book to own for an MJ fan, it is full of anecdotes and it tells the truth with reliable sources: the woman who attended the trial herself!! It's a mine of information, really worth your money.

If you ever questioned Michael Jackson's innocence, then this is the book you need to read. It provides such insight to the court room you can almost feel you were there, chapter after chapeter, Miss Jones writting brings the court room to life.
It's filled with information that was never made public by the media, proving how this man was wrongly accused and the DA's office did absolutely everything in their hands to get him knowing their case was based on nothing but lies.
Every Michael Jackson fan would enjoy reading this, but more importantly every Michael Jackson hater SHOULD read this book before ever opening their mouths to make a point.
Excellent.

What a beautiful and poignant, bittersweet romance.

I fell in love with Olivia and Jai. The history, description and writing drew me right into the author's world.

I first read Olivia and Jai years ago and I've read probably thousands of books since, but I have never forgotten this book or the dynamic main characters, Olivia and Jai. There are also a number of very well developed and interesting secondary characters. Rebecca Ryman is a master of characterization and rarely have I read a book where the characters and the setting come alive to this degree. There are so many layers to the characters and to the plot that each revelation throughout its perfectly paced plot is like a gift of literary brilliance. This book encompasses the themes of love, hate and the sacrifices and devastation of revenge. It will make you laugh and cry, and it will break your heart. In the end, it will restore your faith in true love overcoming all obstacles, all the while educating you about a fascinating time and place in history. My 19 year old daughter recently came home from college for the summer so I checked this book out of the library for her. She at first showed little interest in spending her summer reading, but ended up locking herself in her room and ignoring her family and friends until she finished this book - in 3 days! Young and old will enjoy this book and I can not recommend it enough. I would actually give Olivia and Jai 10 stars! (I'm less enthusiastic about the sequel.)

This story is set in India some 20 or so years before the Sepoy rebellion. Olivia is an American who is in India for an extended visit with her Aunt, who is married to a British tea merchant. One day while trying to escape a boring ball she goes outside for some air and privacy. Ending up down by the river, she crosses paths with Jai Raventhorne, a dark, brooding, and mysterious Eurasian. For reasons unknown to them they are drawn to each other with an intensity that is both exhilarating and frightening. Despite Jai's repeated warnings that he is no good and will ultimately end up hurting Olivia her runaway emotions have a mind of thier own. Jai, knowing he will eventually hurt her, is unable to resist his own attraction to Olivia as well.

Eventually Jai's disturbing warning proves true...in the form of an unimaginable betrayal that shatters not only Olivia but her entire family. For some reason Jai is set on destroying Olivia's family. After the betrayal Olivia's love turns to an intense all consuming hatred. Her life spirals downward and she puts all her efforts into destroying Jai...and discovering the reasons and motives behind his intense hatred for her family.

As Olivia and Jai's hatred for each other increases they do all they can to hurt and destroy each other. However, the vigor and passion that they throw into hurting each other matches the one they once loved each other with. And as we all know...the opposite of love is indifference, not hate!

This story started out much like a typical well written Historical Romance, after the first 100 pages though it quickly turned into anything but. This is an emotional rollercoaster ride and I found myself cheering for Olivia and hating Jai with an intensity that I'm sure would make the author proud. It was absolutely impossible for me to tear myself away from this book at times. The plot is complex and the elements of mystery, romance, and revenge are absolutely genious. The last 20 pages had me in tears!

This is a great book, one of those rare books that envelopes you and you live, sleep, eat, and breathe it while you are reading it. When you finish you will wish there was still more to read. I find myself thinking about this book weeks after I've finished it. Lucky for me there is a sequal!

5/5 stars

This epic tale of love and revenge, set in India in 1848, chronicles the story of American Olivia O'Rourke's obsession with half-Indian Jai Raventhorpe and (as she believes) his betrayal, and her eventual revenge. All of this takes place against a backdrop Raventhorpe's shady background, interwoven with a multitude of family secrets.

It's quite clear that Ms Ryman is familiar with India. However, what she appears less familiar with are the language, mores and customs of the 19th Century. So the freedoms permitted Olivia and her cousin were a little overdone; and neither the thought of a woman being accepted in business in Colonial India, nor of the heir to a title being dirtying his hands in "trade", rang true. And the language used by the characters is far too twentieth century for credibility. That said, whilst for the first third of the book, I was somewhat irritated by these inconsistencies, I did become swept up by the story and just enjoyed it. Ms. Ryman certainly does know how to spin an absorbing tale. There are lots of twists and turns in the plot, and the escalating "war of attrition" played out between Jai and Olivia was very cleverly developed. Additionally, Ryman's skill in drawing out her characters ensures that no matter how terribly Jai behaves, the reader is still able to retain some sympathy for him.

So is it a great book? I didn't think so, but it's a gripping read, and provided you can get past the issues of language and incursions of 20th century freedoms, then I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I eventually did.

The story begins in Calcutta in 1848 as Olivia O'Rourke arrives from California to spend time with her mother's sister, Lady Bridget Templewood. Used to the freer life she shared with her father, Olivia chafes under the rigid morals of British Society, but then she accidentally meets a man reviled by her family, Jai Ravenstone. Jai is a Eurasian with a mysterious past who against all odds built up a successful shipping empire.

Despite her family's hatred of Jai and his attempts at destroying her uncle's competing shipping business, Olivia cannot overcome her overwhelming attraction to Jai and sees him at every opportunity, even though Jai himself warns her of the dangers of involvement with him. Just when it seems Olivia and Jai may be able to surmount the problems of his past and find love, Jai's obsession with destroying the Templeton's takes him on a path that utterly destroys Olivia's love for him and sends her on a path of building her own business ventures to enact her revenge against Jai.

This was a wonderful tale of love and revenge that will have you reading well into the wee hours of the morning, by page 250 or so I literally didn't come up for air until I finished it. There are many twists and turns and quite shocking surprises that will have you guessing and turning the pages until the very end. It's not quite up to the standards of The Far Pavilions, but for those seeking a well spun yarn set in 19C India during the British Raj this is one worth checking out. Five Stars.