Washington Books

I got the book quick and it was in great condition, and for about 1/8 the price of a new one.

I needed this book for a summer course I'm taking. I saved $94 off the bookstore price.

Like NilesO, I too have seen the show at the National Gallery. Some of the items on display, I have also seen at the Tokyo Museum of Art back in '96 as part of an exhibition called "Flowers in Japanese Art, Craft and Literature". I've gone through half my annual book budget for '99 (and here it's only February!)! I think I'll pass for now, borrow the library's copy and wait for the paperback edition.

The show is spectacular (check the review in the 12/1/98 Wall Street Journal), and the book (actually an expanded catalogue of the show that approaches being an art history text) is hefty and scholarly. It would seem a "must have" for serious students/afficionados of Japanese arts and culture of the Edo period. I have not read the tome, which is quite hefty and not yet available via Amazon.com, but did flip through it during my tour of the show at the National Gallery yesterday (11/30/98). My 5-star rating is, thus, based on the show, and not truly on the book. But the show is so brilliantly conceived by the author of the book (who curated the show) that I can't imagine the book would disappoint. It's pricey, but I think it's important enough that I have it on order. NilesO@AOL.com

If you are interested in both history and the environment, and a new, rigorous and thoughtful way of examining the interplay between the two, then The Emerald City will undoubtedly interest you. Mr. Klingle tackles the history of Seattle - literally from the ground (or is that the Sound?) up - with an eye on showing how the building of a major metropolitan city can lead to both inevitable and surprising consequences, even when said city-building is done with a cognizance of the need to take into account surrounding pristine environs, and, indeed, even when trying to develop the city with the best interests of the environment in mind. Which, I think, is the point; one cannot separate development and the environment, and as such they must be approached with a new paradigm.

Klingle comes at this tale from multiple angles - the greed and power of the early railway companies, the socio-economic impact not only on the native Sound tribes but on the early western settlers as well, the planning of Seattle's verdant parks by Olmstead, an extremely eye-opening take of the interplay between ecology and urban poverty - and brings them together in a way that, in the end, to my mind echoed perfectly the multiple waterways that all feed into, and sustain, Seattle.

That Mr. Klingle is a top-notch writer, with the ability to turn a beautiful phrase or metaphor with seeming ease, is just icing on the cake. I am neither an academic nor a scholar, but The Emerald City is a book of surpassing intelligence and thoughtfulness, and, like the "emerald" associated with Seattle, a gem worth looking into. Highly recommended.

Matthew Klingle has written a brilliant study of how the city--in this case Seattle but it could be any city--creates both beauty and ugliness in the same instance. Tracing stories about the physical, social, and cultural reorganization of Seattle and its hinterlands, Klingle shows exactly why the effort to build a more livable city also made Seattle increasingly unlivable for some of it residents. Readers will be left with a deeper appreciation for both the strength and weakness of urban environmental reform over the last century, how issues related to urban ecology have been intrinsically related social inequity, and why historical perspective of these dynamics is absolutely crucial when cities tackle environmental problems. The epilogue is simply brilliant, providing readers with a brave and smart discussion of why acknowledging the shortcomings of past policies is essential for developing what Klingle calls a historically-informed "ethic of place" as residents move forward into the future. This is an exceptional work of history.

In her writing,Stella Tillyard manages to span the difficult gap that separates fiction from non-fiction. Her style is lyrical - almost like a historical fiction - but without the emotive judgement. I find that it makes her books highly evocative and very easy reading.

However that should not lead people to think she has a flare for dubious tabloid presentation. She is quite ruthless in ensuring that her facts are correct, and in 'Citizen Lord' she has stripped away many of the romantic layers that have concealed the true story of Lord Edward Fitzgerald. These were myths that had been spread by Lord Edward's family following his death, and have coloured his story since. The stripping away of these layers makes this book no less interesting, indeed the true story still very much romantic and tragic.

A younger son of the first Duke of Leinster and his wife Emily, a daughter of the Duke of Richmond, Lord Edward was born into privelege and influence. Tillyard traces his gradual move from this life, to one of revolutionary in Ireland of 1798 without descending into either pathos or into judgement.

I was first introduced to Tillyard's writing with her first book, 'Aristocrats' which is also available at Amazon. I would recommend this book as also worth reading, and gives marvellous background to 'Citizen Lord' - it is about his mother, Lady Emily Lennox, and her three sisters.

I think Tillyard is a "Must Read!"

You'll have to look elsewhere for a full picture of the catastrophic Irish rebellion of 1798, but Ms, Tillyard paints a lovely picture of its most romantic leader. I first heard of Lord Edward as a teenager, dipping into Yeats and reading Lord Edward's name linked to Wolfe Tone and Robert Emmet..."that wild delirium of the brave...". I have read numerous accounts of '98 since, but found little about Lord Edward in them, save for the melodrama of his arrest and death-an extra-judicial murder, if ever there was one.

So I am grateful for Ms. Tillyard's rendering of the man himself. She gives ample proof of the sweetness of his character, showing how his inborn beauty was nurtured and how it blossomed under the doting care of his formidable and unconventional mother. Their tenderness for each other lights what otherwise is a stark and tragic story. More significantly it gives the lie to the masculinist theory that maternal love weakens and "feminizes" male children. True, young Lord Edward had a "strong male role model"-his tutor, who was also his mother's adulterous lover!-but every step of Mr. Ogilvie's tutelege was directed by the attentive and indulgent Duchess of Leinster. The letters between Lord Edward and the Duchess make lovely reading for any mother concerned with the making of boys into men.

Of course, Ms. Tillyard includes the apparently obligatory expressions of horror about "political violence" a phrase used only in reference to Lord Edward's revolutionary enterprise, not to the ongoing repression and dispossession of the native Irish. Taken against the whole of the book, however, this is only a minor stupidity, one so ubiquitous in books about Ireland published since 1969 that Republican readers can pass over it without undue offense.

The main thing is that Lord Edward Fitzgerald lives on these pages as a beloved and loving human being, worthy of all the praise heaped upon him over the centuries. How often does a shining name in history still shine under close inspection?

Anna Bradley

Manchesters biography of WSC is one of the greatest examples of historical biography I have ever read. This first volume effectively captures the age of WSCs upbringing in a way that cannot fail to illuminate and entertain.

...as is the second volume "Alone". How can anyone allow these books to be out of print? Manchester captures the sense and spirit of a bygone era better than any other historian I've ever read, with the possible exception of Barbara Tuchmann - and even then I'd say he's her equal. This volume speaks volumes about Winston Churchill and how he came to be what he was.

I would recommend this book to all serious seekers of the truth regarding the UFO/orb phenomena. This book is very well researched and is quite grounded in its presentation. The sources are reliable and the investigations very scientifically oriented. -- Michael Estes

I have been studying the UFO phenomena for over 30 years.

I have personally witnessed the sphere- shaped UFOs that are discussed in Greg Long's book, EXAMINING THE EARTHLIGHT THEORY: The Yakima UFO Microcosm.

I found this book to be an excellent source of information on the subject.

This is a great book for people who live in or around DC and want to explore the area. It is far from a "tourist guidebook." I have taken 6 of the hikes in this book, and have gotten more than my money's worth. I lived in DC for 12 years once, and upon return, picked this up as a way to see how the city has changed. It did that, and more. I discovered new aspects even of neighborhoods I had lived in. Bruton has a skill at picking an interesting route. At times I wondered why he would divert me for one block with no reference, but every little twist has brought worthwhile views. The book is a good size for holding in the hand while walking; the practical directions are first rate; and he provides background mainly on buildings and sights that are not explained in the location itself, so that you have an opportunity to explore.

This is a great book for people who live in or around DC and want to explore the area. It is far from a "tourist guidebook." I have taken 6 of the hikes in this book, and have gotten more than my money's worth. I lived in DC for 12 years once, and upon return, picked this up as a way to see how the city has changed. It did that, and more. I discovered new aspects even of neighborhoods I had lived in. Bruton has a skill at picking an interesting route. At times I wondered why he would divert me for one block with no reference, but every little twist has brought worthwhile views. The book is a good size for holding in the hand while walking; the practical directions are first rate; and he provides background mainly on buildings and sights that are not explained in the location itself, so that you have an opportunity to explore.

This is the epitome of good writing. It is an excellent resource for all those who love the Olympic Coast. If you are heading to the Olympics, this book is essential. Filled with fascinating facts, history, details, and so forth, it is the Olympic Coast Bible. Buy this book for all your friends, you won't be disappointed.

THIS IS AN EXCELLENT BOOK ON HIKING THE OLYMPIC COAST. I HAVE HIKED HALF OF IT AND THE BOOK CAME IN HANDY. IT POINTS OUT A LOT OF LANDMARKS THAT I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE MISSED. ALSO GIVES THE HISTORY OF THE OLYMPIC COAST, AND TELLS WHERE SHIPWRECKS AND MEMORIALS ARE.

Most Americans don't know squat about Islam itself, let alone Islam in China. Yet today there are about 15 million Muslims in China, centered mostly in the northwest (Xinjiang province), along the margins of the old Silk Road. And they aren't just an insignificant minority: in the Middle Ages, for instance, Chinese Muslims played a central role in bridging the gulf between China, the Middle East, and Europe, bringing goods and knowledge both ways. (...)

Jonathan Lipman's "Familiar Strangers" explores some aspects of Islam in northwestern China from the first arrival of Muslims there in the 8th century up through the 20th. Like most similar histories, it revolves around two major dilemmas that have constantly faced Chinese Muslims (as opposed to non-Chinese Muslims living in China): first, is Islam compatible with Chinese culture? and second, can Chinese Muslims themselves properly be considered Chinese? China's "host" culture has always tended to absorb alien peoples and faiths -- whether they're Mongols and Turks (the so-called "barbarians"), Buddhists from India, or whoever. There were always strangers lurking at the gates of China, drooling with envy or burning with ambition, but almost every one of them who managed to break through eventually assimilated and became, in effect, Chinese: in fact, many sought to do so in the first place. But Muslims were an exception. Their Islamic faith forbade them to have the same kind of relationship with traditional Chinese culture as other groups: for instance, ancestor worship and reverencing the emperor were antipathetic to Islam. Consequently, Chinese Muslims were, while not complete strangers, "familiar strangers", ethnically Chinese, foreign by affiliation.

Lipman's history isn't a comprehensive account of Muslim culture on the northwestern Chinese frontier. Instead, it examines how Chinese Muslims reacted to the complexity of belonging to two cultures at once. Lipman explores, for instance, Muslim reaction to acculturation policies under the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and Muslims' role as "strangers in bad times" during the Ming-Qing cataclysm in the 1640s. Chapter 3, "Connections: Muslims in the Early Qing, 1644-1781", analyses the introduction of Naqshabandiya Sufism into China in the early 17th century and the struggle between two rival forms of it -- the orthodox Khafiya and the radical Jahriya -- in the 18th century, the latter a branch of revivalist Wahhabism, the earliest modern version of so-called Islamic "fundamentalism". Chapter 4, "Strategies of Resistance," explores the period between 1784 and 1895, looking at three large-scale Muslim rebellions against the Qing state. Chapter 5 examines Muslim "Strategies of Integration" during the Nationalist period and under the People's Republic. Finally, Lipman sums his findings in chapter 6.

The book is a scholarly read and not always easy going. If you don't have much previous knowledge of Chinese history, start elsewhere. But if you've got the background, it's a great read.

The first time I got the book from a Chinese Muslim scholar, I began to search what i am Intersted and i got it. I t is about a Islamic sect Xidaodang in which I am one member.Mr. Lipman has been in Xidaotang once and did some research on the group.His book shows his description and study are not only successful, but objective as well.He has his own unique view on Chinese Muslim...

If you are interested in the way that politics drives (in some cases distorts) how government accomplishes what it has to accomplish, or you're interested in how government actually works (not what flacks, spinners, and headlines would have one accept on faith), you're cheating yourself if you do not read everything that Elizabeth Drew publishes. This book is no exception.

Of the cataclysmic changes that The New Yorker magazine went through starting in the early 1990s, one of the earliest and worst (and that's saying something) was parting ways with Drew, who until then had been writing the Letter from Washington column, and publishing a book every couple of years, it seemed. Her reporting was and is unparalleled: factual, addressing in detail questions that actually matter, not polemical (unless one considers disappointment with the corrosive effect of money and political fund-raising polemical); its equivalent or even a reasonable substitute was and is not to be found elsewhere.

Her current periodical gig is with The New York Review of Books, and this book reprints 3 of her columns (2 are also book reviews) published in NYRB in May and June 2003 and February '04. They cover key aspects of Bush's political side (particularly Karl Rove); the current Congress (which doesn't present much contrast to the Bush Administration); and Bush's Iraq-focused side (the "neocons"). The Rove and Congress pieces are the latest dispatches in Drew's long-term effort to report on how the profession of political strategy affects policy outcomes.

The neocons piece is quite different, and it is important because its subject is one of the more successful projects in the history of American policy entrepreneurship. A few friends/colleagues with ideas about the Middle East, not one an elected official (except Dick Cheney), convince the world's current great power, led by a man who campaigned against "nation building," to wage a major war that fulfills their dreams. Most entrepreneurs would be satisfied if they convinced investors to put up money and start a successful business; in the policy world it's a coup if a ground-breaking law is enacted (maybe even an agency created). But a war--billions invested (with a vague up-front price tag), thousands dying and sacrificing--and the conquest of a sovereign nation: for that you have to give the neocons their due. And study them. Drew's report is a fascinating short account of a subject that has generated several books and will continue to do so.

Elizabeth Drew, courageous journalist and scholar long based in Washington DC, here republishes a series of articles originally presented in the American intellectual journal New York Review of Books between May Day 2003 and Saint Valentine's Day 2004. Altough it reads with journalistic immediacy, the historical importance of the events described and of the larger issues addressed makes this collection essential reading for us now today, as we approach another election cycle.

Ms. Drew completely covers the ins and outs and hidden agendas of the first WBush regime. The first article in this collection in fact reports the doings and bio of Karl Rove, as it ostensibly is a review of the books Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential and Boy Genius: Karl Rove, The Architect Of George W. Bush's Remarkable Political Triumphs. This article remains important for us to consider now, as it exposes the nefarious strategies of this powerful man, who recently claimed to join the rats abandoning the sinking ship of state, but who remains firmly in power.

Among those who have been lost since the publication of this book is of course General Colin Powell, who here emerges as a noble and even heroic figure of integrity, but a tragically heroic due to his honesty, integrity, diplomacy (over war, which he experiened first hand, unlike the civilian saber rattlers involved) and his wisdom, and thus not one long to endure within the darkening regime of the W.

The second article republished comes from June 12, 2003, and mostly focuses on the neocons in power, inclduing Perle and company, and thus of course the corrupt, embezzling proposed puppet Iraqi president Chabadi. This article gives us further insight into how and why things went horribly wrong in Iraq.

The third article entitled Hung Up in Washington examines the Tom Daschle book Like No Other Time: The 107th Congress and the Two Years That Changed America Forever with many realted issues. It examines the shifts of power at that time, and includes insight into 9/11/01 on Capitol Hill. It includes the interesting insight that no one ever revealed the source of the anthrax envelopes sent to Democratic congressional leaders's offices. One wonders (although not Drew) what happened there while their offices were evacuated for cleaning for weeks and what partisan bugs were installed.

Despite the slim size of this volume, at seventy pages, the substantial and well researched and elegant writing of Ms. Drew makes these important articles for us to re-read at this point in time. The excellent and measured preface by PBS's Russell Baker makes it even more valuable, and at this current price we cannot afford not to read it.

Know your history. Read this book.