UK Books

I am writing this having just returned from the new motion picture release. I read the book probably 35 years ago and as a young man, was quite impressed by the style and yes, the unmitigated violence. I enjoyed it thouroughly... I was surprised that the motion picture actually included the excruciating torture scene involving Bond and Le Chifre. The main characters are well drawn and intriguing. Casino scenes are tense and hold your attention. Overall, this first book in the bond series holds your interest and makes you want more. And history shows this is exactly what happened with the series.

This is not only Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel but one of his best. It is richly textured, well written, clearly defines the Bond character and has survived not only as good literature but as a great period piece of the 50s. It also gives us a glimpse of the often unseen smoke filled cocktailed night life found Europe's plush casinos of that era. Clearly, James Bond is worldly character that lives and breaths in this unseen world described by Ian Fleming in this novel. James Bond can easily adapt to any locale or situation, size it up and endure. He is both innovative and resourceful and he must rely on his talents and instincts to survive. This novel gives us some insight into Fleming's hero concerning his motivations as a blunt civil servant of his country and as a living and breathing man perhaps more here than in subsequent novels. This is a very good Bond novel. The cover depicts the new James Bond seen in the film which pays homage perhaps better than any other Bond film to Fleming's complex character.

I once heard that Lenin was a great admirer of Connolly, and having just finished Guerrilla Days In Ireland by Tom Barry I though it would be a good idea to learn a little more about the origins of the IRA by reading Connolly so I purchased this book. What I found was a writer far more accessible that the likes or Marx or Lenin who at times can be a little difficult to read for the layman. Connolly speaks the simple unadulterated truth and I have to agree with my fellow reviewer, Connolly has definitely removed a cloud of confusion in my mind on the conflict in Ireland.

On a personal note I am a former member of the Industrial Workers of the World, Connolly was also a member of the union and like any socialist worth his salt he was a union organizer, Connolly reiterated in my mind the importance of putting economic action before political action. Like any good student of Connolly I feel I must quote him...

"The enrollment of the workers in unions patterned closely after the structure of modern industries, and following the organic lines of industrial development, is par excellence, the swiftest, safest and most peaceful form of constructive work the socialist can engage in. It prepares within the framework of capitalist society the working forms of the Socialist Republic, and thus, while increasing the resisting power of the worker against present encroachments of the capitalist class, it familiarizes him with the idea that the union he is helping to build up is destined to supplant that class in the control of the industry in which he is employed.
The power of this idea to transform the dry detail work of trade union organization into the constructive work of revolutionary socialism and thus to make the unimaginative trade unionist a potent factor in the launching of a new system of society cannot be overestimated." (Socialism made easy)

This is one of those books where as I'm reading it I found myself tearing up little strips of paper book marking numerous pages to be reread and quoted, I find it easy now to understand why he is so influential.

I borrowed this book from a friend and had to obtain a copy for my own personal library.

The introduction is so moving that anyone interested in modern Irish History will not put it down.

Connolly's viewpoints on Socialism, Nationalism, and the Catholic Church lifted an enormous cloud of confusion I have had since my early schooldays in Belfast.

This is an excellent book for machine knitters. It doesn't matter what type of machine you own, this book is a great source for ideas. The book has very clear instructions and wonderful color photos of the techniques. If you have a chance to own this book than grab it! You won't be sorry!

What a pitty that this book is out of print! I found it at the library. This compendium of stitches is a feast for the eyes. The author presents each one of his samples in glorious colors, with detailed explanation on how to achieve them. The variety of techniques used and the multiple possibilities of experimentation, make of this a wonderful step by step teaching book for the beginner machine knitter, and a source of inspiration for the adventurous expert who wants to go beyond the limits to make of this craft an art.

Julian Rathbone, the author, has done a remarkable job of telling the fictionalized account of the life of an engaging, adventurous man of the Napoleonic era. Joseph, as a character, is so interesting and well developed that you feel you know him very well. Other characters are similarly developed and portrayed. Furthermore, the plot is fascinating and well-paced, taking the reader across the map of Europe, through villages, battlegrounds, etc. Mr. Rathbone clearly researched his subject well, as he has a clear command of the era in his descriptions of the life of the times. As a reader, you become completely immersed in the story and learn much about this important time in European history. The book was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, and it is easy to see why it was. I have also read Mr. Rathbone's book, The Last English King, which is equally, if not perhaps, more wonderful. Fans of well-written, literary historical fiction will be richly rewarded from reading these books of Mr. Rathbone.

About forty pages into this novel the narrator and his two eleven-year old friends are playing near their home--Salamanca, Spain, 1801--when off in the distance, they hear an unusual rumbling noise, a noise the narrator later in his life would quickly learn to identify as that of a large army on the march. It is the French army, and the boys are fascinated by its approach. An advance scout breaks from the main body and reins up near them: "He had a tall round black hat swathed with a yellow scarf beneath a small black plume; his coat was dark green with silver frogging, black shoulder straps, and wide white sash; his breeches were red above black boots." His sword was a, "heavy, long, sabre, slightly curved," which would, "cleave you from the top of your head to your crutch and leave you in two halves like a sucking pig." His face was, "lean, bronzed, narrow-eyed beneath curling eyebrows that sneered, with moustaches waxed and turned up, and white powdered hair tied back in a knot like a bullfighter's pigtail." With this kind of detail, you realize at that moment that you're going to be in for a great book.

The story is narrated by Joseph, and the premise is that he is writing to Lord Wellington--years after the events he relates here--in an attempt to finagle some money from him. He says he can prove he was a member of the English army, he implies that Wellington was the father of the bastard son he has raised, and though born in Italy and raised in Spain, he also has the audacity to claim an English heritage. Sounds a bit preposterous, but then this Joseph has a way of making one want to believe him. He's a clever, conniving little fellow who we find nobody trusts but everybody likes. He's an admitted coward, an opportunist, a toady, a libertine--and a charmer. Most of all, he is a survivor, as he will tell you, again and again. He will also tell you that he is completely truthful. Heh, heh. Not exactly, but to a certain degree, well, yes. He is.

In any event, Spain was a hotbed of activity in the early 19th century as it was invaded by Napoleon and then governed by his brother, although they were never really able to conquer it. The Spanish Ulcer, as Napoleon referred to it. Spanish citizens were bitterly divided over their support for him and bloody conflict raged. Our hero spends the early part of this era in a brothel operated by a madam who may or may not have been his mother, (and with whom he never, EVER, had sexual relations), ignobly spying alternately for both sides and for no other purpose than to save his own skin. He eventually ends up as a member of the English army--possibly--after they save him from a gang of gypsies who may--perhaps--have castrated him. He is present at if not exactly a participant in the two decisive battles of the war: Salamanca in 1812, and Vittorio in 1813, the latter of which drove Napoleon out of the country for good. Luckily for us, whether drunk with wine, or running in fear, he remains a remarkable observer.

Aside from the hugely original and entertaining narrator, the novel is great for several other reasons as well. As exemplified above, the detail is outstanding. Landscapes, villages, taverns and fields; heat and rain; food and wine at banquet and in camp; weapons and wounds; the attire of soldier, peasant, priest, and slattern: all are richly evoked and have the solid ring of authenticity about them.

The characters are also finely drawn and are clearly creatures of their time and place. Particularly interesting is Joseph's father, with his books and his moral dignity. He lectures his son on his prevailing philosophy: reason, and how men should be guided by it. One thinks, of course! This is the era of both American and French revolution, movements whose leaders were guided by this concept. Napoleon also makes a memorable appearance, gulping wine and devouring a greasy chicken while justifying his bloody actions in the world as a necessary means of bringing order to it. Weights and measures, taxes and tariffs; from country to country and even village to village, none were uniform. Napoleon sought to end this for the good, he says, of man. It is a credit to the author that despite what we know of Napoleon, the argument is quite convincing.

Above all, though, what makes this novel stand out is the quality of its story-telling. This is not a recitation of famous events told by cardboard characters--like so much of contemporary historical fiction--it is a story of one person. His childhood enemies and friends; the girl he loved and the friend who cheated him; the family he betrayed and the Irish soldiers who took him in: these are not "historical" events, these are the little things that all of us experience in our lives. The little things that make great fiction. This novel assuredly belongs in that class.

Wagner. Bolland. Dredd. What else needs to be said about the legendary first appearance of Judge Death and the other Dark Judges in British comic anthology 2000AD? Absolutely nothing. Oh, except BUY THIS NOW!

This happens to be a landmark entry in the Judge Dredd series, often reprinted as a newsagent quick money spinning comic; even here in the "2000AD Hardcover Collector's Editions", half of this black and white graphic novel is dedicated to the late seventies early eighties character of Judge Dredd, known best for his role in "2000 AD" graphic comic series, the biggest selling science-fiction comic in the UK, even though the concept is wholly American (John Wagner built Judge Dredd as an anti-commie future cop) brought to British readers a new character that is the longest surviving individual of the 2000 AD series, no one will even mention the movie of the same name (Dredd took off his helmet, duh!) in a room with fans because YOU WILL BE JUDGED!, here is Mega-City One, we get some of the best Judge Death stories, the classic JUDGE DREDD VS. JUDGE DEATH, including the three other death judges in the second story, this hardback cover collector's book is very large 11" x 9.4", but sadly Judge Death only takes up 50 pages, so the remaining 50 pages are filler 2000 AD comic strips with only Judge Dredd, but we do get more of Brian Bolland's artwork there and stories from John Howard but sadly there is no more Judge Death or John Wagner, but the point is that the original Judge Death series that boosted the character's appeal is right here. You can, by-all-means, probably pick up an actual comic of just the original Judge Death series, for a fraction of the price, but the hardback nature (and it is a lovely hardback) of this book means that this time your Judge Dredd vs Judge Death will keep.

There is a color update of Judge Dredd vs. Judge Death but that is not this collector's version (the original) and instead you should be aiming for Judge Dredd: Necropolis Book One and Book Two (a two part series) or other recent color offerings, but then you are really going about looking for variations of the original theme that you get here, by all means do, but this is the original. On the basis of this book I probably would be weary about launching into getting the Collector's Series, unless I liked whatever 2000AD story and character is covered (I will be moving onto Judge Dredd: The Cursed Earth - 2000 AD Collector's Edition next), as they are old graphic novels (1980) and missing modern artwork and elements, none-the-less, the original Dredd vs. Death is right here the way I picked it up and later it fed the dog somehow... anyway this time I get to keep it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Much more than a nuts & bolts history of the development of the JU-87 Stuka, Peter Smith sets about to present an other version of this dive bomber's successes compared to the typical English & US histories.

Although technical and developmental details are present, along with many fine photos (all black & white, would have preferred a few color), the real heart of this book are the stories behind the Stuka. The pilots, the sorties are recountered here. Also of great interest to a land warfare buff are the stories of air/land battles, the coordination behind the blitzkreig, how the army & airforce learned to work together to beat foes that outnumbered them & had better equipment. Smith also uses facts to back up his position that the Stuka as a bomber, suffered losses less than Lancasters, B-17s, Bristol Blenhiems when those aircraft were used in daylight raids without escort.

In the end, it really doesnt matter if the Stuka was a war winner. The Germans were outnumbered, outproduced, outfought, so no matter what was produced, the end result would be the same. While the Stuka was not a war winner, this book does provide more balance to the fact that it was a good weapon system, especially considering it was on the cutting edge of technology when designed in 1933/34. It survived to fight through the last days of WWII, a claim few others can make. I definately recommend this book.

Peter C. Smith is the author several out of print and currently available books on the Stuka. This book is thorough and well researched, detailing many minor details and little known facts about this well known aircraft. The photos are all b&w and not as valuable as many other books on the market for model builders. There is a lot of "meat" in this book and must be read to be appreciated, however there is usually one or two photographs on every page that illustrates the corresponding text.

This book starts from the inconvenient truth that wars are unavoidable. But, if a nation decides on war it should be for just reasons and conducted in a just way. Any war is justified in self defence or assisting a country to defend itself that has been attacked by another country. It becomes complicated when starting a pre-emptive war or an intervention because the government in a country is acting very badly towards its own citizens, or different citizen groups are attacking each other. Examples of just wars are support to South Korea in its war with North Korea and China, support to Kuwait after invasion by Iraq, intervention in the Kosovo conflict, attack of Afghanistan after 6/11. The authors are less certain, that is, not completely certain if it was right or wrong, with the Falklands War, and the second Iraq war. About conduct they are certain that dropping the atom bombs on Japan was just and almost certain that it was wrong to bomb civil targets in Germany after it was clear that Germany was losing the war.
The authors present six principles (for example right intent) specifying conditions that all have to be fulfilled before a war is just and two principles for right conduct. These principles are excellent and everybody should know them. The fact that the authors do not express definitive opinions about several wars, even with the benefit of hindsight shows how hard it is to arrive at conclusions, even with the principles. The authors in their conclusion write "This book is no more than a broad general survey of how the Just War tradition bears upon the morality of undertaking and conducting military operations in the twenty first century". I look forward to the book that should follow after this introduction that makes more definitive judgement about past wars and may even include some ideas about what leaders of governments could have done and can do in the future to prevent just wars from happening.

Very well written and highly recommendable. This book gives an analytical thought on the just war tradition, largely based on a western and Christian tradition. It covers the ethical issues that the international community - the UN Security Council, in particular - faces in tackling peace and security challenges. Such difficult issues as humanitarian intervention, the responsibility to protect and UN Security Council's authorization of military actions are eloquently discussed, in the context of major international crises in recent decades such as Iraq (both 1991 and 2003 wars), Kosovo and Rwanda. It is also a relatively short book so that you may finish reading it well before getting bored.

This is an amazing book on Air wars, pilots, The Red Baron, World War I, and all that. with great pictures of air crafts, Uniforms, and medals. but my favorite is the art in the book which is the Turkish air battles over the middle east and Lawrence of Arabia. Great Art, I wish I could put it on my wall. This book talks about the best events in the Great War, and shows profiles on the heroes of the war, which would never be forgotten.

An excellent account of the first air war, Knights of The Air brings an intimate understanding of the intrepid airmen, their classic dirigibles and, the honorable art of dog fighting. Beautiful illustrations and powerful photographs make this book even more memorable. A month by month account, description of the momentum shifts and technological advances allow for a factual understanding and makes this book perfect for reference material and gratuitous pleasure reading.

The novella La Femme de Gilles is a tragic tale of adultery. Set before WWI, the story focuses on Elisa who is happily married to factory worker Gilles. Elisa and Gilles have twin daughters, and when the story begins, Elisa is pregnant with a third child. She's still deliriously in love with her husband, and life seems simple--yet rich and satisfying to Elise. But one day, she begins to notice a vague change in her husband's behaviour, and after observing him closely, she concludes that he's having an affair with her younger, flighty sister, Victorine.

Just how Elise responds to this devastating information is the heart of this perfect, tragic story. Author Madeleine Bourdouxhe details each shatteringly painful stage of Elise's gradual recognition of her husband's adultery, and also explores the consequences as Elise submerges her rage and jealously: "her monotonous existence, which had once ran quite naturally on a course of happiness, now ran, just as naturally on a course of misery."

Gilles' blind selfishness and Victorine's spiteful willfulness are in contrast in Elisa's struggle to keep Gilles no matter the cost. Elisa struggles to maintain a semblance of the life she used to have, and desperately tries to gain "an outer equilibrium in a world of household objects." Bourdouxhe recreates Elise's mental state with incredible detail while implementing her minimalist style. The result is a startling tale of the contrasts of love--Gilles' selfish, mad physical passion for the elusive Victorine and Elisa's quiet self-destructive sacrifice. All of this mad passion is set against the external world--frozen landscapes and quiet French countryside.

As Gilles' affair with Victorine enters various phases, Elisa finds herself cast into various roles--all undesired, and all equally painful, and her deep love, satisfying marriage and peace-of-mind are lost forever. Translated by Faith Evans, La Femme de Gilles is must-read for all those who enjoyed the marvelous film adaptation--Gilles' Wife. If you enjoy the novels of Jean Rhys, there's a good chance you'll enjoy La Femme de Gilles.

There have been many books written about infidelity and the ways in which it destroys a person's sense of self, but this slim novel is especially affecting. Written in 1937, it is as fresh as if it were written today, which exemplifies the timelessness of the subject. It is a heartbreaking read and has a quiet tone about it that is chilling - I couldn't put it down.
It tells the story of a woman who is deeply inlove with her husband. Their life is simple, pastoral, and concerned with the everyday domesticity of raising small children and taking care of the home and garden. Soon, however, the husband begins an affair with his wife's younger sister. That's all I'm going to say.

I use this book as one of the cornerstones of my Space and Effort units at school. The chapters are concise and well organized. The Laban material is presented clearly and with visual diagrams. I did find some of the language challenging (UK English) as opposed to American English... for the students...i.e. thrust as opposed to punch in the Effort chapters...an excellent text for all levels beginner (excellent introduction to Laban's theory and work) through advanced movement analyst (good reference and teaching text).

This book is very practical and offers plenty of ideas for anybody working with actors or preparing an acting part themselves. I have used the exercises with a variety of ages and it has worked well with all. They have enjoyed trying the suggested techniques to explore and develop their characters for performance purposes.