Nicholson Books

It took a month to receive my book; I was happy with it once it arrived, but the slowness was a problem.

As much as Thomas Jefferson remains an enigma to us all, so does the exploits of Franklin Delano Roosevelt make us scratch our head and ask who was this man? Lord Black has written "this enormous book and is one of the best one-volume biographies of Franklin Roosevelt yet" as described by Alan Brinkley in his New York Times Book Review.
Conrad Black has indeed done his due diligence in the writing of the life and times of this great 20th Century behemoth. Black's prose shows his support for FDR's New Deal policies from Social Security into the Wagner Act. His take of Roosevelt is one of an ultimate politician, whether defending his left wing Keynesian theories or politically aligning support pre-Pearl Harbor to ward off the evils of Nazism. FDR shows all the facets of being the ultimate political patrician. Roosevelt was hell bent of forming all the liberal policies in supporting all the New Deal legislation.
FDR brought on the New Deal, supported the Lend Lease Act, directed the Allied activities along with Churchill and Stalin to win World War II. He indeed dies in harness in 1945 shortly before VE day.
Black goes into the rather austere marriage of convenience to his distant cousin Eleanor Roosevelt. Also he describes Roosevelt's courageous struggle with Polio which he had to struggle for the rest of his life from the age of 39.
This biography gives a rather different look of an American Icon. It states FDR's limitations, failures and of course his great abilities as a leader and as an orator extraordinaire.
This is indeed a good, but rather long read. If you are a student of 20th Century history, please read this book.

Having grown up in the great depression,I always admired F.D.R.for all he did to try to end it.Churchill said that he was the greatest man he ever knew,and I wholeheartedly agree.I rank him right behind Washington and Lincoln as one of our greatest Presidents.I enjoyed this book so much,I am thinking of reading it again.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion of Freedom

What can you say? It's a thoroughly researched, skillfully wound tale of a man who has no statesman-like comparison in modern American history. I'm an 'Eisenhower Republican' - though, I fear we're a dying breed - however, remark at the leadership and undying dedication to country this magnificently flawed giant of a president consistently demonstrated throughout the course of his illustrious political career.

It's exhaustively researched and fact packed, to be sure - but will nary leave you wanting to leave this bulky work on the nightstand before dozing off. Whether you agree or disagree with FDR's policies or tactics, this book is never tendentious and should appeal to readers across political spectrum and ideologies....the way a masterful biography should, in this humble history junkies mind.

Fans of Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt may want to pick up a separate bio for her life story, as Black certainly does not treat her with kid gloves. However, this book accurately hones in on the key subject - FDR - and Lord Black sticks to his prime subject matter with uncompromising rigdity, a keen focus and honesty.

Bravo. I promise to read more of Mr. Black as a result of this admirable and impressive work.

- Johnny Concannon

We would be remiss to not credit Washington with defining the parameters of the powers of the Presidency, but for all intent and purposes, as far as impact is concerned, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the greatest President in the nation, including Lincoln. We must remember that history tends to overestimate martyrdom. As good as Lincoln was, he was never tested in a peace time setting.
Conrad Black has written the definitive and best book on the great FDR, hands down. Far from being a fawning soft sell, "Champion Of Freedom" is very fair, and Black does not hesitate to discuss Roosevelt's shortcomings, as well as his triumphs. It is an incredibly thoughtful read, and the research is amazing.
Roosevelt could, at times, be calculating, devious and even mean, especially toward political enemies. This was fair game, however, and in a world where deceit and hidden agendas permeate every action, Roosevelt simply was a mile ahead of everybody else and played the politics game better than anybody ever had before, or will again.
His concern for the working man, the New Deal and landmark programs like the WMA put America to work when there was none to be had. Some lunk headed conservatives claim he stole the work from industry, but that is pure bull. We have Social Security, the Labor Relations Act, and a great park system because of Roosevelt's domestic programs. As far as a wartime president, his foresight and action was almost divinely inspired, and may well have been.
While critics blame him for Pearl Harbor, Black points out that Roosevelt, who loved the Navy and was Assistant Secretary to the Navy in WWI, would never have deliberately put the men of Pearl Harbor in harm's way as it happened. Rather, he had expected the admirals to be fully prepared for possible attack, and was aghast (albeit privately) at the incompetence shown at Pearl Harbor, which should have been more than able to put up a very good fight against the Japanese attackers. True, he expected war, and knew that the sooner, the better once our armed forces were ready, and that was well underway.
This is just one revelation of a very complex man who was regarded in Messianic proportions by the populace and by the world at large. Black is a master writer, and truly has created a masterpiece worthy of its subject. For serious history and Roosevelt fans, it's a must have.

In "Just Six Numbers", Martin Rees provides a tour of the universe and the delicately tuned values that govern it. Rees argues that, were some values of the universe (the strength of gravity, for example) slightly different, intelligent life would not be possible. As Rees demonstrates, the odds that all six of the crucial numbers he mentions should have values that are life-permitting is extraordinarily small, and therefore this remarkable find cries out for some sort of explanation.

The cosmological evidence roughly outlined by Rees has led to a renewed interest in the argument from design for the existence of God. If God purposely created the universe to support life, then we can understand why the values governing it are conducive to life. However, Rees offers a different interpretation. Rees argues that there might be a large (perhaps infinite) number of other universes that exist separate from our own. What we call the `universe' is really just a small portion of the entire cosmos. This so-called `Multiverse' model eliminates the mystery of why the universe seems so fortuitously life-permitting. Only in the small subset of actual universes that are compatible with life can life arise. Of course, we inhabit a life-permitting universe- because we must!

So, why should we accept the multiverse hypothesis rather than the design hypothesis? Unfortunately, on this point Rees is almost entirely silent. He never once argues that the multiverse model is superior or the design hypothesis deficient. Therefore, the evidence provided throughout the book is at least compatible with either interpretation.

Moreover, Rees does not provide much of a defense of the multiverse hypothesis, which has been critiqued in many ways. For example, the hypothesis that an infinite number of universes exist completely separate from our own seems to be an ad hoc and complicated hypothesis which we should therefore be hesitant to accept. Another problem is that multiverse models don't necessarily eliminate the need for a designer anyways, because the models often require extensive fine-tuning to work in the first place.

The only objection that Rees tries to counteract is the claim that the multiverse model is unscientific. He claims that there are at least potential ways that the model could be confirmed or disconfirmed in the future. I think Rees is correct about this, but this does not give us any positive reason to accept the multiverse interpretation.

Most of "Just Six Numbers" deals with cosmology, and this discussion is very interesting. However, I found the author's writing style to be a bit dry. For a more entertaining and engaging discussion, I would recommend Cosmic Jackpot by Paul Davies. If Rees spent more time defending his multiverse interpretation, this book might be worth a read. As it stands, however, there are much better books out there on this subject.

i love reading about physics and the big bang theory. i know a little science and am fascinated by it. this book is well-written and extremely thought provoking. it touches on alot of modern scientific thought and i think most amateur scientists will thoroughly enjoy it. i was not disappopinted at all and i learned a great deal.

An easy, delightful read --
It's easy reading, well written -- Rees introduces new concepts for the novice, but upon coming back to them later he reminds you what it was all about. "Everything should be made a simple as possible, but not simpler" : )

~~ NowScape~com

I could barely put this book down! It is dense, but so well-organized and written in such an accessible way, that you need not have any prior understanding of cosmology to grasp the concepts it addresses. It provided a much-needed workout for MY brain and, as well as answering many questions, it put a great deal into perspective for me.

Lame cosmic theories by would be experts are ubiquitous. This book is for amateurs who enjoy reading the ideas of someone who knows his science broadly and deeply. Sir Martin Rees' book informs the reader about "our cosmic habitat", thoroughly explains the significance of six crucial physical parameters that define the nature of the universe, shows where the limits of cosmological knowledge give way to hypotheses and includes many fascinating asides. The author's style is meandering and repetitious, but he generally manages to summarize complex concepts. The reader gets the story from the scientist and thus has no risk of false simplifications made by non-expert journalists.

The explanations of the key concepts related to the six numbers are good enough for those who don't want formulae or underlying details. Rees' explanations and comparisons of phenomena by referring to orders of magnitude are particularly good, showing the significance of scale for "everything" between quantum physics and clusters of galaxies. The book's length, just under 200 pages, is good for an overview. It was fun to read insights and amusing reflections from a long career in the field. An example is the idea from Max Plank that theories are never abandoned until their opponents are all dead, so science advances one funeral at a time.

According to the Big-Bang theory, time and space started with the Big-Bang, and therefore it makes no sense to speak of what happened in the seconds "before" the Big-Bang. In that sense, one can question whether it is worthwhile to speculate about anything "beyond" the known Universe. As the author admits, there is no concrete evidence of a Multiverse, therefore he is treading painfully close to metaphysics. His central argument about the whopping good luck of the proportions of physical forces related to the six numbers is worthy of short intellectual speculation. If evidence is found and falsifiable theories can be formulated, then further research is warranted, otherwise who cares? Fortunately the speculation is free of any religious tones, despite the facetious reference to Providence in the last sentence. At any rate, the book would be difficult reading for a creationist.

The text requires some substantial editing. It is generally clear but not always. For example, the explanation of what strings are (page 159) too short and cryptic to be understandable. Are some tracts so repetitious just to meet the page count?

The book was first published in 1999. I am not sure if subsequent books from the same author, such as the one called "Our Cosmic Habitat", are in fact revised editions of this book. The "Basic Books" edition from 2000 has an outstandingly ugly cover, but the contents are worth reading.

Even though I skipped 2 books, and read this right after Knocked Out By My Nunga Nungas, so it didn't make much sense. Still lovely though, and if you boy it from Amazon you get a extra CD in the inside cover, with a lovely interview by Miss. Rennison :]

This book is quite possibly the funniest one yet of the Georgia Nicholson series. While Georgia is just getting over Robbie in comes Masimo

This is a book about Georgia Nicholson, a girl from from England, who travels to America with her bestfriend, Jas, and her family. But Georgia and Jas are really just looking forward to this trip because they're hoping to find Georgia's luuuuuuuuuuurrrrvvvveeeee god, Masimo, while the rest of the family look forward to the clown-car convention.

When it comes down to Georgia seeing Masimo, she'll do anything, and I mean anything. She goes to a dance club to see him and she's wearing shoes that are way too small for her feet because they just went perfectly with her outfit. Even though the night didn't go exactly the way she planned, she sure did learn something from that. It was one of my many favorite chapters in the book.That chapter was especially funny.

And Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers is one of my favorite books. I would recommend this book to the reader's that like to read a variety of books. Seeing that Georgia is from another county, it gives you a different point of view on the book, the way they talk, and the setting. It's truly a great series to read. But on thing i would recommend is that you should read the first 5 books before you read this one. If you skip right to this one, you miss a lot of little things that make up the whole book. Unfortunately, I learned this the hard way. But it's still a fantastic book.

The Georgia Nicolson character IS truly MAAAAAAAAAD and this makes for some really good laughs. Actually, I laughed myself so hard I was literally crying and had to hold my belly. Boy Entrancers is hilarious. I couldn't stop laughing in a long while!

Oh, how clever Louise Rennison is. This hilarious novel reminds me a bit of a stand-up comedian's routine with a plot - of sorts. English teenager, Georgia, (the main character) has her own combination of slang and made up alterations of words that take a bit of getting used to at first. But her descriptions of events, friends, her own family, and life in general are so fast, funny, and furious, I could hardly stop laughing. Of course, it's all very silly, and Georgia comes across as perhaps a little to obsessed with snogging boys, or a bit too dim-witted at times, but then maybe not. In any event, if you like novels that are clearly intended to make you laugh, and you aren't looking for any deep messages except that there is always humor to be found in the strange and sometimes unbelieveably wacky things teenagers do, then this book is for you. Highly recommended for kids over 13 and anyone else who enjoys a good laugh.

Purchased the book and within three days received it. Great, fast, consistent, service. Thank you.

This is a wonderful book for those interested in LGBT history. Though it has mostly been considered a lesbian book, it also explores the world of gender nonconformity and trans.
I highly recommend it.

Thanks for your in depth review, Julia.

But STOP SHOUTING.

You do know that all capital means "shouting" in web posting, don't you?

I am usually a fast reader, however, it has taken me about a week to finish this book, simply because after reading a few pages, I begin to think about some of the deeper questions asked in the novel. It almost makes me sick to have graduated college, I think this book would be a great discussion piece in some of the literature/ sexual identity classes I took. I think this novel is important for everyone to read.

The first thing I noticed about Radclyffe Hall's "The Well of Loneliness," was the beautiful descriptive exposition. Before the novel delves too far into modernism, it is apparent that it is hedging out the Victorian. Descriptions of the English countryside, of London and of Paris are some of the finest written in English. Not only this but the painstaking care the Hall takes to describe her characters, though even Stephen remains a bit fuzzy to me, are lovely and purposeful. Her sense of loss, loneliness and love are extremely powerful and extremely well conveyed.

That being said, the bravery it took to write the first English- language novel that addressed "invertedness," in Stephen's case butch-lesbian identity and, overall, homosexuality, is incredible. It is hard to be absolutely disappointed with the author for the ending of the novel, particularly since it seems to be semi-authobiographic. Given the time period, the ending was likely collateral in exchange for being published. Without giving it away, I'll simply add that I felt sad for the world and defiant, and these not unexpected emotions after a 500 page journey that included happiness and hope, depseration and anxiety. To be cliche, it reminds one of how far we've come with civil rights and yet how very far we still must go.

Like some of fellow modernist writer Fitzgerald's characters, Hall's character is wealthy and priveledged and yet likeable. One is inclined to empathize with her situation at most points, and when not, it is easy to become enraged at the world and not Stephen. It's amazing that book was published in the late 20's, and yet problems like those the characters encountered in "The Well of Loneliness" still exist -- we are still fighting to be able to "protect" and "provide security" to those we love.

This book is an amazing journey. If it is slow moving, it is only because it encompasses over 30 years, years which are necessary to fully understanding the social world that "freaks" like us are still only allowed limited access to. This is worth reading no matter what type of outcast you consider yoursel to be. There is much comfort even in feeling one is not alone. So, thanks, Radclyffe.

Starting in vivid horror with war on the Russian front, McCann joins brilliantly imaged players with walk-ons by yesterday's celebrities to deliver a can't-put-it-down book. McCann's unique style (repeated in "Zoli") can take a moment to get used to. In the telling, he shifts among multiple narrators, including Nureyev himself, often in Faulkner-like pages-long paragraphs. The speakers (family, teachers, lovers, et al.) consistently show us a narcissistic, often mean hedonist. There's not much to like about this Nureyev. The complexity of an artistic genius, who was informed by war and the repressive Soviet regime, is missing. The writer doesn't present a fully formed protagonist. But that's part of his own genius. He is poetic in the way he handles loss, violence, selfish love. He shows enough of the scene to inform the reader, yet leaves unfilled places to fuel the imagination. An extra plus: The language describing the art of dance is awesome. Even someone who has never worn a ballet shoe can feel the boards through the material and the rush of the joy at soaring.

From the beautiful, stark cover art to the last finely crafted word, this story riveted my attention late into the night. I've never read a novel crafted in this unique way. As we learn about the characters who peopled Nureyev's life, he emerges -- powerful, complicated, defying labels such as good and bad -- a dancer like who commanded attention and adoration like no other before him.

After reading everthing he's done so far I love every word Collum McCann writes and eagerly await the next one.

Travelling Free: How to Recover From the Past
Emotional Options: A Handbook for Happiness

This is a review of Dancer but actually we listened to it on the long drives to and from my daughter's ballet school. I loved it, maybe even more than she did. From my perspective, hearing 'outsiders' stories of their part in this fictionalized account of Nureyev's life was fascinating. I SAW Nureyev and Fonteyn as a child and will not forget what he brought to ballet. I think this author captures all that and so much more.
From my daughter, a dancer's view, it is wonderful to learn about the little things, the notes on techniques, the snipes from jealous classmates, the hardship endured and escaped from so that artistry could be brought to the rest of the world. She loves Russian (Vaganova) ballet and this is what she is studying. This story has helped make her journey even that much more enjoyable.
CAUTION My daughter is 16. I would not recommend this book for younger children unless you are comfortable answering questions that may arise about Nureyev's lifestyle. But for a mid-teen fascinated with ballet and studying World History circa WWII, it is a very pleasant way of merging fact and fiction.

This is one of the best written books I have read in a long time. Collum McCann's writing style just blew me away. In his book Dancer McCann wrote an entire chapter without one single period! The author uses only question marks and exclamation marks! Amazing! Rudolph Nureyev was a great dancer, a complex pesonality, a paradigm of his times. McCann's Nureyev is someone the reader will never forget. This book was just a marvelous read!

In my possession is an old and increasingly fragile newspaper clipping which depicts a portrait photograph. The face had been captured in a three-quarters profile, the strong chin uplifted slightly to suggest a bold self-confidence. The large, clear eyes were heavily lined in kohl. The mouth was full and perfectly formed, and the thin scar intersecting the upper lip added an unintentional defiance which seemed to say "I am beautiful despite the harshness of this world."

I was barely out of childhood when I came across this photograph in a newspaper. I can remember quite clearly how I sat before the open page and stared and stared and stared. I could not turn away from this image. The name of Rudolf Nureyev was only vaguely familiar to me then - but what a face! To consign it to the pile of discarded newspapers which were used, in our home, to wrap up vegetable peelings or food scraps before placing them in the refuge bin seemed some kind of subtle crime. And so very carefully I snipped out this image and saved it.

I was too young then to have any understanding of my own fascination with this particular face. My own reaction seemed almost mystical to me then. All I knew, at the time, was that Rudolf Nureyev was simply the most beautiful man I had ever seen.

This carefully hidden newspaper clipping launched an interest in ballet which lasts to this day. An interest which drew me to read Colum McCann's vivid and stylish fictionalised biography of the dancer who defected from Communist Russia and became the darling of the Western world. The book could be easily read simply as a novel which charts the life of a rugged and determined boy for whom poverty could not quench an instinctive love of music. He danced to entertain soldiers who sometimes threw him coins. He took lessons in secret, and learned how to carve out a career for himself in one of the most ruthless and demanding of all the arts.

One particular passage, (beginning on page 84 of my copy), opens with the phrase, "You see him on Rossi Street with his boots high on his calves, and his long red scarf trailing the ground behind him...", and goes on to describe Nureyev through the eyes of another, less talented ballet student. This section is exceptionally well-written, I think - in fact, I was so impressed with it that I read it aloud at a meeting of Riverside Writers as an example of good contemporary character description.

An attention-holding novel, and an intriguing insight into the creative mind of a complex and sometimes difficult character.

The story is ectremely good. Kestrel, Bowman, and Mumpo (the main characters) set out of their home (Aramanth) to retrieve the Wind Singer's voice made by the Manth people. On the way, they ecounter wierd people on rolling cities, Ombaraka and Omchaka. They manage to escape from them and find the Morah, an ancient enemy. Find out for yourself to see if they live while they run away form the Morah's army, the invincable Zars!

It was nice to see that this series ended on good terms, with the author wrapping things well without any gaping plot holes or nasty loose ends. The continued development of the characters was a treat. There shoule be more authors like Mr. Nicholson.

Name: Cydney
Book title: The Wind Singer
This book [The Wind Singer] is good. The author [William Nicholson] makes up amazing names. The setting of the story is in a city called Aramath where they are ostracized. The main characters are Kestrel a girl, Bowman her brother and Mumpo their friend. The theme of the book is to get the Wind Singer's voice and give it to him so he can bring peace to his people. The author is saying life is rough.
My favorite part of the book is when Kestrel, Bowman and Mumpo are flying on birds. This book starts with funny words. This book is filled with adventure. A person who loves adventure would love this book.

I thoguht this was one of the best books i have ever read(Besides Harry Potter). It is interesting to see how the characters changed from regular kids to extraordinary. A must read for anyone in search for a book to read a long time with.

Children's books about the horrors of standardized testing are increasingly popular these days. From Edward Bloor's well-intentioned, Story Time to The Report Card by the otherwise talented Andrew Clements, these books have attempted to capture the dangers of this destructive teaching tool. Both books have fallen short, leaving some people to wonder if there could ever be a book that discusses this controversial subject well. What few people know is that there's a fantastic well-written and beautifully put together fantasy series that begins with the horrific results of what happens when a society bases all decisions on testing. Regular methodical testing. In William Nicholson's, "The Wind Singer", (the first in his "Wind On Fire" trilogy), the term "distopia" takes on a whole new look and meaning. In a book that is simultaneously wise, beautifully penned, and deeply moving, "The Wind Singer", gets to the bottom of rigid test-based communities and show us a great worst-case scenario.

Aramanth is a community that loves its tests. Living by the daily pledge, "I vow to strive harder, to reach higher, and in every way to seek to make tomorrow better than today", its citizens embody the ultimate caste system. Based on strict standardized testing, people live according to how well they test. The nicest homes belong to those members of society that answer quizzes effectively and intelligently. For those people who don't like tests or don't do well on them for a variety of reasons, they live on the bottom rungs of society. There's very little rebellion in Aramanth due to its rigid control of any possible insubordination on the part of its citizens. That is, until the day little Kestrel Hath decides that she doesn't want to live in a world based on testing anymore. Suddenly she's endangered her family and herself. There seems no escape from Aramanth's rules and regulations, until the ancient Emperor, a disused ruler, tells Kestral about the Wind Singer. This gigantic and ancient construction of pipes that towers over the town was once given the ability to sing to its citizens, calming their hearts and making them happy. When the key to the Wind Singer's voice was stolen, the society became cold and hardened into its current state. With her twin brother Bowman and their initially unwanted tagalong Mumpo at her side, Kestral and company embark on a quest to save Aramanth from itself once and for all.

I nominate this book for the title, Perfect Distopian Novel. I've not fallen for a fabulous fantasy in a long time, and this book has everything you could want in it. A great (and little used) moral. Characters you care about deeply. A gripping plot. Everything. I greatly appreciated that the parents of the heroes in this book were not only both alive (not usually the case in fantasies) but also active, amusing, and subversive aids to their kids' efforts. Too often parents fret and flail in children's novels, adding nothing to the story but woe. In this book Mr. and Mrs. Hath recognize the quest their children are on and decide to raise a little hooplah in Aramanth on their own. The results are quite fabulous. I was also impressed by the character of Mumpo. A developmentally challenged boy who loves the Hath twins desperately, Mumpo could easily have been a kind of mock-Forest Gump character, spouting simple platitudes and giving everyone around him a patented new lookout on life. Ugh. There's a little of that, but Nicholson is clever enough to know how to give Mumpo more complexity than Mr. Gump. His character learns and grows (sometimes frighteningly) through his experiences and his very existence makes the twins kinder people through his presence.

There are an awful lot of other great moments in this story, though. For one thing, I think it contains the scariest evil army I've ever read. You can keep your The Lord of the Rings-type orcs and goblins. I personally believe that the army of the Zars, a relentlessly cheery troop of endless, young, white-suited, peppy people given to singing "Kill Kill Kill" at the top of their voices, is the most horrifying group to ever appear in a children's book. The Zars are rivaled in evil, however, by a prematurely old group of children with the ability to suck the youth out of anyone they touch. Worst of all is the evil spirit-lord, the Morah. The Morah has long since convinced the citizens of Aramanth that he's a myth. It reminds me of the quote, "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist". With these incredibly awful foes, it's a wonder Kestrel and Bowman keep their wits about them. Finally, the book has a deep emotional core that I think will be appreciated by all readers. The Hath family is very loving and caring. The bond between the twins is deep and Nicholson deftly portrays the depths of Mumpo's loneliness and despair. Plus the book has an amazing array of different worlds through which the kids travel. From the deep mud world below Aramanth to a traveling city on wheels (somewhat similar those found in the more recent Hungry City Chronicles by fellow Brit, Phillip Reeve), Nicholson creates new fantastical universes out of thin air. The result is a book that'll have you continually reading for hours on end, unable to stop even part way through.

The most recommended fantasy book in schools nation-wide is undeniably Lois Lowry's, The Giver. I suggest that, as good as it is, we give, "The Giver", a break for once and encourage our kids to read "The Wind Singer" instead. Those children that suffer under the strain of repeated testing will appreciate the book's strong message. Children who like great action sequences and heightened danger will fall for the book's fast-paced escapes and battles. And those children that simply like a good story with good writing will be entranced. I say with conviction that this is probably one of the strongest British fantasy book for children written in the twenty-first century. It's simply the best.

This book has long been a permanent part of my library. I had a very well thumbed pocket-sized edition which I bought 30 years ago and I reluctantly had to replace it when it literally fell to pieces. This new larger illustrated edition is very impressive but it doesn't make for easy reading in bed.

This book is really good. I haven't finished it yet, because I am really trying to learn about these kings and queens, and placing them in history. Having lived 60 years, I am sure I was taught some of this in school, but I retained the American history and very little of the English history. These chapters on each monarch are interesting. Fraser has done a good job presenting them and giving you enough info without all the stuffy details that might exist. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is interested in the English Monarchy - I have really enjoyed all that I have read. And it also makes many of Shakespeare's characters believable.

If you enjoy and read novels, biographies or history books about England and Europe this is a must have reference book. Very condensed, dry and factual history but a tremendous help in keeping people, time and places in order and perspective.

I love this book. Even with all of the reading I have done on the British Monarchy, this book had never before seen pictures. My only complaint would be that it often focuses more on political events rather than personal lives. But, there is wonderful information in this book, and I have enjoyed every page.

As a lover of British royal history, I think this is a fantastic overview that 'sums' things up, devoting a few pages to tell the story of each monarch. Antonia Fraser manages to pass on a lot of information in short form. The illustrations are wonderful, as are the charts (although as someone else mentioned, they are missing some details for us serious fanatics). I consider this is a great compilation if you just want the big picture, or a starting point to jump off into detailed biographies of individual monarchs and/or houses.

I was really happy with my purchase. It was affordable, in good condition and brought to me in a timely manner.

Please do not rate unless you have read the entire review. If you like the book, fine, but don't give this review a negative rating for that reason. I do recommend better books in this review and also recommend this one as an exceptionally pedestrian introduction to the genre of personal fictions of life in China, which for the novice reader is just fine (but reading the early short stories of Pearl S. Buck would be a far better introduction and more productive use of time for the reader new to this genre).

However, I am an avid reader of contemporary Asian fiction in translation, so perhaps this book looked imitative to me as I was not fresh to the genre; however, I see there have been two kinds of responses to the book -- people who found the stories fresh and literate readers who found them tedious for a variety of reasons.

I had been looking forward to reading the book and it arrived the day after the news that Ms. Chang had been selected to take over the prestigious chair, vacated by the lamentably late and very delightful Irishman Frank Conroy, as head of the Iowa Writer's Workshop. I rushed to read it with great expectations and was surprised to find the stories disturbingly imitative of those of other Asian American writers -- not fresh, but as if Ms. Chang had read and absorbed the experiences of others who had already written them with far more depth and evocative feeling.

My first response in reading the last story in the book (probably an early one of hers) was, "Rule #1: write what you know," as the story came off as an attempt to retell others' stories with what she imagined their feelings to be, but with little insight into the characters; a pre-digested version of better-related tales of life in China.

My second response was, "Egad! This woman is leading a Writer's Workshop, I mean THE Writer's Workshop, and she doesn't have even the rudiments of using a comma down, doesn't know the difference between a restrictive and a non-restrictive clause?" Since Ms. Chang is American-born and a graduate of the University of Iowa, the basics of punctuation are not too much to expect. The number of flaws in the punctuation not only disturbed the flow of the writing but, in some cases, even interfered with the meaning of sentences. Picky picky, I know, but these went far beyond "poetic license:" they were errors in the most basic punctuation of compound and complex sentences. Many of these errors were avoided by her liberal use of simple sentences throughout, but when she ventured beyond the simple sentence, even to those with an introductory adverbial phrase of time, the lack of control/ability to use the simplest agreed-upon standards of punctuation was frightening. It was a lack of control, not an intentional use of punctuation for effect, as it did interfere with both flow and meaning.

Putting the obvious punctuation flaws aside, I still can't say I liked it. I'm not wild about the work of Amy Tan, overly prosaic next to the mastery in the works of Maxine Hong Kingston and Timothy Mo, but next to Ms. Chang's work, Ms. Tan's is elevated to the sublime, losing any prosaic quality I might have ascribed to it. Ms. Tan's work is excellent for communicating the Asian-American experience and family dynamics to the general reader in a narrative style, while that of Timothy Mo and Maxine Kingston speak more to those who have had the opportunity to experience "Chinese Culture" first-hand and in context, as they contain many esoteric or metaphorical references to Chinese mythology, history, and culture.

I have to recommend to all the work of Maxine Kong Kingston as deeply understood and (assimilated?? transmuted?? combined?? stewed???? -- can't get the word at the moment) communicated fables of her family tales in China Men and Warrior Woman, integrating also with them the fables and tales of China, and then, in writing what she knows (rule #1) as a Chinese American, the fabulous journey of spirit and experience in Monkey King (not to be confused with Timothy Mo's wonderful The Monkey King), all of which shift back and forth between the world of fable and reality, as in traditional Chinese literature -- and all of which stand up to repeated readings.

Back to Ms. Chang: I am embarrassed for Iowa University in this selection, but in fairness must say that she may have been selected because she may well be a tremendous teacher who will find her niche in helping others to find their voices; she, however, is still in search of her own. I would suggest that, as preparation for her new position, she sit down and give a good focused read to Eats Shoots and Leaves or Eats, Shoots, and Leaves.

I have to add that, since the purpose of reviews here is to sell books, I rarely post a negative review. This one was screaming for a shout out, and in the spirit of positive reviews, check out the Eats Shoots and Leaves
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation;

Eats, Shoots & Leaves Illustrated Edition
books by Lynne Truss, for gradeschoolers through adults.

The ones that graphically illustrate the unintended meanings that come about through imprecise use of English
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference!
are ones that will start children on the road of enjoying all that is meant by "English usage."

With that, I leave you with a visual that has stayed with me since childhood and my introduction to the world of bloopers: "Never break bread or roll in your soup." Indeed.

This is by all means one of the few most beautiful and crafted I have come across in a while. The rich and quiet style of Chang's prose draws the reader deeply into an place where constrained madness leads to an isolated sorrow. Brilliant in its sweet and inevitable sadness.

I read HUNGER and was moved and amazed with the intricate detail of the thoughts and feelings of the subjects in the collection of short novella's.
The thoughts and inner feelings of the subjects were so brilliantly described I felt as though I could feel and understand just like any one of them.
The book is excellent and I recommend it to anyone!

Lan Samantha Chang touched me with her profound stories in Hunger. The characters in this collection are starving for love, success and respect and said hungers manifest themselves in thought-provoking, dark dilemmas and endless sorrow. My favorite stories are "Water Names," "Pipa's Story," and "The Unforgetting." But it is the novella and book title that touched me the most. The story of a struggling violinist and how his failure affects his family enthralled me from beginning to end. Their problems as Chinese immigrants made the novella all the more compelling. Chang writes with beautiful, flawless prose and hers is a talent that transcends all genders. Her work reminds me of Banana Yoshimoto in that she, too, transmits the characters' emotions flawlessly. If you're in the bargain for thought-provoking short stories and novellas, I recommend Hunger most highly.

This book gets an A+. I've been swimming through Tahir's safaris for the last few months and benefiting to an immense degree. The books are baited with hilarity and insight and inspire to take a more thorough look into our own worlds and the world at large, beyond the illusion of our own delusions. The India presented by Tahir is riveting-- a course in smells, spells, and sales-- return service guaranteed. I'm sure I'll go fishin' through this book with bayt'd breath a few more times.

I loved this book !!! It is the second book I read by this author (the first was the Caliph's House which I also loved) and I intend to read ALL his books past and future.
I simply fell for his style of writing, it goes to the core and makes you feel like you are present and for me that is what books should do, suck us into the narrative. I had a travel guide of India by me to look up all the locations mentioned in the book and i just marvelled at the amount of information I learned about magic tricks. I hope more people read his books and that he keeps writing.

I ordered my book and got it in 3 or 4 days in flawless
condition. Many thanks.

When I purchased this book, due to the title of the book, I expected the book to have an esoteric, occult, flavor and to describe some of the esoteric practices of India - perhaps something along the lines of the books on Aghora, given the illustration on the cover where the individual looks as if he were a devotee of Kali. To me the word "sorcery" represents working in some way with consciousness and energy. This book has nothing of the sort. It is all about performing illusions and is in a way a collection of tricks done by street magicians. If you like street magic, you may enjoy this book. Some of the tricks are based on outright deception, as in the slight-of-hand, while others may involve some knowlede of chemistry, physics, anatomy and psychology. You may feel inspired to get one of those Harry Potter science experiments kits or similar that begin by teaching you how to pass a boiled egg through a glass bottle. You may then progress onto other illusions as performed by David Blaine, Derren Brown or Chris Angel.

I did find the writing style of the author rather entertaining and at time rather funny, which helped to swallow some sad facts about the life of the poor people in India (as in beggars renting babies so that they could make money - the book also has pictures of a "baby dealer" in Calcutta), about the way people look at and treat widows, and few other beliefs and customs that made me appreciate all over again all the comforts I have and sometimes take for granted.

Tahir Shah is an Englishman of Afghani/Scottish descent who writes what may be a new form: The eccentric maybe true, maybe not true, but true on a metaleval travel book. What I mean by that is that, while the details of his day-to-day experiences may be exaggerated and padded to make the book work with a coherent theme, the facts about the country remain true. I genuinely enjoyed this second book of his that I have read. In it, an 11-year-boy meets the guardian of his ancestor's tomb, learns a bit of magic, grows up, travels to India to tour and meet the guardian again, hoping to learn more slight of hand illusion magic. From there he is referred to his teacher's teacher, who is definitely the archytypical teacher as sadist. As Mr. Tahir learns the craft, we learn a great deal about India, about the travelling magicians, godmen, sadhus, charletans, etc. I found the book engaging from beginning to end and highly recommend it.

Professor Wood, considered by many to be one of the better historians of the American Revolution, has written perhaps the classic summary of the conflict that founded one nation,ended the first empire of another and has changed the world. What sets this book, at less than a 170 pages, is its conciseness and ability to sum up many and large complicated issues well.

Wood does a wonderful job if explaining how a struggle between 13 of Britain's 21 North American colonies was virtually inevitable due to many circumstances that were surely incomprehensible at first, and to hard to untangle afterwards when the issues were of the present day, until all at once, individuals who would rather not, were forced to choose sides. The unusual thing about the American Revolution, is that both sides were choosing between two different types of traditionalism, and were forced to fight a contemporary battle among issues that had divided English speaking peoples since early Norman times, over 600 years in the past. As Wood easily explains, a series of disputes over trade acts and taxes hardly seems like the justification to start the world anew, especially considering that the Revolution saw a huge proportion of military and civilian deaths, leading to economic destruction and civil war in many of the colonies.

Wood only spends 14 whole pages on direct discussion on the military conflict proper, though a reader will not come away with misunderstandings about how the conflict developed or why it was concluded the way it was. The strategic limitations of the British military, not least of which was that were told to wage general war on people most of their office class considered to be as much their countrymen as a Scotchman or Welshman, in the fast American frontier, are explained crisply.

Along the way, Wood does a fine job of explaining why the culture of the American colonies was more united than they gave themselves credit for, why it was overwhelmingly optimistic, with a bent on radical equality of the sort that British people had not hoped for in over 400 years. Wood quotes a British traveler in America from 1759 who writes of the American urgency to rise to the point where the American British reached their destiny to write the laws of the rest of civilization. From that frame of reference, of a new American nation, built with the best of British hopes of tradition, law and religion is how Wood has framed the story of the American Revolution. The book is recommended in the highest way.

Gordon Wood has taken on the subject he's best at again, The American Revolution, with this short, concise history. With the book itself running only about 170 pages, it serves as a nice refresher for the regular scholar, and an above average briefing for the layman. In addition, it provides an extremely helpful bibliography, which is broken down by subject within the Revolutionary movement.

By nature, this book is a bit more simple than many of Wood's other works, but it is also considerably more clear. He is able to make his point about liberalism and forward thinking in a much more digestible way than he attempted in Radicalism in the American Revolution.

The American Revolution is generally acknowledged to be the most crucial event in the birth of the United States of America. Copious interpretations have resulted from this status. Yet, few historians have been able to provide a pioneering viewpoint by so coherently integrating the complex factors surrounding the revolution until Gordon S. Wood in his The American Revolution.
Through this book, Wood attempts to demonstrate that the Revolution "needs to be explained and understood, not celebrated or condemned" (xxv). He is not interested in whether the revolution was good or bad. Instead, he brings to light a view of the revolution that few historians have embraced recently. He focuses on "the worth of the Revolution" (xxiv), stating this simply yet eloquently: "How the Revolution came about, what its character was, and what its consequences were--not whether it was good or bad--are the questions this brief history seeks to answer" (xxv). Wood's simple yet succinct style in the book suggests that his audience is the general public.
Wood is no neophyte of historiography. Having received his B. A. from Tufts University and his Ph.D. from Harvard University, he has already demonstrated his masterful expertise of history in his two previous books: The Creation of the American Republic, winner of the Bancroft and John H. Dunning prizes, and The Radicalism of the American Revolution, winner of the prestigious Pulitzer Prize. As an experienced author, Wood understands that writing history demands more than simply explaining one's whims and preferences. This is clearly seen in The American Revolution. Wood realizes that the works of historians who analyze the revolution subjectively "tell us more about the political attitudes of the historians who make such statements than they do about the American Revolution" (xxv). He perceives the American Revolution objectively, rather than subjectively, and The American Revolution is remarkably free of biases. The reader thus proceeds in reading the book with confidence of Wood's impartiality.
With a book called The American Revolution, the reader would expect to find matter dealing only with the American War of Independence. However, Wood sees it as more than a simple military conflict. He sees it as a complete ideological, political, and social revolution: "It was a genuinely radical event, which led to the breakdown of such longstanding patterns of society as deference, patriarchy, and traditional gender relations" (Brinkley, American History, 131). This is his thesis, and it explains why his book concerns more than the American War of Independence.
In order to explain his thesis, Wood must demonstrate how the United States was impacted by this radical revolution, evolving from English colonies to an independent republic. He does this by organizing the book into seven chapters: Origins, American Resistance, Revolution, Constitution-Making and War, Republicanism, Republican Society, and the Federal Constitution. The fact that only fourteen out of the almost two-hundred pages of the book are dedicated to the actual military conflict and that the longest chapter is "Republican Society" demonstrate once again where Wood's emphasis lies. In each chapter, he intertwines the many issues (economic, cultural, political, and ideological), giving the reader a well-rounded image of the proceedings. The short book is dense with evidence for his thesis, creating a sense of "rush of events". The reader can detect that Wood is fascinated by his topic and that fascination is transmitted to the reader.
Wood traces the origins of the American Revolution to three fundamental sources: the growth and movement of the American population, economic expansion, and the reform of the British Empire. These dynamic developments "demanded that England pay more attention to its North American colonies" (Wood 6). They woke Britain from its "salutary neglect" policy and the increasing British presence was seen as an invasion of the colonists' rights. When Britain did reform, Americans were not fervently opposed to the ensuing taxes until Parliament passed the Stamp Act, which Wood describes as the key event in the rise of American resistance.
The nature of American resistance was what made the Revolution so radical. The colonists began by protesting British taxes. These protests came to justify a larger debate: the ideological one. Tensions rose over the differing views on actual/virtual representation and the nature of British Empire. These strains, combined with the ineffectiveness of the British government, caused the crisis to become "more than a simple breakdown in the imperial relationship" (47). Wood traces the changes in the American mentality, but doesn't omit the impact of smaller localized events, such as the Regulator Movement, involved in the rise to independence. He describes the events leading up to Independence as a "spiraling momentum" (51) growing increasingly radical. He explains how America developed its own unique view on liberty, best exemplified in the Declaration of Independence, and how it was primarily motivated by a "desire to root out tyranny once and for all" (67). The results were the radical state constitutions, the Articles of Confederation, and later the Constitution. They were radical because of their unprecedented egalitarianism. Along with these developments, Wood does an excellent job in providing a brief yet exhaustive summary of the military conflict of the American Revolution.
However, his emphasis is on the radical effects of the war, not the war itself. Beginning with the Republicanism chapter, Wood finally unveils these much-awaited radical outcomes, the most important of which is the adoption of a Republican worldview: "This republicanism was in every way a radical ideology" (91). Accompanying this political revolution was a cultural revolution. The flourishing of American literature, art, and architecture are all explained. There emerged a social revolution: a new belief that "the natural affection, moral sense, and benevolence of people were no utopian fantasies" (103). Penal codes were liberalized and humanitarian societies formed. Wood discusses the significance of the concept of equality in American society and juxtaposes it with the subjugation of blacks and natives. The American Revolution also weakened the patriarchal structure of America, increasing the power of women and reforming the concept of "family". A religious revolution, characterized by religious toleration and the growth of formerly underground religions, is described by Wood as the "city upon a hill" assuming a republican character, becoming "the Christian Sparta" (129). Out of these many sub-revolutions, Wood focuses on the Republican society that emerged and how it came to be.
Following the weak central government created by the Articles of Confederation, there was a growing fear of the tyrannical power of state legislatures. Interstate trade also needed to be regulated, and this could only be accomplished by a central authority; the result was the Constitution. Born out of the raging Federalist/Anti-Federalist debates, it created a strong central government, while retaining specific state rights. In doing so, it transformed the concept of sovereignty by locating it in the people at large. The government became only a "temporary and limited agency of the people" (161). Wood concludes by asserting that the most radical impact of the American Revolution is democracy itself: "this democracy was no longer a technical term of political science...Instead, it became the civic faith of the United States" (166). As a result of the American Revolution, America began as "thirteen insignificant British colonies" (xxv) and grew to be a democracy.
By concluding in such way, Wood shows clear evidence for his thesis. The American Revolution truly changed America. He is able to demonstrate this in a book that does not exceed two-hundred pages in length. The book's neat division into chapters concerning each component of the American Revolution, from its origins to its effects, helps the reader digest the material and comprehend Wood's thesis.
Wood's The American Revolution cannot be overestimated in its contribution to history. It strikes new ground by completely renovating the American Revolution's place in American history. It breaks free from all the schools of thought concerning the Revolution, creating its own new category. Because of its innovativeness, persuasiveness, and exactitude, this book is strongly recommended not only for the skilled historian, but also for the amateur who wishes to introduce himself to the American Revolution. The reader of this book will truly understand "the worth of the Revolution" and, along the way, be enthralled by it.

Light, rapid history, a good refresher on the dates, the book carries Wood's major contention, the liberalness of the revolution itself. He also makes some good points on Washington's real strengths.

Gordon S. Wood provides a pleasantly swift account of the conflicts and motivations of the period from 1760 to 1790. Its language is simple and straightforward, and the organization of the book is logical and precise. Altogether, its pace and elementary approach provides for an entertaining read.

The work's objectives, according to Wood, are: "How the Revolution came about, what its character was, and what its consequences were- not whether it was good or bad- are the questions this brief history seeks to answer" (Wood xxv). This is preceded by a quick overview of past works on the subject, which Wood claims, rightfully, as being biased and too much in toe with the authors' contemporary strains. However, despite his wish to be seemingly objective in his prologue, Wood himself seems to be not without his own biases in the book. Often times the work feels not so much an explanation of how the Revolution came about, but more a justification of the actions taken by American patriots. Much attention is given to the fumbling efforts of Parliament and early on describes Great Britain's politics as "ramshackle" (5), "haphazardly" (5), "rickety" (18), "hodgepodge" (20), and declares that it was "no wonder that it took only a bit more than a decade for the whole shaky imperial structure to come crashing down" (21), while at the same time depicting Americans as "confined" (7), and "enmeshed" (23) in the empires blunderings. He then begins to show Americans in a light growing steadily brighter, describing their actions as "spectacular" (33), and as being "raised to the highest plane of principle" (39), "extraordinary" (47) and so noble as to aim to "bring freedom to the whole world" (47). His language, therefore, seems ambitious and patriotic at times, and although they are perhaps not without merit, the argument tends to be greatly one-sided.

The book ends, rather suddenly it seems, with the creation of the constitution. However, it is perhaps too sudden. The Revolution hardly seems complete without at least some attention given to the first presidential term of Washington, which set the Revolutionary principles in practice. Wood deals with the creation of the government, but in not somehow conveying whether or not these revolutionary principles were successful in practice for the figures that formed them allows the claims for the historical granduer of their fight to be rather unjustified. Now that the American (white) people had broken the bonds of an oppressive monarchy, how will their newly elected presidential leader act? Will he encompass their ideals and set new standards for the modern world? A history of the American Revolution, even a short one, hardly seems complete without at least some attention given to this chapter of the story, for just explaining that these people thought up and wrote down the ideas is not the end of the Revolution: it is those ideas put into action that truly can, in at least in some way, conclude the tale.

Despite these minor and perhaps irrelevant grievances, the work is a wonderfully quick way for one who wishes to be introduced to the origins, people, process, and outcome of the Revolution. It excels in its simple overviews of political movements and struggles, as well as concisely displaying the motivations and reasons for events and their results. Overall, it provides for a fun, quick read of a dramatic and interesting period in history.