Europe Books

This is a delicious and absolutely reliable guide to the delightful B&B establishments of France. I wouldn't think of traveling without it. The selected accommodations always have some unique feature or special charm.

This volume describes 721 French B&B's in 370 pages, each B&B keyed to one of 18 useful regional maps. An additional 40 pages provide maps, indices, some French vocabulary and advertising for Sawday's other products. The descriptions are very useful and the book's organization conducive to effective planning of an independent trip.

I am using this volume to plan a trip from Nice to La Herradura in southern Spain during during the next few months. This permits me to compare this book to the companion volume, Special Places to Stay:Spain.

After reading the Spain volume I expected French B&B's to be as detailed as that of Spain. Certainly it provides information about B&B's in every corner of France. Yes, it too is a marvelous aid for planning the independent trip. Yes it is much stronger than any Rough Guide to France or Spain that I have read. It provides prices, the number and type of rooms, web site references, e-mail addresses, telephone and fax numbers. It very briefly describes what each B&B offers and when it is open or closed. What is lacking for my taste buds, compared to the "Spain volume", is the detailed descriptions provided by a pithy writing style descrbing the locale, the owners and of the cooking style that almost makes the roast kid aroma of a described culinary delight jump out of the pages. My wife misses photographs of the interiors of each B&B.

To provide considerable detail for two establishments per page is an ambitious task and the editors carry it off. Not withstanding my "comparative disillusionment", the word descriptions do compensate for the missing photographs, directions to local eating places anticipate culinary delights and "How to get there information" makes it easy to locate a Special Place on a detailed Michelin map.

Based on my personal experiences, the Spanish volume appears to be very reliable, I see no reason why the French B&B should not be equally so.

An American friend resident in France and my wife and I used this guide last May on a trip through much of France. We set out with a fistful of books: three lodging guides in English and three general guides in French including the familiar Michelin. After a few days we used only Sawday. We found it rock-solid: reliable, authoritative, sensible, up to date, well illustrated, easy to use - all we could hope for. We would phone during the day for a place to stay that night and scored most times with our first choice. [A caution: While some proprietors spoke English, we relied on our friend's French for the cell phone.]

All was as advertised: our hosts welcoming, the accommodations clean and comfortable. A few miles from Omaha Beach we stayed in a new extension to a 18th C. manor house on a 100 acre dairy farm. The next morning, after a delightful breakfast, the proprietress gave us a tour of her milking barn. The average cost for was $50 for two, breakfast included.

Some hosts provided dinner for $15 to $30 including wine. On another farm, dinner included home grown vegetables and home brewed aperitif and digestif, all for $14. In Arlanc although we phoned late, the proprietor graciously made a special trip to purchase extra food for a gourmet meal.

It was a memorable, and thrifty, way to meet real people. What's more, Sawday maintains a searchable database for pre-planning and a most helpful staff. Overall, a superb resource.

I used this guide to plan my husband's and my last trip to France. Although we've been to France many times, the excellent bed and breakfasts in this book made this the best trip ever. The descriptions were accurate and the facilities all lived up to our expectations and more. This book must be popular in the U.K. because most of our fellow travelers were British and had found the B&B's through the book. The book indicates which B&B's serve evening meals along with the cost of the meals; we enjoyed the lively family style dinners immensely. The places we stayed were outside of the towns and cities but the book gave adequate directions to find them.

Many of the B&B's owners did not speak any English which can make telephone reservations difficult for anyone who does not speak French, however fax numbers are included where available. Although the book did not stress any need for reservations, we traveled off-season in the fall and many places were full and turning away drop-ins. I highly recommend the book for planning a casual trip in the French countryside.

My wife and I used this book as the basis for a planning a vacation driving through Normandy. We stayed in four different B&B's recommended in the book. We found the reality met or exceeded the descriptions and we were able to enjoy excellent stays. We recomend this book to any traveller to France wishing to use small hotels and B&B's.

If you are planning a trip to northern Tuscany (Florence, Pisa, etc.) and want to do some hiking, you must check out this book! It is a goldmine of information on hikes in the Tuscan Alps -- all carefully described and ranked by difficulty, scenic beauty, elevation gain and duration, etc.-- as well as recommendations for places to eat and sleep at the end of your tiring day. I will update this review after putting the book to the test in May 2000.

The level of detail in this guidebook is astonishing. I have walked and climbed this area for 23 years but still found new ideas. I can confirm the accuracy of the descriptions from my experience of many of the routes followed in whole or in part. In this area it is essential to use detailed maps to supplement the route description if only to find starting and finishing points. The maps recommended within this guide are not wholly adequate for the purpose, and maps of the series "Edizioni Multigraphic, 1:25 000" are really indispensable.

I just returned from a trip to the Apuan Alps, where I put this book to the test, and it was quite useful. The hikes are very well described and are very accurate in terms of the terrain and the time and distance. I also agree with their rankings of the various hikes in terms of difficulty and the overall experience. However, this book should be used as a "starting point" coupled with detailed road maps and trail maps, as the directions to the trailheads (and on the trails themselves) can be a bit vague at points. Still, it was an excellent tool that made for a great hiking experience.

This book, which I received as a present in anticipation of a trek to Italy, is fantastic. It is very interesting and well written with lots of good information. I agree with the above reviews; I especially love the menu recommendations for various spots and the guide to Italian behavoir. My one complaint is that it does not have much information for extended (multi-day) hikes, and while it has useful information on trains, the book as a whole is geared towards those traveling by car. All in all a delightful book, that is a fun read even if you aren't actually going hiking.

This guide gives detailed information about 31 hikes in Italy's Liguria region and the Apuane Alps of Tuscany. As an example of its useful detail, it rates the difficulty of each hike as Easy (up to 8 km, up to 500 m elevation gain) Moderate (up to 10 km, up to 800 m elevation gain) Strenuous (up to 14 km, up to 1200 m elevation gain) and Very Strenuous (over 14 km, over 1200 m elevation gain).

Five of the hikes are more strenuous than the climb from Phantom Ranch, at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, to Grand Canyon Village, at the South Rim. And there are just two easy hikes.

As Mrs. Brogan nurses her son along with Dan and Sun Dance, she weaves a marvelous tale of her childhood. It reminds all children that their parents were small once too and thinking that maybe parents are as dull as you might think. The shocking conclusion will leave you waiting on pins and needles for the next book in this funny, exciting series.

Amber Cat was a good book; of course, it was confusing, as all 2 of the 2 books (Dog Friday, Amber Cat) that I read so far by Hilary McKay were. It was confusing as in it didn't exactly give some important details; some so important that you couldn't exactly picture the few scenes, although there were options floating around my head when I read these parts, but none were right, and I will now never know, given to the fact that the author didn't explain the parts and details well enough so that I could see them in my head. But the book made a point, unlike a lot of other books, and it didn't carry on and on with one boring subject, as some other books do also. I also think that Sun Dance's mind was a little jumbled, and that Mrs. Brogan's stories about her childhood were very fascinating and sounded fun. I think that when Robin was going to build a raft, it was not a good idea either. Harriet was very interested and I really enjoyed reading about her and everybody else.

Robin Brogan,Mrs. Borgan Robin's mother and Robin's best friend Dan are the main characters of the story. The Amber Cat is a sequel to Dog Friday and if you like it you will for sure like the Amber Cat. I read Dog Friday first and liked it but if you read Amber Cat first you might not understand it very well. The Amber Cat goes back to when Robin's mother was a kid. Robin's mother has a friend that was alive when her parents were kids. Mrs. Borgan was telling this story when Robin , Dan, and Sun Dance had the Chicken pox. Robin's uncle Charlie was there one summer when they were kids. He hasn't seen Robin since his dad died. Charlie, Robin's uncle, was coming to visit Robin and his mother. The Amber Cat goes back to when Robins mother was a kid.Why I like these books is because they are strange books and thats the tipe of books that I like. Robin finds a dog and since he found him on Friday Robin calls him Friday.

This book is about a mother who stays home with three boys while they have the Chicken Pox. She tells them an amazing story about when she was 11 and played at the beach with her cousins and a mysterious girl named Hillary. The author made me feel like I was right there watching them. I felt like I was in a secret world. There were many characters with interesting personalities. The ending left me thinking everything through again in my mind. I would highly recommend this book!

This was one month's selection for our Mother-Daughter reading group. Half the group couldn't get past the first three chapters (that's never happened before!), and the other half of the group persevered and finished the book, and LOVED it. The beginning is very confusing and there are so many characters introduced, that it's hard to keep track of who's who. Right up until the last chapter, there are things that are unexplained, so it's like putting a puzzle together AFTER you've read the book. This is a book best read silently by yourself---too complex to read aloud. The author does a wonderful job of weaving magic about how we influence the lives of those around us, as well as those who come after, and how others who came before have influenced our lives. My daughters (9 and 10) and I loved this book.

John C. McManus's "The Americans at Normandy" is the best work of history I've come across on the American role in the decisive battles comprising the Normandy campaign from the beaches of Normandy to the closing of the "Falaise Gap", which nearly suceeding in wiping out Nazi Germany's French army of occupation. McManus is a gifted storyteller, recounting numerous fascinating vignettes which showed how inexperienced American troops managed to hold their own against, and then finally defeat, a superbly trained force of Wehrmacht and SS soldiers. Although there have been many books devoted to the Normandy campaign, few have been as successful as McManus's book in rendering the events from the perspectives of those who fought in this campaign.

Though there isn't much in the way of significantly new historical research, I was certainly intrigued by McManus's poor assessment of General Omar Bradley as the overall commander of American forces. More than once, he indicates that Bradley wasn't as willing as his colleague General George S. Patton in waging an extremely aggressive campaign against the Nazis. Indeed the best instance of this is Bradley's own reluctance in closing the "Falaise Gap" by linking American troops with British and Canadian armies. If the gap had been closed successfully, McManus suggests that the war in Europe could have drawn to a close much sooner.

"The Americans At Normandy" is divided into three parts corresponding to each month of the campaign. "June" begins on June 7th, describing American attempts to expand the Omaha and Utah beachheads, followed by an ill fated attempt to seize the strategic town of St-Lo and the brutal assault on Normandy's largest port, Cherbourg. July describes much of the hedgerow fighting in Normandy's bocage country, the successful seizure of St-Lo, and the beginning of the breakout from Normandy at the end of July. August includes chapters devoted to the breakout and the ill-fated Nazi counteroffensive near the town of Mortain, followed by the nearly complete encirclement of Nazi troops in the "Falaise Gap". Most of the chapters are devoted to recounting what these battles were like from the perspectives of the front-line privates, noncommissioned officers, lieutenants and captains faced in dealing with a tenacious, determined foe.

McManus' detailing of the events of Normandy (post-D-Day landing) is just that - an awesome detailing of the struggles faced (and overcome) by the American Army in Normandy during the summer of 1944. I was struck by the absolutely appalling machine gun, mortar and HE fire that the American forces were required to endure in each and every hedgerow-bordered field they crossed. The lack of pre-planning by Allied commanders on how to effectively deal with an enemy entrenched in such ideal defensive positions is appalling. The number of lives lost due to such short-sightedness is sobering.

McManus' book does a great job of giving the background, setting the scenes and giving the reader the perspective of the men in the field. He liberally uses maps - but these are reproduced in the hardcover edition in a scale that is far too small to be as effective as they could be.

McManus' treatment of American leadership is honest and unvarnished. He - as could be predicted - discusses many of the Patton's foibles - but so have many other historians and biographers. I was struck by his less-than-admiring treatment of General Omar Bradley and Bradley's decisionmaking. McManus really takes Bradley to task for certain of his decisions regarding Operation Cobra and the northward pincer movement south of Falaise.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. It makes me appreciate all the more the bravery shown by many American combat vets who were forced to learn - through trial and error at horrible cost - how to use combined arms to dislodge the entrenched Germans from Normandy's hedgerow country. Anyone interested in this theater of WWII should read this book.

The best book I have ever read ! Amazing detail and it shows the true horror of war.I am probaly the only 9 year old that would read The Americans At Normandy I don't know why because it is very interesting.

The best book I have ever read ! Amazing detail and it shows the true horror of war.I am probaly the only 9 year old that would read The Americans At Normandy I don't know why because it is very interesting.

With so many books written (many over the past few years) about D-Day, hedgerow fighting, and exploitation to drive the German war-machine back to the Fatherland, what makes John McManus' "The Americans At Normandy" special? In short, why should someone interested in World War II history pick up this book over any one of the plethora of other on the subject? Quite simply, "The Americans At Normandy" is a unique contribution to the genre as it brings material together from several distinct sources to tell a broad-portrait story of America's citizen soldiers and their fight to free Europe from the grips of fascism. Having said this, most of what McManus covers is not particularly new, nor does he shed new insight on old topics. Rather, McManus does what so few historians attempt, and so few other achieve - to tell an encompassing and gripping story that maintains historical depth while not causing mass sleep induction. Broad-portrait stories are most usually either shallow in depth, or deep but arduous reading. "The Americans At Normandy" falls into neither of these common traps!

McManus' first contribution to his Normandy duet, "The Americans At D-Day", was a solid book but lacked significant punch to set it apart from other works covering D-Day. Being American Army-centric one could also argue that "The Americans At D-Day" lacked depth necessary to convey the weight of the allied invasion of Europe in June 1944. However, with "The Americans At Normandy", McManus redeems himself wholly. Yes, McManus' second contribution is also American-centric but for this book he can be forgiven as the battles within, and breakout from, the bocage country involved the Germans and Americans almost exclusively - remember the Brits and Canadians were bogged down around and in Caen while the American Army slugged its way through the Cotentin, Upper Brittany and Bocage. In "The Americans At Normandy", McManus treats the reader to a detailed story of how the citizen army of the United States fought a tenacious opponent (seemingly always better on defense than offense) and drove a wedge through the tough crust to breakout into the plains of France and onto the Seine and Paris. This is a wonderful story, not told in such completeness of theatre and still from an American-centric position elsewhere.

In his acknowledgements McManus thanks his executive editor at Forge (press) for suggesting that McManus' work be broken into two volumes. As McManus himself states, "...this was fortunate...[and] reflects sage wisdom and knowledge of the publishing world and history in general". Indeed. McManus was fortunate to have an editor that suggested this approach. McManus did the work of researching and writing but the editors and publishers package the product. This was a joint venture for a home run!

This reviewer's critique of McManus' "The Americans At D-Day" (here at Amazon) was quite harsh in terms of credit given (or my perceived lack thereof) to researchers who walked the path before McManus. As a particular example this reviewer brought up the phenomenal work of Mark Bando in "Vanguard of the Crusade" which McManus used quite liberally in "The Americans At D-Day". Once again Bando's work comes into focus with "The Americans At Normandy". In this case McManus draws not only from "Vanguard" but also Bando's unique contribution to the Normandy literature - "Breakout At Normandy". But wait - unlike the apparent neglect to properly credit Bando's work in "The Americans At D-Day", McManus heaps praise on Bando's work in his notes to "The Americans At Normandy" (p. 464). Moreover, while McManus gave near-reverent thanks to "academic" historians in his acknowledgements to "The Americans At D-Day", while forgetting equally important historians not part of the ivory establishment (e.g., Bando), he includes these latter figures in his current acknowledgements - sandwiched amongst his academic peers. It thus appears that John McManus deserves this reviewers apology for previous suggestions that McManus played favorites with "academic historians" - I sincerely apologize!

In the end, John McManus' "The Americans At Normandy" is a tour-de-force book that provides a big picture of the American combat experience in Normandy, from D+1 (7 June 1944) until late August when the armored spearheads where rush across the French plains to Paris, that has not been presented previously. This is a serious piece of historical literature and will stand the test of time. Five solid stars!

This is an invaluable book for those who complain about living in the USA, those interested in human nature, Russian travel or culture, or book lovers in general.

The most insightful comments were about human nature: property that is owned by everyone is not kept up by anyone and its corollary, property that is owned by everyone is free for the taking by anyone. Her examples are poignant, especially her attempt to set an example of personal responsibility.

Missy's love and concern for the ordinary people of the Russian hinterland overcame the deprivations and primitive conditions where they lived for 15 months. The isolation was intense, but expressed only in the context of overcoming it. The Russians responded to Missy with glowing warmth that was in stark contrast to the very cold climate.

Not only did I greatly enjoy the book, but since I was away when it arrived, I had to wait for my husband and a friend (who is going to Russia) to finish the book first. Our friend immediately bought a copy for his wife.

I am thoroughly impressed with the author's ability to show us a detailed picture of everyday life in the Russian hinterlands. I never imagined people could still live that way in this day and age. We (Americans) are very much spoiled by what we consider "our necessities" in life. The emotions and visuals this book brought to me were so clear and real. I thought the last chapter written by the author's husband was a very nice touch. We have the story from both sides of this very adventurous couple! I was a little nervous about having to read about the Russian government/politial issues in this book, but was quite surprised and pleased to see it wasn't like any other book I've read about Russia. It is about the daily life of the everyday common person (or Americanski)in Pavlovo, Russia. Thank you for sharing your story, Missy Moore!

This is an invaluable book for those who complain about living in the USA, those interested in human nature, Russian travel or culture, or book lovers in general.

The most insightful comments about human nature: property that is owned by everyone is not kept up by anyone and its corollary, property that is owned by everyone is free for the taking by anyone. Her examples are poignant, especially her attempt to set an example.

Missy's love and concern for the ordinary people of the Russian hinterland overcame the deprivations and primitive conditions where they lived for 15 months. The isolation was intense, but expressed only in the context of overcoming it. The Russians responded to Missy with warmth that was in stark contrast to the very cold climate.

Not only did I greatly enjoy the book, but since I was away when it arrived, I had to wait for my husband and a friend (who is going to Russia) to finish the book first. Our friend immediately bought a copy for his wife.

I would probably never read an abstract discussion of the Russian economy, but this first-person story held my attention all the way through. The fascinating picture it paints of the hardships under which most Russians live was an eye-opener and will stay with me a long time. As will the courage of the writer who faced all challenges with good humor and good sense.

What a wonderful narrative of a present day adventure! Students often need material on Russia but are put off by lengthy books that are heavy on history and very short on interesting daily life. This book is perfect. It is like listening to a favorite relative tell about the trials of the depression and how it influenced all that came after.....

had any reviews or attention on Amazon.com since 2002. Some prescient person purchased this once and future classic of graphic novels for our library's collection where I discovered it. I bought a copy for my nieces and sent it to them.

My sister and nieces have read it out loud together five times! The phrase "lead on rabbit man" has entered into their personal family language and I have been elevated to the Favorite Aunt Hall of Fame on the strength of that gift.

The literary world should be beating a path to Rachel Hartman's door. Movie producers should be begging for the privilege of committing her delightful creation to film. And there should be sequels to it. Why OH WHY is there not even one sequel?

Buy this! Read it! Give it to your favorite girl children AND boy children! THIS IS A CLASSIC! DO YOU HEAR ME! A CLASSIC OF CHILDREN'S LITERATURE COMPARABLE TO ANY OLD HARRY POTTER BOOK OUT THERE OR YET TO BE.

AND RACHEL HARTMAN, IF YOU ARE STILL OUT THERE SOMEWHERE, WRITE AND DRAW A SEQUEL! IF YOU DO, WE WILL BUY IT AND READ IT! I PROMISE YOU.

I borrowed this book knowing nothing about Amy Unbounded, but after the first two chapters I was hooked. It is deceptively simple at first: a fun and interesting story told by a child who doesn't necessarily pick up on all the subtleties of the adults' conversations around her. Though I enjoyed reading the book the first time from Amy's perspective, I enjoyed re-reading it even more when I knew what to look for.

I highly recommend this book. It may take a chapter or two to keep the characters straight (the guide at the beginning helps) but once the story gets going it's very enjoyable!

I immediately sought out the prequel mini-comics so I could find out how it all started. Hopefully they'll also be released as a matching book some day...

I love Belondweg Blossoming, I wish there were ten more books just like it. I'm showing it to all my friends and making them buy copies!

I love the characters -- real people, good people, with complex lives that have profundity and humor. I love the drawings. I love the writing -- poetic, real, able to spin that web of good literature, where the words feel magical.

This is great! I'm in love! (With Foughfaugh, gosh what a hunk!)

The subtly wry humor and wit of this collection will charm even the most hidebound traditionalist. There are echoes of Dickens, Austen, even Chaucer here. Hartman's characters, lively on their own and only in text, vibrantly dance with solidly human expression across the panels of this graphic novel. Amy herself is a heroine cut from the same fabric as Anne Shirley, Hermione Granger, Dorothy Gale, Lessa, and, as Linda Medley points out in her nostalgic introduction, Jo March; yet uniquely a 21st Century girl living in a mostly medieval fantasy. This is absolutely the book for those who shun and dismiss the graphic novel as a legitimate literary form; minds will change! A must-have for any comic art or graphic novel collection, readers of Neil Gaiman, Terri Windling, Ellen Datlow, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Patricia Wrede, and Anne McCaffrey, to mention only the merest few, will love this effort. We must have more from Ms. Hartman and soon.

I'm not a big fan of graphic novels, or comics in general. But when a friend told me that Hartman's "Amy Unbounded" had the literary merit of Dickens, in spite of being full of cartoons, I had to try it.

First of all, this is not a cheap flimsy comic. This is a *thick*, 200+ page paperback, professionally bound and printed. It's the sort of thing meant to keep for years, or give as a gift.

"Amy Unbounded" tells the story of a somewhat precocious 10-year old girl living in the fictional medieval land of Goredd. Amy's friends include Bran the Icky Boy Next Door, a scholarly dragon travelling incognito, her uncle the exiled knight, and a plethora of fascinating Goreddis.

Through the eyes of young Amy we see the hopes, disappointments, limitations, and human character of women and men living in a medieval society.

In spite of its fictional setting, the book seems packed with extremely well-researched tidbits on medieval life, farming, clothing, and society.

I approached this work as a novel, and not as a comic book. The story is outstandingly strong on its own. But for those who are more visually oriented will enjoy the carefully rendered artwork.

I would give this book an even higher rating if the web site would let me!

Now in a completely updated and substantially revised second edition, "Ancestral Trails: The Complete Guide To British Genealogy And Family History by Mark Herber continues to be an invaluable and indispensable genealogical reference guide for novice and experienced genealogists alike whose researches require them to access the voluminous British archives of records and other published resources. Originally published in 1997 in association with the Society of Genealogists based in London, this new and expanded edition of "Ancestral Trails" provides an informed and informative guide to what records and published sources are available, how to access them, how to analyze what they archive; how to use the divers 'finding-aids' and indexes. "Ancestral Trails" also shows how to obtain and process information from living relatives, how to construct family trees, how to utilize the preserved records of birth, marriage, death, and other census data. Also covered are such sources as wills, parish records, civil and ecclesiastical court records, poll books, and property records. "Ancestral Trails" is a core addition to any professional genealogy library reference collection and a 'must' for aspiring genealogists having to deal with British source material.

The field of genealogical research in Great Britain is littered with literature. This scepter'd isle has a long history of excellently preserved source records, an enthusiastic community of genealogists, and a wealth of authors willing to guide the enthusiasts through the records. Given this background, it is difficult to imagine that a new work on British genealogical research could quickly become a new "standard reference". Mark Herber has made his Ancestral Trails just such a standard. Ancestral Trails, written in association with the Society of Genealogists in the United Kingdom, is 688 pages of top quality writing, organization, and completeness of coverage. It takes a textbook approach to the subject of genealogical records, leading the reader from the more basic sources such as civil registration and parish records on to the more specialized such as military and educational records. Far from being dry in style, the author uses well chosen examples from his own years of researching his ancestors to explain how the record types in question can be used by the family historian. Some authors who use examples from their own research can detract from their work by doing so. In contrast, Mark Herber has made his personal examples of real research situations enhance the text because of their relevancy to his topics. Nearly one hundred examples of significant records are included as illustrations. Researchers experienced in using British records as well as beginners will find this encyclopedic guide useful. The author covers newly-available resources such as the 1881 Census Index and provides excellent research advice and several clever shortcuts to using this new finding aid. Those researchers with Essex ancestors will be doubly blessed by this book as many of Mark Herber's examples are from research in that county. The extensive bibliography really sets this book apart as a new standard reference. Almost one thousand bibliographic references are conveniently referenced from within the book's 30 chapters. Researchers familiar with particular record types will be pleasantly surprised to find Ancestral Trails referring to an exhaustive list of other works on the topic. The author's writing style lucidly describes the important considerations when working with a record type and seamlessly refers the reader to the more specialized works of other authors for greater detail. Ancestral Trails is a thick and thorough tome and an excellent addition to the research knowledge of anyone with British ancestry.

This is simply the best manual of English genealogy ever published. Let's hope any upcoming edition acknowledges the existance of the Internet.

"No other publication gives such comprehensive and up-to-date guidance on tracing British ancestry and researching family history. Illustrated throughout with more than ninety examples of the major types of records, and with detailed lists of further reading, Ancestral Trails will be the essential companion and guide for all family historians." Anthony Camp, Director, Society of Genealogists.

This excellent publication was created in association with the prestigious Society of Genealogists, perhaps akin to the US' National Genealogical Society. The author Mark D. Herber is a solicitor who began researching his family in 1979. He has successfully traced some of his lines back to around 1580.

Indeed I was impressed with this 674 page "encyclopedia." (Quotes added for emphasis!) The bibliography alone is twenty-two pages. My experience with English records has been limited to early parish records in Devon and some Court of Canterbury wills, so I was most eager to have the opinion of three friends who do extensive English, Welsh and Irish research, and indeed are successful in helping others make strong headway in their research. You can imagine the excitement at our local LDS Family History Center as they poured over the book with uncustomary enthusiasm!

The consensus is that ANCESTRAL TRAILS is as definitive of British research as Ancestry's THE SOURCE is of American genealogy. Lew, a 1st generation Brit, was impressed with the chapter on military records, and made a note to order the book forthwith. Elsie, born of English immigrant parents, had been inquiring previously about manor court records and found this publication provided more than she had found in explanation elsewhere. I was impressed with the 94 illustrations, including typical certificates of vital records, representative samples of wills and the like.

Also impressive is the attention given to beginning genealogists. Basics such as pedigree charts, personal recollections & memorabilia, spelling, handwriting, dates, obtaining certificates and organization of collected materials are discussed with ample illustrations.

Additional chapters include: General Problems Encountered by Researchers, Civil Registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Census Returns, Parish Registers, Churchyards and Cemeteries, Directories, Combining Sources, Archives, Libraries and Family History Societies, Wills and Administrations,Catholic, Nonconformist and Jewish Records, Marriage and Divorce, Maps, Land Registrations and Property Records, Local and Social History, Newspapers and Elections,Parish and Town Records, Records of the Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force, Records of Shipping and Seaman, Records of Trades, Professions and Business, Oaths, Taxation and Insurance Records Records of Civil and Ecclesiastical Courts, Records of the Criminal Courts and Criminals, Education, Peerages, the Gentry, Famous People and Heraldry, Further Property Records, Tracing Migrants and Living Relatives, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands Immigration, Emigration and Investigation Abroad

Appendices included essential information under the following topics: Codes for areas and volumes in the GRO Indexes, Indexes to other GRO records, Chapman County Codes, Seize Quarters of Bessie Maude Symes, Extracts from the Bullied and Keates family trees, Public Record Office Information Leaflets, County Record Offices & other archives, Commencement dates of the reigns of English and British monarchs, Wills & Administrations in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury: A Summary of Finding-Aids, Records of the Court of Chancery: A summary of Finding-Aids.

Owing only to its tiny print, you'll need a magnifying glass in addition to your bi-focals to glean all that's contained in Ancestral Trails. On the best advice of our resident "British Research Gurus," I most heartily recommend this book.

DearMYRTLE

Daily Genealogy Columnist

Genealogy Forum on America Online

Keyword: dearmyrtle

I checked this book out from my local library because I felt that I was floundering with my British research. This book answered all the questions that I had, and much, much more. I'm not going to write a long review of this because there are a couple of other excellent reviews here already. I just wanted to add that there is a second edition of this book, from January 2004, available in England, but unfortunately not in the US yet. Because the internet is so valuable to those of us trying to do research from abroad, I decided to spend the extra money and order the newer edition from www.amazon.co.uk . It is more expensive, but it seemed worth it to me to have the most recent edition. If that's important to you, check the publication date on the edition advertised.

This is a highly recommended book about Anne Frank and her diary. Miep Gies tells her whole story from start to finish what it really like hiding from the Nazis. She was a friend of the Frank family from the beginning so this is first hand knowledge and a must read for anyone who is interested or has already read the Diary of Anne Frank. It deserves 10 stars but there were only 5 available to give. *****

This tape was so captivating I couldn't put it down. I think its the best book I have ever heard of. I think everyone should read it or listen to it on tape. It makes the hardships and danger of World War 2 come alive.

This tape was so captivating I couldn't put it down. I think its the best book I have ever heard of. I think everyone should read it or listen to it on tape. It makes the hardships and danger of World War 2 come alive.

Anne Frank rembered captured my heat and it will capture anyone's heart who likes to read about Jewish people in hiding. It tells of the hardships of people trying to stay alive during World War 2. This book is one of the best books I have read in my entire life. I know that millions or all ready millions that has read it will be touched by it.

This book was the most fabulous book that I have ever read! All my friends liked it and so did I. Thats why I am on aol looking for a website on her. If anyone finds one please contact me at my email adress Heatluver33. thank you and if any of you want to look at this book make sure to read it because you will love it out of your mind!

I recently received this book and have looked forward to reading at least one chapter each day. The story flows very nicely with an interesting read (by no means boring) and the multiple pictures supplement the story for visual support. The book gives an entirely different glimpse into this officer's life and what it was like for him during the war as opposed to just being at sea and searching for ships to sink, etc. I love to read about submariner's from the World War II time era and this is certainly one of my top five reads.

I am a fan of autobiographical history, especially WWII and U-boats. The authors really try to be as factual as possible.
The book is based on recollections and diaries of Werner Hirschmann.
It is a book that is hard to put down and really makes you feel like you are in his shoes.

I have reviewd books in the past, but only review books that have made great impressions.
It has parts that may be too techincal for some, but that doesn't take away from the story and could be enjoyed by anyone who liked the book "Iron Coffins" or the movie "Das Boot".

I'm a big fan of Werner Hirschmann and am glad he let me read his diaries.

Stevie

An excelllent account of the war time life of a U-Boat officer,other than the commander. An interesting account of the what it took to be in the Kreigsmarine during and after the war.

I found the book well written and could not put it down. I reccomend the publication to anyone with even a passing interest in U-Boats.

One of the services with the highest casualty rate during World War II was the German U-Boat service. Of the 40,000 men who served in that branch, 28,000 were killed. Werner Hirschmann was one U-Boat officer that entered the German Navy in 1940 and served until 1945 when he and his boat surrendered to Canadian forces.

This book covers several different subjects. The first few chapters deal with his joining the Navy and the training he received. Then it's to see on a destroyer, including excort duty for the Bismark when it left for the Atlantic raid. Finally he is transfered to U-Boats with more training followed by going to war. Finally came the sixth and last patrol, ending in surrender.

There are two appendicies to the book. The first is a Pictorial Tour of the authors boat, the U-190 and the U-889, both type IXC long range boats. The type of submarines that were used in the patrols to North America, the Caribbean, the southern Atlantic, the Indian Ocean and the Orient. This pictorial tour is well illustrated. Mr. Hirschmann was the engineering officer on the boat, so as you would expect, these pictures feature most of the technical aspects of the boat. There is even a picture of the quite rare four rotor Navy Enigma machine.

The second and somewhat smaller appendix is titled Life on a U-Boat. Again, it is fairly technical in nature.

This is a splendid book, especially for the technically minded

For the U boat buff's this is a very good read. I own over 60 books on U Boats and would rank this in the top 10. Its very different from other books since its a focus on a person not so much as the boat. I found myself living the writers life. I would say its a must read and again different from many other U Boat books.

The reproduction quality of images is very good. This catalogue allows to know some masterpieces of this genius, that like Caravaggio still remains one of the great realist painters.
This is a precious catalogue because it's difficult to find other Mancini publications.
Don't miss it!

Mancini is one of the most amazingly unknown artists of the 19th C. The texture that gives his paintings such a powerful presence also makes them impossible to reproduce, but I think this book does a decent job. It is a compelling read -- Mancini's story is very engaging. I hope this marks the beginning of more notice to one of
the greatest talents ever to pick up a paint brush.

This is a must have book for any lover of painterly naturalism.
Few artists have ever possessed the combination of the subtleness of Mancini's modelling and sensitive drawing with his highly expressive use of paint. His painterly talents are in par with Titian and Rembrandt. Among more recent painters, he can be compared to Nicolai Fechin. I wonder if Fechin was familiar with Mancini's work; it appears as if he was. However, this book and a book I have on Fechin by Mary N. Balcomb do not mention the link.

I had seen Mancini's "Resting" at the Art Institute of Chicago for years and marveled at its beauty and its mystery. Who was Antonio Mancini? Cudos to the Art Institute for their insight and willingness to hang this fairly unknown artist on it valuable wall space. This book answers all those questions. Mancini is first and foremost an excellent artist. The closest I can think of might be Fechen (Mancini's later work esp.) Fairly loose with tighter work in the face and hands. Every painting in this book has people as its subject matter. This book goes into detail about the artist fairly difficult life. He had a few mental problems. The reproductions are well done and most are in color. Considering this is the only book in english on the artist, we take what we can get. If you are at all into the current "Clasical Realist" or "Representationist" movement, get this book. You will finish it wanting more. Which is how a great book should be.

VERY rare opportunity to read a well written review of this artist and his life. After seeing the show, the reproduction leave a little to be desired but most publishers only do an adequate job at this price level. Overall, an excellent buy and tremendous research aid in the study of this enormously talented artist.