Europe Books

This book gives you the opportunity to get a feeling of what your life may have been like living in the Jim Crow era of Georgia. My name is Bullard and I am a white genealogist. Eugene Bullard was the son of ex-slaves that were owned by a family named Bullard.

It is fabulous to see a black person rise out of impossible circumstances to become an expatriate combat pilot in the French Air Force during World War I. Jazz and Blues is what I listen to every day and the Jazz story in this book is very interesting to me.

A must read for any aviation buff who's ever wondered if there was a black pilot in WWI, and how he lived that life is truly an extraordinary saga.

Eugene Bullard was an African American man who was born in 1895 in Columbus, Georgia, and lived a really fascinating live. After leaving the U.S. in 1912 to escape the existing suffocating racist oppression, he stayed first in Britain, and then settled in France where he lived as a boxer, entertainer, jazz drummer, was a war hero in the trenches in Verdun, and become the first African American combat pilot in 1917 (in French service: the U.S. would allow black combat pilots only in 1941...). After the war, like so many other African Americans, he remained in Europe. He become a well known entrepeneur in the Parisian night club life during the 20s and 30s. At the German invasion in 1940, and after a brief stint in the French army, he went back to the U.S. where he died in New York in 1961. Revered in France as a national hero during is life, and completely unknown in his country until more than twenty years after his death, the life of this extraordinary man has in this book a much deserved homage and, probably, its definitive biography.

A very well documented biography on a genuine American and French hero. Unfortunately he was born during the Jim Crow era in the south (even though the constitution which was written over 100 years before his birth mentions "all men are created equal", this did not include any non-caucasian's or women, did it? Did not use the word minority since it denotes less than some majority, there are more non-caucasian's in the world anyway and what is really meant by that word is just that, non-caucasian. I find it odd that the USA was founded by European descendants like the English, French and even though the country prided itself on it's progresive nature, it did not include equality, even though Europe itself did not practice racial discrimination). He was born the seventh child of a large family and his father always had a premonition of a very distinguished future for him and let it be known to him when he was young. Talks about his travel through the south after he left home and was told early by his father of a country (France) where all men are truly free. This had a profound effect on him because he eventually made it to France via England first.

He began his livelyhood as a theatre performer and boxer; two opposing and similar avocations. He joined the military and became the first Black American and Black Frenchman aviator and was awarded medals for his bravery, dedication and skills. Very well liked, he had a contagious personality and started working at a famous Paris club later in life and eventually became a club owner himself. He met the famous of the day like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Langston Hughes, Bricktop and many others. This biography also got me interested in Jazz age Paris to request both autobiographies of Hughes and Bricktop.

Slowly (too slowly) more is being known about this man and his acomplishments and contributions to the human race.

You won't be able to put it down. Jack Johnson's autobiography "In the Ring and Out" is another good bio of that era too.

I had earlier learned of some of Eugene Bullard's exploits, but Craig Lloyd's book spotlights an endless list of amazing achievements that seem unbelievable for any man to accomplish in just one lifetime. It's a shame Bullard's life has been up to now unexplored and uncelebrated. Hopefully this extremely well-researched biography will fix that.

The volume 'The European Philosophers: from Descartes to Nietzsche', edited by Monroe C. Beardsley, together with its companion volume from the Modern Library, 'The English Philosophers: from Bacon to Mill', edited by Edwin A. Burtt, provides a good basic collection of the major philosophical writings of the post-Renaissance to the immediate pre-Modern period -- in essence, that period that many people think of as being 'our cultural history' in intellectual terms.

The text on the European Philosophers includes many of the major philosophers from the late sixteenth century to the nineteenth century. Each of the philosophers is introduced with a brief one-to-two page biography, but by and large the editor allows the philosophers' own writings to speak for themselves. Each biographical section ends with a supplemental/suggested reading section that is worthwhile if now a bit out of date. Where possible, Beardsley has opted to include whole texts, or at least major portions of them, and the selections are much more generous than the typical survey would be. The large sections of majors works are supplemented by briefer passages that help clarify key points along the way. The translations are standard and accessible.

This survey shows the breadth of thinking that concerned the European philosophers - metaphysics and epistemology are high on the list of important topics throughout the period, as is philosophical methodology (from Descartes beginnings to Liebniz to Nietzsche, many of the Europeans seemed to be concerned to 'reinvent' philosophy in major ways). Ethics and politics take more of a back seat in many respects, particularly when compared to the English philosophers over the same period, but there are major contributions to this field, particularly near the
end.

Beardsley's essay of introduction is an interesting discussion of the development of European philosophy, showing the individuality of each of the twelve major thinkers presented here, as well as the overall trends and underlying worldview they share. Beardsley traces three primary ways in which European philosophy of this period can be considered - an expressionistic approach, an historical approach, and a progressive approach. Beardsley's compilation of texts here requires no particular approach to the exclusion of others, but the reader will be well advised to
consider how each of the approaches applies to the overall pattern in the collection.

This is not a book about philosophy as much as it is a book of philosophy -- there are few guides or notes or explanatory pieces here, save the actual texts themselves from the major philosophers. Both volumes from the Modern Library are worthy of a place on the shelf of anyone with an interest in politics, philosophy, or the history of ideas.

This book is a wonderful resource for aquiring a much more profound idea of the most renkowned thinkers of the modern era. The contents of this book includes twelve great thinkers, within the span of two-hundred and fifty years, and their ideals of the world around them.

The author has selected these individuals due to the diversity of their philisophical world-views. Just look at the likes of Rene` Descartes in comparison with the eccentricity of Mr. Friedrich Nietzsche. One of course, would see that these two are extreme contraries, thus engendering an induction of pure thought from these contrary opinions, which in turn you as the reader may attain new insights resulting in a possible thesis or anti-thesis of your own. Then their are those who share simalar ideas such as Kant, Hegel, and Descsartes. They all hold that innate thought is to be venerated as the sole good of the world. Whereas an Empericist or Materialist would rather adhere to the product of nature to find the meaning of this chaotic earth. Any way you look at it all of their views are to be reverred and worthy of thought.

With the absence of a few great philosophers of that period, I was left just a little dissapointed, but the intuitiveness and profoundity of this work has left me invigorated. So if you would like to get to know these great thinkers all little more in this miraculous compilement of thought, pick up a copy today.

This volume has two wonderful aspects, it contains the primary philosophical thought of the most important modern European philosophers (excepting the British Empiricists, such as Locke, Berkeley and the incomparable David Hume), and it is published by the Modern Library. This book is hardback, well binded and printed on good paper that stands up to underlining and margin scribbling. For a real hoot, read Kant's serious, calculated, sober and nearly incomprehensible philosophy, and then read Nietzsche with all his ! 's at the end of virtually every sentence. Wonderful.

This is, of course, a compilation of European philosophers. The book is 870 pages long and contains parts or entire works from famous theologians such as Descartes, Pascal, Spinoza, Leibniz, Kant, Fichte, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Comte, Mach, and Nietzsche. Most of the primary works of these men (at least in part or in their entirety) are present in this work. Each philosopher covered is given a nice introduction describing his life, works, etc. The works are translated quite well. This book would be a great edition to add to anyone's philosophy collection, especially since it is a collection of primary works. Some of the works that are included are Descartes' "Discourse on Method," Pascal's "Thoughts," Spinoza's "Nature of Evil," Leibniz's "Relation Between Soul and Body," Kant's "Critique of Pure Reason," Hegel's "Intro to the Philosophy of History," Comte's "General View of Positivism," Nietzsche's "Beyond Good and Evil," and much, much more. If you are wanting a collection of philosophical writings then this is one of the better texts to add to your library.

This generous compilation of major works from the principle players in modern European (non-British) philosophy remains the one-volume sourcebook for every undergrad who has to write a paper and, more substantially, everyone who wants a real nose-to-the-grindstone encounter with the major philosophers. Spinoza, Kant, Rousseau, and Nietzsche are represented by substantial, and judicious, abridgments of major works (the "Ethics", "Critique of Pure Reason", "Social Contract", and "Beyond Good and Evil" respectively), while Descartes' entire "Meditations", the famous "Discourse on Metaphysics" and "Monadology" of Leibnitz, and the Introduction to "The Philosophy of History" of Hegel (which essentially comprises a book unto itself) are complete. Schopenhauer's "The World as Will and Idea" is also given about eighty pages, and the seldom-seen Fichte leaves a powerful mark with the Third Part of the "Vocation of Man". Fleeting but powerful selections from Pascal provide the dissent from the Age of Reason. Comte and Mach are, at least by my prejudices, footnotes today (their offerings, particularly the latter's, remain mostly unthumbed), but appendices of brief selections from Descartes, Spinoza, Leibnitz, Kant, Hegel, and Nietzsche offer further elucidations of some of their key concepts and arguments (this volume makes for a particularly good introduction to Descartes and Kant). The brief editorial prefaces are also noteworthy both for their keen appreciations of each philosopher's contributions (the tone is always sober but generous-- sober indeed largely because of the editors' awareness of just how much we owe to these thinkers) and for very full catalogs of available editions of the philosophers's works in English and of scholarly examinations of their lives and work. To put it banally, this is one-stop shopping for the Descartes-to-Nietzsche block of post-Renaissance thinking. And the spine on my copy has proved surprisingly enduring-- despite being blown off a truck, left in a hostile dormitory for over a month, and constant perusal, it has remained largely intact, though I'm about to lose a few pages of Spinoza. After ten years, this is saying a lot.

Have you ever asked your grandmother or your great-grandmother what things were like in the good old days, and then she told you stories that filled your mind with images of a world far removed from your own ... a world where children became excited by getting an apple and an orange at Christmas, a world where ladies never went without a hat, a world where it seemed that Every Day Was Summer. This is the world that Oliver Wynne Hughes brings alive and captures in his book.

Based on the memories of his mother, Laura, and her two sisters, Elsie and Beatrice, the reader is transported back to a place and time filled with happy memories and presented through a picture of the Welsh town of Harlech, prior to World War One. Every Day Was Summer is steeped in history and nostalgia, making the reader yearn for a bygone time. The book takes the reader on a journey through Harlech: we visit the townspeople through various good humoured anecdotes - and for a town with a population of just over 1000 people, it certainly had its fair share of famous people visiting or choosing to live in the picturesque seaside town. The Queen visited and was said to be mesmerised by the view; another visitor was Denys Finch Hatton, an adventurer made famous by the book `Out of Africa', who also spent many a summer in the town. Everything from shops and schooldays to childhood games and chapel are all lovingly remembered and explored throughout the pages of this book.

Although Hughes conjures up wonderful images of Harlech in the reader's mind, he does not shy away from the tragedy that sadly touched the town. Hughes peppers his book with the hardships that the townspeople of Harlech faced, from families touched by poverty to the tragedy that hit many families with the start of the World War One. That said, at no time does the book become morose or bitter; it keeps its whimsical style throughout and is an absolute pleasure to read.

I think every family should have an Oliver Wynne Hughes to capture its history through photograph, poem and anecdote so we do not let our children forget the places and people who have touched our hearts and our memories.

A very enjoyable a snap shot of life in a Welsh Town before the First World War. An interesting commentary on the interpersonal relationships between the social classes and different cultures.

A Nostalgic look at a much loved Welsh Town through the eyes of three sisters who lived and worked in Harlech at the turn of the 19th Century. A very enjoyable read, particularly for those with an interest in Social History.

What a charming book! Laughter, love, tragedy and humanity. It is all here and itis a true story. I would love to travel back in time and be a part of those girls lives, it is so what we all crave in our fast lives of today. My wife LENT me her copy - we have promised ourselves a visit to Harlech, Wales to find the places and see if there is anyone still there.

This is a delightful book, very evocative of that wonderful era before the first world war. Full of wonderful personal stories, based on the memories of 3 young girls who grew up in Harlech , a small coastal town in North Wales. Both humorous and sad it is a thoroughly good read and provides amazing insight into a generation that suffered huge hardships, yet seemded to live happy fulfilling lives.

This book will appeal to all ages and to anyone interested in the Great War, family history, the English Aristocracy and Wales. A great present.

I am not surprised that this book has unanimous 5 star reviews. John Treadway is a legendary figure in Balkan studies, and is quite rightly regarded as the world authority on the Montenegrin history of this period. He is uniquely able to make the study of Montenegro in the run up to World War One both scholarly and accessible, an all too rare feat in historical writing these days. Buy 10 copies of this book and give them to any historians you know to teach them how to write history properly. Christopher Catherwood, author of THE BALKANS IN WORLD WAR TWO (Palgrave, 2003)

John Treadway has been the most authoratative, brilliant and generally outstanding scholar of Balkan history in recent years, and this is the wonderful book that made his well deserved reputation. You simply cannot understand the Balkans without reading this magnificent book.

Brilliant study about Montenegro and its relationship with Austria-Hungary but also with Russia and Balkan countries, especially Serbia. This excelent book is based on critically confirmed facts and scientific knowledge. Professor Treadway stresses eternal wish of Montenegrins and their king Nicholas I Petrovic Njegos to restore medieval Serb Empire of Dusan Nemanjic: "Ambitious for his dynasty as well as his country and incited by the nationalism of his people, Nicholas dreamed of uniting all Serbs under his aegis and sitting upon Dusan's throne in Prizren" [page 201] I recommend this book to everybody who cares for knowledge.

Treadway has been extremely succesful in writing the dramatic history of Montenegro, its smart king and its brave people. After reading this fine historybook on the "black mountains" the reader will better understand the current trouble on the Balkans. Treadway describes in a detailed way why the two Balkan wars have taken place and what has been the political and geographical outcome of it. The Austrian-Hungarian influence on the European continent at that time as well as the Russian influence makes one see how history repeats itself today. For the current student on Balkan history, for the student on politics in the Balkan and for people who are interested in Montenegrin history this book is an absolute must! Highly recommended

I was lucky enough to have been a student of Dr. Treadway at the University of Richmond. This book was on the reading list for his class European Diplomacy from Bismarck to Hitler. Treadway's intense teaching style as well as his insightful sense of humor are seen in this work. The events leading up to World War I were both complicated, and filled with lots of "what if's..." Treadway concerns himself with the "Powder Keg" of Europe, the Balkans, and presents a unique and facinating overview of the events surrounding the Annexation Crisis, the Scutari Crisis, the two Balkan Wars, as well as the history of Montenegrin relations with Austria-Hungary, Russia, Turkey, and other Great Powers. How did this small country with virtually no resources come to play such a large role in European diplomacy and politics? Treadway answers this question, making his way to June 28th, 1914 and the assassination of Francis Ferdinand in Sarajevo at the hand of Mlada Bosnia. Anyone interested in the causes of World War I would be interested in this book, moreso because it is written from the perspective of "the mouse that roared," the small country of Montenegro.

Amy gets into many scrapes and meets lots of interesting characters in this exciting tale of the seemingly helpless overcoming adversity through teamwork and optimism. What an uplifting read!

Reviewed by Ian McCurley (age 13) for Reader Views (2/07)

Amy has a wonderful life. She lives in a rural English cottage near Burden Dell with her man and cook. She enjoys games of Shoe, and rules over the whole back yard (except cook's garden). Then, one day her man leaves in his noisy, smelly vehicle not to be seen for weeks. When Amy spots two men offering her a beautiful cut of steak, she instantly partakes. She feels drowsy and falls asleep. She has been dog-napped!

Amy awakens far from Burden Dell in a harsh and illegal dog prison where dogs are used to smuggle gems. She escapes with six other dogs before they are shipped to foreign countries, never to be seen again. Amy, Rodney, Angel, Hans, Pru, Rex and Lester travel through the streets of London. From Piccadilly Circus to Harrods Food Court, they are dodging cars and evading capture. They were being chased by the Fat Man and the Boxer, and Skull Face and Squat Lady, who are all smugglers from the kennel.

In their escape, they meet many friends, such as the Geese of Shelter Island and the Los Gatos de la Noche, or the Cats of the Night. The Cats of the Night are an underground organization of "cat burglars" who are, totally unexpectedly, cats. With the help of their new friends, the seven must make their way back to the old kennel and assisted by the strays of London, destroy the kennel and liberate the remaining captives. Can Amy free the dogs and find her master?

"Far From Burden Dell" is a good read if you like dogs, London or daring adventure stories. The author succeeds in pointing out that dogs are truly marvelous creatures and that in the face of adversity, they can persevere. I enjoyed the warm, fuzzy feeling I got when reading this book. After having been in London recently, I understand how the dogs were stunned by the sheer immensity of the city. Chris Coppel gave vivid, accurate and entertaining descriptions of London's monuments from a dog's viewpoint. This book changes the way you'll think about your dog.

This book is for ages 9 and up.

This book has a bunch of great characters, mostly dogs, but also a couple of cats and geese thrown in too. It's exciting and sometimes sad, but it's always fun to read.

The author has an uncanny way of seeing the world from the point of view of man's best friend. This book could be a challenge for some youngsters, but that will not diminish their enjoyment.

I expected to read a simple animal adventure. Instead I found one of the most imaginative insights into animal thinking and logic. Chris Coppel has somehow found a way to give an amazing array of creatures their own voice. This is not simply a book for children. This is a book for anyone who loves animals.

This guide is essential for all those traveling to Paris. I love that you can pick restaurants based on location or rating. Additionally, the essays describing the authors' trips were enjoyable to read. I found the ratings to be consistent and easy to follow, and would recommend this book to anyone planning a trip!

My husband and I just returned from a wonderful week in Paris. We set out to hit as many bistros as possible and this guide was a great help. We hit the following top picks and loved them all: Allard - probably the best frisee and lardons salad anywhere; Chardenoux - the raspberry gratin was heaven; Chez Georges - perfect in every way, one of our favorites - loved the lentil salad, sole georges and profiteroles; La Grille - the overall best experience, doesn't get any better, turbot for two was divine and the family atmosphere and personal attenion were icing on the cake; Le Voltaire - wonderfully clubby and the food was killer; and our last meal at La Petit Marguery was divine - the rabbit pate and grilled mushrooms for starters and the grand marnier souffle for finishers - wow. This book was the perfect fit for us - small, easy to use and absolutely accurate.

Just amazing. My wife and I visit Paris for ten days yearly... and this book is our dining directory. Absolutely reliable and accurate. Over the last two weeks, we visited six of the twelve Top Picks. And then seven of the Highly Recommended. We indulged in fois gras at least once and most often twice a day. Two additions to the book: Under new management, Benoit is much better, and more wonderful, than the last two years, but still as "Parisian", so be sure to insist on the main dining area instead of the back room. Reservations far in advance are important. Also, the most wonderful La Grille, the off-the-beaten-path home of the Turbot of the Century, is an absolute must. Retirement can't be too far off for Yves and the gracious Genevieve Cullerre. Get there while you can. If you love traditional French fare, this book is essential. I hope the Twenty First Century Edition will be updated often. We are counting on it.

An accurate assessment of many Paris bistros and small restaurants throughout the city. Amusing personal anecdotes and helpful hints on places to dine in all arrondissements drawn from years of experience. This guide is essential planning for the first-time as well as the seasoned traveler.

This book was sent as a gift last summer before three of my friends and I went to Paris last fall. It was one of the most helpful, concise tools for selecting eating places in Paris. It is so well organized, fits in one's handbag, and was helpful in selecting eating places that didn't "bust the budget" but were delightful. I think it is a must for the Paris traveler of many times(like me) or the first time visitor. Dom't leave home without it!

     "Fearsome Battle tells the story of a young American who enlisted in the Canadian Army before America went to war. The writing of Mr. Robert Rogge unceremoniously grabs the reader from the onset. An unusual aspect of Fearsome Battle is that this account has been written in the third person. Mr. Rogge had considerable difficulty writing of the horrors of war he had experienced first hand, from the first person or as seen through his eyes. However, he manages to capture the mind and attention of the reader by describing each account in the short memoir as if from a disinterested bystander reporting the chilling events as they unfolded.

     This World War II personal account narrates small snippets of horrific battlefield action as witnessed firsthand by Mr. Rogge. It delivers a masterful portrayal of a young man's innocent entry into combat and the fulfillment of his coming to age as a seasoned veteran. The war finally ends with his felling a German soldier just prior to hearing that the war has finally ended. The soldier was but a boy, maybe fourteen years of age, but one who would have killed his adversary had he been given the chance.

     Fearsome Battle keeps the reader on the edge of anticipation from the first page to the last.

     I highly recommend this book for any person interested in reading what is in the mind of a combat soldier who fully expects that the next moment in time will be his last.

     Mr. Rogge, Thank You, for an excellent observer's narrative of the brutality of war."

     Joe Richard, web master, World War II Stories -- In Their Own Words.

Using his considerable skills as a writer, Rogge drops the reader into the cage of war and unleashes its terrors and hardships on us. This book is the real deal. Its images linger and affect me still. I read it with horrible fascination and a growing appreciation for what these men endured to win the war.

Fearsome Battle: With The Canadian Army In World War II Europe is the gripping true memoir of Robert Rogge, a 22-year-old American volunteer who served with the Canadian Army during the perilous era of the second world war. Robert personally participated in the assault on Normandy on D-Day, and survived eleven months in the thick of battle until the war's end. Vividly graphic (almost to the point of disturbing) in portraying hand-to-hand combat, artillery bombardment, and the sad, sometimes gruesome job of picking up the dead after the fighting settled, Fearsome Battle is a candid and informative picture of the horrors the Greatest Generation endured to protect the world against Nazi ambitions and fascist intentions. Highly recommended reading and a welcome addition to the growing library of World War II memoirs and autobiographies.

This author tell his story in third person in order to keep the haunting reality of war at a manageable distance, yet he takes the reader into battle with his poignant tellng of it. Told in vignettes, the reader is not fettered by the minutia of a soldiers life, but feels it, tastes it, smells it nonetheless. Rogge exposes the poetic, celestial soul of humanity in the mundane savagery of war through the experiences of one weary, intrepid man who understands that the horrific and the sublime are complementary.

A realistic and grabbing account of war in the European Theater. As the Editor of the newsletter of the National Museum of the Pacific War, I read many accounts of combat on both the European and Pacific fronts. This extremely well written book gives an unflinching view into the shattering of boyhood ideals and the horrors and sacrifices of war. The book is notable because it gives the unique view of an American volunteer serving with the Canadian Army in Europe; in addition, the author's use of the third person allows him to talk about things that otherwise might have been too painful to share openly with others. I highly recommend this narrative which goes a long way to dispell any of the so-called glories and glamour associated with the waging of war.

My grandfather is pictured on the cover with Sgt. Bowen, at the bottom left. The vivid details in Sgt. Bowen's book make you feel like you are in 1944, watching all of the action! His book brought to life my grandfather's experiences. I still cannot comprehend what these soldiers endured, and I am so grateful that my grandfather made it back to Maine to start a family and a new life, after seeing so many friends perish. So, I am pestering him to write a book about his experiences now!

Sgt Bowen's account of his time in the 101st during WWII is excellently written and includes much of what is missing in other 101st Airborne histories/memoirs. Veterans recollections of war are those of a war fought locally next to your closest friends; Sgt Bowen's is very much in this vein. Sgt Bowen is an astute observer and reporter of his wartime activity in Normandy, Holland, and Germany. His inclusion of being wounded, captured and subsequent interment in medical units, POW camps, and release provide a unique glimpse into this aspect of WWII veterans.
Sgt Bowen has produced a book which is a thoughtful addition to the 101st Airborne's WWII history; definitely one not to be missed.

Bowen writes in his book about a private named Harold Zimburg. If you were to search the national archieves for this name nothing will come up. The name doesnt exist. But,he is a real person...the man in the book called Harold Zimburg is my grandfather, Bowen just got his name wrong.I know this based on my grandfather's POW records, the stories he told while he was alive and the fact that his picture is in the book. Although Bowen got his name incorrect...it was very nice getting to read about my grandfather in World War 2 since he is now deceased. I am very excited there is a book out there that talks about the 401st!

Robert Bowen, who lived in Maryland, in 1943 went down to Florida to have basics (if he finishes he would join the 104 infantry division). As fate had it Bowen and a couple other of his 104th friends would be transferred to Fort Bragg where they would join the 401st regiment of the screaming eagles, the elite 101st. Bowen fights in Normandy where he was injured in the ankle. He also fights in the 72-day campaign in Holland (operation Market Garden) and there he participates in the defense of the Island. Bowen also fights at Bastogne but is captured when a German armored division finally over runs Bowen's and the rest of his surviving friend's position. The rest of his book is about trying to stay alive in the POW camp where he and all of his friends are at the edge of death because of the small and some times no rations, and dysentery. Bowen then explains his life after the War, which as you will see is quite sad.

After I first interviewed Mr. Bowen in 1998 I had tears in eyes. These feelings of sacrifice, loss, suffering, courage, and heroism surface again in this superb book. FIGHTING WITH THE SCREAMING EAGLES takes you back to the foxhole.

this is with no doubt the best book i have ever read , it is filled with so many mixed emotions and the way it is seen through the eyes of a dog makes it ever more interesting . the feelings that you feel when you read it are a mixture of sadness , joy and wonder . you will never know what is comeing next and that just makes you want to read it even more . belive me when i say this is the best book you could ever get

This book if absoloutly fantabulous beyond belief. How buetiflly the words are used. descriptive of every detail. Extroudinary. I could read it a thousand times and never get bored. Buy it now! its great!

In 1381, English folk rebelled against the oppressive system of serfdoms. Cruel lords and masters ruled villages of ordinary folk with no say over the heavy taxation and unjust laws.

For a simple hunting dog, human politics meant little to nothing. As the canine friend to Rufus, a simple man, the old dog is happy to keep her place by the fire, take her master hunting, and sleep in the house.

Everything changes shortly after the birth of her latest litter of puppies. Soldiers take Rufus and his wife, Comfort, away, leaving behind their three children. The dog ensures the children's safety and returns to find only one of her puppies has remained. Together, she and her young pup do their best to survive. She experiences freedom, captivity, and reunion, all in the names of love, loyalty, and survival.

Originally published in 1998, FIRE, BED & BONE is a dog's observation of the horrors life sometimes presents us. This telling of a significant event in history is done in a way that will engage kids, teach them, and show them a wonderful story. Using a dog's point of view (there are no talking animals in this book) to portray the way of men is a powerful tool, and in this case, it is well used.

This book should be a leading candidate for classroom use, as well as for simple reading enjoyment. The writing is easy to follow and sentimental without growing sappy. I definitely recommend this title.

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
10/26/2006

What a brilliant book! This is set at the time of the 1381 Peasants' Revolt in England, and it shows the causes and events and results of that social upheaval in a way that is quite sympathetic to the peasants' side of the story without glossing over the mob violence that was involved. The book manages to be dense with factual information without being boring or preachy. However, the narrator is a dog -- a dog accustomed to a life of good care, with the comfort of the fire, a bed, and an occasional bone shared from the meager resources of its owners. And the dog tells us not only about the impact of social unrest on the people but also on their animals. The reading level is suitable for average fifth graders, but the issues are powerful and complex enough to interest older students of any reading level. This is a wonderful narrative of human events from an animal's perspective and should be placed along the classics of this genre.

Branford has crafted a powerful piece of historical fiction about fourteenth century England and has done so in a manner that honors the Young Adult audience's often ignored right to realistic, unromantic history. Her narrator, a wise, nameless hound is endearing but never cute. Through her eyes we witness the brutality and social upheaval of the late Middle Ages. This sage old dog, so unlike the traditional, overwrought animal narrator, provides a sense of detachment from events like the Wat Taylor rebellion that allows us to feel the peasant's righteousness as well as to cringe at their senseless mob violence. Above all, get ready to breath this one in. Fire, Bed & Bone is so splendidly redolent with the real, visceral scents of the age that you will inhale it as much as you read it.

The book is awesome and has whet my appetite for more history. At first I did not like the divided history approach of highlighting Rome, Judea and China in various chapters but after reading through the book it did seem to motivate one to read through to get to the next continuation (kind of like a cliff hanger). This tended to highlight more of Rome & Judea and only a small amount of China.

The late historian Barbara Tuchman wrote a wonderful book called "A Distant Mirror" about the calamitous 14th century. It is absolutely spell-binding for history enthusiasts. While Klingaman's book is not quite as well written, it does a remarkable job of presenting the world-shattering changes that took place during the First Century A.D. (or C.E. if you prefer). As a Christian of the Episcopalian stripe, I enjoyed the "context" it provides for understanding the time of Jesus. I'd recommend it to anyone with an interest in the subject. Bring along your thinking cap because it's very thought provoking!

This book is written with style and some wit, bringing long dead shakers & movers to life. Very entertaining with some clever insights from the author who also presents historical figures with personalities (accurately or not - it does'nt matter), opinions etc.. Bloody good read.

If you have ever wondered about the events that shaped leaders and everyman, thousands of years ago, this is an entertaining read, considering it is non-fiction. The real life events are presented in a way that brings characters into stories that otherwise would seem to be so long ago and nameless.

A great line was "At the dawn of the first century, the empire over which Augustus ruled,-with the aid of only a rudimentary civil service-encompassed nearly eighty million people and ranged across ten thousand miles of frontier..."

A good read for the context getting of where we came from to get where we are today as peoples on this globe.

This book is wonderfully written, a pleasure to read. I give it five stars even though it is somewhat lop-sided: although it claims to be a history of Rome, China, and Judea in the first century, the author shows a decidedly western bias. Counting the sections, I see 14 on Rome, 11 on Judea, and only 7 on China. The author seems more sure-footed, and more excited, when describing Rome.

However, overall I found this a great read, enough so that it inspired to get some of the authors other books.