United Kingdom Books

My 7-year-old daughter is a ferocious reader who loves non-fiction & fiction. She loves this book; the two-page format with lots of colorful pictures in combination with the inviting, questioning text are great. We love also the Eyewitness books, but this is a winner because it does more than, hypertext style, show pictures with captions -- the continuous narrative builds the bigger picture. I think many children would really enjoy this book; definitely schools would benefit by it.

This is the first of two volumes that cover the history of Britain from the Celts to the modern age. Each 2-page section is illustrated in color and contains a clear overview of even the most complex topics. Photographs of artifacts and sites are included, and the narrative is written in a way that is intended to involve the reader by posing questions and including descriptions of modern archaeological efforts. Suitable for older elementary and middle school students, this would be an excellent classroom resource or core text.

The 1598 loss of their theater's lease should have been a major blow to the Lord Chamberlain's Men, one of Elizabethan England's premier acting troupes, who had gained even more popularity by teaming up with one Will Shakespeare, a Warwickshire glover's son come to London some six years earlier in pursuit of his Muse, leaving behind a wife and three children; daughter Susanna, born but seven months into his marriage, and twins Hamnet and Judith, who'd followed two years later. Yet, what to another company might have spelled "present death" only brought greater fame and fortune to the one boasting, in addition to Master Shakespeare's talents, those of Richard Burbage: not only a superb tragedian but also his troupe's financier and, together with brother Cuthbert, happily able to afford the construction of a new theater in Bankside, on the opposite side of the River Thames. Prophetically, the company named their new home "The Globe" and endowed it with a motto which, in approximate translation, audiences of one of the first plays produced there - "As You Like It" - would soon also hear pronounced from the stage, and which sums up the essence of the Bard's plays better than anything else: "Totus mundus agit histrionem" - "All the world's a stage."

The new playhouse's name and motto were apposite not only because the era did indeed consider a stage a model of the world (the area above was referred to as heaven, the area below as hell, and characters would often appear accordingly: as such, Hamlet's father is heard crying "below [stage]" after his encounter with the Prince), but first and foremost because Shakespeare's plays themselves, individually as well as collectively, represent a microcosm of human relationships and behavior virtually unparalleled to this day: Laced with murderous schemes, revenge, and the search for justice, love, and peace of mind, but also comedy, all-too-human fallibility and great nobility of spirit, they delve into the human mind's darkest recesses and soar to its greatest heights; exploring greed, envy, ambition, guilt, remorse and pure evil, next to compassion, generosity, humility, innocence, fidelity, cleverness, boundless cheers and optimism; all interwoven in timeless plots unmatched in wit, variety, construction, and richness of characters.

Yet, for all this, the biggest difficulty remaining to modern editors and readers alike is that while Shakespeare himself didn't seek the publication of his plays, in the absence of anything approximating modern copyright laws, he was unable to prevent their publication by others, in so-called "quarto" editions, often based on unreliable transcripts made during or after a performance. Only after his death, in 1623, his former fellow-actors John Hemmings and Henry Condell published 37 of his plays "cured and perfect of their limbs" - i.e., restored to their author's true intentions - in a volume since referred to as the "First Folio."

Alas, authoritative weight though it has, even the latter doesn't conclusively answer what the Bard intended as the final version of these 37 plays. For one thing, research shows that even some of the Folio texts were edited by others; most prominently so "Macbeth," where Thomas Middleton inserted, inter alia, the witch queen Hecate as an additional character. Secondly, quarto editions of several plays published prior to the "First Folio" (especially of "Henry IV Part 2," "Hamlet," "Troilus and Cressida," "Othello," and "King Lear") are widely believed to represent earlier (or rival) drafts written by Shakespeare himself, and thus accorded considerable authoritative weight of their own. Often, these plays are therefore presented (both in print and on stage) by "conflating" both versions' texts. In the interest of purity, the editors of this particular volume have eschewed that approach, choosing instead to reproduce the Folio text throughout (with gently modernized spelling), because this was probably the text originally used on stage, and appending the passages most frequently added from the rivaling quartos at the end of the respective plays. Thus, this edition's reader will find Hamlet musing in "To be, or not to be" about "enterprises of great pith and moment" whose currents "turn awry and lose the name of action" (not "of great pitch and moment," as in the 1604 "Second Quarto"); he will, however, have to consult the appendix to find the Prince's reflections on that "stamp of one defect" so prominently featuring in Sir Laurence Olivier's movie, or his vows of "bloody thoughts" after encountering Fortinbras. Only in the case of "Lear," the editors chose to fully include both rivaling versions - that of the First Folio and that of the 1608 quarto - because here, the omission of entire scenes and reassignment of numerous pieces of dialogue essentially transforms the Folio text into a new play vis-a-vis the 1608 quarto.

As painstakingly researched and an as obvious labor of love as this work's first edition, the second edition moreover restores the plays' original titles ("All Is True" instead of "Henry VIII," etc.), and also contains Shakespeare's long poems and sonnets, brief accounts on the lost plays ("Cardenio," "Love's Labour's Won"), and - with appropriate caveats - the texts of works of only partial/uncertain attribution, such as "The Two Noble Kinsmen," sundry poetry, and (for the first time) "Edward III," as well as the editorially and topically so problematic "Sir Thomas More."

Background and supplemental materials include introductions to Shakespeare's life, career and language and on the Elizabethan theater, a user's guide, a list of contemporary references to the Bard, commendatory poems and prefaces of his works (including those of the "First Folio"), a glossary, an ample reading list, as well as a short introduction to each work. At well over 1000 pages a brick even in paperback format, this isn't the place to turn for a complete scholarly review of any given play - for that, the reader is well-advised to consult this volume's "Textual Companion" or one of the many excellent editions of the individual plays - but a marvelously-presented one-volume resource on the legacy of the playwright whose works, as already friendly rival Ben Jonson rightly prophesied, would last "for all time."

Great Compilation of the works of Shakespeare. Something my daughter had to have while studying at RADA in London. Great to become familiar with his lesser known plays!

This is an outstanding reference for the researcher and patent attorney alike. The book provides a solid overview of patent law in the major markets, with emphasis on pharmaceutical, chemical and biotechhnology patents. What distinguishes this book from others in its class, however, is the emphasis on practical and strategic aspects of patent filing and enforcement. The author has a lifetime's worth of experience in this field, and it shows. Moreover, the book is uncommonly well-written, with clarity and occassional humor. Highly recommmended!

This is quite simply the best general work on patent law and practice I've ever read. Presented in clear, crisp language and with wit and flair, it is essential reading for anyone in the patent and allied professions and I would suggest mandatory reading for any students.

Compared the suggestions to our actual experiences in London and Mr. Cochran has come up with some great ones, off the main tourist track andd seemingly up to date. Will be using this before our next trip.

This is the second time I've been to London, so I wasn't keen on seeing the totally touristy places this time around. This book had some great recommendations for unusual sites (I loved the Hunterian Museum!), lovely restaurants and generally well-priced places-to-stay. The informal but informative style was really great.
Since we went to Paris on this trip, too, I only wish the Paris version had come out before we had gone!

First of all, thanks to Amazon for an excellent service.. I live in Ecuador (South America) and don't have too much chances to get good contemporary art books. This book gives the opportunity to see many of Doig's first works and the recent ones. The buyer won't feel dissapointed. You can get to see the images on a good size, the color reproduction is acceptable. Doig's paintings does not only show a lot of his imagination but also an awesome technique. It is not boring at all to contemplate the million details he makes all over the canvas. Great use of the palette. Excellent resource for painters esentially because in this type of work you get to understand that you have to get over your fears or to make mistakes. Doig's paintings give you a real sense of freedom and the love of the artist for his job.

To Amazon: I gave you my whole trust and you made a perfect job. Congratulations

Doig is really one of the best living artist, and this book really does him justice. The book includes older work as well as recent. Reproduction is excellent. I can not give a better recommendation.

Marvelously thought through analysis of Pictish symbols, primarily those on stone monuments. Cummins draws together a number of Pictish sources and historical records of related cultures to create compelling conclusions from rather sketchy evidence. He recognizes the limitations of the source material and usually admits that future scholars will need to confirm or disprove his guesswork. Occasionally, Cummins asserts unsupported conclusions, but these minor leaps don't detract from his remarkable thesis, which is often brilliant.

One of the best books on deciphering the Pict symbols I've encountered in recent years. He is systematic in his approach and very clear when he proposes a 'guess' for an interpretation. Several very clear photos and drawings help you understand his conclusions.

Read this AFTER you read The Age of the Picts, also by W.A. Cummins

In 1934, Oxford University Press published the first volume in the "Oxford History of England" series. As subsequent volumes came out over the next 31 years, they came to serve as indispensable surveys of English history, the natural starting point for anyone interested in England's past and a powerful force influencing our understanding of it. Yet as the state of historical scholarship evolved, gradually the volumes became outdated in terms of their presentation and interpretation of the past. In response, Oxford launched a "New Oxford History of England" series, of which Paul Langford's book was the inaugural title.

In it Langford presents a wide-ranging history of England from the accession of George II to the loss of the American colonies. He presents the era as a chaotic one, with the country still coping with the consequences of the Glorious Revolution, which let a deep impression upon politics and society. Though the aristocracy remained the dominant group in many respects, the author sees the middle class increasingly coming to play a vital role in English life as the century progressed. In an age of commercial prosperity, their"polite" values increasingly contested with those of the upper class, setting the stage for their gradual assertion as the dominant segment of society in the century that followed.

Langford's book is an outstanding survey of Hanoverian England, one that draws upon an impressive range of scholarship. Though his main focus is on the politics and society of the period, very little escapes his coverage, as economics, art, and literature also are addressed within its pages. Though he presumes that his readers possess some prior knowledge of his subject (the mini biographies of people offered in footnotes in the old series are absent here), his analysis and arguments are clear and forcefully made. The understanding he provides of the era makes his book a critical resource on the subject, and a worthy successor volume to those from the venerable old series.

I liked this book a lot.Diana had a very busy life and a lot to do but she always found time for other people.It is sad that she died but I think she did a lot of good things in her life.This book tells the story of a beautiful person.I give it a A+ !!!!!

My daughter read this book for a school report. I picked it up to look at it, & then couldn't put it down. I was impressed and touched by this well-told story.

I was four years old when Gerry Conlon,Paul Hill,Paddy Armstrong and Carole Richardson where released from prison after Fifteen years of wrongful Imprisonment. I remember my mother calling us to watch it on the television. I recently read Gerry Conlon's Proved Innocent. It touched my heart. It is his story of his youth and his innocence being stolen. It is a story that is cruel and heartbreaking and would bring a tear to many an eye. It is also a story of true courage and hope. This is a story i will never forget because it gives the reader the strength to carry on. After reading this book, you will see why it gives one the strength and hope and courage to carry on.

Proved Innocent is the autobiography of Gerry Conlon. Gerry Conlon was one of the "Guildford Four", who were arrested in the Early 1970s to having bombed a pub in England for the IRA. None of them was connected to the IRA in any kind - they were convicted innocent. Only in 1989 they were released after fifteen years in prison.

"If there is a hell, it's being in prison and knowing you're innocent." (Gerry Conlon)
Reading this book you get an impression of the torture he went through, of this hell. At some states I surprised myself shaking my head while reading.

Already in the beginning, when he talks about his childhood in Northern-Ireland I was shocked and fascinated at the same time: "I remember calling for a mate of mine one day and his mother coming to the door. When I asked if he was coming out, his ma said, `No Gerry - his brother Jim's wearing his clothes today'...." (Gerry Conlon)

As you see from the above example, there is also a lot of background mentioned, which let me imagine what it must have meant to grow up in Belfast around 1970 and made me understand the complicated political and social situation in and around the Northern Ireland conflict.

Further it is interesting to mention, that the whole book was written in Irish-accent. This makes it very authentic but it is something you need to get used to.

Based on Gerry Conlon's autobiography a film was released in 1994 called "In the name of the father" by Jim Sheridan starring Daniel Day-Lewis as Gerry. Unfortunately I have not seen it yet but I if it's only half as captivating as the book it is worth watching it!

As a bike-mad teenager growing up in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, Tom Simpson was the closest thing to a childhood hero that I had. His racing exploits used to make the headlines in the local paper, and I went to the cinema to see the Movietone News reports of his Classic wins in Europe. On a gas-pipe special bike that was far too big for me I tore around the lanes thinking that I was almost as fast as Tom. Along with thousands of other naive bike racing fans I stood out in the rain the day he was buried in Harworth, and cried, and did not understand.

I read all the books and articles subsequently written about Tom, watched all the programs and videos, and over the years have been left with a cardboard-cutout impression of a talented, ambitious athlete who just tried too hard. Nothing wrong with that I suppose, after all, a man's reach should exceed his grasp. Now William Fotheringham's new book has added a whole new dimension to that flat cardboard cutout, and put real flesh and blood on the dry bones of Tom's story. Far more than a seedy drugs expose, the book puts the many aspects of Tom's character and the various pressures on him in his chosen career into perspective, and into the context of his life and untimely death. There is neither commendation nor condemnation of Tom, but he emerges from this book, as from no other book, as a real person, a real character, a real "lad".

I am now in my second childhood, and Tom is still my hero, and tears still come to my eyes when I think about him, but now I do believe I finally understand.

A quick and engaging book for anyone interested in professional cycling and a historical perspective on one of the most impactful events of TDF history. Written without judgement and very matter of fact regarding drug use and how the "wink and a nod" attitude about it was so pervasive in the early 1960's cycling scene.