Irish Books

I like this book because it was sweet and fun. I loved that Rose never gave up. I also loved the ending.

Out of all of the Ellis Island books, this one is by far the best!

I LOVED this book! I just wish that it didn't end without anything about her little sisters. For me, it ended too abruptly.

this book was fab!! i nearly fell in love w/tim!! he was so awesome...but her dad was a joke...i mean how horrible was he to promise never to drink another drop and go out to Casey's he pisses me off! but then he was sweet in his own way...it was soooo good!! everyone...maybe every girl...should read this book!! i give it a 5* rating

This book was my second favorite out of the series. It's with sadness, adventure, and romance. I recommened this book to anybody who likes historical fiction.

I loved this book. He seemed genuine and really care the fate of the Hong Kong Chinese.

Regardless of the so-called hidden agenda behind the rush to the democracy before the handover, the truth was back then none of the patten's predecessors had the political reforms in agenda. They were all diplomats and they only really concerned to kowtowing Beijing. Patten was a politican and he tried to work and fight for the benefits on behalf of HIS constituents i.e. people of Hong Kong. He got unfairly smeared by Beijing in return just because the truth hurts.

The bottom line was Chris Patten did leave a legacy way better than Tung che-hwa, the chief executive of Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region-not the disease) could ever dream of. What an irony it was when the white Anglo-Saxon master who make Hong Kong prosperous and better than the mainland Chinese themselves.

When the Union Jack lowered the last time on June 30, 1997, it symbolized not only the beginning of the fall of Hong Kong, but also spell the death of Hong Kong. Hong Kong-the beacon and the crown jewel of what a Chinese society ought to be back then ceased to exist.

I loved this book. I thought it was a great narrative on Chris Patten and his governorship and the hardships he endured. The book spares almost no detail, but I would have liked to see more of the Democrat's point of view. This book is absolutely necessary for people who wish to know in-depth about his governorship.

After reading the online review of Theroux's Kowloon Tong (a fictional account of the 1997 Handover of Hong Kong), I am surprised to find that only one customer have contributed a review to Dimbleby's marvelous work on the historical events. Dimbleby provided an excellent and comprehensive account of the political events that led to the signing of the 1984 Sino-British agreement, the arrival of Chris Patten, the introduction of legislative reform, and the eventual derailment of the democratic movement by the Communist Chinese Government. Dimbleby also tell the stories of several Hong Kong citizens and their views of the Handover. Being a native of Hong Kong who have spent my last 12 years in the States, Dimbleby's book brought me up-to-date on the big political stride taken by and the obstacles awaiting the people of Hong Kong.

This book is one of the best books about the history and political development of HK. It not only gives a brief but interesting historical outline at the beginning of the book, it also traces the development of HK politics. What the governors before Chris Patten did and what have been changed since the arrival of Patten. It also outlines lots of power struggles between the governor and the ministers in Britain and how Patten dealt with them. For sure the relations between the governor and the Prime Minister John Major is a key factor contributing to the "success" of the governor. Of course one would have no doubt about that the close relationship between the governor and the writer, Jonathan Dimbleby, who followed Patten to come to HK and spent several years with him, which does enable him to access some crucial but secret matters that are not easily accessed by other journalists. Being a HK citizen, reading the book enables me not just to know the past better but it also enriches me about the situations of HK at that time. Reading it is just like passing through the history once again, with all those political arguments between China and both Patten and Britain reappearing in real life. Another interesting thing about the book is that it also touches lots of the everyday lives of the ordinary people living in HK, how did they feel about the political arguments and what did they plan to do after the handover of China. This makes the book more lively. This book is definitely a book that students of history/Political Science/HK Studies should read.

Jonathan Dimbleby's The Last Governor is a tour de force that gives the reader an insider's perspective into the tenure of Hong Kong's last colonial leader, Chris Patten. Dimbleby treats the reader to a narrative account of the trials and tribulations that Patten faced as he attempted to enact democratic reforms in Great Britain's last colonial jewel. Although one would undoubtedly expect the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) to be vociferously opposed to any belated attempt by the British colonial authorities to bequeath a semblance of democracy on Hong Kong, Dimbleby makes the case that Patten's biggest enemies often came from within his own government. Dimbleby's revelations that selected British cabinet and Foreign Office officials shamelessly sought to downgrade the importance of Hong Kong and sacrifice Patten's proposed reforms on the alter of commercial relations with the PRC, resulted in Dimbleby being investigated by the Foreign Office for possible receipt of secret intelligence materials. Dimbleby was cleared of these allegations, but the vast array of insider information that Dimbleby amassed for this book strengthens the strident arguments that Dimbleby advances. Only a handful of participants in The Last Governor emerge with their reputations unscathed. Hong Kong's local and international business elite is portrayed as willing supplicants in the PRC's efforts to scale back personal and political liberties after Hong Kong's reversion to PRC sovereignty, a position easily enforced by PRC threats to their commercial interests. Martin Lee and Emily Lau, two of Hong Kong's leading democracy advocates, are portrayed as actually weakening Patten's push for democratic reforms through their uncompromising approach. The various representatives of the PRC are painted as unbending ideologues with little appreciation of Hong Kong's way of life. Dimbleby is most critical of the British officials, past and present, who acted to either inadvertently or deliberately sabotage Patten's governorship. Most prominent on this list is Sir Percy Cradock, Great Britain's lead negotiator in the 1984 Joint Declaration and former Ambassador to the PRC. Cradock comes off as a modern-day Neville Chamberlain, willing to cut a bad deal with an unsavory power for the sake of diplomatic expediency. Cradock compounded this error by working both privately and publically to weaken Patten's political position and policies. Dimbleby also argues that the Cradock mentality had infected the entire Foreign Office and selected members of John Major's cabinet, who worked to undercut Patten and sell-out Hong Kong in favor of better commercial relations with the PRC. The greatest strength of The Last Governor is also its greatest weakness. While such open access to Patten gives this book the necessary dramatic propulsion, it also strikes the reader as serving as Patten's mouthpiece. While Dimbleby does downgrade Patten for underestimating the challenges he was to face as Governor, Dimbleby's portrayal of Patten as the lonely David fighting against the multi-headed Goliath seems to diminish the numerous allies Patten needed to help him accomplish the limited reforms he was able to enact. Dimbleby could have also delved deeper into the political rationale behind the PRC's bargaining position and policies regarding Hong Kong. The Last Governor is highly recommended reading for anyone interested in Hong Kong, Chinese, or British affairs and to readers interested in how bureaucratic politics affects international diplomacy. Dimbleby's prose is brisk and should easily captivate and entrance the reader. Keep in mind that this is not an academic tome, so Dimbleby's point of view is repeatedly expressed without reservation or apology.

The last of his name, says Charles McGlinchey, who, old and heirless, revisits his life with a local schoolmaster. So long as someone reads his memoirs though, McGlinchey ensures the family name will endure. His book reads with fireside lyricism and so effectively captures a man and his times. It is unique not in subject but in the breadth of history and in the narrator's ease of storytelling. In just over 100 pages, McGlinchey transports us to a misty, nearly forgotten Irish past that, though shadowed beneath modernity, lives in the recess of his mind. He reminisces on all matters, with one memory unfolding into several more and those into yet more. Among the varied subjects, he recollects his family and home life, his job as a weaver, American emigration, local legends, popular spells and cures, and favorite pastimes. It is the arresting quality of local life in a small Irish community that makes this book such an enjoyable one. McGlinchey's ability to reach back generations and decades and to extract from them histories and individual stories not only astounds but more importantly it reveals an intimate portrait that should not be so soon forgotten.

I am in the early stages of writing a book about life in County Donegal during the 19th century. This book is one of a few primary sources that describe what life was like for the people in this county.

The book is superbly produced-- from the book design to its typefaces, it's beautifully executed. Considering how this material was obtained, the book is well edited. To me reading the book is like sitting around a turf fire in Ireland, listening to a very old man lovingly describe a time that was long since past. He mentions many people and places, mostly within the parish of Inishowen. One thing I would have liked to see is an index. Without an index it's difficult to determine if an ancestor is mentioned in the book.

The book contains many Irish words and common phrases that were in use at the time. The book also contains songs and poems in Irish (with English translations) that perhaps are not recorded anywhere else. Much of what he recounts was part of the Oral Tradition of the countryside.

In some ways reading this book brought sadness to my heart. My great-grandparents were born in Donegal around 1820. This book describes some of the hardships that they had to endure. It chronicles a way of life, and a people that are no more. McGlinchey speaks to this regarding the Irish language, "Down to my young days there was nothing spoken in this parish at fair or chapel or gathering of any kind but Irish.... The English language came in greatly in my own time and in the one generation Irish went away like the snow off the ditches."

Charles McGlinchey's book is wonderful. It manages to convey a sense of the cultural wealth which rural Ireland possessed until so recently. He himself fitted very much into the 'Seanachai' tradition, and we should be thankful that some of his knowledge has been preserved. The delightful thing about the book is the simplicity of the material.

This book was very interesting. It is a closely edited description of an old man's life in a remote rural area of Ireland in the first half of the century. He tells a few stories from his father's and grandfather's days but mostly describes what life was like during his life. The book was first published in the 50's, I think. Without referring directly at all to the major events of the day, we get a look at the changes that were underlying society in his time. From the story about his grandfather being "pressed" to serve in the British Navy during the Napoleonic wars on, I was hooked. The Kirkus reviews are misleading, though. They make it sound like the man was telling fairy tales instead of fairly straightforwardly recounting his life, which involved a fair amount of superstition.

This little book is a fascinating read and a must have for anyone with Irish ancestry. It was narrated by Charles MacGlinchey, whose family moved from the Finn Valley in Donegal to the Inishowen Peninsula and settled in Clonmany parish, where Charles McGlinchey was the last of his family, hence the title of the book. It's chock full of Donegal folklore, including tales of poteen stills, revenue men, men on their banishment, the famine, immigrants to America, landlords and tenants, kidnapped women, hedge schools and fighting sticks. Charles McGlinchey was born in 1861 and died in 1954. His life covered the period when most of our Irish ancestors were crossing the Atlantic in small ships with nothing but the clothes on their backs and a small cask of oaten bread for nourishment.
Don't look for a lot of genealogical information in the book. There is a mention here and there of a handful of families a fortunate few may be able to connect with; but on the whole this book is a living, breathing picture of life in Donegal when almost every Donegal man still spoke and read Irish as his native tongue and the Irish language had yet to melt away under the onslaught of English like the snow on a river bank, to use McGlinchey's phrase.
There are tales in the book of Donegal farmwives walking the thirty miles from Clonmany parish to the market in Derry and back again in time to do more chores before nightfall; of the oldtimers sitting with their backs to the fire at night sharing the ancient exploits of Finn and Cuchulain; of a rapacious Scottish landlord named McNeill from whom no comely lass in the parish was safe; of an Irish schoolmaster overly fond of the drink and of his eager young Latin hedgerow scholars; of a sodden Irish landowner who drank away his inheritance at the local pub; and of the great yearly fair at Pollan, a festive event attended by the entire community with occasional tragic consequences for the unlucky.
Books were almost unknown to the common man in Donegal. The few books McGlinchey mentions were mainly religious tracts, in Irish and Latin. He mentions offhandedly that a man of his acquaintance owned a book by someone named Aristotle. Tragicallly he also relates that many of the old Irish manuscripts were burned to prevent the spreading of disease in the community. Even if they had had books its doubtful anyone could have spent much time reading them. The cabins were dark at night and if anyone entered the cabin after dark the fire had to be stirred to raise enough light to see who it was. Homemade candles flickered in the windows on religious holidays.
Contrary to common misconception, the Irish did not just subsist on potatoes. The farmers made their own oaten and flour bread, which they ate with butter and washed down with fresh milk. They supplemented their diets with what they called "kitchen", which included everything from fresh fish to watercress from the ocean strands. Each family had a measure of corn for the winter, and most had at least a cow, perhaps a pig and a few chickens, although eggs were a cash crop reserved for the market at Derry. Red meat, as we know it today, was a rarity in their diet. Every farm had its rack of potatoes in the fields. The plows were wooden and drawn by horses. McGlinchey mentions a local farmer, one of whose horses took sick one day, and he took its place in the harness pulling the plow alongside the remaining horse for the rest of the day.
The famine did not seem to affect Donegal nearly as badly as it did much of the rest of Ireland. According to McGlinchey, an earlier famine in 1817 was much more devastating. It's not clear whether this condition pertained to Clonmay parish alone, or whether most of Donegal escaped relatively unscathed. But fly off to America nonetheless did the sons and daughters of Donegal and Inishowen, leaving behind forever the two-roomed thatched roofed cabins and the village fairs of their youth. Some of the more primitive living conditions common elsewhere in Ireland did not seem to prevail in Donegal. Sod cabins were almost unknown, except for temporary accommodations in the summer mountain pastures. Nearly every family had a cabin of stone, McGlinchey says, with lime covered walls, although rarely whitewashed, and hard clay or stone flagged floors. Some cabins even had windows. The fireplaces in early years lacked flues and the pall of smoke was ever present.
McGlinchey didn't write this book - he narrated it to a local schoolmaster when over ninety year's old. His often rambling text was edited by Brian Friel, and first published in manuscript form in 1986 in Belfast. The current edition is published by J.S. Sanders and Company, of Nashville, Tennessee.
I was especially struck by the fact that McGlinchey mentioned that the Donegal folk gave their farm animals, mainly cattle, pet names such as Starry and Missy. In our family we have a copy of the will for our immigrant Donegal ancestor, in which all of the family's cattle were so named. The twig, they say, does not fall far from the tree, and if you'd like to really get a feel for the world in which your Irish ancestors lived, then buy a copy of this book.
You won't regret it.

I saw this play at the Lyceum Theatre on Broadway (7/9/06, Sunday matinee) not even a week ago as of this writing. It was nominated for several Tony awards this season and I can easily understand why. It is absolutely the most outrageous comedy I have seen in years of theatregoing. Very dark. Very well written. Very funny. Worth the trip and definitely worth the read.

McDonagh challenges us to laugh at what would be normally very tense, dramatic, serious scenes. He has created a world populated by characters that think they are smart but we can see they have solutions and ideas that are idiotic. These absurdities make scene after scene strikingly laugh out loud funny, despite their violent conclusions.

The point well made - that terrorism is a fool's paradise and is pointless, creating needless hurt and confusion - is spelled out in comedic terms so well drawn that you laugh despite your better judgment. That is, until you understand the logic of placing humor front and center, as the most integral of survival skills.

I directed McDonagh's "The Lonesome West" for the Station Theatre, Urbana, IL, in January 2000. (See 8am.com for reviews and links.) What an exhilarating ride! The new play -- like all of McDonagh's maddeningly vicious, hilarious efforts -- would be equally frustrating to stage, particularly the need for dead cats, live cats (covered with shoe polish), and other acts to drive directors mad. ("The Lonesome West" required dozens of Catholic religious figurines to be smashed nightly, not to mention an exploding oven and on-stage rain.) Certainly his staging challenges make these plays riveting to see, but they are equally rich in the reading. Be prepared to laugh... and then shocked at yourself for laughing.

This play manages to capture on the stage everything that Tarantino brings to life on the screen. I saw the RSC's performance while over in the UK and it was mindblowing. What was totally cool was that rather than a program, one was given a script, which I have read a few times, and proves better each time around.
The play is at the same time very literate and very funny in a morbid sense, the only things coming to mind for comparison being Pulp Fiction and Irvine Welsh novels. This is a new directin in theatre and a great read on it's own.
A truly original piece of work.

With the Tony nomination for Best Play this year, there might be some renewed interest in buying this book (the most recent review on this site was in 2003). This is laugh-out-loud funny stuff, and well worth reading. While "existentialist" may be a bit pretentious, this play deals with absurdity and futility in an atmosphere of constant violence and death. That McDonagh can make this material so funny is a tribute to his gift. This play I believe is a companion piece to McDonagh's Oscar-winning short film Six Shooter (available for download on iTunes), which deals with some of the same subjects, and also reserves its only tenderness for pets. I can see why people make the Tarantino comparison, but I see Tarantino as more of a stylist who sets out intricate time sequences and is less concerned about traditional narrative structures. McDonagh, by comparison, is very much into formal plot devices and structure.

Definitely not for those who don't enjoy black humor. For those who enjoyed The Pillowman (on Broadway last year), this one is an earlier play and doesn't have nearly the creativity and ambition of Pillowman. But it is still very well worthwhile, and a lot of fun.

OK. I think McDonagh is a straight genius. I read this play, because I am currently in The Cripple of Inishmaan(the tame McDonagh play), but only because out director didn't think he could get the rights to this one. But I read this play, and I almost [messed] myself almost every other line. it is just that funny. I wish that we could have gotten the rights to it. It would be great to watch our director figure out how he would pull all this crazy stuff off. Overall, this is just a really funny, violent reason as to why I love the theatre. READ THIS SCRIPT. IT IS AMAZING. It is also very, very lean. No fat at all. A very short, perfect read.

Mr.Cederberg brings his experiences to life as you read this book.A very vivid tale as Cederberg shares blood,sweat and tears,in the Italian theatre of World War Two.

The book is a novelization of Mr. Cederberg's experiances in Italy during the second World War. I couldn't put it down, I kept imagining myself there. A fantastic book. I hope this is not Mr. Cerderberg's last.

This book ranks with the other great classic memoirs of World War II: The Forgotten Soldier, If You Survive, The Other Side of Time, The Road to Huertgen, and the greatest, Those Devils in Baggy Pants. Cederberg writes in a manner that vividly describes the force and horror of war, painting images in the mind that are not easily forgotten. An excellent read!

The Long Road Home is the fascinating, if somewhat racy, account of Fred Cederberg's travels from his home in Canada to the war in Italy. Cederberg spares few details of the courage and the horror of war, and shows how love and lust often bloomed among the destroyed buildings and shattered souls. Cederberg's memoir is first-hand and first-rate, a must-read for anyone interested in seeing how our boys fared in the forgotten war in Italy.

This book is not about warfare by the usual rules, of people being nice as seen in "Saving Private Ryan." It may even upset some folks. But, it is like the stories sometimes told by combat veterans in the Legion Halls after they've had a few beers, are feeling relaxed and are with someone they trust.

It is a story about soldiers who were fiercely proud to be Canadians. Americans were fighting for grand ideas such as "saving the world for democracy" and the Four Freedoms of Norman Rockwell. Canadians were there to do a job. They did it, with kindness, compassion and brutality as the occasion required. Sgt. Cederberg never brags about being Canadian; it was tacitly assumed that if one had to ask, they couldn't understand even if it was explained to them.

Read this, and you'll understand why Americans described Canadian soldiers "going about their job like hockey players."

They are like the Australians and Israelis, known for having an incredible espirit de corps. Americans are great for show, such as Patton insisting that all American troops wear ties and show proper respect for officers. One American mucky-muck, appalled by the easy-going attitude, remarked to a Canadian officer, "Your troops don't seem to have much discipline, such as saluting officers." In reply he was told, "Well, when a salute is needed I wave at them, and they generally wave back." So much for formal procedures. But, when it came to fighting, they were unsurpassed.

The US has a formal definition of a country, such as the Pledge of Allegiance, Salute to the Flag, and a national anthem which is played more than Coca Cola commercials. Canadians are less formal, but no less proud of their country. It's called pride.

In another story, Cederberg tells of the Germans firing propaganda leaflets which showed a naked woman sitting on the edge of a bed, while a soldier without his pants is getting ready to take off his shirt. The message was that while British troops were in Italy, others were having fun in England. "That a Canadian?" one of the men asked Cederberg, who replied, "It can't be, the guy's wearing a tie."

Don't ever mistake the Canadians for the British. As Cederberg writes, "I went out that afternoon with Albert and Alex-Joe, drank six pints of mild and bitters and threw up twice (once after punching out a Scottish corporal who had insisted we were a disgrace to British arms).

"He had it coming," said Alex-Joe. "because we aren't even British, we're Canadians."

Time and again, that spirit and typically Canadian humor shows through. So does the grim determination to get the job done. When stationed near an Italian town, they were warned that lone Allied soldiers were sometimes attacked by die-hard fascist youths. Sure enough, a Canadian was knifed in the neck. When his buddies couldn't find his attackers, they went back to camp.

A few minutes later, the Canadians began a mortar barrage on the town. Officers tried to stop it, and were gently restrained. Once they learned the reason for the barrage, they joined the cover-up to protect their men. When the Italian police came to investigate, every weapon was spotless with no sign of recent use. They left, empty handed. The Italians buried their nine (or 34) dead (depending on whose version was accepted). There were no further assaults on Canadians.

Wonderful book, wonderful story. Rest assured, Spielberg will never make a movie of it. It's too good, and too real.

I thought that this book was an educational yet fun mystery! The map at the front really helped me place what was happening, and relate it to what exists there now. I also found the main character, Sooncy, to be the perfect perspective through which to tell the story! Overall, a fantastic book for anyone looking for a fun and informative read! Best wishes to Ms. Killcoyne on future writing endeavors!

There are few opportunities offered our children to learn an important lesson about both our own past and our nature as individuals than that delivered by Hope Lourie Killcoyne in her gifted story, "The Lost Village of Central Park." Set in mid-nineteenth-century New York City, at the cusp of the construction of that seminal landmark of modern America, Central Park, Ms. Killcoyne's lyrical narrative traces the factual history of Seneca Village, a real establishment in which African-American and Irish immigrants somehow co-existed peacefully in pre-Civil War America. Creating compelling and believable characters, Ms. Killcoyne provides today's pre-teens with an invaluable and unique perspective on an important era in American social development, one which was cut curiously short by the idiosyncratic yet poetically inevitable advancement of New York City, through the creation of Central Park. The Park stands today, a monument to New York civic achievement; what is lost is Seneca Village, perhaps an even more meaningful yet necessarily ephemeral reflection of all that is possible, yet also lost, in the American dream.

Having lived in New York my entire life, I was surprised to find out about Seneca Village. I was never taught about the time, place, and events that surrounded the demise of that area of the city. The author successfully tells the story from the point of view of two young girls, one black and one white, and the strength of their friendship. It's a great way to teach children about their past. There's a lot going on here... plenty to use the characters again and turn it into a series. I'd certainly pick up the next one for my niece!

I had though the art of captivating storytelling in the realm of children's historical fiction was long gone. The last and one of the best was Ben and Me. Not to mention the fact that intelligent prose directed toward but not insulting children has disappeared with the likes of greats like E.B. White, Judy Blume & Madeline L'Engle... until now that is. Meticulous research has allowed Hope Killcoyne to create a captivating historical backdrop that most New Yorkers weren't even aware of including myself. Even as the story unfolded I couldn't help feel a sense of sorrow knowing the timely end to what was probably a fascinating culture within the tapestry of NY. Nevertheless, Killcoyne takes what might have just been an interesting footnote in NY lore and weaves a modern folk tale of ingenious promise and heart. Characters well developed for any novel not to mention one for young adults, add depth and almost tangible realism to a time and era long forgotten and sometimes better off forgotten. Hope Killcoyne places her characters in a small pocket of the American landscape dwarfed by slavery and the dawn of Civil War allowing us to glimpse what might have been and what should be in a world too often blurred with self-interest and prejudice. Although some readers might be wary of the melodrama of a culturally diverse Utopia Killcoyne has pictured, there is nothing contrived about the story and intent behind this book. A highly recommended book for any young or old reader... from any walk of life.

This is a wonderful story and fascinating piece of history for children as well as adults. As with so much in history, the more that is uncovered, the more it tells of the way things are today and why. As with many of the colorful stories from the annuls of New York, The Lost Village of Central Park illustrates a very important chapter in the history of the city as well as the nation. Educational as well as entertaining. The fact that such a place existed more than 100 years ago proves that which makes us the same far outweighs that which makes us different. As former grade schoolteacher, I think this book should be on the shelves of every school and public library.

I needed this book for a graduate class on Milton this semester. The bookstore ran out and I needed a good copy in a hurry. The book was brand new as advertised, was a great price, and the shipping was even better! I got it in 3 days...just in time to complete the assignment!

Of English writers, John Milton is justly considered to be a close second to Shakespeare. This volume provides good illustration. He is not the easiest writer to read but the editor's notes help (as well as an understanding of mythology, English history, and the Bible). Milton excels in poetry, yet his prose remains powerful (Aeropagitica and Ready and Easy Way to Establish a Commonwealth in particular). Some of his works are rather tough to get through especially if you disagree with his point of view (I found this to be so with Doctine and Discipline of Divorce) or if you are unfamiliar with the time period he was writing in (Tenure of Kings and Magistrates). In his writing you will see his brilliance shine through in his ideas, arguements, and phrasing. Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained are written with such conviction that you could think that that is how those events had to have happened.

I am taking a Milton class at college, and there was a mix up at their book store with the Milton book. Some students ordered the correct book for the class through Amazon.com, but I bought this one to use and it's great. It has all the poems and prose that are going to be studied this semester. The teacher passed out a copy of a poem that Milton wrote that was not in her book or in the other students' who bought the correct book, but it was in this one that I bought. It's great.

The Oxford version of Milton's works is fairly comprehensive, and for that, it is appreciated. For those with an understanding of Latin, Oxford's choice to have the Latin opposite the English translation for several of Milton's poems is surely appreciated. However, notes on individual items within a work have endnotes, and while it is nice just to have notes on the works at all, having those notes on the page itself would be much more useful than having to hold a page open in the back of the book while reading a sonnet in the front of it. The Works include Paradise Lost/Regained, as well as Samson Agonistes, besides various poetry and even portions of Milton's pamphlets regarding his sociopolitical thoughts. Overall, not a bad set of works, but the design/layout could have been improved.

[John Milton, son of a scrivener and musician...]
This review is of the Oxford World's Classics edition of
-John Milton: The Major Works- (ISBN: 019280409X),
edited and with an Introduction by Stephen Orgel and
Jonathan Goldberg.
"That kings for such a tomb would wish to die" (John
Milton-- "On Shakespeare") -- "one of the greatest,
most noble, and most sublime poems which either this
age or nation has produced" (John Dryden -- on -Paradise
Lost-). The picture drawn of Milton, his life, and his
career (or careers) by Orgel and Goldberg is of a
man of intelligence and means who had been educated
for the life of a gentleman and a scholar in his
early life, yet finding that the surge of events
and ideologies has a way of changing one's timing,
course of expression, and even personal fate. Thus
Milton makes conflicting statements about his intents,
his "ripeness" (maturity of intellect and wisdom, more
than age), and which venue is his real chosen arena
of expression.
His first published poem, is anonymous, and is
"On Shakespeare" included in "the dedicatory verses
to the second Shakespeare folio[1632]." (Chronology.) Yet
in his first signed publication, -The Reason for Church
Government- (1642), a prose tract, "Milton presents himself ...
as a poet who uses only his 'left hand'
in writing prose. In the account he gives, his entire
life appears to have been spent in training as a poet." (Introduction.)
As the eldest son, however, he "had been from childhood
'destined'...to a Church career." (Introduction.) But
events intrude, as well as yearnings, and the 2 Jan. 1646
publication of -Poems of Mr. John MIlton, Both English
and Latin-, dated 1645. The Church career never materializes,
but in a strange way, a more interesting "preaching" or
"exhorting" or "inspirational" one does, through his
poetry, rather than his political tracts. And Milton,
perhaps even oblivious to his own constantly self-
revisionist attitudes and stances, creates a more
enduring legacy which has influenced literature,
scholarship, views about justifying "the ways of
God to man" (from -Paradise Lost-), and the common
cultural views about Satan, and Hell, and the Fall,
even more so than those of Dante.
This is an excellent edition which contains the
shorter English poems, the Latin poems (with both
Latin text on left pages -- and the Enlish translations
on the right pages), Selections from -A Book of
Sylvae-, Greek poem added 1673, Carmina Elegiaca,
the Prose Works: from -The Reason of Church Government-,
from -An Apology for Smectymnuus-, -The Doctrine and
Discipline of Divorce (Complete), -Of Education-
(Complete), -Areopagitica- (Complete), -The Tenure
of Kings and Magistrates- (Complete), from -The
Second Defence of the English People, -The Ready and
Easy Way to Establish a Free Commonwealth- (Complete).
Of course, there is also -Paradise Lost- (Complete);
-Paradise Regained- (Complete); and -Samson Agonistes-
(Complete). Highly enlightening are 3 Familiar Letters
of 1674: "To Charles Diodati, 1637"; "To Benedetto
Buonmattei, 1638"; and "To Leonard Philaras, Athenian."
There is a lengthy excerpt from -Christian Doctrine-
which starts out talking of "restoring religion to
something of its pure original state" and has the
very interesting (telling) perspective on Milton's
own "cross": "If I were to say that I had focused
my studies principally upon Christian doctrine because
nothing else can so effectually wipe away those two
repulsive affictions,tyranny and superstition [of
course, no idea that doctrine itself might promote
those two evils -- R.K.], from human life and the
human mind, I should show that I had been concerned
not for religion but for life's well-being." And
the glory of Oxford editions, there are copious
notes in the back going from page 735 to page 959,
Further Reading List, and Index of Titles and First
Lines. At this price, this volume is a real steal
(er, get thee behind me, Satan...) ... bargain!
-- Robert Kilgore.

In poems that contain doors to the transcendent in people and nature, Johnson creates a sense of illumination and quiet fearlessness that approaches death and does not shudder. His love for relationship, for wilderness, and for an abiding respect inherent to all that lives and moves is an effervescent outpouring, and the transport he evokes can bring the reader from despair to the threshold of discovery. A powerful and luminous voice, his second book of poems, In the Land We Imagined Ourselves, is currently in press.

ok, so this isn't becky house. let's get that straight. this is her daughter, hallie. i attended interlochen arts camp two summers ago where i majored in creative writing and jonathan johnson was my instructor. simply put, HE'S AMAZING. he's one of the nicest guys ever, and i know it seems as if i'm just bragging on him to make you feel guilty for not buying the book, but i'm not. i'm bragging on him because it's true. he's nice and he loves writing, which is what it's all about. and worry not, your money will not be wasted. he lives in a log cabin that he and his wife built. no electricity. so please, love this man, you should.

As a student in one of Dr. Johnson's poetry classes, I waited until the end of the quarter to buy his book. Frankly I had given him a pretty hard time about inaccessible, elitist poetry, though he took it pretty well. When I finally cracked open "Mastodon," it was with a lot of trepidation. I had come to respect and admire Jonathan a great deal and was afraid I would discover exactly the kind of poetry I had been dissing in class.
Thank God, it was not. His poems, while not "easy" in any way, are nevertheless quite accessible, because Jonathan puts his whole soul into them. He swallows what fears must accompany every poet who opens his life to his readers and writes of personal joy upon hearing his baby's heartbeat for the first time. Then, to bring the collection to a heartbreaking end, he reveals the loss of that baby in "Be Young. Have fun."
The moments of his life before, during and after those moments cover events that range from a child waving a "Hi!" sign at him from the back of a bus, to a skinhead who is slowly dying while doggedly hoping to live. Every poem, whether shocking or mundane on the surface, shares one thing in common--Jonathan's fascinating ability to wrench out its deepest, human meaning. And every time, that meaning is one that any soul could relate to. This is a truly beautiful book.

In what would seem to be just a book of nature poems, ends up being a monstrous work about being alive. In his poem, "Eclipse," Jonathan takes the reader for a ride in his wife's friend's car. By the end of the piece, the reader is a vital part of the jaunt in the "forest green and stealthy" vehicle. Like the car, the poem is clean and has more power that one would initially believe. "Eclipse" begins with an engageable narrative style, which allows Jonathan to put the reader at ease. As the poem accelerates, the reader is second-guessing the narrative style, wondering what Jonathan is truly getting at. As the poem comes to a halt, Jonathan has interwoven themes of trust and control, using his wife's friend's new car as a vehicle for an extended metaphor.
"Eclipse" is just one example of Jonathan's commanding use of language and metaphor that is present throughout his inaugural book of poetry. Jolting the reader from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, to a hand-built cabin in Northern Idaho, Jonathan's book is a complete journey, not 80% complete as his title might suggest.

Jonathan Johnson's poems are wonderful. They are full of images that are clearly written and visual. This is a big plus for anyone reading poetry. Most young poets write with abstractions and little attention to detail. This is not the case with Johnson's work. William Carlos Williams says, "no ideas but in things," and there are lots of things in Johnson's poems, which is precisely why I like his work. I feel what his speakers feel, I see what his speakers see. Far too many poets use lofty language that doesn't accomplish much except to distance their readers. In Johnson's poems we feel the country he describes, the wilderness of northern Idaho, and the majesty of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. These poems are not just about places either, but about the people who inhabit these places--people who experience pain, suffering, joy, awe, and survival. I enjoy the language in these poems because of its accessibility. They are Whitmanesque in their celebrations of life, and speak universally to us all.

Until such time as Amazon calls up existing reviews for its Kindle editions, here are a couple from the paperback edition of Michael's War: A Story of the Irish Republican Army:

Terence Quigley gave it 5 stars: "'Michael's War' is a very fine yarn about the Irish Republican Army, complete with the mandatory love affair between the Irish farmer and the squire's daughter.... I especially liked the way Mr Ford, an American, caught the cadence of Irish speech. The story closely follows the course of Ireland's separation from England, from the Easter Week 'rising' in 1916 to the surrender of the IRA 'diehards' in 1923. At the end of all, as Michael would say, he sells the farm and sets out for America, leaving behind a country full of hate & suspicion as a result of civil war. The seeds of the IRA 'troubles' of the past half-century were sown in Cork & Kerry in the early 1920s. Mr Ford coats the history lesson with a satisfactory romance and an exciting tale of guerrilla warfare. Good job!"

So did Paul Estaver: "MICHAEL'S WAR is a serious literary work. It is also a page-turner, an exciting adventure yarn--and a warm-hearted love story--and a sound perspective of the tangled history of the Irish struggle for freedom. The characters are memorable and believable--and like so much Irish literature, the narrative sings.... In a word, I loved it. The story is set in the period 1917-23 when the Irish Republicans fought, with minimal resources, the arrogant British domination and made their mark, only to be tricked and betrayed so that in the end it was brother fighting brother. Equally important, this is a personal history of Michael Ford, a stubborn farmer, as he grows from boyhood to a commander of men, who ultimately escapes death by Irish luck and lives to look at his own gravestone before his departure for America. DON'T MISS THIS BOOK!"

Blue skies! -- Dan Ford

'Michael's War' is a very fine yarn about the Irish Republican Army, complete with the mandatory love affair between the Irish farmer and the squire's daughter. (Think of Tom Cruise & Nicole Kidman in 'Far & Away'!) I especially liked the way Mr Ford, an American, caught the cadence of Irish speech.

The story closely follows the course of Ireland's separation from England, from the Easter Week 'rising' in 1916 to the surrender of the IRA 'diehards' in 1923. At the end of all, as Michael would say, he sells the farm and sets out for America, leaving behind a country full of hate & suspicion as a result of civil war.

The seeds of the IRA 'troubles' of the past half-century were sown in Cork & Kerry in the early 1920s. Mr Ford coats the history lesson with a satisfactory romance and an exciting tale of guerrilla warfare. Good job! (reviewed Nov 2003 by Terence Quigley)

'Michael's War' is a very fine yarn about the Irish Republican Army, complete with the mandatory love affair between the Irish farmer and the squire's daughter. (Think of Tom Cruise & Nicole Kidman in 'Far & Away'!) I especially liked the way Mr Ford, an American, caught the cadence of Irish speech.

The story closely follows the course of Ireland's separation from England, from the Easter Week 'rising' in 1916 to the surrender of the IRA 'diehards' in 1923. At the end of all, as Michael would say, he sells the farm and sets out for America, leaving behind a country full of hate & suspicion as a result of civil war.

The seeds of the IRA 'troubles' of the past half-century were sown in Cork & Kerry in the early 1920s. Mr Ford coats the history lesson with a satisfactory romance and an exciting tale of guerrilla warfare. Good job! (reviewed Nov 2003 by Terence Quigley)

This book is a fiction, though its hero bears some resemblance to my father, Patrick Ford, born 1899 in the County Cork, died 1977 in Arizona--one of the wild geese who populated the far reaches of the world, for the most part to the world's great benefit. Toward the end of his life, Dad wrote a recollection of his youth in Ireland, and I referred to it constantly while writing my novel. He lived through much of Michael's life story (though he never, to the best of my knowledge, had an affair with the squire's daughter). The rest was experienced by other people, whose stories I adapted.

The heroines bear less resemblance to my mother, Anne Crowley, though Mom did serve in the Cumann na mBan--easier to pronounce than to spell!--and once or twice tucked blasting caps into her cleavage. She was a more forgiving person than my father, and she wouldn't be at all troubled to learn that her great-granddaughters carry British as well as American passports.

When the novel was done, I put it aside and turned to other things, among them a story about the Flying Tigers of World War II. If you have read "Remains," you may remember Austin and Annabel Love as members of the British Raj in Burma in 1941-42. They suited the role, so I borrowed their names and some of their circumstances. Now, as I return to "Michael's War," I find that they suit this book even more, so here they are as I first invented them. If the coincidence troubles you, just pretend that they hail from different branches of the same fictional family. -- Dan Ford

MICHAEL'S WAR is a serious literary work. It is also a page-turner, an exciting adventure yarn--and a warm-hearted love story--and a sound perspective of the tangled history of the Irish struggle for freedom. The characters are memorable and believable--and like so much Irish literature, the narrative sings. Finally, it is the heritage of Daniel Ford, its author.

In a word, I loved it.

The story is set in the period 1917-23 when the Irish Republicans fought, with minimal resources, the arrogant British domination and made their mark, only to be tricked and betrayed so that in the end it was brother fighting brother.

Equally important, this is a personal history of Michael Ford, a stubborn farmer, as he grows from boyhood to a commander of men, who ultimately escapes death by Irish luck and lives to look at his own gravestone before his departure for America.

DON'T MISS THIS BOOK!

-- Paul Estaver

I have read this and think that it is a must for anyone. The characters are well-developed and unusual.The plot is complex but manages to stay easy to understand. The language is the only problem.Although the language is a slight drawback, after you get through it you unearth poetry that is a wonderful example of old-english culture.The complicated love-triangles,well, you can't really call them triangles, they are more like squares, involving the 4 main characters.Ultimately, I think that this is a wonderful book and i really do suggest that anyone does read it.

I thought that Midsummer Nights Dream was a good comedy by William Shakespeare. This book is about 2 couples who are in love with one another but their love changes when fairies come with a special plant to change their hearts. The couples are then in love with the wrong person for the wrong reason. While all this is going on, common people are preparing a play for the duke's wedding. Although the play is short, every part of it is enjoyable and funny. If you read one scene, you will want to read the next.

As a seventh grader I have just finished the required read of a MidSummer's Night dream and I found it to have a plot line that kids can relate to through movies but not through the life that a kid lives. We see love all over televsion and we see how it works and we can connect that to the play. What I do think that was great about this is how it kept to ryhming and a rhythem, I think that is what creates a great book!

I had to read this book in English class and I thought it was enertaining. I liked the way it was like an old fashioned soap opera, only more entertaining. I think at one point in our lives we should read this book to show the true meaning of love being messed up. I sometimes wonder now if Puck on the Real World's role model was this Puck. Oh well, whatever. This is probably one of Shakespeares best plays if you ask me.

One of Shakespeare's most enjoyable works, "A Midsummer's Nights Dream" is the story of four lovers (either loved, in love, or both) who travel into an "enchanted" forest, filled with magical fairies who play tricks on them and even themselves. Meanwhile, a hapless stage production prepares for a performance at the Duke's wedding. All storylines lead to an enjoyable resolution climaxing with the hilarious performance of "The Most Lamentable Comedy of Pyramus and Thisbe." This is one of Shakespeare's funniest and consequently is one of his most univerally-enjoyed plays. I recommend it for anyone with any interest at all in Shakespeare's works.