Irish Books

The difference between reporting the news and leading the country has never been clear, and Edward R. Murrow was a master at both.

While reading this book on his broadcasting from London during the early days of the war, don't forget his broadcast that ended the career of Joseph McCarthy. Murrow understood that his reporting influenced American public opinion.

There are those who rail against his sense of ethics in combining reporting the news with what you might call propaganda. Perahps he should be judged instead by the result. He helped prepare the US for a war that we could probably not avoid.

This is the story of a strange time, and what one key player did.

BROADCASTS FROM THE BLITZ: HOW EDWARD R MURROW HELPED LEAD AMERICA INTO WAR is for any who would understand early broadcast journalism's effect on war and peace. Murrow's 'This is London' opening brought the blitz home to Americans who would've otherwise been distanced by war events: he told why Americans wouldn't be able to avoid involvement, and he prepared the country with his moment-by-moment broadcasts of events. His agenda was to bring America into the war - and more than any politician, he alone helped prepare the American public for such involvement. This far-reaching story will interest a wide audience, from students of broadcast journalism to those interested in military history and social issues alike. Highly recommended indeed.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This book is purse or pocket sized. It has the convenience of a paperback with the quality of a hardback. It is a dark green book with a matching built in silk bookmark. The paper is of good quality.

The sections of this book are as follows: FOLK-TALES FOR AN ENLIGHTENED AGE, RELIGIOUS SENTIMENT AND SATIRE, CONTEMPORARY POLITICS, LOVE AND SEX, SCOTTISH CULTURAL HISTORY, and OCCASIONAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL VERSE. The book also contains a select Scots glossary and an index to the first lines of the poems.

The glossary is helpful. I find this book difficult to read due to the old English that was used when this was written. I do enjoy the poems, but I have to work at it though. I can not just carelessly float through the text. I struggle, but it's the challenge and the struggle that makes the reward all the more satisfying when I do get there.

Robert Burns may not be well known outside of Scotland, but he certainly deserves to be. Sadly, Burns too often gets shoved aside to make room for the English Romantic heavywieghts like Bryon, Blake, Shelley, Keats and Wordsworth, and if he does get mentioned in an anthology or classroom, it's usually as some curious footnote about the "renewed appreciation for the common man" that many Romantics extolled. This is a great disservice, and not just to Burns, who, as any good Scot would tell you, was enough of an influence on those English Romantics that the movement would have looked very difference without him. It is a disservice also readers and students of poetry who are entitled to more honest history about the evolution of the poetic art form in English.

The irony here is that Burns was Scottish, and, to correct what another reviewer said, he did not write in English - especially "old English." For starters, Burns lived in the second half of the 18th century - that makes him a modern. Furthermore, he wrote very intentionally (and with great passion) in *Scots.* The Scots language is a bit of a linguistic conundrum concerning what makes a dialect a dialect versus a completely different language. Suffice to say, it's not English, or at least not any English most English speakers would recognize. It does possess Germanic qualities that are parallel to English, but it also has many holdovers from Norse and Gealic languages both in vocabulary and syntax which are unique to it. This distinction needs to be understood, for the reader's sake as well as for Burns, whose usage of Scots as opposed to English or a more Anglicized form Scots was a point of national and ethnic pride. Indeed, Burns was quite the Romantic.

The glossary of Scots words in this volume is rather limited, but even a more thorough Scots dictionary may not always help you. Burns, who is called sometimes "the Bard" in his native Scotland, is liken to that other Bard - he was never shy about using poetic license and would gladly bend the rules of his own tongue if it served his creative goals. Of course, that's part of Burns' genius, even if it can be infuriating for a novice reader, just as with Shakespeare. But with some patience and effort, you will find that Burns' poetry is not only readable but quite accessible and enchanting, even if you don't always know what every line's suppose to mean.

Despite the language issue, one thing is readily understood about Burns' poetry - it is some of the most spirited and passionate poetry you are likely to find anywhere. Some of his poetry may strike you, the post-modern reader, as a bit naive - especially some of his political poetry - but you cannot deny that Burns, who sadly died too young, was in life a hearty, virile lad eager to experience all the intellectual and sensual pursuits to their fullest. You know this because that's how he wrote. Poetry for Burns was an exaltation of life itself, from the grand idealism of revolutionaries to the most commonplace things such as field mice, to the loveliness of sex and the company of women (of which Burns was quite fond) and the sensual wonder of whisky and food (again, much fondness) to inspiring richness of all things Scottish.

It would seem that if Burns saw it, thought it or felt it, it was worthy to be immortalized in poetry. Moreover, he earnestly endeavored to do just that. Thankfully, he also had the poetic talents to pull it off in a stunningly graceful manner that will right your dry, academic impressions of all those overly lauded English Romantics that came after him as well as infuse you a fair bit of that Romantic wonder and awe.

Hopefully I have piqued your curiosity, and if so, get this book. As with all the volumes in the Pocket Poets series, it's inexpensive, well-bound, concise without being too narrow, and of a small, unimposing size that makes it ideal for either casual reading or for some quick yet stimulating diversion while traveling or communting. Or if you really want to be a Romantic about it, take with you to your local cafe or pub and read through some poems while you partake in the delights of food, drink and the world around you.

This is a nice collection of Robert Burns poems and songs. It is well done and very complete. There is an interesting chronology and a glossary of old Scottish words. Very well done and a reasonable price. I just received my copy and I am thrilled with it. It's amazing how much Burns wrote in his short lifetime. The rustic beauty of the poems and the sublime rhyme schemes are simply amazing and very moving. I recommend this book for someone who wants an inexpensive collection of Robert Burns.

One of the best and most trusted editions of the complete poems and songs of Robert Burns (1759-1796). Try to get one, if you can. (N.B.: The James Barke edition is also excellent.)

To quote Nicholson Baker in The History of Punctuation essay from The Size of Thoughts:

John Lennard's extraordinary recent monograph on the history of the parenthesis [is] gracefully written and full of intelligence, decked out with a complete scholarly apparatus of multiple indicies, bibliographies, and notes, whose author, to judge by the startling jacket photo (shaved head with up-sticking central proto-Mohawk tuft, erring on left ear, wilted corduroy jacket, and over-laundered T-shirt bearing some enigmatic insignia underneath), put himself through graduate school by working as a ticket scalper at Elvis Costello concerts. (A Discussion of Elvis Costello's use of the parenthesis in "Let Him Dangle" figures in a late chapter.)

Following the death of Diana, Princess of Walls, Elton John re-released 'Candle in the Wind'. John Lennard (spondee stressed) decided to release, in a knowning nod to Elton, a version of 'Bracket Man'. All editions of the book were sold with a detachable pair of ear mufflers. Lennard John looks set to follow up this coup-de-loon with the "Pottery Handbook" : a guide to getting lost in Stoke. John Lennard is 33.

Originally in the late 1890s, By Reef And Palm is Australian author Louis Becke's thoroughly amusing collection of short-story "yarns" about daily life in the Pacific Islands that has been brought out in a new addition by Dixon-Price Publishing and will aptly serve to introduce a whole new generation of readers to the work of a man reputed in his lifetime to be the "Kipling of the Pacific". Reflecting a lawless era in candid, nothing-is-sacred prose, By Reef And Palm is a unique, captivating, enthusiastically recommended compendium of short stories showcasing the trials and travails a century gone "Paradise".

Originally in the late 1890s, By Reef And Palm is Australian author Louis Becke's thoroughly amusing collection of short-story "yarns" about daily life in the Pacific Islands that has been brought out in a new addition by Dixon-Price Publishing and will aptly serve to introduce a whole new generation of readers to the work of a man reputed in his lifetime to be the "Kipling of the Pacific". Reflecting a lawless era in candid, nothing-is-sacred prose, By Reef And Palm is a unique, captivating, enthusiastically recommended compendium of short stories showcasing the trials and travails a century gone "Paradise".

Having come across this play nearly four years ago, i had found it very difficult to get hold of a copy, until i got internet access. Having Amazon now enables me to pass on my views to all those out there that have never heard of this play.

The basic plot of this play is based on the seven deadly sins, although it takes some time to work out which sin the mistress has. These 'birds' are trapped in a cage but are more than happy to be there. Until the Wild One joins them in the cage there is no real communication between the actors, and the play seems a little confusing. However the Wild One begins to bring the depth into the play that is not immediatly apparent in the first few scenes.

With lines such as, 'Remember out there, where the wind blows, and the sun shines, and heat and light and air have nothing to do with central heating or electric lamps or air conditioning.' It is possible to imagine this really happening within a birdcage and one bird desperatly trying to escape while the others are set against it. The one thing that this play will give you to take away, is that everyone is trapped in one way or another, Campton uses the idea of birds trapped in a cage, but it could be anything that traps us.

A great play to read, an incredible play to see. It gives total freedom for creative staging. Very powerful. Will get good audience response if done right. Otherwise, will flop.

Even though he died almost 2 decades ago, Graham Chapman's comic genious continues to awe and inspire in this wonderful volume of letters, essays and skits. Chapman was always the most Pythonic of the team, a wild man who was the re-incarnated spirit of Oscar Wilde. Both were touched with erratic brilliance and a lust for living and in this book we get to see the inner workings of Chapman's "wild(e)" side at work and at play. Not everyhting in here is hilarious, some things might raise only a smile, but taken as a whole this book is an amazing collection of items that fans of Python will want to treasure--and laugh at--for years to come. "Calcium" is a welcome addition to the Python legacy and a wonderful way to spend a few more minutes with
Chapman.

Of all the Pythons, Graham Chapman was the most anarchic in his comedy. He excelled at stream-of-consciousness humor and non sequitirs, and made a permanent mark on the comedy landscape with a stature rivaling anyone in the last fifty years. This book can be viewed as a companion to Graham's earlier work, "A Liar's Autobiography," as it contains a lot of material that didn't make it into that book, as well as many diverse pieces such as screenplays and correspondence, most of which appear here for the first time.

Graham was a complex person, and this book gives an outstanding view into the workings of his mind. His struggles are well detailed here, yet he always made the most of any situation, especially if wild parties with the likes of Keith Moon and Ringo Starr were involved. I was pleased that the bulk of this book dealt with Graham's life outside of Python, as that has been very well documented elsewhere.

The book itself has the feel of a mixed-media contemporary art piece as it is from so many diverse sources. I must admit that the title drew me in: it is taken from a piece on page 88 in the essays section. The essay does, in fact, make calcium much more interesting than in any chemistry class I have had, to wit: "Calcium...occurs naturally as the carbonate CaCO3 in limestone, chalk, marble, and in brothels...." Graham's medical training (he was a doctor, after all) comes through in other places as well, as on page 189 where he discusses disorders of the trachea and bronchial tree in a musical adaptation called "The Ciliary-Mucus-Escalator Dance." Of course, the weirdness doesn't stop with scientific and medical humor, but dwells in both the mundane (a pompous man who brags about his "fleet of atomic-powered Silko-Glyde lawn mowers - each with a sauna bath, a cocktail lounge with three adjoining cinemas, and a discotheque", page 235) and the surreal (an insurance salesman selling a man a "special Being Nibbled To Death by Okapia Policy," with correspondingly odd terms on page 245.)

My two favorite parts of the book are the monologues and the personal letters. My favorite monologue concerns riding down a black diamond ski slope in a "wretched wooden gondola" with the Dangerous Sports Club, a piece that opens and sets the tone for the book. (I recommend the DVD, "Looks Like a Brown Trouser Job" which recalls this among other strange occurrences.) The letters are all fairly deranged, but my favorites are the letter reproduced in the dedication, which is an apology to a pub owner ("Words alone will have to express my profoundly abject apology for my behavior in your pub last night. I will have the shelf repaired, and I have already bought a half pound fillet steak for Dennis's eye...") and the condensed letters of E.P. Snibbet, Esq., which conclude the book.

Graham was a genius and a loony, and I miss him. This is a brilliant book and is not to be missed by anyone fond of insane humor; I recommend it highly.

A great companion to reading the works of George Bernard Shaw. It helps to understand the literary techniques singular to the author, the socio-political background of his writings and the themetic structure prevalent throughout all his works. This is truly a necessary companion to reading his work.

A great companion to reading the works of George Bernarnd Shaw. It helps to understand the literary techniques singular to the author, the socio-political background of his writings and the themetic structure prevalent throughout all his works. This is truly a necessary companion to reading his work.

Joseph Conrad is not only a Great Master of English literature, but also a man who wandered all over the world, by sea and land, producing for our delight a treasure of short stories as intense as novels, as well as a dozen novels as engaging as fairy tales. For some readers he is above all a writer of "sea stories", for others a creator of fabulous adventures; for many, an intuitive connoisseur of the human soul who gave birth to unforgettable characters. But there is more: Joseph Conrad inhabits his books, he is a friend who shows us a path, gently spelling out about a period in human history. He talks to the intelligence and the emotions. The bunch of essays of this wonderful companion, by the Cambridge fellows, gives us precious hints for travelling with Captain Conrad through the labyrinths and waves of the physical and virtual planet in which chance has placed us to live and die.

The series "Cambridge Companions" is somewhat uneven. Some titles are excellent, and others are inaccesible, tedious and really not "Companions" at all. This "Companion", however, to Joseph Conrad is probably one of the best in the series.

Beginning with a short biography of Conrad's life, there follow chapters on the short fiction, and several on most of the important of Conrad's works, such as "Heart of Darkness", "Lord Jim", "Nostromo" and "The Secret Agent". These are followed by sections on his late novels, Conradian narrative, his influence, and others. All of the Chapters are written in closed essay form by leading Conrad scholars, are easy to read, and well documented with footnotes. The final chapter includes a fairly comprehensive bibliography that wil be most helpful for students and scholars alike. It will provide a good starting point for further research.

If you are interested in Joseph Conrad, beyond reading his novels and short stories, then this book will be very helpful. I recommend it highly.

This is truly a fine volume, highly recommended to anyone who wants a broad sampling of the academic thought that has been applied to the genre. Although it's a collection of chapters by many different authors, I thought the quality was uniformly excellent. The structure of the book results in some overlap of themes, for example with a chapter on "Feminist theory and science Fiction" appearing in "Part 2. Critical approaches" and a chapter on "Gender in science Fiction" in "Part 3. Sub-genres and themes". However, I didn't find this to be a flaw; it gives the reader the opportunity to read different authors approaching related topics from different angles.

My favorite authors and chapters included Ken Macleod's "Politics and science Fiction" and Edward James' "Utopias and anti-utopias". Farah Mendelsohn's chapter "Religion and science Fiction" was a real eye-opener for me, examining a side of science fiction that I'd been pretty dismissive towards.

Not cheap, but well worth it.

Anthologies are notoriously inconsistent. Most contain several essays considerably below the level of the best pieces and many contain a few utterly miserable ones. On the downside, no essay in this collection truly stands out; on the upside, there really isn't a weak entry in the volume. I honestly cannot think of another collection of which I can make that statement.

Whether you are a serious fan of Sci-fi or a casual reader seeking an introduction to the field, this collection will prove invaluable. I fall somewhere between those two categories. Over the years I've read a few hundred Sci-fi novels and seen most Sci-fi films that have been made, but it has never been my main source of reading or film viewing. I've read rather a lot of the historically important works such as Mary Shelly, Henry Kuttner, H. G. Wells, Olaf Stapleton, and David Lindsay, but I've never attempted anything like a comprehensive reading of the classics. And I have ready very little that has been published in the past fifteen years. Still, I found that I learned an enormous amount about the field from this book. I learned about several historical works I had not previously known of, got a better understanding of the state of the genre from one decade to another, and learned a great deal about trends in the field in the past couple of decades. I also learned something about the various literary critical reactions to the genre. For those in the academy, it is a helpful introduction to the scholarly take on things.

The book is also great at pointing the way to other books. I kept a sheet of paper beside me as I read. I have already bought a few critical books on Sci-fi based on mentions of them in this volume, while I also have compiled a list of a number of novels that I plan on reading.

The essays in the book are broken down into three separate sections. The first section deals with the history of Sci-fi, from precursor works to the magazine age to various decades after. The second and most academic section deals with various academic approaches to Sci-fi, including Marxist, feminist, postmodernist, and queer theory. The final and most wide-ranging section covers a variety of themes such as gender, race, hard science fiction, alternate history, space opera, film and TV, and religion. The writers are mainly English and mostly academic, though several are also writers of Sci-fi. Even the writers, however, are fully qualified academics. For instance, one of the more scholarly entries is that by Brian Stableford. Though most of the essayists are British, American Sci-fi has so completely dominated the genre that it automatically demands priority. If anything, I was somewhat surprised by the absence of some European writers. There is, for instance, very little discussion of Stanislaw Lem, though several deserving British writers do receive attention.

In addition to the very good essays there is also a very interesting (though certainly not exhaustive) list of chronology listing some significant novels, short stories, movies, and television series. There is also a good bibliography at the end of the book, though I wish it had been annotated.

I highly recommend this collection to anyone interested in Sci-fi either in a casual or more dedicated fashion. In all honestly I have to say it is one of the most successful volumes in the Cambridge Companions series that I have read.