Ireland Books

I second the other review written here; I have read this book several times and always enjoy it. It is insightful as well as funny, with a good mix of humor, dialogue, suspense and self-discovery. I recommend this book and am looking forward to reading Gazumped.

I was browsing the bookstore, not really knowing what to buy, and I picked up this book. I was put off by the cover - I mean c'mon, it's ugly; anyway, I read the summary and decided it sounded interesting, and I've always been a fan of Irish and British chick lit, so I decided it was worth $10 and bought it. The first chapter gave me pause, but I kept going and after a few more pages I was really into it. I finished it in 2 days and couldn't put it down before bed...I had to force myself to stop reading it so I could function at work the following morning. The characters are realistic and funny, it's humorous and sexy and there is a fun mystery thrown into the mix as well. You wouldn't really know by reading it but it was written by two women...there is no such person as Sarah O'Brien (well, maybe there is in the world, but not for this book). I cannot wait to read Gazumped! as well.

Read this for graduate history course in medieval history.
Christopher Allmand, is an excellent historian who tells the story of the Hundred Years War in a very succinct manner. End of 14th C England emerges with a real national identity. Edward III 1327-77. An example, 1362 Edward III has official records kept in English, not French, moving away from Norman influence, this is a defining moment. This helps English literature to flourish. A political identity is being built as well.

Edward III (13 November 1312 - 21 June 1377) was one of the most successful English monarchs of the Middle Ages. He remained on the throne for 50 years; no English monarch had reigned as long since Henry III, and none would until George III. Having restored royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, he went on to transform England into the most efficient military power in Europe. To a large extent, Edward III can be credited with the birth of the English nation. He pushes idea of 100 Year's war his reign saw vital developments in legislature and government--in particular the evolution of the English parliament--as well as the ravaging of the Black Death. Where 1/3 population dies which also causes him to scale back on 100 Year's war.

Parliament as a representative institution was already well established by the time of Edward III, but the reign was nevertheless central to its development. During this period membership in the English baronage, formerly a somewhat indistinct group, became restricted to those who received a personal summons to parliament. This happened as parliament gradually developed into a bicameral institution. Yet it was not in the House of Lords, but in the House of Commons that the greatest changes took place. The widening of political power can be seen in the crisis of the Good Parliament, where the Commons for the first time--albeit with noble support--was responsible for precipitating a political crisis. In the process, both the procedure of impeachment and the office of the Speaker were created. Even though the political gains were of only temporary duration, this parliament represented a watershed in English political history.
The political influence of the Commons originally lay in its right to grant taxes. The financial demands of the Hundred Years' War were enormous, and the king and his ministers tried different methods of covering the expenses. The king had a steady income from crown lands, and could also take up substantial loans from Italian and domestic financiers. To finance warfare on Edward III's scale, however, the king had to resort to taxation of his subjects. Taxation took two primary forms: levy and customs. The levy was a grant of a proportion of all moveable property, normally a tenth for towns and a fifteenth for farmland. This could produce large sums of money, but each such levy had to be approved by parliament, and the king had to prove the necessity. The customs therefore provided a welcome supplement, as a steady and reliable source of income. An 'ancient duty' on the export of wool had existed since 1275. Edward I had tried to introduce an additional duty on wool, but this unpopular maltolt, or 'unjust exaction', was soon abandoned. Then, from 1336 onwards, a series of schemes aimed at increasing royal revenues from wool export were introduced. After some initial problems and discontent, it was agreed through the Ordinance of the Staple of 1353 that the new customs should be approved by parliament, though in reality they became permanent. Through the steady taxation of Edward III's reign, parliament--and in particular the Commons--gained political influence. A consensus emerged that in order for a tax to be just, the king had to prove its necessity, it had to be granted by the community of the realm, and it had to be to the benefit of that community. In addition to imposing taxes, parliament would also present petitions for redress of grievances to the king, most often concerning misgovernment by royal officials. This way the system was beneficial for both parties. Through this process the commons, and the community they represented, became increasingly politically aware, and the foundation was laid for the particular English brand of constitutional monarchy.

In the 1356 Battle of Poitiers against Edward, the Black Prince (son of King Edward III of England), John II suffered a humiliating defeat and was taken as captive back to England. As a prisoner of the English, John was granted royal privileges, permitted to travel about, and to enjoy a regal lifestyle. At a time when law and order was breaking down in France and the government was having a hard time raising money for the defense of the realm, his account books during his captivity show that he was purchasing horses, pets and clothes while maintaining an astrologer and a court band.

The 1360 Treaty of Brétigny set his ransom at 650,000pounds and 1/3 French territory. In keeping with the honor between himself and King Edward III, and leaving his son Louis of Anjou in English-held Calais as a replacement hostage, John was allowed to return to France to raise his ransom funds. While King John tried to raise the money, his son Louis, accorded the same royal dignity, easily escaped from the English. An angry King John surrendered himself again to the English, claiming an inability to pay the ransom as the reason. The true motive of John's decision remains murky today, with many pointing to the devastation in France caused by war with England and the Jacquerie peasant uprising as likely candidates. His councilors and nearly the whole nation was critical of the decision, since they had raised the ransom through painstaking sacrifice. However Jean arrived in England in early 1364, looked upon by ordinary citizens and English royalty alike with great admiration. Accordingly, he was held as an honored prisoner in the Savoy Palace but died in London a few months later. His body was returned to France, where he was interred in the royal chambers at Saint Denis Basilica.

Richard II (6 January 1367 - 14 February 1400) was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan "The Fair Maid of Kent". He was born in Bordeaux and became his father's successor when his elder brother died in infancy. He was deposed in 1399 and died the next year. He was arrogant and had problems with Barons; he wanted to be more of an autocrat. As Richard began to take over the business of government himself, he sidelined many of the established nobles, Instead he turned to his inner circle of favorites for his council, men such as Michael de la Pole, whom Richard created Earl of Suffolk and made chancellor of England. The nobles he had snubbed formed the head of a group of the disaffected who called themselves the Lords Appellant. The central tenet of their appeal was continued war with France against Richard's policy of peace, an aim that many of them pursued in the interests of personal gain since it is the best way for them to make money by looting France. Rather than the interests of the nation.

In 1387, the English Parliament, under pressure from the Lords Appellant, demanded that Richard remove his unpopular councilors. When he refused, he was told that since he was still a minor, a Council of Government would rule in his place. Richard had the Earl of Arundel, leader of the Lords Appellant, arrested; but Richard's small army led by de Vere was overpowered by the forces of the Lords Appellant outside Oxford, and Richard was imprisoned in the Tower of London. Subsequently Richard agreed to hold a parliament in order to resolve the Appellants' grievances; the unpopular councilors were forcibly disposed of (eight being executed for treason and the others exiled) in the Merciless Parliament of 1388. Richard was forced to accept new councilors and was temporarily stripped of almost all his authority. By 1398, some of them are repealed.

However, Richard was more concerned with Gaunt's son and heir Henry Bolingbroke, (Lancaster his cousin) whom he banished for ten years on a spurious pretext in 1399. After Gaunt's death, Richard also confiscated Bolingbroke's lands, this is seen as a violation of Baron's rights. Bolingbroke's inheritance was huge, large enough to be seen as a small state within the greater state of England and thus an obvious obstacle on the path of a unified and peaceful England. At this point Richard left for a campaign in Ireland, allowing Bolingbroke the opportunity to land in Yorkshire with an army provided by the King of France to reclaim his father's lands. Richard's autocratic ways, deeply unpopular with many nobles, facilitated Bolingbroke's gaining control quickly of most of southern and eastern England. Bolingbroke had originally just wanted his inheritance and a reimposition of the power of the Lords Appellant, accepting Richard's right to be king and March's right to succeed him. However, by the time Richard finally arrived back on the mainland in Wales, a tide of discontent had swept England. In the King's absence, Bolingbroke, who was generally well-liked, was being urged to take the crown himself. Richard was captured at Flint Castle in Wales and taken to London, where crowds pelted him with rubbish. He was held in the Tower of London and eventually forced to abdicate. He was brought, on his request, before parliament, where he officially renounced his crown and thirty-three official charges (including `vengeful sentences given against lords') were made against him. He was not permitted to answer the charges. Parliament then accepted Henry Bolingbroke (Henry IV) as the new king.

Richard was placed in Pontefract Castle, and died there in 1400. He is believed to have been killed by starvation (perhaps he refused to take nourishment and starved himself) or otherwise murdered. Richard was dead by 17 February. By 1400, England has a stable government. You see the tensions play out between King, Barons, and Parliament, Edward III did well at this.

France- Lots of problems. It has a much larger population 10-12 million as opposed to England's 3-4 million. This makes the country unwieldy to deal with. It also suffers from bad politics from a slew of bad kings. Philip IV the Fair (French: Philippe IV le Bel) (1268 - November 29, 1314) was King of France from 1285 until his death in 1314. The Valois Dynasty succeeded the Capetian Dynasty as rulers of France from 1328-1589. They were descendants of Charles of Valois, the third son of King Philip III and based their claim to be ahead of Edward III of England and Jeanne de Navarre on a reintroduction of the Salic law.

Philip VI of Valois (French: Philippe VI de Valois; 1293 - August 22, 1350) was the King of France from 1328 to his death, and Count of Anjou, Maine, and Valois 1325-1328. He was the son of Charles of Valois and founded the Valois Dynasty.

John II of France (French: Jean II de France; April 16, 1319-April 8, 1364),
Charles V the Wise (French: Charles V le Sage) (January 31, 1338 - September 16, 1380) was king of France from 1364 to 1380 and a member of the Valois Dynasty. His reign marked a high point for France during the Hundred Years' War, with his armies recovering much of the territory ceded to England at the Treaty of Bretigny.

Charles VI the Well-Beloved, later known as the Mad (French: Charles VI le Bien-Aimé, later known as le Fol) (December 3, 1368 - October 21, 1422) was a King of France (1380 - 1422) and a member of the Valois Dynasty. The king would suffer from periods of mental illness 1/2 his life. This is disastrous for France.

France doesn't have Parliament or any central control due to fact the King was never able to interfere with the autonomy Baron's had in the lands. Also political problems because many French baron's side with the English. In addition, the English are used to having assemblies under Anglo-Saxon rule, French have no such tradition. French king has great councils like English Privy but it's not well defined. No exchequer, but 2 men in control of money, income and expenditure, thus both become corrupt, spendthrifts, bankruptcy. French kings have habit of devaluing money. The 100 Year's war goes bad for them which causes them trouble. He has no money to pay his professional army, so they become organized bands of highwaymen and robbers even laying siege to towns for ransom money. The French country is scarred by war thus harder to get tax revenue from people.

Lavish living among nobility. Systematic taxation becomes harsh by 1356 because they are having to raise ransom money. Bureaucracy has to use non nobles so they will be loyal to the king and not their family interests. Court is 500 people who are a drain on money, don't do much. Only 200 bureaucrats do the real governing of the country. Flanders is a constant problem for them. Textile manufacture using English wool makes them close allies against French interests. Gascony in France is an English possession. 1347-50, low point for taxes because of devastation of plague. 1330's 210K hearth tax, 1378 30K this is a big drop.

Recommended reading for those interested in medieval history.

Christopher Allmand has taken a very long timeframe of medieval rivalry between the two great powers of the time, England and France and has done an excellent job of describing the begining, preperation and culmination of a very Bloody and Nasty war between England and France. These two great nations were always antagonistic with each other and had finally reached a "boiling point" around 1300, thus declaring official and unofficial war with each other that did not end until the beginning of the 19th century. Allmand doesn't use schollarly details to confuse the reader, he writes in a good prose and is easy to understand the background of the French and English Kings who honestly did not like each other, even though in most circumstances they were related to each other by blood or marriage. This book also gives analysis of how the war between these two nations affected the innocent victims such as the villiagers, serfs and even nobility. This was a war of gaining territory, sacking villiages in the name of the King, very nasty and terrible battles and political status in Medieval Europe. I highly recommend this book to all who want to know about how the rivalry between England and France developed and how the rivalry led to war that made it not just a hundred year war, but a war that lasted well over 400 years.

Divorced Kellie Summers receives the frantic call from the All Day All Play day camp to pick up her son Trevor who was gambling and possessed a knife. Kellie leaves her struggling new business Copycat to pick Trevor and his twin sister up, but instead ends up in a fender bender with a hunk of a BMW, Riley Lombard III. He makes sure Kellie is okay, but has a flash of he and she marrying.

He knows he must avoid this woman at all costs because he cannot deal with any personal emotions as he is still struggling with the deaths of his spouse and daughter. However, his efforts to escape seem doomed as fate seems to propel Kellie and Riley together. His new ploy is to find her someone else, but he soon finds himself in love with a woman who reciprocates his even though she wanted nothing to do with the other sex after the impulsive gambler of a first husband.

HUSBAND MATERIAL is an amusing contemporary romance that uses misunderstandings to foster the plot. The story line is often humorous, but the problem of gambling addiction is a serious subject that is treated too lightly. Kellie and Riley are strong individuals struggling with their respective pasts and the pressure of a combined future. Her two kids are a delight especially Trevor the Terrible. Liz Ireland has written a funny relationship tale starring two walking wounded.

Harriet Klausner

When a tall, handsome customer mangles a machine at her copying business, single mom Kelly Sumners is too busy ogling him to be irritated. But five minutes later she's really freaked out when the same man unfixably mangles her car in a parking-lot fender bender.

As Riley helps Kelly from her car, a sudden overwhelming premonition convinces him that Kelly is "The One." But, far from thrilled, the dogged bachelor is determined to avoid his fate at all costs. He begins by showering Kelly with expensive gifts as payback for causing the accident, but Kelly keeps refusing them all. Though it gets harder all the time. Not just because of the costliness of the gifts, but because they are so amazingly appropriate to the needs of her and her children.

The book has a strong beginning, and it doesn't let up. Each new encounter between the hero and heroine sets up a zany new adventure as they negotiate Kelly's conflicted feelings about Riley's latest attempts to help her out. The hero and heroine are both well motivated, and their attraction to each other is strong and very believable. The heroine's kids are cute (but not annoyingly so), and the emotional intensity and sexual tension are very high. All in all, a fun sexy read!

Norberto Bobbio's views on its 20th century Italy, his maestri and compagni of the Partito d'Azioni and also Benedetto Croce, Luigi Einaudi, Carlo Rosselli, Piero Gobetti or Bettino Craxi, included in this book - best qualified as a memoir - allow us a very interesting and detailled reading of Italy most recent history. With a remarkable translation by Lydia Cochrane this English edition put us in contact with the impressive saga of Italian liberal and socialist intellectuals, first against Mussolini fascist regime and after 1945'liberation against the two larger mass-parties, the Christian Democrats and the Communist Party. Although a man of the political Left and a socialist, Bobbio reviews himself, along almost a century of life, in the the liberal European tradition that comes from people like Stuart Mill or Tocqueville. Tradition that enlarges with Karl Popper, Ralf Dahrendorf, Hans Kelsen or Maurice Duverger contribution to the study of democracy and constitutional systems. This book give us a clear discreption of some of the personalities Bobbio admired or lived within the intellectual circles of its Italy. A man of liberty, reason and tolerance, Bobbio's philosophical thought remains almost unknowned within Political science and ethic politics.Its correspondance with Hans Kelsen, Carl Schmitt, Perry Anderson, Karl Popper or Michael Waltzer remains mostly unrevealed. I would recomend also ''The Future of Democracy'', ''Thomas Hobbes and the Natural Law Tradition'' and ''In Praise of Meekness''.

Norberto Bobbio's views of its 20th century Italy,of his maestri and compagni of the Partito d'Azioni but also Benedetto Croce, Luigi Einaudi, Carlo Rosselli, Piero Gobetti or Bettino Craxi, allow us a very interesting, fluent and detailled reading of Italy most recent decades. With a remarkable translation by Lydia Cochrane, this English edition put us in the presence of the impressive saga of Italian liberal and socialist intellectuals, first against Mussolini fascist regime and after 1945 facing the two larger mass-parties, the Christian Democrats and the Communist Party. This was a struggle for political survival but as Bobbio remarks a «third way» escape in the 40s was unfeasable and inadeqaute to the political momentum. Although a Left and socialist intellectual, Bobbio stands most surprising along the liberal European tradition of one Stuart Mill, an Alexis de Tocqueville or more modernly with Karl Popper, Ralf Dahrendorf, Hans Kelsen or Maurice Duverger individual paths for an enlarged and political liberties-based constitutional and market western democracy. This book enlightned us about some of the personalities that Bobbio admired or was related in the almost four decades but also with the political stuggles that took place in Italy till most recently. A man of liberty, reason and tolerance, Bobbio's philosophical thought remains almost unknowned within Political science community. What it is a pity. Its correspondance with Hans Kelsen, Carl Schmitt, Perry Anderson, Karl Popper or Michael Waltzer remains mostly unrevealed and it is a benchmark in present political thought. Anyone interested in comprehending Silvio Berlusconi rightwing present rulling of Italian politics should be aware of this book.
I would hearthly also recommend:''The Future of Democracy'', ''Thomas Hobbes and the Natural Law Tradition''or ''In Praise of Meekness''for aditional reading of Bobbio's views and express wishes for new editions of Bobbio's recent books namely its collection of political essays, «Verso la seconda republica» or «L'Utopia capovolta» about the falling of the Cold War era.

There's something about photographs that transport you to a time and place, far away from where you are at present. The collection of photographs by Igor Grossmann in his book "Images Gone with Time" is a tribute to a style of living that has all but disappeared: rural village life before it was touched by modernity.

"Images Gone with Time" illustrates a variety of activities such as farmers working the soil and collecting by hand, women doing the washing in a cold creek, and people dressed in folk clothing and participating in community events such as a holiday or funeral. The photographs were taken by Mr. Grossmann from the 1950s to mid 1960s, mostly from villages around Zilina, the area that Mr. Grossmann grew up.

Because of the impending rapid industrialization that took place after WWII, Mr. Grossmann's photographs are all the more poignant; they showcase a way of life that would soon begin to die out. His photographs capture scenes with vivid detail that you could study endlessly. I've been known to do just that, imagining what life was like in a village in Central Europe. I had already known that life would have been much more difficult than the life I live today, but from Mr. Grossmann's pictures, I realized that the concepts of roots, community, tradition, and values were of such significance that they would have been almost tangible. That's something I would have liked to experience fully.

Though we may be saddened that images depicted by Mr. Grossmann are "gone with time", through my own experiences of living in Slovakia for five years, I'm glad to see that the spirit of many elements of rural life, such as the active participation in folk culture, the observance of religion, and strong ties to nature, still can be felt in many places in Slovakia today.

Images Gone With Time: Photographic Reflections Of Slovak Life 1950-1963 is a fascinating and visual historical and anthropological record of a place and way of life now gone. Igor Grossman's starkly beautiful black-and-white photographs capture the essence of Slovak village life in a mountainous region of Central Europe at the moment of encounter between the old ways and the new day of European development, when centuries of tradition were about to give way to the modern age. This is a striking survey, a powerful visual tool documenting what was about to be altered forever by the technologies and ideologies of the second half of the twentieth century. An informative text by Martin Slivka places the images into a sound cultural context and enhanced Images Gone With Time as a significant and invaluable overview of a people and a way-of-life now but a bit of European history, a yesteryear culture that will never come again.

An authentic and well written experience of eighteenth century Bath. An absolute treasure to own. A triumph.

Eglin's book is an excellent addition to eighteenth-century scholarship, especially on the ever fascinating topic of Bath. He sets the record straight on a number of issues regarding Nash, whose self-manufactured celebrity has helped to obscure the historical record. Previous biographers have relied on dubious sources--namely, earlier biographers--who have frequently simply rehashed old anecdotes and stories without proper scholarly attention. Eglin corrects this trend by delving deep into archival material such as collections of letters and period newspapers. Although written with rigorous scholarship, Eglin's style is not studded with difficult jargon or stuffed with ten-cent words. A fun read for the armchair historian as well as a valuable addition to period scholarship, Eglin's work presents true value for money--if a university press had published this work it would be twice the cost. This book is well worth the purchase.

In studying the history of the Jews of Spain, Historians have performed a glaring dis-service by being ignorant of the two traditions thriving in Spain. In Southern Spain was the Andalusian tradition of Maimonides, representing the traditions of the Geonim and going back to the oral law of Moses. In Northern Spain, was the assimilated tradition of Nachmanidese. Specifically, this book shows very clearly that the Northern tradition of Spain was in fact an adoption of the values of the surronding Christian environment. By attacking Maimonidese, Nachmanidese was in fact attacking the teachings of the Geonim and ultimately, the oral law of Moses.

In a often emotional and always beautifully written expose, Rabbi, Prof. Faur shows that the persecuted have often adopted the values of the persecutors. In this, the tradition of Northern Spain was typical. The real miracle is that Maimonidese and his disciples, in an extraordinary exception to the commpon laws of history, steadfastly rejected the values of their persecutors -- even if this estranged them from their Jewish brethern who did.

Ultimately, only Maimonidese and his tradition have something to say today. This tradition is both modern and ancient: modern in thought and ancient in origin.

Finally, a book that speaks the truth!!!!

I applaud Chacham Faur's insightful and educated view of the Jewish phenomena know as the Spanish forced conversions during the Inquisitional period.
As with all of Chacham Faur's writings the reader is automatically transported into a delightful dialogue with the writers advanced knowledge and eloquent writing skills. With this said, I am very much in agreement with his assessments regarding the converso phenomena.
I also want to point out that I really enjoyed the prologue to the book. It is well stated and motivates one to jump right in and start turning the pages for a delightful journey to Andalusian Jewry, of which the Converso's belong to.
The Converso is a Jewish person who must be acknowledged as fully Jewish no matter what. As our Sephardic Rabbi's have stated they must be welcomed back to the Jewish fold even until this day or in the future, without going through humiliating conversion rituals. That is how it was in Amsterdam and how it should be now. Amsterdam being a great model to follow, showing us how to treat our returning correligionist, with dignity and respect, and allowing our brothers and sisters an opportunity to be fully integrated into mainstream Judaism. In itself this the greatest mitwah we, as Jews, can perpetuate towards all who come back to the fold i.e., to love them back and help in their return in anyway that we can. As history has shown, our Tudesco brethren have always behaved despairingly towards the Sephardim, whether in writing or actions. In many ways they are not the ones we should turn to for help. As Andalusian Jews, we must look to our own, history has proved this to be the only way to fight interreligious rivalries.
That is why I recommend this book to any Andelusian Sephardim, because for one, knowlege is power. And secondly, Chacham Faur is a master at Talmudic tought and Maimodean philosophy. It is a must read for all Sephardim or Tudescos who wish to gain a better understanding of the complexities of being Jewish in austere circumstances.

If you research the Douglas family or just love Scottish history this book is well worth your money. Having spent some years researching the family myself, I can appreciate just how much information is contained within these pages, and how much trouble the author has gone to to bring the family to life. You can buy and read straightforward history of the many battles James Douglas fought, but if you seek to understand the man and why he fought, what he fought for and believed and who influenced him, you will find that information here. Keep a notebook and pen beside you to take notes. Consult the glossary and who's-who in the back. If you know nothing of the family history to begin with, the reuse of names by each generation can get confusing.
This is not a flowery romance, but a portrait of strength of individuals and family, with common goals and support for one another in times we can hardly imagine. It is for the most part backed up by extensive documentation. Where documents fail, other unproven but chosen pieces fit neatly.
Photos throughout add to the story, carrying you along to see the real places, as you can see them now and then imagine how they must have looked before.
James Douglas, like Bruce, was a miracle, loaned to Scotland by the powers that be for the time that needed him. But like all of us, under his armor, he was only human.

History comes to life and invites you to be entranced. "In the Shadow of My Truth" is the second epic novel by Deborah Richmond Foulkes in a series of three, that explore her family's history but also the great history of "The Good Sir James."

The legacy of William le Hardi, the martyred patriot of the first book, "My Truth Lies in the Ruins," is continued in the story of his sons, one of which is The Good Sir James himself. William's widow, Eleanora Lovaine Douglas, vows to fulfill her promise of continuing the fight for Scotland. She raises her sons to reflect the great values of her husband. The three grow up to be King Robert's greatest soldier and most trusted knight, a crusader knight and alchemist healer, and a dedicated squire in service to his older brother, Sir James. What's more is that they grow up to be an honor to their father and to Scotland.

The book begins in the year 1306 and follows to 1330. What it encompasses is a glimpse into the true history of the Clan Douglas and Scotland's Wars for National Independence. But the book holds so much more than that. Here you will see the majestic lifestyle of medieval castles with all the pomp and flourish, you will feel the points of swords in battle and see the death of soldiers all around, you will witness births, weddings and the crossings into the Otherworld. All in such a vivid manner that you will think you had experienced it yourself.

Deborah Richmond Foulkes spent two years in Scotland doing research and spent much time in the libraries of Harvard University and The National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh. I am quite sure that this is only a slight mention of the research involved, as this is the most authentic presentation of historical novel I have read. While this is so, the book reads so easily, so unlike a history book that you will forget that these are true stories and find yourself immersed in a very interesting tale. The plot runs smoothly while Foulkes' descriptive writing is flawless. You won't soon forget the Douglas Clan and will look forward to the next book in the series, "My Truth...A Mist in Time."

Review by Heather Froeschl.

I am about half way in the book and it is great. It is very well written and covers the topic with very good examples. I am really enjoying it.

"Democracy is hard to love." Iris Marion Young writes these words near the beginning of INCLUSION AND DEMOCRACY (2000). The love/hate relationship many people have with democracy originates in part from a love of democracy in theory but displeasure surrounding the outcomes of democratic systems in practice. I write this review from Jamaica during a time in which the struggle for democracy has reached critical proportions. The imminent national elections will play a part in determining the future direction of this polity. Jamaica presently operates under a neo-liberal economic system. Its flirtation with democratic socialism in the 1970s, though, along with its strong ties to Cuba hinted at a potential turn to socialism at a time when revolutions in Grenada, Iran, and Nicaragua fueled the Cold War Red Scare. The failure of both communist state capitalism and neo-liberalism among developing countries before and after the fall of the Soviet Union has left open the question, "What constitutes a democracy?" Furthermore, developed nations such as the US in the post-September 11 era are questioning WHO and WHAT constitute the fabric of their democracy amid daily economic struggles and racial profiling.
Young, like the late Hannah Arendt, is trained as a philosopher yet writes primarily as a political theorist. As such, Young is offering a theoretical framework in her discourse rather than a text full of regressions or allusions to philosopher-kings and queens. For academics in the discipline of "political science" who see a divide between the theorists and empiricists, this work offers fresh ideas for both camps. For the grassroots organic intellectuals and activists, you too will find new ideas.
Young outlines reasons why we should love democracy in three ways as I read the book: (1) Detailing an overview of contemporary democratic theory, (2) providing her criteria of the components of a democracy and (2) offering future directions in democratic theory. Per the title, "inclusion" is a cornerstone element of democracies and the prevention of exclusion is paramount. Jurgen Habermas has been criticized for composing theories that exclude several groups outside his closed Enlightenment project. What is telling about Young's thought is that Habermas taught a recent course at Northwestern University interrogating Young's ideas on multiculturalism and race. Young asks very important questions on the meaning of inclusion in a democratic polity.
So why read this book instead of the recent spate of works on the topic? The author is able to do something that unfortunately many writes cannot: compose a highly readable work that is simultaneously informative. In terms of innovations, Young links political theory, distributive justice, and social justice queries with "international" concerns for global justice; a move persons like Charles Beitz began and John Rawls avoided.
In conclusion, I urge anyone reading to pick up this work. The journal POLITICAL THEORY offers a useful recent response by Young to a critic of the book. Lastly, read Young's previous works on feminism and social justice (esp. JUSTICE AND THE POLITICS OF DIFFERENCE) to see get a sense of the author's writing. The only way we all can forge democracy in these precarious times is to talk, read, debate, and throw away the false belief that political theory is only an isolated academic exercise.

This is a superbly written account and an important work on the subject of The Troubles in Northern Ireland. This is a detailed account of Johnston Brown, a career police officer who served with the Royal Ulster Constabulary throughout the war years. I commend Mr. Brown for his integrity, honesty, and professionalism on his job in a very difficult period of time in Ireland. This is essentially the story of an honest cop who tried to police a war torn area while making enemies on all sides.

While I appreciate Mr. Brown and his unflinching impartialism as an officer, he reveals much about a police force that was institutionally biased towards the Protestant system of government. While most RUC officers were hardworking men, some were prejudiced militants who abused their trusted positions to influence political events to the detriment of the Catholic population. While only a minority actively colluded with Loyalist terrorist groups, it appears that the majority of the RUC turned a blind eye to it and did nothing to stop it - which means they aided in its advancement.

This book helps us understand why the Catholic population saw the RUC as an extension of armed Loyalism. Most cops may have been honest, but enough of them knowingly promoted the murder of innocent civilians that it was easy for Sinn Fein and the IRA to tar them all with the same bloody brush. This in turn helps explain why the RUC was eventually disbanded and why the British counter-insurgency efforts were largely self-defeating. Bravo to Mr. Brown, a brave, uncompromising representative of the law who is probably still on several IRA and loyalist death lists.

For those of you that are either aware of, or are familiar with the troubles in the North of Ireland & would like to read about things from an RUC (Now PSNI) perspective, then I would recommend this book. There has been for years many things both written & spoke about that conflict each other, with regard to this issue, because 2 sides were at war. Finally, we have come across a book that is written oh so honestly, & I really mean that. Jonty Brown speaks about his life (Now Retired) during the troubles & tells us that yes, there was collusion between terrorists & the RUC. Because of what has been written & said down the years, I too was under the impression that all of the RUC are corrupt & anti-Catholic, rightly or wrongly some may say. Jonty Brown explains very well that this is not the case & that there are good & honest law enforcing officers in the RUC. There might not be a lot of them, but Jonty Brown was definitely one of them. Jonty Brown speaks the truth in this book & personally, the man has my respect for writing this book as it could not have been an easy decision to make. It is enjoyable, sometimes troubling but most importantly, Honest !!