Europe Books

I am not particularly interested in either Russia, literature or Nabakov, however the intersection of all of these, along with autobiographical material from Khrushcheva, make for an engaging and poignant book. I felt like I learned a great deal about Russia, the United States and the 20th century. I read this in two sittings.

I am so grateful to Nikita's great-granddaughter Nina for providing me with an excuse to talk about my favorite writer. Of course I had read everything available from Nabokov's Russian period in German or English translations, and from the American period more than once in the original. He was one of the greatest prose writers (let us ignore his poetry and his stage writing) of the 20th century, and he was the only writer that I know who achieved the top plateau in two languages. (The only comparison that occurs to me, J. Conrad, was a transcultural writer, but did he do anything substantial in Polish before he became an English writer? And as an English writer he never quite lost the touch of looking like a translation.)
VN was poetic, funny, provocative, playful, political, a-political, esoteric, scientific, opinionated, vain, in summary great. He is the only writer who motivated me to make a pilgrimage: I travelled to St.Petersburg mainly in order to visit the Nabokov Museum there, in the appartment where he had grown up during pre-revolution times.
Nina feels close to him: though she was a voluntary expatriate compared to his double-refugeedom (first from the Bolshies, then from the Nazis), both had made this transition from Russian ruling class to American middle class.
She sees more in him than an outstanding Russian exile author with a second language. He is a role model for a modernised Russia. And this is where I want to step out quietly, I can't comment on that subject, but I find her observations fascinating.
And I keep learning Russian on my bucket list.

Imagining Nabokov is one of those history's witty jokes: the cold war is over, and the author proves her great-granddad kitchen debates wrong--she falls in love with the most anti-communist dissident writer of the 20th century, Vladimir Nabokov. Actually, it is his posthumous statue that stands in Montreux, Switzerland, she is in love with. The statue story is just a hook, though. This is a charming, and rather unusual book that however succeeds in explaining the Russians' obsession with their literature and their soul. Indeed the Economist review published in February praised the book for that very reason.

I stood in the school hallway, waiting for my son in the gym at the baseball clinic. It lasted two hours, too long for small talk with the other dads, so I was reading the final chapters of Nina Khrushcheva's "Imagining Nabokov". For me, it was a chance to learn more about a writer and another literature, about writing in a second language and culture, even as I stood surrounded by this very familiar sports culture.

When other dads passed by I covered the book a bit so I didn't seem so out of touch with the going concern of the day - baseball. If his dad seemed aloof or bookish, would his son be cut from the team? Would he be shunned by the other kids? Would I seem to be acting superior, even in a high school where you might expect reading to be encouraged, yet where I felt almost entirely out of place, as if living a segment of "The Diary of a Madman".

One dad passed by and saw the Khrushchev name on the dust cover. He started talking about the cold war and grimly praised the author's forebear as someone overly vilified by the U.S. I nodded to agree. That was a close call, but it made me feel more comfortable, so I read on.

In two hours, the clinic ended and I had finished the last chapters. I wanted to tell the dads in the hallway to read this book and to tell their sons about it. The author draws you easily into another world of ideas, one not even necessarily opposed to baseball! The world of great literature can exist with the world of sports and the ordinary - "mens sana in corpore sano". This book expands the imagination and neatly passes from culture to politics and back again. It should be read in serious high schools as well as anywhere else. And my son made the team.

An excellent book, and just in time when the Putin question is big in the news. It interconnects literature and politics, providing compelling reasons at to why Russia is so brilliant at art, but is its own worst enemy when it comes to democracy. This fascinating book addresses a problem of Russia's "lopsided" development, i.e. why Russia is a problem for Russians in a way that America isn't for Americans. Russia's problem is that "hypothetical and literary projects have a far greater hold on Russian people than practical ones." The idealistic and unrealistic character of Russian thinking makes Russians incapable of pursuing realistic goals. The American Utopia is realistic, in Russia it is dream-like. Russians have an ingrained sense of the country's uniqueness and special messianic status. First, it was the holy Russian soul, then Russia as the Third Rome, then Russian imperialism, then communism which united the imperial and spiritual missions. Now Putin tells Russians that natural resources offer them the key to regaining their former might. In Russian culture, communal values and a `great state' agenda take priority over individual and practical principles. As Dostoievsky put it : "We may be backward, but we have souls."
Nina Khrushcheva convincingly argues that Nabokov is a better guide to the future than Dostoyevsky, because his characters `take responsibility for their lives.' In America, Nabokov taught Khrushcheva how to be a single `I' rather than a member of the many `we' in that "vast undifferentiated traditional Russian collective of the peasant commune, the proletarian mass, the Soviet people, the post-communist Rossiyane."

I bought this book for a class and was surprised at how engaging it is. This book is very well written and informative, and gave me a great general knowledge of Russia leading up to the Great War. The bibliography is extensive and very useful for anyone researching Russia in this era. Highly recommended.

The book I ordered, In War's Dark Shadow, was exactly as the seller described it - in perfect condition. Since the book is not longer in print, I feel lucky to find one that looks as if it has never been used. The book was shipped promptly, and the seller was a pleasure to work with. I highly recommend this seller!

thanks!

I chose this title, because it was true, at least for me. As Americans, we (some of us, not all) "think" Russians are not "very intelligent", "backward" and even, "less than human."
After reading this book, I tend to "get on my soapbox" to help people understand what few choices, the Russian people ever had in the outcomes of their lives! I never knew this before purchasing and reading Mr. Lincoln's book!
If you cannot be convinced by the poverty imposed on the Russians through Mr. Lincoln's words, you will be convinced by the heart-wrenching photographs; the children who appear as hopeless, hovels designed as homes with animals living within, death from starvation was not uncommon. And all the time, Russia refused (those in power prior to the Revolution)to feed her people, wheat was being shipped to other European countries.
And the Russians never questioned the motives of the Tsar; after the Revolution, they still starved and were murdered by Stalin and Hitler.
We need to change our attitudes and this book did it for me.

In the forward, W. Bruce Lincoln states the book is "...an effort to explore the lives, thoughts, hopes, and dreams of the men and women who lived in the world's largest empire and to convey some sense of the tensions that tore at the fabric of their existence on the eve of the Great War and the Revolution of 1917." In this effort he succeeds brilliantly.

We see portraits of Tsar Alexander III, Nicholas II, Pobedonostsev, Lenin, Rasputin, and a host of other generals, officials and ordinary people who shaped that era.

We get an insider's look at what life was like in a peasant community, inside the peasant's izba or house, and their attitudes towards schooling, medicine and religion. We go inside the growing factories and the slums the workers inhabited in the cities with rapidly developing industry. We see the new nobility of the industrial barons, the revolutionaries fighting the tsarist autocracy, the defenders of the Old Order...all come to life in these pages.

Graphic descriptions are given of the vicious pogroms against Jews. The impact of the Trans-Siberian Railroad in both economic and a political aspects is covered. The 1904 war with Japan is there with its criminally incompetent generals and and admirals and the war's impact on the development of the Revolution of 1905 as well as the mood of the populace as the nations slides toward the Great War.

This well written, illuminating, detailed and well documented book is a classic work on the Russian society of those years and fleshes out the soul of Russia as few other books do. 16 pages of photos. Highly recommended.

I am Russian so I knew quite a lot about Russian history before opening this book. The book is the best guide to Russian history of the period. Here's why:

-It is written in a wonderful language - very easy to read, yet directed towards scholars.
-History is divided into chapters that concentrate on specific subjects.
-It is full of detail that other history books often lack. I was suprised to see Bruce Lincoln use original Russian words instead of finding an English equivalent for it (such as "izba," "domovoj," "dvorovoj," "lapti," etc.).
-Finally, I've not yet read a book that concentrates so much, and gives such an in-depth study, on the subjects that are usually avoided being talked about "pre-revolutionary" times (simply because they are deemed not important in the light of a warfare).

With this book you will get a clear idea of what the Russian society looked like on the dawn of WWI. Bruce Lincold actually spent several years in the Russian archives doing research (but not just for this book), so he has a first-hand knowledge on the subject.

The chapters discuss the following subjects:

Chapter 1 - 1891: The Fateful Year:
Basic overview of the situation in Russia by the yar or 1891: camine, construction of trans-Siberian railway, some politics.

Chapter 2 - In the Wake of Famine:
Famine, peasants and life in the country.

Chapter 3 - Russia's New Lords:
Emancipation, new layer of society "Kuptsi" and arts and trade associated with it.

Chapter 4 - Life in the Lower Depths:
Proletariat and life in cities and towns.

Chapter 5 - The Few Who Dared:
Revolutionaries - formation of the political parties, radicals, impact on literature.

Chapter 6 - Defenders of the Old Order:
Royal Defenders - key figures that supported the old "tzar" order; their lives and activities.

Chapter 7 - "A Small Victorious War":
The Japanese War - why, when, and how. Gives the background, as well.

Chapter 8 - 1905: The Year of Turmoil:
Revolution of 1905.

Chapter 9 - "What We Want is a Great Russia!":
Government - parties, duma, people behind the law, the lawmaking process.

Chapter 10 - "The Childre of Russia's Dreadful Years":
Art revolution.

Chapter 11 - The Last Days of Peace:
Political situation on the dawn of the WWI - foreign relations and repressions.

Chapter 12 - The Drums of War:
WWI and how it affected Russia and its people.

Izzy's Fire: Finding Humanity In The Holocaust is the triumphant true story of a holocaust survivor and members of her family escaped the Kovno Ghetto in Lithuania, survived trials and successfully hid until the war's end in a hiding places granted them by a Catholic farmer. She, her husband, and other refugees dug a hole between two potato cellars, and with the unselfish aid of that selfless, risk taking Catholic family, miraculously survived the Holocaust. Afterward she and her husband emigrated to America and encountered a joyful reunion decades later. Izzy's Fire gives voice to those who survived the Holocaust in hiding, and is a welcome addition to Holocaust studies shelves.

Rebeccasreads highly recommends IZZY'S FIRE as a compelling account of how a Lithuanian Jewish couple & their son survived the Nazi occupation, & hide for 3 years in a Catholic farmer's root cellar. & then surviving the Communist "liberation" of their homeland.

Beasley draws from personal interviews, research & numerous memoirs, including those from Israel "Izzy" Ipson, who helped his family escape from Kovno Ghetto, one of the most notorious killing fields for Jews in Lithuania. The Ipps, as they were known then, relocated to Richmond following their liberation and later changed their name to Ipson. Their story has been re-created at the Virginia Holocaust Museum in Richmond, Virginia.

IZZY'S FIRE is Eta's answer to those who say the Holocaust never happened, & is a tribute to personal bravery & the unquenchable resources of compassion, quick-wittedness & sheer determination to live, with a lot of luck thrown in.

Complete with maps & photos, IZZY'S FIRE is a story for all time.

There are many people today that feel "entitled" due to race, relegion or the condition of the home in which they were born. This is a story about a family who's life was turned upside down by war; who lived in barns, potato holes and lived in fear of being murdered as was the fate of many of their family members. Through perserverance and a strong faith in God, they were able to get to America and lived the "american story" of pulling themselves up from poverty to owning a successful business. All young people need to read this story.

Izzy's Fire is by far one of the best books I've ever read. I cannot imagine the pain and suffering of this family in the ghetto in Lithuania. The book was extremely well written and was very hard to put down once I started it. Kudos to Ms. Beasley on a job well done! I can't wait until her next book. This is a must read.

In all honesty, I had never read a book about holocaust survivors. Sure, I learned about the brutal, senseless mass murder of millions of Jews and seen those horrid, deplorable images of dead bodies of Jews lying around strewn while German soldiers looked on in glee in History class. But NEVER have I read a personal account, and it was far more devastating to my sense of humanity than I could ever imagine.
From the first pages of Izzy's Fire, by Nancy Wright Beasley, I was enthralled with Izzy Ipson and his family's story as well as those of their friends and family. Ms. Beasley did an awesome job of bringing their story to life for me, but more so making their story, their journey through hell, mine. I connected with these people because I am a wife and mother. I thought and later asked myself after I had read the story, would we have survived something like this? Would my husband have risked his life day in and day out, like Izzy, to save my son, and me and to provide safety and food for us? Would my son have endured as Jay did?

Edna lost two babies, one during the roundup in Lithuania and one after their escape to the United States. How did she keep her sanity? Was she made of steel? No! Ms. Beasley brilliantly displayed Edna's moments of fear, happiness, and extreme stress, like when her step-father, mother, her sister Minnie and their sons Fievel and Chaim were put on board the truck heading for certain death. It was only the knowing that Izzy would surely not live without them that made Edna not board that train with her son, and of course, Jay's stubborn desire to live to see his father. No one was without pain in this story; not even the reader.
I left the reading knowing the Ipson's persevered because of their faith and strength in God and one another. Even when faced with the knowledge that their families were executed, they still had one another to get them through, and that's what they needed. Not even hiding out in a make-shift shelter in a potato patch with 7 other people could break their spirit and resolve.
I cannot tell you exactly how many heroes are in this story. From the German and Jewish Ghetto soldiers who risked their lives to give information and ways to escape to not only Izzy but to others as well to the Gentiles (non-Jews) who risked their lives to hide their fellow human beings. In short, Ms. Beasley is by far one of the most powerful and genuine storytellers whose best gift, I believe, is letting the voice of the characters tell their own story. In no way does her voice intrude upon the essence of Izzy's story.
I recommend Izzy's Fire without abandon to anyone who wants to read about real people, real life, and real issues. It should be required reading in the public schools across America to help not only put a face and name to the horror's of the evil that man can do, but to also demonstrate the resilience of man to overcome when the odds are stacked against him. This book sent me running to the Holocaust Museum; it brought History alive for me, and it will do the same to you.

I love this book! Austen's sometimes snarky and amusingly judgmental conclusions of which rulers were good and bad. I love her loathing of Queen Elizabeth and her spirited defense of Mary Queen of Scots. The drawings by Cassandra are also excellent. I do wish that she'd written a longer history as Austen's colorful version of English history is a delightful read for all true Austen fans.

As a young girl, Jane, in her own witty style decided to write "The History of England". It's certainly not an accurate history, but a young girl's view of the world in which she lives. The text is printed in her own handwriting and is charming and fun to read.

Jane Austen wrote these short snippets on a number of the rulers of England in chronological order - using, as she says, 'very few dates'. The result is a wonderful collection of highly prejudicial outlines of various Kings and Queens - and after all the purpose of history to be scandalous and slanderous can be undermined by sticking too closely to extraneous detail such as dates and so on. The whole thing would probably take you much less than hour to read. Austen proves her talent for sharp observation and wit from an early age for this little book was written while she was still a teenager in the early 1790's. Its a lovely introduction to her writing for those who haven't had much to do with Austen before but are keen to try her out.

This book may not be used in any history class, but it is one of the most charming works she ever wrote. I had this smile painted on my face the entire 15 minutes it took to read it. Very, very witty.

This hilarious little book is full of wonderfully biased observations on the Kings and Queens of England between henry the 4th and Charles the 1st. Of Henry VI she writes fiercely "I cannot say much for this monarch's sense, nor would I if I could, for he was a Lancastrian" She is a supporter of Richard III's claim to innocence, averring that he may not have murdered his wife for "if Perkin Warbeck were really the Duke of York, why not might Lambert Simnel be the widow of Richard?" She includes a very rique charade on the homosexual habits of king James I. I feel that Sellar and Yeatman, who wrote '1066 and All That'may have derived inspiration from this book, her N.B. at the beginning 'there will be very few Dates in this History' has a very Sellar and yeatman sound. I increasingly find Jane Asuten's Juvenilia more amusing than her later works, and this book is a prime example.

This is a well-written and fresh look at John Winthrop, first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Bremer derives his view of Winthrop from the "Model of Christian Charity" sermon, which Winthrop delivered sometime around his emigration to North America. Rather than the stern, unbending, and judgemental character that is the common perception, Bremer shows Winthrop as a pragmatic leader who often worked behind the scenes to reconcile diverging points of view. As portrayed in this book, Winthrop was a man of humility who strove to include anyone with a "spark of godliness" into the community.

At 385 pages of text, the book moved along quickly. I was sorry to get to the end.

Thanks to an absent minded John Winthrop falling into a foul smelling peat bog and surviving (which he took as a sign that he should emigrate to the colonies) the settlers of the Massachusets Bay Company were blessed with a practical and efficient administrator. Elected Governor many times over, John Winthrop is portrayed as an honest and god fearing a man as any patriotic American would want.
Although a good third of the book describes Winthrop's life in England, it is justified and necessary to see the religious and social preparations for his career in America. Once he came to America, his life was devoted to the preservation of his religion, his family and his colony.
Those readers familiar with Boston and surroundings will enjoy the detail in this biography; the streets he lived on, the configuarion of the city, its growth during Winthrop's lifetime.
And how easy it is to forget how little in the way of goods and services was available to the settlers in the 17th century. John Winthrop was not in the first wave of New Englanders in Plymouth, but even 10 years later he had to bring with him wheat, barley, oats, beans and peas for cultivation, potatoes, hop roots, hemp seed, tame turkeys and rabbits, linen and woolen cloth, bottles, ladles, spoons and kettles, among a long list of other essentials.
In spite of harsh conditions and personal tragedies, Winthrop prevails and the reader will learn much about this "forgotten" Founding Father in this compelling and interesting biography.

This is a wonderful book. The author demonstrates a rich, nuanced command of the period and the players. I especially appreciate how he works to portray the characters from their own perspective instead of juding people who lived four centuries ago by todays ideas. I appreciate that he goes to great length to provide historical context. Indeed, he provides so much context, beginning with the subject's grandfather, that the book starts out a little slowly. But once the book reaches the point of Winthrop's departure for America, it remains compelling up to the end. A wonderful book for a more complete picture of the settlement of our country and a valuable addition to a balanced view of the puritans.

John Winthrop: America's Forgotten Founding Father

by Francis J. Bremer

Oxford University Press, published 2003

Millerstown University Professor Francis Bremmer's John Winthrop: America's Forgotten Founding Father is the first major work on the Massachusetts's governor in over fifty years. It is an engaging and comprehensive volume serving as the author's attempt to provide a more balanced view of Winthrop than has been seen in other works. Bremer writes, "The Winthrop of modern histories has been constructed to suit particular agendas. It is time for biography that is interested primarily in John Winthrop himself." (pg. xvi) Bremer is well qualified to take on this task, as he is the editor of John Winthrop's papers for the Massachusetts' Historical Society.

The narrative traces all of Winthrop's known ancestors in England. Almost a century before John was born, his grandfather, Adam, was a successful London cloth merchant. Adam profited handsomely from Henry VIII's reformation of the church. He purchased monastery lands from the government and established the family's seat in Suffolk. It was to this estate that Adam retired during the Catholic restoration of Mary I. The Winthrops were staunch Protestants and the move was designed to prevent retribution from the Marian government. The estate was to be the family's headquarters until John's departure for the new world in 1630.

The family estate was located in the Stour Valley, which was a hotbed of reformed Protestantism. Bremer deliberately avoids using the term Puritan because he feels that it carries to strong a connotation to the modern reader. "Godly" was the description used most often by the Winthrop family and their circle. Like many others in Suffolk, the Winthrop's were non-conformists to the Anglican model and hoped for continued reforms of the church.

John Winthrop was born in 1588. He attended college at Cambridge for two years and left without taking a degree. While he considered entering the ministry, his early marriage and family obligation precluded that career path. In 1605, he married for the first time. From 1605 through 1630, John Winthrop lived the life of the minor gentry. He was involved in running his estate, raising his family and practicing law. In 1615, his first wife died in childbirth and Winthrop soon remarried. His new wife died a year later in childbirth; John married again in 1617 to his third wife, Margaret Tyndal.

Winthrop became involved with the civil government when he was appointed to the Court of Wards and Liveries. It was at this time he grew increasingly displeased with the corrupt state of the civil government. After considering emigration to Ireland, he and Margaret decided instead to join with members of the Massachusetts Bay Company and move to the new world. The venture was seen as a way to serve God and to make a profit. The founders of the company decided on John Winthrop as Governor for the colony. This is a reflection of the modest nature of the project in the eyes of the founders because, "if Massachusetts had been a larger, more important venture, he would not have been entrusted with the responsibility." (pg. 170)

As Governor, Winthrop was responsible for seeing the colonists through the bitter early years and for establishing order among the colonists. It was at the start of the emigrating that his famous "Christian Charity" sermon was given. He compared the colonists endeavors to a "city on a hill" that all could see. This biblical reference is Winthrop's most enduring literary legacy and is often quoted by politicians to this day.

Winthrop strove to live a good Christian life and to ensure the others the opportunity to so as well. He sought unity amongst the settlers but was willing to compromise and attempt to reach consensus. He was unwavering, however, in his principles and showed no reluctance to expel Roger Williams or Anne Hutchinson from the colony when their unorthodox theologies threatened the stability of the society.

Winthrop served as governor for 12 of the 19 years he lived in Massachusetts. He was untiring in his efforts to promote the growth of the colony. In the winter of 1649, he became ill and died. Bremer sums up the man and his accomplishments, "Zealous but not a zealot ... he helped to prevent his colony from being blown off course by the winds of extremism and from being wrecked on the rocks of fanaticism." (pg. 385)

Accessible to all levels of interested readers, John Winthrop: America's Forgotten Founding Father is a valuable portrait of an important figure in American History. Sources are extensive and meticulously documented. They primarily come from the records of the Courts of Assistants in Massachusetts Bay, Official Records of the Governor and Winthrop's own papers and journals. In addition, a host of sources from both sides of the Atlantic is employed in the work. The in-depth coverage of the Winthrop family background can be tedious to readers only interested in American events, but they provide needed insights into the English Reformation and the events that lead to colonization of New England. Bremer's work takes its place as the definitive biography of John Winthrop for the next fifty years.

Bremer has brought us a sensitive and balanced portrayal of Winthrop, one that is at the same time truly gripping. One of the significant contributions of the book is Bremer's attention to Winthrop's forty or so years in England prior to coming to New England, which helps create the sense of organic development and shows points of continuity between English Puritanism and that of the New England colonies. The relationship between Bremer's presentation and other scholarly opinions is covered in many of the endnotes, which makes it useful to the scholar but not burdensome for the average reader. Scholars, history buffs, and even those just interested in the human experience of life, will find this book rewarding. Highly recommended.

New information is always one of the factors I like to glean from a non-fiction book. Sometimes the new material is major, sometimes minor. I immediately liked this book because I found a tiny bit of information that I've been curious about for years. A famous unsung, middle-class patron of many of the world's great artists who resided in Montparnasse ran a "Cremerie" directly across the street from Academie Colarossi Art School. The tiny café was described in numerous biographies but the shop owner was always described simply as "Madame Charlotte." I'd done a little research trying to discover more about this fascinating businesswoman whose building was stuffed with artworks and who loaned money to Gauguin so he could travel to the South Seas, but was unable to find her last name. It seemed to have been lost to history. On page 22 of this book the mystery was solved. She was identified as "Madame Charlotte Caron." That discovery immediately led me to buy this book that is chuck full of interesting biographies as well as more than 700 photographs of the artists described and their work as well as information about the people around this legendary Roaring Twenties artist's community. This encyclopedia of information is tied together by featuring Kiki (Alice Prin) at various points. It could have been tied together by using anyone of several artists who were such an integral part of the "Camelot of Paris Art." Picasso or Man Ray would have done equally as well, but neither of them was French or as sexy to look at in the nude.
This book is well worth reading. In many ways, it's like looking at a personal photo album with really good captions explaining the pictures and the people in them. Unlike most personal photo albums this one includes pictures of the "underside" of Paris along with pictures of its residents dressed and undressed. The residents apparently loved to party as demonstrated by the huge number of masked balls and other wild parties shown in picture after picture. This book is extra interesting because of the informal portraits of so many famous artists at work and definitely at play. With snapshots of the smoky world of the cafes, the brothels, the art schools, and the hedonistic picnics, the book makes that by-gone era live again. Kiki, with her cabaret dancing, nude modeling, infamous lovemaking and bubbling personality was the very personification of the hedonistic age that produced creativity the likes of which the world has seldom witnessed. She makes a perfect sexy trunk and limbs upon which to hang this elm tree-sized collection of colorful historic portraits.

This book gives both an excellent pictorial and verbal description of the evolution of the artistic life in bohemian Paris in the early twentieth century. Well researched and written, it brings the ongoing revolution in art (what defines art?) as well as society (the role of classes, women, etc) into both clear focus and understanding. The pictures are both numerous and superb and gives the book a real 'you are there' sense as well. The wealth of detail is sometimes almost overwhelming in fact. An very readable and enjoyable book!!

"KIKI'S PARIS: Artist and Lovers 1900-1930" faithfully evokes the era when Paris served as the nexus for the flowering of artistic movements as diverse as cubism, fauvism, futurism, and dadaism. Each photograph tells a rich story of the personalities and the city that shaped and inspired them.

This is a book that you'll want to read and re-read again and again. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

A time long gone of the parisian model for the teeming artists. Lots of great photo's and listings of the people of that time period. Puts you " there " as soon as you open the book. A timeless book of a wonderful age.

This book gives a wonderful photo journal insight into the free-spirited years of early 20th century Paris. The photos and descriptions are magnificent. This book will take you there in an instant.

. Informative book which is easy for all ages to follow wether reading it themselves or being read to. My children used it for projects and i myself took it into school to show children the system the English have as many think the Queen is voted in. I also enjoyed this book as i enjoy my country's history.

My bible of Royal British successions for almost 20 years, I keep it at my elbow for constant reference. A wonderful thumbnail sketch of each King and Queen, as well as a snapshot of the times in which they lived and the causes of their sucesseses and failures. Great reading--beautifully illustrated.

I bought this book many years ago, and I still pick it up at least once a month. The book gives you the most important information of every king and queen who has ever ruled England or Scotland.

As I turn the pages, I can see that there is something interesting about every regent, and by the way; this book makes you realize that royal scandals are not a new invention.

I have now read through this book twice - once before each of my trips to Great Britain - and have found this book to be immensely helpful in understanding Britain's past and present. The book purports to be about the British monarchy, but in addition to thoroughly covering royalty, this book also covers a fair amount of history so the reader has some feel for the cultural setting of the monarchs as well. There are numerous color illustrations and photographs throughout the text, finely placed, and quite instructive. Each monarch has typically 2-4 pages devoted to their reign, with important dates and events set out in an easy to consult style. Some attempt is made to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each ruler and to assess how the British peoples fared under their guidance. In general, the presentation is fair-minded, following Shakespeare's dictum to comment on each ruler as s/he appeared, "nothing extenuant, nor aught set down in malice."

There are periodically pages devoted to related topics such as the origins of Parliament, the Magna Carta, Chivalrous Orders (such as the Order of the Garter), War of the Roses, coronation of the Prince of Wales, castle construction (explaining terms like motte and bailey), or Empire Building. Events such as the 1381 Peasants Revolt, the 1666 Fire of London, or the Great Exhibition of 1851 (sharing scientific advancements from the Industrial Revolution) are richly illustrated, with commentary provided to explain their significance.

The Kings of Scotland are discussed separately, with historical figures like Robert the Bruce or William Wallace being treated in the narratives. Eventually, the Scottish and English/Welch monarchies converged with with the coronation of James I in 1603.

In all, Plantagenet Somerset Fry has done an absolutely first rate job of creating an introductory book on the British Monarchy. I found it quite helpful in keeping things straight in my mind (e.g. keeping all the Edward's and Henry's and George's distinct.) It is an excellent book to read either for pleasure, for instruction, or for historical guidance while touring the British Isles.

I read this book cover to cover just prior to my trip to England (along with Antonia Fraser's "The Lives of the Kings & Queens of England"). This was a fun and easy read with nice pitcures. It is nice for anyone looking for a brief overview about the English Monarchy and also for anyone who just wants to have a handy reference.

These Knopf Guides are fantastic. They are beautiful little books, they are not quick guides, they are conscious and indepth. The images are well presented and the text highly informative. This book on New York is especially good, New York is unique and lends itself well to a guide of this kind. Highly recommended.

It's the most handy guidebook I ever used. It tells you all the attractions in Manhattan and it doesn't flood you wth words. It organized into sections, so you don't have to fold the map over and over to find where you want to go. If you love to travel by yourself and you don't want to carry a big book around and look like a tourist, you should get this book.

It's only good for Manhattan though.

If you are traveling to NYC, and spending your time in Manhattan, this is the only map book you will need. It's compact, and will fit in your pocket, and is easy to use and to read.

It starts with a map of Manhattan, which is divided into several sections. Each section has a corresponding map. When you open the book to a section, you will see some text and small pictures showing some of the highlights that you may want to see in the area. Then, the page folds out to a detailed map that is large enough to read easily, even while your walking, but still quite compact. The paper is very heavy, and after ten days of extensive use, my book has no torn maps, or even battered edges.

The back of the book has both bus and subway maps, and although they are pretty small, you can still use them to get around on public transportation. The only thing I used to supplement this book was a compass, which helped when we emerged from a subway tunnel, and needed a quick direction.

The cost of this book is only slightly more than a traditional map and is, in my opinion, an incredible value for the money. As a first-time visitor to NYC using this book, I was amazed that I never got lost; not even once!

We used this book on our first visit to Manhatten and found the book to be very helpful. After preparing for our visit with this book, I felt comfortable and a familiarity with the city.

folks, this is the best idea for a tourbook/map that i have stumbled across yet. i'm not prone to raving, but this will garner praise from me until the cows come home (bearing foot & mouth) no doubt.

so, why is this so great? first of all, it's simple and well designed. the city is broken down into sections. you turn to those pages and there is a brief description of places to eat, shop, etc. the pages then open up into a map of the section with a description of major sites in the area.

brilliant! no fumbling around a big map trying to find your street. no squinting to figure out where you are. it's easy to find landmarks, metro stops, etc.

the card stock is nice and heavy and has lasted well even in my back pocket. the descriptions have been helpful without being too lengthy. and at this price, it's quite competitive with other maps while providing much more.

Best travel guide bar none. Fits your pocket or small purse.. Visually great looking. There are actual pictures .... All high recommended hotels different prices..Great maps.. hard to get lost . Great recommends for food I am a shopper.. Absolutely great & unusual shops ..None of the bad tourist gear only the styling gear.. .I am familiar w/ New York but I still use this guide. This is the one I get around with...I do not go anywhere without this guide if there is one available for the destination Im will be traveling to....

This is the most ergonomically designed useful city guide I've seen.
100 percent portable, no batteries, internet connection and user friendly.

I have bought several editions of this handy little guide over the years and am now giving one to all the guests at my daughter's New York wedding. It is very easy to use and has great suggestions for dining, sight-seeing etc. with very simple sections for each area of the city. I call it my New York bible.

I went to New York for the first time for two weeks. This map is great. It's small, easy to carry, and easy to read. You won't feel so obvious if you have to pull it out on the street corner or on the subway. It was so much better than the full size map that I got from the hotel. Beware, it only covers Manhattan. So if you have to travel to the outer boroughs (Brooklyn, Bronx, Staten Island, Queens) you'll need a different map. However, since all the siteseeing, shopping, and eating I wanted to do was located in Manhattan, it was the only map I needed.

The first time I went to New York, my mom bought this for our trip. It's been a life saver since. The maps are very detailed but small enough to carry with you without looking obnoxious. The subway map is detailed as well and when you use them with your sectioned maps, it completes the whole picture. This is a must have especially for first time visitors as the maps are very easy to read. I'm going on my third trip in two months and had to pick up another copy of this, as I can't seem to find my older one. I couldn't imagine a trip to NYC without it!

Every Swiss should read this novel. It takes you back to a time when Switzerland, Geneva, was a much quieter place. When the police would tell noisemakers to shush. When the tourists only came in the summer. And there's plenty of action that moves the plot along. A must read.

I really enjoyed reading the love story of those two kids. They loved each other so much and put so much faith into Dosie's mother. Boy, did she throw them a curve. What a letdown.

I am nuts about old bikes and this guy rides a Puch 125, made in Austria, for 6000 miles. This bike was more of a scooter than a motorycle and how he pushed that bike that far is hilarious. And the rest of the book is too.

Eine grosartige Tour von Europa nach dem grosen Krieg. Am interessantesten. Herr Frey schreibt eine gute Gerschichte. Gerd Schute

Un livre fascinat. Le contnent de l'Europe il y a 50 ans, avant que je sois meme ne. Je ne pourrais pas mettre le livre vers le bas.