Ireland Books

I used a friend's copy of this book for a specific recipe (whole wheat banana bread). I've tried many of the other recipes and I've not found one I don't like. I HAD to buy my own copy. The food is tasty, appealing and chock full of healthy ingredients. It's nice to find a cookbook with so much variety and great alternatives to grocrey store premade baked item. This is a keeper!!!

This is NO ripoff. It's the real deal. Straight from the Irish presses and shipped to America. The breads and baked goods are authentic and unbelieveably delicious. I can't praise it enough for its authenticity.

This book is an excellent choice for the person who is interested in authentic Irish baking. There are many variations on the traditional brown bread and all I have tried taste really good. The recipes are easy to follow and a lot come from top guest houses. The "Irish Apple Cake" is wonderful and freezes beautifully. It also has a few Irish American recipes along side the traditional versions. The scones, sweet breads - in fact everything I have baked from this book has been wonderful.

`The Best of Irish Breads & Baking' by Georgina Campbell, sponsored by the Irish company, Shamrock Foods, is the third book of Irish baking I have reviewed, and it nicely fits between the areas covered by Tim Allen's `The Ballymaloe Bread Book' and Margaret M. Johnson's `Irish Puddings, Tarts, Crumbles, and Fools'. Before comparing the three books in detail, I'll survey Ms. Campbell's contents.

This is a very nicely sized, relatively inexpensive book, listing at $15 or 15 euros which concentrates, like Ms. Johnson, on recipes from local Irish baking and hospitality establishments.

The chapters, with virtually no surprises, are:

Soda Breads and Scones, confirming once again that THE classic Irish bread is a brown soda bread and not the familiar Irish-American all white flour soda bread. I was pleased to find, however, a recipe for that familiar Irish-American soda bread with many flavorings added. One of the more unusual sections in this chapter is a method for making buttermilk from skimmed milk and yeast. I find immense irony in this method, as yeast is being used to make an ingredient for a yeastless quick bread. It also gives the yogurt method for making buttermilk, but makes no mention of the quick sour milk method or of powdered `instant buttermilk' products.

Hot Off the Griddle covers things which many people may not consider `baking' as they are recipes to be made from batters on top of the stove, including cakes made from batters with oats, potatoes (for boxty), apples, and flour. If you happen to be a big breakfast fan, this chapter may alone be worth the price of admission.

Tea Breads, Bracks, & Buns cover what in the United States would tend to be lumped together as muffins and their allies such as gingerbread and fruit breads.

Yeast Breads explores baking with packaged yeasts, either fresh brewer's yeast or dried yeast packets. One interesting fact in this chapter is that Irish wheat is soft, much like that from the southern United States such as White Lily flour. The explanation for the Irish love of soda bread is not this, but the fact that few Irish households had the kinds of ovens needed for baking yeasted breads. This may not be complete, as the same could probably be said of Italy, one of the capitals of yeasted bread traditions. While this chapter focuses on native Irish recipes, there are a fair number of imports from the Mediterranean using things like onion and garlic in the breads.

Cakes and Biscuits is the chapter which contains the recipes for the kind of seed cakes and biscuits which Bilbo Baggins probably served to Thorin Oakenshield, his band of dwarfs, and Gandalf the wizard in that magical moment at the beginning of the novel, `The Hobbit'. If you are a Tolkien fan, this chapter alone may be worth the book. Note that biscuits, here, is the English sense of biscuits as `cookies' and not what we recognize as, for example, southern buttermilk biscuits, which are much more similar to Irish scones.

Pastry and Puddings involves another English / Irish usage which may be unfamiliar to Americans, as `puddings' here refers primarily to desserts, primarily those made with custards. Oddly, the lion's share of recipes in this chapter are for cakes, pies, and tarts, rather than custard based desserts. There is another fair share of European influence in recipes for strudel (Austrian) and frangipane (French).

Festive Fare is one of my favorite kinds of chapters, as it gives recipes for occasions where you get an excuse to bake something delicious and fattening. I'm especially fond of these Irish dishes, as they contain the mother lode of inspirations for mincemeat pies and fruitcakes. The emphasis here is on Christmas, Easter, and Halloween, our favorite culinary holidays other than Thanksgiving.

If you have room for only one book on Irish baking, especially if you don't have a lot of books on general baking techniques, this is the best of the three books I cite here. Tim Allen's Ballymaloe book ranges far beyond Ireland, because his focus is what is made at the Ballymaloe restaurants for their guests, not what is traditional in Ireland. Thus, he includes a chapter on sourdough plus chapters on major Italian specialties such as pizza. Ms. Campbell does not touch sourdough (using natural yeasts) at all. Since Campbell covers both desserts and bread baking, it is also more general than Johnson's book on desserts. And, Campbell goes into a bit more detail on general baking technique, although not as much as the great bread baking specialists such as Peter Reinhart.

I am especially happy to say all measurements are in both metric and English systems and for things like flour, both weight (lb or grams) and volumetric (cups) units are given. This is another reason to pick this book if you can only have one. Otherwise, all three books have much to offer.

Highly recommended.

I love this book. Benjamin Nathans really captures the thoughts of an average russian man. I know this because im his close friend.
thankyou and good night

You should know that having been selected a Slavic Studies award it was not going to be all plot and laughs. Though if you read it with the right mindset, some of it looks like it was made-up by Myron Cohen. Probably the most interesting part of the scholarship brought up by Nathans was that once Russian Jews were allowed into law schools, they turned out to be recognized as the most expert in the law.

Anyone who has studied under a talmudic system will know that you must learn not only the law itself, but learn to read between the lines as to it's intent. Even the non-Jewish lawyers admitted that the Jewish lawyers were much more committed to their clients and their clients welfare. Many non-Jews hired Jews as apprentice lawyers because of their attention to detail.


From the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies (AAASS) awards committee:

Benjamin Nathans' masterful study provides a fresh look at an age old problem, the entry and integration of Jews into larger territorial, cultural and political communities. The book takes us, literally and figuratively, "beyond the pale" of Jewish life in late imperial Russia to the encounter of Jewish professionals and intellectuals with Russian civil institutions.

Through exhaustive and innovative research, from newly available archives to private family memoirs, Nathans brings to life key personalities and social interactions that redefine the Jewish presence in St. Petersburg, and in turn reshape ties to the other subjects of the empire and to Russian Jewry. Through these vibrant portraits of the Jewish-Russian encounter, the author paints a much larger canvas tracing a cultural world of understandings and misconceptions, a social existence beset by advances and setbacks, and a political discourse of emancipation and reaction.

This is a fascinating study of the Jews in Russia. The book description is accurate... it is a highly detailed and first rate work of scholarship. The only concern is that it is not casual reading-- it is an in-depth and comprehensive study that rewards the devoted reader.

Beyond the Pale: The Jewish Encounter with Late Imperial Russia won the 2003 Wayne S. Vucinich book prize awarded annually by the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies (AAASS) for the most outstanding monograph in Russian, Eurasian, or East European studies in any discipline of the humanities.

The book prize selection committee wrote the following about this volume:

Benjamin Nathans' masterful study provides a fresh look at an age old problem, the entry and integration of Jews into larger territorial, cultural and political communities. The book takes us, literally and figuratively, "beyond the pale" of Jewish life in late imperial Russia to the encounter of Jewish professionals and intellectuals with Russian civil institutions.

Through exhaustive and innovative research, from newly available archives to private family memoirs, Nathans brings to life key personalities and social interactions that redefine the Jewish presence in St. Petersburg, and in turn reshape ties to the other subjects of the empire and to Russian Jewry. Through these vibrant portraits of the Jewish-Russian encounter, the author paints a much larger canvas tracing a cultural world of understandings and misconceptions, a social existence beset by advances and setbacks, and a political discourse of emancipation and reaction.

This exemplary, insightful book, argued with balance and nuance and written with flair, provides an original interpretation of a central problem in Russian history and politics. More, the intellectual journey goes well beyond Russia to recast our understanding of broader, ever-present issues of identity, integration, and conflict.

The two greatest land battles of English/British arms are universally thought to be Waterloo and Agincourt. Charles Spencer and others (including Winston Churchill) would add Blenheim as the third greatest battle in the list. Louis XIV (the "Sun King" of France) was dominant in European power and had been for a couple of decades. He was an imperialist at heart, taking land when it suited him, on the flimsiest of pretexts. When the inbred and sickly Hapsburg king of Spain died without direct heir, Louis decided it was time to put a Bourbon king (i.e. his own family line) on the throne of Spain. This naturally angered the other Hapsburg monarch - the Holy Roman Emporer (leader of what was later known as Austria-Hungary) and would result in Louis's power increasing significantly, both in Europe and the Americas. Thus, the Emporer and the British, whose Dutch-descended King William III had long fought Louis as Prince William of Orange, formed an alliance to combat this new threat from Louis.

Charles Spencer is known to most as the 9th Earl Spencer, sister of the late Diana, Princess of Wales. His well-spoken and eloquent eulogy of his sister is an indication of his ability as a narrator. Fortunately, Spencer does not herein rely on his titles, nor on the fact he is a descendant of the winning British general: John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough. Instead, knowing the book will only be judged by his ability as a writer and historian, he presents a very readable and enjoyable depiction of the battle between the two Allied armies - commanded by Marlborough and the Imperial general Prince Eugène, and the opposing Franco-Bavarian forces. Taking place in and around the Bavarian village of Blindheim (Anglicised to Blenheim), the Austro-British forces are outnumbered and facing a foe that has not lost a major engagement for a generation. Included in the French ranks are a number of highly-decorated regiments (both of infantry and cavalry). Unfortunately for the French, they are badly outgeneralled, especially in the centre of the line where Marshall Tallard faces Marlborough. The English general has rapidly gained a reputation for initiative, timing, and daring only equalled by Prince Eugène, who is left to pin down the flank against a second French army and the Bavarians.

Spencer wisely takes a third of the book to set the scene - i.e., the politics of the age. No account of the battle would be complete without a detailed look at the people involved, of course, so much of the narrative alternates between the setup of the political situation and the personalities of the people involved. John Churchill was much maligned by both parliament (because his anscestors fought for the crown in the Civil War) and the protestant King William III (because he so easily switched allegiances to himself from the Catholic Charles II after Charles was deposed). It was not until Anne, protestant daughter to Charles II and sister-in-law to William III, came to the throne that Churchill rose to become commander of the British army. This did nothing to placate his detractors, of course, and he was dogged continually by his enemies. Spencer manages to avoid sounding the champion of his anscestor, instead presenting these facts in a straightforward but very readable fashion.

Similarly, when we move into the campaign phase of the book, and that of the Battle of Blenheim itself, we get to see the conflict from all sides - in the camps of all five armies present, and from the generals to the non-commisioned officers, many of whom kept diaries of the events (presumably many in the lowest ranks were illiterate and couldn't keep diaries).

There aren't a lot of accounts of the Battle of Blenheim (compared to, say, Waterloo), but this is a good read for anyone interested in the era, or in European history in general. Especially for those shy about tackling Winston Churchill's mammoth biography of Marlborough (which is also hard to find), this book gives a good description of the man, his age, and the battle he is most famous for winning.

At the end of the 17th century Louis XIV of France was at the peak of his power, the most powerful sovereign in Europe whose power was enforced by an victorious army with a reputation for being unbeatable. With the rise of his relative to the throne of Spain and his coercion of Bavaria into his sphere of influence it seemed that total dominance of Europe was within his grasp.

The fact that this did not come to pass was the result of the formation of the Grand Alliance by William III of England, combining the forces of England, the Holy Roman Empire and the Dutch free states.

The leadership of the Anglo Dutch forces was entrusted to John Churchill the Duke of Marlborough a handsome dashing General of only limited military experience. It was Marlborough who devised and implemented the daring plan to march across Europe to attack Frances ally Bavaria thereby relieving the threat of invasion from Vienna the capital of the Holy Roman Empire. A march which would ultimately see him join forces with the Imperial army commanded by the proven and driven General Eugene of Savoy to confront the Franco Bavarian forces near the village of Blenheim.

The resulting battle displayed the qualities of both of the allied commanders, Marlborough's dash and daring, his command of the battlefield, his husbanding of resources and the judgment which allows him to unleash them to the greatest effect and Eugene's tactical genius, charisma and steely resolve to achieve victory no matter the odds or the cost.

Overall this book provides a well written narrative of a battles which has been largely forgotten, which changed the face of Europe.

Based on diaries and letters of the participants and other sources, Charles Spencer gives a very readable, informative account, not only of the Battle of Blenheim, but of a whole period of history. BLENHEIM, BATTLE FOR EUROPE, is the story of how two friends and military geniuses, the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Savoy spoiled the Sun King's splendor. Louis XIV's army, considered invincible for forty years, was crushed at Blenheim, a small Bavarian village on the Danube, signaling that the Sun King would not conquer the Continent. Mr Spencer describes not only the everyday lot of the common soldier: his arms, medical treatment and food, but he also delves into the personalities of the major participants involved, from the Sun King to the field generals to Sarah, Marlborough's wife. This is popular history at its best, although the term "popular history" somehow seems dismissive; would it be that all history was written as well and as entertainingly. The book comes with color reproductions of portraits, three maps, including two battle maps showing positions and movements of troops, and order of battle and unit strength tables, useful for those who might like to recreate the battle as a simulation. He also describes the battlefield terrain quite well and the morale and quality of certain troops. Valuable as a reference, once read for pleasure, I recommend BLENHEIM highly.

"Blenheim: Battle for Europe" by Charles Spencer is a riveting account of that great battle fought between Allied forces under the command of John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, and the French Army of Louis XIV on August 13, 1704. This is a splendidly told story, not only covering this pivotal battle but the events leading up to it and the main characters involved, including my favourite, Prince Eugene of Savoy.

This battle possibly changed the course of European history with the near destruction of Louis XIV's army. Up to this point the French Army under the command of many capable marshals had never been beaten. It was virtually unstoppable until it met Marlborough, the Captain-General of the armies fighting against France. In this book Charles Spencer describes the outcome of that meeting at Blenheim.

The story telling is first-rate, the narrative flows fast and smoothly, is packed full of information but never over-loads the reader with too much. The colour plates are excellent and the maps sufficient for the story however I would have appreciated maybe a few more.

The account of the fighting is excellent and once you start reading it's hard to stop. The narrative drags you into the fighting as the allied infantry assaults the villages of Blenheim and Oberglau and then mass in the centre for the decisive offensive that was to break the back of the French forces. In the end the allies lost 12,000 men killed and wounded but the French lost more than three times that number.

This is an excellent account and adds much to the military history of this period, no decent library should be without a copy on their shelves.

This is an incredible book. It's just that simple. The level of detail and precision of the research involved is better than any other "battle" book I've ever read, air or ground.
But if there is any criticism of this book to be had it is just that, there is so much information here that it can be a bit overwhelming. Not to say that it isn't well written, it most assuredly is, but it is not a book for someone with a casual interest in the air war or someone looking for some light reading on WWII.
Bodenplatte was the ill conceived last gasp of a desperate Lufwaffe. And while it succeeded in causing considerable damage at some fields even if it had done so everywhere it would have still proven a pyrrhic victory as it killed very few allied personnel, mostly it destroyed equipment... equipment that, at that point in the war, the Allies could rapidly and easily replace. But it was a fascinating battle, and if you want to understand what happened and why it happened, this is the book to read.

Bodenplatte is an excellent book and very interesting, the more so since I was at Eindhoven on New Year's day 1945 and was wounded with many others. I can certainly confirm the verocity of the attack.

Hikoki Publications has a well-deserved reputation for producing high-quality military aviation history books.

BODENPLATTE is a perfect example of Hikoki's commitment to quality. There have been other books on the Luftwaffe's ill-fated attacks on Allied airfields on 1 January 1945, most notably Norman Frank's book, but the Manrho and Putz book must stand as the definitive book on the subject.

The depth of research in this book is truly impressive. Comments from dozens of German and Allied personnel help trace the fate of each Jagdgeschwader over France, Belgium and Holland. The book's final chapter detailing actual losses on both sides is especially helpful in showing what a pyrrhic victory Bodenplatte was for the Luftwaffe.

The book is well-illustrated with over 400 photos, including shots of Luftwaffe aircraft caught in the act of strafing Allied airfields. (I wish Hikoki had included color profiles of some of the FW 190s and Me 109s involved but that's a minor quibble).

In short, Buy this book! Military aviation history doesn't get much better than this!

Bodenplatte proves to be Luftwaffe's last major aerial offensive of World War II and this book shows why this raid proves to be so ill-fated, ill conceived and badly planned. Superbly researched by the two authors with hundreds of first hand accounts that gives much clarity to this often overlooked one day effort that totally compromised the Luftwaffe military effort along the western front for the rest of the war.

The book is divided so each fighter wing (Jagdgeschwader) who took part of the operation had their own chapter. Each chapter shows how they prepared and how they fared during the New Year Day raid. As in most cases, these Jagdgeschwaders did not fared very well at all. It pretty interesting to read that almost 50% of all Luftwaffe losses were due to anti-aircraft, mostly Allied although German lost some more to their own anti-aircraft units. The lost of German pilots proves to be the hinchpin of doom for the Luftwaffe while Allies easily replaced all pilots and planes lost in that raid.

The book read pretty well, there are over 400 black and white photos that goes with the account given and many of photos proves to be interesting ones. The book is written with certain German centric point of view although first hand accounts were given from both sides. There is also a very detail appendixs of who shot down who, what unit lost what planes and pilots and host of other material that reflect on the details of the raid. The research, as I write again, proves to be superb.

If there was a weakness, I would say that the maps could have been better design. Also, this book wasn't meant to be read by beginner reader. The authors fully expect their readers to understand the full aspect of World War II history during this period and readily be able to tell the difference between a FW190D and ME109G. There isn't much in this book for elementary education on World War II. The authors take you straight into the military narrative of the raid.

Overall, a definitive account of Bodenplatte Raid and as it turned out, it wasn't much hope for the Luftwaffe after this. The book come highly recommended for experience readers. (Funny, Hikoki Publications - Hikoki is Japanese word for "plane".)

I first read Bogmail over 20 years ago and recently picked it up again. Fortunately I didn't recall too much of the plot but what I could recall was that it made me laugh out loud then and sure enough it did again. This is a mystery but it is also an incredibly comical look at life in a small Irish village. It has some of the most amusing dialogue I've read anywhere as the various local characters philosophize over pints of stout at the local pub. The dialogue is witty and would have made a great screenplay so I'm surprised this was never picked up as a film. The people are all real "characters" and the story , set in rural Donegal , digresses enough to include philosophical musings by the local inhabitants as well as an Englishman recently transplanted.

The mystery aspect of this story moves the plot along briskly but the real joy of this book is the interaction between the characters.
A hard book to find but well worth the effort.

I have this one on my "mystery listmania list" (go there for the best mysteries of all time!) with good reason -- it's one of the top (and more humorous) mysteries that I've ever read, a real sleeper! If you're a mystery buff at all, be sure to glean this singular treasure from the heap. I love finding an obscure work like this and being pleasantly surprised as I was in this instance. I originally found it at the library, then I bought a copy so I could read it over and over. I hope, when this fine story is made into a film, that they don't change a single word.

Bogmail is an unclaimed jewel of a book. Why this story has never been snapped up by Hollywood I cannot understand (although BBC Northern Ireland did a TV adaptation in 992, the ridiculously named 'Murder in Eden') The characters are well crafted and believable, particularly the central figure, Roarty the pub landlord. Some of the dialogue had my belly aching with laughter. A thoroughly recommended book for lovers of Ireland and the Irish. Five star excellence.

This is a truly funny, witty and stunningly well-told story of murder in a small Irish village near Donagal. Charming characters, inane but clever conversations abound. Well worth the read!

I needed facts for a group of artists who were painting for an exhibiton with a turn of the century Paris theme.

This book was well written, entertaining, and contained some little known details for these well known and well read artists. The Exhibition was planned to highlight "Le Chat Noir", the caberet where many artists gathered just before the turn of the century, and the book gives life to the Caberet scene in Paris, as well as the total Bohemian scene there in that time frame.

This book was so good in many other ways, that every one of the artists decided to read the whole book. I highly recommend it.

After reading the only review posted of this book, I thought maybe I hadn't actually read the said book. I'll blame it on how I tend to skim through these sorts of things hardly paying attention. Point is, the review lost me in about the first two sentences. John Lennon? I don't criticize the review or anything - I can, indeed, make the connections - but I read the book more for the information on Murger, Verlaine, Jarry, and the rest of them... So what I'm trying to say is, if you want a great bohemian read totally packed with interesting stuff, read the book. It's a good one.

I first came across this book several years ago when writing about Jacques Offenbach. At that time, I much enjoyed both the author's erudition and his dead-on social analysis. Seigel demonstrates how, in mid-nineteenth century Paris, the eager purchase by the bourgeois of "revolutionary" works of art (literature, paintings, drama, music, etc.) deadened the intended meaning of those works, and, by making their creators wealthy, changed the artists' own feelings about their society. Seigel sees this cooption as an intrinsic function of capitalism, and its own best defense against violent revolution. The parallels for our society seem clear to the reader (Seigel does not discuss them) - just as Henri Murger, author of "La Vie de Boheme", grew rich enough to buy a country estate (and then killed himself) so John Lennon took the money from "Revolution" and bought New York real estate. Mick Jagger is today one of the largest and wealthiest landowners in Britain - and one could extend this list indefinitely.

Over the years, I thought of Seigel's analysis on occasion - for instance, when reading plaintive complaints about the "misuse" of rock in TV commercials. But I didn't bother to pick up the book again until reading a new book with "bohemian" and "bourgeois" together - Brooks' "Bobos in Paradise" - which does not cite this book. Hmm. It's very true that Brooks may simply be a keen observer - after all, our intellectual culture is a direct descendant of that discussed by Seigel. So let's leave it at that - and suggest that anyone seriously interested in "Bobos" would do very well indeed to read this volume.

The cover of this book is so telling about the contents that I searched for the poster to hang it in my voice studio. The time and place of early Cabaret is very intriguing to me and this book gave the details of the social canvas behind the whimsy of the art form. This is one of the most wonderful ways to read history. It IS NOT DRY. It springs up your imagination. songbird@avavictoria.com

Mr. Acton relates almost a century of Neapolitan history (1730 to 1825). A large part of the text is made of original letters written by contemporaries, which makes it very vivid. The book covers life at the court of the Two-Sicilies, from the most trivial incidents of everyday life through to major political events, the discovery of Pompei and Herculanum, artistic life, war against the French... Characters include Minister Acton, Nelson, British Ambassador Hamilton, Metternich, King Joachim Murat, Queen Maria Carolina, Lazzarone King Ferdinand, Abbé Galiani, Napoleon Bonaparte and many more. Very good book, despite the Anti-French feelings of most of the protagonists :-) (not surprising, given that Neapolitan Minister Acton was an Englishman and hated the French).

Eighteenth-century Naples, like fifteenth-century Burgundy, was a small but culturally important state. Under Charles III and his son Ferdinand the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was a center of art and a tourist attraction that drew many Englishmen on the "Grand Tour". Harold Acton (a relation of Sir John Acton?) made good use of the rich archives of Naples and Sicily as well as the memoirs of Sir William Hamilton, Giacomo Casanova and other contemporaries to evoke the spirit of the age. I only hope the Prion will see fit to reissue Acton's "The Last Bourbons", which covers Neapolitan history from 1825 to the unification of Italy in 1861.

Every once in a blue moon, one comes across an unexpectedly great work of history that takes your breath away. In addition, THE BOURBONS OF NAPLES was written by a descendent of one of the major players, Sir John Acton, and of that Lord Acton who said "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." This work was therefore also an exercise in family history for Harold Acton.

When you conjure up a picture of Naples in the 18th century, what comes to mind is the Grand Tour -- that endless stream of well-to-do English and other Europeans (including Goethe) who considered their upbringing incomplete until they had seen the classical art treasures of Italy, wondered at the magnificence of Vesuvius, and tasted of the fleshpots of Naples. There, they partied with complaisant British consul Sir William Hamilton and his delectable wife Emma (later associated with Horatio Nelson).

The time period covered by the book encompasses the reigns of Charles III and Ferdinand I (or III or IV, depending on whether you are referring to him as King of the Two Sicilies, Sicily, or Naples). Ferdinand was married to Maria Carolina, daughter of the Austrian empress Maria Theresa, sister of Marie Antoinette and grandmother of Napoleon's second wife Marie-Louise. While something of a grand scale manipulator, Maria Carolina pretty much ran the kingdom (into the ground) while Ferdinand spent his time hunting wild boar with cronies. Yet, thanks to the British fleet and Austrian army, she managed to hold on to her throne and write agonized letters to every crowned head in Europe until she proved too much for one British emissary, who packed her away to Vienna with her husband's permission.

The vicissitudes of the Bourbon monarchy in Italy make for fascinating reading. It had twice as many lives as a cat and even managed to survive the threats posed by the French Revolution and Napoleon -- but just barely.

This book is a lost gem and now is thankfully back in print. The author, Harold Acton appears as Anthony Blanche in Waugh's BRIDESHEAD REVISTED (where he is portayed somewhat unfairly as a fop). The Bourbons of Naples, unlike the Bourbons of Spain or France, did not have the same magnificent reputation as their more famous cousins. The best of the lot, Charles, later Charles III, the king of Spain, left an significant mark on Naples, building the city's famous opera house (he frequently dozed off during performances when he could be bothered to attend. The rest of members of the family are fine targets for Acton's wit. And what a canvas he has to paint his scenes of regal decay.

While Charles III was the ideal monarch, his successor (at least to this throne) was a ruler who spent most of his time hunting and fending off attempts by Napoleon to wrest his kingdom from him. This did not bother him so much as it did his wife Maria Caroline.

Like Louise of Prussia, or even Madame de Stael, Maria Caroline hated Napoleon (who in a strange twist of history became her grandson in law) and spent much of her life trying to come up with ineffective means of frustrating attempts at seizing Naples from the Bourbons. Even had Napoleon not tried to evict the Bourbons from Naples (as he had from Spain), Maria Caroline saw him as the heir to the same French Revolution which had cut off the head of her favorite sister Marie Antoinette.

Ambid the efforts of the queen, who was the won who wore the pants, to rule Naples and maintain the throne, and the kings persistent hunting excursions, a whole host of ministers and advisors come into the scope of the Bourbons. Nelson, Lord and Lady Hamilton are supporting characters in this work.

This is one of the best books in English on the Bourbons of Naples, but it is not without its defects. While Harold Acton is well-versed in the family, I would have liked more context, particularly on some of the short comings mentioned, but not fully explored. I was not sure why, after the chief minister (an ancestor of the author named Acton) was unable to bring the army up to respectable levels. Funds are expended and this is looked upon with alarm by the nation's adversaries, but in the end this had little effect. Even after reading this work, I am not sure why the Neapolitan army was so lousy.

Still and all, it is great to see this book in print again, I am hoping the publisher is able to bring out the sequel which addresses how the Bourbons of Naples were finally defeated by their enemies the house of Savoy and were left behind in the unification of Italy.

This was a book we read in my Children's Lit class while profiling books that featured strong female protagonists and/or stories that feature strong female characters. This book was chosen because it's unique portrayal of a woman saving a knight (not the other way around) in a classic fairy tale/fable. This book really stuck with me (for so many reasons) so I had to go out and buy it.

This Irish folktale features Margaret, a beautiful maiden who lives on a farm on the Irish coast, who's life was changed forever when a man (the captain of a ship and a King of the East) comes to her farm and asks for supplies for his voyage. Margaret who's yearning for a life of adventure agrees, on the condition that she is taken on the ship's journey, to which the King agrees. She works on the ship like the rest of the men, and she proves herself as strong and courageous. As the story progresses, Margaret repeatedly shows her strength and fearless nature, culminating in a fantastic battle with a mythical beast that Margaret must win in order to free herself from the magical curse a strange old woman and save her beloved King (who, if you couldn't figure out, she'd taken a fancy to). Margaret beautifully embodies a beautiful, feminine woman who also can stand up for herself and those she loves.

While this is a children's book, I'd say it's not for young children, not because of the content, but because there is a fair amount of reading in this book. I don't think, for example, my preschool class could sit through this without getting squirmy. However, for those children who love stories or have the ability to sit and listen for a longer story, they're going to love this book. The girls in the class may especially enjoy the unique twist that the King needs saving by a beautiful woman, not a beautiful woman needs to be saved by a King. The girls in our Kindergarten class loved reenacting this story, and it has quickly become a big favorite.

One thing I thing this book offers that I don't think gets enough praise is the spectacular illustrations. This book has, hands down, some of the best illustrations I've ever seen in a children's book. There are some pictures which quite literally glow. One picture in particular (the picture of Margaret on her knees, weeping) caught my breath. The pictures are vivid, hypnotic, and really capture the feeling of faraway lands, mythical beasts, and perfectly capture the mesmerizing beauty of Margaret and her incredible strength. It's not often I find books that visually portray beautiful women not as "girly-girls" but strong, courageous, and very real, without sacrificing her femininity. And I'm sorry, this gal has the most gorgeous hair (though being a bottle redhead, maybe I'm a teensy bit biased... But it's honestly nice to see a non-blonde female heroine/ lead).

The pictures in this book are so beautiful that the story could have been garbage and I'd still have bought it. The illustrations are just that amazing.

This book is wonderful for so many reasons. Beautiful pictures, strong female character, breaking of the typical fairytale/folk tale stereotype of women who need saving from their knight... This book is a can't miss.

Heck, I bought it and I don't even have kids and my husband, who doesn't read children's books, asked this to be a coffee table book so he could see the illustrations. :)

The title "Brave" does not do Margaret justice. She is fearless, powerful, intelligent, kind Margaret. The fable, set in the one place on Earth I would love to live, Ireland, is wonderful. Margaret meets her prince...but who will save who? The illustrations are as beautiful as Margaret. (I love the opening stained glass.) If you have daughters, or a classroom with girls, are a girl, or just know a girl, grab this book for a good read. Highly recommended.

Brave Margaret is a the classic fairy tale, but with a twist. In Brave Margaret, the hero is Margaret and she must save the Knight in shining armor and slay the dragon. A must have for all parents with girls AND boys. Story is reminiscient of classic greek tales and Aesop fables. The story itself is excellent the artwork is magnificant.

A great story, for boys and girls alike, the artwork is rich, and unique. This would make a great gift for a child from quite young to teenagers, or even for adult collectors of great illustration.

Tom Phelan makes those terrible times come to life in a very special way with this novel. The characters are engaging, the story first rate. He clearly has done his homework, and this is a very moving book. It is one of the saddest things I've ever read.

Canal Bridge was an amazing book about an Irish story one never hears about or sees in the movie -- Irish in World War I -- fighting for the British against the Germans -- but it was more than that -- it was their Vietnam -- an unpopular war, an angry populace. Yet this is also a fierce love story told through multiple points of view, between lovers, friends, neighbors. Also amazing -- the author is 90+ years old! Not that that should matter in a book, but it's a wonderful tidbit. READ THIS wonderfully written and compelling book!!

I absolutely loved this book, from the first page to the last. Mr.Phelan has honed his writing skills and sharpened his pen (well, computer) to produce this excellent novel of a small village in Ireland and the folks of same who lived through World War I. The writing is good. the storyline crisp, and the characters well defined.
Good job!

The Irish Independent calls Tom Phelan's THE CANAL BRIDGE "Another First World War masterpiece....An ambitious, accomplished and deeply moving contribution to Ireland's formidable corpus of fiction about the Great War."

Books Ireland, the magazine of the Irish publishing industry, describes THE CANAL BRIDGE as "a powerful and deeply affecting novel."

The Irish Emigrant says THE CANAL BRIDGE is "a masterful story...Must be ranked among the more successful of the novels dealing with the First World War."

About a quarter of a million Irish men served in the British army in World War One, and about 35,000 died. Tom Phelan's gripping new novel, THE CANAL BRIDGE, tells the story of two Irish stretcher-bearers (and the lovers and families they leave behind) as they struggle to survive the slaughterhouse that was Europe from 1914-1918.

Due to political divisiveness, Ireland has no tradition of honoring the memory of its WWI soldiers. In writing The Canal Bridge, Tom Phelan has raised awareness of these men and paid tribute to them.

This is an excellent commentary and translation of the 1983 Code of Canon Law. Prepared under the auspices of the Canon Law Society of Great Britain and Ireland, it contains all the canons of the 1983 Code in a fresh English translation (approved by eight Bishops' Conferences worldwide) and a canon-by-canon commentary with footnotes and cross-references. The translation is accurate and clear, and the commentary is good, easy to understand and practical.

This volume is not overly verbose, unlike some commentaries, yet it packs in a lot of material to help even the lay-reader understand and apply the canon in his/her life/situation. It is a highly practical and pastoral commentary, that seeks to help the reader understand the canons in the light of the tradition of the Catholic Church enunciated through the teachings of Vatican II. Strong theology and ecclesiology permeates through the entire commentary, and in my opinion, it does a far better job than other American commentaries I have read. A fresh approach of this commentary is its views of canon laws as guides on the path to salvation, rather than as the ecclesiastical counterpart to civil laws aimed at restricting freedom.

Pope John Paul II described the 1983 Code as "the final document of Vatican II." This commentary can be described as permeating with the authentic teachings and thoughts of Vatican II. You need not agree with all the commentaries of the canons, but it has done an overall excellent job with providing a scholarly and faithful interpretation of this venerable tradition of the Catholic Church called Canon Law.

This is a Commentary on the revised Code of Canon Law, which was promulgated by the Roman Catholic Church in 1983. This particular Commentary is a joint endeavor by the Canon Law Society of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Canadian Canon Law Society. The writers are some of the finest canonists in the English speaking world. Their approach is both pastoral and scholarly. That is, every commentator makes an educated and obvious effort to provide practical answers to contemporary problems of the Christian Faithful today. This is not the first Commentary on the revised Code, but that has its advantage. It includes the benefit of twelve years of public reaction to the Code, once it was enacted to succeed the previous Code of 1917. The word "Catholic" means universal. To provide an organized and comprehensive Commentary on such a Code is a work of staggering proportion. These professional and learned Societies have completed this work and made a tremendous contribution to Catholic Church intellect.

A detailed and extensive, but still quite readable, commentary on all 1,752 canons of the 1983 Code of Canon Law. Already highly-regarded by practicing canon lawyers, this book is finding an increasing audience among laity who appreciate its accessible language and obvious commitment to accuracy. Written some ten years after the new Code went into effect, this book benefits by having allowed some post-Vatican II dust to settle and by being able to watch how some of the newer canons were going to be applied in actual Church life. I consider this work one of staples of canonical practice, and I use it on a nearly daily basis.

This commentary of the Canon Law Society of Great Britain and Ireland reminds me of the Homeletic and Pastoral Review -- a magazine which strives to be simultaneously orthodox, pastoral and accessible to the average reader. In my opinion, this commentary is a success for these reasons.

As a canonist who does freelance writing on the side for a variety of popular Catholic publications, and who often finds himself teaching canon law to non-canonists, this is the commentary I most often cite when doing so. Again, because it is orthodox, pastoral and written at a level most Catholics can understand. Its larger print layout only facilitates the ease with which one reads it. For those seeking a commentary for reference purposes, this is the way to go. It is very much like the family Bible one keeps on one's bookshelf.