Europe Books

This is a completely absorbing page- turner with fascinating historical details. I thought Emily, the protagonist, was particularly interesting. Many authors label their protagonists, giving them a certain type of personality that isn't very common among teenagers. Emily is normal in every way, yet she shines. This is because she is very realistic and likable. Though she is a bit downtrodden from major changes in her life (a divorce, a new home, and a new school), she doesn't whine excessively, nor does she take it unrealistically with no complaints. I was also very pleased with the ending. There was no corny parting scene where Emily's seventeenth century friends go back to their time through a swirling vortex with tears in their eyes.

I immensely enjoyed reading this book. My only complaint concerns the title. Although the book's title is The House on Hound Hill, it was originally published in Britain as Here Comes a Candle to Light You To Bed. I think the original title is much more intriguing and should not have been changed.

I've never been so "in" to a book that it made me jump in my seat until i read this. Prince has done a fantastic job of painting history, intruige, and fiction into this story. Everything from visions of ghosts repeating the cycle of their tragic lives, the protagonist becoming lost in the past, the past intertwining with the present, plague pits, and death make this story a favorite of mine.

The House on Hound Hill by Maggie Prince was a very good book. it had suspense, adventure, and history. it is about a 16-year-old girl, Emily, and her experienceswith the Black Plague of 1665. She has just moved into an old house in a London neighborhood called Hound Hill. She starts seeing, hearing and even smalling things from the time of the Black Death. She was transported to 1665 several times. Then she begins getting stranhge symptoms. On one last trip to 1665, she learns more about the horrors of the Plague and her new acquaintances from the time. For this trip, she stays an unusually long time and, like the other times, she doesn't know how to get back.

Emily's new house in London's historic neighborhood is filled with secrets of the past - secrets which bring Emily right into the past as she begins to experience plague symptoms and uncovers a doorway to an era where the Black Death killed almost a quarter of London's people. A challenging, involving story which blends real history with supernatural overtones in a riveting style.

The House On Hound Hill is a wondrfull book about a teenagegirl's troubles and the plague of London. Emily is shattered by herparents recent divorce and her new neighborhood.She is depressed aboutfailing exams.Emily starts to hear whispers and meets an man looking for his cat.Soon odd things start to happen.Emily discovers the past is still alive.She periodically goes back in time and experiences London in 1665.She sees beggars and watchmen.This book describes how it was at the time of the plague.The imagery and details add colorful contrast to this sad story.I enjoyed this book because I learned about the plague.Parts of the book did seem confusing at first, but they were later explained.

This novel has emerged, from the ruins of the purges, like a pure, unspoiled and immaculate gem. As an autobiographical novel, one cannot deny the importance of this work to provide for insights into Bukharin's private life, given that most biographies of Bukharin are about his political and intellectual life.

Not only is this work important in this regard, Bukharin's stunning literary ability comes to the forefront in this work, which details, with a humanistic empathy, the plight of the peasants, family relations and the psychology of a middle class family from the late 19th century Russian society. The novel begins with the birth of "Kolya" and is seen through the boy's eyes as he grows up. It ends, poignantly, (Bukharin did not live to finish the work) with the death of his brother.

Of particular note is the rich texture of his narrative; it powerfully invokes a child-like sense of wonder that is intrinsic to children of that age. There are indeed very few works out there that parallel the vivid evocation of imagery which Bukharin is capable of. Bukharin's description of the Russian landscape was beautifully detailed, as was the heartfelt revelations about life which slipped through.

It is through this work that we come to realize that the interior life of this man was not only brilliant, but that his political stance was chosen fundamentally because of his humanistic understanding of Russian peasants and the impoverished.

This edition comes with very lovely pictures, too.

Set in the pre-revolutionary Russia, Bukharin's novel attempts to demonstrate, through the eyes of a youth named Nikolai Petrov, how the revolutionary spirit fermented and grew among the youth and intelligentsia. While this novel could be read with an eye toward the abuses of the Soviet Union and dismissed as political propaganda, in doing so the reader would miss the wealth of historical detail with which Bukharin writes. Every page is bursting with succulent fruit for anyone interested in the social, economic, and cultural world of the peasants and the working class at the turn of the century in pre-revolutionary Russia. Part of that fruit is socialism, communism, atheism, and the raging underground debates taking place during that period; seen as history, however, Bukharin gives us an invaluable insider's view, recalling his youth in all its variety and discussing the situations that led him down the path his life had taken.

The story revolves around Nikolai, who is obviously a cipher for Bukharin himself. Young Kolya (Nikolai) is full of energy, wit, and curiosity. As he grows and excels in school, his thinking begins to grow as well, from that of an innocent child to that of a young man on the verge of becoming a revolutionary himself. Unfortunately, the saddest part about this novel is that it ends in the middle of a chapter; Stalin finally had Bukharin executed, making it very difficult to continue writing. The writing is so well done it is hard to believe Bukharin never had a chance to re-write it; we are reading essentially his first draft, written in prison. His astounding intellect is obvious, quoting from German, French, English, and Russian poets and authors, occasionally making references to Latin or Greek jokes the children learned in high school, and discussing the variety of birds and other animals Kolya collects with amazing clarity.

Before reading this book, I knew Bukharin was a political genius that few have matched. However, I did not realize his brilliance as a writer: he appeals wonderfully to all the visual and emotional senses as a great novelist. He occasionally discusses his growing political awareness, but that is not the focus of this work. His love of life, nature, and family show the incredible depth of his mind. Much credit must also be given to the translator for making the language so effusive in English.

It's a wonderful miracle that this book was not destroyed by Stalin; it's just a shame that it's incomplete, cutting off in mid-thought. Nevertheless, what Bukharin was able to complete gives provides an enthralling look into life in late Tsarist Russia, as well as putting us a bit closer with one of the most tragic victims of the purges.

Bukharin's autobiographical work is a lyrical, moving, story of the life of a young boy in pre-Soviet russia. Unlike Leon Trotsky's autobiography, which is a similar work in content, this is a novel. And a grand one. When you read the touching descriptions of Kolya's then idyllic, then tragic domestic life, you feel helpless, sad, for you know that this boy will eventually be dead, the New World he helped to create corrupted and turned against him. The very existence of this novel is a message of hope, that even under the most tragic and ironic circumstances there can something joyous (Bukharin wrote the novel while in Lubyanka prison). The poignancy of all this is further increased by the included letter by Bukharin, written to his wife Anna Larina and not given to her for 50+ years. This book also stands as a monument (in a medium I belief he would have perhaps preferred) to Nikolai Bukharin, a brilliant scholar, writer, and Revolutionary

This is a remarkable book. It combines three forms in a single work: 1) a detailed and evocative story of a boy growing up in late 19th century Russia, 2) an informative and moving autobiography of one of the most important Bolshevik leaders, and 3) commentary on the social and economic developments leading up to the 1905 and 1917 revolutions, including (in the tradition of Russian novels) imagined descriptions of important meetings of leaders of state. Most remarkable, though, is that the entire book was written in the nights of Bukharin's confinement in Moscow's Lubyanka Prison while he awaited almost certain execution following his notorious "show trial". The idea of a man who knows he could be shot at any moment writing such detailed, even leisurely descriptions of his childhood in Moscow and Bessarabia is almost beyond comprehension. Indeed, the novel breaks off in mid-sentence. This book should not be missed by anyone interested in 19th and 20th century Russian history, and will be enjoyed by anyone interested in a good coming-of-age novel as well.

Sumption continues the same excellence in Trial by Fire that was started in Trial by Battle - an integrative and authoritative look at the Hundred Years War. As opposed to other histories if this period, his approach is detailed and authoritative - no greater praise can be made of a piece of historical work covering an "event" of such scope and length. My only disappointment is the delay in release of future volumes.

I would not recommend this book to individuals who are looking for general history or discussions of battles. On the other hand, for those with interest in the 13th to 15th century, it is highly recommended.

Sumption's bulky, detailed study of the Hundred Years War and its antecedents is a model for modern narrative history. His research is truly extraordinary, his writing clear, his story compelling, and his judgment almost always sound (if rather pessimistic). He is better on politics, administration, and finance than on strictly military topics, however; in my opinion he fundamentally misunderstands the battle-seeking nature of English strategy in this period (cf. my article in the 1994 _Transactions of the Royal Historical Society_, or my forthcoming monograph, _War Cruel and Sharp_), and his battle narratives, while as good as any others yet published, are open to dispute.

A truly outstanding series on the players, economics, politics and strategy (or lack thereof) of the Hundred Years War. To describe it as definitive is perhaps insufficient praise.

According to correspondence with the UK publisher, Faber & Faber, the demands of the author's day job as a QC (lawyer) will likely mean a 2-3 year delay before volume three (I write this in July 2005). It will almost certainly be worth the wait though.

The book is everything it promises, with one exception - it is volume two of the series. Mr Sumption is an extraordinary advocate, historian and writer, but he wrote volume one before this one.

This is not a review. I simply wish to point out that you have Volume II of Jonathan Sumption's (probably excellent to judge by the previous volume) book on the 100 Years' War on one of your pages, but the review below it is not of that book at all, but of Volume I. I hope this is helpful.

What a great time I had reading this book. As a fan of the TV series and Hyacinth herself, I was delighted to read the daily account of one year in her life. Very very funny and entertaining. A definite must for anyone who's a fan and a must for anyone who enjoys a great laugh!!!

This adorable little book is ostensibly a copy of Hyacinth Bucket's one-year diary (a gift from Richard). As with any diary, the entries are (of course) handwritten. Also, there are copies of newspaper clippings, invitations, a few annotated photographs, and so on, throughout. The first page, as one might expect, is a list of important phone numbers (all filled in and suitably annotated by Hyacinth with comments such as "dirty hands--must NOT touch wallpaper" next to the electrician's number, for example).

Though the diary makes reference to people and places that were introduced in the series--like Marston Hall (Hyacinth's rural retreat) and C.P. Benedict (the Garden Centre king), it is not a script-based book as is her Book of Etiquette. In fact, it includes incidents that never appeared in the series at all, such as a visit to the Antiques Roadshow. Also, from various comments included in the diary, the reader begins to wonder fairly early on whether or not Richard is seeing another woman (which adds quite an interesting twist!).

In short, this is a light-hearted and thoroughly entertaining (not to mention insightful) book, and it is a must-have addition to the series for all who love this priceless British comedy and that precious Bucket woman. Highly recommended!

I ordered this book on Feb 14, 1999 and have not yet recived this book! 3-5 weeks has turned into 3 months!

The book is pure Hyacinth. It's like reading her mind!

This book is so well written, it really makes you question the type of babble that we sell for books here in this country. The comedic content is wonderful - it's all there - timing and everything!!

I Heard My People Cry is fast becoming the one book everyone in your "home town" wants to read. Congratulations Elizabeth.

A foreword for this 2nd printing is written by Nancy K. Splain, J.D., Liaison to the American Bar Association's Far Eastern Project - Ukraine. Dr. Splain lived in Ukraine 2001 and 2002. She has traveled many of the same by-ways as Lise did during her escape with her Mennonite people. In this unusual foreword, Dr. Splain describes the lush hills of Crimea where Lise was born and her passion for this book is obvious. Dr. Splain's foreword is an outstanding addition to this award winning book.

Escape to freedom. Survival. How might we lose our freedoms? This author tells it all.

Set in Eurasian history, this remarkable story of faith, courage, perseverance and love could easily have happened--and is happening--today. A mother's love and determination, a child's lost innocence, a tale of harrowing survival. What should never have occurred again is as fresh today as it was then. I couldn't put it down the first time, and I continue to pick up my favorite parts to read them over and over as a source and basis for my own faith. The words are so clear, the vision so real.

has written this true story in Lise's own, up-lifting and charming words as a child of Dutch-German parents trapped in Russia. I consider it an important addition to the unknown, unadmitted history of Russia's people and Lise's escape with 140 of her people is an amazing story for all ages. This exciting, well crafted book is hard to put down. It is both relevant and powerful. How difficult it is to earn freedom -- how easy to lose it! I Heard My People Cry is felt in the hearts, and seen upon the faces of all mankind. So relevant for day!

This book is a very nice explanation of what it must have been like for one man whose body was found buried at Pompeii during the volcanic eruption. How people probably had very little understanding of volcanos and how dangerous they could be. People in Pompeii were used to earthquakes so they didn't become as concerned as they should have before the full eruption took place. When it finally became clear how bad it could be, people had a choice of leaving their homes and trying to flee under horrific circumstances or being somewhat protected inside their homes and buildings. Those who fled successfully survived but many died fleeing and everyone died who stayed.

I read, The Buried City of Pompeii. It told the story of the ancient volcanoe Vesuvious through the eyes of Eros, one of the skeletons in the stewards quarters of The House of the Menander. The auther writes about Eros' day, as well as what happened after the city was buried. It has good pictures. There are some ancient artifacts, some old photos, and some new ones of the area after the erruption.

Omigosh, this book is fantastic! I cannot say enough good things about it! This brings history to life like nothing I've ever seen. Combining photographs of the ruins with detailed paintings of the fictitious characters, I Was There takes you back in time from the first page. My 6-year-old was completely captivated by the story of Eros and his daughter, which not only gives a very plausible suggestion for the findings at real-life "house of Menander," but also explains much about ancient Roman life along the way--from baths to markets to clothing and food. This is a MUST for any young student of antiquity or future tourist of Italy.

The pictures were really great. I really liked the painting of Eros when he went to the baths, and the photographs when they were digging for Pompeii. I really liked Sylvia, Eros' daughter. She is my age (six). They have found the remains of a priest's lunch (berries and nuts) and five REALLY old eggs. I'd like to find Sylvia's ring when we go to Pompeii this spring. (Hey, that rhymes!)

No one nows what to do.Mt.Vesuvius is erupting!Ash is buried on the city of Pompeii.A boy named Pliny see's the black cluod coming out of Vesuvius.My favorite book...........The buried city of Pompeii.

Although this is an overview book, there is so much here to recommend it to the artist. I do C&I for my historical group (SCA) and this is such a wonderful source!

This is one of the best books on illuminated manuscripts currently available. The book is hardcover, full color throughout, and many nice reproductions. There is a nice variety in the work shown and good commentary. If you get this at the discounted price, this is a hard book to beat in quantity and quality. Along with A History of Illuminated Manuscripts this is a must-have book.

What can I say? I have been researching this specific field now for the last five years, and rarely find such a magnificent reproduction as this! Excellent job on the colour balance, and many miniatures I have not seen in any other books. Well done.

Best "bang for the buck" period illumination book on the market. Every page is crammed with beautiful, clear color photos of ten centuries of period illumination styles. There are 'leaves' and 'hours' in there that I have never seen before. Best of all (and unlike other books I could name) it's affordable and within the reach of the true 'starving artist' (and it's about time).

What a marvellous collection of Illustrated Manuscripts. A couple of other reviewers stated that this was one of the best books of this kind ever published.I certainly have no dispute with them as it is the best I've seen.
Going through this book gives one the feeling of viewing the greatest illustrated books that were the domain of the rich and powerful from the 7th. Century to the 17th.Century. Unless you were of that class,you had little chance of ever seeing,touching and certainly no chance whatsoever of owning one of these books.
Until the Gutenberg press of the 1450's there were no printed books,which meant that any book had to be drawn and lettered printed by hand,taking years of painstaking and highly talented work.Hence,they were extremely expensive and available to the very few.Even someone who owned or had access to books like these,even they would be very lucky if they saw more than a few in their lifetime.In this book we get to see hundreds of the manuscripts from literally hundreds of these rare masterpieces.They come from all over Europe and from a span of roughly a thousand years.
It'as amazing to think that in the 14th.Century,it was possible to build massive Cathedrals;but a book like this for the masses was not even imaginable.

This is exactly the book I was looking for and wasn't sure existed. Even if I don't get back to Paris for years, I can still feel a little closer to its streets because of this guide. This little book can not serve as a introduction to Impressionist art, but to those who already love Impressionism, this is a delightful addition to that appeciation.

There are many books about Paris, many about the Impressionists, and several about Paris and the Impressionists. If you're obsessed with Paris and Impressionism, buy them all. However, if you're not willing to build a new wing for your library, or simply want a book you can actually take with you and use while you're in Paris, this is the one. It's a true gem.

If you love Paris and the Impressionists' work this is a must have. Taking the walking tours was the highlight of my last trip to the city of lights. Williams helps you see through 100 years of change into a different Paris.

This and a Metro map will take care of me for a week. A little about Paris, a little about the period, a little about the artists... "The Impressionists' Paris" is a learning experience, even for a student of impressionist art, and even if you're not planning a trip to Paris soon.

All but one of these 3 walks are on the right bank, which is otherwise somewhat impressionist-deprived since the good paintings moved from l'Orangerie to Musee d'Orsay. Combine Walk 1 with a visit to Orsay one day, then combine Walk 2 with an excursion to Giverny on another day.

Work the cafes into the rest of your visit to Paris. If you're into art and food, this book is a great companion to "The Historic Restaurants of Paris" by the same author.

Don't expect to find all of the locations intact, and there's the ever-present reality of construction and scaffolding. I hardly recognized the Pont de l'Europe from Caillebotte's painting, and Cafe de la Paix is closed for renovation (9/2002).

I'd love to meet this author sometime. She did this book like I would have (if I knew nearly as much as she). Each tour has a good map, and about 14-18 pages (each) of descriptions and pictures. Walking directions are in bold.

The book has nice color plates of selected paintings, matched loosely with period photos of Paris taken from old postcards, some with their 'timbres' quaintly intact. Lengthy captions add colorful trivia. She even finishes off the book with a tastefully written list of Paris cemeteries where the impressionists are buried.

Bon Voyage!

I think my students will love traveling in the footsteps of the impressionists. Seeing what the artists saw is worth a 1000 words in explaining they why of the subject painted.

Table of Contents
Acknowledgments v
Foreword vii
Introduction to Europe 1
The LDS Church Records 9
Jewish Records 19
Albania 31
Andorra 32
Austria 33
Belarus 48
Belgium 50
Bosnia and Herzegovina 58
Bulgaria 60
Croatia 63
Cyprus 66
The Czech Republic 68
Denmark 78
Estonia 88
Finland 90
France 98
Germany 111
Greece 158
Herzegovina (see also Bosnia and Herzegovina) 161
Hungary 162
Iceland 172
Italy 176
Kosovo (see Yugoslavia)
Latvia 185
Liechtenstein 188
Lithuania 190
Luxembourg 192
Macedonia 194
Malta 196
Moldova 198
Monaco 199
Montenegro (see Yugoslavia)
The Netherlands (Holland) 201
Norway 220
Poland 230
Portugal 240
Romania 247
Russia 251
San Marino 257
Serbia (see Yugoslavia)
Slovakia 258
Slovenia 262
Spain 264
Sweden 273
Switzerland 281
Ukraine 292
Vojvodina (see Yogoslavia)
Yugoslavia 294
Bibliography 303
Genealogical Societies and Web Sites 309
Index 313

This is the best all around book on European Genealogy. The chapter on Italy is very complete and up to date.

Flavio Andreatta, President
The Italian Genealogy and Heraldry Society of Canada

Unless your ancestors walked the land bridge 10000 years ago, you will want this book to learn how you got here. In addition to learning details about emigrating from your particular homeland, you can find out about some European history in general terms that you may have missed in college. Although written before the breakup of the USSR, the section dealing with the former soviet republics gives a hint as to the chances of success you may expect if that was your home. Details such as the data in Canada from the Russian consul, and the small number of embarkation points in European ports should prove to be invaluable as you start your search.

No genealogist should be without this book.

Now in a completely revised, updated, and expanded fourth edition, Angus Baxter's In Search Of Your European Roots continues to be the premier guide for the novice genealogist seeking trace ancestors in any and every country throughout Europe. The location of each country's national and municipal archives is recorded, in addition to the location of church records, census returns, the system of civil registrations of births, marriages, and deaths, along with pertinent recommendations on finding and using such records as foundling books, orphans' lists, certificates of domicile, guild records, internal passports, confirmation records, and vaccination lists. Here are a highly recommended wealth of telephone numbers, email addresses, fax numbers, and website addresses for most of the major European archives and genealogically relevant organizations. Of special note in this new edition is the attention paid to the changes brought about by German reunification, the break-up of the Soviet Union, and the dismemberments of Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia into smaller political states.

This book provides excellent genealogical resources to help you find your European ancestors from Portugal to Greece.

Baxter explains some of the considerations that are unique to each country. For example, France has a '100 years law' that limits the information that you can access if an individual's record is within the last 100 years. In Italy, there is a record called the Certificate of Family Genealogy (Certificato dello Stato di Famiglia) that can be especially useful. Research in Scandinavian countries, Wales and some areas of the Netherlands and Germany can be difficult because the surnames often changed with each generation.

Some countries receive more or less coverage in this book. For Albania, where most of the church records have been destroyed, there is just a short history. For other countries, there are lists of records, major family names, archives with addresses that you can write to, and information about how records are kept in that country. Often dates are provided indicating when the country first began census and/or church records.

Overall, this book has great details!

This book is one of the must have's! Are you are looking for the real info on the Eastern Fornt from the German perspective? Well - this is it! You wont be able to put it down, after you do you will reach for the next one! First hand accounts and an insight into the personalities of some of the Wehrmacht's best during WW2.

Great insight to the hardships faced by the common soldier who sill went on to perform outstanding acts of bravery

Both my husband and my son are military history enthusiasts and I bought this book as a gift for them. It has turned out to be even better than I expected. My husband can't put it down and my son keeps asking him to read it to him.

My husband has read a lot of different military history books and he is very critical of most written works because they are not factual enough or don't contain enough interesting information. This book has actually been very interesting and informative to him and he has asked me to look into getting other books in this series.

I highly recommend it to anyone that is interested in WWII.

Mr. Kurowski has used his experience as a reporter in the German army during World War II to write a series of books that tell the history of the war from the German individuals point of view.

This book is a set of eight mini-biographies of German Infantry soldiers. Most of them fought through the entire war and surprisingly most of them survived the war, few without wounds. These are not stories of high ranking officers, but of ordinary soldiers of rather low rank who did their job very, very well. They fought in all the theaters of war from freezing in Russia to burning up in Africa.

I am sure that there were men like these in all armies, but these men happened to be German. We can only be happey that they didn't have a whole lot more men like these.

This is an outstanding book describing the experience of eight first person accounts of German soldiers who earned their nation's highest award, their equivalent of the Medal of Honor, the Knight's Cross, and is highly recommended. What makes this book unique is that the accounts cover multiple years with campaigns spanning from 1939 to 1945.

There are very few US WW2 veterans that have a similar amount of experience. There are a handful of US veterans who survived through the campaigns and battles from 1943 to 1945 in the European theatre and fewer in the Pacific theatre from 1942-1945.

The experience of these eight German soldiers who fought on multiple fronts for so many years is quite remarkable as they fought against armies that did not lose their combat strength throughout the years.

What makes this book unique is that it provides a chronological history of the first person experiences of those soldiers who fought in the many campaigns and earned their country's highest military award, sometimes for a second and third time and is not based on one specific battle.

If one also reads Panzer Aces 1 & 2, some of the events and persons involved will coincide with this book. Many history books provide a general overview, often a mere sentence in passing, of an engagement that was part of a larger battle. This book provides the details of the difficult fighting experienced by those who fought and survived.