England Books

It's a history book and a cookbook all in one. The biggest selling point for me is the accuracy of the recipes. Can you believe it contains a mincemeat recipe that actually contains meat! That's a rare gem these days. If you love food history as much as you do a good dish you will want to own this book.

As someone who loves to cook and is fascinated by early american history, I was extremely pleased by the content of this book. It is not merely a cookbook but a history book as well. This book can be enjoyed by children and adults equally.

Wonderful! Curtin and Oliver put together a unique collection of exquisite and easy to follow recipes. The history behind the national holiday is also explained with interesting details and complements nicely the culinary section. Whether the reader wants to learn more about the tradition or wants to impress friends and family at the dinner table, this is the book to read!
Giving Thanks. A book to have and a book to give!

A fantastic book to read! The recipes we tried were outstanding-easy to read directions & the history behind each dish was a treat to read. I am looking forward to using these recipes at our Thanksgiving this year.

This is a fun book. The book has great trivia and history, and a great variety of the old traditional recipes. But along with that, are the recipes created by the different cultures of our "Melting Pot", who adapted their own wonderful tastes and flavors to their Thanksgiving celebration. This year, my family is going use only recipes in this cookbook to make a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner.

Susan Howatch may be a woman with training in the law, but she gets inside the mindset of male priests in the Anglican Church (Episcopal Church in the U.S.) better than anyone else. This is a mystery, a suspense novel, a love story and a deeply psychological look at spiritual direction all rolled into one. The book begins with a man having a vision of a small country chantry (chapel). Outside the chapel is a unique suitcase. Is this god telling him to pack his bags and leave the monastary he has known for so many years? After intense spiritual direction, that I found riveting, he decides to leave. He goes on holiday, and while walking down the hall of the inn he is at, he see the suitcase of his vision! He has to meet the owner of the valise. She turns out to be a beautiful woman (much younger than himself). Will love ensue? What is god's will? This book will encourage you to consider the power of prayer and god's direction for your life. It will call you to wrestle with the possibility of healing and evil. This book began my love affair with each of the books in the "Starbridge" series. It could be the start of something special for you, too.

The second in the series of Starbridge books - Glamorous Powers - is the one I liked the best. IN this book we get to know Jon Darrow, who figured in the first volume Glittering Images as Charles Ashworth's spiritual director, more intimately. Whereas in Glamorous powers, seen through Charles Ashworth's eyes, he was the perfect super priest who knew everything, here we actually get under Jon's skin and see him as he sees himself: as a flawed, confused man with many problems, in particular concerning his relationship with women. Jon had spent several years in a monastery as a monk, but now, in his sixties, he receives a calling from God to leave the monastery and fulfil a mission in the world - but he doesn't know what. Nor is he certain if that mission includes marriage.
For anyone with an interest in Gnosticism and mysticism, this is a particularly interesting book - but such an interest is definitely not a pre-condition for reading and enjoying it! I'm not the only Howatch reader to have this as their favourite in the series. (...)

With the 2nd book in Howatch's Anglican trilogy, we explore the story of the monk who was the therapist in book #1. He is also 60 years old, a psychic and a vision from God sends him back into the world and out of the monastery. There is a great deal of counselling and angst in this novel as well. There isn't enough different about this novel to make it the same fascinating read as book #1 though. I've already bought book #3 and I hope we follow a different pattern with that one. He does find a new woman as part of his vision from God as her bag and her estate were specifically seen in it. The Anglicans must spend more time in analysis than Freud himself ever dreamed possible!

This review is for the first Ballantine Books paperback edition, November 1989, a volume of unknown origin found while cleaning out the bookcase. I decided to read it only because Amazon.com customers rated it five stars. Although I was raised as a Roman Catholic, and at age thirteen spent a year in the seminary, I soon became disenchanted with, and largely disinterested in, organized religion. Notwithstanding this bias, I'm glad that I read GLAMOROUS POWERS.

The plot opens in Grand Chester England at a quarter to six on Friday morning, May 17, 1940 in the cell of Jon Darrow, who for the past seventeen years has been a monk in the (fictional) Anglican Fordite Order of Saint Benedict and Saint Bernard. Jon is having a vision. He interprets this vision as God's instruction to leave the order and embark on a new, unspecified calling. Before Jon can leave, however, he must convince the Abbot General, Francis Ingram that his vision was a communication from the Holy Spirit and not an aberration of a disturbed psyche. There follows a fascinating mental dual between Jon and Francis.

This deep and literary exploration of psyches pervades the story. Before each chapter and section, the author liberally quotes from the works of W. R. Inge, particularly MYSTICISM IN RELIGION. Jon has mystical (glamorous) powers, healing powers, which Francis thinks are often nothing more than "parlour tricks." I thought of "Anglo-shamanism."

Although the story evolves within the institutions of religion, it does not tamper with faith or belief, so the reader need not worry about being upset by heresy or theological debate. The author confines polemic disputes between Anglo-Catholics and Roman Catholics, Low Church and High Church, to ritual, and treats these as external conflict rather than internal struggle. This story is not about religion, but about the psyche, with pervasive emphasis on the guilt and anger emanating from parental failures.

Jon Darrow has problems, "dis-ease" he would say. The larger than life character is Francis Ingram who unravels Jon's troubled psyche without revealing his own disturbances. At one point Jon shuns Francis and mires himself into a muck of troubles, and at page 296 I made a note that the story was getting a bit tedious. It revived, I thought, around page 339 with the return of my hero Francis. Indeed, the acerbic and witty letters written by Francis to Jon are splendid examples of writing at its very best.

One only gets small hints in 'Glittering Images' that there is a lot more to Jon Darrow than meets the eye, 'Glamourous Powers' is his story. After leaving his order after seeing a vision, Darrow tries to work out his vocation and in his attempt lets his ego and spiritual arrogance get the better of him which leads to tragedy, but also the offer of spiritual renewal afterwards. An excellent look at how spiritual leaders and mentors have their own failings and the fact that they also need to be helped and disiplined. It is an excellent argument against those who are completeley against charismatic renewal, but also against those who are totally for it without seeing the warning signs and the need to be answerable to someone who you trust but who who you also don't have a cosy relationship with.

I liked this book, but as good as it is, I thought the second book in this series (Beyond the Sacred Page) is better. Perhaps this is just subjective. I guess I was hoping to see more of John Wycliffe intertwined in the story. Instead he's kind off on the sidelines as the other characters interact. Gripping story, however. Read it.

this is one of the best books i have ever read i finished it in 2 days! has everything one would want in a novel .. as a Christian definetly influenced the way i will see the bible.. A MUST READ

Wow...this book was really great! I had never read anything by Jack Cavanaugh before, and I really don't know who he was - but this book totally blew me away. You get totally drawn into the story and you feel connected to each one of the characters - when one takes a blow you feel it! My favorite part of this book is how God is highlighted as the main focus -then there is this tender romance underlying it - that...wow, just tears at you! It's a great book, I highly recommend it, you won't be disappointed!

Jack Cavanaugh is one of my favorite writers of historical fiction--this book is yet another example of why he's so good at his craft. Facts and figures are woven into the fabric of the story, not stitched on top like superfluous trim. His homework is obvious, yet never overshadows the story or the characters. It's a powerful rendering of the Wycliffe history, told with a pastor's heart and a novelist's sense of drama. A wonderful read!

I highly recommend "Glimpses of Truth" to anyone who 1) enjoys a good adventure, 2) likes a tender romance and 3) wants to understand why the Bible is a precious book.

Jack Cavanaugh is a master of historical fiction, bringing to life the people and places involved in major events long ago that still affect us today. One can practically smell the earthy grime of the village of Fearnleah, taste an elaborate dinner prepared for the bishop, hear the hubbub at the annual Christ's Mass celebration. But more than that, we are led through young Thomas Torr's spiritual odyssey in a way that leaves a permanent impression; one can never look at the Bible in the same way.

All in all, this first volume in the Book of Books series is a great read and difficult to put down. But that's the case with most anything written by Cavanaugh!

This book is fabulous. I work as a travel nurse and recently spent 6 1/2 months in Maine. I had never been there before and spent several hours at the bookstore going through various Maine travel books before settling on this one. I certainly made the right choice. It was a wonderful resource. I spent hours reviewing the information in this book over the course of my time in Maine. I plan to go back to Maine next summer and will take my book right back with me. The information on shops, restaurants and points of interest was valuable and very accurate.

I've spent time at the book stores recently researching books for my upcoming trip to Maine. My wife and I plan to spend 4 nights and 5 days there and wanted plenty to see and do where we wouldn't necessarily meet thousands of other travelers since I'm not too much into the whole crowd experience. Brandes' book is so well researched that you can't go wrong with it!

While other typical books that are similar, such as Fodors and Frommers, have quite a bit of information in its own right, I think that this particular Moon Handbook is better equipped to give better detail of interest whether site seeing, dining, entertainment, lodging, etc.

I recently completed a Web site for a bed and breakfast located in Machiasport (down east) and had to do quite a bit of research on the area to enhance their site. My research was conducted primarily via the internet over the course of a few days. I'm glad to say that after I received my book and compared information, everything I could find on the Web in and around Machiasport was already included in sufficient detail in this book! I would have saved myself a few days of searching.

If you want to tour Maine or already live there but need to places to explore, the second edition Moon Handbook on Maine is the way to go.

When I vote with 4 stars, that means the product was excellent. When I vote with 5 stars, it goes beyond excellence in my view and is considered best in class. This book is "THE" authoritive book on touring Maine. Excellent purchase!

First of all, I have to mention that I live in Maine. And I can tell you from experience that the beauty of Kathleen Brandes' book lies in the sheer span of coverage, which is considerable, matched with a propensity for detail, which is astounding! Even the "Native" Mainers will find much to enjoy in this book. This is a rich, dense, and completely user-friendly volume, folks!
I'll give you an example. I'm a photographer based in the Bangor area. I bought this book for my personal library which aids me in seeking out photographic areas of interest. Last week I traveled to Lubec, Maine - and I used this handbook for lodging and dining info. I located the Eastland Motel in Lubec based on this handbook, and met the proprietor - Lee Aragon - who cheerfully provided suggestions for exploration in the Lubec-Eastport-Campobello region. I mentioned to Lee that I had read about her in The Maine Handbook...and that she was correctly described by Kathleen Brandes as a "Lubec booster". Lee was tickled pink by this, and by extension, I was able to get some nice local insights that I would never have known about otherwise.
Paging through this Maine Handbook, you get the feeling that Kathleen Brandes is a scholar of "All Things Maine", and she is enjoying every minute of it. And who can blame her? Maine truly is.....well.....the way life should be.
Buy the book, come to Maine....and if you already live here, buy the book anyway! It has become something of a "state bible" for me. Can't image traveling without it.
And there is something in this book for everyone. Kathleen has you covered, whether you are single, married with children, an armchair traveler or someone who simply wishes to know more about the Pine Tree State. Longtime locals and prospective tourists alike would do well to mine this gem of a book. I have two dog-eared copies....one for home, and one for my car - enough said.

This book has become an invaluable source! I've now travelled to Maine twice and brought the book both times. Brandes provides a wealth of information, especially for those things off the beaten path. The book includes very helpful maps - on my last trip I left my Maine atlas at home and found the maps included in the book to be quite helpful. The spine on my book is really starting to see some wear - I enjoy reading it even when I'm not travelling. I highly recommend this book, especially if you are planning to travel to the northern, less populated regions of Maine.

I LOVED this book. My family and I travel Maine each year and this book is THE guide (along with the Maine Atlas). It has helped us refine our experience in Maine to a very satisfying level.

The guide to natural sites/walks/boating is still wonderful.

However, if you've been to Maine before, you know that businesses come and go with alarming rapidity. This is especially true in the Eastern Coast. Most of the restaurants listed in the guide are long gone or under different managements, so don't count on finding a place to eat based on this guide.

George Harvey Bone has a complicated mental disorder: he has schizophrenia, in which he has a split personality, which comes over him at unexpected times. George is deeply involved with the "Hangover Square" set of Earl's Court, London, where he's in love with the beautiful but dangerous Netta Longdon, who treats him despicably. Her whole set, George included, spend their days in idle dissipation, drinking and carousing all the time, as Europe teeters on the brink of the Second World War. But George has one mission: to kill Netta and her friend Peter.

What's so wonderful about this book is that Patrick Hamilton gets into George's head wonderfully, and he transitions back and forth between George's "moods" easily. Every time that George slides into his second personality, he finds himself forgetting his mission. The tension in this thriller (a word I ate to use because it conjures to my mind commercial fiction) arises from this: will he or won't he commit murder? Therefore, the ending of this book came as a complete, shocking surprise to me. Its easy to see why so many authors envy Hamilton's writing ability; this novel is a nearly perfect expose of lower-class London at the end of the 1930s and the effect of mental instability on one's actions. The travesty about this book is that it's poorly edited.

Hangover Square is centered around a group of young Brits drinking their way through 1939. It has a plot that slowly builds and eventually serves to expose the motives of all those involved. It recalls the tone created around drink in The Sun Also Rises but with deeper character development (and as far as drinking goes- these guys are right there with that infamous group).

At its core is the book's main character, George Harvey Bone. George is obsessed with Netta Longdon for reasons that, I must admit, are completely unclear to me as she is one of the coldest and calculating women imaginable. A true femme fetale, really. She keeps punishing George and the poor sap just keeps coming back for more. In the midst of all this George has bouts with schizophrenia and 'moods' that severely hamper him and ultimately cause him to plot his revenge on everyone that he perceives as ever having wronged him.

Lots of novels have been written around drink with young drunks at their core, but nothing I've read has gone quite this deep into the allures of inebriation. However what really elevates Hangover Square is the manner in which the subtle charms and peaceful bliss of sobriety are unearthed. One character sums it up by wondering if the hangover and the night before occurred in reverse chronology, would we even drink in the first place ? This inner calm of sobriety might be best exemplified by George's golf outing. It is an afternoon that proves to be both his escape from his mates and a confidence builder to be rewarded later by an 'in crowd', that opposed to his clique, actually possess some redeeming qualities. For the time being, he is validated.

I found Hangover Square in an odd way. I read a scathing review of a new novel by the book critic of The Atlantic wherein he blasted the new release that everyone else was raving about. His blanket negativity, in some weird way, fascinated me. So I looked into the guy and saw that he pretty much hated EVERYTHING. The web is a wonderful thing, so I took it on myself to find something- anything, that this critic found acceptable. Eventually I found something that he actually liked and it was Hangover Square, so I thought I'd read it. I am grateful that I did.

The journey is the reward here. 'Literary thriller' is an overused term, but here it is a very accurate description as plot, characterization and a life outlook all combine brilliantly. Patrick Hamilton's writing style is a direct one and a pleasure to read. The book grabbed me from the beginning. It covers all the bases and contains some wonderfully euphoric passages, but know that in the end it is a sad tale with a sad ending.

A great book - read it.

Patrick Hamilton's 1941 novel, Hangover Square, is confirmation that hangovers form the foundation of alcoholism. Palliation of symptoms is only a drink away. The main character, George Harvey Bone leads the reader into a world of drink-inflicted physical illness, and we understand it as a way of life for all the important characters. But, George has an additional illness, schizophrenia, that creates another world available only to him and to the reader. Hamilton's writing is seductive, and the reader accepts and wants to enter this second dimension. We want George to go beyond the hangover and "click" into his special psychotic state. It is in this state that George achieves a peace he cannot get any other way, safe from the chaos of hangover square and his obsession with Netta. Safety, however, is governed by evil, and readers are confronted with the peace of their own evil desires.

Hangover Square is a novel of physical and mental sickness that shows parallels with the so-called normal lives of readers. Hamilton's wonderful insight into the human comedy/tragedy makes this novel come to life even though, on the surface, readers do not feel that they have much in common with the characters. This insightful style is evident in another Hamilton novel, The Slaves of Solitude (1947). I predict that when readers enter George's two worlds, they will discover that they are only one drink and one click away from illness and madness.

Criminally unknown and unheralded stateside, this book ranks alongside Julian MacLaren-Ross' "Of Love & Hunger" as a 20th century classic and, on the evidence currently cluttering up the bookshops and Oprah's club, will probably remain an unchallenged classic throughout the 21st century.

Set on the eve of WWII, "Hangover Square" is the story of a seriously disturbed man, George Harvey Bone, who's fallen in with a bad crowd. Bone is a solitary gloomy man who lives in a hotel in Earl's Court, London. He has no family--except for an elderly aunt in Hunstanton. George doesn't work--instead he lives off of a modest nest egg and spends his days and nights hanging around a small-time actress, Netta, and her set of male admirers. George is obsessed with Netta, and although he originally impressed her with his ready ability to stand for rounds of drinks, now he's relegated to the status of lowly 'hanger-on.' He is one of "the class of men who desired her, who sought her favours, and to whom she intended to give no favours." He's tolerated--barely--for his money alone.

George is subject to 'moods.' When exposed to an unbearable level of emotional distress, his damaged personality copes by mental escape. He hears a "click" in his head, and then he 'wakes' up with another personality. Whereas George is normally quiet, gentle, and unassuming, his other secret self is cunning and violent. George is aware he 'blacks out' but has no memory of exactly what he does. Once he hears the 'click' he emerges into his other, fractured self, and he's momentarily confused until he finds his bearings: "it was as though he had dived into a swimming-bath and hit his head on the bottom, and was floating about, bewildered and inaudible to himself in hushed green depths."

Netta and her unpleasant friends constantly humiliate George, and in retaliation, during one of his moods, he plots her murder. Netta is blissfully unaware of this, and treats George abominably--using him to bolster her non-existent career. The novel tracks George's existence as he pathetically hopes for a crumb of attention from Netta and also records the episodes in which he flips from one personality to another. Patrick Hamilton's novel is atmospheric and tense as the story reveals George's boozy social world in the grimy smoke filled pubs of London. Netta is a fascinatingly bad yet strikingly beautiful character--a woman who is "sinisterly, devoid of all those qualities which her face and body externally proclaimed her to have--pensiveness, grace, warmth." "Hangover Square" is a gripping story of one man's descent into madness, and the act he deems necessary to gain escape from the unbearable torture of loving a woman who has no conscience. If you like the novels of Patrick Mcgrath, then you'll enjoy "Hangover Square" and its sad, lonely and ultimately complex protagonist. And if this Patrick Hamilton novel grabs your attention, I'd also recommend the DVD "The Charmer" which is based on Hamilton's novel "Mr. Stimpson and Mr. Gorse"--displacedhuman

Reading Moorman was a delight because I did not find myself bogged down in the political intricacies and machinations of the English Reformation. He did a fair job of portraying the Edwardian Reformation and the age of Elizabeth and the Evangelical revivals of the 1700s. He also demonstrated sympathy for the Broadchurchmen and the role of reason and the challenges of modern science to a literal reading of Genesis. He was less sympathetic to the Oxford Movement and the efforts to re-catholicize the English Church, but not so much that an Anglo-Catholic reader would be overly offended. Overall a great read, but one that is still a very bried introduction to the complexities and nuances of that magnificent thing called Anglicanism as it has unfolded over the centuries.

A very complete, readable history of the church. I really like the author's writing style.

This book was a required text for a seminary class I'm taking on (duh) English Church History. Compared with previous Church History texts I've had to use, this one is absolutely outstanding. It will at times leave you wondering a little about the political or social context, because the focus is heavily on the Church. I find this to actually be a plus, as the secular side of things could probably double or triple the length of the book. Moorman reads very easily compared with other history texts, especially considering it's age. History is not my favorite subject, but I have thoroughly enjoyed this text (and the class).

This is a long book and might not be the first choice for someone unless it is required reading for a class. However, I found it to be organized very well and give a great overview and summary throughout the entire history of the Church of England. Excellant!

I learned a lot from reading this book, which is actually a seminary text. The prose is somewhat pedantic at times, but still readable. It is a good history of Christanity in England and surrounding lands. I learned a lot about the balance between church and state, and how Angicanism has gotten to the point that it has. I would recommend it for anyone interesting in the history of England as it is more than just a text about the Church in England. For Episcopalians, it helps in an understanding of the current crisis in the Anglican community.

I had been introduced to this book years ago by one of my peers. I had always remembered it, but never really had a need to buy it. I had decided this year to have my high school art students create altered books, and I knew it was time to get it so they had some visual references of how you can transform book pages. I am so glad I bought the book. You don't need to read it as a book, although you can. Every time I open it, I find a new treasure. It's just amazing what Phillips has created from an old book. It's an inspiration and a great piece of artwork.

I received this book as a gift about 10 years ago and have yet to tire of it. It is beautiful and funny, surreal, creepy and profound.

I own multiple copies and give them away to worthy friends. Visually, artistically, and intellectually stunning, this masterpiece is unique in the world of art/literature. The author/artist Tom Phillips began this work in the 1960s, and first published it in book form in the 1980s. He called the result of his decades of effort The Humument and it is a completely illustrated version of W. H. Mallock's 19th Century novel A Human Document. Each page is a well conceived and compelling work of art. On each page the author leaves only a few of the original words revealed. These surviving phrases tell, in prose and poetry, the pathetic love story of Bill Toge. Symbiotically linked to the art itself, the preserved text, and its tale of Toge, reveal a story Phillips found submerged within the original text, a story which Mallock neither wrote nor intended. Phillips calls his work `mining for meaning'. Everyone who has received this book from me has had great difficulty putting it down until they had read/absorbed/experienced/lived/studied it from cover to cover. If there is such a thing as a priceless book, The Humument would be a good candidate for the category.

Truly an elegant, messy piece of work.
Tom Phillips' Humument is one of the most affecting marriages of image and text that I have viewed/read. Visaully, it is stunning, with its layers of subsumed text and inventive imagery. Moments of profundity bordering on Zen surface intermittently, whilst bawdy puns [...] up beside.
If you're looking for sustained, easily interpreted narrative, then this book simply is not for you. If, on the other hand, you long for a story that is as much in your head/heart, as on the page, I can heartily recommend A Humument.

I love this book. I first learnt of Tom Phillips when he recently did the cover of an album by a band called Dark Star, and then was introduced to his work whilst on work experience last summer. I hunted down a copy of this book, and then devoured it completely. at times moving, at times funny, and all the time completely incredible to just look and marvel at. the art work is great. ingenuitive, original and inspired. this book seems to be getting harder and harder to find... buy one while you can.

Jude of Doran has heard from his father that the village of Jude's uncle has been destroyed. Everything was burned, with no survivors. They wonder if the Scots were raiding across the border, but there were no tracks. Jude goes off to a neighboring town to buy a new bow and arrows, and returns to find his village burned, and his family dead. On his own, he joins a carnival family that had been performing in the town he visited. Events leave him in the company of a young Chinese woman, Jing-wei, who had been stranded in the country. He hears of more burned villages, and then sees the dragon. Jing-wei says that all dragons are not evil, but this dragon has acquired a taste for human flesh. Jude and Jing-wei go on a quest, and Jing-wei has a plan to deal with the dragon.

The story is told in a narrative fashion as Jude relates his story to a monk who is writing it down with a quill pen on parchment. It is interspersed with Jude's comments to the monk. It is an easy to read tale, and is suitable for older children. It does raise a question about dragons, as they show up in legends in various countries. I recall that one appears in Beowulf.

Jimmy Reuter
2/23/06
The Hunting of the Last Dragon
Sherryl Jordan-ISBN: 0-06-447231-0
"We'll not fail Jude, we'll not fail, said Jing-wei, taking my hand and turning me away so I could not see the burned solider." This great fantasy book is about a young man named Jude who is from the small, peaceful village of Doran. His quest is to hunt down and slay the last dragon because certain people believe it is his destiny. Revenge is also an issue seeing as to the fact that the dragon destroyed his entire village and killed his family. This book takes place Medieval England.
This was a great book because I love fantasy fiction and it really kept my interest the whole time, by adding unexpected events and action into the story. I would recommend this book to anyone, but if you like dragons, adventure, and even a little bit of romance you will love this book as much as I did. As I mentioned earlier I love fantasy fiction and that's maybe why I liked this book so much; plus dragons, to me, are great to read about because of all their power and mystery. In the beginning this book was kind of hard to concentrate on because of the writing. The narrator/ main character, Jude, is talking to his scribe Benedict the monk who is writing his story out. The reason this was kind of hard to follow is because sometimes the story is placed in the past, sometimes in the present and it switches off during the whole of the story. Overall this was a great book for all of the reasons above and if you like fantasy fiction as much as I do you will love this book!

Written down word for word by a monk under a vow of silence, as recounted by the unwilling hero Jude, this is a tale of England at the time of the Black Death, heavy with moral overtones, life's lessons, and insight into peasant life, as Jude tries to make sense of all that is happening around him.
Pity, compassion and a sense of justice compel him to set free a strange fairground freak, befriend and heal her, then together they rid the land of the terrible creature that plagues it. In doing so, Jude discovers how fear turns to hate, greed to cruelty, and friendship to love. As well as finding his inner strength and self-worth, he discovers that beauty is mostly inside and in the eye of the beholder.
Although simply and archaicly written, the narrative flows, carrying one along with the adventure, immersed in the plot. In the accompanying (sometimes bawdy) descriptions we learn a little cultural and social history, as well as what made the mediaeval mind tick. What takes a little getting used to are the stilted, one-sided conversations with the silent scribe who's been instructed to 'copy every word', that preface each chapter - but it adds a certain charm to this lovely, addictive book. *****

I liked this book a lot! If you don't like medieval books, then DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW ANYMORE! In this book a boy named Jude travels to a town to buy a new bow and arrows. When he's there he sees a circus. When he goes into the tent, He sees a man in armor with a great blade the man claimed it was the blade that hunted the last dragon. Next, was a little footed Chinese woman covered in hair, a freak. She claimed there was still one dragon left. Jude didn't believe in dragons. So, he left the village. When he returned to his village, it was gone. It had been burned to ashes. See what I mean? Isn't this an awesome book?!

"The dragon came nearer, its head moving low along the ground, side to side, sniffing. Every time it breathed, it scorched a trail of fire across the earth. Its neck was long, graceful, and glittering like gold. Its wings were folded close against its brilliant body, the wing sections shiny and ribbed like fish fins, the fine bones ending in sharp hooks. The long barbed tail was bent, the bones set crookedly, yet it coiled and uncoiled as slowly and smoothly as a snake. All the dragon's movements were smooth, fluid and fascinating, almost spellbinding in their beauty and their deadliness."

Everyone thinks dragons are extinct--until a fierce flying beast swoops upon the village of Doran, leaving it in flames. Young Jude survives only because, on the fatal day, he went to Rokeby to buy himself a new bow and arrows. Homeless, desperate, and wracked with grief and guilt, Jude joins a travelling fair, where he meets a young Chinese girl, caged and displayed as a freak. Jing-wei, in spite of her humiliating plight, is strong-willed, brave and cunning. She has her own plan for hunting the last dragon. But will it work? What if the dragon lands up merely wounded? Can she help Jude conquer his fear in time to save their world from destruction?

It is Jude himself who tells the story, set in 1356. And this is where problems arise. Jude is an ordinary villager (or peasant) and therefore cannot read or write. Sherryl Jordan's solution is to have Jude relate the story to a monk, who writes at his dictation. Unfortunately, this poses another problem. All Jude's greetings and asides to Brother Benedict are included, which tended to jerk me out of the story because, although they do add background flavour and an extra dimension to the story, their presence felt most unnatural in that Benedict simply wouldn't have been able to write fast enough to get everything down, especially since he would be continually having to refill his quill. But in the face of such powerful story-telling, not to mention the sheer beauty of Sherryl Jordan's prose, to complain about this seems like nit-picking.

A wonderfully crafted autobiography. Honest and personal, Geldof puts the first half of his life under the microscope and you grow to love him for his warts and scars.
A riveting book especially for those who recall the music of his era. You will laugh and you may cry even if it is only because the book ends years short of the present day.

This book is one of those books that will renew your faith in the ability of normal people to change the world for the better. It is also hilarious and a great read!

I don't usually read biographies books but this one is a very good one

It's severly dated by today's standards, but what an excellent read, all the same. I look at it as the music industry version of Julia Phillips "You'll Never Eat Lunch In This Town Again". Biting with sardonic wit, lots of muck-raking (most of it spot-on), and just a wee bit 'o' honesty.

How much of it is true, we'll never know. But the essential bits (the inception of the Boomtown Rats, their immersion into the music scene, other bands, Live Aid, etc.) are required reading for anybody who gives a damn about the music industry. There's loads of comedy as well as pathos, as well as some of the greatest quotes I've ever read in an autobiography.

If you can still find a copy, it's well worth owning.

Bob Geldof's book is a stunning odyssey into the mind of a rock star. he also happens to be a philanthropist who can teach a thing or two to the best of them. the man behind `live aid' not only collected hundreds of millions out of a telethon for africa's famine victims, but made sure they reached the right hands. his forthright language and no-holds-barred style are refreshing. if you must read an autobiography of a rock star, read this one.

Once again Stephanie Barron has written a great story that sounds like it came from the pen of Jane Austen. This series is wonderful, and I hope she'll write a lot more books like this.

Mystery and Jane Austen fans may rejoice in this perfect series of fictionalized murder mysteries. Based on intensive research of the author's life, but definitely fiction.

If you long to taste life at the time of Jane, this is your portal. The smells, sights and sounds of the Regency surround you immediately and you'll learn a great deal about Austen's life as well--the author drops considerate footnotes like tasty bread crumbs for you to follow into research of your own.

You just might get so caught up in the realistic descriptions, that you begin to believe Austen was the super sleuth Barron has created. Read them all. You won't be sorry!

I would call this a "mystery of manners". It portrays, in a credible way, Jane Austen, her siblings and her fellow inhabitants of the village of Chawton. All strata of society have representatives in this novel. The historical characters are embedded in a mystery story which is fun to read. The made up character of Lord Trowbridge, as revealed in his letters, adds spice to the novel. Some aspects of the murder of Lady Imogen strain belief, but this is not a major negative.

Stephanie Barron has done a marvelous job, novel after novel, of bringing not only Jane Austen's world to life, but also the beloved author herself. Barron has perfectly imbued Jane Austen as a would-be detective, a woman whose keen intellect cuts through murder and mystery alike. "Jane and His Lordship's Legacy", the eighth novel in the series, is just as fresh and enjoyable as the ones that preceeded it.

Upon the death of Lord Harold Trowbridge, Jane finds herself the recipient of his papers - all his journals and letters are left to her in his will, in an effort that she may sort through them and write his memoirs. Yet there are plenty of confederates, and enemies, of the Rogue who would do anything to know what was written about them by Lord Harold. As if the job of protecting his legacy from prying eyes wasn't burden enough, Jane finds that she and her mother as less than welcome in their new abode in the town of Chawton. Indeed, when Jane discovers the corpse of a man within the house's cellar on her first day in residence, she knows that someone is trying to paint the Austens in a negative light. And when the chest of Lord Harold's papers is stolen within mere days of her residency, Jane knows the murder and the burglary must be connected. As with all mysteries, another murder follows that confuses all of Jane's suppositions, and finds her racing to stop a murderer and to recover her lordship's legacy.

"Jane and Her Lordship's Legacy" is a worthy addition to the series Stephanie Barron has created. While she obviously takes liberties with Austen's life, and those of some characters around her, the majority of the storyline is based on established fact, and the created aspects are within keeping of Jane Austen. At times the language may be forced to fit or the descriptions befitting the time period become too bulky for the narrative, but on the whole Barron's writing vividly evokes Austen's day. It is a boon for fans who know there is no more original Austen works to be read.

I have enjoyed every one of Stephanie Barron's fine mystery series and this book is no exception. In fact, this may be my favorite of the series. The mystery is well-written but, for me, this is not the true attraction of the novel--and it never has been for this series. Rather, I am always enthralled by Barron's ability to bring Austen back to life.

Barron's grasp of Austen and her world is phenomenal. Her Jane always rings true and there are many echoes of the sentiments and expressions in this series that let the reader know that Barron is truly knowledgeable about her main character. That Barron has a great deal of affection for Jane also comes through and Jane comes alive as a witty, intelligent, and fascinating woman who is also flawed. Barron's Austen is not above bouts of pettiness and impatience and Barron serves Austen all the better for it. Anyone who enjoys and reveres Austen will likely enjoy these books immensely for Barron does an exemplary job of making Austen real and giving fervent Austen fans what they most crave--more of the fine brain and insight that characterize Austen's works. If we cannot have more Austen novels, we are yet very fortunate to have Barron's series.

What really sets this book apart is the maturity that Jane shows. Barron has deftly and seemingly effortlessly written a work that mirrors the sometimes melancholy, often bittersweet, and decidely autumnal feel that characterizes Austen's late work Persuasion. Barron's Jane is not sorry for the choices she has made but has seen much and has such a keen self-awareness that she knows all that she has lost. Though Jane's relationship with Lord Harold Trowbridge is fictional, the details of her dependence on her brothers and her frustrated attempts at publishing during her lifetime are not and Barron gives voice to Jane's feelings on these subjects.

Lest I give Barron short shrift, the central mystery of the story is well constructed and engaging. Barron, like Austen, shows the reader the constraints of the class structure of the day and the lengths to which people were willing to go to climb up the society ladder. Jane's bequest is both a blessing and a curse for it brings her closer to the man she loved and lost but it also imperils her because it contains provocative details that could make or break some of society's most powerful. At heart, this is a story of greed and ambition and though it is set hundreds of years ago its themes are still very contemporary.