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What would one do if he or she had the power to completely change the social, cultural, political, religious, and economic structure of an existing society and create a utopia? Richard Stites, professor of history at Georgetown University, offers a fascinating look into the "revolutionary dreams" and fantasies of utopian thinkers articulated in the "feelings, thoughts, words, and actions that express, evoke or symbolize what has been called 'the utopian propensity'" (p. 3). This spiritual and mental expressionism of the revolution, encompassing the people, the state, and the radical intelligentsia, was deeply rooted in the "traditions of popular and religious utopia" and "manifold layers of previous [Russian] history" (p. 3). These utopian visions were enormously altered by Russia's industrialization, what Stites calls its "technological revolution" that resulted in an almost religious worship of the machine and American icons Frederick Winslow Taylor and Henry Ford. (p.3, 252). Stites culls from a vast array of imaginative sources including science fiction, to illustrate the experimental "programs and designs" in city planning, communal living, dress, speech, art and culture of a perfect society that could have been but was doomed by Joseph Stalin's scalpel and systematic "fantasctomy" (p. 235).                 Various conflicting emotions and ambiguities surface throughout Stites work. The essential conflict stems from the polarization of rationality versus far-flung daydreaming. To further illustrate this friction, the author introduces the variety of forms in which utopian visions take and an equal number of social/political groups that adhere to its varied manifestations. For example there are administration utopia, "a rational light beamed into the perceived darkness of the barbarous village world" versus popular/peasant utopia, based on the concept of Pravda (truth) and volya (freedom) (pp.15-18). The revolutionary iconoclasm that declared war on the luxury and symbols of the old regime, culture (Nihilism), and intellectualism (Makhaevism) through wanton vandalism, had to eventually be stifled by the very establishment that implemented it (Bolsheviks) lest every national treasure be destroyed. The conflict over urban versus rural life also presented a quandary. Cities were known for being centers for cultural and political activity as well as havens for crime, vise and the squalor of industrial waste. There was even thought of eliminating the cluster of cities all together in favor of a continuous avenue of modular housing that stretched in a straight line far into the vast Russian hinterland. Stites seems to not take a stand against the more absurd side of utopian daydreaming. The author does, however, differentiate between its two main political protagonists, V.I. Lenin and Stalin. Stites perceives Lenin as sympathetic to the utopian propensity, however, with one rational foot firmly placed in reality. Stalin, on the other hand, had both feet cemented in a realist agenda of "spontaneous euphoria and terror" (p. 227). Perhaps the oddest ambiguity of all is a "fantasy state" or "panegyric utopia" under Stalin, rising from the ashes of the revolutionary utopia Stalin supposedly hated so much. According to Stites, Stalin "detested disorder, freedom of expression, experimentation for its own sake, and especially experimentation in building autonomous communities and promoting equality," all of the attributes of revolutionary daydreaming. Stites concludes, "Stalin's intense hatred of revolutionary utopianism and his emerging totalitarian system were not simply two independent ingredients of Stalinism but inextricably related" (p. 246). The most important theme of the book is "the Russian Revolution drew on a rich tradition of ritual culture, of forms traditions and motifs rooted in the past" (p. 79). Stites draws from an impressive list of Russian and western literature to stress this point. One comes away with a better understanding of the connection between the old peasant traditions and what was to become some of the basic tenants of communism, yet, like other scholars before, Stites does not succeed in bridging the gap between peasant and revolutionary intelligentsia. Nevertheless, Stites has contributed a provocative analysis that should stand the test of time. Stites acknowledges the lack of primary sources but hopes that his work will invite similar scholarly works. Stites, himself has contributed a significant sequel with _Russian Popular Culture: Entertainment and Society Since 1900_ (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992) as well as, his previous work: _The Women's Liberation Movement in Russia_ (Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1978). Stites has also edited a number of anthologies dealing with Russian history.

It's hard to fully describe a book like this, except by saying that the author has really outdone himself in surveying his subject. And even that is an understatement. Richard Stites' "Revolutionary Dreams" is by far the best book on Russian utopianism ever written, and it is both impressive in its scope and quality and inspiring in its portrayal.

Stites' book describes the manifold ways in which utopianism, and revolutionary novelty, were introduced into every aspect of life and society in Russia during the revolutionary period (roughly 1917-1928). This goes from science fiction books depicting the utopias and dystopias of the future, to socialist burials and marriages, to children called "Melor" (Marx-Engels-Lenin-October Revolution), to communal living in apartments, to garden cities, to egalitarianism in dress and pay, to popular festivals, and so much more. Stites also pays extensive attention to the various top-down ways in which revolutionary reformation of society was attempted, such as the League of Time, the neo-Taylorists, the Godbuilders, the Atheist societies, and so on, all of which sought to remold the old society into a new and shining future.

The author does a fantastic job of showing how after the October Revolution there was, among artists and intellectuals but even among peasants and workers in Siberia, a general feeling that anything could now be done, that anything truly was possible. Now was the time to build the future on a better basis than anything that had gone before. Because there had been different utopian currents before the Revolution, as Stites describes in his opening chapter, this led to very different conceptions of what should count most in the new society; in particular the struggle between efficiency and modernization utopians on the one hand and the freedom and equality utopians on the other hand was a perpetual one. But in these days it was very well possible for societies to form and try to design and build Russia according to their own views of the future (as long as they were leftist), without this leading to repression or death, such as would later happen with Stalinism. In this, Stites also demonstrates the essential difference between Soviet society in the Leninist period and the later USSR from Stalin on.

We learn all about Constructivism and Futurism in art, about the symphony orchestras without director, about the peasant anti-landlord movement, about the ambivalent attitude towards the architecture and sculpture of the Czarist society, about Lunacharsky and his Commissariat for Enlightenment, about Zamyatin and "Engineer Menni", about iconoclasm and godless religion, and about Mozart's requiem for those fallen in the struggle against oppression. In short, this book is absolutely essential reading for anyone whose heart still goes out to the possibility of a better world.

A beautifully written and insightful exploration of political thought in Russia during the industrial revolution.

This is one of the best pieces of Russian History I have read, better than Billington or Pipes to be sure. Stites explores the long tradition of Russian Utopias and cultural myth, he digs up amazing bits of early Soviet cultural practice, and carefully analyzes it all with an impressive set of theoretical tools. Best of all this is an extremely enagaging book, nothing dry about its careful historical work, just fascinating subject matter in a clear, sensible form. I was so engaged by Revolutionary Dreams when I first saw it in a friend's library that he had to lend it to me to get me to go home. Finally, I know of nowhere else that you can learn about what made the Rosa Luxemburg chocolate bar special.

Simply put, I agree with the other reviewers, in that this is a readable, good introduction to the history of England. The author did seem to have made certain assumptions about the reader's familiarity with the geography of England, i.e. place names, etc. There were a few maps that shed quite a bit of light on the location of places and peoples, but I had to search them out. A few more maps, and descriptive maps that illustrated the movement of troops, tribes or progression of battles would have added so much to this book. A good companion, from the Roman history point of view, is the Penguin Illustrated Atlas of Ancient Rome, which covers Caesar's and later Rome's experiences in England.

Blair is an expert in his field and covers the material of Roman Britian and Anglo-Saxon England very well. For an area of history that relatively little is known about, Blair creates a clear and full picture of life and politics of this time. Writing this book after Blair was already established in his field, "Roman Britian and Anglo-Saxon England, 55 BC to 871 AD", is easy to follow. However, a general understanding or rudementary backround of the subject is helpful. Blair is quick to state the ambiquity of the sources and evidence surviving from the time period which only increases his repute as an accomplished historian. This book is highly recommended for anyone wishing to take a serious look at Roman Britian and Anglo-Saxon England with the security of knowing it is from a trusted source.

In the first chapter of this excellent history, Blair spends 30 pages discussing the sources for this 900 year span of time. This alone would make "Roman Britain and Early England" one of the best books on this period. The discussion is lucid and illuminating, and goes some way to dispelling the "Dark Ages" label which implies that Saxon Britain was home to little more than shaggy barbarians. Blair points out, for example, that the fifth and sixth centuries have more written sources than the second and third, under Roman Britain. But the main value of this chapter is that it clarifies just what the limitations on our understanding of this history are -- the sources are, for example, overwhelmingly Christian.

The rest of the book falls fairly neatly into two halves. The first half covers Roman Britain. There are three chapters giving the chronological events from Julius Caesar to the outbreak of war in 367, when the Picts, Scots and Saxons launched a major attack on Roman Britain. The next three chapters step back to take a look at life in the Roman towns and countryside, and at what we know of Roman religious practices. The second half picks up the chronological story from the restoration of the borders of Roman Britain by Theodosius in 370, through the abandonment of Britain by Rome in 410, to the convulsions with the Saxons. Four of these chapters take us to the succession of Alfred in 871, and then two final chapters review the religious conversion of the Anglo-Saxons and the nature of life in Saxon times.

Blair is a thoughtful and interesting writer. He takes the time to review points of controversy or debate, giving his own opinion but citing arguments on both sides. For example, in chapter 7 he gives an interesting discussion of the question of how widespread Christianity was in Roman Britain. He points out that Christianity did not demand the manufacture of cult objects that could be conclusively associated with Christian worship, as did many other cults, and that this has distorted the archaeological record.

There are adequate maps, but the period depends so strongly on local geography that it would be wise to read this with an atlas to hand. I had heard of the Weald, for example, but didn't know exactly where it was located or how it might be a barrier to the expansion of a kingdom. Constant references to England's major (and minor) towns of the period will also slow you down if you don't know English geography fairly well -- the map shows places important in the past, but less so now, such as Silchester, but it can't show every river -- I had to look up several, such as the Nene.

Overall, this is definitely the best summary history of this period I've read. Strongly recommended.

Peter Blair provides an understandable account of early England during the Roman occupation and subsequent Anglo-Saxon era. Early in the book Blair makes it clear historical written information about this period is quite limited, particularly after the Roman occupation. However, with sources such as Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, and poems such as Beowulf, Blair paints a fairly detailed picture of England from 55 BC to AD 871. I found the book to be quite readable even for someone with limited prior knowledge of the period.

This book was extremely informative and I would recommend it highly for any scotch whisky aficionado. The book allows you to create a vivid mental picture of how old distilleries must have been, plus the illustrations are great. Scotch Missed will further your knowledge on the history of this fascinating industry.

....when did Brian Townsend change his name to Michael Jackson? Is it possible that "magellan359" got a wee bit off course from one wee dram too many? Other than that, it's an ok review except for the fact that it's more about him than about the book, not what one would expect from one of Amazon's "top" reviewers. Oh, well...

Highly informative paperback on scotland's lost whisky distilleries, including those which have closed in recent years and whose whiskies can still be found in specialist shops or the occasional liquor store that doesn't realise the gems it has on its shelves. Definitely a must for the whisky enthusiast looking for a dram of a book.

Many of Scotland's distilleries had closed in recent (and not-so-recent) decades, and I thought I'd mention some of my favorites, which Townsend discusses in his book.

Some, like the heavily peated Islay, Ardbeg (which I understand has been re-opened, fortunately), were justly famous; others, like Dallas Dhu and Millburn, were more obscure, but their closing was still a loss. People used to make jokes about the Dallas Dhu name (which means "black glen" in Scots Gaelic), but it really did produce a fine malt, and I had fun doing tastings of it with friends back in the late 80's, when it was still readily available in independent bottlings at different ages and from different independent bottlers. It was notable for some semi-sweet chocolate notes, a rare flavor and essence in scotch whiskey, and I used to enjoy it very much. The only other malt that comes to mind with a chocolate flavor to me right now was a 25-year-old bottling of Scapa, a 1968 or therabouts issue, if I remember correctly. But anyway, it certainly was a fine malt and worthy of comparison with the Dallas Dhu. One time I put on a tasting for other single-malt afficianado friends and acqaintances of almost nothing but "vanished malts," of which I had bottles of about a dozen at the time, and we all had a great time tasting their whiskies and talking about single-malts and whatever.

Although bourbons and cognacs are impressive spirits too, if there is one thing that separates single malts from the others, it's the sheer spectrum of diversity and intensity of the many qualities that they possess. The intense, crystal-clear essences and flavors of this great distillate are unique, and in truly appreciating a fine dram of one of the great single malts at the end of a day, even life's more pressing problems seem to themselves vanish for a moment. As someone once wrote, life is still worth living as long as there is a good single-malt available. And perhaps that's why it translates from the Gaelic as "the water of life."

But getting back to Townsend's book, here he gives a nod to the history and scotch of the many famous and more obscure distilleries and whiskies of Scotland that are no longer with us. I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about all the different distilleries, even the defunct ones, but I still learned some new things from this enjoyable book, and I would recommend it to any and all single-malt enthusiasts who are looking for something different in a book about scotch.

You'll never look at the world the same again.
Closely examines the personal, physical and global implications of what the psychics with the author and against the author.

Not a how to, but defintely a good read for anyone looking to get into the "occult" with inspiring, gripping and at times frightening accounts of what has transpired.

I am from the local area that this book talks about. I have visited the sites and I've almost taken on the role of my own investigator. The follow up books are really worth a read and the one called "The Seventh Sword" is a masterpiece. I highly recommend that Title as it covers the regions of England and the fight of Light and Dark.

This is an excellent book for those wishing to delve into the obscure world of the supernatural. Combining Britains historic monuments and sacred places, they take on a new eerie perspective.The authors use of photographs enhance the readers understanding. Once you have been bitten by the authors compelling subject, you will want to read The BLACK ALCHEMIST, which first introduces us to the main character and then THE SEVENTH SWORD, which i believe to be the latest book by Andrew Collins on this subject.

The follow-on to THE BLACK ALCHEMIST, this book holds the readers' undivided attention as it records the investigations of the author and various friends into the practices of Black Magic in England. Living near several of the places mentioned within the book, and knowing of the local folklore, it held special interest. Excellently written, dealing with a difficult and controversial subject, and the whole atmosphere of the writing is offset with high quality drawings and photographs. I could neither put the book down not read it alone in the house.

Christians have a deep and abiding fascination with the cross. Though 2000 years have passed since Christ hung on that cross, Christians continue to grapple with its deepest meanings and continue to seek to apply its lessons to their lives. Of the countless thousands of books written on the subject, A.W. Pink's The Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross stands as one of the few true classics.

In this book Pink looks at each of the seven words Jesus spoke while hanging in agony. In his introduction to the book Pink says, "The death of Christ...was unique, miraculous, supernatural. In the chapters which follow we shall hearken to the words which fell from his lips while he hung upon the cross - words which make known to us some of the attendant circumstances of the great tragedy; words which reveal the excellencies of the one who suffered there; words in which is wrapped up the gospel of our salvation; and words which inform us of the purpose, the meaning, the sufferings, and the sufficiency of the death divine." He dedicates a chapter to each of the words of forgiveness, salvation, affection, anguish, suffering, victory and contentment. In every case he spends some time discussing the meaning of the word and usually equal time applying these words to the faith of the individual Christian. Far from "mere" theology, this book is intensely practical and immediately applicable.

The Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross deserves the accolades given to it. It bears repeated readings and is ideal for group study (and, indeed, I led a group of over 100 people reading it in tandem). It is worthy of a spot in the collection of every Christian.

Pink, master of the Old Testament and lover of the NT, takes each of the 7 sayings and explores seven aspects of each of the sayings. Wonderfully enlightening as he always is with his timeless commentaries. Use this as a devotional leading up to Resurrection Sunday...you will experience the Cross in ways you never imagined. All of Pink's works and thoughts are Scriptually based.

The hinge point of creation is presented to us in Christ's death and resurrection. I must confess that I knew that..but I didn't really understand all it's implications.

A.W. Pink has a remarkable ability to bring forth truth and understanding that lies incredibly rich in the understanding of the seven sayings of Jesus on the Cross.

If you would like to understand the lessons from Christ on the cross then you must read and understand this text.

I am nearly done with this book and I must confess that Pink has done an incredible job in pointing us to Christ.

Buy this book!

This is a must read for any student of the Bible. Pastor Pink's insights into Jesus on the cross are unique and fully referenced to the rest of the Bible. I couldn't put the book down. It was very readable and unlike many of his works, short and compact.

As a Shelley lover I've read numerous biographies, but this will be the last one as no amount of research or writing talent can improve on this book. Richard Holmes clearly did an enormous amount of research and his attention to detail is extraordinary. His love for his subject comes through strongly yet he remains objective throughout and is not blind to Shelley's flaws. His descriptive writing also paints a fascinating picture of the interesting and tough times during which Shelley lived and his wonderful vocabulary had me reaching for my dictionary many times!. He pays as much attention to the other colourful characters in Shelley's life as he does to the poet himself. His analysis of Shelley's complex psyche is intense and I believe his perceptions are very accurate. This book impressed and excited me more than any biography I have ever read.

How is it possible that the world's largest online bookstore doesn't stock any biography of Shelley? He was, after all, not just a poet, but a fascinating character even without taking his literary accomplishments into account. I found Mr. Holmes's great biography in an Oxford, UK bookstore. And I must say it's amazing. I can't believe it was written by a 28-year-old. The research done here is nothing short of astounding. I must say, however, that the long pages devoted to Shelley's political creed and activities can get a bit wearisome - at least for me, who was more interested in the personal and literary aspects of his life, than in the political ones - but then, I understand that this reflects my personal preferences, and admit it doesn't much deter from the book's qualities. In fact, you could say it makes it more solid and thorough, in including a part of Shelley's life that has been traditionally neglected by his biographers.

A nice feature of Mr. Holmes's work is the description of the physical places in Shelley's life - for instance, the house where he was born and the ones which he inhabited during his years in Italy. All of these had some endearing and fascinating trait, from the rolling lawns of Field Place to the sun-soaked terrace of the Casa Magni. I only wish these descriptions had been more in-depth, since it is obvious that Shelley often built strong emotional connections with the places where he lived. I look forward to reading "Footsteps", which is the account of Holmes's literary travels and research, and which is already awaiting me in my bookshelf!

It's probably time for a new Shelley biography, despite Holmes' excellent work. I couldn't recommend this book without a number of caveats.

It was valuable in its time, for countering that Victorian view of the angelic depoliticised and emasculated Shelley. But it's still a document of its time.

There are two things that were wrong with the book even at the time it was written. One is the constant failure to mention instances of Shelley's extraordinary generosity and kindness to others. Maybe it was boring, to a 1970s writer, to mention the old women carried in out of the cold, the children fed, the money given away to strangers in hard times: but to leave most of it out badly distorts the reality of Shelley. He was no saint, but he was a remarkably kind person, and practical with it, and that central and salient characteristic is glossed over, though "gloss" is not quite the word. White's earlier biography is actually more comprehensive on this sort of thing.

The second issue is a grotesque mis-reading of the "Adelaide Shelley" affair, in which Shelley put his name down as the father of an Italian baby. Holmes invents from whole cloth an incident in which Shelley seduced the maid, turning her out of the house when she became pregnant. This is simply bizarre, as Holmes himself later acknowledged. In his next book, "Footsteps", Holmes concedes that not only was there no evidence in favour of this claim, but that it would have been completely out of character for all three of the key figures (Shelley, Claire Clairemont and the maid whose name, from memory, is something like Paola Foggi) who would have had to have been involved in Holmes' scenario.

The story, acknowledged by Holmes to be false, did Shelley's reputation enormous harm (Paul Johnson siezed on it, and added inaccuracies of his own, for his attack on Shelley in the ludicrous "Intellectuals" book; Johnson's Shelley chapter is virtually a cut and paste job from Holmes).

So this has always frustrated me: Why on earth hasn't Holmes corrected it in a later edition? I suspect that Holmes feels that it is a form of integrity, of trueness to himself as a young man, or something, to leave the book in its current form. But since the book is supposed to be a record about Shelley, not Holmes, I'd rather he made this and other corrections.

As well as that, there's new information about the circumstances of Shelley's break with his family, and about his life in Italy, which Holmes doesn't include, because they are based on documents that have only recently come to light or been studied.

So while this was a landmark in its time, it is from this distance not as good as some earlier biographies, and it is due for replacement. If I were to recommend a biographical work to someone with a strong interest in Shelley, I'd recommend his Letters.

Laon (no relation)

After reading Miranda Seymour's biography of Mary Shelley I looked around for an account of P. B. Shelley and found this excellent biography of the poet. The whole generation and family from Mary Wollstonecraft onwards makes a dynastic epic, and a good history of the social politics of a radical generation living through the Restoration. There the ethereal Shelley myth is corrected by a portrait of a radical who had the courage and will to attempt to extract himself form his aristocratic family and class to pursue a radical dream in the unforgiving world of the reactionary wake of the French Revolution. Literary portraits of Shelley still suffer the fate of the poet's work after his death when his reputation was crippled by the conservative age against he revolted. It reminds one of the fate of the Sixties in the minds of the (current) powers that be. It is significant, and mostly forgotten, that the early Queen Mab that so shocked the establishments of the times passed into the bloodstream of the left via the radical underground press, thence to influence the early labor movements and Chartists. Meanwhile the image of Shelley was sanctified by several packs of lies as the quality of genius forced its way into anthological immortality.

A must have for all WW II aviation buffs, especially Spit lovers. The photos are awesome and there is plenty technical data to distinguish the various marks, plus combat reports adds a nice touch. A requirement for anyone planning to model the Supermarine Spitfire.

This is one of my favorite Spitfire books. It has striking color photography of restored Spitfires in flight. Very current. Very nicely written, it traces the background of surviving aircraft, present ownership etc. It is quite comprehensive. There are a very few flyable Spitfires in the world that are not covered here. J. Campbell "Cam" Martin

The reviewers before me are right about content but what really does make this book are the STUNNING full colour, high resolution, two page spreads of surviving Spitfires flying inches from the camera plane. You can see the rivets and it is beautiful!

A companion to "Hurricane, a Fighter Legend" by the same authors (and a succesor to 'Spitfire, a Living Legend' by Jeremy Flack?), but a much bigger book, both in the number of pages and in size. And though I love the Hurricane book, I think they did an even better job on the Spitfire. It doesn't just focus on photographs of surviving planes, but also gives a lot of background material. The only difference between the hardcover and the paperback is the covermaterial - and the price -, so don't be fooled in thinking that more money will buy you a better book, if indeed there could be a better photobook about the Spitfire than this one.

Found this book in our library and was excited about learning more of Dick Francis. I did get lost at times when he wrote about the race courses, but it was a thrill to get to know him. It is not a mystery, but there are some questions he still does not know the answer to. He writes a book a year, and I could read 4 or 5 of his books a year if he could write them that fast! Nice read.

This book is a must have for any Dick Francis or horse racing fan. This was the first book of his that i have read and now i have all of his so far. What i was looking for was a book to tell me about this little known sport. Now i know a great deal about it. I'm hoping for a newer version to tell about what has happened since the book waas written. I read the older 1950's or 1960's print with the pictures of Devon Loch in the Grand National. That was what most intrigued me about the story and what made him fall like that. Like i said this is an excellent book and very informative!

My passion for horses and horse racing was apparent even when I was a child. Dick Francis' books allowed me the experiences I dreamed of through his words. I learned more through his books than I could have anywhere else in the United States. It is said that truth is stranger than fiction, and Mr. Francis' autobiography is testimony to that! I now own a 5 year old (retired) Thoroughbred, and Mr. Francis' adventures are in my thoughts!

This book was originally written shortly after Francis' retirement from racing. It chronicles his life in detail up to that point (1957), and all fans of his mystery novels will enjoy seeing the germs of his books in the events of his life. I won't give the really surprising ones away here, but an example is the story in the autobiography of Francis' experience flying during WWII. Readers will understand where he got the knowledge to create several heroes who are pilots. The only reason I don't give this book a 10 is that it is very early Francis--his first book, as near as I can tell, and the quality of the writing as a bit uneven. The edition I read (1982) had no photos--a terrific disappointment, but there were apparently photos in other editions, as Francis refers to them once or twice in the text of the book. Try for a different year! The end of the book is an addendum bringing fans up to date on his life between 1957 and 1981; I've ordered the 1995 edition hoping for a little more added material. If you love horseracing or Dick Francis' books, read this!

If you've ever been to Princeton University, NJ and the Cotswold you'll realize how funny this quote from the book is. Besides interesting tid-bits like this, a more serious allegation by Peter Wright was that the Cuban Missile Crisis was a "set-up," a fabulous Russian disinformation effort in which the Russians actually won! Having lived through this incident I'm firmly convinced that he was right. You'll have to read about it to find out why.

Overall, the book is one of the most interesting spy books I've ever read. It's basic, down-to-earth and showed MI-5 to be a disaster mainly as a result of activities by a few elite, upper-crust, rich, idealistic Oxford/Cambridge (Oxbridge)University homosexuals! All this started in the 1930's and moved into the 50's. What a mess!

It also displays the courage of several men, mainly Peter Wright, to find the truth and act on it. Peter's boss, the head of MI-5, was a spy for Russia, but Peter was relentless in his effort to expose this fact.

If you like spy books you have got to get this one.

Peter Wright was a former assistant director of MI5 (Britain's secret service or counter-intelligence). This is his story of his career, including his anecdotes about his American allies. He joined MI5 as a scientist who specialized in tools for espionage. He had been promised credit for his years as a civilian scientist. When this promise was broken at retirement, he wrote this book to even out things.

This is an interesting book that can't be summarized in a few paragraphs. It is definitely worth reading for the details on government activities in a "democracy". Watergate was a notable failure of such activities. Do these activities continue? Of course!

Pages 158-9 tell of his proposal for a "Bolshevik model" for former colonial countries: let a political party control the army and secret police so that neither the army or another political party could gain control of the government. He pointed out that only those newly created countries that adopted this principle have escaped military dictatorships and civil war.

Does the above advice seem to cynical and radical? But our Establishment DOES control the army and secret police so that neither the military or a populist political party (one not controlled by corporate interests) can gain control.

Yet the classic solution for democracies, from Aristotle to Machiavelli to our Founding Fathers was well-armed citizens and their militia. It has worked well for over over a century, and the idea still survives today.

Well, the Peter Wright who wrote SPYCATCHER is a deceased person. Your side-bar link to, "...an interview with Peter Wright," leads to an interview with a live Peter Wright, not the dead Peter Wright. Right?

this is not a review, but a note to amazon.com

for "spycatcher" by peter wright, you have on the same screen an interview with peter wright. unfortunately for you, Peter Wright-who=wrote-spycatcher DIED a few years ago. He is an ex-spycatcher (cue dead parrot sketch). So please REMOVE your "interview-with-DIFFERENT-PeterWright" link from the spycatcher book page.

I hope this note is sufficiently clear, if not, email me at bg283@ncf.ca thanks, bts

And by the way, I would very much like to write a review of "spycatcher", it is an excellent book, but please take the "interview" link out of the page for this book.... thanks, bts

Avid readers of biographies often note that great men and women in their fields exhibit striking contradictions in their personalities. Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851), England's greatest landscape painter, is no exception and those contradictions are highlighted in Anthony Bailey's excellent 1997 biography. Notoriously tight-fisted in his dealings in the art world, Turner was equally capable of striking magnanimity towards his few friends. Jealously protective of his paintings, he left dozens of his masterpieces rotting in his gallery at the time of his death, virtually uncared for. Indifferent towards his two, illegitimate daughters, Turner was reported to have burst into tears at the death of a patron. All these characteristics are illuminated in Bailey's fine study. Organized on thematic, rather than on strictly chronological lines, Bailey's portrait emphasizes the man instead of his work, although Turner's major works are not neglected. Like all good biographers, Bailey is also careful to describe his subject in the context of his times, a tumultuous period in western European history. At bottom, though, Turner was a man devoted to his craft and his political awareness appears rarely to have extended beyond the infighting and maneuvering accompanying his long membership in the Royal Academy. There are many specialist studies of Turner's work, but this may be the best portrait yet of Turner. Still, Bailey has not fully penetrated the sources of Turner's unique vision, (perhaps an impossible task),a vision that baffled many contemporaries and placed Turner "out of his time" in much the same way that Blake appears of a different time, out of synch with the poets of his age. This biography is highly recommended to anyone having more than a passing interest in art or art history.

This very well written biography works well on two levels - a portrait of Turner the man, an endearing eccentric, and Turner, the painter, an artist who painted in both an extremely academic style and a visionary and expressive one. Anthony Bailey artfully weaves in and out of the contradictions in Turner's work and his character. Highly recommended.

Anthony Bailey provides the modern reader with a most readable and interesting account of the painter, Turner, and his life. Mr. Bailey, captures the essence of Turner's character and brilliance as a landscape painter. He leads the reader down a path of vivid description and imagery that encourages and entices one to go on and read more. Turner was a creator of illusion and mystique in paintings. He captured the mood and climate of his country in the mist, storms, clouds, sunsets, and sunrises created with his brush. I had the opportunity to buy Standing in the Sun recently in England, and I found it to be an excellent tribute to a fine English painter by a truly gifted English writer, Anthony Bailey.

J.M.W. Turner was a great painter and a very strange man. His genius was recognized early,and he lived well and died rich. He was secretive exhibitionistic,miserly and generous by turns. His works are not too easy to see in the U.S. because he sold well in England and left his paintings to the nation. Bailey has written a superb biography of a man on whom it is difficult to understand. It compares well to his previous biography Rembrandt's House and displays tthe same graceful and lucid prose of his books on sailing,walking,and groeing up in England and America. I read the English edition and recommend this book unreservedly to anyone who likes great art and fine writing. Roger Marz