United Kingdom Books

This guide was the perfect size for our four day stay in Edinburgh, and it contained all of the information I was looking for. The four walking itineraries covered everything I had researched and wanted to see, even the Royal Botanic Gardens which are outside the city limits. There are several detailed maps and recommendations about which walks to take in which weather. There is also a chapter on the museums and galleries. And of course, there are the standard travel tips, local information, and historical background.

One great thing about this guide that I found in no other was a walk called "The Waters of Leith." It ends at the gardens, but the walk there is magnificent...strolling along a river on side streets, over and under bridges. We would not have known to take this beautiful secluded route in an otherwise bustling city. And I'm so glad we did!

As mentioned by the other reviewer, this guide does not include a comprehensive lists of accomodations or shops. But these days, it is so convenient to find lodging online before the trip. Check out my site for Scotland travel links and tips.

Few publisher's self-promotions accurately reflect what one finds in their products. Cadogan's slogan, on the other hand, wonderfully characterizes this book: "humourous, informed, irresistable". Mr. Godfrey-Fausett's very portable vademecum combines outstanding historical insight, very up-to-date information on what's where, excellent suggested walking tours, and unusually accurate indications of where to take refreshments. His description of historical events that took place in each location visited are quite engaging. The accompanying maps are very helpful, and his recommendations for visits in the exurbs, and day trips further afield, are complete with the number of the bus to take there....and the number of the bus for your return, typical of the completeness of his recommendations. In the next edition, one might hope for a somewhat expanded shopping guide along the lines of that provided in "The Rough Guide to Edinburgh", the only other guide one might consider carrying through the day. Similarly, this edition emphasizes hotels in the upper ranges; one might hope in future for more emphasis on the many charming B&Bs and self-catering flats Edinburgh has to offer; in the meantime anyone with Internet search savvy can locate these....as we did.

Of the various styles of biographies I've read, I think I prefer what Lock has achieved here. It's definitely not the kind of page-turner which Robert Caro delivers, nor is it heavily weighed down with details such as De La Grange has given us with Gustav Mahler. Instead, Lock gives us intelligently written background surrounding the issues and people as they arise; judicious use of Burke's letters (and letters to him) as well as his writings; and details that help bring the era to life. He also brings the themes together, which means the telling is not a simple chronology. Lock gives us all sides of Burke, too: not just the politician and the family man, but the brother and the farmer. What I also like about this book is that Lock does not hesitate to criticize Burke when his behavior is less than ethical or when Burke's arguments are disingenuous. It's a critical examination, and Lock doesn't dumb it down. (I can't wait for volume 2, although my checkbook can.)

This will become the standard biography of Burke - but this book is not just for scholars: anyone with an interest in 18th century politics and culture will benefit from reading this work. The narrative is well written, with much detail and necessary (but not too basic) background detail; overall it keeps the reader's interest. Burke's own works are analysed thoroughly, within the framework of his life.

In 1983 in "A Nation at Risk" the alarm was sounded that education in the United States was broken, really, really broken. Twenty years later most politicians still agree that education is broken, and if you vote for them, they'll fix education; yet year after year children leave the public school system with declining test scores, and many of these children are functionally illiterate.

As any good doctor knows, you need to understand just what the problem is before making a diagnosis. E. G. West's book, "Education and the State" largely explores the history of Education in Great Britain. In looking at the problems of education in Great Britain, there is a lot of insight into what works and what doesn't work. Up until 1870, education was largely a private concern that the parents of children dealt with. Things dramatically changed in 1870 under the Foster Act, which put government into what had been a private concern.

The author asks a number of good questions about why the government should be involved and are there better ways for the government to be involved.

E. G. West looks into the two main arguments for the intrusion of government into education. The first is the government needs to protect children from neglectful parents. The second is the government should be involved because of the effect education has on society.

In response to the first argument E. G. West looks at the data in the early 1800s and shows that by and large parents had not been neglectful. He asks why we trust the same parent to vote, but won't let them chose where to send their children to school. He points out that it is important not to let children starve, but we don't force parents to send their children to specific public kitchens. And it is important that people know the rules of driving, but we let people chose where they learn to get an education in how to drive.

In response to the second argument the author shows data that education doesn't reduce crime. He explores the effect of education on democracy. One thing I found funny was that in the early 1800s many people in government were complaining that people were too literate. He explores the connections between education & equality of opportunity, education & economic growth, and education & the quest for 'common values.'

The basic conclusion E. G. West comes to is government should not be so involved in education, and especially in forcing parents to send their children to a particular school. He argues strongly for a voucher system to allow people to find the solutions best for their children, and as a way to encourage schools to do a better job.

This was originally written in 1965, but this is still an informative book to read. For anyone interested in the fundamental questions about just what the role of government should be in education, this is a good book for a second perspective into how having the government involved in educations creates a number of problems.

The reason that education reforms are so muddled and anemic is because most people have no idea how we arrived at our current condition. Consequently, many people consider the abolishment of the U.S. Federal Department of Education to be an extreme measure, when actually it would be mere tinkering at the fringes. This is strange since, historically speaking, the current structure of public education is a recent experiment in social-engineering wrought over roughly the past century to century and one-half. West's invaluable contribution is to unearth the origins of public education and its original claims. The first edition examined the British ontogeny, which is also important since the American ontogeny paralleled it in time and argument. Be sure to get the later editions which specifically include an eye-opening look at the American evolution. If you only read one book on education in your entire life, read this book.

this book is a cultural treasure, but then i am a long-time admirer of russell page, his sensitivity to site and his knowledge as a plantsman. while he tried to make good garden design accessible to more people conceptually, aesthetically, and financially, there remain some recommendations that are clearly out of reach of the ordinary person. however, his approach can be adapted to any any size of garden and any budget. recommended for its beautiful prose alone, i will read this book again and again for its depth of understanding of all aspects of garden design.

There's been no better book written about the art of designing a beautiful landscape, IMO. While few of us can relate to mansions on the Riveria or expansive town gardens in Paris, the principles Mr. Page talks about are an accessible distillation of a lifetime of intense planting, looking and thinking. If nothing else, experiencing this rigorous and disciplined artist is an incredible inspiration.

Son of the troubled King John, Henry III inherited his father's impoverished kingdom when he was but nine years of age. At 28, Henry married Eleanor of Provence in Canterbury Cathedral on January 14, 1236. The match with the twelve-year-old daughter of Raymond Bergengar, count of Provence was intended to forge an alliance that would protect the southern part of Henry's Angevin empire. Eleanor had never met her bridegroom nor had she ever visited England prior to her marriage.

Howell's biography of Eleanor of Provence looks at both the public and private aspects of Eleanor's life offering new insights into 13th century English history. Although it began as a dynastic match, Henry found in Eleanor a loving and supportive wife. She bore him nine children of whom four survived to adulthood. Yet in spite of the strength of their family life, Eleanor is remembered as one of the most despised of the English queens; in 1236 Londoners mobbed her barge and drove her to flee to the bishop of London's palace of St. Paul's. As she grows from child to woman we see Eleanor use the available avenues of power-patronage, arranged marriages, and ceremonial events- to benefit her family and her loyal corps of retainers who, throughout her life, formed the base of Eleanor's political strength. Indeed it was family relationships that were to be both the strength and weakness of Eleanor's queenship. Her devotion to her family and her single minded efforts to promote her foreign-born Savoyard relations put her at odds with the English nobility and eventually with her husband's family, all of whom were in competition for lands, titles, and lucrative marriages. As Howell comments, Eleanor "made intercession an art." However, throughout their marriage, Eleanor's support and connections to the French monarchy remained a key factor in Henry's ability to hold on to his throne. Howell gives a full picture of Eleanor of Provence; a woman of culture, complexity, loyalty and intelligence; but one unloved by her subjects. I would highly recommend it.

I concur with the excellent synopsis given by the previous reviewer and can only add that Howell has the rare and welcome gift of being able to produce sound scholarship, meticulously documented from the primary sources, that is accessible to the general reader as well as the academic audience for whom the book is primarily intended. This book, while remaining free from tiresome jargon, nevertheless places the subject within current academic discussion very well. She provides a model that I hope will be emulated by future scholars.

Reading through this volume I find it difficult to become deeply engaged. Something in the archaic, quaint language of much of the poetry deters.
Yet there is a poem, the poem of all the anthologies that is a great and memorable one, one that justifies a life- work.
" How do I love thee , Let me count the ways" is one of the most beautiful and inspiring love- poems ever written.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poetry, especially the "Sonnets from the Portuguese," is beautiful, intelligent, and honest love poetry. Anyone who has experienced the doubts, fears, and transformation of love will recognize the truth of the poet's struggle to trust and to love.

I really enjoyed this book.Elizabeth has a really interesting life and the Dead Famous author M

This book had great information on Elizbeth I. Instead of just wordy texts, the author has had cartoons added as well to put the cherry on the cake. I recommend this book to people interested in history. I also encourage you to read Mary, Queen of Scots and her Hopeless Husbands in addition to this.

I am supplying this information from the back cover of the book because Amazon does not supply any:

"This book begins as the young Elizabeth ascends the throne in the wake of her sister Mary's disastrous reign. Elizabeth is portrayed as both a woman and a queen, an extraordinary phenomenon in a patriarchal age. Alison 'Weir writes of Elizabeth's intriguing, long-standing affair with Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, of her dealings - sometimes comical, sometimes poignant - with her many suiters, of her rivalry with Mary, Queen of Scots, and of her bizarre relationship with the Earl of Essex, thirty years her junior. Rich in detail, vivid and colorful, this book, the finest yet by one of our most popular and readable historians, comes, perhaps, as close as we shall ever get to knowing what Elizabeth I was like as a person."

This book provides a well researched and balanced account of Elizabeth I's private and political life. Entertaining, thoughtful and provocative, this book is a real page turner. Alison Weir has a real knack for making historical biographies entertaining and educational. I can't wait to read her book about Elizabeth's rival, Mary Queen of Scots!

If you are interested in the life of Emma of Normandy, wife of King Canute, then this book will captivate you. It is a fascinating, contemporary look at the legendary events of 11th century England.

This is a detailed, fact-filled book on Queen Emma of the 11th century. It is a fascinating portrait of a queen who lived through a lot of tragedies. Not for the light reader, though.

This guide is on a par with the older Roger Phillips "Mushrooms" and very similar in size and format. Unlike Phillips, all photographs have been shot in situ. With so few guides to fungi available, and each covering a particular selection, it's best to assemble a good library - and this should be one of the major works. Even though the focus is Europe, many of the fungi have much wider ranges and this book is invaluable in the Western Hemisphere too.

This is a very useful book because it has well-taken pictures that show the habitat where the fungi was found. Also, the beginning of the book has pictures of spores as they look under a microscope and a color chart for the colors described in the text. The description of each fungi also lists any chemical reagent useful for identification and the expected result. A wonderful identification guide. He should write a similar book for fungi of the United States.