United Kingdom Books

When people think of British horror films, thoughts turn to Hammer (with a nod to Amicus). But now for something completely different: A book about INDEPENDENT British horror cinema, 1970 -- 1979. Ten years, ten chapters.

Why those years? The editors explain: "When people talk of the long tradition of British horror cinema, they're talking about a myth. In fact, British horror films only thrived for a twenty year period. Before 1960, there had only been a handful of genre movies made in the UK; and since 1980, horror film production has dwindled to an almost non-existent level."

But if British horror began flowering in 1960, why not Twenty Years of Terror? Because, the editors believe, British horror cinema peaked in the 1970s, both creatively and quantitatively: "The 1970s saw boundaries broken down, taboos challenged, censorship under assault and the rule books torn up. It had never happened before, and it hasn't happened since."

While the editors acknowledge Hammer's past contributions, they believe that by the 1970s, independent filmmakers had assumed the creative cutting edge:

"Hammer -- particularly under the leadership of Michael Carreras -- seemed to have little idea of how to deal with the sweeping changes that were taking place. It's sobering to think that while William Friedkin was shooting The Exorcist and Wes Craven had made The Last House on the Left, Hammer were dusting off Terence Fisher to grind out another Frankenstein movie."

Ten Years of Terror is part film encyclopedia, with production credits and analyses for each film entry. Its huge format resembles the Overlook Film Encyclopedia, yet naturally, its coverage of 1970s British horror is more extensive. Vastly so. The Overlook's horror edition covers all North American and European horror films up till 1992, plus films from Japan, India and Latin America, yet is only 1/3 longer than Ten Years of Terror. Ten Years of Terror lavishes over 300 pages for films that the Overlook covers in under 30.

Likewise, Fragments of Fear: An Illustrated History of British Horror Films, covers nearly a century of British horror in 283 pages, compared to Ten Years of Terror's decade in 336 pages.

Clearly, Ten Years of Terror offers much more on 1970s British horror films than previous books. But what more is there? No, not padding. There's meat -- and blood and guts and gore. This is a beautiful book, hugely glossy, lavishly illustrated, in resplendent color.

Specifically: 143 film entries, 733 illustrations, 48 pages in full color. That's what it claims. I didn't count, but it doesn't appear off base.

In addition to ten chapters, there are appendixes for: (1) short and experimental films; (2) TV movies and series (for BBC and ITV buffs); (3) borderline cases (what didn't quite fit the editors' definition of 1970s British horror); (4) foreign films shot in Britain (including by us Yanks), and (5) unfilmed British horror movies (some films that were announced but not completed). Appendixes also illustrated, although the entries are briefer.

Ten Years of Terror should not be confused with all those other oversized horror film books, scant on text, heavy on the same old glossy stills. Like them, Ten Years of Terror is big and beautiful, oversized and lavishly illustrated. But it's thick with text. And its stills are rarities, obscure gems.

But wait -- there's more!

The Foreword was written by Norman J. Warren, director of such British gems as Horror Planet (aka Inseminoid) and Terror.

I first saw Terror in a New York theater, some 20 years ago. Terror soon sank into obscurity, forgotten and ignored, and I've been partisaning its revival ever since. I discussed Terror in my NYU film school paper on horror films (1982), and in Horror magazine (1997), and again for Horrorfind.com, and again in my anthology book Halloween Candy (2001), and again in the HollywoodInvestigator.com (2004), and again in Mondo Cult (2006). Happily, Ten Year of Terror grants proper coverage to Terror (Fragments of Fear doesn't even mention the film), generously illustrated.

I also disagree with part of Harvey Fenton's critique. He calls Terror's script "well-written" and adds: "Terror is an audacious achievement; objectively speaking, there are undoubtedly better movies covered in this book, but few can compete with this film for simple entertainment value. McGillivray's script is efficient and unobtrusive; its sole purpose is to string together the many delightfully exuberant set-pieces."

Terror is wonderfully enjoyable, and stringing together scenes does appear to be the script's sole purpose. But a script should also create a coherent story, with cause-and-effect plotting. Instead, Terror is one of those rare films that becomes less coherent upon repeated viewing. However, that's because one enjoys Terror so much, one fails to notice that its story makes no sense -- none at all. It's only after one sees Terror a few times, growing familiar with the twists and turns in the rollercoaster, that one sees the plot holes.

Norman J. Warren's later Horror Planet (aka Inseminoid) is also great fun. A slasher film on a harsh planet. Think Jason meets Alien.

Although Ten Years of Terror concentrates on British indie horror, it covers all British horror films of the 1970s, Hammer and Amicus included. If the reader is still in doubt as to the fecundity of that period, perhaps it will help to recall these films, all covered in the book:

Countess Dracula, The House That Dripped Blood, Scream and Scream Again, The Vampire Lovers, Lust for a Vampire, The Abominable Dr. Phibes, A Clockwork Orange, The Devils, Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde, Hands of the Ripper, Straw Dogs, Twins of Evil, Asylum, Captain Kronos--Vampire Hunter, The Creeping Flesh, Dracula AD 1972, Frenzy,Horror Express, Psychomania, Tales From the Crypt, Horror Hospital, Theatre of Blood, The Wicker Man, Craze, House of Whipcord, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Vampyres, The Omen, Satan's Slave, Holocaust 2000, Schizo, The Uncanny, The Legacy, Alien, Saturn 3.

And over 100 more. Only a few entries are non-horror (e.g. Clockwork Orange, Straw Dogs). And mere inclusion does not mean the editors love the film. They disdain The Uncanny -- a film I much enjoy (I've a soft spot for horror anthologies, and for Donald Pleasance, and for Samantha Eggar).

Speaking of which, the trade paperback cover of Ten Years of Terror features the skull from Amicus's Tales From the Crypt. Enthralled by its TV commercials, I spent years waiting to be old enough to see it. For those who came of age post-DC, pre-HBO, the Amicus version will always be the "true" Tales From the Crypt. (Curiously, the hardback's dust jacket features Ingrid Pitt instead).

Ten Years of Terror is a treasure trove, and I'm sure many horror fans will spend hours drooling over the book, recalling films they'd perhaps momentarily forgotten. Others will thrill with the first blush of discovering a rare gem.

Ten Years of Terror is destined to be the definitive text of independent 1970s British horror cinema.

'Ten Years of Terror' - a history of British horror cinema in the 70s - is not only very well written, but also a truly jaw-dropping book to look at. The meat, however, of course remains in the text. During the 1980s all things Italian - particularly the work of director Dario Argento - dominated the cult horror scene. The films of the 70s - especially UK horror movies - were all but forgotten, a fallow period between the collapse of Hammer and the rise of spaghetti-splatter. 'Ten Years of Terror' successfully challenges that misapprehension. In point of fact, horror enjoyed a brief golden age in the UK in the 70s, and as this book shows, expired from market saturation rather than unpopularity.

Hammer, under pressure from big budget US competition from the likes of 'Carrie', 'the Omen', and 'the Exorcist', produced some of their most interesting movies in this era. While not classics, the likes of 'Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter' and 'Dracula AD 1972' are at the very least good fun, and not the total turkeys they've been portrayed as. Hammer also came under pressure from rival UK studios like Tyburn and Amicus, who developed their own styles which were quintessentially English and quintessentially 70s, and in this context that's not an insult. Even sleaze merchants like Peter Walker are now enjoying a critical revival, and 'Ten Years of Terror' helps explain why.

'Ten Years of Terror' is largely composed of in-depth film reviews, chronologically organised on a year-by-year basis, interspersed by generous, lavish colour sections. If you like good-looking movie books, intelligent film journalism, or just have a soft spot for spooky cinema, you'll devour this as I did. How film books should be!

J.F. Lucy and his brother enlisted in the army in 1912. They became members of the 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Rifles of the 3rd Division. The first part of the book is an excellent account of the pre-war British army, replete with the peacetime training and traditions. Though only a N.C.O. Lucy was a keen observer of the war, looking back upon it as a bitter veteran but with a sensitive eye towards the naivete he and his comrades shared going into the war. What follows are wonderfully detailed and fascinating accounts of the early stages of the war. The destruction of the old army, as countless lives were lost following antiquated battle plans. Latter stages of the war were plagued by the attrition of trench warfare, many accounts have been written about these days, so a memoir of the first few months is extremely rare. He saw action at Mons, Le Cateau, the Marne, the Aisne and Neuve Chapelle. The latter two being poignant as the Aisne is where his brother was killed and Neuve Chapelle was where his battalion ceased to exist. He was one of only 50 men to survive the battle out of over 800. The descriptions of the last time that he saw his brother alive are priceless, as he loved his brother a great deal. He spares nothing in this account, it is graphic at times, displaying the horror of war, and the psychological stress. He later describes the first battle of Ypres and after getting his commission the futile slaughter that was Passchendaele. He describes that fateful ridge using the immortal words of Dante from the 28th canto of the Inferno: 'Who, even with words set free, could ever fully tell, by oft relating, the blood and the wounds that I now saw? Every tongue assuredly would fail because of our speech and our memory that have small capacity to comprehend so much.' Then he was off to Cambrai where his war ended, after he was hit sixteen times by an exploding shell. In subsequent years he became a journalist and later Lieutenant-Colonel in the army during World War II. This memoir is not to be missed, it is a highly underrated work that should be read by everyone. In his book "World War One Memories" Edward Lengel regards this as the finest memoir written of the First World War or possibly from any soldier ever. I give it my highest recommendation.

In 1914 John Lucy was that rare treasure, an NCO of a regular regiment of the British army. He was one of those men who made up the backbone of the finest professional army as the world tore itself apart, and as the world decended into the maddness of the First World War he kept a diary,and detailed in it as he watched his regiment, 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles go from 1000 men to 40 in 4 months.

Lucy survived the war and later served as a professional soldier and a journalist and he writes well, going into detail of basic training and serving in the prewar army without getting bogged down in needless details or technical points. The book spans the period through 1917 but focuses especailly on the early months of the war from Mons to 1st Ypres when the bulk of the old, professional army was destroyed and then the frustration of trying to turn non-professional, war time replacements into soldier up to the standards of the pre-war professionals but more than anything this focuses on the death of the professional army.

This easily belongs on the bookshelves of people with an interest in the First World War besides such famous autobiographies as those of Vera Britton, Robert Graves and Frank Richards. .

This is an amazing work. Somehow, Adam Schwartz, the author, has contrived to write interesting narratives about the details of the spiritual journeys of four English Roman Catholic converts. First, the amount of careful research is stunning. Second, Schwartz's ability to conflate myriad personal details, plus supporting examples in their ouevres, into a believable trajectory of conversion is nothing short of miraculous.

Lessons for today abound, but what is most impressive is the utter seriousness with which the four converts--Chesterton, Greene, Dawson and Jones--took their time on earth. Seemingly not a wasted minute for any of them.

These men were not grim, by any means, just serious. A real antidote for the near total lack of seriousness of today. Who, for example. would read, and then critique, the Summa Theologica, St. John of the Cross, etc.?

This book is worth every penny.

Having just heard Adam Schwartz at the 25th Annual Chesterton Conference in St. Paul, Minnesota, I couldn't wait to get hold of this book. Anyone who is waiting to get it is likely holding off because of the daunting price tag. Absolutely tempted to wait for the paperback, I nevertheless hold that this book is long-needed and occupies a unique niche and that readers interested in these topics will find it well worth the coin.

This is an academic book and probably could be used as a textbook (it's priced like one). That means it's scrupulously researched with long bibliographies and copious footnotes, as against the popular biography meant for casual reading. We need both kinds, but let me illustrate what I think is the difference. A popular biography tries to interest casual readers in the topic, saying something like, "Tolkien is the author of the century." An academic biography tries to justify its existence saying something like, "Amid the flood of Tolkien scholarship, this book satisfies a unique and long-felt need." Absolutely the opposite approach.

For that reason I suggest skipping the introduction to this book (or reading it later), which is entirely concerned with justifying its existence and placing it in a niche of literary biography. But start with the Chesterton chapter (chapter one) and the tone instantly changes from pedantic to winsome as Adam Schwartz winningly holds forth. His thesis that Chesterton's writing was shaped by an early aesthetic and spiritual crisis in art school is not a unique one, it's also handled in the light, brief overview by Peters, The Christian Imagination, but this is probably the first time it's been defended as a thesis.

Chesterton is the best known of the four authors considered in the book, the others being writer Graham Greene (who everyone has heard of but no one has read), historian Christopher Dawson and poet David Jones. Schwartz contends that they can all be considered together as British converts to Roman Catholicism in what he calls the Third Spring, the Second Spring being the earlier conversion of Newman, which may be said to mark the beginning of a British literary revival.

Needless to say this period and these authors are nearly unknown to most readers. Since this volume has as much reading as four short biographies, it can be considered four books averaging out at about $15 each. The value of this volume for libraries or research is a given, but I would also suggest that readers interested in literary biography or history will enjoy this engrossing and engaging read and discovering Adam Schwartz.

This is not a volume to be passed over. Although Millgate doesn't detail the expansions and revisions to his acclaimed biography of 1982, his learning, refinements, and discriminations make this a new work. Its like will not be found over any horizon you may be looking for--anytime soon.

Michael Millgate knows his Hardy. After all, he is perhaps the world's leading Thomas Hardy scholar. After publishing his Hardy biography in 1982, Professor Millgate went on to edit the COLLECTED LETTERS OF THOMAS HARDY 1926-27 (1988) and THOMAS HARDY: SELECTED LETTERS (1990). Those letters contained new information about Hardy, which Millgate incorporates into this fully revised, definitive new study of Hardy's life and work.

Because Hardy was such an intensely private person who carefully guarded the pariculars of his life, examining his life in detail was clearly no easy task. However, Millgate not only triumphs in bringing his subject to life in this 625-page biography, but also succeeds in demonstrating that "numerous aspects of A PAIR OF BLUE EYES, UNDER THE GREENWOOD TREE, and even FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD are clearly autobiographical, and the later evidence of THE WOODLANDERS, TESS OF THE DURBERVILLES, and JUDE urges the conclusion that Hardy's best work tended to have strong and specific roots in his own background and experience" (pp. 186-7). Millgate follows the life of Thomas Hardy from his "solitary" and "remarkably uneventful" childhood (p. 39) in Bockhampton, to his architectural studies (p. 55), through his his difficult marriage to his first wife, Emma (an agnostic woman who became bleakly evangelical--much like Sue Brideshead in JUDE), to his transition from "pessimistic" novelist to an esteemed poet in his later years. Along the way, in his careful analysis of Hardy's writing, Millgate shows that Hardy was a "Pessimistic Meliorist" (p. 378), who "could see only an incomprehensible and probably meaningless universe," but who also "cared deeply about the human condition, perceived value in individual lives, asserted such traditional and Christian values as charity and what he liked to call 'loving kindness,' and thought that things could and indeed get better" (p. 379).

For those, like me, who are fascinated with Thomas Hardy and his novels, this equally fascinating biography should be considered required reading.

G. Merritt

What a great contribution these authors have made to the world of Renaissance and Thomas More studies! This comprehensive anthology provides a wealth of primary sources as well as related materials on Thomas More and his world. Due to the multi-faceted character of its subject, this book will be of interest to historians, biographers, educators, theologians, writers, politicians, and many others as well. The "Man for All Seasons" was a lawyer, judge, husband and father, scholar, counselor to the king, and martyr, and this rich source book provides the background to the inner man. The authors begin with contemporary biographies and sketches of More, then explore samples of his own works. Selections from his early poems and letters are followed by some of his writings on education (he was a trend-setter in promoting education of women), government, and religion. The closing section, "More's Last Days", includes samples of his letters, various accounts of his trial, and the Paris Newsletter report on his execution.

This book provides a solid foundation for More studies and would serve as an excellent college text. Following an informative Introduction, a treasury of More-related material is provided. Even the Elizabethan play "Munday and Shakespeare's 'Sir Thomas More'" is provided in its entirety. Explanatory introductions are given to all selections, and clear glosses enrich the text throughout the book. Perhaps the only thing one might miss here is More's most famous work, "Utopia", but for study at this level, it certainly deserves to be treated separately, in its entirety.

This handsome and convenient text is further enriched by a lovely collection of portraits and other related artworks, even reproductions of pages from More's prayer book (showing his own hand-written additions). Helpful material at the end of the book includes several chronologies, some original well-annotated maps, and a very thorough Index. These tools should prove most useful to More scholars.

In sum, I feel that this book provides a wonderful tool for those who explore the world of Renaissance England and the person of Thomas More. We can only be grateful that Professors Wegemer and Smith foresaw the need for this book and did such a fine job in producing it.

Although some scholars purchase this book as part of the class and lecture series on Thomas More, I bought it to console myself since I could not attend a class.
I was impressed by Thomas More's clarity of thought and ability to decide "the right thing to do" at each turn in his life. Clearly, many of his contemporaries admired him for this characteristic of his as well, as their contributions to this book show. I enjoyed the thought-provoking depth which Thomas More shares through his own writing.

Very useful book for anyone headed to University (or obviously a more updated version). Arrived quickly and in great condition.

My son is looking at schools in UK and this gives you the inside look at which colleges are rated best from intelligent local perspective.

Our family trip to Britain was so enriched by this book which details historic or geographic sites by map and by town in each region. We were driving and could explore; a nearby town with a windmill, or a battle site; even one town boasting of it's magnificant "hedge". While in York we hopped in a cab to tour the town and found the cabbie had a copy in the back seat. He proclaimed it the best he had seen. We agree! A great guide if you are chasing history.

One of the best guides I've found. It was a treat to read cover to cover even after returning from my trip. The information is broken down geographically, and covers approximately 30 sq miles per page with many key cities in full page detail. All major places of interest as well as many little know sites are listed for each area. I found the city maps even more helpful than the road maps I took along. No hotel information is given, but I recommend this book above most travel guides for the beginning stages of planning.

This book will serve as your "forever" resource on everything England. If you have never been there it will help you to develop a plan, and it will help you find things that are off the track. It is a resource that seasoned travellers will find excellent as well. I have the newest edition and one of the originals, they are both fantastic. If you have room for only one big England book, this should be it, and if you have room for many you will still value this one the most!

What a wonderful book. It is set up like an encyclopedia, in alphabetical order, with entries about places in Britain that are of architectural, cultural, and historical interest. The entries are fascinating and the pictures are beautiful. I can open it on any random page and be enthralled. I could spend hours engrossed by it!

The only downside of this book is that it is a constant reminder that no matter how many times you have visited Britain, there are still hundreds of places and things in Britain you still need to see!

All of Mary Dobson's "Smelly Old History" books are an excellent way for elementary students to learn history and take whiffs of the many foul smells along history's timeline. The kids get so excited to smell the next foul smell they forget they are learning historical facts as they go. My first grade boy loves the books, but loves scratching the smells best. Some of the facts are a bit beyond 1st grade and younger, but they will still love the books. Ideal for 3rd-5th graders, who have some knowledge of ancient history and can remember names of people and important events in history. Excellent and fun choice for any elementary age student as a gift or for school.

If you've got a "nose for news", (like we do at the Tudor Times), then this is for you. I do actually own a copy, but, it's still safe in the clear plastic wrapper. "Stinking Streets, riddled with rats and plague"... "Sailors on the high seas"..."Revolting Royals", and more. Just reading the back cover sends me straight to a clove studded orange. Part of the "Smelly Old History" series: "Roman Aromas" and "Victorian Vapours". Good for a giggle.

The Tudors is a wonderfully written book. Instead of focusing on mundane little details about each monarch's personal life, this book focuses on what each one did while ruling England. This is a great book for those who want an overview of the Tudor dynasty, and would make an excellent textbook for a course on Tudor history.

Richard Rex is Director of Studies at Queens' College in Cambridge and the author of numerous papers on Tudor England, so his introduction THE TUDORS comes from a richly researched background, making it a `must' for in-depth English history collections at the college level. The public and private lives of the Tudors of England's `golden age' are examined in a guide which considers how dukes and kings influenced one of the greatest ages in English history.