Europe Books

For aficionados of WWII history this book is a must read. That statement would apply to anyone who has a deep interest in Paris as well. The book depicts the last days of the Nazi occupation of Paris through a series of carefully reconstructed events that appear with all the drama and vividness they deserve. As the allies began to push back the Nazis from formerly occupied territories such as in France, Hitler demanded that Paris be rigged with bombs and destroyed. The Nazi general in charge arranged for the bombs to be placed but hesitated in the execution of Hitler's orders. Hitler apparently called him with this persistent and famous question, "Is Paris burning?" This book explains the response of the general and the subsequent controversy over his decision. The battle scenes are not for the faint of heart. The book is a page turner and provides excellent historical information.

This is a real jem. Well written, fast paced, and a must read for visitors to Paris.
Prepeare to be rivited!

Bob McCallan

This is a very moving story of courage and heroism in the face of overwhelming odds. It is evident that the authors did alot of research on the story. It helps that they are both journalists by profession. One thing I would like to see is how the major players lives turned out since. Perhaps in the next edition. I bought the movie on DVD at the same time as this book. Reading the book adds so much to the movie watching experience as well.

The liberation of Paris was a coup de grace for the Allies. Paris did not suffer the fate of Berlin or Stalingrad, to name a few cities, in becoming a contested battleground. Nor, as the book pointed out, did the German commander follow Hitler's orders to destroy the city's major monuments, bridges, and other sites. It is interesting to note his actions in view of other German officers' claims that they were "only following orders".

However, this book is written by two journalists rather than historians, so it does not have the academic research nor analytical insight that a serious work might have. Cornelius Ryan comes closer to the style of writing that might have made this a heavier book. This is understandably difficult, in some ways, given the relative sparcity of combat and drama; or so this book would suggest. Again, a better writer and researcher would find more material to include.

Some material that might be considered, for example, are Allied intelligence estimates, Axis intelligence estimates, operational orders, etc. It is not clear to me, for example, how the German commander could fail to execute Hitler's orders in August 1944 when the Gestapo and SS were omni-present, especially after the failed July plot on Hitler's life.

Moreover, good research might show to what extent the Allies knew of Hitler's intentions. The Allies had significant intelligence capabilities, not the least through Ultra. And if they knew of the plans to destroy large parts of Paris, why didn't they send in commandos and special forces to disarm any explosives? Indeed, the French themselves seemed to put a higher priority on erecting road blocks rather than disarming explosives.

This is an easy, enjoyable read; and one of the few on the subject in English. However, it's about time someone else updated and added value to this book.

This book accomplishes what many "popular" history treatments do not, in that it leaves the reader much more enlightened on its topic (at least capable of actively contributing to any cocktail party conversation on the topic) without requiring the reader to have had a lot of background on the subject first. This is not a comprehensive, academic-style study of the German occupation and surrender of Paris; rather, it reads like a collection of anecdotes and vignettes (mixed with generally known facts about the events) that weave together to present a reasonably clear picture of what sounds like a fascinating time. You don't have to know a lot about the war, Paris, or military strategy to enjoy and benefit from this book. Another comment: This made the liberation of Paris sound like the world's greatest celebration, and leaves one feeling sorry to have missed it.

You felt as if you were a part of the crew in this lovely book of a summer on the Mediterranean.

You don't have to be a sailor or chef to enjoy this book. David Shalleck firmly placed me in the galley and on the deck of this sailing yacht. I could taste the salt air and the wonderful meals he prepared. A wonderful summer read!

I loved this book! Perfect summer read. Plan to cook a lot after reading! The recipes are easy, but amazing. Will not disappoint! Ten years ago my husband and I sailed the west coast of Corsica. This was such a nice reminder of the trip of a lifetime. We did all our own cooking on that trip, but it was nice to see exactly what was going on on all those huge yachts that passed us by!

I have been to most of the places David mentions in the book. Last year in Portofino I watched a yacht like the Serenity dock and noticed the activity that took place in order for the owners and guests to come ashore for their lunch. They were seated next to me at the restaurant and, eavesdropping, I wondered what life on that yacht would be like.

I ran across this book on another Amazon book search and it looked so interesting that I bought it without knowing anything about the author. David brings the international food scene and the yachting scene to life in a down to earth and warm way. I traveled in my mind right along with him.

It is one of those books that I read slowly towards the end in order to savor the last pages before I finish reading. I highly recommond this book.

I felt like I was right there on the yacht, in the Med and tasting all of the wonderful meals. Once I picked up the book, I couldn't put it down. I have made a couple of the recipes in the back of the book and they were wonderful. A must read, especially if you like traveling, the beach, boating and cooking. Wonderful, Wonderful, Wonderful. I just can't say it enough.

Great book if you enjoy naval history. Unique in that it details the strategies, fears, tactics and human factor of MODERN naval warfare in the age of missiles and advanced capability sensors. Past, current or future Navy surface warfare officers will love it.

Woodward had done a masterful job, with his writing assistant, of describing the issues of command, the concern about sending others into combat where they may lose their life, the need to keep in mind what is central about a mission, and so many other thoughts about what leadership means. This book is a study of BOTH (1) management of a large task (be it war, be it a large company or nonprofit, be it of government) when dealing with an adversary compelled to fight you (be it the other side in a war, be it a company fighting you for market share, be it a Democrat or Republican that believes as you do not), and (2) of management of a military war where weapons are wielded by you and weapons are wielded or threatened against you. The real-life drama of uncertainty of events, of certainty of purpose, and of just what went on in this saga is of interest to very many readers. I have British friends, I have Argentian friends, and no matter which side you believe is right (both have their points) this is a good book about a mission one is given and how one needs to carry it out, and the thoughts and second-thoughts that must go through any leader's mind.

Read this as a book about leadership, and you will do fine. Read this as a book about war, and you will also do fine. Read this as a book about both, and you'll get even more out of it.

The book was received in excellent condition. The story is well written and very interesting. Would recommend it highly.

As Wellington famously said of the Hundred Days Campaign culminating in the Battle of Waterloo, the Falklands Campaign was a also damn near run thing, according to the Battle Group Commander, Adm Sandy Woodward, in this excellent book. Writing in what can best be called a distinctly British style, Woodward takes the reader into the bridge of the Hermes, his command ship for the Falklands expedition. What we get is a brutally honest, technically detailed, and gripping narrative not only into how the British pulled off a decisive victory, but also the self-doubts and mentally taxing minutia of a Commander sending troops and sailors into harm's way. This book is especially valuable for its detailed description of how navies fight. This is no small task. For example, the reader learns how:

1. submarines track ships and the risks they run to track them and shoot them. The example of the sinking of the General Belgrano is first rate
2. how a routine matter such as cross-decking troops between ships bedevils commanders and can end in tragedy
3. ship's tactics for defending themselves against aircraft (this is particularly helpful. In the US military, we have become so accustomed to air and sea superiority that those who operate on the ground take it for granted. It's not! It must be gained and earned - if need be, the hard way.)
4. The inevitable tension that will arise between sea, air, and land commanders during the prosecution of an amphibious campaign. We get Woodward's side here, but he is brutally honest on when he was right and when he was wrong.
5. The role of destroyers, frigates, aircraft carriers, amphibs, and supply ships, and the risks they ran -- and still do -- to do their jobs.

This is one of the only books I know of that actually explains how modern navies fight, and it is thus indispensable to navy officers and to those who seek to learn more on control of the seas.

This is an absolutely first-rate memoir by the man who led the British fleet to victory in the Falkland Islands War. Only 50 years-old when he was chosen to lead the battle group to recapture the islands in 1982 (hard to believe this gentleman is now 73!), Admiral Sir John F. "Sandy" Woodward was courageous and competent commander. That being the case, he is also refreshingly honest and humble as he tells his remarkable story.

As the Admiral mentions in the epilogue, many will always regard the Falklands as having been "a pushover war - the mighty Brits crushing the ridiculous Args" (349). But as this book makes clear, it was anything but a cakewalk. The Argentinian sailors and pilots were brave and worthy oponents. The British fleet took heavy casualties: 6 ships sunk (2 destroyers, 2 frigates, 1 amphibious warfare vessel and the transport vessel Atlantic Conveyor with its precious cargo of 10 Wessex and 4 Chinook helicopters). Another 10 ships were badly damaged. Many of these were not sunk only because the Argentinian bombs reguarly failed to detonate. The British, of course, won decisively though, thanks to the professionalism and courage of the British forces. But it was an intense and bloody six weeks.

The campaign was also a turning point in the history of naval warfare. Although anti-ship missiles were first used to sink Syrian missile boats by the Israelis back in 1973, the destruction of HMS Sheffield by the French Exocet missiles fired from Super-Etendard fighter-bombers grabbed the attention of the world's militaries. Newsweek's subsequent cover-story on the incident read "Falklands Fallout: Are Big Ships Doomed?" Many wondered if large warships had been rendered obsolete by the effectiveness of anti-ship missiles. Indeed, the two British aircraft carriers in the South Atlantic were very vulnerable. If even one of them had been put out of commission by an Exocet, it is unlikely the Falklands could have been recaptured. It is very interesting to read about how the British struggled with some of their new high-tech weaponry such as the Sea Dart. It took some failed attempts in battle before the bugs got worked out and they got comfortable with the new system.

Admiral Woodward is an excellent writer. His descriptions of the battles are riveting, especially the moments of calamity such as when HMS Sheffield was crippled by Exocets. You really get a sense of the fear, anxiety and adrenaline. It's as exciting as any Tom Clancy novel without a doubt.

The book was good but the binding gave out almost right away. I have a nice collection but this book looks bad because the pages are all falling out.

The author of this book, Wolf Zoepf, was an officer (battalion adjutant actually) in the 6th SS Mountain Division. He has written what can only be characterized as a classic in military history about the role of the SS Nord division in Operation Nordwind. Nordwind was the last major German offensive in the West during WWII, starting a week or more after the much more celebrated Ardennes offensive. The goal of Nordwind was to punch through the Allied lines in the Alsace region and recover this mountainous terrain to anchor the German defense of the Fatherland. It was also hoped that a direct route through the Vosges mountains could be opened to permit German armored reserves to break out into the plains in France.

There are so many things to love about this book. First, it really is a tribute to the fine soldiers of the 6th SS Mountain Division and to the brave Americans (primarily from the 45th and 70th IDs) who opposed them. Zoepf pays a great tribute to the skill, courage, and determination of all the combatants. Second, this book contains one of the best, most detailed discussions (analyses really) of the tactical situation at virtually every stage of the fighting. I've read so many military histories in which attacks failed because of bad weather, poor logistics, etc., but the details are never explained. With great detail, Zoepf describes how (and why) tank support didn't show up, the effect of losing radios, lack of ammo, the complications of coordinating attacks. As you read this book you will, I believe, get a sense of how it must have been for individual company commanders and why some things succeeded and others failed. Third, this is an extremely well written book. It is detailed and compelling, but easy and enjoyable to read. You may well read the whole thing in one sitting.

The perspective of the book is divided pretty much 50/50 from the German/American perspective. The first 20-30% of the book is a history of SS Nord from its disastrous attack on Salla in 1942 until Nordwind. The 6th SS Mountain Division spent most of the war in Finland and the Soviet Union above the Arctic Circle battling the terrain and climate as much as the Red Army. When it arrived on the Western front in late 1944, it was probably one of the best units in the German Army. After the discussion of the history of SS Nord, the rest of the book is divided into one chapter per day (i.e. seven days!). This isn't so much a complete history of Operation Nordwind, but is primarily the story of the role of two battalions in this operation. Enough large scale description of the entire operation is given to put the role of the 1st and 3rd battalions of the 12th SS regiment's advance on Wingen-sur-Moder into perspective, but you'll have to look elsewhere for a complete story on Nordwind. Without giving too much away, two mountain battalions advance via a night march through the mountain in winter to an important cross roads (Wingen-sur-Moder) with orders to hold the town until relief arrives and German armored reserves can pass through the town on their way to the plain. Can they hold out until relief arrives, or will then be surrounded and destroyed by the Americans?

This is destined to be a classic in military history I believe. All of the other Amazon reviews are enthusiastically positive as well. This book would be a good companion to Johann Voss's memoir Black Edelweiss (I think you can buy them together). My only negative complaint about the book is that the ending is rather abrupt. A few more pages could have been added to tie everything together. According to the dust jacket, the author passed away only three weeks after the book was completed. Perhaps he intended to add a bit more? In any case, this is really a must have for anyone who reads/collects books about the ETO. Highly recommended.

This was an interesting book, but it is not much of a first hand account. The author obviously went through a lot, but he was at a very high command level and his participation in the battles were very limited and in all honesty not very entertaining. If you want an exciting book to read about Nord and what it was like to be a soldier, I highly recommend "Black Edelweiss." This book is a very detailed account that often goes over the logistics of the battle and the planning on both sides. A great resource for somebody doing research for something larger concerning the western front late in the war, but not a page turning thriller likely to keep you up all night.

This book is remarquable.
The author is an excellent writer. The book is well written and of great historical value for people interested in the battle of the low Vosges.
The book describes the battle of Wingen sur Moder from the point of view of a very young German officer leading a whole battalion.
In January 1945, Wingen was 2 miles behind a stabilized front line. It was the hardest Winter of the century in Alsace. The aim of the Germans was to seize a valley in order to send 2 tank divisions to take Strasbourg. The 6th SS mountain division which has been fighting the Russians for 4 years were sent to take Wingen. They slipped through the main front line and took half of Wingen.

The memoirs available on line of the veterans of the 70th infantry division describe the battle seen from the US side. Wolf Zoepf gives us a stunning description from the German side, from a battalion commander view.

Leaving a few miles from Wingen, I was truelly impressed by the precision of the description of the battlefield.

Although the emphasis that this book gives to the "technical" aspects of the operation "Nordwind" and the fine accuracy of the terminology may cause some readers to avoid it, it is a very interesting and thought provoking analysis of the battles that the famous 6th SS Mountain Division fought in Alsace. The first 56 pages are devoted to that division's operations in Finland where, in late 1944, it was forced to retreat under attrocious conditions. Transferred to the Western Front, it participated in the operation "Nordwind" fighting excellently against the US 70th and 45h Infantry Division and causing many days of alarm and consternation to its opponents. Unfortunately for the 6th SS Mountain Division, the success it achieved outflanking the US positions and capturing Wingin-sur-Moder, proved to be just another "lost victory" since the other German divisions didn't advance in the same depth. The author was a junior officer in the Division "Nord" and he wrote this book with the help of many German and US first hand accounts, presenting a complete picture of the battle, from both sides of the hill. The book contains dozens of excellent three dimension maps, some two dimension maps and a few black and white photos. There is also an appendix with the German and US equivalent ranks. The book is higly recommended to the serious students of military history, since it is not only a battle story but a very critical and professional analysis of the operational and tactical factors that led the battle to its outcome.

An excellent book that is easy to read, you can easily get through it on a transatlantic flight or something similar.

I have one quibble - at one point in the book Heda Kovaly states to her son Ivan that his father Rudolf died "for his beliefs." Well, sadly I think the truth is that he died BECAUSE of his beliefs, not FOR them, a subtle but important distinction. There is ample evidence throughout the book to suggest that Rudolf - particularly since he was a concentration camp survivor - should have seen what the communist regime was becoming. Heda certainly saw it. Nevertheless Rudolph continued to strive to do his best for the communist regime, continuously excusing the obvious atrocities that began to unfold. At one point Heda timidly points out that many of the people being arrested are Jews, and Rudolph yells at her and rejects the idea. *sigh* I suppose that is precisely the behavior of so many Nazis, and it is horribly ironic that it happened to a Jewish holocaust survivor, and it is a vivid reminder that the Germans of Nazi Germany were not specially evil, they were just . . . average. No, Rudolph died BECAUSE of his beliefs, not FOR them. You would have thought that his experience with the Nazis would have enabled him to better recognize the danger. If he couldn't, what chance would the rest of us have had?

This is a well-written, quick read. Heda's 27 years of suffering - first at the hands of the Nazis & then under the communist regime in Czechoslovakia - is heart rending. It's a book that should be part of high school curriculums to raise awareness of what too many people had to endure in the middle of the last century. It would be much more effective than relying on a history textbook that deals only with the 'facts.'

I would recommend this book to anyone. Even if you think you don't like reading about history, you'll like this book. In fact, it is books like these that are the reason I love history so much, and why I'm majoring in it. It isn't about the politics or the wars or whatever else (although those are certainly important), it is the story of a woman trying to survive through a hell most of us cannot even imagine has existed on this earth, especially not in the last 50 years. Peoples' lives are what connect us to the past, and what make it relevant to the future. It gives a little meaning and heart behind all the dates and events that you have to memorize in class...make them more personal. And furthermore, you will be inspired by this woman. Her strength and character is admirable, to say the very least. Actually, I don't think even a fictional writer could invent a heroine more honorable than this one.

So please, read it. stories like these deserve to be shared.

it is a great book use in my world civ class, and highly recommmand by my professor and TAs.

I read this about 6 years ago when it was assigned in one of my undergrad classes. There are enough online reviews for you to read about the plot and like. Rather I want to tell you how her voice has stuck with me. I think of her ability to see the slivering when everything is just gray, and her amazing capacity to keep going. Whenever I think I can't go on, this death/or lost/ or series of unfortunate events as shattered the very last of my will I remember her words. I highly recommend it. I regally give this as a gift, I know I'm not just giving someone a powerful story, but really I'm giving someone a packet of extra strength for when they need it most in life.

You will be hard pressed to find a more thorough, accurate account of a military unit than this work produced by Phil Nordyke about the 82nd Airborne Division. It is obvious that Nordyke went to great lengths to not only tell the story of this fabled military unit, but did so through the accounts of the men who actually made the history he so vividly recounts. This is a wonderful historical resource that will be used by historians for generations to come. It is also informative and entertaining.

The All American All The Way is the best book I ever read!!!
There is no foul language that I remember. It takes you through training to Berlin.
The 82nd Airborn Division stood and hooked up to jump the first mass combat jump in history, on July 10th 1943. Badly scattered on the drop,they looked at their maps to see if they knew where they were. Finally they arrived where they needed to be and in do time were fighting a small band of forces so they thought, but turned out to be tanks accompanied by infantry.
If you want to know more about the 82nd Airbore buy this book!

My father served in the 82nd with 504th parachute regiment from its inception to the war's end. He talked very little about his experiences. Mr. Nordyke's marvelous book, with its accounts by the men who fought the battles, helped me to know my dad better. It will help anyone to understand what combat is really like and the great heroism of these ordinary Americans - almost all of them mere boys. Highly recommended.

I've just finished reading "All American All The Way" and I must say that this book is by far the very best book written on any WWII unit that I have read. With many veteran accounts, Mr. Nordyke takes the reader along from airborne training, the formation of the division, and the actions that the division participated in from Sicily through Germany.

One can almost hear the roar of battle as the author, and the veterans describe fighting in the hedgerows in Normandy, or street fighting in Holland. I very highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in WWII history.

This is a very extensive, impressive and total history of the 82nd airborne division, what was called by Generals in WWII as the greatest division of the time (of course the 101st airborne would probably argue that). The scope of this book is amazing. In its 776 pages (yes, it is long but very interesting), it lays out all the campaigns fought in WWII including Sicily, Salerno, Italy, Normandy, Netherlands, the Bulge, and Germany. And, the book tells the story at the individual unit (down to company and platoon) and individual level. It is told in the words of the heroes who fought in the 82nd during the war. As mentioned in one review, this should become the standard for not only this division but for any division for laying out the story of the heroism and the tragedy of this war.

A great book. All about the Arctic voyages in search of the North-West Passage and the interior African explorations mainly in search of the fabled town of Timbuctoo and the course of the Niger River. All of these adventures were conducted while John Barrow was Secretary to the British Admiralty, and thus under his watch. Most of the explorations were unproductive for the most part, though success was finally achieved for all endeavors. In the Arctic Fleming recounts the Ross, Parry, and of course, the John Franklin disaster (along with the numerous follow-up search expeditions for Franklin) [1818-1860]; in Africa he relates the Denham, Laing, Clapperton, and Lander explorations [1822-1831]. The hardships and privations endured by all involved often seem beyond belief. Fleming is an interesting writer and is able to capture the most intriguing details of each expedition as well as the personalities of their leaders, which are often pretty eccentric. The petty feuds among explorers (and Barrow) are also aired. Despite its 400+ page length, the book was hard to put down. Fascinating.

It is amazing and fascinating book. Length to whitch desperate explorers would accept years of being exposed to dangerous and deadly conditions of Arctic and Africa is unbelievable. Just to get recognition, sinecure or promotion, these brave people risked their lives and actually begged government and influential British societies for being sent to most climatically unpleasant, unfriendly and ramote places on Earth. All this to open new trading routes for England's riches and help them to get even richer in the future.
Explorers were truly a strange breed of human beings and Fleming presents them in an extraordinary fashion. Enclosed maps could be better though.

This is a fascinating story of an ambitious program of exploration launched by John Barrow, Second Secretary to the Admiralty in 1816.

Between 1816 and 1845 `Barrow's Boys' worked - sometimes with each other and sometimes against each other - to fill in some of the blank spaces around the globe. Some of the questions they set out to answer:

What was at the North Pole?

Was there a North-West Passage?

Where did the Niger go, and what was at the heart of Africa?

Did Antarctica exist?

To a large extent, John Barrow's ambitious program was only possible because of the oversupply of officers and ships as the Royal Navy reduced in size following the Napoleonic Wars. The politics of the bureaucracy, the unfettered ambition of some of the key players, the bravery of many, and the stupidity of others makes for intriguing reading.

Were these expeditions successful? The answer to that depends on how success is measured and who is applying the measure. It is indeed true that most (if not all) of Barrow's goals were of dubious value once found. However, the heroic activities of men, however badly directed, should not be dismissed so simply. We know far more about the geography of the world in which we live as a consequence of these expeditions and that knowledge is invaluable.

I invite you to read the book and decide for yourself.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

For those of you wondering about the title to this review, yes, that was Sarcasm. Having read Fleming's "Off the Map: Tales of Endurance and Exploration", I would recommend skipping this tome and reading that one instead. Many of the same people are covered in both books, but Fleming's talent is much better presented in 'Off the Map'.

I'm not totally sure how the stories in 'Barrow's Boys' disappointed me in that they suffered from "Michneritis". This is a virus that effects the writings of certain historians/academics and the like. They feel that they must include in their writings every piece of information that they have accumulated in preparing to write their book. Having spent so much time close to the info, they have lost the ability to exorcise any piece of data, not being able to tell the diamonds from the coal.

Putting all this aside, and keeping in mind that this was Fleming's first true stab at a mass market history, he has done a fine job. (Just wish he had left of some of the torturous descriptions of what people took along or how they managed to bring it back in written form for posterity.) He has written about both the sublime and inarticulate, not to mention the obstinate and insane. It's an engrossing story, just a little too gross.

Barrow's Boys is an account of the British exploring efforts of the known (and unknown) world of the first half of the 19th Century. Spearheaded by Sir John Barrow, Second Secretary of the Admiralty, the British Navy sent out a number of ships to diverse areas of the globe. Notably Fleming does not focus solely on the Arctic explorative efforts for which Barrow is most well known. Fleming argues that Barrow could well be considered the father of Global exploration. British explorers penetrated the frozen wastes of the Arctic, and Antarctic, as well as the African interior, all in the name of Science and Knowledge.

Fergus Fleming is a particular favorite of mine, since I picked up his book "90 degrees North" a couple of years ago. He has a particular knack for drawing fine textual character sketches of the individuals whose tales he tells. Barrow's Boys is no exception. Fleming relates with ease the characters and adventures (and tragedies) of John and James Ross, of Parry, Back, Richardson, and the doomed Sir John Franklin.

Lesser known names in the annals of British exploration are not neglected: Lyon and Ritchie's mission to find the source of the Congo via the Sahara is discussed, as is James Tuckey, on which the book first begins it's exploration narrative after having introduced Sir John Barrow in the first chapter. The stubborness and arrogance often found in Victorian Englishmen that often rendered them inflexible to changes in their environment- for example the wearing a heavy woollen navy uniform in the suffocating heat of Africa- is well portrayed by Fleming.

Barrow's Boys covers the period between 1816 (Tuckey sails to the Congo) to 1859 (the efforts to locate the missing Franklin exidition). A neat touch is the epilogue, in which Fleming relates briefly the lives of the British explorers after they had their moment in the sun. Barrow's Boys is authorative, but by no means academic, as it is a very easy read. Recommended for those with an interest in exploration, particularly from the viewpoint of the British.

This book is a good historical novel. If you are looking for a history of the Plantangenets with all the footnotes, multiple views and scientific evidence that contemporary history readers are used to, then this is not your book. Jingoistic, culturally biased, misogynistic, stereotypical and severely dated, the book is nevertheless well written and cohesive.

Costain writes 4 history books about the early British Royal Families.The books are very clear, nicely written, and follow the history of England.

I bought the set years ago (actually decades ago) and got through the first two before I gave up. I was "done in" by all the Henrys, Edwards, Eleanors, etc. that my head spun. However, being bullheaded, I started again (since I love history) and this time I went straight through.

English and French history can be extremely difficult for someone new to that period of time. There are a lot of players with the same name (Isabella, the most hated queen of England and wife of Edward II; Isabella of Spain, Henrys I, II, III, IV, etc., not to mention the Henrys (Henris of France). However, plugging away is definitely worth it and reaps great rewards because what could be more fascinating as the truth (as far as it can be told after hundreds of years after the fact). John is more famous as being forced to sign the Magna Carta, not for the fact he murdered one nephew and imprisoned his niece as being threats to his throne while Richard III gets pilloried for his "supposed" murder of this nephews. It was John who had the country excommunicated a few times for his actions (no burials, no communion, no marriages, etc.) until people realized that nothing terrible happened. And it was when I came to the last part and reach about Richard III and the difference between the "real" character and Shakespeare's Richard III when I decided to pursue the case further and then read Josephine Tey's famous book on Richard, The Daughter of Time, that started me on the road to becoming a Ricardian. Eleanor of Aquitaine, the first (to me) feminist.

Great history and worth reading and pursuing if you don't manage it the first time. It's worth the effort. (A genealogical chart would be helpful.)

The title of the book led me to believe that this book would encompass the entire "conquering" family of Normandy as they became the rulers of England. However, I was disappointed that the actual conquest was bypassed and the book opens with introduction of the first Plantagenets and not with William the Conqueror as I incorrectly assumed from the title. The book is very thorough where the author choses to be. For example, he can hit a few highlights of history and move the story along very rapidly and then suddenly spend page after page on one segment of one chapter of one person's life. I know I bought the book used, but the original publication date of 1949 and the republication in 1964 seemed obvious in the authors style and tone. I think the book is very informative, and if you are interested in the Plantagenets, it is something you'd enjoy. Just be aware of the "late" start of the book. The actual Conquest is over before this book begins.

I am writing here for all four books instead just the Conquering Family. Its easier that way since most people who read the first book will definitely end up reading the rest of the three books.

This series by Thomas Costain have been around for a long time. Its one of the easiest to read written history on ruling family of the Plantagenats who ruled England from Henry II to Richard III. That's nearly 300 years of English history. Costain's story telling skills mixed with great history make this series one of the best set of books in introducing anyone to mediveal English history.

Having said that, it should be warned that Costain's history isn't exactly very scholarly. The author does take few liberties with the facts, even putting in few liners here and there to advanced the story. Even some events which may be more mythological then true, have been told as if they may be true. Costain also have his own bend to certain views and his sympathic views on certain events and personalities may not reflect history's. (The series almost does read like "historical fiction novels" and has been mistaken for such by the uneducated. Especially by those who worked in bookstores.)

But Costains' creative inputs should not distract from the fact the most of what written in his four books proves to be very entertaining and accurate history. Even those who may not care for mediveal history have enjoyed it since I have recommended this series to several friends who regards such subject as one of the most boring subject next to watching dust bunnies grow. By the time they were done with my books, they were ordering their own set.

I read this book about twenty years ago, and the images never left me. I started using this book in my classroom when I taught Animal Farm about ten years ago. My students are always shocked that these events took place and how the people survived or didn't survive such austere conditions. The book is easy to read and understand.

When Hitler was asked about the possible negative consequences of the "final solution" in gassing all the remaining Jews in the world, he is reported to have responded by asking the question of "Who remembers the Armenians" who were killed by the "young Turks" at the end of the Ottoman Empire. While the numbers are in dispute, the reality is that over a million were killed outright or died of hunger during the campaign to exterminate the Armenians. But the real hidden holocaust took place over a decade later, when the Communist jackals running the "Evil Empire" in Moscow set about to eliminate the Ukrainians by systematic starvation, in far greater numbers than Hitler was able to accomplish with his ovens in concentration camps all over Europe.
Whoever Miron Dolot is, since he wrote this under a pseudonym for some reason, he lived a horror for many years that is incomprehensible for normal human beings. His description of the day-to-day struggle to exist under a system so evil that it boggles the imagination was very eloquent. Dolot talks about the neighbors who starved to death, families who engaged in cannibalism in order to survive, mothers committing suicide after the last of their children had died from malnutrition, frozen bodies stacked like firewood, roads littered with the remains of those who died trying to find a kernel of corn to ingest, and many other horrors that bring tears to your eyes. The Soviets did everything they could do to kill their opposition, including killing dogs and cats to keep them from becoming the last remaining food source for farmers who had no other option to stay alive. Even birds were shot from the trees to keep them from the starving peasants. But it was not limited to the Ukrainians; just ask the relatives of the millions of Chechens, Ingushetian's, and others who wanted independence and were rewarded with death in Soviet concentration camps called Gulags. Most of this story deals with a small Ukrainian village, but it is a microcosm of what happened in the Communist utopia under Stalin. Some of the stories from those who returned to the village after the horrors of being transported in cattle cars and escaped from the gulags are no different than the pictures of the same form of transport shown in many Holocaust movies.
But this story is far better than many of the holocaust films we have seen from Hollywood that concentrated on the one committed by Hitler. And why have we not seen this book on film to put all of the holocausts committed in the last century in context? Maybe it has something to do with the fact that McCarthyism still exists in its original form, when the communists controlled Hollywood in the 30's and apologists like Walter Duranty of the New York Times, who carries the label of "Stalin's Apologist" won a Pulitzer prize for his misreporting from Moscow about how great Stalin was. Ken Billingsley and his masterful book "Hollywood Party" shows that the real "blacklist" existed when loyal Americans veered from Moscow's party line, and explains Ronald Reagan's contempt for the communists who controlled his union until he won election to rid the union of these lice.
This is a great book. Hopefully someone like Mel Gibson will convert this to film for those who do not read, but are mislead by the Hollywood elite who condemn the USA and would have lasted two minutes under the Stalinist regime they glorify.

This book is a record of what some daily life was like in the Ukrainian villages during the Great Famine.
It is his memoirs, so it cant really be judged for facts and such, but it seems very intresting to read, and accurate.
The numbers couldt be a tiny bit too high, but it might actually have been that, but we will never know due to the destruction of any documents concerning mass death in The Famine.
I say its a good book, but would only recommend it too people intrested in Russian History specifically, because its such a specific and narrow read on a subject, from a first hand account, which usually dont know everything. There are better academic books out there documenting the famine well, but this is nontheless a good read and history.

Excellent first hand account of the attempts of collectivization under Stalin; attempts that met with little or no success. I earned and received a Bachelor of Arts in History and this subject was never covered as well as it should have been. The "less hidden" Holocaust always seems to take center stage in this society. I became interested in the subject due to the flight of my paternal grandparents from the affected area prior to the full onslaught being felt.

It seems impossible that, in a place comparable to the American Midwest for rich soil, that the people who live there, millions of them, starve to death in spite of the bounty of their land. But their Ukrainian farms are collectivized by orders from faraway Moscow. The food is shipped to wherever the authorities decide it will go. This is not a dry history of bushels shipped and numbers of private farms collectivized, but a compelling depiction of lives progressively ruined as an ideology takes over. Families who resist collectivation are demonized as dirty, selfish kulaks, and are punished. The promises to the communities sound good, early on, but the resulting devastation of the Ukrainianian people that results ultimately reveals that there was not much in it for the people who worked the land.

I bought this book several months before our trip to Amsterdam, and it got me so excited about our trip. The photos are beautiful, and the design is engaging. Although we did use several other guides (as well as internet research), this was a very useful tool that made our visit a great one.

This DK book has an incredible foldout architectural walk of Amsterdam. Only DK could have conceived of such an innovative way of presenting this walk.

I found this to be one of the best books on the market. If you are looking for a comprehensive guide to get around the city this book is a must. I do quite a lot of traveling in Europe and always pick up a "Eyewitness Travel Guide" since they have more in depth history, plenty of pictures, and take you on guided walks throughout the city. You are provided with lists to the museums, restaurants to suit all tastes, and hotels ranging for tight budgets to high class. I would recommend this book to everyone. Have a great trip!

After reading some reviews, I bought two guides (just in case), since DK Eyewitness Guide was labled as "expensive". But I wound up using only DK Guide. It has everything you need. The information is easily accessible. The maps are great. Just perfect for a quick reference. You'll find yourself refering to it again and again while walking the streets of Amsterdam (I just couldn't deal with reading long pages of information (probably very useful) in Frommer's Guide).

The selection of restaurans was great. Every restaurant rated in this book that we went to was a hit.

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Summary:
Every Dorling Kindersley Guide has been a great and interesting book... and delightful to have and use, even if you are not traveling to that location, but are only interested in learning more!

The Guides are well organized in a logical and easy to follow manner. They are beautifully illustrated, well developed with accurate information (it is unusual for hotel and restaurant information to be that accurate), have enough history to help the reader understand the people and cultural background, and have a lot of useful travel information and useable maps in the appendixes.

The really great attraction to this book is several fold; it is:
............Very complete
............Easy to read
............Beautifully and artistically completed
............Good shopping, safety and other tips
............Gorgeous photographs too numerous to list.

Specifics:

The guides are organized as follows:

How to use this guide
Introduction to Historical and Geographical information
............Introducing Amsterdam
........................Amsterdam on the Map
........................History of Amsterdam
........................Amsterdam at a Glance
........................Through the Year (events, holidays)
............Amsterdam Area by Area, each section includes:
........................Introduction to street by street area
........................Detailed pictorials of area buildings
........................Architectural drawings, pictures, cut-aways of buildings
........................Specific stops, historical monuments, churches, buildings, etc.

Travelers Needs - includes full list with rankings and notes
............Hotels
............Restaurants, bars, cafes
............Shops / Markets
............Entertainment

Survival Information
............Practical
........................Tourist info., Etiquete, Personal Security and Health
........................Currencies, Telephones, misc info.

............Travel Information
........................Planes, trains and automobiles, signs
............Street Maps
............General Index
............Phrase Book

Discussion:
The book begins with "Introducing Amsterdam", including a complete map, a review, the city's history, and Amsterdam through the Year - including events, etc.

For the specific areas it provides an "At a glance" overview, then has subsections of specific blocks, or sections, then specific locations, churches, historical monuments, bridges, galleries, etc.

Architectural reviews include various views, and cutaways; given greater understanding and better perspective. They are all attractive, if not works of art - honestly.

The travelers' Info. offers good and valid info. on prices, currencies, customs, important words, etc. I used the reviews on hotel's restaurants and nightclubs, etc. and found they were useful and accurate, and helpful with my touring and site decisions

The books are so well thought-out that it has multiple maps, with various lookup tables, and the book's flaps are designed to be used as bookmarks for map pages.

Conclusion:
Each book in this series is a great help, and beautiful collectible resource. As the President, CEO of an International Meeting Planning Corporation we have many resources and techniques to learn about places we have meetings / groups at as well as the cities and sights. But, as a traveler, this book really is top notch and I would recommend it to anyone going on a personal trip, or wanting to learn about a city, or location. We have used some of these books to augment our research to investigate cities for our groups.