United Kingdom Books

Ms. Himmelfarb remains the current authority on all aspects of Victoriana, with each of her dozen or so books explicating one aspect of Victorian England in great depth. "De-moralization" writes adoringly of Victorian virtues, a set of rigid standards that spanned all classes, genders, economic levels, politics, and religious groups -- her chapter on Victorian Jews is priceless! Heavily documented and written in "textbook" style (many footnotes, a few charts and graphs), Himmelfarb uses her Victorian books as propaganda to show how removed today's "values" are from our ancestor's "virtues." Her weak link here is in documenting the damage such change has wrecked on our current social scene, although she makes brief references. Her idealistic take on the Victorians shows them as models of excellence, charitable, hardworking, bonded, intelligent, and responsible, without dwelling on the negative aspects of industrialism, ethnocentrism, or racial and sexual discrimination. Still, the wealth of facts she has accumulated is invaluable if one does not get caught up in her conservative rantings and broad assumptions. Can we return to the best that the Victorian era offered? Himmelfarb makes it clear that this would be impossible without an organized society and a strong moral leader who could "lay back and think of England!"

Gertrude Himmelfarb provides an interesting and thought-provoking analysis of the Victorian Age. Her formidable logic, study, and sources enable her to break down the stereotypes of Victoria's Britain. In doing so, she constructs a far more realistic, fair, and honest portrayl of Victoria's reign. Do not be fooled, Ms. Himmelfarb does not simply lavish praise on the past and turn her nose up at modern culture; she provides a reasoned and valuable look at the two times.

This book should be read by anyone who seeks to understand where we have been and where we are going.

I was brought up to think of all things Victorian as stuffy, repressed and backward. It was a pleasant surprise to realize that far from being a social wilderness, Victorian England and America had much about them to admire.

The belief in God, country, indisputable truths, and loyalty to family were the hallmarks of the Victorians. It is regrettable that in our own time we have no constant stars to guide us as our recent forbears had.

The advances in medicine and science are all good. But it sad that with all these scientific advances, people feel more isolated and insecure than the erstwhile Victorians encumbered with all the constraints of that age.

At last, a readable, non-revisionist, and quite relevant discussion of the history of our "moral" system. Professor Himmelfarb is an excellent writer who makes history for nonhistorians come alive. I will never again read Keats, Shelley, Wells, or Mill without placing them in the historical context presented in this book. It is a relief to know that some realism remains in the debauched, angst-filled, revisionist halls of modern academia. This is a wonderful book!

Wisdom and temperance are two of the virtues that the author discusses. She says that wisdom is the virtue that most of us would most like to have and temperance is the virtue that is most needed by our society.

This book is a readable and relevant discussion of the history of our moral standards. The author is an excellent writer and she makes history come alive for the reader. She is the current authority on all aspects of the Victorian age. She writes adoringly of Victorian virtues, a set of rigid standards that spanned all classes, genders, economic classes, politics and religious groups.

This is a beautifully put together book about our Princess. It was produced by someone who she knew and let in her world to photograph the pictures that meant the most to her. The commentary is very well done and shows a loving tribute to someone who deserves to be remembered as probably the best example of goodness in human beings. A book well worth buying and owning. A must for everyone who loved and admired Diana, Princess of Wales.

I am sure Diana,Prncess of Wales did what she did because it came from her heart. Being a doctor I am hesitant to touch people with aids or leprosy or homeless people. She bridged the impossible and was Christ-like to the least of our brethren. I was in London during the funeral when we started the St Therese Centennial Pilgrimage with 40 co-American pilgrims mostly priests or nuns or holy men and women. We were touched by her life and this book said all the things I wanted to express and much more. My life will never be the same and I will be be a better doctor and individual in my service to my patients and family because of DIANA,Princess of Wales. God bless her and her sons. May she rest in PEACE! Dr. Elizabeth Tioleco-Cheng USA

A beautifully produced book by someone who knew her from "Shy Di" to mother, single woman and finally the concerned woman who cared about charities, from landmines to AIDS. Gorgeous photographs of her throughtout her brief glorious life. Not exploitive, but joyful.

I had the pleasure of looking through all the Diana photo books in Amazon's warehouse in Seattle. Since they do have the best selection, I am confident that this and the O'mara Diana book offer the finest quality photos of any available. Many of the others contain photos with poor lighting or low resolution.

This is a warm and loving tribute to the late Diana, Princess of Wales. All facets of Diana's life are covered from the time she first blinked into the camera as teenager through her funeral services on September 6, 1997.

The photographer for this book has photographed the Royal Family for twenty-five years and has traveled in over a hundred countries throughout the world with them. The text was written by Tom Corby who has been associated with the Royal Family for about fifteen years. I possess a couple of his books.

These two - Granham and Corby - have assembled a beautiful book which is filled with beautiful and outstanding pictures. All of the pictures are in color. Corby wrote the text to acompany the pictures. This is a great book which any collector of books on the Royal Family should have in his collection. Also, it is great for one who like to read about and look at gorgeous pictures of the late, Diana, Princess of Wales.

This is a hardcover boook which contains 96 pages and measure 91/2x12 inches

Besides the book being interesting, it was in great shape and delivered rapidly. Thanks very much!

This book is necessary. This is for everyone from the musician to the music lover. It's for the anthropologist and the student. It's for the one who knows music is just in its accessibility to the masses and the one who insists it is popular culture and not fair game for academia. Professor Fonarow's brilliantly conceived piece of work will change your experience of any gig. You will be looking for "the zones" in every venue, redefine your conception of the "groupie," and see a sacred drama on the stage and in the audience. Fonarow allows us to understand the place indie music occupies in one's life and how aesthetics and metaphysics coexist to invite the idea of your music as your community and your culture as art. After reading this book, music will be participatory for you, whether or not you empathize with the indie ethos. The beautiful afterward (one I've read numerous times) is one of the most poetic endings of any ethnography I've ever read.

Wendy is the Jane Goodall of the indie rock show. I really enjoyed this anthropological treatment of independent music culture. She definitively describes the impossibly malleable subject of what is Indie. She identifies the zones of audience participation: from the sweaty body on body of the front, to the contemplative middle, to the indifferent bar area, and out to the home parlor of the retired fan.
A guilty pleasure for anyone who knows the scene.

College-level students of British music won't want to miss EMPIRE OF DIRT: THE AESTHETICS AND RITUALS OF BRITISH INDIE MUSIC. Its analysis blends ethnographic and socio-historic literature on local music communities and genres, comes from a doctor who has worked in the music industry for several major record labels, and offers results from her thirteen-year study of indie rock. From gigs and performances to behavior, norms, and music perceptions from both audience and performer perspective, EMPIRE OF DIRT helps define both the genre and experience of British indie music.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

A brilliant read. It puts the development of modern individuals, from adolescence to adulthood, into a new meaningful perspective, as well as indie music within the greater context of human activity. I especially enjoyed the examples and anecdotes. The chapter on groupies depicts modern gender roles and attitudes that are too often overlooked in mainstream stereotypes. Her examination of musicians is hilarious as well as therapeutic and identifiable for anyone dissatisfied with the status quo. Her writing articulates the subconsciously absorbed culture and rituals with eloquence, humor, and insight. Her observations and discernment enhance the understanding and experience of music and culture. Thank you, Professor Wendy.

I am a law student in the university of Plymouth and i would like you to send me some information that this book contains, concerning the subject of the separation of powers. Your advice will be of great help. Thank you.

First, to the reviewer looking for the doctrine of separation of powers: you'll find it in Montequieu's "Spirit of the Laws". Also check out "The Federalist", number 51.

Now then, Bagehot, like Madison, describes the operation of a modern liberal regime. The trick for founders of liberal government is to produce a government that permits the people civil liberties, but does not permit the people to abuse those liberties, or in the words of Madison, to create a government that is "democratic yet decent". Madison and the American Founders accomplish this end by so constructing the institutions of government that mens' selfish natures will be turned against each other ("ambition is made to check ambition"), rather than united in tyrannical concert.

Bagehot too describes the operation of a system of government that rules by the consent of the governed, yet which does so by restraining the vices of those who ought not to rule. Bagehot argues that the English government is moderate and decent because of a division of government into the "dignified" and the "efficient" parts, and a "noble lie" about the relationship between the two. It is this noble lie that permits the government to operate without the interference of those who would turn it away from the public good. But to discover the noble lie, you'll have to read Bagehot.

Warner Winborne

Professor of Political Science

Hampden-Sydney College

Hampden-Sydney, VA

This book stimulates the little gray cells. Every time I watch Prime Minister's Questions, the superiority of the Cabinet system over the Presidential system is painfully obvious. If Bush were subjected to the kind of scrutiny, in Congress, that Blair is subjected to every week in Parliament, he would have been exposed as an impostor long before supreme executive authority was placed in his hands. Refering to our Civil War, Bagehot wrote: "The notion of employing a man of unknown smallness at a crisis of unknown greatness is to our minds simply ludicrous. Mr. Lincoln, it is true, happened to be a man of... eminent justness... But success in a lottery is no argument for lotteries."

Well, we used up all of our good fortune in the 1860s. We've come up craps in this millenium.

If this is the unaltered version of the book of the same name and same author that I read about 30 years ago, it is a classic. It describes how the classic English Constitution worked, before Britain joined the European Union. Especially it explained how it worked without being written down, largely by constitutional convention which was morally binding but (quite often) not legally binding.

Walter Bagehot was a journalist and a social and political thinker of the middle Victorian period (1850s and 1860s). His classical work "The English Constitution" comes as a collection of polemical assays upon the structure of the British political system. Cabinet, monarchy, Houses of Commons and Lords, execution of political power, and the foundation of the systems of checks and balances are explored in the book.

Throughout the book a comparison and contrast of Cabinet system and the Presidential system (a.k.a USA) is a constant theme. Bagehot does not hide it preference for the Cabinet system, which in his view is a both more dynamic and more effective. One of his main points is that direct popular election is a myth, since most of the electorate are ignorant of the nature of the political power (and moreover are forced to this ignorance by the effective uselessness of the legislative debate in the USA as opposed to the UK). Moreover, a result of the direct election is a static Presidential term of 4 years, which allows the executive branch to execute almost unchecked control of the political process. According to Bagehot, the indirect electoral system of the Commons, where people vote for the MPs and they then select the PM amongst themselves produces a more effective government, which is more responsive to the popular will since it can fall at any time due to policy disputes. A hidden secret of British success according to Bagehot is a fusion of legislative and executive powers in the Cabinet system. In the latter chapters, Bagehot exposures two forms of power - the dignified power (in the person of the monarch and the lords) and the effective power as exemplified by the Cabinet. Dignified power serves as a façade of legitimacy under which the dynamic and opportunist real effective power can subsist. He follows through to explain how each of the minister of the government exercises its power for the common goal, what are the legal powers of the monarchy and how it is exercised indirectly via control of the composition of the peerage and the power to dissolve the Commons.

Bagehot's style is clear, flavorful, his knowledge of political process is profound (with a qualification of more so of British then American), his research is well done, and he is a master of dramatic tricks to keep the reader interested. I would recommend the book as both a scholarly reference, and a well presented popular case.

C.S. Lewis's "English Literature in the Sixteenth Century (Excluding Drama)," first published in 1954, was part of a multi-volume series, The Oxford History of English Literature, and perhaps its most distinguished contribution (but see below). It also doubled as an installment in the Clark Lectures series (for 1944), which contributes an additional subtitle in some listings.

For reasons not immediately apparent, Oxford University Press has reissued this book in a "New Version" as "Poetry and Prose in the Sixteenth Century." As the same fate has overtaken E. K. Chambers on "English Literature at the Close of the Middle Ages," probably the other outstanding book in the series, which is now called "Malory and Fifteenth-Century Drama, Lyrics, and Ballads," there seems to have been a policy of titular refurbishing of at least some of the volumes in the series (once known, in an unfortunate acronym, as the O.H.E.L.).

The current titles are accurate enough, although "Poetry and Prose" should have included a warning that Elizabethan drama was covered in a different volume. (Due to the facts of human biology, Lewis' book not unexpectedly covers a slightly longer period than either title indicates.) Still, the changes can cause confusion for anyone not aware of them; given the current prices, this may be more than a little annoying to some people. If you have one version, you probably don't need the other!

Lewis on the "Sixteenth Century" was the product of enormous labor, including actually reading a huge body of writing generally ignored in literary histories, or customarily treated without much firsthand knowledge. Acquaintances -- not all of them friends, or even especially sympathetic -- described Lewis spending his days doggedly reading sermons and polemics, minor poets and bad poets, over the course of years. (He came to refer to the effort by the "infernal" acronym for the series noted above.) The result is a treasury of first-hand information, and with it Lewis' often-witty summations. It is engaging reading, even for those who disagree with Lewis -- and he seemingly set out to overturn most critical orthodoxies established between about 1900 and 1950, as well as a few older ones.

For example, he treats Elizabethan literature as an extension of medieval culture. Humanism, in its period sense of concern for a classicizing Latin style, and the disparaging of the immediate past, is treated as an often-harmful interruption. This reverses a judgment that actually goes back to the period -- but a judgment originally made by self-styled Humanists themselves, of course. And he includes the literature of Lowland Scotland, often ignored, or treated as something apart.

"English Literature in the Sixteenth Century" also appeared as an Oxford paperback under the original title (1973), unfortunately without the bibliographic supplement in which Lewis discussed textual histories and modern editions, if any, of both the well-known and the more obscure English and Scots literature of the late fifteenth through early seventeenth centuries. This portion is, of course, half a century out of date, but Lewis' observations are still of value. Even without this section, the paperback is worthwhile, and may be a good, reasonably-priced, alternative, but anyone familiar with the original form may be disappointed.

Those interested in Lewis as a Christian apologist will find here his considered reflections on many of his predecessors, not all of them flattering, but his comments on doctrine are pretty strictly limited to explaining the issues debated. It may seem odd to see the Reformation through the lense of literary history, but Lewis avoids open advocacy, unlike his "Preface to 'Paradise Lost,'" in which (it seems to me) his concern that readers take Milton seriously tends to blend with a concern that they take seriously their own salvation.

Lewis was also a poet, novelist, and occasional short-story writer. Here he occasionally briefly retells a story, with his usual skill, but, except for some overlapping topics, connections to his own fiction are less obvious than in some of his writings on the Middle Ages. There is a section on the Scots poet Sir David Lyndsay (d. 1555), who provided the epigraph to Lewis' novel "That Hideous Strength" (1946). And, somewhere it includes, as others have noted also, a quotation with the words "Stygian puddle glum." They undoubtedly lurks somewhere behind both the Marshwiggle named Puddleglum and the visit to the Narnian Underlands in "The Silver Chair" (1953, written 1950), although Dante, Virgil (of course), and a host of others, are under contribution there as well.

I was under the impression, from my first reading of the book decades ago, that it was given as a quotation from Gavin Douglas' Scots translation of "The Aeneid" (1513; Lewis describes it with enthusiasm); but I have never been able to locate it in the appropriate section. A recent search of my old copy of the shorter paperback has revealed that it was indeed quoted from a translation, but as an example of bad one, and English, not Scots; of the dramas of Seneca, not Virgil. On page 256 (where I had marked it thirty years ago), "Tacitae Stygis" in "Hippolytus" (line 625), rather weakly rendered by the utterly obscure John Studley ("which cannot now be read without a smile").

Perhaps establishing just how much Lewis read, and with what close attention, no matter how dreary.

(Reposted from my "anonymous" review of September 10, 2003)

Whether you rate this a 10 or a 2 depends on your reading tastes. No doubt many people would find the topic uninteresting, and if the topic or the author are not subjects you enjoy, then don't bother to buy it. Not being a lit. buff myself, my attraction for the book was the author's commentary, with the goldmine of quotable material found therein. This is an impressive volume of literary history, and I doubt that anyone else could have done such a thorough job and still made the topic come to life with such vigorous exposition. Opinionated? You bet. That's part of what makes it enjoyable to read. If you are interested in obtaining a copy of the book, you may want to contact Oxford University Press directly. As one of the twelve volumes constituting the "Oxford History of English Literature" series, they have continued to print it over the years.

Tolkien, in a letter to George Sayer as recorded in his biography JACK: A LIFE OF C. S. LEWIS, says that this is "a great book, the only one of his [Lewis's] that gives me unalloyed pleasure." Coming from Tolkien, this is very high praise indeed. Originally published as ENGLISH LITERATURE IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY EXCLUDING DRAMA and for some inexplicable reason recently renamed, this book, Lewis's longest work, will not be found in the libraries of the causal C. S. Lewis fan for the simple fact that it is a textbook and is aimed not at the general reader but instead the academic world (even in those days there was that damned phenomena of `publish or perish!'). For those who are studying this material, however, will find the book a very remarkable one at that. As a previous reviewer noted, Lewis began referring to this text as "O Hell!" as the writing process became very tedious to him. This book was ten years in the writing, and by the time it was ended Lewis wanted to concentrate more on theology and Narnia than this "critical nonsense." The end sections of the book do not shore this weariness, however, so have no fear.

Although books of this sort always, by necessity, impose artificial time lines on literature which, in the long run, do not have a lot to do with the true literary history. To study literature in the sixteenth century, one should not confine oneself to going behind or in front of the time line to get a fuller understanding of the significance of the text. However, this is not really a fault of Lewis and it is a very difficult error to correct for literary historians. However, Lewis pulls off this artificial time limit very well by clearly illustrating the many strenghts and the many weaknesses of this century's literature.

Because it is for the student of literature, much of the more radical elements of this text will be lost without a general knowledge of the preconceptions the academic world has in regard to the literature in question. The opening chapter ("New Learning and New Ignorance") stands as one of Lewis's most famous academic writing because of the sheer implications and challenges set forth in the chapter. He debunks many of the fashionable scholarly trends, focusing on how much of what the scholars say is off base. Lewis argues that the during the sixteenth century much of the literature proved extremely dull, saying the authors wrote like "elderly men". Toward the close of the century, however, something radical began to take place. There was a renewal and an elevation in quality from drab to gold, as Lewis puts it. Most literary scholars and historians think the Renaissance is responsible for this, but Lewis says this theory has no truth, because the humanists who were responsible for the Renaissance were terrible scholars and brought death to the literature they presented, presenting the classics' virtues as ills and instead focused on the way the classics said what they said. The humanists focused on the language and left the literature itself alone. Everything else about the literature they hated. Lewis continually attacks the humanists, stating that "the new learning [that of the humanists] created the new ignorance." His belief that the Renaissance never occurred in England, and if it did it was of no literary importance, is as radical a literary belief as accepting the Book of Mormon to the Bible would be to a Christian.

The rest of the book reads as a survey of the literature of the period. All major and quite a large number of minor authors are represented in this. As a textbook, this stands as fascinating reading, for Lewis constantly illuminates the strengths and weaknesses of whoever he is dealing with, and his numerous quotations from the texts dealt with show the true skill of selection to prove a point. All of the quotations give a further understanding in context of Lewis's prose. If all textbooks were written with such skill and wit, there would not be the incredible resentment (myself included) of the price tag on most college text books.

Lewis's 1938 on Donne, published in SEVENTEENTH CENTURY STUDIES PUBLISHED IN SIR HERBERT GRIERSON has made him the heretic and central enemy of all Donne scholars and fans. Here he does not attack him but helps readers deal with Donne's metre. However, Lewis only gives five pages to Donne, and he was fond of saying that "Donne's place is that of a minor poet."

The reception of this book was fair, although the most resentment came from the academic circle. People accused Lewis of, as Sayer says in his biography, grossly oversimplifying by presenting only two classifications: drab and gold. Yvor Winters goes to the extreme when she says that "Mr. Lewis has simply not discovered what poetry is."

Of all the volumes in the series this still sells the most. Sayer notes in the aforementioned biography that "many Oxford tutors still warn their students that it is `unsound but brilliantly written.' Nevertheless, or perhaps partly because of this warning, it outsells all the other volumes in this series." While it does not enjoy the monumental place in criticism of THE ALLEGORY OF LOVE, which many would argue is Lewis's most significant piece of criticism, partly because of the radical ideas mentioned above, this work stands as one of the most brilliant and enjoyable survey books every written.

Commissioned as a volume in "The Oxford History of English Literature", "English Literature in the Sixteenth Century Excluding Drama", as it was originally titled, proved such tedium to write that Lewis took to referring to it by the acronym "OHEL". The sixteenth century ends as one of the great ages - arguably the greatest - of English literary genius, but it began dismally. Except in Scotland, where a vigorous Medieval tradition lived on, "authors seem to have forgotten the lessons which had been mastered in the Middle Ages and learned little in their stead. Their prose is clumsy, monotonous, garrulous; their verse either astonishingly tame and cold or, if it attempts to rise, the coarsest fustian. . . . Nothing is light, or tender, or fresh. All the authors write like elderly men."

This period of "bludgeon-work" gave way to something almost worse, "the Drab Age" - "earnest, heavy-handed, commonplace", a time when England did not shine and the peripheral light of Scotland guttered out.

The story would scarcely be worth telling, save for the happy ending, a true eucatastrophe: "Then, in the last quarter of the century, the unpredictable happens. With startling suddenness, we ascend. Fantasy, conceit, paradox, color, incantation return. Youth returns. The fine frenzies of ideal love and ideal war are readmitted. Sidney, Spenser, Shakespeare, Hooker . . . display what is almost a new culture: that culture which was to last through most of the seventeenth century and enrich the very meanings of the words England and Aristocracy. Nothing in the earlier history of our period would have enabled the sharpest observer to foresee this transformation."

Had the scope of his labors not been set by his commission, Lewis would doubtless have preferred to skip the clumsy and drab, to delve into the riches of the Age of Gold. Still, despite his preferences, he was an apt choice to mine the less precious veins. Unlike many of his academic colleagues, who then as now regarded literature as merely a "job", Lewis read avidly in the most obscure corners. Little though he admired the early and drab writers, he was familiar with their work and could tease out virtues as well as point to flaws.

Three points about this history stand out as unexpected or significant. First is the fine opening chapter, "New Learning and New Ignorance", which contests the commonplace view that the medieval period was a vale of ignorance from which mankind was happily rescued by the Renaissance. That opinion is no longer prevalent in scholarly circles (where Lewis is now sometimes derided for expounding the conventional wisdom - much like accusing Shakespeare of writing in cliches!), but most general readers take it for granted. Lewis' presentation is one-sided, but it is a side that needs to be heard.

Second, Lewis devotes considerable space to Scotland, a territory absent from most of our literature classes. Though the Scots dialect is not easy to parse, Douglas and Dunbar and Lyndsay and their ilk are worthy of acquaintance.

Third - a slighter point than the preceding but interesting in its own right - there is Lewis' treatment of John Donne. As a young man, Lewis wrote a notorious essay on Donne, dispraising the quality of his love poetry and hinting that his vogue was due more to fashion than merit. For these heresies he became the stock villain of every introduction to Donne's work.

The "OHEL" volume takes a different tack. Lewis' appreciation of the "Songs and Sonnets" is warm and perceptive, with a useful disquisition on how to catch the rhythm of Donne's eccentric versification. It was not only, apparently, in matters of faith that Lewis was capable of casting off his youthful skepticism.

Within its genre - the comprehensive academic history - Lewis' effort is as good as a single mind and hand can produce. Similar tomes are nowadays parceled out chapter by chapter, gaining no doubt in narrow expertise but losing personality and perspective. Both are present in plenitude here.

One of the primary pleasures of reading literary criticism is to hear someone intelligent talk about books you both have read. This book, then, couldn't be better. Erudite, controversial, innovative--whether you approve of Lewis's opinions or not, they're always good reading. If you're like me, and haven't read many of the sixteenth-century works Lewis discusses, then this literary critical history will give you the related pleasure of hearing someone intelligent talk about . . . anything. Lewis could blow your mind and change your life if he wrote an essay on tying shoes; thankfully, he wrote instead on ideas underpinning the Western world.

In this volume, his work on poetry is especially good. Highlights include the stylistic acrobatics Lewis put himself through to avoid saying 100 times of Drab Age poetry: "I don't like it; you won't either; read something else." Cranky? Yes, but insightfully, entertainingly cranky. Then, when he actually turns proselytiser and suggests you read something--well, I'll admit this volume practically by itself has gotten me interested in early Scottish poetry and the great Elizabethans, not to mention equipped me (almost as an afterthought) with more prosodical knowledge than I received in any of my creative writing classes.

This book is good enough to read all by itself. If you have knowledge of the period, so much the better. Lewis has spoiled me as a literature grad student, permanently I hope; no other critic measures up to his combination of insight and memorable prose.

Have you ever asked your grandmother or your great-grandmother what things were like in the good old days, and then she told you stories that filled your mind with images of a world far removed from your own ... a world where children became excited by getting an apple and an orange at Christmas, a world where ladies never went without a hat, a world where it seemed that Every Day Was Summer. This is the world that Oliver Wynne Hughes brings alive and captures in his book.

Based on the memories of his mother, Laura, and her two sisters, Elsie and Beatrice, the reader is transported back to a place and time filled with happy memories and presented through a picture of the Welsh town of Harlech, prior to World War One. Every Day Was Summer is steeped in history and nostalgia, making the reader yearn for a bygone time. The book takes the reader on a journey through Harlech: we visit the townspeople through various good humoured anecdotes - and for a town with a population of just over 1000 people, it certainly had its fair share of famous people visiting or choosing to live in the picturesque seaside town. The Queen visited and was said to be mesmerised by the view; another visitor was Denys Finch Hatton, an adventurer made famous by the book `Out of Africa', who also spent many a summer in the town. Everything from shops and schooldays to childhood games and chapel are all lovingly remembered and explored throughout the pages of this book.

Although Hughes conjures up wonderful images of Harlech in the reader's mind, he does not shy away from the tragedy that sadly touched the town. Hughes peppers his book with the hardships that the townspeople of Harlech faced, from families touched by poverty to the tragedy that hit many families with the start of the World War One. That said, at no time does the book become morose or bitter; it keeps its whimsical style throughout and is an absolute pleasure to read.

I think every family should have an Oliver Wynne Hughes to capture its history through photograph, poem and anecdote so we do not let our children forget the places and people who have touched our hearts and our memories.

A very enjoyable a snap shot of life in a Welsh Town before the First World War. An interesting commentary on the interpersonal relationships between the social classes and different cultures.

A Nostalgic look at a much loved Welsh Town through the eyes of three sisters who lived and worked in Harlech at the turn of the 19th Century. A very enjoyable read, particularly for those with an interest in Social History.

What a charming book! Laughter, love, tragedy and humanity. It is all here and itis a true story. I would love to travel back in time and be a part of those girls lives, it is so what we all crave in our fast lives of today. My wife LENT me her copy - we have promised ourselves a visit to Harlech, Wales to find the places and see if there is anyone still there.

This is a delightful book, very evocative of that wonderful era before the first world war. Full of wonderful personal stories, based on the memories of 3 young girls who grew up in Harlech , a small coastal town in North Wales. Both humorous and sad it is a thoroughly good read and provides amazing insight into a generation that suffered huge hardships, yet seemded to live happy fulfilling lives.

This book will appeal to all ages and to anyone interested in the Great War, family history, the English Aristocracy and Wales. A great present.

Some might say nothing can equal Middlemarch as Eliot's greatest work but I think that even if Felix Holt doesn't rank alongside it in literature, it should be given at least an equal status.

The novel deals with provincial politics in nineteenth century England through the mouthpiece of one of the best male protagonists ever drwan in literature by a female writer. As in all her books, Eliot is sharp in her details, the satire is poignant and she doesn't miss out on humor. Feminism takes a different turn here, with telling criticisms on the way females were brought up at that time and in many third world countries, still are brought up.

Eliot is never bitter, never hopeless, yet always realistic and idealistic with this difference: she doesn't let it get out of control. Fear not: mawkish is the last thing this book is. Some details might seem to be superfluous but it adds up to showing the literary prowess of this great woman, and is very helpful in letting you understand the real stuff going on at that time. A good, very well-written socio-political novel, that depicts the atmosphere of its time with more accuracy than many other books I've read.

Eliot does have the most amazing ability to get into her characters' minds. although this book is an all rounder in the sense that it comments on most social issues, the two main intimate themes of the books are personal to the central character, Felix, the most "alive" hero of nineteenth century literature: his politics and his love interest, in herself a very compelling and subtly drwan character.

Worth reading for all Eliot, Dickens, and Hardy fans. Will definitely give you two or three new opinions: even if the time period is different, much of the philosophy of the book is still very relevant.

This is my 4th novel by George Eliot (after "Adam Bede", "Middlemarch" and "The Mill on the Floss") and it has become my favourite along with "Middlemarch". "Felix Holt" is so marvelously written and gave me many hours of reading pleasure - I can't understand why it's not as highly acclaimed or well-known as Eliot's other novels.

If you're a fan of Victorian literature, then you mustn't miss this brilliant work. The story's set in the 1830s and is 1/3 focused on politics (i.e. a fascinating insight into the electioneering process and the fight for a Parliamentary seat between the Torys and the Radicals), 1/3 on family and sensational issues (e.g. illegitimacy, dispute over who has the legitimate claim on the wealthy estates of the Transome family and plenty of blackmail, manipulation and betrayals) and 1/3 devoted to a love triangle.

George Eliot wrote so eloquently and beautifully that many times I find myself re-reading a particular phrase in order to saviour its beautiful words. Each chapter also starts with either a beautiful poem or some well-chosen lines from Shakespeare/the Classics. Here's a favourite of mine from Chapter 45 (a poem by Eliot):

"We may not make this world a paradise
By walking it together with clasped hands
And eyes that meeting feed a double strength.
We must be only joined by pains divine,
Of spirits blent in mutual memories".

I confess that above all, it is the suspense over the touching love story that kept me turning the pages very quickly. The hero is Felix Holt, a passionate, idealistic young man who studies medicine but chooses to quit midway and forgo a comfortable future as a doctor in favour of leading the more righteous life (in his opinion) of an ordinary, poor workingman because of his scorn for wealth and its corrupting powers. Felix is described as honest, brusque, generous and highly intelligent. He's got "wild hair", dresses simple and to his own liking e.g. not wearing a cravat "like all the other gentlemen", and sometimes looks like a "barbarian". He patronizes no one and is rather unpopular in the town of Treby Magna where the story takes place. His political views are Radical (i.e. more severe than the Liberals) but his main concerns are for the well-being of the working class and especially the future of their children. (Read the excellent "Address to Working Men by Felix Holt" which comes after the Epilogue). Felix's good intentions land him in great trouble with the law later on when a massive riot breaks out among the drunk working class directly after the election and Felix is wrongly accused of being the leader of the mob.

Early on in the novel, Felix is introduced to the heroine, Esther Lyon (the beautiful daughter of a poor chapel minister) whose vanity and high-bred manner he scorns. He rebukes and lectures her constantly in that straight-forward and honest manner of his because he cares to improve her views on what are truly the important things in life. Esther dislikes him utterly at first... she cannot understand why Felix doesn't admire her beauty and graceful manners like other young men do. Esther is vain and proud (at least, initially) and has always dreamed of leading a better life, with fineries and beautiful clothes and servants to do her bidding. And Felix Holt is definitely not her idea of a lover! But Esther is not unkind or ungenerous - she loves her father dearly and treats everyone well. Gradually, she begins to see the true nature of Felix's character and noble aims, and holds him in great esteem, despite his outward looks and manners. But Felix has declared never to marry and if he were ever to fall in love, he would just "bear it and not marry" (preferring to "wed poverty"). Later in the novel, Esther is courted by the rich and handsome Harold Transome whose initial reason for wooing her is to save his family estates. But he doesn't count on falling in love with her subsequently.

Who does Esther ends up with finally: Felix or Harold? But take it from me that the romantic scenes between Felix and Esther are the most passionate and heart-wrenching I've ever come across in a classic literature - with many kisses and hugs amidst pure longing and despair, and scenes filled with beautifully spoken words of affection which brought tears to my eyes.

For many, many reasons, "Felix Holt" makes for a most brilliant read. I urge you not to miss it.

George Eliot is an acquired taste. If one were to pick up only one of her books it would probably be "The Mill on the Floss", "Silas Marner" or "Middlemarch" and with any one of those might come frustration with Eliot's myriad of plots (not to mention her tendency for being a bit wordy). But I found "Felix Holt", for all its political twists and turns, to be the most accessible of Eliot's books. This accessibility can be attributed to two of the finest characters ever created: Mrs. Transome and Ester Lyon. I would say that the character of Mrs. Transome ranks up there with Emma Bovary in terms of literary creation and chapters 42 and 49 (I don't want to give away the story) are absolutely cinematic. I truly love this book.

George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) was a great English novelist of
the Victorian period. Her list of classics is impressive:
"Scenes from Clerical Life'; "Adam Bede"; "The Mill on the Floss"
Middlemarch" and "Daniel Deronda" are among the greatest novels
ever written in the English Language.
Felix Holt tells the story of a radical candidate for Parliament. He has become a watchmaker; cares for his mother
and courts Esther Lyon the sophisticated daughter of a poor
minister. Esther is also courted by Harold Transome who like
Holt is also a Radical candidate for Parliament. Harold is rich, 35, a widower with a young son. Holt is young, fiery and idealistic.
The most interesting character in the novel is Mrs. Transome who has secrets to keep. She is well drawn by Eliot.
In addition to the love story is the tale of an inheritance.
This tangled delve into old documents is complex and may lose
some readers.
The tale climaxes with a working man's revolt and other suprises for the interested reader. The book is not as long as
some of her novels but does hold one's interest.
This is not Eliot's best novel but it is worth reading.

Felix Holt occupies a middle-tier in the critical estimation of Eliot's novels. It is often disparaged as the "political novel," or alternatively "the one where the legal subplot is way too complicated."

At first, this seems unfair. The early introduction of Mrs. Transome is a showstopper, heroine Esther Lyon fascinates, and the detailed evocation of 19th century rural politics is through Eliot's narrative magic made riveting.

But things do go awry in the second half. A big problem is Felix himself: an idealization of a political view rather than a detailed character, the reader loves him rather less than Eliot seems to intend. The legal schenanigans are intriguing, but the tortuous plot machinations through which Felix comes to be imprisoned are near ridiculous. And finally, Esther experiences her moral conversion rather too quickly and tidily, coming to seem just a sketch for Gwendolyn Harleth in the later Daniel Deronda. Indeed, by book's end the most compelling plot thread standing is that of the unfortunate Mrs. Transome.

But to say a book isn't as good as Daniel Deronda isn't much of a criticism. For all its faults, Felix Holt is filled with excellent characters, a strong story, and unparalled insight into both 19th century England and the more universal collisions of morality and politics.

Plumb tells the tale of the four Hanoverian 'Georges' who seem to progress generation to generation in the direction of complete nuttiness. The climax however is in George III , the old villain of American schoolbooks. Plumb says he was extremely slow of mind, and the first twenty years of his reign a complete disaster. Thanks to the foolish advice of Lord North who is portrayed as a somewhat sloth rolypoly George III managed to antagonize and lose his American colonies. The last twenty years of his reign were however much more successful. Plumb artfully describes how the brilliant Lord Pitt at twenty- four became the King's First Minister and brought about peace with both America and France. This despite the fact that George III one day began to speak to a tree , spoke to it twenty- four hours without stop and after this was pretty much not 'in the loop of decision- making'.
The relations between the various Georges and the various Princes of Wales were most often horrible. George III could not stand his father, and his son. What is somehow surprising is that despite the eccentricities of the monarchs Great Britain continued to grow and develop its Empire.
Plumb has a clear vision of the story as a whole, writes with interest about the various figures, Robert Walpole, Lord Chatham, Lord North, Pitt et al. who served the various kings. A highly enjoyable piece of historical writing.

This classic of historical writing and interpretation was first published in 1956, and it's still the best single volume on the Hanoverian dynasty. Taylor trained under G. M. Trevelyan, another noteworthy narrator of history, and became an illustrious Fellow of King's College, Cambridge. While he produced many important works in modern English history, he still is best known for his examination of the dynasty that began with the arrival in London 1714 of George, Duke of Brunswick, successor to Queen Anne, the last Stewart monarch. He didn't speak English and his son and successor, George II, barely could. The family has gotten bad press for generations, their reputation for loutishness and general lack of intellect perhaps being colored by American attitudes, but Plumb portrays them convincingly as ordinary human beings caught up in a series of exceptional circumstances: The rise of parliamentary power, the loss of the American colonies below Canada, the Industrial Revolution, the effects everywhere of the French Revolution, and the struggle against Napoleon. Like many others, I first read this book as an undergraduate, but I now much prefer the 1974 lavishly illustrated Hamlyn edition [which Amazon doesn't list]; the numerous political cartoons are especially useful in providing the flavor of the times.

This is by far the best book that i have read in a long time. Most history books are boring but this one is anything but. Plumb goes to great details explaining the relationship that each King shared with his son. He does a wonderful job of giving his readers a rare insight to the royal family.

Fluent, lucid and written with Plumb's characteristic brevity, this is among the best introductions you will find to the high politics of the Hanoverian period. Sir John Plumb (d.2001) was one of the finest historical writers ever published in English. He is in the tradition of Macaulay and Trevelyan. His prose is polished and perfectly cadenced, and his light style masks a profound analytical grasp of the political forces that shaped this century of Whig ascendancy. Some may accuse him of adhering to the 'Great Men' school of history. If so, he highlights all their vices as well as their virtues.

Plumb was criticised for more often making the grand sweep of historical analysis as opposed to dredging through the minutiae of historical documentation. This analysis, I believe, is flawed and inimical to the notion that for history to be worthy of the name it should be readable for a wider audience, not solely confined to the institutions where it is nurtured.

Plumb's scholarship has inspired generations of laymen; his intellectual generosity and didactic rigour has also reaped its rewards within historical departments on both sides of the Atlantic. Those inspired by the Plumb school of history, who mastered their craft under his watchful eye at Christ's College, Cambridge, include such well known names as Simon Schama, David Cannadine, Niall Ferguson and Neil Mc Kendrick.

Published in 1956, this work by Sir John Plumb has remained a classic. Plumb focuses his attention on personalities and politics of the first four members of the Hanoverian dynasty. He paints a balanced portrait of his subjects, bringing them to life, warts and all. These monarchs are fallible human beings, placed on their thrones by accident of birth. Plumb is especially judicious in his handling of George IV, who as Regent and King was viciously derided in his own time.
Plumb's treatment of the monarchs is supplemented with deft character sketches of many of the significant figures of the Georgian century; Walpole, Pitt, Wilkes, Fox, and North are among the figures included.
In his introduction, Plumb takes the reader on a survey of the world over which these sovereigns presided. This is history practiced in the manner perfected by G.M. Trevelyan; continuity co-exists with change, and the dynasty survives despite mistakes and scandals. Published when the influence of Sir Lewis Namier was at its height, The First Four Georges provided a refreshing antidote to the atomizing analysis of the Namier school. A fascinating and hugely enjoyable read.

Major McCudden died in an accident prior to the original publication of this book in 1918. Three days prior to his death, he dropped to the first manuscript off to the editor. Out of respect for McCudden, the editor refused to make the customary editorial changes and rewrites. The books stand in the raw, as provided by the author, which makes it all the more incredible that the book is so well written and captivating.

The book is written like a personal account or diary, shortly after the events. The story is vivid, and full of personal anecdotes and funny or amazing stories that keep the readers interest up. The editor did explain in the forward the names and abbreviations used by the author (for wartime security) to describe places and people.

McCudden transferred into the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) as a mechanic prior World War I. During the war, he was given the opportunity to become a pilot, and went on to be one of the leading British aces during the last two years of the war.
His account of his flight training (solo after only 2 hours! - flight instructor after only 8 hours solo!!) is nothing short of scary for pilots who trained under the current regimented and regulated schools.

The author makes several comments about his respect for his adversaries ("the Hun"), their bravery and flying ability. He even frequently remarks he expects some criticism from readers for speaking so highly of the Germans, but he explains his admiration for their skill is separate from his political opinion.

There is no question of his patriotism, his willingness to fight for "King and country," or his belief of the justness of the `cause.' This is especially clear when he describes his feelings on learning of his brother's death in combat. This is in stark contrast to Cecil Lewis' account, and they served in the same squadron, at the same time.

The book is an excellent read for pilots, aviation buffs, and those interested in World War I. First hand accounts always give the best portrayal of life and feel `real' - this one is no exception.

As with Sagittarius Rising, the reader will definitely want a World War I aircraft reference (Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War I is good), but don't be surprised - the author frequently describes the machines differently, with a common (but unofficial name), or just by the manufacturer (e.g. a Pfalz scout).

One update, I have since acquired a hardcover edition from the late 1960's under the series name "Air Combat Classics" that includes many excellent pictures. If you can find that edition, try to get it.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Considering his humble origins in an England heavily rooted in class, and his rise from a bugler in the Royal Engineers to a mechanic in the Royal Flying Corps to one of the finest fighter pilots of the First World War, James McCudden shows that anyone can aspire for greatness, provided one is willing to work and sacrifice.

For anyone with a curiosity about what air warfare in the First World War was really like, READ THIS BOOK. I highly recommend it.

Mud, gas, soldiers getting machine gunned by the tens of thousands, there was little about the ground war in World War One to be excited about. But in the sky new technology and new heroes were being born. James McCudden was one of these heroes. Many books were written during the war and just after the war by WWI aces as a type of propaganda. McCudden's book certainly bears some of these marks but there is more here. Look beyond the sometimes overstated "up and at 'em" spirit that occasionally comes out and this is a fine look at the war in the air during World War One. Several things stand out.

McCudden was in the war from the beginning. This means we are able to see the air war from the start. The air is filled with Bleriots, Farmans and even a Taube or two. We get insight into those early days. Airplanes were only good for reconnaissance right? Wrong. Almost immediately bombs are being fitted to Bleriots and observers begin toting rifles aloft to blast away at offending enemy airplanes. In McCudden's war there doesn't seem to ever be a time when enemy pilots wave to each other as they pass. From day one they are shooting.

We also gain a look at this new type of warfare. We feel McCudden's frustration as he learns just how hard it is to shoot down an airplane. We learn that those machine guns jammed with a maddening frequency, almost every flight it sometimes seems. We also learn the anguish felt when even an enemy burns. It is not until McCudden shoots one down in flames that he feels a pang of conscience over his role in the war. There is admiration for a noble foe and yet it is not shared by all. Arthur Rhys-David's attempted toast to VonRichtofen is a telling incident. Perhaps the greatest trajedy of the McCudden story doesn't actually appear in the book, at least not by McCudden's hand. Just days after completing the book James McCudden was dead, the victim not of a German aeroplane's guns but a faulty engine and the earth that was just a bit too close.

All of this make the propaganda aspect of the book fairly easy to shrug off. Originally called simply "Five Years in the Royal Flying Corps" editors saw fit to call the book "Flying Fury" when it was reprinted in the 1930s. I wish they'd left it alone. McCudden's title is better for this is truly what this book is. I recommend Flying Fury as a good look at the world's first air war.

This biographical account of the one of Britain's leading aces from World War I is one of the best flying tales ever written of any era. At the age of fifteen, McCudden started out as a bugler in the Royal Engineers before becoming a mechanic in the Pre-WWI Flying Corps when aeroplane technology was still very immature. He witnessed, indeed participated, in the trials and tribulations of the nascent Flying Corps and, as war arrived, saw the fragile craft used in experiments with armed combat against troops on the ground and against enmey flying machines. His interest in flying led to passenger rides in a variety of aircraft and eventually to his performing aerial observer and gunner roles in combat where he was decorated. That was just another step in his aeronautical adventure as he was subsequently selected to train as a pilot and thrown into combat in the same sector as some of the leading German aces such as Voss and Richtofen where he not only survived, but eventually become a leading ace himself. His description of his five years in the Royal Flying Corps was written while the war was still ongoing and literally days before his posting as a squadron commander and tragic death in a flying accident en route to his new squadron. His writing style is fresh and immediate capturing the day today life and passions of WWI aviators. His impressions of his foe and the relative performance of the various flying machines are unique and better than any other author from that conflict. The publishers deserve credit for recognizing the value of this slice of history and making sure it remains available to the public. The rating system only allows 5 stars...this book deserves special status beyond that. Indeed, it has such on my shelve.

James McCudden's book is one of the finest written about aviation of the first world war. It is basically written by a man who was a hero who was very modest, It takes the form of a diary and gives more or less a day to day event of what it was really like to fly planes made of canvas against an enemy who McCudden had great respect for. For anyone who has a passion for first world war history this is a book not to be missed,(maybe i'm biast) Please remember when reading this book that the man had very little schooling and wrote the book in a matter of weeks and the last entry is only a few days before he was killed. A GREAT BOOK.

GIleskirk and Greyfriars in the title are the names of two houses of worship in Scotland's capital. They refer to the Cathedral Church of Edinburgh and to a suburban pre-Reformation Franciscan church. Gileskirk's pulpit is associated with the 16th Century leader of the Reformation, John Knox. At Greyfriars in 1638 the National Covenant was signed, a landmark in asserting church independence of royal control.

This second volume begins with the birth, life and execution of Queen Mary Stuart. It moves through the reigns of her son James and grandson Charles and their increasingly autorcratic misrule of Scotland, England and Ireland. The volume ends in 1658 with all powerful Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell, about to die. His brief rule did much violence to both Scotland and Ireland and trampled on old traditions. It abolished monarchy itself, bishops, the House of Lords and brought back the Jews after several hundred years and gave England its first and only written constitution.

Scott's TALES OF A GRANDFATHER should be read in parallel with his many historical novels and narrative poems. They bring Scotland and England to life as do few other books. -OOO-

Walter Scott's History of Scotland written for his young grandson, with better editing and presentation, should be the perfect companion piece to many of Sir Walter's poems and novels. This Cumberland House 4-volume edition has large enough print and contains a helpful list of the Kings of Scotland and a good index. Lacking are much needed maps. Nonetheless, this is a truly great but simple introduction to the long history of Scotland in the "great man" genre of historical writing.

Fans of Mel Gibson's movie BRAVEHEART will be enchanted by the treatment of England's King Edward I, Longshanks -- corrupter of Robert the Bruce and conqueror in the end of Sir William Wallace. These and other great men and women as well as the Stuart Kings all strut across Walter Scott's well-lighted stage.

This first in a four volume edition covers the years 1033 - 1542. We see Scotland as a nation never conquered by Normans and intent on national independence but increasingly coveted and invaded by the Normanized English. We begin with MacBeth. We conclude with the struggle between England's Henry VIII and Scotland's James V, closing the Roman Catholic centuries of Scotland with the death of James just after the birth of his unhappy daughter Mary, "the Queen of Scots."

Let Chapter XVII, "Robert III" (1390 - 1406) serve as one of several examples of how determined readers of Walter Scott can easily and pleasantly flesh out the fiction of "the Wizard of the North." Readers of Scott's novel THE FAIR MAID OF PERTH will find here a brief but memorable description of events behind that bloody novel.

All in all, FROM BANNOCKBURN TO FLODDEN is a book well worth the time of anyone just beginning to read into the history of Scotland

This this the third of four volumes written by Sir Walter Scott as a history of Scotland for children, very intelligent children be it said! It covers the years 1658 (death of Oliver Cromwell) to 1714 (death year of the last de facto Stuart Monarch, Queen Anne).

What sense is the obscure volume title, "FROM GLENCOE TO STIRLING" meant to evoke? No problem with GLENCOE: at that starkly beautiful MacDonalds' site in the western highlands, 38 men, women and children were massacred by Scottish troops in the dead of winter 1792. 150 more men, along with women and children succeeded in fleeing through the snow to shelter 12 miles away. The treacherous order to slaughter every man, woman and child below 70 years old was approved by King William III. Scotland to this day has not forgiven that otherwise enlightened monarch. Why Stirling appears in the title I am not sure.

Volume three of TALES OF A SCOTTISH GRANDFATHER is close to indispensable companion reading for six Walter Scott novels set in the years 1658 - 1714: WOODSTOCK, THE TALE OF OLD MORTALITY, PEVERIL OF THE PEAK, THE PIRATE, THE BRIDE OF LAMMERMOOR and THE BLACK DWARF. Some of these romances are more political than others, but the dynastic struggles form the backdrop for all.

The most biting part of Scott's narrative describes the formation of the United Kingdom in 1707. At a time when two actions of King William III (the massacre at Glencoe and his opposition to Scottish colonization of the Isthmus of Panama) had inflamed Scotland against England, English commercial interests were forced to decide between resumption of unending centuries of war with Scotland or assuring permanent peace by absorbing their smaller northern neighbor, more or less willingly. Which alternative would cost England less money? At a time when probably 95% of Scots were passionately against the Union, it was nonetheless negotiated in late 1706 and finally agreed to by the Scottish parliament. The United Kingdom opened shop in May 1707 -- on very unequal terms for Scotland. Bribes and payoffs to the Scottish negotiators and members of Parliament produced the needed votes.

According to Walter Scott, the very unfair terms of the treaty of union, combined with popular detestation of all those bribed to sell Scotland's ancient national independence, gave Scotland sixty more years of avoidable turmoil and humiliation. Then at last, with the comin