United Kingdom Books

MLR Smith did an extrodinary job of portaying the military history of the IRA. He explicates the Anglo-Irish Treatry and implores the pragmatic achievments of Michael Collins. From the Civil War and hencforth, Smith examines the lapse of political ends in the IRA or the irregulars. He compares the fallacies in the bombing campaigns throughout the fifties to the philiosophies on Von Clausewitz' "On War." Never were there any political motives in the campaigns led by Sean Russel. Furthermore, One cannot expect to be victorius in limited warfare in Northern Ireland where the Protestants make up two-thirds of the population. An excellent military analysis of the IRA. Recommended to all readers.

An interesting, dispassionate analysis of IRA strategy from 1969 onwards. Smith is not concerned with moralizing, and takes no position on the justness of the IRA's campaign. Rather, he looks at the methods and strategy of the IRA and how well they have (or haven't) advanced the IRA's interests. He doesn't seem to consider the IRA's goal of a united and free Ireland as realistic, and continually evaluates the IRA's position in the most pragmatic terms possible. This can be somewhat off-putting for someone wrapped up in the principles of Irish Republicanism, but it is thought provoking and these are probably the kind of arguments that were used to bring the IRA's campaign to an end by pragmatists within it and within its political allies in Sinn Fein. For this reason it is a valuable book for Irish Republican supporters to read.

For people not very familiar with the struggle in the north of Ireland, this book is probably not the best place to start. I would suggest reading a broader and more general history first, such as "The IRA" by Tim Pat Coogan, which is excellent for those with no previous knowledge of the subject (and even for those of us who do have some). Then come back to this book.

I actually read this book on the plane flying back from England. It gives you real insight as to what was happening on various fronts during the war, both at home in England and on the battle fronts. More remarkable is how close England came to falling and the back door dealings as to what would happen to England and the British fleet if Germany had succeeded in conquering England prior to the U.S. actually entering the war. Very readable and hard to put down. If you have any interest in England during WWII you will want to read this book.

This quite simply one of the best books I have ever read. Its a fascinating & gripping chronoligical account of May-Dec 1940. May through Sep is covered on a daily basis. It inc. the personal accounts of Dunkirk, Battle of Britain, Battle of the Atlantic inc. merchant seamen & evacuees, Blitz and Churchill's fight to stay in the war at the political level. It also inc. the accounts of 2 young US journalists Edward R Murrow and Whitelaw Reid as they change their opinions and consequently US opinion as well. The narrative is gripping & easy to read. The sheer close run thing comes home vividly as does the courage of the ordinary men & women as well as Churchill. I recommend the dvd of the same name from Amazon too. this inc. live interviews with many participnts in this book. Not all protaganists in this book have a happy ending so have tissues handy. A first class must read

The story of Thomas Pearson, as present by author Donald Graves, is an excellent study on the life a remarkable officer. Well researched and with a great grasp of the times and locations, the book totally engages the reader. The description of the battle of Albuera is especially good. I highly recommend this book for any person that has even a fleeting interest in the period. Historians will no doubt find this book a great item to have on the bookshelf.

I know my copy will be read many times.

Don Graves has authored a real masterpiece with his book, Fix Bayonets! A Royal Welch Fusilier at War, 1796-1815. Set during the period of the Napoleonic Wars, Graves tracks the life and actions of British Army Officer Thomas Pearson from his early youth until his death in 1847. The core of the work focuses on the remarkable military life of Pearson as he campaigns with the British Army throughout the period from his early days as a Lieutenant in the 23rd Regiment (Royal Welsh Fusiliers) to his final promotion to Lieutenant General.

Pearson served in the British Army in a variety of posts and campaigns throughout his lengthy career. Graves provides an excellent narrative of this soldier's experiences. By far, the most intriguing components of the book center upon the host of battles Pearson participated in. The Battles of Albuera, Chippawa, and Lundy's Lane are the most noteworthy and interesting. The author provides an in-depth and organized account of these actions while interweaving Pearson's role and contribution.

Graves also provides a fascinating look into military life, culture, values, and society that existed during Pearson's life. While clearly focusing on the martial aspects of his life, the author provides additional great detail into his youth, father, heritage, and later marriage.

I feel this work is especially noteworthy in its scope. Most comparable authors have chosen to focus upon events or well-known characters as a basis for their narrative. Graves has chosen a gallant, decorated but rather obscure soldier as his foundation from which to place the greater events into perspective. This approach is very unique and refreshing. Graves' research is also impeccable.

Overall, Fix Bayonets! A Royal Welch Fusilier at War, 1796-1815 is an exceptional historical work. Written in a compelling style that draws the reader in, this book is a natural choice for anyone interested in the Napoleonic Wars / War of 1812 era.

This book is a comprehensive volume with songs in Scottish, Irish, and Manx Gaelic as well as Cornish, Welsh, and English.

I played a few tunes out of this book at my friends house and had to get it. There are so many beautiful folk songs that can be played on any instrument.

As a writer and a devotee of history, I am always looking for the ultimate resourse books on anything and everything from A-Z. And that is what this book is, the ultimate book on what Brits ate from stone age days to Victorian era! Not a "quickie" book, but a thorough researched book on the diet of our ancestors. It broken down into chapters in food types, the one fault I have with the book (wish it had been broken down in periods of time or at least cross-references. Maybe next updated printing?

But if you are a writer needed to know if the food fits the period, you really need this. Easy prose so it does not come across as dull facts.

An absolute must for all romance writers!

First published in 1973, this work remains the best place to start for any exploration into what the English ate, when it was consumed, and why they started. As a librarian, Wilson had access to an outstanding collection of cookery books that were given to the University of Leeds's Brotherton Library, and she made great use of them to talk about the "gradual changes and developments in the preparation of foodstuffs in Britain". This is not a cookbook and does not include historical adaptations. Any recipes that are included are there to illustrate a method or ingredient and are written as part of the text. Chapters are arranged by category or type of food. For example, chapter 4 covers "Wild fowl, tame fowl and eggs"; these subjects are then discussed in a chronological fashion, proceeding from the ancients, the Romans, early medieval, etc. Wilson includes a marvelous bibliography and footnotes that can be used to further explore the subject. For a work that is nearly 30 years old, it is still an essential reading and shelf reference volume for culinary and social historians. Any general reader with an interest in British history or social customs would also find it of great value.

I do NOT work for any book company that's trying to pump sales of a book & I found this book to be very interesting & informative. The small print & close lines might make some put it back on the shelf, but it's so interesting to see how the socioeconomic forces in Victorian England influenced the foods that were consumed, which eventually led to some of the traditional foods we eat. It is slow reading--you won't whip throught this in an evening, but it's funny how people are so nostalgic about the homey environments that seem to typify the fond attachments to anything Victorian, but nobody thinks about all the grunt work involved in producing the big, elaborate meals or how much effort was involved in the cleanup. This book isn't for everyone, but if you want to educate yourself as well as learn why we eat some of the foods we eat today, you'll probably enjoy it.

College-level culinary libraries strong in Victorian history will appreciate Food and Cooking in Victorian England: A History, with its survey of Victorian times introduced by nine recipes detailing examples of food production, cooking and diet in early England. Discussions go far beyond the usual cookbook to include surveys of kitchen arrangement and duties, dining habits, social influences on food and wine choices, and much more. An excellent survey any college-level culinary collection specializing in food history will relish.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

The stories in this collection are vignettes of South African lives masterfully written. I was very impressed with how well developed the characters are. I read this book for a grad course under a grueling deadline, but still found it very enjoyable.

Njabulo Ndebele's "Fools and Other Stories" is masterfully written. An enchanting blend of traditional South African storytelling and riveting modern prose, Ndebele poetically tells of the post-apartheid struggle that plagues his nation. A must read for any fan of Coetzee or Gordimer.

This recent offering by Ted Cowan is one of his best to date. It effortlessly tells the story of the importance of Scotland's Declaration of Arbroath and its possible influence upon the American Declaration of Independence. It is lucid, written in a fluid and at times humorous style, and brings alive this significant part of Scottish and American history. I strongly recommend it.

A highly articulate and analytical look at the Declaration of Arbroath, a fresh look at the impact and progeny of the Declaration and peppered with pungent and provocative ideas. I learned so much about not only the drafting of the Declaration, an astonishing document, but also its international connections running through the centuries, through to the covenanters and on to the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Heavens, if two Scotsmen (Wilson and Witherspoon) could have done so much for American Independence, so much research needs to be done on the quarter million other Scots in America in 1776! I was very impressed, not only by the considerable fresh look at all the research by Professor Cowan, but he writes with such style and humour that this is an engaging and thought provoking read.

In 1946 the British had once more triumphed against the Germans and the Japanese. Collis here dissects the highlights that led to the "Opium wars", actually skirmishes between Britain and China, where Imperial Britain gained ground over the Celestial Kingdom that had for so long treated them as Barbarians from which they gained some pecuniary advantage.

The Chinese remained conservative in their treatment of the British since the 18th century and had not grasped that by the mid 19th century Britain was a power to be reckoned with. By then, British had taken Opium trading with China to huge heights but her merchants were still greedy for yet more market space and getting shy of selling a common drug to China to enable them to make a profit.

This book is proud and British in flavour, comparing China to some extent with Japan that maintained a similar hubris as the Chinese. It is I think pretty objective and really well written, very gripping and revealing in its details.

The author has structured the work rather like a fantastic story in several acts. There are good maps and enough illustrations. It whets your appetite for more .... and I found this after reading Chris Patten's East and West and Tai Pan. This book was probably a source for Clavell's Tai Pan, Jardine being one of the original Tai Pan's of Hong Kong.

The Opium Wars directly lead to the birth of Hong Kong and was a sign of things going wrong for Imperial China. The British and French shamelessly muscled in on their advantage subsequent to the events of the 1840s. The Chinese always maintained their cool and were incapable of fighting back and as a land power, had to give way to the naval blandishments of the then western powers.

A really wonderful book if you're English, detailing aristocratic China and the elements of British Political hegemony and how they handled the unravelling of a staus quoe in China from which the crown had profiteered without candidly admitting it was from opium.

The author does not defent opium trading but is clear it was not a good thing. It was a game in which as is clear, Chinese officialdom was involved on a large scale.

A fascinating glimpse of the Chinese who normally seem to reveal so little of themselves, their values or their cultures to some of us barbarians.

Foreign Mud -- the phrase means "opium" in Chinese -- is a history of the commercial and diplomatic events that lead to the Anglo/Chinese Opium War of 1839-1842, when England attacked China to open up the latter to British trade. Author Collis tells the story with dry humor and copious quotes from contemporary Chinese and British documents, which document the cynicism and incomprehension reigning on both sides of the conflict. According to the back cover, historian A.J. P. Taylor called Foreign Mud: "A wholly admirable book, admirable as a work of history and admirable as a literary entertainment." For once the blurbs are right.

Carlton, I know you are on the mailing list for the Torch of Remembrance Mile Hi Salute quarterly newsletter. So you know that I let over 800 (42 in foreign countries) people (mailing list) know about your book. My plan is to get to know how to use the Internet because I want to send the quarterly newsletter out on it, under the HMT Rohna Web site. Is there such a Web site? Please contact me at peach2drew@aol.com if you can help me out on this. Thank you, Carlton for writing history ignored, the sinking of the HMT Rohna. The goal, for the Torch of Remembrance is to erect a National Memorial Monument in Denver, Colorado, to honor all the HMT Rohna victims and 236 survivors, of the almost 2,000 soldiers. We are meeting with Colorado Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell in two weeks to show him the design. He said he wanted to help us. Waiting for you response. Thanks again..

My dad is a survivor of the sinking of the ROHNA. He never talked about it, I think it was too overwhelming for him, and now he is attending reunions and talking, but before that all my sisters and I had was Carlton Jackson's book. It gave us the story he had difficulty telling us. I was overwhelmed and shocked at how lucky he was to be able to swim, and the hell he went through. He was even scheduled for KP on the day of the hit, so I'm glad he wasn't in the kitchen area. Thank you, Carlton, for the story, now if more people could find out on A&E or the History Channel before they are all gone, there are only about 230 men left and they are ages 77-80. Let's go people. These men were heroes! Thank you