United Kingdom Books

David Rankine and Sorita D'Este did a great researching job for this A to Z index of the many Gods and Goddesses that have been part of the culture and spirituality of the British Isles.

I have to give them big kudos for the quality of research and documentation that is included in this book. The bibliography is probably the largest I've ever seen in association with a pagan book, and it is not mostly referencing other pagan authors. Rather, this is a scholarly work, and if you have ever done any historical research on the British Isles, you will recognize some of these names.

Secondly, the explanation of the work is one of the best introductions I've ever read. Not only do we find out what the book is about, but Rankine and D'Este explain what they did, why they chose the Gods/Goddesses they chose, historical reference for their choices and a some background material that is a must have for the use of this book.

I like the layout of the book, from the front Table of Contents, to the well thought out Index, to the layout of the information on each of the Gods and Goddesses. This makes this a great reference book for anyone looking at the God and Goddesses of the British Isles.

I keep using the "British Isles" reference, because the book does not confine itself to any particular culture or island in that area. The Gods and Goddesses were introduced and evolved based on the cross cultures in that area over a period of time. The book covers all the Deities of the area, and while I did notice some obscure Deities that I did not expect, there were some I didn't recognize and reading through all the material was an education.

If your pantheon includes any of the Gods or Goddesses associated with the geographic area, this book will shed light on origins, lines of progression and some basic information on some of the lesser known Deities. The bibliography alone is worth the price of the book for further reference. Serious followers of the Ancient British traditions will find this book priceless and beginners will find the information will cover just about anything they want to know or research further.

And excellent reference book, a solid scholarly text and a marvelous research job by two people who took the time and effort to make a book worth having. Boudica

Wow, what a fantastic book!
I'm one of those people who, when doing research, hates to be surrounded by tons of different books searching through pages of useless info to find that 1 page that holds the information I'm looking for.
David and Sorita have done all the hard work for you here, a book that contains information on the Gods and Goddesses that were worshiped in Britain. Over 240 entries, this is a fantastic reference book.
Highly recommended.

I know William Rodner personally as he was my World History professor my first year of college and he is now my history guru god! This man is articulate, intelligent and well read on many historical subjects however his love of Turner comes through often in his lectures. I have every intention of owning and reading this book one day but the thing that surprised me the most was that I didn't find out about the book from Dr. Rodner himself but from a posting on the wall outside his office. If I had not seen that article, I would NEVER have known how famous and influential in the larger world one of my beloved professors is. I recommend you read the book strictly on my word that it will be worth your while because I KNOW the man as teacher and historian and you WILL find this book accurate, passionate and fulfilling.

T. Garcia

Rodner's book was one of several top books from many thousands I went through in a long hegira through a college library with immense holdings in Art History. His immaculate chronology pulls back the curtain on what Turner experienced as the steam engine began its historical ascendancy in the first half of the 19th century. Even if you are very familiar with the works of Turner, this book will bring you far closer to the distinction and sensitivity of Turner's complex understanding of modernism. Many of Turner's paintings can be seen in the context of not only his travels, but how remarkably astute he was to the constantly changing pictorial impact of the industrial revolution. Further, as Rodner shows in a model of balanced intellectual enquiry, Turner recreates himself as artist as he engages History itself.
An all around great book and an outstanding eye-opener for students as well as Turner specialists.

Bath is a wonderful town to visit, and the town was very important in Austen's life and novels, especially in Northanger Abbey (Barnes & Noble Classics) and Persuasion (Penguin Classics).

Austen was 24 when her family moved from the countryside to the city, then at the very height of its glory. Reeve traces four "Walks" through the parks and beautiful buildings of Bath, and describes Austen's connection with each of the sights. The text is enhanced by period maps and illustrations, and enlivened by photographs of Austen's manuscripts.

Reeve argues that the transition was not easy for Austen, whose family suffered financial reverses and who had psychological difficulties of her own. She describes Austen's distress as follows:

"Martha accompanied Jane back to Steventon in early December, just before Jane's twenty-fifth birthday, on December 16. As their luggage was being taken upstairs by the servants Jane received a shock. Her niece, Caroline Austen, recalled her mother's version of events: 'My Aunts [Jane and Martha] had been away a little while, and were met in the Hall on their return by their mother who told them that it was all settled, and they were going to live at Bath. My Mother who was present said my Aunt Jane was greatly distressed--All things were done in a hurry by Mr Austen & of course this is not a fact to be written and printed -- but you have authority for saying that she did mind it.'"

Nigel Nicholson argued in "The Guardian" (December 13, 2003) that in fact Austen's stay in Bath was essential for her development as an author, and that she was not unhappy there. Because none of her six completed novels was even begun there, critics assume she was a country girl who hated towns; she could write fiction only in the country.

Nicholson reviews the 16 letters written by Austen during her Bath period. "The early letters record her dismay at her parents' decision to leave Steventon, where she was born, and settle in Bath." After an interval, she wrote 'I get more and more reconciled to the idea' ... 'We have lived long enough in this neighbourhood.'"

"So they made the move, selling all their furniture except their beds, and, inexplicably, George Austen's library of 500 books. After searching Bath for a suitable house, they settled on 4 Sydney Place, at the far end of Great Pulteney Street.... They could afford three servants and an annual holiday by the sea. This does not suggest a life of penury and exile. They expected to enjoy themselves, and so, in my reading of the evidence, they did."

"After her father's death in January 1805, Mrs Austen and her two daughters remained in Bath for several more months, living in straitened circumstances, and then moved to Clifton, a suburb of Bristol, and to Southampton where they remained until 1809, the year when they settled at Chawton. It was there that Jane Austen revised her earlier three novels and wrote Mansfield Park, Emma, and Persuasion, all in the space of the eight years before she died. It has therefore been tempting to draw the conclusion that country living revived her latent genius. But never, in all her many letters written at this period, is there any hint that she felt hampered by city life or craved a return to the country."

It is great fun to read Reeve's take on these events, compare her analysis with the contrary analysis by Nicholson, and re-read the novels to make up one's own mind. The Little Bookroom has packed this pretty little book with a great deal of evidence. It's a delight to read and see Bath at least a little through Jane Austen's eyes.

It's worth mentioning that the Little Bookstore volumes are beautifully produced. One thoughtful note from this fine publisher: "When we become aware of any change in the information in our guidebooks, we will post it on each book's home page under the heading UPDATE." It's worth exploring their entire booklist if you love to travel.

Robert C. Ross 2008

Verse rich in history is just one plus contained within the covers of this little gem. Illustrated with color engravings from the era throughout. You can read it in about 30 minutes, but not to be missed. And something you'll enjoy reading again and again.
A great Christmas gift for all of your special Jane friends.....

In this work, Ms. Irene Collins presents to the reader a lovely opportunity to look, not only into the clerical connections of Jane Austen, but also into that of the country parish generally. Those who have read through the charming prose of Jane Austen, yet wanted to take a deeper look into the life of the country parson--a profession so many of her characters possess--would do well to read this book. The main body is composed of nine chapters covering the whole realm of the parson's livng; from his education, to the various neighborhoods he occipied, to the nature and method of worship. Within each she eloquently relates the subject matter to Jane Austen herself; by which, the reader is treated to a lovely portrait of the authoress' life. It also contains several illustrations and eight pages of glossed photographs and pictures. Anyone looking to glimpse into the rural parish of late 18th and early 19th century England, which Jane Austen knew as home, would thoroughly enjoy reading this splendid book.

Despite it's rather uninspiring title, this is an excellent book. Irene Collins is a history prof with a special interest in the connection between literature and historical events, and this book is just packed with facts and insights in a readable and entertaining format. It will help you work out just what Edmund Bertram had to go through in order to become the owner of a living, and why Mr Knightly shouldn't be blamed for the appointment of Phillip Elton.I've been a Janeite for four decades and have had the hardback version of this book for five years. I can honestly say that it is one of the two most useful books I have ever found concerning Jane Austen's life and mind, and I am constantly turning to it for reference.

The hardback edition and the paperback seem to be the same format, with differences only in the paper quality and size. There are several pertinent black and white illustrations, great endnotes, bibliography and index. The chapters are logically aranged with simple titles like "The Parson's Education", "The Parson's Wife" and "Morals and Society", and I would estimate that over ninety percent of all examples are taken from JA's life and family or from her works. Other examples are contemporary and exceedingly pertinent.Yet it's still light enough to be read from cover to cover, first time around, if you so wish.

If you love Jane Austen then you need to read this book. It really is great value for money.

This book fulfills every question one might have about the Churchill family. The trials of love are heartwrenching. It is a wonderful thing to see how Winston was formed through the actions of the people around him. Jennie is a lady not to be forgotten in British and American society.

I truly enjoyed this fascinating biography of Jennie Jerome Churchill, an American woman who married a British gentleman. She may be best remembered by history as Winston Churchill's mother, but this was a woman with a mind and life of her own. And a life well worth examining. Through trials and triumphs, she reveals her strong and lusty character.

Jihad, by Mr. Murray Fradin serves as a great primer to understanding that the current geopolitical unraveling did not spring upon us suddenly. Today's events have been fermenting for hundreds of years. Mr. Murray's Jihad is a well documented and succinct treatment that will emerge you into a late nineteenth century conflict that has continued to grow and become globally relevant today. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but unless we take heed to what was learned in the Sudan over 100 years ago, that light will remain that of an oncoming train.

JIHAD: The Mahdi Rebellion in the Sudan is a welcome break from the spate of fantasy and romance novels currently being churned out in infinite numbers. It is a thoroughly researched yet colorful and exciting narrative centered around the rise of a charismatic Moslem leader in 19th century Sudan, Mohammed Ahmed, who raises a religious war against Britain and her Allies.The author does a commendable job of showing historical parallels between late 19th century Middle East politics and today's Mid-East Crisis. The book is a "tour de force" on the
subject complete with maps (including one drawn by the author),graphics,a comprehensive Appendix, and a ton of foot- notes (carefully arranged at the back of the book for the reader's convenience). Mr. Fradin's main thesis is that the United States is doing at the start of the 21st century in the Middle East what Great Britain did there in the late 19th century- planting an overt footprint in the region to protect her national interests-thus giving at first appearance the image of an imperialist thrust into the area by the Middle East inhabitants. He firmly believes that democracy and its institutions are the future for this region. However. it will take careful negotiation between the Islamic and Western Worlds to achieve a lasting and just peace. Highly-recommended!!!

Many Americans seem to have a peculiar sense of dualism about themselves, a feeling at once slightly elitist and fiercely victimized. The United States attempts to be the great savior of the world, but is cast off by many other nations, and it is from this so many Americans draw both superiority and resentment. While U.S. citizens have much to be proud of, so many seem to be neurotically opposed to admitting any shortcomings, and it is this arrogance--not, as is so often cited, hatred of American culture or freedom--that is a primary source of a bias against the United States from Sweden to Somalia. Two phrases plastered across American newspapers a year ago demonstrate this bipolar affliction: "Everything has changed" and "Why do they hate us?" Only Americans could claim that their indeed heart-wrenching loss of 3,000 lives had superseded every other such atrocity the world over, yet simultaneously sequester themselves with a flippant "us."

U.S. newspapers and their journalists were dramatically affected by Sept. 11. From the instant iconicity of "9/11" (a date so beautifully Ameri-centric) to the violent and sudden loss of any pretense of objectivity, American journalism is in not in the same state today as it has very recently been.

Chronicling the myriad shifts over the past year, Journalism After September 11 takes a hard, academic look at nearly every aspect of journalism--structure, stereotypes, objectivity, conglomeration, globalization, patriotic journalism, risks to reporters' health, tabloids (both American and British), talk shows, online media, and photography. All of the writers included are from the world of academia, and it shows in a few of the chapters, which dive headlong into obscure sociology. The authors' distance from the world of news media, however, unquestionably enhances most of the work. There is also a range of opinions on American journalism--though all authors seem to agree that it is flawed, several believe that it can be saved. After being under the microscope its prognosis is cautiously--though barely--optimistic.

In James W. Carey's essay, "American journalism on, before, and after September 11," he argues that American journalists were in the midst of a "vacation from reality," one that began sometime before the 1988 presidential election and peaked with the impeachment of Bill Clinton. During this time, Carey writes, news media did "serious damage" to democracy. They pulled expensive foreign affairs correspondents, integrated news and entertainment programs, and increasingly moved toward tabloid-style scandals in order to sell their papers. When the airplanes struck that morning, Carey says, journalists performed adroitly--but not for very long:

"The calm and poise of the television networks during these fateful hours of ignorance represented an admirable professionalism. Perhaps it couldn't last. By the end of the day speculation was pouring forth from the political centers of the country. As the week progressed, television coverage degenerated. Banners were unfurled, inevitably in red, white, and blue, along the crawl space at the bottom of the television screen announcing 'America at War,' or 'America under Attack' as if the story were about a basketball or football tournament."

In the days that followed, Sylvio Waisbord argues, American news media "resorted to standard formulas and stock-in-trade themes." The national news media served primarily to comfort and to warn, and to do little else. The centerpiece of the book is surely Waisbord's chapter, "Journalism, risk, and patriotism," which builds on the other contributors' conclusions. With the news media's growing ignorance of foreign affairs, Waisbord writes, insecurity itself became "othered"--terrorism was simply something that occurred, however unfortunately, to other people in other places. This begins to account for why the American public did not react so viscerally (or, in some cases, at all) to either massive genocides or attacks on American holdings abroad. There was no general American revulsion following Rwanda. After massive atrocities were revealed in the former Yugoslavia, Hollywood stars did not proclaim how suddenly "meaningless" their work had become. This cultural sense of invincibility was truly what broke down last September, and Waisbord argues it may have taken the news media along with it. In addition, professional journalists felt that, in the wake of a violent message interpreted against American "freedoms" (and certainly after the death of reporter Daniel Pearl), they were being specifically targeted. Thus, Waisbord writes, they increasingly used patriotism to inoculate themselves against the threat. News had suddenly become legitimate in the eyes of the public, and journalists were more than willing to write what the public wanted to hear. Gone was the subtle elitism that Carey describes, which had pervaded the media since Watergate. Patriotism allowed journalists to be a visible part of what they interpreted as a united nation. With the combination of a supposed attack on the freedoms that supported their own enterprise and a newly-admiring public, the news media embraced patriotism as their rightful purpose.

As Robert W. McChesney laments in "September 11 and the structural limitations of US journalism," this deference to patriotism--or, more frequently, rabid nationalism--gave journalists an extremely limited framework in which to operate:

"What is most striking in the US news coverage following the September 11 attacks is how that very debate over whether to go to war, or how best to respond, did not even EXIST. It was presumed, almost from the moment the South Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed, that the United States was at war, world war. The picture conveyed by the media was as follows: a benevolent, democratic, and peace-loving nation was brutally attacked by insane evil terrorists who hated the United States for its freedoms and affluent way of life."

There is considerable reason to believe that the text selected by most media and politicians--of "evil" or "insane" terrorists--was not merely a gut reaction, but carefully selected vocabulary. If the terrorists were evil, then they had no motivations, and it was absurd to attempt to discover what led them to carry out such an act; their motivation was evil alone. But as another author points out elsewhere in Journalism, "There has emerged over the last three decades a set of journalistic narratives on 'Muslim terrorism,' whose construction is dependent on basic cultural perceptions about the global system of nation-states, violence, and the relationship between Western and Muslim societies." Doubtless these tropes reinforced the predominant feelings of "having to do something" ("something" which inevitably translated into "war") to combat the evil marshaled against us.

Not coincidentally, risk suddenly became real, not by a measurable increase in danger (virulent anti-Americanism had been flowing for quite some time), but primarily by the media's own increase in focus. They--meaning both the public and the journalists who were now, proudly, a part of it--had been attacked, and they would stand sentinel against any further threats. The anthrax attacks were a good example of this: perpetrators were almost immediately assumed to be foreign, working against a unified American public, and a relatively small number of deaths created a firestorm of articles for more than a month. Waisbord and several other authors lament modern journalism's reliance on official sources and "events" for their news. This policy precludes long-term explorations of structural violence, such as the building threat of terrorism against the United States in the previous decade. In the case of the anthrax attacks, the news promptly dropped off the front page shortly after the final death, despite the fact that no perpetrator had been identified.

It is this combination of legitimizing patriotism, reliance only on official sources, and risk based on definable events that did the most harm to American journalism after Sept. 11. Carey places the blame for these policies primarily on the conglomeration that governs most news organizations, writing that "in recent years journalism has been sold, to a significant degree, to the entertainment and information industries which market commodities globally ... This condition cannot be allowed to persist." With Sept. 11, however, Carey seems more hopeful. In their introduction to Carey's piece, the editors write that journalists "just might have realized that democratic institutions are not guaranteed; rather, they are fragile and can be destroyed by journalists as well as by politicians."

The remaining authors in Journalism After September 11 offer a wide panorama of the state of the news media today. Barbie Zelizer (an editor of the book) describes how the use of still photography in newspapers allowed the American public to "bear witness" in a similar way as following the Holocaust--yet this time, there were no bodies to be seen. Karim H. Karim notes that Islamic and Middle Eastern stereotypes are still in wide use when explaining notions such as "terrorism" or "violence." Several authors tackle more specific areas of news--tabloids, talk shows, and newspaper commentaries--and there is an intriguing look by Ingrid Volkmer at how news media is increasingly defined not by national boundaries, but by sub- and supra-national organizations. Journalism gives one an in-depth look at how different facets of American news reporting operate, and how that may be affecting, for good or ill, the American democracy.

The two, of course, have always been intertwined, with patriotism frequently substituted for democracy when threats arise. "Patriotism" is itself a nebulous term, and Waisbord questions why journalism opted so forcefully to embrace "hawkish patriotism," parroting the official line and increasing the level of anxiety. A more traditional "constitutional patriotism" would have preserved civil rights and freedom of speech, while holding government accountable for its actions, he writes:

"Journalism needs to resist the temptation to dance to the tune of deafening nationalism often found in public opinion. Instead, it could courageously show patriotic spirit by keeping criticism alive ... [it] could provide reassurance by lowering the fear volume and offer community by defending diversity and tolerance rather than foundational, ethnocentric patriotism. A choice for the latter not only excludes democratic dissent from patriotism, but it also minimizes the possibility that citizens of the nation imagine that they also belong to a world community of equals."

Journalism After September 11 raises many such questions about the choices of mainstream journalism, and answers few of them--yet those in the news media need to be having such debates. And in a nation in which reporters take their strength from an empowering democracy, the issue is one of importance beyond the news media. These are concerns everyone must attempt to resolve.

This profile of both journalism and events after September 11th provides a blend of social history and a survey of how journalism's classic structure was shaken by the events of September 11th. Ideological beliefs flourished after the tragedy and ultimate transformed the nature and content of journalistic reporting. Journalism After September 11th packs in a host of internationally respected journalists and academics who probe the face of modern journalism and its many challenges.

There are some photographs that could only be photographs. Christopher Burkett's work is like that. But othere are obviously inspired by painting, and Harry Cory Wright's work is of that kind. These numersous medium-to-large photos chronicle a months-long journey Wright took around Great Britain and its offshore islands (not Ireland). He took photos of the sea, woods, cliffs, fields and hedgerows, a waterfall, a few human artifacts and a few children.

The color palette tends to the dark, although there is glorious sunlight shining through some photos. Wright likes dark green and brown and favors yellow-green highlights when the sun is in evidence. The pictures were taken with a large-format camera, but Wright is often going for a painterly level of detail. In fact he reminds me of the French realist painter Breton, known for the work "Song of the Lark."

This is not the candy-coated nature photography of Galen Rowell, but neither is it the unmanicured stuff of Thomas Struth. It is stylized but in a subtle way that does not detract from the appearance of realism.

This is a glorious book filled with gorgeous, full-page color photographs of the various landscapes of Scotland, England and Wales. It is most definitely worth having.

The K-Boats were an attempt to build a fleet of "underwater cruisers"-- huge submarines that could travel on the surface and operate with surface vessels, rather than alone (as had been the norm) and then dive to attack, thus increasing protection of the surface vessels. The key was that they were equipped with steam powered surface turbines rather than standard diesel engines (but were equipped with electric motors for undersea use.) The "Ks" were the largest, most powerful submarines built until the advent of the nuclear boat fleets in the 1950s.

The vessels were plagued with disasters-- crewmembers were killed in virtually all of them. They had been posted to picket duties, with the result that the crews were bored with little to do; they were undertrained and the submarines incorporated technology that was completely unfamiliar.

This book traces the boats from their genesis to their end. They were originally planned to counter Germany's high speed, ocean-going submarines. After WWI, when the files of the German High Seas Fleet were investigated by the British, they found that Germany had no such submarines and had never planned any. The K Boats were developed to counter a threat which had never existed at all.

Readers with an interest in naval submarine history and the way in which politics determines naval decision making should read this book. In addition to text it contains a host of photographs of K Boats underway and a fold-out of a schematic of a K. An excellent read.

This is a concise and highly interesting book of a time of early submarine development and the ill fated K Boats. My Grandfather Stoker 1st Class Henry Fulcher was one of the few survivors following a collision at night during the Battle of May Island (Jan 31st 1918) where his submarine(K17) was rammed and sunk by one of our own ships (HMS Fearless). There were 9 survivors and there would have been more if our own destroyers were aware of them in the water that fateful night and did not mow them down !

Myself and my wife used this Ireland guide to travel. Each place listed was a gem. This guide takes the hit-and-miss nature out of B&Bs.

My wife and I found this to be a very useful guide book to use with others during the week that we were making a limited driving tour of Wales.