United Kingdom Books

This is a great book. It should be a model of how historians approach the period. It is full of insightful detail such a quotes, vignettes and illustrations that illustrate Parr's life and her impact on society. The book is wonderful in striking a balance between the author's reflections on Parr's life, framing the historical times to give context and historical detail to support her conclusions.

So many books on the women of the English Renaissance seem to be written by little old ladies in Tropesshire, who rattle on about Virgin Queens, duty and stiff upper lips, that sort of tripe. The "see no evil, hear no evil, write no evil" school of history. Susan James's book is a refreshing departure from all that. I can only hope she takes on Elizabeth I as a subject after this book. A really modern, complete book on Elizabeth that has some semblance to historical reality has yet to be printed.

One, small detail, Susan James believe that Parr's daughter, Mary Seymour died before the age of two. She did not. She was placed in the home of another noble family. If she emails me, pfstreitz@aol.com, I'll tell her where Mary went.

This book has everything in it, from pillage and mayhem, royal murders, romance, sex and violence. And besides that, you're learning information never before published about the Tudor royal family. I thought Kateryn Parr was just a weepy widow who married a king and instead she turns out to be Scarlett O'Hara. What a surprise! A strong and well-presented book. Totally fascinating!

Simon Sheridan has if you can pardon this and other puns in this piece, done a "bang-up" job of documenting the history of sex movies in British cinema. From the nudist films of the 1950's to the titilating "sex-coms" of the 1960's and 70's, it's all here in chronological detail complete with movie stills, posters and "behind the scenes" stories. Now if you're already thinking that this subject is something you'll find unintersting or offensive, well let me just say that it's really the same as watching Benny Hill on TV or a "Carry On" movie that basically pioneered the whole genre in the first place. Only it's taken to the next step or mis-step depending on your tolerance for such things. With titles like "Confession's Of A Window Cleaner", "Can You Keep It Up For A Week", "I'm Not Feeling Myself Tonight" and alike, this was the state of the British movie industry in the 70's and was all that was keeping it alive. A far cry from the day's of the great Ealing comedies and epics like "Lawrence Of Arabia", it was a sign of the times. Whereas in America "hard core" films like "Deep Throat" were becoming the "in-thing", that kind of pornography was still very much illegal in Britain. So to enhance the "soft core" simulated sex, the comedic element was added in typical naughty British "seaside humour" style. Indeed, many of the same big name comedic actors who were on TV, found their way into doing cameos in these pictures. You even had such stars as Joan Collins stripping off in "The Bitch" and "The Stud", thats right the same star of TV's "Dynasty". You had veteran directors like Val Guest and American Jack Arnold, trying their hand at it. As well as newcomers like Martin Campbell, who later went on to direct a few James Bond movies. Big name studios like EMI and Columbia Pictures, certainly didn't mind getting in on the act either.

As the author saids "these were movies that put boobs on screens and bums on seats". What with most of Britain's cinema's already converted to bingo halls and supermarkets, exhibitor's were desperate to get the public or as they like to say over here "punters", to fill up those seats. As you might expect -they did and it prooved very profitable specially when they were produced so cheaply and so fast. I can even remember going to my local ABC theatre in London and getting amused and somewhat modestly aroused by them. Looking back, it's all very dated and tame by today's "in your face" digital standards. A good supplement to this book, is Sheridan's other book on Amazon, a look at British sex star Mary Millington in "Come Play With Me". Taken from the title of Mary's biggest hit sexcom, which also incidently holds the record for being the longest-ever theatrical booking in British cinema history!

I have had this book for ages now. It was bought for me as I am a fan of the Carry On films.
I read about all of the films and saw the Confessions films on television, I thought that they were fun. To me these films are only one step up from the Carry On's, in there sex content.
I found them so good I made it my mission in life to find these movies and watch as many as I could. This book has become invaluable to me as a reference book.
People are so busy trying to be politically correct that they have forgotten how to laugh, at the women and the men! Do we have to analyse everything? can't we just enjoy it?

This book is fantastic. It is a well researched look into the long chain of events that allowed the Germans to buy two prized English Legends, Rolls Royce Motorcars and Bentley. The author does not wag his finger or denounce the Germans from taking Rolls Royce away from the Brits. He lays it on the line. He details the bad decisions and market forces that eventualy forced the English automaker's hand. This book must be read for its look into the automotive industry. This book is not filled with dreamy eyed descriptions of "the best car in the world." The various executives who speak in the book are realistic in describing the problems Roll Royce had suffered over the years, regarding build quality and financial issues.

Walk into the local supermart of bookstores, leaf through the "business" section and within five minutes know the sum total of five best sellers. The "transportation" shelves typically offer little better: business histories that read like the old notes of a reporter or minutiae on a historical marque.

Then comes Richard Feast, with his compelling saga of the world's most revered automotive name, its trials and (sometimes) self-inflicted tribulations, linked carefully and accurately to the industry around it and to the particular travails of British industry in the second half of the 20th Century. Filled with first-rate reportage and wonderful characters, it is a wonderfully spun, brilliantly paced history that no doubt will become a reference work for generations of car lovers and business watchers.

Alfred Smith, a professor of medieval history at the University of Kent, provides us with a masterful biography of Alfred the Great. Smith's biography is a radical departure from the traditional view of Alfred as a neurotic invalid who remained piously illiterate until he was almost 40. Alfred's life is thoroughly examined to reveal a man of great physical stamina who had been a scholar all his life and who used his intellectual abilities, military prowess and administrative skills to change the course of English history prior to the Norman Conquest. This beautifully written biography examines Alfred's writings and charters, the Anglo Saxon Chronicle, and Asser's biography of Alfred (which Smith believes was a medieval forgery). This biography should be added to the library of historians, students and lovers of medieval history!

A great and comprehensive biography of one of the most amazing figures of history. Although some may take a little time getting used to the Saxon names and genealogy anyone who enjoys biographies or history should love this book.

Although filled with detail Smyth breaths life into the days of Alfred. A religious man who was both a brilliant scholar a brilliant tactician and one tough soldier. Such was his brilliance he did such remarkable things as help to adapt the Viking boat to suit his own army's needs for a craft more suited to navigating the coast of Britain.

He almost single-handedly created what we know today as England and through his treaty with the Vikings he established an economic zone of a type shared by both the Saxons and the Vikings and in so doing played an important role in the creation of the English language.

After his peace with the Vikings he established a just system of laws and an aggressive plan to educate the populace of England.

The biography starts with the peculiar and unfortunate circumstances within his family that led to his succession. He found himself, trained as monk, in the midst of one of the great watershed moments of British history when England was being overrun by the Vikings. His campaigns as a defeated underdog reclaiming his kingdom makes for truly exciting reading. The book is filled with detail including shedding light on how the main biography historians in the past (Asser's "Life") had been drawing from was a forgery.

The story of the forgery of Asser's "Life" , what was the standard biography of Alfred the great up until recent times, is in itself a story within a story in this book.

Through the examination of works of Alfred himself we come to understand his great wisdom.

A fascinating read about a monumental figure of history.

Highly recommended.

antonia fraser does full justice to the topic so that you come away with a new clear and unbiased picture of a very approachable english king she uses exelant language and has a skill to keep her reader interested this book is well worth the read antonia frazer does an amazing job as usual

This is what popular historical writing is all about - a readable, knowledgeable, enjoyable book. Fraser provides a superb introduction to the varied life and dramatic times of king Charles II. Her background information is clear and reliably accurate, she provides a great deal of insight into the person of this most personable of kings, and her bibliography is a launching place for further explorations. One could only wish to be able to submit a list of suggestions for new books...

A very thorough and perceptive analysis of the Reign of James VI of Scotland, later to be James I of England. Patterson's depiction of James as a conciliatory force within British Christendom is well supported in this excellent period history. Articulate and intellectually stimulating.

Dr. Patterson's King James VI and I and the Reunion of Christendom is a significant contribution to the volume of works written about early 17th Century . The work shows that James tried to acheive an ecumenical union among the fractured states of Europe in a century that saw one crisis after another. The incredible amount of research that went into this book is clearly evident. This would make an excellent addition to anyone's library.

From the strong influence of his Father, Augustus to his first Seminary Prof, Augustus Strong and German Theologians, Albrecht Ritschl, Friedrich Schleiermacher, Adolph von Harnack, then to American influence of Charles Sheldon and Washington Gladden. It was his star-studded pathway into the forefront of the liberal, social gospel movement that led to Liberation Theology of the 20th Century! W R began his 4 yr sojourn as student in a German Gymnasium located in the small Westphalia city of Gutersloh. His father Augustus wished to expose him to German higher education. Then to mature him in the religious & cultural environment of his own theological orthydoxy of Lutheran Pietism. Years later W R commented on his education in Germany as bringing him to no outlook except soul-saving: "I had no outlook except a common evangelicalism!" He entered those years of 1876 to 1886 when Liberal Theology was influenced by Phillips Brooks, Henry Ward Beecher and Washington Gladden. They were strong influences upon the preaching, writings and teaching of Walter R.

Curiously his student writings lack references to the doctrine that became the cornerstone of later liberalism: The Kingdom of God. Many members of the Rochester Seminary were hostile to the theologian, Ritschl. W R would later embrace the persective of Ritschl and disciple, Adolph von Harnack, around the theme, The Kingdom of God. Even more revealing was the gradual maturity of his ambivalence toward the "institutional church." The model he and others sought to implement: "The institutional church is a necessary evil. Make social life healthy and you can simplify the work of the church. Let poverty and helplessness increase and you increase work of the church too."

In 1918 the faith of Walter was focused upon death. One of his most famous, oft used Prayers was given the title by his wife, Pauline, "The Little Gate to God." Reflecting the deep faith by which he confronted his early death at 56 of Colon Cancer, he penned this prayer beginning, "In the castle of my soul is a little postern gate, Whereat, when I enter, I am in the presence of God." Even Johns Hopkins Hospital could not uncover or give them any medical solution. His prayer captured the essence of Walter's understanding of the social gospel movement. He became one of the Giants of his day as an example of faithful living, inseparable from the reality of social struggle and inevitable consequence of social struggle was suffering and death!"

Christopher Evans, Prof of Church History at Colgate Rochester Cozer Divinity School has given us the definitive story of W.R. Called by Harvey Cox as a "timely and absorbing book" about the life of the most neglected yet outstanding person who stood at the beginning of Liberation Theology! Retired Chaplain Fred W Hood

For anyone interested in the history of US Christianity in the 20th century this book offers valuable insights. Evans nicely balances the moving story of Rauschenbush's personal life with a careful analysis of his intellectual and spiritual development. After reading Rauschenbusch's life-story, the reader only wishes that the 21st century had someone of his stature to help us interpret the signs of these troubled and confusing times.

Kingdom of Coal is a very well done telling of the history of anthracite coal. The book tells the story from the days when stone coal was first discovered in the wilderness of Eastern PA, through its development as a major energy source, and into the labor struggle. Closely associated is the development of canals, known as the anthracite canals to bring the coal to market and later the development of railroads. Still later the railroads, known as the anthracite railroads owned most of the mines.

The book also covers the close association between coal and the iron industry. Anthracite was first used by blacksmiths. It soon replaced charcoal in blast furnaces to reduce iron ore to iron. Iron rails for the railroads, previously imported from England, were an early product.

Missing in the book is the story of the gaslight industry. Processes for the manufacture of gas from coal were invented in 1815. Nearly every city of any size had a gas plant to supply gaslights. This was an early user of coal--originally imported from Europe. The industry continued until World War II when transcontinental pipelines brought natural gas to the distribution systems originally built for manufactured gas.

This is the definitive history of the birth, rise and fall of the anthracite coal industry in three northeastern Pennsylvania fields: Schulykill, Lackawana and Wyoming. Written in narrative form with copious references, it details the everyday trials and tribulations of the immigrants who worked the fields and the coal companies who exploited them. This is must reading for anyone wanting an insight into the lives of their ancestors who immigrated and worked these fields between 1800 and 1970,

Lie in the Dark and Listen: The Remarkable Exploits of a WWII Bomber Pilot and Great Escaper gives a first hand view of the Second World War as described by Wing Commander Ken Rees. Rees describes his experiences from the time he joined up to become a pilot, through his training, to his efforts as a bomber pilot in the war. Rees also describes life as a POW and his part in the Great Escape.

This book contains two parts. The first section of this book, describes Rees' early years with the military. In this section, the author candidly describes how a Welsh farm boy managed to claim a spot as a pilot; his training trials and triumphs; and his many missions in Europe and Africa. The second section of this book, describes Rees' experiences as a POW. In these chapters, Rees describes daily life in POW camps and the various escape efforts. Rees also participated in the Great Escape and describes both the preparation for and the aftermath of this famous event.

Lie in the Dark and Listen: The Remarkable Exploits of a WWII Bomber Pilot and Great Escaper is an extremely valuable work. The stories contained in this book range from comical through heroic to bone chilling. The author has done an amazing job at sharing a complete three dimensional representation of these events allowing the reader insight into the both the silly and the serious aspects of these experiences. Beyond the amazing insight into the lives of those serving in the World War II, this book entertains, rivets, and terrifies the reader from start to finish.

Almost everyone has heard of "The Great Escape,"the massive effort to tunnel out of the German POW camp formally known as Stalag Luft III. The brave and amazing operation was made famous around the world when it was made into the hit movie of the same name starring Steve McQueen. Author Ken Rees is one of the few living British airmen involved in the escape operation from Stalag Luft III. Lie in the Dark and Listen is the remarkable story of his life.

Co-written by Karen Arrandale, Commander Rees recounts the four years he spent (from the young age of 17 to the ripe old age of 21) in the RAF. His resume is amazing. Rees trained as a bomber pilot in Wellington, dropped bombs on the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisnau, fought in the bloody actions in the skies over Malta, and flew a remarkable 56 nighttime bombing missions over Germany. On his last mission he was shot down over Norway and captured by the Gestapo. Rees was interned in Stalag III and played an active role in tunneling out of the complex-a feat that so aggravated the Germans that Hitler ordered 50 of the men executed.

Lie in the Dark and Listen recounts with vivid clarity the excitement, drama, trauma, and danger of flying a heavy bomber in flak-filled skies at such a young age, being responsible for the lives of your men, and watching in helpless terror as comrades are shot from the sky before your eyes. While all of this is fascinating, most readers will be anxiously turning pages to discover what he has written about his experience as one of the "Great Escapers." Readers will not be disappointed. Rees recalls the events as if they were yesterday, describing in detail his life in the prison camp, his active role in digging tunnels and serving on the "escape committee," and his reaction when he learned of the murder of his 50 comrades.

Rees returned home after the war and played rugby for several English and RAF clubs as he continued serving in the RAF. He retired in 1968, bought a pub, and established himself as a successful and sought-after speaker.

Recommended for both serious students and readers of popular history, all general libraries.

I found this a moving account of the life of a man who probably appeared quite unremarkable to his friends and neighbours. His expression, which I have heard elsewhere in Oxfordshire, "Us'll get over it" showed that he was well capable of rising above the personal tragedy and hardship that we would have difficulty in coming to terms with today, without "counselling" or "tranquilisers".

I too never had the chance to meet "Old Mont" but I would have felt privileged to do so. Usually when driving through "our Enstone" as I do several times a year between home in South Wales and my family in St. Albans I stop to "Lift The Latch" in the Crown and pay my respects at his grave which always seems to be adorned with little bunches of wild flowers. This book should NEVER be out of print

This is one of the most moving books I have ever read! It is the life story of a man whose memory will remain with you, long after you have closed the covers, and is based on transcripts of the author's conversations with him over two years. Mont Abbott was born in obscurity, and lived a humble, hardworking life on the land. But his life story is made poignant by tragedy, and enriched by a wonderful memory, and zest for life. He died only in the 1980's, and I feel we are all the poorer for not having met this wonderful character in the flesh, but now we can all do so through this beautifully crafted book.