United Kingdom Books

Costain originally published THE THREE EDWARDS in 1958. While he has an easy-to-read style, which as other reviewers have remarked, makes him as fun to read as a good novel, his opinions sometimes come off as pompous - even absurd - by today's standards. For instance, in writing about the love affair between Queen Isabella and Roger Mortimer, he says, "When a woman of passionate nature has existed in a loveless marriage and has reached the late twenties before yielding to a clandestine impulse, it may be taken for granted that she will not be guided by anything but the dictates of her love."

Later, about the woman who would become Queen Philippa, he writes, "Queen Philippa [in comparison to Isabella] had seemed rather colorless. She was pretty, sweet, and domestic, a typical Dutch girl."

The short section on Edward II never directly refers to the king's homosexuality. Rather, there are references to his "favorites."

If you can get past these prejudices, you'll learn a lot about 3 reigns - Edward I, II and III - in short order (the 1962 reprint that I read was slightly under 450 pages). Costain does a good job of summarizing the important events as well as the characters of the key men and women. There is also a good summary of the life of Edward III's son, Edward (called the Black Prince for the color of his armor).

I also like the fact that he provides information on his sources - calling rumor, rumor and referring to some contemporary writers as gossipmongers.

On time, as advertised, and packaged well. No problems at all. Would use again.

This is one of a quartet that Costain wrote describing the monarchs and key events in European history from William the Conqueror to the War of the Roses. The history is accurate. It is always clear where Costain is speculating and where he is drawing on traditional sources, such as the various chronicles of the era. However, he weaves them together so smoothly that the reader needs concern her/himself with documentation only when it pleases. Costain is first and foremost a good story teller and an elegant writer.

Costain does a great job with this overview of the first named Edwards to lord it over the English throne. From the fierce but just Edward I ("Hammer of the Scots") to the effete and ineffectual Edward II to the long-reigning and erratic Edward III, the author sustains our interest with anecdotes and thorough reporting of the times. Costain has a delightful habit of suddenly focusing on a historical figure one doesn't generally hear about and then presenting the reader with yet another biography to get excited about. Well done, well written. well read.

All history books should be written as well as Thomas Costain's "The Three Edwards." A comprehensive guide to the lives and labors of the great warrior kings Edward I and Edward III and the screw-up, Edward II, who ruled in between them, this book unfolds more like an easy-to-read and hard-to-put-down novel. Divided into short, easily manageable and well-organized chapters, it covers everything from the marriages of the kings and their children, the political highs and lows of their reigns, the manner of their deaths and the major battles of their wars. Many books about this era are hard to follow if you don't already have a good working knowledge of the time period. Costain avoids this problem by telling you who the people are, what they looked and acted liked, and why they are important to the story, helping you keep track of them by reminding you when he's spoken of them before, and generally describing the people so well that they don't just become a series of names that you can't keep track of. Although he obviously admires Edward I, has disdain for Edward II, and seems to be neutral toward Edward III, to whom about half the book is devoted, he is careful to point out both the good and bad in each of their characters and to place their actions in the context of their times. Plenty of space is given to the kings' ministers, merchants, wives and families, and to those of the Scottish and French rulers with whom the Edwards were at constant war, including Robert the Bruce, William Wallace, John Balliol, Philip the Fair, Jean the Good, and Charles the Bald.

One of the things I love about this book is that Costain shares so many of the great rumors and stories that passed down over the ages (such as Edward I promising the Welsh that he will give them a prince that speaks no English or French and then appointing his newborn son to the post), simply because they are great stories, while taking pains to point out why they can't be true. You can almost feel Costain winking at you as he relates the tales. Another great aspect of the book is that he devotes substantial time to the women of the period, who are generally ignored in most books on the middle ages. Edward II's wife, Isabella of France, is examined in detail, as is Eleanor of Castille, the first and beloved wife of Edward I whose death moved him to erect eleven costly stone crosses to her memory.

This book presents a very comprehensive overview of the lives and works of the three kings and is a great starting place for those who know very little about their lives, or a great review for those who've read much about them. You won't get every tiny bit of detail about Edward III's famous battles of Sluys, Crecy and Poitiers here that is found in, for instance, Jonathon Sumption's books on the Hundred Years War, but they are all well-summarized, and Costain includes many important details such as numbers of foot and mounted soldiers on each side, terrain, battle tactics and formations, and number of casualties as well as political motivations. Given the length of the book, there is a surprising wealth of detail packed into every page, including such wonderful tidbits as the origin of the word "blanket," which came from the name of Thomas Blanket, an early English manufacturer of the item.

In the last few months I have read over two dozen books on the middle ages, and this had been by far the most informative and enjoyable, the one book that really makes the events of the period come alive and the people seem to be actual people of flesh and blood, rather than just an amalgam of their deeds and accomplishments. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

I read this book, here in Brazil.This book is full of correct things, and I must tell you, that this book isn't very biased or ridiculous.This book even has some appendixes about bombers, losts e even one appendix with a letter.
Failures of this book are small.The biggest of them is the fact, that this book has almost nothing, about american bombers and its results.
Even so, this book is good.To example, on page 350 , the author writes:"The two great archivements of the allied strategic air offensive must be conceded to the Americans:the defeat of the Luftwaffe by the Mustang escort-fighter, and the inception of the deadly oil offensive."The British inflicted grevious injurious upon us,'said Milch after the war, 'but the Americans stabbed us to the heart.'

Bomber Command is a great book if you want to know about how bad war can be, and should be read by anyone that thinks there is some glory in war. However, the conclusion drawn by Jerry Saperstein, "as Hastings notes, there was no such thing as an innocent German civilian" is not supported by the text, and is full of hate, and is obnoxious. The statement apparently relates to the rationalization of "strategic" bombing that England the USA chose as being less expensive in US/UK lives, even if more expensive in civilian lives. In fact, at the start of WWII, bombers only got 10% of all loads withing fifty miles of the target, so setting cities on fire and then bombing them made targets that the bombers could find. The rational was that people who live in cities go to work in factories that either produce weapons or produce food, or electricity; something that supports the war effort. If this means that every German was guilty of war crimes, consider these two parallels: (1) Recently Hizboallah was accused by Amnesty International of war crime for firing rockets and aiming some of them cities (Hizbollah did kill more Israeli soldiers than civilians, so they were MUCH better than the British and US in WWII), (2) in August and September (2006) Israeli troops killed 37 children under 18 in Palestinian territory (Gaza, mostly), supported my weapons made in the USA, and by a huge amount of foreign aid from the USA. If Saperstein is correct, every Israeli, every Jew, and every American is guilty of killing each of those children (one was a young boy, killed while playing his own yard. The killing was followed by a call to his parents from Israel telling them to get out of their home). If we are all guilty of shooting children, I want out. Had any number like that of Israeli children been killed, certainly Mr. Saperstein would have found all Palestinians guilty, and it would justify taking more land from them. The facts are, you are responsible only for those things that you can change, millions of Jews/Israelis want Israel to implement UN Security Council Resolution 242, and every German knew that those who stood up the Hitler were soon killed. "Bomber Command" shows, as the war in Iraq has, that a few politicians can make huge decisions without the public even being told the facts, but the public will pay the price, even when they have no control over the actions. Guilt is not something that one person (even a writer) determines, and we have rightly condemned the German army for collective punishment for shooting civilians when they could not find partisans, a lesson we all need to appreciate.

Bomber Command is a great read, full of facts that will amaze you by their brutality, but any theory of common guilt was a rationalization to support collective punishment, just as Israel has recently done to Lebanon. Just as the bombing did not work in Lebanon, it did not work in Germany. Destroying people's homes does not make them stop supporting war, it leaves them with no alternative but fighting. If you are a war buff, or just want to know why Churchill put off invading Europe for so long, this is a must buy.

In this era of political correctness and "sensitivity," it may strike many as repulsive that hundreds of thousands of German civilians were the target of tons of bombs night after night from British aircraft. But the reality is that the campaign was intended to terrorize the German populaion into demanding that their leadership end the barbarous war they started. Ultimately, as Hastings notes, there was no such thing as an innocent German civilian. Each in their own way contributed or supported the slaughter and enslavement of millions by German soldiers and bureaucrats.

Hasting's contribution is to strip the British effort down to its barest essentials: its beginnings as the only effort the otherwise defeated and defenseless British could muster to the excesses of the bombing in the last few months of the war when almost everythng that could be destroyed had been destroyed.

Hasting has a wonderful approach, weaving general history into individual stories of the bombers, the planners, the civilians and soldiers.

For everyone with an interest in accurate history, "Bomber Command" is essential reading.

Jerry

It is simple really to understand. The Germans started the war, enslaved milllions, killed multi-millions, displaced millions, experimented on thousands and euthanized thousands. Why are the apoligists 60 years later saying that we should not have bombed German cities back to the stone age? In the context of that era what other resolution could there have been? Innocents on both sides were slaughtered.

First of all, it is easy to see how this work won the 1980 Somerset Maugham Award for Non-Fiction. I was totally riveted throughout. After reading the book in nearly one sitting, I felt exhausted and numb. The book is an indictment against the entire theory of strategic bombing in WWII and the wholesale slaughter of civilians specifically. While Max Hastings devotes much time to "Bomber" Harris who conducted the night-air campaign without reflection or apologies, his sharpest barbs are for those politicians (Churchill included) and senior military planners that made policy. These hid behind an unspoken but widely understood policy that wide-area terror bombing was the only avenue available to Bomber Command for most of the war but refused to discuss the subject honestly in the public arena in the hopes that they could maintain some sense of moral superiority over their enemy. Hastings also correlates Bomber Command's policy and operations with that of the USAAF, who he writes also hid behind a pretense that collateral casualties were a regrettable but unavoidable tragedy of war. Of course the hypocrisy of this position was laid bare following the continued slaughter of unprotected German cities in 1945 long after everyone knew that the bombing would make no difference to the outcome or even pace of the war, it became bombing just for bombing's sake, or in the case of Dresden, showing the Soviets what Anglo-American air power could do; slaughtering refugees fleeing from the advancing Soviet horde. In fact, the Associated Press reported in February 1945 that the Allied Air Chiefs had embarked on a terror campaign against the German civilian population, but Hastings points out that this news scoop was 3 years late (it had of course been policy soon after the British realized they could not hit specific targets at night). The most mind numbing account is late in the book in which Hastings describes in detail the bombing of Darmstadt. The Allied armies were within 100 miles of Darmstadt and the civilians were under the mistaken impression that they would be spared. In September 1944 Bomber Command made Darmstadt its next target for destruction. As Hastings makes the point, the horror is not that the attack was particularly special or difficult, it was the routine of it all that made it so terrible. The entire process reminds me of the banal evil more often associated with the murder of the Jews; being led into the concentration camps were "the system" would process and prepare them for organized and efficient death. Such was the case of German cities by late 1944. The Luftwaffe had nearly run out of aviation fuel and could only put up a meaningful defense on occasion. The Anglo-American armies had overrun the Luftwaffe's radar belts, so even when fuel was available, the Luftwaffe night-fighters could receive no warnings or directions. The "system" identified a German city for destruction, the bombers went up, everyone did their job and went home. Numbers were difficult to come by, but perhaps 10,000 died in that raid. 1 out of every 5 was a child under 16. 1.81 women for every man (at this stage of the war most men away from the war fronts were elderly). The casualties inflicted upon the citizens of Darmstadt were less than that of many larger German cities, but demonstrates that no German city regardless of size or importance was immune to terror bombing. In fact, Hastings describes how several German cities were identified for destruction not because they contributed to the German war effort, but because they could be easily destroyed, as in the case of medieval cities with a preponderance of wooden housing. Hastings describes the eventual unspoken shame that the wholesale slaughter of the German civilian population left in the minds of the British royalty and government. After the war, Churchill tried his best to distance himself from it and declined to secure a peerage for "Bomber" Harris (a reward given to many with lesser responsibilities). The Bomber Command aircrew were not awarded a Campaign Medal, though the Luftwaffe night-fighters and flak crews inflicted between 72,000-73,000 casualties on British Bomber Command alone. "Bomber" Harris himself emigrated with his family to South Africa soon after the war, shunned by those that used him to conduct their own policies. Hastings makes clear that nobody wanted to take credit for the terror bombing policies of Bomber Command after the smoke of WWII cleared. Hastings does not fault the young aircrew themselves and has nothing but admiration for them. Even so, during his research for the book, he interviews a surviving pilot who became a teacher after the war. The former Bomber Command pilot asks Hastings if others he interviewed complained of nightmares. Perhaps something for the young to think about the next time their government orders then to bomb civilians. Does a state of war really justify the killing of defenseless civilians? Does it really matter that the other side did it first (though in fact many give credit to Churchill for having a German city bombed first in the hopes of redirecting Luftwaffe focus from the RAF airfields to British cities, giving the RAF a new lease on life at the height of the Battle of Britain. This strategy proved successful). Regardless who bombed who first, can killing nearly a million German (and thousands of French) civilians be morally justified? There seems no doubt that the western Allies gave up much of the moral superiority they seem so fond of taking for granted. The biggest irony of all is a point Hastings makes again and again, would not the war have been conducted more efficiently had the resources lavishly spent on Bomber Command been used to assist the British armies and Royal Navy instead? The morale of the German civilian population and their industrial production levels never faltered throughout the day (USAAF) and night (Bomber Command) bombings, only when the German war machine ran out of manpower and fuel did Hitler's armies finally fall back and eventually become overwhelmed by sheer weight of numbers. It seems quite probable that the horrors unleashed on the civilian populations did little to actually win the war.

This book has it all - from battleships to each individual landing craft, all are included in this complete reference work. With a work of this size I am amazed at the wealth of detail about each type of vessel. If you're looking for one book describing the British and Commonwealth warships in this period this is it.

I have only one complaint - the list of abbreviations is far from complete. Many abbreviations are introduced in the text, but not included in the list. This is OK if you're reading the book from cover to cover (at over 750 pages of small type this is quite a task!), but if you're picking out details of individual ships it can become frustrating.

Despite this one complaint I have no hesitation in giving this a five star review, due to its comprehensive coverage in breadth and depth.

This is the most excellent book with regard to the Royal Navy`s ships at the second World War. Readers are able to understand about ships of the Royal Navy easily. And they can see many rare photographs of ships. If this book had contained drawings of ships, Many readers could regard it as the ultimate book for the Royal Navy.

As the author's son I would of course highly recommend this book to you all. I assisted my father with its production which took nearly three years. The work is the result of over thirty years of research and provides a mass of new detail and information not previously published. The photographs are excellent some of which are very rare and form only 20% of our overall warship collection. Quite simply this book has no equal, the previous definitive work was also written by my father.

I am pleased to be able to announce that work has already commenced on British and Empire Warships since 1945 which of course will bring us up to date. In addition we shall also be updating and republishing all former works in a better more complete format especially the works on the US Navy. Amazon list most of the former works which are now out of print. We shall now put this right.

The author can be contacted at trevor.lenton@virgin.net and I can be contacted at chrislenton@cim.co.uk for further information.

The most complete reference book about the RN I have never seen. When you own this book you do not need reading anymore about the Royal and Commonwealth Navies, because all the relevant informations can be found in this super reference book. Lots of data, very fine photographs, details concerning even the smallest craft (and this can be seen by someone as a fault). Just to pick holes Lenton could insert sections dealing with naval ordnance, mines, radar and so on. But anyway his work is an excellent one: a must-have book for the naval enthusiast's shelf.

It is good to see H.T. Lenton's classic still available in print as it is surely a must for all those serious about having a complete reference to the British Empire fleet of WW2. The detail in which the book covers is truly staggering and this must be the result of years of research recording every technical detail available on each vessel. I first came across this definitive work while studying at the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich, London and ever since then I have used the book as my main source of reference.

I was very pleased to see that the section on the British trawlers and other 'minor vessels' remains in this edition and disagree totally with Tom Johnson's review preferring, "that Lenton repeat his first work and cover all the major navies in one book, at the expense of leaving off minor British trawlers and landing craft". It was thanks to Lenton's original work that I was able to carry out a comprehensive study on the anti-submarrine and minesweeping vessels used by the Royal Naval Patrol Service. This service lost more vessels than any other branch of the Royal Navy and therefore these small fighting ships should always be included.

I congratulate the author on this fine work and look forward to new editions of his books.

This (Australian) factual story will provoke some very powerful emotions. Why havent we said sorry to these people? Australia puchased thousands of British "orphans" who were not orphans at all!

This amazing book tells the unbelievable story of the british children deported from children's homes and shipped off to Australia and elsewhere without their families' knoweledge or consent.Their harrowing and incredible stories deeply
touched me - this book angered me and moved me to tears. How could anyone physically and sexually abuse these innocent, helpless children and get away with it for so long ? Everyone should read this book, for it is enlightening, moving and well-written too.

i just could not put the book down,it took me just over 24hrs to read from start to finish.iwent through every emotion whilst reading the book ,tears were shead,anger ran through meand admeration for all the staff and margaret humphreys.
the emotional roller coaster that she was on and the strenth she and her family showed was amazing.
how she managed to stay sain during it all,and to help so many families and befreind them allis trually amazing.margaret is a fighter ,afighter for truth and for justice.

a truly remarkable book.

I can not believe something so awful could happen to so many children. I could not put the book down, cried from cover to cover. My blood ran cold with the horror stories.
I am grateful that Margaret Humphreys found out about this and did all that she did, God Bless her. May her work still go on and be successful.

Margaret Humphreys with her book "Empty Cradles" bravely took on the plight of the Lost Children, those poor souls shipped from the overcrowded orphanages of Britain to all parts of the then British Empire. My own destination was Australia.

Margaret, undaunted by possible repercussions from the collusion of the governments involved, tells our story with heartbreaking compassion. Thanks to her tremendous efforts, some of us now will meet family we never knew we had.

For all who are concerned with humanity, with simple human dignity, this book should not be omitted from your reading list.

I could scarcely imagine why this book turned up first on my page of recommendations from amazon. I checked the reasoning, using the convenient little clicker, and found that Bunyan was expected to appeal to me because I had reviewed "Gosta Berling's Saga." That, my friends, is firm evidence that computers are still short on intuition.

Fascinated, however, I read the eight reviews of this fairly obscure title, and found that they were all written by sincere believers in the strict Calvinist theology preached by John Bunyan in his lifetime, according to which we are all "sinners in the hands of an angry God" whose judgment passes our apprehension. According the Calvin and Bunyan, our 'works' and even our eagerness to be 'saved' is of no fundamnetal importance; as one reviewer writes, "we do not choose God; God chooses us." That's not a system of belief I find appealing, though I ought to be consoled by the idea that God might 'choose' me whether I like it or not.

Bunyan was a cogent writer, though his style takes acclimatization. This biography is a major document of English history, as sure a way to get a feel for bookish English Puritanism as the masques of Henry Purcell are for the other side, the party of the theater-loving Cavaliers. As such, it belongs on the shelf with other profound self-exposures - Augustine's, Cellini's, Rousseau's - but don't expect the man to be any more attractive than his fanatical faith. He was truly "an angry sinner in hands he thought were God's."

A lot of us are familiar with John Bunyan as the author of The Pilgrim's Progress, whose influence in Christendom is second to the Bible. Bunyan was a preacher, a prolific writer and a shining saint for God. However when we read this book we find out that he was an atheist and infidel in his youth, enjoying sin and rebellious towards God. Inwardly he suffered from tormented nightmares of demons and judgment, but outwardly he went on pretty much as any other sinner, taking delight in sin and being the ringleader of mischief. Several times he nearly lost his life, and even though there were several close calls, still he did not turn to God. After his marriage, he participated in religious activities, went through the motions of attending church and generally lived as he pleased, each time successfully shrugging off pangs of guilt. One day, after church, while playing a sport, a voice seemed to call out to him from heaven to his soul, which said, "Wilt thou leave thy sins and go to heaven, or have thy sins and go to hell?" Bunyan was convinced it was the Lord Jesus looking down on him in displeasure. What follows details his sinking into despair, his desparate attempts at working his way into God's good graces, and his struggles with temptation and doubt. In a strange sort of way, it is comforting to read about Bunyan's struggles and identify with them because you can see how he turned out so greatly used by God. He rationalized, made excuses and tried every way to justify himself. Bunyan did not try to gloss over his motivations but gave an honest account of his struggles from avowed sinner, to religious hypocrite before he was finally converted. He describes in great detail his doubts and despair, his yearning to be converted to Jesus Christ, and then being assured of his salvation by reading the Bible and praying. Reading this book will help you realize how God's grace can abound and save even the most wretched of sinners and gives us abounding hope.

This is the autobiography of John Bunyon and his life. It is about his life before and after Christ and the grace of God upon his life. John wrote this classic while in prison. He went to prison for preaching the gospel.

I've been looking forward to reading this book for years ever since I read Bunyan's classis Pilgrim's Progress, I've wanted to read Grace Abounding to learn more about his incredible man of faith. I also recently read The Hidden Smile of God by John Piper who introduces the reader to three incredible men of God including Bunyan. So actually reading the journey of Bunyan himself in his own words was thrilled...but difficult at the same time. Bunyan struggled greatly with the concept of grace; he wrestled with understanding how God's grace could be sufficient to save a sinner as great as he. Grace Abounding is a peering into the soul of Bunyan as he goes through this deep personal battle wanting to believe that God was able to cleanse him of all unrighteousness, but constantly confronted with the holiness of the divine.

Just over half way through the book, Bunyan surrenders to the will of God in his life. He finally and fully grasp that the grace of God was truly sufficient. Then his heart is set aflame to share this grace with others and he becomes one of the great preachers and writers of all time, even though he goes on to spend a dozen years confined to prison for preaching contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church. Personally, it was interesting to see the cultural battle Bunyan faced at the time looking back from my vantage 500 years later to see that America is the beneficiary of his great struggles with the prevailing church of the day. As Bunyan sat in prison, he wrote about the great journey from a metal worker to a pastor of the gospel of Christ - in allegory form for the Pilgrim's Progress and in autobiographical form in Grace Abounding.

I can understand why many believe this book is a classic - the thoughts and insights that Bunyan has into the Word of God were profound and significant. It was amazing to read how Scripture flowed through his mind irrigating every thought so that his life bore much fruit. I wouldn't recommend the book to a younger reader, it is a difficult read, but well worth the effort.

Grace Abounding....is an excellent autobiography of John Bunyan and his spiritual struggle to obtain assurance of his salvation in light if his belief that he had committed the unpardonable sin. Recommended to anyone who may be facing the same struggle with this question. Each paragraph of the text is numbered and, thus, it is easy to put the book down at any point and pick it back up later without losing train of thought. Since the book was written over 300 years ago, it is interesting to have insight into the thoughts of a Christian who lived during that time and to compare with current Christian thinking.

As far as I'm concerned, this book does an excellent job detailing China's foreign policy. From relations with the West to African affairs, Nathan and Ross are able to concisely explain the importance of each relationship and the dangers confronting China. Furthermore, they also touch on the internal security concerns that the Chinese government must confront. This is a great book to read for people interested in China's foreign policy and what impacts it has on the world.

This book should be mandatory reading for anybody interested in China, or in world politics. Nathan and Ross explain China's place in the international political arena, both froom Chinese perspective and from western point of view.

Excellent!

Nathan and Ross have constructed an excellent book discussing the vulnerability of China. The book goes into great depth discussing issues such as: Taiwanese independence, nuclear proliferation, the strength of the chinese military, the necessity of U.S. intervention in Asia, the relationships existing between China and Japan or the two Koreas, Tibetan freedom, technological exchange with Pakistan. Ultimately, Nathan and Ross conclude that China is a weak and vulnerable country that is more concerned with maintaining its borders and internal stability than initiated a policy of imperialism. This book is a great edition for any student of Asian Politics. Easy to read.

Andrew J. Nathan and Robert S. Ross's THE GREAT WALL AND THE EMPTY FORTRESS is a clearly and tightly written presentation of Chinese foreign policy and defense issues. It is as reliable in its treatment of aspects of the pre-modern Chinese state and society that impinged on the course of modern Chinese affairs as it is authoritative (and well documented) in its analysis of the contemporary Chinese situation. With books on contemporary Chinese affairs, one must be concerned with material becoming dated, but though this book is some four years old in content, nearly its entirety is nevertheless very relevant. Its treatment of Chinese-Taiwan relations, for instance, is still on the mark. Since the book was written before the restoration of Hong Kong to China, the reader will not be able to glean anything new about that situation here. However that may be, this book remains as "must reading" for any student of contemporary China. The reader will happily discover that the style is eminently readable.

National security is a term we're used to hearing in the United States, but with rare exception "security threats" are in fact threats to America's vast informal empire abroad (military bases, troop deployments, the security of client regimes and business interests). As Ross and Nathan ably show, this is emphatically not the case for China. Even though "China is stronger today and its borders more secure than at any other time in the last 150 years", it continues to face a bewildering array of vulnerabilities -- from internal unrest to border insecurity to economic instability.

This book is a good corrective to the growing right-wing trend of playing up the "China threat". Ross and Nathan make clear that China's goals are not particularly ambitious and their capabilities so limited that even if the sinister cabal of Communists plotting against America's beneficent reign were real, it would be hard pressed to act out its evil intentions. Chapter 8, in particular, demolishes the idea that China's military will any time soon provide a real challenge to Japan, much less the USA.

Despite the great service Ross and Nathan provide in refuting the containment school's arguments, this book also has basic problems. Because it is a survey, the authors can only superficially treat each of the many issues raised. They do a good job of integrating history and current events, and the book should be quite useful for those mostly unfamiliar with its topics, but for those with more detailed knowledge it will often by unsatisfying.

Second, the authors use the national security paradigm to orient their analysis, but seem unaware of the drawbacks to such an approach. "National" security indulges the false idea that all groups and individuals within a nation can share the same interests and that national leaders act, fundamentally, on behalf of the whole population. In reality security policies generally hurt the interests of some groups while advancing those of others, and China's leaders act to perpetuate their own power and the power of the Communist Party, and to protect the interests of the increasingly influential business elite. The authors' inability to consider such matters leads them to seriously downplay the ruling class's increasing economic exploitation of workers and its violent domination of ethnically non-Han peoples in East Turkestan/Xinjiang, Tibet/Xizang, and Inner Mongolia.

And finally, the authors approach the subject from the perspective of the engagement school, which has both strengths (discussed above) and very serious weaknesses. Proponents of engagement are ideologically incapable of seeing that the current global economic system is based on inequality, exploitation, and the denial of people's basic needs (food, health care, shelter) and that it is upheld by American military domination of other people. Ross and Nathan's ultimate recommendation, then, is that China be safely integrated into this system -- not because doing so will help the Chinese people, but because doing so removes a threat to the safe operation of a fundamentally unjust world order.

Lord Chesterfield's writings are by far the best guidelines for an up-and-coming, savvy gentleman to learn the ways of the society. Stanhope's many gems of advice are learned painfully by most through experience, or sometimes not at all. This book is truly a classic and one I will insist my future sons read before making their way in the world.

Lord Chesterfield is the 18th-century English father I never had. In these letters to his son, he gives stern but fair lessons in how to conduct oneself as a gentleman in society. Chesterfield, with his classical learning and lifelong service to the monarchy, is superbly qualified to give such social advice. His dry wit, strong-mindedness, and discerning eye make him entertaining to read, and, though repetitive ("the graces, boy, remember the graces!"), much of his advice is still very apt today. Taking us through the prime of his career to the twilight of his life, these letters show Chesterfield as the ultimate politician--keenly aware of humanity's selfishness, and always ready to use that selfishness to his own benefit. There is something endearing in this open devilishness.

"All you learn, and all you can read, will be of little use, if you don't think and reason upon it yourself". This is merely one of the advices Lord Chesterfield gave to his natural son, Philip, in the many letters he wrote to him from 1737 onwards, and that this book compiles.

Chesterfield was an important stateman, who wrote these letters only for the eyes of his son, not for the general public, so he did express in stark terms what he truly thought about many controversial themes. It is, in my opinion, very interesting to read what he considered to be general truths, and to get to know his conception of life, society and politics. Whether you agree or not with his opinions, you cannot remain indifferent to this controversial book.

Lord Chesterfield places great value on appearances. He tells Philip that "If your air and address are vulgar, awkward, and gauche, you may be esteemed indeed, if you have great intrinsic merit; but you will never please; and without pleasing you will rise but heavily". The author is, evidently, a cynic who doesn't believe that the world can be improved. He points out that "The world is taken by the outside of things, and we must take the world as it is". Chesterfields profession is fairly evident at all times, for example when he advises his son "...to be upon your own guard, and yet, by a seeming natural openness, to put people off theirs".

"Lord Chesterfield's Letters" has been considered a noteworthy classic by many, but it has also been strongly criticized. For example, Samuel Johnson said that it taught "the morals of a whore and the manners of a dancing-master". I really don't agree with Johnson: I happen to like this book, and a lot. It is not only very easy to read, but also informative. The reader feels as if he were talking with an old but very experienced person, who played an active part in an enormous number of significant events, and who wants to transmit his knowledge not only on diplomatic affairs, but also about life and education. He often displays great insight, for example when he says that "You must look into people, as well as at them. Almost all people are born with all the passions, to a certain degree; but almost every man has a prevailing one, to which the others are subordinate".

All in all, I strongly recommend this book. It includes a high number of subjects, and I think you are highly likely to find it very appealing. If more is needed to convince you, I'll just leave you with one of the phrases written by the author, and I'll let its excellence to speak for itself: "Mind, not only what people say, but how they say it; and, if you have any sagacity, you may discover more truth by your eyes than by your ears. People can say what they will, but they cannot look just as they will; and their looks frequently discover, what their words are calculated to conceal". What else can I say?... Enjoy this book!.

Belen Alcat

The following, and my favorite, quote will no doubt provide a quick and definitive answer to the ageless question: are you upper class?

Dear Boy,
Having mentioned laughing, I must particularly warn you against it: and I could heartily wish that you may often be seen to smile, but never heard to laugh while you live. ... A man's going to sit down, in the supposition that he has a chair behind him, and falling down upon his breech for want of one, sets a whole company a laughing, when all the wit in the world would not do it; a plain proof, in my mind, how low and unbecoming a thing laughing is: not to mention the disagreeable noise that it makes, and the shocking distortion of the face that it occasions. Laughter is easily restrained by a very little reflection; but as it is generally connected with the idea of gaiety, people do not enough attend to its absurdity. I am neither of a melancholy nor a cynical disposition, and am as willing and as apt to be pleased as anybody; but I am sure that since I have had the full use of my reason, nobody has ever heard me laugh.

Lord Chesterfield was an influential politician, diplomat and cabinet minister during the reigns of George I and II, and this book is a collection of letters of advice, counsel, and sometimes genuine wisdom, written by Chesterfield, over many years, to his son, Philip Stanhope, for whom Chesterfield had the highest hopes of success in the world. What you may get out of this book depends on who you are as a reader: casual readers would do better to stay with mysteries and thrillers; inebriate undergraduates would do better to skip it altogether; but ambitous men and women, actually working in the real world, will find so much here to consider and reflect upon, that it will take several close readings to absorb all that may apply to your career. That one's knowlege of the World must be learned by experience in the World, not in an ivory tower; that one's skills and virtues are of little practical value, unless carefully presented in a pleasing and artful Image; that multitasking destroys all hope of success; these are a few of the ideas which Chesterfield presents in elegant and polished prose. But Chesterfield's personal life, as it unfolds through his letters to its tragic and sorrowful conclusion, presents the most powerful lesson of all about ambition, life, and failure, for those readers who can read beyond what is merely written.

I can't help it. I like the gossip, the scandals, all the fal-de-ral with Royal watching. Not just the Brits, but this quality little photo bio book piqued my interest. Just about 80 photos covering William's life from opulent birth through tragic adolescence in 1998, one year after the demise of his mum, Princess Diana. Pix of trips, sports, school, family and semi-private precious reflections cast deep into his sad eyes.

This is not just a *Tiger Beat* oooooo & ahhh, look at him book. Quite introspective as to what a royals life entails even at an early age. But, ok, he IS cute too! Authoress Valerie Garner interjects interesting factoids. Enjoyable addition to bio collections.

Prince William deserves ongoing mention as a photo-biography for all ages: it focuses on the young prince from birth to adolescence, and provides a visual display of the young man which will appeal to any with a special affection for England.

When I got this book, I figured it would be a teenybopper book that gushes about him and how hot and stoic he is. Well, I was off by a HUGE amount. This book has a lot of rare pictures and good information. I would recommend it to anyone interested in British royalty.

I love this book! My aunt brought it back from England. It has great pix and doesn't just focus on girls' opinions! Email me if you agree!

This book has lots of pix of Prince William from toddler to teen. Overall:beautiful and attractive. valuable for money.

I very much enjoyed this book for many reasons, not just that it provides information you will never find anywhere else. The book covers many sites that I was familiar with and many that I have heard of and didn't know were accessible and many that I have never heard of. I will definitely take it with me on my upcoming trip, my 18th to London.

I like the style of the book, just casual enough to let you know the authors are real people (and have really been to the sites), but not overdone, which can get annoying with other authors. In fact, I skimmed through the entire book at one sitting, reading many parts entirely, as I found it interesting.

I have a few minor criticisms. (I'm still giving a five-star rating, especially since there is no other book quite like this, so invaluable.)

A few things people should know in advance: there is one general map at the beginning -- the authors state you need to pick up a map in London as this is not an easy city to navigate (I use London A-Z) -- and there are no floor plans of the sites. This is good (smaller size and price) and bad (toting and flipping from book to book or purchasing high-priced on-site guides). I'm sure it would be impossible to locate a floor plan for some of the more obscure buildings, so really can't blame the authors.

My main complaint (not major) is there is not a rating system, formal or informal, for sites. I know a lot of what is "worth seeing" depends on a person's individual interest, but, well, just because a site exists doesn't mean it's worth taking time out for if you just have a week or so in London. There's a big difference between "don't miss this hidden treasure" and "seek this out if you are in the neighborhood" or "best for those with a special interest in Edward IV, or stained glass windows, or gothic arches, or whatever."

Once again let me state that a major plus is the feeling that the authors have really been there and know what they are talking about.

By comparison, many years ago I bought a guide to London by a very well known guidebook publisher. I made a bed-and-breakfast booking on their recommendation of a charming hotel with a bright, cheery breakfast room. I won't tell you the full horrors of the place, other than to mention the tiny rooms with plywood walls and door, and the very dark basement breakfast room done up like a dungeon, complete with instruments of torture on the walls. And one shared toilet per floor, which sometimes actually flushed. I didn't just check out -- I escaped. It was very obvious that the authors of that other book had never set foot in the place, and I have more or less ignored mass-produced guidebooks ever since.

Travellers on the trail of history in London know how frustrating it can be to locate Tudor and medieval places still in existence in that busy, crowded, vibrant, thoroughly modern city. Last year we spent a week with this guide in hand, feeling a bit Sherlockian in our quest. Even with the detailed directions provided by the authors, finding most of these hidden, nearly forgotten sites was a challenge. But with persistence and patience, our efforts were rewarded. What fun! Couldn't have done it without this guide. But if you aren't particularly interested in the places, the era, and the difficult pursuit, better not bother.

I've never known a lot about medieval and Tudor history, but a friend gave this book to me to help me plan a trip to England. Now I can't wait to see the places described in the book. These authors have a fan in me.

I've never known a lot about medieval and Tudor history, but a friend gave this book to me to help me plan a trip to England. Now I can't wait to see the places described in the book. These authors have a fan in me.

For anybody who wants to know more about the history of places they want to see in England, this is the guide book for them. I learned alot of interesting things and had alot of fun reading this book. I like the authors' style very much. They make the history easy to read and understand.

Mr. Biggs:
I read your review of this book and you mentioned that you served on board the destroyer USS Sims; my uncle Robert Andren also served on it, in the engine room I believe, sadly he went down with the ship when it was bombed in the Coral Sea. I was wondering if you may have known him- Robert Andren of New Rochelle NY.
Thank you.
Bob Andren

I recommend this marvellous book to all naval enthusiasts because they can easily see all of the Buckley class on it. Especially I am very glad to see all of the Captain class. I couldn't find which ship of the Royal Navy had 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns on X position before I purchased this masterpiece.

FIRST OFF:
THE DESIGN/DEPLOYMENT & MASS PRODUCTION OF THIS VITALLY NEEDED CLASS IS WHAT THIS BOOK IS ABOUT!

'The Buckley-Class Destroyer Escorts', by Bruce Hampton Franklin, is NOT book about Battleships and battles. It is NOT about some of the thousands of patrols these vital ships sailed on under constant threat from submarines. It is NOT an operational history.

This book is, quite simply, a monument to the men and ships that formed the backbone of the allied Escort fleet during the second world war. It is safe to say that although this task was not afforded the glamor and hoopla of the Carrier Task Forces, the protection they afforded to allied shipping around the globe was just as important to the allied war effort and just as dangerous.

WHAT'S IN THE BOOK:

PART 1: DESIGN & DEPLOYMENT

--- 1- 'HISTORICAL BACKGROUND' - Page 3
--- 2- 'DESIGN & ARMAMENT' - Page 11
--- 3- 'CONVERSION PROGRAMS' - Page 47
--- 4- 'SERVICE HISTORY' - Page 61

PART 2: PICTORIAL HISTORY

--- 5- 'THE PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD' - Page 99

APPENDIXES

A- 'Number of Completed & Proposed DEs by Class & Disposition' - Page 175
B- 'Stastical Data of Buckley-Class Ships - Page 176
C- 'Monthly Totals of Buckley-Class Production & Service Deployment, 1942-1945 - Page 186
D- 'German & japanese Submarines Credited to Buckley-Class Ships, 1943-1945 - 188
E- Buckley-Class Ships That Sustained Heavy Damage or Were Lost, 1943-1945 - Page 190
F- U.S. Navy Escort Divisions and Royal Navy Escort Groups Containing Buckley-Class Ships, 1943-1945 - Page 192

SOURCES - Page 199
Acknowledgements - Page 203
Index - Page 205

REVIEW OF CONTENT: VERY SIMILIAR IN SCOPE AND SUBJECT TO 'THE ANATOMY OF THE SHIP SERIES'

The text in the first section, titled, 'DESIGN AND DEPLOYMENT' includes detailed line drawings and a short treatment of the historical background, design and armament and some of the conversion programs [i.e.- into fast transports and electrical generation ships]. It ends with a short service history. If you are interested in these ships as a modeler, a crewman, a family member of a crewmen, or as a military history enthusiast this book is one of the best on the subject.

The largest section, {Part 2: THE PICTORIAL HISTORY} includes clear Black and White photos of 154 different Buckley-Class DEs and is the most comprehensive record of its kind. If you served on one of these ships there is a good chance that your ship is included in the photo record included.

The 6 appendixes include a concise statistical record regarding the disposition of these vessels.

BOTTOM LINE:

After reading this text I watched the film, 'The Enemy Below', starring Robert Mitchum as Captain of a Buckley-Class DE hunting a U-Boat captained by Kurt Jurgens in the South Atlantic in 1944. Although I have seen this film countless times over the past 50 years I now feel I know my way around the DE depicted in the film having now read this book.

I recommend this marvellous book to all naval enthusiasts because they can easily see all of the Buckley class on it. Especially I am very glad to see all of the Captain class. I couldn't find which ship of the Royal Navy had 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns on X position before I purchased this masterpiece.

I received "The Buckley-Class Destroyer Escorts" as a gift and I consider it priceless. Having commissioned and served as a Gunners Mate on the USS Sims DE 154 (ESCORT DIV.6) until she was converted into the APD 50, I am familiar with some of the action in the Atlantic and Eastern Areas. Being able to follow the history of the Division, after I was reassigned, was a treat. Some of the inserts, the experiences of former crew members, struck pretty close to home. They well may have been in the bunk next to mine. The photographs were great. This book contains the only photo that I have seen of the "SIMS" underway. Compiling all of the information in this book, so long after the fact, is almost unbelievable. It is, in many respects, a record of a piece of my life. Any Sailor that served on one of "The Little Wolves" should own a copy of this book.