United Kingdom Books

Books-Under-Review-->Sports-->Equestrian-->Breeds-->Warmbloods-->Breeders-->Europe-->United Kingdom-->64
Related Subjects:
More Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250

United Kingdom Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

The Picts and Their Symbols

Published in Hardcover by Sutton Pub Ltd (1999-11)

Author: W. A. Cummins

List price: $34.95

Used price: $35.00

Average review score:

Remarkable analysis of 1,000+ year old mystery

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2001-01-14

Marvelously thought through analysis of Pictish symbols, primarily those on stone monuments. Cummins draws together a number of Pictish sources and historical records of related cultures to create compelling conclusions from rather sketchy evidence. He recognizes the limitations of the source material and usually admits that future scholars will need to confirm or disprove his guesswork. Occasionally, Cummins asserts unsupported conclusions, but these minor leaps don't detract from his remarkable thesis, which is often brilliant.

Picts and Their Symbols

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2000-04-10

One of the best books on deciphering the Pict symbols I've encountered in recent years. He is systematic in his approach and very clear when he proposes a 'guess' for an interpretation. Several very clear photos and drawings help you understand his conclusions.

Read this AFTER you read The Age of the Picts, also by W.A. Cummins

Placing London: From Imperial Capital to Global City

Published in Paperback by Berghahn Books (2001-07)

Author: John Eade

List price: $18.95

New price: $18.95
Used price: $15.39

Average review score:

A profound, college-level retrospective

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2002-01-11

Placing London: From Imperial Capital To Global City by John Eade (Professor in the Faculty of Social and Life Sciences, Roehampton Institute, London, England) is an impressive and scholarly analysis of the question: what is London? Examining metropolitan London as a global city in the rapidly modernizing, post-colonial world, Placing London informatively scrutinizes the history, present, and envisioned future of this proud city, from the west end and Soho to the Palace to the east end. Placing London is a profound, college-level retrospective and highly recommended for academic reference collections in English history.

Review in Urban Affairs Review, 2002

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2002-02-05

The swinging bohemian and multicultural spirit of the new global city is thriving, yet similarly marked by dangerousness in the form of nativism, homophobia, and incendiary explosions. As the September 11 incident has confirmed, global cities are both thriving edifices of transnationalism and potential targets for a new kind of warfare. Still I am lured by Eade's new manual to travel to London to sample samosas, discover provocative multicultural art and theater, and make nocturnal sorties for the hoisting of ales.

Jan Lin (Occidental College, California)

Ploughing Sand: British Rule in Palestine, 1917-1948

Published in Hardcover by Rutgers University Press (2000-03)

Author: Naomi Shepherd

List price: $28.00

New price: $104.07
Used price: $45.00

Average review score:

Beyond the Balfour Declaration

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-23

I sent for this book because of my interest in knowing more about the Balfour Declaration than just that it opened a possibility for a Jewish homeland. In this thoroughgoing and apparently fair book I found so many parallels with our situation in Iraq that I abstracted it. It is packed with many interesting and important details that make the book emminently readable and lay bare the roots of the enduring Arab-Israeli confrontation.

Important perspective on Palestine's recent history

Helpful Votes: 10 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2000-09-04

This book is a well-written and detailed history of the British mandate rule of Palestine (1920-1947). She is a careful historian who supports her prose with ample references. The tale she tells is a sad one and chronicles the systematic colonial expulsion of Palestinians from their land. Some British were even-handed but the weight of Ms. Shepherd's evidence demonstrates a bias against the Arabs. This is a most timely book because of the continuing struggle of the Palestinians for a fair deal. The facts presented should be considered by Israeli negotiators involved in the so-called "peace process".

Poles in Defence of Britain

Published in Hardcover by Grub Street (2001-08)

Author: Robert Gretzyngier

List price: $36.00

New price: $26.51
Used price: $40.82

Average review score:

Firsthand Accounts of the RAF's Deadliest Pilots!

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-12-23

The exploits of the Polish Air Force pilots who flew fighter ops over England from July 1940 to June 1941 are well covered in this Grub Street volume.

Having flown combat over their doomed country in 1939, the 100-odd Polish Air Force pilots who managed to escape to England were some of the most combat-experienced and motivated pilots to join the ranks of the RAF. Initially held back because of language problems, the Poles soon proved their worth in the Battle of Britain, the Polish 302 Squadron becoming the highest scoring unit in that battle. Poles served in a number of day- and night-fighter units during this timeframe turning in exemplary performances.

Author Robert Gretzyngier has done a marvelous job recounting the battles fought by Polish pilots such as Henneberg, Skalski, Urbanowicz and Zumbach. His book brims with action, just about every page featuring combat reports or other first-person accounts of dogfights. A center section of photos depicts many of the pilots and aircraft described in the text.

All in all, a very readable account of the Poles who contributed mightily to Britain's survival in 1940. Recommended!

A Diary of Polish RAF Units in England - July 1940 to June 1941

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-11-02

For reasons I don't know, the Polish people have been the brunt of jokes in this country. But September 1, 1939 was no joke in Poland when the Nazi's invaded. The Polish air force, without modern equipment (as had been promised by the English and French) was destroyed quickly. A group of Polish pilots made their way across virually all of Europe to join with the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain.

The British needed pilots and set up several Polish squadrons. This is their story. The story is told on a day to day basis in a diary like format. Virtually every combat flight, and every enemy aircraft claimed, every Polish pilot lost is recorded.

Because of the diary like nature of the book, two important facts are not mentioned. One is that after the war a number of the pilots returned to Poland even though it was in Stalin's hands. Many of them were imprisoned, tortured or shot. The second is that the Polish mathematicians who were instrumental in breaking the German Enigma code also made it to England. They were not allowed to work on Enigma.

A Polite and Commercial People: England 1727-1783 (New Oxford History of England)

Published in Paperback by Oxford University Press, USA (1994-01-06)

Author: Paul Langford

List price: $65.00

New price: $43.38
Used price: $14.31

Average review score:

An outstanding survey of 18th century England

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-20

In 1934, Oxford University Press published the first volume in the "Oxford History of England" series. As subsequent volumes came out over the next 31 years, they came to serve as indispensable surveys of English history, the natural starting point for anyone interested in England's past and a powerful force influencing our understanding of it. Yet as the state of historical scholarship evolved, gradually the volumes became outdated in terms of their presentation and interpretation of the past. In response, Oxford launched a "New Oxford History of England" series, of which Paul Langford's book was the inaugural title.

In it Langford presents a wide-ranging history of England from the accession of George II to the loss of the American colonies. He presents the era as a chaotic one, with the country still coping with the consequences of the Glorious Revolution, which let a deep impression upon politics and society. Though the aristocracy remained the dominant group in many respects, the author sees the middle class increasingly coming to play a vital role in English life as the century progressed. In an age of commercial prosperity, their"polite" values increasingly contested with those of the upper class, setting the stage for their gradual assertion as the dominant segment of society in the century that followed.

Langford's book is an outstanding survey of Hanoverian England, one that draws upon an impressive range of scholarship. Though his main focus is on the politics and society of the period, very little escapes his coverage, as economics, art, and literature also are addressed within its pages. Though he presumes that his readers possess some prior knowledge of his subject (the mini biographies of people offered in footnotes in the old series are absent here), his analysis and arguments are clear and forcefully made. The understanding he provides of the era makes his book a critical resource on the subject, and a worthy successor volume to those from the venerable old series.

Erudite and highly readable survey of later Georgian England

Helpful Votes: 21 out of 21 total.
Review Date: 2000-09-02

First, a few words to place my remarks in context. I'm not a historian (I'm an economist), but I've long enjoyed reading general histories. Indeed, I've read the entire 15-volume Oxford History of England, a series now being replaced by the New Oxford History of which, I believe, "A Polite and Commercial People" is the first volume.

Not being a specialist, I'm in no position to comment on whether or not Langford's book is representative of recent thought on the period. He'll sometimes set out a position with which he disagrees, and then explain his reasons for coming to a different conclusion. In these instances his may or may not be a minority view, but at least he has set out the opposing position with what seems like clarity and fairness. I'm not sure I'd want him to do much more in what is, after all, a book for the general reader.

The "general reader" of old was, of course, notoriously well-read, and at times Langford takes advantage of this assumption. I don't actually have the book handy just now and so can't check chapter and verse, but I think it helps if, for example, you've already heard of Maria Teresa. The author doesn't have time to explain, and a few times I found myself having to make an educated guess but, in 725 pages, this happened quite rarely (a tribute to the author's organisational skill, not to my own reading).

Traditional political history takes up only three chapters which Langford spreads throughout the book covering, respectively, from the accession of George II to the fall of Walpole, to the end of the Seven Years War, and to end of the American War of Independence. I've no idea how innovative or otherwise Langford was in choosing categories for his other chapters, but he manages to make concepts such as "politeness" interesting and coherent enough to serve as their themes. It strikes me that, when political history first began to fall out of favour, it was replaced by rather dull stuff that focussed excessively on, say, education or the poor law. Yes, these topics are dealt with thoroughly in Langford's book but, somehow, he manages to organise and interpret his material in such a way that it has all the narrative virtues we old-fashioned "general readers" used to like in those political histories. (I know that must sound naive to a historian, but these reviews are meant to be helpful to others who might share my failings. Another naive confession: I can't resist drawing a great many parallels between the period Langford describes and, on the other hand, our own times.)

Throughout, the author's style is elegant, varied and energetic without ever seeming affected in the slightest. It is direct, but capable of considerable nuance. I'm a surprisingly slow reader for a person who reads so much, but this really was [cliche alert] a page-turner [/cliche].

Now that I've finished it, I still might not be able to pass a pop quiz on the Gordon Riots, say, or the War of Jenkins Ear. Still, I've been entertained and--if I can put it like this--enlightened by this first volume in the new Oxford series. Bring on fourteen more!

Politics and Policy in Britain

Published in Paperback by Longman (1995-11-30)

Author: Leonard Freedman

List price: $80.20

New price: $61.00
Used price: $0.06

Average review score:

Excellent book on British politics

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2000-04-13

This is an excellent textbook on the British political system. It is thorough, well-organized, and engagingly written. I have used this book in teaching an undergraduate politics course and found it very effective. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in understanding British politics.

Excellent textbook on British politics

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2000-03-29

This is a very useful and highly readable work on the British political system. It's well-organized and thorough, and the author includes occasional anecdotes that hold the reader's attention. I used this book in teaching a college course on comparative politics, and the students got a lot out of it. I highly recommend it as an all-purpose work on British politics for anyone interested in the subject.

Princess Diana (& E Biography)

Published in Paperback by Lerner Publications (1999-10)

Author: Katherine E. Krohn

List price: $7.95

New price: $12.62
Used price: $3.96

Average review score:

Wonderful!

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 1999-05-26

I liked this book a lot.Diana had a very busy life and a lot to do but she always found time for other people.It is sad that she died but I think she did a lot of good things in her life.This book tells the story of a beautiful person.I give it a A+ !!!!!

A wonderful book!!!

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 1999-05-21

My daughter read this book for a school report. I picked it up to look at it, & then couldn't put it down. I was impressed and touched by this well-told story.

The Problem of the Picts

Published in Hardcover by Greenwood-Heinemann Publishing (1955-06)

Author:

List price: $35.00

Average review score:

An excellent overview of this fascinating topic

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 1999-05-26

This book is astoundingly interesting, attempting to tell the story of a people long ago vanished. The historical and archeological information is well grounded and the book is an exciting read. This hard to find gem is definitely worth a look.

Still the starting point for Pictish studies

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 1998-01-06

Although written in the 50's, this book still remains one of the cornerstones of Pictish studies.

Divided into several parts (by several authors) which address language, customs, etc., the book explores the pre-Scottish people of Scotland known to history as Picts. Although several issues have been clarified in subsequent years, the basic problems raised by the editor as to origin, language and cultural ethnicity of the Picts remain unanswered to this day.

A must read for Pictophiles!

Proved Innocent

Published in Paperback by Penguin Books Ltd (1991-03-22)

Author: Gerry Conlon

List price:

Average review score:

Heartbreaking yet Courage giving.

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-11-01

I was four years old when Gerry Conlon,Paul Hill,Paddy Armstrong and Carole Richardson where released from prison after Fifteen years of wrongful Imprisonment. I remember my mother calling us to watch it on the television. I recently read Gerry Conlon's Proved Innocent. It touched my heart. It is his story of his youth and his innocence being stolen. It is a story that is cruel and heartbreaking and would bring a tear to many an eye. It is also a story of true courage and hope. This is a story i will never forget because it gives the reader the strength to carry on. After reading this book, you will see why it gives one the strength and hope and courage to carry on.

Proved Innocent - captivating, shocking, brilliant

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2004-01-05

Proved Innocent is the autobiography of Gerry Conlon. Gerry Conlon was one of the "Guildford Four", who were arrested in the Early 1970s to having bombed a pub in England for the IRA. None of them was connected to the IRA in any kind - they were convicted innocent. Only in 1989 they were released after fifteen years in prison.

"If there is a hell, it's being in prison and knowing you're innocent." (Gerry Conlon)
Reading this book you get an impression of the torture he went through, of this hell. At some states I surprised myself shaking my head while reading.

Already in the beginning, when he talks about his childhood in Northern-Ireland I was shocked and fascinated at the same time: "I remember calling for a mate of mine one day and his mother coming to the door. When I asked if he was coming out, his ma said, `No Gerry - his brother Jim's wearing his clothes today'...." (Gerry Conlon)

As you see from the above example, there is also a lot of background mentioned, which let me imagine what it must have meant to grow up in Belfast around 1970 and made me understand the complicated political and social situation in and around the Northern Ireland conflict.

Further it is interesting to mention, that the whole book was written in Irish-accent. This makes it very authentic but it is something you need to get used to.

Based on Gerry Conlon's autobiography a film was released in 1994 called "In the name of the father" by Jim Sheridan starring Daniel Day-Lewis as Gerry. Unfortunately I have not seen it yet but I if it's only half as captivating as the book it is worth watching it!

Public Reactions to Jack the Ripper

Published in Paperback by Inklings Press (2006-04-08)

Author:

List price: $29.95

New price: $19.67
Used price: $16.49

Average review score:

Excellent

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-15

For those interested in the 'Ripper' saga, or just in the Victorian period in general this book should find a place on your shelf. An excellent, and much needed compliation.

well done!!!

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-11

What can you expect from the editor and mastermind of casebook.org? - certainly something every person interested in the whitechapel murders should have on their bookshelves.

Stephen P. Ryder didn't just write a ripper-book about the case in general, because we already have plenty of those. He picked a topic which gives some really good inside information on how Londoners reacted to the killings that happened right in front of their porches - Letters, sent from various persons, some known, most of them completely unknown, to the editors of the leading London newspapers, telling in their own personal words how the killing spree of Jack the Ripper influenced their daily lives.

The chronologial order of the letters helps to get a good feeling how the fear and terror rose among them, the more victims the perpetrator took.

Ryder also gave several of these writers a face, as the book contains lots of photos and illustrations. The text layout is perfectly readable and if you have read enough for one day, it's no problem to continue the next.

GET IT!