Europe Books

I very much enjoyed Michelle Caffrey's honest and fresh account of the agony and ecstasy of barge life. Being a fellow bargee, I can well relate to both the fears and the exhileration she writes about in her account of their first year of barging. It also made me long to cast off the ropes of my own barge and go travelling again - something I will be doing very shortly too. Thanks for a fun and inspiring read, Michelle.

This review was posted on Amazon Canada by Jan Rehner:
You don't have to know anything about barging or boats to love this book. All you need is a desire to learn about Burgundy France from a unique perspective. Michelle Caffrey tells her true-life story of buying and refitting a lovely barge and lets you drift with her along the tree-lined canals of one of France's most beautiful regions. Textured with fascinating characters and the rich detail of food, wine, and countryside, this book lets you "just imagine" an intriguing and peaceful life style--with a good measure of surprise and humour mixed in.

Most books of this nature are re-hashes of the same story, but "Imagine...." goes a few steps further. It is well written and, for me, it was a good one-day read; not because I couldn't put it down....because I wouldn't put it down. It was that enjoyable. If you have ever thought about owning a barge, a boat, or even an RV, you will be able to enjoy this tremendously. This is a story of their first year. I hope there is a follow-up coming.

John Hardman

Like many of us, the Caffreys have a gipsie hidden deep in their soul. They were able to set theirs free. I'm extremely jealous. I've lived in Europe before and would love to find a way to return for extended stays. Barging is a recent lifestyle discovery for me and Just Imagine, has shown me the way to return to the old country and free my inner gipsie.
As something of a technical geek, the descriptions of the boats they looked at and the buying process they went through to find Imagine was of most interest to me. I now have a better idea of not only what kind of boat to buy but how to go about finding one. I did enjoy reading about the places and people they met but I'm also an explorer at heart, looking forward to my own discoveries. Their sense of entrepreneurship in starting Barge and Breakfast was also of interest as my wife and I both are involved in teaching entrepreneurship at Colorado Mountain College. My exposure to Roma people in Eastern Europe taught me that if you are going to be a gipsie, you also better be an entrepreneur. Sharing my boat with strangers in close quarters is not my idea of fun but it works for them. Proving that there are many ways to fund your dreams if you are creative. Seems like that is what "Just Imagine: New Life on an Old Boat" is all about anyway.
If there are any criticisms of the book it would be that the closer I got to the end of the story, the more grammatical mistakes I found. Not serious stuff but an indication that maybe barging is really more fun than writing about it.
Sail on friends. Some day we will gather by a campfire on the same riverbank to share a bottle of fine wine and a story or two.

I have been to france many times and Michelle's story brought it all back to me. Her descriptions of the trials and tribulations made me wonder if I could ever be as brave as they were to take all this on. It was fabulous as her words helped me to remember the beauty of the landscape and the thoughts of the food and wine made my stomach growl. What a great story and a very easy and fun read.

I bought this book a couple of years ago. I read it and found it quite easy and enjoyable to read. Now I use it mainly for quick reference and usually find myself spending more time just browsing through its pages and enjoying it over and over. It has a lot of interesting historical facts! I wish there were similar books on other europpean royal houses!

This book is a handy review of the highlights of the British and Scottish monarchies. The illustrations are of good quality, and the family trees are helpful. This book is nice to have on the shelf as a quick reference guide for those moments you are trying to keep your Henrys and Edwards straight.

This book is invaluable for anyone researching royal genealogies and history students. Highly recommend, along with the "Mammoth Book of Kings and Queens"

Kings & Queens of England & Scotland is a great book! I use this on a regular basis and is a good source for reports. I would suggest this book. The individual biographies are great, and the events during the reign are really helpful. This book follows each dynasty and shows a family tree for each. I highly suggest this book for anyone.

This is a neat, fun, informative book for everyone, young and old alike. Facts, information, interesting anecdotes, and superb pictures and graphics. The handy size makes it perfect for kids working on reports for school as well. A super book for a number of reasons, and a great one to have on your shelf, especially if you have kids in school or simply want to know more about British Royalty.

This is not a review, since I'd only say great things about my book. But, I will say there's a possibility the book may become a motion picture. The screen treatment is in the hands of three major production companies.

Dr. Bob Alottsa

Dr. Alotta has done it again!
"The Last Voyage of the SS Henry Bacon"is an excellent addition to any collection of Maritime or World War II history. After spending many years gathering first hand accounts and recently de-classified US Government documents, the author has transformed long ago events into a fast paced and riveting story of struggle and survival on the North Atlantic's deadly "Murmansk run".
This story again reminds us of the sacrifices made by the seamen of our Merchant fleet during WWII. Without their courage and dedication to duty, this world would have been very different from the one in which we have been raised.
I give thanks to my Dad, Dick Burbine and the crew of the SS Henry Bacon, as well as to the men of the HMS Zambesi.
Dr. Alotta -- Great Job -Well Done!

Since I was the Radio Officer of this ship I could be a bit biased but I did enjoy reading it. The authors spent many years in the research and interviewing of the surviving crew and other people who were envolved. They did a good job and I believe this story would be of interest to anyone who wishes to know more about this phase of WW2. Almost all the survivors are no longer living now. So it is fortunate that we have this record for the people who will be interested in years to come. Thanks Don Foxvog and Bob Allota.

Donald Foxvog and Robert Alotta effectively collaborate in The Last Voyage of the SS Henry Bacon to dramatically present the powerful story of an American freighter in the crux of the WW II high seas. The mission of the SS Henry Bacon was to save the lives of nineteen Norwegian refugees fleeing from the Nazi Army onslaught. The freighter's mission would exact a blood price from its faithful crew. A deadly and harrowing true story filled with heroic sacrifice and sad tribute, The Last Voyage of the SS Henry Bacon is highly recommended reading for anyone with a strong interest in naval history and a unique contribution to personal, academic, and community library World War II studies collection.

I have read this book twice in it's entirety and some sections of it three or more times. Dr. Alotta has woven together the words of these seamen as they relived their last voyage on the Henry Bacon. Many books on historic events do not give the reader a grasp of how terrible the conditions are that the soldiers and sailors endure in their battles. In this book, you get a feel for how cold and icy the water was. You can picture in your mind what it must have been like to stand on the deck of a sinking ship in the arctic waters knowing that if you stayed on the ship you would die and if you jumped in the water you still might perish. Thank you to Dr. Alotta for writing this book and thank you to all of the brave men and women who have fought our country's battles.

The Lead Goat Veered Off is one of the most entertaining cycle touring narratives that I have read and there are plenty of them on my shelf. Neil Anderson has a wonderful knack for putting you right there next to him on the adventures that he and his wife share. From the hilarious to the absurd (being stuck in their tent for three days in a snowstorm with only oranges to eat comes to mind) to the sometimes arduous nature of touring (mountains that don't seem to have a summit) to the human stories that are both funny and touching. Something that this book communicates very well is that one of the best ways to see a country is by bicycle. Due to the slower pace and reliance on local products and services, interaction with the people and culture of the area are particularly rich. As is noted in many cycle touring books, there are people all over the world that are happy - if not insistent - to take you in, feed you, entertain you and live in your memories forever. This book is broken down into short chapters dealing with specific events or subjects, making it very easy to read snippets here and there during a busy life. Perhaps one of the most valuable things about this book is that it spurs you to think about your own life - is busy really what you want?

I cant wait for the next Biking Adventure...I've read both books by Neil Anderson..Wonderful writer, Excellent at conveying the adventure to words.
Neil and Sharon are so much fun to travel with. I love the interaction they have with others and each other and the area, real life!! Its so much fun to read. Neil is so honest in his writing.
Its not drawn out but its kept at a great pace life/biking adventure and just all around what a true travel adventure would be like. The GoOD tHe BAd ANd the UglY..:)
I hope another book is in the making. NEEd MOre!!

I read both of Neil's books and they are both ones I will never give up. I am an avid reader of cycling adventure books and Neil's sense of humor is second to none. Sharon and Neil share personal struggles and combine it with a simple way of seeing the world with a sense of awe and excitement. The book is broken into short stories and it is easy to read. You will only be disappointed after you have finished both books and now you have to wait for the third. Highly recommended.

I just finished "The Lead Goat Veered Off" second of 2 great reading
books by Canadians Neil Anderson (and his wife Sharon). This is an
entertaining read of their exploits as they travel though Corsica and
Sardinia on their 2+ year world cycling trip. If you didn't read the
first book "Partners in Grime" that's o.k. but it helps. They are both GREAT books. Really enjoyed them both.

I highly recommend this book - a good read by a pretty good author, and a fun story. I've thought of cycling just about everywhere in the world, but I never thought of Sardinia. If you read it, bear in mind that by the time these two got to Sardinia, they had to be fairly hardened cyclists, able to climb hills that might deter the rest of us. But again, good story, fun read, highly recommended.

My wife's maternal grandparents hail from Poland, so when planing a Eurpoean vacation for this summer, Poland it was. As independent travelers, we have always favored Lonely Planet travel books in the past. Once again Lonely Planet delivered the goods. Detailed descriptions of things to see & do, places to stay, and various methods of transportation. Additional internet rescources for finding more hotels than the ones reviewed. I would recommend this series of travel books to all from young backpackers to mature (myself) travelers.

I'd wonder how much time and frustration it would take finding out all this in depth information about the country and it's attractions myself. Especially since we didn't know much about Poland in the first place. It was a true blessing having this book around, especially since many Poles at places you need it most often don't speak English or German. Only price information should need some adjustment (which might have something to do with EU membership related inflation?). I used the print which was updated in Jan 2005, but some prices already doubled!

I recently went to Poland for the first time and found this book to be an absoutely wonderful guide to Warsaw, Krakow, and the Auschwitz concentration camps. All too often guide books that cover an entire country lack the kind of detail a traveler needs, but this book did not suffer that problem at all. The section on Warsaw was actually better organized and contained more detailed factual information than the DK book dedicated solely to that city. This was the only book I needed to help me get around Krakow and Auschwitz as well. I can't speak for the hotel and restaurant recommendations in the book because I never used any of them, but as far as information about historical sites and points of interest this is an outstanding book.

Update: In planning for my second trip to Poland, I recently purchased the Rough Guide to Poland, and I have to say it is even better than the Lonely Planet book because it includes quite a lot more detail. If you only buy one book, get the Rough Guide. But if you buy two, the Lonely Planet book is also very good.

Lonely Planet has been known for covering EVERYTHING in it's books. Thie one really does have a big flaw. Sites are quite OK and hotels are good too - though sometimes choices may be strange. However shopping is done dreadfully - at least in Warsaw. If your happy with the souvenirs you bought using this book, then you are quite lucky. Many shops with fine hand craft, genuine Polish hand-made are unlisted. Also shops with Jewish memorabilia, getting more popular after turbulent history tend to be missing. And when you come to normal shopping its a complete disaster! You wanna hang out in a mall or buy clothes a lot cheaper then in western Europe? Sure... Tourists and Ex-pats do it. But for sure NOT using Lonely Planet. The ever popular Arkadia Mall (biggest in this part of Europe), a place where English, German, French, Spanish and other languages are often heard as often as Polish is missing. So is the not much smaller and also popular with expats Galeria Mokotów. And what mall do tehy list? The dull out-skirt Sadyba Best Mall with a few stores, the usual fast-food joints and a few crappy stores. And it's lonely planets best tip on shopping? Come on! Almost no one goes there, except primary school trips (it's only attraction is the IMAX cinema).

I am puzzled by teh Warsaw shopping chapter. You can't come to the city and not here of Arkadia or Galeria Mokotów. If you see them, you can't recommend the crappy Sadyba Best Mall. So either someone didn't reaserch shopping at all (and just went to SBM) or Lonely Planets standards are dropping and the choice was made in some different dark ways. I just hope the ownership was not an issue. SBM is the only American mall. Arkadia is European, Galeria Mokotów - Jewish and most others French... What other thing could have provoked such a choice?

As a Pole living abroad (but frequently visiting) I have the dual perspective of "a local" but also that of a tourist. This book is easily the best source of background information on all sites and places in modern Poland, from the well-known tourist attractions to the small villages off the beaten track. I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of historical, ethnographic and cultural information about many of those places.
Thanks to this book I managed to discover some interesting places in Poland that I should have known about, if not visited before. Once I got there, I found that relying on the information in the book (especially on "how to get there" or "where to stay") proved more reliable than the information available to the visitor "on the ground". My short trip to the Jura National Park, north of Cracow, was a perfect example of a trip I would not have done if it was not for this guidebook.
Thoroughly recommended to anybody planning to spend an extensive holiday in Poland, or for repeat trips; if your travel is limited to the main cities like Warsaw, Cracow or Gdansk you may find other guidebooks, specific to those locations, sufficient.

This book talks about life in Albania from an outsiders view, however it also introduces you to many citizens of the country, doctors, lawyers, farmers, students, etc. and allows them to speak to you in their own words. I found this very refreshing since many other books don't give you that personal connection to a country. The book is also filled with great pictures. Many Albanians are frustrated that the West has decried communism for so many years, yet now that that these countries have embraced democracy, they feel lost, they need help and don't feel that the international community has done enough. After reading this book, I am sure you will agree that a "Marshall Plan" should be implemented in the Balkans. I know this was mentioned during and after the bombing of Kosova.

This book is a wonderful "visit" to Abania. We visited there last year and fell in love with the people there. I highly recommend it.Very interesting!

Albania is a third-world European nation with dismal gray communist block buildings littering the cities, and more than 600,000 concrete pill boxes land studding its countryside and beaches. For the past fifty years, under the tyrannical dictatorship of the communist leader Enver Hoxha and his isolation from the rest of the world, the people of Albania have languished. After 50 years of no contact with the outside world what must the Albanians have thought when they awoke in 1991 to the fast-paced, competitive world of the 21st century?

Northern Albania (High Albania) is a totally different land than the South. High Albania is an intriguing part of the country that retains separate customs and identity. Marjorie Senechal interviewed scores of ordinary men and women with the intent of discovering who these people are, what have they been through, and what does the future look like to them. She invites the common people of Albania to talk candidly - and talk they do. Without the past fears of being beaten, jailed, or even killed for expressing their thoughts they now talk openly about their children, their work, their problems, their fears and even their dreams. Each interview is accompanied by portrait style photos. Stan Sherer has chosen B&W photography to capture the soul of this suffering country. Sherer does a commendable job in discovering both the ethos of these people and the beauty of this part of the country. His photos reveal a balance between the despair and backwardness of Albania, and the strength of will and hospitality that are found in its people .

The harmonious marriage of text and photos is divided into four chapters: ancient history, the past 100 years, the emerging present, and the hope for the future. In Albania it remains a daily struggle just to survive. Yet despite these difficulties, the traditional Albania toast - "Long life to your children" - is a cry for the future, a future of dreams fulfilled.

A very well written and organized book. It describes this amazing country and its people in a very original and pleasant way. A must read.

This book is a definte highlight and must have for anyone intested in Ghegeria (North ALbania). Long Life to your children is an excellent book with fantastic literary content about the culture and way of live for many Malesores (Higlanders) of North Albania. Anyone interested in Gheg clan culture and the typical life of many North ALbanians will find this book of valuable isight. There are also many wonderful photographs throughout the book to accomapny the text and provide a picture of what the North of The Land of The Eagle looks like. Shume i Mire (Very Good). A definite item to have in your collection of Albania.

Grateful for quick shipping.

I throughly enjoyed this book - most likely because I spent the majority of my life in Northern Ireland. Unfortunately a good unbiased viewpoint is very hard to come by, so I relished the opportunity to fill in a few gaps in my understanding. The flip side of this is that it appears that the authors let a few characters off lightly, on both sides.

The issue I believe is that the situation is very fluid in that part of the world, and events often come to light that change perceptions of various characters. The famous 'They haven't gone away' remark from Mr Adams isn't mentioned for example, and this casts him in a rather different light than is presented in the book.

I do applaud the authors however for not glossing over the lowpoints of Northern Ireland's recent history. Whilst sometimes painful to read, it does help dispel the fairytale fancy of those who have been led to regard murderers as 'freedom fighters'. I just wish that the authors hadn't given their apologists such a light hand.

All in all, if you are new to the area I'd highly recommend this one. This book is a great startpoint but shouldn't be your last read on the matter.

I found this book to be a little bit dry at times, though on the other hand, the descriptions of the violence at the hands of both the IRA and other republican groups and by the Unionist/loyalist groups were quite graphic. Still, it was quite easy to keep up with who was who and who was on which side, something that can sometimes be a problem in a history book. The authors gave a pretty balanced perspective--I do think they were a little more on the Catholic side, but overall, it was balanced. I do wish they had gone more into the background. Why did the British send the Protestants to Catholic Ireland in the first place, and how did the two sides get along before the 20th century? This is glossed over, though I guess what information is given is sufficient. It does whet my appetite to know more, however.

David McKittrick and David McVea present a thoughtful, excellent overview of sectarian strife in Northern Ireland since the 1960's, giving a balanced look at both the Protestant and Catholic communities. They begin with a superb brief historical sketch on the origins and early history of Northern Ireland, chronicling its major events from its inception in 1921 through the 1960's. They offer many fascinating portraits of prominent British, Irish and Northern Irish politicians and terrorists, ranging from the likes of diehard Protestant minister Ian Paisley to former IRA member Gerry Adams. This is quite simply one of the best books I've read on recent Northern Irish history and may be the best historical overview on the origins and current state of "The Troubles".

I read this before a trip to Northern Ireland this summer, where I met with politicians, community leaders and artists. After reading the book, I felt very comfortable with the main themes and events of the Troubles, and several people commented that I seemed particularly well-versed in the history of the conflict (I knew next to nothing even a year before my trip). The book is well-written and balanced, and gives a thorough introduction to the troubles. I recommend reading it after a brief overview of general Irish history (such as "Modern Ireland: A Very Short Introduction") and, of course, as much Joyce as time allows.

I navigated my way through Rome for three months using this map. Worked splendidly! The waterproofing and heavy, foldable (and light-weight) construction is brilliant, as I was caught in more than a fair share of rain storms while using the map. Ideal for pedestrians.

This map is waterproof, wind resistant, easy to fold and easy to read. It probably has more tourist highlights on it than you'll be able to visit in one trip.

After four trips to Rome and being folded & folded & abused, there are still no rips in this map. I get a MapEasy's Guide anytime I can. Easy to read. And, no matter how long between visits, these places never move. Restaurants & hotels may change, but I mark where our favorite places to stay & eat were for future reference.
But mostly I just want to know where an attraction is and the shortest way to get there!!!!

My wife and I bought 2 maps for our trip to Rome this one, and the Streetwise Rome map. This one is helpful if you are trying to find places to eat that are inexpensive, but the locations aren't in the same location that it shows you. This happened to us a couple of times, also, some of the stores are closed that it has listed. It is very helpful because it has the Pantheon, Coliseum, and Piazza Navona blown up on the back side which proved to be helpful.

Overall the Streetwise is a better map because it has the names of all the blocks whereas this one misses some of the alleys (which there are a lot of). The Streetwise does have a smaller font but not terribly small like one of the other reviews states.

Also, this map would be much more helpful if it had an index of the streets and piazza's/largos which the Streetwise map does have.

Overall this map is worth the 6 bucks that I paid for it, but the 9 that I paid for the streetwise was better (more flipping the map over because it's two-sided, but better).

I have 8 of these maps, for cities from Rome to NY. They helped us around in Wash, DC, find the monuments, eating, and points of interest. They are well planned and informative. We just got back from NY and it was just perfect, once again. Having used the "traditional" ones in the past and being a constant traveller, I look forward to our next trips using MapEasy.They are also small enough to fit anywhere.

Winston Churchill wrote this book during the 1930's while in political exile. His masterful handling of Hitler, Roosevelt, and Stalin is presaged as he tells the tale of John Churchill, who overcame party strife in England, baseness and shortsightedness in coalition partners, and (finally) Louis XIV of France. WSC tell the story with his brilliant flair and style, but he also pauses with the reader to reflect on such matters as how to blunt a violent political storm without being yourself destroyed, how best to handle superiors who will hold you responsible for results but will not let you do the job, and how to act honorably when all of your life's work is thrown away by your enemies. These trenchant insights were pertinent in 1700, in the 1930's, and today. You are in for a treat, read this one.

Winston Churchill, in a relatively well-known bad patch during the 1930s, began to write this history of his famous and much maligned ancestor. The first volume contains the first two books of the original four book set. The life of John Churchill, Duke of Malborough, is both a fascinating look at an historical era as well as a personal portrait of a great military general. Book One consists of a large chunk of history, spanning the downfall of Charles I through Cromwell, to the Restoration of Charles II, through the overthrowing of his brother, the Catholic James II by William of Orange married to James II's daughter, Mary, to the crowning of Queen Anne. The second Book of Volume one concentrates on a mere 3 years of Anne's rule.

I will not reiterate what other reviewers have already said. However, I would add that in the writing of this book, Winston Churchill prepared himself to become even greater than his general ancestor. It can hardly be surprising that as this history was being written, events were conspiring to lead Winston Churchill into the biggest world confrontation ever. After studying the campaigns in Europe of Lord Malborough, it can hardly be surprising that Churchill fully suspected the coming of the war long before his fellow MPs.

This is a scholarly work and shouldn't be undertaken without serious patience. Each of the two volumes are in themselves close to 1,000 pages long. The history is written from the point of view of a defender, though Winston Churchill is careful not to gloss over details that might cast an unfavorable opinion of his ancestor. Well worth the effort.

BOOK TWO -

Since I reviewed Book One, I felt it was important to follow up with a review of Book Two of this work. My initial comment is that sticking with something this huge is a task in itself, but often the reward is hard to describe. For me, I feel each time I finish a huge work like this (or Hegel, or Kant, or ... well, anything "Big") I sense my own mind has been exercised a bit. It's a reward in and of itself.

Firstly, like Book One, this is really Volume Three and Volume Four of the a Four Book series bound together in Two mammoth volumes. Reading these 2000 plus pages is like running a marathon: the beginning is difficult, then you break the pain barrier and coast for quite a long while until the last staggering climb to the finish. In Book Three we continue with the war of Spanish Succession. These 500 pages are essentially concerned with the gigantic battles Marlborough fought. It was a time in which his glory was highly esteemed. As we get into Book Four, much like Book One, the narrative returns to the over all political scene which dominated and brought down the Great Duke. It is also the point where the reader might become overwhelmed again by both the multifaceted political machinations as well as the constantly revolving names (John Churchill becomes the Duke of Marlborough, etc.)

However, for all these difficulties, the overall sense from both volumes is as thorough and detailed and enthralling as history can be written. There can be no doubt that Winston Churchill, as he surveyed the ever-mounting rearmament of the Germanic states and looking over the ancient maps of Europe imagining both the current and past, felt an immense burden of responsibility. By undertaking the task of "reforming" The Duke of Marlborough's image, he delved deep in to the vaults of history and warfare. It was not surprising that at the same moment he should be the first to recognize (at least in Britain) the significance of Hitler's intensions.

One other thing struck me as fascinating about this era. The whole course of European politics, war, peace, and financial stability were tied up in the lives of three bickering women: Sarah (Marlborough's wife), Abigail (cousin to Sarah), and Queen Anne (whom both served and guided with gossip and whisperings.) Out of this small time period bore the seeds of Napoleon, the American discontent with England, and Slavery. Big stuff.

I recommend these Four volumes (two books). The paperbacks are perhaps overstuffed, though. Book One split right down the middle. I was more careful with Book Two, though my hands suffered from it. Perhaps spending the money for the hardback editions in this case is worth it?

John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, is the uncontested military genius of late Stuart England, the uncrowned political/military heir to William of Orange and the famous ancestor of Winston Churchill. In tandem with Austria's general, Eugen of Savoy, he led the coalition armies in the War of the Spanish Succession, defeating in detail several of Louis XIV's French and Bavarian armies, most famously at Blenheim, but also at Ramilles, Ourdenarde and Malplaquet. Meanwhile, on the domestic front, his wife, the beautiful but intemperate Sarah Jennings, later Duchess of Marlbourough, became a "favorite" of Queen Anne and secured for him (at least for most of the war) the political support that necessary for him to field an army on the Continent for the many years.

As a writer of history, Churchill ranks with Gibbon for his mastery of prose and his ability to use vivid imagery to hold the reader's attention to minute detail. For each year of the Spanish Succession War, Churchill opens with a strategic appreciation of how the Anglo-Austrian forces plotted out each year's campaigns, and goes to great pains to explain the reasons behind Marlborough's various deployments. And he paints on a simply massive canvas: he begins with a detailed account of Charles II's Restoration, of James II's abortive reign (and Marlborough's role in ending it), of William III and Mary II's joint reign (Churchill is NOT a fan of William and Mary) and of the underlying workings of the French monarchy. He is not afraid to address the various failings in Marlborough's character, particularly his secret negotiations with both the enemy and the exiled Stuarts, but does seek to defend Marlborough (and Sarah) from the more libellous charges.

This book was written in the 1930s, politically Churchill's decade of exile (and personally, his worst years of depression). If everyone turned unemployment, financial crisis and depression to such good use, the world would be a far better place.

Winston Spencer Churchill's biography of his ancestor, John Churchill First Duke of Marlborough, stands out as a restoration of Marlborough's reputation, an account of England under the reigns of Charles II, James II, William III and Queen Anne, and an in-depth military and political history of the War of Spanish Succession.

WSC gives us a picture of the whole man, including his faults. One of WSC's purposes is to rescue Marlborough's reputation from the attacks of generations of historians. The book becomes a brilliant defense and of course it cannot be unbiased. WSC is Marlborough's defense attorney, not his judge.

By the 1920s, Marlborough had been called miserly, greedy, ambitious, duplicitous, disloyal and treacherous. As he recounts Marlborough's life, WSC continually picks up an episode that seemingly illustrates one of these traits, but turns it around.

Where unsympathetic historians saw miserly habits, WSC saw thrift and WSC goes further. Marlborough was miserly when it came to his own needs, such as when he insisted surgeons cut his stocking along the seem so that it could be resown. Yet he paid his army's bills and wages on time; apparently this was unusual in those days. He paid, from his own discretionary funds, which other generals often pocketed as a matter of course, for military intelligence that proved crucial to securing many of his victories.

Where accusers saw ambition needlessly prolonging a difficult war, WSC presents Marlborough has being bound by duty to achieve the best results possible, and to reject a timid peace, which would have left Europe in the hands of a despot.

WSC has a more difficult, but no less successful time defending Marlborough's continued correspondence with St-Germain, the exiled English court of James II and later his son, as recognized by Louis the XIV. The problem here is that today such acts would indeed be treason, but in the seventeenth century they were part of the normal workings of diplomacy, war time or not. After all, if passports and safe conduits were routinely given to enemies to allow them to rest and confer in between campaigns, it could not have been that unusual to keep in touch with people one knew, even if they were officially enemies.

WSC also presents Marlborough's most important relationships: with his wife Sarah Jennings; with his military ally Prince Eugene, with whom he won at Blenheim; with his political colleague Godolphin, who secured funds for his military work; with the kings and queen of England from James II to George I;

But WSC does accuse Marlborough on occasion of having been unwise. He is particularly critical of the Duke's obsession with his palace at Blenheim (where WSC himself was born). Marlborough didnft want an opulent residence, rather he wanted to leave a monument that would survive centuries and remember his name to future generations. WSC writes that as such Blenheim was a failure: it added nothing to the Duke's reputation and the worries it caused may have taken years from his life. Winston Churchill must have felt his biography was a better memorial to his ancestor.

Winston Churchill was a man who rarely met a topic upon which he didn't harbor a strong opinion that he was willing to share. The Duke of Marlborough is no different. Churchill is clearly enamoured with this relative of his and lets it show. That said, Churchill plainly states that there are two camps on Marlborough and tells the world which camp he falls into. By doing so, he opens up the reader to get a feel not just for Marlborough and his times, but also for the debate by historians that rages around a polarizing historic figure like Marlborough. (Sound familiar to anyone else?) The result is a richly layered work.

Winston Churchill viewed history as something that was alive and tangible and his historic writings capture that feeling for readers. Marlborough's battles - both military and political - come to life in the hands of Churchill. We get to see one of the great military minds of the 18th century push military science closer and closer to its modern form. We also see him perform less well on the political front against his foes there.

Through the entire book, we get to listen to Winston Churchill in his element, telling us a story about a topic he feels passionately about. So many of the trials, trevails, and reactions that Churchill ascribes to Marlborough are so obviously parallels to Churchill's life and his reactions that the book has a clear autobiographical tone to it as well.

Highly recommended for history buffs and for people who want to understand Churchill more deeply.

This is an excellent book for parents. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down until I finished it. This book helps you see your weak points as a parent and offers you solutions to fix them. It is very easy to understand and relate to. I would really recommend this book to all the parents and to those who are looking forward to have kids.

I was especially pleased with this book being muslim for only the last year of my life. I can honestly relate to this book as well as begin to understand what aspects of raising a muslim child are important. I am expecting my first baby girl in july and will always hang on to this book. I'm sure I will read it 5 more times in the years come. Easy to read, easy to understand. Thank you.

Salaam'a'lakum,
Ibrahim Hawk

This book is extremely beneficial to existing or soon-to-be parents living in any westernized society. It contains the solutions to dealing with every-day difficulties parents face in managing their familes, as well as numerous real examples that make this book all the more easy to understand. It also demonstrates how Islam provides practical and efficent ways of maintaining good family life.

Alhmadu Lillahi Rabbil 'Alamin ... This beautiful book wasgiven to me as a gift, and I have found it very interesting-andinsightful. I am a Muslim-American, so this book helps me relatebetter to children who grow up in America, following Islam. I amdoing some graduate work in Elementary Education, and I find that thisbook ties in a great deal with that subject, as well. I wouldrecommend this book to a Muslim and a non-Muslim--especially a teacheror parent who's interested in relating better to Muslim children andtheir families. Overall, it is a very positive book.

I purchased this book for parents of one of my students, as a present; and then apologized to them for reading it before they got to see it. I opened it, just to take a quick peek, and found it so interesting I didn't want to set it down.

The excerpts from the Qu'ran, the insights into the values of American Muslim families, the balance of heart and head, make this a wonderful book. This book has nothing to do with politics - it is purely about parenting and the priorities Muslim families place on providing guidelines/boundaries with love, for their children.It has a very good section on the affects of television on all families,and the importance of both setting limits and talking with children about what they see and hear in the media.

The book gives non-Muslims a rare glimpse into the parenting messages of the Qu'ran and to see the similarities in families of ALL faiths when it comes to child rearing.This book is definitely worthwhile reading for teachers who want to be more sensitive and supportive to Muslim students and their parents.