Europe Books

Gina Buonaguro and Janice Kirk have written such a deep, touching story in "The Sidewalk Artist". It is so poetic, it brings tears to this reader's eyes. The book presents the life story of a Renaissance artist into the modern world where a young tourist named Tulia meets and is instantly inrigued with a sidewalk artist and finds herself falling in love. Their tale intermingles with the book Tulia is attempting to write during her travels through France and Italy. Slowly, the truth begins to reveal itself about the artist and the secret he hides. Everyone who has a romantic bone in his or her body should not miss this one!

If you have ever been to Paris or Italy or have an interest in art, or if you are a romantic, this is the book for you. I enjoyed it very much. Such a novel plot and so well done. You cheer for the heroine and the ending is bittersweet.

The Sidewalk Artist is a beautifully written book and is very atmospheric.

The book really is two stories but it is really one love story that surpasses time and I did work out the plot when I was half way through I was not tempted to give up as I was hoping I was wrong !

It is not a book I would normally buy but I did enjoy it. Definitely a lovely Summer read. My only complaint is I would have liked it to be a bit longer !

The Sidewalk Artist is a beautifully written book and is very atmospheric.

The book really is two stories but it is really one love story that surpasses time. I did work out the plot when I was half way through, however I was not tempted to give up as I was hoping I was wrong !

It is not a book I would normally buy but I did enjoy it. Definitely a lovely Summer read. My only complaint is I would have liked it to be a bit longer !

Whenever I hear a book labeled a "romance", I instantly think of bodice rippers. As I am not a fan of this genre, attaching "romance" to a book makes me wary and that's too bad, as I love a really well done romance. Fortunately, there are books like this that prove that romance can be a very literary topic.

Tulia Rose heads off to Europe for some time away from what has become a fractured relationship. She's a woman who seems to be standing still in her life. Though she is happy with her job, the pay is low and there is no real opportunity to go any further than where she is. The aforementioned relationship is with a man who makes a great deal of money and so one of the central conflicts here is not only the slow death of their romance but also the more practical question of how Tulia is to survive if she is to go it alone. This is a complex issue and one that undoubtedly leads many people to stay with partners with whom they are really ill suited. I thought the authors handled this particular plot thread in a thoughtful manner.

While in Europe, Tulia meets a very mysterious sidewalk artist who causes her to drastically change her plans. Though he is sensitive and handsome and though Tulia finds herself drawn to him, he is also rather cagey and her reaction to his reticence is very realistic. She finds herself having to choose between what her heart and her head are telling her. Though she finds herself falling for him, her growing feelings for him are tempered by periodic bursts of uncertainty as to whether he is sincere and even whether he could, in fact, be dangerous. Really, all love is like this in that we must all ultimately make a choice as to whether or not we will allow ourselves to become vulnerable enough to care for someone. Tulia wants to believe in love but has found herself disappointed in the past and so while her caution is certainly advisable, it also says a lot about how she has been hurt in the past.

Woven within Tulia's story is a fictional account of the artist Raphael and the woman he loved, which Tulia writes after the story comes to her in bits and pieces during dreams. His is a cautionary tale about taking love for granted rather than seizing every opportunity for happiness. The more Tulia writes the tale, the more unsettling it becomes because it seems so vivid to her. It is here that the mystical elements of the novel come into play and Buonaguro and Kirk have created a book that has fantastical elements that are so sensitively written that, however implausible, they don't seem silly.

Awe and perhaps a bit of terror are the appropriate responses to this work. Schulz wrote like a man possessed by the spirit of creation - his sentences are alive, they breathe and hiss with color and form as a revelation of the world is made. His control of imagery incarnate in language slides and shifts from the most gracious to the most grotesque. Beyond it all is a vision of the cogs and gears upon which the cosmos turns, a radiant pattern from the Baroque era. Schulz dropped down to the mythopoeic essence at the core of time and crafted stories that told more of his childhood than any more literal record could've.

Ten stars, and sadness for the premature passing of one of the greats.

This is a great book. The beginning starts rather sweetly and relies perhaps a bit too much on a Kafkaesque-Proustian pastiche, but then the whole thing comes alive with the Father, the birds, and his theories regarding the Second Genesis. When the father assumes the podium-the book ceases to re/present and enters into Being. His monologues are fantastic! It is a pity they are so short. Schulz was a man of rare genius. His dual pursuit of writing and the visual arts make him an even more fascinating figure. I am eager to get his book of drawings.

This book reveals a great talent that was taken from us. The richness of the sentences, their imagery and use of language reveal a great depth of talent. Who knows what Mozart might have done if he'd lived another 36 years? A slim volume worth every penny.

I first heard about this book through the pages of the 5-star novel "The History of Love." What is most unusual about it is the author's lack of intention to actually publish his writing. This book is a manifestation of personal letters he had addressed to a geographically distant friend. It is by no means an easy read. The language is powerful and supremely complex and requires absolute focus and sometimes the need to reread a paragraph a few times to truly appreciate the intense magnitude of brain power that this author possesses. This is a book of highly exaggerated proportions. Schulz takes "magical realism" to another level.

Convoluted ideas that twist into abstract thoughts walk through dark alleyways and emerge triumphant. This is how I would describe Schulz's writing. This is not the sort of book you can breeze through but rather, like a dense and flavorful truffle. You will want to savor every word, let it sink in and roll it around in your grey matter before you can appreciate its true meaning and beauty. There is real depth and symbolism in Schulz's writing. That said, it is certainly not for everyone. If you're looking for a lighthearted bedtime read, skip this book. On the other hand, if you're looking for mental stimulation and a book that truly promises an escape from reality, you won't be disappointed by this street of crocodiles.

I am not sure I got this book in a real way. I had heard of and read of Bruno Schultz as a writer of the Shoah(The Holocaust) but the events of the Shoah are not a direct part of this story. The Shoah connection is given in the fact that Schultz was murdered by the Nazis.
The book itself I found disconcerting, bizaare, and difficult. It is filled with descriptions , word- pictures which seem at the one hand beautiful, and on the other somewhat unreal. I suppose what bothered me above all is the narrator's tone and relation to the events which are happening.
As the major action of the work relates to the physical and mental deterioration of the narrator's father I was taken aback by the lack of human sympathy displayed . In fact the whole disconnectedness of the human beings in the book to each other is another thing which makes the work so troublesome.
There is a world in this book, a mind in this book which is not like anything I myself have experienced even in reading.
But however beautiful some of the images given by this mind it seemed to me so fundamentally alien that I could not really grasp it.

I'm doing research on the hope of writing a romance novel based on a story my ex-husband told me about how his grandfather came to America. I found this book fascinating. It gave me a real feel for the time and the place. And unlike many history books, it wasn't boring.

Fred Morton certainly lived up to his reputation in this novel about the waning days of the "Imperial City of Vienna" and all the different personages inhabiting the Empire [Stalin, Hitler, Trotsky] during these turbulent pre WWI years. Excellent for history buffs such as myself or anyone else for that matter who enjoys a good read about the declining days of Empire and the effect of the Great War on European Aristocracy. Also interesting to note that Franz Ferdinand's three surviving children [daughter and two sons] were taken in by a friend after their parents murder by a Serbian Terrorist [not family as they were morgantic children due to their mother's status] and all eventually found themselves sent to a concentration camp [Therienstadt] when Austria was gobbled up by Germany during the Nazi's rise to power..as they did not possess "Imperial Status" Dont hear too much about this in any books. Eventually they were liberated by the Allies and their property restored to them. Sophie outlived both her younger brothers living to the ripe old age of 91. Her desendents live today in Konopiste; the Palace of Arch Duke Ferdinand and his wife Sophie Chotek.

There is an historical theory, or perhaps it is no more than a bon mot, that empires at the end of their power and political influence spend their last energies on a showy efflorescence, like a century plant. The prime examples would be 18th century Venice and early 20th century Vienna.

In "Thunder at Twilight," Frederic Morton presents a gossipy and apparently frothy portrait of such a bloom, told as a tragic love story. Like a good Mozart opera, there is a subsidiary, comic love story as well.

The tragic lovers are Franz Ferdinand, crown price of Austria-Hungary, and his wife, Sophie Chotek. Because Sophie was not royal, merely a countess, the archduke could not marry her as consort but only as a morganatic wife, and their children would not be in line for succession to the throne,

The comic lovers are Emperor Franz Joseph and the Widow Schratt, who also could not marry but who were so proper that they did not even make out.

The villain is Montenuevo, first court chamberlain, epitomizing the sclerotic empire that after rolling along for 800 years had almost seized its gears.

There is a huge supporting cast: Trotsky, Lenin and Stalin; Freud and Jung; the mad general Conrad von Hotzendorf and the crazed Serb Apis, etc. etc.

With an eye on the weather and the changes of seasons and in a flurry of adjectives, Morton leads them all toward a doom. This is one of the few reviews of the period that treats Franz Ferdinand as anything more than a stage prop.

In fact, in Morton's interpretation, the archduke is practically the only sensible man in the empire, full of fierce words masking a desperate attempt to keep Austria out of war with Russia. Sophie plays the calming influence who steadies her hotheaded lover.

Morton rightly calls Franz Ferdinand's policy appeasement of Serbia. It could never have worked. As we know from a further century of bitter experience, the South Slavs can neither govern themselves nor be governed

Conrad, though incompetent, was right. Serbia needed to be crushed. The problem was, Austria could not do it unless Russia stood aside; and Russia, another dying empire, was as full of aristocratic nitwits as Vienna, and had its own ungovernable Slavs (and Germans, like Lenin).

As hardcore history, "Thunder at Twilight" is too light, too consciously melodramatic. But it is great fun to read and seems to get the big picture more exactly right than more ponderous tomes.

A college professor recommended this to me so I read it in about a day. It is very interesting how Morton weaves history into some sort of a novel that's very easy to read. Inspired by the death of his uncle in World War I, Morton writes about the history and the climax leading up to the very moment when the Crown Prince Francis Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were assassinated by a Serbian terrorist youth.

Morton explains the nasty relationship with the Hapsburg Empire (that includes Austria) and the lower Slavic nations and the growing animosity between them. This is a great book for history buffs. My only complaints are that there aren't any citations in the book and that the friendship between Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud don't seem to have anything to do with the story itself.

This is a favorite of mine, all the info about the Fin du siecle, Rudolph, and why we went into World War 1, and why some young people don't make it somehow!

Amazing and amazingly entertaining book, very very higly recommended. I dont have anything to add to the info of the book itself, go for the editorial reviews.

It has been more than 60 years since the Holocaust occurred, yet there can never be enough written about this tragedy, especially so since many of the survivors are diminishing in numbers. In Witness: Voices from the Holocaust, we are able to learn about this human tragedy of epic proportions that was the Shoah based on actual testimonies of survivors.

The book is very well-organised and is divided into chapters, i.e. Life in Europe in the 1930s, The Outbreak of War, The Ghettoes, Escape, Hiding, and Resistance, Deportation and Arrival, The Camps, Death Marches, Liberation and Aftermath. Apart from the compelling eyewitness testimonies [not just by survivors, but also in some cases Gentiles], there are also pictures that depict the lives of European Jewry before, during and after the war.

A compelling addition to Holocaust literature and though the stories themselves aren't lengthy, the horrors that they evoke is enough for us to reflect upon.

This great, compelling story of historical drama and is told from many points of view from that time in history, the 1940's. The book is set all over in Germany and is told by many different characters. I really liked how the authors described in detail what they felt when,they were being taken to a concentration camp or taken away from their loved ones. This book is a collection of many autobiographies of the survivors in the Holocaust. I loved how this author put together these autobiographies in chronological order, so it was easy to follow. Witness does a great job of telling about the memories that the survivor's in the Holocaust have had for many years. It also helps you understand what is was like for the Jewish citizens and the huge impact the Germans had on people around the world. This book is for every person that wants to know what it was like in the life of a Jewish man, woman, or child during that horrible time in history.

This great, compelling story of historical drama and is told from many points of view from that horrible time, the 1940's. The book is set all over in Germany and is told by many different characters. I really liked how the authors described in detail what they felt when,they were being taken to a concentration camp or taken away from their loved ones. This book is a collection of many autobiographies of the survivors in the Holocaust. I loved how this author put together these autobiographies in chronological order, so it was easy to follow. Witness does a great job of telling about the memories that the survivor's in the Holocaust have had for many years. It also helps you understand what is was like for the Jewish citizens and the huge impact the Germans had on people around the world. This book is for every person that wants to know what it was like in the life of a Jewish man, woman, or child during that horrible time in history.

I read this book several years ago and it had a profound affect on me. It is divided into three sections: life before, life during, and life after the holocaust for Jewish survivors. All the accounts are first-person narratives by the survivors themselves. I believe they were all interviewed on tape for a documentary. And then they put it into print to create this book. Something that surprised me was how prevalent anti-semitism was in the years before the Holocaust. Sometimes we think Hitler suddenly arose out of nowhere with his anti-semitism. But he was actually just "riding a wave" of hatred of the Jews. The Polish people were in particular very hateful of the Jews. It really surprised me how much they had to endure before WWII even began! This book was a compelling read - true accounts directly from those who survived the greatest horror of the 20th Century.

As opposed to earlier commentators I do not come from a background rich in readings on the subject of the Holocaust and therefore Witness came as a unexpected mine of memories of people that had experienced the unimaginable.
My knowledge of the events of the Holocaust were almost exclusively from video documentaries and those documentaries had left many unanswered questions: questions about the Transportation, about the Marches after the camps closed late in the war, about the closing of the ghettos, about the long-term hiding, about the massive anti-semitism that greeted the survivors after the war upon returning "home" and finally the Jewish guerrilla bands that sprang up throughout eastern Europe.
The remarkable thing about this great exercise is the broadness of the interviews that compose the book: the authors assembled a very wide ranging collection of these interviews that spoke about all the topics that I had only heard snatches about in the video documentaries. It was all the more remarkable because these were all primary sources-they were not what somebody had interpreted but the memories of the people that lived the experience and because of this the book had an enormous impact on this reader.
I am a slow reader and the book absorbed me totally and I finished it in a matter of days.
If you read no other book about the Holocaust-read this one.

Quite simply as my review title indicates, every Division or unit that served in the Normandy campaign, deserves an author of Mark's calibre. I am a working tour guide of the D-Day battlefields, and I wish that every unit was covered in the same incredible detail as Mark Bando covers the 101st Airborne in his books. If you want to really get "under the skin" of a WWII combat division and hear true and verified stories of young men in combat, then this book is a must have. The only danger is that after reading this author's books, works by other authors on other units will seem dull and lifeless in comparison.

If you have gained an interest in the 101st because of computer games or a TV series, then BUY THIS BOOK. There is nothing to compare for personal stories of the men who jumped into the area behind Utah beach on D-Day. Unlike other books, these are not re-hashed anecdotes relayed third-hand from other works, these are fresh, exciting, gripping and moving accounts from the author's 35 year hobby of interviewing and more importantly befriending the veteran Screaming Eagles.

Using the mixture of photography, facts and quotes, 101st Airborne: The Screaming Eagles At Normandy, can serve as a great historical document. Within the pages of this great book, eye-catching photographs bring to light those events from World War II and the Normandy Invasion. The actions and reactions of the soldiers that fought in that war are caught forever through the historical eye of a camera, through famous and infamous quotes and accounts of the heroes from World War II.

The pages show the heightened moral and anticipation of the men prior to the invasion. Then the reader is brought into the middle of the battle with stories and quotes not just eye-opening photographs. This technique brings you side by side with the people of the villages and into the ranks of the soldiers marching off to fight another battle. I believe one of the best chapters is the true story of the movie ýSaving Private Ryaný. This chapter, Saving Sergeant Niland, shows the true-life drama of a man that Hollywood has made famous.

The book brings to light some of the things that are never seen in movies and footage of events of the war. I am sure that this book, as well as its predecessor The 101st Airborne at Normandy, will bring back memories of the way it was behind the lines during that part of the war to those who served. Even though there is a predecessor to this book both stand independent of each other.

When my uncle past away last year, my aunt showed me the 101st Airborne in Normandy, a book by Mark Bando. In the section on combat experiences, the first soldier profiled was my uncle Manny Gesulga. Manny was part of the 101st paratroop drop behind enemy lines at Normandy and his combat exploits read like something out of a GI Joe comic book. After living his harrowing experiences in Normandy, he went to fight in Operation Market Garden (wounded by sharpnel) and the Battle of the Bulge (wounded by sniper fire) and came out to live a full, productive life. He never mentioned his role in WWII but I am glad Mr. Bando gave credence to him and other heroes of the 101st. This book is a must read for all history buffs and really brings home the sense of duty and committment to freedom that is the legacy of the young men of America.

Outragous book, my father was in this book and I had to call him to recount the details to me first hand. Because of this book, I now know more of the war my father fought in.

Mark Bando, the author of this exposition of the bigger-than-life adventures of the fabled 101st Airborne "Screaming Eagles" at Normandy, is an old acquaintance and comrade from the Detroit Police Department. We spent time together years ago as writers for our police patrolmen's union newspaper, the Tuebor. We have happily renewed our acquaintance of late, and while I remember Mark as an astute and accomplished writer, my less-than-passionate interest in military affairs had, until recently, kept me from reading this fine book. Now that I have finally done so, I deeply regret that I waited so long.

"101st Airborne: The Screaming Eagles At Normandy" is a marvelous work on several fronts:

It is beautifully bound and presented; the layout and format are perfect for the subject matter; the photographs (many of them rare and quite beautiful) are heartwarming or bone chilling, as the case may be; the narrative is painstakingly researched from personal interviews of old soldiers and authentic military records; and, most importantly, the writing is masterful...accurate and careful as from a shrewd reporter's practiced and skeptical eye...loving and lyrical as from the pen of a writer of first rate fiction. I suspect Mark's experiences in "combat" on the dangerous streets of Detroit over the years have engendered in him a unique capacity to understand the special sensibilities of the combat veterans depicted in his book. Quite simply, "101st Airborne" is an astonishing accomplishment, worth reading more than once, and worth buying as gifts for the whole family, whether students of military history or not.

Mark has been very kind in his assessment of my own work elsewhere on this website. I am only sorry that I took so long to offer my heartiest endorsement of this first rate book. Get it. Read it. You'll be very happy you did.

I,m sixty-one yrs old. My heroes have always been the WWII veterans. I'm stocked with books, video tapes and dvd's of WWII. But my favorite is Tom Brokaw's "The Greatest Generation". I gave my 31yr old son a set for Christmas, when they first came out. I hate to see them(WWII vets) go. There will never be another quite like them. No, never! Through out the universe, we can not fathom what they went through, for US. My greatest memory of a WWII veteran, is when I was aboard the USS Lexington. I was a tour guide when it opened as a museum in Oct '92, in Corpus Christi, Tx. I was wearing my Viet Nam veteran pin. He extended his hand to me and said Thank you! I was perturbed for a minute, but then he said, "for your service in Viet Nam". Those are the men Tom is talking about. It had been twenty-five years since Nam. That was the first time anyone thanked me for my service in Viet Nam. 1st Mar Div. 1st Shore Party Battalion, '67,'68. And proudly served my Country. Porfirio Moreno.

Very down to earth description from the men that were there on that date. Worthwhile read.

Being a baby boomer, I have not truly experienced war, albeit was born during WWII and have never failed to be impressed by its stories of bravery, of sacrifice, of unrelenting determination to pursue the glory that awaits those WWII heroes who have not died in vain, for all of us, and for our country. I have only read the book reviews but I feel that I have read the entire book. I also fully concur with my fellow book reviewers that the WWII veterans are, perhaps, not the most recognized, to this writing, as opposed to those veterans of recent wars. Some of the WWII veterans have long died, as well, such as those from the Bataan Death March, waiting to be recognized in vain. This is what truly hurts the most.

Characteristic of Mr. Brokaw's deservedly multi-awarded journalistic style, he has, and continues to impress on the whole world how vital and necessary it is for us to love history (as does this Filipino-American journalist reviewer with all of my strength, my mind, my will, my heart, and my soul so much so that it runs in my veins).

The book is a must-read for all future journalists. I cannot but add it to my personal library.

Brokaw provides another moving tribute to what he refers to as the "Greatest Generation." Many of the letters included here are quite emotional and touching. This book also includes timelines for the war in Europe, the Pacific, and the homefront, as well as the depression, and also touches on areas not addressed in the two earlier books. There is also an abundance of period photographs and copies of documents, submitted by the letter writers. These help to put a human face on the various stories.

I found this book while searching on Amazon.com for gift ideas. I have not read the book but it seems to be just what I need to finish a gift for my father. My parents grew up during the Great Depression and as a result saved everything. Last year I cleaned out the attic of the family home and sorted through bags and boxes of what we now refer to as disposable items such as bags of pencil stubs (did they really think they would use them again...especially if they are stuffed in the attic?). However, being the child of "savers" has paid off. I am preparing an "album of memories" of the original letters that my father, Roger Griffith, a WWII Navy veteran, sent to his parents during the war. I plan to buy Mr. Brokaw's "An Album of Memories" as a companion to the my album. Mr. Brokaw has again made gift giving easier for the older and greater generation. Thank you.

My daughter and I both loved this book. Traditional Greek myths are retold through the eyes of Atalanta, Andromeda, and Psyche. The tales are fairly true to the originals, with a few slight departures. The mortal characters are wonderfully human, and even the gods and goddesses are rendered as multifaceted beings. These are love stories but there isn't any overt sexuality. I enjoyed the author's notes at the end, as Ms. McLaren provides information about the myths, ancient Greek culture, and women's roles. If you are considering this book for a young reader, you may wish to know that these notes do refer to homosexual relationships, which were a well documented part of the ancient Greek culture.
I recommend this book most highly to all myth lovers at a 4th grade or higher reading level.

McLaren's other book "Inside the Walls of Troy" is better than this one, but I really enjoyed this short book.

Atalanta has been raised since birth to be her a son to her father, rather than a daughter. So when her father proposes a marriage, she is furious. She outruns all her suitors in a marriage-or-death race, but one.

Andromeda is betrothed to someone whom she wants nothing to do with. Her mother makes the mistake of proclaiming that both she and Andromeda are more beautiful than the goddesses. Andromeda is sent to death, but something happens that changes that.

Psyche is one of the most beautiful women alive. One day, a nameless immortal asks for her hand in marriage. Psyche goes to the man's home and is never happier, until she makes a horrible mistake.

I LOVED Psyche's story and I wish that McLaren had made Psyche's story a book alone. While this is not my favorite Greek myths book, it is worth reading.

~Atalanta

I loved this when i first read it back in 8th grade. Now that i bought it and re-read it again, i love it even more! I have loved greek mythology and romantic stuff for a long time and this book provides both. It first inspired me to write my own greek mythology love story back in 8th grade. But now that i have re-read it and another one of the author's books, i'm going to fix my story and make it better.

This book was pretty good. I definitely enjoyed reading it. Aphrodite's Blessing is a book about three Greek myths. In these myths, Aphrodite plays a main role in the lives of the main characters: Atalanta, Andromeda, and Psyche.

In the first myth, Atalanta is of an age to marry. But she doesn't want to be married off and to get out of it, she races against her suitors. If Atalanta wins, her suitors will be executed. If she loses, she will be married off to the winner. Atalanta ends up winning most of the races and tying only one time. She stays unmarried, until Aphrodite decides to change all that.

In the second myth, Andrommeda is going to be thrown in a loveless, arranged marriage. Until her mother brags about them being more beautiful than the water nymphs. In consequence, Andrommeda must be sacrificed to a sea monster. Until her secret hero comes and saves her.

The third myth is my favorite out of the book. It's about Psyche, who's beauty is enough to make Aphrodite herself jealous.
A prophecy has been made that Psyche is not to marry any mortal being and so she's ends up being married to an immortal. But there are sacrifices she must make. Psyche is not allowed to see the face of her husband and must trust him. But thanks to the meddling of her sisters, she breaks that trust and finds out he is Eros, a.k.a. Cupid. Now she must complete three tasks for jealous Aphrodite, Eros's mother, to ever see him again.

These are great stories and it gets more in depth than the original myths. I found out that some of the stories contradict the original myths, but i liked them anyway.

This book has got to be one of the best books I've ever read, and I liked it so much that I'm now absolutely obsessed with all Greek myths! My favourite has got to be Psyche's story, for it's the story with the most feelings. When I read retold myths, they are somehow rather vague. I recommend waiting for Oddyseus too.

Do you like murder mysteries? If the answer is yes than this is the book for you. This book starts slow in 1533 with13 year old Grace in her bedroom writing in her journal. On the night of her Valentines Day ball she sees a sight no child should ever see. The next day she is forced to figure out who murdered one of her suitors. I give this book 4 stars because it is exciting and unpredictable.

-Acacia

this book is a fantastic novel that is not to short but not to long if you like mystries and blood shed this is the book for you.
Also the other books in the series are also fantastic and i would reccomend the books to 10 and above as it does have words that are hard to understand as i started to read them when i was 9.
Basicly to cut it all short ABSOLUTLY FANTASTICLY GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This book was captavating! I absolutely could not put it down! The very first sentance swept me away to a place far back in time, where mystery and drama in the World's finest court, the court of Enhgland, unfold. Lady Grace's brave heart must choose between being the ideal "little lady" (that Lady Sarah!) or being herself, helping her friends, and being loyal to the queen. When malicious mischief strikes, disguises unfold, death enters the court. When her engaged fiance is convicted for a murder he did not do, Lady Grace must uncover the truth. Could it all be a scheme to steal the lavish estates of the Cavendish's? This book is one of the best!

I loved this book! It's very exciting and it has a lot of history from that time.

Lady Grace Cavendish is a Maid of Honor for Queen Elizabeth. The Queen offers her three suitors to pick from to marry later. Then, one suitor is murdered and another is under suspicion.

It's very exciting and easy to get through!

Lady Grace is a brilliant mystery book and it keeps you on the edge of your chair right the way through. It is a diary and its about a maid of onner and she works for the queen but that is not it.There is a mystery in evry book and lady Grace goes under cover to try and find out who did it. It is set a long time a go and she goes to the extrem. Her friends masu and ellie try and come with her but sometimes they are in trouble.
this is a brilliant book and I advise reading it. i cant wait till the next one comes out as i am a big fan and have read all the books so far.

My son had to pick two books off of a large list to read over the summer for school. After reading the other reviews of this book, we picked it. It was a wonderful choice. The book was very interesting, fast paced, well written and easy to read. I read it in 3 hours, and my son was able to read in in a few nights without any complaints of boredom.

If any literary giant needs to have his work adapted to film, it is Myers. As one of the premier writers of fiction for juveniles, the author has added another significant piece to his long line of classics. This one tells the story of a little-known African princess who comes under the wing of England's legendary Queen Victoria.

Not only does the book reveal the horrors of the African slave trade, the atrocities that some tyrants inflict on their enemies, and the class system that pervades much of a "civilized" society, it is a marvelous tale of a girl who overcomes such obstacles and becomes the darling of English society.

Although Sarah's life is brief, it is a memorable one as the character grows from frightened child to a loving mother.
I am recommending that all my students read this book as well as others by Myers. Now, if only someone in "Tinsel Town" would discover this fine author.

I'd much rather see his stories on the big screen than any about a teenaged wizard.

"At Her Majesty's Request: An African Princess in Victorian England" tells the life story of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, who was born an African Egbado princess, captured by rival Dohamans and taken to Dahomey to be murdered in a ritual sacrifice, rescued and adopted by a British naval captain, taken to England and presented to Queen Victoria, and raised under the Queen's protection in England and Sierra Leone. This handsome book is a very fine biography for young readers; it includes many excerpts from Sarah's letters and the Queen's diaries, as well as historic illustrations. Relevant information about 19th century West Africa and Britain (e.g., the Dahomey empire, the slave trade and British actions to end it, Christian missions in Africa, Sierra Leone, the British class system, women's place in society, etc.) is well presented. Although Sarah's story is interesting because of its uniqueness, much about the lives of ordinary 19th century West Africans and Europeans can be learned here. Despite the fact that there is little material concerning Sarah's life, the author has done a fine job and readers interested in Africa should be glad he did. The book contains a useful bibliography which includes "Dahomey and the Dahomans" (1851) by Frederick E. Forbes (the captain who rescued and adopted Sarah).

19th century Dahomey is also the setting of "The Viceroy of Ouidah" by Bruce Chatwin.

I think this is a very well written book. I think that Walter Dean Myers is an amazing writer and that it is great he found this fantastic girl that many have never heard of.

The book, At Her Majesty's Request was the most wonderful book I've read because it tells the story of how Sarah Bonetta overcomed so many problems. First w/ the horror of watching her parents being killed, and then almost being sacrificed by the slave holders because of who she was and where she lived.Then when she was saved by a white man whom she couldn't even understand becase she spoke a different language.And then soon after that she learned how to speak english and then she became friends w/ the Queen of England, Queen Victoria.So the book to me was very heart-warming and I hope you love the book too! Go Wells Wolverines!

Famous Hispanic novelist writes broad brush cultural and political history of the connection between Spain and Spanish America--the "New World" of the subtitle.

He shows how the three threads of Spanish history in 1492--feudalism fighting toward central monarchy, Christianized Europe fighting against the Islamic outpost on the Iberian peninsula, and the three peoples of the Book--Jews, Christians, and Muslims--fighting for survival and cultural footholds in the rebirth of knowledge in the Rennaisance--played out on the projected Utopia of the "New" World.

Good high-level framework for studying South and Central American history.

Reading this book, helped me see how close to each other we all are. How the Islamic culture and arts are part of the Hispanic world. For instance, a great percent of the words that we use in Spanish derived from the Arabic language. It's a great read!!

This book is the English translation of El Espejo Enterrado, by Mexican writer and diplomat Carlos Fuentes. It consists of 399 pages divided into 5 parts and 18 chapters which describe the history of the Spanish speaking people from their Cretan and Greek roots, through their development during the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Imperial Period, all the way to modern Spain and South America.

The book also includes 5 two page tables titled The Monarchs of Spain and showing detailed genealogical information on the families that ruled Spain from 970 ad to the beginning of the 20th century (not included in the Spanish version published by Taurus-Bolsillo 1992), as well as a large number of beautiful black and white and color illustrations (also not included the Spanish version published by Taurus-Bolsillo 1992). I missed such information, when reading the Spanish version, particularly the illustrations, because the author refers to them in the text, often with very detailed descriptions.

The book ends with the credits, acknowledgements, and index.

El Espejo Enterrado is listed as an essay, although it probably should be classified as a history book. Yet it is more than that, because Carlos Fuentes is more than an essayer or a historian. He is a multifaceted artist who sees and describes reality in a more comprehensive as well as captivating manner than the average essayer or historian would. Hence he does not just give the description of the events that shaped the history of the Spanish speaking people, he makes them interesting, he makes the reader want to learn more. For example, by discussing the individuals whose thoughts and actions influenced the decisions of the Spanish speaking people (e.g., Jean Jacques Rousseau and Napoleon); by relating the major world events from which those related to the Spanish speaking people developed (e.g., the Renaissance, the French Revolution, the American Revolution); or by describing the works of some of the major Spanish speaking artists (e.g., Don Quixote, La Vida Es Sueno, Las Meninas, La Maja Desnuda). Hence with this book, you will learn more than the history of the Spanish speaking people, you will meet some of the great thinkers of the Western world, you will be reminded of the history of the Western world, you will learn about the products of the most illuminated minds of the Spanish speaking world. You will also discover about many word origins, (how many among you reading this review know the meaning of the word Saragoza, the origin of the name Malinche, the identity of the woman from whom California got its name, the reason why the Mexicans call the turkey guacolote). And you will acquire an awful lot of useful information which would otherwise not be easily available all in one book, for example, the real significance of Goya's painting Saturn Devouring his Children".

If you are educated in the history and artistic expressions of the Western World and interested in Spain and South America, you will not be able to put this book down until you come to the end. In actual fact, you will probably wish that you never came to the end.

This book is absolutely spellbinding and captivating in it's presentation that is both an excellent narrative and artistic with imagery to further enhance the experience. The editorial review here at Amazon by Kirkus Reviews is a good synopsis to get a good idea about the books contents. Also there are many sample pages available for your perusal. From a readers perspective this book is one to cherish after the reading experience is over. Carlos Fuentes presents the subject of Spain and it's influence on the new world with clarity and makes his points with the precision of a sugeon, clean and accurate. Beginning with the ancient imagery of the bull found in caves in Spain Fuentes begins his analysis showing how this imagery continues in the arts and culture in such diverse domains as the works of Goya and Picasso, advertisements for brandy and of course the Spanish spectacle of bullfighting. He picks and chooses his historical path, weaving through the centuries concluding with the the growth of Hispanic USA. The book is full oh historical facts, little known bits of information abound as Fuentes draws analogies that stimulate the mind, stimulating the reader to conclude further inferences. The book reminds me of Bronowski's "The Ascent of Man" only on a smaller scope, from a perspective that makes connections between Spain and Latin America as oppossed to the whole of humanity. The "mother" countries influence is expounded upon as only Fuentes can, his use of language is powerful, insightful and revealing all the while showing his keen intelligence and sharp eye for details. The accompanying artwork throughout the book is fantastic and helps the reader to further understand the subject. A moving narrative is delivered by Fuentes and I highly suggest this book to anyone interested in the history of Spain and it's long lasting influence in the Americas. A natural outcome of reading this book is to further explore one of the many topics introduced. Included is a complete lineage of Spanish succession detailing the various ruling families and marriages that created the kings and queens of Spain. Aslo there is an outstanding suggested bibliography. This is a superb book that stimulates the mind while you read and beyond.

The countries of Latin America have collectively had a long and tortured history; starting with the wars between the great native empires, the arrival of Columbus and the Spaniards, and finally US imperialism throughout the 20th century. Now, at the dawn of the 21st century, Latin Americans are more conscious than ever of their past, the contributions both native and European to it, and the state of their current economies, societies and culture. Part of this awakening and collective consciousness is the rise of prominant authors born and raised within the Hispanic world. One of these is Carlos Fuentes from Mexico, who in this book examines the origins and evolution of Latin American peoples, countries, and cultures. Paying attention to the influences from Spain, Portugal, France, various current and ancient native tribes, and now the US, this book shows how modern Hispanic culture came together in ways often violent, haphazard and chaotic. Rarely was one person in charge of this process; rare are the works that dominated this evolution. Outside of the Catholic Church, Latin America knows no equivalent of Sun Tzu's Art of War, Homer's epic poems, or the US Constitution. The author then tries to distill what is best about Latin American culture, and in doing so, points a way forward for Hispanics throughout the Western Hemisphere. Overall, a great book to understand this region of the world, its past, its present, and its probable future.