Europe Books

Discourses on Livy or Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius by Niccolo Machiavelli

Love it! Just as advertised!

Machiavelli's Discourses... a book that is a compendium of historical events analyzed in such a way as to obtain a lesson that is both precise as well as eternal. I think that all who consider going into politics or any kind of management role should be handed a copy of this book. And by any kind of management I mean from management of a state to managing a home and family. It is practical, ruthless and efficient. You can glimpse its central premises through the actions of those who succeed.
The translation of this book is flawless and delivers the full content of the author's message.
I'm convinced that this was a life changing book for me to read, it certainly affected my perspective of events around me and my way to interact to them. It is a self help book if you can interpret it beyond the historical dressing.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in history, management, or politics.

This book describes how Rome was being governed as a Republic and gets into detail about the wars they fought. Even for Machiavelli these writings we distant history and what really surprised me was the way this book has been written and translated.

Being an admirer of Rome and its golden age this book really gave me new insights, despite reading a lot of other books about this subject. As in Machiavelli's most famous book 'The Prince' politics are again the major subject. It is really astonishing to see the details and consequences of the actions that are being taken.

If you would like to know more about Rome, history or politics, grab a copy of this book.

Nicholo Machiavelli earned a bad rep with those who read and mis-read his best knon work, The Prince. It was not his intention to write this book to correct that bad image, but with this book we are given a different look at the great Itsalian poitical scientist/historian. He shows us the virtue of a democratic form of government. Recommended by anyone who wants a clearer view of the author, the Renaisance, and the growth of political theory.

Niccolo Machiavelli, (1469-1527), writes the greatest treatise on keeping a republic vibrant by comparing Rome to republican Venice. Machiavelli has gained an unwarranted notorious reputation for his "evil" treatise on political thinking and acting through his authorship of "The Prince". "The Prince" received more notoriety than his politically erudite work "Discourses on the First Ten Books of Livy" in which Machiavelli espouses his belief that the Roman Republic was the best and most virtuous form of government to emulate. His breadth and understanding of Roman history is remarkable. Machiavelli's love of his country Florence, and the proud political work as a minor government administrator and ambassador Machiavelli performed during its years as a republic show through in this work. It was on his many ambassadorial trips to the French, Papal, and Italian courts that he learned to observe political leaders and their governmental institutions which formed the basis of his political theories in his many writings. My favorite quote from Machiavelli is; "It's better to act and repent then not to act and regret".

Modern philosophers starting with Machiavelli reject the classical view of politics as undemocratic and elitist. Only wealthy men of leisure would have time to develop the virtues and character necessary to rule. Machiavelli believed that man by nature was selfish and driven by ambition. Machiavelli is not interested in character formation and moral appeal but in building the right kind of institutions to govern society. Laws and justice would protect men from power hungry rulers. Modern philosophy is an out growth of the revolution that takes place in the natural sciences during the Enlightenment. The purpose of science is the conquest of nature man is in control of human life. Philosophers from Machiavelli on become sectarian. "Everything good is due to man's labor rather than to nature's gift."

As a retired Army officer and student of political philosophy, I found this to be an indispensable book to continue one's journey into political philosophy and history of Europe.

I have used these calendar books for years. Anyone who likes France and looking at charming pictures of France will enjoy using these books as their combination daily calendar and address book.

i love these photographs! i feel as i am there! thank you linda for taking me to france every time i open your book!

This is the tenth year I've used a "French Country Diary" as my appointment calendar, and I don't know what I'd do if they stopped making them! Beautifully bound - a page a week - with just the right amount of space to mark several appointments each day along with notes, etc. I'm always complimented on the gorgeous souledo fabric hard cover. It's a discreet and lovely accessory that'll bring joy to your every day!

This item was for my wife; she really likes it. Perfect for her.

This is the third year I have used a French Country Diary and will continue to record my years in this fine diary as long as it is published. The photography is outstanding and reminds me of treasured visits to France. Quality is excellent. I was delighted to find it on Amazon.

A very moving look into the fragile psyche
of soldiers in combat. I couldn't put it down from the first page until the end, and I strongly recommend it to young soldiers and junior leadership in the armed forces today. Not only is it historically accurate, it is a testament to the strength of the human emotion and the bonds of friendship during war.

A Vet I met at the Bloomsburg PA county fair told me about this book. He said that the author was in his unit and that the stories were very well retold in the book. You as the reader can get a real feeling of what Bill Boyd and the men in unit went through. When you finish the story you are left with an feeling that it just incredible that anyone survived those final months of the war as the Germans fought to save there homeland and sadness for those who didn't make it. You will thoroughly enjoy reading this book.

This story was so gripping you felt like you were with William Pope (the main character) every step of the way. It provides the reader with great insight into World War II, as well as into the personal journies of the soldiers. I have not been so captivated by a book in a very long time.

One of the best books among the many about infantry combat. That it is fictional detracts not one iota. The author quite obviously writes from experience and makes use of the freedom fiction provides to paint a powerful and realistic picture of ground warfare, particularly the randomness through which men live and die. As one who fought in the infantry during the Battle of the Bulge, the setting for Mr. Boyd's novel, and produced three highly researched chapters about it in a memoir, I am proud to recommend "The Gentle Infantryman" as an authentic account of the way it was. Fiction can indeed be more true than fact. This honest little book is a primary example.

This is the best book about the WW2 combat soldier I've ever read. The information is historically accurate and exacting in detail, told with a true storyteller's memory and eye for a good yarn. The fact that the author experienced WW2 in Europe gives you the feeling that he is writing his own life story. The story is neither sentimental nor maudlin, nor is it gritty; it is realistic. Easy to read, it makes you proud to be an American and will leave you with immense respect for the "Greatest Generation." A must for every WW2 historian.

Schutz's photographic tour in "Great Cathedrals" is one of the most superb "coffee table" books on the market. The volume is massive in size and tips the scales at a number of pounds, but one glance is all it takes to be hooked. This is professional photography with results that only a seasoned photographer can produce, and then reproduced in the highest quality with splendid detail and high gloss, heavy weight paper. Browsing through these monumental pictures that pay homage to the monumental cathedrals, we forget all about the technical details of how the great Gothic structures were built and simply enjoy the fantastic beauty and immense impact the medieval architects planned all along. There are surprisingly few of these types of books in the American market (a plethora of them exist in France, England, and Germany), but Schutz's book fills the bill, and makes a splendid addition to the genre. From what I can see from the other posted reviews, it seems there is 100% agreement on the beauty of this book.

I got this book as an Xmas gift for my Dad who is a self confessed cathedral "junkie". He loved it and spent most of Xmas day and boxing day with his head buried in it.

He is a photographer and he commented on the great quality of the images, so I'm assuming that they must be good as he's really fussy about that sort of thing.

Awesome and great selection. Text provides enough information about the buildings. One of my favourite books.

This book has been around for at least 3 decades; I'm 43 and remember looking over an earlier edition with awe and reverence in the town library when I was a teenager.

The current edition has some nice updates, including added coverage of the great eastern European cathedrals, such as St. Vitus in Prague. The photography is splendid, and gives a feel of the look and scale of each building, as well as for the smaller details like sculpture and stained glass that makes each great cathedral a triumph of Western civilization.

If you are looking for a book that covers the major cathedrals of Europe in a thorough, satisfying way via photographs and a text providing the history of each building, a discussion of its style, and so forth, search no more. This is EASILY the best book out there that provides what you want.

Magnificent photography, both general views and close-ups of architectural details and stained glass. The book covers France, Germany, England, Spain and Italy. UIt contains a useful glossary of architectural terms and floor-plans of each cathedral. The "Crazy Vaults" of Lincoln Cathedral are not to be missed! I wanted this book to study cathedral design in general, and it more than met my expectations.

If you're looking for a light read, Trotsky's History of Russian Revolution is not the way to go by any means. But, despite its length, and despite the enormity of its topic, this is an amazingly accessible and engrossing account of one of the modern world's most important political and historical events, written by one of its main players. There are certainly some parts that are more difficult than others, and some where clearly Trotsky assumes an understanding of what happened in Russia during 1917 - an expectation of his readers that would have been utterly reasonable for the audience he was writing for, at the time he was writing, but which at times can be a bit confusing for a Westerner reading it almost 100 years later. But this is only occasionally frustrating and there is, in any event, a very helpful set of appendices and glossaris at the back that help you know who's who and what's what. It is, undoubtedly in my view, well worth the effort that it will take you to get through it. I don't think any other history of the revolution is as detailed, as comprehensive, and as engaging as this. There are times when it really has you on the edge of your seat - and that, no doubt, is largely because it is written by someone who was actually there.

Max Eastman, who was a friend of Trotsky, gives us a translation that feels tremendously fresh and was enthusiastically endorsed by Trotsky himself.

Leon Trotsky's History of the Russian Revolution is partisan history at its best. One does not and should not, at least in this day in age, ask historians to be `objective'. One simply asks that the historian present his or her narrative and analysis and get out of the way. Trotsky meets that criterion. Furthermore, in Trotsky's case there is nothing like having a central actor in that drama, who can also write brilliantly and wittily, give his interpretation of the important events and undercurrents swirling around Russia in 1917. If you are looking for a general history of the revolution or want an analysis of what the revolution meant for the fate of various nations after World War I or its affect on world geopolitics look elsewhere. E.H. Carr's History of the Russian Revolution offers an excellent multi-volume set that tells that story through the 1920's. Or if you want to know what the various parliamentary leaders, both bourgeois and Soviet, were thinking and doing from a moderately leftist viewpoint read Sukhanov's Notes on the Russian Revolution. For a more journalistic account John Reed's classic Ten Days That Shook the World is invaluable. Trotsky covers some of this material as well. However, if additionally, you want to get a feel for the molecular process of the Russian Revolution in its ebbs and flows down at the base in the masses where the revolution was made Trotsky's is the book for you.

The life of Leon Trotsky is intimately intertwined with the rise and decline of the Russian Revolution in the first part of the 20th century. As a young man, like an extraordinary number of talented Russian youth, he entered the revolutionary struggle against Czarism in the late 1890's. Shortly thereafter he embraced what became a lifelong devotion to a Marxist political perspective. However, except for the period of the 1905 Revolution when Trotsky was chairman of the Petrograd Soviet and later in 1912 when he tried to unite all the Russian Social Democratic forces in an ill-fated unity conference, which goes down in history as the `August Bloc', he was essentially a free lancer in the international socialist movement. At that time Trotsky saw the Bolsheviks as "sectarians" as it was not clear to him at that time that for socialist revolution to be successful the reformist and revolutionary wings of the movement had to be organizationally split. With the coming of World War I Trotsky drew closer to Bolshevik positions but did not actually join the party until the summer of 1917 when he entered the Central Committee after the fusion of his organization, the Inter-District Organization, and the Bolsheviks. This act represented an important and decisive switch in his understanding of the necessity of a revolutionary workers party to lead the revolution.

As Trotsky himself noted, although he was a late comer to the concept of a Bolshevik Party that delay only instilled in him a greater understanding of the need for a vanguard revolutionary workers party to lead the revolutionary struggles. This understanding underscored his political analysis throughout the rest of his career as a Soviet official and as the leader of the struggle of the Left Opposition against the Stalinist degeneration of the Russian Revolution. After his defeat at the hands of Stalin and his henchmen Trotsky wrote these three volumes in exile in Turkey from 1930 to 1932. At that time Trotsky was not only trying to draw the lessons of the Revolution from an historian's perspective but to teach new cadre the necessary lessons of that struggle as he tried first reform the Bolshevik Party and the Communist International and then later, after that position became politically untenable , to form a new, revolutionary Fourth International. Trotsky was still fighting from this perspective in defense of the gains of the Russian Revolution when a Stalinist agent cut him down. Thus, without doubt, beyond a keen historian's eye for detail and antidote, Trotsky's political insights developed over long experience give his volumes an invaluable added dimension not found in other sources on the Russian Revolution.

As a result of the Bolshevik seizure of power the so-called Russian Question was the central question for world politics throughout most of the 20th century. That central question ended practically with the demise of the Soviet Union in the early 1990's. However, there are still lessons, not all negative, to be learned from the experience of the Russian Revolution. Today, an understanding of this experience is the task for the natural audience for this book, the young alienated radicals of Western society.

The central preoccupation of Trotsky's volumes reviewed here and of his later political career concerns the problem of the crisis of revolutionary leadership of the international labor movement and its national components. That problem can be stated as the gap between the already existing objective conditions necessary for beginning socialist construction based on the current level of capitalist development and the immaturity or lack of revolutionary leadership to overthrow the old order. From the European Revolutions of 1848 on, not excepting the heroic Paris Commune, until his time the only successful working class revolution had been in led by the Bolsheviks in Russia in 1917. Why? Anarchists may look back to the Paris Commune or forward to the Spanish Civil War in 1936 for solace but the plain fact is that absent a revolutionary party those struggles were defeated without establishing the prerequisites for socialism. History has indicated that a revolutionary party that has assimilated the lessons of the past and is rooted in the working class allied with and leading the plebian masses in its wake is the only way to bring the socialist program to fruition. That hard truth shines through Trotsky's three volumes. Unfortunately, this is still the central problem confronting the international labor movement today. Read this book many times.

This is one of the most exciting books I've ever read. It tells the amazing story of the Russian revolution of 1917, from the overthrow of the Czar to the Bolshevik Revolution of October. What makes it an incredible read is that the author, Leon Trotsky, was at the middle of it all, as one of the central planners of the insurrection that took power. Trotsky was a great revolutionary and great writer. But one thing I especially like about the book is that Trotsky uses excerpts from many other accounts, including those who hated him with a passion, to tell the story accurately. It is an inspiring story, especially for new generations of young people, workers and farmers who need to learn about an example showing that the dog-eat-dog system of capitalism we live in can be overthrown. For the definitive account of how this great revolution was later derailed, see Trotsky's Revolution Betrayed.

In spite of its length, I've read this book several times. It isn't just a widely acclaimed historic and literary masterpiece, written by a leading participant in the events he describes. It isn't just vividly written and thoroughly researched.

More importantly, it's one of the best books ever written about revolution, as relevant today as ever.

The most important conclusion that emerges is the crucial role of a revolutionary party with an overwhelmingly working class membership, leadership and political orientation: a party that has trained itself in the many years of partial struggles that precede a revolutionary crisis; studied together the lessons of past revolutionary struggles throughout the world; and done everything possible to educate broader layers of workers in those lessons.

(The point is illustrated both positively and negatively. More than once, Lenin had to turn to the Bolshevik's working class rank and file against wavering intellectuals in the party leadership.)

Please don't be put off by the first chapter, the driest and most difficult in the book. The basic idea is that capitalism arrived late in Russia, imported from abroad in the form of huge factories, which laid the basis for the rapid development of a strong, militant labor movement. As a result, the emerging capitalist class was reluctant to mobilize the masses against the feudal nobles and landlords that stood in their way, for fear that the aroused workers might turn on the capitalists themselves.

Under the impact of war and economic crisis, the resulting mixture of different forms of class oppression exploded in a combined revolt of workers, farmers, and oppressed nationalities, destroying both feudalism and capitalism by the time it was through.

Several postcripts:

(1) If you're wondering what went wrong in the Soviet Union after such a promising start, I recommend "The Revolution Betrayed" by Trotsky; also "Lenin's Final Fight" by Lenin.

(2) I disagree with Trotsky's assessment of the pre-1917 differences between himself and Lenin concerning the role of working farmers, the relationship between democratic (anti-feudal) revolution and socialist revolution, and Lenin's formula, "the democratic dictatorship of the proletariat and the peasantry". I think Trotsky's discussion of this is confusing. I recommend "Their Trotsky and Ours" by Jack Barnes. There is also a good debate in "Bolshevism and the Russian Revolution" by Doug Jenness, Ernest Mandel, and V.I. Lenin.

(3) Another reviewer pointed out that this book is available online. However, the printed version has glossaries of people, places, organizations and unfamiliar terms; a more complete chronology; and a thorough index. I relied very heavily on all of these, so much so that I used color-coded post-its to turn to them easily. Also, parts of the online version are full of obvious typos; books from Pathfinder Press are proofread very thoroughly.

(4) Finally, I recommend the ads in the back of the book. Pathfinder Press is defined by a political goal, not commercial success. It aims to provide a platform for revolutionary leaders speaking in their own words. If you like one book, you will probably like others.

This is a huge and wonderful book-- three volumes in one book, some 1200 pages in all. The story Trotsky lays out is most inspiring and encouraging: how revolutionary-minded workers and peasants in Russia, led by the Bolshevik party, overthrew the centuries-old Czarist monarchy, defeated the attempts to impose a capitalist dictatorship and went on to establish a worker and peasant revolutionary government, opening the road to the possibility of building a socialist society. It's a book you can read repeatedly, getting more out of it each time.

Trotsky explains with rich detail the growing social crisis that wracked Russia, the devastating impact of World War I, the economic collapse, and the incapacity of the old regime to offer any way out. He takes up political developments amongst workers and peasants and the oppressed nationalities of the Russian Empire, including the many millions forced into the Russian army. You understand their growing conviction that the old society had to be and could be overturned and a new order established. And Trotsky gives real insight into the leadership that made possible an actual revolution under these conditions-- the development of the Bolshevik party led by V.I. Lenin and it's successful fight to win the allegiance of the struggling millions.

Trotsky was, along with Lenin, a central leader of the 1917 revolution and of the government it established. After Lenin's death in 1924, he led the international fight to defend the Bolshevik's revolutionary course against the conservative and reactionary bureaucracy headed by Joseph Stalin that came to power later in the Soviet Union. This work was a key part of Trotsky's efforts to make the real facts and lessons 1917 available to future generations of workers, farmers and radicalizing young people. Read it along with some of his many other important works, including The Transitional Program for Socialist Revolution, In Defense of Marxism, The Revolution Betrayed, and The Struggle Against Fascism in Germany.

I liked the book because I am a history major but some parts are hard to get through. It is a classic however and is a great stepping stone to use when reviewing ancient history

Cornelius Tacitus knows perfectly what the cardinal human characteristic is: `From time immemorial, man has had an instinctive love of power.' And, `the reward for virtue was inevitable death.'
His book is a mighty illustration of the ruthless fight for the top spot: emperor. The ambitious and the wealthy fight one another without mercy. `The truth is that revolution and strife put tremendous power into the hands of evil men.' The vanquished are brutally slain.
For Tacitus, the most important factors in the power struggle are money (`money was the sinews of civil war') and control of the military (`the lesson that an army can create an emperor'). If you could `reward` your soldiers, you could win. However, the legions were not interested in war itself only in looting, plundering, raping and enslaving. `The men wanted campaign and set battles, as the prizes here were more attractive than their normal pay.' The victims were innocent peasants, women and children.
Overall, `Italy found it hard to put up with such hordes of infantry and cavalry, and with violence, financial loss and acts of lawlessness.'

While the `Annals' contain more human touch, the `Histories' are nearly completely centered on military, diplomatic and tactical manoeuvres, followed by terrifying and merciless violence after the battles (`the fury of the soldiers').

This for mankind severe and pessimistic book is a must read for all those interested in the lessons of history and for lovers of great classical literature.

Every now and then a pivotal moment in history is witnessed and recorded by a master communicator. The mid-first century of Rome was such a time and Tacitus was such a communicator. The Histories will forever be a benchmark of good history with its observations on human nature and behaviour along with their impact on history. The historian will do well to read Tacitus not just for the historical lessons but for his approach to history as a record of human activity. While observing and commenting on the human element in history, Tacitus avoids making moral judgements and remains as objective as possible in the midst of turmoil, wars, and rumors of wars. His beloved nation and people were suffering under the barbarity of fratricidal war yet he remains above the madness and records the events with passion tempered with objectivity. His example is one that has remained difficult for others to follow.

A word on this translation in particular - I found Mr. Wellesley's translation very readable and poetic. He seems to have captured the literature value of the text as well as the content. Well done.

Most people don't need a review of Tacitus's work. Most people want to know if a particular translation is any good. With that in mind, I recommend this Penguin edition of Kenneth Wellesley's translation. The translation itself is highly readable, and Wellesley indicates the rare instances where he emends the Latin text in footnotes. Wellesley also uses the footnotes to help the reader keep track of some of the less prominent characters in the work, a feature which is a big help for the non-specialist. Probably the best aspect of this edition is the map section at the end. The book contains 11 maps that include maps of large areas, maps of cities, and diagrams of important battles. Wellesley also refers the reader to the appropriate map through the footnotes. This review makes it sound like the book contains a lot of footnotes, but really there are usually just one or two a page. The one minor defect of the book is that the index only contains personal names. A general index would have made this user friendly book even better. But like I said, this is a great English copy of the Histories.

Reading Tacitus' Annals I oft remembered Thucydides' account of the Peleponnesian wars. An important theme of the latter work was the corrupting effects of prolonged war on the morals and intellect of the Athenian people, who were ultimately degraded so much that they voted the destruction of the people of a small island just because they had chosen to remain neutral. Tacitus, on the other hand, seems to have dedicated himself in this work to examining the corrupting effects of absolutism on the Roman people after the fall of the Republic. He shows how absolute power brought out the worst traits in the character of rulers like Tiberius and Nero, who grew more and more tyrannical with every year on the throne, and how members of the illustruous Roman senate and other sections of the Roman political society turned into a horde of spineless sycophants, informers and debauches. There were still a few honourable individuals, but as Tacitus shows in an endless series of judicial and non-judicial murders, most of these paid the price of sticking to the ancient traditions of liberty and honour with their lives. Tacitus also deals at length with the relations of the Romans with the subject peo-ples. I may be wrong here, but it seems to me that in such passages Tacitus draws a parallels between the fate of these enslaved peoples and that of the enslaved Roman people -the first a slave to the Romans, the second a slave to the emperor and his bureaucracy made up of ex-slaves. Many subject peoples rebelled and some like the Cherusci under Arminius (towards whom he does not seem averse at all) could successfully preserve their liberty against the in-trusion of the Romans. Those Romans who dared defy the tyrant on the other hand, and especially those who could wisely remain independent and yet stay alive, were far fewer, Tacitus seems to imply. Insofar as it demonstrates how closely liberty (including liberty of thought) and morals are intertwined, this work is still relevant today as a central work of liberal humanism.

This book is informative and very well made. Hundertwasser is one of my favorite artists and I own several books about his life and work. This is one is (so far) the best. The Taschen book reproduces his work beautifully, showcasing the washes and color use that make his work truly sublime. It also contains some wonderful photographs of the buildings he designed, which make one wish all construction could be so imaginative. This book was more than I expected for a very fair price.

This book really shows off Hundertwasser and is a great addition to any art collection. This is another hit by Taschen.

REVIEW SUBTITLE: A Serendipitous Purchase

While I had come across references to "the art of Hundertwasser," because I knew only of him as an architect and consider architecture an art, I assumed that the colorful work adorning the cover of this book was one of the Gaudi-esque architect's occasionally fancified plans. As a number probably know, however, it is not. Rather it is but one of Hundertwasser's many paintings.

Though I'd expected a book on architecture, I was not disappointed to receive one focusing on H's development as a painter. In fact, I was elated, for splashed across approximately 2/3rds of the 197 pages of this book are what had originally attracted me to him: the "lush opulence" of what I now know are his watercolors and paintings.

This book, however, is not just a visual feast. In addition tracing his development as an artist, the text includes and discusses H's thoughts on topics such as those noted in the Table of Contents I've included in the commentary following this review. And while some may seem esoteric, the discussions are not. In fact, they're fascinating.

That most of the focus of Taschen's retrospective of H and his work is on water colors/painting is not surprising, for so few of his structures were ever realized. However, approximately 30 well-illustrated pages are devoted to H's theories about architecture, his architectural models, and the utopian structure he was commissioned by the city of Vienna to build.

I was certainly correct in one assumption I made when I ordered HUNDERTWASSER: With the words "Taschen 25th Anniversary" attached to its title, I could not go wrong. Nor will anyone who purchases it.

Note: Lest you give any weight to L. Egan's comment about the book's "downsides," please read my response to his review.

I am a quilter, and bought this book largely because of my love for batiks,(which are cotton fabrics hand dyed)and on recollection of a show I saw 32 years ago on Hundertwasser in Toronto's ROM.I like it,big time.Yep,there's no gold leaf in them thar hills and curves of Hundertwasser repros,if it bothers you enough,grab a gold leaf marker and add it yourself.Taschen offers value for your money,if you want gold leaf,you may have to add another 20.00 to the cost of the book.I have no problems about the quality of the repros.Anything that looks like pale brown,try and doublecheck,it is likely it is gold leaf. The artist may not have alot to say as other painters,but his designs,and color sense are really got me going into my studio.
I am glad I got it!

Any book about art or an artist that doesn't make me fall asleep gets five stars from me. The only downside (but it still gets five stars) as that you don't get the full representation of the pictures and need to look at the description to see the medium. For example the foil overlay. Still wonderful. (Feb 17, 2008)

I eventually found a small, beautiful, cloth-bound catalogue of his Australian and New Zealand exhibitions (the one I have was produced in 1973 by cicero, gmbh and titled 'Hundertwasser 1974 Australia') and there you get glimpse of the phosphoric metallic brilliance that I find missing in many of the books about Hundertwasser - although for the price of these books, no complaint. This book and the catalogue are a good combination. The catalogue I was able to find at a very reasonable price of $30, but it took a bit of searching. (April 16, 2008)

Had a vague idea about the 1939-1940 war between Finland and Russia, but now I know the whole story. Kudos to the author for a great read and to the Finnish people for their incredible spirit against all odds. Kept me riveted up to the last page.

Excellent story set against the turmoil of war, the comparatively little known conflict between Finland and Soviet Russia in 1939. Frederick Brogger has done research in depth to get a real feeling for the oustanding bravery of the Finns in their struggle to withstand the predator Russians. Against this background he tells a heartfelt story of romance as a young American is caught up in events which test him to the ultimate. Enthralling story, highly recommended.

Journey into Winter provide insight into a part of hisotry with wich I was not familiar. The blend of the story line around the facts of the war mad for very interesting reading. The autor had an ability to write in a way that I could actually visualize Finaland in the winter--bitter cold weather, forzen lakes, and deep snows. Excellent reading.

No one can put this book down. The research that has gone into this book is amazing and the contemporary relevance is striking what with the main setting of this book being the Soviet invasion of Finland in 1939 with the Russians occupying parts of Georgia only weeks ago. The characters, those Finnish, American, British and German combined with the heroic defense of Finland make this a book that must be read.

Fred Campbell

Mr.Brogger made his characters come alive! Their feelings and interactions were so real and believable. I could almost feel the cold of the snows of Finland. I did not realize the events within Finland had such an impact on WWII. I recommend this book to all, especially those interested in history.

Mr. Brogger's story would produce a magnificent movie: Brad as Jonathan, Joli as Lanya, and, maybe even, Jennifer as Lucy..I can see it!!

What you won't understand, reading this book, (at least I didn't), is that while Eugene may have always been in touch with his "monkey" side, he was seriously intelligent and a master of many genres. Otherwise, he would not have written the brilliant, and prescient, (wrong word, but as close as I can come), preservationist story, JENNIE THE WATERCRESS GIRL, nor, well, ANY of his work. (His poetry, too, is superb!). Whatever Eugene lent his hand to became magical; even his SOUTHERN COOKING, part of the Time-Life Series of cookbooks. That was how I discovered Eugene. I somehow knew the writer of this book was extraordinary, and so sought him out.

No. Eugene Walter as artist, writer, gardener, gourmand, et al, was no lightweight. Although he was a great storyteller, this is only 1/10th the man.

I rather despise both George Plimpton and Katherine Clark's introductions to MILKING THE MOON, though I have to be very grateful to her for writing it. I find their comments condescending.

My sense of Eugene Walter is that he was consumately alone in this life. And lonely. That he suffered a very hard childhood. And, that because he didn't "make it rich", those who are able to turn a name into a NAME, scorned him. But that's my take on E.W. You must have your own.

And Eugene Walter turns up everywhere, for example, turning up in Ronni Lundy's fine cookbook, BUTTER BEANS TO BLACKBERRIES ...Recipes from the Southern Garden, and, much to my supreme delight, in Joan Marble's NOTES FROM AN ITALIAN GARDEN. I cannot wait to see where Eugene will turn up next!

Someone has to release all the tapes Clark made, unedited. I want them. And, someone is missing out on making a fascinating movie.

"As-told-to" scribe Katherine Clark preserves Eugene Walter's voice in the memoir of this "character," as we call folks like him down South. Imagine Truman Capote without the best-selling books and TV fame. This is how Walter comes across in this memoir-autobiography-oral history transcript. He is a Southern Zelig, always showing up in pivotal moments in the development of literature and arts during the mid-20th century. Recalling his days in late 1940s New York, 1950s Paris and 1950s-60s Rome, he drops more names than the New York City phone book. From Greta Garbo to Judy Garland to Frederico Fellini, he hangs out with them all. The best-written portions of the book deal with his native Mobile, however. But who is he? He's the ultimate fly-on-the-wall. He writes some, acts some, translates movie scripts, throws cheap yet creative parties and plays the part of Southern eccentric in Europe. Who is he? He seems like an early 1970s Dick Cavett Show guest: an obscure bon vivant who shows up with George Plimpton to discuss a new Martha Graham dance or to cook a Southern meal. I ran across a mention of the book in an Oxford American magazine article and got a copy after reading a couple of very positive reviews by critics like Jonathan Yardly of the Washington Post. The book also received a 2001 National Book Critics Circle award nomination for biography. It's not for everyone. And I'm probably in that group. But it is intriguing and engaging and, at time, humorous. And at all times, like its subject, unique.

Walker is a Southern storyteller. He more than fits his own definition of one who speaks with dozens of side tales (parentheses). Webster calls these parenthetical expressions "a remark or passage that departs from the theme of a discourse." Walker may depart from the theme, but he always returns, and it always fits. He says: "The mark of a good storyteller is: Have a whole shelf full of shoeboxes of details.... It's like those ballad singers at the Scottish lords who improvised new verses for those ballads every night...." What music this Southern balladeer makes especially as he explains the use of the Southern front porch for storytelling, visiting, shelling peas, and an explanation of the etiquette of porch visiting. He even makes a detour (parentheses) to explain how front and back porches differ (shell peas on the front porch, shrimp on the back). One comes away understanding why Walker fit in so perfectly with the side walk café salons of Paris and Rome. The Southern porches were his training ground. Those were the original talking salons. One almost hears the music of porch furniture: "...a whole world of wicker or rattan chairs and divans and tables and plant stands and swings big enough for three people. How I wish some composer had heard, as I, the different sounds of porch swings. Everything from rattle-squeak to crunch-budge-tink. With a bass accompaniment of shuffling feet, often bare." Ah, these were the real salons, set to music, before people had to go to Paris to talk and before Americans discovered those faux porches that serve as little more than standing room on the front of today's dull houses. Walker explains the South as he remembers it, the South he carried with him around the world, and it makes any Southerner long for the South of his/her youth, or it beckons any curious Yankee to come and savor a romantic time and place that they've never experienced....

I completely fell under the spell of Eugene Walter but must pay homage to author Katherine Clark for seamlessly allowing us to believe we are spending hour after hour with Eugene as he spins fascinating story after fascinating story about his southern childhood, his friends, both famous and obscure, and what it was like to work in every capacity on Fellini movies. Recently I saw a friend from Mobile and said, "I'm just going to say two words to you. EUGENE WALTER. It was so satisfying to see her face light up and hear her squeal, "I LOVE EUGENE WALTER!!!!"

I suppose I was one of the fortunate few who had a chance to meet Eugene before he died. The people I was working for back in the mid-nineties were friends of his and, therefore, I had the chance to be around him.

Eugene was the consummate storyteller. One of those who never let the truth get in the way of a good yarn. His idea was to make you enjoy where you were and who you were. To inject a little wonderousness into the world. Although based in truth, nothing he told was strictly true.

This book captures him almost perfectly. Although it cannot convey his gestures and antics and voice, it does convey his mind and gift for gab. Pour yourself a glass of port and read with the voice of an eccentric Southern uncle in your head and Eugene starts to come out. It's not quite the same as being there, but this book is as close as any of us will ever be again.

When I first came across this book, I read a few reviews and thought it sounded like a delightful story. I grabbed a copy of it as soon as I could get my hands on one and since finishing it, I've recommended the book over and over again. It may be the only book I've ever read that appeals to so many people for so many different reasons.

It's a wonderful story of a young Italian American man learning more about his family (both here and there) and one very special, sainted relative; it's a bright and entertaining look at everyday life in Italy, it's a fascinating view of the people whose job it is to 'make saints' and it's a very open account of some deeply personal times. The author talks frankly about the illness and death of his brother, and his ongoing questions about faith, being Christian and what it means to him today.

The author has taken many different threads and woven a wonderful story; a cloak of many colors. Justin Catanoso's style is engaging, entertaining and extremely readable even while moving into topics that might be a bit difficult to understand, like the whole saint-making process. He brings the individuals in the story so much to life, I genuinely felt sad at the unexpected loss of an important family member.

As a Jesuit-schooled Catholic of a certain age, I could also really relate to some of the personal questions he raises about faith and religion. I think a lot of us have the same feelings, yet think we're alone with our questions or doubts.

For me, the book was really very thought-provoking on many levels. Reading it did made me more determined than ever to get to Italy some day!

I stumbled upon this book by accident, and in spite of that, or perhaps because if it, I have been deeply touched. I do not search out religious literature, and would not normally seek out a book about a saint. Instead it was given to me by a friend. While My Cousin the Saint is nominally about Padre Gaetano Catanoso, a recently canonized saint from the Italian region of Calabria, the story is deeper and more personal. Author Justin Catanoso tells the story that all children of immigrant families want to tell. The author recounts his family's history on both sides of Atlantic. We follow the life and works of Padre Gaetano, a humble parish priest, and learn how he influenced and helped generations of Southern Italians, from the poorest and least educated villages. We also follow the life and history of Padre Gaetano's first cousin, the author's grandfather, Carmelo Catanoso, from his immigration to Philadelphia, to his life raising a family and building a business in Wildwood, New Jersey.

The story, however, is not Gaetano's or Carmelo's. It is Justin's. It is not a book about Padre Gaetano; it is a book about writing a book about Padre Gaetano. Justin brings us along with him on his journey to rediscover his family in Italy and to rediscover his lapsed Catholic faith. Ultimately, the author is on a quest to rediscover himself. The author does not overplay the rediscovery hand, however. There are no great epiphanies, no grand lessons. In that respect, the book is not about the miraculous, but more about the human. Padre Gaetano's miracles are documented in a clinical fashion. The reader can decide whether they are true miracles or mere medical oddities. Padre Gaetano himself never claimed to be a miracle worker, just the "little donkey of Christ." What is more profound is the degree of love and trust the Catanoso family has in each other: brother, sister, husband, wife, parent, and cousin. It is a trust and love that not even Padre Gaetano is above or beyond.

The book is written with humor and humility. I literally laughed out loud and called family members to share the story of the author's Uncle Tony's unauthorized side trip to find his Calabrian relatives during World War II. Uncle Tony's tale of finding his ancestral village is either miraculous or absurdly serendipitous. As a reader, I felt like I was sitting down to each meal with the Catanoso family. Like Padre Gaetano himself, My Cousin the Saint is neither preachy nor lofty. It is a joyful Italian sharing. In the end, what both the reader and the author walk away with is a deep respect for the power of familial love.

This could have been a boring read, even as a Catholic and who shares a common upbringing, I was worried it might take me a bit to get through. I was wrong. The story is told as if Justin is sitting in your living room sharing this with you. You don't have to be a Catholic or someone who was raised in similar circumstances to enjoy My Cousin The Saint. Buy this book and sit back and enjoy a trip through Southern Italy and Southern Jew Jersey.

"My Cousin the Saint" is a terrific account of both branches of a family from Calabria, the part of Southern Italy that is in the tip of "boot" on the map. One from the side of the author's grandfather, Carmelo Catanoso, who emigrated to America in 1903 when he was 16 years old, and all his descendants, and the other branch that remained in Italy, and included the pious priest, Padre Gaetano Catanoso, who died in 1963 and was canonized in 2005.

It is the author Justin Catanoso who has brought both branches together in the writing of this lovely book, because of Padre Gaetano becoming a saint. Family members who did not know of each other's existence now were united, and the roots of their Italian ancestors bringing meaning and depth to the life of those in America. The author weaves both sides of the story seamlessly and skillfully, contrasting the poverty in Calabria, that had its share of the horrors of both world wars, to the Catanosos in Philadelphia, where with diligence and hard work, all things were possible for Grandfather Carmelo and his sons.

If the book has a weakness, it is when the author focuses on himself rather than his relatives; even the language loses its beauty and becomes more ordinary, even coarse on 3 or 4 occasions (which might be jarring for those who are reading this book specifically because of Padre Gaetano, and are used to a more "sublime" tone of writing). Nevertheless, "My Cousin the Saint" is a lovingly written book, and the author did a tremendous amount of research which handsomely pays off. Also greatly appreciated are the wonderful photographs, especially the older ones, with the stupendous portrait of Padre Gaetano as a young priest of special value. The book also includes a map and a "Cast of Characters," that are useful.

Padre Gaetano's life story is an account of humble service, and untiring love for his fellow man, and will inspire many. Carmelo's story of coming to America with nothing and achieving much will motivate and encourage others. It all makes great reading, and we thank Justin Catanoso for making it all possible.

My Cousin the Saint is provocative--it's impossible to read this book and not contemplate your own faith and the meaning of family. I consider myself far too practical and rational to be religious. So it was interesting reading about how someone with the same self-image started believing. Or at least trying to.

Furthermore Catanoso's vivid descriptions of his family in the United States and in Italy provides an interesting contrast of the social norms in those two countries.

Growing up outside of Boston, I was jealous of my many Italian-American classmates and their large, boisterous families. This book confirms that my envy was well founded.