Book Description
“There are places that I have never forgotten. A little cobbled street in a smoky mill town in the North of England has haunted me for the greater part of my life. It was inevitable that I should write about it and the people who lived on both sides of its ‘Invisible Wall.’ ”
The narrow street where Harry Bernstein grew up, in a small English mill town, was seemingly unremarkable. It was identical to countless other streets in countless other working-class neighborhoods of the early 1900s, except for the “invisible wall” that ran down its center, dividing Jewish families on one side from Christian families on the other. Only a few feet of cobblestones separated Jews from Gentiles, but socially, it they were miles apart.
On the eve of World War I, Harry’s family struggles to make ends meet. His father earns little money at the Jewish tailoring shop and brings home even less, preferring to spend his wages drinking and gambling. Harry’s mother, devoted to her children and fiercely resilient, survives on her dreams: new shoes that might secure Harry’s admission to a fancy school; that her daughter might marry the local rabbi; that the entire family might one day be whisked off to the paradise of America.
Then Harry’s older sister, Lily, does the unthinkable: She falls in love with Arthur, a Christian boy from across the street.
When Harry unwittingly discovers their secret affair, he must choose between the morals he’s been taught all his life, his loyalty to his selfless mother, and what he knows to be true in his own heart.
A wonderfully charming memoir written when the author was ninety-three, The Invisible Wall vibrantly brings to life an all-but-forgotten time and place. It is a moving tale of working-class life, and of the boundaries that can be overcome by love.
Customer Reviews:
A captivating story of a harsh life.......2007-09-03
This book is full of the details of a life that many of us will never experience. The authors story of extreme poverty living in a large family with a hardworking but struggling mother and a distant and often abusive father is both horrifying and captivating.
While it sounds like this should be a depressing book, the details of the moments of hope and happiness lifts it out of the dark side of life in Lancashire and made me wonder about the future for the various key characters. The book is set before and after the great War, but it could be timeless. The central location is a street of two rows of houses facing each other with the 'jews' on one side and the 'christians' on the other. For most of the book there is almost no mingling between the two sides. But at times when their lives are most difficult, they do get together to support one another.
I don't want to give away the story line too much. Some of the difficult scenes are extremely hard to endure, but the details really light up this book even things are hardest.
I would not recommend for anyone younger than about 13, there are too many difficult details here. But for the rest of us, there's LOTS to learn about the silly things that divide us and the fact that despite religious difficulties our lives are more similar than we'd like to believe.
Poignant and profound.......2007-06-26
An absolutely wonderful book written by a 93 year old author who captures the very essence of anti-semitism in pre-World War I England through his own childhood experiences. The last chapter is so descriptive and poignant...really tugs at the heartstrings. I hope Mr. Bernstein continues to share his gift of the written word.
Excellent book.......2007-05-28
Wonderfully written. This book surprised me because of its unpredictability. I couldn't put it down. Mr. Bernstein's story is beautiful, it's a wonder why he waited so long to share it.
A read to get you thinking.......2007-05-25
My six member book club read this last month, and all of us, including our most critical member, found this book very enjoyable and enlightening. The inclusion of dialog easily puts the reader in the time period. The tone and style of the author encourage empathy and understanding of both populations on either side of the invisible wall. The author conveys his and his sibling's emotions in the gentlest of ways while the reader easily grasps that at the time they were much more. While not quite a page turner, my attention never lagged and I would have willingly read more. I would have appreciated more wisdom on the overall subject such as was found in Arthur's letter to Lily.
Vivid Memoir.......2007-05-25
Harry Bernstein writes in a descriptive manner that makes all the characters seem to be living right in front of the reader's eyes. The story is so interesting that I could not put the book down until I finished. It was hard to believe that a man at ninety years of age could remember so much detail and emotion back to his early childhood. The book was well worth reading. I look forward to Mr. Bernstein's next book.
Book Description
In this eagerly awaited new novel, Lionel Shriver, the Orange Prize-winning author of the international bestseller We Need to Talk About Kevin, delivers an imaginative and entertaining look at the implications, large and small, of whom we choose to love. Using a playful parallel-universe structure, The Post-Birthday World follows one woman's future as it unfolds under the influence of two drastically different men.
Children's book illustrator Irina McGovern enjoys a quiet and settled life in London with her partner, fellow American expatriate Lawrence Trainer, a smart, loyal, disciplined intellectual at a prestigious think tank. To their small circle of friends, their relationship is rock solid. Until the night Irina unaccountably finds herself dying to kiss another man: their old friend from South London, the stylish, extravagant, passionate top-ranking snooker player Ramsey Acton. The decision to give in to temptation will have consequences for her career, her relationships with family and friends, and perhaps most importantly the texture of her daily life.
Hinging on a single kiss, this enchanting work of fiction depicts Irina's alternating futures with two men temperamentally worlds apart yet equally honorable. With which true love Irina is better off is neither obvious nor easy to determine, but Shriver's exploration of the two destinies is memorable and gripping. Poignant and deeply honest, written with the subtlety and wit that are the hallmarks of Shriver's work, The Post-Birthday World appeals to the what-if in us all.
Customer Reviews:
"Cool factor" only goes so far.......2007-09-07
I had hoped this would be one of the high concept "What if" books that I love.... After all - we get to see what would happen when/if the main character made one of two choices at a crux in her life. (Kind of like the movie "Sliding Doors".) BUT - the cool factor of the idea only went so far - and after a while - I simply didn't care which choice she made. I just wanted the book to end. It was OK - the things that stay the same regardless of the path she (Irinia) is on and the aspects of other peoples lives that change are interesting to think about. BUT - it went on too long... And the way she (the author) was DETERMINED to keep going back to terrorist attacks was weird.
Book of Dense Richness Leaves An Empty Aftertaste.......2007-09-07
In the interests of not creating a review that is nearly as long as this book, I will try to keep my comments brief. This book has brilliance in many ways, ways that have undoubtedly been pointed out by others who reviewed it. Lionel Shriver is a sharp, funny and very articulate writer and deconstructor of emotional complexity. My favorite part? The scene with Irina, Ramsy and Irina's mother at Christmas. Ramsy, himself, is a wonderful, very alive character. The premise of this book is an intriguing one (a parallel of lives, colliding, at times) and Shriver explores it which much deft adroitness. Still, I was rather dismayed by some of the cheap, fat-targeted humor, as well as the digs at Princess Di, Monica Lewinsky and a character who gains weight. Then, too, the author shows how extremely hard she has striven, at the book's end, to most decidedly Not present the typical, happy ending of chick lit. This is admirable, but the ending Shriver *does* present is a rather weak one, in my opinion, compared to the vigor of the rest of the book. After going through so Very Much with all the characters, one is left with an empty feeling of: oh well. That was....nice.
Not my favorite..........2007-08-29
This was book we read for book club. I found it to bounce around a bit too much and I was not even clear of what was going on till a 3rd the way through the book. She is a lovely writer and very descriptive. Just a bit jumbled.
I really wanted to like this book........2007-08-29
I read so many glowing reviews and the premise is such an intriguing one. Who hasn't pondered where different choices might have taken them? And some parts of it are astonishingly good. My favorite line and I think it's where the character goes home for the holidays: "God, cheerfulness can be a form of assault." That's just one of many bull's eye moments. The author has very sharp insight into the intricacies of human emotion, maybe too much at times. A top editor could have really worked this one out. I'm really losing faith in editors and book reviewers these days. She stretches the conceit as far as it can go, breaking a lot of "writer" rules as she goes along - feels more rebellious than sloppy - and it works often enough to prove those rules to be needlessly limiting. There are spots of pure writer's gold every few pages. So much of Irina's inner dialogue is dark and witty, laugh out loud stuff that rings true.
The down side is that the really good parts cast the rest of it in shadow. I'm not one who has to fall in love and totally relate to the main character, but I found Irina to be stupid and unlikable. The men are bland stock characters. Ramsey's dialogue makes it sound like she's romancing Hagrid. He is an unsophisticated emotional imbecile, who YES we get it, is good in the sack. The characterization of Lawrence is no better. He is either dull but trustworthy and true or he is dull and hiding something. I'm curious why anyone would fashion such a trio of losers. But the main character is so awful as to be puzzling. Was it the author's intention to write about a stupid and shallow woman who will invariably shoot herself in the foot no matter what she does? Would she like to know the character she created? I wouldn't. It's odd to think of a woman in her early 40s behaving this way. Did she spend her 20s in a nunnery? I haven't quite finished, so maybe she did.
The dialogue can be cringeworthy and indulgent. For one, everyone speaks in long emotion-heavy paragraphs that serve to move the plot along. The real and imagined scenarios are grossly daydreamy and maudlin. In fact at times, it reads like a bad daydream by a romance reader who finds Lifetyme TV absorbing. The author also wants to weigh in on the 90s and those parts are clunky and intrusive. She also suffers from the laughable (usually) male writer affliction of the perfect woman - beautiful without any makeup, thin without any effort. She even loses weight when she does nothing but eat out and booze it up with Ramsey! Wow, what an accomplishment. She should be so proud. Yet her only insight into her sister's marriage is to wonder whether her husband loves her because she went (this is so misogynistic) from "bird to cow."
I also never want to read another word about snooker ever again. I'm going to try one more of this author's books and/or maybe her next one. But if there is even a hint of snooker in either of them, it's going back.
Absolutely Loved This Book.......2007-08-13
A friend recommended this book to me. Not knowing anything about it, I began to read it, and soon found that I could not put it down. What I found most compelling is that the storyline can be related to most anyone's life. We all make choices as we go, regarding relationships, and have you ever wondered "what if" you chose another other path with someone else? That's what this book addresses. It really drew me in and made me think. Thank you Lionel Shriver for the best read I've had in a long time.
Average customer rating:
- Excellent
- Not Terribly Engrossing
- Nice book about synesthesia
- A beautiful book!
- Amazing
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Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant
Daniel Tammet
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Biographies & Memoirs
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ASIN: 1416535071 |
Book Description
Born on a Blue Day is a journey into one of the most fascinating minds alive today -- guided by its owner himself. Daniel Tammet sees numbers as shapes, colors, and textures, and he can perform extraordinary calculations in his head. He can learn to speak new languages fluently, from scratch, in a week. In 2004, he memorized and recited more than 22,000 digits of pi, setting a record. He has savant syndrome, an extremely rare condition that gives him almost unimaginable mental powers, much like those portrayed by Dustin Hoffman in the film Rain Man.
Daniel has a compulsive need for order and routine -- he eats the same precise amount of cereal for breakfast every morning and cannot leave the house without counting the number of items of clothing he's wearing. When he gets stressed or is unhappy, he closes his eyes and counts. But in one crucial way Daniel is not at all like the Rain Man: he is virtually unique among people who have sev- ere autistic disorders in that he is capable of living a fully independent life. He has emerged from the "other side" of autism with the ability to function successfully -- he is even able to explain what is happening inside his head.
Born on a Blue Day is a triumphant and uplifting story, starting from early childhood, when Daniel was incapable of making friends and prone to tantrums, to young adulthood, when he learned how to control himself and to live independently, fell in love, experienced a religious conversion to Christianity, and most recently, emerged as a celebrity. The world's leading neuroscientists have been studying Daniel's ability to solve complicated math problems in one fell swoop by seeing shapes rather than making step-by-step calculations. Here he explains how he does it, and how he is able to learn new languages so quickly, simply by absorbing their patterns. Fascinating and inspiring, Born on a Blue Day explores what it's like to be special and gives us an insight into what makes us all human -- our minds.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent.......2007-10-10
As a mother of a child with high functioning Autism I found this book extremely interesting. However, even if I had no direct connection with Autism this book is very good. It is wonderfully written; engaging and quick to read. I appreciate Daniel Tammet sharing his story and highly recommend it to anyone.
Not Terribly Engrossing.......2007-08-07
The introduction for this book, in which Tammet describes his savant skills and his synesthesia, is really the most interesting part, and one wishes that the remainder of the book could have been so. As it is, it is a memoir about a life that, despite the curiosity of his Asperger's syndrome and his talents, is actually rather ordinary.
It is interesting to hear him describe the mental manifestations of his mild autism, but as the book moves on, it actually does not effect his life as much as you'd think. When you see him on television programs, in fact, you would hardly guess the mental stress he undergoes to interact with people.
Until late in the book, no one seems particularly interested in Tammet's outstanding language and math abilities, which seems a shame. The memoir has been produced precisely because he has been discovered, but I can't help but think that a different kind of book would have been a better, more interesting way to learn about Tammet. While his brain is fascinating, his life story isn't nearly so.
Nice book about synesthesia.......2007-08-03
This is a nice first person narrative about synesthesia. I enjoyed reading another person's perspective of synesthetic problem solving by means of spontaneous, intuitive pictures. I know of synesthetes that have had to go through extensive occupational therapy to heal hypersensitivities to light, sound, etc. I wonder how he just got over it at some point.
I rate this book a 5 star because it is rare to find a book about synesthesia written by the people who live it and know it best.
A beautiful book!.......2007-08-01
This is really a beautiful book. I really mean beautiful. Yes it is a great book and a great read, but the difference between this book and other great reads is that this is truly a beautiful book.
The author will take you right into his mind and will show you how he visualizes the world around him. You might think he is a genius, capable of feats we mere mortals are incapable of. For example, he can perform extraordinary math in his head. He can calculate the number Pie (22 divided by 7, or 3.14.....) to more than 22,000 digits in his head! In fact, he holds the world record! Give him any numbers, such as 34,768 multiplied by 67,879, and he'll spit out the answer in an instant, faster than it would take you to enter the digits in a calculator.
How can he calculate so fast? What is his secret? The author, Daniel Tammet, sees numbers as shapes, colors and textures. He also experiences emotions by visualizing numbers. He says, "If a friend says they feel sad or depressed, I picture myself sitting in the dark hollowness of number six to help me experience the same sort of feeling and understand it. If I read in an article that a person felt intimidated by something, I imagine myself standing next to the number nine...By doing this, numbers actually help me get closer to understanding other people (p. 8-9, Hodder 2006, paperback). On page 11, he says, "Some nights, when I'm having difficulty falling asleep, I imagine myself walking around my numerical landscapes. Then I feel safe and happy. I never feel lost, because the prime number shapes acts as signposts." He further adds, "Five is a clap of thunder or the sound of waves crashing against rocks. Thirty-seven is lumpy like porridge, while 89 reminds me of falling snow...The number four is shy and quiet...Prime numbers feel smooth, like pebbles."
The author also knows how to speak 11 languages (he even invented one of his own), and he can speak a language fluently from scratch in a week. He learnt Icelandic in one week during a TV interview in Iceland! He says, "Seeing words in different colors and textures aids my memory for facts and names."
In case you are wondering, Tammet sees days of the week as colors. Wednesday, the day he was born, is `blue'; thus the title of the book, `Born on a Blue Day'.
Is the author a genius?
Daniel Tammet has Savant Syndrome, an extremely rare form of Asperger's that gives him almost unimaginable mental powers, much like the Rain Man (Kim Peek) portrayed by Dustin Hoffman. But he is unique among people who have severe autistic disorders in being able to live a fully independent life. He travels by air alone and visits many countries for interviews, research, and to appear on TV. His first flight abroad was to Lithuania where he worked as a volunteer English teacher. It was there he realized that he could live an independent life. He also traveled to America on his own to film the documentary Brainman.
One reviewer said that statistics recently released placed one out of every 150 births as an autistic child. This is by no means a small number. But not all autistic children have the abilities of Tammet or Peek. It is believed that there might be fewer than 100 worldwide!
So what makes Tammet and Peek different from other autistic people, and particularly us?
Tammet's Savant talents likely resulted with a short bout with epilepsy at the age of 4. Scientists studying Tammet and other Savants believe that something in the brain triggers the Savant abilities. If scientists can pinpoint this trigger, can they make us all into supercomputers? The research into the brain is still ongoing, and I must say, is quite fascinating. A lot of it is explained in this book.
However one should not forget that we too have many abilities that we take for granted, such as our ability to communicate clearly (most autistics don't have this ability); understand each other; cope with our surroundings etc...
This book is an insight into what it is like to be a high-functioning autistic. The author explains his life from birth (as related by his parents) to the present time (2006). Some scenes are very touching, like the death of his cat, the illness of his father, and the loneliness he experienced. Other scenes are really funny, like how he didn't like shaving because he was very sensitive to the sound of the blade on his skin (his boyfriend Neil later shaved for him, and taught him to use an electric shaver which he liked using). In fact, sounds bother him, and he often plugs his ears with his fingers. He also says that he eats exactly 45 grams of porridge for breakfast each morning. How does he know this? Well, he actually measures his porridge!
He sometimes sleepwalks. As a child, his parents always made sure his room was tidy at night, for fear he would stumble on something while sleep walking.
He explains how since an early age he was attracted to males, and how he approached his first crush while in high school. He was politely rejected. He then met his true love through the internet years later. He didn't know how to tell his parents. When he finally mustered the courage and the words to face his parents, he was surprised that they immediately supported him. All they wished for was his happiness. He eventually moved in with his boyfriend Neil. They are still together today.
He explains how difficult it is to love as an autistic, and how autistics view love. There is also a chapter on his views on religion which I found inspiring. He says, "...my moral values are based more on ideas that are logical, make sense to me and that I have thought through carefully, than on the ability to `walk in another person's shoes'. I know to treat each person I meet with kindness and respect, because I believe that each person is unique and created in God's image." (p. 282).
He now joins scientists in exploring his mind. He does not mind being a guinea pig as long as there is a benefit to mankind. Imagine one day we can think like him. Imagine being able to solve any mathematical problem! I think it was Einstein who once said that we only use 5% of our brain. What if we can unlock the other 95% of our brain? Imagine being more powerful in processing information than the fastest computer! This is not a dream. People with Savant Syndrome can do just that. The Rain Man (Peek), for example, memorized over 7,000 books, and is able to retrieve any information with page numbers from any of these books!
I love reading books, and I am proud of my thousand plus book library. Imagine having the power to actually put this library in my mind! It would be like all the books in my library are scanned into my brain, giving me a Google like search within my own brain! Will scientists, with the help of Savants, help unlock the full potential of our brain?
Tammet is now a famous man. He has appeared on several Television shows such as with David Letterman and 60 minutes. Together with his boyfriend Neil they began an internet-based company specializing in teaching languages, which has become extremely successful and popular with millions of hits a month.
This is a beautiful book. You will live through the author his life story from his birth to the present time, and unlike other memoirs and biographies, you will find yourself living inside his mind.
One reviewer put it this way, "Being `normal' is nothing extraordinary. Being born Daniel Tammet was truly extraordinary!"
We are all different, and must all respect and love each other. This was my last thought as I read the last sentences of this book. He says, "Everyone is said to have a perfect moment once in a while, an experience of complete peace and connection, like looking out from the top of the Eiffel Tower or watching a falling star high in the night sky...I imagine these moments as fragments or splinters scattered across a lifetime. If a person could somehow collect them all up and stick them together he would have a perfect hour or even a perfect day. And I think in that hour or day he would be closer to the mystery of what it is to be human. It would be like having a glimpse of heaven." (p. 283-284).
This book will change your outlook on life. Do yourself a favor and read this book, and you'll know the meaning of beautiful!
Amazing.......2007-06-27
Daniel Tammet gives an amazing insight into the way he experiences the world. A great book for everybody who enjoys diversity and wants to extend his or her horizon.
Other than that: a book hard to summarize because it first seems so different but when you think about it it just describes a person's life - with problems specific to someone on the autistic spectrum, but also with a lot of everyday challenges of a boy growing up. The way he looks at and analyzes the first 20 years is very special though.
Average customer rating:
- The riddle of the Boleyn Inheritance
- Reign of terror
- Captivated by the Tudors
- Not the best, but interesting
- The Boleyn Inheritance
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The Boleyn Inheritance
Philippa Gregory
Manufacturer: Touchstone
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Historical
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| World Literature
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Contemporary
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Literary
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Similar Items:
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The Constant Princess
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The Other Boleyn Girl
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The Virgin's Lover
-
The Queen's Fool: A Novel
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Katherine
ASIN: 0743272501 |
Book Description
THREE WOMEN WHO SHARE ONE FATE: THE BOLEYN INHERITANCE
ANNE OF CLEVES
She runs from her tiny country, her hateful mother, and her abusive brother to a throne whose last three occupants are dead. King Henry VIII, her new husband, instantly dislikes her. Without friends, family, or even an understanding of the language being spoken around her, she must literally save her neck in a court ruled by a deadly game of politics and the terror of an unpredictable and vengeful king. Her Boleyn Inheritance: accusations and false witnesses.
KATHERINE HOWARD
She catches the king's eye within moments of arriving at court, setting in motion the dreadful machine of politics, intrigue, and treason that she does not understand. She only knows that she is beautiful, that men desire her, that she is young and in love -- but not with the diseased old man who made her queen, beds her night after night, and killed her cousin Anne. Her Boleyn Inheritance: the threat of the axe.
JANE ROCHFORD
She is the Boleyn girl whose testimony sent her husband and sister-in-law to their deaths. She is the trusted friend of two threatened queens, the perfectly loyal spy for her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, and a canny survivor in the murderous court of a most dangerous king. Throughout Europe, her name is a byword for malice, jealousy, and twisted lust. Her Boleyn Inheritance: a fortune and a title, in exchange for her soul.
The Boleyn Inheritance is a novel drawn tight as a lute string about a court ruled by the gallows and three women whose positions brought them wealth, admiration, and power as well as deceit, betrayal, and terror. Once again, Philippa Gregory has brought a vanished world to life -- the whisper of a silk skirt on a stone stair, the yellow glow of candlelight illuminating a hastily written note, the murmurs of the crowd gathering on Tower Green below the newly built scaffold. In The Boleyn Inheritance Gregory is at her intelligent and page-turning best.
Book Description
15 discs/18 hours
Customer Reviews:
The riddle of the Boleyn Inheritance.......2007-10-10
This book is amazing. If you make yourself the question "What is the Boleyn Inheritance?" The author will give you hints through the book, and you can make some guess of which the answer will be. It is just at the very end of the book, that you will find out the answer, which is a breathtaking surprise.
Reign of terror.......2007-10-06
Having just finished the last page of this book, I'm still feeling rather trembly(if that's a word!) and shaken at the picture of complete horror and terrible fear painted so brilliantly by Philippa Gregory. Poor, Katherine Howard was the 5th wife of the murderous Henry V111, a pretty but vapid child of fifteen and as silly and stupid a 15 year old as one could imagine. The poor ditz of a creature was used by her family, the aristocratic and ruthless Howards, who also produced Queen Anne Boleyn, and manipulated into captivating the King who had deteriorated into a madman with a gross, infected and ulcerated body and who had become a complete megalomaniac. The other part of the story which was more interesting to me, was the story of Anne of Cleves who was Henry's 4th wife but who, through dint of cleverness and good luck, escaped the headman's axe by agreeing to the annulment of her marriage. Not much has been written about Anne but she must go down in history as one of the luckiest women in the world. I found this book to be an excellent read and an absolute page turner to the end.
Captivated by the Tudors.......2007-09-19
Having been fascinated by "The Other Boleyn Girl", I was very much looking forward to "The Boleyn Inheritance" and was not disappointed. A sort of sequel, the latter carries forward a character from the first book, Jane Boleyn, and also includes Henry's fourth and fifth wives, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard. The story moves forward through alternating accounts of events by the three women. In my opinion, the author does a good job of capturing each one's spirit and voice. In addition, the story is fairly accurate historically, so provided a starting point for additional research on Henry and his wives.
Not the best, but interesting.......2007-09-16
Definitely preferred The Other Boleyn Girl and The Virgin's Lover. I'm reading Earthly Joys. I didn't think the two Boleyn books tied together that well. But the three narrators were interesting and her take on Anne of Cleves was fascinating. I loved the fleshing out of these forgotten and yet so important historical figures. But Jane Boleyn was tough to believe and understand.
The Boleyn Inheritance.......2007-09-13
The Boleyn Inheritance was a great novel. I did like The Other Boleyn Girl a little better. However, I liked the way Philippa Gregory wrote this book with three narrators. This book is worth reading!
Average customer rating:
- Excellent!!!
- Scandalous!
- Life in the court of Henry the VIII....not all it is cracked up to be
- couldn't put it down
- Historical fiction with a new twist
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The Other Boleyn Girl
Philippa Gregory
Manufacturer: Touchstone
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Historical
| British
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
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Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
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Historical
| Genre Fiction
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General
| Romance
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General
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Similar Items:
-
The Boleyn Inheritance
-
The Queen's Fool: A Novel
-
The Virgin's Lover
-
The Constant Princess
-
Katherine
ASIN: 0743227441 |
Book Description
Two sisters competing for the greatest prize: the love of a king
When Mary Boleyn comes to court as an innocent girl of fourteen, she catches the eye of Henry VIII. Dazzled by the king, Mary falls in love with both her golden prince and her growing role as unofficial queen. However, she soon realizes just how much she is a pawn in her familys ambitious plots as the kings interest begins to wane and she is forced to step aside for her best friend and rival: her sister, Anne. Then Mary knows that she must defy her family and her king, and take her fate into her own hands.
A rich and compelling tale of love, sex, ambition, and intrigue, The Other Boleyn Girl introduces a woman of extraordinary determination and desire who lived at the heart of the most exciting and glamorous court in Europe and survived by following her own heart.
Download Description
"Two sisters competing for the greatest prize: the love of a king When Mary Boleyn comes to court as an innocent girl of fourteen, she catches the eye of Henry VIII. Dazzled by the king, Mary falls in love with both her golden prince and her growing role as unofficial queen. However, she soon realizes just how much she is a pawn in her family's ambitious plots as the king's interest begins to wane and she is forced to step aside for her best friend and rival: her sister, Anne. Then Mary knows that she must defy her family and her king, and take her fate into her own hands. A rich and compelling tale of love, sex, ambition, and intrigue, The Other Boleyn Girl introduces a woman of extraordinary determination and desire who lived at the heart of the most exciting and glamorous court in Europe and survived by following her own heart. "
Customer Reviews:
Excellent!!!.......2007-10-10
This book was fantastic! I've never had an interest in English history before and now I find I'm obsessed. Well written and engaging. It's hard to put down!
Scandalous!.......2007-10-09
I admit, at first I thought this book was a bit of fluff. I realized it wasn't when I found myself unable to leave the story to so much as eat. Don't give up if you've just begun, this book will take you on a ride of intrigue, scandal, ambition, lust, incest and greed. The writing seemed very simple to me, but the story was complex enough to fill in the gap. I loved reading about the Tudors and although I knew it wasn't entirely true, the story was entertaining & shocking enough to keep me reading until the last word.
This story is told from Mary Boleyn's point of view and and tells the tale of the Boleyn family's ambition to get the to the top of the English crown, no matter what the cost...and oh what prices they pay! Mary was chosen by her family to put herself in the king's (Henry VIII) favor (mainly with sex) to rise to the top to benefit her family. Everything seemed to be going well for Mary until her highly ambitious and beautiful sister Anne came to court and stole all of her thunder and did whatever it took her to get what she wanted, and more. In the king's quest for an heir, a son, he leads the country to the height of scandal by divorcing Queen Katherine, who is barren, to open the door for a new marriage...perhaps to a Boleyn.
It's interesting to see the dynamic between Anne, Mary and their brother, George. Rivals from the crib, Anne and Mary were born to be in competition with eachother and were raised for the sole purpose of landing an advantagous marriage. Anne will stop at nothing to land a sucessful marriage to a duke and once that prospect is squashed she goes straight for the heart of the country...the king. She is a shameless, uncaring, evil, ambitious woman, but something about her makes you root for her, in a sick way. For years and years she stops at nothing to get what she wants, but the road she takes to get there is wrought with scandal that puts Anne and her family of unwilling supporters in grave danger.
If you want an engaging read, this is it. How many times did I say the word scandalous in this review? A bunch? That's because it is! Read it, you won't regret it. Also, I think thay are making a movie that is to come out this winter. It's a great time to take in the book.
Life in the court of Henry the VIII....not all it is cracked up to be.......2007-10-08
This is an amazing historical fiction about Mary, the sister of Anne Boleyn. The historical details make you feel as if you are really there. It seems to be very historically accurate as well. I mostly enjoyed reading it... except that after a while the politically charged, cruel, and sometimes evil feel of the life at Henry the VIII's court can be smothering. Towards the end I just wanted to be done with it.
couldn't put it down.......2007-10-07
this was a great book. I did not like the Constant Princess, so I hesitated to read this book. Great story, great writing. Really couldn't put it down.
Historical fiction with a new twist.......2007-10-01
This book kept me riveted even though it is a long book; I didn't want to stop reading it. It certainly made the reign of King Henry VIII interesting! It also points out the sad fate of women in those days. But the main character, Mary Bolyn overcomes her fate by following her heart. This has been my favorite book this year, full of love, sex and ambition., and it is based on a true story!
Book Description
From the bestselling author of In the Heart of the Sea—winner of the National Book Award—the startling story of the Plymouth Colony
From the perilous ocean crossing to the shared bounty of the first Thanksgiving, the Pilgrim settlement of New England has become enshrined as our most sacred national myth. Yet, as bestselling author Nathaniel Philbrick reveals in his spellbinding new book, the true story of the Pilgrims is much more than the well-known tale of piety and sacrifice; it is a fifty-five-year epic that is at once tragic, heroic, exhilarating, and profound.
The Mayflower's religious refugees arrived in Plymouth Harbor during a period of crisis for Native Americans as disease spread by European fishermen devastated their populations. Initially the two groups—the Wampanoags, under the charismatic and calculating chief Massasoit, and the Pilgrims, whose pugnacious military officer Miles Standish was barely five feet tall—maintained a fragile working relationship. But within decades, New England would erupt into King Philip's War, a savagely bloody conflict that nearly wiped out English colonists and natives alike and forever altered the face of the fledgling colonies and the country that would grow from them.
With towering figures like William Bradford and the distinctly American hero Benjamin Church at the center of his narrative, Philbrick has fashioned a fresh and compelling portrait of the dawn of American history—a history dominated right from the start by issues of race, violence, and religion.
Customer Reviews:
Educational book.......2007-09-26
This is a very informative, accurate writing of our history. More people should read and know the real history of our country.
Not what I expected, but.......2007-09-16
the book was still a captivating piece of literature. I read this directly after reading In the Heart of the Sea by Philbrick, and was expecting the same type of story. That was not the case however. The title is a bit misleading in that one thinks they are going to be reading (or at least I did) a story of the journey. The subtitle should have cued me in. The book is about the struggle between the settlers and the natives more so than it is about the voyage to the new world. All that being said, I still loved the book. I gave the book four stars because I wish there was more about the actual voyage, and I think the title is a little misleading. All in all though, it is a superb piece of literature.
Clear & Interesting narrative of a difficult and complex period.......2007-09-13
There really aren't very many good, recent books about the early years in Massachusetts. This is an exceptional treatment...very engaging and clear. The number of Indian tribes, the various Pilgrims, Puritans, etc. can be a real mess to understand. And of course, there is usually a biased or pointed perspective you have to deal with. Philbrick has genuine regard for the good on both the English side and the various Indian sides and heartfelt disdain for the vicious and stupid acts on both sides that caused this war and ultimately turned it into a 14 month blood bath throughout New England. Makes me want to do some real research here in my New Hampshire home town.
Myth History and Real History.......2007-09-13
Every American teen should read this book. Myth-busting, rich in suggestion and detail, comprehensively researched. The defining text for this country's first sixty years.
Teaches you something not learned in elementary school........2007-09-12
Would have preferred more maps, a Summary timeline of key events and Summary of all key individuals, especially relationships of all the Indian tribes and geographical locations. Occasionally the skipping around between times is a little confusing. But, the index is helpful.
Map of Southern New England and New York during King Philip's War should be brought forward to "Kindling the Flame Chapter," so that the battles could be followed with the map.
Mayflower: September 6, 1620 to November 9, 620 (65 day voyage)
102 members is cut to 50 by spring of 1620)
William Bradford (- 1657) - Leader, Wife falls off the Mayflower upon the arrival.
Christopher Jones - Mayflower Captain returns to England April 5 - May 6 1621
Pastor John Robinson ( - 1625) - Left in England influences Mayflower Compact
Miles Standish ( - 1656) - Strict/Brutal Military Captain for pilgrims, which laid the base of strength for the pilgrims position amongst the Indians
Thomas Weston & the Merchant Adventurers - Investment backers of the mayflower - Finally paid off in 1648. First payment lost to the French
King Philip's War
Josiah Winslow, Plymouth Leader
Mary Rowlandson, he Sovereignty & Goodness of God (Feb 10, 1676)
Captain Samuel Moseley, Massachusetts Bay most ferocious Indian fighter. The only good Indian is a dead Indian
Benjamin Church, Key military leader during the King Philip War, style opposite of Moseley
Treat the enemy like a human being
Learn as much as possible from the enemy
Bring the enemy to your way of thinking
Loyal Indians: Mohegans, Pequots, Niantic (subset of the Narragansetts)
Tri-axis: Nipmuck-Narragansett-Pokanoket
King Philip, Son of Massasoit (Pokanokets) King Philip's War 1675 - 1676
Killed in battle, quartered, head is placed as a fixture at Plymouth for over 2 decades; hand is a showcase through New England
July 1675: Pease Field Fight
Sept 3, 1675: Richard Beers Ambush 21 of 35 killed
Sept 1675: Bloody Brook, Captain Thomas Lathrop 57 of 65 killed, Moseley joins battle and saved by arrival of Major Robert Treat and friendly Mohegans
Dec 1675: Jireh Bull's Garrison 15 killed
Dec 19, 1675: Great Swamp fight Winslow, Church (injured) and Moseley and Pequots and Mohegans against the Narragansetts: Critical battle injuring the Narranansetts. Fort built by the Narrangansetts destroyed. Defensive stance questions the involvement o the Narranansetts in the war.
March 1676: Clark's Garrison Massacre
March 1676: Pierce's Massacre
April 9, 1676: Canonchet killed, beheaded, quartered and burned, Charismatic leader of the Narragansett with Philip
July 1676: King Philip's death: Church and his men. Caleb Cook and Pocasset named Alderman
Times called for brutal discipline. Fighting against odds of weather, food, Indians and other Europeans.
Similarities to "Praying Indians" & Japanese internment camp
1863 Abraham Lincoln officially established Thanksgiving
Book Description
On a splendid August afternoon Susanna Osbourne is introduced to the most handsome man she has ever seen . . . and instantly feels the icy chill of recognition. Peter Edgeworth, Viscount Whitleaf, is utterly charming—and seemingly unaware that they have met before. With his knowing smile and seductive gaze, Peter acts the rake; but he stirs something in Susanna she has never felt before, a yearning that both frightens and dazzles her. Instantly she knows: this brash nobleman poses a threat to her heart . . . and to the secrets she guards so desperately.
From the moment they meet, Peter is drawn to Susanna’s independence, dazzled by her sharp wit—he simply must have her. But the more he pursues, the more Susanna withdraws . . . until a sensual game of thrust-and-parry culminates in a glorious afternoon of passion. Now more determined than ever to keep her by his side, Peter begins to suspect that a tragic history still haunts Susanna. And as he moves closer to the truth, Peter is certain of one thing: he will defy the mysteries of her past for a future with this exquisite creature—all Susanna must do is trust him with the most precious secret of all. . . .
Customer Reviews:
I was sorry to have it end.......2007-09-19
which is ironic when you consider that, first, I hesitated in buying it and, then had it for two months before getting around to starting it!
I was turned off by some of the lukewarm reviews which sort of echoed annoyances I felt with previous books (the never-ending presence of the Bedwins, the ever-recurring use of the the ducal quizzing glass, etc.) Yes, they were there but they didn't detract from the book at all. An imperfect Mary Balogh is still so much better than a perfect any-other-regency-novelist that it doesn't matter at all.
As is usual in her novels, the characters are completely believable: in character development, in their actions and reactions, in their time and place, in the balance between their imperfections, virtues and motivations, and in their passage through the plot from beginning to end.
Nothing wildly dramatic happens in the plot. This isn't an adventure, a mystery, a conflict, a comedy or a drama, at least not any more or any less than a slice of real life is any (or all) of the above. The plot is character driven and well-paced. It is not psycho-babble, but insights into the thoughts and feelings of intelligent and imperfect human beings who make and admit mistakes and try, as all of us do, to grow from our experiences and to try to do what is right when confronted with the temptations, challenges, and opportunities that this particular moment of their lives present.
It is sometimes hard to believe that these are not real people which explains why, after reaching into yourself and relating--with genuine interest, empathy, and warmth--to some part of each of them, it is so hard to let them go.
Misleading Reviews.......2007-08-31
As a long-time Balogh fan, I was hesitant to buy this book after some of the extremely negative reviews. I'm glad I did. A self-effacing, kind, charming, cheerful hero and a buoyant, energetic, loving heroine, both intelligent and striving towards maturity, are lovingly portrayed in all their insights and lack thereof. Granted, the book is more a study of individual emotional evolution than action, but the couple is charming, their development believeable, and, as always, Ms Balogh brings it all together with the most complete of happy endings--something THIS reader of romances truly appreciates. Unless you just have to have serious threats, conflicts, crimes and mayhem in your romances, you'll enjoy it!
unreadable.......2007-07-18
I am a long-time fan of Mary Balogh--but about three or four books back something went terribly wrong. So--got this from the library instead--and stopped about 30 pages in. Back it goes.
Read her old Signet paperbacks if you want to know why people love(d) her, not this wince-inspiring mishmash of recycled themes she did better 10 or 15 years ago.
Another magical story from Mary Balogh.......2007-07-13
Mary Balogh's consistently high standard of writing is once again shown in "Simply Magic", the third of her 'Simply' Quartet ("Simply Unforgettable," and "Simply Love" precede this book). The events in this book take place largely at the same time as those in "Simply Love" and in fact some scenes are the same as we see the story from Susanna Osborne's view.
Susanna Osborne is a teacher at Miss Martin's School For Girls in Bath, having first attended the school as a pupil from age 12 when her father died unexpectedly and she ran away from being a burden to the family for whom he worked. Susanna's whole life has revolved around the school but when Frances, the Countess of Edgecombe and a former teacher (whose story is told in "Simply Unforgettable") invites Susanna to stay with her for two weeks Susanna agrees. On her first day at the Countess's estate she meets up with a group from the neighbouring house which includes a visitor, Viscount Whitleaf. The name Whitleaf is anathema to Susanna because of events in her past (which aren't initially explained) and so she treats him rather rudely. Besides, Peter Whitleaf is clearly a rather shallow young man, always flirting with young ladies and paying them lavish compliments but without too much between his ears.
However Whitleaf finds Susanna interesting, partly because she isn't flirting with him, and he strikes up a friendship with her. However at the end of the two weeks she returns to the school having turned down his offer to become his mistress and she and Anne Jewell, another teacher, tell each other about their love lives (this scene is also in "Simply Love"). Anne Jewell has to have a shotgun wedding and when the delayed wedding breakfast takes place Susanna is shocked to discover that Viscount Whitleaf is attending it. He stretches out his time in Bath, meeting Susanna on a number of occasions, and eventually persuading her to visit her original home.
Once again this story delves deeply into the emotions and histories of our characters. Whitleaf and Susanna are both attractive people who are much loved and yet their lives aren't as carefree as they might seem. Whitleaf has never been able to take mastery of his own house since his majority, being under his mother's thumb; Susanna has not been able to deal with the grief following the suicide of her father and her feeling of rejection. The two of them find that their stories entwine and their histories are significantly linked and work together to bring about some kind of resolution.
This is an excellent read, as usual with Mary Balogh. Perhaps the subject matter isn't quite as in depth as she sometimes offers (for example in "Simply Love") and the characters seem in some ways less complex but it is still a beautiful story with a genuinely kind hero.
Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book, www.curledup.com. © Helen Hancox 2007
Regency Mystery.......2007-06-23
If you like a well-told tale, open your mind and enjoy the mystery rather than just the romance here. If all heroes must be dark and disturbing, try another author.
Book Description
Lois Gordon's absorbing biography tells the story of a writer, activist, and cultural icon who embodied the dazzling energy and tumultuous spirit of her age, and whom William Carlos Williams once called "one of the major phenomena of history."
Nancy Cunard (1896-1965) led a life that surpasses Hollywood fantasy. The only child of an English baronet (and heir to the Cunard shipping fortune) and an American beauty, Cunard abandoned the world of a celebrated socialite and Jazz Age icon to pursue a lifelong battle against social injustice as a wartime journalist, humanitarian aid worker, and civil rights champion.
Cunard fought fascism on the battlefields of Spain and reported firsthand on the atrocities of the French concentration camps. Intelligent and beautiful, she romanced the great writers of her era, including three Nobel Prize winners, and was the inspiration for characters in the works of Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot, Aldous Huxley, Pablo Neruda, Samuel Beckett, and Ernest Hemingway, among others.
Cunard was also a prolific poet, publisher, and translator and, after falling in love with a black American jazz pianist, became deeply committed to fighting for black rights. She edited the controversial anthology Negro, the first comprehensive study of the achievement and plight of blacks around the world. Her contributors included Langston Hughes, W. E. B. Du Bois, and Zora Neale Hurston, among scores of others.
Cunard's personal life was as complex as her public persona. Her involvement with the civil rights movement led her to be ridiculed and rejected by both family and friends. Throughout her life, she was plagued by insecurities and suffered a series of breakdowns, struggling with a sense of guilt over her promiscuous behavior and her ability to survive so much war and tragedy. Yet Cunard's writings also reveal an immense kindness and wit, as well as her renowned, often flamboyant defiance of prejudiced social conventions.
Drawing on diaries, correspondence, historical accounts, and the remembrances of others, Lois Gordon revisits the major movements of the first half of the twentieth century through the life of a truly gifted and extraordinary woman. She also returns Nancy Cunard to her rightful place as a major figure in the historical, social, and artistic events of a critical era.
Customer Reviews:
A Remembered Life.......2007-07-03
If Lois Gordon was writing about a fictional character she could not have told a story of a more exciting person than Nancy Cunard. However, Nancy Cunard was indeed an individual who lived in the early part of last century whose exploits, altruism, and literary talent were extraordinary by any standards. She was a legendary beauty, with a great mind, who was extremely devoted to the disadvantaged people of the world and their struggles. This is an unusual and remarkable combination of qualities that is brilliantly depicted throughout this wonderful book. Simply, I could not put the book down once I had started reading. I can highly recommend it.
Facinating.......2007-05-16
A facinating look at a most interesting woman. Well ahead of her time. Also many insights to a span of recent history often neglected.
Brilliant job, takes your breath away.......2007-05-12
This is a brilliant, sensitive, thoroughly researched biography which is a model example of how such things should be done. The author writes of the First World War experiences in London as if she had personally lived through them. Her understanding of the complex and bizarre Nancy Cunard, of her weird mother, of her strange friends, of her insane promiscuity, of her serial preying upon the creative elite by means of 'genital consumption', of her impossible psychlogy, of the whole phantasmagoria which Nancy Cunard represented, are really a triumph of empathy and insight, as well as of organisation of material. Lois Gordon's ability to master large volumes of action and hysteria without flinching qualify her for a top military command.
A lively, fascinating read from the first chapter..........2007-05-10
I just finished Lois Gordon's deeply moving tale of an unbelievably heroic, remarkable woman about whom I knew very little. I now feel I know the soul of Nancy Cunard, thanks to the author's wonderfully engaging, well-documented presentation. The book's fluent style and breadth of information are impressive. I agree with the majority here who have praised this fascinating biography. Buy this book, settle into your favorite chair, and prepare to meet the caring, complex, flawed, passionate woman that was Nancy Cunard.
Henry Crowder and Nancy Cunard.......2007-05-06
Regrettably, this biography is seriously flawed, frankly a disgrace, in respect of Henry Crowder and throughout. There is hardly a page in the book without demonstrable error of fact, misrepresentation, unfounded speculation or garbled citation. Columbia University Press were twice alerted that there were problems when an advance proof fell into the present writer's hands two or three months before publication. The Press did not respond. Caroline Weber's New York Times review is foolish in the extreme. Anne Chisholm's 1979 biography remains indispensable. While Gordon has uncovered new material (not about Henry Crowder in which she is particularly deficient) she has not been able to make sense of it. The true story of Crowder is told in the book+CD Listening for Henry Crowder scheduled fall 2007.
Although readers must judge for themselves, it is incumbent upon someone or other who has studied some of the particulars to point out the book's shortcomings, which are drastic. The book's flamboyant style may appear to be "a good read". All the more reason to alert the general reader. That Cunard's life was replete with extraordinary events and relationships does not confer upon the biographer the right to play fast and loose. Such treatment may befit an exploitative Hollywood movie but not a literary documentation with academic credentials. It may be that few care. Neverthless . . . In respect of, for example, Crowder, by Cunard's admission the single most important man in her life, a good deal of the information the author needed had been available to her for some years in an exploratory article in a journal, which was also posted online. Either she chose to ignore it or she did not find it, though it was easy to find. Unfortunately, she does not even get the facts right from the sources she does use and her misdemeanors extend far beyond that particular subject. (Crowder does not even figure in a list of Cunard's friends in an interview with the author on the publisher's website, while another, with whom she had no relationship whatsoever, is proposed as a lover.)
In response to a comment on my original brief posting: I have mentioned my forthcoming book on Crowder's life (which will not receive wide distribution or review) and Anne Chisholm's earlier, easily available, elegant, sober, generous, decent biography of Cunard, which is grudgingly noted and casually mistreated by Gordon, in order to give general readers the opportunity to find other takes on Cunard, which they might otherwise miss, and so allow them to judge from a well-informed position.
Book Description
There was no sign of life. But not for a second did Pascoe admit the possibility of death. Dalziel was indestructible. Dalziel is, and was, and forever shall be, world without end, amen. Everybody knew that. Therein lay half his power. Chief constables might come and chief constables might go, but Fat Andy went on forever.
Caught in the blast of a huge explosion, Detective Superintendent Andy Dalziel lies on a hospital bed, with only a life support system and his indomitable will between him and the Great Beyond. Meanwhile, his colleague, Chief Inspector Peter Pascoe, is determined to find those responsible.
Ignoring his own injuries, the advice of his friends, and the pleas of his wife, Pascoe follows a winding trail to the Templars, a mysterious group that believes the only way to fight terrorism is through terror. Where the arm of the law cannot reach, their work begins. Soon Pascoe comes to suspect that they may have support and sympathy in high places, from men ready to accept the death of a policeman or of any other innocent bystander as regrettable but unavoidable collateral damage.
From the streets of Manchester to the Yorkshire countryside, Pascoe searches for the truth. And above it all, like a huge zeppelin threatening to break from its moorings, hovers the disembodied spirit of Andy Dalziel.
Customer Reviews:
Every page enjoyable.......2007-10-09
Reginald Hill's "Death Comes for the Fat Man" is a highly literate and thoroughly engaging story that grabs the reader from the first page. What I particularly enjoyed about this book was the witty, insightful and very credible dialogue that takes place between all of the characters involved in the story--not just the principals. His development of the relationship between several couples in the book is wise and so believable. He is a total master at using his characters' words to carry the plot line. Narrative is used sparingly, though also effectively.
In "Death Comes for the Fat Man," a life-threatening event puts Detective Superintendent Andy Dalziel out of action until the last few pages of the book. His partner, Pete Pascoe, is on his own in resolving crimes--committed and planned--by right-wing fanatics galvanized into acton by events in Afghanistan, Iraq and closer to home in racially ambivalent Britain. While physically absent (more or less), the legendary Dalziel continues to be a central player in the story by dint of his larger-than-life personality and influence on all who have worked with him. Kudos to author Hill for successfully bringing off this artifice in the book.
Mystery fans will also appreciate the lack of transparent direction in this book. Resolution comes only very late in the story and it is a clever and non predictable ending. This is a great read by an author at the height of his talent.
A brilliant contribution to a great series.......2007-09-22
This book reminded me why I enjoy the Dalziel and Pascoe series so much. Hill manages to write a most insightful and subtle novel in the guise of a mystery, full of character, place, and depth. A real tour de force!
Life without the fat man.......2007-08-01
Dalziel and Pascoe are called to investigate suspicious goings on at a small shop where a local bobby has reported seeing a man threatening another with a gun. Shortly after they arrive on the scene, an enormous explosion knocks both of them to the ground with Dalziel taking the brunt of the blow while sheltering Pascoe with his large body. He is rushed to hospital where he remains in a deep coma from which it is doubtful that he will recover. When Pascoe has recovered from his abrasions, he is seconded to a department named CAT, a group of "spooks" who deal with terrorists and their associates. A secret civilian group who call themselves the Knights Templar and who model themselves on the religious order of the Knights Templar of crusader times, are taking their own form of revenge on terrorists who escape the law on technical grounds. While Pascoe is allowed to participate in some of CAT's activities, he knows that he is being kept out of the loop and only being kept around so that CAT may be able to keep tabs on him daily, although he can't understand why this is important. It's an exciting read with some dark and interesting characters making up an intriguing story while the brilliant language skills of Reginald Hill had me scurrying for the dictionary on many pages.
Andy Dalziel - Silenced by a Bomb?.......2007-07-10
I've been reading British writer Reginald Hill's crime novels for many years. (This is the 22nd in the series.) Detective Superintendent Andy Dalziel, the fat man of the title, gets very badly injured in a bomb explosion at the beginning of this one while behind him his assistant Chief Inspector Peter Pascoe gets badly dazed. Pascoe's mission is to find those responsible. The villains in this novel are right-wing zealots calling themselves Templars, who are going after people they believe to be terrorists. Meanwhile the government's know-it-all anti-terrorist branch is a pain in the butt to provincial cops like Pascoe.
Hill is a very gifted, witty, and perceptive writer, but he is also very long winded. His books could easily be trimmed by at least fifty pages to improve the pacing and making them less of a slog for the reader. He creates individualized characters and some good laugh lines, often good earthy material. When the series first started Dalziel was a caricature, a coarse, nasty buffoon whom Hill humanized and softened over the years into almost a Dickensian Pickwick. Sergeant Wield, a fine character creation, is homely and openly gay. There's a lot of stuff about Ellie, Pascoe's writer wife that helps to bog down the narrative's thrust.
Example of saucy humor: "The Help the Aged shop is ageist, and the Posy Please shop is florist."
The book has some good action scenes and clever plot twists. Highly recommended, but be prepared for a leisurely cruise at times. You may doze off in your deck chair.
Nine Lives Too Many
The Daemon in Our Dreams
The Rice Queen Spy
Give Me A Break!.......2007-06-30
I generally buy all of this author's works. But finishing this one was a real chore for me. With all of the threats faced by the British in their homeland, Hill expects us to accept the Knights Templar, representatives of Bush, as terrorists. This sounds too much like displacement. Is the author afraid to feel the shock of the new?
Book Description
For things to do and see visitors to London are spoiled for choice. Whether you are in London for a long trip or a quick taste of the city the Eyewitness Travel Guide will help you to make the most of your time. You will find suggestions on what to see, how to get about and where to eat and stay. New features in the Eyewitness Travel Guides are itineraries, each one follows a theme and sights are reachable with public transportation. Prices include travel, food and admission. The themes for each day are as follows; History and Culture, Shopping in Style, The Great Outdoors and Family Fun Day.
Customer Reviews:
Great guide!.......2007-09-20
I would warmly recommend this tourist guide, as it is very very helpfull. It was my first time in London, and I manage to navigate through this huge city very easily, and to see all the tourist attractions. Also, the texts about the sites of interest were not too long not too short, with an accent to the important stuff to see.Great restaurant guide as well.
Reliable guidebook!.......2007-07-16
I have always been very satisfied with Eyewitness Travel Guides! And this was not an exeption!
Don't judge a book by its cover!.......2007-03-25
I did, and I regret it.
Now I'm not saying this is a "bad" book. I'm just saying this is a very specific book (which actually makes it good, since the more specific, the better) but it's not specifically for me, and I think is not specifically for 90% of the people who are visiting London at any given time.
Therefore, it's odd that this book is has a higher Amazon sales ranking (2594), relevant to other books (7741 Lonely Planet, for example). The popularity ranking and the mainstream look of DK led me to choose it. But now I realize that, 1.) I am not really that mainstream, and 2.) This book is not mainstream either. And, I suppose, 3.) The way that I am not mainstream is different from the way that DK London is not mainstream.
Since the subject of this review is DK London and not me, let's stay on topic. The cover says History - Theaters - Art - Churches - Pubs - Hotels - Nightlife - Markets - Restaurants - Museums - Parks - Architecture. Of these, the guide covers mostly: History. And by extension, churches, museums, architecture. But really, it's history. Floor plans of museums. Descriptions of every wing. Details of church spires, which you probably won't be able to see except with binoculars. Historical timelines. And most of all- worst of all- any and every building, arcade, academy, house, church, mall, institute, chapel, square, market, gallery, arch, tower, theater, museum, and library in London. It's in here.
So what's wrong with that? Well, if, like me, you're just going for a week and for the first time, and you just want to visit a few major sights, not more than one or two museums or art/ historical things per day, and take plenty of time to mellow out (it's a vacation, right?) at cafes, or lunch, dinner, maybe go somewhere at night- this book leaves you completely in the lurch. 90% of the book is about buildings and history. The hotel listings are just a few pages in the back, as are the restaurants, shopping, and entertainment. Followed by some cursory travel info. Also, the listings are mostly for mid-range to expensive places. This is where I realized I'm still more of a budget traveler. They do offer some suggestions for "light meals and snacks" like pizza, noodles and sandwiches, but this amounts to just a few pages in the back section. This book is in denial that you have to eat and find places to rest inbetween examining all those Tudor facades. Like I said, it's very specific.
This book is for my high school AP Spanish teacher, who made us memorize a hundred slides of places I had never been to (and gave a decided advantage to those affluent enough to have traveled and seen them). This book is like the annoying guy at the office who does NOT shut up and goes on and on about things that no one cares about. This book weighs three pounds.
I bought this book because it looked easy. It looked like a comprehensive yet user-friendly guide (due to the pictures and glossiness). Well, it is comprehensive and user-friendly, but only in one respect. And overall having this book, rather than calm me, has overwhelmed me. I can't tell what to visit. Everything seems important. Meanwhile I am left to figure out of all the practical matters of my trip by myself.
Of course history is important. But I'm also interested in London as a living, breathing city- where people live, its culture... none of which I will really come in contact with if I follow this encyclopedia masquerading as a guidebook. And ideally I'd rather not go from historical object to historical object all day and then sit in my room at night.
Now I will say some positive things about it:
1.) It's beautiful. I bet some are duped by its beauty into thinking they ~are~ interested in this stuff.
2.) It has several "area by area" maps, watercolor aerial close-up drawings of small sections (a few blocks) of the city with handy lines pointing to --yep, historical places. This does make things easier to find.
3.) It also has maps in the back, which look easy enough to use.
Oh yeah, one more "bad" thing-- it doesn't say what anything costs. It just says either "free" or "charge." I mean, that could mean anything.
OK I'm done. That's all my thoughts about this book. In this time I probably could have gone to the bookstore, sat down with several other guidebooks, perused them all, and found one that was really for me. Given that there are 100 London guidebooks out there, there is probably one that is just for me. And one for you. Instead I chose to sit here and write down all my thoughts about this one. 'Cause actually, I hate returning things. And I wish that someone had written an honest review, instead of all this general positivity that proliferates on this site, because then I would have found something else. I don't think it would hurt to have a negative review here and there. I mean, someone who is going to London is going to buy a London guidebook; it's just a matter of which one. I wish someone had told me that this was not the one for me.
Overwhelming amount of information.......2007-03-11
Once we figured our way around this book it bacame quite valuable as it shows what places are in which areas of London. If you are only going to be there a few days that helps you figure out which attractions to schedule seeing on the same day. Although the book is loaded with imformation, it does give you the impression that the City is loaded with things to do and places to go. It made us more comfortable with our planning especially as we knew our children wouldn't sit quitely once we were there while we figured out what to see.
Not as good as other DK guides.......2007-02-09
I like DK Books. Their wonderful pictures and diagrams are real strengths and I would buy this particular London book again.
However it was written so long ago and has been so poorly patched its practical text is not suitable for the people I bought it for. The advice about traveler's checks with the patch about using your credit card to get a cash advance from an ATM is quite a bit off. Digital camera owners need to be told to look at their charger and see if it works at 240; that tells them whether to get a voltage transformer or only a plug adapter. Oyster cards are a confusing convenience that can save real money and time if you stay more than a few days. These practical things need to be written up properly.
A brief reference to vibrant Canary Wharf and the superb Dockland's museum was not added very well. The photo on page 236 must have been taken before the first American edition in 1993. For perhaps 5 years you have been able take a tour that walks across the top of Tower Bridge; do readers want to be told that is a change from what the book used to say? Goddard's pie shop, which gets as much coverage as Docklands - Canary Wharf, is closed. Have the editors heard of Ben Franklin's house?
"Annually Revised" it says. There is evidence of many revisions and repairs; that is true. However this 2007 edition is not good enough to be your main guide book. Read it with some skepticism.
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