Kenneth Clark gives an unpropogating look at Da Vinci. All too often Leonardo's name has been attached to support a variety of causes of this or that nature. Being, seemingly, irreligious and unphilosophic while being the quintessential Renassaince Man. His name is often used as a mascot to justify the ideals of this or that group of whatever. He was clearly an animal rights lover, possibly a closet Franciscan, in all probability a homosexual (although not much of an activist). Leonardo was into his thoughts and had little patience for something that was already complete in his mind. He left scores of unfinished works, and minons of angry patrons - contrary to Bornstin's book that Leonardo was in constant search of patrons - Clark says he had many unhappy patrons. Leonardo was an animal lover who hated violence (although he designed armaments of various sorts). His depth of religious devotion could be argued, but he was not irreverant, as some have claimed. Leonardo was rather Franciscan and had a fondness for animals and individuality. He was free and valued his own individualism. Other than Da Vinci's notebooks nothing much authentic comes down to us. Every other work of Leonardo has been severally retouched or destroyed, what there is left of Leonardo's work is highly speculative - what bit is in his hand ect. Clark gives a healthy, vibrant, nonproselytizing look at a genius - something anyone might find interesting.

Kenneth Clark's book is probably the best available introduction to Leonardo da Vinci. It is both a good biography and an insightful analysis of Leonardo's art and artistic career. The text is appropriate for both laymen and students of art history. Clark's writing is concise and extremely engaging (to the point where I would recommend reading this book for fun), but it is also intelligent and very informative, with a clear thesis that ties the vast body of matieral covered together into an easily comprehensible package. This book is slightly out of date now, but Martin Kemp's introduction and revision help to ammend for that. I particularly recommend this most recent edition as it is well-illustrated.

This is the best book available in English on Leonardo da Vinci. True, the book was first published several decades ago, but the art historian Martin Kemp has added footnotes that bring the text up to date. Kenneth Clark made a tremendous contribution to the study of Leonardo da Vinci with this book - Science and Technology Museum notwithstanding!!!!

Worth more for the biographical information it contains than for entertainment. This is not an Edward and Sophie fan book, there are several instances where the author could even be considered mean. It's a couple of years old now but is still one of the few books written about the Prince and his wife.

I found this to be an interesting expose on a not very well known son of Queen II. Ms. Leigh discusses Edward as seen by his co-workers and business acquaintences. I wish there had been more pictures of Sophie and Edward together. Edward comes off as a man trying to make his way in the non-royal "real" business world. He is accused of nothing more terrible than taking advantage of his royal connections. I assumed all business people did just that. I never really gave him much thought before his engagement but I like him more than I thought I would. He and his wife and best friend Sophie have a viable plan to make their own way for themselves and future family. What is so terrible about that?

Donna A. Maier

Wendy Leigh has done it again in her most recent biography - of the independent royal son and his equally interesting and independent wife is a breath of fresh air.

This fascinating exploration of the relationship between Edward and Sophie, their families and background, their work and future hopes, was so refreshing and 'clean'. . . .where others have written books on the royal family that scoured the psyches of their individual souls - usually written by authors with little or no credibility in the psychological field - this book allows us to view this unique couple with our own eyes.

The addition of their astrological relationship with each other, and the analysis - brief and selective though it is - delves right into the aspects of Sophie and Edward that Ms Leigh herself seemed to highlight.

Internationally known, world-class contemporary consulting astrologer and analyst, Erin Sullivan, has included a section at Ms Leigh's request - an astrological portrait based on the horoscopes and relationship chart of the couple.

This feature added another level of information that all biographies would benefit from!

Let's have more of that!

Wendy Leigh has produced yet another fascinating biography for our libraries!

At twenty one, discharged from the military in 1949, former clerk Oliver Shaw, who had been stationed in Germany, was eager to make up for "lost time".

Like most youths at his time, that meant catching up on his shares of honey from girls. For his own life, he wanted to write, though he had yet to sell any of his writing.

The novel is written from a first person's narration. Oliver found himself at loose ends, trying to find some sense in his life even as he went gallivating to various dance halls, trying to pick up girls, at the same time earning a living until he could sell his writings.

He bounced from one girl to another, each different in her own way, some satisfactory, some not. Yet for this dance hall romeo, it seemed that it was the women who taught him something instead of the other way around - that was the very element in the story that defeated its title.

Told as a tale of a coming of age, it ended with the young man finally finding his feet and just about to embark on his life's journey properly, or at least, with some aim in life.

nice story element for teenagers. describe as it were real.

Higgins is famed for his spy novels and thrillers; since I don't read those kinds of books, I had never read Higgins. (I do read mysteries, but only the "cozy" kind.)

But "Dance-Hall Romeo" is a a change of pace for Higgins -- no spys, no thrills, just a sweet, charming, coming-of-age story. This is the first book I ever bought mainly because its cover art was absolutely GORGEOUS (but of course, the story also sounded appealing).

Higgins' words were as much a feast for the eyes as was the cover art. Trust me, you'll enjoy this well-written story, and this book will be a keeper.

This book has it's ups and downs. The plot is great and the book has an interesting setting. Most of the characters are real and believable. The guy in the romance is portrayed well but tends to focus too much on his dearly departed wife. There is a reference in the book to the fact that he had fantisized about Jenna even when he was married, seeing her picture on the wall. What about faithfulness to his wife? The girl is a little rich girl trying to be strong in the big jungle. I've never read a book where I was rooting for her to die by the end. It has a sappy ending with him rushing ask her to marry him and all that stuff... There are references to God, but I think it parallels too much with the trashy romances you find by the dozens in bookstores everywhere. It doesn't have any trash but it comes pretty close.

I enjoyed this book from the very first page to the very last. The story and characters were so interesting and heartwarming. I got so Involved in the story, that I lost all track of time. This was the first novel I read by Linda Windsor and I look forward to reading another one by her.

I've always been intrigued by "jungle books" and it this one didn't disapoint me. It's filled with not only God and romance but adventure. I really enjoyed this book. The chemistry between Jenna and Adam is awesome. Definately a must have!

I felt sorry for the duke, he must have been such a lonely man.....He never got any compliments from his father or his family. They all seemed so far away from each other. No wonder he fell in love with Wallis, she paid attention to him, this is what he needed, someone to treat him with respect and high regard, no wonder he abdicated....He wouldn't have to abdicate,but the P.M. at that time was a very vicious and ugly person who was JEALOUS of King Edward, he wouldn't even allow the king to speak to the other members on his own behalf...Queen Mum was also jealous and vicious, she did not like Wallis, because she was divorced and an american, she would not allow King George to communicate with the duke after he was exiled. The people all wanted King Edward to become King, they all loved him because of his charistma and his feelings for the common people.Edward and Diana were very much alike and treated VERY BADLY by their so called "royal families". Edward and Diana had more "guts" than all the royals together. King Edward would have been a "great" king, thanks to Queen Mum and her coldness toward Edward and Wallis caused him to live in an empty wrld. All the worl loves "lovers"and the Duke and Duchess were the lovers of the 20th century. How many people can have such a love????????I really loved this book and read it over and over.....

I can't help it. Even though I believe that the Duke and Dutchess of Windsor were probably two of the most self-serving people ever to exist on the face of the planet, I find them totally fascinating. And this book lets us into their domaine. Imagine a man so totally mesmerized by this woman, that not only did he leave her a fresh flower on her pillow every night of their married life, he slept surrounded by photos of her (separate bedrooms). There were 10,000 photos of them in his bathtub (covered with a mahogany top. He ONLY showered.) that were discovered after her death. That means for the duration of the time that they were married, they were photographed approximately 300 times a year. Every year. The photographs of the refurbished decor in the Paris house were fascinating. Too bad everything was sold after Dodi & Diana's death. This book is truly a window into a lifestyle that no longer exists.

I was very impressed with the photography and the information contained in this book. Wallis Simpson is amazing, she comes off as more chic and more royal than any of the royals. Fascinating inside look into that very glamorous era, and it's most powerful couple.

[This review, by Sinead Fox, originally appeared on www.IrishSide.com.]

More contemporary Christian than Irish, more romance novel than historical novel, Linda Windsor's new book, Maire, may face a challenge in finding an audience. I fear that this work, the first in a series entitled "The Fires of Gleannmara," will be marketed to those having an interest in Irish culture or history, and this audience may not receive it warmly. The novel begins with "A forward, as 'twere, from Erin's heart . . ."

"Gleannmara. Ah, the sound of it warms me to me earthly core. 'Tis one of me favorite spots, nestled as it is between me mist-shrouded Wicklows and the Irish Sea. The Romans, you see, once dubbed me island Scotia and me people Scots, which is why some of me children took that name to Scotland later on...."

It goes on like this, as "the Emerald Isle of Ireland-Erin, for short" gives the reader a brief history of Ireland's people from the very beginning to the rise of Christianity.

The novel then begins the story of Rowan of Emerys, a Romanized Welshman with a past, and Maire, a Celtic warrior-queen with a future. They meet on the field of battle, then fall into a marriage of convenience that blossoms into a love match. He is a mature, battle-hardened soldier who now longs for life of Christian spirituality, she is a fiery pagan beauty desperate to prove herself capable of saving her people from the druid Morlach. The contrasts between the two--Rowan's age, strength, wisdom versus Maire's youth, vulnerability, and inexperience--is the stuff of countless romance stories. Windsor's novel, however, is set apart from other romance novels by two things: its unsparing Irishness and its unapologetically Christian orientation.

I say unsparingly Irish, because Windsor lays on the begosh and begorrah a bit thick at times. The language, from the forward to the bibliography, is a torrent of dialect and colorful metaphor that may charm anyone who doesn't actually know any Irish people, but will probably make anyone who does uncomfortable. The book includes a glossary for the Irish words and phrases used in the story (and there are plenty), and a bibliography of sources. Yet for the effort that Windsor makes to demonstrate her scholarship, her knowledge comes off as wide but not deep--more like an expository Discovery Channel documentary than a meticulously authentic James Michener novel.

I say unapologetically Christian, because Christian themes are thoroughly woven into the fabric of the novel. The hero dreams of turning his life over to God, the heroine struggles to understand her husband's strange religion, and a number of important characters are either introduced as Christians or convert to Christianity by the end of the story. Rowan and Maire do not give in to their passions before their marriage is blessed by a priest, and Rowan demonstrates a boundless capacity to forgive. I was surprised to find that, for as heavy-handed as Windsor's treatment of Irish language is, her evangelism is more refined: It is warm, joyful and doesn't give into sappiness or preachiness.

Though I personally like my romance novels smuttier, my historical novels more sweeping, and my Irish writing less colorful, I was warmed by Linda Windsor's likable characters and cheerful devotion to Christian principles. I confess that if it weren't my job to read Maire, I probably wouldn't have picked it up. Having read it, though, I'm glad I did.

[Copyright 2000 The Irish Side. All rights reserved.]

Under conviction of God, I gave up "secular romance" novels a few years ago. But I really missed the stories set during the Viking to mideval time period, since most Christian novelists don't write about those times. Maire (pronounced MOY-rah) was such a wonderful surprise, weaving the story of the ancient Celts in with the spread of the Gospel to the Emerald Isle. Linda Windsor's attention to detail, knowledge of the historical era, and wonderful description brought the characters and the time period to life. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical romance.

During the fifth century, the Celtic invaders came from Ireland to raid the Welsh village. Rowan of Emrys is surprised to learn that the raiders come from Gleannmara, his birthplace before being sold into slavery as a child. Rowan persuades his opponent's leader Queen Maire to leave his Christian villagers alone in exchange for tribute and his serving as her hostage.

The Druid priest Brude sees Rowan as someone good for the Irish. He marries Rowan and Maire more out of fear that his evil peer, Morlach, will do something heinous to the Queen and the people. As Maire begins to understand Rowan's courage and belief in the One God, she falls in love with her spouse. However, she wonders if his faith is strong enough to deal with the malevolent Morlach?

MAIRE, the first book in the "Fires of Gleannmara" series is an exciting work of historical fiction that brings to life the Celtic heritage mindful of the great Beowulf. The current story line is exciting and fast-paced, while centering on the conflict between Christianity and Druidism. The lead couple is a charming duo and the support cast fills the Dark Ages with light. Readers will want to read this tale even as they impatiently await the sixth century (RIONA) and seventh century (DEIRDRE) novels.

Harriet Klausner

Honest appraisal of historic Congregational church.
October 1, 2001
Pastor, George W. Fisk, St. Joseph, MI

Gary Dorsey, professional writer, seeking to write a "different book" chose to spend a year with a New England Congregational church whose history dates back to 1630. "How I wondered could Van (the senior pastor) lead an authentic spiritual journey in a place where the rehearsal and preparation for any event could no longer be separated, even by death or miracles, from the steady downpour of timebound courtesy and customs? How could he continue to promise growth if the congregation kept getting mired in the sucking mud of church politics and bad theology? Worship-making wore on and on like a particularly vile brand of Protestant water torture." Although too frequent committee meetings with time consuming discussions drained the pastor's spiritual resources, nevertheless at other times he would encounter unexpected moments of great depth. "Just a few weeks ago a devoted member, had fallen down a set of stairs and broken his hip. He was getting his affairs in order as he lay dying. Van stayed only for a short while, but before he left the bedside, the old fellow touched his hand and blessed him with the benediction. What had he done to deserve that?" The author provides abundant humorous relief with accounts such as: "Dick McCarthy filled in for Fran by playing solo piano at Sunday morning services. Unlike the formal, liturgically correct pieces chosen by Francis Angelo, Dick McCarthy's relaxed repertoire masked a capricious jazz style. Slowing rhythms to a meditative pulse and draping cloudy flourishes around melodic lines, he played "Old Man River," Mack the Knife," and "I Did It My Way" all summer without anyone noticing.'

From the signs in and about the church the congregation seemed to be more interested in their history than their religion. At the end of the year with the church the author concludes, though sometimes shallow, nevertheless heroic depth and heart can be found in the two pastors and congregation.

Stepping inside the cultural icon of an establishment congregation, Dorsey offers a clear-eyed, unsentimental story of clergy who practice faith as a profession and members whose lives are changed by their evolving faith. What begins as a documentary becomes a story that wraps the author into its own telling. If you've ever been a religious skeptic, Dorsey's careful journalistic discipline will comfort your appreciation of an objective accounting of the people in the congregation, their possible motives, their habits, decisions, attitudes, and the consequences of their thoughts. Likewise, if you have ever become aware of your own faith journey, Dorsey's keen-edged portrait of his own emerging search will drive the story in your direction. Skeptic or believer, the level of writing matches the complexity of story and the observer's growing relationship with the subjects. I kept holding my breat, waiting for Dorsey to take easy shots at the vulnerable or to become squishy about acting on one's faith. That never happened. But what is a breath of fresh air is Dorsey's willingness to drop an easy skepticism and do the hard work of real reporting. If you've ever been a member of a congregation of any denomination or faith, this book will ring true to you. Don't be surprised if you pass it on to friends!

John Brown gives an excellent introduction on the history of Welsh stick chairs. He also expounds at length on the merits of handcrafed versus machine made products, and gives credit to past practioners in the art of making stick chairs. The book falls short on detailed explanations of making a stick chair. For that one should read Drew Langsner's The Chairmaker's Workshop. The two complement one another. Ernie Kleinman. Kleinman Guitars and Violins

John Brown happened upon The Welsh Stick Chair by chance; perhaps divine chance. The book is a true inspiration. General dimensions are given in the text but more detailed info can be gotten by using Drew Langsner's " The Chairmaker's Workshop". This book should be looked at as importantly as detailed plans but enjoyed from a romantic view point. I recommend this book to all woodworkers.

I love Linda Windsor's style! She gives you romance, intrigue and lots of humor. The characters are real and likeable. Great read!

New Yorker Deanna Manetti is running for her life when she is accused of laundering drug money. She's been framed, the law doesn't believe her, a crime syndicate is after her, and she has nowhere to go but the road. Hoping to disappear, Deanna winds up in the wilderness of Montana ending up being run off the road by a wild horse. When she recovers she's is in the arms of a long tall cowboy named Shepard Jones. repaired. He knows something is not right but is willing to be patient until she trusts him enough to tell him what is wrong. Deanna is a city slicker through and through and some of the hilarious situations she and Shep find themselves in will have you laughing out loud. Deanna is used to analyzing businesses and coming up with great ideas to make them work. It doesn't include cooking or ranch chores. Oh my, this city gal sure gets herself into more tight spots on that ranch. Beware; you may endanger your ribs from laughing so much.

The town of Buffalo Butte will never be the same after Deanna gets through running a three-ring circus by trying to keep her secret about what really happened from Shep and dealing with all the locals. And it seems Shep knows more about Deanna's trouble than he is letting on. The saving grace is that God is the ringleader as he leads Shep and Deanna on the road to love and romance as they follow the Word of the Lord as they each seek His counsel when the chips are down putting their lives in jeopardy.

Linda Windsor tells a heartwarming tale of love, suspense and inspiration that tangles your heartstrings up tight as a rope on a wild horse being brought home. Ms. Windsor has a wonderful touch with her writing that helps readers to realize the doubts and struggles we all go though in life as we question what we should and shouldn't do. In ALONG CAME JONES she will certainly tickle your funny bone as well as leave you feeling refreshed after being in touch with God's lessons in everyday living.

Suzanne Coleburn, Reader To Reader Reviews

Deanna Manetti knows she is in deep trouble, but not how to get out of it. The mob thinks she has something that belongs to them. The Great Falls police have overwhelming circumstantial evidence that leads them to conclude she killed her lover-employer C.R. Majors. That is why Deanna is driving on a Montana back road thinking how things could not get any worse when a sorrel comes out of nowhere causing her to crash. The native New Yorker wonders why God has abandoned her while ironically pondering fourteen years of driving in NYC without an accident and now alone, her car is disabled. Rancher Shep Jones arrives and takes Deanna by horse to his spread, which is more of a ghost town.

Being a former US Marshal, Shep concludes that Deanna is on the run, but offers her shelter anyway. As Shep and Deanna fall in love, he tries to learn the truth, but she fears trusting anyone after what C.R. did to her heart and her life. However, the criminals and the Feds are closing in on her and neither side cares what happens to Deanna. Only Shep and his partner want to keep "Slick" safe.

Though there are numerous religious elements included in this story line, ALONG CAME JONES is more of a romantic suspense thriller than an inspirational romance. The story line hooks the audience from almost the beginning when a weary Deanna wonders what she ever did to be abandoned and turns wary when ALONG CAME JONES. Though his previous occupation seems too convenient, readers will rate highly Linda Windsor's latest contemporary tale.

Harriet Klausner