If you are interested in learning what's behind the headlines concerning genetically modified crops and foods, this is a good choice. The author is a professor of biological sciences at British Columbia's Simon Fraser University, and clearly knows what he is writing about. He traces the history of GM crops and presents the controversies concerning them in a balanced way. That balance is both the book's strength and weakness. Winston gives the pro- and anti-GM arguments equal time, and describes them in an even-handed way. However, the absence of a strongly stated point of view made the book less interesting, at least to me. Actually, Winston does have a point of view, which he reveals towards the end of the book. He thinks that the issues swirling around GM agriculture and foods can and should be resovled with a lot less rhetoric and more reason. Given the depth of feelings on the side of people and groups opposed to GM agriculture and foods, and the amount of money at stake for companies developing and pushing them, the author's hope for reasonable solutions seems admirable, but perhaps naive. Still, if you want a factual, balanced account of the GM issue to date, this book would certainly be useful.

Robert Adler, author of Science Firsts: From The Creation of Science to the Science of Creation (Wiley, 2002).

Teena Halliday is sent to stay with her only other relatives (at Rentlow Retreat) for six months. The whole family is odd and seem to resent Teena being there. Jeremy Rentlow is a noted sculptor and insists Teena pose for him. However, all of his past creations are all that remain of the people and animals he had worked on before. All died mysteriously on the same night Jeremy finished their likeness. Teena does not wish to pose for him, and says so, but ends up relenting and letting him work her likeness into marble.

Soon after the sittings get underway, Teena begins to feel weak and tired, but Jeremy refuses to let her miss a session. Suddenly Jeremy tells his family of their engagement! It shocks Teena as well as the family, since she had never been proposed to by Jeremy, nor has the idea ever been brought up!

Then Teena notices strange marks on her neck, put there by Jeremy, though she can only vaguely recall his lips at her neck while posing. She dares not ask if they are the marks of a vampire. Teena has become a prisoner at Rentlow Retreat and cannot escape.

**** The cover is typical gothic. Dark background with a huge, gloomy mansion in the back and a lovely lady in the foreground that seems to be trying to flee some sort of evil. The great thing about old gothics is that you never know what the ending will be. Many old gothics DO NOT have the "happily-ever-after" endings. This always seems to add spice to the stories though.

This book was written in the late 1970's and can no longer be found in the local bookstores as new. However, I enjoyed it so much I wanted to post a review and tell everyone to haunt their local used book stores for this title! Amazon often has one or two copies available as USED. If you can find it, you will LOVE it. ****

Winston Churchill: Soldier, Statesman, Artist, is an outstanding, and easy to read book for young adults. It is very detailed and not hard to follow along. It basically describes the entire life of Winston Churchill starting even before he was born. It is an amazing book, yet does get dry at points.

The author has written an excellent book about his involvement in the development of various special weapons used in WW II. He covers all the aspects of the development of several of the weapons used by various groups, especially the secret services. He also hints at some other weapons which are not covered by any official documents.

The year was 1940. France had fallen. The British Expeditionary Force had just been evacuated from Dunkirk, and Hitler was in control of the Continent. The secter of invasion loomed over the British Isles as never before since Napoleon. Over the roar of cannon boomed the voice of one man -- Winston Churchill -- who personified the determination of the free world to fight the Nazis to final victory. "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing-grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills, we shall never surrender...."

It was Britain's "finest hour." It was also Churchill's finest hour. The challenge of winning World War II was the climax of a long and eventful life -- the fullfillment of a destiny that seemed to hover over him since his birth in Blenheim Palace sixty years earlier.

Elizabeth Longford -- author of highly acclaimed biographies of Queen Victoria and Wellington -- through her fascinating text and comprehensive photo selection takes a fresh and intimate look at this remarkable man. The author reveals the complex man that was Churchill...a man of contrasts, who nevertheless had only one goal in life: to serve his country. "I have faith in my star," he wrote when he was 22, "that is, that I am intended to do something in this world." yet when the "black dog" of depression visited him he wondered the worth of all his struggle. He was a lifelong, incurable romantic, yet he was the most forceful, direct, and practical of men. He remained rooted to his English heritage, never relinquishing his vision of Britain as the "Empire," yet he treasured his American background, relishing in the fact that his Jerome ancestors had fought with Washington in the Revolution. A conservative by birth and inclination, he was the only Western leader during World War II with the vision and foresight to recognize the potential postwar menace of Stalin.

Churchill was a giant among men, one of the few who personality affected the course of history. Through her extensive biographical experience and her own personal knowledge of the man, Lady Longford has limned a new and comprehensive picture of this great man.

This book is authorized by the Winston Churchill Foundation. The photographs have been selected with the help of the Foundation, a number coming from the personal collections of the Churchill family and friends.

I bought this for my young son who's 9. He loves the idea of a fat puppy dog being fed sausages and chasing robbers. So much so that he now wants a dog called Winston of course. Are there any more installments of this book as I am running out of excuses.

It is well researched, however Read could have used more original source notes and some sections need improvement in source backup and detail. However the book is balanced, not a hagiography and makes a good addition to anyone's collection on Churchill.

This book is written by an ex-left wing Trotskyite and the brother of well known progressive journalist Christopher Hitchens. The book itself is fairly predictable and straightforward in detailing (neo) Conservative positions on immigration, homosexuality, the role of the EU, and the monarchy. 5 years ago I never would have picked up this book but considering the reemergence of right wing sentiment in Europe and America in the last couple of years I figured it might be worth looking at the arguments being touted by the more "moderate" right. After reading this book I was not anymore convinced that Britain was in any real existential peril but I was convinced there are some real cultural issues that need to be debated. I'll focus my review on the immigration aspects of Hitchens critique because this is what interested me the most.

Immigration to Europe from non-Western countries has fundamentally changed certain aspects of British life. This has manifests itself in many positive ways and the exchange between traditional British culture and immigrant cultures has made for some interesting and unique contributions to contemporary Britain and beyond. Food, music, art, fashion, style, politics and popular culture in Great Britain have all greatly benefited from this unique encounter. I think many Britons would agree with this assessment. However, the questions that Hitchens raises are to do with the downside of this interaction. While he may focus on the negative aspects of immigration to the exclusion of admitting any of immigration's positive effects, his criticisms should still not be totally ignored. The questions that are raised are: are all immigrants that come to the UK coming because they want to be productive members of British society? Do they want to adopt the fundamental ideas of British society, culture and politics, while adding to them or do they display an attitude of indifference boarding on contempt for the host culture? What are the long-term effects of immigration and what do Britons want and expect their country to look like in 25 or 50 years.

I have spent many years of my life studying and living in London and I was struck by a recent BBC survey on "Race in the UK". Many Britons that took the survey had a fairly positive opinion about immigrants and immigration however, a substantial amount where somewhat suspicious of the motives of immigrants and the perceived exclusivity of immigrant communities in the UK. Many participants questioned whether immigrants respected British culture and identified themselves with Britain and British national interests. We cannot and should not dismiss this uneasiness or wish it away as unsophisticated bigotry because to do so alienates and silences the concerns of a substantial segment of British society. To suppress or silence healthy debate on the effects of the interaction of immigrant cultures with the host culture only invokes anger in those that feel choked off. Those silenced will undoubtedly search for ways to express themselves and this creates fertile recruiting ground for right wing extremism and potential violence. The hostility many people feel towards the term "political correctness" is one such manifestation of feeling alienated or excluded from cultural debates. While I agree with most of what is deemed "politically correct" I think it is healthy to explain to people why I do and to acknowledge that there are some less then utopian aspects to multiculturalism. We should also acknowledge that some people do pervert and abuse the open, tolerant and accepting aspects of multiculturalism.

Treating Hitchens like the British fascist Oswald Mosley is not only intellectually arrogant it is politically dangerous. He is not a fascist and he once supported progressive causes (like the late Pim Fortuyn) we should ask why did he change course and will others follow his lead? If so why? I recommend this book only if you consider yourself an open progressive person and are trying to understand some of the feelings that are leading to a mounting backlash against multiculturalism and immigration in the UK.

This is a great book for people who care about our future in this world. For millions of Americans and people all over this world Britain is our forgotten motherland. It is a nation that should be very proud of its history and culture. The modern trends of relativism and multiculturalism are killing Britain and doing what Hitler, Napoleon, and the Kaiser could never have dreamed of doing. Mr. Hitchens illistrates how every traditional aspect of Britain is under attack: The Church, the schools, and the very virtue of the young British who feel marriage is not nessary to begin a family. The Left is making Britain very un-British. It is a very sad book and it is a call to people to not stand idle while their own country is given away and handed to chaos. Americans should read this book because it is all happening here and we should not sit by and let it happen anymore. It was very informative and shocking. I would read anything Mr. Hitchens has written after reading "The Abolition of Britain". It is a brillant assault on apathy.

I think, with the lack of reviews from actual British people resident in Britain under customer comments upon this book, it behoves me to put across the viewpoint that other reviewers seem to have been asking for.

The cover of Peter Hitchens' book shows the Union Jack, the flag of Great Britain, flown at half-mast. The image comes from the days after Princess Diana died and part of a nation mourned. Notably, however, another part of it clearly did not. Hitchens takes this fact and runs with it, and he is not wrong to do so. He points out that, as part of Britain poured out its emotion in a tremendous fashion, another part looked on aghast at the nakedness of sentiment being displayed. I am a mere 20 years of age, but as a passionate Brit I do not find it hard to sympathise with the point he is making here.

Most of the time we in Britain look around and things seem okay. Occasionally we wonder whether things aren't just a little bit wrong. In the aftermath of Princess Diana's death, some of us felt like strangers in our own land. The author is right to state that people are asking now and may continue to ask in ever greater numbers: exactly what happened to the country they thought they grew up in? The point is as true for all the other English-speaking nations in the world as it is for Britain.

Certainly, as some reviewers have pointed out, it would have to be conceded that Hitchens on occasion puts on rose-tinted spectacles when examining a British past often characterised by impoverishment and occasionally meaningless sacrifice. But he is no fool, and if he sometimes lapses into sentiment then we ought to forgive him if only for the many other highly relevant and prescient points he makes in this work. Further to that, he may look at Britain and see only England, but to all Americans who might not be aware of this fact (including, apparently, some reviewers here), England is absolutely the dominant constituent part of the United Kingdom and in fact houses 85% of the inhabitants - this much has not changed drastically for a century, so if England is all he sees, he isn't missing too much.

Foremost in Hitchens' firing line is what essentially boils down to the new liberal orthodoxy. To any Americans who have read or might read this book, unless you are a passionate Democrat you might well recognise the point Hitchens is making here. In all its forms, be it in its control of state-run schools, its management of state healthcare, its changes to the justice system, and many others, the politicians who have sought to change things for the better have actually changed things for the worse. In Britain, state education has noticeably collapsed in the quality of its output since the left-wing destruction of selective schools in favour of comprehensives. The National Health Service in Britain has been a monument to folly almost since it started but has become so much the religion of Britain that not even right-wingers would think of challenging its inherent absurdity - that being the misguided that health is a right, and thus free healthcare ought to be a tax-supported provision. In the liberalisation of the justice system following the calamitous abolition of the death penalty, people with good intentions have plainly shown they are willing to sacrifice ever-increasing numbers of innocent lives to criminal whims for their high moral stances. Admirable though this idealism may be, it has caused inestimable downturns in levels of popular intelligence, hopeless health provision and ever-rising levels of crime.

Particularly relevant also is Hitchens' attack upon the denigration of a proud history. Liberals of the modern age have been quick to change the teaching of history in state-run schools, to propagate notions that what the British did in the past was wrong, or that cultural and social history such as how the peasants lived is more important. That is palpably not history, and an essential problem with all well-meaning liberals in Britain today, with their pro-Europe sentiments and socialist inclinations, is they have no sense of history. History is a cycle, and it repeats itself. Attempts to deny a culture, past or present, and to deny the greatness of what it achieved in favour of a lame modern day apologeticism is a recipe for disaster.

The above are simply a few of the arenas upon which Hitchens has decided to wax literal, but throughout on many separate topics his arguments are both coherent and potent. This is a remarkable book from a remarkable mind, and its points about the inherent dangers of the modern orthodoxy and its brutal refusal to accept points of view contrary to its own are exceedingly pertinent to Great Britain and the British people. Britain is a country whose culture has been effectively torn asunder, but not under the arm of foreign invaders or occupiers but paradoxically and almost incomprehensibly by its own natives. The same is true in America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It's a terrible shame, and it is good that we have people such as Peter Hitchens to give voice to an opposition that has been too silent until now.

This reviewer has read many books about Franklin Roosevelt, but not many recently because they are too repetitious. What did I find out here that I didn't read before?- Roosevelt's last evening on earth seemed to be somewhat pleasant. Although he looked tired, after a drink he spoke with animation about his forthcoming trip to the San Francisco United Nations Conference. The following afternoon, April 12th, his next to last words were "I have a terrific pain in the back of my head." His last words as he was carried to his room were "Be careful." A statement on page 51 about the religions could be interpreted as biased or prejudiced. However, he appointed men of all major religions to high office. So in this case actions spoke louder than words.

The title of the new book from Michael Beschloss is completely accurate, once you understand the meaning of THE CONQUERORS: Roosevelt, Truman and the Destruction of Hitler's Germany, 1941-1945. The key word in that title is not "conquerors"; very little attention is given to Bradley, Patton and the military efforts to defeat the Axis Powers. The focus of the book is not on the disposition of forces, the overall grand strategies, or the use of air power. Beschloss concentrates not on the destruction of German military might but on the destruction of the idea of Hitler's Germany. The conflict in THE CONQUERORS is intellectual rather than physical. It is not about the battle for Germany but the battle for the hearts and minds of postwar Germans. The challenge, as the Allied leaders saw it, was how to prevent another war and how to ensure that Germany could not and would not trouble the peace of the world again.

THE CONQUERORS is primarily the story of the Morgenthau Plan, an ill-starred attempt by Roosevelt's Treasury Secretary, Henry Morgenthau, to impact American policy in postwar Germany. The plan involved the wholesale destruction of German manufacturing capacity and the immediate execution of Nazi leaders; opponents described it as "Carthaginian." Beschloss describes how Morgenthau, Roosevelt's closest Jewish friend, was influenced by early reports of the Holocaust and frustrated by his failure to convince FDR to take action to stop the grisly machinery of the concentration camps. Morgenthau is the primary character in the book; his private letters and papers are the main source of material for Beschloss. As a result, the focus of THE CONQUERORS is Morgenthau's experience, which primarily consists of bureaucratic infighting among the Treasury, State and War Departments, as well as the new Truman Administration.

The result is a masterful work, yet it is a little dry for the casual reader. Moreover, Beschloss provides little in the way of second-guessing, preferring instead to let the story of the Morgenthau Plan explain itself. This allows the reader to see the problems of postwar Germany the way that Roosevelt and Truman saw them --- complete with asides about Roosevelt's boyhood vacations in Bavaria and Truman's reflexive anti-Semitism. However, aside from a brief introduction and conclusion, Beschloss provides little analysis of the mistakes, if any, that were made by Roosevelt, Truman and Morgenthau. Furthermore, Beschloss provides little or no detail about the crucial issue of how and why the Morgenthau Plan was dropped in favor of the more lenient (and ultimately more successful) Marshall Plan.

THE CONQUERORS is a valuable book, if a little frustrating in spots. It sheds light on a period only dimly understood by most and it does a good service by putting Henry Morgenthau in the spotlight of history once more. While it may not be as meaty as a good rehash of the war in the European theater, it is still important and vital.

--- Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds

World War II has been one of the most popular subjects in book publishing in the last few years. But much of those books like Tom Brokaw's Greatest Generation series and the late Stephen Ambrose's books focused on the average foot soldier's experiences. Presidential historian Michael Beschloss' The Conquerors looks at the men at the highest ranking of power, most notably Franklin D. Roosevelt. Mr. Beschloss is an obvious devotee to FDR and he considers him the most important world leader of the 20th century, but the book is even-handed in its assessment of FDR's handling of the war and post war Germany. Most notable is FDR's take on the Holocaust and his Treasury secretary Henry Morgenthau's efforts to convince FDR to take a more active role in stopping the concentration camps. The fact that FDR was reflecting the views of day toward Judaism is not an excuse in Mr. Beschloss' mind for his passive attitude towards dealing with that most harrowing of situations. Though much of the subject matter has been recounted in far too many other books to note, Mr. Beschloss' writing style is more entertaining than most. While he deals with high-minded subject matter, he presents it in an intelligent, yet ease to digest manner.

Prior to embarking on Jenkins' biography of Churchill, I knew little about the most accomplished Prime Minsiter in the 20th Century. After reading this enormous work, I believe I have a better understanding of this great 20th Centruy figure, but believe I may have been better served by reading a different biography on Churchill; I just found Manchester's work more daunting.

The trouble with the book, in my opinion, was not the depth and knowledge that Jenkins shows on Churchill, but the writing style in which it is presented. What comes out in this 900 page (soft cover)work is that you need to have a better understanding of the parlimentary system in Britan to get the full flavor of Jenkins' insider information. While Jenkins provides some parlimentary terms in the begining of the book, they fall far short of the necessary tools to enjoy this work to its fullest extent. Further, I found myself reading Jenkins' Churchill alongside a dictionary, looking up several words in a chapter. I enjoy learning new words I may use someday, but some of the English did not even appear in my dictionary!!

Despite this, it was an enjoyable, one volume work on an extremely brilliant and fearless leader who I admire for his courage and tenancity. In WWII, Churchill, was, without question, based on Jenkins' work as well as other accounts, the primary reason Europe did not fall to Hitler and Mussolini. When the chips were down (particularly in those difficult, almost amazingly depressing, "twenty-one days in May"), it was amazing, based on Jenkins' stoy, how Churchill could keep so upbeat and positive that things would ultimatley turn out well.

Churchill's relationship with Stalin and Roosevelt was, I thought, well presented in Jenkins' book. What you take from Jenkins' work is that Winston started the fight and was (despite his continued and unfettered persistence) relegated to the "back benches"(a Palimentary term used throughtout the book) of the "big boys" when the United States and Russia began to reach the pinnical of their power in WWII. Again, Churchill, though his persistent and never give up attitiude, keeps Britan "on the map" so to speak in the talks in Malta and Yalta. Jenkins' intimates Churchills' attempts to go with pre-meetings in these sessions with Roosevelt and/or Stalin, but he is rebuffed as the two real superpowers do not want to begin to agress against one-another. This gives insight into the diplomatic prowes of both Stalin and Roosevelt in the efforts to solve the European crises.

After reading this, I find myself better educated, but worn out.

I have read a number of books about Churchill, thus appreciating the research and detail that is provided in this single biography on the subject. That is no small feat with the depth and breadth of Churchill's life. However, I found the book written in a very factual and dry manner, lacking an emotional tone that would make some of the key events in Churchill's life jump off of the page.

The author's background, enticed me to believe that I would encounter a very first hand account of many Churchill stories since Mr. Jenkins served the House of Commons in 1948 and later various ministry roles, including Chancellor of the Exchequer during the later years of Churchill's life. What I did find is a well written chronology of the events in the subjects life, written with a sense of respect for Churchill's ability to survive a political life and contribute so much to the world.

Thus, going in I made a perception error in the style of writing and content that I expected, I still found the book to be a sound account of Churchill's remarkable life. I recommed this book to all Churchill history readers.

I would recommend other books to provide more insight into why Churchill acted in key events such as: " My Early Years" by Winston S. Churchill and "The Last Lion, Winston Churchill, Alone, 1932-1940" by William Manchester.

This book by Roy Jenkins, former Chancellor of the Exchequer, of the Oxford University, member of the House of the Lords and President of the Royal Society of literature is THE BIOGRAPHY of Winston Churchill. Very well written, outstanding in the breadth of material researched and deliciously witty, this one of the best single volume approach to the life of one of the human milestones of the 20th Century.
Unless you have the time and purpose to go through the 8 volumes of the official biography started by Randolph Churchill but really attributable to Sir Martin Gilbert (ed. from 1966 to 1988), you will not be able to get a better factual assessment of the life and deeds of THE PRIME MINISTER par excellence. It covers every important aspect of Churchill's life, and then some. From birth to schooling, his first exposures to war and politics, then early triumphs, despair, resurrection and demise, we get a clear picture of one of the principal players in English politics for almost 60 years.
The book has a very well organized index, for reference purposes. For instance, under Churchill, Sir Winston Spencer, we have subtitles that address topics such as Characteristics and qualities (memory, self-confidence, personal bravery, argumentativeness, etc.) Education, Health, Honors, Military Career, etc. that much facilitate a cross reading of important topics. We derive the impression that in such a difficult task ( a portrait of a man so complex and about whom so many have written) Jenkins has succeeded.
WHY READ THIS BOOK ? This work might be even superior to Jenkins biography about another giant of English politics: Gladstone. This may be just a coincidence, but a double one if we recall the final assessment that Jenkins provides about Churchill:
.."When I started writing this book I thought that Gladstone was, by a narrow margin, the greater man, certainly the more remarkable specimen of humanity. In the course of writing it I have changed my mind. I now put Churchill, with all his idiosyncrasies, his indulgences, his occasional childishness, but also his genius, his tenacity and his persistent ability, right or wrong, successful or unsuccessful, to be larger than life, as the greatest human being ever to occupy 10 Downing Street........"