Another of author, Dick Holt's, gripping and compelling novels. Each one is better than the last - which is saying alot since I can't seem to put any of them down once I start reading.
This story in particular would make an incredible movie- the SFO (which is quite believable seeing how much insurance and health care companies are pushing for vaccinations these days - when you vaccinate for everything, why wouldn't a strain appear that's not susceptible to any vaccinations?) Add the hero (as seen in Dick Holt's previous works) and the heartwrenching experiences of Europe in the WWII era, complete with local depictions. You feel like you are part of the story as well. Great book -looking forward to the next one!

As a horse lover, I read this book long ago and am re-reading it again now. This is a gem of a book, well told and illustrated by the adventurer himself. Holt, aged 67, befriended this extraordinary ex-cart horse, and together they rode and camped across Europe and back to England. He tells of their many challenging adventures and of their inspiring devotion to each other.
I can only fantasize doing what he did, knowing how much more mechanized our world is today than in the 60's. Holt simply saddled up his horse with a few provisions and a sketch book and started out alone. In our hitech life, this is a great book to read, especially if one appreciates England and Europe.
My only objection is the new cover on the book, which has nothing to do with the story. The original version has Holt's drawing of himself and Trigger on the cover. Hopefully they kept the many photographs in the new edition. I'm just grateful the book is still available.

This book is wonderful. It is full of heart, adventure, real life, and history. "The Rising Storm" is somewhat based on the real life tale of the author's experiences in the Gulf War--the story of a medical doctor in the military. He brings characters from all different backgrounds and types together to create this wonderful story. Read and enjoy!!

This is a wonderful, captivating work of historical fiction. Weaving a spellbinding tale out of a tapestry of actual events, the author, Victoria Holt, writing under one of several pen names that she used, recounts the tragic and dramatic tale of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots.

Born in Scotland, Mary, whose father, the King of Scotland, died when she was very young, was an only child. Her father's death left her mother, Marie De Guise of France, to rule as Regent in Scotland for her daughter. A wily woman, Marie saw danger to her daughter, if she remained in Scotland. So, she had Mary betrothed to Francois, the Dauphin of France, and sent her at a very young age to live in the French Court.

A happy, pleasing, and bonnie child, she matured into a beautiful young woman and eventually married the Dauphin. After the unexpected death of the King, she and Francois went on to reign as King and Queen of France. Alas, her happness was short lived, as Francois was sickly and in poor health. After his premature death, there was no place for Mary in the court of her brother-in-law, Charles, the succeeding French King, thanks to the machinations of her evil mother-in-law, Catherine D'Medici.

Mary then did the only thing left to do. She set sail for Scotland under the protection of border lord, James Hepburn, the Earl of Bothwell, to reclaim her kingdom as its anointed Queen. Her mother, Marie De Guise, now dead, the Catholic Mary was faced with reclaiming a Protestant kingdom that she had not seen for many years, a kingdom over which her half brother, the illegitimate and Protestant James, meant to rule himself, irrespective of his bastardy.

Little did Mary know of the travails that would await her. A quarrelsome group of lords and nobles, whose perfidy, deceit, and ruthless jockeying for power knew no bounds, would plague her brief reign. They would plot against her with her Protestant cousin in England, Elizabeth I, a Queen who ruled with her head and not with her heart. Mary's half brother, James, whose naked ambition was to wear the crown himself, was determined that Mary would be Queen in name only. He would stop at nothing to secure that which he felt was his by right, if not by birth. John Knox, a fire and brimstone religious fanatic, who held Scotland in his thrall, denounced the Catholic Mary at every opportunity, proclaiming her a wanton and rebuffing her overtures and requests for religious tolerance. This is what awaited Mary in Scotland, a harsh and most inhospitable land.

This woman, who would be Queen, eventually decided to marry again and made the greatest mistake of all in electing to marry the young and dissolute Lord Henry Darnley, an English Catholic. Though royal by birth, he would eventually bring nothing but shame upon her, plotting against her and those loyal to her. Darnley was the catalyst for some of the greatest scandals in the history of Scotland. Notwithstanding Darnley's perfidy, Mary did her duty and, having been delivered of an infant son fathered by Darnley, provided Scotland with an heir to the throne. She eventually became nothing more than a pawn in the ambitions of men, pitting Mary's half brother, James, now the Earl of Moray, against James, the Earl of Bothwell, one of Darnley's alleged murderers and Mary's seducer. It would be a fight to the finish.

With Darnley having died under mysterious circumstances and her passions now aroused, Mary married the Earl of Bothwell, much to the outrage of all of Scotland, and together incurred the emnity of many of the lords and nobles. This would lead to Bothwell's exile and captivity in Denmark, while Mary would flee to England, hoping to meet with Elizabeth and obtain her help in securing her kingdom. Instead, she would remain her cousin Elizabeth's captive for twenty years, being moved from castle to castle, as Mary's Catholic supporters plotted over the years to restore her kingdom to her.

Finally, these plots included the throne of England, and Elizabeth could no longer close her eyes to the threat that her still living cousin, Mary, an anointed Catholic Queen with a claim to the throne of Protestant England, presented. For her alleged treason, Mary would be tried, and the castle at Fotheringay would be the end of the line for her in the land in which twenty years earlier she had unwisely sought succor.

This is a spellbinding story, told with an infusion of historical detail. Those interested in the story of Mary, Queen of Scots, will, undoubtedly, enjoy this work of historical fiction. It is a fascinating tale of a historical figure whose life remains an intriguing enigma even today.

This one was interesting from the first paragraph. Came to know the characters, loved the setting. Didn't want to put it down. Memorable. Wish there was a sequel!

This book was truly a great find for myself and my family, this is a wonderfully interesting story of the Old West, the main character in this book is my Great Grandfather, Benjamin Holladay, my parents gave me this book some years ago, and this is the only account of Ben Holladay I can find, my Grandfather took my Dad, when he was only 13 years old out of Rifle, Co. where he was raised and put him to work helping on the freight line, evidently my Grandfather Holladay (Willard Benjamin Holladay) had inherited the freight company (what was left of it) from his father, the last any of us know about my grandfather was that the freight line just kind of died in Sacramento, Ca. and this is where he stayed. They hauled freight to the cowboys on the range and other towns along the way from Rifle, Co. to Sacramento, Ca., my father told me this book was very true according to what his father told him.

I received my first copy of "Sophie's Surprise" in 1983. I shared it with my 8 year old daughter. My daughter immediately fell in love with the story and asked to share it with her third grade public school class. The entire class enjoyed the story so much that I purchased a copy for the library. Every year since 1983, the librarian has shared the story of Sophie's gift with the entire school population at their "Fireside Holiday Reading Hour". I continue to read the story to my children and grandchildren. It has become a family holiday tradition. In addition to the beautiful story about the spirit of Christmas giving, the gorgeous pictures and book jacket make this book a great holiday decoration as well.

This book was much more fascinating than I thought it would be. The authors thoroughly researched their history and presented a view into the mind and emotions of Phillip II and the other characters which is fascinating. His family history is very interesting. It includes mental illness, psychopathy, and tragic romance. The characters' personalities and emotional functioning come to life in this analysis of the reasons behind their behaviors. It builds to a climactic end. I enjoyed this book very much.

This starts with Henry of Lancaster's (who became Henry IV) marriage to Mary de Bohun. She bears him six children, the eldest being Harry of Monmouth. Henry deposes Richard and becomes king, but the Shakespeare line "uneasy lies the head upon which sits a crown" is only too apt. His terror of becoming a leper is very poignant. Then he dies, and Harry takes the throne. His confession to the priest is tense, but fortunately the book lightens up. He believes in his claim to the crown of France, conquers the country, and marries Katherine of Valois, whom he has fallen in love with. The book ends with the coronation of his baby son, Henry VI. They curl his fingers round the sceptre, but they cannot place the crown on his head. Is this an omen of the disastrous times to come?

Short and sweet, this book will give you the confidence needed to successfully repair your Subaru! Not only did I use this book as a 'reference guide' I went ahead and read it like a text book to learn EVERYTHING about my 1984 GL wagon. This book also enabled me to do big jobs from replacing engines and clutches, to swapping out drive trains. All with NO prier knowledge! Now that I got a '93 Loyale, I will be picking up the updated version. Remember: ALWAYS go with Haynes. Chilton's manuals are TERRIBLE.