Both as an academic teacher and as a researcher I have used Jenkins's edition regularly for nearly twenty years, and continue to marvel at the wealth of scholarly material - factual and interpretative - which it offers. I consider that no other edition of *Hamlet* is remotely as useful, though I frequently find myself in disagreement with this great editor.

Jenkins's text is eminently satisfying: sensibly and responsibly based, and scrupulously and intelligently modernised, even if one prefers (as I do) e.g. "solid" to "sullied".

His introduction is informative and well-considered, though I must admit I find his interpretative view of the play, both there and in several of his longer notes, at times less than penetrating. I feel he idealises Hamlet too much, misjudges the failure of Hamlet's play-within-the-play, and is less than openminded when it comes to making sense of e.g. the sexual elements in Ophelia's dreams (which are hard to interpret decisively, but certainly more significant than his cursory view suggests). On the other hand his information on ghosts, for example, is highly valuable and useful.

His shorter notes, explaining many difficult words and contemporary concepts, are always illuminating, frequently "spot on", and usually helpful even if one disagrees, in that he provides most of the information which one needs even if one ultimately arrives at a different judgement from his.

If banished or imprisoned and allowed only one edition of *Hamlet* I'd take this one. Not only because it is the best, but because it would help me in spending many weeks, months, or years on this riddling, frustrating, but endlessly fascinating play. Jenkins's edition is a monument to late twentieth century scholarship, and will undoubtedly continue to be recognised as such. - Joost Daalder, Professor of English, Flinders University, South Australia

We do not guild the lily by proclaiming this to be the most comprehensive edition of the greatest drama to come from any pen in history. The book is absolutely bristling with textual elucidations, notes and marginalia and a stunningly detailed, if somewhat dry, introduction. Moreover, no other edition I have used (and I have read Hamlet more than fifty times since the summer of my seventeenth year, including this edition over two enriching days during the past week) so clearly lays out the textual divergencies of the various versions of the canon, Q1, Q2 and F, as does Arden.

Than being said, it is the text itself which shines through in this (and any other) edition -- let us not mistake the husk for the grain.

Hamlet (as Harold Bloom argues so persuasively) more than any other play is surely Shakespeare's life work -- a work which he poured more of himself into over a longer period of time than any other. Written in its final version just months after the death of the playwright's only son, Hamnet, and his father, it represents Shakespeare's personal triumph over adversity and darkness.

Definitely the best Hamlet version to but. comprehensive notes both adjacent to the reading and longer notes in the back of the book. Informative yet dry introduction. BUY THIS VERSION!

I thought that A way thought the sea was an excellent book. I thought it was one of the best books I have read in a long time it was exciting,adventurous and interesting. I have read other book by Robert Elmer and I thought thay were great.

My children and I very much enjoyed all 8 books in this series. Although the escapades that Peter, his sister Elise, and friend Henrik get themselves into are far-fetched, my children very much enjoyed these books and did not want me to put them down until we'd finished reading 'just the next chapter.' I was pleased with the historical references and the epilogue that would relate the book to the actual historical background that it was based upon. I chose the books, originally, because of the author's dedication to remembering his Danish heritage, which we also share in, and for its sound Christian ideals.

A great book, Peter and Elise help their Jewish friend Henrick get to sweden. Good for adventure lovers, WWII nuts, and everyone else!

This is not just another book on parenting, it is a guide to a happier and healthier family inside and out.Dr.Denmark lives by what she says and is now 105 years old,what more is there to say.A friend gave me this book when my daughter was one week old,she was eating every hour,up all night and lying flat on her back scared to death.Once you read this book you realize parenting is just common sense and all these magizines and books out on parentig are all different and change by the month(not that I don't read them and find some interesting).Life as a parent has been much easier for me and my husband both.Words can't explain what this book has meant to me.

Dr. Denmark doesn't care about pop medicine. She cares about children, and taking care of them. Her approaches are tried and true (she has more experience than almost anyone else alive). Some of her ideas are considered old-fashioned, but they produce results. Yet she's not afraid of what's new, as long as it works. She deals with everything from pregnancy on - diet, health care, loving and nurturing, you name it. Dr. Denmark ought to be declared a national treasure, as should this book. We've known quite a few children (in addition to ours) raised by the "Denmark method" as we tend to call it, and every one of them is a testimonial to Dr. Denmark's approach and methods, which are in this book. Finally, Dr. Denmark has lived according to what she writes in this book, and is living proof of how well her methods work. She was still taking an annual two week backpacking and camping vacation with her husbands until he died a few years ago.

I was a patient of Dr. Denmark's in the 50's and my children are now 14 and 17 and are patients of hers. This is a down to earth book with practical suggestions about care of children of any age. You can read it again and again and find something useful that you didn't see before.

This book is by far my favorite childhood book. It was a nightly read for my family.
I was shocked to see out out of print and commanding such a high price. I would highly recommed this book. It is well worth the price that you might need to pay for it.

This is an excellent book. I first learned of it when my brother, whose children are grown, would only loan it to me. ...

My sister, and I, still talk about this book and all the stuff the little cat eats. Many creative characters with interesting names you will never forget. A must have. Very clean, nothing objectionable. Our favorite.

I, unfortunately, found the book after our recent trip. I had to laugh at so many of the customs and especially the traits, as I am of Finnish decent. It was light hearted, and I found it to be right on the mark, especially in helping me find out why I am the way I am. Have passed the book around and everyone agrees that it's a winner!

I read Deborah Swallow's book after I'd been to Helsinki twice and it was a delight to read a book by someone who seems to like the place as much as I did. The book is a very entertaining mix of facts, personal anecdotes and advice. Well researched and well written! So if your friends wonder if you are crazy to travel to a remote, cold place like Finland: hand them this book and they'll understand!

I'm leaving in August to be an exchange student to Finland and this book told me everything the Lonely planet guides were afraid too! This book was divided into nicely planned sections with a wonderful section dedicated to doing bussiness in the country. No book about Finland would be complete without the sauna chapter- and this book spares nothing. It has been by far the best preparation book I've read. The only downfall is that it is written by a Brittish woman- but she makes both Bristtish and American comparisons whenever possible.

The courage of the Danes in World War II just blew me away when I read this book. I first read it because Lois Lowry's book Number The Stars struck my intrest. When I read the stories of the Resistance and the Jews, I can admit I cried. The author tells their stories perfectly. She conveys the courage these people had and how brave all those young Resistance leaders were but does not leave the hardships endured by these people. It is certainly a wonderful reference book for anyone doing a project on the Holocaust. There was only one thing that disappointed me. There wasn't a reference to the permeated handkerchief that fishing boat captains used after the Nazis started using dogs to search the boats.

Bravery, courage, and selflessness, characteristic of the Danish resistance during WWII, are bright glimpses of hope during a dark period of world history. The history of the Danish resistance is recorded chronologically, with individual rescue stories woven throughout. This beautifully rendered acount, including photographs, is printed on thick, rich paper, underscoring the beauty of what was accomplished by the Danish people. Recommended for young adults and adults interested in the topic.

The Danish resistance and rescue of the Jews receives in-depth treatment for grades 5-7, with vintage black and white photos accompanying the story of the resistance and rescue of the Jews of Denmark. Levine interviewed dozens of Danes from rescuers and survivors to those captured for this inviting probe.

The parallels between Denmark Vesey's failed slave insurrection in Charleston in 1822 and the start of Toussaint's successful slave insurrection in Saint Domingue (now Haiti) in 1791 are striking. In both circumstances, black slaves comprised the vast majority of the population -- 75% in Charleston, 90% in Saint Domingue. In both, the hopeful liberators were former slaves who had become literate, fairly well-to-do, free blacks. Both Toussaint and Vesey distrusted mulattoes, who were regarded in both societies as a distinct class, with ambivalent loyalties. Both leaders took advantage of the disparate religious beliefs of their followers to enhance group cohesiveness.

In any such mass event, planned well in advance, the risk of discovery or betrayal is always great. Remarkably, in both of these planned insurrections, rumors and confessions alerted authorities weeks in advance of the scheduled dates. And in both, the white slaveholders were incredulous that ignorant, simple blacks could possibly coordinate an uprising of the size suggested by their informants. In both instances, the threat was dismissed as fantasy. As we know, the French authorities of Saint Domingue were too late in recognizing the magnitude and reality of the uprising. Few of us, however, have grasped the slim margin of time by which white Charlestonians were able to prevent a similar success in Charleston. Considering that Charleston was the prime destination of French planters fleeing the conflagration in Saint Domingue, Charlestonians should have been more attuned to the threat brought on by their slaveholding, minority autocracy. But, as Robertson points out, there was a degree of theater involved in living as a dominant white minority among a vast population of black slaves, and part of that theater was the belief by slaveholders that their slaves were grateful for being well treated--that slaves could recognize that it is better to be fed and clothed and sheltered as a slave than to be free as a savage. This delusion led to the Charlestonians' nearly fatal delay in responding to the signs of impending insurrection.

STRENGTHS: The story of Denmark Vesey is as fine an example of "Silencing the Past", in Michel-Rolph Trouillot's words, as the story of Saint Domingue. Despite the conscious efforts of Charlestonians to obliterate the history of the event (efforts well chronicled by Robertson) the author has assembled a creditable body of confirmed and "probable" details about Vesey and the planned insurrection. His unflinching thoroughness is revealed in such details as the fact that Peter Prioleau, the slave who initially betrayed the plot, was freed in 1822 by a special act of the legislature, and given a lifetime pension. We learn that by 1840, Prioleau is himself the owner of 7 slaves. The brief text (153 pages) is readable compelling, and well documented.

In an appendix, Robertson includes 1 paragraph biographies of the other men who were executed along with Denmark Vesey. These poignant scraps are practically all that is know of many of these would be liberators.

Interestingly, we learn that Vesey's attempted insurrection apparently led to the US's refusal to grant diplomatic recognition to the Republic of Haiti until the US Civil War. This veritable boycott of the Western Hemisphere's second oldest republic by its older brother may be seen as a significant cause of Haiti's financial and political instability during the first half of the 19th century.

WEAKNESSES: I'm stumped here. Perhaps the only shortcoming I can point out is that the text would be enhanced by a period map of Charleston, to enable the reader to follow some of the geographical commentary.

CONCLUSION: This short, fluidly written history of an event which could have resulted in a stunning alteration of American history, is also great reading.

David Robertson's book on the life of Denmark Vesey and the planned insurrection of slaves and freed blacks is a powerful, griping story unknown by most American blacks and whites.

American school children are always instructed on the bravery of George Washington, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, etc. and other courageous Founding Fathers who rebelled against the mighty British Empire. As we know, the colonials fought for freedom, liberty and justice. While Americans are proud of the Founding Fathers, the English government believed our heroes were traitors and worthy of death. The labeling of one as a "hero/patriot" or "rebel/terrorist" is related to ones perspective of the "cause".

In a brief 153 pages, Roberston leaves the reader grasping for more information about this free, skilled(carpenter), relatively well-off black male, who at the age of 60 risked his life to free slaves in a plan surely doomed for failure. How could a former slave believe an insurrection of this type would not only go undetected, but also ultimately succeed? Robertson provides the reader with enough historical information about Vesey that one believes the plan would have succeeded if not for a few informers. The fact that Vesey and his trusted compatriots enlisted 9000 slaves prepared to rebel clearly demonstrates his planning and leadership skills.

After his betrayal, the manner in which Vesey conducted himself under tortuous conditions is inspiring. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the American judicial system.

Upon reflection, what is evident in this story of Denmark Vesey is not that a slave rebellion ultimately failed and many of its organizers and participants executed. What is clear is that basic human rights, respect and dignity (as so eloquently delineated in the U.S. Constitution) are not only universally desired, but will ultimately be seized by those so denied. History is full of such brave men and women who pursue justice regardless of personal circumstances and comfort. Denmark Vesey was such a man; an American indoctrinated with the concept of freedom and willing to give his life so his fellow man could have it.

I was surprised to see that this wonderful biography has not been popular among Amazon.com customers. In telling a moving story of courage and rebellion, Robertson succeeds in bringing the reader to Vesey's time and place. This book should be taught in schools, particularly as it brings to life an important and largley overlooked figure in American history. I cannot recommend it highly enough to readers interested in American history, slavery, the South, and social justice.

I've had the rare pleasure of reading Alexandra Tomnalonis's book, "Henning Kronstam: Portrait of a Danish Dancer" and it is wonderful. The book is crammed with information; with Ms. Tomalonis's writing style I never felt I was plowing my way through an encyclopedia. The narrative flowed and my interest did not waver. Kronstam emerges a fascinating man. He was a silent Dane not given to letting others know much about him. An artistic genius, his style was all but lost in the era of the Ballet Boom and the following changes in the art. The book tells about his exciting entrance to Royal Danish Ballet, his dancing career, his dramatic excellence, the dancers of his era, and the nurturing of the Bournonville tradition. It continues with his career as artistic director and ballet master, and his influence on the dancers fortunate enough to be coached by him (there are many insightful quotes by his protégé's). He was a man of great detail and it is fascinating to read about those tiny details he'd add or subtract from a ballet in order to make it perfect. I highly recommend to book.

This remarkable book looks superficially like a ballet biography. It is so much more than that. It deserves, and I hope finds, a readership far broader than a ballet book would normally reach... In the book we learn that his first experience as a professional was as a child actor in the very theatre he would later dedicate his life to, so his destiny on stage in some capacity was assured. He danced the principal roles in all the major ballets, and was especially notable in the Bournonville tradition that he helped maintain. He had many new works created for him by modern choreographers, including the part of Romeo in Ashton's Romeo and Juliet. Whenever the Royal toured, which was not often enough, foreign critics and audiences singled Kronstam out for special recognition for both his dancing and his acting. But I venture to say that ballet lovers who know of Nureyev and Bruhn, who were roughly Kronstam's contemporaries, may not know Kronstam's name. This book gives some interesting perspectives that help explain why.

The fact that the book is called "Portrait of a *Danish* Dancer" (rather than simply "Portrait of a Dancer") puzzled me at first. But Ms. Tomalonis has thoroughly captured Kronstam's complex personality, and in many ways that personality was the Danish national character in microcosm. It seems that many of Kronstam's inherent strengths and weaknesses were reinforced by the societal expectations of both his family and his nation. This may have contributed, consciously or unconsciously, to Kronstam's choice to remain in Copenhagen for his entire career when others chose to leave to pursue international recognition with foreign companies.

The book succeeds on so many levels. It has all the hallmarks of a good biography. The author, who personally met with and interviewed her subject extensively and also spoke with scores of his relatives and colleagues, discusses Kronstam's personal matters with tact and dignity. She portrays Kronstam with a kind of tenderness that does not detract from her clear-eyed understanding of him. The fact that Kronstam, an intensely private person, was comfortable and candid enough to reveal as much as he did to her bespeaks a level of trust in the author that few biographers enjoy. Inspite of the pervasive sadness of Kronstam's story at the end of his life, when she met with him, Ms. Tomalonis is able to show Kronstam's warmth and humor as well. It gives Kronstam an aura of nobility which he, in his typical humility, would probably have derided.

For balletomanes, like me, the book showcases Ms. Tomalonis' depth of both historical and current ballet expertise. Her writing style is so fluent and graceful, however, that the wealth of ballet detail never interferes with the book's story line. One can sense that this very expertise was part of the common language between author and subject that made it possible for Kronstam to communicate his thoughts so effectively to the author.

Finally, for anyone interested in understanding the creative process, there is a unique opportunity to hear Kronstam's own recollections of how he developed his roles, how he was able to inhabit a role with his characteristic intensity. Several of the modern ballets in which he created characters contain harrowing psychological plot lines, and one can only wonder how Kronstam was able to both shield and use his own vulnerabilities to bring these works to life. This section of the book should be required reading for dancers, because it illuminates the thoughtfulness and dedication required of any intelligent performer who wants to do more than execute steps and pantomime emotions. Actors, I am told, embrace the opportunity to "be" their characters, to try on other lives. Here Kronstam conveys that process in a human and insightful way. Ms. Tomalonis somehow manages to make herself invisible during these passages, so that it is Kronstam who emerges with tremendous immediacy... Kronstam could have expected no greater tribute than to have his story told with so much grace and feeling.

Although Henning Kronstam was a dancer of world-class talent and style, he chose to remain close to his beloved home, the Royal Danish Ballet. While Erik Bruhn made international headlines, Kronstam remained mostly at home, blessing the Danes with his perfect technique and great stage presence. I never understood why he had chosen so to shape his career, but Tomalonis' excellent book examines the artistic, psychological and social forces which informed him, and the reading is fascinating, whether the reader is a ballet fan or not. She writes compellingly and with grace and wit, so much so that one is almost loth to finish the book, which must, of course, end with its subject's death. One wishes men like Kronstam to live happily forever. Here is a story of a life well worth examining, and from which to learn.

I highly recommend the book "Boot Camp for Your Brain: A No-Nonsense Guide to the SAT I." With the help of this book, my child raised her SAT I scores by a total of 300 points. Her final combined SAT I scores put her in a much better position for applying to her first choice in colleges.

Buy this book! It is a comprehensive study guide that is right on the mark for what you need to know. The results my daughter achieved after studying this book and following its excellent advice were astounding. She increased her combined score 290 points, achieving an 800 in Math and a 790 in Verbal. Ms. Manning's book provides a winning strategy for taking the Sat I. I rated it a 5.

This book is a MUST for all students taking the SAT. My son improved his score by almost 200 points after reading this book and taking the sample tests. He now has the opportunity to apply to many more colleges of his choice. I would highly recommend parents buy this book for their high school student. It could dramatically make a difference in your child's life.

I read this book in 1980 not long after it was first published in 1979 and I found it to be a very easy to read account of Hitler and the German Army during the early period of World War Two. As mentioned in the earlier review, the author offers a general overview of this period but covers such things as Hitler and his relationship with the German Army and its commanders, Hitlers 'style' of warfare, the concept of 'Blitzkrieg' and the weapons & tactics involved and finally the camapign in France. The book is well researched and is very easy to read with 20 maps, 59 B&W photos and a number of line drawings and charts to assist the reader. I do not think that the book or any of its ideas has aged since it was first published in 1979 and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking to understand how the German Army conquered all before it in 1940.

In this book Deighton looks at the political social, and econmic factors, as well as German military history in the 1930's to show how this led to development of the panzer division, and Blitzkrieg. Much of this book is spent decribing Hitler's rise to power, terms of the 1918 treaty, and the political games that were played out in the 1930's giving Germany it's new empire. This is important, because it had such a large effect on how Germany proceeded for the rest of the war. The book then goes into the development of tank warfare, how the tatic evolved from the shock troops at the end of WWI, how Germany's leaders had found new better ways to fight, and why the allies were still so backward in their thinking.

Dieghton points out that in May 1940 the only real difference between the German and allied armies was their leadership and tatics. Deighton gives a clear and easy to understand analysis tank warfare, as well as giving very good backgroung into the sorounding political and social situations that many WWII history books lack.

This is a well researched, heavily illustrated and easy to read book on the subject of Blitzkrieg or 'Lightning War'. The specific area of interest is it's application by the Germans in their invasion of Holland, Belgium and France in the summer of 1940. The meat of the book is in the middle. Part 3 (Blitzkrieg: Weapons & Methods) looks at the development of the Blitzkrieg concept, originating, Deighton says with Prussian military doctrines. Ideas by English Tank experts such as J.F.C. Fuller and B.H. Liddel Hart were added later. This section of the book naturally spends a fair amount of time on the emergence of the Tank and it's use as one of the principal weapons of Blitzkrieg.

Blitzkrieg is defined as 'a swift, sudden military offensive, usually by combined air and land forces'. Deighton adds - 'and as evolved by Heinz Guderian and used by his forces', giving credit to the man who perfected the concept. Indeed, the German breakthrough at Sedan in May 1940 (see Part 4 'The Battle of The Meuse') and the subsequent routing of the French army is a spectacular example of the use of Blitzkrieg. Offcourse any discussion about battles in France in 1940 must conclude with the Germans surrounding and trapping over 250,000 men of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the French coast near Dunkerque.

It is to do with Dunkerque that the most startling supposition emerges from the book. The introduction was written by Gen. Walther Nehring, who in 1940 was Guderians' Chief of Staff and was with him at Sedan. Nehring writes with conviction, and Deighton's arguments seem to support the view, that if not for a precipitous Halt Order by Hitler, the German forces could have captured the entire BEF. It is argued that the prospect of a 'Disaster at Dunkerque', rather than the miracle that we have come to know of, would have been too much for the British to stomach. The opportunity for sueing for peace and of obtaining an end to the war by May 1940, would have been a real possibility in such circumstances.