"Short Histories" are hard to write. You can be criticised by virtually all sides: it was very short, it left out something, it was biased towards some specific group, or it gave more attention to culture than to politics, for example. That being said, I was amazed by this book. Ranelagh is a fine writer indeed and he is able to keep it short, interesting, and accurate. And in the case of Ireland, that's a lot! Very fun to read, it is perfect for anyone - if you don't know anything about Ireland or you want to have a condensed history of the Emerald Island. I strongly recommend this one.

Ranelagh does a fantastic job of condensing a couple thousand years of history into a readable couple hundred pages. This book is a first-rate shortened version of Irish history.

At times, one thinks more and deeper connections could have been drawn (such as the resurrection, by twentieth century hunger-strikers, of Brehon Law-era practices like fasting for the redress of grievances) and more discussion fostered on particularly hard-hitting aspects of Ireland's past and present. But this is, after all, a SHORT history, and a remarkable one at that.

There is good coverage of Ireland before the arrival of the English, in a way that touches on both historical developments and cultural ones. Likewise, the era of Cromwell and the disastrous run-up to and aftermath of Black 1847 are given good detail. One comes away feeling a bit as though more recent history (say, 1916 and on) has been slighted, but this feeling is probably just the product of years of weighted emphasis on the twentieth century; Ranelagh does well to bring a historical balance to the overall sweep of Ireland's development into what it is today.

And what it is today is, for Ranelagh, closely invested as well in the question of what England is and no longer is. "A Short History of Ireland" may disturb those who view England as a still-unwelcome visitor into Irish history and culture, but Ranelagh concludes convincingly that the story of Ireland from the 13th century on is intimately related to its evolving relationship with its slightly larger neighbor and one-time persecutor/antagonist. Ranelagh quite usefully and realistically departs from other histories of the Emerald Isle in asserting that the England/Ireland relationship can, for a slew of reasons that he points to, only ever be one of co-dependence.

A book that subtly hints at girls' empowerment is always a good thing in my mind. Combine that with tales set in India, and it gets better.

Shower of Gold features Krishnaswami again showcasing her wonderful storytelling talent. Like her earlier book, Broken Tusk, this one too picks up a niche topic and tells stories about it. All of the stories in Shower of Gold are about courageous women or devis (goddesses) who have to overcome terrible odds to emerge triumphant. The stories also serve as a wonderful study in Indian culture. The dire conditions of some of these women though, may be startling to some little ones. Stories such as Rani of Jhansi are borrowed from history texts, while others such as the story of Savitri or Sita are from mythology.

Adults will especially appreciate the notes at the end of each story that often includes pointers to more exhaustive readings on the subject.

The larger question of course, looms here. "Some people wonder why, when goddesses in Hindu mythology play such magical and powerful roles, Hindu society has not given women more power." The author does hint at reasons but a more potent explanation is not really within the scope of this book. To her credit, Krishnaswami sticks to her agenda and delivers.

Shower of Gold is a fresh look at the clichéd phrase, "girl power". For here are some bold strong girls and women who have effectively shown what it all means.

Our four-year-old daughter has been delighted with these stories since getting this book for Christmas. In our mixed Indian/Texan household, good children's books on Indian cultural topics are hard to come by and prized this book neither requires the extensive knowledge of Indian mythology that many books published in India presume, nor does it distance itself from India as the exotic "other" the way some western books do. The vocabulary is challenging for my four-year old but the stories hold her interest anyway, and the length of each tale is just right for bedtime reading. This is one we'll read and re-read.

The book is a translation of Bhagavatgita. Lord Krishna spoke to Arjuna in the war period, when Arjuna was confused about his duty. The author and series aims to introduce East and West mutually about the great works. The book fulfiles this objective. The introduction gives an overview of Indian philosophy, epics and the placing of Gita. He gives a brief overview the theme of Mahabharata. The translation are done in way that reader new to indian philosophical theme can go through without much of puzzlement. Every chapter has few lines of introduction. Every page top carries a subtitle. The author has drawn attention to the famous commentaries and their differences at sutiable places as foot notes. One should understand that the book introduces Gita; later one can look to other authoritative works. A good book for giving as a gift.

It is a good translation of Bhagavadgita. Apart from giving translated titles for chapters, there are titles ( on top of every page) which indicate this current context. A well written introduction places the work in context of indian history and philosophy. The introduction gives the basic background of Mahabharata. The author has taken interest in the different names addressed to Krishna; has given footnotes. ( Annie Besant in her translation preferred to simplify the issue). The author is well aware of the different emphasis of popular religious leaders. He draws attention to this in some of the foot notes. Basically, his work is translation; ( with its limitations). Reader can interest in detailed authorised commentaries later. The purpose of the book is a quick introduction to English-speaking public. SRIKRSNARPANAM ASTU.

This book is a must for anyone who is interested in Slavic epic poetry. Unfortunately, I am unable to read these works in the Serbian. However, the editors have translated beautifully. There is no awkward attempt to catch the rhyme or meter, which so often ruins poetry in translation. Of all the translations of the Serbian epics which I have encountered (and I look for them diligently. . .), this one is the best. The translators' sensitivity to nuance and meaning allows you, the English reader, to experience these works as best as you possibly can without reading Serbian. Highly recommended.

I haven't read this edition, but I have grown up reading these poems in my and their native language. The poems were collected from the oral tradition by a great Serbian ethnographer and linguist Vuk Karadzic who also reformed Serbian spelling system and grammar and wrote first big Serbian Dictionary in 1818. Hence, the expert has chosen the best from the oral tradition that withstood through centuries. Since Karadzic new German, these poems made their way into a German translation first, and many German authors, including Goethe, admired their precise 10-syllable metric, emotions, and vivid depiction of characters. One of the specific literary techniques, persistently used at the beginning of many poems, has a special name --- Slavic Antithesis.

The poems can be compared to big national epic poems as Beowulf taken in their entirety. However, all are independent, and as a boy I used to think of them as good fairy tales. The characters are sometimes capable to do improbable things, and some of the poems have a fairy in them, but good always wins over evil.

I still remember the achievements of Marko Kraljevic (his surname means The Prince) who was able to do amazing things due to his strength, and how he drinks half of his wine and gives the other half to his horse. But he also asks God to forgive him for killing better knight than himself in "Marko Kraljevic and Musa the Robber". The other characters are more earthly, just as their destiny. I remember the courage of Old Vujadin who after being tortured with broken legs and arms refuses to tell where his friends are hidden, even if the torturers take out his eyes. He says: "I didn't say for my arms that were able to break any lance, I didn't say for my legs faster than any horse, I won't say for my lying eyes that forced me to my deeds, watching from the highest mountain on your caravans, full of treasure." Some of the heroes are driven by their love that is utterly unselfish as in "Banovic Strahinja".

These poems w! ere giving me a completely new world when I was a boy. A world of heroes and pride. A world of honesty and truthfullnes. Of course, a world of exaggeration, created by a nation that was suffering four centuries of occupation and desperately needed heroes from the past like Marko Kraljevic. And of course, the world of reality, created by a nation proud enough to resist all these four centuries through rebells like Vujadin, who died for their ideals. Finally, some of the poems are lyric poems and they show us that a folk poet was able to create highly emotional poetry.

Children can find in this book an amazing set of characters similar to the best fairy and hero tales in the world. Scholars can find in this book a lot just as Vuk Karadzic and Goethe did. This book reminds us on almost forgotten values. I hope the translation is good. Highly recommended.

Did you ever wish you were the 19th-century Richard Burton, looking at the white spaces on the fringes of a map and wondering what lay inside them? I have; I suppose you have too. Those days are gone for good, though. Mark Elliott's book, however, turns that concept on its head. In it he presents a series of lovingly crafted maps of Southeast Asia, packed with enough information to get me there in the first place, yet vague enough to encourage me to explore it on my own. Some guidebooks can be so overwritten as to make me feel like, "Why bother going? I've already read about it." This book, though, sits inside my briefcase and tantalizes me. It's fun to read, too; I read it on the train and laugh out loud, and everyone in the car is shocked. It answers all the essential questions -- especially what to do if you just can't finish your dinner of dog meat. (Think about it!) What I've seen of Southeast Asia matches what I have read in this book. And for the places I haven't made it to yet, well, this book goads me into going farther.
If all a real sailor needs is a ship and a star to steer her by, then all a true traveler needs is a backpack and this book to journey by. Buy it -- you will not be disappointed!

This is a pretty unique travel book for low budget travelers. It takes all the practical information that you need to survive but then throws you in to explore for yourself showing you where to get free information rather than regurgitating the standard stuff that you get free anyway, yet taking great pains to show you money saving details like where the bus stop into town is when you arrive at any of Bangkok's bus stations. There are so many maps that it can actually be better (as well as much cheaper and lighter to carry) than a series of one country guides. One thing that takes a while to get used to is the icons which make the maps look wild the first time you look at them, but when you get used to them means you get info packed in a small space. In cities where there are loads of guest houses just a "traveler area" is marked which seems like a good idea. Transport is summarized not in words but in sort of spider-like schematic maps which show times, prices, etc and diagrammatically give a good idea of where in a town to find the bus in the first place. On the other hand if you want accommodation much above the budget level this is not the book for you. By the way with all the SARS paranoia it is a great time to be out here in SE Asia!

If you want to know how to cook Southeast Asian cuisine (and this is NOT the same as Chinese), this is the cook who knows. She knows her ingredients with an intimacy not present in most other cookbook writers of this region's cuisines. One factor critical to success in cooking SouthEast Asian fare is to know how to blend together the exotic ingredients for a particular dish. This is especially important for Malaysian/Indonesian cuisine -- and is not often done well enough. Ms Solomon certainly has the knowledge. In my opinion, this is the most valuable aspect of her book.

My grandma found this book at a rummage sale in Australia, and she brought it all the way to the USA for me. The first receipe I tried was such a success that I've been cooking from it ever since. This book is good for those of us who love a good receipe but haven't the time or patience to experiment. I especially like her use of substitutes and pay special attention to her remarks about a receipe. When charmaine says a receipe is good, it turns out spectacular!

As a Christian worker in China, I had first-hand opportunity to see how we "foreigners" interacted cross-culturally. (Usually, the most successful of us were those who were not on a Mission from God.) Having seen people badly suited to live abroad and admiring those who were very able to do so, the joy of this book by Freya Stark was reading about a woman operating cross-culturally with a world-class ability to encounter persons with a much different backround than her own. Her sheer delight in her Bedouin companions is vicariously enjoyable.
Of course, this book journeys not just across cultures but across times, beginning with the author's introduction, which discusses the antiquity of the regioun she explores, especially in the time of great trade in frankincense, which made the region, for a time, wealthy. It is also reflected in the ancient culture and historical monuments and artifacts the author encounters.
Moreover, Freya Stark writes (wrote) beautifully. This book will appeal to anyone who is curious about other peoples, other lands and other times or who enjoys good writing.

In 1934, Freya Stark determined that she would follow the ancient frankincense routes through the fertile Hadhramaut valley to locate and record what was left of the legendary lost city of Shabwa. In 1936 she published _The Southern Gates of Arabia: A Journey in the Hadhramaut_ which, as did many of her thirty-odd books, became a best seller. It is now republished by the Modern Library, and is a welcome reminder of a brave, erudite, and witty explorer. The current volume has as an introduction a capsule description of Stark's life by her biographer, Jane Fletcher Geniesse. Born in 1892, Stark was only able to indulge in travel in her thirties; she realized that there was a hunger for knowledge about exotic Arabia, and she schooled herself in the language and history of the area, through which she traveled by foot, car, donkey, and camel well into her eighties. She lived to be 101.

The explorations of these exotic lands are rendered now more strange and lovely by time. Few of us will get to see the lands Stark loved, but we will never see them as she did. For most of the steps along the trail described in this book, Stark was the first European woman to come that way, and that she did so unaccompanied by a European escort gave the Bedouin, the learned men, and the sultans something to admire and wonder at. One who thought himself a leader of her group attempted to exclude her by bringing her meals to a separate area. "He was showing a Victorian disapproval of females who do not keep themselves to themselves, a thing I find dull and difficult to do." She finds that she very much likes being in the middle of the group, even as an outsider. "To sit over the fire with one's fellows in the evening, when the work is over and the talking begins, is the only sure way of keeping harmony and friendship. I never had any difficulties with my beduin and found nothing but friendliness and an anxiety to serve in every way, and I attribute this chiefly to the fact that we had our meals together..." On the last night being with one group, one of the Bedouin thanks her for sharing food together (rather than keeping separate as he had expected the European traveler to do), and says it has been pleasant traveling with her. "'Here we are now,' he said, 'all together. And tomorrow?' - he opened his hand out wide - 'all scattered, where?' After this question, so sad, ancient, and universal, we looked in silence to the darkness and the stars."

Stark's quest was unfulfilled because of all things, measles. The discovery of Shabwa awaited a German traveler the next year, for she was too sick to continue toward her goal. One of her hosts, as she was ailing, reassured her: "Here we have no sickness; we are well or we die." She was carried off in a plane of the Royal Air Force, to whom in gratitude she dedicated her book. Her work is a perfect illustration that journeying well, and not achieving the destination, is the better accomplishment. It is impossible to come away from this volume without admiring this spunky, amused and amusing woman, nor to share in her admiration for those among whom she traveled. "The magic of Arabia," she writes, "which so many have felt, is due perhaps less to the sun-wrinkled arid land itself than to the innate peculiar nobility and charm of its people."

This is the perfect book for an armchair traveller to Tanzania. It does a wonderful job of showing what the country has to offer, from culture to wildlife to history. The photos are stunning, the writing well-crafted.

This is *not*, however, a book I would choose to take with me when visiting the country. While it does provide some information on transportation and accomodations (mostly high-end), it is not geared towards the traveller 'on the ground.' Do buy this book and read it before you visit Tanzania, but take the Lonely Planet or a Rough Guide along for the trip.

I found it most informative of all books on Tanzania.

My name is MJ Weiskopf

Well worth the wait. Exceptional chronicle about the Florida East Coast Railway. This book is a must have for anybody interested in the Florida East Coast Railway or Florida History in general. Commendations are in order for Seth Bramson for his relentless efforts in producing this book.

I would love to reveiw his latest book but i am still waiting for it to arrive. If it is anything like the original it will be the definitive book on the FEC. The few copies of the original you can still find have appreciated in value to the point these should be bought as an investment. It is possible his passion for this railroad was only exceeded by the old man himself. I am speaking of Flagler who pushed the line all the way to Key West and lived just long enough to see it thru. Whether or not you have any interest in the Florida East Coast Railway when you start this book, you certainly will by the time you finish as his passion is contaigious. Best of luck with your latest edition Mr. Bramson!...

An intriguing book. Rather too detailed (but don't give up -- it's full of good stuff). A good reference for managers on how to run a business by maintaining excellent rapport with one's employees (Marcus Woolf style) and an excellent example of professional ethics (again, Marcus Woolf style towards his moles). Some amazing ideas by the East German intelligence, e.g.Romeo agents, are described.

Having travelled to East Berlin during the 50's and 60's, I thought this book would be of some interest. I was not prepared to be as thoroughly enthralled by this account of the East German secret police and its deputy minister, Markus Wolf, as I was. It was an unexpected find! Colitt obviously knows his subject and has created a spellbinding historical account.