Cynthia Zaitzevsky leaves nothing out of this heavily-illustrated explanation of how and why Boston's Emerald Necklace parks were constructed. In addition to the history, she includes draft plans, planting lists, and a full survey of all the architecture and bridges orginal to the park system. After reading of all these accomplishments, you will want to visit the parks to see what remains today.

This wise and loving book begins with the funeral of Frederick Manfred, the novelist. Written in lean, spare prose by his daughter, the poet Freya Manfred, it moves by a series of flashbacks through almost five decades of her keen observations of her father.

It is interesting to see that her writing style is quite different than her father's more ornamented style, although he was her mentor and writer friend.

You'll enjoy reading one of Frederick Manfred's books at the same time that you read Frederich Manfred: A Daughter Remembers. I chose to read Lord Grizzly, which some people say is the best of his many books.

This delightful and hard to find book, translated with only minor variations, does include the 2nd chapter from Voltaire, as it was missing from the original manuscript. Frederick is threatened it would seem by the writings of " The Prince" in the hands of mere political overachievers. He is constantly referring to the difference in the beliefs of Kings and "would be" princes. Frederick picks Machiavelli's writing apart line by line and deserves a second read with "The Prince" close at hand. An integeral link to the real Frederick of Prussia.

This is a powerful book about a case that I have not heard much about until I found this book at a garage sale. I really find it hard to believe that in a country like Canada, the citizens of Sydney were so maligned. Even though it has been a few years since this book was written, there still hasn't been much development in the treatment of the waste.

Savior or Antichrist -- a question that all of Europe was asking about Frederick II. No one thought that he could be anything but one or the other. Frederick was the greatest of all Emperors, and perhaps the most brilliant man to ever sit at any thrown. In his hereditary kingdom of Sicily he built the most dazzling court, devoted to science, reason, and especially the Law. Frederick believed he was the Justitia, the embodiment of Divine Law of all the World, destined to rule it and to rule it forever. It takes a great scholar to paint a clear and convincing picture of the man who challenged even God, and Ernst Kantorowicz is one of the greatest historians of all time. Clearing Frederick of all contradiction, he shows him as the harbinger of the Renaissance, the Reformation, the Scientific Revolution, the Enlightenment, International Law, -- the genius and master of all times and eras before and after him.

This work is written with almost poetic clarity. The great philosophic themes that lay behind the man and his claims to divinity have never been expouneded in all their glory like this. I highly recommend this!

This is the best biography in print of the enigmatic king of Prussia, Frederick II (The Great), who transformed his nation from a second-rate military power into a formidable nation at the expense of the Hapsburg monarchy of Maria Theresa. Duffy, the world's foremost authority on the Seven Years' War, brings his years of research into full blossom in this study of Prussia's brilliant soldier-king. Using his knowledge of military science, Duffy shows how Frederick was consistantly able to score victories over his opponents through superiior drill and tactics even though constantly outnumbered strategically. Through his adroit maneuvers, Frederick was able to increase the size of his territory significantly, yet without bankrupting his country. Duffy also elaborates on Frederick's often tempestuous relationships with his generals as well as his attitudes toward the common soldier. Frederick's many contributions toward the art of war are also showcased. This book is highly recommended for those who want a greater understanding of the rise of Prussia as a nation. -James J. Mitchel

What strikes me most, what attracts me greatly in this book is that unlike Thomas Carlyle, the celebrated British historian in 19th-Century, who, with unbounded admiration, wrote the extensive and titanic biography about Frederick the Great, which is charged with a full accounts about this extraordinary and great historical personality and his time based on his unparalleled sweeping knowledge of history, the author G.P.Gooch concentrates his book much on revealing the inner world of the great King by providing comprehensive correspondence of this remarkable historical giant. Except for Carlyle, I do not see any other author who ever employs so many precious writings of Frederick the Great as G.P. Gooch. Under his pen, we see such a great King as an emotional and tender man, whose passion was so touching that I was always reduced to the captive of it when I was reading the book : Tears could hardly be checked but rolling down on my cheeks, as a philosopher whose thoughts were of profound and of universal magnificence, as a man of letters whose compositions shone beautiful elegance, effused strong and touching emotion, as a political stateman whose statements always emitted his intelligence and charming wits, his power and strengh, his assurance and confidence, vividly displaying on paper. Unlike most of biographies which express history according to chronology, this one singls out the first Silesian War as its beginning which immediately arrests readers. The author does not put much ink on the campaigns themselves, but paints how the war was an ordeal for both the King and his country by citing what the King passionately described in his correspondence with Voltaire, with his other close friends and with his beloved sister, which always showed his unconquerable will, his steel-iron stoicism, and his overwhelming determination, although sometimes mingled with thrilling lament about his misfortune. The author states Frederick the Great as an eminent diplomat by depicting how he wisely dealt with the heads of Austria, France and Russia by employing his exquiste diplomatic skills and wisdom. The author spent a length of space, running three chaptes, to unfold the amazing relationship between the King and the famous French poet Voltaire, their mutual love and respect, their harmony and conflicts. The author draws us a special attention to the unique passionate relationship between the King and his beloved sister,Wilhelmina, who was three years senior his age: Their mostly deep and moving affection which drew them close for decades and occaionally discord which shadowed them for short time. The author also records the respectable but a kind of cool relationship between the King and his yourger broher Henry who distinguished himself as a trascendent general and diplomat of his century. The author places a special chapter for the King's magnificent political works which have laid the foundation for the unification of Germany one hundred years later, and his important military writings which even today are still ranked as brilliant military classic works. Overall, this is one of the best biographies of Frederick the Great I have ever read, which has engraved such an impression and affection in me so deeply and magnificently that I could scarcely not to give rein to my stirred feeling when I read it, that I can not persuade myself not to rank myself to those who highly recommend this marvelous book which by its unique way portraits such a unsurpassed great historical giant.

This work is the study of a society as reflected in the life of Frederick the Great. The subject of interest is not so much the man per se but rather his interactions with the society he did so much to shape. Ritter's treatment allows the reader to learn about Frederick but not to know him as a man. In fact, the work serves largely to sublimate Frederick the man to the Prussian state. The reader sees Frederick as having succeeded not through divine placement but by luck, reason, and a commitment to the state above all personal and worldly considerations. But despite all Frederick's realism, as revealed by Ritter, he remains an enigma. Indeed, as Paret alludes to in his introduction, certain events of European history and aspects of Frederick's life are not explored in Ritter's European-oriented presentation. Certainly my own lack of understanding of the complicated alliance patterns of early modern Europe detract from my understanding of the book.

Frederick's reign seems to have marked a crucial turning point in history-- one toward the development of the modern European nation-state. Frederick utilized the French designs of emerging nationality to bring to life a state whose purpose was to further the good of all its inhabitants rather than to serve as an instrument of the prince's vainglory. From the mediaeval throes of dynamism was born the modern state. To a large degree, Frederick the Great was Prussia; he raised her to a level of power that would not long outlive him. This is what makes Ritter's biography history.

There was a certain ambivalence evidenced in Frederick's conception of warfare. He only pursued war to further the state, and he learned from war--especially his initial invasion of Silesia. Always, Prussia in the end seemed to prosper from her ruler's military actions. Central in Frederick's conception of the state was the need for a vigilant standing army. To oversee this grand army, Frederick developed a program for proto-modern statehood--in all aspects to be overseen by him personally. In his state, he sought to utilize the nobility in a paternalistic system. Patriotism was his goal; his military leaders were not to fight for him but for Prussia. Frederick was deeply involved in military strategy; as a soldier-king he demanded discipline and controlled aggression among his men. Significantly, over time he came to see the value of statecraft over military action; after his Silesian invasion, his wars seemed more defensive in nature; often no decisive victor emerged from battle. He came to realize that warfare was constrained by the state's national resources. As Ritter describes it, Frederician warfare was defined by maneuverability and limited aggression. It is the birth of patriotism in the form of Frederician absolutism that lies at the heart of Ritter's study. Compelled by the rise to power of Naziism, Ritter seeks to show how such German nationalism had originally been born.

I never knew my grandfather as he died the year before I was born. I used to play in the attic of my home. I played with grandfathers uniform and sword,his musket and many of his personal belongings. Seeing as how this is my grandfather it makes the book seem more real to me than if it were written about someone that I never heard of.

Galaxy Magazine was, back in the 1950's and early 60's, one the Big Three SF mags (the others were Astounding/Analog and The Magazine of F&SF), possibly even THE best. Its post-60's decline and fall only accentuated its former greatness.

This collection, ostensibly a 30th anniversary salute, instead becomes a sort of gripe-fest, with the writers complaining about legendary editor Horace Gold's overbearing editing, or the magazine's later problems with funding.

In spite of this, we're still left with a collection of rare greats. Pohl managed to put together a collection of excellent but seldom reprinted works (pretty tough when one of authors is Harlan Ellison). If you find this book, snap it up!