Fluent, lucid and written with Plumb's characteristic brevity, this is among the best introductions you will find to the high politics of the Hanoverian period. Sir John Plumb (d.2001) was one of the finest historical writers ever published in English. He is in the tradition of Macaulay and Trevelyan. His prose is polished and perfectly cadenced, and his light style masks a profound analytical grasp of the political forces that shaped this century of Whig ascendancy. Some may accuse him of adhering to the 'Great Men' school of history. If so, he highlights all their vices as well as their virtues.

Plumb was criticised for more often making the grand sweep of historical analysis as opposed to dredging through the minutiae of historical documentation. This analysis, I believe, is flawed and inimical to the notion that for history to be worthy of the name it should be readable for a wider audience, not solely confined to the institutions where it is nurtured.

Plumb's scholarship has inspired generations of laymen; his intellectual generosity and didactic rigour has also reaped its rewards within historical departments on both sides of the Atlantic. Those inspired by the Plumb school of history, who mastered their craft under his watchful eye at Christ's College, Cambridge, include such well known names as Simon Schama, David Cannadine, Niall Ferguson and Neil Mc Kendrick.

This is by far the best book that i have read in a long time. Most history books are boring but this one is anything but. Plumb goes to great details explaining the relationship that each King shared with his son. He does a wonderful job of giving his readers a rare insight to the royal family.

Outside of Virginia and graduate writing programs, where he is treated as a minor deity, Garrett is largely anonymous. This is a shame, since he is among our greatest living writers. I'm especially fond of this book, which explores the South's relationship with its own history in a way that respects and humanizes everyone without abandoning the humor that marks the best of the region's fiction. I do not wish to imply that Garrett is merely a local star. He writes about the South because he is from here, but also because it provides a microcosm of America. Issues of racial identity and religious splintering dominate this nation, and they also dominate this novel.
Garrett is an elegant stylist, a wry and fearless observer and a gifted humorist. This book ought not be discarded--it is the best American novel about America written in the past decade, and it is a shame that it has not crossed over into the mainstream territory of book clubs and high school reading lists.

The author writes this novel set in Florida with a combination of vigor and poetry and humor that is very rare and wonderful; his many characters pull you deeper and deeper into this story which flies back and forth a generation to gradually reveal the truth of a 20 year old murder. One extraordinary character after another is born on the page and all together form part of the story. No wonder the author can write such very deep and real Elizabethan books for which he is justly famous.

Mr. Duby gives an excellent account of the Battle of Bouvines. A little known battle in history books, but one of important ramifications. A well loved King ( Phillip II Augustus) of France defeats two conspiring enemies Otto of Germany and his uncle John Lackland of England. The book not only gives accurate descriptions of the battle, culture and politics of medieval Europe,it also includes the role of the Church. In addition, certain events such as King John's signing of the Magna Carta in 1215 forever limiting a King's authority in England are described as after effects of this Battle. A great read.

In 1214 King Philip of France met and defeated the Emperor Otto of Flanders in the battle of Bouvines. In The Legend of Bouvines Georges Duby writes about this battle, and the legends which sprang from it, from a clear, unbiased perspective.

After describing the background to the battle, he presents an edited version of a contemporary account (that of William the Breton). This is followed by a general commentary on the ideology of peace, war, and battle in the twelfth century. Duby then analyses the evolution of the legends that sprang from Bouvines - in the centuries following the battle and, after its 18th century revival, in modern French historiography. Some of the sources for the battle are included as an appendix.

The Legend of Bouvines has a rare gem. Duby writes in the present tense, with a polished but effective prose, and brings alive both the ideals and the realities of warfare in high medieval France.

For more than 20 years, I relied on Schickel for guidance when determining which films to see; also, for gaining a better understanding of the films I had seen. In this volume, he provides interviews with eight great directors: Hitchcock, Capra, Minimill, Cukor, Hawks, Wellman, Vidor, and Walsh. In recent weeks, I have also read Robert J. Emery's two The Directors (Take One and Take Two) and Bogdanovich's Who the Devil Made It which also offer interviews and conversations with various great directors. Don't worry about duplications; that is, what Cukor, Hawks, Hitchcock, Walsh, and Wellman have to say. Bogdanovich, Emery, and Schickel have different questions to ask, different nuances of film making to explore, and approach the directors from quite different perspectives. The responses they obtain from the same directors differ. For that reason, I strongly urge fellow film buffs to purchase all of these volumes. The order in which they are read is unimportant.

What differentiates Schickel from Bogdanovich and Emery is the fact that, for many years, he wrote film reviews for Time magazine and thus had an immense audience with which to share his opinions about more than a thousand films. Also, he is the author of more than 20 books about film making which include biographies of Marlon Brando, Cary Brando, and James Cagney. Over the years, he has earned and richly deserves his reputation as one of the most thoughtful and knowledgeable of film authorities. In this volume, he interacts with eight of the greatest film directors. At no time does he seem intimidated by them nor does he ever disrupt the flow of information exchanged with self-serving observations. He guides each director into subject areas which are probably of great interest to most film buffs but he also allows each director to ramble, digress, etc. when reminiscing or when sharing specific opinions about films and actors with whom they were associated. Sure, there is some delicious gossip. And yes, some insights not otherwise available. However, for the most part, Schickel sets up various subjects and then allows each director (many of them a personal friend) to proceed wherever he may wish, at whatever pace he may prefer. His brilliant orchestration of responses ensures their scope and depth. That is to say, he did not merely turn on the recorder and then let each of the eight take it from there. On his reader's behalf, Schickel remains actively involved, indeed engaged in the exchange of information but at no time is intrusive. Within its genre, this is indeed a "classic."

This film critic's survey of eight of Hollywood's finest directors and their works uses the interview process to explore the work of American filmmakers over the last decades. Hitchcock, Capra, Cuckor and others share their achievements in a revealing set of interviews covering special challenges and observations.

I have studied Christianity for many years and have always been fascinated by Jesus. I never liked the dogma that surrounded this religion and when I first read The Twelve Blessings,I couldn't believe how beautiful it was. I believed instantly that these were teachings of Jesus. They are extremely powerful and the prayers in this book are unbelievable. I would say that this book is a must-read: nobody can afford to ignore it. If it is true, which I believe it is, it gives spiritually-minded people of every religion a tremendous opportunity to really help our world. It's amazing - poetic, beautiful, inspiring, powerful, really spiritual. I can't recommend it enough.

The Master Jesus has never left us. He is still helping us. The "Twelve Blessings" will ring true to the serious student of this great Master. This book is composed of Cosmic Transmissions through His Eminence Sir George King. These Transmissions were received in a public setting and recorded word for word.

The "Twelve Blessings" can be performed as a practice to send spiritual energy to the world. They are beautiful beyond words.

If there is a chance that what I'm saying is true, and it is, you owe it to yourself to prove or disprove it for yourself.

God Bless you in your search for the Truth.

I've been studying this book for over two years, and have already opened a website on its author whom I consider as one of the major chroniclers and writers of eighteenth century Court society in England. The "Correspondence" includes many insights into tthe countryside, since Mary Delany travelled to and lived in Ireland and different other parts of Britain. Several letters from famous people like Swift (yes, the one who wrote something about Gulliver), Horace Walpole, Samuel Richardson and many other great eighteenth century figures can be found in the "Correspondence" since they were also correspondents of Mary Delany. To sum up, in a nutshell, I do call this book MY bible, and I am convinced that it ought to be much better known than it now is. From an enthuisastic French reader and reviewer who'd love to be contacted on that subject...

That is the theme of this terrific book which points out that sales of top-end items (jewelry, cars, real estate, etc.) are ultimately INTERPERSONAL transactions -- and that the seller must be able to "read" the personality of the prospective buyer in order to close the sale. The author uses the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator as the basis for her personality profiling; but the book is most valuable to any salesperson, even if you're an MBTI rookie.

This short work is an excellent introduction to the struggle for the existence of the French colony of New France. Beginning in 1672, with the governorship of the Comte de Frontenac, the author traces the various struggles through to the final surrender of Montreal in 1760. Along the way there is a small detour, examining the exploration of the west, spearheaded by men looking for a path through to the Pacific.

This book was originally published in 1918, and it shows. Throughout, the author routinely refers to the Indians as "savages," which is a little shocking to those used to more modern books. However, all other peoples in this drama (French, British, Canadians and Americans) are disparaged at one time or another, so a little tolerance of the author will be required to read this book.

That said, though, the book is well written and highly informative. The book's tone is far from the dry and academic, which characterizes many older history books. What I liked about this book is that it examines the struggles from the French point of view, which is refreshingly different that of the British. So, if you want to learn about the struggles with French Canada, from another perspective, then this book is for you.

Whether you are a figure skater or not, Donald Jackson's biography will help to inspire you to push yourself farther than you ever thought possible. An entertaining and easy-to-follow book, Mr. Gross profiles the career of 1962 World Champion and men's Canadian figure skater Donald Jackson, who landed the first triple lutz in skating history -- a jump that was so difficult at the time it would be years before anyone else duplicated his feat. This skater's tale of overcoming obstacles, the sorrow of the 1961 plane crash that killed the entire US figure skating team and coaches, and most of all, dealing with the weight of the expectations of the skating world will surprise you -- mostly in how hard you will find to put it down! Excellent, excellent book and a GREAT look at skating in the early 1960s. If you are a fan of the sport of figure skating, this book will find a place of distinction in your collection.

An eminently readable, thoroughly researched recounting of Fanny Burney's years as Second Keeper of the Robes to Queen Charlotte, consort of George III of England. Davenport carefully explores Burney's relationships with others at the court, most particularly her dealings with Colonel Stephen Digby. Of interest to Burney scholars for its interesting minor insights and scraps of information and to general readers for its fascinating portrayal of daily life at the royal court.