The Age of Charlemagne tells about Charlemagne, or Charles, and his life. In the book it tells about how he was small has a boy and the kids would make fun of him. He would try to hunt with them but a lot of times they wouldn't let him. He would try to out hunt them all of the time but it always failed and he always came home dirty. This is a really good story about Charlemagne, his life, how he became a king, and how he changed the course of history for hundrerds of years. He lived a great and successful life and many others leaders followed in his place. If you like to read older books about great people of history then this is the book for you. If you like history, I suggest that you should read The Age of Charlemagne by Donald A. Bollough. You will find this book very interesting.

This book contains probably every known fact about the legendary Spartan king. Numerous references are being made to other writers and many different approaches are used to create an impression of the importance of the king in his own lifetime as well as his relevance to the later military and social developments. The maps provided though, are few and slightly below standards.

Huellas en la Jungla William Somerset Maugham

Las seis historias cortas que componen esta obra, están escritas de la forma ingeniosa con que este autor siempre nos hace interesarnos por pasajes exóticos. Este autor sufre del defecto británico de ser un escritor metódico y moroso, es decir, se toma todo el tiempo del mundo para narrar su historia, lo que, cuando la historia es buena, suele ser desesperante. Sin embargo son tan interesantes que estamos dispuestos a sacrificar sus introducciones largas y a veces tediosas, para llegar a su tremendo y a veces excitante desenlace. Todas las historias están situadas en las colonias que tenia Gran Bretaña tenia a mediados de del siglo pasado en diferentes partes y en casi todas ellas el autor actúa como una especie de oyente a quien, por su carácter de transitoriedad le es confiado un secreto que pesa en la mente de algún atormentado residente de esas tierras. En otras el autor se da cuenta de cosas que los otros no, debido, según dice él, a que los demás están embotados por el clima. Somerset muestra a veces en sus obras una especie de superioridad pedante, pero no por esto deja de mostrar una gran perspicacia y un gran manejo de los elementos lingüísticos.

Luis Méndez.

This book is the second part of a projected five-part series on the history of Asia from the rise of Islam in the 7th century of the Christian era down to the 18th century. Few scholars would have the courage and even fewer the competence to undertake such an exercise. Nor is this a history of religion or of religious conversion : it is far vaster in its scope and ranges from the study of environments, demography, and economy to kinship, statecraft and military technique. What is more, the author seeks to establish structural linkages and connections between these very diverse historical phenomena - not just in a single region but right across Eurasia from Siberia to Sumatra. He touches, en passant, on issues like the (now extinct) elephant populations of China, horsebreeding in India, and the era of Tibetan military dominance in north-central Asia. The basic paradigm that informs this work is that of the interaction between the herding and trading peoples of Central Asia and the settled farming and city-dwelling populations that lived around them in West, South and East Asia. The great integrative role of Islamic society is seen in its capacity draw and integrate these diverse lifeways and fit them into a single ecumene.

It is inevitable that specialists will find some of Wink's assertions weak and some arguments speculative. Given the imperfect record of the past available to us, no grand synthesis of this type can ever be without some weak spots. I personally felt uncomfortable with the repeated citation of traditions recorded centuries after the events they purported to describe, and the heavy reliance on the stories of Marco Polo. But I would still conclude by saying that this is a book that well repays the reading - it is simply bursting with ideas and information.

Aldous Huxley had planned to write an autobiography. Sadly, he didn't feel up to the task after his papers were destroyed by fire in 1961. Fortunately, David King Dunaway has attempted to fill this gap by creating an oral history of Aldous Huxley. He spent years tracking down and interviewing Aldous Huxley's friends and family. The result is some 900 pages of transcripts now archived at the Huntington Library and this 224-page book.

Overall, I found this book to be delightful reading. The recorded memories are very personal, yet also very informative and full of insights into Huxley's personality, his spiritual journey and his work. Although the interviews focus a little too much on Huxley's personal relationships, they are far less gossipy than one would expect -- the contributors clearly loved and admired this remarkable man. When Huxley's weaknesses and flaws are discussed, it is always with compassion. These recorded memories have a sincere and authentic ring to them that just isn't there in Laura Huxley's memoir, THIS TIMELESS MOMENT (although that book is also interesting and enjoyable). In this book, one learns that Huxley psychologically blocked all memories of his mother who died when he was fourteen, that he lost his eyesight at age sixteen and that, at age 22 he married a unique 17 year-old girl whose love, attention and altruism shaped his life and work for the next 35 years. When recollecting Huxley after the death of his first wife, Maria, and his second marriage to Laura Archera, some of the interviews take on a dramatic change in tone. Several of Huxley's close friends hinted at their distrust and dislike of Laura Huxley. One acquaintance admittedly withdrew from Huxley as a result of the antipathy. Laura Huxley's memories become somewhat defensive. It is interesting to contrast her account here with that contained in her own memoir.

The final chapter is devoted to interviews of some two dozen Huxley scholars throughout the world. Highly recommended reading.

It's extremely gratifying to see Eddie Campbell's Alec collected again and available on Amazon. I remember reading these comics back in the mid-80's. Self-published by photocopier, often with hand-coloured covers, they redefined for me what comics were about, and what they could be about. These intimate, real-life, semi-auto-biographical stories of an British guy, his mates, his girlfriends and his life were a revelation and have inspired a generation of comics writers and artists. If you have any interest in serious comics, then you should buy this book.

I believe Alexander Scourby is the best when it comes to bible reading. When you buy something like this, it needs to be done in such a way that you look forward to listening over and over again and that is what a person will find with his work. He does not miss a word when reading along with him and his voice really brings the Bible to life. I love the KJ version but wish Mr. Scourby had also done other versions such as the NIV. But anyone will find this to be a real treasure for life and of course the KJ language is the most beautiful of all versions!

To review a book on such a great man and great book takes an open mind, to some alexander was a god and to others he was a kin to Hitler. This book was translated from Greek and roman authors but mainly by the greek historian Arrian. Born some four hundred years after the death of alexander arrian spent his life"s work writing account of alexander"s campaigns. Arrian refers to the Royal diaries of alexander, they tell of of a man of divine descent, a god, decendent of heracles, a brave man, a king who would fight with his men in battle. Alexander was born in Maceddonia in 356 B.C. and came to the throne on the murder of his father Philip in 336 B.C. What he did then was to conquer somethink like two million square miles, covering over eleven thousand miles in eight years. This book tells us how we took the persian empire and defeating Darius at the battle of Issus out numberd seven to one. Nearly thirteen years later this same young man, still only thirty-three years old died at babylon, in the heart of the persian empire. Brave to the point of rashness, passionate to the point of murder, a military genius, administrator and empire builder, but above all am inspiring leader of men.

O'Callaghan's study was a Godsend to scholarly aficionados of the Cantigas. With his well-documented and readable style, he validates this enchanting set of manuscripts as a historical source. Amplifying his reading with more conventional primary sources, he presents an entertaining and focused biography of one of Spain's most interesting monarchs. The plates, although in black-and-white, are extremely useful -- one could only wish there were more of them, for the price!

This book is outstanding. It draw a vibrant picture of a king whose life is otherwise obscured by the mists of time. Duckett presents a picture of a man who is simultaneously legendary and very human. This book is a wonderful choice for anyone interested in medieval times or the roots of British culture. Duckett's writing style is clean and consice, free of the usual scholarly jargon. It is a must for any student of history, amature or professional.