People have a problem with Fisk because he tells it like it is

Yes it's a long book, but it's totally worth it. Be prepared to be enlightened on the Middle East; not just in it's current state but also, maybe more importantly, the history behind it. The book isn't impartial and rightly so. Fisk tends to concentrate on the ordinary people affected by war and their stories so the writing is at times very passionate and graphic.<br /><br />Not much more to say as everything seems to have been said by previous reviewers. This is one purchase I'll never regret and a book I'll be looking through again and again in the future.

A strong novel bu rather long............

For what it's worth, I thought that Brethren, the first in this yet-to-be-completed trilogy, was very good - the characters had depth, the storyline had credibility, it was a page-turner (never a bad thing if one has had to endure the hideous gloom of Thomas Hardy in one's youth) and the lovely Miss Young writes excellent and well-constructed English. It was a fine effort from one so young and also showed evidence of a great deal of careful historical research to root the novel in a bed of basic fact.<br /><br />Unusually for me, I actually sought out Crusade with real eagerness and settled down on a particularly wet and horrible weekend (which also featured much Gordon Brown on the tele - that's how bad a weekend it was) to enjoy it. Enjoy it I did, but with some reservations and it seems unkind to criticise adversely because Miss Young has achieved a great deal. Here, again for what it's worth, are some of my reservations:<br /><br />1. The novel is about 150 pages too long. There is no doubt that the author wanted to cram in as much as possible and build the book up to a cracking ending - but there are long passages where not a lot happens, and more by circumstance than by style, they plod.<br />2. The characters have become a little formulaic. The Sultan's evil advisor never talks, he hisses. Will's girlfriend is such an unspeakable drip that one is surprised she hasn't dissolved by the 4th chapter. The wronged friend who betrays his old mate and yet comes good at the end is tiresome. Yet I have to say that once again Robyn's depiction of life in Acre during the Crusades is good - hot, miserable, disease-ridden and run through with finance and the intrigues that always follow war and conflict. As J B Priestly said,"Sex, money and food cross all borders."<br />3. Robyn Young's writing is efficient but no so vibrant as in the first book.<br /><br />All that said, I shall seek out the final chapter and no doubt read it with pleasure. Whenever I have tried to write a novel I have run out of ideas by page three so I have no right to judge Miss Young. I do hope, though, that she is economical with the story and with the various plots. She is a fascinating writer and I have no doubt at all that her books over the years will become more and more interesting. To her great credit, nowhere does she affect to be writing history and one is aware that this is a real novel.<br /><br />A sensible and well-thought out novel, but not so available as Brethren. Nonetheless, far, far better than a holiday potboiler.

useful & fun !!

Although not an exhaustive technical chronology of this iconic plane this book is a very revealing perspective from various angles. Especially appealing to the non expert it exposes information that would normally be difficult to aquire.<br />Particularly interesting are the practical issues of flying the Spit today , respect is due to those with the wallet & fortitude to provide the vast majority with the joy of watching it in action !!<br />Refreshing and worth it's place on the bookshelf.

Delectable!

A charming glimpse into the highways and byways of England's horticultural (and culinary) history, illuminated by fascinating anecdotes. Perfect for dipping into and strongly recommended for gardeners and cooks alike.

an excellent book

This is a beautiful book full of mesmerising pictures and worth every penny. It is a remarkable thought to think that these scenes are frozen from over almost 100 years. A wonderful book by Okuefuna

A disappointment, and a rush-job.

This is a disappointing book, and it needn't have been; Jonathan Fenby, while not a trained historian, is a strong and intelligent writer, and 'Generalissimo' was excellent. This, however, clearly shows signs of being a rush job done for the Olympic Year; for one thing, given how recently Fenby's other books came out, it seems extremely unlikely he had the time that a book of this magnitude requires. The writing is journalistic and in places glib, without the depth of sources or statistics that a book like this needs. Most bizarrely, there are no Chinese-language sources cited in the text! Despite ideological bias, good, interesting historical work is done on the mainland - never mind Taiwan and Hong Kong - and it seems odd to overlook it so completely. <br /><br />It's still a decent introduction to modern China for someone new to the field, but it doesn't offer the depth or insight that other books in the Penguin History series have. The strongest sections are on the 1930s and 1940s, where Fenby has done previous work; others have been put together at some speed from other English books, most noticeably MAO'S LAST REVOLUTION for the Cultural Revolution sections. This isn't necessarily a bad thing; MLR, for instance, though a great book, is not that accessible, but the lack of original research or insight is noticeable. Ultimately, it's a weak entry in a normally great series of books. <br />

The first ruler of an united Britain - but only for a short time

It is for a long time that I have some difficulties forming an opinion abut a book I have finished. Usually latest after the first 100 pages one does like or dislike a book, but here it was difficult. Till the very end I am not sure what to think and even now while writing I am not sure. <br /><br />After the recent interest in the life of Edward II, his lover and his Queen this interest was bound to spill over to the reign of his father, Edward I. who seem to have been to contemporaries of Edward II the role model for a king. So it comes as a bit of a surprise that young Edward when heir to the throne was quite at odds with his father and rather festering his own nest than thinking of the monarchy as such. His reign turned out to be a rollercoaster. As the reign of Henry III of rather of catastrophic nature, the start of Edwards's reign was well received and things improved. However, that was not to last and in the end - except for a view years - there was constant warfare: Wales, Scotland, and Gascony and even internally. To be honest I never admire the so-called military heroes as war means death, lots of it. Whatever the reason for war are, in the end it is always death. For the first time in history Edward was - even if only for a short period - the first king of an united Britain, but at least Scotland regained its independence. Forced conquest do not last -neither today nor then. Edward managed in overall terms to restore the authority of the monarchy which had badly suffered during his fathers rule. But even here it was an up and down. So one gets quite a good picture of his reign. However, as his reign ended kind on a"high" while the"low" was already approaching, one is left with the unanswered question where the monarchy really stood at the end of his reign. Was it indeed as strong as it seems or was the monarchy actually much weaker than it seemed and therefore being - at least in part - a cause for the turbulent rule of his son, especially with regards to the relationship of monarch and his lords. <br /><br />But there are more drawbacks: the book is pretty weak on his relationships with his Queens and his family. While stating the well known fact of his love for his first Queen Eleanor there is hardly anything to give us an insight into the royal couple's relationship. Even less is said about his second Queen, the"spoils of a peace treaty" and becoming quickly pregnant. The relationship with his son and heir is even less explored. Often, the aspects like the wars in Wales and Scotland seem to be too detailed (maybe less is more would have been appropriate) and therefore a bit too scholarly for my taste. Furthermore, the chapters are far too long and therefore often not easy to read. <br /><br />The book is missing the great flow and one is not getting"sucked into this book". While giving one an inside, one does not finish this book feeling that one really got to know this Edward I. I honestly have to say that I could neither develop a"passion" for this book nor the subject. I have read far better biographies. <br /><br />All in all, it is a quite a mixed bag. <br />

What the rich really think of working people

Great book tells the real history of Britain with the rich lording over the working classes sipping champagne whilst people they evicted have to live in tents in fields. Read and learn, things really haven't changed that much.

An astounding history: a pleasure to read.

What a book! I don't read much history, so I was not thrilled when a friend gave me London in the Nineteenth Century as a present. I confess I had never heard of Jerry White. I dipped into it for form's sake one Friday evening, and ended up locking myself away for the rest of the weekend until I had read all 600-odd pages. Generally, reading history feels like work: not in this case. It is written with an obvious passion for its subject, and crammed with nuggets you want to read aloud to someone. It's completely free of the pompousness I associate with academic historians, and I developed a real liking for the author. He doesn't impose his intellect and learning on you, but shares it with you, so that you can't help catching his enthusiasm. It seems fluent and effortless, despite the compendious knowledge and research that went into it. The sources (all meticulously referenced) are innumerable - it's when you dip into the index and footnotes that you really begin to realise what a feat of learning this is. I can't begin to pick out favourite bits: there are too many. But where I really got hooked was in the second part,"People". At that point, it came fully alive for me. The book has a democratic feel, because so much of the material relates to the common people. Throughout the remaining chapters on"Work","Culture" (with a fascinating study of shared and private pleasures), and"Law and Order", it read as easily and engagingly as a novel. <br /><br />As soon as I finished this I had to find myself a copy of the same author's"London in the Twentieth Century" - which, scandalously, is out of print! I eventually tracked it down on the internet, and found to my delight it is every bit as good. I can only hope he will tackle another century or two.<br />

Future prospects

Read this in context and as of its time. It's a Manifesto, just as Labour or the Conservarives or George Bush put out party manifestos at each election (or at least they did when they at least pretended to have policies and an idiology that went beyong simply making the world safe for the rich to get richer).<br /><br />It's an election leaflet, party rallying call and outline of policies all in one. And what is the message? You poor take courage, you rich take heed...the World Turned Upside Down (where the rich and powerful become equal to the rest of us) is dawning. As a Socialist Party member that is this reviewers life work.<br /><br />

Never take books for granted

Asne was privileged to live with the `Khan' Afghan family in Kabul and was able to mingle with both men and women, probably because she was a westerner and knew no better. As a successful journalist Asne had spent six weeks with the commandos of the Northern Alliance - in the desert, the mountains, the valleys and the steppes, following their offensive against the Taliban. <br /><br />What makes this book so interesting is that Asne has dared to describe thoughts and feelings of the family members - based on what they told her. This creates an immediacy and intimacy many similar books lack. We can definitely feel the frustrations of the men and the women - especially the downtrodden women!<br /><br />Afghanistan in the 1970s was `westernised' in many ways, with luxurious hotels, electricity and running water in the towns and cities. (Since the fall of the Taliban, that's not the case now - it's a derelict city, filthy and crammed but not defeated). Women didn't have to wear the burka and could be seen in public without a veil; they could work and helped the economy keep afloat. Unfortunately, three years of drought and a catastrophic famine in 1973 led to a coup against the ruling monarchy. The new regime was more repressive and proved incompetent. The Soviet invasion in 1979 was supposed to stabilise the area but had the opposite effect. Egypt, China, Pakistan and the US armed the rebels fighting the Soviets and war raged for almost ten years, devastating the country. Into the vacuum left by the departing Soviets came the Taliban. White flags - Taliban's holy colour - flew over the mosques. The war was over - a new war was about to start, a war that would trample all joy under foot. Art and culture were anathema to these religious bigots. <br /><br />It was against the backdrop of this regime that Sultan Khan tried to save parts of Afghanistan's culture - books about the history and geography and the people, including poetry. We take books for granted in our country, we have more than enough clogging up charity shops - yet in Afghanistan - and in other restrictive regimes such as the now-defunct Soviet Union - books were rare and therefore treasured, passed from hand to hand until they fell apart. Sultan risked imprisonment and worse by secretly buying and selling books. <br /><br />Then of course the terrorist attack on 11 September changed everything. The Taliban were ousted and for once in almost a generation it was felt that people could return to normality - if the warring power-hungry tribal leaders would let them.<br /><br />Sultan was able to open his book shops. The books are Sultan's life and his livelihood. He employs his sons in his shops too. The women stayed at home, providing for the men.<br /><br />So since the fall of the Taliban, things have improved, but not greatly, it seems. A woman's lot is better, but not by much, in Afghanistan. Some women have abandoned the restrictive burka. Asne describes the archaic clothing - it pinches the head and causes headaches; it's difficult to see anything through the cloth grille; you're enclosed, little air gets in and you continually perspire; and you must walk with care because you can't see your feet. How liberated the women feel when they get home and take off the burka!<br /><br />In Afghanistan a woman's longing for love is taboo. Young people have no right to meet, to love or to choose. Young women are above all objects to be bartered or sold because marriage is a contract between families or within families. Some women protested with suicide and song and Asne quotes from a book of poems: one asks Gods to make her a stone in the next life, rather than a woman. <br /><br />It's the men's attitude to their women that really annoyed Asne. To all appearances there's no sex life in Afghanistan. Women hide behind the burka. Men and women who do not belong to the same family mustn't sit together in the same room. They must not talk to each other or eat together. But human nature can't be deprived; under the surface all is seething. In spite of running the risk of the death penalty, in Afghanistan too people have lovers and mistresses. <br /><br />Asne has an observant eye and her fascination with everything she witnessed comes across, infusing the book with wonderful dialogue. Besides writing about weddings and journeys, relations and family squabbles, she also tells the stories of some female family members and how they face up to the bullying and hypocrisy of their men-folk. Especially poignant is Leila's story - frustrated in love, she is used as a virtual slave by her family. Asne's writing is fine and often moving: `... her crushed heart she leaves behind. Soon it blends with the dust... That evening she will sweep it up and throw it out...'<br /><br />There's no happy ending. Let's hope the country will one day find one.<br />

A simple and powerful story

This story is simply told. There are no fancy literary flourishes designed to manipulate the reader's emotions and no eloquent explanations designed to sway us to a particular viewpoint. It is the simple story of a child unwittingly caught up in the appalling violence of civil war. The narrator tells his own story. It is the story of how civil war destroys the normality of life in his village, of how he runs from the advancing violence, but eventually cannot avoid being drafted into its very heart as a child soldier. He describes the process of desensitization that allows him to survive the horrors he participates in and the even more difficult process of learning to re-engage with civil society once he has been rescued from the battlefield. <br /><br />Some readers may be disappointed by the fact that the book provides only very limited historical background to the conflict in Sierra Leone and by the fact that the narrator engages in only very limited introspection about what he has experienced. The plot also contains a few scenes that come across as a bit contrived and unlikely, but none of this detracts from the picture that is painted of the horrors of child soldiers involved in civil war. The power of the story lies in its simplicity and in the fact that we know it is being told by someone who lived through it.

Those who fail to learn from their mistakes are doomed to repeat them, aren't we?

American polymath Jared Diamond first turns to past societies to try and make sense of our present environmental predicament and to warn us of our future. Why did certain societies rush headlong to turmoil and collapse when in retrospect they must have been able to see the potential consequences of their actions, while others survived intact? Did this mean that some peoples were more rapacious or reckless than others? Is modern America heading in the same direction? Will one day in the future human beings stand and gaze at the skyscrapers of New York and shake their heads in knowing pity the way that we stare in sad wonderment at the enigmatic moai of Easter Island or overgrown Mayan ruins? The author takes twenty-first century Montana as a modern example of a land very badly abused in the recent past and with an environmental future in the balance, by delving deeply into its social history and fabric. Her then takes a look back at the meltdown on Easter Island, pre-Bounty Pitcairn and Henderson Islands, the native American civilizations of New Mexico, the collapse of the Maya, and the disappearance of the Greenland Vikings. Each case study is assessed in terms of five possible contributing factors that could have led to environmental collapse: environmental damage, climate change, hostile neighbours, friendly trade partners (lack of) and, perhaps most significantly, the society's responses to its environmental problems. All the case study societies were subjected to this five-point framework. At least one of these factors played a role in the collapse of all the societies reviewed, and in one all five contributed. <br />But what about today? Why did Rwanda implode? How have some Polynesian societies like Tikopia survived against the odds while others have vanished? How have technologically simple societies in New Guinea and Australia managed to survive for over 40,000 years (including 7000 years of agriculture in New Guinea), while modern-day Europeans Australians already live on an environmental time bomb of their own making after just a couple of hundred years? Why has the Dominican Republic, poor as it is, managed far better than Haiti, sharing the same island and separated only by a political boundary? The in-depth case studies, fascinating in their own right, finally make way for an expansive assessment of the current global situation, dreadful as it, and some cautiously hopeful conclusions based on evidence of the past and certain mind shifts in the present, notably greener business practices (if motivated by self-preservation). In the end, much depends on good governance and an educated or pliable populace. <br />This is a refreshing and highly intelligent way of looking at the current world written in precise language and related almost in story form with humour despite the gravity of the subject, and with profound human concern. I take on board the criticisms of excessive length and repetition but I prefer to use the term reiteration because it is still basically an educational text. Also, even small, technologically simple societies are microcosms of some modern societies and can act as models. The principals (planning and decisions in the light of available information) are the same today if the details differ. Sophisticated technology may aid us to deal with certain problems but it is just as likely to hasten environmental decline. <br />Scientists are often criticised for producing arcane and inaccessible, peer-reviewed works and of course scientific research is worthless if it cannot be communicated. But then they stand to be accused of `dumbing down' or of writing in a `matey' or patronising style if they produce populist works. It is difficult to pitch a book at a level both interesting and useful for all and few have succeeded: E O Wilson, Stephen Jay Gould, Richard Dawkins, Steve Jones and Jared Diamond spring top mind (from the biological sciences). A great book highly recommended to every thinking person at whatever educational level. With such an impressive body of research and, I'm sure, knowledge behind this book you should come away from it with a better understanding of the world, its history and its people, and hopefully a renewed determination to do something constructive, however small. If not, we may well be in the unenviable situation of being the first species to chronicle its own extinction.<br />

Travelling to Burnt Oak

Christian Wolmar has produced an excellent book with a fair sprinkling of characters, politics and high finance. Anyone who is seen to take the underground for granted should be handed a copy of this book to learn just how remarkable a thing it is. Similarly, as a history of the underground, this is an excellent start.<br /><br />The only disappointment is the brevity of coverage of events post 1945. The building of the Victoria and Jubilee lines are covered, but nowhere to the depth of earlier lines. Some discussion of how these lines came about would have been an interesting study in allowing politicians to run a railway.<br /><br />But such criticisms are small compared to a book on railways that doesn't require an anorak to enjoy.

An honest and unique personal testimony

The reason this book makes such an impact is that while numerous other books of WWII experiences and POW and torture on the Burma Railway have been written since that conflict ended, this has two additional and unique aspects that mark it out.<br /><br />The first is of the writer having undergone treatment at the Medical Foundation (a charity that usually deals with torture victims of harsh political regimes in peacetime) as their first ex-serviceman with battle stress in 1988, 43 years after the war had ended!<br /><br />The second is that he subsequently met with one of the Japanese soldiers who had participated in the torture sessions he had suffered, by a series of opportune circumstances and as part of his above recovery programme. It is a fact that while that Japanese soldier's role was solely as translator and not physical torturer, for the writer the focus of that person's role as he suffered given the questioning he underwent had led to him reserving most hatred for him in his memories of events.The evidence learnt that the individual had devoted himself since the end of the War to charitable works around the events in Asia had made little impact till they met.<br /><br />By the end the reconciliation and forgiveness which the author had denied as possible up to that point occur since as he accepts the hating has to stop. <br /><br />A remarkable personal testimony though I have to admit I found it owes as much to the honest and simple factual writing style including the many admissions of personal mistakes and naivete on events both pre and post the war as well as the errors that led to his suffering the fate he did in Asia after capture by the Japanese.

Magnificent history lesson

This is a superb history of the Soviet Union and its bearing on the 20th century. It should be a history standard in our secondary schools; alas, history is no more considered an important subject in education. I cannot agree with those who have criticised the writing style. I found it an outstanding example of modern writing. My very sad conclusion is that this evil man was an ally of our country during the second world war. Read Sebag Montefiore and Solhzenitsyn and thank your god, if you have one, that you live in the free world.