The Privateering Earl: George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland, 1558-1605 (Biography, Letters & Diaries)

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful.......2000-05-24

Clear and concise! An adventure in reading and very historically accurate! This is a must read for history buffs (especially Elizabethan!)

Book Description

This is the biography of an extraordinary man whose uncommon strength, agility, speed, and endurance are the stuff of champions. It tells the fascinating story of how he and his sled dogs became champion sprint racers.

Customer Reviews:

A Legend in Mid-Life.......2005-07-21

George Attla was no more than a name to me before I picked up SPIRIT IN THE WIND: THE STORY OF GEORGE ATTLA. The cover said he was Alaska's legendary sled dog sprint champ. Whuh? I scoffed, thinking "legendary" was a word that is overused nowadays and should be reserved for people like Helen of Troy or George Washington. However, one quick peek through the contents of this book made me think that for once, Lew Freedman is not overstating things, for George Attla has indeed all the attributes of a legendary figure. Did you ever read Joseph Campbell's HERO OF A THOUSAND FACES? That will come to mind when you sit down with a hot cup of cocoa and a copy of SPIRIT OF THE WIND. For Attla is to ordinary mushers what Margot Fonteyn is to ballerinas--the gold standard to which all others have to kneel down.

He is good with dogs, and Freedman spends a lot of time detailing the extraordinary bonds set up by a trainer like Attla with some very special beasts. Freedman ascribes some of his magic to his First Peoples ancestry, for he is an Alaskan Indian with a kind of "horse whispering" background and a crippling childhood disease, one that would bring tears to your eyes, and when he conquers it the Northern Lights seem to glow a little brighter. You'll be wiping away the tears with a chamois.

He has achieved too many feats to mention, and nine gold medals. When he left school, it was with a first grade education--no, I guess he made it into second grade. At the end of our lives when we approach the Pearly Gates, St Peter will ask us what we did for other people while we were alive, and George Attla will shake his noble head and say, "I did it for the dogs."

A legendary man, but a trivial book.......2004-02-21

Without a doubt one of the most poorly written books that I have every read. The author normally writes newspaper articles and it's obvious. Each chapter is written like a short article off the main page which results in a shallow read. There is no transition between chapters and much of the information in one chapter is repeated in subsequent chapters. It takes talent to make such a fascinating life such an incredible bore.

Interesting and "friendly" biography of a great Alaskan.......2004-02-18

This biography on George Attla proves to be interesting and well written. The book tells the story of this great Alaskan musher in an easy to read and entertaining prose.

However, as information goes, the book suffered because while the author tells us so much about Attla's accomplishments, the book doesn't go into the man itself. Its a very friendly biography written by the author who does his best not to paint any negative aspects of George Attla. A good example would the short time Mr. Attla spent in jail up in Fairbanks for reason Mr. Freedman should have known but did not go into.

Biography is a two edge sword. If you are going to write about a man, his greatness and his flaws must be presented. So far, the author seem to be high with praises only. How will we supposed to know who George Attla is without his weaknesses as well. Because of this, I can only considered this book as "half biography" of George Attla, entertaining reading but pretty lightweight material.

The inspiring biography of an unusual man.......2001-09-12

It was 1958 when a twenty-four-year-old George Attla limped to the staring line of the Fur Rendezvous World Championships sled dog race in Anchorage, Alaska with a team of dogs borrowed from family and friends in his hometown of Huslia, Alaska. Three days later he won with a record-setting victory -- the first of many championships won by the man who would become the greatest spring dog "musher" of all time. An athabascan Indian from a tiny Koyukuk River village, Attla was diagnosed with crippling bone tuberculosis as a child, a disability that resulted in a permanently fused knee. Unable to work with his father on the family trap line (as Attla boys were expected to do), George began work training the family pups as a young boy. The dogs became his life, and "mushing" his life's work. Spirit Of The Wind: The Story Of Alaska's George Attla, Legendary Sled Dog Spring Champ is the inspiring biography of an unusual man who overcame all manner of obstacles and impediments to fulfill his life's dream, and in doing so, became a true and authentic champion!

Book Description

Looks at how therapy and the talking cure have been portrayed in the movies.

Average customer rating:

Sorry, fallacious and ignorant. Author buys into media hype.

An example that proves he is right.

The Man Behind the Curtain Exposed

A Clarion Call Against the Excesses of Modern American Capitalism

Why We've Become What We Are

Is the American Dream Killing You? : How "the Market" Rules Our Lives
Paul Stiles
Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: B000GG4LSK

Customer Reviews:

Sorry, fallacious and ignorant. Author buys into media hype........2007-08-07

I'm sorry but no. I'm surprised that there aren't more negative reviews. But then again, there aren't many reviews, period. There are only 16? That speaks to the impact this book has had and will have: very little, largely because it is fundamentally flawed. It is chock full of fallacies and ignorance. Paul doesn't do so much as analyze as try to prove his theory. His logic is not sound. The more reviews this book will generate, the more negative the reviews will be.

I will quote Presidential Candidate Ron Paul in one of his addresses to Congress, "When economic trouble hits free markets and free trade are often blamed, while the harmful effects of a fiat monetary system are ignored." He has written some books on economics. I suggest these as counterpoints to Is the American Dream Killing You. Some are free to read. Look at wikipedia for links.

The positive reviews are in line with the trend in this world towards socialism and against competition. The trend towards socialism is due to... tada! The media! The media is subtly driving us to socialism and corporatism, which is another word for fascism. Look it up. It's very sneaky, and this book is buying into that clap-trap. Think: Who owns the media? Big business.

The fact is, freedom works. But big business doesn't want it. It doesn't want competition. And they use the government to stamp out competition. Government should stay out of our lives and our pocketbooks. Genuine competition keeps businesses honest. We are in the fix we are in BECAUSE government HAS gotten involved. Just as the church and state was separated, so too must business and state. THAT is the real solution to our economy. All the government should be allowed to do is control the money supply. It hasn't done that since the inception of the Federal Reserve - a private (for profit) bank. (Who do you think the FED profits from?) That is where our money is: in the pockets of the owners of the Federal Reserve.

I would like to hear a review by someone who actually knows something real about genuine honest competitive capitalism.

An example that proves he is right........2007-03-06

This is an excellent book. If you are skeptical, just apply his theory to what is happening to us in the New Orleans area after Hurricane Katrina.
The Superdome was redone within a year after Katrina so that the sports "market" recouped their lost money.
The schools are still in disrepair.
The projects are left empty.
The poor and middle class are still in FEMA trailers and are struggling to rebuild.
The hotels have been restored and are making money on tourists.
Our coast is loosing land at the rate of football fields each day.
The oil industry, one of the major causes of the reclining coastline, are reporting profits, but will not spend the money to restore the coast.
At the same time they (oil companies including energy companies) raise the prices of fuel (gasoline, oil for heating homes, electricity) blaming it on Katrina.
Insurance companies are doing the same. Rates are higher, or they are refusing to insure us blaming this on the cost of Katrina, Rita, and other hurricanes, all the while reporting profits.
THe governments inaction and/or slow action will make the situations worse or impossible as the cost adds up each day that nothing is done.
Many in this nation have forgotten us because we are not the major story anymore, but if you are interested, look up our problems on our local websites. Paul Stiles could easily write a book proving his points by focusing on New Orleans.
I hope that there will not be another major disaster because the big "market companies" will benefit while the poor and middle class suffer even more.

The Man Behind the Curtain Exposed.......2007-02-04

As a 31 year old mother living in a suburban wasteland, I frequently ponder the destruction of American society. In my crackerbox quality townhouse, freezing in the winter and cooking in the sun (no trees in this tract, cookiecutter development) in the summer, I watch the wind blasting through, blowing litter into our postage stamp sized yards. No mothers are home--instead, they are shuttled via SUV to huge corporate chain day care centers, where they are cared for by bitter, swarthy immigrants. My son and I feel utterly alone.

I drive through the ugly, wide roads littered with McDonalds, generic chains and gas stations. Something feels so...empty. Modern life is alienating, lonely, boring, and sick.

There is no community. Women are competitive even about mothering. Money rules all.

No wonder I dream of buying some wooded acres and starting an organic farm/commune!

Paul Stiles is a deeply sensitive and intelligent man, a great writer, and someone with a lot to say about why we are all popping Prozac and junk food these days. I enjoyed the narrative at the beginning--while I didn't agree with every single point, I also live in the DC area suburban wasteland, so I could relate to his points about sprawl, angry commuters, and McMansions.

The look at corporate greed and corruption in recent years was eye-opening. Everyone seems to have their fingers in the till, and the result, I predict, will be a 30's scale depression within the next 20 years. I consider moving to New Zealand to escape the coming hard times.

A Clarion Call Against the Excesses of Modern American Capitalism.......2006-05-27

Paul Stiles's "Is the American Dream Killing You?" is a caustic, provocative polemnic against what he regards as the worst excesses of American capitalism. He depicts "The Market" as a soulless, amoral entity, that is grinding away the best attributes of American culture and society; namely individualism and personal liberty for the sole sake of generating as much profit as possible, whatever the ultimate social and personal cost to those engaging in the pursuit of maximizing profit. He describes forcefully how "The Market" is destroying the traditional American family, forcing people to work longer and longer hours, at the expense of providing genuine familial care to their children and fellow adult siblings. He also notes how pernicious "The Market" has been in our feeble attempts in resolving the prospect of uncontrolled global warming - in stark contrast to what can be done now to control the most adverse effects of raising the Earth's surface temperature by a few degrees Celsius over the course of this century. Sounding somewhat naive, I think, Stiles urges us to return to our core basic beliefs, emphasizing the importance of strong religious faith as an important glue to the tattered fabric that is now American society. As someone trained in evolutionary biology, I also take issue with his misappropriation of Darwin's Theory of Evolution via Natural Selection, seemingly conflating it with Social Darwinism; itself an illegitimate intellectual offspring of Darwin's work, which Darwin himself soundly rejected, since he harbored a more liberal view of humanity than what proponents of Social Darwinism were advocating in Victorian Britain.

Why We've Become What We Are.......2006-02-25

I just finished reading "Is The American Dream Killing You?" and learned a lot seeing things through Paul Stiles' eyes. Short term solutions can not and will not work. Even now we see our Administration leadership using terms like "Long War" and have read that the Pentagon has new long war plans. But I think they are missing the point because their strategy still remains war-focused. No one speaks about causing fundamental change to move America away from what we are, the hypermarket environment, and towards a power-benefit maximum that could change the way we are perceived. I wondered how to go about re-inventing America in such a way that we would not be such a threat to the Islamic world yet remain competitive in the global community and found several promising strategies. Should we undertake such a sea change? I believe the answer is yes and the best place be to start is strengthening moral values.

"Is The American Dream Killing You?" should be mandatory reading for upcoming presidential candidates. Rather than having them tackle the problem piecemeal, I would feel better if they had a well thought out path to success.

Thank you Paul for writing such a significant work at the right time. Lets hope our leadership takes heed.

The killer economy--and what to do about it: social critic Paul Stiles says you can't buy happiness, but you can buy misery.(Is the American Dream Killing ... review): An article from: The Futurist

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The killer economy--and what to do about it: social critic Paul Stiles says you can't buy happiness, but you can buy misery.(Is the American Dream Killing ... review): An article from: The Futurist
Patrick Tucker
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Futurist, published by Thomson Gale on May 1, 2006. The length of the article is 920 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The killer economy--and what to do about it: social critic Paul Stiles says you can't buy happiness, but you can buy misery.(Is the American Dream Killing You?: How "The Market" Rules Our Lives)(Book review)
Author: Patrick Tucker
Publication: The Futurist (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 40 Issue: 3 Page: 61(2)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Is the American Dream Killing You? : How "the Market" Rules Our Lives

Average customer rating:

Is the American Dream Killing You? : How "the Market" Rules Our Lives
Paul Stiles
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OF2QY4

Average customer rating:

I loved it

The Articulate Executive in Action: How the Best Leaders Get Things Done
Granville N. Toogood
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Communications | Skills | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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The Articulate Executive: Learn to Look, Act, and Sound Like a Leader

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ASIN: 0071457887

Book Description

"Toogood is without question the best person I know in the area of leadership coaching."
--William Ruder, William Ruder Public Relations

Granville N. Toogood introduced the principles of competence, clarity, and communication in his classic bestseller The Articulate Executive--and changed the way managers express themselves.

Now he shows how to put these principles to work--at work--in the day-to-day interactions that get the job done. A hands-on action plan, The Articulate Executive in Action is full of examples of leading executives and the communication tactics that create their success. Toogood shows you how to:

Improve sales, marketing, presentation, and leadership styles
Steer a team to success and stay ahead of the pack
Articulate a vision--and follow through--for real results

Customer Reviews:

I loved it.......2007-06-27

This is a great read, he has very good insights into improving your communications abilities.

Every manager, trainer, and public speaker should read this!

The Articulate Executive in Action: How the Best Leaders Get Things Done

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The Articulate Executive in Action: How the Best Leaders Get Things Done
Granville N. Toogood
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OFSMGA

Book Description

Many volumes have been written about the long reign of Elizabeth I. Now, for the first time, comes a brilliant new work that focuses on the critical year her reign ended, a time in which England lost its childless queen and a Machiavellian struggle ensued to find her successor.

December 1602. After forty-four years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth is in decline. The formidable ruler whose motto is Semper eadem (I never change) has become a dithering old woman, missing teeth and wearing makeup half an inch thick. The kingdom has been weakened by the cost of war with Spain and the simmering discontent of both the rich and the poor. The stage has been set, at long last, for succession. But the Queen who famously never married has no heir.

Elizabeth’s senior relative is James VI of Scotland, Protestant son of Elizabeth’s cousin Mary Queen of Scots. But as a foreigner and a Stuart, he is excluded from the throne under English law. The road to and beyond his coronation will be filled with conspiracy and duplicity, personal betrayals and political upheavals.

Bringing history to thrilling life, Leanda de Lisle captures the time, place, and players as never before. As the Queen nears the end, we witness the scheming of her courtiers for the candidates of their choice; blood-soaked infighting among the Catholic clergy as they struggle to survive in the face of persecution; the widespread fear that civil war, invasion, or revolution will follow the monarch’s death; and the signs, portents, and ghosts that seem to mark her end.

Here, too, are the surprising and, to some, dismaying results of James’s ascension: his continuation of Elizabeth’s persecution of Catholics, his desire to unite his two kingdoms into a new country called Britain, and the painful contrast between the pomp and finery of Elizabeth’s court and the begrimed quality of his own.

Around the old queen and the new king, swirl a cast of unforgettable characters, including Arbella Stuart, James’s ambitious and lonely first cousin; his childish, spoiled rival for power, Sir Walter Raleigh, who plotted to overthrow the king; and Sir John Harrington, Elizabeth’s wily godson, who switched his loyalties to James long before the queen’s death.

Courtesy of Leanda de Lisle’s keenly modern view of this tumultuous time, we are given intimate insights into of political power plays and psychological portraits relevant to our own era. After Elizabeth is a unique look at a pivotal year–and a dazzling debut for an exciting new historian.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent book!.......2007-08-25

I read this book with great pleasure. I am a big fan of Elizabeth I, and this book gave a very detailed look at the end of her reign as well as the struggle for James I to get the throne after her. If you like this kind of history, this book is a must read!

Take your time to read this book............2007-05-15

Linda de Lisle has undertaken a tremendous amount of research before setting pen to paper - that is quite obvious. Her problem, however, is that she begins to stumble when it comes to meash this wealth of information into a narrative that keeps the reader's interest and retains coherence. This is a difficult task, and with new players entering the scene at regular intervals, a substantial challenge. De Lisle has made a sterling effort, and succeeds in getting the message across that James' succession to the throne of England was all but a forgone conclusion. However, it is a difficult book to read, and one requires a lot of patience and time to do so. I am inclined to say that it is worth the effort, but it requires more stamina than it should.

Didn't Enjoy It.......2007-05-09

I found this short history tedious. I could not immerse myself in it and often found myself putting the book down out of boredom so that it took me much longer to read than many longer histories I've read in the past.

I believe the main problem is that the author condenses too many characters in the space without rounding the characters out; I do not find myself interested in them because they appear wooden...not enough insight into their personalities and not enough color given to their backgrounds. I feel the author's past as a journalist has influenced her here. She can write volumes of information, but it doesn't seem to engage the reader on a deeper lever than a newspaper story might.

I enjoy Christopher Hibbert and Alison Weir more. They convey complex historical events with a gift for giving the reader a feeling for the time and they have an ability to communicate characters on more of a flesh-and-blood level. Too bad. I was looking forward to the book.

period books.......2006-11-10

LOVED THE STORY LINE AUTHOR IS GREAT IN THE DETAILS OF HIS WRITING

It wasn't a done deal........2006-08-13

De Lisle's research debunks a common notion that a hapless yet expectant James entered London to claim what was his. It was not so simple. The author gives us the reasons why and describes the plots to derail the enthronment of the only descendant of Mary Queen of Scots. Interestingly, Elizabeth's trusted advisor Cecil had been staging this prior to Elizabeth's death in a time when it was illegal to even mention the succession. With a cooperative and more cunning than given credit for James, Cecil prevails and profits.

The Elizabethan court gawks at James' entourage, appalled by their clothing and uncouth speech... almost like Jed Clampett moving to Beverly Hills. The descriptions of this, and the reaction to James' selling knightships and appointing Scots to high places are priceless.

De Lisle has piqued my interest in James, he's obviously more complex than I had thought and his marriage even more interesting. His wife becomes a Catholic, not in her native Denmark, but in Scotland where as James warns, it could be hazardous to their rule. Was her separation from young Henry as simple as stated? How about her friendships with those who plot against James? With James' well documented interest in young men, Anna's cutting of Elizabeth's gown to show her leg and foot in a play is even more provocative than it is as merely an act of a fun loving queen. James writes to her lovingly and seems to speak to her with respect, but the other facts don't square with a happy marriage.

As curious as I am about this, I like that the author sticks to her thesis. With the exception of text devoted to the Raleigh trial, she doesn't give in to the many tempting side stories. I hope to find something equally well done on James & Anna and their rule. Maybe De Lisle will write it. This is apparently her first book, and it is so well done, I await the next.

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enjoyable
an absorbing explanation of the origins of the woman who became Elizabeth I
David Starkey is the master of biographical suspense:
Elizabeth - a historic thriller
Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne

Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne
David Starkey
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Medieval | World | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0060959517
Release Date: 2001-12-04

Book Description

An abused child, yet confident of her destiny to reign, a woman in a man's world, passionately sexual -- though, as she maintained, a virgin -- Elizabeth I is famed as England's most successful ruler. David Starkey's brilliant new biography concentrates on Elizabeth's formative years -- from her birth in 1533 to her accession in 1558 -- and shows how the experiences of danger and adventure formed her remarkable character and shaped her opinions and beliefs.

From princess and heir-apparent to bastardized and disinherited royal, accused traitor to head of the princely household, Elizabeth experienced every vicissitude of fortune and extreme of condition -- and rose above it all to reign during a watershed moment in history. A uniquely absorbing tale of one young woman's turbulent, courageous, and seemingly impossible journey toward the throne, Elizabeth is the exhilarating story of the making of a queen.

Amazon.com

The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, Good Queen Bess; Elizabeth I holds a unique place in the English imagination as one of the nation's most powerful, charismatic, and successful monarchs. Elizabeth usually is imagined as the icy, untouchable figure, re-created memorably on screen by Bette Davis and Dame Judi Dench, but that vision of Elizabeth ignores the turbulent years of her early life, from her birth as the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn in 1533 until her accession to the throne in 1558 after the death of her sister Mary. It is these early years that are the subject of David Starkey's fascinating Elizabeth, which was written to accompany the television series about her life.

Starkey argues that Elizabeth, in her first 25 years, "had experienced every vicissitude of fortune and every extreme of condition. She had been Princess and inheritrix of England, and bastard and disinherited; the nominated successor to the throne and an accused traitor on the verge of execution; showered with lands and houses, and a prisoner in the Tower". He draws on his skills as a respected Tudor historian to produce a deft account of the religious, political, and dynastic maelstrom of mid-16th-century England that reads "like a historical thriller." The book carefully picks its way through the finer points of contemporary religious conflict and the peculiarities of Tudor court ceremony, while exploring also the formation of Elizabeth's character in relation to a murdered mother, a charismatic father, a tortured sister, and a predatory guardian. Highly readable, and written with verve and pace, this is a fascinating account of the young Elizabeth. --Jerry Brotton, Amazon.co.uk

Customer Reviews:

enjoyable.......2007-07-26

This is a nice introduction to Elizabeth. It is easy to read, moves along nicely, interesting and enjoyable to read. Nice color plates, as well.

an absorbing explanation of the origins of the woman who became Elizabeth I.......2007-04-16

This is one of the most interesting books about Elizabeth I in years. Her actual reign in fairly well documented, but why did she approach issues the way she did (e.g., religious tolerance, possible marriage, etc.)? David Starkey, who frankly confesses that she fascinates him, has found in many diverse sources the threads that made up the adult woman who was queen. His analysis of the events and people who shaped her character and personality is gripping reading.

This book also is an excellent foil to Antonia Fraser's classic biograph of Mary Stuart, Elizabeth's contemporary and Catholic rival for the throne of England (starting with the attempts of her de Guise uncles, when she was a young widow, to teach her sufficient statecraft to rule Scotland). The contrast between the two women, from their personalities to their mindsets to their approaches to governance, is startling to say the least.

David Starkey is the master of biographical suspense:.......2006-09-18

Elizabeth the struggle for the throne reads like an engrossing suspense novel. Starkey is the perfect literary tour guide for this eloquent biography about a woman's ascension to power. Starkey begins his tale with Elizabeth's birth, giving the reader a grand introduction to Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. Henry would play an intricate part in shaping Elizabeth's strong willed personality.
Elizabeth, witnessing Henry's no nonsense approach to courtly conducted would later administer many of his methods since she inherited many of his distinguishing qualities. Of course, opinions very on whether this was a asset or a liability. Many historians would later refer to the Elizabethan era as the golden-age of England.
What will infatuate most readers is Starkey's exploration and treatment of Mary Tudor (who is my favorite historical figure). His picturesque approach to Mary is delightful. Most English historical literature perceives Mary Tudor as an evil vindictive individual. This is far from the truth. Mary was an indecisive, timid ruler who was unloved. Her husband Prince Philip of Spain along with the Catholic Church, Bishop Gardiner, Cardinal Pole, and Lord William Paget were the ones pulling all the strings behind the throne. Also, Emperor Charles V played a large part in Mary's decision making.
Insofar as Mary's relationship with Elizabeth was concerned, all was not well, especially when Henry VIII disowned Mary making her a bastard after he annulled his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. This manouevre would later cause envious feeling to proliferate toward Elizabeth, furthermore, religion became a factor since Mary was a loyalist to the Catholic Church.
This book is chalked full of surprises: the executions of Lady Jane Grey and John Dudley (the Duke of Norththumberland), Sir Thomas Wyatt's Revolt, the Protestant Reformations, Elizabeth's salacious liaison with Thomas Seymour and many more exciting developments that one can't help but mused over. In a nutshell, this was one of the most enjoyable reads I ever had. This book is a pleasure to behold.

Elizabeth - a historic thriller.......2005-08-22

Excellently written biography. What makes it more attractive is the fact that the author leaves lots of dates behind, a practice rather unusual for historic books. Instead he focuses on the causes that paved the way for her throne. David Starkey boosts the art of bio writing to a literature level. His sentences are so beautifully crafted that you reread some passages anew, e.g. " ...the Spanish King unleashed his ambassador". His descriptions of the old royal castle decors make you feel you're there. His descriptions of royal food make your mouth watering. His descriptions of Elizabeth make you wish you were born at those times. Having read this book I fell in love with the title hero to such an extent that I hung a big replica of her portrait in my room.
Miros / Poland

Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne.......2005-08-15

The author starts this remarkably readable narrative by frankly admitting that Elizabeth I attracted him into an intimate knowledge about her. This enabled him to bring to life all the elements of Elizabeth I's tenuous existence during the critical years from the death of Edward VI in 1553 through the accession of Mary Tudor and then Elizabeth's own accession in 1558, including the ongoing challenges to her authority during her long reign. He gets behind the conventional wisdom by taking into account Elizabeth's real personality, background and drive, including her sense of fairness in the face of what appears to us today as horrendous accusations and excution of persons as traitors and heretics during Henry VIII's and Mary Tudor's reigns respectively. Yet the challenge from Mary Queen of Scots forced Elizabeth into responding oppressively to the rebellion inspired by Mary. Thus, while the author shows her to be a truly great, balanced, forward-looking monarch; he also shows that she could not totally escape being a creature of her age and culture. Overall, she guided the ship of state deftly through the troubled waters of the theological and polictal controversies of her day, and the English-speaking world today is the beneficiary of Elizabeth's remarkable sagacity and vision.

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Elizabeth - The Struggle For The Throne
David Starkey
Manufacturer: Perennial / Harper-collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JZWTNM

Average customer rating:

Elizabeth : The Struggle for the Throne
David Starkey
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers Canada, Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O5Z7OU

Average customer rating:

Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne

Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GSI9DG

Book Description

Becoming Campesinos argues that the formation of the campesino as both a political category and a cultural identity in Mexico was one of the most enduring legacies of the great revolutionary upheavals that began in 1910. Challenging the assumption that rural peoples “naturally” share a sense of cultural solidarity and political consciousness because of their subordinate social status, the author maintains that the particular understanding of popular-class unity conveyed by the term campesino originated in the interaction of post-revolutionary ideologies and agrarian militancy during the 1920s and 1930s.

The book uses oral histories, archival documents, and partisan newspapers to trace the history of one movement born of this dynamic—agrarismo in the state of Michoacán. The author argues that the interaction of grassroots militancy and political mobilization from the top meant that the rural populace entered the political sphere, not as indigenous people or rural proletarians, but as a class-like social category of campesinos.

Book Description

The Russian Far East (RFE) is a vital storehouse of oil and gas, timber, fish, and precious metals that will inevitably be tapped as Pacific Rim economies seek to secure the natural resources necessary for long-term economic growth. Sustainable development of the resources in this vast regionù an area more than two-thirds the size of the United Statesùhas emerged as a major policy priority for the Russian government and the international community. The Russian Far East: A Reference Guide for Conservation and Development is the most comprehensive English-language reference text on the region to be published in the more than ten years. With contributions from an interdisciplinary team of ninety specialists from Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom, the book overviews and analyzes the region's geography and ecology, natural resources, major industries, infrastructure, foreign trade, demographics, protected area system, and legal structure. Particular attention is devoted to how to region can develop in an environmentally sustainable way. The book is divided into eleven chapters. The first chapter summarizes the RFE as a whole, while each of the remaining ten chapters deal with an administrative region within the Russian Far East. All of the chapters are divided into identical sections to simplify comparison among the regions. More than fifty maps, a number of which are in color, detail administrative districts and indigenous peoples' lands, protected areas, mineral deposits, timber resources, fisheries, and energy reserves. Tables and figures provide the reader with a wealth of useful, hard-to-find statistics. Color and black and white photographs.

Customer Reviews:

Nothing better or more timely on this region!.......2004-09-09

This compendium of valuable information is crucial to all research in this region - from biogeography to environmental studies to ecology to ethnic studies. There is no other book in which all of this information is so easily accessible. The thoughtfulness and organization of the author is visible on every page. I recommend this book for any type of audience interested in this area.

An Excellent Reference Book.......2004-08-18

by Sharon Hudgins, Author of THE OTHER SIDE OF RUSSIA:

Josh Newell's THE RUSSIAN FAR EAST is a reference book that belongs in the library of anyone interested in this part of the world. Its contents represent several years of research by a wide range of experts on the Russian Far East, making it a highly useful resource not only for scholars and academics, but also for people working in the media, international businesses, governmental agencies, and NGOs.

After the first chapter presenting an overview of the entire region, the remaining 10 chapters are devoted to the individual political-administrative divisions of the Russian Far East, with information on the location, size, climate, flora, fauna, largest cities, population, political status, natural resources, main industries, infrastructure, foreign trade, economic importance, and general outlook for the future.

A real strength of this book is that individual sections and essays were written by more than 90 specialists from Russia, the USA, and the United Kingdom--on such topics as ecology, biodiversity hotspots, the economy, sustainable development, legal issues, and indigenous peoples. And the authors of these sections do an admirable job of maintaining a balance between official Russian statistics and other information likely to be more accurate. They recognize that such factors as "widespread corruption" often distort official statistics, as does intentional misinformation by public and private sources following their own particular agendas.

Not only is this book fascinating to read, it is also very well designed to display massive amounts of diverse information in ways that make that information easily accessible to the reader. More than 50 maps, some of them in color, provide excellent cartographic references for the topics covered in the text. Eighty clearly drawn charts, graphs, and tables present statistical and comparative data related to the individual essays in the text. And numerous photographs give the reader a sense of the land and people, plants and animals, that make up the Russian Far East.

Highly recommended!

THE handbook on the Russian Far East.......2004-08-17

The Russian Far East is the most biologically diverse area of the largest country on earth, but it is also perhaps the least well-known area of the planet with regards to both conservation and potential development. This reference guide has become at once THE essential document for all who address the treasures and perils of the region. The volume presents an overview of the region and important historical, environmental, and political themes, then addresses each political sub-division of the Russian Far East separately and concisely. The text involved the work of many dozens of collaborators, and it represents a historic convergence of specialists, institutions, and advocates for protection and sustainable development of one of the planet's least know treasures, the Russian Far East.

- Dr. John Cloud
c/o National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Central Library

A complete update of the classic 1996 reference.......2004-05-18

Now in its second edition, The Russian Far East: A Reference Guide For Conservation And Development is a complete update of the classic 1996 reference, offering region-by-region maps and information concerning geography, climate, flora and fauna, population and resources, as well as contributions from ninety authors giving expert analysis and insights, black and white photographs, and tables and charts to form a comprehensive handbook of the Russian Far East environment. A first-rate referenve for environmental studies shelves, with a great wealth of information and insights arranged in easy-to-look-up format.

The Russian Far East: A Reference Guide for Conservation and Development, 2d ed.(Book Review): An article from: The Geographical Journal

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The Russian Far East: A Reference Guide for Conservation and Development, 2d ed.(Book Review): An article from: The Geographical Journal
Jonathan Oldfield
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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This digital document is an article from The Geographical Journal, published by Thomson Gale on June 1, 2005. The length of the article is 1689 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Russian Far East: A Reference Guide for Conservation and Development, 2d ed.(Book Review)
Author: Jonathan Oldfield
Publication: The Geographical Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 171 Issue: 2 Page: 182(3)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

The Russian Far East: A Reference Guide for Conservation and Development, Second Edition.(Book Review): An article from: Pacific Affairs

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The Russian Far East: A Reference Guide for Conservation and Development, Second Edition.(Book Review): An article from: Pacific Affairs
Victor Zatsepine
Manufacturer: University of British Columbia
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Pacific Affairs, published by University of British Columbia on September 22, 2004. The length of the article is 638 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Russian Far East: A Reference Guide for Conservation and Development, Second Edition.(Book Review)
Author: Victor Zatsepine
Publication: Pacific Affairs (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 2004
Publisher: University of British Columbia
Volume: 77 Issue: 3 Page: 543(2)

Article Type: Book Review

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