Reviews (60)

An all time classic
Simply a classic of military history and worthy of being read not only once, but once in a while to remind ourselves how good history can be.
Details - the devil is in the details
I finally read this book and my impressions are those of one who has seen the movie many times and yet I was very, very impressed by both the scope and the detail of the book.The fact of its longevity is only matched by the near absence if critcal complaint making this volume both unique and definative.
Good read but be warned
I second the positives given to this book by other reviewers.
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Subjects:  1. Arnhem, Battle of, 1944    2. Arnhem, Battle of, Arnhem, Net    3. Arnhem, Battle of, Arnhem, Netherlands, 1944    4. Europe - History    5. History    6. History - Military / War    7. History: World    8. Military    9. Military - World War II    10. Military History - World War II    11. Western Europe - General    12. World War II    13. Europe    14. History / General    15. Second World War, 1939-1945    16. War & defence operations    17. Western Continental Europe    18. World history: Second World War   

Reviews (5)

Hitler - Jehovah's Witnesses' Lover?
The book shows how the cult manipulates history by pointing to Nazi repression when it suits the organization. There was certainly no justification for the persecution of any people under Nazi rule.
another authoritative work on Jehovah's Witnesses' history
Penton has produced another characteristically fair work of objective and well-documented scholarship. While he does not tolerate the distortions of history perpetrated by Jehovah's Witnesses and their historian apologists, Penton emphasizes the courage of average Witnesses during the Holocaust and the dubious nature, from a scientific perspective, of contemporary attempts to identify Witnesses and others as being part of "cults" whose members are "brainwashed." In this work, Penton is able to give a closer look at one particular time period in the history of Jehovah's Witnesses than he was able to do in his broader history of the whole movement (Apocalypse Delayed).
Provoking a Reaction
It is amazing how two people can read the same book and one will conclude that "its vitriol left a terribly bad taste," but the other person will say that, "This book is required reading to fully understand the holocaust and why it occurred."
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Subjects:  1. Christianity - Jehovah's Witnesses    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Jehovah's Witnesses    6. Nazi persecution    7. Sources    8. Western Europe - General    9. European history: Second World War    10. Germany    11. History / Europe / Western    12. Second World War, 1939-1945    13. The Holocaust   

Reviews (12)

Intense bloody action-- but it is not a thiller --it is just History
Roy Adkins presents the battle in rich well documented detail. He looks at it from many diffrent viewpoints and angles. The maps, drawings, paintings data etc. add a lot to the reading experience.

Great Work!!!!
This is really a great book.Mr Adkins does a superb job in describing in a easy way the battle formations and also does a great job in describing what happened right in the middle of the battle even though it must have been really difficult to compile all the testimonials from that day.I also found that his descriptions of the ships,sailors life and everything that went on in those times was really good.He describes with great accuracy and vividness what went on during a battle and how the cannons were operated and how to manuevre the ships as to get them in line with the enemy.I also like the fact that the authors gives a good account of the main participants in the battle without dwelling too much on details that are not necessary.Great work and i recommend this book to anyone.

Good book but not great as reported.
In reality, this book is closer to 3 stars then four but I decided on four since most of the book were pretty good. Overall, Roy Adkins' book proves to be highly readable, the events were clearly presented and I enjoyed many of the first hand accounts presented which fitted nicely with the narrative. Its not a very complex book per say, as some of the other reviewers have noted, the book appears to be geared toward first time readers then toward veteran readers. I say this because the book does appears to have numerous minor errors. Can they be typos? A good example would be this: On page 280, author wrote that Battle of Austerlitz was fought on 7 December 1805. Of course, veteran readers would know immediately that it was fought on 2 December. An error or typos? There are other minor quibbles like this throughout the book. I also thought that the battle maps could be done better, more closer to the narrative it was trying to show.
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Subjects:  1. Europe - Great Britain - General    2. Great Britain - History - 19th Century    3. History    4. History - Military / War    5. History: World    6. Military - Napoleonic Wars    7. Military - Naval    8. Modern - 19th Century    9. Naval History - Modern    10. Western Europe - General    11. History / Military / General   

Features

• Illustrated

Subjects:  1. Europe - Spain & Portugal    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Medieval    6. Middle East - General    7. Western Europe - General    8. BCE to c 500 CE    9. European history: BCE to c 500 CE    10. European history: c 500 to c 1500    11. History / Spain & Portugal    12. SPAIN_CIVILIZATION    13. SPAIN_HISTORY    14. Spain    15. VISIGOTHS_SPAIN    16. c 500 CE to c 1000 CE   

Subjects:  1. 17th century    2. Canon Law    3. Christianity - Canon & Ecclesiastical Law    4. Ecclesiastical law    5. England    6. Europe - Great Britain - General    7. History    8. History: World    9. Religion    10. Religion - Classic Works    11. Religion - Roman Catholic    12. Western Europe - General    13. British & Irish history: c 1500 to c 1700    14. Ecclesiastical law--England--History    15. History / Great Britain    16. c 1700 to c 1800    17. c 1800 to c 1900   

Features

• Illustrated

Subjects:  1. 1789-1900    2. 20th century    3. Europe - Germany    4. Germany    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. Modern - General    9. Western Europe - General    10. European history (ie other than Britain & Ireland)    11. GERMANY_HISTORY_1789-1900    12. GERMANY_HISTORY_20TH CENTURY    13. History / Germany    14. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (17)

Speculative but intriguing
I read this book several years ago but returned to it to refresh my memory after being referred to it as a source for Philippa Gregory's The Last Boleyn Girl. While some of Wernicke's assertions are speculative and her writing is a bit dry (especially if you're used to some of the more novelistic writing in popular history these days), she makes a lot of good points, corrects some incorrect assumptions that have been repeated ad nauseam, and generally emphasizes how much we DON'T know.
Interest theory, good writing, good overview of the court
The story of Anne Boleyn, doomed second wife of Henry VIII and mother of Elizabeth I, is well known, but the author is interested less in repeating the biographical facts and more in investigating her unintentional role in dynastic Tudor politics. Was she the victim of a Cromwellian conspiracy? Or, as Warnicke suggests, more the victim of circumstances in her inability to produce a male heir? It's certain that Henry was profoundly insecure about his family's hold on the throne, and that Anne, daughter of the earl of Ormond, was closely related to the Howard dukes of Norfolk. The earl, in fact, created a network of family connections in pursuit of his own dynastic ambitions that helped to doom his daughter. A first-rate study of family politics, and you don't have to accept her own conspiratorial theories.

intriguing theories, minimal evidence, tepid writing
Warnicke has done an impressive job researching the evidence that survives, and-- until her theories really get rolling-- is quite scrupulous at admitting where there are gaps.(Many readers may be surprised that there are periods of months during Anne's brief time as queen where not much is known about her.)But eventually Warnicke fills the gaps with her own theories: that the male fetus Anne miscarried in 1536 was deformed, that this caused Henry to think of her as a witch or sorceress, and that the men accused of adultery with Anne were all libertines or guilty of the new crime of buggery.These theories are not borne out by the limited evidence Warnicke examines, but she becomes so convinced of them herself that she starts treating them as fact and interpreting a wide range of events in light of them.(She seems confident, for example, that the allegedly deformed fetus was on Henry's mind at many specific points.)
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Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Europe - Great Britain - General    3. General    4. Political Process - Leadership    5. Political Science    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Western Europe - General    8. Anne Boleyn, Queen, consort of Henry VIII, King of England, 1507-1536.    9. British & Irish history: c 1500 to c 1700    10. History / Great Britain    11. United Kingdom, Great Britain    12. c 1700 to c 1800    13. c 1800 to c 1900   

Subjects:  1. 17th century    2. Anthropology - Cultural    3. Consumption (Economics)    4. Economic History    5. England    6. Europe - Great Britain - General    7. History    8. History - General History    9. Luxuries    10. Shopping    11. Social Science    12. Sociology    13. British & Irish history: c 1500 to c 1700    14. History / Europe / Western    15. Social history    16. c 1600 to c 1700   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (8)

A must read
For any of you interested in History of Science and its impact on society, this is a must read.
Necessary but Inefficient
Professor Crosby has done a well written work on history of quantification and western society, but it's quite flawed on substance. An overview of the shaping of a technological world.
Crosby does a fantastic job covering a vast change in the overall society changes from 1250-1600. For the amount of vast knowledge packed in you'd think the book would be 3,000 pages. He brings us an interesting approachto the actual birth and uprise of modern techonology, arts and literatureas we know it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1492-1648    2. 476-1492    3. Civilization, Medieval    4. Europe    5. Europe - General    6. Historiography    7. Historiometry    8. History    9. History - General History    10. History Of Civilization And Culture (General)    11. History: World    12. Methodology    13. Renaissance    14. Western Europe - General    15. Europe--History--476-1492    16. European history (ie other than Britain & Ireland)    17. History / Europe / General    18. Scientific standards    19. Western Continental Europe    20. c 1000 CE to c 1500    21. c 1500 to c 1600   

Subjects:  1. Europe - General    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Western Europe - General    6. History / Europe / General   

Editorial Review

Europe underwent colossal political, economic, and social change in the long century between the fall of the Bastille in 1789 and the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in 1914, and this volume in the Read more

Reviews (3)

Compilation of events in 19th century
Survey of the 19th Century events in Europe beginning with the French Revolution/Napoleonic Era and ending with the advent of World War I written form different points of view.Many of the aspects effecting the growth and development of the nations is introduced.Blanning's contribution is a good introduction to the 19th Century that should be complimented with a more comprehensive composition.

A Worthy Collection of Worthy Essays by Worthy Historians
An excellent thematic approach to the social, economic, and political processes of the nineteenth century.Essential for the student of modern European history, especially for those interested in the origins of the First World War--an excellent chapter on "International Politics, Peace, and War" by Paul Schroeder. A good overview with maps, chronology and reading tips
The book begins in 1789 and ends in 1914, taking the theme that the nineteenth century was about peace and development - not about war.It starts with revolution in 1789 and ends with the disastrous events of August 1914....a revolution since it made the United States a global power and shaped the Twentieth Century. In the middle there is peace...well, relative peace.Read more

Subjects:  1. 1789-1900    2. 19th century    3. Civilization    4. English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh    5. Europe    6. Europe - General    7. History    8. History - General History    9. History: World    10. Poetry    11. Social conditions    12. Western Europe - General    13. Area / regional studies    14. Designed / suitable for A & AS Level    15. European history: c 1750 to c 1900    16. History / Europe / General    17. History, World | Modern    18. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (11)

How did the French win?
Mr. Seward gives a good overview of the war and a fair overview of the consequences to everyday peasants. His accounts of the crushing English victories are well told. What's missing is the ultimate French victory. They drove the English out, but the battles and campaigns by which they did are very slightly recounted.

Excellent overall view of the conflicts
This series of conflicts really starts with the ascendency of the plantegenet line at the time of Henry II.This was an inevitable conflict due to a sovereign King of England also having a Lordship over Gascony, a title held when King Henry II married Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine.With Edward III having a legitimate claim to the throne of France through his mother Isabella, Seward's book tells the story of the off and on conflicts that occured from 1337-1453.
Great overall view of this important time in history
Seward does a great job in illustrating what the Hundred Years War was and how it affected the French and the English.For someone looking for a concise overview of this important time, I would recommend this book.It does not go into too much depth within the actual battles and how they were fought, focusing only on who fought and the general formation taken, so if you are looking for the military approach this book should only be used as a reference.
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Subjects:  1. British    2. Europe - France    3. Europe - General    4. Europe - Great Britain - General    5. France    6. History    7. History - Military / War    8. History: World    9. Hundred Years' War, 1339-1453    10. Military - Other    11. Western Europe - History    12. History / Medieval   

Reviews (5)

Freeman does his best
The "Philosopher and the Druids" attempts to develop an ethnographic account of the Gauls, focusing on the 1st century BC when they were visited by the Greek philosopher Posidonious, who had the same objective.The book achieves only modest success, through no fault of Freeman.The problem is that only small fragments of Posidonious' study are extant, and other sources are also very incomplete.To supplement first person accounts, Posidonious makes use of what we know of Celtic Ireland, even many centuries later, as well as what we know of Bronze Age Greece (think Homer).In fact Celtic culture comes out looking a lot like that of Bronze Age Greece, supplemented by their unique priestly class, the Druids.The Druids may have been primarily a civilizing influence, promoting justice and morality, but this is not entirely clear.For me it was disappointing that a culture which had already interacted with Roman and Greek culture for centuries by the first century BC did not, as far as I can tell from Freeman's book, seem to have progressed except in a material sense.Certainly, some of their craft work as shown in the book's pictures is stunning.Freeman's book is almost always interesting, if you don't mind quite a bit of political history.
Learn about the ancient Celts
I read a great review of this book in Harper's Magazine, so I thought I'd give it a try. The author uses the travels of an ancient Greek philosopher that I'd never heard of to tie together a fascinating introduction to the ancient Celts. It's not really about the philosopher as much as it is a really interesting story about Gauls and others Celts (I never knew there was a difference), including druids, art, history , and everything else about them. If you want to learn about Celts in olden days, this is your book.

Kind of a let-down
This book is supposedly centered on the writings of Posidonius, a Syrian-Greek philosopher who traveled widely through Celtic lands shortly before the rampages of Julius Caesar.The problem is: the writings are lost and Freeman is working from second-hand fragments.While the book is interesting, generally, I felt that it was a bit of a let-down.You buy it thinking your going to get this unique first-hand account when it's really just a synthesis of other already familiar sources.It should be titled "An Introduction to the Celts"There's very little by the "Philosopher" and even less about the Druids. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ancient - General    2. Ancient World History    3. Civilization, Celtic    4. Description and travel    5. Europe    6. Europe - History    7. History    8. History - General History    9. History: World    10. Posidonius    11. Travel    12. Western Europe - General    13. History / Ancient / General   

Reviews (2)

Impressive
Tessa Watt's Cheap Print and Popular Piety fires yet another shot in the ongoing battle between those who see some sort of divide between popular and elite culture in early modern England and those who do not. What makes Watt's study of particular interest is her in depth examination of one aspect of early modern culture: cheap print. She argues that the notion of `cheap print' is only useful as an interpretive tool if it is taken at face value, i.e. printed material that was inexpensive to produce and thus inexpensive to buy. It is not a valid interpretive tool if it is thought to be aimed at a distinct social group. Watt falls on the irenic side of this debate, not seeing a sharp divide between elite and popular culture. This, of course, puts her on the opposite side of Keith Wrightson and David Levine's `Terling Thesis', and Wrightson becomes Watt's favorite whipping boy throughout her work (see p. 72 or 126, for example). She prefers to see culture as a "mosaic made up of changing and often contradictory fragments" (3), which is surely correct to a certain degree. She constructs this definition in opposition to Peter Burke's Popular Culture in Early Modern Europe, and then proceeds to largely come to the same conclusions as Burke.
Watt offers a corrective to adrocentric historiography.
In Cheap Print and Popular Piety, Tessa Watt argues that the English Reformation and popular print did not revolutionize popular culture and religious expression, but gradually modified it. She also argues that traditional interpretive polarities such as literary versus visual, popular versus elite, and city versus country do not serve to better the understanding of this period. Watt briefly reviews some dichotomous interpretations and counters that religious publishing in and around London in the hundred years after the English Reformation had a very organic nature which included image and text in varying degrees and cut across social and geographical distinctions. When taken as a whole, Watt argues, the religious publishing industry was diverse enough in content and influence that historians can no longer review the documentary evidence selectively and place somewhat forced constructions upon narrowed fields of consideration of post-Reformation English life.Read more

Subjects:  1. English Renaissance Literature (1500-1700)    2. English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh    3. History    4. History: World    5. Literature - Classics / Criticism    6. Western Europe - General    7. British & Irish history: c 1500 to c 1700    8. Christian literature, English - History and criticism    9. Christianity    10. English    11. History / Great Britain    12. United Kingdom, Great Britain    13. c 1500 to c 1600    14. c 1600 to c 1700   

Reviews (32)

Fascinating and thought-provoking
The Decline of the West is the magnum opus of Oswald Spengler (1880-1936), a German historian and philosopher. In it, Spengler rejects the idea that the future of the West (or indeed of any culture) is an open-ended advance from the primitive past to an ever more glorious and expansive future. Instead, cultures (including the West) experience an almost organic history of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.
An Early Postmodern View of the History of the West
This postmodern chronicle of the western world by early 20th century German historian and philosopher, Oswald Spengler, offers a lot for today's reader despite its flaws. It's an incredibly rich and complex analysis, attacking the causal factors of the development of western culture on many fronts simultaneously: historically, scientifically, artistically, architecturally, ecclesiastically, and so much more. This book is capable of describing many different aspects of western culture to many different readers, depending on who they happen to be and what their interest in western history is. I will only mention three aspects of Spengler's work in my review, since these aspects are what grabbed my attention, bearing in mind that the book contains much more than what I touch on here.
Crank-theory and work of an amateur
A poory written, racially charged work by a bitter, probably mentally ill schoolteacher that gives the illusion of having a "key" to historical development. In addition to the cycle of history thesis, he identifies eight civilizations and their birth to death cycle, Spengler points to a nation's "will" and race as the key to a "kultur's" success.
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Subjects:  1. Civilization    2. History    3. History - General History    4. World - General    5. History / Europe / Western    6. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT   

Reviews (3)

A nicetextbook
This textbook provides an adequate overview of the period with orthodox interpretations about the harshness of the treaty and the role it plays in later European conflicts.Each chapter also provides an overview of books for additional reading.

light on eastern europe
I enjoyed the text overall. It is rather light on its treatment of eastern europe, however. The writing on the area is too often limited to the soviets, not the home native nationalities. It also leaves much to be desired in its review of the 70's and 80's. otherwise a good read covering all aspects of modern european history.

Best book for 20th century European History
I read this book for my IB European History course during high school.I found CE to be a lot better when it comes to the 20th century than the more often read A History of the Modern World by R.R. Palmer.CE is a fantasticresource and is not really that boring to read for someone who isinterested in history.If you are not interested in history then don'ttouch it unless you have to, you will most likely hate it.Overall Ithought it was good even for last minute review before a test.If you aredoing 20th century history and specifically history of Russia/Soviet Unionthen this is the book because it focuses a lot on the Cold War and Sovietinteractions with the world. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Eastern Europe - History    3. Europe    4. Europe - General    5. General    6. History    7. History - General History    8. History: World    9. National socialism    10. Western Europe - History    11. World War, 1914-1918    12. World War, 1939-1945    13. Eastern Europe    14. European history (ie other than Britain & Ireland)    15. History / General    16. Western Continental Europe   

Reviews (6)

Great introduction to Utah Beach
Already having a general knowledge of WWII history, this book was a good starting point for my study of Utah Beach. I found it to be a clear, and very engaging read, detailing the Allied invasion. As the previous reviewer commented, this book does lack full detail on the German perspetive. This may affect the completeness of the book, but I don't see it as a major problem to the reader. I would expect anyone researching Utah Beach to rely on more than just a single book. I'm confident that I will learn more of the German experience as I continue to read other sources.

Excellent Book on the "Day of Days"
This is an excellent book on the "Day of Days" as coined by the film "Band of Brothers".This book fills out what the rest of American paratroops and Utah beach landing beach troops did on this day.Only one page is provided on Easy Company.And, what a story it is! General Teddy Roosevelt walking Utah Beach with a cane and leading the troops ashore, thereby winning a Medal of Honor.The officers and troopers of the 82nd airborne taking Ste. Mere Eglise and holding it against numerous German counterattacks.The holding of the bridges over Meridet River (shades of Saving Private Ryan although this story is accurate), stopping a tank attack with a bazooka.The capturing of the four causeways from Utah Beach by the 101st airborne allowing the Utah beach landing troops of the 4th Division to break through.There are many fascinating stories supporting this outline of the events.Yes, this was the Day of Days and this is a great book describing it.A great addition to the author's other great book on Omaha Beach.

Companion to Omaha Beach
This is the author's other book on June 6 covering Utah Beach.Another excellent job with detailed coverage.A great companion book to Omaha Beach. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Campaigns    2. France    3. History    4. History - Military / War    5. Military    6. Military - United States    7. Military - World War II    8. Military History - Modern    9. Normandy    10. Western Europe - General    11. World War II - Europe    12. World War, 1939-1945    13. Battles & campaigns    14. Europe    15. European history: Second World War    16. Second World War, 1939-1945    17. Western Continental Europe   

Subjects:  1. 1558-1603    2. 1603-1714    3. Europe - Great Britain - General    4. Great Britain    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. Political History    9. Politics and government    10. Western Europe - General    11. British & Irish history: c 1500 to c 1700    12. Constitution: government & the state    13. England    14. Gender studies    15. Great Britain--Politics and government--1603-1714    16. History / Great Britain    17. Social classes    18. United Kingdom, Great Britain    19. c 1500 to c 1600    20. c 1600 to c 1700   

Reviews (18)

6 Stars and counting - Magnificent history/mystery from one of the best non-fiction writers around
Yet again, huge applause for Deborah Cadbury here, proving her amazing book Terrible Lizard, was not just a fluke. IN this she follows the story of what happened to the boy king Louis XVII of France. A child when his parents Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette went to the guillotine in the French Revolution. The boy king was kept locked up in appalling conditions, solitary confinement with constant maltreatment. By 1795 he was silent, unable to speak, and that same year he died. Therein lies the beginning and end of this book for almost immediately the rumours that the boy who died in that cell was not the King, but an imposter.
Harrowing
I'm a history buff and I love reading about the French Revolution, so this book was a must. Besides, I had already read about the DNA investigation that finally solved the mystery of Louis XVII's fate, but I didn't know the details, or the full story of his captivity after being separated from his family.
Lost King of France
Excellent book. This book goes into great detail about the personal lives of Louis XV1, Marie Antoinette and their children. It is quite easy to find information on the King and Queen, but I have never been able to