Reviews (5)

Excellent work of 18th Century History
I had noticed this book while picking through works on the War of Spanish Succession here on amazon and I placed it on my Christmas list. I was surprised to open it and began reading it on Christmas day and couldn't put it down. I finished it the next day after reading through the night.
Battle for Not Falling Aslept
The abundantly plain prose of Mr. Spencer, interrupted here and there with some sparks of brilliance an even humor, fully accomplish the task of NOT showing any novelty about an age that, granted, has been well trodden by myriads of historians of any and every caliber. He, also, hit the target in NOT making a convincing case of his main idea that the battle of Blenheim, the axis of his narrative, changed the course of european history stopping the run of Louis XIV to continental domination. Mr Spencer himself, in some of his best chapters, give a plenty account of how stretched and weakened France was after so many campaings, so how improbable was that Louis could ever sustain such an empire even winning in Bleinheim.
Excellent! and I was surprised not only readable, but well referenced
Readable, effortlessly so in fact - I am not sure but I think Charles Spencer, or Earl Spencer, is actually a journalist - if so I think this book is the best of all worlds. It is a well referenced book which I think will appeal to academics and historians of English and military history - but his ability to tell a good story makes this a pleasing and easy read.
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Subjects:  1. 18th Century World History    2. Blenheim, Battle of, Blindheim    3. Blenheim, Battle of, Blindheim, Bavaria, Germany, 1704    4. Campaigns    5. Germany    6. Great Britain    7. History    8. History - Military / War    9. History: World    10. Military - General    11. Military - Other    12. Military History - Modern    13. Spanish Succession, War of, 17    14. Spanish Succession, War of, 1701-1714    15. Western Europe - General    16. History / Europe / Western   

Reviews (8)

Abridged Version, Beware!
Had I read carefully the other reviews I would have been aware of the abridgement before I purchased this version. For many this will be fine, but the introduction has been severely cut and all of the critical apparatus, including the bibliography is absent. The original is a classic. This a butchered classic.

woefully outdated and inaccurate
If you are still ignorant enough to believe the Crusades were a manifestation of Christian aggression, then this book might be more up your alley than that of true, dispassionate historians.
Runciman's readable
The First Crusade comes alive in this small book by S. Runciman.(It is apparently an extract from his much longer history of the Crusades.)This is a great work that offers the "high points" of the late 11th century epic between West and East.
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Subjects:  1. Crusades    2. First, 1096-1099    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Medieval    7. Middle East - General    8. Western Europe - General    9. History / Great Britain    10. Holy war    11. Western Continental Europe    12. World history: c 500 to C 1500    13. c 1000 CE to c 1500   

Subjects:  1. 18th century    2. Civil society    3. Enlightenment    4. Europe    5. Europe - General    6. History    7. History & Theory - General    8. History - General History    9. History: World    10. Intellectual life    11. Modern - 18th Century    12. Printing    13. Social aspects    14. Social life and customs    15. Western Europe - General    16. Enlightenment--Europe    17. European history: c 1750 to c 1900    18. History / Europe / General    19. History of ideas, intellectual history    20. c 1700 to c 1800    21. c 1800 to c 1900   

Subjects:  1. Cities and towns    2. Economic Conditions    3. England    4. Europe - Great Britain - General    5. Growth    6. History    7. History - General History    8. History: World    9. Industrial revolution    10. Western Europe - General    11. British & Irish history: c 1500 to c 1700    12. British & Irish history: c 1700 to c 1900    13. Economic history    14. History / Europe / Western    15. Population & demography    16. Social history    17. United Kingdom, Great Britain   

Reviews (32)

Medicine and religion
A superb book. It opened a whole cast of historical people who deserve mention, especially Miguel Serveto, and tensions orbiting the Reformation. Once again, we have history unleashed.
Please Read This Book To Know What Could Happen Again
Don't you think it can't happen again.
Out of the Flames--a great history lesson
Michael Servetus, burned at the stake as a heretic by John Calvin, shares the stage with Martin Luther, Francis I, Charles V, Voltaire, and many others.A true story of the 16th Century turmoil in religion and politics surrounding the Reformation and Counterreformation.Great Book, extremely well written. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1511?-1553    2. 16th century    3. Biography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Christianity - Christian Life - General    6. Christianity - History - General    7. Europe    8. Heretics, Christian    9. Historical - General    10. History    11. History of doctrines    12. Persecution    13. Religion    14. Religious    15. Religious tolerance    16. Servetus, Michael,    17. History / Europe / Western   

Subjects:  1. 1961-1963    2. Cold War    3. Diplomatic history    4. Foreign relations    5. France    6. History    7. History: American    8. International Relations - General    9. Kennedy, John F    10. Politics / Current Events    11. United States    12. United States - 20th Century    13. Western Europe - General    14. American history: postwar, from c 1945 -    15. De Gaulle, Charles de    16. Europe    17. International relations    18. USA    19. United Kingdom, Great Britain    20. c 1960 to c 1970   

Subjects:  1. Civilization    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Western Europe - General    6. World - General    7. History / General    8. Other Geographical Groupings, Oceans & Seas    9. World history   

Editorial Review

Mention the Spanish Inquisition and immediately thoughts of brutal torture andcallous witch-hunts spring to mind. Popular belief holds up this infamous institution as asymbol of religious and political intolerance--against the Protestants, Jews, Catholicheretics, and political orders such as the Knights Templar. Yet when Henry Kamen first wrote Read more

Reviews (21)

Crimes of faith
I read this book about six months ago and as I recall it was very informative. However I should say it is important to not base one's beliefes on just one source. The inquistion is serious subject that deserves indepth research. This book source I felt was more to do with appologetics than showing how religious dogma can be used to justify crimes against humanity.

Fine Starter for Bewildering Period
I own a reprint of Kamen's original book of this title and the revised history book and they are superb starters for the period in question.Previous histories of the Spanish Inquisition focused on the more salacious anecdotal evidence.Lea's masterful book, long the standard, is terribly flawed because of his research.Lea's sources were largely English and French.England was a Protestant country that was at war with Catholic Spain and France, an emerging (Catholic) power was envious of Spain and needed to drive it down for colonial purposes in the new world.Therefore, Lea's sources were largely based on the propaganda of rivals.A previous review recommended books by Jean Plaidy, but Plaidy (aka Victoria Holt, etc) is a novelist.I have not read Plaidy's works so cannot assess them.I don't even know if they are novels.And in the past novelists have written servicable histories.But a novelist will still have his eye on the salacious, trying to shape raw facts into a story (if they use primary sources at all).There is no conflict of interest in using Vatican sources for the Inquisition as the Spanish Inquisition was Catholic, although a case may be made that it was guided more by "secular" governmental authorities (Torquemada was the confessor of Isabella of Aragon before being head of the inquisition).It's always hard to find that things one always believed are incorrect, and Kamen's presentation of the Spanish Inquisition may shatter long-held illusions.(I'm surprised the reviewer who recommended the Plaidy book didn't say Kamen was wrong because he didn't say Inquisitors had to be clad in red, wear flight goggles, and that Kamen never mentioned the dreaded Comfy Chair.Kamen presents a Spanish Inquisition Nobody Expects!

Trash compared to another work!
The definitive book on the Inquisition is B. Netanyahu's The Origins of the Inquisition. This work goes back to the 6th century BCE and traces the destructive path of anti-Semitism and xenophobia all the way to Spain. The main point of this book is stating how most of the Conversos were good Christians and not heretics. This book also makes known how most of the hatred for Jews and new Christians came from the lowest classes who felt socially, politically, religiously, and most importantly economically threatened by these supposedly alien peoples. Netanyahu also shows how Morranos and Jews were caught in the middle of the power struggle between monarchic supremacy and nobiliar and aristocratic independence. This work is worth your time and will add to your edification. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christianity - History - Catholic    2. Europe - Spain & Portugal    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Western Europe - General    7. History / General   

Subjects:  1. 1908-    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Clergy    7. Germany (West)    8. Lutheran Church    9. Religious    10. Theologians    11. Thielicke, Helmut,    12. Western Europe - General    13. Thielicke, Helmut   

Reviews (2)

4 1/2 Stars- A "standard"
This is considered a classic work of modern military history, a "standard" work. Its at the level of, if you say you are a WWI buff, but have never read this book, you essentially have no credibility. More than that, it should be part of the library of every military history buff. It has been extremely influential on modern military historians, has sold pretty well, and Showalter has done a lot for military history through his role at the History Book Club.
Knows his stuff, but not exactly a story teller
In terms of pure information, this book is a must have for any student of WWI who isn't reading from primary sources. The level of detail shows a command of the subject matter that is really amazing.
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Subjects:  1. Eastern Europe - General    2. Europe - Germany    3. Europe - Russia & the Former Soviet Union    4. History    5. History - General History    6. Military    7. Military - World War I    8. Western Europe - General    9. Battles & campaigns    10. European history: First World War    11. First World War, 1914-1918    12. Germany    13. History / Military / World War I   

Reviews (2)

CORRECTION
I'm the author of this book and I just wanted CORRECTION
I'm the author of this book and I just wantedRead more

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - General History    3. History: World    4. Western Europe - General    5. British & Irish history: c 1000 to c 1500    6. Essex    7. History / Europe / Western   

Reviews (1)

William Wallace:Guardian Of Scotland
I thought that it was a very good book with a lot of good information that I did not have before on him. Would like to read more on him too.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Europe - Great Britain - General    4. General    5. Guerrillas    6. History    7. History: American    8. Nationalists    9. Revolutionaries    10. Scotland    11. Sir,    12. Wallace, William,    13. Western Europe - General    14. d. 1305    15. Biography: historical    16. British & Irish history: c 1000 to c 1500    17. History / Great Britain   

Subjects:  1. 17th century    2. 18th century    3. Colonies    4. Europe - Great Britain - General    5. Great Britain    6. History    7. History - General History    8. History: World    9. Imperialism    10. National characteristics, British    11. Western Europe - General    12. World - General    13. British & Irish history: c 1700 to c 1900    14. British Isles    15. Cultural studies    16. History / Europe / Western    17. History / Great Britain    18. History-Europe - Great Britain - General    19. History-World - General    20. Social history    21. World history: c 1750 to c 1900    22. c 1600 to c 1700    23. c 1700 to c 1800   

Reviews (6)

Brilliant and fun
In this innovative book th story of those who failed to kill Hitler are brought to life.Most of us are familiar with the famous 1944 bombing of a staf meeting in which Hitler had been present and only narrowly escaped death.This book however iluminates the shear volume of attempts of Hitler's life.Most fascinating it is revealed the many sources of resistance to Hitler not hitherto well known.For instance there is the Catholic assasin who desires to kill Hitler due to the suppression of the church, quite the opposite of what we have read in other places, and there are the assasins led by the British, Polish and Russians.
What Might Have Been
Adolf Hitler was a lucky guy.There were as many as forty-two documented assassination attempts on him (possibly far many more unknown ones), and in the end, he wound up doing the job himself, only under duress.Some of these attempts were poorly thought out while many were intricately plotted.Attempts in both categories were abandoned or executed, with the result turning out to be the same.They are reviewed in _Killing Hitler: The Plots, the Assassins, and the Dictator Who Cheated Death_ (Bantam) by historian Roger Moorhouse.The accounts make for exciting reading, even if it is obvious that each attempt will eventually fail.The chapters are divided into categories by the source of the attempt, such as the German military, German military intelligence, Poland, Russia, and Britain, and in each case, Moorhouse has provided substantial background history so that his book is far more than just a tally of assassination failures but a review of historical forces at play in each one.
Informative Narration
In a well-researched, well-narrated account, Moorhouse describes hitherto less well-known stories that involved would-be assasins of Hitler. Each of the attempts is discussed with a broad historical context, sometimes in a very unique way; the personal life and motivation of the would-be assasin, the plot itself and how and why it failed. While the narration is lucid, the material itself (not suprisingly) is dense and is clearly not bedtime reading. The broad set of "characters" one needs to grasp is sometimes intimidating if you are not very familiar with the WW accounts. The author also provides a very detailed list of citations for the more serious reader. Overall, a very well-researched, well-organized, informative book. A must read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Anti-Nazi movement    3. Assassination    4. Assassins    5. Europe - Germany    6. General    7. Germany    8. Germany - History - Third Reich (1933-1945)    9. History    10. History - General History    11. History: World    12. Opposition (Political science)    13. Western Europe - General    14. History / General   

Features

• Illustrated

Reviews (3)

Cultural Revisionism
JohnColliswhoisBritishisengagedinpolitics inthis book. Manyanglos inEnglandhaveneverbeenfondoftheancientceltictraditions andheritageofBritain. ButnowwiththeCelticpeopleofScotlandandWales embracingtheir Celticheritage and Celticculture enjoying arevivallike that inIrelandbeforeherindependencefromEnglandmanyinEnglandare engagedinacampaign ofculturalimperialism totry and dampdownthegrowingCeltic revivalinBritain.This bookispartofthat campiagn.

Hello Belgians?
In this book John Collis notes that "the indigenous nature of the British Iron Age is now generally accepted, but with continuous rather than punctuated contacts with the continent followed by periods of complete isolation." Making a thorough review of the history of Celtic Studies, Linguistics and Archaeology he dissects our received notions of the Celts, instead supporting a non-Celtic origin for the Pretani.
The Eternal Question:Who Were/Are the Celts?
There is a trend that I noticed, which I call the study of studies. The author explores and discusses the antecedents of knowledge, facts, and concepts on a specific subject. THE SECRET LORE OF EGYPT: ITS IMPACT ON THE WEST by Eric Hornung discusses the esoteric tradition and why we look back to ancient Egypt for magic. SHAMANS: SIBERIAN SPIRITUALITY AND THE WESTERN IMAGINATION by Ronald Hutton discusses the Russian, Soviet, and Western biases that shaped both academic and popular concepts about shamanism. THE CELTS: ORIGINS, MYTHS, AND INVENTIONS by John Collis dissects the Celts, more accurately Celtic studies.Read more

Subjects:  1. Celts    2. Europe - Ireland    3. General    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. Archaeology    8. British & Irish history    9. British Isles    10. Europe    11. European history (ie other than Britain & Ireland)    12. History / Europe / Western   

Subjects:  1. Christian women    2. Christianity - History - General    3. Church history    4. England    5. Europe - Great Britain - General    6. History    7. History - General History    8. History: World    9. Reformation    10. Religious life    11. Western Europe - General    12. British & Irish history: c 1000 to c 1500    13. Christianity    14. History / Great Britain    15. History of religion    16. Women's studies    17. c 1800 to c 1900   

Subjects:  1. Europe    2. Europe - General    3. European Economic Community    4. Great Britain    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. International Relations - Treaties    8. Political Science    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Relations    11. Treaties And Alliances    12. Western Europe - History    13. Political Science / General   

Subjects:  1. Constitutional    2. Law    3. Legal History    4. Legal Reference / Law Profession    5. Western Europe - General    6. Jurisprudence & General Issues    7. Law / Constitutional    8. Laws of Other Jurisdictions & General Law    9. Western Continental Europe    10. c 1500 to c 1600    11. c 1600 to c 1700   

Subjects:  1. Bibliography    2. England    3. Europe - Great Britain - General    4. Historiography    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History, Local    8. History: World    9. Manuscripts    10. Sources    11. Western Europe - General    12. British Isles    13. History / Great Britain   

Subjects:  1. 17th century    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Art and society    5. General    6. History    7. History - General    8. History: World    9. Identity (Psychology) in art    10. Modern - 17th Century    11. Netherlands    12. Portrait painting, Dutch    13. Subjects & Themes - Human Figure    14. Western Europe - General    15. Art / General    16. Europe    17. History of art & design styles: c 1600 to c 1800