When fighting in Kosovo began breaking out and hitting news tabloids in mid-1998, the problem was that few people knew about this region's history, let alone its location on the globe. No one could quite understand the motives of Serbs and Albanians, who were at odds with each other. When NATO began bombing rump Yugoslavia for its conduct against Kosovo Albanian civilians, uncritical (and heavily biased) media reports and press coverage were the only source of information that one could turn to for background. While this may have been better than nothing, this information was far from providing a critical and satisfactory explanation and understanding. This was the case, until Tim Judah wrote his second book, the current one now under review.

Judah is a Balkan expert, who speaks numerous languages (including Serbo-Croatian and Albanian) and has written several articles for many newspapers and magazines throughout the world. His previous book ("The Serbs: History, Myth and the Destruction of Yugoslavia" [New Haven, 1997 and 2000]) put the Bosnian war into its proper context, while the current puts Kosovo into its respective context. The first chapter is a short, condensed history of Kosovo leading up to the end of the Second World War, while the next sizable portion of the book details key events and personalities throughout the 1980s and 1990s that shaped modern-day Kosovo and unwittingly turned it toward a war-path. Judah discusses the outbreaks of violence in late 1997, the failed efforts of Western diplomats in stopping the bloodshed, a critical and thrilling chapter chronicling the failed Rambouillet peace accords in February 1999, a chapter chronicling NATO's 78-day bombing campaign against Yugoslavia, and the aftermath of Kosovo's tragic conflict: vengeful Albanians returning home and killing Serbs and Roma.

Integral to Judah's work is his assessment of NATO's conduct in the conflict. His thesis is that the entire war was one of "human error," where Western diplomats foolishly believed that they could make Serbia's Milosevic back down within one week. Milosevic, on the other hand, believed NATO to be bluffing and took the alleged bluff. Tensions mounted within the NATO alliance, other world superpowers (in the military sense, aka. Russia and China) began bracing themselves for toil with the US, while Albanian and Serb civilians were either massacred or blown up by NATO's firepower. Totally unprepared of what to expect, NATO carried out blunder after blunder, failed to stop massacres in Kosovo and perhaps made the Balkans even more tense and unstable than before.

It is imperative that readers consult Judah's work for every meticulous detail surrounding Kosovo's recent history. Readers should consult other recent works in understanding Kosovo's ancient past to determine if Serbs really have rightful historical claims to the province, for Judah's first chapter is merely a primer. Of course, there are those critics out there that will cite, as I mentioned in another review, that Judah is not a "professional historian." It is likely that his knowledge, experience and excellent writing style makes his book more valuable and a much better, thrilling and informative read than the work of any academic.

No matter how much graphic TV footage we saw and how many acres of newsprint we read on the Kosovo crisis, nothing gave us enough information about what was really going on. As with any war situation, information was often unavoidably contradictory and confused, tainted with propaganda. Politicians and historians and revisionists will probably mull over the recent events in Kosovo for years before presenting their views.

In the meantime we have war correspondents cranking up the pace with instant records. While the accounts of war journalists lack the historical perspective that can only occur over time, their freshness and immediacy can be electrifying and there is still opportunity for analysis.

Tim Judah's book is a fine example of what can be achieved. This is not a hasty account. Judah presents a surprisingly fair overview of the Kosovo crisis, which he has rigorously researched with exhaustive notes.

Judah fleshes out the major players from the 12th century to the 20th. He traces Kosovo's troubled history back to the Field of the Blackbirds in 1389 when the Serbian Prince Lazar and the Ottoman Sultan Murad faced off becaused Lazar refused to submit to Ottoman rule. Lazar and Murad died, the Serbs lost the battle. Orthodox Christians and Muslims co-existed uneasily for over 600 years, but Judah's details for much of that time are sketchy. Anyway, we get the picture: that's a long time to hone a grudge and perfect the most savage methods of revenge. He has more information about the history of Balkan bloodshed in the 20th century.

Fast forward to 1999 where Judah examines the polarisation of the murderous Milsosovic regime as the Kosovo crisis unfolds, he gives frontline reports of atrocities, details the burgeoning humanitarian disaster and the intense machinations behind the scenes as the crisis unfolded.

His account of the how the Kosovo Albanian and Serbian delegations, NATO and international peacemakers confronted each other over cheese and claret in a chateau in Rambouillet is as astute as it is entertaining. Judah dispells propaganda on all sides. There was also a lot of background about the formation of the KLA I had known nothing about.

He is contemptuous of experts in far away places passing judgment on the tragic events that unfolded, a viewpoint fairly typical of reporters in the field

Judah's objectivity has allowed for clarity - the hallmark of a great journalist. And this certainly is a great read by a journalist with formidable research skills and meticulous attention to detail.

A book for those who were watching one of the biggest scenes of crime at the end of the 20th century from the TV screens. To try to learn and understand the complexity of the problem which layed "down there" for decades and nobody wasn't interested to solve it until the mass killing came to the scene. To understand the importance of the issue and to justify the right NATO air war. And, Tim has done a great job. He uses real people to tell their stories, politicans and the independent historic facts. Well writen, too. Read it.

NOTE: THIS IS VOLUME ONE ONLY! It's a great book but it is not labeled as just the first half of the memoir.

I could not disagree more with Goldman's ultimate philosophical conclusions, but I enjoyed this book, and volume II as well. Her essential humanity emerges, and it is a good case study and an interesting read, historically, philosophically and personally. She is no Mark Twain or Billy Faulkner, but her life was interesting and her prose adequately conveys the milieu she became enmeshed in. A fair degree of antecedent historical knowledge is necessary to fully enjoy this book, but you most likely have that or you wouldn't be reading about Emma to begin with. If you don't, or find that you are getting lost in the history and sequence, it would pay to do a little research to better understand what she lived through. It will also help you spot bias on Goldman's part. I heartily recommend this book. It is informative, enlightening and entertaining to boot.

In her autobiography Emma Goldman explains her life, narrating the experience of marching to her own drummer. Depending on the reader's political expectations, Emma's life is either inspiring or downright terrifying. Those who believe in social conformity would probably be more comfortable moving on to other fodder.

Nevertheless, this eyewitness account of American and Russian history, ought not to be trivially dismissed. Emma fought for things we have taken for granted in modern life, such as birth-control and the eight-hour work day; she went to jail in the struggle to obtain these for us. This book explains how she lived her commitment to individual liberty, choosing who she would love, advocating revolution, and harrassing those of her "allies" who compromised on these principles.

Perhaps the most interesting portion of the book is her years in Russia. Here she describes arriving at the "Promised Land" of the peoples' revolution and how that mutated into a sense of disillusionment and horror at what she saw as the betrayal of that revolution by the "dictatorship of the proletariat."

Her writing style is nothing exceptional, but the story she weaves from the material of her life is nothing short of fascinating. Another reviewer suggested taking a break between volumes--I couldn't! I had to know what happened next.

Although there are a lot of pages to wade through, I will give this book as a gift to the young women in my life. I believe that Emma can serve as a role model for living one's own life, not living out the expectations of friends, family, or society. In a dysfunctional world, we have too few people who model this.

Emma gets three stars for writing style, but the powerful and plentiful content bring the rating up to five stars. Not to be missed.

(If you'd like to discuss this book or review, click on the "about me" link above & drop me an email. Thanks!)

Not just for men. Women will enjoy it as well.
Great!

It has been my privilege to have personally known for the last 25 years, the bombardier on this plane, Bill Wright. It was a joy and a thrill to read of the previously unknown heroics of Bill and his crew. The world has been blessed that these men were spared the plight of so many of their comrades. Bill, and I am sure others mentioned in this book, have lived exemplary lives and have positively influenced so many young men and women. Their miraculous survival, so vividly described in this masterpiece, is only surpassed with what God has allowed these men to do with their spared lives. Knowing this should only add to your enjoyment of this book.

A quick--because it's so engrossing--and arresting read. Any airman who has flown in combat since will find Alling's honest and homespun thoughts, feelings and experience about what he and his crew were about similar to his own. Although human nature doesn't change, technology surely does. As a veteran of the air war over Vietnam, my experience dodging SAMs in an F-4, as harrowing as it was, seems almost trivial compared with the German air defenses Alling and his crew encountered day after day on their bombing runs. It made me appreciate him and indeed, "the greatest generation," more than ever. With this book, Alling continues to make valuable contributions to his country.

I use to go on travel with my motorcycle just one or two times a year. I'm really busy and I haven't too much time to plan these travels so I bought this book thinking it could help me to plan a travel by the Alps. But it was a surprise!!! All the travel was perfectly planned in this book! Hotels, Restaurants, special places, roads, etc. Just a little deception: the pictures are black and white!

I took John's first edition of this book and a map and rode the Alps and the Dolemites for ten days. We reviewed the routes and stops each morning and evening. This is a great resource if you are traveling in the area. I brought three other books on this topic and left them behind at hotels as the trip progressed, as I realized I did not need any other resources. Use this and an internet translator site (like Babelfish)and you can make your reservations in some of the same hotels that Edelweiss and other formal tour groups use.This new edition expands on the first by adding Corsica and updating the Alps/Dolemite section. It is a great read. John is the recognized authority on this area for those of us that don't speak other languages well, and don't live there.He is also correct in stating that the riding in this region is addictive.

Don't leave home without it! No one should go to the Alps or Corsica without this 2nd revision in hand. It contains a wealth of additional information and is virtually a complete rewrite of the first edition. It should rightly be called "Journeys Through the Alps & Corsica" because it is indispensible for all travelers regardless of mode of transportation. Traveling the recommended routes by motorcycle may be more fun but every piece of information is invaluable whether you're traveling by car, van, truck or bus. Following the recommended routes will put you in touch with the real Alps & real Corsica as well a provide an enormous amount of cultural and historical background. Highly recommended for all travelers.

An excellent compendium of places and locations that have played a part in both Bond Books and Bond Films. The detail and descriptions are impecable and Gary's research has definately paid-off.

Particular note goes out to the two introductory writers, Peter Hunt and Christopher Lee, who both offer excellent background and depth.

One downside is that a map would have been quite effective to achieve the sense of geography and distance to these locations. As only a one-time visitor (so far!) to London, I don't quite know the relationships to the districts and locales, etc. In this case a map would have been quite helpful.

James Bond and London, the capital of Britain, go hand in hand. A James Bond adventure, whether it is cinematic or literary, would hardly be complete without some form of patriotism towards Mother England and off hand I can only think of a few adventures (mainly short stories) where no scenes talk place in Britain. This simple fact, coupled with the fact that every man wishes to be like James Bond, gives good reason for a book such as James Bond's London to be written.
Gary Giblin took up the challenge of writing such a book in January 1998. I shall not go into full details here as they're covered in Jordan Charter's interview located here. However, what started as a book entitled James Bond's Britain eventually had to be subdivided into two books. As a result of a lot or hard work James Bond's London was published in December 2001.

To begin with, James Bond's London isn't your average book, nor is it what I originally envisaged it would be; but that's not a bad thing, quite the opposite actually. What Giblin has presented is a travel guide to the world of James Bond in London. Quite simply, the book is the most useful source for anyone who wants to travel in the footsteps of James Bond, something, which could easily seem a mammoth undertaking.

Giblin has been very particular in the material that he has covered. By his own admission in an interview with CommanderBond.Net he has omitted literary material not written by Ian Fleming; of course indicating he is a purist to the work. Giblin has also omitted non-EON Productions cinematic material; again a sign of purity as there is only one true James Bond film series.

That said, the amount of material Giblin has included is still amazing. There a literally hundreds of locations that can be found in the novels and in the films. What is most amazing about the film locations is how many of them were used for non-British locations in the films. For instance the car park from Tomorrow Never Dies is actually in London and not Hamburg. Also, aside from locations that we read of and watch are locations where significant events of the Bond world took place. For instance, the birthplace of Ian Fleming or the former offices of EON Productions. If it's Bond related and it's in London you'll find it in "James Bond's London".

Thankfully, for those of us not well versed in travelling around London Giblin has an explanation of how to get to each location. Not only does he include the standard address, suburb and postcode but also details for getting there via the London Underground. As a part of this he's mentioned the platforms and the stations one should use and once leaving the station which streets one should follow.

The locations in the book are also well categorised. Rather than organising the locations by film, novel or perhaps relation Giblin has taken the initiative of organising them by location. So one could simply spend a day in a certain part of London and visit several Bond related locations. The guide makes it that simple.

As for the detail on each location Giblin has included quite a lot. To describe each location Giblin has used icons to begin with; for instance a clapperboard icon represents a film related location. As a part of the textual description for each location Giblin has not only included Bond related information but information on the locations non-Bond history. Readers will not only learn a great deal about Bond but a great deal about London too.

In passing good comments about the work that Giblin has done one must also highlight downfalls to "James Bond's London" - something that is not an easy task let me assure you. While I can find no fault in the material that Giblin has presented I must say that I was disappointed to find that the book was not offered in a hardback edition. However, in saying that one can definitely appreciate the fact that Giblin and the Daleon, whom published the book, made all attempts to keep the prices low. My only other complain is about one of the icons in the book; the skull and cross bone. The icon is disproportionate and according to Giblin this is a problem that occurred at the printers.

All in all James Bond's London is a must have for any Bond fan of any calibre. Gary Giblin has researched extensively into all aspects of the locations and the films and help from Bond legends such as Peter Lamont have made this a completely unique and factual reference guide.

Giblin leaps to the forefront of Fleming/Bond reads,and joins the short list of the best,Pearson, Benson and Lycett.

Immerse yourself in this one!

This is a neat, fun, informative book for everyone, young and old alike. Facts, information, interesting anecdotes, and superb pictures and graphics. The handy size makes it perfect for kids working on reports for school as well. A super book for a number of reasons, and a great one to have on your shelf, especially if you have kids in school or simply want to know more about British Royalty.

I bought this book a couple of years ago. I read it and found it quite easy and enjoyable to read. Now I use it mainly for quick reference and usually find myself spending more time just browsing through its pages and enjoying it over and over. It has a lot of interesting historical facts! I wish there were similar books on other europpean royal houses!

Kings & Queens of England & Scotland is a great book! I use this on a regular basis and is a good source for reports. I would suggest this book. The individual biographies are great, and the events during the reign are really helpful. This book follows each dynasty and shows a family tree for each. I highly suggest this book for anyone.

Sensitive and expertly photographed..a new way to look at children's feet....a global perspective.

MArina inf you read this will you call me...Pam Lechtman

I love this book from beginning to end. Each photo brought me back to my childhood memories and now I can't go to a park without looking down at those precious little feet. I reccomend this charming, little book for all my friends and family.

Simple and understated - Marina's perspective is amazing and is only surpassed by her many other talents. Whether it is with a brush, camera or a handful of flowers, look for great things from this wonderfully talented artist.

I've read many personal narratives about World War II and I must say this is an excellent book!!!

During World War II, the rural citizens of northern Italy vowed to assist Allied soldiers on the run in their mountainous region. They were operating on an informed heart, on the Golden Rule, wanting to give aid to those who opposed the hated Fascists and Nazis as they would hope someone would help their own sons. And while the Allies were protected by the Geneva Convention should they be captured, the citizens were not and they were subject to less humane punishment, sometimes torture and death, if their actions were found out. But they did it anyway. It is these people, who otherwise lived a pastoral, ancient way of life, whom travel writer extraordinaire Eric Newby profiles in his memoir, LOVE AND WAR IN THE APENNINES.

Those familiar with Newby's other books will find his signature wit, self-deprecating humor and descriptive powers at work here, but his curiosity and appreciation of other people and cultures is in highest gear. He comes to meet the peasantry of northern Italy after fleeing a prison during the chaos following the ouster of Mussolini in September 1943. He is helped by a succession of individuals and families, including the woman who would become his wife and companion in later adventures, the estimable Wanda. The book ends with his unfortunate recapture by the Germans and in an epilogue he revisits the people who took him in ten years after.

Newby is a hugely gifted writer, his sentences are knowing and clear as a bell. He orders information rhythmically, always knows when less is more and more is more. He never bows to sentimentality, never sells anyone out. He does a remarkable job of expressing the fear and dispiritedness that politics and war heave on a people, at the same time revealing their resilience. There is much to admire in this book.

The Italians Newby depicts in this memoir (and also in his "A Small Place in Italy") are often funny, but never buffoonish. Newby's warm admiration for country folk is always evident, as in this passage where a retired stonemason helps remove an enormous boulder from the hideout the locals are making for him:

"He went over it with his hands, very slowly, almost lovingly. It must have weighed half a ton. Then, when he had finished caressing it, he called for a sledgehammer and hit it deliberately but not particularly hard and it broke into two almost equal halves. It was like magic and I would not have been surprised if a toad had emerged from it and turned into a princess who had been asleep for a million years."

Readers familiar with Newby's travel writing will find all his strengths here: his eye for detail, his warmth of character, his humor (mostly self-deprecating). They will also find a love story -- one made all the more poignant by Newby's craftsmanlike selection of few but telling scenes.

Melanie Martin is back from Italy. She is now done with 4th grade (which I just finished, too!). She, her ever-serious dad, her art-loving mom, her six-and-a-half yr. old brother, Matt the Brat, and her best friend Cecily. She is SOO excited to be traveling again, especially with a friend!

The reason Cecily is going with them is because her mom, who Melanie never really liked, had breast cancer. Later in the book, Melanie realizes that Cecily's mother really isn't so bad after all. But 'Mellie' just is not very sensitive towards her best friend.

Melanie is frustrated with her parents, her brother, and especially Cecily. She is sick of hearing everyone dish out compliments to Cecily. Cecily is a good artist, Cecily looks great in royal blue, Cecily is such a good sport, Cecily says the most interesting things. Mel is pretty upset, as I would be. Not admirable,but quite true. In the end, she has a great vacation and she makes up with her pal.

This book was not perfect, but pretty darn good nonetheless. Written in diary form, this very realistic young girl teaches us Dutch words, info about artists, and how to deal with tough stuff. If you are an 8-10 year old girl who is smart enough to ask questions about breast cancer after reading this book, then pick this up at your local bookstore.

The name of this book might make you think it's just for girls. It;s not. Matt is really funny and it's cool to read about the different countries they visit.

This book is really funny. It made me laugh a lot. I enjoyed learning all about Holland, especially the artists from there like Vermeer, Rembrandt and Van Gogh. I liked seeing a new place through the eyes of a person my age. Melanie's trip reminded me of when I travel with my family (lots of excitement, lots of squabbles). I keep a journal at school, and I liked being able to read somebody else's journal. I hope Carol Weston writes more Melanie Martin books soon. I want to read them all.

Nice little pieces on the areas Britain has affected but now leaves alone - nearly 4 pages on Australia, 1 each on Canada and New Zealand. Also helpful to find those weird, typically British obsessions: pigeon-fancying, seaside holidays and Tractarianism (go look them up). The kind of book you go to to look up one topic and find yourself reading for an hour. Failed to score 5 stars because it failed to record biographies on influential British sportsmen.

Now in a newly revised and expanded edition, The Oxford Companion To British History is a dictionary-style, 1056-page resource reference which is filled from cover to cover with names, places, terms, and events comprising the history of Great Britain and organized alphabetically for easy lookup. Compiled and edited by John Cannon (formerly the Chair of Modern History at Newcastle-upon-Tyne until 1992) and brimming with extensive facts and details, The Oxford Companion To British History is a top-notch reference which is enhanced with the inclusion of 12 maps, and would prove to be an invaluable cornerstone for any academic library's British History collection.

The Oxford Companion to British History by John Ashton Cannon(Editor) is brilliant in its outlay and is a must for anyone remotely interested in British history. For instance, who is John Gerard and what did he do to warrant a place in The Oxford Companion to British History by John Ashton Cannon(Editor) . The book is cataloged alphabetically and this makes it very easy to use; It would have been a nightmare if the person in charge had divided it into time periods since only die hard fans or connesaurs of British history would know all the time periods The maps in the end of book are very clear and royal lineage is very well presented. The book also has a well developed index that can easily be used even by a novice. The font in book chosen in the book is very pleasing to the eye and makes the book a pleasure to read/use as tool in realm of British History.