Joseph Roth was a master journalist from Vienna who moved to Berlin on 1920 to investigate and report first hand on what he feared was a doomed megapolis. WHAT I SAW: REPORTS FROM BERLIN 1920-1933 is one of the most refreshingly original books to grace our shores in years. Roth was concerned with newspaper writing but he was also a poet of rare distinction and courage. These 'feuilletons' or short essays on observations reveal insights into the Berlin from the fall of the Weimar Republic to the rise of the Nazi reqime. Calling these small essays 'readers for walkers' Roth wanders the streets and mass transportation of Berlin, looking into the backyards of common day people, the Jewish neighborhoods/ghettoes, the photographs in the police files of the unknown dead victims found in the gutters, the high wired clubs of decadent diversions, buildings of history and of future, and all the while he maintains a beautiful descriptive, poetic style while keeping his eyes wide open to the pathetic prophecy of the doom of the great city of Berlin. His words: 'The story of how absolutism and corruption, tyranny and speculation, the knout and shabby real estate dealings, cruelty and greed, the pretense of tough law-abidingness and blathering wheeler-dealer stood shoulder to shoulder, digging foundations and building streets, and of how ignorance, poor taste, disaster, bad intentions and the occassional very happy accident have come together in building the capital of the German Reich...' are balanced on other pages of describing the beauty of the sky above Berlin, the pathos of the lonely and neglected poor people on the trains, and the wonder of the vaguely temporary air that surrounded the bulding of a city after The Great War.

Roth is able to tell us so much history in so brief a space. Here are the beginnings of Isherwood's BERLIN STORIES, the birth of the style of the recent works of WG Sebald's books, and even the writings of Edmund White in THE FLANEUR. Would that our newspapers could find the space AND the talent to place such insightful observations in our poetically vapid journalism of today! This is a rare book of beautiful writing and we are indebted to translator Michael Hofmann not only for his lyrical English style, but also for his own insightful essay about the man who wrote these 'feuilletons'. A sad parting note is that Joseph Roth died in Paris in 1939 from the effects of his alcoholism. Such was the influence of Berlin on many artists of thetime.

It's true, there's poetry on every page. Beautifully rendered portraits of a city and a culture. Roth's poetic imagination and powers of observation are only matched by his compassion. A must read-for anyone interested in the development of the 20th century human in Europe.

Joseph Roth, What I Saw; Reports from Berlin 1920-1933. Translated by Michael Hofmann. I enjoy walking around cities, noticing people, activities, and places, especially the five boroughs of my New York. This new book collects and translates some thirty-four essays Joseph Roth penned for newspaper readers between 1920 and 1933. He was a young outsider from Lemberg (Lviv) and Vienna, but he is obviously a Berliner, a man fascinated by its people and scenes. We tend to know Berlin of this period from history books or "Cabaret." This book engaged me because each essay is a fresh look at an aspect of life in the German capital during this crucial period. For example, as U.S. newspapers now report the ever-growing Wal-Marts, Roth's essay, "The Very Large Department Store," looks at the trend as a poet does, with notice to the way crowds are swept upwards, almost against their will, to further displays. Moreover, the displays are so numerous that the multiplicity of the offerings devalues each item. Note also the essay, "With the Homeless" (1920), for his sensitive description of people. Roth observed well, wrote well. Whoever chose the accompanying photographs, added meaningful and helpful images, on theme, even if sometimes off-date. Dating some photographs was smart.

This was a terrific story about the quest to find what is now Alaska. It gives insight into just how courageous these early exployers were. I can't comprehend of enduring those sort of hardships. Ford is also a good biologist and gives interesting commentary on the animal life. He also describes what may have been the first observation of a diving reflex in a marine mammal, the now extinct Northern sea cow. If you read this, it would be hard to complain about our current quality of life.

A true account of Vitus Bering's voyage from Russia to discover what is now Alaska. Anyone interested in the history of Alaska should start by reading this book, or someone looking for an actual true life adventure story that makes one appreciate the dangers encounted in the 1700's by these amazing explorers. This book is written from the journals of Georg Stellar, the naturalist on-board the boat that discovered Alaska. The first written account and identification of many species that Stellar discovered and writes about in his journals. One of which is extinct today and his writings are the only account of the massive Stellar Sea Cow. A fabulous account of these adventurors and their interaction with the beautiful, but deadly, Alaska coast and it's native people.

Excellent story of the discovery of Alaska by the famous explorer,Vitus Bering and naturalist, Georg Steller. Combines text from Steller's extensive notes and observations of the author.

The Whimsical Gourmet's Guide to Paris is a wonderful way to discover the dining treasures of Paris, and you don't even have to leave your house! The book does a fabulous job of explaining the French mentality as it concerns food and dining habits. The list of restaurants is large enough to offer choices but small enough not to be overwhelming.

I found the book very funny (at times I was laughing so loud that my wife asked what was going on), and very easy to read. I do not hesitate to recommend this for anyone that wants an up to date look at where they should eat, and what they should see while in Paris.

I highly recommend the Whimsical Gourmet's Guide to Paris. The author has done an excellent job in explaining to his readers what to expect when they go to Paris, especially as it pertains to dining. This is the first guide that I've seen that really goes into detail when it comes to dining out with children. For us that's a big plus.

The restaurant reviews were well written and in some cases extremely funny. Having been to Paris a couple of times before, I felt that Mr. Krupnick was on target, and very fair. But don't read this if you are on a diet. The more I read the hungrier I got! There was also an excellent section on French wines, as well as tips about what to see and do in each area.

As I was reading the guide, I almost felt as if I was on vacation already. We are planning a trip to France this fall, and I know that this book will accompany us on our voyage.

The Whimsical Gourmet's Guide to Paris is a very funny look at what is happening in the current Paris dining scene. Author Rick Krupnick deftly guides us towards the dining establishments that he and his review team enjoy, while regaling us with humorous insights on Paris.

This is an excellent book for anyone wanting to learn about traveling to Paris, where to eat, and what to see in each area. The tone is conversational, as if the author was actually telling me first hand about his experiences. When you read the guide, you get a sense of what Paris is really like.

The book is laid out in a manner that would make it easy to use while in Paris. It covers everything from pre-trip planning to quaint little tea shops. However, the book does not cover hotels, so one would need another guide book for help with that subject.

I truly enjoyed the book and highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in food, wine, and gourmet shopping!

Book Review: William Shakespeare & the Globe By: Aliki

This book has been honored with many awards for good reason. With pictures, a sprinkle of quotes from several of Shakespeare's own plays, and many historical references make this book is a very interesting layout of William Shakespeare's life and times. The book chronicles the theatre world in Shakespeare's time and his involvement in it all,and the building and rebuilding of the famous Globe theatre (even up to its rebirth in 1987!). The book shows the various phases of William's life in "Acts" just like his famous plays. The book even discusses the many words and phrases that he invented that we still use today. It ends with a look at Sam Wanamaker and Theo Crosby's vision of recreating The Globe and how they went about creating this wonderful restoration.

A book that captures the reader's attention visually and with its easily read text. I am, as a teacher of 7th grade English, very impressed by this book, and can't wait to share it with my classes.

This book was the best Shakespeare book i've read. It had great facts and pictures for my Shakespeare roport. Now i read it for great enjoyment. It not only tells the story of Shakespeare but the story of Sam Wanamaker who had a dream to rebuild Shakespeare's Globe Theather. This was the best shakespeare book around, i bet you will enjoy it

Aliki's gift for clarity, humor and cleverness shine through this wonderful book. It is, like all Aliki's books, loaded with information, but manages not to overwhelm. You will find yourself coming back to this book again and again, examining the pictures and finding details you hadn't noticed before. A marvelous introduction to Shakespeare for mid- to older elementary children (and a visual delight for even younger readers!).

My husband and I wanted to do some time in "wine country" during our 1 year stay in France. We picked up this book at a local "english language library" and it was great! It really gives a lot of good information about the regions, the wineries, and the traveller's perspective on wine country in general. We've also used it extensively to document our pictures after the fact -- you know how you can forget the names of the 20 chateaux and 12 towns you visited! Well, this book provides enough information to put it back together when you are looking at a picture of a very pretty building which you cannot remember the name of.

It doesn't cover particular wines in detail (mentioning only a few), but for wineries, its a great guide.

The Wine Atlas of France by Hubrecht Duijker (with support from Hugh Johnson) is the best way to start exploring the various famous French wine regions by car. After presentation of the history and a description of a particular wine region, the book lists the address and describes the important wine estates of the region. Suggested routes for driving as well as listings of the top regional restaurants and hotels, in order to recover from the wine tasting. Besides excellent maps of different scales to find your way round the book has superb pictures so that you know what to expect. Alternatively, you may first want to use the book to browse through the various wine regions. Even without using the book as a travel guide it is very useful in locating wines and their vineyards.

This books contains informative descriptions, combined with detailed maps, and beautiful pictures, covering all the major wine producing regions of France. In addition, the author includes his favorite vineyards for each region. This book is a must for anyone travelling to France or just interested in learning more about the wine producing regions of France. Included in each section are a few selections on where to eat and where to stay as well. Having personally taken this book on my most recent trip, I can give it my hearty endorsement.

Dick Rosano is an Italian-American winemaker, and, thanks to his considerable talents as a writer, he is able to share both his love for his heritage and his love for the world of win in this delightful book. He traces the history of winemaking in the United States, giving credit where due and reveals some details hitherto unpublicized. A good read and a great gift for anyone who shares his heritage, a love of history, or a love of wine.

Dick Rosano has written an in-depth account of one of the marvels of American wine: The influence that Italian-Americans have had on the development and history of the industry. Without this Italian influence, in culture and winemaking, American wine wouldn't be what it is today. And without this book, Americans wouldn't understand the impact that these families had on our winemaking culture over the last 300 years. It's a must if you want to understand the evolution of American wine.

This is a fantastic reference book. I had no idea what a elaborate web the italians have weaved in the US. Everyone knows about the Mondavi and Gallo families but who would have thought that so many italian winemakers exist in so many states. An added feature of this book is the winery profile section in the back. This is not typical for a history book. You get the history and the acumen of a very knowledgeable wine reviewer who used to write for the Washington Post. I was a devoted Rosano reader when he wrote for the Post and really felt the quality of wine writing for that paper declined significantly when he left. This compelling story doesn't include wine reviews but adds an interesting aspect above and beyond the average history book. I am a winemaker and read just about anything I can get my grape stained hands on about the subject. This is a book for everyone interested in the noble grape or just loves drinking the stuff. Take my advice and run, don't walk to the store to get it, then leave it out somewhere on a table and pick it up from time to time while enjoying a nice class of Sangiovese.

I used this book extensively for a paper I just wrote comparing the European witch-craze of the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries to the Azande in Africa. I used Sidky's book for most of my information on Europe and found it very helplful. It was informative, well researched, well written, and well organized. It presented material in a clear manner which made it easy to understand and also helped me find which sections I needed to talk about in my essay. I also enjoyed the numerous illustrations of artwork depicting the witch-hunts/torture devices/Sabbat rites/and illustrations of medieval texts related to the witch-craze. I highly recommend this book to anyone writing a paper on the European witch-hunts from an anthropological stance, to all anthro majors and minors and anyone interested in examining a bit of dark (but fasinating) history.

If you're into everything from schizophrenia to ergot poisoning, from the black plague to the dread Malleus Maleficarum, from the "thumb screws" method of torture to The Devils of Loudon and demonic possession, then this is the book for you. Add to that a collection of pictures that would shock any uncouth European peasant living in the sixteenth century, and you've got the making of a most bizarre book in the most bizarre field of "witchcraft studies". Here you get to see the shear ugliness of life in medieval Europe during the Inquisition up close and personal. You get to look into the mind of the "witch hammerer" as he singles out those members of society that alleged performed those sinister magical acts that included cannibalism, sexual contact with demons, and spreading plague and disease. Rather than arguing that "witchcraft was real to the people of the time so it was real" like other "mentalist" anthropologists in the field have done, the author condemns those who insisted on the existence of witchcraft and argues that it was used an excuse to persecute and mercilessly torture thousands. As far as lycanthropy goes, the author suggests that the mentally ill, social outcasts, and those infected with rabies may have been those persecuted as "werewolves". The pictures and bizarreness of the topic alone earns the book five stars, and while there are parts of it that I'm not sure that I can agree with (for instance, the author believes that cannibalism has never been a socially acceptable practice to any great extent in any culture whatsoever) the author does an excellent job of revealing the pernicious delusions which plagued the European mind during the time.

Sidky details all the true and horrific aspects of the European witchcraze. From the beginning to the end you will never become bored or think the book dull. Besides the written facts and charts, Sidky also encloses copies of several artworks of what people thought of witches and the devil. Everything covered is given sufficient detail and everything detailed is supported completly.

This is the most complete source of information that you can get on WWII in Europe without expanding to 20 volumes. It has been a invaluable tool on staff rides. For the hobby historian, it is awesome. For a professional historian, it is a condensed bible.

The massive two-volume work will most likely be found only in University and large metropolitan libraries. An occasional military history nut like myself will shell out the better part of $200 for this comprehensive and well-organized reference work.

Does it replace single volume, cheaper and handier encyclopedia? I have not seen any notable gaps in coverage when randomly searching for some relatively obscure events, items or person be they Rumanian military commanders, Baltic seacoast skirmishes or Polish tankettes. However, as the title notes, this work is devoted to the European Theater(which includes much of the African and Middle Eastern theaters as well). As such, it is exhaustive.

It is organized into sections dealing with "Social and Political Events", "Leaders", "Units and Organizations", "Weapons", "Strategy, Tactics and Operational concepts (including doctrine)", and finally "Battles and Campaigns". Each article is written by someone who obviously knows his or her material. Suggested reading lists immediately follow each entry, which vary from a paragraph or two to several pages. This aspect is uneven. Some lists suggest outdated and curious wartime items, others include dubious popular accounts or works that mention the subject only incidentally. However, enough substantial and authoritative works are included to provide adequate additional depth for the most part. The general bibliography at the end supplements the mini-list nicely.

Appendices handle code names, a chronological table, acronyms, comparative ranks and a general selected bibiliography covering each topical subdivision.

There are two indices: military units/warships, and general subjects. The latter is comprehensive and will pinpoint your research requirements.

Some may not care for the topical subdivisions;the format doesn't make the book easy to casually leaf through in order to get information on a subject on impulse. The index however, is useful in finding the main entry for the subject you are researching ( in bold) as well as places where to find more incidental references to the topic.

The section on Units and Organizations, for example, does not go into operational histories but only the "organizational profiles". So if you are interested in both the structure/character AND the war record of a certain division or elite formation, you'd have to check out relevant sections in Battles and Campaigns as well as the "Unit" pages. Also, it's not always easy to separate the political from the military-operational aspects of cerain events. However, the index compensates for the unavoidable fragmentation of these discussions, which is really not a drawback for the most part.

The section on Weapons and Equipment is not simply an annotated tabular reference such as you find in many of the glossy coffee table "Planes of the Luftwaffe" picture books. The discussions give an excellent feel for the pre-war development of the plane, tank or ship under discussion as well as it's impact on operations and relative performance in the various theaters and campaigns.

I like the idea of the special section on Strategy, Tactics and Doctrine. These subjects are not analyzed abstractly, but are related to particular campaigns. Furhter,their wartime evolution is clearly denoted.

Thirty-seven strategical/operational maps in the beginning of the Battles and Campaigns segment are detailed enough to follow most of the following discussions.

This work, along with the forthcoming Pacific volumes, belongs on any two-foot shelf of essential World War II reading.

This encyclopedia will be well-received by all serious military historians.

Not the same-old, same-old wordy, dry and painful Coogan we've come to know and expect. Concise, succinct and absolutely brilliant. Some of his very finest work details the events surrounding the events of the 1916 rising. This is really a must read and in the current hard cover addition a must-have for any serious student/collector of the troubles. An investment that will no doubt pay dividends.

This book is a to the point informative guide to the events leading up to and during the Insurection. It is non partison for the most part and also talks about modern develpments on events in Ireland. I think this is a great book for anyone who wants a basic knowledge of the Easter Rebellion.