Books To Recommend ?

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Currently reading The Affair of the Poisons by Ann Somerset. About the court of Louis XIV and the poisoning/witchcraft scandal that led to quite a few local "wise women" being exectued and quite a lot of courtiers being imprisoned or punished for their involvement with la Voisin and cronies.

Interesting study of the attitudes prevalent in France at the time (the English court was staggered that the belief in witchcraft extended to the King of France) and also how much "extra" information was obtained through the systematic use of torture and the death penalty.
 
G-G: gitness me! You've really git bitten by the bug! But git to have your neat analyses of their royal gitnesses - perhaps more kids would git more involved in History if they had potted histories like those.
 
I got my young nephew interested in history by taking him on a battlefield walk at Tewkesbury and getting him to imagine that he was a soldier of Margaret's beaten army desperately trying to get away. He found out why the area around the Abbey is called "Bloody Meadow". I had him dodging hidden Welsh archers down all the lanes and when we came to the river he had to decide whether to stand and fight or jump in - either way the odds were stacked against survival. He learned how to stop his wounds bleeding with a handful of mud - no plasters in those days.

Then I took him to Berkeley Castle, where he saw the cell in which Edward II was kept and finally murdered. He was absolutely riveted by the way in which Edward was killed and rushed home to tell his dad that "King Edward was killed there and do you know what they did to him ... ?"

Another time I took him to the Fayre at Tewkesbury and got chatting to a couple of blokes who were getting ready for the battle re-enactment. Robbie ended up acting as the squire to one of them and helping him to put his armour on.

The blokes at work reckon I'm one cool auntie!

Tony Blair got it so wrong about history. Fashions and outlooks change, but people do not. Once you start relating to the actual situations in which those people found themselves, history starts to feel more alive and therefore more relevant to current times.
 
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Absolutely Redhead. I don't understand why it is thought by some to be irrelevant.

Krizon: history has been my passion since I was very young. My father loved history.
Just for your git monitor , currently reading a book which is principly told from the point of view of Elizabeth Of York who married, had to marry, Henry V11. Now there was a mother dominated git if ever there was one apart from his other git traits.
 
Didn't Margaret Beaufort write a whole "book" of court etiquette and precedence - putting herself as first lady and the Queen as second?
 
That are certain references in the book to her dictating rules concerning practically everything from the testing of mattresses, to the colours of the cradle fabric to how many times Elizabeth should chew each mouthful of food.
 
redhead said:
Didn't Margaret Beaufort write a whole "book" of court etiquette and precedence - putting herself as first lady and the Queen as second?
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There was pretty much an ongoing battle between Margaret Beaufort and Elizabeth Woodville whilst Henry VII was on the throne - both thought they should be the first woman in the land; the former as Queen Mother and the latter as Dowager Queen, wife to the great Edward IV, and mother of the Queen Consort. Both, of course, believed themselves to be 'more Royal' than the other and both had their own ideas about how the children of Elizabeth of York [daughter of Elizabeth Woodville and Henry VII's Queen] should be brought up; as well as Margaret Beaufort having her own ideas much earlier when Elizabeth of York was a child and she tried dictating to Elizabeth Woodvile how she should bring up her own daughter. Those children of Henry VII and ELizabeth of York who survived infancy were Arthur, Prince of Wales; the future Henry VIII, Margaret and Mary.

I'm currently reading Roma by Steven Saylor which is a novel chronicling the rise of Rome from the original settlement of traders through to the ascension to the throne of Augustus. I'm enjoying it very much so far.
 
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The mother-in-law from Hell, no less.

Mind you, she didn't have the easiest of lives herself. Apparently she bore Henry at the age of 12 so must have been only just a 12 year-old and possibly an 11 year-old when she conceived.
 
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Krizon

Revolutions is a fine read. He tackles the whole question of immigration in a very clear headed way and its difficult to argue with his logic. In essence he is right to say that western europe has handled immigration poorly for a whole number of reasons, which seem to vary from country to country. Most significant of these is perhaps the lack of foresight and a naivity as to how certain groups would assimilate into our culture and values. And lets face it, we know who he is refering to...

So many points to discuss... Which indicates what a fine and thoughtful book it is

Overall, i think his suggestion that there will be an islamification of european society to some extent is correct. Certainly the birthrate (and he produces interesting points regarding how this culturally has compared with hindus and so on) will mena that some towns and cities within europe will become majority muslim fairly soon (odds on Blackburn i think) and then there will be some difficult pressures.

I also think his example of the Netherlands was interesting. Here is europes most socially liberal country where naturally enough, the conflict with islam is perhaps most pronounced and most likely to come to a head

The problem is of course, that the indiginous populations (and certainly other immigrant cultures ...definately so in the case of jews and hindus) are going to be very hostile. Apart from some on the far left, the prospect of the increasing influence of islamic values (and we need not list them) is pretty horrific to most people, especially if you very libertarian in your outlook on life (which brings us back to the netherlands)

On the other hand, he may be drawing to much linkage between the islamist creed and the majority of muslims. he does tend to rely on the (often frightening......like 39% in the uk who believe in execution for changing religion....revolting principle) on polls on younger muslims, without acknowledging that views of teenagers will usually moderate (we hope..) in time

Lots to discuss
 
R J Mitchell - Schooldays to Spitfire. In all honesty not the greatest book per say, but a story of an amazing man, who sadly died comparatively young and who knows what might have followed if he had lived. His prototype bomber was designed to have a top speed of 360 miles per hour compared to the Lancaster's 275; what difference might that have made to the course of the war?
 
G-G said:
R J Mitchell - Schooldays to Spitfire. In all honesty not the greatest book per say, but a story of an amazing man, who sadly died comparatively young and who knows what might have followed if he had lived. His prototype bomber was designed to have a top speed of 360 miles per hour compared to the Lancaster's 275; what difference might that have made to the course of the war?
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His son died recently and his family and friends commissioned a Spitfire to fly over the church. We saw it go over the hill to Winchcombe. Such a beautiful plane, despite its purpose.
 
redhead said:
His son died recently and his family and friends commissioned a Spitfire to fly over the church. We saw it go over the hill to Winchcombe. Such a beautiful plane, despite its purpose.
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The book is by his son, although there are many contributors. Gordon Mitchell was very active in any association or event involved with the Spitfire and his father's memory. It was built primarily to be used I think as a defensive weapon, and although ultimately it was a weapon of war, I think it saved more lives which may have been lost, if R J had not been around to design and fight for funds to develop it.

There is a wonderful film made in 1942 starring Leslie Howard and David Niven about R J Mitchell. Although not strictly historically accurate(for a change), it's a wonderful piece of old 'cinema'. Called the First Of The Few, it was one of the last films Howard made before he was killed - the plane he was on shot down by German fighter planes.
 
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Clivex - my apologies for not thanking you for your excellent exposition on the book! I overlooked this topic for a while, as you'll see - I wouldn't want you to think I read it earlier and just ignored your kind reply. Very interesting. Every so often, there seem to be these societal convulsions - whether it's the regular diaspora of Jews, to the displacement of Africans through war (usually tribal and occasionally both tribal and religious), the division of country - think Germany, India, let alone the colonial cake-slicing of Africa, and so on, all causing alarm and chaos.

I think we mustn't lose sight of the millions of entirely moderate Muslims, worldwide, who no more want Shari'ah applied than Christians or atheists do. There are secular Muslim countries where Shari'ah isn't applied in judicial matters (no mutilations or executions), but where it will be used to settle issues of inheritance, divorce, etc. There are many (usually well-educated, middle-class) Muslims who don't want it applied, which is why they've decided to live outside their home countries, even going to Christian countries like the UK, where Church and State were - thankfully - divided a long time ago!
 
Clive (or anyone else), have you read Bob Woodward's State of Denial about the inner workings of the Bush White House in the run-up to the Iraq war? Meant to be a fairly revealing read, and I certainly have a lot of time for Bob Woodward.
 
I haven't read it, but I did see something about it a while ago - apparently decided to go crashing ahead, in spite of his internal agencies being unable to prove that there was a case to do so? Something 'we' (people with commonsense, who could work out for themselves who'd sold what to whom and when) knew. Makes the death of Dr Kelly look even more appalling - one might say that his blood is on Bush/Blair's hands.
 
Trackside. Yes, i have read it and like all Woodwards its a fine read if a tiny bit repetitive at times

As it happens i am just starting on By His Own rules by Bradley graham, which is a bio of Rumfleds disasterous time at the helm. Reviews says its a revealing and even handed read. Also reading Will Huttons Writing on the wall about China. Again, many fine points raised and a fine counter to some of thr pro-chinese drivel that has been served up in recent times

Krizon... Agree that their are many muslims who dont wish to see sharia applied but his points remain valid
 
As long as the book (or any book) is even-handed and rigorously factual, Clivex, I don't mind what points are made! If they're propagandist stuff, then I'm not interested - some authors are more interested in promoting their own view, excluding certain facts to tilt the reader towards the conclusion they want them to reach, rather than leaving them to draw their own inferences.
 
I agree Krizon but books can be genuine opinion pieces (so long a backed by facts) so long as this is signalled. I gave up on Andrew roberts last book because what is presented as history was barely distinguisable from a polemic. I would also avoid eric hobswahtsisname's histories given his defence of Stalins slaughters and his avowed extreme views

Since you have a strong interest in the middle east and trackside in american politics i would strongly recommend A choice of Enemies by Lawrence Freedman. Beautifully written and balanced analysis of america and the middle east since the second world war. In paperback too ive noticec
 
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