1984 (Signet Classics)

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"Outside, even through the shut window pane, the world looked cold. Down in the street little eddies of wind were whirling dust and torn paper into spirals, and though the sun was shining and the sky a harsh blue, there seemed to be no color in anything except the posters that were plastered everywhere."

The year is 1984; the scene is London, largest population center of Airstrip One.

Airstrip One is part of the vast political entity Oceania, which is eternally at war with one of two other vast entities, Eurasia and Eastasia. At any moment, depending upon current alignments, all existing records show either that Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia and allied with Eastasia, or that it has always been at war with Eastasia and allied with Eurasia. Winston Smith knows this, because his work at the Ministry of Truth involves the constant "correction" of such records. "'Who controls the past,' ran the Party slogan, 'controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.'"

In a grim city and a terrifying country, where Big Brother is always Watching You and the Thought Police can practically read your mind, Winston is a man in grave danger for the simple reason that his memory still functions. He knows the Party's official image of the world is a fluid fiction. He knows the Party controls the people by feeding them lies and narrowing their imaginations through a process of bewilderment and brutalization that alienates each individual from his fellows and deprives him of every liberating human pursuit from reasoned inquiry to sexual passion. Drawn into a forbidden love affair, Winston finds the courage to join a secret revolutionary organization called The Brotherhood, dedicated to the destruction of the Party. Together with his beloved Julia, he hazards his life in a deadly match against the powers that be.

Newspeak, doublethink, thoughtcrime--in 1984, George Orwell created a whole vocabulary of words concerning totalitarian control that have since passed into our common vocabulary. More importantly, he has portrayed a chillingly credible dystopia. In our deeply anxious world, the seeds of unthinking conformity are everywhere in evidence; and Big Brother is always looking for his chance. --Daniel Hintzsche

Book Description

George Orwell's prophetic, nightmarish vision of "Negative Utopia" is timelier than ever-and its warnings more powerful.

Customer Reviews:

One of the greatest works of literature of all time.......2007-10-14

George Orwell's 1984 remains one of the seminal works of literature in the English language, and one of the most important. If you haven't read it, you owe it to yourself to read it and experience the world Orwell created (a world that bears an increasing resemblence, however shadowy, to our own).

dystopia utopia.......2007-10-13

This is what got me into literature. Not the Scarlet Letter or Grapes of Wrath or anything else really. I thankfully read this due to a recommendation from my English teacher and I've been on my way to appreciating literature ever since. Make sure you watch the movie Children of Men if you liked this book. They draw many parallels and both are amazing.

Maybe the most misunderstood novel of all time.......2007-10-11

This is a great book. However, it is not so much a political novel as so many people seem to think, as It is one of the great existentialist novels right up there with Notes From the Underground and Nausea.

Like Smith reading Goldstein's book, you don't learn anything new about political systems if you are even modestly well read, but you do learn much about human happiness in face of such systems.

The chief irony that seems to be widely overlooked is that Insoc did successfully create a society, in Oceania, of true equality. Despite the fixed class system, everybody was the same non entity in the eyes of the state, which after all were the only eyes that really existed. Winston didn't really exist, but neither did O'Brain; only Big Brother truly existed. It was a state where the collective oligarchy weren't enticed by luxury or comfort, so that the relative greater comforts of the Inner Party compared to the Outer Party, and the Outer Party compared to the Proles was not as relevant as the fact that the state existed for the sole purpose of perpetrating it's own power. Everybody in every stratum of society was the same nonentity in relationship to that power.

We might readily think of 1984 as presenting us with a dystopia, but so far as we define a utopia by the standards of equality, justice and happiness, Oceania is decidedly an Utopia. And this presents us first and foremost with the existential dilemma that the perfect state is a monstrosity to which we insticntively recoil.

A Dystopian Vision.......2007-10-07

"1984" may well be the poster child for the genre of dystopian literature. Personally, I thought Orwell was most successful when it came to describing the society around Winston or the psychological struggle during the interogations. The love story was a weaker part of the book (for me).
Unlike Huxley's "Brave New World", Orwell dosen't try to go for dark humor but instead uses the society of fear to convey his views on totalitarinism to the audience. Personally I thought Orwell's characters weren't as interesting as those in Huxley's or Lewis's dystopian novels (C.S. Lewis wrote "That Hideous Strenght"). The concept for Room 101 was imaginative but almost seemed to give the Ocenaian officials an unrealistic advantage (personally, I feel some people could have overcome even fear). Perhaps I shouldn't get on to Orwell too much over this; after all Lewis's villans tried to overcome human nature in their own ways as well.
Overall, Orwell wrote an interesting work. It is even more interesting when one compares the totalitarianism of Oceania to that of the U.S.S.R. (notice that Big Brother and Goldstein have some resemblances to Stalin and Trotsky). I am currently reading a book far more chilling than Orwell's fiction. "The Gulag Archipelago" would make a very good companion to "1984" as it gives a picture of actual totalitarianism at the time when Orwell wrote his fictional masterpiece.

Chilling, Yet Moving In Places.......2007-09-26

This book relates the experiences of one Winston Smith in a world where all people belong to one of three totalitarian superpowers. In this dystopian novel, the state requires nothing less than the complete submission of individuals' inner thoughts. "The Party is not interested in the overt act: the thought is all we care about." There is no escape ("Nobody ever escaped detection, and nobody ever failed to confess.") and no practical hope for a free future where human rights would exist once more.

The story is beautiful in parts--such as in the places where it deals with a forbidden love and an individual's struggle to maintain his identity--and incredibly hopeless in others. Orwell is an amazing writer and I spent a lot of time underlining different phrases and sentences. This book is frightening. As Erich Fromm writes in the afterword, "...it would be most unfortunate if the reader smugly interpreted 1984 as another description of Stalinist barbarism, and if he does not see that it means us, too." I recommend this book to all.

Around the World in Eighty Days (Puffin Classics)

Average customer rating:

Free SF Reader
A great book
Easy to read and fun to boot
A bit slow, but still good
Rollicking good time

Around the World in Eighty Days (Puffin Classics)
Jules Verne
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 014036711X

Book Description

Tor Classics are affordably-priced editions designed to attract the young reader. Original dynamic cover art enthusiastically represents the excitement of each story. Appropriate "reader friendly" type sizes have been chosen for each title--offering clear, accurate, and readable text. All editions are complete and unabridged, and feature Introductions and Afterwords.This edition of Around the World in Eighty Days includes a Foreword, Biographical Note, and Afterword by Justin Leiber.

Download Description

An eccentric English gentleman and his manservant pack a carpet bag with two woolen shirts, three pairs of stockings, and 20,000 pounds, and travel around the world in 80 days, in order to win a bet.

Customer Reviews:

Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

A book based around a bet. Two adventurers, one a gentleman, and one not so nice, make a not so small wager, on Fogg's ability to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days or less.

When something like that happens, of course there will be villainous nogoodniks trying to stop you from accomplishing your task, winning the bet, getting the girl and all the good grog, etc.

A great book.......2007-06-05

Around The World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne is more true to life than
other books by Verne. The movie starring David Niven is a good movie.
By Danny Karl Fleming, author of How to Prove The Collatz Conjecture.

Easy to read and fun to boot.......2006-12-20

I had never read this classic until now, my 40th year, and I am so glad I did. I laughed, I was tense, I enjoyed it through and through.

A bit slow, but still good.......2006-09-16

Like many classics, this book is paced completely different than a modern novel. It takes forever to get going and even then, not all that much does happen. That to me was the biggest disappointment: Not all that much happens at all. Sure, they get in some trouble and have to fight their way through, but overall, it seems a two-week trip of my own is often more exciting than these 80 days around a world (to excaturate slightly). And to make matters worse, even when something does happen and people venture out to solve a problem, too much time is spent describing the people left behind waiting, and sometimes there is no description of the actual solution of the problem. But such is the style of the time, I guess.

I guess part of the problem is that the story deals with getting around the world as fast as possible, which leaves little time for anything but getting from a ship to the next train and so forth. Very little time is spent at all the different places, which would have offered so much potential story-wise, yet there is no time.

I still enjoyed reading it, in part because the way books were written at this time just amuses me (old English and all). And towards the end, the excitement does pick up a little bit. Not to modern-day-novel levels, but still, I enjoyed it.

You will like this book if you start reading with the right expectations.

Rollicking good time.......2006-08-22

I think those of us who were introduced to this classic via the recent Jackie Chan movie were done a great disservice. This book accomplishes what few books can: even though the characters are one dimensional, the reader cares about them and genuinely wants to know what will happen next.

The basic setup is that Phileas Fogg makes a bet with members of his club that he can travel the world in 80 days, and then lugs Passaporteau around with him while he sets about accomplishing this task.

Verne does a great job of indicting the tourist mindset that we have today, and apparently had back in Verne's time. Throughout the whole book, Fogg is traveling through France, India, Singapore, Japan and the US, yet never takes the time to appreciate any of it. It's a lot like the people who take vacations and then bring back 20 rolls of film depicting every single landmark mentioned in Frommer's. They've seen it all, but it's all done with a sense of urgency and no real joy. Again, Verne has proven adept at predicting and accurately characterizing human foibles.

George Orwell: Animal Farm, Burmese Days, A Clergyman's Daughter, Coming Up for Air, Keep the Aspidistra Flying, Nineteen Eighty-Four: Complete & Unabridged

Average customer rating:

Good book, but NOT every word Orwell wrote

George Orwell: Animal Farm, Burmese Days, A Clergyman's Daughter, Coming Up for Air, Keep the Aspidistra Flying, Nineteen Eighty-Four: Complete & Unabridged
George Orwell
Manufacturer: Octopus/Heinemann
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

ASIN: 0905712048

Book Description

Animal Farm; Burmese Days; A Clergyman's Daughter; Coming up for Air; Keep the Aspidistra Flying; Nineteen Eighty-Four

Customer Reviews:

Good book, but NOT every word Orwell wrote.......2004-07-07

It only contains what the description says it contains: "Animal Farm", "Burmese Days", "A Clergyman's Daughter", "Coming up for Air", "Keep the Aspidistra Flying", and "1984". These particular writings are complete and unabridged, but these are not the complete writings of Orwell.

Of course they're good, but the title is very misleading. Don't be fooled into thinking it's everything he wrote.

Average customer rating:
The Works of Jules Verne: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea/a Journey to the Center of the Earth/Around the World in Eighty Days/3 Books in 1
Jules Verne
Manufacturer: Longmeadow Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0681452455

Average customer rating:

No time to smell the roses

Travel The World Without Leaving Your Armchair

Concise Yet Absorbing

Around the world in 80 day , can it be done?

Around the World in Eighty Days (Penguin Classics)
Jules Verne
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

19th Century | British | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
French | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Journey to the Centre of the Earth (Bantam Classics)

Treasure Island (Signet Classics)

ASIN: 014044906X
Release Date: 2004-05-04

Book Description

Jules Verne's career as a novelist began in 1863, when he struck a new vein in fiction—stories that combined popular science and exploration. In Around the World in Eighty Days, Phileas Fogg rashly bets his companions £20,000 that he can travel around the entire globe in just eighty days—and he is determined not to lose. Breaking the well-established routine of his daily life, the reserved Englishman immediately sets off for Dover, accompanied by his hot- blooded French manservant, Passepartout. Traveling by train, steamship, sailboat, sledge, and even elephant, they must overcome storms, kidnappings, natural disasters, Sioux attacks, and the dogged Inspector Fix of Scotland Yard to win the extraordinary wager. Combining exploration, adventure, and a thrilling race against time, Around the World in Eighty Days gripped audiences upon its publication and remains hugely popular to this day.

Customer Reviews:

No time to smell the roses.......2006-12-12

Around the world in 80 days was probably one of the first popular works of travel writing. Part comedy, part drama, and mostly adventure, this book follows Phineas Fogg on his trip around the world in the company of his French servant, Passapertout. The trip was taken as part of a dare, but the trip itself is full of mishaps and near misses. Much of the trip is taken by sea, so our protagonists do not see as much of the world as they could have. Likewise, many of their stops in different cities are solely to rendevous with their next connection; hence not much deliberate sightseeing. Friends are made along the way, along with some enemies too. The book is written for young adults, and there is only an occasional insight into foreign cultures, and how this compares - contrasts with the Victorian England that is the home of Mr. Fogg. Hence in terms of wisdom learned, this book is below Twain's Roughing It or Gulliver's Travels. But it is more exciting and more readable than Swiss Family Robinson and other adventure classics from the 1800s. Overall, a worthy read.

Travel The World Without Leaving Your Armchair.......2005-08-13

No decent book collection is complete without this classic tale of travel and adventure. In comparison with the dated and crusty translations used in most modern reprints, this new edition contains clarity of expression and lively prose that kept me engrossed in Phileas Fogg's incredible odyssey around the globe. By reading Around the World in Eighty Days it is possible to recapture that lost sense of travel, characterised by crossing frontiers, improvisation and self-control whatever the circumstances. Armchair travelling it may be, but it is still much more pleasurable than the bland consumption of foreign cultures that most tourists are fed! Simply a great read.

Concise Yet Absorbing.......2005-07-27

Mr. Verne was a highly imaginative writer in his time and aptly regarded the founder of modern science fiction. Although the ending is sentimental to my taste, the whole story grabs my attention. It is told in a condensed and simple nature thus great for a bedside read to children of all ages. Phileas Fogg is a unique character who is eccentric but exceedingly predictable in kindness. Passepartout is as clear as day, a typical madcap. His thoughts are hilarious as his overall personality. Wherever it is clarified during their expedition, the details are colorful with facts, suspense, and riddles that make up a wonderful voyage. A lot is a passing comment but that is alright because the narrative is stimulating. The fiction lacks dialogues especially for the ever charming, Mrs. Aouda. The police officer is formed into a truly disciplined servant of the force. It is a fast read that concludes with uncomplicated turn of events.

Around the world in 80 day , can it be done?.......2005-04-18

In 1872 just going around the world was a difficult task never mind in 80 days. The main character, Phileas Fogg bets a couple of his rich buddies half his fortune that he can make it around the world in 80 days. Not long after that he is on his way. His journey starts off flawlessly, without a hitch, but not too far into the book he starts to run into trouble. A detective by the name of Fix believes that it was Mr.Fogg who robbed the bank of England and will stop at nothing to catch him so he follows them all around the world. Theses characters never take a break they're always on the move going from place to place. After many obstacles got in their way such as their train running out of tracks, being attacked by Indians, saving a princess from her death they returned to England. But it was too late. This book has a surprising twist but I will let you read it for your self to find out what it is.

I found this book very noteworthy. The chapter headings are very unique and will hook you in to the rest of the story. I found the chapters in this book to be quick and to the point so you won't get bored with them easily. There is more action and adventure with every turn of the page, which keeps the reader absorbed into the book. This is a great book if you want to take a break from emotional reading, so if you are looking for an emotional type of book this isn't for you. Vocabulary in this book enhances the reading and gives the book character. I find the author, Jules Verne; voice really comes through in this book. The only down side I found in this book was the loose ends. I found myself asking the same question at the end as I did in the beginning.

This book was written more for young adults and older. It's just as good for a fifteen year old as it is a fifty year old. Around the World in 80 Days isn't a hard read. The vocabulary may be complex and unique, but the meaning is still easy to make out. This book is one you read strictly for pleasure. If you are forced to read it will take the fun and interest out of the book. In this novel there are no futuristic gadgets like in other Jules Verne books but it is in keeping with his normal writing style. No one can absolutely hate this book it's to enjoyable of a book to even dislike. In you're a fan of historical fiction thins is a book for you. Even if you're not big on history anyone can find interest in this book. That is why I give it four stars, two thumbs up; on a scale from one to ten, I give it a nine.

Around The World In Eighty Days [EasyRead Large Edition]

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Around The World In Eighty Days [EasyRead Large Edition]
Jules Verne
Manufacturer: ReadHowYouWant.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 142504218X
Release Date: 2006-11-01

Product Description

A work of fiction in which the author narrates a journey of Phileas Fogg into which he is provoked due to an argument.

Sing Through the Day : Eighty Songs for Children - with CD

Average customer rating:

Nice words, mediocre perfomance
Good book with unique songs and beautiful illustrations
A Wonderful Collection of Waldorf Songs!
My son LOVES this book!
Wonderful collection of children's songs

Sing Through the Day : Eighty Songs for Children - with CD

Manufacturer: Plough Publishing House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0874869714

Customer Reviews:

Nice words, mediocre perfomance.......2005-11-07

The book is lovely, the words are turn-of-the-century homey feeling, and the songs are all new to me (and I have been singing for years and years). However, the children singing the songs *are* just children, and this sounds like just a very good school recital, with the choir teacher playing a simple piano background for most songs. Don't get me wrong -- they are a very good school choir, but I hoped for a more professional, warmer and richer sound.

If you get it, enjoy the words, but don't try too hard to copy the singers. If you are a professional musician, the CD may drive you crazy -- especially the emphasis on the Rs at the end of MothERR, singERR, wintERR, etc.

Good book with unique songs and beautiful illustrations.......2002-07-03

This is an excellent book for someone looking for unique children's songs from a variety of ethnic origins. I did not know any song in this collection, although I am familiar with several of the poems from which some of them originate.

The CD is very helpful to hear the songs played and sung, although the style of the choir is not my favorite and I find the recordings a bit monotonous as a whole. The songs themselves are very different in style and origin, and I wish the recordings were equally varied.

For someone looking for a collection of more popular children's songs that your kids might already be singing I would recommend Singing Bee, but if you want variety and uniqueness, this is the book for you.

The illustrations are beautiful, and my daughter loves to flip through the book and make up her own songs based on the images!

A Wonderful Collection of Waldorf Songs!.......2002-06-02

Sing Through the Day is a family favorite. When I was a parent toddler leader, these songs were the basis of our group. A wonderful collection of truly Waldorf-Inspired songs, this is a great way to learn the melodies to these lovely tunes. In this newly revised edition, eighty songs from around the world are brought together in a stunning musical celebration of childhood. It's all here, from waking up in the morning, playing with puppies or on the swing, watching clouds and picking flowers, to celebrating birthdays, hearing fairytales at bedtime and dreaming of magic ponies. Excellent for Homeschooling families looking for songs! As for the lyrics, this is a veritable gold mine, with classic poems from Christina, Rossetti, Robert Loius Stevenson, Hans Christian Anderson, Rose Fyleman, Margaret Wise Brown, William Blake and many others... I highly recommend this lovely book and compact disc. ...

My son LOVES this book!.......2001-02-24

My 3-year-old son absolutely adores this book and CD. He loves looking at the beautiful color pictures and listening to me sing the songs. He has even picked up the words to many of the songs, and likes to sing along. The songs are unusual -- I had not heard most of them -- and beautiful, with lovely messages about nature and joyful living. A good change from the common nursery rhymes all children learn. There are also some games (actions) suggested for some songs. I took the book to my son's preschool and we sang songs and did the motions -- the kids loved it. I have bought four copies of this book to give away to friends and relatives.

Wonderful collection of children's songs.......2000-12-28

Super-durable hard cover book with high quality glossy paper. Contains music and words to 80 songs. There are 56 songs on the CD. Illustrations are colored-in woodcuts and charcoal sketches. Illustrations go with almost every song and include animals, nature scenes, and multicultural children who are happy and doing just about every activity from blowing dandelion seeds into the wind to playing dress-up as king and queen. Songs are well organized by subject. The "chapters" are: morning, play, nature, games, birthday, weather, and evening. An alphabetical index of song titles is at the end of the book. Songs that are included on the CD are clearly marked in the text. The CD is piano music with a chorus of children singing. What a wonderful resource for parents and teachers!

Around the World in Eighty Days: 5 Weeks in a Balloon (Wordsworth Classics) (Wordsworth Classics)

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Around the World in Eighty Days: 5 Weeks in a Balloon (Wordsworth Classics) (Wordsworth Classics)
Jules Verne
Manufacturer: Wordsworth Editions Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1853260908

Product Description

Around the World in Eighty Days (1873) relates the hair-raising journey made as a wager by the Victorian gentleman Phileas Fogg, who succeeds - but only just! - in circling the globe within eighty days. The dour Fogg's obsession with his timetable is complemented by the dynamism and versatility of his French manservant, Passepartout, whose talent for getting into scrapes brings colour and suspense to the race against time. Five Weeks in a Balloon (1863) was Verne's first novel. It documents an apocryphal jaunt across the continent of Africa in a hydrogen balloon designed by the omniscient, imperturbable and ever capable Dr Fergusson, the prototype of the Vernian adventurer.

The Duel: The Eighty-Day Struggle Between Churchill and Hitler

Average customer rating:

An impressive analysis of the two men who shaped the Battle of Britain and the war in Europe
The mother of all "what if's".
Agian will change your view of history
The Race is Not to the Swift, Nor the Battle to the Strong.
Memorably Good

The Duel: The Eighty-Day Struggle Between Churchill and Hitler
John Lukacs
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0300089163

Book Description

This is a day-by-day account of the eighty-day struggle in 1940 between Hitler—poised on the edge of absolute victory—and Churchill—threatened by imminent invasion and defeat.

Customer Reviews:

An impressive analysis of the two men who shaped the Battle of Britain and the war in Europe.......2007-08-05

I've always had great interest in World War II, and specifically the Battle of Britain, so this book seemed like a great fit, especially considering the author's strong reputation. Interestingly, this book is not so much about the pivotal Battle of Britain -- it spans May 10, 1940 to July 31, 1940, right before the Battle began in earnest -- as it is about how the personalities and ideas of Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler shaped the impending Battle of Britain and the bloody war that would follow. While the book at times moves at a glacial path and it can take time to fully digest given the author's prose, it is a fascinating analysis of Churchill and Hitler the men.

Coming away from "The Duel", I was struck by how much more impressed I was with Prime Minister Churchill than before -- if that's possible. Clearly, the author is a fan of Churchill, but his language is never gushing or over-the-top; rather, he takes great pains to show the incredible pressure Churchill faced every day as France collapsed and it seemed the Britain was next in path of the Nazi war machine. While I knew Churchill had many enemies not only in Parliament but in his own cabinet, I never knew how many of his peers -- including Lord Halifax, US Ambassador Joe Kennedy, and General Weygand in France, among many others -- doubted Britain's chances and wanted Churchill to negotiate with Hitler, even at the expense of the Empire's freedom and autonomy. The author draws this theme out, focusing on Churchill's relentless refusal to never negotiate with Hitler regardless of the consequences.

"The Duel" does a tremendous job in demonstrating not only Churchill's resolute leadership, but more how he held off Germany by the sheer force of his will. Indeed, as France was crushed, and it appeared that England had no chance to fight off a similar fate, Churchill -- often by himself -- worked tirelessly to convince French and American leaders of Britain's viability and the importance of fighting Hitler to the bitter end. It is very difficult to not feel even greater pride and respect for Churchill after finishing this book.

The author's deep analysis of Hitler's goals and motives is equally interesting. While it is easy -- and quite justifiable -- to refer to Hitler as a manical brute, the book does not take that route and, for the most part, looks at Hitler dispassionately, even acknowledging his military and rhetorical talents. In doing so, the author argues that Hitler was not obsessed with conquering the entire world or even every inch of Europe, as is often believed, and as a result was not hell-bent on physically conquering England in the same way he had done to France and other nations. Rather, Hitler did not want to force Britain to surrender through the use of invasion, in part because that was not entirely necessary in his view and also because he realized how difficult it would be to cross the channel -- thus, Hitler's multiple postponments of Operation Sea Lion. I found these areas very interesting, as it was my impression that upon France's surrender -- and even before -- Hitler was determined to crush Englad militarily. Indeed, as the author shows, Hitler held on to the hope of making peace -- obviously, a peace very slanted to Germany's advantage -- with Churchill up until July and August 1940 when he pondered Sea Lion and began the bombings. To further make the argument that Hitler was determined to force a deal upon Churchill, the author makes the bold assertion that Hitler's ill-fated decision to invade Russia in 1941 -- which he first began to forumlate around this time in 1940 -- was made by Hilter to force Churchill's hand. In other words, because Russia (along with the US) was Churchill's last great hope to help defeat the Nazis, Hitler believed that defeating the Russians would truly make Churchill alone, and thus force him to make a deal with Germnay to avoid Britain's destruction.

So, the book is full not only of tremendous personal analysis of Churchill and Hitler, but also of some arguments not generally made in World War II scholarship. One note of caution. While the book is not terribly long -- just over 200 pages -- it can be difficult to get through in parts because the author can tend to be very wordy (ex: "There survives a photograph of that event: the officers in a circle, leaning forward in their long greatcoats, listening earnestly to the general of their democratic citizen-army, who spoke to them without notes and without a microphone, in a quiet tone of determination, on that grassy cliff above a silent lake on a cool and gray day."), and also delves into very great detail throughout. In the end though, the writing -- which appeal to many anyway -- does not really take away from the book. It is a great book about the Second World War, and any one with an interest in Churchill, Hitler, or the Battle of Britain should check it out.

The mother of all "what if's"........2007-01-12

More than the new fad of "what if's". What one man and those that stood by him in those days did for us all. The younger generation should, or rather must, realize how much they owe to WSC to be able to read these lines !
jan breman

Agian will change your view of history.......2005-05-16

This book fills in the gaps one might have about the years 1939 to 1940 about the British-German front. Beautifully written, informative, the author succeeds in dramatizing the foregone conclusions that history students assume when looking at the world from the perspective of hindsight.

The Race is Not to the Swift, Nor the Battle to the Strong........2005-04-19

John Lukacs' book "The Duel" calls to mind the classic hypothetical paradox that asks what happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object. In this instance the irresistible force was Adolf Hitler and his armed forces and the immovable object was Winston Churchill.

The duel that is the subject of this book takes place in the tumultuous 80-day period between May 10, 1940 and July 30, 1940. Lukacs surrounds the recitation of this 80-day period with two coincidences. On May 10, 1940 Churchill became Prime Minister, replacing Neville Chamberlain. At the same time the battle for Western Europe began in earnest when Hitler launched land and air attacks on Holland, Luxembourg, and Belgium. On July 31, 1940 Hitler began making formal plans for the invasion of the USSR. On that same day U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt decided to go forward with a lend-lease program that would provide the British navy with 50 aging, but much needed destroyers.

Events in May and early June provided evidence that Hitler and his advancing armies were something of an irresistible force. The German army and air force made quick work of Holland, Luxembourg, and Belgium. France and its forces were defeated in short order as well. At the same time, in these dark early days, Churchill's hold on power was tenuous at best. As Lukacs is quick to point out, the ousted Chamberlain was more popular amongst Conservative party loyalists. Churchill's only real popular support according to surveys cited by Lukacs came from working class (labour) voters. Hitler and the U.S. Ambassador to Britain Joseph Kennedy both seemed to think that, if anything, Churchill was an easily removable force. Facts, as Lukacs points, proved both Hitler and Joseph Kennedy wrong.

The Duel is set out in a point-counterpoint fashion. It alternates between examining the war from the German and then British viewpoint. Although Lukacs is a long-time admirer of Churchill (and with good reason) his analysis of events and of the character and judgments of both Churchill and Hitler seems both astute and objective. Lukacs avoids the easy picture of Hitler as madman and is quite prepared to give him credit for the efficacy of his military plans and his ability to think rationally (and often brilliantly) about military and political developments in Western Europe. Similarly, Lukacs is not above criticizing some of Churchill's decisions or pointing out many of the mis-steps that occurred during this period.

The critical events of the 80 days covered by Lukacs'seem to me to be the successful evacuation of 350,000 British and French troops from Dunkerque in early June, Hitler's subsequent decision to not proceed with plans for the invasion of Britain, and his eventual decision at the end of July to invade Russia. Lukacs makes it clear that the German armies could have been a bit more aggressive and could have taken most of those evacuated from Dunkerque prisoner. Yet Hitler grew unusually cautious at this critical juncture. There is some evidence to suggest that Hitler thought the British would seek peace in short order but Lukacs suggests that this evidence may not be totally persuasive. Lukacs does suggest however, that if those troops had not been evacuated successfully the forces in Britain seeking reconciliation or negotiation with Hitler may have won the day.

The `duel' ends in a stalemate. Five gruesome years of war would follow. However, in terms of the classic irresistible force/immovable object paradox the stalemate clearly benefited the immovable object. Churchill, as a rational thinker, could not have entertained the belief that he could have won any major battles during this period. However, the commodity most precious to him and for the future of parliamentary democracy in Britain, was not victory but time. Britain needed time to gather strength and, most importantly, time to seek assistance from the United States. That assistance was very slow in coming. Roosevelt was in the middle of an election campaign and the forces of isolation were still very strong in the United States. By doing enough to forestall invasion, and aided by Hitler's decision to divert attention to the Soviet Union, Churchill gained the time he needed. The British armed forces were not particularly swift nor strong but in time they would be. Churchill's desparate struggle to 'buy' that time may in fact represent his finest hours.

The Duel is a very readable popular history of a very critical time in Europe's (and the world's history). His portrayal of both Hitler and Churchill seems balanced and objective. This is a very well written book that can be enjoyed equally by casual or serious students of this period. It is a good book and it is well worth reading.

Memorably Good.......2003-06-14

Whenever I discuss the Second World War with anyone, I wind up referring to this book. The pages devoted to the Nazi assault on Oslo harbor, the quick thinking of one Norwegian navy officer, and the possible impact of that officer's actions on the outcome of the war, provide a model for understanding history and the nature of man. A masterwork by an incomparably fine historian.

Around the World in Eighty Days (Illustrated Classics)

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Around the World in Eighty Days (Illustrated Classics)
Jules Verne
Manufacturer: Saddleback Educational Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1562548824

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