Book Description
An art historian and practicing fiber artist, author Ann Feitelson has visited the Shetland Islands often to bring this distinctive knitting style to life. The background sections are lavishly illustrated with color photographs of historic Fair Isle garments; Fair Isle color theory is demonstrated with actual knitted samples; and the more than 20 original Fair Isle garments by Feitelson are illustrated with both color photos and color charts.
Customer Reviews:
Fair Isle Knitting.......2007-09-10
I really enjoyed looking at the different patterns and getting ideas for the different projects that one can put together. Ann has put a well detailed and informative book together that even a beginner can follow.
An excellent resource for any serious knitter!.......2007-01-14
This book gives you all of the information necessary to begin knitting Fair Isle patterns on your own. A wealth of information and a good read besides. Easy to follow instructions and suggestions.
Great information .......2007-01-02
The information on the use of color and pattern in fair isle is very useful; there are lots of color examples showing how the colors work in various ways. Good job on the history too with great illustrations. Only thing missing for me is charted designs to help design your own. Overall it's a great book and I'm using it already for a project.
An invaluable book on Fair Isle and Shetland knitting.......2006-05-07
This book is a classic. Ms. Feitelson starts off by laying out the history of Fair Isle knitting and progresses to technique and color theory. The patterns that she provided are beautiful in terms of fit and silhouette, not to mention color choices and pattern designs. I have knitted a few Fair Isle articles and I wish I had bought this book first before knitting my caps and socks. This book is a must-have for anybody wishing to embark on the wonderful journey of Fair Isle and Shetland knitting.
Fad or classic resurgent.......2006-01-20
At this time it looks as though the art of Fair Isle is making a huge comeback. Books that are out of print are selling for ten times the original price. Old magazines are being sought in every nook and cranny. Newer yarns are now colored to automatically create Fair Isle color patterns.
This particular book was written by Ann Feitelson who spent considerable time on the Shetland Islands and short of being a native is the closes you will get to the History, Technique, and Color & Patterns in the art of Fair Isle Knitting.
This book is more than just patterns; yet there are some classics of socks, gloves, mittens, scarves, and mostly swatters. The real worth that makes this book stand out from the others is the history with pictures in monochrome and color.
You may have to learn a few new terms:
Needles = Wires
Cast On = Lay on
Stitch = Loop
A few of the garments also have different names. But their purpose is unmistakable.
This book besides being practical is a great addition to any library.
Average customer rating:
- Calculations are only as good as your numbers
- Pants on fire?
- Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
- Very Interesting
- History as Science Fiction
|
History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
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ASIN: 2913621058 |
Book Description
Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.
Customer Reviews:
Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03
Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.
Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19
Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09
There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.
For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.
Very Interesting.......2007-03-07
It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.
History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10
Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.
I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.
Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.
Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.
I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.
This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.
Amazon.com
No, we're not talking Bonnie Prince Charlie here. The title character of Giles Foden's debut novel, The Last King of Scotland, is none other than Idi Amin, the former dictator of Uganda. Told from the viewpoint of Nicholas Garrigan, Amin's personal physician, the novel chronicles the hell that was Uganda in the 1970s. Garrigan, the only son of a Scots Presbyterian minister, finds himself far away from Fossiemuir when he accepts a post with the Ministry of Health in Uganda. His arrival in Kampala coincides with the coup that leads to President Obote's overthrow and Idi Amin Dada's ascendancy to power. Garrigan spends only a few days in the capital city, however, before heading out to his assignment in the bush. But a freak traffic accident involving Amin's sports car and a cow eventually brings the good doctor into the dictator's orbit; a few months later, Garrigan is recalled from his rural hospital and named personal physician to the president. Soon enough, Garrigan finds himself caught between his duty to his patient and growing pressure from his own government to help them control Amin.
From Nicholas Garrigan's catbird seat, Foden guides us through the horrors of Amin's Uganda. It would be simple enough to make the dictator merely monstrous, but Foden defies expectation, rendering him appealing even as he terrifies. The doctor "couldn't help feeling awed by the sheer size of him and the way, even in those unelevated circumstances, he radiated a barely restrained energy.... I felt--far from being the healer--that some kind of elemental force was seeping into me." And Garrigan makes a fine stand-in for Conrad's Marlow as he travels up a river of blood from naiveté to horrified recognition of his own complicity. As if this weren't enough, Foden also treats us to a finely drawn portrait of Africa in all its natural, political, and social complexity. The Last King of Scotland makes for dark but compelling reading. --Alix Wilber
Book Description
Shortly after his arrival in Uganda, Scottish doctor Nicholas Garrigan is called to the scene of a bizarre accident: Idi Amin, careening down a dirt road in his red Maserati, has run over a cow. When Garrigan tends to Amin, the dictator, in his obsession for all things Scottish, appoints him as his personal physician. And so begins a fateful dalliance with the central African leader whose Emperor Jones-style autocracy would transform into a reign of terror.
In
The Last King of Scotland Foden's Amin is as ridiculous as he is abhorrent: a grown man who must be burped like an infant, a self-proclaimed cannibalist who, at the end of his 8 years in power, would be responsible for 300,000 deaths. And as Garrigan awakens to his patient's baroque barbarism--and his own complicity in it--we enter a venturesome meditation on conscience, charisma, and the slow corruption of the human heart. Brilliantly written, comic and profound,
The Last King of Scotland announces a major new talent.
Customer Reviews:
Mistah Kurtz--he alive again..........2007-09-29
In Giles Foden's fictionalized account of a Scottish doctor's experiences as the personal physician to Ugandan dictator Idi Amin Dada, evil isn't banal, after all--it's pompous, unpredictable, oafish, ostentatious, alternately unspeakably cruel and imbued with childlike exuberance, and, perhaps most startling of all, it's often more acutely wise to the ways of human nature than we care to admit. It throbs with the amorality of the life-force itself. Whatever else it might be, evil in the considerable form of Idi Amin is anything but boring.
*The Last King of Scotland* is a novel set firmly in the classic tradition of Joseph Conrad's *Heart of Darkness.* In this version of the Conradian theme, a young white doctor, highly-educated, civilized, British, heads to an under-developed Uganda driven by a mix of boredom, aimlessness, and the dim intention of doing some good. He's not there long when control of the country is forcibly seized by a Ugandan general named Idi Amin. Dr. Nicholas Garrigan and General Amin meet by accident--literally--when Garrigan is called to the scene of a roadside collision between a cow and a red Maserati drive by the new Ugandan president for life. Amin takes a liking to Nick--whose Scottish ancestry appeals to the general's obsession with Scotland--and offers the young doctor the position as his personal physician. It's an offer Nick can't refuse, not that he tries too hard to do so. After all, it's a rather prestigious post, better than working in the bush, and Amin is a dynamic and charismatic figure. There've been some rumors, but there are always rumors. Amin doesn't seem so bad, no worse than dozens of others in his position...not yet.
And so begins Nick's journey towards the heart of darkness and the beast who dwells there, propelled on his way by a quickening series of rationalizations, compromises, and choices that slowly erode his conscience and leave him a victim of circumstances. In the end, it's all too clear and all too late. Idi Amin is a monster and Garrigan is his doctor, his confidant, and his apologist--if only because by explaining Amin, Garrigan explains himself.
Fiction in which major historical personages like Amin play a major role always runs the risk of straining credulity, ringing false, or offering a pale imitation of the original. What with truth being stranger than fiction and all. Especially such recent, bizarre, and well-documented history. How do you top the real-life stories of cannibalism, the heads in the freezer, etc.? But Foden does a remarkable job in breathing life into Amin's larger-than-life persona and his many notorious exploits. Foden is equally remarkable in his portrayal of Nicholas Garrigan. Written in the first person, supposedly as a journal, Foden so convincingly and engagingly describes everything from the presenting symptoms of rare (and disgusting) tropical diseases to field dressing gunshot wounds, you'd think Garrigan must be a doctor himself, or at the very least, had some sort of extensive medical training, although his author bio doesn't mention either. His Uganda is so vividly realized you don't doubt his narrator for an instant. In any event, the cumulative result is a novel that often doesn't read like fiction at all, but the memoir it's fictionally supposed to be. Only towards the end of *Last King* does this verisimilitude quaver a bit with the doctor's final confrontations with Amin and the consequences of Garrigan's Ugandan adventure with the British government and media. But this is a novel, after all, and while *Last King* makes an intelligent "thriller" Foden also does a perfectly credible job of speaking for Amin, who is himself a very effective mouthpiece for the heart of darkness--by turns seductive and horrific, satanic and angelic, the source of a running stream-of-conscious monologue that expresses the ongoing dialectic between good and evil in our own hearts; a debate we begin uneasily to suspect--not the least of which in our own fascination with figures such as Amin--is not strictly a matter of either/or.
An old-school novel of adventure and ideas, politics and moral dilemma made new again for our ambivalent and morally bankrupt age, *The Last King of Scotland* might very well be a genuine classic itself one of these days and it's depiction of an "innocent" man's journey to the Kurtz of the late 20th century take on even more mythic proportions. Until then, it's a timely, exciting, and excellently written story you'll find hard to put down until you run out of pages--and even harder to forget when you do.
Idi Amin rules (this book).......2007-07-29
So of course, my title refers to the character of Idi Amin rather than the man himself. In his first novel, Giles Foden tells the story of Nicholas Garrigan, a Scottish doctor who becomes Idi Amin's personal physician after the madman's rise to power in Uganda. Garrigan is personally torn between the facts of Amin's cruel military dictatorship, which he gets first- and second-hand, and the charms of the man in the flesh. This novel is told from the point of view of Garrigan writing his memoir of sorts, so that he is able to reflect on his time in Uganda and his connections (or lack thereof) with the atrocities committed there.
I wanted to read this book before seeing the movie, so now I have reason to get myself to the rental store. Tales of Forrest Whittaker's performance echo among the treetops, but in reading this book, it becomes clear that Whittaker had great material to work with. Foden's portrayal of Amin is masterful--Amin is a character larger than life in both his horror and energy and maybe even charisma, yet somehow identifiable, which is what makes him all the more scary. From his sermon from the platform of a device that lets him emerge almost god-like from a pool, a sermon he gives while chowing down on chicken and soda, to his moments of dementia when in his torture dungeon, Amin is a superb character, well worth the hatred and planning done by other characters in this book, plans to overthrow him and even kill him, plans that of course sometimes cross Doctor Garrigan's path. There is a moment later in the book, during the time of the anticipated downfall, that gets almost too unreal, too horror-movie, and Foden doesn't really convince during that chapter, which is unfortunate, because he succeeds quite well with Amin through most of the rest of the book.
But also, Doctor Garrigan's introduction of sorts, the situating of his life and viewpoints in the days before meeting Amin, was much less than interesting. I found myself glancing through many of these paragraphs rather than avidly reading them. Only when Amin came full force into the story did I finally know what drive I was missing, but unfortunately Doctor Garrigan and the historical background takes up the first 120 pages of the book or so.
It seems to be a kind of unwinnable trap that Foden fell into and couldn't quite figure a way out. Clearly, Amin himself would not have served well as the primary focus of this book. His psychology was too wavering, and I had no interest in finding out the source of his being. Garrigan was a much more human character, with a moral, ethical and philosophical dilemma that is clearly the stuff of good fiction, but ultimately he does not pan out as an engaging figure to center the book on. As alluded to before, Foden's work with Amin is strong enough to pull this book through in the end, but the overall framework left a little to be desired. A good read, once you get past the obligatory set-up and character spotlights to get the real narrative going.
Great read........2007-07-24
The Last King of Scotland is a first book by Giles Foden. It takes place in Uganda, from the viewpoint of a young English physician. It is an intriguing read and complex enough to almost be a mystery novel but is based on the true story. I saw the movie before reading the book and that sequence just enhanced the reading. The book outdoes the movie, except for Forest Witaker,the "Last King of Scotland." Read it and find out what happens!
good..not great though.......2007-04-17
This book was ok. I liked the characters, however I felt like I got lost sometimes in the dialogue and it moved a little slow at times and didn't make sense to me.
You definitely believe the plight of Dr Garrigan and feel sorry for him as when he finally wants to escape it is too late.
I guess the ending kinda surprised me as there was no redemption for Dr Garrigan, he didn't get to have any revenge on Idi.
This was a page-turner for me albeit a slow one though. I didn't really get sucked in like I do with a great book. So I call this book good, not great.
Boring........2007-04-10
I was expecting a memoir about Idi Amin to be a little more eventful than this book. It was too detail oriented and got going way too slowly. The last hundred pages were great, but you have to wade through a lot before you get there.
Amazon.com
"I am a Scotsman," Sir Walter Scott famously wrote, "therefore I had to fight my way into the world." So did any number of his compatriots over a period of just a few centuries, leaving their native country and traveling to every continent, carving out livelihoods and bringing ideas of freedom, self-reliance, moral discipline, and technological mastery with them, among other key assumptions of what historian Arthur Herman calls the "Scottish mentality."
It is only natural, Herman suggests, that a country that once ranked among Europe's poorest, if most literate, would prize the ideal of progress, measured "by how far we have come from where we once were." Forged in the Scottish Enlightenment, that ideal would inform the political theories of Francis Hutcheson, Adam Smith, and David Hume, and other Scottish thinkers who viewed "man as a product of history," and whose collective enterprise involved "nothing less than a massive reordering of human knowledge" (yielding, among other things, the Encyclopaedia Britannica, first published in Edinburgh in 1768, and the Declaration of Independence, published in Philadelphia just a few years later). On a more immediately practical front, but no less bound to that notion of progress, Scotland also fielded inventors, warriors, administrators, and diplomats such as Alexander Graham Bell, Andrew Carnegie, Simon MacTavish, and Charles James Napier, who created empires and great fortunes, extending Scotland's reach into every corner of the world.
Herman examines the lives and work of these and many more eminent Scots, capably defending his thesis and arguing, with both skill and good cheer, that the Scots "have by and large made the world a better place rather than a worse place." --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
Who formed the first modern nation?
Who created the first literate society?
Who invented our modern ideas of democracy and free market capitalism?
The Scots.
Mention of Scotland and the Scots usually conjures up images of kilts, bagpipes, Scotch whisky, and golf. But as historian and author Arthur Herman demonstrates, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries Scotland earned the respect of the rest of the world for its crucial contributions to science, philosophy, literature, education, medicine, commerce, and politics—contributions that have formed and nurtured the modern West ever since.
Arthur Herman has charted a fascinating journey across the centuries of Scottish history. He lucidly summarizes the ideas, discoveries, and achievements that made this small country facing on the North Atlantic an inspiration and driving force in world history. Here is the untold story of how John Knox and the Church of Scotland laid the foundation for our modern idea of democracy; how the Scottish Enlightenment helped to inspire both the American Revolution and the U.S. Constitution; and how thousands of Scottish immigrants left their homes to create the American frontier, the Australian outback, and the British Empire in India and Hong Kong.
How the Scots Invented the Modern World reveals how Scottish genius for creating the basic ideas and institutions of modern life stamped the lives of a series of remarkable historical figures, from James Watt and Adam Smith to Andrew Carnegie and Arthur Conan Doyle, and how Scottish heroes continue to inspire our contemporary culture, from William “Braveheart” Wallace to James Bond.
Victorian historian John Anthony Froude once proclaimed, “No people so few in number have scored so deep a mark in the world’s history as the Scots have done.” And no one who has taken this incredible historical trek, from the Highland glens and the factories and slums of Glasgow to the California Gold Rush and the search for the source of the Nile, will ever view Scotland and the Scots—or the modern West—in the same way again. For this is a story not just about Scotland: it is an exciting account of the origins of the modern world and its consequences.
“The point of this book is that being Scottish turns out to be more than just a matter of nationality or place of origin or clan or even culture. It is also a state of mind, a way of viewing the world and our place in it. . . . This is the story of how the Scots created the basic idea of modernity. It will show how that idea transformed their own culture and society in the eighteenth century, and how they carried it with them wherever they went. Obviously, the Scots did not do everything by themselves: other nations—Germans, French, English, Italians, Russians, and many others—have their place in the making of the modern world. But it is the Scots more than anyone else who have created the lens through which we see the final product. When we gaze out on a contemporary world shaped by technology, capitalism, and modern democracy, and struggle to find our place as individuals in it, we are in effect viewing the world as the Scots did. . . . The story of Scotland in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries is one of hard-earned triumph and heart-rending tragedy, spilled blood and ruined lives, as well as of great achievement.”
—FROM THE PREFACE
Customer Reviews:
A valuable history lesson and food for thought.......2007-10-12
An amazing revelation of a small country's enormous contributions to freedom and knowledge with special relationship to the founding of our country. Negative, condescending stereotypes are exploded.
A must-read!.......2007-09-26
An absolute must-read for anyone interested in how the principles and values that America was founded on came to be...I couldn't help but wonder after reading this inspiring book, why there isn't some type of national recognition for the Scots like those that exist for other cultures (St. Patrick's Day for the Irish, Columbus Day for the Italians, etc.).
Excellent Book.......2007-08-23
I was lent a copy of this book and liked it so much that I bought one for myself. It gives a very good background on the Scottish culture and the development of the philosophy that underlies it. It covers a very broad area and the way it is written, makes for very good reading.
Excellent.......2007-08-15
This book was a Christmas gift and I recently finished reading it. I had fairly low expectations going in, but my interest was held all the way through. Mr. Herman does indeed make a strong case for Scots leading the way in many aspects of modern society, although I would say that declaring that Scots invented the modern world is rather speculative. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed this book and was especially interested in how Scots helped shape the United States and Canada with highlanders generally siding with the monarchy and migrating to Canada as Loyalists after the War of Independence and lowlanders siding with the revolutionaries. An excellent read if you are interested in Scottish or New World history.
The Miracle of the Scottish Enlightenment.......2007-04-20
How did it come about that between 1700 and 1800 a small undeveloped European country transformed itself into a modern capitalist democracy? The title is obviously pretentious and used as a marketing gimmick. It worked on me because it convinced me to buy this book. Historian Arthur Herman is not Scottish or of Scottish descent, but he has written a very compelling chronicle of the miracle of the Scottish Enlightenment.
In 1707, the Union Act united the kingdoms of Scotland and England. Prior to this, the two antagonists living on opposite sides of Hadrian's Wall wanted nothing to do with each other. Scotland consisted mainly of primitive clans living in the highlands and slightly more advanced lowlanders living mainly in the cities of Glascow and Edinburgh. The parliament in Edinburgh was controlled by groups of noblemen who in turn were dominated by the rigid and inquisitorial Presbyterian Kirk (church) of Scotland.
After 1707, there were two developments that were crucial to Scotland's rise to modernity. The first was the opening up to the economic free trade zone of the British Empire. At first the Scottish fretted about either being swallowed-up by their world-class English competitors or becoming pauperized like the Irish. Their fears were misplaced, neither happened. Instead, the Scottish became, Herman argues, the most significant player in the the empire's economic and intellectual sphere.
The second big reason for Scottish success was their public education system - the first in Europe. This was the work of the Presbyterian Kirk. They maintained that political power, ordained by God, was vested in the people, not the monarchy or the church. The Kirk believed that all people should be able to read the Bible, and as a consequence they achieved a 75% literacy rate - unprecedented in 1750.
Near-universal education produced in this tiny country a disproportionate number of world-class thinkers - David Hume, Francis Hutchison, and Adam Smith, to name a few. They transformed the fields of philosophy, history, economics, education, commerce, architecture, and many more. Due to their mutual animosity toward the English, the Scots found inspiration from the great thinkers of the French Enlightenment, and vice versa. It was Voltaire who said that, "We look to Scotland for all of our ideas of civilization."
As for Herman's claim that the Scots invented the modern world, it should be taken with a grain of salt. In the free trade zone of the British Empire, commerce and ideas flowed both ways. It can be said that the Scots did much to improve or make new existing ideas, and in some cases invent; but they did not singlehandedly invent the modern world.
The Scottish Enlightenment was not without its dark side. The modernizing of the Scottish Highlands was anything but civilized. Before the Scots exported the ideas of goverment and commerce abroad, it had to brutally convert some of its own population. Herman also sidesteps the ugly fact that the Scots were deeply involved in the slave trade and the Klu Klux Klan in the US, and in the opium trade in China - recall the trading companies of Jardine Matheson and Hutchison Whampoa originally spoke with a Scottish burr. Not to say that they invented either of these unseemly businesses, but they certainly flourished in them.
Nevertheless, Professor Herman is a gifted writer and he is exceptionally good at explaining the many geniuses that populated this tiny country during the 18th century.
Book Description
In the tradition of Seabiscuit, the riveting tale of twoproud Scotsmen who beat all comers to become the heroesof a golden age—the dawn of professional golf
Bringing to life golf's founding father and son, Tommy's Honor is a stirring tribute to two legendary players and a vivid evocation of their colorful, rip-roaring times.
The Morrises were towering figures in their day. Old Tom, born in 1821,began life as a nobody— he was the son of a weaver and a maid. But he was born in St. Andrews, Scotland, the cradle of golf, and the game was in his blood. He became the Champion Golfer of Scotland, a national hero who won tournaments (and huge bets) while his young son looked on. As "Keeper of the Green" at the town's ancient links, Tom deployed golf's first lawnmower and banished sheep from the fairways.
Then Young Tommy's career took off. Handsome Tommy Morris, the Tiger Woods of the nineteenth century, was a more daring player than his father. Soon he surpassed Old Tom and dominated the game. But just as he reached his peak—with spectators flocking to see him play— Tommy's life took a tragic turn, leading to his death at the age of twenty-four. That shock is at the heart of Tommy's Honor. It left Tom to pick up the pieces—to honor his son by keeping Tommy's memory alive.
Like the New York Times bestseller The Greatest Game Ever Played, Tommy's Honor is both fascinating history and a moving personal saga. Golfers will love it, but this book isn't only for golfers. It's for every son who has fought to escape a father's shadow and for every father who had guided a son toward manhood, then found it hard to let him go.
Customer Reviews:
A wonderful piece of scholarship told beautifully.......2007-09-17
If I were to recommend a single book to read about the famous Morris family, it would be Kevin Cook's Tommy's Honor: The Story of Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris, Golf's Founding Father and Son. Many of us know the familiar history of these men - of Old Tom's falling out with famous ball maker and player Allan Robertson, and of Young Tom dying of a broken heart on Christmas Day. This book goes beyond that and reveals fascinating layers of their lives previously unexamined.
This work is a wonderfully crafted narrative along the lines of Mark Frost's The Greatest Game Ever Played. It draws on facts gleaned from numerous sources, including contemporary newspaper accounts, and creates a compelling story of father and son. We are taken inside their lives in equal measure. We can feel the cold water of St. Andrews Bay as Old Tom goes for his morning swim, we are inside Allan Robertson's kitchen as Tom makes feathery balls for him. We witness his big money matches, we move with Tom, wife Nancy and baby Tommy to Prestwick, we win Opens with him and then return to St. Andrews and follow Young Tom's ascendency to golf immortality.
The enduring impact Old Tom had as Keeper of the Green at St. Andrews and his lasting legacy on the game of golf is developed quite thoroughly. Cook even touches on the class differences between Tom and the men of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews he served. Old Tom is portrayed as a man with great dedication to his family and profession. Beyond that, he also possessed a steady, dignified grace. The following passages are illustrative of both Cook's scholarship and expressive style:
"For greens other than the one at the wet High Hole he used clay pipes as hole liners. The pipes, made in nearby Kincaple, happened to be four and a quarter inches in diameter. Due to a quirk of the Kincaple brickworks, four and a half inches became the standard diameter of the cup on every green. While Tom mended the course, his son hit balls. Tommy's swing would be imitated by a generation of golfers who saw themselves as his apostles."
"Watching his father kneel to tee up another man's ball set Tommy's teeth on edge. Tom, unbothered, said there was an art to making a sand tee just the right height for a golfer's swing, and applying a drop of spit to the back of the ball so that a few grains of sand stuck to it, adding backspin when it landed. There was no shame in kneeling, he said. Had not our Savior told his followers to render unto Caesar? After all, Tom said, it was not his immortal soul that bent, only his knee."
Cook's research is impressive and thorough, as he weaves together such diverse subjects as ball and club making with the development of the Old Course itself and the players who challenged the Morris's for golfing supremacy. This is done seamlessly and leaves the reader wanting to learn more about these wonderful characters.
Of special interest are new insights concerning Tommy's wife Margaret Drinnen, a "woman with a past," as the Victorian standards of the day would have labeled her. She bore an illegitimate child before moving to St. Andrews and marrying Young Tom. Less than a year later she died during childbirth, and Tommy tragically succumbed three months later of a pulmonary embolism. His early death has frozen in time our romanticized image of him.
Old Tom Morris carried on, survivor that he was. As he once said late in life, "I've had my troubles and my trials...and with the help of my God and of golf, I've gotten through somehow or another." His beloved wife Nancy, already an invalid, died just seventeen days after Tommy. Son Jack, who had been born with deformed legs, died in 1893; daughter Elizabeth passed away suddenly in 1898; and his son Jamie in 1906. Tom survived them all.
Cook has done a great service with this book. One can read Tulloch's Life of Tom Morris and come away with a better knowledge of the lives of Old and Young Tom, but it is a dry book written a century ago. Like David Joy's Scrapbook of Old Tom Morris (2001), Tommy's Honor offers a fresh look at a familiar subject.
Bob Furgeson, British Open champion (1880-82) once said that nerve, enthusiasm, and practice were the three essentials to succeed in golf. But to be great requires the gift. Tommy Morris had a gift for golf, and Kevin Cook has helped us understand the nature of that gift and the human and spiritual elements that fostered it.
Tommy's Honor.......2007-08-28
This work by Kevin Cook is the best historical golf book I have ever read. Cook brings the characters to life by providing personal insights he garnered through research of local newspapers and other articles he was able to find about Old Tom and and Young Tom Morris. It is a remarkable tale that reveals details about mid 19th century life and golf in Scotland in a way that has never been accomplished before.
I highly recommend the book to any and all readers who have an interest in the beginnings of the game of golf and its founding fathers.
Bringing Old Tom & Young Tom back to life.......2007-05-20
The mythology of St. Andrews and "Old" and "Young" Tom Morris is well known amongst most golfers with at least a passing interest in the game's history and historic figures. We know about Old Tom's innovations at St. Andrews (which was his second stop as a head greenskeeper and teacher, lasting 44 years) and Young Tom's British Open success (he won four straight championships), but it takes Kevin Cook's beautifully written account of their lives to help us really get to know them. This is a marvelous book, well-researched and well-told, about two men who had enormous impact on the game - not just at the birthplace of golf, but on its history. Reading it is a magical experience, even if you don't play the game.
Tom and Tommy Morris Come Alive Again.......2007-05-13
Kevin Cook's poignant biography of the Morrises brings Tom and Tommy alive for his readers. It's much more than a story of their lives. It's about fathers and sons, families, social classes, golf, and the birth of the touring golf professional.
Tom's story gives us a keen insight into golf and a golfer's life in the second half of the 19th century. Many aspects of golf have changed over the years and, surprisingly, many have remained exactly as they were 150 years ago.
The reason for the seemingly strange title is revealed in the final sentence of the book.
This book should be on every golfer's Best-Sellers list.
Early golf history comes to life! .......2007-05-13
If you're a golf history nut, or just interested in late 1800's-early 1900's, you'll love this book. If you just like to know more about the great game of golf, this is your book. Kevin Cook brings the world of St. Andrews and Scotland to life. You can just about smell the oil lamps burning on the streets or the low tide blowing in from the North Sea. Oh, and the history of Tom Morris and his son, Tommy, is just amazing. I felt like I was reading a novel but is was true! If you love golf or know someone that loves the game you must get this book. It's a classic.
Book Description
Two brothers fight to claim one father’s blessing.
Two sisters long to claim one man’s heart.
In the autumn of 1788, amid the moors and glens of the Scottish Lowlands, two brothers and two sisters each embark on a painful journey of discovery.
Jamie and Evan McKie both want their father Alec’s flocks and lands, yet only one brother will inherit Glentrool. Leana and Rose McBride both yearn to catch the eye of the same handsome lad, yet only one sister will be his bride.
A thorny love triangle emerges, plagued by lies and deception, jealousy and desire, hidden secrets and broken promises. Brimming with passion and drama, Thorn in My Heart brings the past to vibrant life, revealing spiritual truths that transcend time and penetrate the deepest places of the heart.
Customer Reviews:
Awesome!.......2007-09-25
Okay, I ABSOLUTLY LOVE this book and I can't wait to read the rest in the sieres!!! I cried and cried and yet I loved it! And I NEVER cry at books! I don't want to give away too much of the story (you can look at the other reviews for that) but it really made me step back and look at the story of Leah and Rachel (sp?) in a whole new way. I've always thought of Leah as being a kind of prostitute or something- throwing herself at Jacob when he was drunk. There is, of course, some sexual content, but that's to be expected. In this book there are no 'good' people or 'bad' people- it's all who you relate to and feel compassionate towards. Maybe that's why I love it. It's like real life! Twisted and wrong and right and full of sorrow and joy all molded together so that it's almost impossible to tell the difference. I love Liz Curtis Higg's books and hope she continues to write them!!!!!!!!
A girl (daughter of account holder)
Couldn't put it down!.......2007-09-06
Even though this book mirrors (loosely) the biblical story of Leah and Rachel, Higgs takes many twists and turns to create a work of fiction that will leave you emotionally stirred and shaken. Couldn't put it down! Even if you are not a fan of Christion Fiction Higgs will change your opinion in this timeless love story.
Exceptional Read.......2007-07-13
"Thorn in my Heart" was a wonderfully written book. The book's main character Leana is very believable emotionally. I cheered her on all through the book. She was flawed, BUT she repented and asked for forgiveness. Rose however, had me hoping that her character would have a change of heart, but instead, she grew more embittered and selfish. The descriptions in the book were so vivid and colorful! By the end of the book, I was craving shortbread:)
Love the Entire Series!!!.......2007-03-25
Could not put the entire series down once I started. You have to read all 3!! The author does a wonderful job of translating Scotland to the pages and you can feel the love pour out between the characters.
I highly recommend this to anyone who likes a romantic read!
THORN IN MY HEART.......2006-12-05
I ENJOYED THE BOOK. THIS BOOK GIVES THE A POINT OF VIEW FROM SCOTTISH HISTORY AND A TIME BEFORE JESUS; WHEN SUPERSITITON WAS PREVALENT AND TIED TO CHRISTIAN BELIEFS. THE STORY LINE WAS WONDERFUL. BE PREPARED THIS BOOK IS FICTIONAL. IT GIVES SOME POSSBILITIES OF HOW RACHAEL AND LEAH FELT WITH JACOB. THIS BOOK IS FOR ENJOYMENT ONLY. IF YOU WANT TRUE FACTS OF JACOB, LEAH AND RACHAEL'S STORY. READ YOUR BIBLE!!!!! READ ONE BOOK AND YOU WILL WANT TO SEE HOW ALL FOUR END; THORN IN MY HEART; FAIR IS THE ROSE' WHENCE THE PRINCE CAME, AND GRACE IN THINE EYES
Book Description
This major reference work, first published in 1946, is a fully documented alphabetical listing of over 8,000 Scottish family and personal names and is an invaluable source of information for genealogists, historians and families interested in their Scottish ancestry.
Customer Reviews:
Another Genealogy Gem.......2000-10-25
George Fraser Black, Ph.D., compiled this listing of Scottish surnames from public and other records of Scotland throughout the centuries. An impressive and detailed bibliography lists his sources. The listing includes all the variations of spelling for each name, the date when it appeared and the location, and some insights or explanation, where appropriate. The 838 page volume includes a Glossary of Obsolete or Uncommon Scots Words. This is an invaluable reference for anyone interested in Scottish genealogy. It can quickly aid the person who is unsure whether his or her ancestry is Irish or Scottish. I highly recommend this book and am proud to have it in my library.
Amazon.com
Praised for her historical fiction by critics and devoted fans alike, author Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles took the romance world by storm some 30 years ago, firmly fixing Dunnett's reputation as a master of the historical romance. The Game of Kings, the first story in The Lymond Chronicles, sets the stage for what will be a sweeping saga filled with passion, courage, and the endless fight for freedom. The setting is 1547, in Edinborough, Scotland. Francis Crawford of Lymond returns to the country despite the charge of treason hanging over his head. Set on redeeming his reputation, He leads a company of outlaws against England as he fights for the country he loves so dearly. Dangerous, quick-witted, and utterly irresistible, Lymond is pure pleasure to watch as he traverses 16th-century Scotland in search of freedom. The Game of Kings is a must-have for the historical romance connoisseur.
Book Description
For the first time Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles are available in the United States in quality paperback editions.
The first book in the legendary Lymond Chronicles,
Game of Kings takes place in 1547. Scotland has been humiliated by an English invasion and is threatened by machinations elsewhere beyond its borders, but it is still free. Paradoxically, her freedom may depend on a man who stands accused of treason: Francis Crawford of Lymond.
Customer Reviews:
Lymond Series No 1: Brilliant but not for every taste.......2007-09-06
This is the first book in a series which you will either love or hate. It is also one of those multi-book series which must if at all possible be read in the right order, which is
1) The Game of Kings
2) Queen's Play
3) The Disorderly Knights
4) Pawn in Frankincense
5) The Ringed Castle
6) Checkmate
There are two reasons why this series, and the author's similar "Niccolo" series, should be read in chronological order. The first is that the plots are incredibly complicated and if you read them out of sequence you have no chance of understanding what is going on. The second is that many of the characters meet their deaths in ways which are particularly nasty both for themselves and for the characters who survive them. I know from experience having made the mistake of reading one of the later books first, that advance knowledge of when someone is going to die, and of the horrible shock Lymond will experience when he finds out about it, can spoil the pleasure that the reader might otherwise have had when meeting that character for the first time.
Like the books the central character, Francis Crawford of Lymond, is brilliant, violent, and extremely complicated. Unlike the books he is very flawed. Lymond is a mercenary with particular interests in Scotland and France, and gets involved in nefarious deeds all over the world as 16th century Europeans knew it. Dunnett brings the splendour, cultural ferment, and violent cruelty of the Renaissance world splendidly to life.
If you are at all squeamish, or do not like having to make your brain work overtime to follow a book, leave this series alone. This story is neither "chewing gum for the brain" nor a comfortable read. And even if you prefer flawed heroes to knights in shining armour, Lymond may infuriate you from time to time. But if you can put up with these features, these books will richly reward the effort you make in reading them.
There is no middle ground: you will either hate the Lymond series or recognise these books as one of the greatest works of historical fiction ever written. Or very possibly both !
The Queen of the Genre.......2007-08-16
You have to want Dorothy Dunnett. Really want her. Because she doesn't make it easy. She throws quotes at you in Greek and Latin and French and German and Italian and Spanish and doesn't supply you with translation. Which makes the first 100 pages of this book a bear.
Bear with it, though, because once you're in, you're in for six books and the most wild, romantic, painful, exciting ride of your literary life. I have never felt an emotional punch the like of hers.
This book is the introduction to Francis Crawford of Lymond - scoundrel, rogue, and wit. He typifies everything that is bubbling in the Renaissance - a restless spirit, trying to find a new way through the world. Outlawed from the word go, we're never sure what side he's on, which is as it should be. He is his own man. A man any of us would loathe, and yet follow into Hell.
There's a similar character in The Master of Verona, based on both historical fact and Lymond - Cangrande della Scala. Once you've finished the Lymond Chronicles, check that out, too.
For those struggling with the foreign language quotes.......2007-08-10
in this outstanding series, there's help available. Check out the two volumes of the Dorothy Dunnett Companion, which has translations and sources of all the quotes and music references, bios of historic characters involved and lots more, for both the Lymond and Nicolo series.
But these are great books even without, though I confess to knowing enough of Latin, a couple of Romance languages and German to have gotten by with all of them back when they were first published. But don't let that stop you enjoying these outstanding history based novels. The Game of Kings is an all time favorite of mine. The Lymond Series especially has borne up well under repeated readings over 4 decades.
And don't miss the standalone novel about Macbeth, King Hereafter, reputed to have been Dunnett's own choice.
The finest work of historical fiction ever.......2007-06-01
I first read this book in the late 90s, and ravenously consumed the rest of Dunnett's work.
She masterfully reveals her characters and her plot over time in words and actions which, assuming you catch nuance, is absolutely enthralling. As a reader, things that you thought you understood about her world are completely undone and recast. Heroes are villains, criminals heroic. Love and loyalty are wrapped in ambivalence and disregard. Apparent happenstance is revealed to be meticulously plotted and controlled by her genius protagonist. It is a challenging read, and not for the lazy minded, but I have never read anything more rewarding.
The Thinking Woman's Historical Novels.......2007-05-15
I am on my tenth read of Dorothy Dunnett's novels collectively known as The Lymond Chronicles. They have everthing historical novels should have, but tenfold. The Game of Kings is the first, and can be read in isolation quite satisfyingly (Dunnett has a special talent for really satisfying endings). But why stop there. I encourage you to read the entire series, over and over again. They are never boring and for the enquiring mind there is always something new to learn with each reading. And Francis Crawford of Lymond is the hero to end all heroes. What more could you ask for??
Book Description
Juliet Marillier continues the epic fantasy begun with The Dark Mirror, which Interzone called: "A fascinating evocation of life in Pictish England and an emotional roller coaster of a story." King Bridei is a man with a mission. His wish to unite his kingdom seems almost within his grasp but there are forces working to undo his dream. He sends Faolan, his most trusted advisor (who is also a master assassin and spymaster) out into the world to ferret out the truth of who is friend and who is foe. Along the way Faolan will uncover many truths. Some may hold the key to Bridei's future. But more important, they may unlock the secrets that Faolan has held deep within his soul for decades. And offer him the chance of redemption.
Customer Reviews:
Gripping page-turner in the continuing Bridei Chronicles.......2007-09-27
Juliet Marillier's written another winner in her third installment of the Bridei Chronicles.
"The Well of Shades" takes place almost immediately after the second book ("Blade of Fortriu") ends. A heartbroken Faolan returns to his homeland to complete an intelligence mission for Bridei, while also confronting the ghosts of his past. A side quest to inform Deord's family of his death brings Deord's daughter, Eile, into his life. Already open to his emotions (a result of his friendship with Ana from Book Two), his relationship with Eile helps him learn to heal and to love.
Book Three continues to focus on Faolan's road to rediscovery and learning how to feel again. Providing a fascinating backdrop is Bridei's leading Fortriu in a tenuous peace shortly after a great war (Book Two) and in the face of a rapidly changing political climate. A smaller side plot involves Broichan coming to terms with his past and a devious schemer from the Light Isles.
Overshadowing all the events is Bridei's concern that he has offended the Nameless God by not continuing the human sacrifice ceremony at the Well of Shades. But the Well and the ritual itself are just a reflection of the characters' need to come to terms with their past.
While the first two books focus more on the actions of the characters, Book Three really delves into the underlying motivations of the people of Fortriu. We learn more about the characters as their carefully constructed worlds fall apart and they learn to deal with that. Gripping and emotionally intense, this book (and series) is highly recommended.
Weaves Her Old Magic.......2007-07-23
Marillier is back on track with her Chronicles here. She brings in new characters, develops changes in old ones, twines them together, sprikles on some passion dust, and viola! Who would not be enchanted once again? It's like I've always said about her, she tells this story, and for myself, I feel like an adult version of the child Saraid in this novel, I want that over and over. I find this story and the setting deeply satisfying. I will say the time she portrays to me always feels historically somewhat later than what she is writing about, but I do not care, she does what she does better than almost anyone writing this sort of fantasy. I'm thinking she's got enough started here with the next generation to be able to arc this story through more time yet, and I certainly hope she does just that.
Best Juliet Marillier book yet.......2007-06-06
Juliet Marillier's The Well of Shades combines poetic writing with strong character development in this third installment of the Bridei Chronicles. The two main characters, Faolan and Eile, are among the most realistic characters Juliet has ever portrayed. Both of these characters share tragic pasts, but with the help of each other, work to overcome them. Juliet Marillier did an excellent job at interweaving multiple storylines in this novel without neglecting any characters or plots. As always, the historic setting of Marillier's work draws readers in to a new world, filled with love, war, earthly spirits, magic and transformation- in both body and soul. Readers of the previous two books will be amazed at the heart warming development of Faolan and Broichan.
This is by far Juliet Marillier's best book yet (And all of her books are worth 5 stars), but new readers should be advised to at least read Blade of Fortriu first.
exciting historical fantasy .......2007-05-16
In the sixth-century, bard and king's spy, Fortriu Faolan of the Uí Néill clan has been assigned three complex and difficult tasks. Pict King Bridei orders Faolan to locate a cleric Colmcille. For himself, Faolan needs to go home to Erin to make peace with his family whom he left behind a decade ago after they were all devastated with the death of his oldest brother. Finally the hardest task of all of all is that he owes his late friend Deord the courtesy of informing the man's family that he died.
Faolan travels to Cloud Hill to deal with the most demanding of his chores, but finds an even more formidable task awaits him when he meets Deord's indigent sixteen years old daughter, Eile and her infant. He puts his personal quest and that of his monarch on hold to escort the child and grandchild of his brother in arms back to the safety of King Bridei's court. However, instead of returning to his mission, he and Eile become entangled in a scheme to destroy Bridei's half-fey son, Derelei. Bridei' enemies hope tis he beginning of the end of the ruler's dream to unite the country under his rule.
Book Three of the exciting historical fantasy Bridei Chronicles (see THE DARK MIRROR and BLADE OF FORTRIU) is a terrific entry as the audience learns more about the pasts of Bridei and Faolan. The story line is fast-paced and will elate fans of the series yet newcomers will have no problem understanding the plot as it can stand alone. Readers will enjoy Faolan's latest escapades as he teams up with the teenage daughter of his late friend.
Harriet Klausner
Customer Reviews:
No need to avoid Shakespeare anymore.......2005-04-12
I consider myself to be a reasonably literate individual but, I have always avoided Shakespeare since I cannot make sense of the text. But now, I have fianally read Macbeth because, with "No Fear Shakespeare," each left hand page is written in the original whereas the right hand page is a plain English translation. So now I know, that when a porter says "it makes him stand to and not stand to," he is not referring about someone standing up on his feet. Instead, it means that alcoholic drinks make a man have an erection but then, lose the erection. How true is that and how cool is it to be able to understand that? Seriously, Macbeth is a great tale of ambition, deception and conscience. Thanks to this innovative book, I was able to read the original, then, after reading each page, I referred to the translation so I could understand. It was fun to read lines in the original, try to work out what I thought it meant and then check whether I was right. I recommend this as a way finally read and appreciate Macbeth.
very helpful.......2005-03-19
The translation is clear and it helps immensely that it is side by side with the actual text. That way it's easy to fully understand the meaning behing Shakespeare's language.
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