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An Utterly Impartial History of Britain: (or 2000 Years of Upper Class Idiots in Charge)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Europe
by: John O'Farrell

May 05, 2008
I thoroughly enjoyed this hysterical "romp" through two thousand years of British History; its well over 25 years since I was at school and was taught at lot of this in History lessons, but its amazing how much you forget or just didn't take in first time around.

John O'Farrell has taken his time and done his research and writes with such interest and humour that its probably the first time i've giggled out aloud whilst reading a history book! I absolutely recommend this book to anyone, its an easy read, not stuffy or pretentious and really brings alive the wonderful, rich history of our small but definitely not insignificant British Isles.....

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The Duchess

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Europe
by: Amanda Foreman

August 04, 2008
I thoroughly enjoyed this hysterical "romp" through two thousand years of British History; its well over 25 years since I was at school and was taught at lot of this in History lessons, but its amazing how much you forget or just didn't take in first time around.

John O'Farrell has taken his time and done his research and writes with such interest and humour that its probably the first time i've giggled out aloud whilst reading a history book! I absolutely recommend this book to anyone, its an easy read, not stuffy or pretentious and really brings alive the wonderful, rich history of our small but definitely not insignificant British Isles.....

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The Discovery of France

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Europe
by: Graham Robb

July 04, 2008
This is one of the most enjoyable books i have read in recent years, written in a wonderful accessible style, it contains marvellous detail, and unusual facts about all aspects of France. This is really a first class book, and a great summer read.

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Sissinghurst: An Unfinished History

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Europe
by: Adam Nicolson

September 01, 2008
This is one of the most enjoyable books i have read in recent years, written in a wonderful accessible style, it contains marvellous detail, and unusual facts about all aspects of France. This is really a first class book, and a great summer read.

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Katherine Swynford: The Story of John of Gaunt and His Scandalous Duchess

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Europe
by: Alison Weir

August 07, 2008
I was disappointed. Katherine Swynford is barely a ghost in this book. On the other hand we learn an enormous amount about the cast of hundreds who knew or were related or even contemporary with her. The book jumps around a great deal as well, filling in history about people I had no interest in and drifting away from what was supposed to be the main theme. That was confusing. As there were no facts to hang Katherine's character or life experience on, this was a dry and very lifeless read. It did follow John of Gaunt's life closely although he never came to real life between the pages either, which would be my most serious criticism. There's also a lot about Geoffrey Chaucer but I didn't buy the book to find out about him!

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The White War: Life and Death on the Italian Front, 1915-1919

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Europe
by: Mark Thompson

September 04, 2008
I was disappointed. Katherine Swynford is barely a ghost in this book. On the other hand we learn an enormous amount about the cast of hundreds who knew or were related or even contemporary with her. The book jumps around a great deal as well, filling in history about people I had no interest in and drifting away from what was supposed to be the main theme. That was confusing. As there were no facts to hang Katherine's character or life experience on, this was a dry and very lifeless read. It did follow John of Gaunt's life closely although he never came to real life between the pages either, which would be my most serious criticism. There's also a lot about Geoffrey Chaucer but I didn't buy the book to find out about him!

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Singled Out: How Two Million Women Survived without Men After the First World War: How Two Million Women Survived Without Men After the First World War

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Europe
by: Virginia Nicholson

June 05, 2008
Unlike a previous reviewer I thought there really was a representative cross section of women featured in the book, and the author came up with some quite obscure biographical details to bring the situations of women in the twenties and thirties alive. What comes across is the genuine sense of loss that some felt at being denied the chance of having a family, and the often ground-breaking successes they achieved once they decided to channel their energies in other directions. The last chapter which records these achievements is particularly uplifting, and the author herself conveys a quiet pride in what they did.

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The Six Wives of Henry VIII

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Europe
by: Alison Weir

November 22, 2007
An extremely readable book. The author gives a wonderfully real picture of the wives and the King and why the various relationships ultimately ended. History comes alive in this book and I can't pay a higher compliment than that.

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Mein Kampf

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Europe
by: Adolf Hitler

November 21, 2007
Well, may be I m going against the flow here, but this book, is one of the most boring, poorly written, waste of money and paper i ve ever read for ages.. Its full of hate, written by a guy who throw up his bitterness and hate of everything non German during pages after pages after pages..., like you would throw up when You re drunk....

It s brilliant to put you to sleep if you ve got insomnia though...

we all know about the context in which it was written and what it lead to. so, no need to make some fuss about it and call it a must read. when it s an absolute piece of human junk.and fuel for hate...
well. i read it.. did not like it, .. but that s my personal opinion.

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A Daughter's Love: Thomas and Margaret More

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Europe
by: John Guy

July 01, 2008
Well, may be I m going against the flow here, but this book, is one of the most boring, poorly written, waste of money and paper i ve ever read for ages.. Its full of hate, written by a guy who throw up his bitterness and hate of everything non German during pages after pages after pages..., like you would throw up when You re drunk....

It s brilliant to put you to sleep if you ve got insomnia though...

we all know about the context in which it was written and what it lead to. so, no need to make some fuss about it and call it a must read. when it s an absolute piece of human junk.and fuel for hate...
well. i read it.. did not like it, .. but that s my personal opinion.