The Story of Britain

The Story of Britain From the Norman Conquest to the European Union by Patrick Dillon. 2011. Candlewick Press. 352 pages.

From the introduction: Long ago, on the eastern edge of the Atlantic Ocean, there were two islands.

The title for this one says it all. The introduction takes readers from 55 BC to 1066 AD. And the remaining chapters cover the years 1066 to 1999. There are six sections: "The Middle Ages," "The Tudors," "The Stuarts," "The Georgians," "The Victorians," and "The Twentieth Century." So what kinds of things get covered in the entries? Well. Kings. Queens. Parliaments. Wars. Revolutions. Invasions. Religious Conflicts. Politics. Economics. Social class divisions. Scientists and inventors. Explorers and empire-builders. A few influential authors. A little bit of everything really. It isn't just about the monarchy. It isn't just about the wars Britain has taken part in through the centuries. Though both of those take up a significant place in the book. The book also tries to cover Scotland and Ireland and Wales.

The Story of Britain is concise and creative. Within the entries themselves, readers will find it almost impossible to find a date. (I'm guessing that the author did NOT want to be like a text book and use dates to bridge together sentences like "And then this happened. And then this happened. And then this happened.) The dates are instead found within the timeline at the end of each section. The text itself is casual and conversational. And you might say creative. He gives voice to a variety of people in society--groups of people and individuals--by using dialogue. (Most entries have quotation marks--but many of these quotation marks are not quoting a *real* source. Though of course some are. The quotation marks that rely on primary sources or reference materials use italics so readers know what's what.) I'm not sure how I feel about this really. On the one hand, I think it keeps the book light and conversational. But on the other hand, I like to keep fiction and nonfiction separate from one another. And the narrator of this one definitely is not as objective as he could be--as he should be perhaps? I could definitely see some of his statements as having an agenda. For better or worse. I mean when you write with a message, with an agenda, with a slant--readers will either already agree with you because they share your views OR not agree with you because they don't share your viewpoint on that particular issue. While I suppose any history book--any text book--could be seen as having bias, of not really being as objective as it could be, I found this one noticeably so.

Did I like it? In places. I found it informative and reader-friendly. There were gaps in my education--and my education for British history basically came from my literature courses and my love for historical fiction--and this book helped me connect the dots. I don't think I loved it. Not as much as I was hoping. But. It was still an entertaining read.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , Candlewick , Nonfiction , review copy , YA nonfiction

What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew

What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew: From Fox Hunting to Whist -- The Facts of Daily Life in 19th Century England. Daniel Pool. 1994. Simon & Schuster. 416 pages. 

I enjoyed reading What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew. I enjoyed reading about various aspects of life in 19th Century England. I won't lie. There were chapters and sections more appealing, more interesting than others. (I'll admit to "skimming" the sections on lawyers.) But, for the most part, I enjoyed it. I liked all the bookish references. I would say most--if not all--sections reference at least one or two British authors. Charles Dickens and Jane Austen, of course, but also including Anthony Trollope, Emily and Charlotte Bronte, Thomas Hardy, George Eliot, etc. (Sadly, he does not include Elizabeth Gaskell or Wilkie Collins.) He takes the time to name specific characters and situations from specific books to highlight and illustrate social customs. Readers may not be familiar with all of these characters, and sometimes what he says about a book could be considered spoilerish. But since these are books that have been around over a hundred years, keeping things spoiler free isn't a necessity.

This one is in two parts. (I read the first part. The second part is a glossary.) As you can see, it covers a little bit of everything--both public and private.

The Basics:

• Currency, 
• The Calendar, 
• Hogsheads and Drams: English Measurement, 
• England, 
• London.

The Public World:

• Precedence: Of Bishops, Barristers, and Baronets,
• The Titled,
• How To Address Your Betters
• Esq., Gentl., KCB., etc.
• Status: Gentlemen and Lesser Folk
• Society: Society and "The Season," Basic Etiquette, How To Address the Nontitled, "May I Have This Dance?', The Rules of Whist and Other Card Games, Calling Cards and Calls, 
• The Major Rituals: Presentation at Court, The Dinner Party, The Ball, The Country House Visit
• Money: Being Wealthy, Entail and Protecting the Estate, Bankruptcy, Debt, and Moneylending
• Power and the Establishment: The Government, Britannia Rules the Waves, The Army, The Church of England, Oxford and Cambridge, Schools, "The Law Is An Ass," Lawyers, Crime and Punishment

Transition:

• The Horse
• Please, James, the Coach
• The Railroad
• The Mail

The Country:

• Life on the Farm
• The Midlands, Wessex, and Yorkshire
• Who's Who in the Country
• Shire and Shire Alike: Local Government in Britain
• "The Theory and System of Fox Hunting"
• Vermin, Poachers, and Keepers
• Fairs and Markets

The Private World:

• "Reader, I Married Him"
• Sex
• An Englishman's Home
• Houses with Names
• Furniture
• Lighting
• How the English Kept Clean
• "Please, Sir, I Want Some More."
• Pudding!
• Tea
• Drink and the Evils Thereof
• Women's Clothing
• Men's Clothing
• Servants
• The Governess
• A Taxonomy of Maids
• Victorian Recycling

The Grim World:

• The Orphan
• Occupations
• Apprentices
• The Workhouse
• Disease
• Doctors
• Death and Other Grave Matters

And if you'd like to read Jane Austen or Charles Dickens for the Classics Circuit blog tour, you've still got through tomorrow--April 19th--to sign up!

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 1994 , adult nonfiction , library book , Nonfiction , Simon and Schuster

Nonfiction Monday: Your Baby Is Speaking To You

Your Baby Is Speaking To You: A Visual Guide to the Amazing Behaviors of Your Newborn and Growing Baby. Dr. Kevin Nugent. Photographs by Abelardo Morell. 2011. January 2011. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 106 pages.

I loved the premise of this one. It is a reader-friendly book that can be used as a "tool" to help parents understand and appreciate their baby's body language.The book focuses specifically on newborns. It covers just the first few months of life. (I would have loved to see it cover even more.)

It is divided into seven sections: Sleeping, Crying, Eating (The Sleeping Baby, Deep Sleep, Light Sleep, The Full Cry, Fussing, The Search Response, Feeding), The Amazing Newborn (The Fencer Response, Hand to Mouth, The Sleep Smile, First Steps, Hands, Pre-Reaching, The Smile of Discovery, Crawling, Feet, Yawning), Your Baby's Senses (Responding to Sounds, Visual Exploration, Touch, Cuddliness, The Not Very Cuddly Baby), Settling In (Startles, Drowsiness, Overstimulation, Signs of Distress, Soothability, The Not Easily Settled Baby), The Social Newborn (Looking Into Your Eyes, Feeding and Communication, The Power of Your Voice, Imitation, Learning, Temperament, The Social Smile), The Growing Baby (Reaching Out, Exploring, Empathy, Learning to Love), Parent and Baby and the Lifelong Bond. Six of the sections are divided into chapters.

This one has great layout. Each "chapter" is two pages. Each features at least one black-and-white photograph and a few paragraphs of text. (Some chapters have more photographs than others.) The narrative is written in a conversational style that I found very pleasant. While you could read this one cover-to-cover, I believe it could also be a book that is great for browsing--reading a little here and there. Letting the photos lead the way. 

The photos are amazing. I loved, loved, loved looking at the photographs in this one. The text helps "interpret" the photo. (Do you know the difference between a simple smile, a sleep smile, and a social smile?)

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , adult nonfiction , Houghton Mifflin Harcourt , Nonfiction , review copy

The Crossing: How George Washington Saved...

The Crossing: How George Washington Saved The American Revolution. Jim Murphy. 2010. Scholastic. 96 pages. 

On April 19, 1775, British and American soldiers clashed in a bloody battle in Massachusetts. Part of it happened in the village of Lexington, while the other part took place fifteen miles away in Concord. these first shots that started the American Revolution were the result of many years of anger, frustration, and growing hostility over how Great Britain governed and taxed its American colonies.

 I've read several of Jim Murphy's books this year--including An American Plague, Blizzard, and Pick and Shovel Poet--and I've enjoyed them all. What I enjoy about his work is how he makes any subject interesting--how he makes any subject appealing. His books are so reader-friendly. (They don't read like a text book. They read like a story.)

In The Crossing, Murphy focuses on George Washington. How Washington's leadership abilities effected the Revolution--how his choices--for better or worse--impacted the war between America and Britain. Sometimes Washington's decisions were smart ones, other times not so much. Of course, Washington had to work with the soldiers he had available at any given time. (And those soldiers didn't always do exactly what Washington had in mind.)

This is a short book. It doesn't focus on the whole war. It doesn't focus on each and every battle. But I think it is a nice introduction to the subject.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2010 , borrowed book , j nonfiction , Nonfiction , Scholastic

Nonfiction Monday: Ray Bradbury

Ray Bradbury: Master of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Wendy Mass. 2004. Enslow Publishers. (Authors Teens Love Series). 104 pages.

I enjoyed this short biography of Ray Bradbury. I found it rich in quotes--which is just what I was hoping for! I loved learning more about his life, his inspirations, his journey as a writer. Readers learn about his childhood, what inspired him to become a writer. Readers learn about his experiences writing short stories and the publishing process. Several of his books are highlighted--examined critically--his content, his style, etc. These include, of course, Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles. Though Dandelion Wine, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and The Illustrated Man, also are mentioned to some extent. This biography follows Ray Bradbury's career through the decades. I found it informative and interesting.

Here is one of my favorite quotes--this is Ray Bradbury on writing:

People think you can plot a novel, but you can't. You have to let people live. If they lead big lives, you've got a novel. If they lead small ones, you've got a short story. (56)

Ray Bradbury on 'predicting' the future:

I don't try to predict the future, I try to prevent it. (63)

And did you know about this?!

In 1967, Bradbury's publisher released an edition of the book aimed at high school readers. They edited out any references to drinking and other behaviors and words not considered appropriate. Thus, a book about censorship had been censored. Fortunately, the original, unaltered version was still being published. But then in 1973, only the revised version was available for publication. This went on for six years until Bradbury was alerted to it by some students. He was horrified and made sure that the text was immediately restored to the original. In total, the editors had made ninety-eight changes. (61)

I liked this one. It may be small--but I found it informative. It would be a good starting place for those curious about Ray Bradbury's career as an author.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2004 , library book , Nonfiction

Nonfiction Monday: The Good, The Bad, and the Barbie

The Good, The Bad, and the Barbie: A Doll's History and Her Impact On Us. Tanya Lee Stone. 2010. October 2010. Penguin. 144 pages.

From the foreword (by Meg Cabot): When I was six, I wanted a Barbie more than I can remember ever wanting anything in my life.
From the prologue: It was a very pink year.
From chapter one: Ruth Handler looked absolutely nothing like a Barbie doll. And she did not aspire to.

Tanya Lee Stone's nonfiction book on Barbie is balanced and objective. She gives every side a voice. So you'll find those who think Barbie is evil, those who loved to destroy Barbie, mutilate her, those who strongly believe Barbie is detrimental to self-esteem. But. You'll also hear stories from those who loved Barbie. In some cases, loved, loved, loved Barbie. Stories about what they loved best about her, how they played with her, how having Barbie helped their imaginations, how Barbie is an inspiration--but not only in the way you might think!

So what should you expect from this one? A bit of history and context. A look at how Ruth Handler helped create the Mattel toy company. A look at how Ruth Handler created Barbie. Readers also learn about the dolls production through the decades. How the culture has impacted Barbie's design--everything from hair color, eye color, skin color, body design, to her clothes and other accessories. There is a whole chapter on the portrayal of race/ethnicity. Readers also learn a little bit about some of Barbie's friends and relations.

But the book goes beyond the doll and her design. The book intimately looks at how she has been played with by children everywhere. How she has been loved. How she has been hated. How she's been given hair cuts. How some have enjoyed making their own clothes for Barbie. And how others feel that only "store bought" clothes will do for their doll. Tonya Lee Stone sprinkles her text with quotes which was a nice touch.

What seems obvious to me--and maybe to you too--is that Barbie is who you want her to be. You have a large role in defining who she is. Not everyone feels that way, of course. Many would argue that there is only one "Barbie" way to be. But I'd disagree. (Perhaps the first step is to never have a Barbie named Barbie. Barbies are given life, given personality, by their owners. You are the one writing her story.)

Did I like this one? Yes and no. I found it disturbing in places. I found it ugly in places. I did NOT want to read about people taking pleasure in torturing, mutilating, abusing Barbie. But. There were places I liked it. I liked, for example, reading about how much Megan McCafferty credits Barbie for helping her develop her storytelling.


© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2010 , library book , Nonfiction , YA nonfiction

Nonfiction Monday: Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World

Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: The Extraordinary True Story of Shackleton and the Endurance. Jennifer Armstrong. 1998. Random House. 144 pages.

Just imagine yourself in the most hostile place on earth. It's not the Sahara or the Gobi Desert. It's not the Arctic. The most hostile place on earth is the Antarctic, the location of the South Pole--what's the difference? The Arctic is mostly water--with ice on top, of course--and that ice is never more than a few feet thick. But under the South Pole lies a continent that supports glaciers up to two miles in depth. Almost the entire southern continent is covered by ice. The mammoth icecap presses down so heavily that it actually distorts the shape of the earth. The ice never melts; it clings to the bottom of the world, spawning winds, storms, and weather that affect the whole planet.

Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World is an amazing survival story. Against all odds, these men--twenty-eight in all--led by Ernest Shackleton survived the harshest conditions imaginable. Of course, when these men set sail they had big dreams. They wanted to become the first team of explorers to cross Antarctica. But life doesn't always go as planned. And when their ship became trapped by ice, their mission changed. To survive was all that mattered. 

I loved this book. I did. There is a very good reason it won the Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction. It fascinates from cover to cover. Amazing writing--storytelling. The book is so engaging, so compelling, so powerful, so amazing. I think the story would be gripping no matter who told it. But I do think that Jennifer Armstrong did a wonderful job in painting a very human picture of Shackleton and his crew. I think the ending was beautiful--very moving! This one is a book I think everyone should read.


© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 1998 , j nonfiction , library book , Nonfiction , Survival , YA nonfiction