The fertilisation of flowers (History of ecology)

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The fertilisation of flowers (History of ecology)
Hermann Muller
Manufacturer: Arno Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Plants | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Botany | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0405104103

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THE FERTILISATION OF FLOWERS
Hermann Muller
Manufacturer: MacMillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000H0W43E

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Flowers and insects;: Lists of visitors of four hundred and fifty-three flowers,
Charles Robertson
Manufacturer: n.p
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Flowers | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Insects & Spiders | Animals | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B00085UZPW

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Handbook of flower pollination: Based upon Hermann MuÌˆller's work Ê»The fertilisation of flowers by insectsÊ¾,
Paul Erich Otto Wilhelm Knuth
Manufacturer: Clarendon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00085UKBG

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Observations on the colors of flowers
Eliphalet Williams Hervey
Manufacturer: E. Anthony & sons, incorp., printers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Flowers | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000874AEC

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Comprehensive guide

Great guide even if you're not roughing it.

This Guide was a Life Saver!

best of the croatia guides

Great for what it contains, but....

The Rough Guide to Croatia, 1st Edition (Rough Guide Travel Guides)
Jonathan Bousfield
Manufacturer: Rough Guides
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books
Bosnia, Croatia & Herzegovina | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books
Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books
Rough Guide | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books
General | Travel | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Croatia, 2nd: The Bradt Travel Guide

Lonely Planet Croatia

Croatia (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

The Rough Guide to Slovenia (Rough Guides Travel Guides)

The Rough Guide to Croatia Country Map (Rough Guide City Maps)

ASIN: 1858285445
Release Date: 2000-11-30

Book Description

INTRODUCTION

Few countries in contemporary Europe have experienced the collapse of communism, a war of national survival and the securing of independence all within the space of half a decade - yet this is what happened to Croatia (Hrvatska) at the beginning of the 1990s. Much of this drama was acted out on TV screens across the world, and images of the conflict which followed the break-up of Yugoslavia still colour outside perceptions of what the country is like today. In the circumstances, it's making it all too easy to forget that Croatia was - and still is - among Europe's prime holiday destinations, boasting one of the most dramatic stretches of coastline that the continent has to offer, with almost 2000km of shoreline and over 1000 islands and although parts of the coast were damaged during the 1991-95 conflict - the period of wartime isolation has, paradoxically, made the region all the more alluring now - over-exploitation of the coast has been kept in check, and there are still enough sparsely populated islands, quiet coves and stone-built fishing villages to make you feel you're visiting one of the Mediterranean's most unspoilt areas.

The return of the tourists has been keenly awaited by the Croats, not least because they represent the country's major source of income. Visitors will be struck by the tangible sense of pride that independent statehood has brought, and the feeling of togetherness and unity that the experience of war has engendered. National culture is a far from one-dimensional affair, however, and much of Croatia's individuality is due to its geographical position straddling the point at which the sober central European virtues of hard work and order collide with the spontaneity, vivacity and taste for the good things in life that characterizes the countries of southern Europe - a cultural blend of Mitteleuropa and Mediterranean which gives Croatia its particular flavour. Not only that, but the country also stands on one of the great faultlines of European civilization - the point at which the Catholic West meets the Orthodox and Islamic East - and though Croats traditionally see themselves as a Western people, distinct from the other South Slavs who formerly made up the state of Yugoslavia, many of the hallmarks of Balkan culture - patriarchal families, hospitality towards strangers, and a fondness for grilled food - are as common in Croatia as in any other part of southeastern Europe, suggesting that the country's relationship with its neighbours is more complex than many Croats themselves will admit.

National sensitivity about such matters has its roots in Croatia's troubled relationship with the Serbs, who arrived in southeastern Europe at around the same time. Historical circumstances later drove the two groups psychologically and culturally apart, even though they often continued to live together - the fact that so many areas of Croatia and Bosnia-Hercegovina were ethnically mixed is one reason why the break-up of Yugoslavia was such a tragically messy affair. Despite the events of recent years, however, the destinies of Croats and Serbs look set to remain intertwined: there's still a sizeable Serb minority within Croatia, and Serbs who fled the country in the wake of the Croatian army's campaigns in 1995 are (officially, at least) being encouraged to return.

Bringing life back to war-damaged areas and resettling both Croatian and Serbian refugees is just one of the problems faced by a country which continues to suffer many of the ills experienced by post-communist societies in general: the collapse of outdated industries, high unemployment, low wages for the majority, and the rise of a new entrepreneurial class which is often flamboyantly corrupt. Unlike many of her Eastern European neighbours, however, Croatia has been slow to receive aid and investment from the West, mainly thanks to the less-than-innocent role played in the conflict in Bosnia-Hercegovina by the ruling HDZ party of former President Franjo Tu3man, whose authoritarian right-wing rule left the country with increasingly few friends on the international stage as the 1990s progressed. Tu3man's death in December 1999 and the sweeping electoral defeat of the HDZ in January 2000 unleashed popular aspirations that the new EU-friendly, centre-left coalition government will! find difficult to fulfil. Nevertheless, the country had passed an important test of political maturity, and entered the new millennium eager to make up for lost time. An optimistic, welcoming and, above all, safe destination for travellers, Croatia is yet to be overrun by vacationing hordes - which is why now is the ideal time to visit.

Customer Reviews:

Comprehensive guide.......2006-12-08

I used Rough Guide to Croatia side-by-side with Lonely Planet Croatia during May and June 2006. I only visited Southern and Central Dalmatia including Split, Hvar, and Dubrovnik.

The Rough Guide was the more comprehensive of the two books with a heavy emphasis on history, background, and context. It did a really good job of explaining what I was looking at, whereas LP usually gave very little of this information. But it was also less accurate when it came to logistics and directions, which made me happy I had the LP guide too.

Pros:
Better organized and more accessible than LP
Better city maps than LP on the whole--I would recommend using both though.
More detail about islands around Dubrovnik.
200+ pages longer than LP.
Did a decent job prioritizing things to see and places to go--but this section needs work.

Cons:
Some of the directions were pretty terrible and from a logistical standpoint LP was better.
Lots of useless info if you're not into architecture, art, and very detailed history of every brick and cistern.

Bottom line: A detailed, comprehensive guide but with just enough inaccuracies that I'd want LP as well.

Great guide even if you're not roughing it. .......2005-03-30

I bought this guide on the advice of a traveler on a website. I'd rate it better than Lonely Planet Croatia, though that is a good book. This book has more maps and detailed information. It details each region of Croatia, tells you the accomodations in each city, as well as places to go and eat. This book tells you whether or not the city is touristy and gives some alternative options as to where to stay. Rick Steves Eastern Europe narrows the region down a bit more and gives more opinions, but Rick Steves doesn't detail the north at all.

This Guide was a Life Saver!.......2004-11-04

I recently went for a vacation to Croatia equipped with both the Lonely Planet Croatia and the Rough Guide to Croatia. I quickly discovered how truly useless the Lonely Planet Guide is. I never really used the restaurant and club guide as I like to discover local eats on my own but the logistical travel information was tremendously helpful and always correct. It made my time in Croatia fun and easy.

best of the croatia guides.......2002-11-23

I bought 3 diff books on Croatia 2 were a waist of money. This one is by far the best. Has much much more usefull information

Great for what it contains, but...........2002-11-08

... it is not very complete. I bought this guide because my standard, the Lonely Planet guides, got such poor reviews. This book has excellent text on early history, politics, culture, recent history & the war, etc. The travel information is quite good for what is there. The problem is that less than 20% of the book covers over 90% of the country, and many of the neatest sights are not even mentioned. The proper title should be "The Rough Guide to Croatia's Adriatic Coast." I have found more information on the internet and the Freytag & Berndt maps than this book provides *EXCEPT* for what to see in Zagreb and the Adriatic coast & islands. If you are interested in visiting the inland areas, as I am, buy a map and search the internet instead. Other letdowns include poor grammar and spelling throughout, which is surprising for a book published in the UK. Very little information is provided for finding lodging in private homes, which is the cheapest and most fun way to travel. The Croatian language guide is far too short and lacking, but if you use the book for the coast & islands only, it doesn't matter. This is truly a shame because Croatia has much, much more to offer than a beach.

Book Description

Walter Foster's classic How to Draw and Paint series provides aspiring artists with an exceptional array of art instruction books featuring all subject areas and media. Each title includes easy step-by-step exercises as well as finished illustrations or paintings that will inspire artistic talent in anyone.

Packed with practical information, helpful tips, and fundamental techniques, the How to Draw and Paint series offers a complete library of resources to which artists of all skill levels can refer again and again.

What you'll learn from this book ...

• Selection and proper use of materials

• A step-by-step process for painting wet-on-wet, from canvas preparation to final details

• Skills for completing a painting in one afternoon

• How to use special mediums to move, remove, and blend color directly on the canvas

• Handy tips on color mixing, blending, correcting mistaks, caring for equipment, and more

• Techniques for painting landscape elements such as foliage, water lines, snow, ice, and reflections

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How to draw and paint landscapes ("How to ...")
Walter T Foster
Manufacturer: Foster Art Service
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00071LCRM

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How to Draw and Paint Landscapes (Volume 8)

Manufacturer: Walter T. Foster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000BJPUH8

Product Description

Original price: $1

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How To Paint And Draw Landscape
Rh Value Publishing
Manufacturer: Crescent
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Painting | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0517344319
Release Date: 1988-12-12

Seascapes & Landscapes in Acrylics (How to Draw & Paint)

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Seascapes & Landscapes in Acrylics (How to Draw & Paint)
Maurice Harvey
Manufacturer: Walter Foster Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Painting | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0929261658

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HOW TO PAINT AND DRAW LANDSCAPES
Alfred Daniels
Manufacturer: Crescent Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0850474671

How to Draw and Paint the Outdoors: Practical Techniques For All Junior Painters

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How to Draw and Paint the Outdoors: Practical Techniques For All Junior Painters
Moira Butterfield
Manufacturer: Book Sales
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Landscape Painting | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1555219128

Beautiful Landscapes & Seascapes/2 (How to Draw and Paint, 2)

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Beautiful Landscapes & Seascapes/2 (How to Draw and Paint, 2)

Manufacturer: Walter Foster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000G8LOJW

Beautiful landscapes/ 2 How to Draw and Paint

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Beautiful landscapes/ 2 How to Draw and Paint
Anton Gutknecht
Manufacturer: Walter Foster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LEZTAQ

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How to Draw and Paint Landscapes

Manufacturer: Book Sales
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Average customer rating:

Good photos, poor information

I disagree

This makes a better picture-book than resource.

Focus is too much on breeding and not enough on beginning

African Pygmy Hedgehogs As Your New Pet (As a New Pet)
Dennis Kelsey-Wood
Manufacturer: TFH Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Mice, Hamsters & Guinea Pigs | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Hedgehog: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet

Hedgehogs (Complete Pet Owner's Manuals)

Guide to Owning an African Pygmy Hedgehog: Housing, Feeding, Breeding, Exhibition, Health Care (Re Series)

The Guide to Owning a Hedgehog (Guide to Owning)

ASIN: 0793801923

Customer Reviews:

Good photos, poor information.......2001-09-20

As a longtime hedgehog owner and rescuer, I am saddened to see that this is one of the more widely distributed books on pet hedgehogs in the country. The information is outdated and inaccurate, but since hedgehogs are fairly new as pets, many novice owners will not catch on to the problems in this book.

The diet that Mr. Kelsey-Wood recommends in his books is too high in fat, too low in protein for a pet hedgehog. In addition, the habitats he shows are too small for a typical active hedgehog! But for those owners used to seeing small mammals like hamsters in tiny cages, with grain-based diet, how are they expected to know that hedgehogs have radically different needs?

Mr. Kelsey-Wood certainly does nothing to enlighten them. Hedgehogs all over the country are receiving sub-standard care as a result of the information in this book.

I disagree.......2000-03-08

I disagree with Mr. McCurdy's review of African Pygmy Hedgehogs As Your New Pet. As an owner of several African Pygmy Hedgehogs I like the cutesy pictures, and especially the wall poster included with the book. The book was very informative about maintaining the health of African Pygmy Hedgehogs. If you buy a hedghog, buy this book.

This makes a better picture-book than resource........1998-12-15

The content is sometimes controversial, the index is lousy, and all those lovely photos make it near impossible to skim the contents for a particular tidbit of information.

Focus is too much on breeding and not enough on beginning.......1998-07-23

This book does not seem basic enough overall for a new hedgie owner. While there is basic information, the focus seems to be more on setting up for breeding than for having pets. The information is not thorough enough to answer all the questions a new owner would have. While it helped me get started, it still left me wondering what to do next.

Average customer rating:

African Pygmy Hedgehogs As Your New Pet
Dennis Kelsey-Wood
Manufacturer: T.F.H. Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NUMN3Y

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African Pygmy Hedgehogs As Your New Pet -
Dennis Kelsey-Wood -
Manufacturer: T.F.H. Publishing -
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O0C6UI

Book Description

Go from bare plot to blooming parcel in five easy steps with these simple gardening solutions. Begin with practical pointers for selecting a style and drawing up a plan. Choose from a wealth of tips, including quick fixes for instant privacy, access, and color. Master the art of garden maintenance, install water elements, and establish seating areas. Six designs, from romantic to kid-friendly, provide inspiration and guidance.

Amazon.com

Combining the pace and descriptive quality of a novel with the authority of a textbook, Alison Weir's study of the revered and reviled Eleanor of Aquitaine should be valuable to anyone with an interest in medieval European history. Wife of Louis VII of France and subsequently of Henry II of England, and mother of Richard "the Lion-Hearted," Eleanor played a prominent part in the politics of the 12th century. The author of a number of other books on the medieval period (Life of Elizabeth I, The Children of Henry VIII), Weir brings all the color and ever-present dangers of Eleanor's world to life, filling the text with absorbing background detail and revelatory contemporary anecdotes. She is concerned throughout to make critical analysis of the primary sources, the later myths about Eleanor, and other modern biographies. This results in a fresh and thoughtful perspective on the energetic life of a determined and ambitious woman living with the sexism, excesses, and violence of a society in which the word of a single man could condemn thousands to death. Eleanor of Aquitaine is a vivacious but scholarly book with extensive notes and references, giving an objective and rich account of the staunch Eleanor, her feuding family and her complex and unstable world. --Karen Tiley, Amazon.co.uk

Book Description

Renowned in her time for being the most beautiful woman in Europe, the wife of two kings and mother of three, Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the great heroines of the Middle Ages. At a time when women were regarded as little more than chattel, Eleanor managed to defy convention as she exercised power in the political sphere and crucial influence over her husbands and sons. In this beautifully written biography, Alison Weir paints a vibrant portrait of this truly exceptional woman, and provides new insights into her intimate world. Eleanor of Aquitaine lived a long life of many contrasts, of splendor and desolation, power and peril, and in this stunning narrative, Weir captures the woman— and the queen—in all her glory. With astonishing historic detail, mesmerizing pageantry, and irresistible accounts of royal scandal and intrigue, she recreates not only a remarkable personality but a magnificent past era.

Customer Reviews:

Powerful social history.......2007-06-13

Alison Weir has written a powerful social history of Eleanor's times. "Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life" presents an encyclopedic marshalling of facts. Few authors would think to include, say, Adelard of Bath, the "first English scientist," who had traveled widely in the Arab world, introduced the astrolabe to England and tutored young Henry a decade before the lad became King Henry II. Weir knows how to position Adelard and a hundred walk-on players like him in her flow of time and events. The bit parts are all present, and they fit.

Meanwhile Eleanor comes through as her own creature, able - (this is a rare quality in humans of either sex) - to substantially command her Fate in an adverse world. I just wish that Weir had integrated Eleanor, her character and her actions more thoroughly into the weave of the queen's several families and the social histories of her kingdoms and her courts. When Eleanor is present she commands the page, always recognizable, always strong, challenging the male social hierarchies of Church and state. That's as it should be; that's as it was. But too often Eleanor is absent. If only Weir had integrated her two distinct sets of ingredients, Eleanor's person, and Eleanor's world, more smoothly. They needed more time in the blender. Never mind. Weir has written an impressive book.

Robert Fripp, author of
"Power of a Woman. Memoirs of a turbulent life: Eleanor of Aquitaine"

Informative in a roundabout way.......2006-12-29

By reading the other reviews I thought that was going to be a very interesting book about an interesting woman in history; however, I am about half way through and am a little disappointed because there seems to be little talk about Eleanor and more about the surroundings and her husbands. Understandably if there is little information there is not much that you can say, but I would be more interested if it presupposed a little bit more and not cited so many other sources. I guess I wish it would have read more like a story instead of an academic book.

Matriarch of a Powerful but Dysfunctional Family.......2006-12-22

This is a very well researched narrative on the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Unlike other women of her era, she controlled property, was able to retain it and, therefore, was a participant in and not a bystander to events. The nuns of Fontevrault extol the "brilliance" of the "royal progeny" with which she "illuminated the world". There were no newspapers then, and being cloistered, they had only Eleanor's word on this. While she is the mother of 2 kings (3 if the "Younger King" counts), these sons are not exactly distinguished. They cannot inspire their nobles, they make war on each other and one of them essentially loses England's continental empire.

Weir doesn't speculate on the daily prodding Eleanor might have given her sons to make war on their father, but she presents evidence to demonstrate that she tried to temper their wars against each other. Her efforts on behalf of the kidnapped Richard are extraordinary. There is no record, but legend has it that she sought leniency for her imprisoned (by her son) grandson and other legends have it that she killed him.

I found it interesting how this family spends Christmas or Easter together... after and sometimes in the middle of all this drama. Another thing of interest in this family is the role of guilt. Henry II wears a hair shirt and orders himself lashed in the presence of witnesses including his family, Richard publically decries his unspeakable sins and Eleanor's writes the Pope that her sins have caused the troubles that have befallen Richard.

Eleanor was in no way an ornament or passive queen. She managed kingdoms and rode along on 2 Crusades. It appears she engineered her divorce from the King of France, an accomplishment in its own right (witness the trouble Henry VIII had in this regard) and maintained some sort of useful relations with him throught his life. She was imprisoned for 10(?) years, and came back without missing a beat.

Weir conveys all this, drawing a picture of the times, what they wore, what they ate, how they traveled, the appearance of the castles and how they were defended and much more.

Good book!.......2006-10-24

I must admit that before I found this book, I had NO idea who Eleanor was. However, shortly after completing this book, I knew enough about Eleanor & her sons that I was able to successfully answer Jeopardy! questions while watching from the comfort of my home. The author did a wonderful job of writing about her -- although the book was a bit slow at some points. I do recommend this book to any history lovers!

Eleanor of Aquitaine.......2006-09-30

This is by far the best biography I have yet read of Eleanor. Marion Meade's book does not answer many of the questions raised in her book or this one. This book answered many questions previously unanswered, and is backed up by documentary evidence. It is eminently readable, as are all of Alison Weir's books, and it is hard to put it down. It is solid, readable and reliable history. Highly to be recommended.

The World of Eleanor of Aquitaine: Literature and Society in Southern France between the Eleventh and Thirteenth Centuries

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The World of Eleanor of Aquitaine: Literature and Society in Southern France between the Eleventh and Thirteenth Centuries

Manufacturer: Boydell Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Medieval | World | History | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 1843831147

Book Description

Eleanor of Aquitaine (1124-1204) is one of the most important and well-known figures of the Middle Ages; she exercised a huge influence on both the course of history, and on the cultural life, of the time. The essays in this collection use her as a point of entry into wider-ranging discussions of the literary, social, political and religious milieux into which she was born, and to which she contributed; they address many of the misconceptions that have grown around both Eleanor herself and the medieval Midi in general, and open up new areas of debate. Topics explored include the work of the troubadours and the importance to them of patronage; perceptions of southern France and its inhabitants by outsiders; the early history of the Templars in southern France; cultural contacts between the Midi and other parts of the Latin world; the uses of ritual and historical myth in the expression of political power; and attitudes towards women.

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Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life.
Alison WEIR
Manufacturer: see notes for publisher info
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0224044249

Book Description

Eleanor of Aquitaine was a remarkable woman. She was an important factor in the reign of four kings, lived to the ripe old age of 82, bore 10 children and outlived all but two of them. Her sons were kings of England and her daughters queens of Castile and Sicily, while her later descendants included a Holy Roman emperor and kings of France and Spain, as well as a couple of saints. In an age of men, she was indeed a powerful woman.

Born in 1122 into the sophisticated and cultured court of Poitiers, Eleanor of Aquitaine came of age in a world of luxury, bloody combat, and unbridled ambition. At only fifteen, she inherited one of the great fortunes of Europe - the prize duchy of Aquitaine - yet was forced to submit to a union with the handsome but sexually withholding Louis VII, the teenage king of France. The marriage endured for fifteen fraught years, until Eleanor finally succeeded in having it annulled - only to enter an even stormier match with Henry of Anjou, who would soon ascend to the English throne as Henry II.

With astonishing historic detail, mesmerizing pageantry, and irresistible accounts of royal scandal and intrigue, Weir re-creates not only a remarkable personality, but a magnificent past era. As Weir traces the fascinating intersection of public and private lives in Europe's twelfth-century courts, Eleanor comes to life as a complex, boldly original woman who transcended the mores of society. Later, after sixteen years of imprisonment for plotting to overthrow Henry, the humbled Queen emerged, at age sixty-seven, to rule England.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

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Eleanor Of Aquitaine - A Life
Alison Weir
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JZSDVO

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I like this play
What an absolute JOY to read such biting dialog.
True Art
The Modern Middle Ages
A Lion in Winter. A Lion in my Heart.

The Lion in Winter (Dramatized)
James Goldman
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000E10YWE

Customer Reviews:

I like this play.......2004-06-29

Foo bar, baz!

Amazon.com cares about children's privacy on the Internet. But we also care about freedom of expression and the exchange of ideas in a safe environment. That's why we've created this separate form for those under the age of 13. When children under 13 submit reviews for their favorite items, we won't ask for names or e-mail addresses, but we'll still enable them to share their opinions.
The Lion in Winter (Penguin Plays)

Tell us what you think. Write a review of this item and share your opinions with others. PleAmazon.com cares about children's privacy on the Internet. But we also care about freedom of expression and the exchange of ideas in a safe environment. That's why we've created this separate form for those under the age of 13. When children under 13 submit reviews for their favorite items, we won't ask for names or e-mail addresses, but we'll still enable them to share their opinions.
The Lion in Winter (Penguin Plays)

Tell us what you think. Write a review of this item and share your opinions with others. Ple

What an absolute JOY to read such biting dialog........2003-12-09

I just bought a new copy of this play and I am so very, very happy that I did. I dashed through it and then reread my favorite parts. I hadn't read it in many years, but my respect has really grown for the playwright's wit and imagination. What an absolutely wonderful play. Of course, I love the film, but it was great fun to see how the play moves rapidly and the dialog is so biting and bitter at times. I agree with all the reviewers. Buy this play because it is a classic play with ripping dialog.

True Art.......2003-02-25

I recently completed a production of this fine play where I played Geoffrey, Duke of Aquataine. I have done a lot of play and this without a doubt is the most well written. Goldman does not waste a single word in the play.

The Modern Middle Ages.......2002-04-25

This play about the famously disfunctional family of England's Henry II is perhaps the most devestating family drama this side of "Long Day's Journey into Night".

For those who want a real epic, it can - but doesn't have to - be read as a sequel to Jean Anoilh's "Becket". Personally I found that this adds to the tragedy.

It opens during a fictional family Christmas get together that is combined with a historical meeting between Henry and France's young King Phillip. Henry's persistent humiliation of his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, through his string of mistresses has prompted her to hurt him in the only way available to her - by systematically destroying his relationships with their sons. Now Henry - although not old yet - is no longer a young man. The fact that a potentially dangerous Phillip - who has a legitimate axe to grind with Henry - is no longer a child forces them to realize that their familial intrigues have set their boys up for both internal and external disaster upon Henry's death. They make a real effort to save both their shattered marriage and their shattered children, but it may already be too late ...

The main tragedy, of course, is what Henry and Eleanor have done to their children. Richard is admirably brave but has had much of his compassion beaten out of him and replaced with brutality. Geoffrey's great sense of humor has been blasted in the bud, and his fustrated capability of love makes a weapon of an intelligence that would have been an asset to anyone who would have shown him the slightest affection in return (it's worth noting for those who don't know the family's subsequent history that given the condensed time of the play, Geoffrey would presumably have died in a fatal tournament accident soon after the action of the play - making him even more poignant). John, the youngest son of Robin Hood fame, is somewhat mishandled - his failure had much to do with Richard's prior mismanagement and lousy historical timing rather than his own faults, and the ruthless streak that doomed Geoffrey's son Arthur (who isn't in the play) as well as his general competence in many instances (he would later rescue Eleanor from a siege in a manner that would have done Richard proud) doesn't really come across - but in an otherwise excellent play Goldman can be forgiven for bowing to popular opinion in one case.

An accurate depiction of the dynamics of the Plantagenet family, "The Lion in Winter" is also a timeless study of what constitutes a healthy family.

A Lion in Winter. A Lion in my Heart........2001-10-16

I have to say Iam in love with this book. I know every line by heart. I saw the movie frist. Also a A+++++ movie. I don't know, something about it.It somehow just gets under your skin. Anyone who loves history. Or just just great works of writing should have this little book.

Power of a Woman. Memoirs of a turbulent life: Eleanor of Aquitaine

Average customer rating:

Historically Accurate And Exciting in Wealth Of Detail
A Great Read
An inspiration for all ages and times!
A Must Read for History Buffs and Non-Buffs

Power of a Woman. Memoirs of a turbulent life: Eleanor of Aquitaine
Robert Fripp
Manufacturer: Shillingstone Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings (Harvard Paperbacks)

ASIN: 0978062140

Product Description

The feminine spirit soars as Eleanor of Aquitaine dictates her memoirs. "Power of a Woman. Memoirs of a turbulent life: Eleanor of Aquitaine" reveals the mind of medieval Europe's most exceptional woman recalling her own astonishing odyssey. Why did Eleanor wait until her eighty-first year to dictate her life story? Because "Life was for living. Bloodless recall is better suited to old age!" Betrayals and loyalties; triumphs and trials; stormy marriages to two warring kings, France's Louis VII and England's Henry II: "They left me worn, these men, but they didn't level me." Eleanor recalls wars, intrigues, her travels, troubadours and ruthless diplomacy while confessing her loves, hopes for her children and their fates: "God Almighty, let me die before You gather in another child, or the child of a child, of mine!" To secure her children's wellbeing she even tries threatening God: "I would prefer to relinquish this old body quietly, but be warned! If I must be borne hence cursing Christ, as Henry was, I shall." Eleanor looks back dispassionately, analyzing the Grace she enjoyed as the femme fatale of her day--"This old carcass once embodied the feminine ideal"--and she explains the role her Court of Ladies played in freeing women's minds from an "iron, bearded world." Chicago's Margaret Schmidt calls author Robert Fripp "a rare magician, a 'writer's writer'."

Customer Reviews:

Historically Accurate And Exciting in Wealth Of Detail.......2007-10-02

"Power Of A Woman" is gripping in its wealth of detail. It makes me feel like I am in the midst of all the action. Of all the books I have read, this is the only one that makes me experience what it must have felt like to have lived during those troublesome and exciting times. Such a wonderful and exciting book! "Power Of A Woman" is more than just a book, it bring the people to life in a fresh, new way and contains a wealth of exciting information on its people and the times in which they lived. I highly recommened it to all who want a historically accurate book!

Lady Shirley Cassidy
Dublin, Ireland

A Great Read.......2007-10-01

"Power of a Woman" brings us an "autobiography" of Eleanor of Aquitaine that is accessible and entertaining! Eleanor was Medieval Europe's most interesting woman. In an age when women were considered a necessary evil, and expected to bear sons and be quiet, she defied tradition. She married two of the most powerful men in Europe, and birthed several more. She went on Crusade. She ruled vast territories. She created a definition of love that survives to this day. Telling her story in Eleanor's voice, Robert Fripp shows us Medieval Europe through her eyes: Crusades, wars, enmities, alliances, eternal subterfuge. Fripp's vision brings the very stones and glass of cathedrals and castles to life. History becomes a tapestry which Eleanor works, stitch by stitch. At eighty-one, she hasn't much time. We feel her urgency, the ache in her knees, the chill in her bones. Will she finish before she dies? Her sorrow of lost love, lost children, lost time is as real as the triumphs of her extraordinary life. Eleanor emerges as a woman of great wisdom, dearly won. A real woman, with a strong sense of her place in this life and the next. What a great read! This is so gripping. I got so totally caught up in this story one night that I woke up with images of Eleanor in my mind, and Kate Hepburn's voice in my ear. I love this story."

An inspiration for all ages and times!.......2007-08-21

Reading this book aloud to my legally blind companion was
immensely fun and educational. We gained many details of Eleanor of Aquitaine's life which I feel other biographers missed, especially her deeply personal feelings around Thomas Beckett. We are brought to ponder Eleanor's emotions in many various contexts. I loved how [the author
explains] her relationship with Richard the Lion. And all so vividly expressed from the mouth of a very wise and passionate woman!

Through diligent research, and artful pen, Robert Fripp brings
Eleanor of Aquitaine to life. I am absolutely amazed at his stunning ability to know the heart of a woman.

A Must Read for History Buffs and Non-Buffs.......2007-08-21

"Power of a Woman" captures the moment in 1203 when the 80-year old
Eleanor of Aquitaine, near the end of her life and feeling mortal,
reflects on the life she has lived, and the loves and hurts she has
survived. To capture the essence of Eleanor, (queen of first France and
then England, mother of Richard the Lionheart and King John of Magna
Carta fame), the author has successfully parked his gender beside his
name on the title page and written Eleanor's memoirs through the mind of
this medieval woman.

Jane Rady Lynes, NY

Average customer rating:

Still waters

If you lose your job,it's the boat to England...

2 and a half, really

Rory & Ita
Roddy Doyle
Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Irish | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: B0001OOTRK

Book Description

Novelist Roddy Doyle, with his legendary skill in illuminating ordinary experience, here shares the story of his parents' lives, largely in their own words. Born in 1923 and 1925, respectively, married in 1951, Rory and Ita Doyle remember the details of their Dublin childhoods and their life together-the people and the politics, the joys and the losses-and show us the transformation of the intensely Catholic society of their youth into the vibrant modern Ireland of today. By turns poignant, wry, hilarious, and sweet but never sentimental, Rory & Ita is an account of the moments that make up two intertwined lives and a book of tremendous warmth and humanity. It offers a whole new look at Doyle's heritage and source of inspiration.

Customer Reviews:

Still waters.......2006-11-21

Since the other reviews here don't touch on what I see as the strengths of this book, here's my take.
Roddy Doyle's first work of non-fiction is a low-key but deeply felt paean to his parents (and by extension life in mid-twentieth-century Dublin) in their own words. In alternating chapters, Rory and Ita Doyle tell of their immediate ancestors (including their own parents), their childhoods, meeting and marriage, and their life as a married couple, including seeing their children leave the nest as they ease into retirement. Details accumulate and create a pointillistic portrait of two people enmeshed in a large network of family and community ties, many less than idyllic, and of a group of lives lived with affection and a kind of quiet but ceaseless vigor.
Real tragedy is a thread that runs through the book: Ita's own mother died when she was very young, and one of her children lived only a day. Her comment at the very end of the book is stoic but not self-dramatizing, and all the more moving for it.
And the turbulent larger world is not ignored, but seen mostly in how it affects the family. Rory and Ita began life in what was essentially a nineteenth century world, and end this story in the twenty-first. The continuity of their lives, their sense of wonder at the new tempered by a sardonic sense that everything fresh must be evaluated carefully, makes their discussion of everything from Fred Astaire movies to the Internet interesting.
The larger world also figures in other ways. Mentioned often, the violent history of Ireland, particularly in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, affects the choices made, not to mention the choices available, to many of the people mentioned. But as with American books about "the greatest generation," a key point is that those involved in the struggle knew what they were fighting for: the opportunity to go home and live what are, after all, ordinary lives. The anonyms who constitute the vast majority of all humans who have lived anywhere on this planet are by implication the real subjects of this book. And, perhaps, this book may also serve as a reminder that passion need not be fierce to be strong.

If you lose your job,it's the boat to England..........2004-02-08

I've read all of Roddy Doyle's books,and no doubt about it,this one is totally different.
This is not a book about Roddy,as a matter of fact it is not really a book by Roddy at all.
This is a book by Rory and Ita Doyle and about their lives and the lives of their parents,grandparents,families and friends.Not only it is written through their eyes and by them,Roddy is hardly even mentioned .His only involvement would seem to have been the catalyst between his parents and the publishers to make the book happen.
Having said that,I found it a very well written and interesting read.It beautifully desceibes the lives,hopes,trials,tribulations,joys,sadness,struggles,family relations,friends,working,religious and all the other things involved in living in Ireland;during most of the 20th.Century.
In many ways it was not all that different where I grew up in Nova Scotia,where many were of Irish and Scottish descent.
In both places,as well as the rest of Europe and America,things were tough,jobs were hard to find,money was tight,but people survived,and in many ways were just as happy as today.
My parents were born about 20 years earlier than Rory and Ita, and went through much the same things that they did working,creating a home and raising a family.I suppose that the biggest difference was that WW1 and WW2 affected things much differently here and The War of Independence certainly had profound effects there.But, inspite of those events ,life went on.
Therefore;as a book that describes the way life went on throughout the 20th Century for a middle class family in Ireland,it is excellent.Wouldn't every family love to have one?It seems to me it would be a much more treasured heirloom than Great Grandmothers drop-leaf table.

2 and a half, really.......2002-11-24

Sorry to say this makes two disappointing ones in a row for the otherwise terrific Roddy Doyle.Here he essentially transcribes and edits his parents' memoirs. I couldn't help thinking what a great present this book is for his family. By the same token, this oral history doesn't contain a story that will knock the reader out. This criticism comes in spite of the facts that I can't help liking his parents and it was presented coherently. Predictably, the author's family background pales significantly to his characters'. That I should have counted on.
Alternately, Kevin Kearns' often hilarious oral history series on pre-WWII inner-Dublin is definitely worthwhile.

The protean character.(Rory & Ita)(Book Review): An article from: Irish Literary Supplement

Average customer rating:

The protean character.(Rory & Ita)(Book Review): An article from: Irish Literary Supplement
Mary McGlynn
Manufacturer: Irish Studies Program
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Irish Literary Supplement, published by Irish Studies Program on March 22, 2004. The length of the article is 1640 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The protean character.(Rory & Ita)(Book Review)
Author: Mary McGlynn
Publication: Irish Literary Supplement (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 22, 2004
Publisher: Irish Studies Program
Volume: 23 Issue: 1 Page: 23(1)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Roddy Doyle. Rory and Ita.(Book Review): An article from: World Literature Today

Average customer rating:

Roddy Doyle. Rory and Ita.(Book Review): An article from: World Literature Today
William Hutchings
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from World Literature Today, published by Thomson Gale on May 1, 2004. The length of the article is 921 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Roddy Doyle. Rory and Ita.(Book Review)
Author: William Hutchings
Publication: World Literature Today (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2004
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 78 Issue: 2 Page: 82(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Average customer rating:

Rory and Ita
Roddy Doyle
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Irish | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000OJ9LWU

Average customer rating:

Rory and Ita
Doyle. Roddy
Manufacturer: Jonathan Cape
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OOUZQQ

Average customer rating:

Rory and Ita
Roddy Doyle
Manufacturer: Jonathan Cape
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Irish | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000OOSLO4

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