The morphology of angiosperms: The structure and evolution of flowering plants

Book Description

Cycle the best of Australia, with 31 tours along great beaches, across the High Country and through quiet country towns. Find a tour to suit you: explore Sydney's famous harbour; enjoy a few days of wineries and B&Bs; or spend a month riding beautiful Tasmania.

139 days of Australia's best riding
East Coast Ride - Melbourne to the Gold Coast in 31 days
where to stay - quiet camping, cozy B&Bs or comfortable hotels
where to eat, for cyclists on every budget
what to see and do, in and out of the saddle
maintenance tips and bike shop contacts

Lonely Planet Cycling New Zealand (Lonely Planet Cycling Guides)

Average customer rating:

nearly useless
This book needs to be updated!!!
Good information, excellent presentation
Dangerously Inaccurate
Bicycle At Your Own Risk

Lonely Planet Cycling New Zealand (Lonely Planet Cycling Guides)
N. Wells , N. Irvine , and I. Duckworth
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

New Zealand | Australia & South Pacific | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Australia & South Pacific | Travel | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

Lonely Planet | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 186450031X

Book Description

This informative guide steers you along 34 of the best cycling routes in New Zealand. Explore spectacular coastal roads, rugged mountain passes and rich dairy country with rides ranging from leisurely one day trips to challenging extended tours.

103 days of New Zealand's best riding
how to pack and transport your bike
on-the-road maintenance tips and where to find help
where to stay - from camping to cosy B&Bs
where to eat - from bakeries to bistros
what to see and do out of the saddle
selected mountain bike rides

Customer Reviews:

nearly useless.......2005-07-29

I've bicycle toured solo in Ireland, Britain, France, Germany, Austria and New Zealand. I've yet to see a cycling guide to a country that is worth taking along, and this book is worse than most, because of the "loop" configuration of the rides, and the confusing maps (look hard to see which way is north!). In my travel journal, I made a reference to the "nearly useless" LP Cycling Guide.

My recommendation for any country is to take a look at the general information overview in any cycling guide, make notes of any peculiarities of that country (ie, NZ requires all cyclists to wear a helmet. You cannot leave the airport on your bike until you've purchased a helmet at the airport shop), then buy the GENERAL (not cycling-specific) tourist guide that suits your style. I used the Rough Guide New Zealand (best maps and budget accommodation info; I don't camp), after rejecting the Lonely Planet guide. In Europe the best has consistently been Let's Go, with Rick Steves' being an excellent series for inside information (even though his hand-drawn maps are mediocre, his inside info is excellent.)

Buy maps when you get there. You'll find great maps ("Kiwi Maps"(?) spiral-bound booklet) in service stations in the countries you go to. When you can look them over in the country they were made for, you'll find they're cheaper, and you can then assess exactly what suits you. You can generally go to Tourist Information in the airport for good information on where to go first, then buy a map when you're situated.

I had high hopes for this guide when I lugged it along, but after a couple of outdated references to gravel roads (that didn't materialize), and weird warnings about dangerous roads (that weren't) I gave up on it early on. Kiwis are the friendliest ("toot-toot") drivers I've come across, the roads are better than most in the U.S., and get up and go--it's a dream for scenery, and if you've never travelled abroad, there is NO culture shock (It's got a strong Colorado vibe)!

This book needs to be updated!!!.......2005-06-28

I bet if the people who rated this book highly were polled as to what year they utilized its guidance there would be a direct correlation to how close they were to the release of this only edition...hint hint Lonely Planet editors...UPDATE THIS BOOK!

I don't know where to begin but who in the world rides loops when they are bicycle touring. While I admit that the Southern Alps loop was pretty cool I couldn't overlook the out of date information and sometimes inaccurate terrain profiles in this book. I quicky learned not to rely too heavily on this book and transitioned over to the, much lighter, Pedaller's Paradise. That wafer thin book of goodness in conjunction with the NZ AA maps (which are free to anyone who has an Autoclub memmbership) were much more informative and enjoyable. I am not sure if Amazon carries that book but you can easily search for "pedaller's paradise."

Lastly, I took a Lonely Planet New Zealand guide book as well and found that not worth its brick-like weight in my pannier. I found the New Zealand Tourist Information centers and the people who staff them much more informative and much more fun to engage. The first thing I usually did when rolling into towns was to b-line directly for the Tourist Information.

One more thing...if you like to mountain bike as well pick up the Kennett Brother's book, Classic New Zealand Mountain Bike Rides, by searching for "kennett bros classic."

Good information, excellent presentation.......2005-05-16

Just finished a 9-day tour of New Zealand's Northland, using the route recommended by this LP guidebook.

Like the rest of the LP series, this book has a wealth of useful information on both the trips and how to prepare for them.

The best part of the book is the information design:

- Narratives are brief, important items are called out or bolded, and sections are kept small, making things easy to find in a hurry. Contrast this with other guidebooks that present you with a wall of text to hunt through for a phone number.

- Maps are very clear, showing the route, landmarks along the way, optional side trips, and nothing else to clutter the view. Cue sheets make it easy to find the next waypoint or climb. Much better than the handdrawn sketches in Bruce Ringer's book.

- The elevation charts, while not as accurate as those in Pedaller's Paradise, seemed good enough to me, and easier to understand at a glance.

The book, though published in 2000, is still reasonably up to date. A few businesses and prices had changed, but nothing drastic.

I bought both this book and Bruce Ringer's New Zealand By Bike, and after reading both cover to cover, I took the LP book by itself and found it indispensible during the trip.

Dangerously Inaccurate.......2005-04-20

First off, you should by the Pedaller's Paradise instead of Lonely Planet. It can be found for about 12 NZD in New Zealand (but is also available through Amazon for a bit more if you can't wait).

Dangerous - The profiles (ie. graphical descriptions of hills) shown in the Lonely Planet Guide are drastically over-simplified. On a good day, this is only just very annoying. On a bad day, it could mean being out in the cold wondering just how many more hills are before the next stop. It is obvious that the writers did not use bicycles to research the routes. Nor did they use GPS or any other precise means of measuring elevation. They were very lazy about how they threw this guide together, and it will get you into trouble. Avoid it!

Buy the Pedallar's Paradise instead - it is a fraction the size, half the cost, and packed with useful information.

Bicycle At Your Own Risk.......2004-02-23

The book is really good and well worth the money.New Zealand is a wonder to cycle thru, like Yosmite Valley on a nation scale. But be fore warned! Amazingly, the New Zealand roads are anti-cycle,and you put yourself there at your own risk. 99% of the roads are single lane on each side, they are very skinny lanes. Designed for small cars. Full sized transport semis use these roads with a clearance of inches on each side of their lane. .The roads twist and wind like mountain roads do. There are very few straight stretches of road as you may see in the US. There are no bike lanes,few passing lanes, and no emergency lanes,you are in the path with traffic. Kiwis know their roads and consistently drive fast, 100-120kmph. The problem you are going to have over and over is cycling thru all this beauty in the same lane as cars and trucks...they barrel around a blind curve at 65mph only to find you in front of their windshield going 15mph and no safety margin for anyone. On my recent trip there, I can't tell you how many times I saw this scenario played out and how many near misses I witnessed. Local drivers, particularly commercial tdrivers have real contempt for cyclists. Get the book and dream, but I think I'd look into renting a convertible and live to cycle another day.

Book Description

This book is excellent for anyone who wants to promote a product or service by mail.

Customer Reviews:

old but good.......2007-07-29

I checked this out of my local library and then realized it's 16 years old and thought it wouldn't be any good. I read it anyway and was pleasantly surprised! It's a quick read and covers the basics so well that I decided to buy my own copy to keep for reference.

Golden nuggets of info.......2000-12-09

There are so many HUGE direct mail books out there. This one is great because it gives you the golden nuggets of info related to all aspects of direct mail--planning, writing, designing, getting mailing lists, calculating ROI, and more. Direct mail is not an easy science, but this made it easy. This book is ideal for small business owners, home-based businesses, and other start-up type businesses.

Effective Direct Mail (60 Minute Success Skills Series)

Average customer rating:

Effective Direct Mail (60 Minute Success Skills Series)
John Frazer-Robinson
Manufacturer: David Grant
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Customer Service | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Advertising | Marketing & Sales | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Mail Order | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1901306259

The Essential Secrets of Effective Direct Mail

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The Essential Secrets of Effective Direct Mail
John Fraser-Robinson
Manufacturer: Mcgraw Hill Book Co Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

How to Get and Keep Good Indus Customers Through Effective Direct Mail (An Exposition-banner book)

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How to Get and Keep Good Indus Customers Through Effective Direct Mail (An Exposition-banner book)
Henry Lavin
Manufacturer: Exposition Pr of Florida
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

The Online Business Setup, Direct Marketing, Building Effective Lead Capture Web Pages for Mail Holders Businesses

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The Online Business Setup, Direct Marketing, Building Effective Lead Capture Web Pages for Mail Holders Businesses
J Bowman J Orr
Manufacturer: LTBR, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000SMB7X4

A report: How to write master letters;: Setting forth definite rules for writing effective letters, circulars, booklets, and other direct-by-mail advertising, ... for building business and profits by mail

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A report: How to write master letters;: Setting forth definite rules for writing effective letters, circulars, booklets, and other direct-by-mail advertising, ... for building business and profits by mail
James Hamilton Picken
Manufacturer: A.W. Shaw Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0008C5I7A

The Secrets of Effective Direct Mail (Frazer-Robinson, John. John Fraser-Robinson Direct Marketing Series.)

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The Secrets of Effective Direct Mail (Frazer-Robinson, John. John Fraser-Robinson Direct Marketing Series.)
John Frazer-Robinson
Manufacturer: Mcgraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Advertising credit products and loans. (Direct Mail Essentials).(direct mail is most effective when selling loans): An article from: Bank Marketing

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Advertising credit products and loans. (Direct Mail Essentials).(direct mail is most effective when selling loans): An article from: Bank Marketing
Jim Turner
Manufacturer: Bank Marketing Assn.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Industry | Automotive | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Insurance | Automotive | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Bank Marketing, published by Bank Marketing Assn. on December 1, 2002. The length of the article is 724 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: Advertising credit products and loans. (Direct Mail Essentials).(direct mail is most effective when selling loans)
Author: Jim Turner
Publication: Bank Marketing (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 1, 2002
Publisher: Bank Marketing Assn.
Volume: 34 Issue: 10 Page: 38(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Candidate confidentiality agreements and PAC donations; how effective is direct mail?(Campaign Doctor): An article from: Campaigns & Elections

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Candidate confidentiality agreements and PAC donations; how effective is direct mail?(Campaign Doctor): An article from: Campaigns & Elections
Craig Varoga
Manufacturer: Campaigns & Elections, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Campaigns & Elections, published by Campaigns & Elections, Inc. on December 1, 2003. The length of the article is 809 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: Candidate confidentiality agreements and PAC donations; how effective is direct mail?(Campaign Doctor)
Author: Craig Varoga
Publication: Campaigns & Elections (Refereed)
Date: December 1, 2003
Publisher: Campaigns & Elections, Inc.
Volume: 24 Issue: 10 Page: 61(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Creating an effective cover letter.(Direct Mail Essentials): An article from: Bank Marketing

Average customer rating:

Creating an effective cover letter.(Direct Mail Essentials): An article from: Bank Marketing
Jim Turner
Manufacturer: Bank Marketing Assn.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Bank Marketing, published by Bank Marketing Assn. on September 1, 2003. The length of the article is 747 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: Creating an effective cover letter.(Direct Mail Essentials)
Author: Jim Turner
Publication: Bank Marketing (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 1, 2003
Publisher: Bank Marketing Assn.
Volume: 35 Issue: 7 Page: 47(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

This comprehensive book with over 300 full-color photographs captures not only the beautiful and admirable nature of the horse but also the hardy and resourceful characteristics which allow them to work in different environments. The two main divisions of the book cover Horses and Ponies, from the more familiar Thoroughbred and the Shetland Pony to the less well-known Nonius and Caspian. Each breed's entry offers a concise physical description, and special features and attributes are illustrated in beautiful photographs. A final chapter on Types examines a few of the world's more exotic or specialized horses and ponies.

Customer Reviews:

THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2002-06-19

This is the best horse book EVER!!! I'm 15 yrs. old & I couldn't put it down. It gives you a picture of the breed & a 1-2 page description on the horse/pony. I reccommend it to everyone who loves horses as much as I do!!

THE BEST BOOK EVER.......2000-08-19

I would defenitly recommend this book for horse lovers!

Average customer rating:
Collector's Information Clearinghouse Antiques and Collectibles Resource Directory
David J. Maloney Jr
Manufacturer: Wallace-Homestead Book Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0870696106

Average customer rating:
Collector's Information Clearinghouse: Antiques & Collectibles Resource Directory
David J., Jr. Maloney
Manufacturer: Wallace-Homestead Book Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Decorative Arts | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0870696114

Average customer rating:

A City Herbal

A City Herbal: A Guide to the Lore, Legend, and Usefullness of 34 Plants That Grow Wild in the Cities, Suburbs and Country Places
Maida Silverman
Manufacturer: Ash Tree Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Herbs | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Opening Our Wild Hearts to the Healing Herbs

Healing Wise (Wise Woman Herbal Series) (Wise Woman Herbal Series)

Book of Herbal Wisdom: Using Plants as Medicines

New Menopausal Years, The Wise Woman Way: Alternative Approaches for Women 30-90 (Wise Woman Herbal Series, Book 5) (Wise Woman Ways)

Rosemary Gladstar's Family Herbal: A Guide to Living Life with Energy, Health, and Vitality

ASIN: 1888123001

Book Description

The wild plants of the city are potent herbal medicnes and nutritious wild edibles, as well as sources of comfort, fiber, and dyes. Lores, legends, anduses are described lyrically.

Customer Reviews:

A City Herbal.......2002-04-08

I never could have imagined the herbal abundance that grows between the cracks of the city sidewalks and in vacant lots! This book details the folknames, locations, historical uses, lore, legends, and uses of 34 plants commonly found in the city. I read this book like a novel, from cover to cover, and would recommend it to anyone interested our green friends!

Average customer rating:

Good look but definately biased

FASCINATING BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF AN AMAZING WOMAN

Merry England

You Don't Have to Be an Historian!

A Fresh Eye on the Restoration

Nell Gwyn: Mistress to a King
Charles Beauclerk
Manufacturer: Atlantic Monthly Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | British | Historical | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | Royalty | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | England | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

My Lady Scandalous: The Amazing Life and Outrageous Times of Grace Dalrymple Elliott, Royal Courtesan

Court Lady and Country Wife: Two Noble Sisters in Seventeenth-Century England

The Affair of the Poisons: Murder, Infanticide, and Satanism at the Court of Louis XIV

Perdita: The Literary, Theatrical, Scandalous Life of Mary Robinson

A Profane Wit : The Life of John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester

ASIN: 087113926X

Book Description

Written by a direct descendant of the union between Nell Gwyn and King Charles II, Nell Gwyn tells the story of one of England's great folk heroines. Born during a tumultuous period in England's past, Nell Gwyn was spotted selling oranges in the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Nell's wit and charm brought her to the attention of numerous suitors, including one of the theater's leading actors, Charles Hart. Under his patronage Nell took to the stage where she became one of London's first professional female actresses, and the finest comedienne in London. She then caught the eye of the pleasure-seeking "merry monarch" King Charles II, and their seventeen-year love affair played out against the backdrop of the Great Fire of London, the Great Plague, court scandals, and the constant threat of political revolution. Magnificently re-creating the heady, licentious, yet politically charged atmosphere of Restoration England, Nell Gwyn tells the true-life Cinderella story of a common orange girl who became England's first "people's princess."

Customer Reviews:

Good look but definately biased.......2007-10-04

I lived for a while by Nell Gwyn's house in Newmarket, Suffolk, England and so was interested in her greatly. I've read biographies of Charles II and had a perspective of his mistresses. The details of Nell's life are greatly; however, as a descendent of Charles II and Nell Gwyn, Mr Beauclerk's bias is obvious. His descriptions of the other mistresses are vicious at times. A great perspective of Restoration England.

FASCINATING BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF AN AMAZING WOMAN.......2006-09-12

I was spellbound as I kept reading this fascinating biography, written by a direct descendant of Nell Gwynn and King Charles II.
This is a true life biography of the rag to riches ascent of a girl living in grinding poverty who scaled the heights and became the mistress to the King of England. The true story of the beautiful, enterprising, intelligent Nell Gwynn is sure to fascinate.

Merry England.......2006-08-21

I've been prone to reading about the Tudors so the Stuarts and the merry merry life of Charles II was new to me. Beauclerk's readable biography of his famous ancestors has really piqued my interest in the Stuarts.

He notes in the text that 15 biographies have been written about Nell. Not having read any of them, I don't know how this one differs, but it reflects the author's broad knowledge of Restoration theater and poetry. He depicts the strange sort of liberation that followed Cromwell. He describes the changing role of women who now had a crack at few careers besides prostitution such as orange vending, acting, playwriting, and, well, courtesanship.

The author is disciplined and sticks with his subject. He gives us enough background in Restoration politics so that we can understand Nell's (precarious) position.

Nell's success in her short life was certainly made possible by the times in which she lived. The King's early life required normal socializing with commoners. Without this, his life and court might have been more like any other, with not so many out of wedlock children, and certainly none acknowledged. Nell would have had absolutely NO access were Charles' succession linear.

Nell must have been a real card. I'm trying to think of a contemporary equivalent, and cannot. The description of the bed she had carved (and the cost of it) really takes the cake! It's hard to imagine her lack of prentense in the world in which she moved.

The final chapter on her many descendants from her one surviving son is interesting. There were too many to keep track of but the general discussion is heavy with the weight of the British class system.

That Beauclerk has written of his foremother, not of his forefather, is a sign of our times. It has been all too frequent for children to "reach up" to the male for prestige, career and/or status, as Beauclerk notes that the Duke of Monmouth does. This is often accompanied by ignoring or insulting the mother and what she brings to the match. Beauclerk does not minimize his royal line of which he could very well boast (I'm a descendant of a king!) He celebrates the intellegence talent, wit and adventuresome spirit that is part of his matrilineal side.

After reading the book I checked Wikipedia and learned that Princess Diana is a direct descendant of both Barbara Palmer AND Louise de Keroualle and Charles II, and that Camilla is a descendant of Louise de Keroualle and Charles II!

You Don't Have to Be an Historian!.......2006-04-24

The other reviews of Nell Gwyn at this site seem to come from people steeped in Restoration history. But you don't have to be an historian to enjoy this book. The author, Charles Beauclerk, is the direct descendant King Charles II and his mistress, Nell Gwyn. He writes in clear, easy to read sentences. Nonetheless, he is impressively erudite. Gradually, with painstaking research, he recreates Nell, the people important in her life, and the world they lived in. In keeping with his fun-loving main characters, Beauclerk writes with humor and tenderness. I am sure Charles and Nell would approve!

Unlike many people who write about their famous ancestors, Beauclerk does not fall into the trap of either apologizing for or aggrandizing them. He depicts Nell as uncultured with a warm, open, boisterous personality, a trenchant wit, and winning charm.

A rich, complex picture of the Restoration emerges. Beauclerk depicts a frenzied reaction to previous years of Civil War and Puritan rule, which gave rise to a renaissance in theater and literature, horse racing, scientific inquiry, extravagance, and licentiousness. Political intrigue was rampant.

Charles II was the right king for the times. He emerges as a complex man with towering strengths and weaknesses. Charles was a master at snuffing out political plots. His religious tolerance and political moderation gave the nation a brief respite between the Puritans and the stogy continental royalty who followed. Fortuitously, his behavior and interests reflected those of the nation during that period.

Nell Gwyn is also an attack on the British class system. Beauclerk, descendant of royalty and the cockney slums, has a unique point of view. A reluctant aristocrat himself, he understands why aristocrats constantly disparaged lower class Nell. Probably because of Nell's class origins even her beloved Charles occasionally neglected her. For example, although all of Charles' other highborn principal mistresses received lands and titles, presumably because of Nell's lowly origins, Charles never bestowed a title or much land on her. (But he did give their son a bankrupt Dukedom.) By contrast, in America, where classes are more fluid, Ronald Reagan whose biography was similar to Nell - a movie star with lower class origins - reached the pinnacle of American society when he won the Presidency. Most Americans thought his lower class origins were admirable.

Nell Gwyn is a rich and fascinating book. It is never dry or boring. I would recommend it to anyone who doesn't require a fast moving plot in order to enjoy a book.

A Fresh Eye on the Restoration.......2006-01-21

Beauclerk is a scholar who did his homework and invests years of research in his fascinating, eye-opening biography. He casts a fresh eye not only on Nell, but also on Charles II and Restoration London. I have studied the Restoration for decades and Beauclerk has given me a new perspective on the people and the period. He might be accused by some of "going easy" on his famous ancestors, but he gives the characters an emotional depth which brings out their humanity. Charles and Nell no longer seem like the oddest of odd couples in history, rather they seem like a curiously perfect match, odd only in that, given their disparate stations in life, they actually found each other.

Average customer rating:

A travesty of scholarship

Nell Gwyn
Derek Parker
Manufacturer: Sutton Pub Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Entertainers | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Irish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Historical | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0750919922

Book Description

When Nell Gwyn, an actress on the London stage, first became familiar with the king, she was no better than a prostitute. Yet from the moment Charles II summoned her, there was never any suggestion that she granted her sexual favours to anyone but him; unlike some of his other lovers, she was as loyal to him as the Queen. On his deathbed Charles prayed neither for his Church not his people, but asked that Nelly might not stare. Nell Gwyns name is one of those few familiar to us all, yet what can we really know of this sensuous woman-the sensation of Restoration England-who captured the heart of a king?

Born in a London slum, the daughter of a brothel-keeper, Nell went on stage at Drury Lane in 1655, and she and her first lover, Charles Hart, formed the most popular theatrical partnership of the time. Contemporary playwrights like Dryden wrote or adapted plays specially for them, and, though still not eighteen, Nells gift for comedy was soon drawing the crowds. But it was less her beauty (though Pepys for one could not take his eyes off the mighty pretty creature) than her wit and vivacious personality that brought her fame. She became mistress to two of the most notorious rakes of the seventeenth century, Lord Sedley and Lord Buckhurst; set aside by them, she was taken up by one much great: King Charles II and the Duke of York found themselves sitting next to her at the theatre one evening, the King introduced himself, and that same evening Nell became his.

Nell Gwyn was the most popular of Charless mistresses, mainly because she resisted the temptation to become involved in politics, or to influence him (She hath got trick to handle his prick/But never lays hands on his sceptre as a popular verse put it). Though disliked by his other mistresses, especially Louise de Keroualle, who became Duchess of Portsmouth-I am the protestant whore Nell proclaimed to the crowd so that they should not confuse her with the other-she held her own against all. She bore the King two sons, moved to grand apartments overlooking St. Jamess Park, and remained loyal to him until his death. When she dies, she received the funeral service of a lady, and was buried at St-Martin-in-the-Fields.

This engaging biography sets Nell Gwyns life against the background of London during the Restoration and the ups and downs of the theatrical life in the seventeenth century. Drawing on letters and contemporary accounts, and with dramatic portrayals of the main characters, Derek Parkers book provides us with a vivid insight into the character of the woman who rose from nothing to love and be loved by a king.

Customer Reviews:

A travesty of scholarship.......2001-10-01

This paragraph just added:
Derek Parker's so-called biography of Nell Gwyn is about as grounded in reality as his books on astrology, his major claim to fame. Forget Parker and buy Charles Beauclerk's "Nell Gwyn: Mistress to a King" (2005). Beauclerk is a direct descendant of Charles II and Nell Gwyn, but more importantly he is a scholar who did his homework and invests years of research in his fascinating, eye-opening biography. He casts a fresh eye not only on Nell, but also on Charles II and Restoration London.

My original review:

I am disappointed to report that Derek Parker's "Nell Gwyn" is a travesty of scholarship. I give you three (of many) cases in point:

Chapter 2, page 14, he writes: "In exile, during the Interregnum, he [Charles II] and his friend Rochester (fn5) cut a swathe through the Continent's available women." The footnote then identifies Rochester as "John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester (1647-80), a close friend of Charles throughout their lives."

The Rochester who cavorted with Charles on the Continent was Henry Wilmot, the 1st Earl of Rochester, John's father, who saved Charles's life when he was forced to flee England. John wasn't even a teenager until Charles returned from France.

Chapter 4, page 74, the author writes: "Rochester himself wrote a not particularly good play, 'The Rehearsal.'"

In all other scholarly works I've read on the subject, "The Rehearsal" is attributed to George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham, a member of "The Merry Gang." It is quite likely that Rochester contributed ideas, as he was wont to do for many of his playwright friends, including Dryden, but he was not the author of "The Rehearsal." Furthermore, the play was quite good, and groundbreaking, just not a classic.

Chapter 3, page 52, the author writes: "Dryden saw them [Charles Hart and Nell Gwyn] as Philidor and Mirida in 'All Mistaken,' by his brother-in-law James Howard -- a low comedy in which most of the entertainment derived from the attempts of a fat courtier, Pinguister, to court a pretty maid (Mirida, played by Nell). Hart rolled about the stage with Nell in his arms, rising occasionally to rush from the stage unbuttoning his breeches in order to deal with the consequences of a purge which someone had given him."

This is not at all what happens in "All Mistaken." Pinguister takes the purges voluntarily from his Doctor in order to lose weight so that Mirida will marry him. And, when they are rolling about on the stage, she is not in his arms, she is distant from him rolling away from him as he rolls toward her, because she has promised to marry him if he can catch her. She is making Pinguister her 6th "fool" to round out her half dozen. And he doesn't "rise occasionally" to go purge; he can't even get up without her help. When she does help him up, she takes him on in a swordfight and disarms him. It is also possible (I emphasize possible) that this performance by Nell was what captured Charles' attention and led to their affair.

It appears that, rather than read the plays Nell appeared in, the author found it more convenient to read someone else's inaccurate descriptions.

To attribute "The Rehearsal" to Rochester is inexplicable.

Not knowing the difference between Henry Wilmot and John Wilmot suggests that the author is not really familiar with the life of Charles II, and, if he's not familiar with the life of Charles II, he cannot possibly have anything worthwhile to contribute to our knowledge about the life of Nell Gwyn.

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Mistress of the Boards
Richard Sumner
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0394408578

The house of Nell Gwyn: The fortunes of the Beauclerk family, 1670-1974

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The house of Nell Gwyn: The fortunes of the Beauclerk family, 1670-1974
Donald Adamson
Manufacturer: Kimber
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Genealogy | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0718304039

Mistress Nell; or, Restoration divertimento;: Being a story based on the life and adventures of one Eleanor Gwyn, server of strong waters, orange girl, actress, lady of pleasure and royal mistress

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Mistress Nell; or, Restoration divertimento;: Being a story based on the life and adventures of one Eleanor Gwyn, server of strong waters, orange girl, actress, lady of pleasure and royal mistress
Frank Wilson Kenyon
Manufacturer: Appleton-Century-Crofts
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007DXW5A

Mistress Nell;: A merry tale of a merry time ('twixt fact and fancy)

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Mistress Nell;: A merry tale of a merry time ('twixt fact and fancy)
George Cochrane Hazelton
Manufacturer: C. Scribner's sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00069XNPY

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NELL GWYN
PETER CUNNINGHAM
Manufacturer: HUTCHINSON
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RXNAWK

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Nell Gwyn
Eleanor 'Nell') Chesterton, Cecil Gwyn
Manufacturer: T.N. Foulis
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K5TMCM

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Nell Gwyn
Ladbroke Black
Manufacturer: The Queensway Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JWL0K8

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NELL GWYN
KITTY SHANNON
Manufacturer: HUTCHINSON
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000S5KWOG

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