When the words "700 Years..." are in the title of ANY genealogy book about a family, one instantly wonders about how accurate it is. Yet "700 Years of the Beville Family" is just that: a meticulously researched and documented account of a family whose origins began with two Norman knights who aided William the Conqueror in his quest for the English Crown by crossing the Channel and fighting with him at the Battle of Hastings in the year 1066 A.D.

The book begins with a brief review of how the Duchy of Normandy came into being with the invasion of the Norsemen ca. 911 A.D., and its relation to the rest of the then Frankish kingdom. It covers how Duke William of Normandy came to lay claim to the English throne and the political environment of England at the time of Edward the Confessor leading up to The Conquest.

It next documents the actions of William the Conqueror and the two "de Beuville" brothers, William and Humphrey (noblemen from the town of Beuville in Normandy) and in the subsequent invasion. The story then moves on, detailing the marriages, alliances, roles (including two Knights of the Bath and two members of Parliament), and property transactions of the Beville family for 600 years in the County of Huntingdonshire, England (surrounding present day Peterborough). It concludes with 100 years of the family in colonial America, when Essex Beville emigrated to Virginia, and the next three generations that descended from him.

Using wills, baptismal, marriage, and property records, and several excellent sketches (photographs are added in the 2nd edition), Mrs. Lichliter gives form to the lives of a family's people over 600 years in medieval England. For those with a familiar knowledge of English history, some of the passages are quite revealing as one considers the contemporary events. And the updates made by Frank Pierce and Nancy Beville Pierce provide a very unexpected and fascinating link to both the current Royal family of England, and to the early noble and royal families of England in the centuries after The Conquest.

Specific sources down to the archive, volume and page numbers of references and historical records are given for each revelation and snippet of family history described throughout the work, including references from the Domesday Book of 1086.

Originally published in 1976, the Pierce's have done a masterful job of updating and adding to the original work by the late Asselia Lichliter, including information obtained by other members of the Beville family since 1976.

This work will defintely be of interest to any Beville, Bevill, Bevil, (or variation thereof) and their related family descendants as an authenticated account of their history begining in the year 1066.

It will be of interest to genealogists in general, especially amateur genealogists as Mrs. Lichliter was an "ordinary" woman with an exceptional interest in her family's history. It can also add body to desciptions of feudal society in England for those interested in history.

Exceptional, amazing and fascinating. This story of one ancient family's history is sure to become a genealogy classic.

I am a very serious poker player and I play several times a week. I've read most of the poker literature. This book is one of the best. It looks at 77 concepts and analyzes the play of various types of hands based on these concepts. I thought the book was thorough, well written and intellectually challenging. If you play poker this belongs right up there with Sklansky's best work. Renzey obviously knows the various games and he has a marvelous way of teaching his points. But this is not a beginner's book.

I'm 86 yrs. old - and have always been told I was 15 yrs younger looking, but lately I felt old because of a great deal of fatigue and instabillity. Many symptoms which Dr. couln't understand as she thought everything was okay. When this wonderful book arrived I took it with me to show her the symptoms I'd been having were all side effects of drugs. Some changes were then made and now I'm feeling like I'll live again. This book came in the nick of time.

With "Above the War Fronts," Norman Franks and his associates conclude a magnificent series of WW I aviation histories. The books contain virtually everything the serious researcher will ever need on the ever-popular subject of the first fighter aces, and ATWF rounds out the set with British gunner aces as well as all aces of Belgium, Italy, Russia, and Austria-Hungary. I published the first edition of the late Dr. Martin O'Connor's seminal work on the latter topic, and Franks' format does justice to all the combatants. Great War aviation, contrary to popular opinion, not only ain't dead--it ain't dyin' either.

This artist has a wonderfully wry and subtle sense of humor. The drawings combine a contemporary feel with the timelessness of animal iconography; for example, one of my favorites is "Coyote as a simple man" - coyote's seated in a recliner watching television! Funny and thought-provoking - an antidote to commercial corporate-conglomerate entertainment.

this book is the perfect size and covers just the right amount of depth. There's even great information on ACTDiag, a little-known utility for diagnosing databases. Steven Frank has done his homework, and his book is very easy to follow for every type of user, even easier than Act! for Dummies. Definitely my favorite book on Act, but you might want to wait until mid-September of 99, when Act! 2000 is released (along with updated books)!

This book is an excellent guide tio current state-of-the-art quantittative methods for portfolio management. It brings out the concepts and applications very nicely; including index tracking problems, vannila markowitz framework and the new concepts like optimizing a poprtfolio w.r.t VaR constraints.

A through treatment of the subject, and detailed analysis of the quantitative solutions. A must read.

This has been the most enjoyable woodworking book I have ever read. Mr. Frank's story makes fascinating reading, his knowledge of wood finishing is still amazing after eighteen years of "progress" since the publication of this book.

I don't know why Taunton has allowed it to fall out of print, but they need to bring it back.

An excellent first hand narrative with lively and descriptive writing by one of the first pioneers to help settle the untamed Northwest. Alexander Ross joined Astor's Pacific Fur Company expedition in 1810 and this is his story of the day to day struggles which he and the other men had to overcome. He left New York on the soon to be ill-fated, doomed ship the Tonquin, with a pompous and overbearing Captain Thorn. They sailed around the tip of South America, then to Hawaii and finally to the mouth of the Columbia River, all the while prevailing over many hardships during this voyage. Upon landing and without delay, the men began to construct the trading post Astoria. Ross' detailed descriptions of their adventures amidst the forces of Mother Nature, Indian relations, the Northwest Fur Company, geography, etc. makes this book a real page turner. They all had many obstacles to overcome, and as I said, his writing skills are exemplary. He devotes the last few chapters to the culture and customs of one of the local Indian tribes. The man was a keen and acute observer of all his surroundings and this is an energetic effort on his part to put it in writing.

Frank Schwartz demonstrates a keen knowledge of Japanese policy-making and the "art" of consensus in Japan--a methodology which has led to the dismal economic environment the country now suffers. He shows that although consensus may be worthwhile, leadership is more often required to steer a nation towards growth and prosperity.