This is a beautifully written book, in which the author recounts memories of his childhood in West Country England at the end of World War One. Laurie Lee's mother struggled to bring up a large family on her own, as they were abandoned by her husband, who chose to live his life away from them in London.

Lee paints an evocative picture of rural life as seen through a child's eyes: the everyday trials, the local characters, humerous and moving incidents, even the colours and smells are conveyed to the reader.

This type of writing is part of a powerful and enduring image in English popular culture - one of a pre-modern rural "ideal" England, now forever lost. I suppose you could read "Cider with Rosie" with that kind of romantic eye, but in truth this is a far more honest work: Lee states that "our village was no pagan paradise, neither were we conscious of showing tolerance". Crime, and other social problems, did exist. Infant mortality was high by modern standards (Lee's early life was punctuated by serious illnesses and one of his sisters died in early childhood). Education was barely minimal. Living conditions were often poor (I doubt that many people would think that finding a dead mouse inside their loaf of bread was a quaint event).

A very good read, not only for the delightful prose and insight into a child's life, but for the realities it reveals.

I happen to live in the Cotswolds, the setting for this beautiful book, this Monet of literature. And, complying with the below reviews, I have to say that Stroud has become a concrete river, choked with litter, sidelined with Burger Stars, neon lights; a MacDonalds is in the blue print stages. Hills are lined with new developments. It's like, and I quote my mother, "A disease is spreading."

Yet there are places untouched by Americanisms, consumerism, electricity (and here I apologise, as this becomes less of a review, more an account of personal experience). But there are still rivers afloat with leaves, valleys deep that welcome sunsets. They frost the sky in winter, burn it by summer.

"There's beauty in decay," as someone said. Haven't got a clue who. But there you go. Although dying of shallow needs and commercial interests, snippets of the old way can be found. And in all their glory, too.

This book was required reading during my childhood and, of course, I couldn't have dragged myself more slowly through it. How wise we become with age. This is an astonishing book. Lee is such a master of description that, after only a few pages, you slowly start to smell the fresh country air and hear the languid sounds of summer as you are inescabably drawn into the world of his childhood - a world that you realize has already faded into the mists of history. But this special time has not been lost - it has been captured forever in this irreplacable series of pictures. The people in these stories become more real than seems possible with only pen and ink: his characterizations are as clever as anything by Dickens or Dostoevski, and he catches the very essence of the sights, sounds and people around him with a charm unmatched by any other English writer. But this is not a story-book universe: the people in his young life have all the frailty, vanity, delight and tragedy that you would expect in any small community - but what other has been crystallized with such talent and wisdom. A wonderful work of art.

Although the liner notes describing portions of Act 4 in the boxed set I received were a little amiss, it would be hard to see how the performance itself could be improved. Paul Scofield is absolutely extraordinary as Lear as is Alec McGowen as Glouster and Kenneth Branagh as the Fool. Five stars isn't enough! It's rare that a story like this, which can become quite complex if one isn't familiar with the action, can literally jump off the recording and present us with visual images all along the way. Every actor deserves the highest praise for his/her performance!

I teach third grade in an urban school in a very large district and have used Burdett's version of Hamlet as my sole reading program component for the last 2 months. My students have showed more growth in comprehension, vocabulary, writitng skills and public speaking, than I have ever seen with any other class. Not only has their work showed such growth, but their passion for reading has flourished unbelievably. My class ranges from d's to average b's to high honor roll and every child has grown and every child now loves Shakespeare. The wording that Burdett uses is enjoyable and comprehendable yet challenging enough to keep the educational bar raised without compromising the accuracy and intent of Shakespeare's original version. Burdett also incorporates written material and illustrations by students in her second grade class. This helps the children in my class relate to the book even more. They have developed a thirst for Shakespeare that I enjoy trying to quench everyday. Every child is quoting Shakespeare and reciting soliloquys, and I credit much of that to Burdett and her brilliant writing. I loved this book so much that I have personally purchased her entire series and have displayed them all in my classroom. These books are checked out by students in my class everday. They are by far the most frequently read books in my class. She has truly brought Shakespeare back to life in the classroom and on behalf of my students and myself as well, I thank her. Classic literature is back!!!!!

The Naxos recording is an excellent rendition of RIII. The characterization is rich and well done. Full of passion and rage, you don't need to see the actors to "see" the play. The scene with Anne is particularly good.

While working towards his amazing film of "Hamlet," Kenneth Branagh plus several of his close friends and colleagues took a little time off for a lighthearted "take" on actors playing Hamlet. This film knocked my socks off. If you've ever been an actor, it's true to the bone of the experience, but with such a gentle, hilarious, gay grotesquerie that it's probably one of my favorite works of Branagh's, and surely the most unexpected. No one I've ever met doesn't love this little gem about a bunch of out-of-work actors with dreams of really "doing" Hamlet and getting their lives together - putting the Great Dane together with shoestring, gum, and very little else but heart. Highly recommended. The entire cast is stellar.

In "Shakespeare and Macbeth," Stewart Ross takes us to London, 1605 as the Elizabethan era has come to an end and a new Scottish king sits on the throne of England. Knowing King James loved the theater and was fascinated by witchcraft, Shakespeare wrote a play to please the king. Ross tells how Shakespeare conceived and wrote "Macbeth," covering the playwright's sources (such as Holinshed's "Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland") and telling about the actors who performed the play at the Globe theater, such as Richard Burbage. Ross talks specifically about how Shakespeare transformed the raw facts of history into his tragic drama, putting in things that would hopefully impress the new king from Scotland (when we see Banquo's heirs that will come to sit on the throne the last figure represented is, of course, King James himself). The artwork by Tony Karpinski and Victor Ambrus is based on careful research with regard to period clothing and the like. There is also a cut-away diagram of the Globe Theater and in the back of the book there are some excellent pencil drawings accompanying the synopsis of the actual play (I believe Karpinski did the paintings and Ambrus the drawings, but do not hold me to that conclusion). "Shakespeare and MacBeth: The Story Behind the Play," has a foreword from actor Kenneth Branagh, who praises it for conveying much of the excitement he felt when he was first introduced to "live" Shakespeare. The strength of this volume is that it does indeed give young readers an idea of how Shakespeare's plays were written and produced. True, it only scratches the surface of such things, but then the book is clearly intended as an introduction to the world of Shakespeare. As such, "Shakespeare and MacBeth" certainly succeeds in its goal, just as the Bard succeeded in having King James calling for a performance at court during the first state visit of King Christian of Denmark to England (when Ross has Shakespeare cut out a reference to a Scottish victory over the Danes during the performance you have to be impressed by his attention to to details).

This is the perfect accompaniment to Claire Tomalin's equally terrific new biography, Samuel Pepys: The Unequalled Self.

My wife & I listened to this during 2 hour commutes between city & country & became completely addicted. We were no longer driving the Taconic Parkway but totally immersed in the politics & bawdiness & squalor of daily life in 17th century London from the viewpoint of a very frank & funny & right-in-the-middle-of-it-all Mr. Pepys. From romps in bed with maids & other mens' wives to the plague & fire that virtually destroyed London, nothing is left out. Kenneth Branagh is magnificent (as usual) capturing the moods, rhythms & character of this incredible diary. When we finished the tape, we played the whole thing over again, enjoying it just as much the second time around! Highest recommendation!!!

Branaugh makes Mr. Sameul Pepys come to life. I only wish they had added a few more hours to the performance. Mr. Pepys has been described as the first writer of the 'modern' inner life, fully private and separate from public duties, but I'd never been able to overcome by unfamiliarity with 17th century prose. Branaugh's expressive but subdued intonation gets me over the hurdle.

I found it easy to understand... Well, as easy as any soap opera. It would probably help to memorize a few key names. Charles Stuart is the 'King.' James Stuart is 'Duke of York'. They are brothers driven from England by populist radicals who executed their father. After 15 years of exile, the brothers are restored to kingdom. This version of Pepys' Diary starts with monarchies restoration. It ends when Pepys' eyesight becomes so weak, he can no longer encode his comments, about 10 years later.

Pepys' has many amazing eye witness comments. At the execution of a regicide via the public torture known as 'drawing and quartering,' Pepys remarks 'Major General Harrison looked about as cheerful as a man could be in that situation.' When Pepys stays up all night worrying about Parliamentary charges of stealing public funds, his fears of 'losing his head' take on a deeper meaning than slang comments like 'losing my head' imply today.

Written by Shakespeare for Queen Elizabeth I amidst a time of Irish rebellion, Henry V more than adequately serves its intended purpose of galvanizing nationalistic fervor. It proved itself to be an unwavering and unfaltering impetus of patriotism in Shakespeare's day, during WWII, and still today it continues to resonate and reverberate this provocatively telling tale of the most gloriously revered monarch in English history.

Henry V's stirring orations prior to the victorious battles of Harfleur("Once more unto the breach") and Agincourt("We few, we happy few, we band of brothers") astonish and inspire me every time I read them. Simply amazing. Having read Henry IV Parts I&II beforehand, I was surprised Shakespeare failed to live up to his word in the Epilogue of Part II in which he promised to "continue the story, with Sir John in it." The continuing follies of the conniving Bardolph, Nym, & Pistol and their ignominious thieving prove to be somewhat of a depricating underplot which nevertheless proves to act as a succinct metaphor for King Harry's "taking" of France.

Powerful and vibrant, the character of Henry V evokes passion and unadulterated admiration through his incredible valor & strength of conviction in a time of utter despondency. It is this conviction and passion which transcends time, and moreover, the very pages that Shakespeare's words are written upon. I find it impossible to overstate the absolute and impregnable puissance of Henry V, a play which I undoubtedly rate as the obligatory cream of the crop of Shakespeare's Histories. I recommend reading Henry IV I&II prior to Henry V as well as viewing Kenneth Branagh's masterpiece film subsequent to reading the equally moving work.

I looked long and hard (and asked many a scholar) for the "perfect" Shakespeare publication that I might purchase to study "King Henry V" (for a experiential education requirement, I had undertaken the translation of Henry V into American Sign Language). The Arden Shakespeare came highly recommended by everyone, and has lived up entirely to all its rave reviews.

I will never buy Shakespeare from another publisher. While these books may be slightly more expensive than a "mass market" edition, I believe that if you are going to take the time to read and understand Shakespeare, it is well worth the extra dollar or two. The Introduction, the images, and plethora of footnotes are irreplaceable and nearly neccessary for a full understanding of the play (for those of us who are not scholars already). The photocopy of the original Quatro text in the appendix is also very interesting.

All in all, well worth it! I recommend that you buy ALL of Shakespeare's work from Arden's critical editions.

On D-Day British officers read Henry's famous words to their men as they approached the beach. When Churchill needed material for his famous "Few" speech, his thoughts turned to the pages of Henry V. From "once more into the breach" to "we happy few, we band of brothers" this play resonates with Shakespeare's paen to England's warrior king. Oh, you'll be a bit confused at the start if you haven't read Henry IV parts 1 and 2, but this is primarily the story of Henry V's victory at Agincourt. Whether the play glorifies war or just Henry you will have to decide. There is much food for thought here for the perceptive reader. But then Shakespeare is always provocative.

A pilot who finds himself stranded in a desert with a broken airplane meets an extraordinary little person. The Little Prince who is visiting Earth, just one planet in a long succession of planets already visited, tells the pilot of his journey.

Earth seems just as strange and alien as the other places he has visited. Places inhabited by archetypal manifestations of adulthood. The absurdities of which are crystal clear when seen through the eyes of a child.

The Little Prince's journey through the cosmos - brings us face to face with "things of consequence" - allowing us to see, maybe for the first time, what we really lose in growing old and rigid, instead of growing up.

This book is written at a 9-12 year level - but its depths speak to adults as well. A charming story in itself, can be read, and reread, its layers unfold, revealing deeper and deeper insight.

The artwork in the book is done by the author, too.

I read this book as a child, as a high school student, and I still read it even now. The more I read, the more clearly it speaks to my soul and imaginations.

"TO LEON WERTH when he was a little boy." During the WWII, Saint-Exupery was in the United States, and his best friend Werth, jewish, was in France where he would be killed by Nazis any moment. Saint-Exupery was concerned about his friend and wrote The Little Prince as a message for his friend, as well as for the people who suffered the war. Beyond this story, there is the author's faith in his frindship: its hope and its encouragement.

As we lose our youth, we also tend to lose vivid imaginations and innocence. We often fail to notice what is truly important to our lives. The Little Prince is a beautiful book which helps us appreciate things around us more and realize that this world is infinitily hopeful.

This slender charmer has long been a favorite--since I read it high school French class. The golden-haired boy--an interstellar traveler--touches a responsive chord in many hearts: the fox who wants to be tamed by him; the stranded pilot who sketches for him when he'd rather be repairing his plane; even the small snake who offers to speed his journey home. Adults and young readers alike will treasure this gentle tale.

Critics--those pompous and serious adults--debate St. Exupery's intention in this tiny masterpiece. Is it a fairy tale or an astral fable? Is it a vehicle to offer subtle criticism of Society's foibles, cleverly disguised as a children's story? Is the author trying to Entertain or to Instruct--or just gently offer us a nostalgia trip? Sometimes we jaded adults yearn for the simplicity and faith of childhood. Perhaps we need to see the world with our hearts, as the Essential is often invisible or blurred to our eyes. For when we can bring ourselves to sacrifice "matters of consequence", only then will we recognize our moral and social responsibilities in life. St. Exupery's delightful sketches enhance our literary pleasure. Perhaps you will regard the stars (and roses) differently after reading this.

I'm in love with Kenneth Branagh--no! Not that way! I'm in love with the talent and the drive. And the love is mixed with equal parts envy and recrimination. Oh, how I would like to be Branagh, 28 and directing himself in Henry V, or, even before that, just as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, filming a movie of the early life of D.H. Lawrence in Australia. Yes, I would like to be an actor, but for ever much a dream it may be in Britain, even more so in America. Here, there are only two places where one can gain recognition--New York and Los Angeles. Even more so, those are probably the only places one could make a living at it. But it's envy of the man's energy just as much. Sure, it may be the case that becoming an actor is easier in Britain, but then how does one explain Branagh's writing his own one-man shows, or his first play. No, this is truly a man with talent and drive, probably equally strong. And so the recrimination. I am 27, only a year away from the magic age at which this book was written, and what do I have to show for it? I finally have my Bachelor's degree, I've published two stories and written a few more, I've been involved in one magazine of note, and I've lived in several places besides where I grew up. And that's it. Not really a lot. Wasted time? Some of it, and yet, on the other hand, I wouldn't exchange it, either. I just with that I had something more tangible to show for it. Branagh's young to write an autobiography, even a first volume as this undoubtably will turn out to be, and he comments as much. Even for all his accomplishments, he isn't content to rest. There's a moral there, I believe. What Branagh has to show you is that greatness, which I do believe he has already obtained, is not an ephemeral quality, but elusive and rare. It can be had, through hard work. I heard someone recently on NPR--a poet, I think--talk about writing. He said, attempt greatness, because if you fail, well, then, it may simply be good, which isn't bad. But if you only attempt to be good.... I will attempt greatness.

GREAT BOOK: 1. THE SKETCHES ARE DRAWN BU EMMA THOMPSON'S MOTHER. 2. DELIGHTFUL SCENE WHEREIN JUDI DENCH TELLS OF HER PAST HENRY V CATHERINE WITH EMMA THOMPSON, THE PRESENT V CATHRINE ON THE DAY OF THE FRENCH TO ENGLISH.

First of all I regard Ken as my favorite actor and Emma Thompson his ex is my favorite actress.

Very well written and interesting as he goes through his childhood and growth as an actor. During that time he overcame the strong bias against his Belfast and lower class upbringing.

There were two things that I missed in the story: 1) The story ended just after Henry V filming, which is just the start of his wonderful film career.

2) There was very little about Ken and Emma. Even though they met when filming Fortunes of War, which was during the book there was little discussion of the budding romance. I expected to see flames of passion between those two. Ken as the womanizer he is reported to be and Emma with the passion she has shown in her movies.