This is the second of the Green Knowe series. Tolly returns for easter vacation to find that the portrait of Toby, Alexander and Linnet is missing -- loaned out by his grandmother to a museum, possibly to be sold at the end of the exhibition because she needs money to mend the roof. Tolly is horrified, and then with the help of Susan and Jacob (Susan an ancestor of his from 1800) he learns about Green Knowe during their lifetime, and -- yes -- finds the treasure which was lost while they were living. Every bit as wonderful as the Children at Green Knowe. The next in the series is The River at Green Knowe.

This book focuses mainly on new ways to cook familiar vegetables - nothing too esoteric - yet nothing boring. The recipes are divided up by Appetizers, Soups & Stews, Main Dishes, Side Dishes and Salads. They are easy to read and follow, and the results are always great - I have never made a dish I didn't like. I cook at least one or two recipes from this book every week. All selections are low fat and relatively quick to make.

O.K. I think Prince William is cute and this book was great in that it gave me good pictures and info. But it also made me think. He's just a normal teenager,trying to live his life. It sort of made me feel bad that I got this book. Like I was envading his privacy. I guess all I want to say is that if your going to get a book about William please don't get an unofficial biography. Think about it, how would you feel (someone saying stuff that sometimes isn't true)? I really can't express my feelings any better.

Murphy gives us a glimplse of Prince William in almost all phases of his life.

Prince William was born on June 21,1982, and was christened William Arthur Philip Louis. Both parents were very much hands-on parents. With such an energetic nature and getting into much mischief such as dumping wastebaskets, flushing his father's shoes down the toilet, pushing the button which set off the palace alarms,etc., prompted his mother once to call him a "mini- tornado." It is difficult to imagine that this young, charming, handsome prince was such a little monster that his detectives had to devise a way to keep tack of him.

It was not long before his mother, Princess Diana, shortened his name to Wills who was very thrilled when his brother, Prince Harry, was born on September 15, l984. The two princes were and remain extremely close today.

For me, it was interesting to note that as a child Prince William was the only youngster who lost a race at a birthday party because he was the only child who refused to cheat. This says much for his character as a very young boy and for the character of his parents - Diana in particular since she was with him more.

Wills' parents broke with royal tradition and sent him off to boarding school as other aristocratic British boys. This probably helped contibute to his becoming much more well-rounded, and the popular young prince that he is today. He is much more liked than most royals before him. Prince William possess his mother's shy charm, poise, good-looks,etc., but, even more important, he knows that he has a role and destiny in life to be crowned king of England one day.

Prince William excels in academics, as well as, in many sports as no royal before him. Even within the royal family, he is considered the most popular and the most handsome which has not gone to his head.

As young as he is, he has had his share of heartbreak and pain. When Princess Diana drove to Ludgrove in December, 1992, to inform her son that she and Charles had decided to separate, he told his mother, "I hope you both will be much happier now." P.36 His most dreadful sorrow came on August 31, l997, when his father, Prince Charles, awakened him and told him that his beloved mother had been killed in a car crash. Publicly, Prince William handled the situation well; although, heartbroken, he returned to Eton just a few days after her funeral and several days after the opening of school. Wills seems to have matured far beyond his years into a young man who has inherited the best characteristics of each of his parents.

This book is a must for all regardless of whether you are a fan of the young, handsome Prince William. There's so much information crammed into this small, short book. It's hardcover and has only 78 pages. It includes many colorful photograghs of his immediate family - Princess Diana, Prince Charles, Prince Harry, and, of course, Prince William from his toddler years to the present. The book is about three and a fourth inches by four inches. There's much, much more in this book. I thought I knew almost all there was to know about Prince William, but there is more.

This book has terrific pictures of the handsome prince. It concentrates on his likes and dislikes , as well as, a few of the things which he did as a youngster. I have been collecting books on all members of the royal family for almost twenty years. Therefore, this information is not new to me. This book is a must for young girls who want to keep a picture of the young, charming prince with them at all times. My only complaint is the size of the book; it's entirely too small.

Catherine thhe Great, the little teenage Princess who came from germanic heritage, developed into a scheming, pitiless, yet loving ruler. The author takes us through her development with wonderful descriptions of those times. One can compare her reign in Russia with the development of the American Revolution and be astonished at the paths of the two nations. It is well worth reading and helps us understand the Russia of that time and of later times.

This is a book about a woman who wasn't perfect but had great intentions and made the best of her situation. I admire Catherine the Great immensely

The daughter of a minor German prince, it almost easy to imagine Catherine the Great came to the throne by accident. But Catherine had a mission. Almost from the day she was chosen to be the wife of Grand Duke Peter, Catherine set her sights on greater power. She suceeded, some say by murdering her own husband, Tsar Peter III.

Catherine lead the Russians in the battle for the Crimea, eventually winning the region for the empire. The book also goes extensively into the many loves of Catherine. But short of using them to define who the Tsarina was, Troyat treats them as the diversion that Catherine saw them as.

Catherine saw herself as a liberal monarch. In fact, she regularly corresponded with Volraire and Diderot. But in the end, Catherine's main accomplishment was the maintain the power of the monarchy.

I've been reading many books of late about Irish history in general and Michael Collins in particular. I was fortunate to find this one in my read stack one night, when I wanted something "different" from the normal biography -- this book fit the bill!

First, it a collection of letters, with a few pages of text from the editor. These pages help place the letters into the context of Collins' and Kiernan's life.

Second, the editor didn't edit the letters (though there are few comments to explain a few obscure references); thus the reader is allowed to read the text with a minimum of "outside interruptions"; some people may not like this.

Third, there are a few photographs and samples of handwriting included. The photographs were what one would expect; they included the couple, as well as some mutual friends. What intrigued me more than the photos, were the samples of handwriting. Collins and Kiernan both referred to their pages as "quick notes" and such, yet the pages contained few cross outs and changes which indicated that that both writers gave their "quick notes" quite a bit of thought.

These letters are remarkable, as they allow the reader to see how the events impacted the writers; especially true for Collins, as he was quite dedicated to writing letters to Kiernan in addition to his duties. It is remarkable to read these notes from a man whose time was consumed by governmental duties, treaty negotiations and fighting yet still found the time to tell his beloved how much he loved her.

This volumne is a rare bird, as it both a book for historians and for lovers. Enjoy

These excerpts from the voluminous correspondence between Michael Collins and his fiance Kitty Kiernan reveal a rather strange relationship between a dynamic revolutionary leader-turned-statesman and a woman who seems almost totally focused on herself and virtually oblivious to the pressures and dangers under which he was laboring. The feelings between the two seem to reflect a range of emotions, including irritation, jealousy, perfunctory interest and exhaustion (his)during a particularly fascinating period of Irish history. One wonders what the attraction was between these two since she seems very little interested in or informed about the momentous events in which he was a key player. One also wonders whether the match would have been very successful had Collins lived long enough to marry his lady. Nonetheless, engrossing reading.

The Michael Collins we see in these letters is a man of deep feelings, not primarily for Kitty Kiernan (although that too), but for his country and his fellow Irish. It is hard to read these letters and understand where your editorial reviewer gets the idea that Collins was "vainglorious" or "petty" (was he/she perhaps thinking of DeValera?). Collins certainly had his faults but these were not among them and certainly are not reflected in these letters. Rather, we see a man tormented by the burden laid on him in trying to end the 700-year oppression by the British and save his country from the terrible civil war that ensued after the signing of the Treaty. These letters are fascinating in their revelations of both Collins' character and that of Kitty Kiernan, who comes across as rather shallow or at least uncomprehending of the terrific strain under which Collins labored. These are a must-read for anyone fascinated with Michael Collins and that era of Irish history.

A tad dry but a good history of a very complex woman who moved Russia into the modern era. If you want to know Russian history this is a must read.

Catherine is one of history's most complex, intelligent, strong-willed and resourceful women. de Mariaga's account is accurate and straightforward. Though she lacks the rhetorical flourish and eye-for-drama that makes Troyat's bio such a joy to read, de Mariaga pays closer attention to historical detail and gives the reader a keener sense of the political atmosphere Catherine faced and then recreated in her image.

de Mariaga doesn't dwell long on Catherine's formative years, dealing with the entire period from German childhood to ascension to the Russian throne in the prologue. She does mention the effect that Plutarch, Tacitus and Montesquieu had on the fifteen year Catherine. When the Swede, Count Gyllenborg urged her to read these authors, Catherine acted on the suggestion by ordering the library of the Academy of Sciences and its bookshop be sent to her. The books, when they came, were over the head of a fifteen-year old, but she turned to them later in life. de Mariaga tells us that years later, while awaiting news from Potemkin during the second Turkish campaign, Catherine (along with her newest consort, Zubov) distracts herself by translating Plutarch' Lives.

Catherine had to deal with many powerful factions when she came to power, following Peter II's secret assassination by the Orlov's. Some of the aristocratic members of her early cabinet, especially Panin, were hoping for a parliamentarian form of government, with a select few advisors wielding the majority of the power. Catherine, with the backing of the Orlovs, displayed her mettle early on in circumventing such notions. As far as she was concerned, Russia would remain an an autocrcy. Yet she was diplomatic enough not to appear heavy-handed in her decision-making and gave the impression, even to those she disagreed with strongly, that she was considering their proposals. She gave into Panin on his idea of a councl, but it was to be fashioned by her, so the old idea of service to the sovereign was reinforced. Even so it took her a good five years to consolidate her authority and spoil the ambitions of those who wanted to keep her a figurehead regent serving only until the czarevich Paul reached his majority.

de Mariaga stresses the importance of the assembly of 1767 in helping validate Catherine's rule and cementing her government. The assembly was important in that it allowed Catherine to come in contact with a wide cross-section of the Empire, and allowed her to confer new status on previously disenfranchised segments of the population (except the serfs, of course), at the expense of the nobility. The nobility found itself unable to resist Catherine's power-grab, for she was now speaking directly to "her children" with the divine voice of the Enlightenment. To have denounced her plan before a national assembly would have been tantamount to denouncing providence itself.

Catherine epitomized the "enlightened despot." She combined the "enlightened" political model of Montesqieu with her own brand of absolute power. A case could be made that she wasn't so much power-hungry as unwilling to share policy-making with those less-enlightened than she; namely, the Russian nobility whom she saw (correctly) as interested primarily in maintaining their wealth and status.

Catherine corresponded frquently with Voltaire. She brought Diderot to Russia. She wrote voluminously on subjects ranging from political science to drama. She was a Rennaissance Man in woman's garb in an Age of Enlightenment. Her diplomatic skills were exemplary. She could be ruthless and iron-fisted when the occasion dictated it. She, like Peter the Great before her, forged a new Russia, less dependent on old superstitions and the whip, more attuned to education and the new humanism. While her sexual proclivities have been vastly over-sensationalized, it could well be stated that in the area of bedroom-diplomacy Cleopatra was her only rival.

Again, if you are a reader interested in good story-as-bio, stick to Troyat. If you are interested in the political panorama of 18th c. Russia, de Mariaga is the best guide I know of.

For anyone who wants easy low fat meals made with chicken breasts only

I bought this while on vacation at a discount book warehouse. So far, I have tried about 10 recipes and all but one of them has been FANTASTIC! The only one I didn't like was the Chicken and Broccoli loaves - they were a bit dry and to be honest, I think I was expecting more of a traditional meatloaf flavor.

Even recipes of which I was skeptical have turned out to be just delicious. I've had several other lowfat cookbooks and plenty of chicken cookbooks, but this has become my hands-down favorite. When I say these recipes are delicious, I mean absolutely yummy delicious!

If you love chicken (like I do) and want new and different ways to cook it, you can't go wrong with this cookbook. As my daughter described tonight's dinner (Sauteed Chicken with Carrots and Onions), it's "yum-a-licious!"

The text is sometimes a little dull and difficult to follow but the scope of the information presented is wide ranging and concise enough to keep you going. It was very enjoyable to learn about stuctures that you don't often see mentioned in other works. This is a very good addition to a library. I think that sometimes the text drifts from its intended purpose but the drifts are all pleasant.

Reading or browsing "The Empress and Architect" is a thrilling experience. Along with the great reproductions of Cameron's works, the Author of the book offers insightful and precise vision of syncretic relations between Russian and British culture. Unfortunately for Russia, the momentum of these cultural relatiions was abruptly ended after Bolshevik revolution of 1917. "The Empress and Architect" is truly one of the best books on Russian Classical Architecture published in English.

This is one of the best books I've read, for pleasure, in years. This was the first book by Catherine Coulter I have read. Since then I read books 1, and 3 of the quartet. I keep re-reading Earth Song and purchased it for a friend. I'll forever remember this book fondly.

This book is one of 5 loosely tied together through the use of the main characters from one story as the minor characters in another. In this case, Kassia and Graelam de Moreton from Fire Song play a minor role. I always wonder what happened to the characters of a good book after the last page, and so I find this snapshot very satisfying. It is fast paced read and very funny in parts. One of the few books ever to actually make me laugh out loud!

After reading Fire Song I could not help but wonder what happened to Kassia and Graelam. Catherine did a marvelous job w/ the connections between both books. This is my first time reading a quartet and it is very satisfying to read their continuations. Deinwald and Phillipa were humorous, there were challenges they had to overcome, and to my predicament they did. They met in such an unsual way you can't help but laugh and want more. You will be glued to the book from the very beginning and the including of old friends from Fire Song will delight you. This was by far the best book I have read in years.

This book is apparently very popular in France and continental Europe. It deserves equal success in North America. It is a collection of essays that explore 18 virtues. Love, Politeness, Fidelity, Tolerance, Humor among them and drws his, very readable and humorous, analysis from his own experience and from the great philosophers of all time ranging from Aristotle to Aquinas, Kant, Nietzche and Rielke to mention a few from memory. The virtues are also arranged according to an order. He starst with politeness, which he considers to be almost a virtue, to Love, the ultimate virtue. In many ways I was reminded of Alain de Botton's excellent Consolations of Philosophy. Indeed, it is equally good but interestingly different. Read them both. Also a warning to those who seek absolute truths: There aren't any to be found here, and that's part of the charm and its appeal to free-thinkers.

I have just recently become interested in philosophy and wanted something not too in depth, yet intellectually stimulating. This book was particularly good for me because it didn't go into much detail about the foundations of the concepts discussed, it just gave an in-depth applicable discussion on 11 or so important virtues in life. I found the frequent references to other philosophers helpful as well because I am new to the subject and now am familiar with the basic ideas of different philosophers.

I've read the book in French. Compte Sponville has set himself the simplest and most challenging goal of all. He wishes to help us live. In simple words, he analyses brilliantly the traditional virtues. Food for thought. Daily philosophy. Many thanks !