This volume offers a broad re-assessment of the standard, consensual view of the postwar era in British party politics. Drawing on the work of a number of younger British historians, it challenges the orthodox view of Conservative and Labour policy making being based on similar principles, forged out of the supposed wartime consensus.

From economic policy, to grass-roots beliefs, the "Myth of Consensus" offers a challenging new view of what has often been hitherto cosidered a closed subject. It is essential reading for anyone wanting to understand the realities of the relationship between party and policy-making on post-war Britain

I love the way Garrett writes, and have enjoyed all of his books that I have read, but this book doesn't seem to have much to do with the title. If you are looking for a clever insight into the minds of commoners, messengers, and Catholic Priests (among others) during Elizabeth's reign, then this is the book for you. There is one very interesting chapter on the letters between Elizabeth and James, but most of the rest of the book seems to stray from the subject of the succession.

You will probably like this journal. The layout and the inspirational quotes are wonderful. But I really think you need to read the book to get an understanding of how it works. The pages are undated (no guilt if you miss a day writing), and the room to write is limited, but adequate unless you ramble on. All in all, a wonderful companion to A Woman After God's Own Heart.

Community Playhouse in Long Beach did the show this August. As it played, the plot didn't come through, but the wit of Shaw did. The playhouse didn't have the costumes of the military men, nor the actors to carry-off the pomp and bravado of these would-be heroes. In a time when G.W. Bush is fighting his own phantasmic enemies this play should have lapooned the whole spectre of military madness. George Bernard Shaw gave us the theme it will take some imagination and talent to make it contemporary and equal to the madness of our times. Anon

George Bernard Shaw takes the title for this play from the opening life of Virgil's epic poem the "Aeneid," which begins "Of arms and the man I sing." Virgil glorified war and the heroic feats of Aeneas on the battlefield. However, Shaw's purpose in this play is to attack the romantic notion of war by presenting a more realistic depiction of war, devoid of the idea that such death and destruction speaks to nobility. Still, "Arms and the Man" is not an anti-war drama, but rather a satirical assault on those who would glorify the horrors or war.

Shaw develops an ironic contrast between two central characters. The play begins with accounts of the glorious exploits of Major Sergius Saranoff, a handsome young Bulgarian officer, in a daring cavalry raid, which turned the war in favor of the Bulgarians over the Serbs. In contrast, Captain Bluntschil, a professional soldier from Switzerland, acts like a coward. He climbs up to a balcony to escape capture, he threatens a woman with a gun, and he carries chocolates rather than cartridges because he claims the sweets are more useful on the battlefield.

In the eyes of Raina Petkoff, the young romantic idealist who has bought into the stories of battlefield heroism, Saranoff is her ideal hero. However, as the play proceeds, we learn more about this raid and that despite its success, it was a suicidal gesture that should have failed. Eventually Saranoff is going to end up dead if he continues to engage in such ridiculous heroics. Meanwhile, we realize that Bluntshcil has no misconceptions about the stupidity of war and that his actions have kept him alive.

"Arms and the Man" is an early play by Shaw, first performed in 1894, the same year he wrote "Mrs. Warren's Profession." The ending is rather tradition for comedies of the time, with all the confusion between the lovers finally getting cleared up and everybody paired up to live happily ever after. The choice of a young woman as the main character, who ultimately rejects her romantic ideals to live in the real world, is perhaps significant because serving in the army and going to war is not going to happen. Consequently, her views are not going to be colored by questions of courage in terms of going to war herself. I also find it interesting that this play understands the horrors of war given that it was the horrors of World War I that generally killed the romantic notion of war in Britain.

A starving, exhausted soldier running for his life bursts into a young woman's room, finds outrage, criticism, solace, chocolate creams, and unexpected love -and that's just the opening scene. This clever, witty, subtle, and surprising treat from the author of Pygmalion still holds up well more than 100 years after its writing. Shaw fashions the subjects of false ideals, heroism, romanticism, and the fake glories of war into a well-constructed farce which sustains through the very last line. Can't wait to see a new production of the play, and a great read meanwhile....

This is definitely one of Elizabeth George's best! The character development in this book envelopes the reader in a carefully constructed storyline that keeps the reader guessing. The complicated relationships between Juliet and Colin, Juliet and her daughter Maggie, Maggie and her boyfriend, Polly & Colin etc. were fascinating (sometimes disturbing as well). George's descriptions of the countryside in England always make you feel as if you are right there with the characters. I've read 5 of her novels to date and this one is just behind In the Presence of the Enemy (which was my favourite). The only thing wrong with this book is that we didn't get to see much of Havers.

The negative reviews of this book perplex me. I have read all of the Lynley-Havers novels in chronological order up through "Playing for the Ashes". This was slightly better than "For the Sake of Elena", which was the best up to that point. George continues her strong development of the ongoing characters, especially Havers. There was more explicit sex in this book than the previous ones, but that is to be expected as time marches on and tastes change. I believe that the mystery here was the strongest since "Well-Schooled in Murder". If you have enjoyed other Lynley-Havers novels, I would recommend that you try this one.

"Missing Joseph" is by far the best of Elizabeth George's novels. The inter-relationship between characters could not be better. There were many intriguing and fascinating storylines. The book was extremly complex and well-handled. Interest never flagged for a moment. It was by far my favorite book by this superior author.I have read 3 times in the past year. Would recommend very highly!

I read Silas Marner as a sophomore in high school and I still remember it today, as a senior about to graduate. The tale about a lonely old man, Silas, who lost his not only his faith in God but his most supposedly valuable treasure, his gold, learns that nothing can ever take the place of human love and companionship when he adopts Eppie. With her help, he learns to care about more than money, and a thrilling, touching novel is the result. When I was told to read this book, I automatically thought I wouldn't like it, since it was an assigned book. Instead, it has become one of my favorite novels of all time, right up there with Pride and Prejudice, Hamlet, and The Power and the Glory.

I enjoyed this book very much. The morals and lessons it teaches you are very important. It is the story of a lonely man, who because he was falsely accused of stealing and because this cost him all his relationships with people, he secluded himself in his lonely house along with all his gold that he saved up. He never spent his money because he enjoyed its company. His gold was his only companion for several years of his life. Then one day, he was robbed, and he no longer had anything worth living for.
Silas was slowly dying of misery and depression. He had no reason to live. Then one day a little girl walked into his house and into his life. Her mother died, leaving the baby girl as an orphan. So, Silas adopted her and took her into his home. She grew up a poor, hard-working girl who loved her new father Silas and vice-versa. Because of this new daughter of his, Silas changed for the better. He became more caring and devoted to someone else besides himself. He started to go to church again and changed his views on what really was important in life. And one day when his treasure was found and returned to him, he didn't even care for it. He had something even more precious than gold: someone to love and receive love from.

The fact that Amazon has so many editions of Silas Marner available indicates that it is truly a classic if it is still being read more than 150 years after it was written.

It is unfortunate that some high school reviewers (or former high school readers) feel that they had this book "forced" on them. Yes, the English language has changed since the early 19th century, especially for American readers of this British author.

My suggestion would be to listen to "Silas Marner" as an audiobook, perhaps while reading along. I recently finished listening to this fine book narrated by Margaret Hilton, but I couldn't find her rendition among the titles available here. I'm sure there are many fine versions available.

So, give this tale a listen, and let the language flow into your ears. Then you will discover why this tale about a miserly old weaver, who has been wronged by his neighbors more than once, finds redemption and a new life when he adopts the little girl left on his doorstep is truly a classic.

On a positive note: This book has lots of challenges! In every chapter I found something else to work on in different areas of my life.

However, I feel that most of this book was a bunch of tips stuck together without much biblical reasoning to back it up. Some statements seemed very biased and there was no scripture to back it up or if there was scripture it was sometimes misquoted. I had hoped that this book would help to lift my spirits after being stressed for the last year or so, but I was not motivated to pursue God any more than I was before reading the book.

While reading this book I can sense the love that Elizabeth George has for people and for God, but I suggest trying another one of her books instead (Putting on a Gentle and Quiet Spirit was an excellent devotional!)

This is an excellant book on organizing your life God's way! I would highly recommend purchasing the study guide that goes along with it- you are missing out on half of the application/scripture and ideas if you don't! I look forward to seeing it as a Sunday School class or bible study in our church soon. It really prioritizes things and bases all on scripture- I did not find it biased at all- once again you really need the study guide to get the most out of it- it is filled with scripture and application and is all biblical- I highly recommend it and can't wait to do the next chapter each day!

Author Kenneth Morgan presents a very thorough and well researched history of Great Britain from the end of World War Two until the end of the twentieth century. His work is detailed in content and provides copious notes. He does a commendable job of covering the different aspects of modern history ranging from political and economic aspects, to social and religious ones. However, Morgan apparently wrote this text with a British audience in mind, therefore his work assumes a certain degree of familiarity with many things British. These include persons, titles, places, and especially the terminology and nomenclature of the British. For example, if one does not know who the Chancellor of the Exchequer is or what a white paper is, you are left in the dark because Morgan gives no explanation. Understandably, and quite so, if this was written for educated British readers, its no shortcoming at all. However, for Americans this only serves to cloud the picture of Britain Morgan is attempting to paint for us. For students knowledgable with Great Britain this book is indeed recommended, but for those with a limited understanding of Great Britain, it's effectiveness is much diminished.

This is a good polical, social and economic history of Britain since the end of the war. He goes over in detail the major policies and trends in Britian and gives the audience a pretty good over view of the current era of Britan.

I am gamely trying to admire these books as much as everyone else seems too, but if George doesn't get on with it in the 5th, I'm going to hang it up.

George is a talented writer. The problem is that she writes as though she believes she is a talented writer. The plots are engaging, and the characters are anything but cardboard, but the drek that one has to slog through in order to get to those plots can sometimes be impenetrable.

I learned after the first book to skip the interminable soap opera that was Havers and her family (I was actually pleased when her father died in the third book so that I wouldn't have to read any more about him). But the fourth book takes "wallow" into a whole new dimension. Simon and Deborah. Deborah and Tommy. Tommy and Simon. Simon and Helen. Helen and Tommy. Tommy and Peter. If you loved Wuthering Heights, you'll love this book. Otherwise, you may find yourself screaming by half-time.

I'm hoping that all of these emotional cripples get down to business by the fifth book. Otherwise, the Elizabeth George fan club will have to carry on without me.

This was the fourth book in the Lynley-Havers series that I have read (I have read them in order) and am sure it is my last. I am just not a fan of this kind of writing but I think I gave it a fair chance - trying to understand why so many readers seem to adore this author.

I find George's books to be so incredibly overwritten and overwrought that my fingers itch for a red pen when reading them! It is as though she is being paid by the word - and why say something in 10 words if she can say it in 20? This book could easily have been half the length it ended up being.

"A Suitable Vengeance" gives the early background of the characters who populate the later (in time) books. Even after reading this, I still find it hard to believe that men like Simon St. James and Thomas Lynley were so involved with a teen-ager (Deborah) when they were in their late 20s (even before this book took place)! This just seems preposterous to me and George never addresses this issue. In four books I have never really found Deborah to be all that interesting - yet she has had these two very intelligent and attractive men fall head-over-heels for her!

In this book, the main action in Cornwall starts with the murder of a man whom the readers have not yet met and who somehow never seemed very important to me. It seems to be thrown into the book - a clumsy plot device that never really gets the reader involved. I will admit that the "bad guy" was a surprise to me, but not enough to warrant all the pages that it took to find out about him.

I hate to say nothing good about a book, especially one that I finished, as it must have had some redeeming qualities. I would say that the best parts of this book, for me, were the descriptions of the Cornwall coast. George's grim depiction of drug users was probably fairly accurate as well.

I absolutely love Elizabeth George's writing and her characters. This book was interesting because it told us about the earlier life of Lynley, St. James, Lady Helen and Deb. We got bits and pieces of the whole situation in her previous books, but never the whole story. It helps explain a number of things and different character traits and undercurrents from previous books. And Ms. George can write! Her novels are so much more complex than simple little "who-dunits". The story takes the reader along on Ms. George's own little Magic Carpet ride, and nothing exists for us except Lynley and his friends. We even get a short preliminary look at Barbara Havers in this book. She is by far my favourite character, and I miss her absence, but realize that she wasn't part of Lynley's life during the time setting of this book. I look forward now to continuing with the storyline in subsequent books, and feel that I have a better understanding now of why Tommy thinks and acts the way he does.

Fans of mystery writer Elizabeth George are likely to be a little disappointed in the latest installment of the Lynley-Havers series. For starters, there is very little of either Thomas Lynley or Barbara Havers in the book, they are more or less supporting players in the drama which centers around one of the more dysfunctional families in recent literature.

The tragic tale of the Davies family, told in flashback/diary format, is ultimately gripping and very well written - but it is intercut with a real-time crime-solving narrative that is confusing, cluttered with unecessary plot elements, and ambiguous.

This long book, in need of much sharper editing, is nonetheless a must read for Lynley-Havers addicts who wouldn't want to miss even the smallest tidbit of character development, but it is not likely to attract and hold many new readers.

Okay - so this wasn't the best of the bunch - I'm still a fan, I still care about the characters, and I will wait not too patiently for the next, hopefully better, installment.

I've read all of Elizabeth George's Thomas Lynley/Barbara Havers series, and I must say that this is the weakest of the bunch. One of the aspects that I've always enjoyed in this mystery series is the attention that the author paid to the lives of the two main characters. In A Traitor to Memory, that seems to have flown by the wayside, and Havers and Lynley are given rather slipshod treatment. The small sections devoted to their private lives seem perfunctory and forced.

In addition, I felt that the mystery itself wasn't as strong in this novel. The timeline for one character's novel is not in sync with the other chapters, which I found to be quite confusing when I realized what was going on. The ending comes out of nowhere and leaves many questions unanswered, which, in itself isn't a crime, but these questions needed to be answered in order for the book to make sense.

Overall though, A Traitor to Memory kept me glued to its pages. Regardless of the book's weaknesses, Ms. George is a fantastic British mystery writer. I look forward to her next book, hoping that she'll take time and care with it, and especially to the BBC adaptation of the first book in her series, to appear on PBS some time in early 2002.

I am a great fan of Elizabeth George and have found all of her books engrossing. Of them all, however, this one is definitely the weakest. For the first time, I guessed fairly early on who the real culprit was.

All of Ms. George's books have truly dysfunctional, if not downright crazy, characters in them (in addition to the perpetrator), but she always creates a balance with her continuing characters of Lynley, Helen, Deborah, St. James and Havers - normal, flawed people getting on with their lives. Without the continuing characters, the hopelessness of the rest of the characters would make this book too depressing.

All in all, it was a great read and I highly recommend it.