This is a delightful and freshing book. The illustrations are wonderful and all remind us of the Diana that we all pictured would always exsist. A must for any Diana collector.

Reading this story and coloring these wonderful illustrations took me back to the era when Princess Diana first entered our lives. The illustrations are of the best of this genre and the story is elegant in it's simplicity. I am truly impressed with this book!.

In 1765 Boston, tavern manager Makepeace Burke despises the English crown and aristocracy for what they are doing to her and her fellow colonists. However, that does not stop the twenty-four year old from rescuing Sir Philip Dapifer from drowning in the Charles River. Her Good Samaritan deed leads to her ostracism from her friends and other patriots.

Philip falls in love with his savior and returns the favor by sneaking her on board a ship bound to England. They marry on the vessel, but Makepeace finds life in England worse than Boston because the locals treat her with scorn for being a Yankee. As she adapts to her new life, Makepeace stays true to her beliefs of equality across the Anglo Atlantic, between classes, and between genders.

Though in many ways Makepeace is an anachronism seemingly more suited o live in today's society than the pre-Revolutionary War era, readers will admire her spunk. The story line enables the audience to taste life just before the war in Boston and London with an emphasis on the disparity of opinions. This fascinating dual look at the dichotomy make for a vividly fine historical tale that shows Diana Norman can paint multiple perspectives without dismissing either side inside an entertaining romance.

Harriet Klausner

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, especially having read up a little about Grace O'Malley in the past. The suspense was good almost all the way through, and I learned more about the history of the relationship between Ireland and England.

What a mess! The editorial review (excerpt from Kirkus reviews) is about the Eva Ibbotson book Morning gift - set in Vienna and Britain before and during World War II. Great book: 5 stars.

The Diana Norman book is the one about the Saxon heiress. I also read it, but can not remember much about it, thought it was average.

A wonderful story of survival amidst a political war torn backdrop. It is more romantic history than historical romance. It is not a happy ending; it is a fitting ending to a story filled with strong will and strong emotion. It leaves you happy for the heroine. Unforgettable!

This is one of my all time favorite books. I have reread it many times with a great deal of pleasure. It concerns the life of a young Norman heiress named Matilda who is sold off to one husband after another during the violent times of the civil war between King Steven and the Empress Maud. Matilda's first husband presents her with a "morning gift" after their wedding night. She is dismayed at this display of lusty feeling on his part and mortified to think anyone might imagine she is capable of the same feelings. Then she is further dismayed to find that this gift is a swampy bit of fenland in East Anglia where no one speaks her proper Norman French. But it is a rich land filled with sassy, dependable people and it's a great place to hide in times of trouble and trouble is surely coming!

The book is interesting in that it deals with famous members of mid-century intelligencia, but it also explores the nuances of political thought happening among members of the left in that time period. Also interesting is the fact that Podhoretz had his falling out with people sometimes for reasons other than his right-wing conversion in the 1970s and 1980s.

The book is quite good at explaining the subtle differences in opinion among left-wing American intellectuals of the time. Almost everyone had trifled with Communism or fellow travelerism, but out of that start grew many different points of view that Norman and his Ex-Friends would argue about again and again. Being philosophical writers, they would tend to explore many different avenues from one another. It's a wonder that any two writers remain life-long friends.

I grew less interested in these characters as the book progressed though. The pattern gave me the "heard it once, heard it a thousand times" feeling. By Hannah Arendt, I was tired from a long journey. But not because Mr. Podhoretz isn't a fine writer, he most certainly is. Only, I'll be ready for another subject matter from him next time around.

Norman Podheretz, editor of COMMENTARY for 30 years, presents us with a must-read book of war stories about problematic celebrity friends of his.

Poderhetz's crystal clear writing is a pleasure to read, and so especially are the explanations he provides about the writings and thinking of the subjects he describes in EX-FRIENDS: Falling Out With Allen Ginsberg, Lionel and Diana Trilling, Lillian Hellman, Hannah Arendt, and Norman Mailer.

The author's writing is welcome because these folks are not always easy to understand.

For instance, Poderetz explains that Norman Mailer thought that the social revolution of the 1960's would succeed because its advocates gained incredible strength by giving into ALL of their impulses as much as possible. The inhibited opponents of that revolution, Mailer opines, couldn't and didn't compete in the "giving into their impulses" dept. and so didn't do as well. Mailer cites Richard Nixon as an example of too much inhibition. That will shut people who thought Nixon was "too emotional."

I always wondered what Norman Mailer was talking about when I used to see him on talk shows like THE MERV GRIFFIN SHOW, but it took Podheretz to explain it to me!

I always wondered when Allen Ginsburg stated he "saw the best minds of his generation destroyed by madness," exactly which minds he was referring to. Poderhetz doesn't get into that, but his Allen Ginsberg section is also worth reading.

It's hard to be an editor. H.L. Mencken was editor of the AMERICAN MERCURY in the 1920's and early 1930's, he, too, ran into a lot grief from prima donna writers of great talent but short fuses.

Hooray for Norman Podheretz. A writer and a good man.

Born in 1930, Norman Podhoretz was one of the youngest members of New York's legendary "The Family". This group of intellectuals was extremely influential in literature, art, philosophy, and politics.

Mr. Podhoretz has written several books which cover most of the fascinating occurrences and turns in his life. EX-FRIENDS deals with some of the famous people he broke with as his beliefs evolved while events in the 20th century turned old political labels and beliefs upside down.

Superb writing by the author makes what could have been a dry, self-serving book into a riveting, easy to follow page-turner. Not at all what one would expect from an "intellectual".