Going where the Brits once were?
344782
Useful device if you are going to places where the Brits were once in charge. This and the rectangular plug counter part are essential. You need both as the Brits are not fond of doing things only one way, hence two different types of plugs. The unit here is well made and the supplier is very responsive.
4777764
Keep a handkerchief ready for the last chapter of this one!  As in previous Maisie Dobbs books, this one gives great insight into Britain during the period between WWI & WWII.  This time readers learn about the treatment of immigrants from India as the try to blend their culture from a different region of The British Empire into the traditions of the English homeland.
1423600
When the War is over, the politicians have made the peace and the armies disbanded, the soldier return to a changed homeland.  The War has changed them and the communities in which they try to pick up where they left off.  The experience was different among the nations but for those on the winning side during the Great War, nowhere was the change as sweeping as it was in Ireland.  The soldiers left a part of the United Kingdom but returned to a country convulsed by rebellion and soon to be a new nation to be born out of the inferno. Were they to be viewed as brave heroes of a Kingdom of which their island had been a part for 800 years, or as traitors who enabled the Britain power to maintain its hold on Ireland, a small nation striving to join the free?  Author Paul Taylor seeks to answer these and other questions.

Taylors first task is to separate myth from the history that is written by the partisans of Britain and Ireland.  In a 1985 Commemoration Irish President Mary McAleese framed it succinctly: Those whom we commemorate here were doubly tragic.  They fell victim to a war against oppression in Europe.  Their memory fell victim to a war for independence in Ireland. (p. 4)  Pre-war Ireland was not as united as portrayed in Republican tradition nor as loyal to King and country as the keepers of the Realm would like us to believe. While the West, with its dairy industry serving the domestic market, was drawn to Nationalism, the East, whose agriculture was dependent on the export market in England, favored Unionism.  Returning Irish soldiers faced may issues.  The author relies heavily on statistical analysis and recorded interviews of participants.  Records of violence and intimidation against ex-servicemen are examined to ascertain whether they were targeted because of their past service.  Irregulars killed or drove many into exile.  Military experience was valued by both sides in the War of Independence (1919-1921) and the subsequent Civil War (1922-1923).  You may, as I probably did, find a relative, among those who either offered their skills to the freedom fighters or the Pro-Treaty or Anti-Treaty forces or were threatened or executed for suspected espionage.
Veterans benefits included pensions and housing.  Crown pensions and houses flowed into a country from which it had drawn soldiers but no longer ruled.  The interplay of the veterans expectations, the Crowns budget and the attitude of the Irish government mixed into a spicy stew.  The pensions and housing, though contributing to the Irish economy, irritated its government.  Conflicting claims of veterans and their widows over limited housing were a long-term source of tension.

The last section addresses the rivalries between those who fought for the Crown in the Great War and later either joined the rebellion, supported the government or tried to stay out completely and those who claimed veterans preferences for having served in Irish military or para-military units and claimed virtue in abstinence from the Great War.

Heroes or Traitors appealed to my interests in Irish history and the Great War.  At times, it seemed to be overly statistical and anecdotal for my taste but overall it is an excellent read for anyone interested in the lingering echoes of the Great War and its wake.
2092268
I had before me a couple of weeks in England, a rental car and no fixed itinerary. The book (and a couple more), plus a GPS with a chip for Europe, enabled me to wander where the wind blew me, finding delightful stops enroute to some other place I wanted to see. I never completed one of its loops--just picked up the trail from a point nearby. Photographs and tidbits on history of places.
3143976
Like Simon Winchester's travels in Outposts this is a particularly British journey. Unless you are a "native' or spent time listening to the BBC news broadcasts the iconic subject of both the title and the purpose of the author's trip might confuse. However, if you grew up listening to the beautifully modulated tones of the BBC news-reader intoning "Cromarty, Rockall and Viking" - as iconic to many as "Liverpool 1, Everton 2"- this book describes a trip of full of nostalgia; that most unreliable source of history.

Perhaps a quick look at the actual service would be helpful as a starter for non-Brits ([...]) and would explain the intent and purpose of the forecast, if not the alluring mystique. The author recollects his own, near Pavlovin reaction, to hearing the signature tune as a boy, because it signified his tea-time. He later decides to visit each region named in the forecast that shared at least on boundary line with an accessible point - and he took his celebrated humour with him.

A delightful book is the result of his journey, and brings gems to our reading from the sea-regions such as the actual history of the invention of shipping news to save lives by Robert Fitzroy, the ex-Captain of the Darwin voyage in HMS (Her Majesty's Ship) the Beagle. During one of the periodic adjustments of the sea-regions,150 years later, Fitzroy was honored by naming the southernmost region as Fitzroy - it was formally Biscay - after his contribution.

Connelly's trip is full of Irish wit and fully explains the allure and mystery of why this broadcast is of heavy significance to those who depended on it for livelihood and to those who just listened to the sonorous announcements whilst shivering under the bedclothes at home, in gratitude for not having to weather it.
844913
I get that for many people going to Great Britain is going to London, but I was looking for more of Great Britain.  Just about half of the book is about London.  I wanted to know about the white cliffs of Dover, Southwest England, Scotland, Wales, Central England.  It does have a nice daily schedule for see England and Scotland.  But, look for something else to schedule trips to Great Britain and see what to do and see.
3306580
This is a great read.  If you have ever been to England, you will recognize the geography presented in the book.
591277
For those Americans who have yet to travel to the "Motherland", Bill Bryson offers nothing short of a comical yet accurate account of what they should expect if they do chose to vist.  Bryson explores the intricacies of such daunting tasks as:  learning to flush and English toilet and the etiquette associated with that, use of British transportation systems, searching for a Bed and Breakfast, English names and origins, storytelling among the elders, and certainly the most important aspect of Britain, pub life.  Through telling personal narratives of historical locations he visits and describing the incredible differences in what Americans and English emphasize in their day to day life, Bill Bryson makes you feel proud of the heritage of America (but not proud enough to pick up roots and move across the Atlantic).  Most strikingly, even though Amercians and Brits share the same language, there is a world of difference between our cultures.
215266
Subtitled, Journeys Through the Dark Ages, this book  details ten journeys taken by the author over seventeen months.  It is part a travel book and part a history of Britain from the end of Roman Britain to the death of Alfred the Great.  Max Adams begins his journey at Hadrians Wall, the entrance to Birdoswald Fort  the place where he suggests the Dark Ages began, with the gradual removal of the troops stationed there.  Although, of course, nobody really noticed the beginning of the Dark Ages in Britain  it started, as Adams tells us, in different ways, at different times in different places

What is certain is that the Roman Empire changed and gradually lost touch with Britannia.  In the fifth century there was virtually no narrative history for the British Isles.  So, the author began to walk the country and to try to rediscover this enigmatic time through its monuments and remains.  He also makes the important point about the influence of Rome that remained; the Roman Empire retained a presence in the monuments, the landscape and roads and in the presence of towns,  whose role, as central places, where literate, thoughtful people might gather and debate the nature of the world survives and thrives.

This book took Max Adams, and vicariously the reader, from Scotland to Ireland, from Anglesey to York and Whitby and many, many other places; mostly by foot but also by boat around  the coastline.  At times I was reading about places I had no knowledge of, at others I was reading about areas that were very familiar to me, but made unfamiliar by seeing them through new eyes.  The author examined the landscape and the remains left behind from the Dark Ages; along the way he muses about the Saints, Kings, myths, sacred places and beliefs of that time.  He makes parallels with the past  for example, saying that the lines of cars lined up in a campsite, cared for and gleaming as signs of conspicuous wealth, are the modern version of cattle  by which people in those times measured their prosperity.  He suggests there is no better way to insinuate yourself into the Dark Age mind than to camp close to the ramparts of an ancient fort on the edge of the sea and he asks what those people ate, how they survived the hardship of subsistence living?

Although this is the story of more than a year of long walks and travel, ironically I found this a relaxing and extremely informative read.  The pace of the book, mostly being done on foot, helps you to slow down and concentrate and to see things through the authors eyes.  What is clear is that the past infiltrates the fabric of the landscape.  Although the Dark Ages are a period buried in obscurity, with few written records, the author brings the period to life with his obvious enthusiasm and his desire to make the world those people inhabited make sense to non archaeologists and non historians.  Adams says that out of the Dark Ages came light and he certainly shed light on this historical period for me and has inspired me to look more deeply at the way the past has left its mark on the world around us.  Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
4800529
In "Across the Pond" Storyheart brings us a story of young romance, new adventures, and cultural change.

When 14 year old Fred's parents win a trip for two to Australia, Fred has to choose between spending several weeks with his grandparents in Scotland, or spending the time with his parents friend Phil from "across the pond" in the United States.  Although he's not happy with the choices, Fred decides to visit the States, and that starts a time of change and adventure with young Fred.

Soon after arriving in the U. S., Fred meets a young girl named Brittany, and that changes his attitude about the whole visit.  He meets many new friends, and in the end has such a good time that he regrets having to return to England, and to leave his friends behind.

This was a fun book, and an easy read.  Storyheart draws on many of his own experiences from when he moved from England to the United States, bringing firs hand knowledge of the cultural differences between the two countries.  It was a good book, and well worth reading.
1687086
I have been where they were but not quite to that extent.  It is such a shame that they had to be treated as possessions to be cast around at will. Anyone thinking about joining beware.
4628772
A fun story about the early days of Butlins holiday camps in the UK. Such a foreign concept to North Americans, it was interesting to learn about. It is not all about Butlins though. The story takes place the year after the second world war when the people of England are starting to put their lives back together. The three main characters, all Butlins girls, have serious issues to deal with but still manage to enjoy their time working at the holiday camp. How they deal with their problems makes for an entertaining read. The author does a good job of taking you back to a different time and place.
456073
An in depth telling of where he came from, where he went and was for a while, where he came back to until went back even further and who got burnt along the way.
4892262
Do you like traveling and learning a bit of history as well as telling your own stories about awful or eccentric people you have met along the way? Or perhaps you're getting a bit older and traveling requires you're being hoisted from bed in the morning so your knees can be lubricated. In my own case I found that having frozen shoulder had nothing to do with defrosting a beef roast. So there you have it Bill Bryson has written the best travel book those of us who love Great Britain, miss good newspapers and enjoy a good story.
  Twenty years ago Bryson wrote NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND about a trip around Britain he took just before returning to his native America. He is married to a British citizen and now he has obtained dual citizenship (this after taking a rather difficult British citizenship test which featured questions like, who is Sake Dean Mahomet? Of course we all know, don't we, that he was the person who introduced shampoo to Britain). I was surprised to learn that Bryson did not mention having to renounce dentistry too. This newest book is then, of course, a sequel of sorts to SMALL ISLAND all built around a trip he took recently along the Bryson line which is a geographical term of his own creation. And what a pleasant journey it is.
 Bryson is now 64 years old and presents himself a curmudgeon with attitude who has a great dislike for litter and tattoos. (Somewhere in the book he mentions that when a Brit walks from parking their car at an historic site they both drop litter and get a tattoo before entering.) He hates modern magazine and newspapers that create celebrities he has never heard of and who have done nothing to earn their celebrity. So as he visits villages, churches, walks country paths, and travels all over the country he tells stories about obscure people and history. For example when visiting the village of Hove Bryson visits the grave of Sir George Everest. Yes the very person for whom Mount Everest is named. Bryson follow-ups that Sir Everest never saw Mount Everest and had absolutely nothing to do with the mountain. Or another example has him meeting a Lady who walking her dog along a path on the Norfolk coast. The dog drops three soft lozenges on the path and Bryson asks her, Dont you thing thats a little disgusting, right on the path, and all? To which she replied, Im local.
 I love Bryson and his sense of humor having read 6 of his books. Traveling along with him is like having a best friend who is great teller of stories and full of interesting asides. This not quite the book his fabulous IN A SUNSHINE COUNTRY or WALK IN THE WOODS are but it is still well worth the journey.
 Now let me offer a question or two for the Publisher, Doubleday. How can you have a travel book with only one map? And a map that does not list all the places discussed in the text? It would have been great to have a small map at the beginning of each chapter that showed where the various places Bryson was to visit in that chapter are located. Maybe this can happen when the large illustrated edition is published. One can only hope.
1393502
Moving across continents and seas, this adventure is an historical and spiritual journey for the reader. The latter moves from one character to another learning interesting things about far countries, religions, habits and ways of interpreting the world around us. It's the beginning of a quest
921152
A very interesting window into another time and place. Great for people who have just come back from trying to get a park at Publix ... reminds you of a time when things were a lot more relaxed.
1946305
I read this for my book club and found it fascinating.  I had never heard the story about what the colonists who sided with England did.  It was not an easy life after the Revolution and this follows some of them to places outside of the United States.  England often tried to reward their loyalty but all in all I don't think most of them were amply rewarded and they found their lives after the Revolution rather bleak in many cases.