Kakaku：799 saved$7.99
Pocket Star
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (got me from the first page) 『 This was my second Linda Howard book and what a wonderful read! I finished it in less than a day.
I love a book with a strong beginning...something that keeps me intrigued. And there was plenty of sexual tension between Niema and John throughout the story; what happened in Ronsard's office was unique. Also, how often do you read a book where you actually have empathy for the villain?
I'm on to find another Linda Howard book to read.』
(All the Queen's Men) 『This is a very good book and very entertaining. I like all of Linda Howards books. She is an excellent writer and her stories are always spellbinding. Ms. Howard can't write books fast enough for me!』
(Great book with ok ending) 『This book was great! Like previous reviews said it's a page turner for sure. The title didn't make sense to me, still trying to figure it out but the characters and events are awesome! John and Niema know each other from 5 years ago when her husband Dallas dies, and John promises to take care of Niema. They meet again 5 years later, where John asks her to help him with an assignment. She is hesitant at first, but then comes to the realization that she enjoys the thrill and excitment behind the danger of the job.
John and Niema's relationship evolves through the story and builds up pretty good. Towards the end of the the book otehr reviewers said the sex scene was border line rape. I disagree. That really discouraged me, but when I read it it wasn't what you'd think. It's all part of the plan, thats all I can say.
So after that scene there relationship is evolved, and the end of the book is suspenseful and really good, and then all of a sudden you hit the last page and are like "what?" The ending was not my favorite. Nothing was really answered (when Niema starts to question her feelings for John). I was disappointed with the ending and think Linda Howard could have done a better job.
If you want a really good page turner book, romance, and suspense then this is the book for you. Just don't be disappointed with the ending, its not horrible, but could have been better.』
(Ill Conceived Romance With An Absurd Spy Component) 『A really rather silly and ill constructed romance. It tries to do double duty as an espionage, but just can't manage it.
Fair enough that that the male lead, John Medina, is obsessed with the female lead, Niema Burdock; such is romantic escapism. But to suppose a healthy man is silently obsessing over the course of a 5 year period is pushing it even in this genre.
Where the plot really breaks down, though, is when he admits to taking her on a dangerous mission simply because he wants her around. When he further delays their rescue because he does not want to give her a chance to leave him without talking - well, it goes beyond absurd. You simply cannot take such a character seriously as professional.
I also had problems with the physical component of the relationship, which starts off with a scene in the office of an enemy, where they pretend to have sex in order to avoid suspicion. Problem is, their pretend sex turns into real sex, and even though Niema is portrayed as climaxing, the undertone is a little too close to rape for me.
There is also a secondary sex scene involving supporting characters where a woman's ex-boyfriend ties her up, strips her and begins having sex with her against her will. When she climaxes because of the oral sex he performs on her, she then becomes consenting. It's the same theme replayed, and it's really not romantic.
None of the couples seems to care about safe sex.
Beyond that, there are some fairly normal cliches; the main "bad guy" has a noble reason for all his actions. The heroine ends up charming him and eventually saving the day with a self sacrificing gesture. If you are okay with the sexual undertone of rape and can ignore the absurdity of the hero's motivations, this may be entertaining for you. The intensity of the characters and the spy angle makes it more interesting, at least, than standard sap. If you're just looking for a distraction, it serves the purpose.』
(Actually enjoyed the read...) 『Although I did not read the book that this is sequel to, I have to say overall I enjoyed it. John Medina was a great hero and his love for Neima was touching. The story was fun and fast paced, and it definitely had a suspense, on-the-edge-of-your-chair element to it that worked. Wasn't her best, but good nonetheless.』 『
THE PAST PROVED DEADLY...
No one knows the dangers of getting close to legendary CIA Black Ops specialist John Medina better than communications expert Niema Burdock. Five years ago, she and her husband worked with Medina on an explosive mission that ended in tragedy. Although she has slowly recovered from her terrible loss, Niema planned never to see Medina again. Until now.
HISTORY IS ABOUT TO REPEAT ITSELF....
A French arms dealer is supplying international terrorists, and only Niema can plant the bugs needed to crack the deadly ring. Against her best instincts, she infiltrates the dealer's glamorous world. But when the plan goes awry, Niema and Medina must take flight in a strange land -- and soon find their partnership sparked by an erotic charge. In a world of deception, John Medina has once again set Niema on a free fall into danger...and into desire like she's never known.
』 『Setting: contemporary Virginia, France, Iran Sensuality: 7
CIA agent John Medina and electronics expert Niemi Burdock share a violent past: the two were part of a covert operation that went tragically wrong, resulting in the death of several people. Now, five years later, their paths cross again and John, whose love for Niemi has only grown over time, is determined to keep her in his life for good. Having spent the intervening five years living a solitary, staid existence--due to feelings of guilt over the ill-fated operation--Niemi is somewhat reluctant to reenter the shadowy world she once inhabited. Still, she can't resist the lure and excitement of danger when John asks her to join him on his latest mission to discover the origins of a deadly new explosive already in use by terrorists.
Concocting a plan to reveal the source of the explosive, the two enter into a dangerous masquerade, walking a tightrope between safety and death, while passion boils beneath the surface. Unaware of John's feelings, Niemi fights her physical response to the legendary agent as her emotions, in frozen limbo for the last five years, thaw with astonishing speed.
First introduced inKill and Tell, agent John Medina is as intriguing as the perilous world he operates in. Watching him in action,à la James Bond, is exhilarating--as is the single-minded intensity of his feelings for Niemi, whose ability to hold her own with John--on both a personal and professional level--and with the host of terrorists, spies, and double-dealers the pair encounter is impressive to say the least. Throwin a couple of chilling chase scenes, some romantic interludes hot enough to peel paint from the walls, and one or two bigger-than-life internationally connected characters, and you've got the latest from Linda Howard--a romantic thriller that's sure to be coming soon to a bestseller list nearyou.--Lois Faye Dyer』
Kakaku：150 saved$1.50
Vanilla Heart Publishing
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Hilarious, surprising, fun trip) 『This book made me laugh out loud and cringe simultaneously--the cringing was because the main character, Norma, takes so many risks, and I kept worrying about her safety! But that says something about how good the writing is. I cared about all the characters (and there are a lot of them)--even though, or maybe even because, they are flawed. Their flaws made them rich and real.
I like that this book takes you through all the trials and tribulations associated with growing up and figuring how who you are. Even though my life experience was different in many ways from Norma's, I related to the emotions. It also made me a little nostalgic for certain friendships that drifted away over the years.
This book has the feeling of a classic to me.』
(A Wild Ride) 『College-age Norma takes you on a wild romp through the 80s as she searches for her place in a world that is bigger than she ever imagined. Raw. Real. Poignant. 』
(Wry Theme&Symbolism) 『The setting of For the May Queen by Kate Evans is dorm-life culture in the early 1980s, focusing on drinking, drugs, and sex prevalent in such a context. As a 60-year-old woman who came of age in the late 1960s, I admit to feeling a sense of disturbing recognition as well as powerless disappointment as I read, particularly during the first 2/3rds of the story. And yet Evans presents this as a valid context for a rite of passage without minimizing it as a societal problem.
And she employs a wry symbolism that fleshes out the central theme about personal identity which is particularly evident in the character's names. For instance, Norma sits at the center of the story, thereby establishing the "norm" which is not exactly normal, and who is also called Norma Jean by Chuck thereby alluding to a subtext about the Marilyn Monroe persona. Chuck, who is really Paul, is renamed by Norma, consistent with his dual identity and her failure to see the real him. Additional images serve to carry the message of this story--bridges, mirrors, and games, along with cultural icons like James Bond and Marilyn Monroe--images that enrich themes such as nonconformity, altered states, friendship, marriage, and even education and the relative value of an instructor's choices for her students.
Kate Evans has written a book that deftly portrays a slice of life in the 1980s, a time before cell phones and My Space, a crazy world where young adults are suddenly free to experiment and experience. Evans poses the question: What serves to anchor a person who is thrashing through such a rite of passage? By the end of this story, a surprising and encouraging answer is revealed.
』
(Can Anybody Find Me Somebody to Love?) 『For the May Queen A Novel by Kate Evans
If you liked Paul Fieg and Judd Apatow's short-lived but critically acclaimed series Freaks and Geeks, then chances are you will enjoy Kate Evans's new novel, For the May Queen. Peppered with nostalgic homages to the late seventies and early eighties, this debut novel follows lost but liberated Norma Rogers through her freshman year at Sacramento State. Norma comes from a loving home, not unlike the Brady Bunch's quirky suburban enclave (sans four siblings and a maid), yet her sense of self is fragile at best.
Fresh from reading her mother's copy of Fear of Flying, Norma shows up at her freshman dorms ready to put her sexual liberation into practice. She quickly falls into a rabbit hole of recreational drugs and bed-hopping, leaving little time to actually attend classes. At times, I wanted to reach into the pages of Evans's book and stop Norma from climbing on top of yet another nearly anonymous partner. When Norma finally finds "somebody to love," (Queen lyric reference intentional), he remains painfully elusive and Norma must confront the question at the center of the novel: If no one loves me, then who am I?
I might have hated Norma if I didn't identify so much with her college-years angst, teenaged lack of self esteem, misplaced belief in empowerment through sexuality, and her desire to be defined by someone, anyone. But Evans brings Norma's growing sense of self along nicely, giving the reader the satisfying feeling that Norma just might make it after all, while never giving in to the temptation to give her heroine the happy ending you might expect from a first time novelist. Instead, the happy enough ending Evans gives us satisfies even more.
And though the themes in the book are deceptively dark, Evans keeps the tone of the novel light, weaving in pop culture references that are spot on reminders of times gone by--some we remember fondly, and some that we'd rather forget.
』
(Full Spectrum) 『The characters portrayed in "For The May Queen" by author Kate Evans, each having a color, making a full spectrum which we can all relate. All the characters...Chuck, Billy, Liz, Norma, Stacy... I can personally relate. I hope in the sequel, Norma finds Stacy:) Mercy for the full smiles. Much enjoyment. Kate Jackson』 『It s 1981 and 17-year-old Norma Rogers' parents drop her off at the college dorms. Soon, Norma finds herself drunk and nearly naked with three strangers. The strip poker event is the first of many experiences that prompt Norma to question who she is and who she wants to be. Norma's relationships with an array of characters induce her to grapple with society's messages about women, sex, and freedom. These characters include Jack, her aloof on-again, off-again boyfriend; Goat, her antsy dorm neighbor; Liz Chan, a pot-smoking sorority girl; Benny Moss, a nerdy guy who has a thing for Liz; and Paul Fellows, Benny's roommate, whom Norma calls Chuck because he reminds her of Charlie Brown. Chuck, a witty aficionado of old films, plays a pivotal role in Norma's discoveries about life's possibilities, as does Norma's roommate Stacy a beautiful, kind, and somewhat mysterious blonde. Many tumultuous events take Norma through an array of troubles, pleasures, and thrills: from drug use and ominous encounters with strangers, to rowdy parties and road trips, to queer coming-out surprises. In the midst of these incidents which are peppered with 1970's and 1980's pop cultural references Norma reflects on her desire for freedom (sexual and otherwise). Reinforcing these themes are the intermittent appearances of her middle-class parents and her sister, as well as her best friend from high school whose life in a small town as she prepares for her upcoming wedding is poles apart from Norma s. Ultimately Norma comes to see that there are many ways to live and love.』
Kakaku：884 saved$8.84
Houghton Mifflin
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (A veritable history of chess over the last 150 years) 『A very fine work which provides an entertaining and quite detailed account of chess history over the last 150 years that have seen battles between American and European chess geniuses (for example Morphy triumphing over the European masters, the brilliant and tragic Pillsbury, the great Capablanca (undoubtedly the greatest genius ever to play chess), Reshevsky, and with special emphasis on the rise of Fischer, a player of indomintable will and genius and his ultimate triumph that catapulted him to the status as one of the greatest players to ever play the game. I highly recommend this book.』
(Chess with an edge) 『Daniel Johnson has written about a fascinating era of chess with the gripping edge of a seasoned sportswriter, though he certainly hasn't had to lower himself into the ranks of such ink-stained wretches. His descriptions of the tension-filled scenarios are done with flair...even if you are not that interested in chess, this book entertains and informs at every turn. He's got the details down pat, introducing the novice reader to Mikhail Tal and Alan Turing and many other characters dotting the landscape of international chess.』 『Daniel Johnson -- journalist, editor, scholar, and chess enthusiast who once played Garry Kasparov to a draw in a simultaneous exhibition -- is the perfect guide to one of history's most remarkable periods, when chess matches were front-page news and captured the world's imagination.
The Cold War played out in many areas: geopolitical alliances, military coalitions, cat-and-mouse espionage, the arms race, proxy wars -- and chess. An essential pastime of Russian intellectuals and revolutionaries, and later adopted by the Communists as a symbol of Soviet power, chess was inextricably linked to the rise and fall of the "evil empire." This original narrative history recounts in gripping detail the singular part the Immortal Game played in the Cold War. From chess's role in the Russian Revolution -- Marx, Lenin, and Trotsky were all avid players -- to the 1945 radio match when the Soviets crushed the Americans, prompting Stalin's telegram "Well done lads!"; to the epic contest between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky in 1972 at the height of détente, when Kissinger told Fischer to "go over there and beat the Russians"; to the collapse of the Soviet Union itself, White King and Red Queen takes us on a fascinating tour of the Cold War's checkered landscape.』
Kakaku：209 saved$2.09
Three Rivers Press
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Enjoyed the book immensely) 『I enjoy historical fiction. I also enjoy different takes on the same stories one has always heard - Gregory Maguire's books are a good example. This book provides a different look at the traditional King Arthur story. While not quite the Mists of Avalon, what I enjoyed was the way the trilogy was written. Three different books looking at three different parts of the story was far more preferable than one really long book (Mists of Avalon). I would recommend the book to anyone looking for a strong heroine, historical fiction or just a different take on the story of King Arthur.』
(Not worth reading) 『I'd been wanting to read this book for a while. Finally picked it up yesterday, made it through almost 200 pages on the plane, and gave up. Maybe I've just been spoiled by The Mists of Avalon, which is one of the best books of fantasy I've ever read. Or maybe I was too fresh off reading one of the greatest books in all literature, The Grapes of Wrath, which I'd finished just a day before starting Guenevere. I just found this book immensely difficult to get through. I can't remember the last book I read where I had to force myself to turn the page to get on with the story. Arthur comes off as a silly little lovestruck frat-boy incapable of making up his own mind, and Guenevere is a simpering, ineffectual idiot. In general, the description of their evolution of their relationship is not believable. I didn't make it far enough along in the book to be able to relate more about other main characters, but from what I've read from other reviews, it doesn't look good for their portrayals either.
The prose is also, for the most part, insufferable. I found the descriptions of the characters' actions obvious, trite, and repetitive. It was also jarring to veer between rather graphic descriptions of Merlin's lustful thoughts to Guenevere's constant, Harlequin-y "Oh Arthur! My love, love, I love you." Gag.
In short, not recommended, unless you really have nothing else better to do.』
(A Great Read) 『This book was really entertaining. I got really engrossed in the storyline and cannot wait to read the sequel. I highly recommend it.』
(Incredible read) 『This book, even though fiction, accurately protrays the history of that time. The determined spread of Christians, by any means, and the undying love between a woman and her country. Everybody focuses on Arthur and his knights, no one bothers to look into or knows Gueneveres life, other than she's an adulterer. But Ms. Miles sheds her life into a new light, and while she can be whiny, this book protrays her as Arthurs and then Lancelots strength.』
(Not your mother's King Arthur) 『If you're looking for a radically realistic take on the King Arthur legend from the woman's perspective, I highly recommend this (and any) novel by Rosalind Miles. Her research is great and the books are never dry...they never get bogged down in minutiae. It is Camelot for the Sophisticated, and the story has a realistic view of sex and love in the Middle Ages. Miles is a scholar and an artist. Add this to your canon of "hip" Medieval literature along with "Mists of Avalon" and additional books by Kalgoridis and Maxwell.』 『Last in a line of proud queens elected to rule the fertile lands of the West, true owner of the legendary Round Table, guardian of the Great Goddess herself . . . a woman whose story has never been told -- until now.
Raised in the tranquil beauty of the Summer Country, Princess Guenevere has led a charmed and contented life -- until the sudden, violent death of her mother, Queen Maire, leaves the Summer Country teetering on the brink of anarchy. Only the miraculous arrival of Arthur, heir to the Pendragon dynasty, allows Guenevere to claim her mother's throne. Smitten by the bold, sensuous princess, Arthur offers to marry her and unite their territories, allowing her to continue to reign in her own right. Their love match creates the largest and most powerful kingdom in the Isles. Yet even the glories of Camelot are not safe from the shadows of evil and revenge. Arthur is reunited with his long-lost half-sisters, Morgause and Morgan, princesses torn from their mother and their ancestral right by Arthur's father, the brutal and unscrupulous King Uther. Both daughters will avenge their suffering, but it is Morgan who strikes the deadliest blows, using her enchantments to destroy all Guenevere holds dear and to force Arthur to betray his Queen.
In the chaos that follows, Arthur dispatches a new knight to Guenevere, the young French prince Lancelot, never knowing that Lancelot's passion for the Queen, and hers for him, may be the love that spells ruin for Camelot.』 『This is the first part of a trilogy chronicling the life of Queen Guenevere. Beginning with the young King Arthur who is preparing for the war that will unite Britain, the book recounts the marriage of Guenevere and Arthur, the growth of Arthur's court, and Guenevere's adulterous affair with Lancelot.
Although told mainly from Guenevere's point of view, this is a truly epic narrative, encompassing pageantry, political intrigue, war, and the conflict between the old pagan religion and Christianity. At times earthy, sensual, and violent, it is a powerful romantic drama firmly rooted in historical Britain, a modern yet traditional retelling of the stories given definitive form in the first four books of Thomas Malory'sLe Morte D'Arthur.
The characters are grippingly evoked as realistic, living, and breathing human beings rather than simple archetypes, yet the writing is effortlessly lyrical, with the elegant flow of folktale. In emotional depth,Guenevereis comparable to Parke Godwin's fine Arthurian romance,Firelord.
This title is Rosalind Miles's 17th book. She is the author of the highly praisedI, ElizabethandThe Women's History of the World. In 1990, she won the Network Award for outstanding achievement in the field of writing, and the same year she was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.--Gary S. Dalkin, Amazon.co.uk』
Kakaku：999 saved$9.99
Transworld Publishers
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Whimsical and charmingly funny) 『To really appreciate the humour in this book, you need to know the Queen. While it's a cute story of the queen's underwear, it's also a great way to have fun discussions with your child about the different kinds of underwear there is, and even come up with some ideas of your own. I loved it, my 4yr old loves it and it's often picked as a bedtime story.』
(My Scotland Trip) 『I saw this book in a dear bookstore in Scotland . I purchased the last two copies and ordered one for myself. It is dear, simpy drawn, and a whimsical treatise on underpants, or knickers, as the Scots call them .It is an Anglophiles silly book that should be on everyone's bed stand. Not just for children, it tickles any person that would pick it up!』
(Average, illustrations ok, idea ok, text ok, Would have expected better) 『This is a simple story and would suit 4-8 year olds. It is picture book, the text is limited on each page but it is not easy to read, the font used is sans serif and it is a slim type so it is not easy for early readers.
This is obviously meant to be an attempt to ingloriously represent the Queen, fine by me, but I just don't think it is done well. It has its funny moments, the knickers decorated with real holly, the jewel encrusted knickers, but it falls short of being genuinely funny by trying to be too clever.
I didn't like the illustrations much, they are too naive and child-like. I love Helen Oxenbury style illustrations, or Maurice Sendak - those rich full pictures. The whole book feels thin and slightly inadequate.
Its not that bad, but its just not that good either.』
(Too cute!) 『It is very clever. Adults liked it and kids will love it -- how could they not like a story about underwear?!?! Cute illustrations. A must have for those who want to bring a little "culture" into their child's life.』 『
Everyone can see the Queen's smart coats and dresses, but what does she wear underneath, particularly for a school visit? Through the eyes of a little girl hoping for a school visit by the Queen, the range of royal underwear is revealed, in all its regal glory—garden party and Christmas speech knickers to the VIP (Very Important Pair) for the opening of Parliament. This is a gently humorous book that will delight children, adults, and knicker-wearers everywhere.
IPhone 3G used's review (Accidental History) 『Lutyens, the architect of Queen Mary's Dolls' House, also designed the city of New Delhi and the Viceroy's House, one of the largest and most unique palaces in the world. Sadly, he was one of the world's greatest artists, but is remembered only for this (comparatively) tiny tourist attraction.
Tourists, architectural students, and historians should buy this book. This is the only thorough analysis of any of Lutyens' buildings, and as such, is an important historical document above and beyond its tourist appeal.』
(Probably the best book until they make a virtual reality show.) 『I was so enchanted by Royal Collection Official Guide Book to Queen Mary's Dolls' House that I ordered this one figuring (correctly) that there would be other unique pictures. This is the better of the two books - nearly three times as long and filled with more pictures, especially detail shots of the tiny furnishings and decorations. I am charmed by Cripp's method of showing scale: he poses the tiny cricket bat next to a regulation cricket ball, and the little golf clubs next to a real golf ball. This also includes a section on how the house is aging: fading wallpaper, damaged paint, etc. All of the pictures, except for a few that are historic, are in color. This is unfortunately out of print, and may be more expensive, so the purchaser will have to weigh issues of cost and availability for themselves. I think that either would do as a souvenier.
If someone is really interested, I would recommend getting both books. The Royal Collection Official Guidebook is a pretty good buy at $11.95 and a nice supplement to this one. A very few of the shots are in both, but not enough to make them redundant to the person who wants all the information they can get. Generally, the duplicate shots are slightly large in the S-W book. To compare and contrast the two, while the S-W book has more of everything, the RC book still has some unique shots. The photographs in this book take in the entire room, while the RC book often shoots the room at an angle, cutting off part of the room, but what is shown is sometimes in better focus and a bit larger. To compare the shots of the Queen's bedroom, the Stewart-Wilson shot shows the entire bedroom. The Royal Collection shot, at an angle , reveals some additional details such as the fire screen and the chinoiserie cabinet, but cuts off the exteme left-hand side of the room. (Her Majesty has apparently been rearranging her decorative items since the S-W book.) The S-W detail of the 18th century pietre-dure table concentrates on showing the design on the top. The RC detail shows more of the table and the objects normally on it. The historical sections, revealing how the house came to be built are the most different, and the RC book has more pictures of people who participated in creating the doll house and of the room in which it now sits with the Phillip Connard mural. The captions are overlapping, but not identical, and so one gains more information by having both.』
(More Corrections) 『To further correct the first reviewer, the Doll's House is certainly not a copy of Windsor Castle. It is nothing like it. Windsor Castle is a CASTLE - stones and very old, and big. The Doll's House is an "ideal home" of the early 1020's - albeit intended for royalty and not for your average Joneses.』
(Fantastic book) 『With a couple of corrections of the first review, I'd like to make sure that it's known that Queen Mary did not commission this dollshouse. It was the original brain child of the Princess Marie Louise, who spearheaded the creation of the house. Queen Mary was "extremely surprised" but agreed. The initial shell of the house was erected in Lutyen's office, then removed to the drawing room of his house in Mansfield Street in London.
It was unveiled to the press, once completed, in the Mansfield Street house, then moved and reconstructed in the Palace of Arts at Wembley. It went from there to Windsor Castle, then to an exhibition at Olympia. In February of 1925, the house was returned to Windsor Castle. The Daily Mail donated a glass case through which we can now view the dollshouse in Windsor Castle.
This wonderful book has photographs of the letters written by Princess Marie Louise to all the firms and manufacturers involved in the dollshouse creation, as well as numerous photographs of the interior and furnishings. Pictures of tiny dollshouse ledgers, keys, and even a garden snail grace this book.』
(An extraordinary dollhouse explored in depth) 『England's Queen Mary--grandmother of the current Queen Elizabeth II--commissioned the construction of her extraordinary dollhouse (or "dolls' house" as it is referred to here) in 1921, during her own reign. It resides at Windsor Castle, as it has since being constructed there. Designed by Edward Lutyens (famous for his graceful furniture), the house is a reproduction of Windsor Castle right down to the last nail--almost literally.
David Cripps' photography beautifully captures the interiors of this amazing dollhouse, from the grand to the plebian. Here is the linen closet, each batch of towels tied with different-colored ribbon to denote whether they were intended for the nursery, the staff, or the kitchen. Here is a lacquer cabinet with gilded stand, dovetailed working drawers, and gold-leafed decoration. Here is a bed, complete with pillows, bolsters, sheets, blankets, and even a tiny walnut-handled bedwarmer. The toilet, complete with toilet paper discreetly placed in a bowl alongside, really works. The toothbrushes are made of ivory and have bristles made from the hair of a goat's inner ear. In the cellar, bottles of Chateau Margaux are properly corked and waxed and labeled. The pantry shows real bows of Fry's Chocolates sharing space with McVitie&Price biscuits, barley sugar candies in hefty glass candy jars, and Frank Cooper's Seville Marmalade in squat jars tied with brown paper and string.
The garage houses a miniature bicycle with brakes "in perfect working order," not to mention a Rudge motorcycle and sidecar, a seven-seater Rolls Royce limousine-landaulet, a Vauxhall, a "Sunbeam open tourer," and two Daimlers. Gorgeous royal crests are hand-painted on each. The house even has its own petrol pumps and fire appliances, as was normal for large houses in that era.
The house's garden is splendid despite the absence of a single living thing. The lawn, made of cut green velvet, boasts several tiny mowers (both motor-powered and not), and the nearby garden has its own lovely benches, hoes, spades and the like. There is even a robin's nest, complete with eggs, and a tiny, tiny snail.
Perhaps the most extraordinary thing in the house is the book collection. Famous authors were asked to contribute their own works. Arthur Conan Doyle obliged by submitted "How Watson Learned the Trick," an original 500-word short story done in his own handwriting. The bookplates for each of the books were designed by beloved Winnie-the-Pooh illustrator Ernest Shepard. Rudyard Kipling submitted not only two poems, but illustrated them himself as well. Other well-known authors who gave their own works to the Queen's house included G. K. Chesterton, Joseph Conrad, Robert Graves, Aldous Huxley, Hilaire Belloc, Rose Macauley, W. Somerset Maugham, and Vita Sackville-West. Topping off the fine works of this distinguished crowd are the leather-bound autograph books--one each for famous folks from stage and screen, famous folks from the military, and famous politicans.
There is even a room for storing the scepter, crowns and other regalia--all featuring flawless gemstones!
The details are endlessly fascinating and the house and its furnishings so well-constructed that without a tennis ball or coin or some other everyday real object, you easily forget that everything your eye falls upon here is miniature. For those who cannot get to Windsor Castle themselves to view the house in person, this book offers a very fine tour.』
『A lavishly illustrated introduction to a British national treasure examines the highly detailed articles of Queen Mary's dolls' house, providing blueprint diagrams of every floor, content lists for each wing, and more.』
IPhone 3G used's review (A wonderful true story) 『This is a remarkable book, not only for its unusual subject - a female racing driver - but also for its fascinating description of pre-war motor racing. It was another world, full of glamour, courage and upsets, a very long way from the minutely organized and rather sterile F1 scene of today, more closely resembling gladatorial combat than modern racing. I say that primarily because of the death toll, which was epic. Basically, if you were a racing driver you had bit less than a 50/50 chance of survival over say five years, and it is pretty obvious that a large part of the popularity of the sport was down to the expectation of tragedy. And tragedy it was: you could count yourself lucky if you died instantly. Many more were mangled or died horrifically, trapped in burning cars. So in such a world, which I guess could reasonably described as macho, all the more remarkable that a woman could rise to be one of the top drivers, loved and respected by crowds and other drivers alike. The "Bugatti Queen" certainly had her fair share of bad accidents, but somehow she escaped death and so lived to a ripe old age. And yet, perhaps the strangest part of this tale is how, having been a huge celebrity in her heyday, she disappeared from view and sank into borderline poverty and obscurity for many years. She died literally unnoticed. And if hadn't been for this excellent book, she'd have been totally forgotten. Makes you think.』
(An Exciting Lady) 『I read this book in one day. What a life. If only the racing personalities of today could be so colorful. Instead we get a bunch of men spout the same old corporate jargon. Helle Nice could not only raced cars she lived life to the fullest.』
(A Fascinating and Highly Entertaining Biography) 『Born at the turn of the 20th century, Helle Nice, nee Helene Delangle, was a woman who lost friends and gained enemies, a woman you either loved or despised. There was not much middle ground with her. Between her less-than-impressive beginnings and her lackluster end, Helle Nice had one wild ride of a lifetime. Her thirst for daredevilry led her into a host of risky pursuits: mountain climbing in the Alps, skiing, horseback riding --- and car racing. Whatever involved speed gave her joy.
Racy in more ways than one, Helle surrounded herself with men --- many of them great men. She dallied with the likes of a married count, a famous wine baron, well-known actors and popular drivers. Maybe they were a means to an end, or perhaps they simply amused her. Whatever the case, she could rarely be seen without one. While women admired her courage, they figured sparsely into her friendships.
The audacious racer's beauty and guile did not go unnoticed, along with her easy way with the cameras. She never hesitated to pose shamelessly for the press. But she made many enemies along the way. By their very nature, racers thrive on adulation. And egos recklessly crushed are likely to fight back. By the time Helle's career waned, she had accumulated a large contingent of those who disliked her. Forty years after Helle's death, an aging rival still remembered her unkindly: "I don't believe she ever thought about anything but sex and showing off." Two things she seems to have done plenty of.
One finds it hard to believe that seeing her first race at age three could have paved the way for her, but it most certainly did not scare her off. Nor did the loss of many of her racing companions. Nearly every year saw another one dead. The cars did not hold up as well as the machines of today. Spectators perished along with their heroes. No one seemed to care about the safety; the sheer thrill of speed --- watching it or driving it --- was paramount.
Helle Nice's appetites ran toward the outlandishly daring. Even when she embarked on a campaign to become a great dancer, she hungered for the biggest spotlight, using nudity as her draw. Then, when her dancing career came to an end, she renewed her interest in her greatest love --- racing --- a career that was interrupted by the Second World War. It was an interruption that proved permanent.
The reader gets to rub shoulders with auto pioneers like Renault, Ferrari and, as the title suggests, Bugatti, while being transported to some of France's loveliest countryside. Following Helle's career takes us to scores of exotic places, like Monte Carlo, Rio and Casablanca, and to some of the world's most famous racetracks. But after decades of excitement and adventure, Helle Nice fell into obscurity. Having once lived in a fashionable residence in Paris boasting an enviable view, she died broken and penniless. Her last address was the top floor of an attic apartment, looking out onto a seedy part of Nice. Did her alliances during the War have anything to do with it, or did her compatriots simply turn their backs on a woman they viewed as selfish, ruthless and past her prime?
Miranda Seymour does an admirable job of presenting a huge amount of information in a way that is fascinating and highly entertaining.
--- Reviewed by Kate Ayers』 『THE BUGATTI QUEEN is the beautifully illustrated story of an indomitable and fascinating woman, a pioneer of motorsport who revelled in danger. Born in 1900 in a tiny French village, Helene Delangle, aka Helle Nice, became a dancer and a stripper before catching the eye of Ettore Bugatti. Seduced by the combination of machines and speed, Helle Nice went on to have an unprecedented career, competing in numerous Grands Prix and becoming the only woman to drive on the treacherous American speedbowls in the 1930s. She set new land-speed records before a notorious accident which almost ended her racing days. Re-creating her rollercoaster career with authority and panache from many previously unpublished sources, Miranda Seymour reveals the story of an unforgettable life and sheds new light on the extraordinary and reckless world of motor-racing between the wars.』
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Ballantine Books
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Impeccably researched historical detective work and overall a good read)
