Sea Room: An Island Life in the Hebrides

Book Description

In 1937, Adam Nicolson's father answered a newspaper ad—"Uninhabited islands for sale. Outer Hebrides, 600 acres. . . . Puffins and seals. Apply."—and thus found the Shiants. With a name meaning "holy or enchanted islands," the Shiants for millennia were a haven for those seeking solitude, but their rich, sometimes violent history of human habitation includes much more. When he was twenty-one, Nicolson inherited this almost indescribably beautiful property: a landscape, soaked in centuries-old tales of restless ghosts and Bronze Age gold, that cradles the heritage of a once-vibrant world of farmers and fishermen.

In Sea Room, Nicolson describes and relives his love affair with the three tiny islands and their strange and colorful history in passionate, keenly precise prose—sharing with us the greatest gift an island bestows on its inhabitants: a deep engagement with the natural world.

Customer Reviews:

An awesomely serene Hebridean outing.......2006-06-17

I bought this book to indulge my interest in Scotland's islands, and found that, and much more. Essentially, this is a memoor with history, geology, flora and fauna tucked into it. The three small Shiant islands in the Hebrides come alive in Nicolson's hands. He's an excellent writer, drawing the reader in without "effect". You can sense his total awe and regard for this legacy. And, except for the rats, you find yourself wanting to live there, for a few summertime weeks, simply exploring coves and beaches and the semi-desolate interiors of these islands. Along the way, you learn a lot, in pleasurable fashion. Nicolson truly touches on the islands' soul. Recommended!

The Ultimate Island Getaway.......2006-05-17

A compelling book about the realities of life in the Scottish Islands. Adam has done an excellent job of blending historical details with his descriptions of this area. Well worth a read!

With each new step an arrival . . ........2005-07-18

Ah, what a fine book this is. Reading it is like spending time with a new friend. Nicholson has a sharp and curious mind and a generous spirit. You may not think you can be much interested in a group of three little islands in the Outer Hebrides - the Shiants - their climate, wildlife, prehistory, geology, archeology, socio-economics, agriculture, shepherding, folk literature, the sea currents around them, and the host of other topics covered in this book, but Nicholson draws you in. Soon you are immersed in whatever there is to be known about what amounts to less than a square mile of rock, cliffs, beach, and meadow.

The book is organized around the turn of the year, beginning with Nicholson's first journey to the islands in his own boat in the spring, and ending with the first gusty wet weather of autumn, as he sits at the window in a two-room cottage writing. Into this annual cycle he interweaves story upon story, often speculative, of how the islands came to be, how they came to be what they are, and the people over thousands of years who have lived here.

As the year passes, Nicholson sketches in the broad sweep of recorded history from St. Columba to the present, noting the several hands through which the islands have passed, including his father's and his own. A team of archeologists identifies the remains of Iron and Bronze Age settlements and spends a summer uncovering a long abandoned farmstead. The discovery of a buried cobblestone with an ancient inscription sends him on one of many attempts to unravel mysteries that he uncovers.

The book is based on considerable research, and Nicholson pieces together a previously unwritten history of the islands with references drawn from many old documents and interviews with historians and other experts. He helpfully illustrates his text with many photographs, drawings, and maps.

This book is for anyone who feels the magical pull of islands. You will not regard them quite the same way again.

The land owns us..........2004-05-11

Not the other way around. This was the greatest theme I took away from Adam Nicolson's "Sea Room," the story of the three tiny, uninhabited Shiant (say "Shant") Islands in the Hebrides of Scotland, which Nicholson inherited from his father (the famed author Nigel Nicolson, the son of Vita Sackville-West).

Nicolson's approach to describing the islands for his readers resembles John McPhee's: it's an engaging blend of natural history (how were the islands formed?), human history (who lived here and why?), archaeology, and ecology (how do the animals and plants of the Shiants form a whole world?). The difference is that Nicolson's passion for place is quite specific: he loves the Shiants like one loves one's parents, infinitely and irreplaceably. You can't imagine him running off and writing a second book about another place.

Nicolson's prose is lyric and detailed at the same time; despite the length (350 pages and more), the story never flags. At the end of the book, Nicholson defends his continued private ownership of the islands (many feel they should be a public trust); I wasn't convinced, but I respected his strong urge to transmit his love of the place to his son and future generations of his family.

By the way, Nicholson publicly offers the keys to his cottage to anyone desiring to stay there (his e-mail address is in the book); but consider first that rats seem now to be part of the natural ecology of the place. But perhaps that won't phase you (it doesn't phase Nicholson a bit!).

a whole lot about little islands.......2003-01-08

This is kind of a scattershot book, but interesting and fun to read for all that. Mr. Nicolson is the aristocrat-author owner of the Shiant (pronounced 'shant') Islands in the inner part of the Outer Hebrides, and he wrote the book as a 'love letter' to them. In it he takes up geology, archaeology, history, genealogy, biology, ecology and ornithology, and also considers boat building, shepherding, fishing, folklore and the tragedy of the commons, all in an effort to explain and share his love for the islands; which task, in the end, he manages pretty well.

The book is roughly structured around a year in the life of the Shiants, but Nicolson doesn't let this stop him from ranging wherever his desire leads; which means that while it isn't exactly a page-turner when looked at as a whole, each section is entirely coherent and quite compelling, and the overall structure means they flow into one another reasonably enough. The biggest portion of the book is given over to archaeology, shading into speculative (in the good sense, as practiced by Farley Mowat) history. Nicolson a exhibits strong desire to recreate for his readers the lives of his islands' earlier inhabitants, which also leads him to examine more recent history. Here and there he leans towards overly romanticizing the lives of the islanders, but on the whole he does a wonderful job of conveying the realities of their existence: most strikingly in his account of Campbell family, who lived on the Shiants in the mid-19th century. He also throws in a fair amount of what might be called tangential information--his description of shepherding on the islands and his scale of the edibility of birds eggs were particularly good--which together combines to create a fair picture of the islands; or, at least, the islands as he sees them.

Obviously, the islands themselves are the common theme holding the book together. But also present throughout the whole account, from a derogative cartoon about him that Nicolson includes in the first chapter to his closing ruminations about passing the islands on to his son, is the question of what it means to own the islands, and indeed to own land in general. Nicolson approaches the question on two levels: on the first, he quotes a drunken pub patron who once told him that his shepherd tenants are the Shiants' real owners, and on the second he includes a letter from Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, which tried to obtain the islands as a public trust in the '70s. The last chapter of the book includes Nicolson's account of an ongoing discussion about what right he has to the islands and whether they ought to be public property. Nicolson is far from a stereotypical grasping absentee landlord, and in fact he rather agrees with his drunken accuser. He's not convinced, though, that public ownership would be any better for the islands: he feels that 'protecting' them would actually end up attracting more visitors, while at the same time tying management of the islands with layers of needless complication.

And to his credit, Nicolson ends the book with an actual invitation to visit the islands: if you email him, he writes, he'll give you the keys to the cottage. What public trust could provide that? How the scheme will work under his son, who gets the islands in 2005, and under any potential increased pressure from visitors, is open to question; but Nicolson does a good job explaining his position, and the question of ownership provides a tension and center to the book that would otherwise be lacking.

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A monograph of Favolaschia (Beihefte zur Nova Hedwigia)
Rolf Singer
Manufacturer: Cramer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Plants | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 376825450X

Book Description

The Rough Guide to Switzerland tells you all there is to know about this beautiful and varied country. The 36-page, full-colour section introduces all of Switzerland''s highlights, from snowboarding in the Alps and sampling swiss wine to the country''s Gothic cathedrals and medieval castles. The guide includes extensive listings of the all the top places to eat, drink and stay, whatever your budget, plus brand-new ''author picks'' to highlight the very best. There is plenty of practical advice on outdoor pursuits, including where to find the best mountain walks and most scenic ski resorts. The guide takes a detailed look at Switzerland''s history, wildlife and culture and comes complete with maps and plans for every region.

Book Description

Troy Billings is seventeen, 296 pounds, friendless, utterly miserable, and about to step off a New York subway platform in front of an oncoming train. Until he meets Curt MacCrae, an emaciated, semi-homeless, high school dropout guitar genius, the stuff of which Lower East Side punk rock legends are made. Never mind that Troy's dad thinks Curt's a drug addict and Troy's brother thinks Troy's the biggest (literally) loser in Manhattan. Soon, Curt's recruited Troy as his new drummer—even though Troy can't play the drums. Together, Curt and Troy will change the world of punk, and Troy's own life, forever.

Customer Reviews:

Something different for a change........2007-08-25

Going has a talent for stepping into the shoes of her male characters and explaining what's "Going on" in their heads. Her writing is amusing and engaging. However, there's one thing I want to bring up which is really no big deal--okay . . . it's a big deal for me since I have an analytical mind which picks out little things and analyzes them to oblivion: Going could've used a synonym or two for the word "shift". My brain picked up one too many instances of this word within the first half of the book. I know you people must be rolling your eyes right about now but what can I do but report what I see and how it makes me feel. Ultimately, it means nothing, but I want her to be aware that there are some readers who have any eye for this sort of thing. Anyway, great book. I'll recommend it to my friends. This will go on my favorite books list. The one I keep in my head.

Fat Kid Rules the World.......2007-06-13

"Would it be funny if the Fat Kid got splattered by a subway train?" Those are the thoughts of Troy Billings, a depressed, suicidal, overweight teen who meets Curt McRae, a homeless teen who lives in the New York subway when he's not performing in underground music concerts. Troy become Curt's drummer, where they go onto change their lives and the music world altogether.

My favorite is when Troy's dad, an ex-marine, smuggles Curt out of the hospital so that he can get to the show he's supposed to be performing in.

The message of this book is that everyone has their own place in the world that will make them feel like they have a purpose in life.

This is a book is a good book. It really showed the influence music can have on people. It's also nice that you don't need any prior understanding to get it. Because of that, this book is good for all audiences.

THIS BOOK ROX MY WORLD!!!!!!.......2007-02-17

Coming from a middle punk rocker teenager with depression, I feel much empathy for the characters in this book. KL Going is a genius. I liked it soooooooooo much that I've asked my mom to change my name to Curt. 10 stars all the way. If you like the Sex Pistols, Dead Kennedies, Rancid, or Bad Religeon, you'll love this book. I wouldn't be suprised if this turned into a movie.

Fat Kid Rules The World.......2006-12-22

"Would that be funny? Maybe I could disappear right now and nobody would notice my fat body vanish."
Troy is not your everyday chubby little kid; he is full-on obese, really. He is 17, 6'5'', 300 pounds of obese. After a tragedy that changed his life, Troy decides to quit. He doesn't think he has a purpose in life anymore until Curt finds him. Curt is the opposite of him. He's a skinny, obnoxious, legendary punk-rocker, but he still shows Troy or "T" that he can be cool, even star in his band. Troy never thought this would be possible in his 300-pound life.
Fighting to be his own legend, sometimes drugs find their way into Curt's life. I know that every book has a problem, but Curt is seriously risking his and everyone else's life too. Troy has to decide who to take seriously and what to do himself. If you like a full-on rebel and shy kid in the corner taking life together, you will love this book. Not only does it give a story, it gives you a real story that you just can't stop reading. Put down that chic-flick and read something that will make you laugh and show the world when a fat kid is ruling!

Fat Kid Is A Must Read.......2006-09-26

I was blown away by this story. Having had a difficult few years in middle school and also possessing a love of independent music, I was enthralled with this novel from start to finish. It read like a soundtrack to me. During the sad moments, I read slowly, taking in each bittersweet word. When Troy and Curt's spirits were rising, I read briskly, often frenzied, wanting to experience the next word before my eyes could shift. From ballad to punk rock explosion, I rode the 'musical staff' of emotions of Fat Kid and got to purge some of my residual childhood angst.

K. L. Going Fat Kid Rules the World.(Book Review)(Young Adult Review)(Brief Article): An article from: The Horn Book Magazine

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K. L. Going Fat Kid Rules the World.(Book Review)(Young Adult Review)(Brief Article): An article from: The Horn Book Magazine
Peter D. Sieruta
Manufacturer: Horn Book, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Horn Book Magazine, published by Horn Book, Inc. on July 1, 2003. The length of the article is 325 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: K. L. Going Fat Kid Rules the World.(Book Review)(Young Adult Review)(Brief Article)
Author: Peter D. Sieruta
Publication: The Horn Book Magazine (Magazine/Journal)
Date: July 1, 2003
Publisher: Horn Book, Inc.
Volume: 79 Issue: 4 Page: 456(2)

Article Type: Book Review, Young Adult Review, Brief Article

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Fat Kid Rules the World
K. L. Going
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJEGIY

Book Description

Advances in natural product chemistry have led to a large number of drugs, both derived from medicinal plants, marine plants, and animals, and created as synthetic analogues of these sources. This ground-breaking, comprehensive volume presents the latest data on the <^>13C-NMR of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes.

Fortschritte der Chemie organischer Naturstoffe / Progress in the Chemistry of Organic Natural Products / Volume 80 (Fortschritte der Chemie organischer ... the Chemistry of Organic Natural Products)

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Fortschritte der Chemie organischer Naturstoffe / Progress in the Chemistry of Organic Natural Products / Volume 80 (Fortschritte der Chemie organischer ... the Chemistry of Organic Natural Products)

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 3211834281

Book Description

Sulfur-Containing Amides from Glycosmis Species (Rutaceae) (O. Hofer, H. Greger): Introduction; Isolation and Structure Elucidation; Methylthiopropenoic Acid Amides; Methylsulfinylpropenoic Acid Amides; Methylsulfonylpropenoic Acid Amides; Methylthiocarbonic Acid Amides; Synthesis of Biogenic Sulfur-Containing Amides; Biological Activity; Biosynthesis, Chemotaxonomy of the Genus Glycosmis within the Family Rutaceae; Appendix: Sulfur-Containing Bisamides from Aglaia Species (Meliaceae); References.- Naturally Occuring Isocyano/Isothiocyanato and related compounds (C. W. J. Chang): Introduction; Monoterpene Indole Alkaloids from Blue-Green Algae; Marine Diterpenes from Sponges; Marine Sesquiterpenes from Sponges; Uncommon Marine Analogs; Other Terrestrial Compounds; Biogenesis and Biosynthesis; Discussion and Summary; Acknowledgment; References; Addendum. Beachten: ‘Glycosmis’ kursiv schreiben!!!

Monoterpenoid Indole Alkaloids: Supplement to Part 4 (Chemistry of Heterocyclic Compounds: A Series Of Monographs)

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Monoterpenoid Indole Alkaloids: Supplement to Part 4 (Chemistry of Heterocyclic Compounds: A Series Of Monographs)

Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Biochemistry | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

Internationally renowned specialists present a comprehensive survey of the latest advances in this area. The biosynthetic and structural relationships of these compounds are summarized and newly discovered alkaloids described. Discusses versatile biomimetic procedures as well as the pharmacology and clinical applications of monoterpenoid indole alkaloids. Botanical names of all plants cited have been extensively referenced.

Isoprene and monoterpenes biogenic emissions in France: modeling and impact during a regional pollution episode [An article from: Atmospheric Environment]

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Isoprene and monoterpenes biogenic emissions in France: modeling and impact during a regional pollution episode [An article from: Atmospheric Environment]
F. Solmon , C. Sarrat , D. Serca , P. Tulet , and Rosset
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Atmospheric Environment, published by Elsevier in 2004. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
Biogenic emission of isoprene and monoterpenes are modeled in order to study their impact on regional atmospheric chemistry and pollution in France. First, an emission potential inventory is developed using a fine scale landuse database, forest composition statistics, biometric data and species emission factors. Considering the main emission patterns, the results show consistency with previously published European and global inventories. When downscaling to sub-region of France, this database is likely to provide refined sources distribution, an important issue for regional atmospheric chemistry studies. The temporal evolution of biogenic fluxes with meteorological conditions is calculated on line in the MesoNH-C meso-scale atmospheric chemistry model. Leaf-level algorithms are integrated at the ecosystem scale using sub-grid prognostic surface temperature and canopy shading effects. Finally, ecosystem to landscape integration is performed by aggregating biogenic fluxes at the model grid cell scale. Uncertainties associated with these estimations are discussed with respect to different spatial scales. In the second part of the paper, these developments are used to study biogenic emission impacts on regional ozone formation. We focus on a summer pollution event over Paris and northern France, documented during the ESQUIF experiment. The introduction of biogenic fluxes led to an increase in simulated surface ozone concentrations, reaching 18-30% in the Paris plume and about 20-30% in some rural areas. This impact was mainly due to large biogenic fluxes as well as to the chemical conditions prevailing in the anthropogenic plumes reaching biogenic sources. In this situation, some comparisons with air quality measurements pointed out an improvement of simulated ozone concentrations when accounting for biogenic fluxes, both in urban plumes and over rural areas.

Ozonolysis of monoterpenes in mechanical ventilation systems [An article from: Atmospheric Environment]

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Ozonolysis of monoterpenes in mechanical ventilation systems [An article from: Atmospheric Environment]
J. Fick , L. Pommer , A. Astrand , R. Ostin , and Nilsson
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000RR7WOS

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Atmospheric Environment, published by Elsevier in . The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
In this investigation the ozonolysis of of three monoterpenes (@a-pinene, @D^3-carene and limonene) was studied was studied in authentic mechanical ventilation systems, that included either a cross flow or a rotary heat exchanger. The effects of varying three experimental parameters were investigated: the level of ozone (25 and 75ppb), the reaction time (25 and 75s), and the surface area in the ventilation duct (14.8 and 29.5m^2). The initial concentration of each of the monoterpenes was 20ppb in every experiment, and 1-16% of the @a-pinene, <0.5-13% of the @D^3-carene, and <0.5-16% of the limonene reacted. The effects of humidity (gm^-^3) and temperature of the outdoor and supply air, and water losses in the ventilation duct, were also evaluated. Experiments were based on a chemometric statistical design. Comparison of the results to theoretically calculated values showed that theoretical calculations underestimated the amounts that reacted in the ventilation systems by factors of 2-13, depending on the monoterpene and experimental settings.

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one of the best historical novels ever

With Fire and Sword ý Henryk Sienkiewicz

Ignore the Ukrainian axe grinders, the book is great

With Fire and Sword, Vol. 2: A Tale of the Past
Henryk Sienkiewicz , and Samuel A. Binion
Manufacturer: Fredonia Books (NL)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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With Fire and Sword, Vol. 1

Pan Michael

The Trilogy Companion: A Reader's Guide to the Trilogy of Henryk Sienkiewicz

On the Field of Glory

The Teutonic Knights

ASIN: 1410100588

Book Description

The period embraced in this set is "one of the most dramatic and fruitful of results in European Annals - remarkable for work and endeavor, especially in the Slav world," the author writes. Among Western Slavs, the great events were the Hussite Wars and the union of Lithuania and Polant. The Hussite Wars were caused by ideas of race and religion (born in Bohemia.) The period of Bohemian activity began in 1403 and ended in 1434, with the battle of Lipan. Known for their great narrative power and contain vivid characterizations, Sienkiewicz' work includes the great trilogy of historical novels began to appear in 1883. It is composed of With Fire and Sword (1884), The Deluge (1886), and Pan Michael (1887-88). Set in the later 17th century, the trilogy describes Poland's struggles against Cossacks, Tatars, Swedes, and Turks, stressing Polish heroism in a vivid style of epic clarity and simplicity. Henryk (Adam Alexander Pius) Sienkiewicz (1846-1916) was a novelist, born in Wola Okrzejska, Poland. He studied at Warsaw, traveled in the USA, and in the 1870s began to write articles, short stories, and novels. His major work was a war trilogy about 17th-c Poland, beginning with Ogniem i mieczem (1884, With Fire and Sword), but his most widely known book is the story of Rome under Nero, Quo Vadis? (1896), several times filmed, notably in 1951 by Mervyn Le Roy (1900-87). He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1905. Translated by Samuel A. Binion, who was also the translator of Quo Vadis.

Customer Reviews:

one of the best historical novels ever.......2006-04-11

The first volume gives a powerful image of Medieval Poland and of the permanent strife between different ethnic groups in this part of Europe. Willing to liberate themselves from the Polish rule, the Ukrainian Kosaks ally with the Tartars of the Golden Horde against their masters. Taken by surprise by the force of the uprising, the Pollons are thoroughly beaten - but their spirit never broken, despite being forced to retire over and over again, they will dug in at Zbaraz and wait for the royal troups.
The young colonel Skrzetuski has completely renounced the hope to find his lover Helena alive - even more, he dreads finding her alive, for she'd certainly be raped and abused. This her lover thinks unsupportable (remember, this is a highly Catholic country, and the morals are very strict). Embittered and hopeless, he's waiting for his death at Zbaraz, for the king has no knowledge of his men peril and no one can go through the Tartar and Kosak siege lines. Famine and disease soon enter the city and the last defenders are reduced to praying for merciful death instead of a life of slavery.
Unknown to Skrzetuski, pan Zagloba - one who never does much if he can help it, but manages to be highly praised even for doing nothing - has learned of Helena's whereabouts. Even if he's scared to death of her captor, Bohun, Zagloba has grown to love the young woman as a father, and will face the greatest perils for her sake. He finds her again and takes her to join the queen's ladies of honor. Fearing Skrzetuski's sanity of mind if the girl would be lost again through some twist of fate, his friends keep all news of her secret from him... even if the young man's pain reaches out to all of them.
One last hope remains for the defenders of Zbaraz: if one man could break through the siege lines and carry a message to the king, the Pollon army could get there in time to save them. As the first one to volunteer is killed by the Tartars, Skrzetuski grabs the chance of a rapid death instead of starvation and offers to break through to the king... Too late his friends realise that knowing Helena is alive could've stopped him... Completely devoted to his honor, after giving his word to try to escape alive, Skrzetuski faces indescribable horrors and disappears for days - ill, dying, and starving - from the face of the earth - managing to reach the king and deliver his message. He's only half-healed when the siege of Zbaraz is lifted by agreement and his friends join him as he finally meets Helena again.
The Kosak uprising lost a lot of force due to internal battling and with the leaving of the hordes (satisfed with the gold they'd gathered), the Pollons managed to turn the fate of the war. Even if not all the historical facts are accurate, this is great literature and a picture in words of a half-savage world struggling towards real civilisation.

This is only the first in the historical trilogy (even if they can be actually read apart, and manage different time settings)that also includes "The Deluge" (possibly THE best historical novel written to date) and "Pan Michael". If you want to know what good, strong literature feels like, you won't miss this one. Get them both - get the whole trilogy. This is for keeps!

With Fire and Sword ý Henryk Sienkiewicz.......2003-03-21

If you are a fan of historic epics with a whirlwind plot, tons of bloody battle scenes, dueling lovers and fascinating characters then "With Fire and Sword" is ideal for you. This is the first part of the renowned Trilogy written by Nobel Prize winning novelist Henryk Sienkiewicz. The novel is a story of a romance between an officer and a young woman. The story is intertwined with the bloody peasant rebellions and Tatar wars which took place in eastern Poland in the 17th century. Sienkiewicz's main credit is the degree of depth which he bestows upon his characters. The characters are full packages of human emotion, desires, fears hate and paradoxes. Personally I vote for Zagloba as my favorite. The historic detail with which the book is written provides the audience an opportunity to witness the events in the eye of their mind. As he does with the characters, Sienkiewicz goes into great detail in describing the surroundings such as the interiors of the castles or battle scenes. The novel is not gory simply for shock effect, the author portrays the battles of the 17th century with brutal honesty. I've read the original Polish version as well as the English and found that the translated edition is very true to the original. The only flaw with the version available is the lack of illustrations, which would be useful for the novice reader.

Ignore the Ukrainian axe grinders, the book is great.......2003-02-22

This is a fantastic book that comes highly recommended, as you will see by reading the full set of 40+ reviews. There are about 3 Ukrainian-Americans, however, who have gone through every review and panned it out of ethnic axe grinding. A shame. Whatever you view on its historical accuracy (it's a novel folks), the values of true honor the book endorses are universal, and the story is a page turner with well-developed characters. Those people who wrote the reviews were highly motivated to write them by the book's excellence.

And as for the historical perspective, the fact is that the Polish rule of Ukraine, however harsh by Polish magnates such as those that Sienkiewicz describes, was nothing compared with the bloody repression of Ukrainian culture and language by the Czars. And the Soviet Union destroyed virtually all of Ukraine's religious traditions and starved and executed millions of its people under Stalin. For this the people of the Ukraine can thank Hymelnitsky, who by destroying the unity of the Commonwealth opened the door to the tragic rule of Ukraine by Muscovy. In the end, Sienkiewicz's view of history is vindicated.

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