Biography Books > H Biography Books > B > Anthony R. Birley

Advantages: Comprehensive and thought-provoking
Disadvantages: Sometimes a bit dull.

Hadrian can be said to have been one of the greatest Emperors Rome ever had - a lover of art and Greek culture, an architect, and a well travelled man who enjoyed speaking to even the lowliest of his citizens. This book explores his life, from birth until death. What it reveals is a man that is cultured, intelligent, fair and kind, but also a man that is capable of great harshness and cruelty. Little is known of Hadrian's early years, and so understandably ...
...is brought out through a fascinating use of archaeology - some of it fairly obscure, which helps us to shed light on Hadrian's life. The author makes frequent use of speculation when it comes to precice dates and places, but never uses his speculation as solid fact. However, his educated guesses are precicely that - educated, and Birley is clearly writing on a subject opon which he is an authority. The book generally reads very well, but is sometimes ... Read review

Advantages: True, first half of book is amazing, educational as well
Disadvantages: Heartbreaking, and the second half of the book is nearly unreadable

...hours.) Boring Stuff Title: Tim: An Ordinary Boy Author: Colin and Wendy Parry (although the book seems to be from Colin's perspective) Genre: Biography Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd; New Ed edition (3 Aug 1995) ISBN-13: 978-0340617908 Price: Amazon: from £.0.01 at time of writing, Background Colin and Wendy Parry are two remarkable figures who did a great deal of work towards the IRA ceasefire and eventual peace in 1994. However, ...
...these two people did not have every reason to be filled with hatred and bitterness towards the people they were trying to help...and being able to turn that bitterness into an instinct to bring together the very people who have hurt you really is remarkable. You see, their son, Tim Parry, was one of the people killed in the IRA bombing of Warrington in 1993, in fact one of only two people killed, and to make it worse - two children. Tim was only ... Read review

Advantages: Let me know more about katie price
Disadvantages: There was none

Over all i really enjoyed reading jordans first book. I felt like there were no lies, all truth. Every page made me want to read more and more, i found it hard to put the book down. It all really let every one into katie's past, what she's been through, how she got to where she is, all of her past relationships. Through this book, Katie has shown her courage and shown how she has not let any one bring her down or stop her getting to the amazing and ... Read review

Advantages: Fantastically written
Disadvantages: May upset some people

Princess is a real-life-story unlike any that I have ever read before. From the moment I opened the cover I was hooked. From start to finish the book is a testimony to a woman of indomitable spirit and great courage and Jean Sasson truly captures the flavour and reality of life as 'Sultana' the Saudi Princess. 'Sultana's' birth nor death will ever be recorded, for she is a woman. A woman who lives in a society where only men have worth. 'Sultana' ...
...she has unlimited funds at her disposal yet she lacks the one thing she desires the most. Freedom. Wherever she is she is totally at the mercy of the men in her life... her father, her brother, her husband. "If no-one knows of my existence, does that mean I do not exist" For this reason 'Sultana', despite the high level of risk has chosen to tell her story and through the author Jean Sasson an unvarnished tale of a closed society is brought to light ... Read review

Advantages: An uplifting tale from a continent usually only described by its problems.
Disadvantages: None

...for restoring my faith. Twenty Chickens for a Saddle is subtitled "the Story of an African Childhood", but more than that it is the story of a recent and happy childhood. For that alone it would be worth the read. Of course there are trials and tribulations. Idylls don't actually exist, all children have their difficulties. This being Africa the everyday upsets are of a kind that might well have permanently traumatised me at such an age…but then ...
...The fact that Twenty Chickens has a tendency to read like a Famous Five story (Thrilling Three Go Native?) is actually a plus rather than the minus it could be. This is partly down to Scott's undoubted skill with words. I knew I was going to love the book as soon as they at landed and she tells us that "Heat was the only thing moving." Simple. Direct. Evocative. Mainly, though, it is her very specific perspective on growing up. The memoir starts ... Read review