Craig Nelson

Advantages: well written, researched and witty
Disadvantages: There does not seem to be a second book

..."Lets Get Lost" written by Craig Nelson priced £6.99 and published by Headline. This is more than a travel book, much more. Short listed for the WH Smith Travel writing Award, Craig Nelson’s “Lets Get Lost” is a diamond of a book that is witty and cleverly written for the armchair traveller. If Bill Bryson thinks he has the market cornered in the witty travel writing section he should start to worry. This is the book I moved to the spare room for, enabling me to stay up half the night so I could carry on reading, because I really could not put it down. This is not a back packers story but a collection of holidays to distant places which the author who lives in the USA has researched and researched. Packing as many amazing facts as he possibly can into the chapters. He amazed me with facts several times that I... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Introductory essay, clear and concise, beautiful illustrations
Disadvantages: None

...The biography, The Life of Nelson, was originially written by the poet and historian, Robert Southey in 1813. It has been revived and edited by Richard Holmes in a series of biographical books, Flamingo Classic Biographies series, released by HarperCollins on 17th September 2001. The book retails for £7.99. I attended a talk given by Richard Holmes promoting this set of short books (The Life of Nelson is just 300 pages) whilst at the Hay Festival this year. For the Talk, Holmes focused on another biography, that of William Blake by Alexander Gilchrist. Unable to find this book at the time, I purchased The Life of Nelson, as an alternative. Other books in the series are Scott on Zelide, Johnson on Savage, Goodwin on Wollstonecraft, Defoe on Sheppard and Wild. Holmes is a compelling orator who is impassioned by biographical writing... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Gives a great insite into the life of a great man
Disadvantages: Lots of names which are hard to pronounce and hard to remember

...I found this book very interesting but hard going to read. There were so many unusual names in it to remember. On reading the book I started off well but as I got into it I found that there were so many unusual names of people he had contact with that it was hard to remember them all while progressing through the book. I found that I had to put it down half-way through and go back to it at a later This book gives great insite into the life of Nelson Mandela from his early years struggling to his time in prison and after his release. I found it very interesting as it showed how he and others had to live and keep their political convictions hidden for fear of imprisonment. date. Nelson Mandela achieved so much in his life if you can perservere to the end it is well worth the read.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful