History's Greatest Scandals: The Salacious Stories of Powerful People - Ed Wright

Advantages: Well illustrated, good flow for text and subject
Disadvantages: Important historical details omitted

...personalities get longer treatment in this text, and those with less 'flair' in their lives get less, despite the relative merits of the more general historical importance. Sometimes, historical weight and 'juicy' details coincide - Henry VIII is a heavyweight (sorry) both in the progress of British history as well as the propensity for generating scandal (so much for someone who was only trying to obey scripture and win God's favour). Lewis does a good job at drawing the scandals forward in a rather matter-of-fact fashion -- for the most part, the stories are lurid enough without journalistic embellishment, but Lewis cannot resist the occasional flourish. Each page is generously illustrated with full-colour photographs, paintings, diagrams, charts and other graphic images. Not a single page is without an image and colour. The text is also laid... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: An easy read
Disadvantages: There's very little plot, you're left waiting for the story to finish

...I’m a commuter these days! I’ve gone from having a 20-30 minute tube journey to anything between 50 - 70 minutes each way, every day. This gives me valuable reading time, so I do read profusely. Anyway, my latest read is the famous Zoe Heller novel, Notes on a Scandal. I’d heard and read a lot of good things about it. I’d been told that it’s excellent, gripping, sinister, addictive, compelling to mention just a few of the comments I’d received whilst reading it. Well, actually I’m writing this review to offer a different opinion. I really did NOT like it – not a bit, not a smidgen, one iota. I fail to see what all the fuss is about? THE STORY (what story?) “From the first day that the beguiling Sheba hart joins the staff of St George’s, history teacher Barbara Covett is convinced that she has found a kindred spirit... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: history that is accessible and entertaining, well presented
Disadvantages: none except for my poor make up thanks to the woad incident

...that is patriotic without being denigrating. It was written in 1905 by Scottish educator H. E. Marshall (the H stands for Henrietta), and was the first of her history books. All her books were written in a similar vein, forsaking dry renderings of history with mere timelines and dates of battles for the stories of the places themselves, and detailing the people and battles as stories. The other history works include Scotland's Story: A History of Scotland for Boys and Girls (1906), Our Empire Story (1908), History of France (1912), History of Germany (1913) , The Story of the United States (1919, though in 1917 published in the US as This Country of Ours) and Kings and Things (1937). Each of these unabashedly mixed legend, magic, and historical fact to weave positive portraits displaying great pride for the history and achievements of these nations... Read review

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