Book Description
Drawing from decades of work, travel, and research in Russia, Robert Alexander re-creates the tragic, perennially fascinating story of the final days of Nicholas and Alexandra as seen through the eyes of the Romanovs' young kitchen boy, Leonka. Now an ancient Russian immigrant, Leonka claims to be the last living witness to the Romanovs' brutal murders and sets down the dark secrets of his past with the imperial family. Does he hold the key to the many questions surrounding the family's murder? Historically vivid and compelling, The Kitchen Boy is also a touching portrait of a loving family that was in many ways similar, yet so different, from any other.
Drawing from decades of work, travel, and research in Russia, Robert Alexander re-creates the tragic, perennially fascinating story of the final days of Russian monarchs Nicholas and Alexandra as seen through the eyes of the Romanov's young kitchen boy, Leonka.
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"Taut with suspense and rich in historical detail, The Kitchen Boy chronicles in an entirely new light the brutal slaying of Czar Nicholas II and his family It was a crime to horrify, fascinate, and mystify the ages. On the night of July 16, 1918, Bolshevik revolutionaries murdered the entire Russian royal family in a hail of gunfire. No one survived who might bear witness to what really happened on that mysterious and bloody night. Or so it was thought. In masterful historical detail and breathtaking suspense, Robert Alexander carries the reader through the entire heartrending story as told through the eyes of a real but forgotten witness, the kitchen boy. Narrated by the sole witness to the basement execution, The Kitchen Boy is historical fiction at its best. But more than that, the accessible style and intricately woven plot-with a stunning revelation at its end-will keep readers guessing throughout. "This is a dream of a book... [Robert Alexander's] tough, stylish prose is the perfect medium for this fast-becoming myth of evil and innocence, of frailty and courage, of betrayal and redemption."" -Judith Guest ""Through the power of the author's imagination, we see not only the tragedy of the Emperor, but that of a human being, man, and father."" -Ivan Artsyshevsky, The Romanov Family Association"
Customer Reviews:
The Kitchen Boy.......2007-09-12
The author kept you interested all the way through the book and even though you already know the outcome, you are hoping for a better ending. Great read by Robert Alexander. I am now going to read Rasputin's Daughter by Robert Alexander.
Couldn't put it down.......2007-08-29
Coincidentally, the day I started this book there was a news announcement that the graves of the missing Romanov children had possibly been discovered. I should have known that it was a good omen! I had been looking for a novel about the Romanovs for some time and this hit the mark. THE KITCHEN BOY is a wonderful mix of fact and fiction and a valuable history lesson, too. Mr. Alexander did an outstanding job of turning turbulent times and a tragic event into an entertaining novel that I couldn't put down. So believable that I had to convince myself that the fictional mystery ending really didn't happen - or did it? Simply wonderful!
Great Travel Read.......2007-07-09
I bought this book in the Hermitage Museum shop in '05. It's great for a short travel book. Filled with history, plus a good mystery mixed in.
Romantic fantasy but decent reading.......2007-07-05
Knowing little about Russian history, it was interesting to me that R.Alexander was able to weave certified history into his romantic fantasy of a novel. I felt pushed to learn more about Russian history, but not to repeat reading this novel or other books by R. Alexander, I am sorry to say. This book was reviewed by a small book group that I belong to. The ladies all felt the same way about the novel. On the whole, looking at subjects that came to us when reading the book, we were astonished at the sheer waste of money on Romanov jewels and the terrible waste of millions of lives. Also, once again, we were sad that Russia has never managed to be anything but an autocratic society, whether the Tsars or the Communists rule. We hope for better government of that large land of such wonderful potential.
That Night in Yekaterinburg.......2007-07-04
Over the years, many books, both fiction and non-fiction, have been written about the events of July 16-17, 1918. On that date, in the town of Yekaterinburg, the Russian royal family met their fateful end.
Misha Semyonov is an elderly Russian man who is living in the suburbs of Chicago's north side. Nearing the end of his own life, he begins to record a tape for his granddaughter, Kate, detailing what he knows about the Romanov family. Misha, it turns out, was the kitchen boy in the House of Special Purpose in Yekaterinburg. He served the last tsar and his family, and through his recounting of the events leading up to their death, he paints a detailed picture of the last days of Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra, and their five children.
But the story doesn't end there. The innocent kitchen boy's account of the night's events explains the disappearance of two of the Romanov bodies (those of tsarevich Alexei and his sister, Maria), as well as what happened to the bodies of the family. But along the way, Misha covers his own tracks, and it is only through Kate's investigating skills that his big secret is revealed.
Robert Alexander does an excellent job painting the anxiety and uncertainty of those last few weeks in Yekaterinburg. The novel is vivid, with many Russian phrases (and their English translations), notes that can be found in the Russian Archives, and the picture of a loving family confused by their sudden change in circumstances.
To be honest, the novel reads a bit like "The Diary of Anne Frank," though not quite as candid. However, it is an excellent theory into the murders that ended Russian imperialism and changed the face of the world forever.
Average customer rating:
- Superb Finale
- Excellent
- Well Done Sandra Gulland--An Outstanding Conclusion!!!
- Don't forget the rest of the trilogy
- A Standing Ovation
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The Last Great Dance on Earth
Sandra Gulland
Manufacturer: Scribner Paperback Fiction
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Tales Of Passion Tales Of Woe
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ASIN: 0684856085 |
Book Description
The Last Great Dance on Earth is the triumphant final volume of Sandra Gulland's beloved trilogy based on the life of Josephine Bonaparte. When the novel opens, Josephine and Napoleon have been married for four tumultuous years. Napoleon is Josephine's great love, and she his. But their passionate union is troubled from within, as Josephine is unable to produce an heir, and from without, as England makes war against France and Napoleon's Corsican clan makes war against his wife. Through Josephine's heartfelt diary entries, we witness the personal betrayals and political intrigues that will finally drive them apart, culminating in Josephine's greatest tragedy: her divorce from Napoleon and his exile to Elba. The Last Great Dance on Earth is historical fiction on a grand scale and the stirring conclusion to an unforgettable love story.
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The only novelist invited to appear among a group of noted scholars and experts for a four-hour PBS documentary on Napoleon, Gulland knows her characters so well she inhabits their world, and her novels enable readers to do the same. The Last Great Dance on Earth brings to life Napoleon's grand empire, its rise and fall, and Josephine's greatest tragedy: her divorce from Napoleon and his exile to Elba. Written in a spare but compelling style with finely nuanced characters and vivid setting. The Last Great Dance on Earth is a brilliant feat of historical fiction that is difficult to put down and impossible to forget.
Customer Reviews:
Superb Finale.......2007-02-11
I don't need to repeat what eveyone else seems to be stating in their reviews of this book and the entire Josephine trilogy; the story flows from start to finish.
I very highly recommend this book!
Excellent.......2006-07-11
A perfect ending to a wonderful trilogy. Gulland has clearly done her research and France comes alive through the eyes of Josephine Bonaparte. Compassionate, kind and well-loved in France, Josephine also gives us a very intimate and sympathetic insight to Napoleon Bonaparte. I enjoyed this whole series and would heartily recommend it to anyone interested in the French Revolution, the French Republic and the rise of Napoleon. It is engrossing, humorous and heart-rending. Highly recommended.
Well Done Sandra Gulland--An Outstanding Conclusion!!!.......2006-06-22
I can't express how much I loved this wonderful novel. The most accurate adjective I can think of would be 'interesting'. This book was soooo interesting. Gulland's attention to detail is absolutely meticulous. She used over 400 sources in the writing of this trilogy. I learned so much--not only about Napoleon and Josephine, but also of other historical figures of that time. I also found the daily life of the aristocracy not only fascinating but also exhausting.
Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine Beauharnais are some of the most intriguing characters in history. Their story is so compelling and Gulland does a wonderful job of presenting it. Her 'Josephine' trilogy tells the story of Marie-Josephe-Rose Tascher (Beauharnais Bonaparte) who was born on the French Caribbean island of Martinique in 1763. She died, as she was still known, as the Empress Josephine at her beloved Malmaison in Paris in 1814. THE LAST GREAT DANCE ON EARTH begins in March 1800 at the Tuileries Palace in Paris and ends at her death. But, Gulland has a special treat for her readers. She ties up all the loose ends by telling us what happens to all the characters in her novel. I loved that! In fact, I was taking a tour a couple of weeks ago in St. Augustine, Florida and the guide told us that this is where Napoleon Bonaparte's brother came to....I now know that it was Jerome. The author also has a chronology with detailed accounts and dates of events in the last fourteen years of Josephine's life. Gulland also used actual letters of the pair in this book. And again, the pages are peppered with footnotes that add credence to this story.
In book three we're treated to more of the deep and abiding friendship of Josephine and Napoleon. The love they had for each other is legendary. Napoleon was a wonderful father to Hortense and Eugene and they also adored him. But Josephine had to put up with her horrid in-laws, their jealousy and constant designs of destroying her marriage, their lies and the constant undermining--geesh, she was more patient than I could have been. They eventually succeeded. Despite going through horrible and archaic treatments for infertility, Josephine could not conceive. As we all know, Napoleon divorced her in order to gain an heir. Even then, they continued their friendship and love.
I have been mesmerized with Napoleon and Josephine since visiting the Lourve for the first time as a college freshman and falling in love with David's "The Coronation of Napoleon." Then, after visiting the famous, albeit headless statue of the former Empress at her birthplace in Martinique, my curiosity became insatiable. We learned that Josephine's head was cut off because she influenced her husband to reinstate slavery. I was hoping to read an explanation in these novels but it was never mentioned (although Martinico is mentioned quite often). Which comes to another point: Gulland mentions that researching the lives of Napoleon and Josephine is addictive; I've already bought two more books, maybe I'll find the answer to my question!
Don't forget the rest of the trilogy.......2003-06-15
While this book stands out on it's own merits, you would be doing yourself a huge disservice if you didn't read the first two books in the trilogy first ('The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.' and 'Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe'). This is probably my favorite group of books and everyone I have let borrow them feels the same. All are well-written and easy reading (as well as interesting history). I am only sorry that Sandra Gulland hasn't written any other books...yet. I keep hoping.
A Standing Ovation.......2003-02-11
Bravo, Bravo, Bravo!! Oh, how I hated to come to the end of this series. A caution to would-be readers: Do NOT shortchange yourself and skip either of the first two books (Many Lives/Secret Sorrows, and Tales of Passion) - they all flow together seamlessly and offer an indescribable wealth of passion and intellect. Wonderfully written, deeply researched - this trilogy by Ms. Gulland is truly a treasure.
Book Description
The last Tsaritsa of Russia, Alexandra Feodorovna, was murdered with her family on the night of 16-17 July 1918 by agents acting on behalf of the revolutionary Bolshevik government. The recently declassified 1918 diary of Alexandra-published here for the first time in its entirety-provides something no other account could do: a glimpse of the Tsaritsa`s thoughts and activities from 1 January 1918 until the night of her death. The introduction by Robert Massie places Alexandra in the historical context of the Revolution, her marriage to Nicholas, and the tragic events that encompassed her, her family, and her nation.
Customer Reviews:
what i think.......2002-06-20
Alix's diary is a most important document,
it reveals her , but in a very different way to say
how her letters do.in her diary, it is of chief importance
to note the things she leaves out, and how laconic the
text itself is.this tells as much about her at the time
than had she written pages about her feelings and experiences.
This is an extremely important book, the last page is
agonising - the "ex-Tsarina" has written in a fine and clear
hand "July 17th" - but the page is blank. We have to read
what Alexandra didnt write - between the lines.her last
diary reveals her final states of mind, her humaness, her fear,
in those last terrible words, in the entry for July 16th.
Alix has written her own memorial here, and it is a just tribute.
Final Record Invaluable to Romanov Enthusiasts.......2000-01-26
It is ironic that, being the most private of persons, many of the last Tsarinia's most intimate thoughts are now available in several books, including this recently declassified diary of her final days. However, readers who search out this book are probably sympathetic, and will find her daily entries of interest and sometimes moving. Alexandra wasn't writing a best-selling novel -- simply a daily account of the tedium of their imprisonment, and how she, her family, and attendants passed the time -- but for those interested in Alix, her husband, and children, this book is a valuable link to their final days. The introduction, essay by Jonathan Brent, and other sections are all appropriate accompaniment. It will be interesting to see if excerpts from the children's diaries also are eventually published; several books compiled and edited by Russian archivists already have quoted from some of those diaries.
If you are interested in the last tsar and his family, I invite you to contact me at whitcombj@juno.com.
Fascinating but only for the true fanatic.......1999-07-04
As many reviewers have said, the very monotony of Aleksandra's last diary gives it an eerie significance. However, beyond that, there is little to recommend it. Entries, spaced one to a page, mostly consist of a single brief paragraph, and the content is boring-- notes on the weather, her health, the health of her children. "Sat for 10. m[inutes] on the balkony [sic]." It is a very short book, and a very quick read. Only for the true Romanov fanatic (of which I am one), I'm afraid. Aleksandra's letters and the letters & diaries of the others who shared her captivity are far more interesting.
Chilling monotony.......1998-01-07
Tsaritsa Alexandra had no idea, of course, that this was her last diary or that anyone besides herself would ever read it. Since we know the ultimate fate of this unhappy woman the banality and monotony of the last few months of her life have an unintentional sense of tragedy. How sad, for example, that she took the time to note the birthdays of various royal connections, people she would never see again and who in some cases (such as George V of England) had abandoned her and her family to their fate. A brief but compulsive read
Book Description
What terrible secret was buried in Shi Huangdi's tomb? Did nomads like lizard stew? What happened to Anansi the Spider in the Village of the Plantains? And how did a six-year-old become the last emperor of Rome?
Told in a straightforward, engaging style that has become Susan Wise Bauer's trademark, The Story of the World series covers the sweep of human history from ancient times until the present. Africa, China, Europe, the Americas—find out what happened all around the world in long-ago times. This first revised volume begins with the earliest nomads and ends with the last Roman emperor. Newly revised and updated, The Story of the World, Volume 1 includes maps, a new timeline, more illustrations, and additional parental aids.
This read-aloud series is designed for parents to share with elementary-school children. Enjoy it together and introduce your child to the marvelous story of the world's civilizations.
Customer Reviews:
Not for younger children.......2007-09-27
Now, keep in mind that I have not read the book and have no idea how good it is for older children. This is specifically for younger children. I bought this book to read aloud to my 5 year old thinking it would be a fun way to introduce her to ancient cultures in our homeschool. Boy, was I surprised when it arrived and it was just a normal sized paperback with no pictures! It is not something that any but the most cerebral 5 year old would sit through. So it will sit on my shelf collecting dust until she is ready for it. Also, considering that it is just a paperback with no pictures it is really not worth the price even for older kids. Maybe grab it from your local library, but don't buy it.
One of the best children's narratives on the market.......2007-08-17
In my mind, S. Wise Bauer has attempted and succeeded: She has made history fun again. The children reading (or listening to) the books will not be writing a dissertation based upon what she has written-- but they will be inclined to pick up another history book, and another... Her writing will get them thinking and talking about history beyond dates.
That's why I like this series. I believe some of the negative reviewers have lost site of the purpose: To engage readers on an elementary level. If readers are following the classical model, they will see more detailed information about the events again (probably twice). This first go round just provides a point of reference for later study.
Examining historical events does not begin and end with one book or source. A true historian will pull together many resources in order to form a composite.
In defense of Bauer's writing, I think that some reviewers are expecting a grammar stage history "holy grail" of some sort. I have yet to find one. Every history book has it's pros and cons. In my mind, this one has more pros than cons.
Bauer does not claim to be the final resource or authority for grammar stage world history. As a matter of fact, she provides extensive lists of additional resources in her other books, like the Well Trained Mind and in the companion workbook. This is the main reason I give this book 4 stars. I wish I could give 4.5. Perhaps an abbreviated version of the resource lists should be included in each volume as an appendix if it is going to stand alone.
Overall, I think it's great for what it aims to do: spark discussion and develop life long learners.
Liked the format and presentation - not the facts.......2007-06-27
I was looking for a history book as I homeschool my daughter. I was very happy with the workbook format and projects as well as history presented in chronological order. As I am not a history scholar, I was enjoying learning the history along with my daughter up until I was reading her chapter on Christianity. Being a Christian who has studied much of the bible, I am familiar with a good amount of these facts. Some of the facts she presents are so wrong that now I question many of the facts she presents from other cultures. If you are looking for an easy read and presentation of different cultures this book is good. I will continue thru the series as I do like certain things about it, however, I am now aware of its weakness and will use other books to supplement the fact presented so the information will be more accurate.
It's OK, but I'm wishing for more.......2007-03-22
My expectations for this book were too high, based on some reviews, although I was worried about comments about inaccuracies. I found it disappointing.
I think what I react against is that this book is just one of many which seem to say the only ancient history that's at all important is what happened in the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean. There is a chapter on India and a chapter on China, but they are hat-tipping kinds of chapters that don't give the awesome breadth of those amazing cultures. And I was super disappointed with the chapter on the Americas. Mexico, according to this book's geography, is part of Central America. North Americans are all termed nomads, as if they were wandering around aimlessly instead of in the amazing variety of communities that they really lived in - some villages, some awesome cities, and others who didn't settle in permanent villages still had definite territories they exploited.
There is actually more material given on characters of the Bible, which are not labelled as from the Bible but treated as actual historical characters, than there is on the ancient Americas, or ancient China for that matter.
This really doesn't seem to be the story of the world, but the story of western civilization, with a smattering of other cultures thrown in as an afterthought.
Excellent Book.......2007-03-15
This is a great book for kids and I also loved it! The activity book is excellent too.
Average customer rating:
- Wonderful way to learn history!
- Awesome Book
- Love it!
- Anastasia Romanov
- Not that good
|
Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess, Russia, 1914 (The Royal Diaries)
Carolyn Meyer
Manufacturer: Scholastic Inc.
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Binding: Hardcover
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Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles, Austria-France, 1769 (The Royal Diaries)
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ASIN: 0439129087 |
Amazon.com
Anastasia is a carefree young duchess, daughter of Nicholas Alexandrovitch Romanov, tsar of all the Russias in 1914. While her father attends to the turbulent affairs of a vast and complex country, Anastasia's major concerns are how to get out of her detested schoolwork to play in the snow, go ice skating, or have picnics. She wears diamonds and rubies, and every morning her mother tells her which matching outfit she and her three sisters shall wear that day. Slowly a hint of future trouble enters her happy, pampered life. Anastasia's younger brother, the future tsar, is a hemophiliac--a "bleeder" who cannot stop bleeding if he is cut or bruised. Anastasia begins to learn that all is not well in the outside world, either. Not everyone in Russia worships her father as she does, and the Germans are about to declare war on Russia. Anastasia's world gradually deteriorates, as reported in her youthful, often playful journal.
As Russia entered World War I, hunger and poverty grew among the peasants, and the Romanov ruling family began to lose favor, culminating in their murders--including Anastasia's--by Bolshevik revolutionaries. This fictionalized diary of the mischievous youngest daughter's last four years gives a fascinating glimpse into a life of unlimited wealth--and the subsequent downward spiral. Historical notes, family trees, and photographs round out Carolyn Meyer's compelling contribution to the popular Royal Diaries series. (Ages 9 to 14) --Emilie Coulter
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful way to learn history!.......2007-09-28
We have really learned history from the Royal Diary series. It gives a wonderful time frame to set history in. It really helps you to remember what you need to know!
Awesome Book.......2006-11-28
I'm a fan of the Royal Diaries series, and this is the best of the books. I read this book over and over again. I liked the way that you could tell that the children, especially Anastasia and Alexei, grew up throughout the four years that the novel took place. I also liked the glimpse it gave of the lavish lifestyle that the Romanovs led, and I was extremely saddened to learn of their fate. I do not believe that Anna Anderson was really Anastasia. I think that Anastasia died along with her family that fateful day in July. But if you would like to read the Royal Diaries series, this is a great book to start off with.
Love it!.......2006-11-27
I liked this book A LOT Cos it showed Anastasia life befor she was killed.And Cannot understand why Anna Anderson Would Pretend to be Anastasia! (DNA says so) Sometimes the Plot would get a little boring but it always went back up to Good.I LOVE THIS BOOK!
Anastasia Romanov.......2006-07-04
This book gets only exciting at the end when the Romanovs get arrested. 'till then, Anastasia led a boring life. I do not recommend this book to anyone, and do not be fooled by the other reviewers, this book is definitely not good. ( But gets slightly better at the end)
Not that good.......2006-07-03
I do not think this book is as good as I thought it would be. It is a very boring diary and definitely the Marie Antoinette book is better.I do not like the book about Cleopatra much either.The book on Anastasia just talks about when she goes to picnics and other palaces and when she went on yatchs. Since I heard so many good reviews on this book, I thought on buying this book, but it turnes out it is'nt that good. I cannot believe people actually like this book even. Anastasia led a boring life and she recorded it in her boring diary.
Book Description
This comprehensive activity book and curriculum guide contains all you need to make history come alive for your child!
Don't just read about history—experience it! Color a picture of a Minoan bull-jumper, make a model of the Nile River, create Roman armor and Celtic jewelry and more. Designed to turn the accompanying book The Story of the World, Volume 1: Ancient Times into a complete history program, this Activity Book provides you with comprehension questions and answers, coloring pages, lists of additional readings in history and literature, and plenty of simple, hands-on activities—all designed for grades 1-4.
Customer Reviews:
A Fantastic Resource!.......2007-10-19
This activity book is loved by my 5 and 8 year old daughters. I love the suggested reading list for each chapter. The activities are fun and give us an opportunity to revisit the ideas and information we have read about in the text and to talk about them some more, which is great for consolidating what has been learned.
Excellent multi-age resource.......2007-10-07
The Story of the World: Activity Book 1: Ancient Times: From the Earliest Nomads to the Last Roman Emperor, Third Edition
This activity book is filled with review questions, map activities, coloring pages, and hands-on activities that kids from kindergarten through upper elementary school would enjoy. Some of the activity ideas are the messy or physical type that kids love, and some are cleaner and calmer. My homeschooled kids look forward to history, because the text and activity books draw them into the action.
What a wonderful way to teach kids history!.......2007-09-25
We homeschool our 5 and 6 year old children. We haven't had a real history book yet, but I wanted to try sparking interest in history for them early. When I read Susan Wise Bauer's "The Well-Trained Mind" a guide for classical education at home, she suggested this book so I checked the reviews.
I just bought the first volume, but will be buying the rest of them as we go forward. I think the activity book is an absolute MUST HAVE to accompany the book. My kids have been interested in the way she writes, they remember the stories well, and I especially appreciate the pronounciation guide she gives in the back of the book. I couldn't begin to pronounce some of these names or places-thank goodness for the extra "help".
I look ahead to the next chapter and reserve the books at our library that she recommends to supplement that lesson. That way, there are other resources to amplify their learning. I love the review questions, maps, and coloring pages. It gets my 5 year old involved too.
All of Susan Wise Bauer's books are wonderful. I just keep adding to my collection. Most of all, the kids are loving their education at home-with me!
Great Time Saver.......2007-06-29
I guess we could all put together enough coloring and activities to go along with Story of the World Vol. 1, but some of us have other things to do. My kids enjoyed the activities. We certainly didn't do all of them and we tended to go with the more hands on. The Nile Delta was a big hit as was the pyramid. The instructions were simple enough to be adapted if we needed to do that... I see that as a plus. My kids are not into coloring, but there were plenty of other ideas to choose from. I am sure that your kids might get bored if you had them do EVERY SINGLE THING, but as a former classroom teacher, I recognize a resource that is well thought out and designed to appeal to a variety of learning styles.
I Wish I'd Bought This Sooner!.......2007-06-21
We bought "The Story of the World" book one last year, but didn't buy the activity book until this year. Big mistake! Although our girls were enjoying listening as we read aloud from the book, adding the activities has made it so much better. There are coloring pages about each chapter for them to work on while we read and then fun activities and games when they are done. We've made simple costumes in under 10 minutes, paper dolls, photo copied and played the board games, and read through the review questions. The review questions really help us to know how much they understood from the chapter. Our whole family is learning so much about history!
Book Description
For as long as anyone can remember, a man named Luca Turin has had an uncanny relationship with smells. He has been compared to the hero of Patrick Süskind’s novel
Perfume, but his story is in fact stranger, because it is true. It concerns how he made use of his powerful gifts to solve one of the last great mysteries of the human body: how our noses work.
Luca Turin can distinguish the components of just about any smell, from the world’s most refined perfumes to the air in a subway car on the Paris metro. A distinguished scientist, he once worked in an unrelated field, though he made a hobby of collecting fragrances. But when, as a lark, he published a collection of his reviews of the world’s perfumes, the book hit the small, insular business of perfume makers like a thunderclap. Who is this man Luca Turin, they demanded, and how does he know so much? The closed community of scent creation opened up to Luca Turin, and he discovered a fact that astonished him: no one in this world knew how smell worked. Billions and billions of dollars were spent creating scents in a manner amounting to glorified trial and error.
The solution to the mystery of every other human sense has led to the Nobel Prize, if not vast riches. Why, Luca Turin thought, should smell be any different? So he gave his life to this great puzzle. And in the end, incredibly, it would seem that he solved it. But when enormously powerful interests are threatened and great reputations are at stake, Luca Turin learned, nothing is quite what it seems.
Acclaimed writer Chandler Burr has spent four years chronicling Luca Turin’s quest to unravel the mystery of how our sense of smell works. What has emerged is an enthralling, magical book that changes the way we think about that area between our mouth and our eyes, and its profound, secret hold on our lives.
Customer Reviews:
Amazing.......2007-06-15
Burr is simply amazing. One of the top five books I've ever read. The story of Luca Turin's "Theory of Smell." Who would have known in this day and age the world had no idea how the nose worked? Turin's road to discovery and the obstacles set before him by the closed-minded academia. Burr does an amazing job of setting the stage honing in on Turin's eccentricities. A great insight into perfume, perfume makers, and a brief history of perfume. I have given over fifty copies to friends and customers. Even today most ENT doctors have not read the [..]the nose.
Convincing But One Sided and With No Resolution.......2007-05-10
This is an interesting book until it occurs to you that his claim has not been proved. This is annoying because there is indeed no presentation of the opposing side and so without any semblance of balance we cannot really know if this is valid or not.
Thought Provoking.......2006-10-26
Seldom do we we see a book, which deals with a scientific matter, inspire such a range of thoughtful responses from a wide variety of well-informed, well-educated people, scientific and non-scientific alike.
Frankly, I've enjoyed reading the words of my fellow reviewers almost as much as I enjoyed reading The Emperor of Scent. Kudos to Chandler Burr. Look for his byline in the pages of the New York Times, where he toils as a scent critic. Really. It's riveting reading in the world of perfume. So is The Emperor of Scent. And I'm no scientist.
A brilliant man brilliantly described...too bad the journalism has a gaping hole........2006-09-14
I really wish I could give this book 5 stars. The subject matter is fascinating, the science writing is brilliant [among the best I've read, and I read thousands of pages of science journalism every year], the main character is, at least on the page, a tornado of charisma and curiosity... But the story is that this intellectual dervish, Luca Turin, the titular Emperor of Scent, is a sort of Gallileo, whose patently true theory of scent [we are hand-led to believe] is spurned by the Orthodox Establishment who stand to lose money and reputation... but the establishment theory is never really examined. This is journalism with a gaping hole in it: the rebuttal never comes.
This is by no means Chandler Burr's fault. As he describes it, Turin's theory is so revolutionary and so inconvenient that he can't even get the Old Guard to respond or rebutt. He was stonewalled. I tend to believe Burr's account, familiar as I am with his writing for the Atlantic, etc., but it is a flaw in the story nonetheless.
That said, this book is totally worth your time. The writing is hyper-lucid and vivacious. Sparkling, really. Burr's intelligence brings Turin to life, and leaves us a character worthy of great fiction. How he does this with such transparent and seemingly effortless prose I have no idea. Outstanding writing. And, at least within the limitations he could not avoid, Burr has done some top-notch journalism. If that rebuttal were included, I think we'd have a classic of science journalism right up there with John McPhee and David Quamen.
Great fun, and highly informative. I look forward to the conclusion of the great smell debate!
Good Science? Good Literature? .......2006-06-19
The book and its protagonist come off as "bitchy", "effeminate" and "French." On a good day, these qualities might be interesting and even charming in a drop-dead sexy woman who is undressing in front of you. That's especially true if you have the option of shipping her back to Europe the next day, forever. But these same qualities are a bit too much in an olfactory scientist who may (or may not) be on the verge of cracking the sensory-neural code for smell. Frankly, I wasn't able to make it through the entire book given the grandiose portrait that emerged. This story will be MUCH more interesting if it turns out that Luca Turin's fascinating theory and brilliant predictive model end up being correct. If that's the case, then I'll be the first to suggest that we wash him in a glorious spicy and sweet scented bath of vindication and validation. (Somebody else needs to hold the sponge).
Having said all this, I have the strong sense that Luca Turin is an intuitive and creative genius, with the overflowing passion and insight needed to make unique breakthroughs. It would appear that he's using some kind of synaesthetic sense to perceive and describe the olfactory sense. In a world filled with competent but unimaginative nirasas, people like Turin are worth their weight in gold. They forge forward filled with passion, conviction, dedication and vision (or in this case smell). They accumulate enormous amounts of information but are unconstrained by the shackles of convention. The biggest problem for these people occurs when they return to earth with their alien messages. They find a mass of people in a cave, watching shadows, and who do not have a schema for new information. In Turin's case, he's found brilliant metaphors to describe his olfactory dream world, but he is still struggling to present his Martian understanding in a language and style that is acceptable to scientists. He's trying to translate what he knows based on experience into validated, empirical, accepted scientific truth. It is a long road and at times he's a lousy driver. Trying to run Nobel Laureates and other great olfactory scientists off the road is akin to road rage. Good luck.
I think its great that so few people believe Turin's theory and that evidence is mounting against it. I say this now because I'm betting that his theory is correct in general form, and that science will ultimately validate a theory that looks like his. So I'm jumping on the bandwagon now, while it is still is fairly empty. Maybe that means something. I'm no expert on the chemo-senses, and my understanding of smell is highly limited. But I do know something about sensory systems in general, and about frequency-like coding in vision, hearing and touch. In the visual system, frequency-like coding channels are everywhere... in the cones that are differentially sensitive for wavelength, and in the higher visual areas that are selective for spatial, temporal and other frequencies. The ear and it's cochlea are clearly frequency analyzers, with "critical bands" and tonotopic variation represented clearly in the brain. The skin contains frequency selective mechanisms, too, as made implicit in Bolanowski's classic model. As our understanding of haptic perception improves, I'll bet that we'll find cortical detectors selective for tactile spatial and temporal frequencies. Whatever. My key point is that other sensory systems reek of just the kind of processing that Turin advocates for smell.
I was interested in this book because I was interested in his scientific theory more than anything else. I learned about it in the new sensation and perception text by Wolfe et al. (2005). I found plenty here to help me understand it (though there's a reason I'm not a chemist). I'm finding that there are better ways to become familiar with Turin's scientific theory than purchasing this book. Turin's Flexitral website provides the excellent references, including many available for download. The J. Theoretical Biology (2002) seems to be the most accessible, but I have yet to see the more recent papers, including a 2005 book chapter. According to the website, Turin has published, or is about to publish, a book on the subject.
One more thing--The ultimate tests of Turin's model and any decent model of olfactory processing will be conducted by neuroscientists and psychophysicists, not a bunch of chemists. (See, e.g., the new book by Wilson & Stevenson). And the tests will involve olfactory detection as opposed to olfactory discrimination and odor prediction. I'll even suggest the technique. Measure olfactory threshold functions for a bunch of different chemical odorants. Measure these thresholds in a bunch of different individuals, creating a big data base of individual differences. Then use the individual differences to figure out what goes with what. If Turin is right, factors will emerge that conform to his vibrational theory. Simple. See my published papers on individual differences in visual processing.
I may return to finish this book at a later date. That's all for now.
Book Description
Russian playwright and historian Radzinsky mines sources never before available to create a fascinating portrait of the monarch, and a minute-by-minute account of his terrifying last days. Updated For The Paperback Edition.
Customer Reviews:
Magnificent biography!.......2007-08-22
I absolutely loved this book. Once I started reading, I couldn't put the book down. This was the first biography about Tsar Nicholas II that I had ever read. It gives excellent background information about the country, its history and the politics, so even if you're not at all familiar with Russian history/politics, you can still follow. Excellent purchase!!
It's OK.......2007-01-10
The history is all there in detail. Very interesting, particuarly if you are into tzar history like I am. However, the book is really hard to read. It usually takes me no longer than a week to read a book, but this one actually took me almost 2 months.
"It's the way he turns a phrase".......2006-07-28
With Radzinsky the art comes before the history and that's why this is my favourite addition to the "Romanov canon". This is not to overlook how thrilling in terms of new material "The Last Tsar" was when it was first translated and published (the "Yurovsky Note" comes to mind), and all those lovely until then unknown archive sources. These opened up new avenues of thought and allowed Radzinsky to theorise in a way I found compelling. Except, how much of it could be trusted?
This is the problem with this subject in total. It's an epoch in recent history in the process of being re-constructed, after 70 years of communism in effect shut Russian imperial history down. A detailed picture of imperial Russia at the end of empire is in the process of being written. But in Radzinsky's account I caught the flavour of the times and that's more important to me than measuring his facts, weighing his sources. Most serious readers on this subject know enough in 2006 to discount the more imaginative flights in this book, and for everyone else it's a glorious, rackety, heart-rending read.
An excellent book.......2006-05-27
This was a great book written during the time that the Romanov bones had been uncovered. It gives an interesting portrayl of Nicholas and Alexandra. Most interesting of all is the love story between Nicholas and his former mistress, Mathilde Kschessinka, who years later would meet a woman claiming to be the daughter of the Tsar (Anna Anderson) and she would recognize her as his daughter because of the 'Emperor's look'.
It is somewhat dated however. Since this book has been published, Russian and American scientists have argued passionately amonst themselves as to whether the remains of Grand Duchess Marie or Anastasia are missing. Then the bones were tested for DNA and proved a match and then they were compared with the tissue of Anna Anderson 'proving' she was not a Romanov. However, these tests are not as valid today as they were then. For more on that, visit my website: http://www.geocities.com/anastasiagrandduchess/
In 1998, the bones were interred in the Cathedral of Saint Paul, although the Russian Orthodox Church rejected the authenticity of the remains.
Barely.......2006-04-12
"In the morning drank hot chocolate, dressed in my Life Guard reserves uniform. ...Took a walk in the garden with papa [Tsar Alexander III]. We chopped & sawed wood and made a great bonfire." Thus begins the diary that Nicholas Romanov would keep for 36 years without interruption; beginning January 1882. Upon the assassination of his grandfather (Alexander II) his father succeeded to the throne March 1, 1881; putting 13 year-old Nicky next in line. The bulk of this book by Edvard Radzinsky, actually, (along with excerpts of letters) consists of such diary entries; by Nicholas, his wife Alexandra, as well as several others. (One chapter---pages 132-166---is little more than letter excepts of the royal couple's correspondence with each other.) Mind you, such excepts are not without merit, but they don't really get much more interesting than the above. Nicholas referring to Alexandra: "Am inexpressibly happy with Alix. It is a shame my duties take up so much time..." (17 Nov 1894). Alix to Nicholas, during the war: "we were occupied all morning---during an operation a soldier died...the girls were brave---they...had never seen a death." (Nov 25, 1914). However, they did 3 years earlier see---according to the author---the minister Peter Stolypin get "shot before Nicholas's very own eyes." "Thus his children witnessed murder for the first time," Radzinsky states. But Stolypin didn't die right then & moreover, compare what Nicholas later wrote to his mother (a letter not included in this book): "We had just left our box [in the theater] during the second intermission...suddenly we heard two noises...and ran back into the box. To the right...opposite me...stood Stolypin...blood on his hand & tunic.... Olga and Tatiana entered the box after me..." Radzinsky is not at all clear at times like this and, in addition, engages in such pure speculative comments as this (referring to the Bolsheviks transporting Nicholas & family into Ekaterinburg): "They were put in automobiles." Behind them in a truck were the Red Guards. Nicholas, I think, appreciated this ironic smile of fate." The author also states that the murder of the tsar & his family in Ekaterinburg "had been decided upon from the very start" (ie., upon arrival there); and that some Bolsheviks attempted to manufacture an incident that would justify their elimination. The author thus posits that a secret note conveyed to the tsar with his food from a local monastery was a set-up. Why Nicholas would refer to this in his diary who knows, but Radzinsky suggests (with no evidence) that some spy "carefully put the diary back in its place so that the tsar would not notice anything..." after reading what the tsar wrote. But, "of course he [the tsar] realized this was a trap." And "by leaving that entry in his diary he knew he was sentencing himself to death"; thereby perhaps saving his family, in the author's view. But then Radzinsky states that it must have occured to Lenin that if Nicholas was killed the tsar's family could not be allowed to remain a "living banner." So this thought, apparently, would be obvious for Lenin only. Such pure speculation as this runs throughout this book. In addition we get "treated" to the reminiscences of "Vera Leonidovna Yureneva---a star of the stage from the turn of the century," a person whom the author was acquainted with in his academic youth. She is quoted at length (on 2 dozen pages). But akin to the author's dubious impressions of the tsar's thinking we are also supposed to accept at face value this woman's impressions of this era as well. Oddly too, the only details of Rasputin's end herein are what this woman remembers them to have been. To boot, this (generally competent, but often sloppy) 1992 book still has not been updated to include the story of the last tsar's remains ultimate DNA identification and burial in St. Petersburg. Thanks for reading my view. (06Apr) Cheers!
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Source for a research paper.......2007-02-04
Since I'm writing a research paper, this was such a useful source for me to use. I loved the pictures and the information. It had so much of it! I was amazed; blown away. This is an amazing book for both kids and adults and I hope you get something out of it too!
Great for all ages!.......2006-07-12
This is an excellent book about Grand Duchess Anastasia, daughter of Russia's last tsar. As many know, Anastasia was murdered with her entire family in 1918. This book tells Anastasia's story through her own words. Her letters reflect a happy, secure young girl who came from a loving family. It shows readers a world that is gone and will never return. Though it was written for young children, all ages with enjoy "Anastasia's Album!"
Not your normal Biography! .......2006-04-05
The first time I found this book at the public library I just barely seen Fox's movie Anastasia for the first time. Surprised to find out that Anastasia was a real person, I checked out the book expecting it to be similar to most biographies.
Boy was I wrong. This book absolutely blew me away. Anastasia's album is a wonderful look into the life of the Grand Duchess Anastasia, daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, the last tsar of Imperial Russia. Imagine my surprise to find out that Fox's movie was nothing like Anastasia's real life, although many of the costumes and sets came from real items. Full of pictures, this book also included bits from Anastasia's real diary. A remarkable biography about a remarkable girl.
Very sad, now that I think about it.......2006-03-21
I remember this book from when I was a kid, after the 'Anastasia' movie came out my friend had this book, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. It's full of beautiful photos and pictures the Grand Duchess drew herself. It seems really heartbreaking now that all she got to leave was her scrapbook.
Anastasia's Album.......2005-10-30
I absolutely loved this book!! It has alot of Anastasia Romanov's personal photos and letters and is full of information. You may notice that most Romanov books are for adults and can be a little hard to understand, but this book is for kids and can be read by adults too. It talks about Anastasia's life from babyhood to her TRAGIC death along with her family. I loved it and I very much recommend you read it, too. This is the fascinating story of a Russian princess.
Book Description
In early July 1809 Napoleon crossed the Danube with 187,000 men to confront the Austrian Archduke Charles and an army of 145,000 men. The fighting that followed dwarfed in intensity and scale any previous Napoleonic battlefield, perhaps any in history: casualties on each side were over 30,000.
The Austrians fought with great determination, but eventually the Emperor won a narrow victory. It had not been his finest battle, however: the day was carried more by firepower (French artillery fired over 71,000 rounds) and bludgeoning than anything else. Wagram was decisive in that it compelled Austria to make peace. It also heralded a new, altogether greater order of warfare, anticipating the massed manpower and weight of fire deployed much later in the battles of the American Civil War and then at Verdun and on the Somme.
This significant battle has rarely been analyzed in any detail. Most of the current literature on it is French and self-serving. Gunther Rothenberg will tell for the first time the story of this immense engagement from both sides, making use of both French sources and the extensive Austrian archives.
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- The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey
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