A good read but not Hardy's best. Tries too hard to make a point.

A survey of surprising depth in the Hellenistic era.

I was led to believe this was a history of alchemy. Not so. Syncretic new age mumbo jumbo. The author seems willing to swallow any mystical tripe as fact.

Optimistic if emotional book about the dark days of the author's childhood. Slightly overdone but shows the best and worst aspects of human existence.

Excellent romantic period historical fiction set in Scottish Highlands. Ambivalent main character. Good version with lots of notes, appendices etc. - the glossary was very handy.

Similarities to Robinson Crusoe but in Melville's flowing style. Anthropology? I'm not sure.

Nice to see an intellectual who can defend his faith. Occasionally a little too biting or bitter but generally brilliant.

Of historical interest but also applicable to the present day, this is an illuminating book on naval warfare in the age of sail. My only regret is that he fails to cover the Napoleonic era.

Well rounded coverage of the major Japanese religions including Shinto, Buddhism, Confucianism and Christianity. The relationship of Buddhism and Shinto is particularily intriguing.

Considering its length, this was a very enjoyable read. Much superior to the last book.

This is literature masquerading as travelogue. Full of all the brilliance and grime, character and flavour, of two unique places. They happen to be in France but she could bring any town to life.

An eclectic collection of Rilke snippets. The editor seems a little over-involved in this book.

Not sure if this is the same translation as what I read. Beautiful poems - but a little light when standing next to Rilke.