Nonfiction

[desdemona222b]

I doubt it, Laurie.   I don't think they were in contact with anyone, other than relatives and toadies, enough to get some sense of how short they were.  The biggest problem, in my view, was the sense of entitlement they had, which is quite natural given that they were all royalty and the grandchildren of Victoria.

I get the impression that the Windsors have always been a bit stupid, actually.  I've seen that assertion quite a bit in the past.  Certainly David. the Duke of Windsor was a complete moron and a Nazi sympathizer and his brother was not exactly the brightest light bulb in the room, either.  I don't suppose you've gotten to the part where she mentions George's youngest child, who died of epilepsy.  The Duke of Windsor said of him later in life that he was "little more than an animal."  Nice.

What I find interesting about the book is the way it elucidates the downfall of Europe's monarchy.  Also, the way these men were brought up was absolutely ridiculous.  People who are sequestered from the world around them and who are bowed to from the time they are born cannot possibly amount to much in my view. 

[Lhoffman]

I am wishing that Carter had included Franz Josef...but that doesn't fit into the family schema she's working. 

House of Windsor a bit stupid....perhaps all those generations of inbreeding?

[desdemona222b]

No kidding!  My amazement at how closely related all those monarchs in Europe were related knows no bounds.  And it seems that many of them were such impossible prigs, like Alexandria.  She sounds like the most obnoxious woman who ever lived.

[Lhoffman]

Prigs in many senses, and yet they seemed to appreciate the value of the prank.....

[Lhoffman]

Sorry I haven't gotten more deeply into the book, Desdemona.  I'm taking classes two nights a week for our county adult literacy program.   Most of the reading I've done this week is for the class.   Last class is Thursday, then I'll get a referral to work with for 2 hours a week.

For all I keep hearing about thousands and thousands of teacher's jobs that have been saved, most people in my class are laid-off public school teachers.

I should be able to get through another 100 pages after class tonight. 

[desdemona222b]

Sorry I haven't gotten more deeply into the book, Desdemona.  I'm taking classes two nights a week for our county adult literacy program.   Most of the reading I've done this week is for the class.   Last class is Thursday, then I'll get a referral to work with for 2 hours a week.

For all I keep hearing about thousands and thousands of teacher's jobs that have been saved, most people in my class are laid-off public school teachers.

I should be able to get through another 100 pages after class tonight. 

Well that is a very cool thing to do, something I've often thought of doing but just never did.  Good for you.

[Lhoffman]

I was looking up some of the treaties I am unfamiliar with and I discovered this.   SOOOO cool!

http://www.firstworldwar.com/video/1914.htm

[Lhoffman]

Oh...and audio of songs from that era!

http://www.firstworldwar.com/audio/1914.htm

[Lhoffman]

and here are the treaties I was looking up.

http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/pre1914.htm

---------------------------------

[Lhoffman]

Minnie and Alexandra in dress-alike...perhaps taken during Minnie's visit to her sister in London?

[Lhoffman]

Czar Nicholas and King George...Carter gives them as both 5'6", but Nicholas looks taller here.



Kaiser Wilhelm in one of his many uniforms...had to laugh at the idea of Wilhelm advising the British Navy.



Lots of great photos in the book...but some who don't have the book may enjoy these.

[desdemona222b]

Czar Nicholas and King George...Carter gives them as both 5'6", but Nicholas looks taller here.



Kaiser Wilhelm in one of his many uniforms...had to laugh at the idea of Wilhelm advising the British Navy.



Lots of great photos in the book...but some who don't have the book may enjoy these.

Had to laugh at Wilhelm, period.  You see what I mean by now, I hope, when I say he was surely the greatest buffoon of all time.  Or at least right up there at the top of the list.  What an ass!

[Lhoffman]

Wilhelm....there are times when I've been thinking that it is clear that Carter is British.   I'd like to read some other sources on Wilhelm.   But he comes across here as verging in madness.   

The Treaties...now here is sheer lunacy.   The initial skirmish between Austria-Hungary and Serbia seems as if it could have been a seven days wonder, but then you have all the more powerful countries drawn in.   Russia bound to back Serbia; Germany behind the Austria-Hungarians.   Britain and France pulled in.   

And is it certain that the assassin was an agent of the Serbian government?   

[Lhoffman]

Possible every one here but me already knows this, but I didn't and I find it quite interesting.   

After the war and the Treaty of Versailles, the German government set up a new branch of the Foreign Office, The War Guilt Section.   The section was organized under two departments:  Working Committee of German Associations for Combating Lies Concerning War Responsibility, which created pamphlets and such for people in trade unions and the working class;  Centre for the Study of the Causes of War, which focused on more intellectual aspects of the war history and was staffed by teachers and scholars.

[Lhoffman]

By the way, Desdemona, there is an absolutely wonderful movie about the Christmas truce.  Not anything special from a historical perspective, but from a Christian perspective, it is powerful.   The combatants have dug their trenches within shouting distance of one another and on Christmas Eve, they can hear each other singing carols.   Eventually, the combatants meet and celebrate Mass together....shared language Latin.   I find it quite moving.

It's not bad from a musical perspective either.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joyeux_No%C3%ABl