[b]Rating[/b]: 5 out of 5 stars Despite watching movies and reading a light amount about Marie Antoinette, I’ve always wanted to learn more and this book was amazing. It covered her entire life and everything was so well explained. This is not just a bland history, but a vivid and colorful literary education on who she was, what she did, and how she met the end that she did. I truly enjoyed this book and have retained so much from it.
NetGalley, Ellen Ross

[b]Rating[/b]: 5 out of 5 stars Absolutely fascinating. I was unaware of Ellen Ternan and the allegation that she was Dickens’ mistress. In the spirit of Gradgrind, the author bases his views on facts and draws a different conclusion. I feel confident that the author’s career as a research scientist leaves him well equipped to gather facts, apply analytical skills and form a different and more challenging view. His insight is forensic in detail and I believe his reappraisal is worthy of consideration. He gives a brief overview of Dickens and I was interested to note that current views about the relationship with Ellen are based on two rather dated and skewed biographies. Both concluded she was his mistress, but facts to support that are thin. Ruck looks at Ellen’s life in earlier years and draws on resources already in the public domain. These include letters, literary references, other biographies, contemporaneous records and more. There's a comprehensive index and a number of interesting.. Read more
NetGalley, Anita Wallas

If you look at the other reviews posted here, most – if not all – are from reviewers outside the US (where I live). If you ask many of your friends over, say, 60 years old (anyone younger would not appreciate the “Carry on” films) they would probably respond, “Wasn’t That the sex comedy ‘Carry on Nurse’?” Well, that’s where – in 1959 – at age 15 (!) I first saw the film No “ratings then” and I’ll always remember the daisy (flower) that is used in one of the final scenes. Well, many years later – when DVDs were introduce-, I was given a set of the TV version – which is not as funny as the films. But I found the film collection. Yes, they were dated by but the cast was funny (most times). So, I recently heard about this book “When the Carry On Stopped” (WTCOS)” –and I was sent a copy by the publisher for an objective review. Then I saw another book “Carry on Regardless” from the same publisher. It was first published in 2022 but revised in 2025.. Read more
Steve Ramm - Amazon Reviewer

[b]Rating[/b]: 5 out of 5 stars I was always intrigued by the life of Eva Peron so this was a really interesting book to come across. I found it so informative and full of information. I highly recommend it if you are interested in her life and history.
NetGalley, Jill Speedman

[b]Rating[/b]: 5 out of 5 stars A series of short stories and biographies about the most famous female pirates, this book is an amazing read. You can very easily see that this one has been well researched and written in snack-sized sections to allow for a brief eye view into the lives of these trailblazing women. As educational as it is entertaining, you will find yourself envisioning Geena Davis from Cutthroat Island with a higher level of respect and knowledge for that a female pirate was not a myth - but rather - real. For anyone who loves pirate lore and all things of the Golden Age of Piracy, I highly recommend this one.
NetGalley, Tabatha Paine