Skirts Books

I think this is one of the best books I have read.
Funny and interesting while making you think.

Life is a Verb is the most inspirational and beautiful book I have ever read. It is helping me to come out of a very deep depression and learn to appreciate everything again. It has also helped me to start journaling again to heal myself. I started feeling better before I got to page 40!

I bought 8 copies for friends and relatives for holiday presents... It is a great gift book and a RAK book. I hope to share its healing and inspiration with as many people as I can.

Filled with inspirational quotes and anecdotes, it really makes you look at all the wonders of the world and realize how lucky you are to be able to experience them. I love quotes and there is at least one, if not two, on almost every page of the book --- and each quote is as powerful and moving as the last. (Most of the quotes can even lead to a deep journaling session if you want to take the time.)

This is the kind of book you will find yourself going back through time and time again - before you even finish it! Go out and buy your own copy as soon as you can!

I follow Patti Digh's amazing and thought-provoking blog. Her writing is poignant - it makes me think, it makes me cry, it encourages me to challenge myself. I am pleased to see several of her essays in print. Patti's book is a beautiful collection of essays that remind one to think, connect, slow down, nurture, enjoy, and live. Life is truly a verb.

What a lovely, thoughtful book. Doing the exercises will definitely change your life. Beautifully written

Patti Digh is an incredibly gifted writer and seems like a nice person. That said I have read through the archives of her blog (which is great), and there is no new essay content in this book. There are new illustrations, quotes, and exercises at the end of each section, but otherwise she has already published this work online. Needless to say, I was sorely disappointed. I have a finite book budget. I paid for and expected more. Life is Verb still gets 3 stars, because I do admire her work. For many people this book would still be worth purchasing for the visual art and inherent conveniance of the book form.

Although we may not always realize it, our living space says a lot about who we are. Who are you? Are you knee deep in clutter and just can't let go of the past? Or does your house look great but lacks any sort of functional value? Does your home lack character because you are afraid to let your true self shine through?

Create the Space You Deserve is more than a design guide. In fact, it doesn't show the reader the "right" ways to create a house. Instead, it asks the reader to decide what they need and then make the space their own. That includes layout, functionality of rooms, colour, features, and style.

This unique book actually starts out with the de-cluttering process. Why beat yourself up about all that mess? Instead, focus on what's important to you and only keep what is really you. Do so gradually but purposefully. Beyond saving space and money in storage charges, it's a great starter exercise to define who you are and what you really need from your space and from life in general.

Fine photos and original ideas mark a guide to expressing unique artistic sentiments through home decor. From examples of a garage transformed into an outbuilding studio to secrets of setting up room themes and structures that work, photos pair with the author's renovation projects and experiences to make for a lively, personal journal of how to create change. Home and garden collections will find it a lively appeal.

I ordered this book for decorating purposes, while it falls short for that it's full of some pretty good ideas. It's more for a journey then say, put your bookshelf over there and get this color curtains.

I did like the idea of Vignettes for outdoors and creating spaces like that. It was inspirational and I would like to try some of the ideas. Jill Butler has some inspiring uses of antiques and odd items and getting more out of small spaces as she is transforming a cottage and using ideas from her time spent in France.

If you are going through an emotional journey or life change this book helps you adapt and work accordingly with your space. If you simply want ideas for decorating, this isn't the book.

I liked the format of the book and the spiral binding.

Jill Butler shares with us how we can make our home our retreat and the place we want to be most. Through her tried and proven techniques, anyone can master the art of creating their haven that they will love.
Full of decorating tips, her experiences, how she did it, and illustrations to guide you, this book will help you to relax and see what you really want your home to be like for you and your family.

Create the Space You Deserve is not a how-to book on putting up wallpaper or tiling your bathroom. Instead this book gives inspiring words, peptalks and guidance to get you through the process of making your environment the place you want it to be. Author Jill Butler stresses that our space, our home in whatever form it may be, should be what we want and not what others want for us. Recognizing our wants and needs is part of the process and she gives fun tasks and exercises throughout her book that help identify what most represents you and who you are. The bright pages filled with delightful artwork will keep you enchanted while you begin to find your vision and imagine the possibilities for your dream home.

Featuring her own cottage throughout the book, the author uses her experience to guide you on your journey in creating your own unique space. From the beginning, in asking the questions and learning from the answers, taking each room at a time and seeing it in a different perspective to the garden that offers a welcome or a view, Butler inspires and leads you to think and see in refreshing ways. It's all about "daring to be different" and "thinking outside the box" because this is about you and the place that will become your haven.

This colorful and uplifting little book is for those women who have experienced a change-good, bad, expected or unexpected-and are now faced with decisions about their living environment. All the pages are filled with photographs, drawings and letters from women of all ages who have made the journey. A resource section is in the back to assist in finding featured paints, textiles, accessories, books and services. The book is spiral bound so it will lay flat while you enjoy the illustrations and ponder the information.

As a holiday gift, this book would be greatly appreciated-and would also be a thoughtful gift to the woman who needs cheering up or encouragement as she begins her journey toward change in her life.

Armchair Interviews says: Very nice concept of creating a special space for yourself.

It's odd that of all of Amelia Bloomer's accomplishments, from being a suffragette to an editor of a women's newspaper, her greatest attribution is the bloomer. But the tone of the book is very appropriate: being a proper lady is silly. And sometimes, you have to be a rebel to cause change.

This book is one of my new all-time favorites. This is one instance where women have bucked the system and persued equal rights. Yes, even when it came to clothing women were restricted. This book shows that even if just one person will speak out, he/she can make a difference. Thanks to Ms. Bloomer, I can go out comfortably in my favorite pair of jeans without stares and jeers.

Ms. Corey's fun and face-paced adaptation of Amelia Bloomer's story is a fantastic look into women's roles in American history. I say we need more books like this to help empower our youth. It is a great read with a powerful message.

Amelia Bloomer was not a proper lady. All the other ladies thought she was ridiculous. she would protest, start her own buisnesses with other women. Amelia Bloomer was always looking for a way to fight for womens rights, and to change the way women had to dress. But the world just wan't ready for Amelia Bloomer yet. Until one day when her friends cousin brought somthing amazing into Amelias life. It was a different type of dress . It had pants. Amelia was amazed by this outfit. right away she made her own. Pretty soon women all over the world wanted to wear (what Amelia called) Bloomers. They made then in plaid, blue, pink, and many other designs and colors. Amelia Bloomer made a big differenc for women. to find out what else dhe did for women read this book. i think you'll love it

It used to be that way. Now, girls can wear pants if they like, and well, men wear pants too, always, no skirts. One day, Amelia Bloomer is sick of little girls looking too nice to play, and skirts are NOT practically for fun. Amelia takes a stand and makes.....BLOOMERS!
~Erin
Age 11

Synopsis: Amelia Bloomer lived in a time before women gained the right to
vote. Many ladies did not work, but Amelia Bloomer started her own newspaper. She believed it was foolish that women wore heavy, wide dresses with corsets so tight they fainted easily. A friend comes to visit Amelia, and brings her cousin, who is wearing new clothes: she wore a short skirt of baggy pants legs. Amelia copied the pattern and made her own, which she wore around town. Townspeople were shocked at the unseemly sight, but when Amelia wrote about the clothes in her newspaper many women thought the idea was brilliant. Bloomers became a new style of clothing.

Evaluation: You Forgot Your Skirt, Amelia Bloomer will provide children with
knowledge of the women?s rights movement. Using clear language and comparisons, readers also learn about women?s fashion during the early 1900s. This book offers insight into the restricted roles of women, who were somewhat trapped in their heavy clothing. Teachers will find the author?s note helpful in providing background and additional information regarding Amelia Bloomer, Bloomers, and the fight for women?s rights. Paintings in the book were done in opaque watercolors. The paintings will provide visual representations of items readers may not be familiar with, such as corsets, petticoats a printing press and bloomers. Humor is used in the artwork to demonstrate how restrictive the clothing of the time was.

...but this one elicited dozens of LOLs. Very well-written and painfully honest. I even shared some excerpts with my husband, and we both appreciated the realism and humor. I received it as a gift, and will give it as a gift at the next opportunity.
Definitely pick it up if you need a pick me up!

What I particularly like about this book is its focus on the perspective of the working mom, as opposed to the many child-centered books on parenting. Lamb lives the daily juggling battle, wanting desperately to succeed in each realm, recognizing that humor is often the best medicine. "The thing about being a crazy, distracted working mother is that all distractions are not equal. Somehow I can remember that Mallory needs pinecones, a brown sock, and gumdrops for a class project on Thursday. Chloe needs a white sweatshirt, eleven valentines and a digital picture of herself...But it's the really common things I forget...I forget to bring tampons or an umbrella. I forget where I'm going and drive right past the day care." With wit and wisdom, Lamb captures the chaos that so often results in our efforts to have it all.

This book was recommended to me by a friend who thought it was hiliarious. Anyone who has children has been through the situations Amanda Lamb writes about. You are not amused when your children are putting you through the wringer; however, when you read about them you really find the situations funny, I think because you realize you are not the only one being tortured by your children. I recommend this book to all mothers! It is hiliarious!

i loved this book, the things she goes through as a mother are hilarious and so ironic in regards to my own crazy life!!!!

It has been a LONG time since I have laughed so hard reading a book! As a new mom I could relate to a lot in this book and now have a lot to look forward to (or worry about?). This was a good reminder to take it all in and roll with it because they won't be little forever.

I've been getting Kate Hanley's Ms. Mindbody e-letter for a while, so I was excited to hear her book was out. I was not disappointed! I'm in a particularly stressful time in my life and her simple, five- to ten-minute remedies are just the thing for a stressed out bride-to-be. The pose she suggests for my situation--Legs Up the Wall--well, let's just say I salute LUtW for its restorative powers! Some of the poses she suggests are ones I've come across in yoga and other exercise classes. Others are brand-new to me. To have them all in one place with step-by-step instructions on how to do each one correctly and a quick explanation for why it's effective--this is invaluable.

I am a huge fan of Kate and her website Ms. Mindbody. I loved this book. It has become my daily handbook. I take it to work with me every day and it is been like a life saver for me most days. It makes me laugh out loud. Truly a gift.

The "Chill Guide" delivers the same practical, witty and easy-to-follow tips that Kate Hanley has been sharing with readers for years [...]. I especially loved her advice for taming road rage and managing computer crashes. It's one of those books that you need to buy and keep in your purse to help you deal with all of the stressful snafus that are part of life. I highly recommend it!

All I can say is, where have you been all my life? What a great resource for remedies to keep you balanced and happy even in the toughest of situations. Ahhhhhhh!

This is the best book out there. It is worth a whole lot more than the asking price. Kate Hanley has written a easy to follow guide to serenity. I love how she has divided the book into remedies for different situations. Just look at the contents page. She has made them easy to follow, not requiring expensive equipment, and a bit of humor. I certainly use this book daily. It will make a huge difference in your life and the way you look at things. I am giving this book for several holiday gifts. I know people will like it .Buy it!

I am very pleased with this book and I think it gives a load of information for a very reasonable price.

The book (together with vol.2) is overfilled with all kinds of garments you can imagine and for each sort of garment there are always many styles.

It is not directly a drafting book, it does not tell you how to draft your own bodice etc. by using your measurements, but the method of using the patterns and the enlarging rulers is very close to that and, as I think, it might produce a very good substitution for a custom-drafted dress with saving a lot of your time and being very simple to do. It is something between custom drafting and pre-sized patterns, because you create the garments by using your bust and back length measurement, which are the two most important measurements for making a garment suited to your proportions and it will probably need only little easy modifications like adding/substracting from waist and hip width and maybe some changes for the front length. But all possible and most frequent modifications are very well explained in the book.

It is all written in such a way that even with no or little knowledge of drafting, you'll be able to produce a probably very well fitted garments.

For a drafting professional, it's a good help when doing things like skirts, especially draped overskirts and all garments creating a shape or silhouette that is hard to figure out. Even if you won't use the patterns for enlarging and draft the things yourself, you can very well keep to the shape of the patterns as you can see, unlike in so many pattern books, NUMBERS.

I think this book has the best ratio of the price and the information given of all costume book I've come through. It's a pity that there are no such books for earlier periods:-(

This is a great book for seamstresses with some experience(I think it would be too hard for beginners.It would be good if you have some comprehenesion on sizing(drafting patterns yourself for example)but that isn't even necessary.I think it would be easier though:)

Frances Grimble gives clear instructions for changing patterns to size and even to different body shapes(large bust, short back etc.
You do need to take some time for this, but well, you'll have an authentic pattern in your hands, how great is that?;)And there are so many in this book! I was having a very hard time finding real historical patterns in The Netherlands(so far found one french journal from 1902)and I feel like a kid in a candystore now.:)I <3 this book already.

You can make a complete outfit, from undergarments to overgarments.

If you have some sewing experience and you love this period it is really a great book!



Amazon's service is excellent too. It didn't take very long for the item to arrive(from US to the Netherlands)(with one step faster shipping, expidited?)it was even a lot faster then the estimated arrival time.

This book is wonderful. I believe I own every book Frances Grimble has written and anxiously await more. The variety of patterns is amazing and allows the experienced sewer to create their own designs from various components, like sleeves and collars. This sure beats trying to decipher the patterns in an original 1890's issue of Harpers!

This book contains patterns for the following:
corsets, hoopskirts and bustles (some)
underclothing and negligee wear (quite a few)
day and evening skirts (only about four)
day bodices (quite a few)
evening bodices (some)
overskirts (some)
polonaises (some)
day dresses (quite a few)

some = around ten
quite a few = over 20

I would recommend this book for anyone who likes victorian costuming. It not only works as a pattern book, but as a source book, having lots of pictures you can use for reference. Even if you just look through it, it really can help you understand the styles of that era.

The pictures and descriptions within the book are an excellent reference if you are researching and intending on recreating one of these beautiful designs. Advanced knowledge of sewing skills is a must for those who wish to recreate these (definantly not for the novice sewer). Frances Grimble, you've done it again. Please keep them coming. I will buy every book you put out.

This is such a FUN book!!! You can't help but laugh and see yourself or your friends in the stories she tells!! So funny, it reminds me of The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy. A must buy for all your girlfriends!!!

Such a fun read! Starshine's compilation of columns range from witty to thought-provoking, from touching to titillating. I love this book and have given it as a gift to friends. Highly recommended!

This collection of columns is a great read. I especially like that I can just read one or 2 when I only have a few minutes, or can enjoy several if I have more time. I laughed out loud while reading several times, but also appreciate the stories taken from real life. Can't wait for the next book!

Starshine's book is a collection of her recent columns. Funny, irreverent, clever, and above all, true, her columns run the gamut from family to politics.

Starshine's gift for finding the humor in life comes through in her discussions of everything from being a federal witness to toilet training. One of my favorites is her Dr. Seuss-like poem about the events at the Santa Barbara News Press: "If I Ran The Zoo".

It's a great read that I couldn't put down. I highly recommend it for moms, dads or anyone who wants a good laugh!

This is a great read. Starshine's prose is witty & clever. From life lessons at stripper clubs to the perils of motherhood, she is unflinching and hilarious.

This is the best book I've read about fashion in a long time. AliBayse is a fantastic writer!

I was bowled over by this clever book. Well researched, written in an engaging style, sophisticated AND funny, with so many tidbits of information, that it was exciting to turn the page to see what new surprising fact would appear. Didn't know there was so much to know about the skirt! I recommend this book to all women ( men will get a kick out of it too ), and wonder what Ali Basye's next book is about? Please hurry, Ms. Basye! I loved this BIG little book!

Not only is it the perfect size to fit in my jeans-skirt back pocket, this book packs so much interesting (and funny) information into it's colorful pages I want to take it any place I might need a quick escape (like the bus, or ummm work). Until I'm finished reading it, of course, and then it's got its place on my coffee table. I love the illustrations and witty repartee, and the book just looks smart, too. I can finally play it off like I'm that well-dressed, flirty, and sophisticated girl with her finger on the pulse of fashion. Amen for books that do the work for you. I recommend it!!

Alright, I would not have given this book a thought, but one night I saw it sitting on our table, obviously something my wife had found interesting. Being myself a strange fact freak, and self-proclaimed encyclopedia of odd knowledge, I thought I would thumb through this for a new tidbit, I could toss at my most times annoyed friends.

About an hour later,I found myself finsihing what I found to be an incredibly well researched history of what I now realize an important part of American pop culture and fashion.

The two things I found most facinating were the garment studies applied to old films such as Tarzan/Jane series, and the pop culture influenced skirts that were also game boards, pinning the wearer to the ground while friends played backgammon and checkers around her (or his, as in the case of Ed Wood) folded knees.

Since every example could not be illustrated, the editor has done a fantastic job of selecting the ones that you look for after reading the kitchy text.

In short. A quick read that will not let down purveyors of fashion, art , and culture. Never to forget a great bit of memory feed for the know-it-all

Fun and witty perfectly describes this book! It's a great little page turner that tells you everything you'd ever want to know about the history of every woman's favorite clothing item, the skirt, with great illustrations to boot. I would definitely recommend this book -- it's the cat's meow! (see section on flapper slang) Read and enjoy !

I really do like this book. I've met Hollis and my boys love Grant at the Local but honestly - potty mouth aside -many of her stories are very touching. Then take a breath as the next one is as likely to make you laugh out loud. Now if you don't have a an open mind and if you can't appreciate other's lifestyle choices - then maybe another book choice would be better. But if you like David Sedaris - I'd say there is a good change you will like this one too. Me for one, I'm a fan of both but then I like to laugh!

You know, Hollis is the one author that I wish were my neighbor and good friend! What fun it would be to "hang" with her and her band of weird friends. I've read all of her books and laughed so hard that many times I had to put the book down because I had tears in my eyes and couldn't read the words on the page.

Through all the humor, there shines the real Hollis, who is a kind and sincere person...a bit off center, but wonderful just the same. You will love this book!

Based on the written material about the book I was expecting a Southern humorist along the lines of Dave Barry or perhaps Lewis Grizzard. And, while I did laugh out loud in a number of places, the book has a greater depth and is much less sarcastic than Barry.

The book consists of a number of essays about her unusual life. That she was able to be as normal as she is, given her childhood, is amazing. And, her life today is anything but normal, with Lary, Grant and Daniel in her life. You would have to read it to believe what she has gone through.

One of the things that struck me as unusual was her ability to have me laughing a loud on one page and to have tears seeping from my eyes a page later. Many of the essays surrounding her childhood are not only funny, but poignant as well. Maybe I was so affected because we share similar experiences from childhood.

A wonderful read that may not be as funny as advertised, but which contains a number of lessons on life and how to survive. Keep it up Hollis....you are one amazing woman!

Hollis has wacky friends, a fascinating life, and wild and embarassing stories that she fortunately does not mind sharing. Her writing style and family stories remind me some of the Sedaris clan and a little of Terry Ryan, the woman who wrote The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio. I enjoy her musings about Grant/Lary/Daniel, faking her way through German translations, hell-fire cats, waiting for the neighborhood prostitute to claim her discarded go-go boots, or spilling the dirt on her sister who owns a bar in Nicaragua. Also, if you get the chance, go see Hollis speak in person - her quick wit will have you guffawing. I saw her with a standing room only crowd and she had 'em belly laughing. (full disclosure: I know and like Hollis. But she's funny, I'm telling you!).

At first I thought the title was purely creative, but once I started reading the book I realized Hollis really knows a thing or two about trailers, and is honestly sharing her life experiences as she climbs the ladder of success. The stories in this book are absolutely hilarious, and inspiring for anyone who likes to read about free spirited/creative/honest/successful people.

I read Mr. Murray's memoir of his service in Uzbekistan with great interest because I lived in Uzbekistan at the same time he was there. Living and working in Uzbekistan meant living in a blinding fog of misinformation and government propaganda. After reading 'Dirty Diplomacy' I can understand now to what extent the Uzbek government, as well as my own American government, justified torture and corruption in the name of its 'war against terror'. Mr. Murray's book is also enlightening about the dealings of the diplomatic world. A very informative read.

Eye opening account how some tricky diplomacy occurs from a view from former British ambassador to Uzbekistan. The book reveals the social injustice that occurs in this part of the world. Very interesting read.

First a clarification: I read "Murder in Samarkand" the British version of this book. It is an excellent, engaging and fast read. Murray details in a way I have not seen before the inner workings and nitty gritty politics of diplomacy during the "war on terror". It is a tale that should be of great interest to American readers as a different perspective on a seemingly forgotten part of the war. The book is split roughly between three topic areas which are intertwined and reported on as a first person narrative. It moves quickly and jumps between what he is doing as the British ambassador in Uzbekistan especially on human rights issues, the internal politics of the British Foreign Service as they try to restrain then fire their gonzo swashbuckling ambassador, and his description of a boozy, skirt chasing and not very discrete personal life as ambassador. In the end it is a story of a man with a strong sense of justice who exhibits exceptional courage and uses his position to stand up against horrific human rights abuses. Murray clearly has a strong sense of honor and justice and the capacity for wit, style, and resourcefulness under pressure. It is also a tragicomedy of sorts as captured by the US book title and as evidenced by the fact that he lost his career but got the belly dancer.

Uzbekistan was an important sideshow in the post 9/11 "war on terror" in Afghanistan and its story has not been well covered by US media. As part of the war on the Taliban, the US sought and got cooperation from the Uzbek government to establish a major air base within spitting distance of Afghanistan and made its deal with the devil in order to do so. The Brits, or at least Tony Blair's government, had little active role in that but did support the US. Murray, as the new ambassador, quickly fell out of step with the Blair government and the book is largely focused on the efforts of the now rogue ambassador to expose and limit the ghastly human rights abuses being carried out by the Uzbek government under the guise of supporting the war on terror. The government of Uzbekistan is kleptocracy and a police state throwback to Stalinist times. Craig Murray was one of a very few (and clearly the leading) western diplomats who accurately pointed out this inconvenient fact and its consequences. The toady US ambassadors at the time failed to take a stand and actively worked to undermine Murray. The book describes events occurring before the 2005 massacre of hundreds of protesters in Andejan which finally caused the US to back away from supporting the Ubek government.

This is not a simple history or rant against a totalitarian regime. It is a first person documentary of issues that both the US and British governments were trying to sweep under the rug. Murray's decision to incorporate some mundane details of diplomatic life actually works very well by creating a context for what is going on and by making an otherwise very political topic much more than just a polemic. His single handed quixotic struggle to expose the harm caused by the US/Uzbek marriage of convenience and the clearly horrific abuses of human rights and democracy in the region would become wearisome and dry without the spice of booze, belly dancers, and clandestine meetings. The book at times seems to deal almost as much with his unambassadorial lifestyle as it does with politics but frankly it makes a much better read because of that. Murray's memory for detail is remarkable and appears to be quite accurate according to friends who attended some of the events he describes. Having worked myself in Tashkent during the time Murray is writing about I'd add that he really doesn't exaggerate in describing Uzbekistan or the difficult lives and fears of the average citizen.

Murray could well have titled the book "Fear and Loathing in Tashkent" and tried to list Hunter Thompson as a coauthor. Hollywood would (?will) certainly not need to spice this story up for the big screen. I don't know if Murray is naturally as open as he comes across in the book or whether he has painted his self portrait (as described in the US title) simply because he thought it best to put everything on the table himself rather than let his enemies snipe at him over lifestyle issues. Murray obviously did take his job, as he defined it, very seriously and in the end did sacrifice his career rather than bend on his principles. Although he addresses some of his own foibles as part and parcel of his boozy adventures, this is not an autobiography. His marriage ends halfway through the book but he never lets on about any trouble at home (though it is hard to imagine any spouse putting up with his antics). We don't hear about the break up of his family other than noting that the final straw was his obsession and open courting of a beautiful belly dancer half his age. (I told you Hollywood would not need to spice this story up...too bad Jack Nicholson is too old to play the lead).

The book is really a combination expose, polemic and titillating confession that just works as a great read. His writing is lucid, sharp and he never drones when making political points. One cannot help but admire his willingness to risk and destroy his diplomatic career in the service of a greater good. He was right and I suspect history will be kind to him. As best I can tell he is currently an itinerant writer living in London. One comes away from this book admiring him and hoping that he will bounce back into some human rights leadership role again. And, if he doesn't, I hope at least he finds peace and happiness with his belly dancer.

The book details the real-life story of Craig Murray, a successful British career diplomat that became a pawn in the Great Game. Assigned to become Ambassador to Uzbekistan, he took over a very small embassy with all the attendant issues (morale, support, etc.) He also very quickly became aware of horrific human rights abuses in Uzbekistan that have been substantiated by other NGOs like Human Rights Watch.

His subsequent attempt to stand up against a regime that enjoyed boiling people alive, executing real or perceived enemies of the state in extra-judicial killings, etc. subsequently got Mr. Murray into trouble with the Blair administration since he was stirring the pot with one of their erstwhile allies in the "War on Terror". However, as Mr. Murray so eloquently lays out, it is precisely this type of tyrannical regime that leads to the rise of fundamentalist, extremist groups in the first place.

Mr. Murray went to extraordinary lengths to represent British interests in Uzbekistan and traveled the whole nation to get to know it better. Along the way, he tried his best to encourage Democracy and Rule of Law, a novelty in Uzbekistan. Some of his more dangerous and coloful confrontations included standing up to various local government officials, thugs, etc. and are recounted in gripping detail. It is evident that Mr. Murray risked considerable harm to himself.

Like most other diplomats in Uzbekistan, Mr. Murray could have simply looked the other way, just as the British government instructed him to when he reported human rights abuses and other issues with the regime that the Blair and Bush administrations wanted to cozy up to. That is not to say that he is a knight in shining armor, but he seems to be pretty honest about his personal flaws.

When one of his internal Memos to the Foreign Office decrying the human rights abuses in Uzbekistan was leaked to the press, the British government took extraordinary steps to kick him out of the Foreign Service. With his departure, the British Foreign Service lost one of their more courageous and competent ambassadors, though perhaps he was a bit too honest and outspoken for the diplomatic club.

This book was originally published under the title "Murder in Samarkand" in Britain. This version names more names regarding the folk working behind the scenes to kick Mr. Murray out of the Foreign Service, thanks to US freedom of speech laws. The British paperback version has more pictures, however. It's a very interesting read, and I highly recommend it.