A really good film takes us to a world we don't inhabit, and shows us things we don't expect. This fine documentary takes us to modern-day, damaged Iraq, and shows us men and nature working to restore an environment. This world of the Marshes is the world from which came the Ancient Civilizations of Mesopotamia. We can understand those ancient people the better for seeing this small piece of their landscape preserved. We can also learn that there are many ways to live a human life, and this we learn from the modern people trying to live traditional lives in those same marshes. The film follows the actions and struggles of modern Iraqis to restore marshland destroyed by Saddam Hussein, and now threatened by new dams and the insatiable demands for power and water of growing populations. There are some successes, some hope. From the timeless beauty of birds on water, to the modern obscenity of war and terror, this film surprises the mind and heart.

The six films in this series are a touch uneven, but all are good, and Jeremy Irons on the Hollow Crown and Derek Jacobi on Richard II are wonderful beyond expectation. Joley Richardson's commentary on the comedies, with the help of her grandmother Vanessa is charming and presents points of view not often heard. The other three are just fine, and well worth the watching.
Each film uses clips from many different versions of the plays - Hamlet, Tempest, Macbeth, Henry IV and V, Richard II, As You Like It and Twelfth Knight, to illustrate different ways to approach and interpret the texts. I found it interesting to see that, though acting styles change, the best actors always pull us in to the world of their character. Every episode is a testament to Shakespeare's living genius. The best of writers and the best of actors - what more could anyone want?

The Globe production of Henry IV Part 1 was very good, and oddly, this second half of the story is even better. There is more time for character development, particularly for Falstaff and more time for fun, too. We can share Prince Hal's enjoyment of the Tavern, but we notice, as Hal does, what a sad and doomed little company it is. The play takes unapologetic enjoyment in Falstaff's amorality, but accepts his downfall with a sense of dignity and inevitability.
The pacing seems a touch slow, but this is welcome as it allows the audience to follow the intricate plot appreciate developments. The scenes with Justice Shallow have seldom been produced as clearly and beautifully, with the perfect mixture of silliness and pathos.
The diction and clear recording of the Globe plays has been a wonderful asset. Lines that can often be lost in live performances are easy to hear and follow. Fans of the Henry plays will not be disappointed.

Frank Holt's book about Alexander the Great in Afghanistan is as exciting as any mystery novel, up-to-date as a newspaper, and simply, utterly fascinating. Holt is a clear writer who knows how to pace his story so that the reader always has enough information without overload or confusion. Dr. Holt discusses the sources available for the study of Ancient Afghanistan and draws parallels with our ability to understand the sources of our 'news' about modern Afghanistan.
This book helps the reader to understand both ancient and modern history while being a wonderfully good read.
I recommend this book to anyone interested in Alexander, Classical history, Persian history, or the history of Afghanistan.
gayle gibson

Ralph Fiennes' production of Shakespeare's Coriolanus is just about perfect.
This is a hard, cruel play about men of war and about how war shapes individual men and whole cultures. This version sets the play in modern dress in an Eastern European theatre with ruined apartment buildings and damaged villages. This does real justice to Shakespeare's themes by showing us what the world looks like and feels like to a hardened general like Coriolanus; men fight with knives and machine guns, not glorious swords that can distract us with their glamour. There is no glamour here.
Gerard Butler is perfect as the Enemy Leader,Coriolanus' equal and opponent. Vanessa Redgrave as Volumnia shows all the best of the British acting traditions. Fiennes himself seems simply to be this military man, hard-as-nails, passionate if not profound in his thoughts and feelings.
Coriolanus has never been one of Shakespaere's greatest hits, but it is one of his best and truest. In it, he shared some of his darker thoughts about humanity and the true nature of heroism.

Ladislav Bares' report on the shaft tomb of Udjahorresnet is a model of publication - clear and lively, and filled with all the details that the heart of the arm-chair archaeologist craves. The hieroglyphs are clear and plentiful. The photos are also clear, but there are never enough! A worthy addition to the wonderful series of Abusir publications from The Karolinum Press.

I always thought that Jeremy Brett was the 'real' Sherlock Holmes. He still is the real Victorian hero, but Benedict Cumberpatch is showing how the world's first and only consulting detective would function and appear in the twenty-first century. The relationship between Homes and Watson is a classic male friendship;Martin Freeman knows how to show Watson's courage, intelligence and wit. He is not overshadowed by Cumberpatch's bravura performance, but makes it believable and human. The acting from all the cast is full of unexpected nuances with never a wrong note. The plots are intricate and fascinating and full of surprises. The pacing, editing and photography are heart-stoppingly beautiful. It's elegant, it's exciting, . . . it's the best TV series i've ever seen.
gayle gibson

This shouldn't be anyone's first book on the Maya, but for those with a little knowledge, this book will help to clarify and organize thoughts. Aspects of burial practice are discussed, noting that these were different for different Maya kingdoms at different times. The author discussed specific aspects of iconography from stelae, wall-carvings and pottery, linking known texts to archaeological evidence whenever possible.
The book is very clearly organized, with an excellent index, and very helpful use of line-drawings. The author's style is clear and straightforward so that his arguments are easy to follow and evaluate. The book is well bound with a clear typefont; it's comfortable to hold and read on subways, at the desk, or in bed.
This is one of the most enjoyable scholarly books i have read on the Maya.

Captured in Miniature is a beautiful and enlightening book. The clarity of its style suggests it may have been written for the questioning, intelligent eleven-year old who lives in the best of us. The reproductions of the images are very clear and the details taken from them really help the reader to understand how Mughal paintings work. Now that this book has shown me the surprising realism of human faces and the exquisite sympathetic view of animals in Mughal art, i look to see such things. I find i have a better appreciation for and understanding of the paintings and of the times in which they were made since reading this deceptively simple book. I have gone back to it many times.

Michael Wood's The Story of India is a most beautifully written book. As always, Wood tells the best of stories in the most elegant manner. He entices the reader to go on to discover more about each subject while still making each chapter completely satisfying.
The book is filled with beautiful photos and very useful maps.
An excellent introduction to the history of India. - the DVD of the series is also quite astonishingly good!
gayle gibson