A San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the YearAn O; The Oprah Magazine #1 Terrific Read In an age of bolters—women who broke the rules and fled their marriages—Idina Sackville was the most celebrated of them all. Her relentless affairs; wild sex parties; and brazen flaunting of convention shocked high society and inspired countless writers and artists; from Nancy Mitford to Greta Garbo. But Idina’s compelling charm masked the pain of betrayal and heartbreak. Now Frances Osborne explores the life of Idina; her enigmatic great-grandmother; using letters; diaries; and family legend; following her from Edwardian London to the hills of Kenya; where she reigned over the scandalous antics of the “Happy Valley Set.†Dazzlingly chic yet warmly intimate; The Bolter is a fascinating look at a woman whose energy still burns bright almost a century later.
#96717 in Books Anchor Books 2010-09-07 2010-09-07Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x .90 x 5.20l; .66 #File Name: 0307389804432 pagesAnchor Books
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Very Interesting BookBy Misha SpalI've read two or three books by Karen Armstrong; and they are always very interesting; with a lot of interesting historical information. I'm not sure I really understand her overall argument. It seems to run something like this: Lots of people in many parts of the world have believed in God. It is a big part of our culture and our psyche. Therefore we shouldn't just chuck God out the window. I hope that's a reasonable approximation to what she's saying (maybe not). I was curious what she has to say about the "new atheists." She barely mentions them. She says their arguments only apply to literalist or fundamentalist religion; not to the full range of religious beliefs. Interestging argument. I'm still an atheist. I wish I could meet the author.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A response to neo-atheismBy Elizabeth WarrenKaren Armstrong is an excellent source for readings about religion. This book appears to be a challenge to the neo-atheists who have written books critical of religions for being rooted in unreality: Dawkins; Dennett; Hitchens; Harris and others. Hitchens; now deceased; and Dennett think that one important objection to religions is their reliance on the supernatural. Dennett argues for religion as a natural phenomenon. Armstrong explains religions' use of myths as part of clarifying the human predicament and she argues that the supernatural grounding of myths helps people perceive the truth of certain events. She stresses that a myth need not be literally factual to express a truth that people can understand. Myths give us models of human behavior; both good and bad. The supernatural concept of a deity sometimes is criticized for being a product of an unbalanced imagination which can give rise to all manner of harmful ideas. But Armstrong advocates meditation; silence and discipline for internal work; and compassion toward others as her face toward the world.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. ProvocativeBy Terry WhitecliffI gave this to a friend of mine after reading it myself. Not an easy read; but provocative
