magnificent, 06 Nov 2008
A wonderful history of a sadly overlooked part of English/Scottish history.

Fascinating, gripping, bloody and violent - a truly fabulous account of the Reivers and their culture.

GMF writes in a great style which keeps you gripped and entertained from the first page to the last.

This book is perfect for anyone with the slightest interest is English/Scottish history - but to be honest, it's such a cracking read I can't think of anyone who wouldnt enjoy it.



Wild Borders Cowboys, 14 May 2007
If you have read any of George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman books, you'll know that he can spin a brilliant yarn. That magic touch is more than apparent here. The Steel Bonnets reads like a fast-paced adventure novel, revealing the border lands between England and Scotland in the sixteenth century as a British Wild West, but the facts and analysis come thick and fast and never cease to fascinate. Just brilliant.

gripping, 01 Jun 2004
I'm biased about this book because I'm from the borders and the Graham family, which I belong to, were one of the families most involved in the dirty deals and goings on in the area. This book shows what life was like on the borders between England and Scotland, and informs us that blackmail and greenmail and bereave were words that sprang out of the slaughter and disorder. The wrongdoers can also be seen as victims, driven to desperation through the constant warring of the rival kingdoms and stuck in the middle. Yhe trouble is that the theiving and deception that the locals resorted to in times of war became a habit that was difficult to break.

Nutters, 19 Feb 2004
Man! what a book! They're all stark raving bonkers. Being an englishman you hear these strange tales of the borders, about Scottish thugs stealing, looting, killing, and a-raping the poor, humble, and hard working English (while being incredibly drunk). Well that's the stereotype and... to an extent, according to this book it's true! But what this book also adds is the total and utter ambiguity of both sides of the border. It is like someone has stuck a huge great mirror on the border. So much for the wee oppressed english peasants and so much for country loyalties. This gives a more realistic view beyond the english ideals of the south and the romanticsm of the Border Ballads, (and shows what a bunch of nutters the Borderers where). This book is fascinating and it is easily accessible. The language flows and doesn't get bogged down in academic twaddle. It sifts through all the difficult points and re-inforces that life is not black and white. Well I think so anyway. It's a good interesting book

RIVETING, 14 Nov 2000
The author vividly describes these very violent times in a way which leaves the reader wanting more. Before or after reading the book you are strongly advised to visit the Borders and savour the atmosphere . I suggest you chose a time when the weather is not too kind and the book will 'come to life'. I think that a TV Company could make a riveting documentary based on The Steel Bonnets.

magnificent, 06 Nov 2008
A wonderful history of a sadly overlooked part of English/Scottish history.

Fascinating, gripping, bloody and violent - a truly fabulous account of the Reivers and their culture.

GMF writes in a great style which keeps you gripped and entertained from the first page to the last.

This book is perfect for anyone with the slightest interest is English/Scottish history - but to be honest, it's such a cracking read I can't think of anyone who wouldnt enjoy it.



Wild Borders Cowboys, 14 May 2007
If you have read any of George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman books, you'll know that he can spin a brilliant yarn. That magic touch is more than apparent here. The Steel Bonnets reads like a fast-paced adventure novel, revealing the border lands between England and Scotland in the sixteenth century as a British Wild West, but the facts and analysis come thick and fast and never cease to fascinate. Just brilliant.

gripping, 01 Jun 2004
I'm biased about this book because I'm from the borders and the Graham family, which I belong to, were one of the families most involved in the dirty deals and goings on in the area. This book shows what life was like on the borders between England and Scotland, and informs us that blackmail and greenmail and bereave were words that sprang out of the slaughter and disorder. The wrongdoers can also be seen as victims, driven to desperation through the constant warring of the rival kingdoms and stuck in the middle. Yhe trouble is that the theiving and deception that the locals resorted to in times of war became a habit that was difficult to break.

Nutters, 19 Feb 2004
Man! what a book! They're all stark raving bonkers. Being an englishman you hear these strange tales of the borders, about Scottish thugs stealing, looting, killing, and a-raping the poor, humble, and hard working English (while being incredibly drunk). Well that's the stereotype and... to an extent, according to this book it's true! But what this book also adds is the total and utter ambiguity of both sides of the border. It is like someone has stuck a huge great mirror on the border. So much for the wee oppressed english peasants and so much for country loyalties. This gives a more realistic view beyond the english ideals of the south and the romanticsm of the Border Ballads, (and shows what a bunch of nutters the Borderers where). This book is fascinating and it is easily accessible. The language flows and doesn't get bogged down in academic twaddle. It sifts through all the difficult points and re-inforces that life is not black and white. Well I think so anyway. It's a good interesting book

RIVETING, 14 Nov 2000
The author vividly describes these very violent times in a way which leaves the reader wanting more. Before or after reading the book you are strongly advised to visit the Borders and savour the atmosphere . I suggest you chose a time when the weather is not too kind and the book will 'come to life'. I think that a TV Company could make a riveting documentary based on The Steel Bonnets.

i need it, 18 Oct 2007
just i need this book. i cant share it with others. u no i wont it 2 b n my side all the time. maybe i;ll use it as a pillow.

magnificent, 06 Nov 2008
A wonderful history of a sadly overlooked part of English/Scottish history.

Fascinating, gripping, bloody and violent - a truly fabulous account of the Reivers and their culture.

GMF writes in a great style which keeps you gripped and entertained from the first page to the last.

This book is perfect for anyone with the slightest interest is English/Scottish history - but to be honest, it's such a cracking read I can't think of anyone who wouldnt enjoy it.



Wild Borders Cowboys, 14 May 2007
If you have read any of George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman books, you'll know that he can spin a brilliant yarn. That magic touch is more than apparent here. The Steel Bonnets reads like a fast-paced adventure novel, revealing the border lands between England and Scotland in the sixteenth century as a British Wild West, but the facts and analysis come thick and fast and never cease to fascinate. Just brilliant.

gripping, 01 Jun 2004
I'm biased about this book because I'm from the borders and the Graham family, which I belong to, were one of the families most involved in the dirty deals and goings on in the area. This book shows what life was like on the borders between England and Scotland, and informs us that blackmail and greenmail and bereave were words that sprang out of the slaughter and disorder. The wrongdoers can also be seen as victims, driven to desperation through the constant warring of the rival kingdoms and stuck in the middle. Yhe trouble is that the theiving and deception that the locals resorted to in times of war became a habit that was difficult to break.

Nutters, 19 Feb 2004
Man! what a book! They're all stark raving bonkers. Being an englishman you hear these strange tales of the borders, about Scottish thugs stealing, looting, killing, and a-raping the poor, humble, and hard working English (while being incredibly drunk). Well that's the stereotype and... to an extent, according to this book it's true! But what this book also adds is the total and utter ambiguity of both sides of the border. It is like someone has stuck a huge great mirror on the border. So much for the wee oppressed english peasants and so much for country loyalties. This gives a more realistic view beyond the english ideals of the south and the romanticsm of the Border Ballads, (and shows what a bunch of nutters the Borderers where). This book is fascinating and it is easily accessible. The language flows and doesn't get bogged down in academic twaddle. It sifts through all the difficult points and re-inforces that life is not black and white. Well I think so anyway. It's a good interesting book

RIVETING, 14 Nov 2000
The author vividly describes these very violent times in a way which leaves the reader wanting more. Before or after reading the book you are strongly advised to visit the Borders and savour the atmosphere . I suggest you chose a time when the weather is not too kind and the book will 'come to life'. I think that a TV Company could make a riveting documentary based on The Steel Bonnets.

i need it, 18 Oct 2007
just i need this book. i cant share it with others. u no i wont it 2 b n my side all the time. maybe i;ll use it as a pillow.

If interested on East - Central Europe`s History... This is a must buy, 20 Jul 2006
If you ever tried to follow a book`s explanations with the usual small and black-and-white maps provided, and longed for a better material to start with... This is your atlas.

The text is quite schematic and telegraphic. But this is not a history book. As an Atlas, and that`s what it is, is simply great. Full colour and size maps, very well printed, and clearly read. As a suport book to keep on with other book`s text is simply fantastic.

A book that I was needing years ago, and in my opinion a definitive buy in this area.

There is an older edition, that does not include as much moderns maops as this one (2002 edition). If I were you I would check the ISBN to make sure this is the one you are getting.

magnificent, 06 Nov 2008
A wonderful history of a sadly overlooked part of English/Scottish history.

Fascinating, gripping, bloody and violent - a truly fabulous account of the Reivers and their culture.

GMF writes in a great style which keeps you gripped and entertained from the first page to the last.

This book is perfect for anyone with the slightest interest is English/Scottish history - but to be honest, it's such a cracking read I can't think of anyone who wouldnt enjoy it.



Wild Borders Cowboys, 14 May 2007
If you have read any of George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman books, you'll know that he can spin a brilliant yarn. That magic touch is more than apparent here. The Steel Bonnets reads like a fast-paced adventure novel, revealing the border lands between England and Scotland in the sixteenth century as a British Wild West, but the facts and analysis come thick and fast and never cease to fascinate. Just brilliant.

gripping, 01 Jun 2004
I'm biased about this book because I'm from the borders and the Graham family, which I belong to, were one of the families most involved in the dirty deals and goings on in the area. This book shows what life was like on the borders between England and Scotland, and informs us that blackmail and greenmail and bereave were words that sprang out of the slaughter and disorder. The wrongdoers can also be seen as victims, driven to desperation through the constant warring of the rival kingdoms and stuck in the middle. Yhe trouble is that the theiving and deception that the locals resorted to in times of war became a habit that was difficult to break.

Nutters, 19 Feb 2004
Man! what a book! They're all stark raving bonkers. Being an englishman you hear these strange tales of the borders, about Scottish thugs stealing, looting, killing, and a-raping the poor, humble, and hard working English (while being incredibly drunk). Well that's the stereotype and... to an extent, according to this book it's true! But what this book also adds is the total and utter ambiguity of both sides of the border. It is like someone has stuck a huge great mirror on the border. So much for the wee oppressed english peasants and so much for country loyalties. This gives a more realistic view beyond the english ideals of the south and the romanticsm of the Border Ballads, (and shows what a bunch of nutters the Borderers where). This book is fascinating and it is easily accessible. The language flows and doesn't get bogged down in academic twaddle. It sifts through all the difficult points and re-inforces that life is not black and white. Well I think so anyway. It's a good interesting book

RIVETING, 14 Nov 2000
The author vividly describes these very violent times in a way which leaves the reader wanting more. Before or after reading the book you are strongly advised to visit the Borders and savour the atmosphere . I suggest you chose a time when the weather is not too kind and the book will 'come to life'. I think that a TV Company could make a riveting documentary based on The Steel Bonnets.

i need it, 18 Oct 2007
just i need this book. i cant share it with others. u no i wont it 2 b n my side all the time. maybe i;ll use it as a pillow.

If interested on East - Central Europe`s History... This is a must buy, 20 Jul 2006
If you ever tried to follow a book`s explanations with the usual small and black-and-white maps provided, and longed for a better material to start with... This is your atlas.

The text is quite schematic and telegraphic. But this is not a history book. As an Atlas, and that`s what it is, is simply great. Full colour and size maps, very well printed, and clearly read. As a suport book to keep on with other book`s text is simply fantastic.

A book that I was needing years ago, and in my opinion a definitive buy in this area.

There is an older edition, that does not include as much moderns maops as this one (2002 edition). If I were you I would check the ISBN to make sure this is the one you are getting.





Interesting work, well worth reading, 20 Aug 2004
David Harvey puts forward an interesting argument, providing a marxist-inspired critical assessment of the social order built upon the values of capitalist production. The traditional utopian approaches are discussed, and a distinction between utopias of space and process is developed. Harvey suggests a concept of "dialectical utopianism" as a means for overcomming the rigidities of the exclusively spatial or temporal utopias.
Harvey's take on economic and social inequality in the age of globalisation is very interesting, and the assessment of utopia from a geographical perspective is quite unusual. The book is highly informational and provides a lot of insights into the issues of environmental activism, urban life, and the culture of escapism. Harvey may lack the expertise when it comes to the analysis of utopian texts, but he certainly has the contagious enthusiasm and desire not to just criticise the system, but try to change it as well.

magnificent, 06 Nov 2008
A wonderful history of a sadly overlooked part of English/Scottish history.

Fascinating, gripping, bloody and violent - a truly fabulous account of the Reivers and their culture.

GMF writes in a great style which keeps you gripped and entertained from the first page to the last.

This book is perfect for anyone with the slightest interest is English/Scottish history - but to be honest, it's such a cracking read I can't think of anyone who wouldnt enjoy it.



Wild Borders Cowboys, 14 May 2007
If you have read any of George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman books, you'll know that he can spin a brilliant yarn. That magic touch is more than apparent here. The Steel Bonnets reads like a fast-paced adventure novel, revealing the border lands between England and Scotland in the sixteenth century as a British Wild West, but the facts and analysis come thick and fast and never cease to fascinate. Just brilliant.

gripping, 01 Jun 2004
I'm biased about this book because I'm from the borders and the Graham family, which I belong to, were one of the families most involved in the dirty deals and goings on in the area. This book shows what life was like on the borders between England and Scotland, and informs us that blackmail and greenmail and bereave were words that sprang out of the slaughter and disorder. The wrongdoers can also be seen as victims, driven to desperation through the constant warring of the rival kingdoms and stuck in the middle. Yhe trouble is that the theiving and deception that the locals resorted to in times of war became a habit that was difficult to break.

Nutters, 19 Feb 2004
Man! what a book! They're all stark raving bonkers. Being an englishman you hear these strange tales of the borders, about Scottish thugs stealing, looting, killing, and a-raping the poor, humble, and hard working English (while being incredibly drunk). Well that's the stereotype and... to an extent, according to this book it's true! But what this book also adds is the total and utter ambiguity of both sides of the border. It is like someone has stuck a huge great mirror on the border. So much for the wee oppressed english peasants and so much for country loyalties. This gives a more realistic view beyond the english ideals of the south and the romanticsm of the Border Ballads, (and shows what a bunch of nutters the Borderers where). This book is fascinating and it is easily accessible. The language flows and doesn't get bogged down in academic twaddle. It sifts through all the difficult points and re-inforces that life is not black and white. Well I think so anyway. It's a good interesting book

RIVETING, 14 Nov 2000
The author vividly describes these very violent times in a way which leaves the reader wanting more. Before or after reading the book you are strongly advised to visit the Borders and savour the atmosphere . I suggest you chose a time when the weather is not too kind and the book will 'come to life'. I think that a TV Company could make a riveting documentary based on The Steel Bonnets.

i need it, 18 Oct 2007
just i need this book. i cant share it with others. u no i wont it 2 b n my side all the time. maybe i;ll use it as a pillow.

If interested on East - Central Europe`s History... This is a must buy, 20 Jul 2006
If you ever tried to follow a book`s explanations with the usual small and black-and-white maps provided, and longed for a better material to start with... This is your atlas.

The text is quite schematic and telegraphic. But this is not a history book. As an Atlas, and that`s what it is, is simply great. Full colour and size maps, very well printed, and clearly read. As a suport book to keep on with other book`s text is simply fantastic.

A book that I was needing years ago, and in my opinion a definitive buy in this area.

There is an older edition, that does not include as much moderns maops as this one (2002 edition). If I were you I would check the ISBN to make sure this is the one you are getting.





Interesting work, well worth reading, 20 Aug 2004
David Harvey puts forward an interesting argument, providing a marxist-inspired critical assessment of the social order built upon the values of capitalist production. The traditional utopian approaches are discussed, and a distinction between utopias of space and process is developed. Harvey suggests a concept of "dialectical utopianism" as a means for overcomming the rigidities of the exclusively spatial or temporal utopias.
Harvey's take on economic and social inequality in the age of globalisation is very interesting, and the assessment of utopia from a geographical perspective is quite unusual. The book is highly informational and provides a lot of insights into the issues of environmental activism, urban life, and the culture of escapism. Harvey may lack the expertise when it comes to the analysis of utopian texts, but he certainly has the contagious enthusiasm and desire not to just criticise the system, but try to change it as well.

If the transational elite wont stop Bush will the US public?, 25 Nov 2003
Any new book by David Harvey is most welcome in this geographers' house, but I feel this book is a letdown in comparison to the old masters' venerable collection of works. Having now returned to his focus on what 'uneven spatial development' means under advanced capitalism, Harvey suggests what the US is seeking to do in Iraq is achieve economic hegemony through its control over oil. Nothing too revelatory there. Choosing to wade through US foreign policy gives the current war context, but doesn't add to the debate. The chapter entitled 'capital bondage' is a wonderfully simplified runthrough of his understanding of the logics of capital and the state, and hugely helpful if you have never come across it before. The substance of his argument (and thus the book) arrives when he unveils his 'accumulation by dispossession' principle, which suggests that Iraq is simply the backdrop to capital's most basic instinct: imperialist adventure when capital surplus accumulates. As such he is not adding much to the traditional Leninist view. Indeed, the new imperialism, he suggests within, is much like the old imperialism. His depth of knowledge about geopolitical outcomes, though, does present us with potential avenues of thought. Towards the end he talks about the tensions surrounding style of civil society political resistance to imperialism, and what the potential results of Bush's adventure will be, providing useful food for thought. Overall the book doesn't sit very well, and you would be hard pressed to suggest that the content is value for money. But as an introduction to his work in relation to current events I can see this book being a helpful tool, and it does highlight the centrality of controlling spatial relations in economic and political actions.