FACTUAL REVIEW: Breverton's Complete Herbal - Terry Breverton

Release Date: 29/09/11

SYNOPSIS:

Nicholas Culpeper's The English Physitian: or an Astrologo-physical Discourse of the Vulgar Herbs of This Nation is more commonly known as Culpeper's Complete Herbal. It was first printed in September 1653 (Culpeper died in January 1654) and immediately became a classic reference that is as fascinating today as it was over 350 years ago. Breverton's Complete Herbal is a reworking of Culpeper's classic text for a modern day audience. Arranged alphabetically, this book describes over 250 herbs and spices as well as feature entries on scented herb/medicinal gardens, the great herbalists and New World Herbs not included in Culpepper's original text. Each entry provides a description of the herb: its appearance and botanical features, a brief history of its uses in medicine, dyeing and cuisine to bizarre remedies and concoctions designed to get rid of all manner of real and imaginary ailements. As informative as it is entertaining, this incredibly diverse compendium contains just about everything you'll ever need to know about the properties and provenance of herbs and spices of the world. From amara dulcis to yarrow, all-heal to viper's bugloss, Breverton's Complete Herbal is a modern day treasury of over 250 herbs and their uses.


REVIEW:

This is a strange and unusual book as the purpose for which I’m going to be recommending it may seem a little alien to a lot of readers but before that lets take a look at it.

What this book does is bring a lot of the plants that we take for granted and explains their uses in traditional sense, it has hand-drawn images that help bring the subject to life, has a historical reference and then lets you know what it does whilst being set out alphabetically for the reader to find the plant without any real problems. What this does is educate as well as fascinate the reader and for me finding out some of this information is invaluable as it gives you a little something else trivia wise that will stay with you for a while.

For that reason, I’m recommending this title to writers. Why? Well how many times have you been writing a sequence and suddenly thought how would they fix x or y or what plants could treat 1, 2 or 3? Well if you’re me, quite a lot as its information that is useful to further the story whether its fantasy, historical fiction, science fiction or just a character stranded in the wilderness.

All in this was a fascinating book and one that if you look at it a little differently will open up a great many possibilities.

FACTUAL REVIEW: Immortal Last Words - Terry Breverton

Release Date: 30/07/10

BOOK BLURB:

Immortal Last Words is a fascinating, diverse collection of history's most uplifting, entertaining and thought-provoking dying remarks and final farewells. The 370 entries in this book have been drawn from some of history's greatest statesmen, poets, scientists, novelists and warriors the eminent men and women who have shaped events over the last four and a half millennia and whose final recorded words have often inspired great deeds or shed light on the nature of the human condition. There are also entries are from less well- known individuals who did not make such an impact on history but whose dying words are equally noteworthy as they encapsulate the spirit of the times or simply reflect the character of the speaker. And finally, the pages of this book contain the last words of some of most ignoble personalities in history the monsters and maniacs whose final defiant utterances prompt us to reflect on the nature of evil and man's inhumanity to man. Arranged chronologically from antiquity to the present day, each entry is accompanied by contextual information giving a brief biography of the author and an explanation of the circumstances that gave rise to the quotation. Some of the sentiments expressed are unbelievably sad while others are optimistic; some final words have become famous while others have remained obscure, but all reflect the follies and greatness of mankind its heroes and villains, war and peace and the absolute power of language to change our feelings and challenge our minds.


REVIEW:

When I was at school, we were utilising the old pinwheel printer and we did have a holy printed scrap book that contained wise words, quotes and almost ironic last words that was a great item to dip into every so often. Here, published in this offering, are the final purported words of many a famous person but also accompanied with a brief biography of each one concerned. It’s quirky, its definitely something that you can dip into and to be honest a bathroom book that will have you chuckling at the irony of a number of the attributed quotes.

Overall great fun and with a huge selection of quotes definitely a title that will be a fun book to buy for the person who has everything else as you really can’t beat this unusual book. Who would I buy it for? Well my Mum or Grandfather, its unusual, it’s got interesting snippets and above all else it will give them a title that’s so fascinating its almost creepy.