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Rating: 
Summary: Seeking the adventure you never had?Make this book it's map!
Review: God what a beautiful collection of real life stories and ones about women that way up most braggart adventures of men!(and I say that as a guy folks!). I was in a state of awe & envy throughout, fell dangerously in love with 3 out of 4 of the characters and am left disappointed only by my own world in result. This book is highly detailed and revealing of ins and outs of secret minds, hearts, places, women, individuals, religion, history and in many ways is scarily telling about truths of all. Its a gorgeous voyage and I give this book away too often but its one of those you know? Men or women I dare you to call yourself the same by its end!
Rating:
Summary: Seeking the adventure you never had?Make this book it's map!
Review: God what a beautiful collection of real life stories and ones about women that way up most braggart adventures of men!(and I say that as a guy folks!). I was in a state of awe & envy throughout, fell dangerously in love with 3 out of 4 of the characters and am left disappointed only by my own world in result. This book is highly detailed and revealing of ins and outs of secret minds, hearts, places, women, individuals, religion, history and in many ways is scarily telling about truths of all. Its a gorgeous voyage and I give this book away too often but its one of those you know? Men or women I dare you to call yourself the same by its end!
Rating:
Summary: Unique book of adventures of outrageous 19th century women
Review: I read this book years ago and sought it out much later, hoping it would be out of print and I could republish it. Even though I was disappointed to find it already in a new edition, you won't be disappointed!
Rating:
Summary: Golden Legends
Review: In 1954 Lesley Blanch, a hard-headed romantic, brought out her affectionate studies of four determined women who followed their dreams Eastward without regard for consequences. Even the demure Aimee, abducted and sold as a slave, doggedly created a life for herself within a Turkish seraglio. Recent muddled books on these women often verge on either the pornographic or the bathetic; Blanch's account was light-hearted; her humor, sympathy, and realism tempered her admiration. This was a best-seller in 1954, and is still immensely readable -- even if Blanch spoke more languages than some annoyed reviewers, and was not suitably PC for 2003. Her autobiography is excellent too.
Rating:
Summary: Golden Legends
Review: In 1954 Lesley Blanch, a hard-headed romantic, brought out her affectionate studies of four determined women who followed their dreams Eastward without regard for consequences. Even the demure Aimee, abducted and sold as a slave, doggedly created a life for herself within a Turkish seraglio. Recent muddled books on these women often verge on either the pornographic or the bathetic; Blanch's account was light-hearted; her humor, sympathy, and realism tempered her admiration. This was a best-seller in 1954, and is still immensely readable -- even if Blanch spoke more languages than some annoyed reviewers, and was not suitably PC for 2003. Her autobiography is excellent too.
Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating lives of western women in exotic locales
Review: These accounts of four western women and how they lived in exotic lands serve best as an introduction, not as a particularly authoritative reference. Definitely more high-brow than romance novels, if only by virtue of being true personalities, this book is a welcome bit of romantic escapism. Despite the fact that the author clearly admires and reveres these intelligent and adventurous women, the book disappoints on a couple of fronts. The writing (nearly half a century old) is peppered with somewhat embarassing colonial language about native beauty, genetically determined intelligence, and primitive sexiness. No blatant racism here, but plenty of indulgent speculation that comes off poorly today. I found it annoying that the author used French liberally but without any attempt at translation; this usually appears in quotations and with a disclaimer that the flavor of the original language would be lost in any translation. I disagree: a skilled translator could handle it beautifully. I personally enjoyed these accounts of the lives of women who ventured beyond the realm of other western women, who supported great men, or who even changed the course of history. But I felt I had received only part of the stories. I have yet to find more writings about these women, but I am sure they are out there. A very entertaining introduction to each subject's life.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating lives of western women in exotic locales
Review: These accounts of four western women and how they lived in exotic lands serve best as an introduction, not as a particularly authoritative reference. Definitely more high-brow than romance novels, if only by virtue of being true personalities, this book is a welcome bit of romantic escapism. Despite the fact that the author clearly admires and reveres these intelligent and adventurous women, the book disappoints on a couple of fronts. The writing (nearly half a century old) is peppered with somewhat embarassing colonial language about native beauty, genetically determined intelligence, and primitive sexiness. No blatant racism here, but plenty of indulgent speculation that comes off poorly today. I found it annoying that the author used French liberally but without any attempt at translation; this usually appears in quotations and with a disclaimer that the flavor of the original language would be lost in any translation. I disagree: a skilled translator could handle it beautifully. I personally enjoyed these accounts of the lives of women who ventured beyond the realm of other western women, who supported great men, or who even changed the course of history. But I felt I had received only part of the stories. I have yet to find more writings about these women, but I am sure they are out there. A very entertaining introduction to each subject's life.
Rating:
Summary: Romantic collection of biographies
Review: This book will stay with you for a long time. The lives of the women were remarkable, interesting, glamorous and ahead of their time. Wilder Shores details lives less ordinary and in doing so evokes a strong emotional tie to the reader. It's the kind of book that allows one to imagine, to really put themselves emotionally and physically, having lived a life of adventure and daring. What is striking is that these women would never have said that about their own lives. Times were different and they paid a price for living life on their terms and defined by their hearts. I highly suggest this rich and rewarding book. You will learn with this book as well as find yourself entertained. I too read this book years ago and sought it out again. Now that I have a copy it is part of my personal library.
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