Here's another picture of my W.S. 2000, own-root, it's really tiny in 2nd year, only 1' x 1', like a mini-rose. It smells like violet-old-garden-rose, just like what David Austin catalog describes. You can see its foliage better in this picture ... the petals are organized differently than poms-poms red L.D. Braithwaite. I look at Twinkletoad's pic. in the pot again, the growth habit and foliage is different from my William Shakespeare. Due to winter-die back to the crown in my zone 5a, the new growth of W.S. 2000 is perfectly round, like a globe ... no side-way cane, no octopus cane whatsoever. When I got W.S. 2000 as an own-root from High-Country Roses, I marveled at the perfect round shape of the bush, very much like the one in the pot in David Austin's catalog. This post was edited by Strawberryhill on Sun, May 5, 13 at 15:24

Biographies ....... hmmmm..... I could recommend : Adolf Hilter by John Toland (budget some time for this -- the paperback version is about 4-5 inches thick! The HB version comes in TWO volumes. That being said, I think it's definitely worth the time investment!) Robert Kennedy And His Times -- Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. American Caesar: Douglas McArthur 1880-1964 -- William Manchester The Last Lion : Winston Spencer Churchill, Visions of Glory, 1874-1932 -- William Manchester The Last Lion : Winston Spencer Churchill, Alone, 1932-1940 -- William Manchester How about memoirs? I like to think of them as being akin to autobiographies! For these, I'd recommend : 20th Century Journey: A Memoir Of A Life And The Times: The Start, 1904-1930 -- William L Shirer This one's a great memoir of America and Europe in the early 20th century. In Search of History: A Personal Adventure -- Theodore H. White This is a great memoir from a great reporter. From a Jewish Boston upbringing to hobnobbing with the elite of the Chinese Communists in the 1940s to the Kennedys of the 1960s, Teddy White's story is quite amazing. Oh, and it's a good read too. Live from the Battlefield: From Vietnam to Baghdad, 35 Years in the World's War Zones -- Peter Arnett After reading this memoir, all I could think of was ..... Man, Peter Arnett's crazy. But, that being said, he's been in some of the most interesting (translation: godawfully dangerous) places in the world. A combat correspondent's life is dangerous, sometimes monotonous, and seemingly always full of alcohol. You may not like his politics or his lifestyle but you have to respect his courage. Ok, arguably it could be called foolhardiness but still .... It's a great read. And for a nice, tabloid-like bio of some of the most influential of Caesars, I'd suggest Suetonius and his classic Lives of the Twelve Caesars. His treatment of Caligula and Nero would have done today's tabloids proud! ;-)

Some that I've enjoyed: A Gypsy Life - Clare Allcard: She and her family's adventures sailing across the Atlantic on a wooden sailboat that they are fixing up as they sail the world. Ethel and Ernest - Raymond Briggs: done in comic book form but is a wonderful tribute to the lives of two ordinary folks in London in the early part of the 20th century. The Road from Coorain - Jill Ker Conway: Growing up on an Australian sheep station. This has two sequels that I've never read, but they are "on my list". Life is SO Good - George Dawson: This book is AWESOME. George, with the help of a writer, tell the story of his life. He is the grandson of slaves and didn't learn to read until he was 101. He is optimistic, and many people can learn from his gentle common sense approach to life. At his age, he deserves the right to teach us all. Dracula: Price of Many Faces - Florescu, Radu: The biography of Prince Dracul, better known as the probable prototype for Stoker's Count Dracula. Daphne du Maurier - Margaret Forster: A biography of Du Maurier. It's been years since I read it but I remember being enthralled to learn more about the creator of Rebecca. The Autobiography of a Tibetan Monk - Paladan Gyatso: A regular ordinary Tibetan Monk tells about his life. Fascinating window on a world I will never experience first hand. Francis Slocum, Lost Sister of Wyoming - John McGinness: This book is probably hard to find, but worth the search. Francis Slocum was born in the Wyoming Valley area of Pennsylvania in the USA. This would be in the northeast section of the state near the city of Wilkes-Barre. At the age of 5, she was kidnapped by Indians (sorry, in the book they are called Indians, but now they are Native Americans, the book is from the 1920's or 1930's.). When they finally found her again, she was an old woman who barely spoke English and who had totally assimilated into the Native American culture. This is the story of her life, both before and after her kidnapping. Nicholas and Alexandria - Robert K. Massie: The story of Tsar Nicholas III and Tsarina Alexandria. I also have Massie's bio on Peter the Great which has been on my shelf since my tenth grade history teacher first taught us about him... I am 40 now. I should read that darned book. Chasing Daylight - Eugene O'Kelly: This is the story of the end of his life. He was an American CEO, millionaire, happy life and family. Then he found out during a routine examination that he had an inoperable tumor and had three or four months to live. He kept a detailed journal of how he "shut down" his life. Touching, honest, beautiful and amazing. PAM

Each of these roses has a distinct personality in my garden. WS2K stays fairly short, less than 3 feet, with a spreading stature, moderate thorns. Flowers are heavily scented of violets, well quartered. Mine don't fade to purple like those in the photos above. The flowers don't take heat well at all. Munstead Wood is bushier, but still a bit sprawling in my garden, heavily thorned, sparsely leafed, also not more than three feet tall in its third year. Blooms can be quartered, but not as densely as WS2K, and only with the earliest blooms, usually the flowers are a looser form. Color is dark purplish red in cooler weather, turning to bright fuchsia pink at temperatures above 80F, and tolerate heat better (almost nothing has flowers which don't get crispy in midsummer's dry roasting heat here). Fragrance is rich old rose, gone by afternoon. Falstaff grows to about five feet tall here, spreading, moderately thorned. Flowers stay a rich crimson red throughout their lives, and are cupped. Fragrance is not reliable here, but can be old rose with litchi. Flower buds do not tolerate wind at all, my plant usually loses all its buds in the spring winds. All three plants need to be well watered, especially WS2K, and Falstaff in particular needs a rich diet to perform.