Elephants Books

If you are taking the time to read my review I want you to know up front that I have worked for the company that helped create it for 21 years. I wasn't aware of the whole story of the book until it was in publication. If you knew me, you'd know that if I thought it sucked I'd say so. This story is a great example of how to avoid being part of the 90% of the population that cannot maintain their existing standard of living, without working, at age 65. Not the way it should be for the citizens of our great nation. In my 21 years of experience I have seen all the mistakes (and more)that the fictional Aunt Katherine explains. Most people, sadly, focus on all the wrong issues regarding their own journey to financial success. This is not "War and Peace" but it is great little story about attitudes, aptitudes and actions. Whether you buy it, get it for free or read it in the bookstore, the small amount of time needed to devour this book will be well spent. Good luck however you proceed.

"This fictional story was one quick, easy and influential book that everyone should read at least once. It reminded me of the movie "Karate Kid" (hang in with me here). Daniel wanted to learn how to fight and be the BEST at karate. He wanted Mr. Miyagi to teach him the tricks that made him so amazing and powerful when he used karate. The first week Daniel comes to Mr. Miyagi and he has him wash the car. Then the next week he has him waxing the car. Daniel gets exasperated and feels that Mr. Miyagi is taking advantage of him. He doesn't want to be the cleaning boy he wants to learn karate. Then one day Mr. Miyagi puts it all together for him. Daniel then sees that he had been learning Karate all along thru these tasks and at the same time getting physically stronger each week. The same is true with Michael in this story but instead of Karate - Michael wants to learn how to be rich. He wants to be rich right now. What is the secret? What is the short cut? Each week he meets with his Aunt Katherine in hopes of this discovery. At first he's excited about their meetings and the possibility of learning THE SECRET from his Aunt. But after a few weeks he thinks all these things she is having him and his wife do are foolish. He later finds out the rest of the story just like Daniel in karate kid. Life lessons are tough to learn sometimes. I wish I would have read this book when I was a teenager. This book has a great way of explaining a financial base from where you can start to have financial freedom. It's made me look at several things about money in my own life that I think I need to be tweaked. It might make you take a second look at the way you manage money too. I'm very excited for this financial tool from which I can starting talking to my kids about money and not have them close the door on that subject before I even say a word. The story speaks for itself. I like that.
Nora St.Laurent
www.psalm516.blogspot.com"

The book The Wealthy Barber by David Cliton is much superior than The Elephant in the Room in telling how to start your financial plan to becomeing wealthy.

About the book: Excellent! There isn't anything else out there like it! Very unique! Keep on the shelf handy right next to "Who Moved My Cheese"! Because if you don't need it now - you will. There are so many 'do-it-your-self' books on the shelves, financial commentary, and technical writings about financial management and planning that it can be very overwhelming. But none of them address the ROOT of our money issues - behavior. The title is very fitting because it explores all of the underlying emotions and attitudes that surround our behavior towards money. The message speaks to everyone - anyone who says they are not guilty of behaving like the main character at one point or time is lying! Our average national saving rate (-1%) is proof of that!! The concepts in this book are very fundamental and inspirational. I definitely saw myself in this book but it has also reaffirmed why I seek out help from a financial advisor. The book is easy to read and perfect for our busy lifestyles. I've tried reading more lengthy books like the "Smart..." series, but I can't get through the whole book. I am in my 30's with two children, car payments, mortgage, and a full time job - I am living the "American Dream!" :) This book was perfect - inspirational and short. I would recommend this book to anyone (not just for young people) because it is never too late to start.
About the author: On the back of the book it states that Ed Baker is a pseudonym and that it was written by First Command Financial Planning and its advisors. Someone mentioned it was for marketing purposes or a secondary motive but the bottom line is: Who cares who wrote the book or why! Isn't every book a marketing tool? Books are the ultimate marketing vehicles to sell IDEAS. The real truth is the idea itself. In a sea of information overload this book had a very clear and simple message about one's values and behavior towards money. If First Command wrote the book for marketing purposes - Good for them! I'll buy into something promoting values. It definitely stands apart from all the other books sitting on the shelf that are thicker, more expensive, and less helpful. This is one way a company can brand themselves as different from the rest of the so called `dedicated advisors' out there who really only want the bottom line -your money.

I find it very interesting that of the 22 people that rated this book with five stars, only 2 of them have written reviews on anything other than this book as of the day I write this review, yet over half of the people that gave it less than 5 stars have also reviewed other items, mostly other books. Once you add that information to the fact that the book was written for First Command as a marketing tool, it makes me wonder how many of these 5-star raters also happen to be advisers that work for First Command. Talk about potentially biased reviews.

This happens to be my first review on Amazon. I felt compelled to write because I know about its origins and the company behind it.

The book does have valid principles, but so do many other comparable books. I happen to prefer "Rich Dad Poor Dad" by far. This book is not a great book, but you CAN learn from it. Just don't buy it. If you want a copy, find the nearest First Command office near you and give them a visit. They will be happy to give you a copy. Just understand that once you realize that one of the main points of the book is that most people would do better to use a trusted adviser to do their financial planning for them (much like even a pro tennis player still needs a coach), that First Command will be totally willing to be your financial adviser. You will have to make the review of First Command on your own.

So far out of the two blender books I have this is the best one.

I bought this book because it has good reviews. I hope I can learn somethings from this book, but I had spend hours read this book until fall sleep and still don't get it. This book has no step by step instruction. This is the worst book I ever bought.

Tony Mullen takes the guess work out of long prosaic tutorials that sometimes can confuse a beginner. Anyone who has ever used other expensive animation programs will be amazed at the functional integration that Blender offers the beginner and more advanced user.

This book takes you from step by step toolbox explanations to jumpstarting a project - in an afternoon. All you need is a decent video card, enough hard drive space and this book!!!! For those advanced enough to go beyond the confines of this book, additional podcasts exist on iTunes and websites devoted to this niche.

Unleashing your imagination with Blender is an inexpensive way to explore the world of animation - This book is written for beginner and technical neophyte as long as you have some basic knowledge of Photoshop.

This is an awsome book for the beginning or intermediate Blenderhead. It might even be useful for the advanced user. I think it is the best book for someone who has worked with blender, learned some of the tools but needs to tie the concepts together. Yes you can probably learn the same concepts from online tutorials and the wiki but those tend to be somewhat disjointed. The book is clearly written and easy to follow. How complete it is probably depends on how advanced you are and what you are trying to do. If you are new to modeling it will keep you busy for a while.
What's wrong with this book? This book is defective. As stated by many others the included DVD is destroyed. The DVD has been incorporated into the binding of the book so not only is the DVD useless but removing the DVD may actually destroy the book binding. This book probably should be recalled by the publisher and rebound. The publisher is very good about sending a new DVD, a simple email and they send you a new one,free no questions. Is the DVD important? Maybe. The software is freely available on the net, however the files for the book are useful. Another problem with this book is the screen captures. Most blender books share this problem. The gray blender background does not reproduce well. There are times when the author indictates that vert placement is important but it is hard to tell from the picture where exactly the verts are. The DVD files may help with that.
So, this is a must have book for those trying to get their head around blender, one star off for poor production values.

I just received Introducing Character Animation with Blender. The book seems very well written and well illustrated. I have only made it through part of the first chapter, but if I don't learn character animation, it will be my fault, not the book's. Two amazing things: 1. The book had no CD. Nothing. 2. I fired off an email to Tony Mullen complaining about this fact. Within hours, I got a response, and an attachment containing the files I needed. You should definitely buy a book from an author who cares that much for his customers.

we have very few babar books. he died so young, and his family cannot cut it. the later books are so bad that they're offensive. but this is the first and it works. the only sad thing about it is that babar was not brunhoff's brain child but his wife's and she has never gotten credit for it. she created the elephant as bedtime material for their children. he retold them well, and illustrated them as his children cannot but she should have been co-author at the very least! our kids love this book and the characters and if adults poke holes they can keep quiet. remember, this was told in another day and age and must be read accordingly.

My 3 1/2 year old son loves this book. It's quite a long story and takes about 10 to 15 minutes. I actually never "read" the story to him, I tell the story in my own words, also because at one point, the mother of Barbar is shot my hunters. I tell my son, that Barbar's mother tripped and Barbar took the opportunity to run away. The rest of the book is marvellous and seems to touch children's longings and imagination, which I as a grownup can not always understand, but seeing how much my son enjoys the story is all I need to know. For some time now my son wants me to tell him the story every evening before going to bed.
The drawings are easy to understand, which makes this book even more precious to young children.

I am in the process of reading Babar to my fourth grandchild, and she loves it! I grew up with the magical story and timeless pictures, as did my kids. My 19-month old granddaughter likes to sit on my lap for what she calls "Bar-Bar." The pages of Babar going for a drive and the wedding party with all the animals are great to play "Where's the....?"

Uh, classic or not, I don't care for this book. It's yet another kill the mom book -just lioke all the disney stuff starts out. I don't think this is a good choice for today's wee ones. This is NOT what I'd choose to read at bedtime with my kids at all.

I had this Babar book as a child and could not resist buying it for my daughter, and I am so happy that I did. This book is so incredible, the pictures and colors so vibrant and the text so incredibly addictive, that your child wil carry it with her forever. I know I have. I was stunned by how much of the dialogue and how many of the pictures I remembered. This book is a reasure that you and your children will share for years to come. Some people my comment about some of the themes, but as a child they went over my head, and as an adult, I recognized how tastefully done they are. Highest possible recommendation

I loved Steinmeyer's The Glorious Deception: The Double Life of William Robinson, aka Chung Ling Soo, the Marvelous Chinese Conjurer and so was looking forward to reading this book. It did not disappoint. Steinmeyer brings alive the excitement of magic from the turn of the century, the early innovations and the amazing characters who performed these tricks and illusions and brought them to life. Mixed in with the stories, the history, the secrets, and the magic is Steinmeyer's view that the way the tricks were performed was more important than the secrets behind them, and yet figuring out the secrets and the way they evolved has a thrill all its own. A wonderful read from cover to cover that brings new light to an amazing piece of history and magic.

This is probably my favorite nonfiction book ever. Not being a magician or otherwise a part of the magic community, I'd never thought about the history of stage magic. Steinmeyer lays it all out, the people who made magic what it is today and how their careers and rivalries interlinked, with a tone that's readable and engaging. I couldn't put it down and after reading it I have much more appreciation for the art of illusion.

The author, Steinmeyer, amazes and delights along with the top magicians who appear in this book. I never had any interest in magic until my grandson, then 11, became interested. He's now a member of the Society of Young Magicians. Now, having some insight into the creativity behind illusions, and the stage presense required to create them, I appreciate and enjoy the illusions much more. This book is a delightful read. It's well organized and beautifully written. Woven through all are the personalities of some of the best magicians who worked in England and the US in the late eighteen hundreds and early nineteen hundreds. Steinmeyer follows the development of certain kinds of illusions from early ideas, to later and more spectacular versions. The illustrations are helpful, and there's a nice photo section.

Seeing how incredibly precise and creative these entertainers were makes this a fascinating book. I highly recommend it. Even if you've never had much interest in magical illusions, this is simply a good read.

Fortunately I am as this is no laymen's book. I quite enjoyed it and found it full of the fragmented tidbits of information I am so fond of. A little technical at times - I was far more interested in some of the stories then in precise line drawings or sketches, though Steinmeyer is skilled at taking complex principles and breaking them down into simple line drawings. I wish it had been a bit more chatty but am glad i read it.

This is a fun and easy read. Probably nothing new for serious fans of the history of magic but it is a good summary of the lives of some very special people in an interesting sub-culture.

For those buying the book to discover magical secrets, they will learn little other than the truth of the cliche that magic is all smoke and mirrors.

I had to read this book for an AP Biology course and it was absolutely amazing!!! The way that they describe these encounters is simply amazing. Great Book easy to follow it's a book that you just don't want to put down until you finish it. I give it 5 stars no doubt I highly recommend this book to all. One the greatest books i've ever read.

Wonderful book that enables one to live the experiences of this dedicated couple who gave so much to the animals of Africa through their research. This book tore at my heartstrings and made me even more excited about my upcoming trip to Africa.

I do not wish to write a review, other than to say I read this book many years ago and it has stayed with me. Mark and Delia's story was fascinating and I was enthralled with their descriptions of the Kalahari and the animals they observed. I wanted to rate this book, so that the rating could be used in making future recommendatipons for me.

I found "Cry of the Kalahari" purely by change at the San Diego Zoo and bought a copy after reading the glowing reviews that were on the back of the book. I enthusiastically agree with the praise and plan to read their other books. In fact, I dropped the book I was currently reading in order to finish this one. I was immediately attracted to the story of two young Americans arriving in Africa with modest funds but determined to do research not previously attempted. The story is all-the-more compelling given the fact that they were going into an area that people tended to shun as too remove and not even slightly hospitable.

Mark and Delia Owens write incredibly well and do not waste words. They describe the animals, people and places with phrases that bring them to life.

A sample picked a random:

"A near total silence crept in on me when I opened my eyes and gazed at the Land Rover ceiling. A moment's confusion; where was I? I turned to the window. A gnarled acacia tree loomed outside, its limbs held up in silhouette against the grey sky. Beyond the tree, in soft easy lines, the wooded sand dunes descended to the riverbed. Morning, our first in Deception Valley, grew in the sky far beyond the dunes."

One could cite many examples that stimulate interest and draw the reader into the experience of Mark and Delia as the alternate the telling of the work. Also the values held by the authors that they will leave as little a footprint as possible is one shared by those serious about conservation, so we share in their decision and agonize with them when they have to make a tough decision. When the lioness called Bones shows so badly wounded with porcupine quills I found myself cheering the Owens' on as they made the decision to lend some needed medical help rather than let her die. Perhaps interfering with nature but the authors are careful not to impose their presence when animals were hunting unless they were protecting an animal they had darted.

Some readers may disagree with the close proximity Mark and Delia Owens have with some of the animals, and the "cute" names they give to some of the animals, but unlike some wildlife proponents the Owens' are allowing the animals to be curious about them and do not seek to befriend wild animals. They are not trying to prove that wild animals are safe and (although there are some tense moments when Mark seems to be getting too close for safety) the authors often retreat to their Land Rover.

Beautifully written and illustrated with many black and white photographs, "Cry of the Kalahari" is a remarkable book

Two grad students, having married shortly after their University of Georgia college education began their graduate studies in zoology in the Kalahari desert in Botswana. I've heard grad students' lives are poor and hard, but this couples' 7 year field study takes the mealie-meal. They carefully rationed water and gasoline and lived on mealie-meal (cornmeal), ostrich eggs, and antelope meat; they'd nearly run out of money and write grants to pay for their supplies only and with no money left to fly home. They survived on these paltry sums and did their research in temperatures that sometimes got as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit surrounded by lions, leopards, and cheetahs in the midst of one of Africa's most inhospitable areas.

This true story is truly amazing and I can't wait to read their other books about Africa. The book was published in 1984 and I wonder if their research had any influence in the IMAX film The Serengeti which is about the greatest wildebeest migration that happens in the Serengeti area in Tanzania and Kenya. In the back of the book is a brief recommendation for wildlife management in the Kalahari desert. In reading this, one can't but be reminded of Jane Gooddall's and the Adamson's work with wildlife in East Africa. It's also a survivors' tale, adventuresome and exciting, but most of all great research. Excellent all around!

Bag The Elephant is not merely about sales techniques to win large clients; more importantly, it is about the underlying mentality required to become successful & sustainable in selling to large corporations. Steve Kaplan's witty writing style & numerous examples make the book both a pragmatic & engaging read.

What gives salespeople a bad rap? They focus on personal gain. This book is all about tricking prospects into doing business with you. The author boasts about figuring out how to get a special badge so that he can roam freely about the organization. He claims that it gave him special status, but it sounds more like he was suddenly able to randomly annoy people.

In once section, entitled "Focus on the prospect," the author actually says, "the more you can get her to talk, the faster you'll figure out the best way to sell to her." Nearly half of this book focuses on pricing, bidding and RFP's, when in today's sales climate, a focus on knowing their business so thoroughly that you can actually make improvements is more ethical and effective.

The days of fooling gatekeepers, telling jokes before meetings and taking prospects golfing in lieu of being a huge asset are OVER. But apparently, Steve Kaplan didn't get the memo.

I agree with one review there, that title of the book could be misleading, this book is really not exactly about the sales, and you will not find there a right words or 'forever lasting secret key', how to bag the elephant. But you should also understand, that of any exist, all of them would be bagged already and there would be no space for you - the small bagger. What author says, it's a whole system to be used, including to change your mindset - so do not expect an easy go "401 secrets to something" style book

Take is as management book, and if so a not bad, and even good book. Besides the entertaining and easy read examples, this book is also packed with the good examples of how to manage the bagged elephant, how to avoid the common mistakes, traps and so on.
I liked especially the advice, of not putting all the eggs in same basket - it reminds popular investment adage.
I truly enjoyed the journey that author had prepared, and the advices given in book are also same applicable to servicing the smaller companies as well - even if you do not have a plan to bag GE or Morgan Stanley within next 2 month, you will still have a lot of new ideas for your existing business - the book does exactly what is must do - sparks your entrepreneurial spirit, and I am sure you can come with several new ideas within this journey.

One big account, a heavyweight "Elephant," can generate enough sales volume to make your company a success. Your reputation in the market will soar if you get a huge, well-known customer. But how do you go big-game hunting? Steve Kaplan can tell you, because he has a bank vault full of elephant gold and a business focused on helping others bag similar game. He explains how to identify your target, develop a customer within that corporation and build your business. He also warns you about common mistakes people make once they "bag an Elephant," including mismanaging their business because they have a cash cow, er, elephant. We recommend this very good book on sales, with its realistic methods for success, rundown on risk and true-to-life reasons for failure. The text is easy to read, the style is fresh, and if the elephant metaphor loses some punch after a while, the pachyderm illustrations are a good comedic addition.

The over-the-top positive reviews here astound me because while this book has some merit it is certainly not the best book on the topic and offers very little for the labor of reading it. The book's format is a classic sizzle over the steak sales technique: colors, pictures and odd printing over content, verbosity over wisdom. This book has little to offer field salespeople and nothing to offer non-B2B companies.

Certain ideas are useful for managers, such as: execute flawlessly, one mistake you're out, excellent customer service will keep the business, and team selling is critical even necessary for winning big accounts. Much of the wisdom is common sense: selling to a big company results in substantial growth; be careful about putting all your eggs in one basket; and mismanaging customer expectations can cost you the business and all the hard work that went into getting it.

On the positive side this author is clearly a sales professional. If you need to learn how professionals act in corporate sales there are tips and insights here. Large account selling is very different than the kind of selling say Brian Tracey or Tom Hopkins teach about. Planning, targeting, clarity of message and pricing, flawless execution and relentless follow-through and documentation are all needed. If you're new to corporate sales start with "Strategic Selling" and then perhaps this book. If you're in corporate sales and you don't already know this material, or act and look like Kaplan, you're in for a tough slog.

For overcoming the real challenges of prospecting and B2B selling that every salesperson can use I recommend "Selling to Big Companies" and "Value Forward Selling." As Sandler pointed out in his selling methodology, most systems will work if they are applied consistently and well. Getting in the door to develop the relationship and the sale is the critical step. Both of those books specialize in that, as does "Selling against the goal."

This is an excellent book with great illustrations for children. My 4 year old daughter who has a severe nut allergy and her pre school found it very informative as well as when I read it her younger sister even takes note!

We started reading this to our son when he was 2.5 yrs old. He's now 3 and really enjoys reading it with us. He looks at it like any of his other fun books and its helping us get across the whole peanut allergy concept to him. I especially like that it mentions foods that peanuts "hide" in like M and Ms since that's a food my peanut-allergic son would really like to have and we've had to say no.

My son is 2 1/2 and is allergic to both peanuts and sesame. We purchased this book to help reinforce his allergy and teach him what it means to be allergic. This book became his new favorite toy within minutes of first reading it. He carries it around everywhere and even takes it to school from time to time for his teacher to read to the class. We've had it for 3 months now and he still goes to sleep with it (3 months for a 2 year old is impressive).

Last month, my son had a bad allergic reaction to something he ate at a picnic and needed his epi shot (still not sure what he ate). We were able to soothe him before, during, and after the shot by reminding him about Allie and how she needs a shot sometimes too. This book is such a great tool for us and can't imagine life without it.

My 2yr old son has severe peanut allergy. He reads this book with me and seems to understand the foods that are available for him to eat. His older sister who is 4yrs old, gets great info from this. She understands the physical issues associated with the peanut allergy he has and now can visualize a little of what could happen if we do not keep him safe. I also have the "Peanut Free Cafe", which both really enjoy reading as well. They also enjoy the "Peter Can't Eat Peanuts" book too.

This is a cute book, and I think it gets the point across to a small child, but I did have higher hopes for it, so I was a little disappointed. I will keep looking for a book that better explains the allergy to my child, and how he can be proactive in dealing with it. I think this book is maybe better for a very young child who is first learning about his allergy. My child is 2 but I feel like he needs more than this book offers. Still, I think he'll like it.

i think i would have liked this short, simple book a lot more if i were younger. having read other phillip pullman books, i suppose i was expecting something a little more substantial, but nevertheless, i did enjoy the simplicity and quick read. and since the book was only a buck fifty, i'd certainly say i got more than my money's worth. but if you're an adult like me (i am, despite the fact that i never use caps) you may just want to borrow it from the library

My daughter read this for a book club and really enjoyed this.

A bit shallow for Pullman. Not as interesting as I'd hoped.

A perfectly crafted children's story, a lovely balance and the characters were delightful. Some of the wit reminded me of Terry Pratchet but alot more subtle.

I am reviewing The Firework Maker's Daughter by Philip Pullman. I would give this book 5 stars because it is very descriptive. This story is about a girl name Lila who wanted to be a firework maker. She asked her friend Chulak to ask her father how to be a firework-maker. Chulak told her she needed to go to Mount Merapi. The only thing she didn't know was that she needed the water from the goddess of the lake.

The artwork is done in stunning colors, silhouette style on black. Each of the mice (each a different color) takes a day during the week to examine the THING by their pond. As they describe it, we see a picture of what they thought they felt (a fan, a column, a snake), in their color.

The seventh finally understands that the THING is an elephant, by running all over the entire body instead of just a little bit.

I love the artwork. Gorgeous isn't too strong a word.

Aseops Fables arent the only books with lessons. I got this book for my two nephews and they loved it. It taught them to see all sides of a person/situation. IT IS GREAT!

Ed Young brings simple truths to preschoolders and young children as he retells a favorite story about the Blind Man and the Elephant using 7 blind mice to show that each point of view, just like all the colors of the rainbow, come together to make the "whole" of the elephant and also equals white light, which is what all colors of the rainbow equal. Many teaching moments such as primary colors equal white when combined and looking at things from many points of view brings about a different understanding, can be shared with children as they are able to understand. Enjoy the simple story or the depths of the wonderful ideals illustrated simply and beautifully.

This is a beautiful book. I bought it for my children, who enjoyed it immensely. I also used it in a classroom of first graders. They were delighted with the book, and we all had fun with the illustrations and the story. I think it is a wonderful book, with beautiful illustrations and a great story.

This book is great for both of my kids and also as an introduction to mothers in Bible Study. I love it.

Dark Horse is doing a great job with this reprint series. While the recoloring does not always do the John Buscema art full justice, it is usually much better than the 70's Marvel coloring. The stories adapted by Roy Thomas are as vibrant and thrilling as ever. Recommended.

There's not much I can add to what's already been written in other reviews of this series, so I'll limit myself to one remark. The cover of an adventure comic book, illustrating a specific story presented within, is an essential part if that story. Its purpose is not only to make a potential buyer pick up the issue in the store and - hopefully - buy it; it is also an introductory image, a glimpse of the action-to-come and intended to set the mood before the reader even glances at the opening page of the story. The omission of the original covers has been my main objection to this otherwise impressive series and while I'm happy Dark Horse has now decided to include them here in volume 15, it's too late. In my personal opinion, we are now past the grandest stories of the run, most notably the "Queen of the Black Coast" sequence reprinted in volumes 8-12, and with this volume we've also reached the end of Roy Thomas' impressive run of scripts. That said, the stories are not at all bad and John Buscema's artwork, which constitutes most of the volume, is wonderful to behold. With the inclusion of the covers, it's the complete packaging I had wished to see when I first opened volume 1.

After the departure of the brilliant Barry Windsor Smith, Marvel's "Conan the Barbarian" reached its artistic peak during the "Queen of the Black Coast" story arc which began with issue 58 and ended with issue 100 (COC volumes 8-12). Following the death of Belit, the series started a steady decline which kicked into overdrive with the departure of Roy Thomas. This volume collects the last of the Roy Thomas stories. I wish I could say that he went out with a bang. Sadly, the quality of the stories here ranges from mediocre to just plain awful. You can't really blame Roy too much. Most of the hardcore REH material was being published in the adult oriented "Savage Sword of Conan" magazine, there was the comics code to deal with, and after the Belit story arc was finished, I guess he was having a hard time coming up with new and exciting stories that rose to the same level of his previous efforts.

The first story "Moon Eaters of Darfar", is okay, as it provides a link to the REH's "Man Eaters of Zamboula" and "Servants of Bit Yakin". I really hate sidekicks, though, and the little Stygian sorceror Erfu is just horrible, and it doesn't make sense for Conan to ally himself with him. Conan hates sorcery, and most of the original stories center around him battling one sorceror or another. Stygian sorcerors, even minor ones, derive their power from Set, the evil serpent god of the Hyborian age. To make Conan's sidekick a junior sorceror makes about as much sense as teaming Indiana Jones up with a member of the Hitler youth.

Sadly, he remains with Conan through several more issues. Next up, an adaption of "Sons of the Bear God", by Norvel Page. Apparently, this was a novel whose main character is a Conan clone; so close in fact that Thomas just changed it into a Conan story. And its bad, really, really mind-numbingly bad, and it goes on for four issues. Of course, its just my opinion. If you like midgets and giant bears, then maybe you'll enjoy it more than I did. It's really hard to take seriously when legions of midgits rush at Conan to be slaughtered one after another while shouting, "The overtall oaf thinks himself our equal! We'll soon show him where he's erred!" It comes off like a Monty Python skit.

This is the Hyborian Age, not Middle Earth. There's a reason REH's world isn't populated with cute little creatures like Hobbits and Dwarves. REH's world is about barbarism vs. civilization, and about survival of the fittest. Dwarves have no place in it.

"The Devil in the Family" is another really lame story, this one involving the son of a demon. Yawn. At least Conan got rid of his annoying sidekick. "Shadow of the Beast" starts out promising, but quickly sinks when Conan goes up against...are you ready...a talking dog. I'm not kidding. Apparently this was "freely adapted" from an non-Conan REH story. Conan fans are used to him battling formidible foes, such as giant snakes and Lovecraftian horrors. Talking dogs just don't rise to that same level. As you'll read in the Afterword by Thomas, even he acknowledges how lame this story turned out.

Roy's final issue, 115, is a double sized issue with special guest star Red Sonja. I wish I could say it was great, but its pretty lame as well. Fans will note that the film "Conan the Destroyer" borrows a plot device directly from this story. However, the plot device was lame and definately not in character for Conan. It doesn't work in either medium.

When I was a small boy I used to subscribe to CTB. Shortly after Roy Thomas left, I let my subscription run out. Now I remember why. Thanks for the memories, Dark Horse.

I gave it three stars because the artwork by John Buscema and Ernie Chan is breathtaking, as always. If you're a sentimental collector like me, you'll want this as part of your collection. However, for the quality of the stories themselves, I can't recommend it. You're better off buying the new Dark Horse series, or the "Savage Sword" reprints. Better yet, forsake graphic novels altogether and just read Robert E. Howard.

This entire series of reproductions of the classic Conan comics from the 1960s and 1970s is superior. The details are incredible and the colors are more vivid than in the originals and the paper quality is superior and you will not have to worry about preservation. A great substitute for the originals ( and more affordable).

Dark Horse continues its re-printing of Marvel's Conan the Barbarian series with Chronicles of Conan Volume 12. This trade paperback collects issues #91, and 93 to 100 of the original Conan series as Conan concludes his travels along the Black Coast kingdoms of the south and has to cope with the death of his beloved mate, Belit, Queen of the Black Coast. The Belit saga was certainly the longest of Conan's career, at least as far as comics go, beginning a few years earlier in Conan #57.

You have to give Roy Thomas a lot of credit. With this stretch of some forty issues over three years, Thomas managed to keep the stories fresh and exciting. Outside of only R.E. Howard himself, he is the best Conan writer ever. One of the things that Thomas did so well was to take many of Howard's non-Conan Stories and turn them into Conan stories. An example of this is found in Conan #99, "Devil Crab of the Dark Cliffs". This is adapted from the Howard tale "The People of the Black Coast" although the black coast of that story is not the same of the Conan tales. Howard was nothing if not pragmatic and he often re-used plots and character names freely. Thomas is pretty hard on this story in the commentary section at the end of the book and didn't think it worked very well.

It certainly doesn't have the feeling of complete helplessness that the original story had. In that story a lone man battles off wave after wave of giant crabs before finally, and inevitably succumbing to their vast numbers. Here, Conan, Belit, and several of their warriors find an abandoned Argossean ship along the black cliffs far to the south. They go ashore to explore the mysterious site and find a race of giant, intelligent crabs who have the crew of the Argossean ship held prisoner. Conan, Belit, and their crew have to free them from their prison and battle their way through a horde of devil crabs back to their ship. Thomas has a point with his criticism of the story...upright walking crabs looked just a little too ridiculous and one can make the easy assumption that artist John Buscema just wanted to get this issue done as fast as possible.

The final story from Conan #100 features the death of Belit. She is killed by a winged ape, a descendant of a once powerful race of winged men, which degenerated into bestial forms when their civilization collapsed. This is one of the very few times we see Conan mourn. Thomas would employ elements from this story into the first Conan movie. When he is helpless before the winged ape, the spirit of Belit appears to aid him, just as the spirit of Valeria did in the film.

The real bonus to the Chronicles of Conan is the commentary by Roy Thomas at the end of the book as he shares his thoughts on each of the stories. He has such a special bond for the character that I could listen to him all day discuss plots and whys and hows...

REVIEWED BY TIM JANSON