Expansion Books

If you want to read about Alexander you start with Plutarch's The Age of Alexander or Arrian's Penguin Classics Campaigns Of Alexander where one can learn real history and not some fictuous non sense found in this book from Nicastro's pathetic attempt to write history.

The book is a narrative of the adulthood of Alexander as seen by an onlooker. Here, the legendary general is only a man. Many of the rumors and legends surrounding Alexander are explained away and a complex, flawed man is revealed to us. This Alexander is still a genius, and still Great, perhaps even Greater as hte picture that is painted is plausible as a man. It is, however, definately historical FICTION.

The thing i loved most about this book is the unique point of view nacastro portrays about alexander. For once he is portrayed as something other than a brilliant military tactician and fearless leader, the reader is given other explanations for some of his victories and success. While Nicastro explains the things that are fiction he also tells you what isn't historically accurate and gives you other things that may have contributed to his success. Although I found the religious talk around the middle of the book a struggle to get through the book was still a page turner and full of suspense on the outcome of some events. A definite must get.

I agree with much of the previous reviewers opinion. I thought the point of view of Machon was an interesting approach especially with the position he is in of defending himself. Thus the writer, writing from Machon's point of view, must point out flaws of Alexander's character. I do not know if Nicastro believes all the things he writes about Alexander but I think he wants to show that their is another side of the story. However I think that Machon is given too much skill in divulging other peoples thoughts in the book to make the story better. He loses some believability in Machon's extensive psychological analysis of others. Also he may go to far to even have to vilify his horse. Since the story is a telling of the story it needed more action in the book to make it read easier and be more interesting. I rarely complain about lack of action but I do not think that Nicastro's descriptions brought the reader into the story as well as others (i.e. Pressfield). I liked the book, but did not think it was great. It should not get a 5 rating just because of the approach it took. I hated the movie Alexander but still liked this book even though they tell a similar story.

This book seems to be the victim of more misunderstanding that any ancient epic I've seen recently. What the author is doing here is telling the history of Alexander from the point of view of a fictional character. But this character, Machon, does represent a real group of ancient commentators (especially in democratic Athens) who were not so enamored of King Alexander during his lifetime. Machon is on trial for his life for portraying Alex as a human, not a god--for having flaws. This should hardly be a controversial position for modern readers! Yet some readers are so married to their heroic, idealizing image of Alexander that they've attacked the book and the author. This is unfortunate and unfair--the author is not the same as the narrator.

On the contrary, I think we need more novels about ancient subjects that take chances, like this one. When the story of Alexander becomes just a dull litany of triumphs, his story is effectively dead. Long live Alexander!

From Sea to Shining Sea is the second or third Leckie I have read. Some readers believe him to be too basic while others like his writing style. Personally, I am in the latter category. While a life-long fan of American history, I prefer the writing style of a Leckie over the dry writing style you would find in many college textbooks.

While the reader can argue with some of Leckie's conclusions, he definitely writes in a style that holds the reader's interest.

From Sea to Shining Sea covers the period from the Barbary War (just before the War of 1812) to the period just after the Mexican War (late 1840s). Throughout the book interesting descriptions of several characters, including politicians (Monroe, Polk, Jackson, Madison, Jefferson, etc.) and military officers (Jackson again, Taylor, Scott, Decatur, etc.) and battles of the War of 1812 and the Mexican War.

I heartily recommend From Sea to Shining Sea as an excellent introduction to American history from the early 1800s to the late 1840s - peroid that is often overlooked because of the Civil War, Revolutionary War, World War 2, Vietnam War, and other periods.

While I'm sure there are other more detailed and scholarly books out there, Leckie's book is a great introduction. Read and enjoy.

Usually when a book's title includes a subtitle stating the time period the book covers, it indeed does cover the years mentioned. That is not the case with this book. From Sea To Shining Sea: From the War of 1812 to the Mexican War, the Saga ofo America's Expansion actually begins with the American Revolution drawing to a close. At first I thought the author was merely setting the scene, but he never varied from his starting point. This makes the subtitle wholly misleading.

If this were the only flaw with this book, I might have been more understanding. It is actually the least offensive of flaws contained inside its covers. The author wraps himself in the American flag to the point that the United States (the Good Guys) can do no wrong. Everyone else (the Bad Guys) are treated with no hint of historical accuracy. Robert Leckie is so engrossed in making the Good Guys look good that he ignores facts. Jay's Treaty he writes, for example, simply prevented war with Great Britain. Well that may have happened, but it also did not force the British out of American territory, did nothing to stop American sailors from being impressed into the British navy, and is considered a black eye for the newly drafted and ratified US Constitution. Leckie glazes over this treaty without understanding its impact.

The Constitution also did not prevent anarchy, as stated by Leckie. He makes no mention of the Whiskey Rebellion. He really has no comprehension of the constitutional history of this country. He does not realize that the British not only stayed on American soil, but they actually built trading posts at least as late as 1805 in territory clearly ceded to the United States after the Revolutionary War. The Constitution did nothing to prevent this. Jay's Treaty theoretically encouraged the British to continue their disdain for American soil. Leckie is clueless in this matter.

Another detriment of this book is how non-English speaking adversaries of the United States are treated. The Muslims of the Barbary States are depicted as murderous, sadistic killers who have no pleasures in life save for things Leckie deems immoral. American Indians are treated similarly. So are Mexicans who had to deal with an American invasion of sovereign Mexican territory. Leckie advocates and and all American invasions of non-American lands as morally acceptable and without flaw. There is little mention of the cruelty Americans displayed towards Indians.

As if this wasn't bad enough, Leckie writes like an old soldier telling war stories. Euphemisms and colloquialisms are interjected into the text frequently and without apology. He rarely (if ever) quotes a source, so how can he write that a commander "angrily" responded to a request for surrender?

There is little doubt, however, that Leckie knows the course of American history. In fact this is why I give the book two stars instead of one. While Leckie knows a lot of stuff, his interpretations leave much to be desired. Unfortunately his book reads like a high school history paper. It has no theme, no statement of purpose. He wrote no introduction. Consequently it can have no conclusion. It is simply a 600 page narrative. This book should be popular in retirement homes for old conservative soldiers who haven't yet faded away. They might find his style entertaining and supportive of conservative attitudes. No real scholar will want to buy this dud.

Very few books cover our nation's Manifest Destiny as well as this one does. Robert Leckie is at his absolute best.

Starting at the end of the American Revolution and continuing through the close of the Mexican War, Leckie covers every aspect of our nation's territorial expansion. War with the Barbary Pirates, the War of 1812, the Louisiana Purchase, the impact of Texas Independence and its subsequent annexation are all covered in complete detail.

Written in Leckie's straight forward, hurried, rushing style, this is a book that definitely will not disappoint. It is a pleasure to read and, if you are like me, it is a book you will enjoy more than once.

As the title suggests, this work covers the WARS fought between the Revolution and the Civil War, giving little regard to the political climate or social climate of these "expansion" times. Still, Robert Leckie presents a well written narrative that is useful to those who's expertise in American history does not cover this area. Not to be used for research and having questionable research documentation, this book is a good introduction to this era and the general reader as well as the amateur historian (again those not well-versed in this area) would do well to use this as a starting point.

Starting with the end of the Revolution, Leckie's narrative takes the reader to the beginnings of the War of 1812. Correctly assessing that conflict as one where the fledgling U.S. government exercises it's newly gained independence by confronting Great Britan over illegal naval impressments, Leckie covers this conflict in a largley episodic nature. Choosing to discuss the battles that were of prime importance only, we get little to no political or diplomatic perspective...indeed the Treaty of Ghent signaling the end of the War is largely forced upon the reader with little diplomatic buildup and the Louisiana Purchase is given relatively short shrift.

Leckie's success with this work is his ability to give short, concise but entirely comprehensive biographies of the major characters of the era. Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Andrew Jackson, Tecumseh, James Monroe, Winfield Scott and Jean Laffite take center stage throughout the chapters that cover the War of 1812 and beyond. This portion of the book makes for good reading and further enforces Leckie's reputation as a historian/storyteller. Post war expansion and frontier fighting capably sets up the last half of the book, Texas Independence and the Mexican-American War.

Blaming the Texas Revolution on the absurd Mexican government policy of unabated immigration, Leckie discusses the causes and personalities that led to the famous struggles at the Alamo, Goliad and San Jacinto. The treacherous and manipulating Santa Anna leads the Mexican forces against the famous trio of William Travis, James Bowie and Davey Crockett at the Alamo and Leckie's narrative really stands out at this point. Converging the Texas Inedependence conflict succinctly into the larger Mexican-American War, Leckie brings to life such personalities as Zachary Taylor, James Knox Polk and a host of future Civil War leaders such as Robert E. Lee, Ulysses "Sam" Grant, and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. These chapters finally succeed in being comprehensive as the political as well as the military actions are well integrated as we follow the broad struggles from Texas to California culminating with the Mexican surrender outside Mexico City.

Robert Leckie's reputation as a broad-sweeping historian is further enhanced with "From Sea to Shining Sea". Notably lacking some important aspects that would make this work more cohesive, Leckie nontheless succeeds in bringing this little covered era in U.S. history to light. Well written and pleasing to read, the reader gains some remarkable insight into this period and should use this as the starting point for further study.

I began reading this book in an almost obligatory way, feeling that while the period it encompassed might be rather dull, it must nonetheless be understood. Of course, the period was not dull at all, and Leckie brings the sequence of events and the cast of characters together in a book that is tightly knit without for a moment becoming tedious.

After reading Mr. Netman's excellent review, I will only add that, for a better understanding of Islam (neither flattering nor biased against it), I would suggest reading the following works, it is worth it:

A) ASSESSMENTS OF ISLAM: 1) The best, impartial, wise: "Islam. History, present, future" by Hans Küng . 2) Moderate Islam at its best: "The Great Theft : Wrestling Islam from the Extremists" by Khaled M. Abou El Fadl; and 3) Harsh but well argued: "Muslims in the West: Redefining the Separation of Church & State" by Sami Awad Aldeeb Abu-Sahlieh;

B) WOMEN AND ISLAM. 4) A good reference book: "Women In Islam: An Anthology From The Qu'ran And Hadiths" by Nicholas Awde; and 5) Autobiography of a courageous woman: "Infidel" by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. She is a controversial thinker with a very interesting life.

C) HISTORY: 6) Turks: "The Turks in World History" by Carter Vaughn Findley; 7) Political theory: "God's Rule : Government and Islam" by Patricia Crone; and 8) Jihad: Understanding Jihad" by David Cook.

I originally read volume 1 and 2 for an upper division history course in university and the effect these books had on me is profound.

This is THE survey book on Islamic civilization and history. There are several other worthwhile survey books on the topic (especially Lapidus), but this is the master work in the field. This is where you should start.

It is sad, but true to say that the 3rd volume is not as good as the first two volumes. This is due to the fact that Hodgson passed away before he could finish it, and it was completed by his friends in the academic community. That being said, Volumes 1 and 2 are masterpeices!

Everything you ever wanted to know about Islmaic history is here in as much detail as can possibly be done in a survey work. If you want more detail, you should read books that delve into specific topics in more detail (i.e. The Assassins, the Abbasid Caliphate, Pax-Mongolia, The Saljuks, The Gunpowder Empires, Adib court culture, etc.), but for an all-emcompassing work on Islamic history, culture, and society, from pre-Islamic pegan times in the Arabian peninsula all the way to the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1921, Volumes 1 and 2 are THE MUST HAVE books on the subject. No library on Islamic History is complete without these two.

Hodgson himself has become a psudo-legend in academic circles because of this work. His obsession with detail, exhibited in this work, reminds me of J. R. R. Tolkin and his imagined "Lord of the Rings" histories except that Hodgson's work is the real thing! Venture of Islam has influenced writers outside Academic circles such has Frank Herbert's Science Fiction masterpeice "Dune." Herbert fans will recongize this as soon they look at the table of contents for The Venture of Islam

For those interested in reading more about Hodgeson himself, I highly recommend an essay written by Edmund Burke III which analyzes his academic works and how his life as a Quaker influecned his skills and style as a historian and a writer.

One cautionary note: This is not light reading. This work is indended for historians, or at the very least serious history students. Those seeking a casual "glossing over" of Islamic history should look elsewhere.

Hodgson covers the first few hundred years of Islamic history in this volume. He does not aim to tell about everything that happened, only give us a broad look at the period. Islamic literature, law and customs are all included.

My biggest problem here is with the introduction, which takes up about a fifth of the book. Hodgson feels compelled to justify his entire branch of study in this chapter, as if the subject were somehow unimportant. Again and again he points out that that what we know is not the full truth. Islam and the Arabs are too complex for that. I have never liked this approach both because it is obvious and unworkable. The whole truth cannot be known or fully appreciated, yes, but our limited brains are at the same time forced to make judgements and conclusions. Failure to recognize this has stripped many an academic work of much of its value.

Since you're reading about this book, I assume you're interested in a scholarly work, as opposed to "Idiot's Guide" or "___ for Dummies" style. In this case, I recommend that you read instead "The Legacy of Jihad" by Andrew Bostom and Hugh Fitzgerald, a scholarly work that is more comprehensive, better researched, and more objective. I purchased both books, but after reading a few hundred pages of both, I decided to keep "The Legacy of Jihad" and return "The Venture of Islam" to the bookstore.

I bought the 3 volume series of Marshall Hodgson's series on Islamic History after having heard about it in a conference. I count myself lucky that i have it with me. This series is a real gem, a scholarly work which deserves its place among the best of Islamic history books there are. Hodgson did not let his own bias filter through in these books and the result is a very objective and masterly look at Islamic history or 'Islamdom" as Marshall calls it. Definitely worth having this series on your shelves.

Sohail Abbas
abbas25304@gmail.com

Jeffry Wert's biography on George Custer adds another book on already heavy load on this historical military leader whose main claim to fame was that he got himself and his command wiped out by the Indians. Wert's book proves to be well written, nicely researched and very readable. But I think Wert feel bit too sympathetic toward his subject, mildly whitewashing many of Custer's gross sins both as a man and as a commander. Outside of that, the book doesn't add much to the Custer lore. For novice Custer reader this would be a good start (first of many). For veteran Custer reader, it won't add much more then what you already know so you can let your money make your decision on if this book is worth your while.

This was my first autobiography to read about the life of Custer and it was well worth the time spent reading it.
Mr Wert's research was very extensive so he was able to bring to light some fasinating things about Custer's life, and particularly his love affair with his wife Libbie.
If there is a negative about this book it is the great amount of time spent covering the Civil War battles, but the Civil War is Mr Wert's area of expertise and I do enjoy reading about that period of American History.
Both the positives and the negatives are discussed about this very controversal figure leaving the reader to decide for himself what history will ultimately have to say about George Armstrong Custer.

The best review of Custer I've read. Better than Monaghan's read. A must read for those interested in his life.

This book incorporates many of the rather recent findings by Gray and others into a well told narrative. Wert "broke new ground" for me, by threading the begining of the division among Custer's officers into two camps, all the way back to the Civil War. Benteen served as a Lt. Col. under Custer's rival, Gen. James Wilson. Benteen carries the rivalry into their first meeting and it is reemphasized throughout their almost 10-year association. The chapters between the Civil War and the Little Big Horn add texture and dimension to the story. Wert quotes from some naughty letters to Libbie to demonstrate their genuine affection. While Wert's treatment of Custer's final battle may have differed with one reviewer, his assessment of Custer in the final paragraph of the Court-Martial chapter is harsh, accurate, and no "white wash" I like Gray for facts and Wert for flavor.

Jeffry Wert has done a wonderful job here in covering the life of one of the more controversial Generals in American history. The book is comprehensive and covers Custer from his early days as a boy (and for a short time, school teacher) in the midwest through West Point, the Civil War, his days in Kansas and finally his famous and final battle at Little Big Horn.

This book is a perfect fit for anyone who is interested in Custer but doesn't want to read 3 or 4 different books on the man. Yes, there are books out there that cover his life in the Civil War more in depth or that deal with Little Big Horn more but for those new to Custer and want a good overview of the man in one volume, this is perfect.

One thing I like about Wert is he's very balanced on Custer. We read in Wert's book about the man, his triumphs and some of his not so shining moments. Custer had great success during the Civil War and was highly thought of by his fellow commanders for both his courage and skills. He truly was one of the great calvary commanders of the Civil War.

At the same time Wert recounts some not so shining moments like Custer's attempt to trump his commanders at Appomattox by crossing the lines and trying to bluff Longstreet into surrendering the Army of Northern Virginia to him (Longstreet in short told Custer to buzz off). It also frankly deals with Custer's court martial at Fort Leavenworth where Wert does not excuse Custer's actions that landed him in hot water.

Wert really did a nice job on the research. At the same time Wert is a talented writer with a style that is easy and enjoyable to read. If you are looking for one book to read about Custer, this would be a good choice.

this book was really worth it! before i got it i had to keep using the cheat codes every time and that really took the fun out of the game. Now i am the AOE2 expansion master!

this book was really worth it! before i got it i had to keep using the cheat codes every time and that really took the fun out of the game. Now i am the AOE2 expansion master!

The book gave what was needed and some more: how to beat each misson with flying colors, detailed descriptions of every civilization, strategies on how to win at multiplayer, and much more. the only down side was that if you buy this the game loses some of its chalenge.

I love this game. You get to use Spain and they even speak Castillian Spanish just like my Grandparents speak it. Really smooth gameplay, Great Online play I could play this game everyday all day for years and not get sick of it. I have been playing it since day one when it came out and I still love it. My only favorite P.C game title I still enjoy. Lots of great stuff in this game. Create own maps, download maps, Create characters, Awesome Map editor with the ability to use triggers. This game rips and always will. Santiago!!! Guerra!!!!

One> I am attending an AOK TC competition in 3 days. I needed a quick reference to all the civilizations which is found in this book plus strategies against and for. Two> Knowledge is power - info in the net may be diverse but it isn't complete. This book caters to my immediate needs. Three> If your sick of your performance against a 'Hard' skilled computer - I suggest you grab this book. Ages of Empires and Kings is a thinking man's game - it is the new age Chess or Toy Soldier game in full real-time.

It was a detail book and interesting. A FOUR AND 1/2 STAR BOOK. Thank you, Rynthia Eason.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Draconomicon (volume 1). It has good background on dragons and how they are envisioned in 4e. It contains lots of new monsters and fills in the age gaps for dragons left out of the Monster Manual. I did not agree with some of the art for a couple of the dragons, and was disappointed that there are no stats for metallic dragons (yet...I guess volume 2 will have that...yay! WotC marketing!).

At least, though WotC is changing its paradigm it seems by adding more fluff in their products to evoke a feel rather than a bunch of stat blocks for monsters, magic, and powers. I would point out that the book is better suited for the DM rather than a player (IMO).

This is, like all new D&D books a very good title to have. This new ed give back all that the dungeons and dragons have from best. (sorry my english) :D
O novo D&D arrebenta, um super livro muito bem trabalhado, e o serviço da Amazon é muito bom.

Wizards has done a good job making a Draconomicon for the non-draconic inclined. It's easy to understand, with some advanced hoard rules and critters for those that are obsessed with the mythical beasts.

This item was purchased as a gift. I received it promptly (as promised) and it great condition.

I probably don't have anything to add to what has already been said, but here's why I like Martial Power.

Each of the four martial classes has interesting new options, and they all have a significant impact on the way you play your character. And many of the new powers and feats will be useful to you whether you choose the new class features or stick with the original ones.

I really like the new racial feats and paragon paths. One of my concerns with the Player's Handbook was that there was very little differentiation among races. With Martial Power options, you start to see a big difference between, say, an eladrin warlord and a tiefling warlord.

Now I finally feel like there are enough gameplay options to flesh out my martial character the way I want. I'm definitely looking forward to similar books for arcane, divine, etc.

If you are the melee type this book is likely a knock-out. There are many useful additions there. However the only reason I don't give this a 5 star rating is because Wizards of the Coast continues to treat the ranged martial types as second class players. If you enjoy playing a ranged character this book will only have a handful of additions for your character, most of which are only moderately nice.

My group and I have used this book fairly extensive over the past month.
While some of the new builds are interesting, this book doesn't really offer anything for players who like a little more choice (feats, exploits, skills, etc). There are several new powers for each character class, but most are nothing more than old powers tweaked a different way. Feats are either extremely situational or too general/watered down to be effective.
Ultimately, this book is not worth WotC's suggested retail price, but I didn't feel ripped of buying it from Amazon.com at a discount.

A must have for any D&D player with a martial character (Fighter, Rogue, Ranger or Warlord). This supplement doubles your options for powers at every level, provides 12 additional paragon paths for each class, and 10 more epic destinies that are truly amazing. Martial Power also includes new feats for martial classes including more multi-classing feats which allow access to other class features. That being said, each class also received a new feature or two to choose from, making each class that much more diverse. Aside from all the juicy content, the artwork contained also serves to spur the imagination and the layout echoes other 4th Edition publications for easy comparison.

This is a very well written book with Good Content for Players of D&D 4.0 Martial Characters. This gives the Martial classes a lot of options and some pretty cool new builds. If you enjoy playing Martial characters for D&D 4.0 this book is a must have if you are wanting to expand your playing options.

Nice book, but it needs a map! Especially since some names are archaic and not found in a modern atlas.

Scott Oden was born in 1967 in Columbus, Indiana, and raised in rural North Alabama where he still lives. He has had a fascination with Egypt and the ancient world since boyhood. He studied history and English at the University of Alabama before pursuing a number of jobs. His first novel was the acclaimed Men of Bronze.

Memnon of Rhodes was born in 375 BC and rose from humble beginning to become one of the most feared and respected men in the known world. Many kings bowed before him and those that didn't feared what he might do. He was both a soldier and a sailor. He was a great general and his grasp of strategy was second to none.

To Darius III of Persian he was the one man capable of defending Asia Minor from the rising threat of the Macedonians Over many battles Memnon proved his worth over and over again. No gold and plunder for him. Everything he did was from a sense of loyalty and duty.

The life of Memnon is told through the eyes of a mysterious woman, confined to her death bed. It is a story of a man's triumphs, his loves and the tragedies in his life. It is about the determination that drove him to stand against the most famous figure of the ancient world, the young conqueror Alexander later called Alexander the Great.

It is obvious that the author has researched his subject well and the love of his subject comes through in his writing. I love books on ancient history, either fact or fiction and to use an old Yorkshire term, this one was right up my street.

... because I was at a lost there for a little while trying to find a good historical-fiction novel to read. I read 'Men of Bronze' and really enjoyed it. Enough time had passed between me reading his first work, and I NEEDED something good to read.

I was in a reading funk and needed to get back to my favorite genre with one heck of a read! Insert 'Memnon'. Memnon is soldier in the Great Kings army who fights, bleeds, kills, and destroys his way up the ranks. Through the course of his life he fights a lot of leaders and kings, but his greatest adversary is the great Alexander.

History knows the havoc that Alexander the Great wrought on the world so you wonder how Memnon will fare and you have mixed feelings on who you "root" for. Alexander was a military genius but you grow to love and respect Memnon. This is a read that has what it should have in it. Brutality, honor, bloody, with a moving plot that really moves. There are a few but very small slow parts.

Recommended highly for fans of this genre and for those interested in this genre.

After reading Scott Oden's "Men of Bronze", I was very impressed with his characters and writing style. "Memnon" did not disappoint me. The book was very pleasurable to read, holding interest, and followed a good historic, but fictional, line. I felt as I was transformed into an identity of that time and was participating in the story, seeing the battles first hand. "Memnon" is great reading for those of us who like ancient world studies and wish to settle back and enjoy reading a book that makes the camera roll in your mind!

After reading MEN OF BRONZE, I could not wait for Scott Oden's next novel. I was intrigued by his tackling the saga of Alexander the Great from the opposing side through the eyes of MEMNON. The book is well told, although the affectation of the scribe was unnecessary. I wish more time had been spent exploring the few happy years Memnon enjoyed with Barzine instead of skipping them entirely...

Oden DOES like unhappy endings, and it could only be that way with MEMNON. Still, this one did not have the hauntingly heartbreaking ending that did MEN OF BRONZE. I would hate to think this author peaked with his first novel (although it does happen -- reference David Guterson since SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS) but MEMNON does not live up to the high standard he set in MEN OF BRONZE.

Having given that qualification, MEMNON is still a worthwhile read in an ancient historical setting, soaring loftily above such recent drivel as the works of Sprott, George, Elyot, Speller, Manfredi and others.

Oden strives to fly with the likes of Saylor, McCullough, Renault and Pressfield -- and he ranks with these authors rather than the lessers.

This is an interesting work on William Clark, of Lewis and Clark fame. Touched on only briefly in most histories, Clark was quite an enigmatic person who figured prominently in early American and early Missouri frontier history. The subtitle, Shaping of the West, is quite appropriate as Clark, as Indian Agent for Missouri, negotiated numerous treaties with the Osage, Missouri, Fox, Sac, Winnebago and other contemporary Indian tribes.

Landon Jones does not spend too much time on the epic, 1803-1806 transcontinental exploration, choosing instead to focus on the other aspects of Clark's life. Brother of General George Rogers Clark, William is intimately connected in the Trans Appalachian West's Indian wars with the Shawnee and various other Lake Country, Northwest Indian tribes which culminated in the Battle of Fallen Timbers. This start sets the tone for the rest of his life which was spent fighting, evaluating, negotiating and moving Indians as America's frontiers rapidly moved across the Eastern and Midwestern United States.

For 50 years Clark and his family are directly involved in the early stages of America's Manifest Destiny, in the sweep of American history from colonial Virginia to the conquest of the West. No one played a larger part in that accomplishment than William Clark.

Book came in timly manner as described. Would buy again.

Reads like a Time or People magazine story -- both politically correct and boring.

I highly recommend this book. William Clark is presented as a highly capable and effective leader. He comes across as a strong and determined soldier, an amazing traveler and explorer, and a friendly man. But his prejudices (like nearly everyone of his generation) against African and Native Americans are described in striking detail.

Lewis and Clark's Voyage of Discovery is only briefly described, and other books have told the full account of this story. Instead Jones concentrates the first half of the book on Clark's developmental years including his military service in various Indian conflicts prior to the expedition and his other preparation just growing up in the wilderness (I grew up in Kentucky, and Jones does a great job talking about Harrodsburg, Locust Grove, and Louisville). A sidelight story of his brother George Rogers Clark's campaigns against the Indians and his later struggles with managing the Northwest and with alcohol and poverty is fascinating. The last half of the book is informative and profoundly disturbing. Holding various administrative positions in Missouri, Clark was often the most powerful man in the West. He was responsible for the US's management of Indian affairs, and Clark signed more than 35 treaties with these tribes. There is a sameness to the ethnic cleansing that Clark helped perpetrate.

Jones kept me engaged throughout the book. Clark doesn't come off as a deep thinker or a complex man. Instead he is a creature of his times, and white Americans were extremely effective in our cruelty as we took control of the West . At times Clark rises above the rest - his treatment of Sacagawea and her son - but at times he is a cold hearted bastard - his relationship with his famous slave York.

Clark lived a long and full life. One particularly enjoyable (and very well done feature of this book) is Jones' willingness to digress as he discusses the many people whose life Clark touches . The list is long and I appreciated these brief descriptions of de Tocqueville, Anthony Wayne, Thomas Hart Benton, Lafayette, William Henry Harrison, Black Hawn, Tecumseh, and many others.

What impresses immediately about this biography is the fact that it's a FULL biography and is not just concerned with the famed Lewis & Clark Expedition (only one of the ten chapters deals with it). Clark was born in 1770 (one of his older brothers was George Rogers Clark, the "hero of Vincennes" during the Revolutionary War), and took part in the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794 (it was on this campaign that he first met Meriwether Lewis). Resigning his commission from militia duty two years later, he retired to the family farm in Kentucky (near present-day Louisville). It was here that Lewis contacted Clark in 1803 proposing co-leadership roles in the expedition to the Pacific Ocean. Clark was the chief mapmaker on the journey, and also was preferred over Lewis as the one to negotiate with the Indians.

After the successful completion of this extraordinary exploring venture, Clark was named the principal Indian agent at St. Louis. He established Ft. Osage on the Missouri River and began dealing with Native American concerns, building a reputation as a fair, friendly, and compassionate (for his day) agent. He was present at Prairie du Chien during the late 1820s to help conclude major treaties with various tribes. He died in St. Louis in 1838.

Clark has been praised often as a brave and able explorer, and a successful Indian agent. He was human, though, and there were dark sides to Clark as well, which Jones is willing to point out. Once when he had "trouble" with one of his slaves, he paid a man 50 cents to whip him. Tens of thousands of Native Americans were forcibly removed from their lands while he was Indian agent, most notably the Cherokees, who were made to walk to Oklahoma from their lands in the southeastern US along what became know as the "Trail of Tears" because of the death and misery endured along it. Heroes, like everyone else, are not cut from a single cloth, and whether the reader thinks of Clark as a hero at all, Jones provides a balanced and fair account of Clark's life on which to decide.

Faiths and Avatars, Powers and Pantheons, and Demihuman Deities make up for one of the BEST Forgotten Realms accessories (they are in trilogy form) ever made. The Trilogy sheds light on exactly what the title says: Gods-and there sure is lots of them! The books, which are very well written and very well presented, also focus on other areas such as each church's distinct culture, tradition, and history. As a result, they will win you over for sure!

Eric Boyd does a FANTASTIC job of presenting the different pantheons, ranging from background history, to rank descriptions, to their respective magic, thus allowing for the creation of important people and characters, to adventure hooks and encounter tables, to magical items and artifacts, to new spells and treasures. This accessory has it all and more!
Each god has his own supplementary text information, clerics' and worshippers' alignments, Specialty Priest class and their alignments, church symbols, specific spells, special abilities, dress garb, even information relating to actual temples.

For other FR references/adventures, I STRONGLY recommend: the Old Empires accessory on Chessenta, Mulhorand, and Unther, Dreams of Red Wizards on Thay, Dwarves Deep, Draconomicon, the Jungles of Chult and Moonsea accessories, the Shadowdale, Tantras, and Waterdeep adventures, the Ruins of Myth Drannor (Elven pantheon) and the Ruins of Zhentil Keep Box Sets for Bane vs Cyric material (they are Second Edition AD&D, out of print and it will take a bit of searching, but it's well worth it). For updated editions of events in the Realms, see the Third Edition Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, which even though is quite expensive, is still very useful to all FR fans.

Moreover, for those interested in the gods, the Forgotten Realms novels to read are: The Avatar Trilogy- Shadowdale, Tantras, and Waterdeep, the Prince of Lies, and Crucible: the Trial of Cyric the Mad. In addition, the Ring of Winter is relevant to the Chultan pantheon and specifically to Ubtao, as it is the only novel set in the Jungles of Chult.

Faiths and Avatars, Powers and Pantheons, and Demihuman Deities along with the Forgotten Realms Adventures accessory, and the three Forgotten Realms Campaign Settings (one for each edition) are a "must!" They all compliment each other.
Whether you are playing in the Forgotten Realms or in the Planes, this trilogy of books will be of tremendous help in collecting all the information you'll ever need.

Looks like the others who wrote reviews here don't uderstand the point of Powers and Pantheons. It's supposed to be part of a trilogy of books that detail the Forgotten Realms pantheon, the third book being Demihuman Deities. If your characters run all over the Realms, then the whole series is recommended. If not, Faith and Avatars, and (probably) Demihuman Deities will be more than enough.

My one gripe with the whole series is I don't think the specialty priests were playtested, or playtested enough. Some of them are overly powerful and can run roughshod over a campaign. To all DM's I caution, look carefully at the description of a particular specialty priest before allowing them to be PC's.

I found this book REALLY helpful in fleshing out the culture of some of the more non-European sections of the Realms. The details on the history of the various areas was VERY useful when I was creating my own campaign world, and if I have a complaint, it is that the book wasn;t longer...

Also, if you need a super-monster, this book comes with three of 'em. Always a pleasure, if you need a quick "Godzilla" to run at your party.

I've always been a big fan of the Forgotten Realms' selection of godly powers with a nice eclectic mix of characters from our own mythology and some generally solid creations of the authors' own. Powers and Pantheons is a good collection that expands on an already voluminous selection of deities within the Faerun, and gives the player a very wide choice of gods to choose from, be they good, evil, or indifferent. My only major gripes are some of the special abilities the priests get are sometimes too overpowering. Mostly, though it is the absurdity at the temple of Selune in Waterdeep. Apparently the goddess gifts her faithful with great big gobs of glowing white goo that resembles something that Cthulhu my blow out of his nose. I have visions of this naughty tentacle monster chasing squealing Selunites around the temple like some goofy Urutskodoji monster. Second is the moronic assertion that a lich is anything but EVIL! And so ALSO at the temple of Selune with the glowing goo is an arch lich...who is chaotic good...who sustains her appearance by life leeching evil creatures...and this is OKAY with people? Come on, creatures are CONSIDERED TO BE EVIL because they life leech other creatures, and a supposedly good aligned creature doing it to evil creature DOES NOT make it okay. Other than that, this is a solid work and a good addition for any DM who wants to add more religions to his or her campaign and maybe give players some new choices for faiths. Well worth a look.

This book isn't on the same level as the Faiths and Avatars, but it is still excellent. If you like being or running campaigns that deal with a lot of differing beliefs (Think Avatar Triology) then this is a must have. The priests' abilities are a little more balanced than F&A. Also if you are in a campaign where a complaint is a cleric is only a cleric there are enough different shades of clerics to have fun. If your setting is in the jungles or Chult or outlands of Thay, or you would like them to be, this book details all of the religions of that region. But if you only want to buy one book on Forgotten Realms religions, buy Faiths and Avatars first.