On-the-tape

This collection of stories affected my writing. At least one story I've written has been professionally compared to Ray Bradbury's style. While I never sought to mimic him, I believe I was drawn to his stories because of my writing style and childhood daydreams. This collection is a prime example of Bradbury's work. It's inspiring, startling, spooky, and just plain hypnotic.

Even though I first borrowed this collection from my local library, (and having read some of these stories in others collections), I tracked down a used copy to own just so I could pull it down and revisit my favorite people and places.

A must have for any Bradbury fan... novice or cult-like follower.

I bought a first edition in the US in 1980. It is both my favourite book and most travelled - being an essential component of my personal baggage on numerous international business trips. For someone who grew up in the golden years of science fiction and as a lover of the short story literary form, for me there is only one writer that constantly delivers fresh insights into the possible worlds around us. That writer is Ray Bradbury. He brilliantly spins a lyrical web of simple, singular ideas across the incredible landscape of his mind to captivate his readers. And this collection of stories, spanning 3 decades, reflects the multi-facets of his work. Most of my favourite stories are here. Uncle Einar. The Scythe. Marionettes,Inc. The Small Assasin. The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit. The Day It Rained Forever. The Anthem Sprinters. I am sure that new buyers will enjoy reading the stories in this collection for many years to come. As a retrospective anthology of a great genre author, it's a veritable tour de force.

There are two Major MAJOR collections of Ray Bradbury short stories currently available: this one-published in 1980;and a brand new selection- "100 Celebrated Tales"(2003). The author is principal editor of both. Readers valuing excellence in literature or "simply" wishing to be bedazzled by America's greatest story teller,will find the BODY BRADBURY galvanizing. "Old" stories of August Derleth, WEIRD TALES(Dark Carnival;The October Country;The Golden Apples of the Sun)days dominate this anthology.THE NEXT IN LINE; THE SMALL ASSASSIN;THE SKELETON; some "Ray Harryhausen" Dinosaur allegories (THE FOGHORN;and soon-to-be-released film...portending coming of Anti-Christ...of his classic anti-myth, A SOUND OF THUNDER).As well as tales the author elaborated in THE ILLUSTRATED MAN and consummated in SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES(The Black Ferris)...

Who is Ray Bradbury like? Besides being remarkably like Ray Bradbury,I propose him as the American C.S. Lewis. C.S.Lewis employed fantasy...astounding stories...steeped in horror;sci-fi and the occult as moral parables. He openly declared himself Christian philosopher and fabulist(mythologist). Unlike the erudite Don, Mr.Bradbury modestly describes himself, "lover of books". And so he is. As allegorical epic,FAHRENHEIT 451, profoundly and scathingly prophecizes (1951)abortion-ridden,TV-corrupted,Yuppie-narcissist PM Culture of Death comprising Western Society today . So-called literati are "rediscovering" the Bradbury they originally consigned to middle-school and ninth grade reading lists.(I guarantee PC Police never studied "The Grand Inquisitor" parody, pp.86-92: Fahrenheit 451...40th Aniversary Edition.)In a word: Ray Bradbury is this nation's preeminent literary moralist and--greater than C.S. Lewis in craft--POET. Again:I Sing the Body(electrifying) that is literary canon/edifice of Ray Bradbury. Do yourself a favor and acquaint your sensibility with his genius [This collection is excellent place to start; or renew yourself by a virtual Baptism by/in Bradbury). Hurry:451/PC Police are already in action!

This biblically founded book is one of the greatest motivating books I have ever read. Jerry Bridges, through illumination from God, reveals what holiness is... and what that means to a Christian life. The book opposes legalism, and simply guides the reader on how to pursue God's Will in their lives. The book has helped me become more fearful, and yet, thankful towards God, but most of all loving Him for saving us and giving us the stregth and desire to please Him by leading a holy life. I plan on buying another book by Jerry Bridges entitled the Practice of Godliness. I have heard it is as motivating, life -affirming, and Sprirt-driven as this one.

This book is dynamite and I heartily recommend it for all Christians serious about holiness. Basically, it's an abridgement of JC Ryle's "Holiness," which is also an excellent text. What makes this book so appealing is that it does not merely wax poetical about the virtues of holiness, but outlines the Biblical understanding of it, including debunking aberrant doctrines like "higher life theology." Anyone who is persuaded by the Charismatic/Pentacostal or Holiness movements should give this book an honest read. To the book's credit, it is full of practical advice and very accessible to the average Christian.

This book has motivated me to live a life pleasing to God more than any other book I've read. I have left very little UNhighlighted in it! This book teaches the difference between God's role and ours in the battle for holiness and it challenged me and gave me the desire to examine my life against the life God desires. It has helped me in ALL areas of my life, but especially in the areas of particular stuggle for me, and caused me to desire to fully surrender to God's plan as laid out in His Word. This is a great book, not to be missed!

Lynne Rosetto Kasper firmly established herself in the Italian culinary pantheon with "The Splendid Table," and this book is a worthy successor. Rather than focusing on the food of one region, in her latest volume she has narrowed the range of the recipes to cover the simple, rustic fare made in homes throughout the Italian countryside. This does not mean, however, that the food is unsophisticated! Perhaps more than any other cuisine, the food of the Italian farmhouse manages to be both robust and elegant -- perfectly suited to modern palates and sensibilities -- and Lynne captures these flavors triumphantly in clear, easy to follow recipes. Her historical and personal asides place this cuisine in a context that makes you feel as though you are a legitimate heir, bringing these dishes to your own table and families. These are perhaps not the tour de force dishes that you might present at an important dinner, but the food that will become a regular part of your life. To me, there is no higher compliment to a cookbook author than that transmission of living tradition. Brava, Lynne!

A cookbook that reads like a novel and brings to the table recipes that would make anyone's grandmother proud. After making "Nonna's Lasagne" I immediately called my mother, who has been making lasagne for more years than she'll let me admit, to emphatically state that this was the best lasagne I'd ever made. The recipes are simple to follow but the end products are anything but simple to the taste, the dishes are exquisite! The cook-to-cook hints are extremely helpful and the stories that are layered through the book are delightful. If you love italian food you must own this book. Grazie molto Lynne.

THIS IS THE BEST AND MOST AUTHENTIC ITALIAN FARE I HAVE YET TO SEE. MY GRANDMOTHER AND MOTHER'S HOMEMADE, PUT ON A PLATE AND THEN TO THE TABLE CUSTOMS ARE IN THIS BOOK. EVERYHTING REVOLVES AROUND THE KITCHEN TABLE IN OUR HOME. GUESTS COME TO EAT AND TO ENJOY THE COMPANY AND COMFORT. I LOVE THIS COOKBOOK AND THE STORIES THAT GO WITH THE SECTIONS. I AM BUYING TWO MORE TO GIVE AS GIFTS AND AM ORDERING THE FIRST ONE BY THIS AUTHOR. YOU WILL NOT BE SORRY IF YOU ORDER THIS.
MY WHOLE EASTER DINNER IS COMING STRAIGHT FROM THIS BOOK.
A.SCOTT
WEST VIRGINIA

The bloody Siege of Krishnapur in 1857 is the pivot around which the action revolves in this Booker Award-winning novel by J. G. Farrell, but Farrell's focus is less on Krishnapur and the siege than it is on the attitudes and beliefs of the English colonizers who made that siege an inevitability. He puts these empire-builders under the microscope, then skewers their arrogant and superior attitudes with the rapier of his wit, subjecting them to satire and juxtaposing them and their narrowly focused lives against the realities of the world around them. Remarkably, he does this with enough subtlety that we can recognize his characters as individuals, rather than total stereotypes, at the same time that we see their absurdity and recognize the damage they have done in their zeal to spread their "superior" culture.

From the opening pages, Farrell builds suspense as the English colony ignores reports of unrest in Barrackpur, Berhampur, and Meerut. The flirtations of the single women, the amorous attentions of the young men, the boorish and insensitive behavior of the officials, the gossipy whispering of their wives, and the unrelenting efforts to maintain the same society they enjoyed at home--with tea parties, poetry readings, and dances--all attest to their degree of isolation from the world around them. When violence breaks out in Krishnapur and all the inhabitants take refuge in the colonial Residence, Farrell turns it into a microcosm which illuminates their misplaced values and goals as they interact with each other and face dangers from without--and from within. The siege continues for more than three months, with bloodshed, disease, starvation, lack of water and medicine, and the summer weather taking their toll.

Farrell's dark humor is unparalleled. Using irony, understatement, and a sense of the absurd, he conveys his disapproval of colonialism without resorting to the harshness of polemics. By concentrating exclusively on the English in the Residence and not on India's local population (ironically reflecting the approach of the colonizers themselves), he makes their behavior appear ridiculous in its own right, rather than ridiculous in comparison to other cultures. Mr. Rayne, the Opium Agent, calls the sale of opium, "progress." The Padre cannot understand why the Bible was originally written in an obscure language like Hebrew, rather than English, which is "spoken in every corner of every continent." A dying man offering up his last, heartfelt prayer is told by the Magistrate, "Yes, yes, to be sure, don't worry about it." The heads from a collection of small sculptures of the "great minds of Europe" are used as deadly explosives when shot becomes scarce.

Through his precise imagery, his acute eye for memorable and revealing details, his unerring ear for dialogue, his ability to maintain pace and suspense, and his humor, Farrell creates a historical novel with the enduring qualities which make it as relevant today as it was when published thirty years ago. Mary Whipple

I had never heard of J.G. Farrell or The Siege of Krishnapur until one day I was scanning a list of winner of England's Booker Prize and I noticed that Siege was out-of-print in America. I was so intrigued I sent off to England for it, but it is now also available in the U.S.

The novel narrates the story of the British community at Krishnapur during the Indian Mutiny of 1857, when the entire community holed up in the Residency (like a governor's palace) for months under siege. Farrell's style is highly cinematic, reminiscent of great movie epics about that era, such as "The Man Who Would Be King," - lots of scope, majesty, explosions, and bright-red uniforms, added to the day-to-day domestic squabbles of the community. Farrell's take is not a shallow war novel though; he is witty, ironic, inspired, and sad in turn.

The book features remarkable turns of fortune and engaging details on every page, all of which were dramatically motivated and apt. (Examples: When the besieged run out of ammunition, they create canister shot by stuffing ladies' stockings with silverware. There's a sudden infestation of flying bugs that will make you jump right out of your chair. Two doctors have an argument about the cause of cholera with dramatic consequences. A lucky shot by a Lieutenant....well I won't spoil it for you.)

The main character, the Collector, seems to stand in for all of Britain as he is transformed by his Indian experience: first arrogance and a passion for bringing British 'civilization' to the uncivilized, then bravado as he stands up to the initial assaults, then despair as he watches the failure of mere ingenuity to overcome the natives. In a wonderful little coda at the end of the book you can see how he has been utterly transformed by the experience.

A wonderful find, a 'must read'! I'm off to read the rest of Farrell's novels!

The Indian soldiers, called sepoys, in the Bengal army of the British East India Company rose against their British rulers in Meerut in May 1857, and the violent uprising quickly spread throughout British ruled India. The action in J. G. Farrell's Booker Prize winning-novel revolves around the bloody siege of Krishnapur. Farrell's point of view is unusual because, instead of focusing on the uprising as a whole, or the siege in particular, he homes in on the British colonialists who administered and inhabited Krishnapur. Mr. Farrell did not need to contrast the English with the Indian population to illustrate the colonials' narrow-mindedness, absurdity or their attitudes which made the rebellion all but inevitable. Using superb wit, irony and satire Farrell clearly portrays his characters with their pretensions of cultural and religious superiority and their narrow focus on life.

Krishnapur's chief administrators, like those throughout the Empire, were seemingly impervious to warnings of the upcoming upheaval - and there were many. Even when news was brought to Krishnapur's Collector, Mr. Hopkins, of the savage rebellions in other parts of India, he remained almost surreally calm and detached. "There was no cause for alarm and, besides, now that everyone had finished eating, a game of blind man's bluff was being called for."

Preparations for a long siege were finally made and all British subjects and Eurasians were offered shelter at the Residency. When the sepoys finally take-up arms and attack, Farrell's characters find themselves under siege from within and without as the long period of confinement, terrible heat, dwindling food and water supplies, disease and death take their toll. These besieged middle class English men and women are given the opportunity to show the stuff they're made of in this extreme situation and some, remarkably, rise to the occasion, surprising even themselves.

"The Siege of Krishnapur" has become on of my favorite novels. Farrell's extraordinary writing, his imagery, eye for detail, dark humor and ability to maintain suspense are outstanding. He creates and develops characters as individuals and portrays their growth and/or decline with the eye and intensity of an artist. Above all, Mr. Farrell's view of the British middle class, who ruled an empire and were confronted with history in the making, deeply effected me - and made me laugh too. Most highly recommended!
JANA

The history of Amy "Lita" Dumas has been a somewhat mystery -- no pun intended. This book, is written by Amy and Michael Kraugman ( who also helped write Exist 2 Inspire ). While the "stringing together" of the words is not exactly complicated English and while this is not exactly a literary masterpiece, the actual content is quite a read. Many people tend to put down this book due to that fact that Lita has only been in the rasslin' business since early 1998 and that she has not been around long enough to write her life story, but well, I can tell you this much, from the story of her life so far; it's quite amazing.

I am wrestling fan, I was born one and I will die one; so reading wrestling biographies comes naturally to me. It seems like I have been waiting a lifetime for this book, and I was not at all dissapointed. This is a feel good story, it is a story about making your way to the top and seeing your dreams come true by hard work, dedication and maybe a little bit of luck.

So here we have a woman who's lived all over the United States of America, ( Atlanta, Florida, Washington, North Carolina, Virginia ), she's graduated from high school and she has no idea what she wants to do with her life. She plays in a couple of bands, travels to Europe, does the whole finding herself cliche, but eventually, she does. She finds her passion, she finds wrestling.

This book explains everything from her relationship with her on/off boyfriend of the last four years, fellow wrestler, Matt Hardy, her passion for the business, her days as a rocker and her love for animals. Everything you wanted to know about this young woman is present in this autobiography -- and more.

If you are a Lita fan; you'll love this. If you are a wrestling fan; you will appreciate this. If you are a reader; you should read this.

This WWE Diva is back and better than ever in the ring, she is at the top of the ladder of success, and she is still climbing and enjoying every moment of it.

While not a huge fan of the WWE published books for the reasons explained in my review of Hulk Hogan's book (SHAMELESS PLUG), Amy "Lita" Dumas' book comes off as much more honest than many of the contemporary wrestling books. She admits that wrestling was not a life-long dream, and that even today, she considers herself fortunate to be where she is.

It was very amusing to hear of her exploits in Mexico while working her way up the ladder in the world of the Luchadores, and how she learned wrestling in a very un-traditional way (as in, she didn't go to some establshed American wrestler's school), which makes her in-ring style unique, which is one of the reasons fans take to her:they have never seen anything like this from someone in American wrestling before, especially a female!

Her daring in-ring style puts her in a class all to herself when it comes to women's wrestling. That's not to say that the other women in wrestling are not extremely talented ladies, because they are. I'm a huge fan of women's wrestling when done right (ie, legitimate athletics, not T&A contests). Ms. Dumas is still very young, so she looks to stil have a great career ahead of her, despite a very serious neck injury she suffered last year. I found it horrible the way she described her treatment on the set after injuring herself-it seems that the general opinion is that these "phony wrestlers" never get hurt. That's a shame.

Also, being a fellow animal lover (My wife and I have two cats that we A.D.O.R.E.), I enjoyed reading about how Ms. Dumas takes the time to work at animal shelters. So often in the course of charitable work, we lose sight of our furry and feathered friends who share in our happiness and sadness and don't judge you one way or the other. Like many others, I was saddened greatly in reading Ms. Dumas' heartfelt sadness at losing her best friend, Cody. However, Cody took care of Amy like the faithful friend he must have been, keeping her company and keeping her spirits up while she was injured, and when it was his time to go, he knew that it would be ok for him to go-that Amy would be ok without him.

Out of the many WWE biographies out there, this one (aside from Jerry Lawler's) comes off as the most "R.E.A.L.". A recommended "R.E.A.D."

Really in depth look into Lita's world before she even though of wrestling... and while she was in. I'm a huge Lita fan, and I didn't think I would like this book... but I was surprised. Lita definitely went through a lot and many life changing events, it was nice to see her personal take on certain thins that went on in the WWE. Excellent book overall, and if you're a Lita fan... you'll love it!

I have read the prior three novels in O'Brian's masterful Aubrey/Maturin series, and thought the first three were uniformly excellent. After a layoff, I returned to the series and while I enjoyed The Mauritius Command, I thought there was somewhat of a slip from the first few books of this 20 novel series.

The novel opens promisingly, with Aubrey suffering in a less-than-ideal domestic situation. His mother-in-law lives with Jack, his wife Sophie and their cranky daughters, and his efforts to manage a farm are comical in his ineptitude. When Maturin visits, and Aubrey tries to show him around and put a brave face on his domestic struggles, the comedy inherent in O'Brian's writing comes shining through. While Jack (and the reader) itch to get to sea, it is there that O'Brian seems to lose control of the story.

Aubrey gets an order to go to the Cape of Good Hope, where he is sent on a mission to dislodge the French from the Mauritius Islands and help set up a British Colonial Governor by the name of Farquar. As is usually the case, despite great achievements in the past, Jack is shackled and insufficiently rewarded by his superiors in the admiralty, and his supposed connections, through his father in the Parliament, are of little help.

O'Brian seems to assume a good bit of nautical knowledge by the reader, and this landlubber sometimes got a little lost in the naval warfare scenes. The most engaging aspects of the novel seemed to me the differences in character, and the seething one-upsmanship among the various ship captains under Jack's overall command including Captains Pym, Clonfert and Corbett. The problem was, just when the author whets your appetite for some great internal conflict or drama between the brutal Corbett and the popular Clonfert, Corbett is sent from the area.

Moreover, the final battle scenes are almost thrown together in summary form, as if the culmination of the mission did not really concern O'Brian as much as the hassles of getting there, and so there was a bit of a letdown at the end. I look forward to the next novel (Desolation Island I think), but have to be luke-warm in my praise of this one. I give it a fairly generous 4 stars, 3 and 1/2 if I could.

The Mauritius Command is a first rate piece of historical fiction. Patrick O'Brian deftly weaves this swashbuckling nautical tale into the historical account of the British retaking the Mauritius Islands. Lucky Jack Aubrey, with a little help from Stephen Maturin, becomes a Commodore and leads his squadron of ships into battle with the French.

A new father, Jack Aubrey leaves behind his wife to venture out to the Indian Ocean. His wife, Sophie, lost her dowry and story begins with Jack hurting for money. So the opportunity to have command and be back on full pay is most welcome. Commodore Aubrey's command is complicated by the personalities of his subordinate commanders. Maturin comes out of the closet and works his espionage in the open.

With victory just within his grasp, Admiral Bertie arrives to take command and the credit away from Jack. Despite that setback, Lucky Jack stills finishes on top.

I highly recommend this book.

Some critics have referred to the Aubrey/Maturin books as one long novel united not only by their historical setting but also by the central plot element of the Aubrey/Maturin friendship. Having read these fine books over a period of several years, I decided to evaluate their cumulative integrity by reading them consecutively in order of publication over a period of a few weeks. This turned out to be a rewarding enterprise. For readers unfamiliar with these books, they describe the experiences of a Royal Navy officer and his close friend and traveling companion, a naval surgeon. The experiences cover a broad swath of the Napoleonic Wars and virtually the whole globe.
Rereading all the books confirmed that O'Brian is a superb writer and that his ability to evoke the past is outstanding. O'Brian has numerous gifts as a writer. He is the master of the long, careful description, and the short, telling episode. His ability to construct ingenious but creditable plots is first-rate, probably because he based much of the action of his books on actual events. For example, some of the episodes of Jack Aubrey's career are based on the life of the famous frigate captain, Lord Cochrane. O'Brian excels also in his depiction of characters. His ability to develop psychologically creditable characters through a combination of dialogue, comments by other characters, and description is tremendous. O'Brien's interest in psychology went well beyond normal character development, some books contain excellent case studies of anxiety, depression, and mania.
Reading O'Brien gives vivid view of the early 19th century. The historian Bernard Bailyn, writing of colonial America, stated once that the 18th century world was not only pre-industrial but also pre-humanitarian (paraphrase). This is true as well for the early 19th century depicted by O'Brien. The casual and invariable presence of violence, brutality, and death is a theme running through all the books. The constant threats to life are the product not only of natural forces beyond human control, particularly the weather and disease, but also of relative human indifference to suffering. There is nothing particularly romantic about the world O'Brien describes but it also a certain grim grandeur. O'Brien also shows the somewhat transitional nature of the early 19th century. The British Navy and its vessals were the apogee of what could be achieved by pre-industrial technology. This is true both of the technology itself and the social organization needed to produce and use the massive sailing vessals. Aubrey's navy is an organization reflecting its society; an order based on deference, rigid hierarchy, primitive notions of honor, favoritism, and very, very corrupt. At the same time, it was one of the largest and most effective bureaucracies in human history to that time. The nature of service exacted great penalities for failure in a particularly environment, and great success was rewarded greatly. In some ways, it was a ruthless meritocracy whose structure and success anticipates the great expansion of government power and capacity seen in the rest of the 19th century.
O'Brian is also the great writer about male friendship. There are important female characters in these books but since most of the action takes place at sea, male characters predominate. The friendship between Aubrey and Maturin is the central armature of the books and is a brilliant creation. The position of women in these books is ambiguous. There are sympathetic characters, notably Aubrey's long suffering wife. Other women figures, notably Maturin's wife, leave a less positive impression. On board ship, women tend to have a disruptive, even malign influence.
How did O'Brian manage to sustain his achievement over 20 books? Beyond his technical abilities as a writer and the instrinsic interest of the subject, O'Brien made a series of very intelligent choices. He has not one but two major protagonists. The contrasting but equally interesting figures of Aubrey and Maturin allowed O'Brien to a particularly rich opportunity to expose different facets of character development and to vary plots carefully. This is quite difficult and I'm not aware of any other writer who has been able to accomplish such sustained development of two major protagonists for such a prolonged period. O'Brian's use of his historical setting is very creative. The scenes and events in the books literally span the whole globe as Aubrey and Maturin encounter numerous cultures and societies. The naval setting allowed him also to introduce numerous new and interesting characters. O'Brian was able to make his stories attractive to many audiences. Several of these stories can be enjoyed as psychological novels, as adventure stories, as suspense novels, and even one as a legal thriller. O'Brian was also a very funny writer, successful at both broad, low humor, and sophisticated wit. Finally, O'Brian made efforts to link some of the books together. While a number are complete in themselves, others form components of extended, multi-book narratives. Desolation Island, Fortune of War, and The Surgeon's Mate are one such grouping. Treason's Harbor, The Far Side of the World, and The Reverse of the Medal are another. The Letter of Marque and the ensuing 4 books, centered around a circumnavigation, are another.
Though the average quality of the books is remarkably high, some are better than others. I suspect that different readers will have different favorites. I personally prefer some of the books with greater psychological elements. The first book, Master and Commander, is one of my favorites. The last 2 or 3, while good, are not as strong as earlier books. I suspect O'Brian's stream of invention was beginning to diminish. All can be read profitably as stand alone works though there is definitely something to be gained by reading in consecutive order.

According to the introductory note in the Dover Thrift Edition, "Medea," the play by Euripedes, was first produced in 431 BC. After more than two millennia, this remains a powerfully written human tragedy. The Dover Thrift edition features an English translation by Rex Warner; this very effective translation manages to sound both classic and contemporary at the same time.

"Medea" tells a story involving the classical Greek hero Jason and Medea, by whom he has fathered two children. As the play opens, Jason has angered Medea by taking on another woman to be his wife. This conflict drives the drama forward. "Medea" is a gripping story about love, parenthood, politics, betrayal, anger, and revenge. There is a subtle but fascinating theme of ethnic tension as Medea and Jason clash. Finally, I believe that, after all these centuries, Euripedes' sociological and psychological insights remain compelling.

"Medea" is a classical work that many have heard of, but few have actually read. It is the story of the wife of Jason, leader of Argonauts, and her chilling plot of revenge against an unfaithful husband and his new child-bride. The play is short, concise, and powerfully unnerving. Whether this is a history of misogyny or a warning of the vengeance of a wronged woman is a matter better left to scholarly debate. Provocative, disturbing, and at times heartbreaking, this is a definite must-read for neo-Classicists and avid readers alike. Not to be missed.

Euripides play "Medea" is a timeless reminder that certain human characteristics are universal in nature. Medea's readers will notice that, even despite they live 2,000 years after this play was written, the same types of disputes between individuals occur. Men still cheat on women, and women, just as then, had strong emotional displeasure with such behavior. What Euripides could never imagine is that this is an excellent story about evolutionary psychology. This story does not justify such behavior, and, in fact, shows that the consequences can be deadly.

We see today that the story of Medea is on every single day in our living rooms! Yes--every soap opera is about women who have been hurt by a man, while that man, because of biological instincts that encourage him to look for a variety of women--will search near and far for another female who will accept him. What most stories do not explain, however (and especially not in that time era) is that women do feel immense pain from this, mostly emotional. Medea was able to use that emotional anger she had -- and use it to cause physical and emotional pain on her philandering husband. The only question is, did she need to kill her children to make that point? That remains to be seen.

Michael Gordon

"O Jerusalem" is a classic. By focusing on one narrow yet vitally important aspect of the Arab-Jewish conflict surrounding the birth of Israel between WWII and 1948, the authors bring to life all the characters, good bad and neutral who played a role in the saga of Jerusalem. As readers of the book will discover, prior to 1948, Jerusalem was a city with a mixed Jewish-Arab population. The Arabs and Jews lived in relative harmony, sometimes in mixed neighborhoods. Under British rule, all religious groups had access to their own holy sights. The authors demonstrate how villaims like Husseini, the Mufti of Jerusalem, a rabid anti-semite who spent WWII hiding from the British in Berlin, brought ruin to the Arabs of Jerusalem. Indeed, the Arabs come across as the ultimate victims, which they were. Their victimizers were not the Jews, however, but their fellow Arabs. Ultimately, war comes in 1948 and the Jews are victorious in establishing the state of Israel. Many Arab residents of Jerusalem are forced from their homes either by the Israeli Defense Force, fellow Arabs or their own fears. Most wind up in the part of the city that has come to be known as "East Jerusalem". The old city, including the Jewish Quarter and the Western Wall is captured by Jordan and ALL Jews are expelled. The book describes in great detail, the tragic consequences of this conflict which was not wanted by the Jews, not wanted by their Arab neighbors but spurred on by interlopers like the Mufti, the British and many bad players fromt he Arab world like King Abdullah. It is a fair analysis. It does not make the Jews out to be saints nor does it portray all the Arabs as blood thirsty monsters. It lays blame where it belongs. Those pre-disposed to a revisionist view of Israel's birth will not appreciate this book because its fair analysis does not meet with revisionist ideology. But for anyone who wants to learn the truth about this conflict, this book is a must read.

This unbiased account of the siege of Jerusalem during the 1948 Israeli War of Independence, told through the eyes of both Jew and Arab alike, offers a unique opportunity to understanding the complex situation which currently exists in the Middle East. Written by the reknound journalists, Larry Collins and Dominique LaPierre, this book takes us on a meandering journey in and out of the lives of the men and women who fought, lived, loved and died protecting or defending their city. Dozens of simple stories, documenting the lives of ordinary people and statesmen alike, offer a haunting glimpse into this not so distant but dramatic past. A must for anyone wanting to gain a deeper understanding into today's conflict, or explore this time of struggle, birth and death of two nations, two peoples.

No novel could have been more exciting than this detailed story of the birth of Israel and the early struggles. This book is written with all the suspense and excitement of a novel but what sets it aside is that it is all factual.

The authors do an excellent job of researching those tense days back in 1948 with the realization that the fall of Israel was within a heartbeat the whole time until some last minute help from the US

One of my favorite books!

This book was so funny....I hadn't read a Vicky Bliss novel before, so I was surprised by the cast of characters that showed up. They were all so funny because it seemed as if they had nothing in common. I like Vicky much better than Ms. Peabody that I too am hoping that Ms. Peters will return to Vicky and give us more great adventures to laugh about. The one thing I was not very clear on at the ending was weather somone actually found the treasure or not? Did John have something to do with its disappearance?

Art historian Vicky Bliss has been sent an interesting photo, a photo that at first appears to be the famous shot of Frau Schliemann wearing the gold jewelry from Troy. A second look shows Vicky that this is not yet another copy of that photo but a much more recent shot. The problem with that is that the treasure had disappeared during WWII. Soon Vicky was on the trail, accompanied by her boss, Schmidt, several of her collegues (returning from a previous adventure) and the mysterious John Smith.

This is an light hearted action adventure. The characters are well done, particularly the principals (Vicky, John and Schmidt) much of the situations and dialogue is hilarious.

The only complaints that I have are there are many German terms used with little translation - frustrating for those of us who don't know the language. The other issue is that this is definitely one of those series that needs to be read in order not starting with this the 4th installment (as I did).

This book was such a satisfaction to read and reread. I've grown so attached to Peabody and Vicky Bliss, not to mention their fellow characters, that waiting for Barbera Mertz to write more books about them is torture. I hope Ms. Mertz lives to an active old age for the selfish reason that I want her to keep pumping these books out as long as possible.

In Trojan Gold she really delivers the good stuff. John and Shmidt's personalities get a good filling out, reading it is like eating Godiva chocolates, only better. Words can't say enough. In her previous Bliss mystery, Sihloette in Scarlet, the plot seemed weak, but the follow up made up for it. Apologies for misspellings.

I am not going to go over the contents of the book, or much about Charles Bukowski, because if you are considering this book you must know something about the man and his work. I will just give you my impression of this collection of work.
No collection can ever really be complete, there are always new things to add, new commentary, newly discovered works, transcripts of records and unpublished letters, but this book does an excellent job in its attempt.
To me Charles Bukowski will always be one of the greatest American writers of the twentieth century, because of the sheer brutality and honesty his work emanates. It is funny, sad, sadistic, cruel, scathing, enlightening and thought provoking. Everything I like to read. This is poetry for people who are disgusted by verse of flowers, trees and Greek mythology. This is RAW human emotion and experience smeared out onto paper. It is not perfect, and it is not trying to be. It doesn't always work, but there in lies the subtle beauty of Bukowski's efforts. the guts to try. The attempts at honesty, clearly blocked by his unwillingness to divulge everything, and his cynicism of man.
This collection is shocking in its beauty, and inspiring by its simplicity. Enjoy.

To a kid growing up in a small town in Norway, Bukowski was definitely a voice from another reality. In many ways, his prose and poetry showed that the bums and the lowlifes - in other words; the hunted - actually had a voice, and a strong one at that... The greatness of Bukowski lies in his ability to tell extremely complex stories in a straightforward, deceptively simple language and style. The poetry is also very sharp and precise. Whatever the man did to himself with regard to drink and drugs; it never took away a smattering of his ability to observe the human predicament in all its glory - or terror, depending on whom you might ask... This 'reader' is a good place to start for anybody who would like to get acquainted with Bukowski's work. It contains poems and stories that stay on the reader's mind for a long time. The writings are also a reminder that no matter how hard a person might believe in the American dream, the dream doesn't work for everybody.

This recording is a MUST for all those, like myself, who regard Bukowski as the one true voice of the fringe-dwelling dispossesed. People focus on his hard-drinking, his 'bum-like' persona, but what makes him remarkable is how his fiction and poetry reflects REALITY: the 'failure' and humiliation of being an artist (and essentially voiceless) in America. I listened to this recording with friends -- and we all agreed that it captures the man.

Also recommended: ... Run With the Hunted, Post Office, Ham on Rye, Factotum, Women by Buk, The Losers' Club by Richard Perez