On-the-tape

The story told in "The Last Hero" is that of Sir Henry Morton Stanley (of "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" fame, but that's another story) who, in 1885 organized and led a mission to rescue Emin Pasha, governor of Equatoria, the southernmost province of the Egyptian Sudan, which was surrounded by the Mahdist uprising. Amazingly, Stanley decided to approach Equatoria from the Atlantic side of Africa by going up the Congo river and overland through central African forest. The expedition crossed hundreds of miles of then-unknown Africa, encountering every obstacle and difficulty along the way. The eventual end of the mission is one of history's great ironies, but I don't want to give anything away.

"The Last Hero" is a very well-written adventure story, all the more interesting because it is true. My only complaint (a very minor one) concerns the absence of notes and bibliography which could have given some historical documentation and sources.

Another good book is "The River Congo: The Discovery, Exploration and Exploitation of the World's Most Dramatic River" (nonfiction) which is also by Peter Forbath (a journalist who reported on Africa). Henry Morton Stanley was also a bestselling author, he wrote: "How I Found Livingstone" (1872); "Through the Dark Continent" (1878); and "In Darkest Africa" (1890).

Not many novels have the effect of this one. If I have to pick a 'prequel' to Robert Ruark's _Something of Value_ than it is surely this one. If you like Forbath's, then read Ruark's!

_The Last Hero_ sweeps you away to a time when honor and ego and plain old guts -- combined with the vast heart of unexplored Africa meant adventure. I read this novel in amazement, at the rich characterization, the lavish settings, the graphic narrative; only to be further amazed when I learned that this wasn't a mere work of historical fiction, but rather a fictionalized account of real events.

Read it. You won't find many novels that do this. Serious business, deep in the Congo Ituri rainforest, late 19th century...no one can hear you scream.

Kurt W. Wagner kwagner@gti.net

Compulsively readable, thrilling story, vivid evocation of darkest Africa and a potrait of Henry Morgan Stanley that leaps right of the page and grabs you by the throat, this story of the insane expedtion to rescue Emin Pasha's people from the conquering dervishes is everything you want a serious book of historical fiction to be. Especially recommended for those interested in the literature of exploration and discovery into land's unkown in the Western world in the 19th century. How many 700+ page books are you sorry to see come to an end? This is such a one. Enjoy.

With its pretty plaid exterior and easily read pages, this little book packed full of wisdom is perfect for most coffee tables. What an excellent gift! I treasure my copy of LIFE'S LITTLE INSTRUCTION BOOK. Jane Riley, author of SOLOMON'S PORCH

This is an easy to pick up and read for one minute or read the entire book. I love to use it as a graduation gift for my students. They say it gives them all the things I have been teaching them over the years in one compact little book.

This book is just wonderful for making you feel warm and fuzzy all over about how simple life could be if only you simplified and got back to the basics. The instructions are useful and will make you a better person. This is better then 99% of the motivational and self-help books out there. Life a simple and honorable life, and this book will help.

A first rule of thumb when approaching Cabell's 18-volume opus, the Biography of Manuel; every book will be about Cabell's relationship with his wife. Cabell is obsessed with marriage, and objectifies all of his female characters to fit one of his imagined female roles; nag, whore, or unapproachable beauty. Cabell's characters always return to their nagging wives, for familiarity's sake if nothing else, with never a suggestion that it might be possible to have a long-term relationship between a man and a woman in which both are creators and in which both learn from each other.

The book Jurgen is from the same mold. Jurgen the pawnbroker moves from one of Cabell's stereotypical women to another. The book became well-known because of the godawful sex sequences, in which Cabell archly refers to Jurgen's sword, staff, or stick -- the resulting call for censorship made the book famous, but that doesn't mean it was Cabell's best. I thought The Silver Stallion and, in some respects, even The Cream of the Jest or The High Place to be better examples of Cabell's writing.

I would recommend that anyone who likes fantasy read at least one of Cabell's books, because he writes like no one else. This book had the usual Cabell wittiness and sardonic feel, so if it's the only one you can find, certainly try it.

In the 1920s, James Branch Cabell (rhymes with "rabble") was considered by many to be one of the greatest American writers, based on this novel. Tastes changed with the coming of the Great Depression; worse, Cabell never again came close to writing a book of this quality, despite his many attempts. Whether or not Cabell is a great writer (and I incline to the view that writers should be judged by their best rather than their mediocre works), Jurgen is a great book, full of insight and a joy to read. The eponymous protagonist is a middle-aged pawnbroker who is given an opportunity to relive his youth. In his travels he encounters, among others, Guenevere, the Master Philologist, the Philistines, his father's Hell, and his grandmother's Heaven. In the end he has an opportunity to question Koshchei who made all things as they are. I heartily recommend this novel. Although it is in an older fantasy tradition, it is at least as readable and enjoyable as the best contemporary fantasy, and its literary quality is far greater. I have re-read it many times.

After 20 years of reading single-voice narrations, it was one of
my few exposures to multi-voice dramatizations.

I did find the inevitable range of loudness of a dramatization
to be a bit of a problem with my hearing. Struggling with the
overly-complex user interfaced tone controls on my JVC in-dash
CD/MP3 player finally got that mostly under control.

They fellow who played "the black guy" reminded me and my fellow
listener ever so much of Burgess Meredith. I didn't see a cast

listing on the printed enclosure, I would have appreciated it.
That way, I wouldn't have to say "the black guy" to avoid my
uncertainty of the spelling of the character's name.
(Kothschai?).

I just love banned books, and Jurgen is a fine early example.
(Right now, I'm reading "Harmful to Minors", there's nothing
like finding out that people are trying to keep me away to make
me want to read it...)

The story is full of nuance and implication. The phrase
"treating fairly" will always have a new meaning for me.

The accompanying music was added in just the right amounts and
at the right times. I'm resentful of Jurgen's whistling, as I
thought that I was preeminent at tuneless whistling, but be that
as it may...

A delightful read in all, and my thanks to Yuri.

David H. Straayer
The Self-Appointed CD/MP3 Audiobook Gadfly...

I am not normally one to ready "trashy" novels. Ms. Collins has set up a great list of characters (Bridgett, Charlie Dollar, etc.) in the Lucky Santangelo series. This is perhaps the best of the bunch. Feisty Lucky Santangelo purchases a movie studio from one of the old time owners (kind of a Louis Mayer personna) and becomes the boss of the studio. This causes a lot of friction with her husband Lennie Golden, who feels cheated of his right to win roles on his own merit.

I read this one really fast!

I loved everything about this book! I relate well to Lucky Santangelo, she's the type of woman, that most of us women want to be. The book is exciting, dramatic, romantic and clever. The characters are interesting. Completing this book will leave you feeling great! Then I found out, that there is also the LADY BOSS movie! I ordered it, and was happy to see, how well the Actors portrayed these characters! Kim Delaney was a cute and clever little Lucky, and it was GREAT to see Jack Scullia as Lenny Golden, he was perfect. There were alot of familiar faces in this movie, and it's exciting to see how these characters come to life! I watch it over and over again, it's just as addicting as Jackie Collins books! If you read ANY book, THIS is the one to read!

First of all let me tell you that this book is not an easy reading, it has to many characters and to many stories, to be exact it has six stories, at first all of them separately but in the middle of the book they will be as one big story. Of course the main story, the story of Lucky and Lennie is the must important, but you are really interested in all the stories at the same time. When you end a chapter of one story you want to skip the next chapter to see what happened in that specific story, but when you start to read about the other story you forget about the first one and you will want to know what happened to this one.
The end of the book is not so good, but the book still keep 5 stars

Finally!

After all the paste-up jobs, cricital speculation, mythologizing and outright prevarication, fans and critics alike get a book that sets the Jimi Hendrix record straight.

James "Al" Hendrix was more often than not, the only person in the room during Jimi's childhood, and remained (the one consistent fact all the accounts previously published "accounts" agree on)his closest confidante until he died.

In his own words, Al Hendrix tells the story of Jimi's upbringing, his complex family life, and his musical and personal development. There are many recountings of conversations and impression as well as fact. There are reminiscenes of hendrix calling his father when making major decisions, discussing good times, bad times, and just looking for support.

Al Hendrix's motivation was to finally tell the story of Jimi Hendrix before he himself passed away (Mr. Hendrix is 80). And given history of how the Hendrix family has been lied to and stolen from--Al finally won back the recorded musical legacy in 1995--it's no wonder that the story has never been told before.

The most beautiful thing about the text here, is that Obrecht, a respected critic and author, left his own critical baggage and language skills at the door, allowing Al Hendrix to tell his story without prodding or manipulation. The result is an astonishing tale that completely contradicts many accounts. It is true that fans will be astonished by the many new facts, but it will literally stun some members of the family.

The book is illustrated lavishly throughout with photographs--most of which have never been seen--and reproductions of Hendrix's artwork throughout his life.

From the simple words of an elderly man comes the shaping of a musical figure so pervasive, that he influenced, in the same way Bob Dylan did, all the popular music that came after him.

Along with Charles Chaar Murray's wonderful work of music criticism, Crosstown Traffic, My Son Jimi is the personal and historically accurate half of the Hendrix story. Therefore it is indispensable as both literature and cultural document. A truly great, entertaining and at times heart-rending read, in a gorgeously illustrated volume. Isn't this what everybody asks for in a book about a pop music icon?

I bought this book yesterday and finished it today. I have always felt, for reasons I could never really explain, that Jimi had a kindred spirit with my own. His father's recollections on Jimi's early life let me know why. I'm so glad Mr. Al Hendrix wrote this book. The lies about Jimi are legion. I remember in the 60's that most of what I heard about him had to do with drugs. It's a real shame that you have to explore a person's life like a detective (in a country with a supposedly "free" press) to find out what they were really like. There is one thing I really liked about the Hendrix family the book revealed; their free and easy interactions with non-blacks. No wonder Jimi's music and message was universal. In a time when blacks and whites seem to be once again withdrawing into their own groups I found the Hendrix family to be very refreshing. Being black myself I totally reject the pressures brought against me to participate only in things stamped with the "black" seal of approval. And I'd like to salute Al Hendrix for being a real father and taking care of his family, even children he didn't sire. A lot of men today wouldn't do what he did. Jimi was very fortunate to have such a father and I think he knew it. Thank you Mr. Hendrix for sharing your life and that of your son with us on a more intimate level. I for one will always love Jimi and hold a fondness for him in my heart. And now for you as well.

For years, while reading conflicting opinions by numerous authors of all things Jimi, it seemed natural to wonder what Jimi's dad would have had to say about it. Fortunately, rather than sit back and wonder about it, Jas Obrecht worked with Al Hendrix to get the story told. Of all people, Jimi's father surely had an important story to tell, from a vital perspective - that being the family anchor throughout most of Jimi's often scattered childhood.

"My Son Jimi" is a tender yet objective look into the life of a uniquely gifted soul. The childhood personality traits that Al reveals sync well with what we know of the adult Jimi. With so much known about nearly every breath of his life once he became famous, it's refreshing to hear so many stories and details of Jimi's early days and the events that influenced his view of the world. Al's memory was obviously sharp, as evidenced by the depth of chronological details and his ability to wrap the up-close human perspective into those details. For example, in describing the lean years when money was tight, Al was forced to move from place to place and chase employment opportunities. Al closes the history loop by describing the impact these events had on young Jimi. Likewise, the descriptions of home life when Jimi's mother Lucille was living elsewhere, often with other men, are treated with respect to all, allowing as much dignity to be preserved as possible, even in very undignified circumstances. These touches add a healthy coating of reality and personality that can never be touched upon by an author merely reporting a historical perspective.

I found Al's descriptions of Jimi's music illuminating and intriguing. Obviously, Al was proud of his son's accomplishments, but was still able to hear the music for what it was, with open ears. I believe that his need to be honest and realistic was a key component leading to the success of Experience Hendrix once the family had acquired the Hendrix legacy. Look at it this way - for decades, Alan Douglas had been the caretaker of Jimi's music and although I don't think he was deserving of all of the hateful criticism he received, I do believe he was a puppet in the machine that turned its head away from Jimi's clearly stated intentions of where his music was headed. Al listened to Jimi, for example Jimi's eagerness to work with and appreciation of Eddie Kramer and Al then brought Eddie into the fold to help move the music in the right direction. This was no mistake - it was action motivated by love.

Al's prose is not particularly colorful, nor embellished - instead he speaks economically, to the point and from the heart. This may lead some to criticize this book unfairly, but I believe that the content, honesty and perspective Al has brought forth make My Son Jimi essential reading for those interested in learning the true story of Jimi Hendrix.

I have been reading this book for a while, but I cannot finish it because I keep starting over from the beginning. Every chapter makes me feel great about God's love for us. It is my first Max Lucado book, but not my last. I recommend for everyone especially new Christians it brings Jesus to our neighborhood.

Ok, I repent. I have never read a Max Lucado book before. Just about everyone I know has, but I found excuse after excuse to avoid reading them. In do not know why. Maybe I figured that I had more important, or more entertaining reading to do. But the truth be told, I have never been a big fan of devotional books. But then I received this book as a birthday present from two dear friends in my church and what a blessing it has been.

Lucado is a master of the English language. You will not find more beautiful prose written anywhere. It is simply beautiful. Lucado takes a look at the life of Christ as if Christ is your neighbor next door. Thus, the book has a contemporary feeling. We are not reading about something that happened in ancient times, but we are learning how the living Christ is working in the world around us. Not only is this a well-written book, it is an insightful book as well. The author has a way of looking at well know verses in a fresh new way. And yes, he even gave me insight to Scripture that I had overlooked. Written in short chapters, it lends itself to being read devotionally- one chapter per day. You cannot rush Lacado. It is not a quick read. It is too insightful, to beautiful to speed-read. This is one good book.

Having read several of Max's books I can tell you that he has done it again here. He has taken everyday things and turned them into a focus on the Love of Jesus and how we can use those gifts that we have all been given. Great reading with great insights.

So much of our history is either robbed from us or never brought to light. NO CRYSTAL STAIR provides readers, through the saga of Ann Elizabeth Carter and Army Air Corps pilot Robert Metcalf, a brief glimpse into the world of the black privileged class as well as the determined, black working poor. Without apology or excuse, Ms. Rutland allows her readers to plunge themselves into over sixty years of love, passion, sadness, and laughter in the families represented in this book. Readers get to see that yes, there was high society in the African American race, and like with any "moneyed" group, they had their problems, but when the chips were down, they pulled together with the larger group for equality and justice for all. The story takes us through the World War where brave young black men stood proud and soared high among the clouds. It also lands us squarely into the age of consciousness where black folk redefined themselves through their movements and their leaders. But through it all, we see the unity that exists among a people that are both different and the same. After reading the final page, I could not help but to smile and reflect on the fact that yes, life has not been "no crystal stair," but, like Langston says,"We're still climbin.'" Thank you for sharing this story, Ms. Rutland.

No Crystal Stair is a great book. Her storyhas acptured the upper class African American southern priviledged community prior to segration. I liked the historical journey from the 20s through the 90s. This was great and I look forward to reaidng other books by Mrs. Rutland! Thanks for beinga vocie we need to hear today.

This book is phenomenal... A must have for every bookshelf. This author is intriging, electric and fascinating. You will learn so much history and explore life in such a unique way. This is a page turner... REad it and pass it on.

I must admit that this book didn't pick my interest when I started reading it in My Spanish AP class in high school. Now after reading it I have to say that this book is wonderfully written and very educational.
Marianela is a girl who lives in The Mines of Socartes, she is the guide of a rich boy who suffers fom blindness Pablo. I loved Marianela's character since the first pages, she is so full of life, so innocent. All her life she lived out of the pity of others but it didn't matter to her. Pablo "said" he loved her and she lived in this illusion where she thought that she would finally be loved and not criticized by her looks.
Then, everything changed when Teodoro Golfin, a miracle doctor gave Pablo his sight. That's when everything changed. When Pablo saw what Marianela really looked like, he just started treating her horribly. Where did all his love go? I have to say that by the end of the book I hated Pablo with a passion. How can someone be so cynical as to tell a person how beautiful she is without really seeing the exterior appearance and then being disgusted by what he sees when he looks at how that person really looks? Sadly that's what happens with Pablo and it would have been better if he had stay blind.
This book bring some things that are really important. True beauty is on the inside, never judge someone by their exterior appearace because you might be surprised. True beauty is not something that you can see or touch, beauty has to be felt.
I highly recomend this book, it will touch your heart I promise

Pablo, a rich blind boy is madly in love with poor Marianela. Things go smooth until renowned Doctor Teodoro Golfín offers to cure up Pablo's eyes. Marianela, who thinks she is ugly is afraid that when he starts seeing, he'll see how ugly(on the surface) she really is. Her fears are confirmed when he falls for his beautiful cousin Florentina, who doesn't treat Marianela too well. She is so attached to Pablo that if she doesn't look beautiful for him, she won't be any use to him. A very destructive point of view which she sticks to. It's a tragic ending but it's common in most Spanish-language stories.

Seeing as though I couldn't get the real Marianela quickly, this one suited quite well, perhaps even better. I had to write a paper on it and the simplified language made mush easier to understand.

From the other Amazon reviews I expected a better novel. This one toys with the reader. The story is a series of well-written vignettes, but the package as a whole doesn't make sense. I think the author wrote it to make various points, but failed to write a coherent, believable story.

Small-town police chief Ben Truman discovers the body of a Boston prosecutor in a deserted cabin. Ben teams up with Boston police to investigate the murder. It leads him to the seedy Mission Flats district where the now-dead prosecutor was investigating several gang-style murders. Before the investigation ends, death and betrayal spanning over twenty years are revealed.

This is a very complex and emotionally involving debut novel from William Landay. The first third of the book was a little slow going because there were three deaths taking place approximately ten years apart. It got a little confusing about which characters belonged to which time period. Once you get all the characters straight you are in for a flawless plot that questions more than just right versus wrong. The characters are colored in shades of gray, rich in dimension, and possess all the frailties of humanity. You never know if they are speaking the truth as they see it or the truth as it really is. Here you have a novel with a plot within a plot and secrets within secrets.

Excellent debut novel. Highly recommended.

I always like to be surprised by a debut novel, and when it is a mystery novel, all the better. Mission Flats begins twenty years ago when a cop is murdered in a bar, and his killer commits suicide by jumping off the Tobin Bridge in Boston. Then we go to Versailles, Maine, to the murder of a Boston district attorney, found by Ben Truman, police captain a town where not too much happens. Back and forth to Maine and Boston, until we slowly learn how and why so many characters are linked. The ending was a knock-out surprise, and well done by the author. The mysteries and secrets in this book are exquisite for a debut novel, and you will not be able to rest until you know them all. The mark of a good book for me is that I thought about the characters for hours after I finished the book, and as a voracious reader I was not ready to start a new book until I could let them go.

If you're like me and don't know a birdie from an eagle, you'll still enjoy this book. The characters are strong and the tale is not so much about golf as it is about losing and finding yourself. You may find yourself skimming through the intense golf-related stuff, but you'll probably be casting it as you read it, as I did!

If you love golf or even if you don't, this book is for you. It is probably the best book I have read EVER. It is that good. It has every thing. It is funny,touching, and makes any other novel pale in comparision. You know when a book is so good it keeps calling your name? Well, this screams your name until you drop everything and go read it. I have read good books, but nothing ever this good. Go buy this NOW!

I hesitated to begin this book, since I know nothing of golf and suspected it would be full of golf jargon I would have a difficult time deciphering. I was right, but the author so splendidly weaves a touching tale around the golf, that I fell in love with the story almost right away. Bobby Jobe is a professional golf player, playing the PGA tournament one day and being a pompous jerk to his caddie as usual, when suddenly a tragedy turns Bobby completely around. It doesn't help his caddie however, whom he calls "Greyhound" and whom he initially blames for the tragedy. "Greyhound" is actually our hero in this book and he is a figure to be reckoned with. He is as real and as life-like as an author can make a character, and he is also lovable and a great golf caddie. His real name is Henry Mote, he initially caddies for the arrogant and abrasive Bobby Jobe, until that one moment in time when a tragedy changes them both forever. The tides get reversed, and Henry finds himself in an awkward situation when he is asked to once again caddie for Bobby Jobe, but in a very different capacity. This book has everything you need for a great escape, buy it today!