Art History Books

I have been intrigued with the idea of having a meal at The Brown Derby since the first time I saw Lucille Ball dump a plate of spaghetti (a classic Derby dish, as it turns out) on William Holden's head. Alas, the era of The Derby is long gone, but this book, Brown Derby Restaurant takes you on a journey back in time when stars table hopped and coveted having their famous faces caricatured to grace the walls of these distinctive restaurants. That's right, there wasn't just one "Derby" but many different versions of the original, which is something I did not know until I read this book. I'll let the next reader of this book discover for themselves all the different incarnations of "The Derby." That was quite interesting, because they were all so different from one another and completely different from the original. The photographs of the celebrity patrons are wonderful and its fun to see them out socializing and not in character.
In the text recipes from the restaurants are included. I found these recipes to be quite ordinary and not very imaginative, but then you have to realize the era and the clientle. Just because Gary Cooper, Myrna Loy (Native Montanians), Carole Lombard, (Indiana), Clark Gable, (O-o-o-ohio!), and Robert Mitchum (Connecticut), were glamorous moviestars, in the end they were simple folk who probably just wanted a decent pork chop. At the Derby restaurants, they could do that. I wouldn't go out of my way to reinact any of these recipes unless I was babysitting a finicky toddler. All in all, this was a real page turner though and my husband enjoyed it as well.

I have a Brown Derby "LIVE AT CHARLEY BROWN'S" ink stamp in good condition from the legendary club.
This item is circa the 1960's/1970's.
Anyone interested in this item email me at rxeno@radiox.net.

A priceless photo collection of Hollywood Stars that have never been released or seen since the 1940's and 1950's. The photos are from the late Sally and Bob Cobb's personal photo collection and some photos were taken by Geroge Hurrell. The stories are captivating, heart warming and a part of Hollywood history that is a must for movie buffs and the novice a like. Clark Gable and Bob Cobb spent many years together, hunting and fishing. One night after the kitchen at the Durby was closed, Bob mixed a salad together made mostly from left overs. Since that night the famous salad has been referred to as the "Cobb Salad". The story that best describes the Cobbs is the one story about the WWII soldier..very touching! A great gift or a nice coffee table conversation item!

Anyone who is interested in old Hollywood must read this book.It is not only filled with pictures andrecipes, but nostalgia and history ofbygone days.Robert Cobb, not only owned the BrownDerby, but also owned a baseball team.The Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League was in existence from 1939to 1957. The Los Angeles Dodgers cameWest in 1958 and the Stars were gone.The book was co-written by Sally Cobb,widow of the owner. Her personal thoughts and love are written throughout this book. I personally ama collector of old menu's and a historian regarding the Pacific CoastLeague. I certainly was fascinated andwrapped up in the book.

Who today could know anything about the Brown Derby restaurant and not immediately recall what generated its legendary fame? Was it the food? The service? The décor? The clientele? Of course it's a given that all these were truly exceptional, yet none adequately explains how any Tom, Dick, or Harry from Kalamazoo would be so well acquainted with the name of this particular restaurant. After all, they were not patrons. For us non-celebrities, the Brown Derby probably entered our world through the hilarious exploits of Lucille Ball in the television situation comedy "I Love Lucy" in which she starred along with husband Desi Arnaz. Who can forget Lucy's attempts to be "discovered" by a studio executive, or to get a closer look at William Holden, at the Brown Derby?

If you lived in greater Los Angeles at that time, you might have heard live KNX 1070 News Radio broadcasts at noon from the Brown Derby, and the question of the day would always be, "Tell us, George, who's at the Brown Derby today?" That was how Lucy knew which celebrities were at the Brown Derby. And, because Lucy knew, all of America knew: this Brown Derby restaurant was the stars' favorite gathering place.

So, what's the point of this review? Simply the sad fact that "George," the maître d', radio announcer, friend of Robert Cobb, and the central figure to all the famous patrons at the Brown Derby restaurant, is no where to be seen in any of the multitude of celebrity photographs in the book. It had to be the most deliberative, vexing, and laborious part of Mrs. Cobb's work in producing this incomplete book to find enough photographs that somehow did not show a trace of Mr. George Aguilera among the celebrity patrons. It was no oversight. Word is that following Mr. Cobb's death, major differences arose between the Head Waiter and Mrs. Cobb as to business practices, and that Mr. Aguilera took an uncompromising stand in favor of maintaining the renowned level of quality, rather than to expand the tourist element, and in so doing, risk losing the exceptional level of service of which he was justifiably proud to offer his friends. This book is testament to the bitter parting of ways that resulted. How ironic then, that Mr. Aguilera's face, commonly seen on Brown Derby advertising billboards that said, "Go see George...," appears nowhere in this book of photographs. Nor will you find any evidence that the man who announced to the world the presence of his famous dining guests, his friends, was ever there himself. I rate this book as missing at least one star.

"On Tour" is the perfect complement/finisher to Marsh's "Two Hearts". It fills in the gaps through the Devils & Dust Tour. The verbage is light & the pictures vivid. Fan or not, it's worth the read. Nothing compares to seeing him live, but it follows the energy as well as it can.

Bought book as a christmas present for my boss who is a Springsteen Fan. He is going to put it on his coffee table with his other favorite rock star books. Great pics....

I actually got the book for a gift for somebody else, but when it arrived, I kinda scanned through it and it looked great. My friend is a huge Bruce fan and said that it looked incredible. She loved the pictures!!!

Purchased as a gift for an all time super fan of Springsteen. He loved the book. A must have for any Springsteen fan.

Dave Marsh is not what you'd call an unbiased journalist. Nor should he be. He is basically the official Springsteen biographer, and his previous books have documented his rise (the first book), then his popular explosion (his second book), which have been collated in the terrific "Two Hearts".
Here, he provides a tour-by-tour analysis/memoir/scrapbook of the career of Bruce Springsteen.

I am a huge Springsteen fan. Just huge. I devoured this book and begged for more.

There are literally hundreds of killer little details that will delight anyone who has seen a Springsteen show. If this book is given to a Springsteen fan who by chance has not yet seen him live, it will make them want to donate a kidney to do so.

The most frequent comments I internally made while reading this tome were "I wish I was there", or " I wish that would come out on CD or DVD", or "That must have been amazing" and usually ending with " I must find a way to get tickets to his next concert!"

No other musician could have a book like this. Many of his beloved onstage stories are reproduced here. Accounts of particularly historic shows (The Bottom Line, The Roxy, Nassau, the Coliseum), guest performers (Ronnie Spector, his mom requesting an encore)...the way he went from band tours to solo shows...

Bottom line (no pun intended) is that this is a mandatory purchase for any Bruce fan!

The book is very thorough and spotting every important and relevant issue concerning old and newer cameos. Very easy to read and remember, giving all that's good to know about cameos. Recommended for anyone interested in knowing them - collectors, dealers, teachers...

The only thing is that almost all of the photographs are in black & white, and in a rather poor quality. If the photos were in good quality color, this would have just made the book perfect. I, for one, would be happy to pay for the difference.

I liked the book. It could of had alot more information in it because there was a few things that I did not get answered...like I had hoped. But I guess you can't expect one book to give you all the information that a person seeks.

If you love cameos and collect them this is a wonderful little book for you. Tells you the history, the types, the reasons for certain styles, how to tell the age, how to tell the value, and all the necessary terminology for discussing them. Good illustrations are also a plus.

When most people think of cameos, they think of the standard woman's profile carved from shell and mounted as a brooch or necklace. But the art of the cameo encompasses far more than that. Historically, it dates back to the ancient world, and over the centuries many materials have been used in making these works of art. Although female heads are probably the most common subject, mythological figures, animals, portraits of individuals, and many other things have found their way onto cameos. The quality can range all the way from cheap mass-produced modern items to fine hand-crafted pieces worthy of any museum.

Anna Miller's "Cameos" is a wonderful introduction to cameos. She covers the history of the form, the subjects normally found and what each one looks like--very useful in an age where few people know their mythology. She describes the different materials that have been used in making cameos--including lava from Mt. Vesuvius, shell, agate, onyx, plastic, and glass. There's an extensive section on how cameos are made and on the people who made (and make) them. One particularly useful discussion describes the differences between traditional hand-carved works and those made by modern ultrasonic machines (vital for any modern buyer). The author also gives information on how to evaluate quality and condition and on market value. The book is illustrated throughout with black and white pictures, and there is an extensive color section in the middle. One of the best things about this book is that the author is able to convey her appreciation of the art of cameos to the reader. "Cameos" is an essential reference for anyone who wants to acquire a knowledge and understanding of this art. Highly recommended.

I am one of the small number of portrait cameo carvers on gemstone.

I found this book to be excellent. There is a wealth of detail on all aspects of cameos. There are also good illustrations. There is valuable info for collectors on identifying and valuing Cameos.

Information on how to distinguish Ultrasonic Cameos from the more valuable hand-carved cameos is given.

You will gain a lot of knowledge on how Cameos are made and valued from reading this title.

I caught this exhibition at the Indiana State Museum while it was on a nationwide tour. It was so interesting that I took full advantage of my museum membership and came back and saw it several times while it was here in Indianapolis. I picked up the book as the exhibit was winding down but only recently read the well-written introductory essays that make up the first 35 pages or so of the book.

Cheech Marin has created a high-quality full color text of this travelling show which is mostly comprised of pieces from his own personal collection. Marin's taste tends to run towards political art, but there is plenty that speaks of life for artists who are both Chicano and American, as the exhibition title (also the book title) imply.

Artists that grabbed my attention include:

Carlos Almaraz - his car crash paintings were gigantic attention getters in the gallaries. His other works are great as well.

David Botello - his Monet-like style is fascinating.

One of the best paintings may well be "Janine at 39, Mother of Twins" by Margaret Garcia. Cheech Marin's comment on page 67 hits it on the head: "If there is a visual definition of the lushness, the strength, and the beauty of women, this painting is it."

Cesar Martinez's "Hombre que le Gustan las Mujeres (The Man who Loves Women)" is funny and a sadly realistic portrayal of the ways that men see women.

Patssi Valdez was the painter that stole the show in Indianapolis, at least from the comments I heard. Her pictures are so bright and have the power to mae the viewer feel as though he or she is being drawn in to the canvas, especially with works like "Room on the Verge." Another painting of hers graces the cover of the book.

I did not care for the works of a couple of established artists: Gronk and Mel Casas. The Casas pieces in this show seemed less like a work of art and more like very large, not very clever political cartoons. That being said, it was entirely appropriate to include their works considering their standing in the Chicano art movement.

I bought this book for my brother (artist) and he loved it! it had a great collection of chicano art throughout Los Angeles. Any 'Chicano artist' would like to take a look at other inspiring work.

Cheech Marin has collected some of the most amazing, enthralling pictures (paintings, drawings, etc.) by Chicano artists that I've come across! This book is such a rich collection to own because some of us can't afford to buy art, but we can look again & again at the copies he's put together. There are well-known artists, unknown artists, and people I'm thrilled to have found out about because their work is so brilliant. Some places where I've seen "Chicano" art collected before have stuck to one style, very pastely, very soft colors, a certain women's painting style that has its place but isn't representative. This book isn't like that. Marin has collected paintings of incredible scenes, showing car wreck victims, cholos, lovers embracing, a drive-by shooting in progress, a freeway accident, & a police shake down to name a few. The "realist" aspect of these pictures is so entertaining that it will provide owners of the book hours of transfixing study & discussion! Buy it!

Absolutely breathtaking. A great addition to my collection.

I am insanely jealous of Cheech Marin's art collection, or at least those pieces that are featured in this book. A true artist is one who can make the ugly beautiful, or at least make you look at it with a different perspective, such as David Botello's "Alone and Together Under the Freeway"

Frank Romero's "Arrest of the Paleteros" is tragic and funny at the same time, with the hapless ice cream sellers lined against a wall in front of robot-like cops.

Adan Hernandez' "Sin Titulo II", while not owned by Marin, is included in this book, and gives a peeping-Tom's eye view of a family's living room-it is stunningly beautiful and menacing at the same time. Other works in this book are excellent, and it is inspiring for any artist in a rut, who needs a fresh look at some unusual talents.

Wonderful Degas photos illustrate ballet beautifully, I wanted one of them for myself.

My daughter has enjoyed all of the books in this series since she was about a year old. They were the first baby board books we sought out by author after seeing how much she enjoyed the Matisse one. This one is her favorite lately; she loves to dance around the kitchen when we read it.

Fun story about dancing, illustrated by Degas classics. My near 3 yo daughter loves dance related stories and she simply adored this book on the first read, "pretty pictures daddy". A great way to introduce art to your child, I look forward to the other books.

I have four of Julie Merberg's books and this one isn't a disappointment. Her books are fabulous introductions to art for little ones. The pictures in this book are beautiful Degas paintings. My daughter loves looking at the dancers and listening to the flowing text that goes with the pictures. All of Merberg's books are worth the price if you want to begin introducing art to your little one.

Our 7 month old daughter loves the books in this series and gets very excited when we get ready to read them to her. I can only recommend these to anyone that wants to introduce their kids to art in a fun and exciting way. The poems that accompany each picture are fun and relate to each painting, which also helps expand their vocabulary.

This extraordinary biography by Kevin Brownlow, reflects the life and inspiration of one of the great artist in movie screen history.
Page by page, we can take a look along the David Lean?s mind and the way he was inspired by the subjects and the way a big project became alive.
From the black and white to the beautiful color, from the photography created by Frederic (Freddie)Young to his partnership with Maurice Jarr? and the insistence from Lean to
compose the exact music for Doctor Zhivago.
Every important film, such Zhivago, The bridge on the river Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia, were written through many chapters and the conception of those films as unique, the casting and the making of those titles are unforgettable.
Also, we have David Lean as a human being, with his failures
as father and husband, but the intimacy of his life is only
upgrade by his conception of his films.
Every moment in his films was special.
He directed every dialogue and moment as unique and all those
were the equivalent of the best.
This great book written by Brownlow is one of the best biographies ever written.
The heart and soul are alive along the pages and there is no moment when the book becomes slow or uninterested.
The same proportion we have in David Lean movies.

I adore this book. I have been reading it as of late, and I love the book (and David Lean) even more. I have always detested biographies of filmmakers that are far too academic in their tone; that professorial tone where they analyze the films ad nauseum, and are constantly talking about symbolism and other completely useless things. This book spares us of that. It is meticulously researched, with great antedotes and quotes from the master himself. It talks about Lean's childhood, and you realise what Lean had to overcome to become one of the greatest filmmakers ever. It's a shame this massive book is out of print. Like a reviewer said earlier, we're constantly given fluff pieces of talentless whores like Spears, Lohan, etc., but here is a real artist whose films still inspire people today. Thank you, Kevin, for writing such a great book, and, of course, to David Lean himself...

What a pity it is when "biographies" of no-talent flashes-in-the-pan like Madonna, Ashley Simpson, Brittney Spears, ad naseum, are ubiquitous, but Kevin Brownlow's fascinating and throughly-researched biography of a true genius is out of print. What does this say about our culture's priorities? Not much. Oh well . . . fortunately a few copies of this marvelous book survive. If you're interested in great movies ("Lawrence of Arabia," "Doctor Zhivago," "Summertime," "Great Expectation," etc.), great stars (O'Toole, Sharif, Katherine Hepburn, William Holden, Robert Mitchum, and a host of other great stars -- AND great actors), or, perhaps, one of the greatest film directors of the twentieth (and probably any other) century, do whatever you have to do, but grab up a copy of "David Lean: A Biography" as quickly as you can before the remaining copies disappear altogether.

A simply marvellous biography of a cinema titan. It's the product of many conversations between Lean and the author, a great film historian and no mean director himself, having made the gorgeous Silent Era documentary "Hollywood" (is that ever coming out on DVD?!). For this reason the tone is very chatty, with so much quotage from Lean himself that it's nearly an autobiography; and Brownlow's knowlege of real-world production lets him know just what questions to ask. It rather reminded me of "Hitchcock/Truffaut", another filmmaker-to-filmmaker conversation. Mind you Truffaut didn't bother quite so much with Hitchcock's love affairs, but one can always skim. It looks intimidatingly massive but this is more because of the lavish illustrations than excessive wordiness. Great read, inspiring and full of useful tidbits.

Kevin Brownlow touched all bases of David Lean's life, providing insight into the films and his unconventionally fascinating life, making this one of the finest film biographies I have ever read about a cinema giant about whom I had longed to learn more about. Brownlow divides Lean's career into two distinct phases, 1) the British period in which he worked at home and captured the true essence of his people and, 2) the international phase in which the master film craftsman lived in hotels and moved from one country to another in producing a series of internationally spectacular movies such as "Lawrence of Arabia", "Doctor Zhivago" and "The Bridge on the River Kwai."

Brownlow begins with Lean's roots as a restless youngster in the London suburb of Croydon. His lack of curiosity and penchant for traditional school learning coupled with the stolen hours he spent sitting inside darkened theaters in a state of fascination revealed where his adult years would be spent.

Once that Lean began following his dream he quickly became established as Britain's foremost film editor. In that context Brownlow expunges a canard that was carried all the way to obituaries after the great director's death in 1990 that Noel Coward gave the aspiring director a leg up in teaming up with him to co-direct the brilliantly done war film about the British Navy, "In Which We Serve," in which Coward also starred along with Celia Johnson and John Mills. It turned out that Coward's move proved to his personal benefit as Lean did most of the directing and Coward was concerned mainly about his own scenes, after which he would generally leave the set, entrusting the basic direction of the film to Lean. We also learn that Lean, unlike Sir Carol Reed and other prominent British directors, turned down a chance to begin his directing career on low budget "quota quickies," deciding instead to wait for a major opportunity, which came with "In Which We Serve." Later that same year one of Lean's greatest films, the epic love story "Brief Encounter" with Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson, hit the screens and the young director's career was away in a flourish.

After achieving prominent worldwide status as a great international director, Lean's sensitivity resulted in overreacting to the criticism of tart New Yorkers at a Round Table session at the Algonquin Hotel. Lean was sharply criticized for "Ryan's Daughter," which American critics such as Richard Schickel and Pauline Kael believed was well below the high standard he established with "Brief Encounter" and continued with other films. According to Brownlow, Lean was sufficiently wounded to take a sabbatical before doing his last film, the highly acclaimed Indian epic "Passage to India" based on the E.M. Forster literary classic.

Brownlow does a superb job of depicting the period and the films from Lean's prolific career. Lean's was a mastery of style and entertainment, enriching story telling with beautiful visual imagery and word economy in the best sense, making the language all the more meaningful. This book does his career justice while enhancing our knowledge of a great man.

Anyone born between 1955 and 1970 HAS GOT TO SEE Dazed and Confused.

And this book adds to the fun. Plenty of real live Mad Magazine stuff, real live ads from the time period, with a bunch of side splittingly funny made up stuff based on the characters from DAC. Enjoyed the heck out of this book. Just wish it was longer so my trip through memory lane could go on another hour or so.

Great stuff! Where's Wooderson today, by the way?

It was in a fit of Dazed And Confused mania that I purchased Richard Linklater's tie-in book to his cult classic 70s adolescence movie several years ago. At the time I basically flipped through the book and then put it aside. Until earlier today when I was going through a stack of old college texts I was planning on getting rid of and wonder of wonders came across this one mixed in among them for some reason. So I decided to take a refresher course in 70s stoner adolescence and then offer up my take on it.

What I especially liked about Dazed And Confused the movie was the way Linklater managed to sneak in some profound truths about life amidst the nostalgia. In the book, the most profound and honest part is Linklater's introduction where he writes: "Let's face it, no matter where you live no matter at what time high school is a light prison sentence to be served. Once paroled, you don't look back".

From that point on, any social observation basically goes out the window as we are treated to a crash course in all things 70s as well as stuff related to the movie itself. All of the major characters are profiled and there are excerpts of a yearbook page from the high school they attend. Although it might seem redundant to most people, die hard fans of the film should enjoy it. Pick up a copy! Also recommended -------> The Losers Club by Richard Perez, an offbeat small press novel that you will truly dig. Like far out!

ATENTION ALL D&C FANS: IF YOU DO NOT GO OUT AND GET THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW, YOU WILL NEVER KNOW THE WHOLE STORY! This book has everything, from Clint's favorite colored muscle T-shirt to Benny's beer limit. It is definantly a must for not only Dazed fans, but to any fans of the seventies!

Dazed & Confused is a classic movie about the day in the life of high schoolers in a small Texas town on last day of school in 1976. This book that is a companion to the movie is just like the movie itself: funny. Designed as part high school yearbook, part 70's era teen magazine, it is a nostalgia filled, quick and enjoyable read. There are tons of pictures (the yearbook pictures of the cast are great) and everyone of the major cast member contributes an "article" to the book. If you are a fan of the movie, then this book is a must for your collection.

Let me just start by saying that I just bought this book no more than an hour ago. As soon as I got home I picked it up and didn't put it down forr the next hour. As a huge "Dazed and Confused" fan, I was extremely happy when I saw that there was a book to go along with the movie. But the book is not just about the movie. It starts out with a great introduction by the director and writer Richard Linklater. In this intro he explains the time period, the pros and cons of the 70's, and where the idea for the movie came from. Also in the book are synopsis's of all the basic charactar (the best is Clints, the guy who beats up the nerd). This book doesn't just follow along with the movie, it is an explanation of the 1970's, I enjoyed it considering I wasn't alive yet. So if you are a hardcore fan of "Dazed and Confused" or a collector of 70's memorobilia, than you need this book.

This is a very moving account of a heartbroken man who was betrayed by a person he loved dearly. The pain, the trauma, the love, the anger, the frustration is evident in every single well-written sentence. This book is not only a window into the mind of one of the best British writers of the late 19th century. It is also a timeless lesson on what can happen when one falls in love with someone who doesn't truly appreciate what they have before them. Of course there are other lessons to be learned in this book but rather than point them out here, I'd much prefer you pick up a copy of "De Profundis" as soon as you can.

Not actually a "letter," though it had to be originally presented as such for him to be allowed to write it while in prison, *De Profundis* is Wilde's masterpiece--one has to have really lived and really, really suffered to have written it and it's amazing that he achieved it.

I only very recently read it--and "got" it. It rings true to me, and is very, very moving and "profound." It ain't summer beach reading.

Wilde is still and will probably always be best known as a "Personality"--that and the author of a couple of decent period plays, a short novel, a few stories, and lots of forgettable poems and such. But THIS--THIS is IT.

He really WAS a great writer, it turns out, after all.

So many people concentrate on De Profundis' accusations cast towards Alfred Douglas. Yes, it's true that the letter was written to him and that Wilde is ruthless in letting Douglas know exactly what he thinks of him but that's not why De Profundis is a great piece of work. It is great for three reasons. Number one - It contains the best account of the life of Christ. Christ as the romantic artist is the only account that has moved me to tears and the only account I can personally embrace. Number two - it is chock full of the Oscar Wilde voice and wit and as a result it reverbates as a true work of art and number three - It is ultimately a work that celebrates the things in life worth feeling - failure, love, injustice, strength and forgiveness.

Don't waste your time with the accusations towards Douglas. He is unimportant. Oscar Wilde is what's important and De Profundis is Oscar Wilde bare.

Ah, me...one doesn't know which to be more irritated
and exasperated with: whether it be Walt Whitman doing
his dissembling shuck-and-shuffle about the children
he had sired (to throw off a probing, serious John
Addington Symonds) -- or Oscar, in this "j'accuse," which
he should have spoken while looking in a mirror, rather
than writing it on paper to Lord Alfred.
This is without doubt a fascinating, horrifying,
and yet in places humorous, "piece de Miserere mei"
(to combine a bit of French with Latin).
If one chooses to believe Oscar, his only fault
was weakness in "giving in" to Lord Alfred. Oh,
come now. Blinded by Eros, reason flies out the
door...if ever reason was in control. There are
some sentences which are devastatingly revealing,
but Oscar doesn't seem to see it. "The trivial in
thought and action is charming. I had made it
the keystone of a very brilliant philosophy expressed
in plays and paradoxes." Ye gods, and little fishes!

And this man dared to call himself a "Classicist?!"
Yikes!!!
The best exercise for the reader is to just take
many of the things which Oscar accuses Lord Alfred
of, and turn them toward the self-blind, self-
justifying Oscar, to see their devastating hitting
of the mark. Never having met the young man, but
only having the "benefit" of hearsay (mostly from
Oscar's literary defenders) Lord Alfred seems to have
been calculating, temperamental (using anger to get
his way), manipulative, etc., etc., etc. The best
description of him may be Wilde's referring to him
with the lines from Aeschylus' play AGAMEMNON,
about the lion cub being raised in a house and
being let loose to wreak havoc and ruin.
But Oscar bears his share of blame -- more than just
that of the "sin" of weakness which he constantly falls
back upon in his own justification. Even in the midst
of what purports to be some sort of penitent cry from
the depths of hell...Oscar still is ever the poseur:
"And I remember that afternoon, as I was in the railway
carriage whirling up to Paris, thinking what an impossible,
terrible, utterly wrong state my life had got into, when
I, a man of world-wide reputation, was actually forced
to run away from England, in order to try and get rid
of a friendship that was entirely destructive of everything
fine in me either from the intellectual or ethical point
of view...." Er, when was the last time that the
"everything fine" had last seen the light of day?
Was Oscar an "Artist," as he consistently claims?
Was he the wronged, harmed Artist? Perhaps only the
reader can decide that for himself. Without doubt
he was witty, acerbic, funny, cute, clever, perhaps
even charming (to some -- sort of like a Pillsbury
Dough Boy with flair and a clever tongue), perhaps
stylish (in a frumpy, velveteen sort of way). Was
he wronged by a predatory clinger and manipulator,
and a hypocritical social prudery and class power
play (Oscar is no Socrates--that's for sure!)? He
hardly seems worthy, in some ways, of being a poster-boy
for Gay Pride parades. More likely, he is a better
warning poster boy for the self-excusing, and never
take-responsibility-for-your-own-actions crowd.
But this is an incredible piece to read and think
about. There is some of it that is mordantly hilarious.

One of the most famous - and infamous - letters in all of literature, De Profundis is a strange little piece of work: either much more than it appears on the surface, or much less. It is something I think everyone should read, if only for its insight into the human character, particularly that of one under great personal suffering. Wilde wrote this extraordinarily long letter from prison to Lord Alfred Douglas, his friend, lover, and the man who - by all accounts - was the reason Wilde was in jail in the first place. Despite repeated assertions in the first few pages alone to the contrary, Wilde seems reluctant to blame himself. He clearly blames Douglas to the hilt, and harbors a certain bitter resentment towards him. And yet... he clearly still hold much dear affection toward - and even loves - Douglas. He still seems to be asking for forgiveness - despite the fact that, by all accounts hardly excluding his own, he was the man wronged. It is quite clear from reading this letter that, desite the view history holds of him, Wilde was clearly a man of very high moral character. Certainly, one would not put Wilde atop a pedastal as the zenith of ethics - he himself says that morals contain "absolutely nothing" for him, and clearly admits - and is proud of - his having lived the high life to the hilt during his youth - but Wilde was a man of principles, and he stuck to those principles to the tragic, bitter end. Perhaps you might say he carried them too far. One gets the sense in reading this letter - or a biography of Wilde - that, not only could he have stopped his immiment imprisonment, but could have severed his ties with Douglas completely - had he wanted to. Apparently, he had his own utterly compelling reasons for not doing so. Whatever the case, Oscar Wilde is one of the most fundamentally and perpetually interesting characters in the whole of history. A self-described man of paradoxes - Wilde was subsequently the true essence of his time, while also being far ahead of his time - De Profundis makes for required reading by one of the most endlessly fascinating individuals you'll ever read about, and also provides a startling - indeed, perhaps too much so - insight into human nature.

De Profundis, though long for a letter, is not a long work in the conventional sense. Consequently, as many editions of Wilde's collected works are available, buying this on its own may be deemed questionable. I highly reccommend purchasing a Collected Works of Oscar if you have not done so already - it's well worth the price - but, should you desire to have more compact editions of specific works, an edition such as this will be privy to your needs.

I think that John Poole set a good example for us all to follow.
If we all were as productive and current in our analysis, and furthermore managed to put out tactical and technical advice to our troops in the field, the current conflicts would end sooner with much less casualties.

But wait, we don't need to do that. Because John Poole does this for us. We only need to pick up his latest book and start to apply the tactics that he describes.

I think that John Poole's later books are improving in readability but they still keep that cutting edge of current and life saving advice.

I urge you all to pick up this book and learn.

We need to submit this brilliant book to the Army Chief of Staff's and Marine Corps Commandant's reading lists! John Poole has marked himself as an authority on 4GW, but more specifically and importantly, how to prepare our leaders and units for unconventional tactics which is subset, yet important one, of 4GW. In my day job as a consultant to the U.S. Army on leader development, I get to stay in touch with "the field," leaders that are engaged in this 4th GW struggle, and the ones that have discovered John's Dragon Days (as well as the other titles) have nothing but praise for how it assisted them and their units. I wish we could find a way for the next President to have a session with John Poole on warfare.

"Dragon Days" presents readers an alternative perspective regarding the war on terrorism, it's actors and supporting agents.

Most important, the author offers readers preparing to deploy to Afghanistan, or other theaters where these threats may exist, interesting geo-political perspectives that cannot be presented by intelligence or diplomatic communities due to the potential impact on organizational and national politics. This is not to say that our government is not telling U.S. citizens the truth, or that it is wrong, but the author is able to present his findings w/out the concern of organizational or political blow-back.

Of greatest value are Poole's tactical insights. Poole has presented tactical insights in his past books, such as "The Tiger's Way" (2003, the year the fight in Iraq kicked off) regarding the importance of light infantry tactics in Iraq in lieu of heavy handed artillery barrages, often falling on deaf ears while simultaneously isolating the Coalition from the local population...it is the local population who is truly responsible for turning the tide against the terrorists in Iraq despite what the media and government sources convey.

So, be open-minded and look beyond what the news, media or what confusing watered-down national level reporting says and go outside the box. Staying inside the box keeps one symmetric; this is what our enemies want. Thinking Poole's way takes the reader into the blurry ever-changing world of asymmetry.

Author, John Poole contacted me about his book Dragon Days which rekindled my interest in reviewing. In the past I reviewed one of John Poole's books previously and found his research is very in depth and to the point. Dragon Days is divided into two main sections; the first is about the Chinese and their activities and connections with multiple terrorist groups. The second part discusses in depth the tactics needed to defeat the terrorist groups.
The Chinese have made a mark in this country. One need only pick up an item and it will probably say, "Made in China." What do China and a variety of terrorist groups have connecting them? The answer is China's need for oil and raw materials to maintain their economy and routes to get the supplies shipped to mainland China. China's deals to support the terrorist groups are absolutely amazing. I do not have the space to list all the terrorist groups here; Dragon Days does a great job. The reader will have his eyes opened when you see all the pieces of this Chinese puzzle come together. If one thinks China is not a threat to the United States look at oil prices which are driven up in part by China buying more oil.
The second chapter I found the most interesting is how to fight the terrorist. The United States military has been designed to fight the next global war. The current war in Iraq and future wars will not be big battles but small unit actions. John Poole points out the military have to get out of their vehicles and secure each town one at a time. The author uses illustrations and describes at length how to take control of an area. Urban warfare has many components. The enemy can hide underground in the sewers, on the street level or go fight from top of the buildings. Remember, when Saddam's army melted away from the United States Army and Marines. They accomplished this by throwing away their uniforms and blending back into the city. Urban warfare is the most dangerous and difficult to train for and conduct. Fortunately, Dragon Days points out how to operate in an urban warfare.
Fighting the terrorist in Iraq, Poole points out is more like police work than a military operation. I was somewhat surprised at that until I read further. Poole explains it by talking about interrogation of the suspects, examining a crime scene for evidence, and getting to know the local population. The key is to maintain a presence in the town to build on and with that comes trust and peace.
The United States is always in hurry to get a military action completed, unlike the Chinese and most of the world. Time is on the side of our enemy and they are aware of it. The enemy knows that the longer war drags on in Iraq the sooner people in the United States will want it over with. The author shows how to take the fight to the enemy and use our strengths. John Poole stresses the United States military has to be more unconvential in its tactics.
Dragon Days is an eye opener and it takes a while to sink for the information presented but when it does the reader won't look at Made in China the same. I highly recommend the book.


MAJ (Ret) Eric Shuler NJARNG

I am an infantry officer currently serving on my second tour in Iraq. Dragon Days provides a lot of new and useful information to American Soldiers and decision makers. Using his proven, effective formula, Mr. Poole beings his analysis at the strategic level and works his way down to tactical details. At the strategic level, his estimates and conclusions about the sources of contemporary conflict are disturbing, especially because they are well supported by research and fact. His tactical lessons provide a practical solution to many of the strategic problems he identifies. First, he focuses on developing a new, westernized version of sapper reconnaissance, and then goes into great detail about escape and evasion techniques for both rural and urban environments. Such techniques could prove very valuable to infantry units in the future. Dragon days is already having a positive effect on the soldiers in my unit.

I picked this up on an anonymous recommendation and am now wholeheartedly praising it to anyone who will listen! The author, Craig Canine, has fashioned a page-turning, suspense-filled, dramatic telling of an entreprenuer's struggle, laced with a suprisingly fascinating history of the development of modern agricutlure. Not just for business-school types or farmers, it is a tale well-told and absolutely worthy of the high rankings you are seeing here.

This is one of those rare books that makes you realize that there is a history and great story behind every invention. Mr Canine does an incredible job at showing this to us, as well as the implications that an invention has in the long run. Truly an incredible book. I hope to see more of this authors work!

Today's inventor and entrepreneur faces a difficult series of hurdles on the road from conception to production. In more and more areas, a new obstacle is being added. Due to various economic forces, the number of companies that may purchase or license your patent is decreasing. In some fields two or three giant corporations dominate the market. If they turn you down, and the costs to develop your invention are high, are you locked out of the market?

This book relates the story of how for thirteen years two men, inventor Mark Underwood and his cousin Ralph Langren, a sales and marketing specialist, fought the battle to develop and market their Bi Rotor combine.

If you think all the problems of harvesting grain were solved by Cyrus McCormick's mechanical reaper, this book's review of the history of harvesting will give you a fascinating new picture that your school books did not provide. In one lifetime (McCormick's) farming went from medieval tools to mechanical reapers, and from nine of ten Americans living on a farm to the farmer becoming a minority of the population. Incidentally, McCormick did not invent the basic reaper. But as the book points out, he was "a great inventor, a master salesman, a prophet of mass production, and a robber baron, all rolled into one."

What Kansas dirt farmer Mark Underwood did was to reinvent the combine (a combine is called that because it combines reaping, threshing, and winnowing). He was inspired, as a high school senior when working a summer job, by a drum type mixer used to mix cement, sand, and gravel. For nine years he sketched and turned the idea over in his head. In 1989 he was awarded a $20,000 grant by the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation and was able to build a two-thirds size model.

When testing the first model they quickly discovered a way to clean the grain in the same operation. Other developments, such as the self leveling sieve soon came about. The book details the privations endured for years as they built ever improved prototypes. Finding funding for these prototypes was an unending battle. They approached the big and the small, Ross Perot, John Deere, International Harvester, and Caterpillar. They finally scored by offering limited partnerships to small investors and with a development deal with Caterpillar.

The book is not only loaded with penetrating looks into the progress in agriculture but with looks at the vital relationship between the inventor and the entrepreneur. It points out that when a partnership is formed between the typically passive, compulsive perfectionist inventor and an aggressive, systematic entrepreneur, there is no limit to what can be achieved.

The story of how and why grain elevators came to dominate the landscape is a must read. Also, how grain elevators led to a grain grading system and in turn how this led to futures trading is not only interesting history, but will give you an understanding of some of the headlines in today's financial pages. There is nothing dull in the story of the progression from horses to steam to internal combustion engines and from massive soil compressing wheels to tractor treads that prevent soil compression. (Soil fertility is destroyed by soil compression.)

Equally interesting is the tale of why Ford's highly successful Fordson tractor lost out to the Farmall tractor. Ford froze its design. International Harvester added a practical power takeoff (PTO) mechanism and "power farming" came of age in l924.

The chapters on corn hybrids and weed-killing herbicides are not only informative, but they are a reminder of how changes affecting agriculture worldwide were brought about by individuals obsessed by an idea.

Is the old-fashioned inventor obsolete in the modern high-tech world? Read the book and decide for yourself. An easy read and the many delightful insights into modern agriculture are a reminder that food production is still very much a concern in this age of electronics.

I picked this up on an anonymous recommendation and am now wholeheartedly praising it to anyone who will listen! The author, Craig Canine, has fashioned a page-turning, suspense-filled, dramatic telling of an entrepreneur's struggle, laced with a surprisingly fascinating history of the development of modern agriculture. Not just for business-school types or farmers, it is a tale well-told and absolutely worthy of the high rankings you are seeing here.

_Dream_Reaper_ is a delightful tale of two cousins--a mechanic and a salesman in their endeavors to develop a more compact design for the harvesting combine and market the concept through a sponsor. The struggle of Mark Underwood in creating the Bi-Rotor machinery to reduce grain spillage and parts clutter provides a glimpse into the hardships of inventors. The insightful interpersonal skills of Ralph Lagergren reveal a confidence in not settling for corporate comfort, but in taking a big risk for a big payoff.

In intervening chapters, Canine diverts from the story to introduce the history of harvesting and its mechanization . The reader learns of many fascinating conversation topics, such as the etymology of "tribulation", a patent infringement lawsuit on a reaper that launched Abraham Lincoln's political career, the corn growing experiments of Henry Wallace, or the genetic differences between grains and weeds enabling an aromatic compound to kill the latter without affecting the former. Whether one is interested in agriculture, machinery, history, Canine's prose makes the book a pure joy to read.............