Movies Books

I love Disney world and I love love The Pirates Of The Carribbean! Great if you like both!

I really enjoed the first chapter on how the concept translated into the final product of a ride. Amazing how these things come together. The second chapter comparing the ride throughs between the four parks I found a bit frustrating - hard to really picture it unless you're there (for me). I was more interested in the ride portion than the movie chapter myself. Worth the buy (though I bought it used).

My daughter just loves all the background information. She's very happy with it.

Know this first: I'm a huge fan of all things Disney, especially POTC the ride.

Imagineer Surrell's book is very well-done. This is one of those (along with his earlier work on the Haunted Mansion) that I go to again and again, like watching a favorite movie or listening to a favorite album. Maybe I'll notice on the 50th reading ONE MORE DETAIL I somehow missed...
I especially enjoyed the look at the other parks' version of the ride. Rock on, Jason!

Con: Woulda liked it in HARDCOVER.

Now, as with any OTHER topical subject, some of the info goes out of date the day the book is published, and will continue to "go stale". The 2nd, 3rd, and even talked-about 4th movies are, of course, not included. The much-publicized ride rehabs are not either. This is the same with Jason's earlier Disney's Haunted Mansion book (a good companion piece, by the way). That said, the HM book goes off into a hopeful description of the actually-miserable HM movie, touting it as the best thing since Bela Lugosi. This was written well in advance of the actual public release of the HM movie, I guess, so they were gambling the public would love what turned out to be a huge embarrasment. ( When I need cheering up, I sometimes imagine HM Director Minkoff at what I hope is his new day job, asking people if they want to add a cherry turnover to their order for just 50 cents more ). Okay, here's your soapbox back.

They shouldn't have pushed the HM movie so hard in THAT book.

Not so in THIS book: Because they "got burned" on the HM movie, there's a decidedly less-throat-cramming push for Curse of the Black Pearl, which, of course, in hindsight, they could have laid on thicker, now that the movie has generated some kind of Star-Wars-level cultural shift.

Buy the book. You know you want it.

I know I want more books on CLASSIC Disney attractions, and I only want 'em writ by Jason Surrell. Amen.

As of November, 2006, a newer, updated version of Mr. Surrell's book is now available! Look for the version with the compass rose in the upper right corner of the cover.

Cheers!

Beck

This is definately a winner! Great little gems from Walt Disney's family, closest friends and colleagues. The pictures are equally wonderful. Great candid shots and personal family photos. This man had more character than Mickey Mouse himself!

The pictures were nice. I'm a big Dinsey fan so I pretty much enjoyed this book. It told what people who worked with him thought about him. I gave the book four stars because there were some bad words.

This book is exactly as one would expect by reading the title. It's just quote after quote from people who knew Walt Disney best. I liked that many of his former employees were interviewed. Since I was familiar with some of the animators, imagineers, and actors it made it a more personal thing for me when reading this book. There are also many pictures that show Walt during all the different periods of his life, though the majority of them are during his successful years heading the Disney corporation. I share the sympathy of another reviewer who said that after reading this book they wished they had known Walt Disney. I think a person who really admires the Disney empire will share the same sentiments about the man who dared to dream.

This lavishly illustrated tribute --- first published in 1999 and now released as an oversized trade paperback --- is a must for diehard Disneyites. (Dig the vintage, time-worn color
cover photo of Uncle Walt, with Cousin Oscar clearly in view.) Amy Boothe Green and Howard Green's text is nothing more than quote after quote from Walt's pals, peers, co-stars, family and friends, all of whom (surprise!) praise The Man Who Would Be King. But it's the vast array of black-and-white and color photographs --- many rare and many never-before-seen, all of which are stuffed into the pages --- that make this a winner. Walt as a young boy. Walt as a young man. Walt at play. Walt at work. Walt with family. Walt with friends. Walt with Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. Walt with Hayley Mills. Walt with Shirley Temple. Walt with Annette Funicello, who provides the book's most poignant quote: "When I was first diagnosed with multiple sclerosis ... I thought,. "If Mr. Disney were here, I could ask him what I should do. He would know." And, of course, Walt with the Mouse and the Mouseketeers. Noting goofy here. Except Goofy.

I was very happy while reading this book. I found all the things Walt's aquaintances had to say about him very interesting and credible. Very little seemed sugar coated (as Disney personel seem to be sometimes). I would make the assumption that Walt's personality was portrayed correctly by the many people that knew him. Throughout the course of reading this book I kept thinking about the quote that one amazon reviewer said that made me buy this book in the first place, "makes me wish I knew that man."

Happily, this is an original script/shooting script, not the final filmed version so there are plenty of scenes and lines included here that did not appear in the movie. After reading I have a new appreciation for the subtle, nearly flawless directing and acting in this amazing film. Buy it!

I liked Rushmore for a few reasons. The first is that the soundtrack featured songs by The Who, Cat Stevens and Chet Baker instead of some crappy "alternative" bands. I also liked the big vision that Max Fisher had for himself and the people around him. He risked making a fool out of himself in order to accomplish goals that only he could see. Bill Murray can turn any word into a laugh. I want to read the book.

I dare use the word "quirky," because that usually means "esoteric and/or pedantic." But "Rushmore" manages to be quirky while still being entertaining and heartful. There is real emotional impact in this film, as sharp and hurtful as first love lost. Yet, it remains a brilliant comedy with enough "moments" to make repeated viewings worthwhile. The book only serves as a fond memory of the film, much as the soundtrack. See the movie first, then buy the book to cherish the experience again.

Rushmore, both the script and the movie, are instant classics. The buzz generated is still modest compared to the actual impact. Very fulfilling read. Sic transit gloria.

I identified with the characters in the movie. I know one person wrote an intelligent review saying that the movie seemed too surreal, but in my opinion, though I admit the situation had a surreal feel to it, the characters were extremely realistic. I loved Margaret Yang and the way she was so caught up in success that she lied for a project that was almost bought by NASA.

If you don't like anything else, you have to at least admit that Rushmore is one of the funniest things you have seen or read.

For a book that eventually got made into a Steve McQueen movie I was very surprised by the depth of this book.

McKenna does an excellent job of portraying China in transition, told from the points of view of the sailors on the USS San Pablo and from the missionaries at China Light, people whose world is literally shattered. The first part of the book focuses on the protagonist, Jake Holman, as he learns to adjust to life onboard the tiny San Pablo after having transferred from the Pacific Fleet. Everything is going to be perfect, he is going to have his own engine, his own engine room and be able to run it the way he wants to. Except that's not how it is on the San Pablo - most of the engineering work is done by coolies, cheap contract laborers who make their living by skimming off the ship's supplies. Coolies cook, clean, iron uniforms, swab the decks, maintain the engine and do all of the menial work leaving the crew to drill, and drill and drill and drill. The paper tiger of the San Pablo's small crew and it's three pound cannon is the only force guarding American interests - missionaries, factories, mines and more, this far up the Yangtze and appearances have to be maintained no matter how ultimately ineffective the reality may be.

By the second part of the book the Chinese have seen through it. The armies of Chiang Kai-Shek marching under the "gearwheel" flag of the Kuomintang are marching north towards the Yangtze while Bolshevist forces are working and agitating along the northern banks of the river. At first the coolies start skimming more and more off the top, and then they abandon the ship, running overboard and swimming towards a blockade of sampans that have started to surround and harass the ship every day. China is awakening to a sense of self-identity that had been suppressed for a very long time and the men of the San Pablo are despised relics of the old China, an abused and tortured China with no sense of pride or self-worth.

Perhaps one of the most difficult things for the crew to deal with is the fact that the people they are supposed to be protecting, largely missionaries, are full supporters of the Kuomintang. When the San Pablo is told to stand back and only defend American lives, not American property, it is because of the missionaries who have gone home and lobbied for American non-involvement in China. The reader feels the frustration, anger and demoralization of the crew as they are curtailed repeatedly from executing what is supposed to be their primary purpose - protection of American interests. The Chinese have also learned how to make paper tigers of their own from their Russian advisors and waste no time in churning out propaganda and sometimes outright lies about the San Pablo and their men. There is no place for the men of the San Pablo towards the end of the book - their country has for all intents and purposes abandoned them and there is no place in this new, alien China they find themselves in.


One last thing I will mention is that that most readers will be sent running for a dictionary of mechanical engineering by about fifteen pages in. I learned more about steam and marine engines reading this book than I ever expected to.

The Sand Pebbles is a wonderful, edgy, sweeping, panoramic novel, to be sure, and I highly recommend it for all those reasons. But one aspect of it makes it an unexpectedly valuable historical statement. It concerns the sailors of a US Navy vessel patrolling the upper reaches of China's Yangtze River in 1925 and....

Excuse me? Hello? There were US Navy vessels a thousand miles inside China? In 1925? In the heyday of "isolationism?" During the supposedly minimalist administration of "Silent Cal" Coolidge? Can you imagine the equivalent, were the tables turned: that some foreign power might assert its "right" to protect its expatriate nationals by permanently stationing gunboats on the Ohio between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh? The arrogance of it (and its undoubted cost to the US taxpayer) is staggering.

If highlighting this absurdity was any part of author McKenna's immediate intention, it's not apparent. He was too great an artist to flog any political point-of-vew. But his realism requires him to portray the ambivalence of the sailors on the front line of this policy, the rigidly-repressed doubts of the captain, the hostility of some of the putative beneficiaries, the cheerful advantage taken of it by a few, and the stubborn resistance to alternatives or change everywhere.

"The Sand Pebbles" is an interesting and entertaining novel set in China circa 1925. China is governed by feuding warlords, and its foreign trade is dominated by foreign "treaty powers" including the USA, Japan, and the leading European nations, all of which maintain strong naval and marine forces in China to maintain their positions and protect foreign persons and property.

The novel takes place on an obsolete, barely functioning American river gunboat, the "San Pablo," known to her crew as the "Sand Pebble." The protagonist, Jake Holman, is an engineer-crewman aboard the Sand Pebble. Jake has a passion for mastering the ship's engines, but initially is frustrated by the fact that aboard the Sand Pebble each American sailor has a Chinese coolie understudy who in fact does almost all of the work aboard ship. The Sand Pebble crewmen have delegated almost all of the ship's routine to a shadow crew of Chinese coolies, and do very little actual work. Jake's frustration with the coolie-understudy system and his attempt to fit in with the Sand Pebble crew are part of the main theme of the novel.

The real story of "The Sand Pebbles" is, however, the emergence of China as a modern nation. The Kuomantang Chinese Nationalist movement is becoming ascendant in China as the novel unfolds, and it seeks to sweep away foreign influence, and the warlord system that has kept China weak and divided. The officers and crew of the "Sand Pebble," in common with the other foreign military forces, must deal with this new movement, which seeks to change Old China, which had seemed eternally unchangeable. The slow understanding by the foreigners, including the Sand Pebble, that this change is real and something that must be dealt with, is the real story in the novel.

Author McKenna does a masterful job of presenting China as it was in the 1920s, together with life in the American gunboat navy of those times. This is a novel rich with detail and atmosphere. Both the American and Chinese protagonists are presented with dignity and insight, making this a very interesting read. While the storyline of crewman Holman is interesting enough, this is only an excuse to tell the real story--the transformation of China.

This novel will reward the patient reader. I personally found it engrossing and entertaining. Recommended.

Some weeks ago, I was playing channel flip on the telly, and came across an old movie on a cable station. Happily, I caught it at just the begining, and settled in to watch this tale of American Navy men aboard a rickety gunboat in China. In fact, I was interested enough to find a copy of the book that the film was based on and happily settled in to read.

The Sand Pebbles tells the story of the San Pablo, a creaky, none too sturdy gunboat from the Spanish-American war cruising the rivers and lakes in Hunan Province in China. Much like the boat, the crew isn't much too look at either; under the command of Lt. Collins, they're a rough lot, at the very bottom of the barrel. Into this world comes Jake Holman, another American seaman, who has come to the San Pablo to find a place where he can fit in, without the annoyance of the petty demands that the Navy sets on their crewmen.

As Holman finds out very quickly, he doesn't fit in very well at first. For one thing, there's the system of letting the local chinese coolies do all of the work, while the crew merely sits back and, well there's a lot of topside drills. Holman hates it, being one of those sorts who would rather be with his beloved engines than around other people. It's a trait that instantly sets him apart from everyone else in the crew. They don't care what's going on, just so long as they don't have to do much, have good chow and clean quarters, with on board coolies to do the laundry and give daily shaves, and liberty now and then. They grumble a bit, but it's friendly jibbing -- they know they have it good here, with a fine soft perch, and are collectively known as the Sand Pebbles.

But Holman -- it's not so good. He almost immediately gets into a fight with the coolie who is running the black gang in the engine room, with consequences that will have much more serious repercussions later. He takes another coolie, Po-Han, who has promise, trying to teach him the inner workings of the ship's engines, but a lack of communication skills make it nearly impossible. Holman struggles to fit in, but it not easy.

We also get to met other crewmen, from Frenchy Burgoyne who is smitten by a delicate Chinese girl that he could never marry; Red Dog Shanahan, perpetual troublemaker and wise-mouth; Lynch, one of the petty officers with a Russian woman tucked away in Hankow. Finally there are the missionaries at China White, a nearby religious outpost. Holman is attracted to Miss Eckart, a young woman that he is drawn to despite the deep wide of culture and morality that separates them. For a while, everything seems to be settling in place, but all too soon, revolution is growing and soon the San Pablo will be right in the middle of it all.

I have to say, I was really impressed with the book. Author Richard McKenna takes the time to create a world that is very alien to most of his readers, and his own knowledge from serving with the US Navy gives the details of living on board a gunboat an authentic flavour. While many readers will be offended by the slang and abuse that is very misogynist and racist, it also brings forward a past that most of us never knew. McKenna is simply writing about the world as it was at the time -- where other nations and races were viewed with outright suspicision and no one worried much if such terms as 'slant eye,' 'Slopehead' or 'chink' was hurled about. But McKenna is also careful in how he does it as well -- the reader will find themselves being rather unsettled as they read, and left to decide for themselves if times have really changed much in the last forty years since this novel was published. In any case, it is certainly a very good read, with plenty of introspection, action, and the day to day lives of men who are being forced into a untenable situation and one that may have no survivors.

I recommend this one for any one interested in military history, China in the 1920's, or just want a good story about bravery and heroism in a desperate time.

In this new edition, Robert Shenk provides an introduction that talks about Richard McKenna's own adventures serving in China with the US Navy, his attempts to write after leaving military service (he wrote science fiction at first), and then the experiences that brought around writing The Sand Pebbles. The book is now published by the Naval Institute Press as a Bluejacket Edition, a collection of books that focus on naval and military subjects.

It really doesn't matter about your attitudes about war with this one; instead it focuses on the people who work hard and serve, sometimes in awful places and situations and explore their lives and thoughts, and how they survive. It's just about a five star read, and I was left with quite a few questions and thoughts myself once I had finished it. It's a very different sort of novel than what is being published today, without the hyperaggressive macho of most military thrillers today, and one that feels and sounds realistic.

Five stars. Highly recommended.

Old China Hand had a meaning during the early 20th Century. Jake Holman, primary American character of this book is an old China hand. He's a sailor on an American gunboat, a part of the multi-national forces cruising the interior waters of a China in the throes of unrest, warlordism, rebellion, turbulence and chaos created by the downfall of the Manchu Dynasty and the Boxer Rebellion.

Jake's navy is one that resembles the post-WWII US Army in most of Asia prior to Vietnam in some ways. Asians do the unpleasant and difficult chores as houseboys and other types of assistants, to the point of imposing a dependence on them and degradation of competence of the Americans. Those who love Chinese history, those who love historical fiction, those who served in the Far East and remember, almost anyone can appreciate this classic work of (greater than) historical fiction.

This book is one you'll read more than once, probably see the movie and love it, and read the book again without feeling the least letdown. It's a gripping tale of an almost forgotten time in history. I recommend it thoroughly, whatever your reason for reading it.

I have loved this since I was a kid. I only have it on tape (I'm old). Once you get used to the actors and once you stop trying to compare it to the movie, you will like it.

The only scene I hate is the one where Vader is torturing Leia. It is laughable. Actually, you should listen to it because I guarantee you will laugh it is so poorly done.

I remembered listening to this production on NPR when I was a kid and now that my own children have discovered Star Wars I decided to share this version with them on a recent trip to visit grandma. We loved it! The Star Wars story is expanded and the writing and voice acting is so well done that it will keep the kids and adults entertained. Our trip seemed almost too short because we enjoyed listening so much.

Don't waste money on a DVD player in the car. Stories like this one are much more entertaining and leave the special f/x to the imagination.

I recently wrote a review for the Return of the Jedi adaption on NPR which I gave a mere three stars. I cited poor directing, acting and lack of added material.

These complaints cannot be levelled against this, the first of the NPR dramatisations.
The acting is spot on, with Perry King providing a rougher verion of Solo that goes over well, as opposed to the next two adaptions where it begins to grate. Mark Hamil and Anthony Daniels are naturally perfect at the characters that defined them for a decade and more after the original trilogy finished. Bernard Behrens does a surprisingly good Ben Kenobi, and Brock Peters likewise with Vader. They are not Alec Guinness and James Earl Jones, but they're good enough not to cause problems.

The direction is great, and I never found myself noticing the obvious radio 'cues' which tell the listener what is happening. THe music and sound effects are good and the pacing is not rushed, unlike ROTJ.

And as for added material? Deducting front and end credits gives us roughly five and a half hours, nearly triple the length of the film. The vast wealth of extra material is great and never seems out of place.

In all I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in the Star Wars original trilogy.

In 1981, the phenomenally popular movie Star Wars was adapted into a radio drama. The series ran as 13 half-hour episodes. This being about three times as long as the movie, a lot of extra scenes were added, especially back stories for many of the characters. The only actors from the movie that reprised their roles from the movie were Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker and Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, but most of the actors taking over the other roles do a good job. Most Star Wars fans will probably enjoy this.

I have fond memories of myself eagerly awaiting each installment of this fantastic radio drama adaptation of the original "Star Wars" film back when it aired originally in 1981. Brian Daley did an excellent job via his superb scripts giving us more details of the relationships between Luke Skywalker and his Tatooine friend Biggs Darklighter and between Princess Leia and her father on Alderaan. We also learn here how Princess Leia obtained the technical plans for the Death Star. Both Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels give superb performances of their screen characters, Luke Skywalker and C3PO respectively. However, the rest of the cast is just as fine with a fine - if somewhat restrained - Darth Vader voiced by Brock Peters and Ann Sachs as Princess Leia. Both the sound effects by Ben Burtt and of course the original film score by John Williams are absolutely splendid. This is a spellbinding radio drama that should appeal to diehard fans of "Star Wars".

"Birdy" is a novel with a shared narrative; on the one hand there is Al, and on the other there is Birdy himself. This is one of the specificities of the book. Birdy as a character is quite interesting in his weirdo/loner/genius/freak kind of personality, and because of the divided narration, you get both the outer and inner approach on his obsession, birds, and flying.

On the whole, this is a very readable book, and quite enjoyable. Not a page is a bore and one cannot get enough of Birdy's featherly obsession and how far it will go.

However, the ending left me rather unsatisfied. I thought it starkly contrasted with the rest of the novel and didn't live up to everything that came before; as if something deep was ended on a joke.

Another critic concerns the back of the book, where you find the following words: "While fighting in World War II, they find their dreams become all too real - and their lives are changed forever." Well, that gave me the idea that these two friends would end up fighting together in Europe or something and the birdness of Birdy would come into play. Contrary to those lines, there is very little concerning World War II - although there are a few pages of Al's warring, there is almost nothing of Birdy's. So do not put too many hopes there. I never really trust blurbs, but I still find it stunning that so many of them tell things that are just wrong.

This being said, and excluding the ending (of which I'm not too hot but in general, not the final lines, which aren't so bad), this is a good read. I never was all that crazy about birds, but this novel was very informative as far as canaries are concerned; and bird life in general. The psychological aspects of Birdy (whose real name I don't think ever comes up, which I like because it's as if his birdness erased his human identity) are also of interest; for instance, Birdy prefers birds to people, he even fantasises sexually about birds rather than girls. It's fantastically weird.

"Birdy" has been often compared to such novels as Heller's Catch-22, the tendency for the book to be read as a war novel was strengthened by the movie based on the novel in 1985, directed by Alan Parker, which moved the time of its action to the days of the Vietnam War. The book, however, concentrates on the issues of adolescence, growing up, and reaching maturity.
"Birdy" tells a story of two friends Al and Birdy who met in pre-war Philadelphia and who friendship survives the war when Al is invited to a mental ward where Birdy is kept after his traumatic war-time experiences which which brought about his mental-breakdown. The reader becomes gradually acquainted with their adventures in flash-backs and witnesses Birdy re-awakening.
The book rings true both a nostalgic description of the pre-war working class US which no longer exists, a chronicle of friendship and a description of mental disorder. Must read - you can follow the reading with the movie and there is Peter Gabriel's CD to accompany the novel!

The book is best described as "bird-y", like it's title. Whoever reads it will understand what I mean. In the center of the story stands an eccentric, introverted boy called Birdy, who's entire life is driven by an obsession with birds, and a dream - to fly and be free. The book opens with Birdy in a military mental hospital, traumatized by his experiences in WWII. His childhood friend, Al, has been called over to try and bring Birdy back to reality. At a loss of what to do, Al begins telling Birdy stories from their childhood, and recounting all the adventures they lived through together. Through Al's narrations and the remembrances they trigger in Birdy, the fascinating story of a most unlikely friendship unfolds. Al is a handsome, athletic Italian girl-chaser, with an abusive father and an obsessive need to prove himself. Birdy on the other hand, is a wild spirit. You can sense throughout the story how he feels caged, and reveres the birds he sees to be free. He constucts an aviary and raises canaries in his bedroom, studying them, learning their language, getting to know each one personally, and losing himself in their world. The descriptions of the canaries are so intense that the reader himself feels as though they are human, or he is a bird. Birdy is an amazing character - brave, self confident, a mechanical genius, who struggles to fit himself into human life, but who's mind works in a completely different way than anyone else's. The book tells the extraordinary story of the two friends, and is simply a pleasure to read and a refreshing change from the conventional.

I've read a lot of books in my day, but Birdy is easily one of the most memorable. A traumatized World War II veteran trapped in a VA hospital stays sane solely through his preternaturally detailed recollections of raising canaries as a teenager--and through the perfect loyalty of his closest friend.

Wharton's better known World War II novel, A Midnight Clear, comes nowhere near this one in terms of originality and emotional truth.

Birdy is a beautifully written, most unclassifiable story, unsentimental, sometimes painful, but extraordinarily life-affirming and imagination-affirming. Some day it will be recognized as a genuine classic of American fiction.

Thats right. One of the best books I have ever read. I have already purchased some 5 copies for my friends - to share the beauty of the book with them too. Its a masterpiece.

The depth of description about a bird, and its daily life, is described here in a way I have come across before. But thats not what its all about. There are many concepts discovered here, and it makes the reader ponder. Issues such as war, friendship, love, dreams, insanity and sanity.

I especially got involved in Birdy's dream. I am a bit of a dreamer too. He goes onto explore the fact that maybe we living now, is a dream. And the dream that both you and I will have tonight, is actually our real life. I liked this view.

Buy the book, its very much out of the ordinary, and I hope you really enjoy it as much as I did! Happy Reading!

This is without doubt the best of all Star Trek stories, both in film and in print. It touches on many grand philosophical, scientific, and technological themes: machine intelligence (both in Commander Data and in the Borg), space-time engineering (the first time humanity has done this, via the efforts of Zefram Cochrane), the first contact from an alien civilization (the arrival of the Vulcans), the confrontation with true history (meeting Cochrane and finding out just who the man really was), and the ethics of highly advanced civilizations (the contrast between the Borg and humanity). This book and the film will without a doubt inspire many a young reader to take up the practice of science, and thus it will do the best job of all. Science fiction has the habit of coming true sometimes, but it also has the fault of underestimating. The future of humanity, as exemplified by the Star Trek crew of the year 2367, is a grand one to contemplate, but the true future will be much better: a world populated by humans and machines striving to be the best they can be; a future that is never static, for stagnation to intelligent life is an abomination. We will do genetic engineering of humans, to be the best we can be; we will do space-time engineering, to travel beyond any immediate confines; we will create intelligent machines, to be our friends and allies. All of these things we will do, and much more. Humans and all other lifeforms, organic or not, will be very different in the time frame set in this novel. But they will be restless, ambitious, and always yearning for more understanding, for more insight, for more knowledge: these traits will characterize the beings of the 24th century...and beyond.

"And you people...you're all astronauts on some kind of...star trek?"

That line, uttered by Dr. Zephram Cochrane in both movie and novelization, has to be my all time favorite from the Trek film series. The most interesting difference between movie and book, as far I am concerned, is that despite James Cromwell's fine performance I found the film's Zephram Cochrane incredibly annoying. I never developed a shred of sympathy for him, because the background the film gave me - the Third World War and its chaotic aftermath - wasn't sufficient to make me understand him. I don't know, not having seen the script from which J.M. Dillard worked, whether she added "Zef" Cochrane's tragic battle with bipolar disorder (a disease that before the War had an effective treatment), or if it was among the elements that inevitably got cut as the film took shape. But I do know that for me, it made all the difference in being able to care about this character and root for him.

The book follows the film with little filler added except for background on Lily Sloane and Zephram Cochrane, which gives it a similar pace. They complement each other well.

As usual, J.M. Dillard does a fine job of remaining true to the source material, while still elaborating on it. The story is an excellent one, with plenty of action and plenty of interesting science-fiction concepts for the more thoughtful to consider. It gives us a bit more insight into the "future history" between the near-collapse of civilization and the beginning of the Federation that has been hinted at but rarely detailed in various episodes of Star Trek, in various generations of series.

The plot and characterization are both excellent and the writing is fluid and professional. The book is a pleasure to read.

This is, of course, the novelization of the highly successful Star Trek: The Next Generation film of the same name. First Contact refers not to first contact with the Borg, for, six years later, Picard still bears the mental scars of his assimilation in the form of Locutus, but to Earth's first contact with an alien civilization. It is a story that had yet to be told, although Captain Kirk and his crew had met the extraordinarily old Zefram Cochrane, inventor of the warp drive, in an episode of the original series; additionally, there had been hints that this pivotal event in human history took place some time after a terrible Third World War on Earth.

As the story begins, the Borg have attacked the Federation, with one of their massive cube ships making a bee-line for Earth herself. Picard and the new Enterprise-E starship defy Starfleet orders and rush to the battle, after which they follow a small Borg ship through a time portal which takes them back to 21st-century Earth. The Borg plan is to destroy the Phoenix, the spacecraft which Zefram Cochrane launches and, by way of its successful warp drive test, captures the attention of a Federation scout ship. If that pivotal event does not happen, the Federation we all know and love will never come to be. While half of the senior staff is planet-side trying to make sure the Phoenix launch happens on schedule, the rest of the crew find themselves battling a Borg infestation onboard the Enterprise herself. Data is captured, Picard is in danger of letting his hatred of the Borg overrule logic and reason, and we get to meet the Borg Queen. Personally, I've always felt that the introduction of the Borg Queen was a disservice to the greatest Star Trek villains of them all. The Borg Queen is a complete contradiction that introduced a level of individual vulnerability into a collective that was, up until this time, faceless and seemingly invulnerable.

This is an impressive novelization of the film, making it a worthwhile read to those of us who are already familiar with the onscreen story. In particular, it provides a great deal of insight into the erratic nature of Zefram Cochrane himself; in the movie, he came across as basically a drunk, but the novelization does a much better job of explaining his behavior. That alone makes this novel a natural and extremely beneficial corollary to the movie.

Star Trek First Contact by J.M. Dillard was an excellent book. it showed emotion, fear, dispair, and anger. IT was a well written book considering it was made after the movie. I encourage all Star Trek fans to read this book and watch the movie.

Being a fan of JAG I was surprised and excited when I found out there was a TV Tie-In book for the series. I promptly ordered the book and wasn't quite sure what to expect, having read a fair amount of Tie-Ins that were nothing like the series they portrayed. Happily, I was well pleased with my choice!

I feel that Robert Tine really captured the feel of an episode of JAG. The characters were well-drawn and right on par with the ones I've grown to love through the show. The dialogue and thought processes of the characters were spot-on except for Harm's penchant to revert to heavy cursing -- something I felt was completely out of character for someone who is so good at expressing himself.

The action was fast paced and exciting, I was kept guessing and completely immersed until the very end. This story line would certainly make a wonderful episode of JAG -- one I'd love to see. There was just enough humor thrown in -- namely Harm being shifted from one place to another -- to lighten the mood while still advancing the plot.

Mr. Tine also captured the chemistry of Harm and Mac perfectly -- right down to the way they play so well off one another. And as a bonus -- Harm even gets to fly! That, in my opinion, is always a plus!

There were a few disappointments such as one quite confusing place where some sentences seemed to have been left out of a pretty important scene and there were a few typos spattered throughout that could have been caught through tighter proofreading.

I was sad to note the absence of a picture section toward the middle as I've seen in other TV Tie-Ins -- it would have made a nice addition to the book.

All that aside, I still rate this book 5 stars because it kept my attention as well as the actual program does and the fact that I will read this book again. Mr. Tine certainly did his research, I could actually see the actors who play these parts in my head as I read.

Despite the few errors and the brief slip-up on Harm's character it was a good, solid read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I'm completely looking forward to the next JAG novel by Robert Tine -- Clean Steel -- and hope that there are plans for other Tie-In novels for this spectacular television program.

Great stroy and a suprise twist at the end

I found this book to be very fun to read. I am a JAG lover and felt that Mr. Tine, expressed the characters true to how they are shown on TV. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read or lover of JAG.

The story is exciting and would be a wonderful base for an episode of JAG ( next season perhaps *hinthint*'Cleverness and fairness of the JAG lawyers are shown with much perfection. Some well hidden, but deep friendship showing moments, are given, too. *shipperheartbeatinghere*
A big must for all the JAG Fans out there :)

The book is very good. It stays true to the series. This story would make a good episode.

Basically it is a mix between the original 2 scripts for the movie, making it pretty much twice as awesome!

Those random small things that left you hanging in the movie such as where does the Left Knocker lead?

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Ah, another George Lucas movie. Well now its a awesome book. I personally love it as much as Star Wars. Its a strange tale, of a strange girl, who gets trapped in a strange land....wow, does that sound familiar. This is my favourite book! I love it more than Interveiw with the Vampire! and thats alot of love!

If you liked the movie, then you'll love this book. I bought a mint condition copy for about seventy dollars last year, and I couldn't be happier with it.

Like the movie, the book tells of a young girl draw into a fantasy world by her own overactive imagination in order to save her little brother, who has been stolen by the goblin king, who says he is only seeking favor in her eyes, and seems to have fallen in love with her.

The book follows the storyline of the movie exactly, but offers more insight into the characters thoughts and actions. I can remember in particular that the ballroom scene was quite staggeringly more descriptive. A wonderful book, worth the price; espescially if you can find one in good condition.

this book is worth every penny... its a story about a day dreaming girl who wishes her little brother to a land of goblins castles and of course the labyrinth. if you dont want to spent 50 dollars on this book you CAN GET IT FOR FREE.. just google it and youll find the transcript of the book that you can print out and read.. its not like having the book... but its way cheaper..

gosh, i was six when i first saw the movie! now that i'm eighteen makes no difference how i love this enchanting story.

smith brings the story up to another level, as he dwelves deeper into sarah's feelings... and also jareth's. the chemistry between the two is undeniable. i would like to think that in another situation both of them would be together, albeit the fact that she's mortal and he a goblin prince.

smith's writing is of course, very detailed and deep, and he tries to explain all the different meanings and reads between the lines of the movie. he has us vying for the king, and rooting for the good guys, too. he makes us want jareth to have a happy ending, and perhaps one with sarah. he makes us want to see the movie.

well, maybe the movie IS old, and the special effects kind of horrid by today's standards, but truth be, enchantments are timeless.

I came home from a production of The Lion King staged in Appleton, Wisconsin, and was so enthralled I immediately set out to find out "How did they do that?" This book met and exceeded by expectations. I am an amateur costumer and puppeteer and this just the stuff to bring a smile to my face. Before this book I was not aware of Julie Taymor by name (Sorry, from a small town, don't get out much) but I will be looking for her work from now on.

...is seeing the show live. From intellectual concept, to extensive and authentic research, to development with constant referral to the physical, metaphysical, intrinsic, to the workshop...to the stage. One will see that Julie Taymor was THE RIGHT visionary to not only help in the translating an animated film to live theater, but to also retain the human moral behavior and lessons that are paramount for the existence of all people.

This book shows the "creation story" of the Lion King musical. Photos of the workshopping teams in their studio/s, sketches of early ideas, through to finished costuming displayed on the artists themselves.

A pity this book was not available in Australia, but thanks to Amazon I received it in about 3 weeks total.

I have seen the stage production of the Lion King twice--in Toronto and East Lansing, MI. Vendors offered a souvenir photo brochure for $20. For only a few dollars more, I purchased Julie Taymor's book from Amazon describing one of the most amazing creative achievements I have ever seen. Get the book! See the show!

The Lion King on broadway is by far the best most amzing show ever created. Whats so amazing is that the book is as good as the musical. Without Julie Taymor the lion king would not be such a huge success as it is and you find all about this in the book. Some of the pictures of the show itself and the costumes are just wonderful which makes the presentation of the book even more wonderful. I dont even read books but am findin it very hard to put this down and read it over and over again. If you require any info, or are just curious email me simba262626@yahoo.com to discuss this amazing book.