Glenn Ford Books

Absolutely hilarious! Makes me want to listen to the radio broadcast all over again.

These authors take you through the 5-book Trilogy (although they mostly focus on the first 3 books) in a series of essays. They are all light hearted, but some of them are more serious that others. It also includes a great interview of Douglas Adams from the 80s.

I had a lot of fun with the book and remembering my favorite scenes. The essays also helped me see different interpretations of the actions of the characters. I recommend it for the bookshelf of any H2G2 fan!

The book covers tons of details, from how important food is to the series, to computer design, the meaning of life, the meaning of 42, Marvin's place in the universe, Vogon poetry and even British humor. At under 199 pages, this tiny book seems to cover a lot, but I feel they could have done so much more. There is so much to debate and think about when it comes to Adam's universe that this book barely peeled off the first layer of the massive tome. But maybe we should leave some mystery for future readers to find and enjoy on their own?
To list just SOME of the contributors whose work is within these pages we have Stephen Baxter, Susan Sizemore and Adam Roberts.

Twenty essays make up The Anthology at the End of the Universe and each author basically tries to tell us what is so important about the 5 book Hitchhiker's Guide trilogy. It's sort of like the old joke about the blind men each trying to describe an elephant when they each had only a small piece of the animal in their grip. No one essay can be expected to give you a definitive answer as to what the Hitchhiker's Guide is truly about or what Douglas Adams' message was when he wrote it. What the essays do is give you an understanding of why the books are so popular and how so many people have found a place for them in their lives and hearts.

Some of these essays had me laughing out loud so that I had to read those parts to my husband to prove I hadn't really gone off the deep end. Other's had me wondering about how you could come up with such serious connections from a series of comedic science fiction books. Then there were the essays that had me saying, "hmm, never thought of that". And of course, being me, there were the essays that had me sniffling discreetly into a tissue. There's a lot to like in this collection of essays. However, they are essays rather than short stories and if you're looking for the latter this book is not for you.

Mike Byrne in "Beware of the Leopard", Cory Doctorow in "Wikipedia: A Genuine H2G2 - Minus the Editor, and Bruce Bethke in " The Secret Symbiosis: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Its Impact on Real Computer Science" talk about the impact that Hitchhiker's Guide has had on computer science, computer interface design, the internet as a communications media, and the impetus it was in starting many young people on a career in the sciences. The Guide in the television version, while done with colored gels and press on letters was heads and shoulders above what computers at the time were capable of achieving. Once people saw what a really good user interface could be like they demanded better than they had and the computer companies listened. In some ways, we have Douglas Adams to thank for the usability of computers because once users began to think there could be something better they demanded it.

Others see the Hitchhiker's Guide as a round about way to think of the truly important things in life: religion, humor, 42, looking at the world as it is. The following essays dealt more with the philosophical aspects of the books: "That About Wraps it up for Oolon Colluphid" by Don Debrandt; "The Holy Trilogy" by Selina Rosen (this one is so funny it should have a spew alert); "The Zen of 42" by Marie-Catherine Caillava.

No book about the Guide could be complete without a mention of Vogon poetry. Lawrence Watt-Evans in "A Consideration of Certain Aspects of Vogon Poetry" discusses the merits of quantifying poetry so that the Guide can equivocally say that Vogon poetry is the third worst. He also wonders about Arthur's seeming immunity to it.

Adam Roberts in "42" and Jacqueline Carey in "Yes, I Got It" discuss the philosophy of humor and its place in our lives. While Susan Sizemore in "You Can't Go Home Again, Damn It! Even If Your Planet Hasn't Been Blown Up by Vogons" realizes that the person she was when first exposed to the Guide and the person she is now do not view the Guide in the same way. Even with all the happy memories of that first reading, she finds that it doesn't have the same impact now as it did then.

Food, food, glorious food. Douglas Adams loved a good meal especially with good friends and food plays an important role in the Hitchhiker's Guide. The role of food is touched upon by Steven Baxter in "Lunching at the Eschaton: Douglas Adams and the End of the Universe in Science Fiction", A.M. Dellamonica in "Digital Watches May Be a Pretty Neat Idea, But Peanuts and Beer Are What Get You Through the Apocalypse".

When the world or universe is off kilter or just plain crazy, how do you remain sane when all about you are crazy? Well, some writers have evidently come up with some ideas on how to remain sane in a crazy world from their reading of the Guide: "The Subversive Dismal Scientist: Douglas Adams and the Rule of Unreason" by Vox Day; "Another Fine Mess" by Adam Troy Castro; "The Only Sane Man in the Universe" by Marguerite Krause; "Douglas Adams and the Wisdom of Madness" by John Shirley; and "Loop-Surface Security: The Image of the Towel in a Vagabond Universe - A Semiotic (Semi-Odd) Excursion" by Mark W. Tiedemann.

There's also an interview with Douglas Adam by John Shirley ("A Talk with Douglas Adams"). Amy Berner in "Words to Live " talks about how everything she needed to learn to life live she learned from the Hitchhiker's Guide. "Goodnight, Marvin" by Maria Alexander is the final essay in the book and a touching tribute to Douglas as a person who touched many of our lives with his writing.

This book is nothing short of captivating. The author provides brief explanatory narratives to connect entries from Edwards' diaries, beginning with flight training, then combat in North Africa, and the early post-war years in America.

Just ferrying his airplane from the States to North Africa was a big adventure, considering the rather primitive nature of navigation aids and weather forecasts in that era.

Combat in Africa and Italy is described in detail, some of it surprising. For example, a military advance had a down side. Moving forward to a newly captured air field meant that the American aviators were subjected to more ground attacks by German aircraft.

The second half of the book covers the early post-war years, when American factories were building new airplanes almost faster than the Air Force could flight test them. Many exotic, one-of-a-kind vehicles are described here.

To some extent, the reader has a sense of foreboding at this point, knowing that this story is destined to end as unhappily as the maiden voyage of the Titanic. Yet this knowledge serves to accentuate the daily events described here.

There are many memorable tidbits in this book, such as tales of a man who actually intimidated Chuck Yeager!

Glen Edwards is portrayed in these pages as so heroic, embodying so many virtues, yet so modest and unassuming. This is someone you would want to know and to spend time with. Through this book, you can.

"The amount of reseach Ford wove into Glen Edwards: The Diary of a Bomber Pilot" is remarkable. The result is a wonderfully readable tale of one man's contribution to freedom and flight. Nice to 'know" such a man as Edwards and to have Ford, a historian/author who brought him back to life."

I can't put this book on Glen Edwards down! God, I hope he makes it thru North Africa because I think I've fallen in love with him. What a can-do kinda guy. So positive -- capturing the essence of each place so well.

This book makes him live again.

A superb book about Glen Edwards. I thoroughly enjoyed and empathized with his career. The pace was like reading a literary version of Ravel's "Bolero" with the crescendo building to the final flight. The description of the crash was wrenching, superb.

A pilot's read! Bravo Zulu!

Paul M. (USN Ret.)

Probably the best book on the subject of the Model A Ford. In depth coverage of even the smallest detail of these cars.

The quality of the book is perfect. Of course the content is very well written and the pictures are very cool!

This book is a "keeper" for anyone with an interest in the Ford Model "A". All of the various body styles from 1928 to 1931 are covered in detail. High quality photos accompany descriptions of both "standard" and "optional" features found on each body style. Kudos to the author and the photographer for a high quality book.

As an owner of a recently restored Model A this book is a MUST. Contained in it are all the fine points regarding the various body types and accessories. No wonder this book serves as a primer for the expert judging of Model A's.

I have read a lot of books about early aviation and especially Glenn Curtiss, and Mr. Carpenter's book is among the best. It has been very helpful to me to put the entire chronology of the Wright brothers and Curtis and the development of flight in perspective because of the way he organizes his information. This book is most helpful when read AFTER a Curtiss biography, such as Roseberry's book on Curtiss.

Pendulum is written for the serious student of early aviation history. Unlike most stories that focus on the Wright brothers' struggles before Dec. 17, 1903, this book delves into what happened AFTER Kitty Hawk.

In 1908 Glenn Curtiss won the Scientific American Magazine trophy for the first public flight in America. It was he, not the Wright brothers, who received instant fame and glory. He built and sold civilian airplanes while they focused on a single sale to the American, British or French Army.

The book explains how early chronicles touted Glenn Curtiss, not the Wrights, as the pioneer of aviation. Thousands of Curtiss JN-4 "Jennys" were used to train WW-I pilots. Today the pendulum has swung to the opposite extreme. Few people know of Curtiss, inventer of the flying boat and father of naval aviation, but everyone has seen the photo of Orville Wright's famous "First Flight" at Kitty Hawk.

In a sometimes dry account, Jack Carpenter meticulously compares step-by-step progress of the three men, with more rare photos than any other book. He tells how they were influenced by Alexander Graham Bell, inventer of the telephone, and Henry Ford, the father of mass produced automobiles.

Having studied the lives of all three men, I think Pendulum is the only book that gives an unbiased account of the bitter patent lawsuit that delayed the growth of American aviation for 10 years.

This is a great book. Ron Galella took very chic, very flattering black and white photos of STARS when the world actually had STARS - not the tabloid trash that we have today. Great printing and art direction - a classic.

Christopher Makos is truly "top notch!" (love that silly old term!) He has captured all of ANDY WARHOL here! Thanks Chris! I would love to sit down over dinner sometime! Your stories must be true treasures!
:-p

This book provides an in-depth review of the development of the original Classic T-Bird and also dispels certain myths surrounding the Early Birds. It also provides excellent detail photographs for the restorer or enthusiast to use as reference in putting their Bird in order. A must have addition to the Early Bird enthusiast's book shelf.

I have owned this book for about 16 or 17 years. It is a fine reference piece, but it should not be compared to current Thunderbird books. There are scores of close-up photographs that show the finer points of Thunderbirds, from the Volumatic Radio to the SwingAway Steering Wheel. The black and white photos do not in any way detract from the history or technological correctness of everything that is presented. If you need color photographs then look elsewhere. If you want well-researched data and wonderful close-ups, then this is the book for you. The book itself is a collector's item because of its period correctness and the fact that when it was published there was no other book that could come close to it in lavishness or completeness. I think that still holds true today.

This book has a lot of good information on 1955 thru 1966 Thunderbirds. Although not complete with respect to information on every aspect of a concours restoration, and hindered by mostly black and white photos of the details of each year, it is still an excellent resource for anyone restoring a 1966 or older Thunderbird. It is especially good for those interrested in the two seaters from 55 - 57. This is a good book for the Tbird owner as well as those who just plain love what is probably the most innovative and trend setting car of the post war era. A must have for any Thunderbird lover.

For a T-Bird restoration enthusiast, this book is an amazing resource. The pictures are mostly in black and white. Color would've made it '5-stars'. Nontheless, without a shadow of doubt the book itself is truly a T-Bird lover's collector item. There is a great lot of detail on the A-40 (1954-1957) models. Since I'm doing a 1957, it truly works for me.

If you've liked previous editions, you'll enjoy this one, too. Same formula, and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of human-interest stories from the sports world. Choosing a favorite or two is tough, but I love the bittersweet ones, such as about one of baseball's great "bonus baby" players who never panned out, or about the insane distance bicycle racer.

I'm delighted to see an article from a blog breaking through the "print barrier" in the series. I'm a little disappointed that so many stories came from the NY Times, as well as a couple of plain things from the Washington Post. A little more edge and a little less conventionality has been nice in other editions.

The 1999 edition of "The Best American Sports Writing" has plenty of moments that will enthrall avid sports fans and even those less avid who merely like a good story. The series is a national treasure, which collects the best sports related writing every year and puts it into a single easy-to-read volume. The sports included run the gamut from the traditional team sports of baseball and football to more extreme examples like mountaineering. The main requirement for inclusion is great writing, and that's wht this series delivers consistently.

The best articles in the 1999 edition include Thomas Boswell's account of Cal Ripken's voluntary stoppage of his historic games played streak, Steve Friedman's biographical article on tormented 2nd generation professional bowler Pete Weber, Allen Abel's hilarous tribute to the long-folded World Hockey Association, and Adam Gopnik's insightful explantion of why World Cup Soccer fails to excite American fans. As always, the quality of the reporting means that even if you have only a margainal interest in the sport described, you'll still find it entertaining.

Overall, another fine entry in an outstanding series.

Hard to believe Amazon.com can't keep their years straight when it comes to reviewing this series. Anyway, the latest collection of sports writing was all right but nothing special by the usual high standards. It's a smaller collection than normal, and there are a few hunting and fishing pieces that I couldn't get into. That didn't leave a whole lot, although what was left was pretty darn good. I particularly enjoyed the articles on the parents of a benched high school football player suing the school, and on the 1998 World Cup.

Yeah, I get that it's fun to cut loose and take liberties with the whole super-hero genre, and that many writers (and readers) enjoy exploring the idea of what these guys would really be like if they were as violent as they are made out to be. I enjoyed the "Authority" books for a while (and then got bored) but I checked out this solo Midnighter/Batman parody out, just to see what they'd done with the character.

I was disappointed to find that this was just an excuse to indulge in a hyperviolent, gratuitously graphic, yucko headbashing bloodfest... Like a DC Vertigo book, but more explicit. The plotline didn't seem particularly mature or interesting; just an excuse to wallow in violence.

Others might disagree, but I didn't think this was worth reading.

The go back and kill Hitler story.

Or, an excuse for Ennis' brand of black humour and much head demolishing. The Mignighter is captured by a man who has found a loophole in the Door teleport process, and wants him to go back in time and get rid of the Fuhrer earlier in his career, or the implanted bomb in his chest will be detonated.

When sent back, he runs into some enhanced Time Police that further complicates things, as does his boredom with the Authority sitting around and not doing much - criticism of DC for screwing this title up perhaps?