John Waters Books

John Waters is a very funny, albeit very warped, man, but if you're considering buying this book, you probably already knew that. In this book he tells his life story (up to about 1980, when this book was first written), focussing on the making of his movies; on his friends (such as Divine, Mink Stole, Edith Massey etc) who became his regular cast and crew; and on some of his more unusual hobbies and obsessions (such as his fascination with high profile criminal cases and his love of Baltimore); and it is every bit as hilarious as his movies (although slightly less disgusting). In addition, it also includes interviews with Divine and Waters' heroes, Russ Meyer and Hershiell Gordon Lewis; a brief biography of Edith Massey (the egg lady from "Pink Flamingos"); and a large number of black and white pictures.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, although I did find the interviews to be a bit tedious, particularly since I am not a fan of Meyer or Lewis (to me they felt like filler, put in solely to make the book a publishable length). Nevertheless, this book should appeal to all fans of Waters' work, and to anyone interested in the process of film making.

John Waters is a very funny, albeit very warped, man, but if you're considering buying this book, you probably already knew that. In this book he tells his life story (up to about 1980, when this book was first written), focussing on the making of his movies; on his friends (such as Divine, Mink Stole, Edith Massey etc) who became his regular cast and crew; and on some of his more unusual hobbies and obsessions (such as his fascination with high profile criminal cases and his love of Baltimore); and it is every bit as hilarious as his movies (although slightly less disgusting). In addition, it also includes interviews with Divine and Waters' heroes, Russ Meyer and Hershiell Gordon Lewis; a brief biography of Edith Massey (the egg lady from "Pink Flamingos"); and a large number of black and white pictures.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, although I did find the interviews to be a bit tedious, particularly since I am not a fan of Meyer or Lewis (to me they felt like filler, put in solely to make the book a publishable length). Nevertheless, this book should appeal to all fans of Waters' work, and to anyone interested in the process of film making.

I was hoping to learn more about John Waters, the man, when I bought this book, and I was far from disappointed. This book is a great memoir of his life from start to finish, with lots of juicy inside info on all of his films. Throughout the book the reader meets all of the outrageous and delightfully politically incorrect characters that inhibit his movies and his life. There are lots of inside stories about Mink Stole, Divine, and everyone else ever seen in a Waters film, as well as the sweet low-down on that famous poop scene as well everything else you've ever wondered about. Waters is surprisingly honest about all sorts of rude and criminal acts that I'd never have known about if I hadn't read it. Underneath it all he shines through as a lovable guy who adores his hometown of Baltimore as well as the genre of trashy movies. If you love Waters, or even don't particularly like him but want to know more about him anyway, you must read this book.

Before reading Shock Value, I'd read John's other book - Crackpot - and found it to be extremely witty and insightful. He seems very humble and able to communicate with anyone. I like this book Shock Value, however I am giving it 4 stars b/c I would rather not see images and snapshots. I'd rather just have had a full book I could read. Also, I didn't find his career-oriented to be interesting.

John Waters is fantastic. His true talents are not in his films, but in his writing. He can take the mundane and make it extraordinary, the creepy and strange and make it funny, and the ugliest of the ugly and make them things of beauty. Though he's an old man now, and his movies have gone mainstream, this book is a look back at his hilarious youth and all the mischief making that made him and the Dreamland cast stars.

This book covers the making of all his films, the biographies and interviews with his famed cast members, as well as his inpirations (ex. Rus Meyer). You enjoy their antics and feel as if you are right along side them in the making of their hilarious movies and tasteful adventures in bad taste. You can't put it down and are actually laughing out loud as you read. And he even writes about his family. How punk rock!

One thing he taught me to do was to love my hometown. People never seem to like their hometowns, whether they are in the most flashy of cities or the tiniest one horse town. Life is what you make of it, and John put the hairdo capital of the world (Baltimore) on the map with his hijinx and adoration of all things weird and wonderful. He takes his enemies and makes them into glowing monsters we can all throw rotten tomatos at in his absence. The creepy weirdos aren't monsters, they're glorious, misunderstood creatures we are to embrace. Look for the scariest, craziest places and have the most rip roaring time with the clientele. I've taken his advice and now have the ability to talk to anyone, because there are loads of lonely lunatics out there just dying to be friends with you.

I thought this book was a good read for anyone interestied in learning the different types of splices used in marine applications. Some of the procedures were a bit difficult to undersatnd but if one sticks with it they work out.

The Splicing Handbook is simply one of the best reference works for the working rope splicer and professional rigger. Barbara Merry has provided an excellent book to review rusty skills, to learn a new splice, and as a convenient compendium of splice history to settle any shipyard, boatyard, or construction site argument on how to splice a specific configuration of rope. Ms. Merry is held in high esteem for producing a book on the most difficult technique of rope work - making a proper end termination! Good for her!!

I bought the book because I wanted to splice high-tech yacht rope, especially the 12-strand braids like Amsteel. This review pertains only to splices related to such rope.
The photos are not always of the splice being described (p.84). The illustrations appear to have been cropped to fit the page, which is especially confusing for complex splices (p.88). The hollow braid splice on p.83 results in a weak splice with a bump at a vulnerable location - I believe this is a dangerous splice and that the authors have failed to grasp the workings of the Chinese Finger Puzzle principle mentioned in several places.
Conclusion: don't waste your money. Go to the web sites for Yale, Sampson, and New England Rope to get better illustrations and text for free. Also, study the test results from Layline.com on the importance of tapering the buried eye splice tail.

Barbra Merry is a good friend of mine. Shes the one who got me started on ropes and knots and splicing etc... Anyway I have had a chance to skim through her book and read parts and excerpts from her book and it is really good. I've only known Barbra a few months but shes a really nice lady and if you ever have the chance to meet her make sure you make friends because shes the nicest lady you'll ever meet in your life. And if you ever have the chance to tie knots or learn how to splice or learn new knots I urge you to learn it because it is a great hobby and loads of fun. Thats my review about her book but its probably a review about the author.
Chris Anderson

This is a good and inexpensive book. You'll find a lot of information about splicing, perhaps more than you will ever need.

The problem with a book is that you have to understand how the strands -- and which strands -- lie up next to each other. It's not that easy to figure out the first time around. I learned how by watching my Dad. That gave me an idea how splices are made.

Consider Amazon's software on splicing; ISBN 0970971419 if you just want to learn common splices. It's a software program for beginners to do the basic splices in front of a computer. It's more expensive, though.

By Faith Alone: Answering the Challenges to the Doctrine of Justification (Crossway, 2006) is a collection of essays that challenges the New Perspective on Paul, as well as the Federal Vision controversy that is currently raging in Reformed circles. Gary Johnson and Guy Waters do an admirable job of bringing together the diverse contributions from the authors into one readable book.

Most of the chapters deal directly with N.T. Wright's theological outlook, critiquing his exegesis and subsequent theological conclusions. A couple chapters focus more on the Federal Vision, and several chapters serve more as "filler," with general information on the covenants and typology.

There is much in the critique of Wright that is to be commended. Wright notoriously brings background theology to the forefront and shifts forefront theology to the background, and he is taken to task for some of his weak exegesis. At other points, the authors argue more from Reformed tradition instead of Scripture alone, which buttresses somewhat Wright's contention that many in the Reformed camp are more tied to their traditions and doctrinal statements than to the truly Reformed principle of sola Scriptura. The book gets bogged down in minute details of theological precision at times, making even the conditioned theological reader scratch his head and wonder, "Is that really that big a deal?" But sometimes, the stark differences between the two views come clearly to the surface, reminding us all what the debate is about.

A good essay/book to read alongside By Faith Alone is John Frame's "Within the Bounds of Orthodoxy" - for another revered Reformed theologian's take on the issues at stake and whether or not the differing views are necessarily mutually exclusive.

Like most edited works, some chapters are great and some really aren't all that good. But on the whole, it's an excellent read for someone seeking to understand better the current ecclesiastical climate surrounding justification by faith alone.

The chapters that are especially good are the two by T. David Gordon. Even if you just bought the book for those to contributions, it would be worth every penny.

'There are those who see in this the passing of historical orthodoxy, and this is something that they mourn.' pg 13 David F Wells, Foreword

David F Wells sets off to trace the origin of the smoking gun, delivering an introduction that is unputdownable. Making shrewd observations and weaving the intricacies of the post-modern attempt at upending the Reformation principle, By Faith Alone, he persuasively engineers the scope of the book. The incumbent attention to scriptural detail that follows is sure to secure the Reformation position in Scripture alone, thereby placing it beyond all doubt.

NT Wright is in the cross-hairs. The bishop of Durham, the home of strange sightings, has epitomized the latitudinarian spirit of the age. His writings are popular, thought-provoking and unconventional, yet sorely abandoning an approach to inspiration, propitiation, imputation and justification, constituting mea culpa. Ecclesiology, or the 'Sitz Im Leben', or cultural setting, is frequently seen to take precedence in his ahistorical folklore of the unfolding covenants and God's renewed grace. Equality being the norm these days, the Federal Vision is also on the receiving end of some scathing rebuke.

Cornelis P Venema opens fire by challenging the obscure parentage of the New Perspective on Paul: James Dunn and EP Sanders, who substantiated a hypothesis of an intricate legalistic community in Second Temple Judaism, so fundamental to post-modern form critical scholarship. Yet is it not just Pelagianism cloaked in a new garb? Is Paul not too clear on his position? Venema would seem to think so, making a sound refutation from Romans 1-5, and Galatians 3.

T David Gordon makes the astonishing find that NT Wright's estimation of God's wrath only goes as far back as Abraham, and thereby denies sin's origin being in Genesis 3, further denying any concept of total depravity. This fault-line wreaks havoc on the New Perspective's views of 'the righteousness of God', so beloved of Luther and the Reformation fathers.

If the imputed righteousness of Christ to saved sinners be denied, on what basis are we to be reckoned justified before a holy God? Richard D Phillips pronounces the flawed teachings of especially Arminian and the NPP academics untenable to our faith, by showing that the perfect obedience of Christ is the ground for our justification before God.

John Bolt makes perceptive expositions of Scripture, accumulating in what can only be phrased as a question: if God did not institute a creation covenant of works, why did a curse follow Adam and Eve's failure to comply? And are Genesis 6 and 9 not a re-statement of the same conditions of the creation covenant?

Gary L W Johnson's contribution is certainly the defining statement of this collection.

'Throughout Millet's book he seeks to make common cause with groups across the broad evangelical landscape - especially those identified with the pentecostal-charismatic wing of evangelicalism...because Mormonism insists on additional inscripturated revelation...Roman Catholics certainly believe an ongoing form of heavenly guidance comes through such means as papal encyclicals...people within Protestantism believe that spiritual gifts, such as the speaking and interpretation of tongues, is one means by which Deity communicates His will to individuals and groups.' pg 199

Unafraid to state his convictions, unafraid to challenge those who insist we change our distinctive Reformational position, and unafraid to call those to stop pretending to be parading in the beautiful attire of evangelicalism, (even reputable publishers, learned professors and charismatic persona) when they are, in fact, buck-naked! Would more theologians take issue with the truth as he has!

Let us not compromise our Reformed heritage, which was won through hard fought battles, and if need be, should be done so again, the Lord willing.

This is a book of essays - nine in all (ten, if you count the introduction by Guy Waters) - responding to recent challenges to the historic Reformed understanding of the doctrine of justification by faith alone, concentrating on the New Perspective on Paul and the Federal Vision, but also engaging the classic Arminian position and Mormonism.

As might be expected from a book that consists of essays by various authors, the book is a little uneven. Some essays seem to be written with the interested lay person in mind, and others assumed much more prior knowledge on the part of the reader. In addition, since the essays were originally intended to stand alone, there is a fair bit of repetition of ideas and arguments.

That means there were essays I enjoyed reading, those that were beyond me, and those I just wasn't interested in. The first two essays engage the writings of N. T. Wright. While I found the explanations and arguments in these two chapters very interesting, I don't think I know enough about the issues to judge them. I also enjoyed several essays defending imputed righteousness and the active obedience of Christ, because this is a doctrine that seems to come up in discussions occasionally, and it was helpful to see it defended from scripture. The essays related to the Auburn Avenue or Federal Vision controversy were mostly beyond me. I'm not Presbyterian, and I don't know enough about the issues to even understand the essays.

If you are like me, and a bit of a novice on these issues, you might need a little more background knowledge before you would find this book completely useful, but if you are up on these things, my uneducated guess is that you'll find this to be a valuable book.

This is a very thought-provoking series of theological essays engaging the contemporary challenges to the historic Reformed understanding of the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Any book of this sort, with multiple contributors, is bound to be somewhat uneven in quality - but this is one of the better books of this sort that I've seen.

Here is the table of contents, interspersed with my brief comments.

1. What did Saint Paul Really Say? N. T. Wright and the New Perspective(s) on Paul - Cornelis P. Venema

2. Observations on N. T. Wright's Biblical Theology with Special Consideration of the "Faithfulness of God" - T. David Gordon

These first two chapters engage the writings of N. T. Wright, who is probably the highest profile proponent of the New Perspective on Paul (and is also one of the most renowned contemporary Jesus scholars). Their critiques of Wright are very, very insightful and should be seriously considered. Everything really does seem to fall on Wright's embrace of a certain way of reading Second Temple Judaism (as non-legalistic) and his interpretation of the phrase "dikaiosune theou" as "the covenant faithfulness of God" instead of "the righteousness of God." This second question is adequately challanged in the second chapter of this book.

3. A Justification of Imputed Righteousness - Richard D. Phillips

4. The Foundational Term for Christian Salvation: Imputation - C. F. Allison

These two chapters address the recent controversies surrounding the doctrine of imputation. Having read Piper's defense of imputation in Counted Righteous in Christ, as well as Carson's essay in the volume on Justification edited by Husbands, I still found these chapters very helpful and persuasive (I've not yet read Brian Vicker's Jesus Blood AND Righteousness, a recent more in-depth treatment of imputation). These essays were very good.

5. Reflections on Auburn Theology - T. David Gordon

This was a little less interesting to me, probably b/c I'm not Presbyterian.

6. To Obey is Better than Sacrifice: A Defense of the Active Obedience of Christ - David Van Drunen

As I recall, this was also a good essay, defending the necessity and imputation of the active obedience of Christ to believers

7. Covenant, Inheritance, and Typology: Understanding the Principles at Work in God's Covenants - R. F. White & E. C. Beisner

Of all the essays in this book, this one stands out as the most helpful and the one that will repay several re-readings in the future. The authors set out to show why the theological construct of covenant theology (as traditionally understood in Reformed theology) is biblically-faithful and warranted from the texts (even though the language is sometimes extra-biblical). Most helpful was their contrasting the two principles of inheritance, by either personal merit or representative merit, and then tracing these two principles through the various historical covenants. This is the best thing on covenant theology that I've read so far (though my reading in this area has not been very wide).

8. Why the Covenant of Works is a Necessary Doctrine: Revisiting the Objections to a Venerable Reformed Doctrine - John Bolt

As with the chapter 7, this was a very, very helpful treatment of covenant theology, specifically the covenant of works. Bolt is an excellent and lucid writer and I finished the essay wanting to read more of his material.

9. The Reformation, Today's Evangelicals, and Mormons: What Next? - Gary L. W. Johnson

This essay was good, but seemed a little bit displaced in this volume.

Overall, this is a very good volume and worth reading for those engaged in the current debates over justification. However, if you are only going to read one book on the New Perspective on Paul, get Stephen Westerholm's Perspectives Old and New: The Lutheran Paul and His Critics. It is much more comprehensive and has been the most important book I've read on the issue.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, professional wrestling and Gorgeous George went hand in perfumed hand. It was the ultimate "match made in heaven" and the budding television industry couldn't get enough of this bender of rules and purveyor of sniff. Due to his enormous success, Gorgeous George may have had imitators along the way, but he remained always, the original thing.

John Capouya largely captures the ups and downs of George Wagner's life and career...its many triumphs inside the ring and its disastrous failures outside the squared circle. Gorgeous George was "sui generis" and inspired several future celebrities such as Muhammad Ali and Bob Dylan. But the real story here is George and his connection with wrestling as a lifestyle and as a promotion with its sexual subtext. Wrestling, by its nature, is a homoerotic sport, and George played the edges to a fault. Could he have been a star today? I doubt it with the plethora of today's luminaries crossing all sorts of lines. Good vs. bad was more clearly defined a couple of generations ago, whereas now, the boundaries are often nonexistent.

As with many stars of the first order, Gorgeous George could not keep up a life equal to the one he had on stage. His drinking led to his premature death and his marital relations were often in tatters. Capouya's narrative tends to get goofy sometimes, distracting from the larger elements of George's popularity. But if we all wish we had our own fifteen minutes of fame, Gorgeous George had hundreds of hours of being in the public eye to last a lifetime. It's sad that he could never find the happiness, himself, that he brought to millions of others.

Gorgeous George was the biggest star in wrestling from the late 1940s to the late 1950s. This is the first biography written about him, as far as I know. It does a pretty good job of covering the events of his life. But I felt like the author did a bit too much speculating about what was going through George's head, when he has no way of knowing that. He also spends too much time talking about famous people who were influenced by George, in an attempt to make George seem relevent to today's world. And not to nitpick, but he refers to the wrestling word for a practical joke as a "swerve", when the correct word is "rib" (a "swerve" is actually a sudden change in the direction of a storyline to surprise the fans). Overall though, this is an entertaining book about a colorful character.

Wrestling fans have been blessed over the last 10 years or so with some wonderful books.I'm pleased to say "Gorgeous George" enriches the genre.George was an absolute icon and one of the first stars on American television.The author deftly works in chapters as to how GG influenced James Brown ,(the singer)Muhammad Ali and Bob Dylan (who knew ?) George's outrageous costumes,hair and effeminate mannerisms enraged/delighted wrestling fans all across the country.Read,laugh,learn and enjoy what wrestling was in the "kayfabe" era.Bravo.

In the early days of TV in my life, I remember my aged aunt sitting in her mohair chair screaming in Swedish at the small, black and white image of Gorgeous George prancing across the screen. What she said, I'd not wish to repeat, but it did have some reflections on his parents and some mention of bodily functions. Otherwise, my aunt was prim and proper... we kids would sit out stunned at what we were hearing. This book does some justice to George, but doesn't quite get ot the impact on small town middle American as I recollect it.

Today's fans of the WWE's "entertainment" version of Professional Wrestling now have a chance to read about how the kayfabe era of the business was. For fans of that generation, mention Gorgeous George, and the stories start to unfold. Author John Capouya absolutely reveals the way it was, and shows all of us a Gorgeous George that even the most rabid fans did not know.

His account of George's career is chronicled in a way that is easy to follow, and he end's up giving us a book that is hard to put down.

As I read through his account of George's ups and downs, I felt like I was back sitting ringside again, watching the "Human Orchi" strut his stuff in the squared circle....and I could almost see him throwing those gold "Georgie Pins" to the crowd.

John also gives us an insightful personal side to George Wagner, who lived the life, and sadly boozed it all away. John's research and homework into George's background is to be commended.

Over the last decade, there have been many excellant books published on pro wrestling.....but John's book is "The Main Event". It is a must read, and one that you will read again, and again.

You kind of suspect that any sailing to strange waters is probably not off to a good start when it begins with hanging one of the crewman. Especially, when you as Captain, recognize that it is most like unwarranted, although absolutely required under British law.

Drinkwater is being sent to the Pacific Northwest to "show the flag" so to speak and in doing so he encounters difficulties and dangers that seem to await him wherever he sails.

As usual, Richard Wodman captures the essence of wht it must have been like in those days and gives the reader a large measure of sailing adventure as the H.M.S. Patrician ventures forth into "distant waters."

The author continues to excel at this type of novel and I have ordered all of the remaining books he has written with Captain Drinkwater and look forward to several months of adventure on the high seas.

This is one of the later novels in the Drinkwater series. I believe it is number eight if I have counted correctly. It is passably good fiction, but not the best in the series. The author seems to borrow a bit from Forester, sending Captain Drinkwater on a mission to the Pacific just as Spain is again switching sides, destroying a Spanish frigate and then discovering belatedly that Spain is now again an ally. The author seems to fall into the bad habit O'Brien had in some of his later novels, i.e., the action brushes past some events that are referred to by reference, and the action is left somewhat unfinished, with Drinkwater still in the Pacific, to be picked up in a sequel.

I think perhaps that Drinkwater also comes across a little too much as a superhero. Forester's Hornblower was a more believable character if you stick to the novels (the second TV series went a bit astray with the character, and seemed to be about someone else). When Hornblower lost a ship, he escaped and returned to England in a smaller, recaptured vessel. Perhaps this would have been a better novel if Drinkwater would have escaped and returned home in the captured Spanish dispatch vessel. The action in this novel was more along the lines of George Abercrombie Fox capturing the Turkish harem.

I would note that the author seems to get a bit inventive with United States history (I had that problem in another of his later novels). In checking the history of Astoria, Oregon (inside the mouth of the Columbia River), I can find nothing about Russians. The American Lewis and Clark Expedition reached the location by land in 1805, and spent the winter there before returning home in 1806. John Jacob Astor's fur trading company (American) founded a permanent fur trading post at the site in 1811, which was sold to the British NorthWest Company in 1813.

Following on BALTIC MISSION, Woodman again shows us British-Russian enmities, but here far, far from the European scene of the previous seven novels. Now 1808, Capt. Drinkwater's frigate rounds the cape and heads to the Northern Pacific, experiencing a long slide of morale among his crew of sailors too long without shore leave. For once he is not on a spy mission. He encounters a dishonorable Spanish captain and perfidy, intrigues his way through Spanish San Francisco with the help of a beautiful woman, runs afoul of bad luck and helpless defeat, and is bested by a Yankee mountain man. The book climaxes in a series of violent encounters with the Russians, who are moving on (British) Oregon from Alaska in alliance with Spain. This is an unusual but true setting for one of the more remote encounters of the Napoleonic Wars, the world's first true World War of global empires.

These are well-crafted and authentic sounding stories, but without the infectious humor of a Forester or O'Brian, or the gusto of Lambdin. Woodman writes in a style that is a little too serious and grim to evoke my empathy or wonder, and skips too quickly through the battle scenes. He doesn't quite seem to love the sea and those who sail upon it. IMHO, the better sailing-navy authors I've read would rank as: O'Brian and Forester, Lambdin and the new Stockwin, Woodman, with real Capt. Murryat and Adm. Mack below the line. (Sheridan House omits three of the early books from its Drinkwater republication list, but is printed on better stock than the earlier, execrable but much cheaper, Time Warner pb edition.)

Here we see Nat in command of Patrician, a cut-down 64 (Antigone having been too badly damaged in the previous battle); neither he nor his men were allowed leave for reasons of national security and his first task is to hang a deserter - not an auspicious start to a trip round the Horn.
Mother Russia is in evidence again and there are hints of desertion that become all too real after landing on a deserted island; the little freedom the crew are given is curtailed as they sight, then sink a prize; more desertions as they repatriate the prisoners, then sabotage almost completes the felony. To say more would reveal too much, but there is more than enough intrigue and action to hold the attention.

Slightly different from the previous 7 in the series, it appears stilted and chopped into seemingly disparate paragraphs, which throws one initially, but ultimately works very well as the hints and threads of the plots are drawn together. As usual, the spare, accurate descriptions leave one in no doubt as to the relative positions of the protagonists in each action, making it enjoyably easy to follow the sequence.
Again, this is based on fact, the surprising thing is how many of the characters really existed.
An exceptionally fine read *****

I became addicted to the Nathaniel Drinkwater series with the first installment. In my opinion the Drinkwater series is greatly underrated in the genre. Woodman has managed to create a niche between the lyricism of Patrick O'Brian and the furious action of Alexander Kent. Woodman writes well but sparingly and creates realistic characters with depth. Drinkwater, his prime creation, is the most realistic of any protagonist in the genre. He is a decent man who makes mistakes and doesn't always have control of the situation. He doesn't have the personal magnetism of a Bolitho or Ramage nor does he have the brilliance of a Hornblower. He does his duty to the best of his ability and ultimately is successful.

In Distant Waters starts out ominously where Baltic Mission left off. Having brought sensitive intelligence back to England Drinkwater and his crew are immediately dispatched halfway round the world more for security reasons than from necessity it appears. Drinkwater must begin by hanging a deserter who in his own mind shouldn't be hanged under the circumstances. The demands of duty outweigh all other demands. The hanging casts a pall over the entire novel and is undoubtedly a motivator for some of the later problems.

The route, the date and to some extent the mission are similar to The Happy Return, a trip round the Horn in 1808 to play havoc with the Spanish. Readers of the genre will know what neither Drinkwater nor Hornblower knew, that the Spanish will change sides. Like Hornblower in The Happy Return Drinkwater will not find out about the switch in time and must pursue subsequent plans accordingly. At this point the similarities end. While Hornblower was in firm command of his ship, Drinkwater's leadership and crew loyalty are tenuous. Drinkwater has the added complication of needing to deal with the Russians without complete orders.

In Distant Waters proceeds from bad to worse and if the reader didn't know this was a series would wonder if things could ever work out. Drinkwater must deal with a crew that quite rightly believes that it has been mistreated (not by Drinkwater's hand), limited information, perfidious and dishonourable enemies, and an overall sense of gloom. The Drinkwater series is gothic in nature and In Distant Waters is one of the most gothic in the series. Fortunately for Drinkwater he has his wits about him, his faithful Tregembo and the redoubtable Mr. Q.

The novel features only one major sea battle in its climax. However, there are a number of minor engagements plus a steady progression of action that builds suspense to a thunderous climax. When the climactic battle occurs, it is a release from the tension and gloom that have built up throughout the novel.

The Nathaniel Drinkwater series is excellent and In Distant Waters is a strong entry worthy of inclusion. If you haven't read the earlier novels read them. If you have read In Distant Waters then proceed immediately to A Private Revenge.

For someone so supportive of Jackson, his policies and actions (even when Buchanan himself deems them "going too far"), Buchanan fails to support his arguments. Clearly the author is enamored with the former President. Even during his military career when Jackson frequently disobeyed orders or followed his own code of conduct, Buchanan argues that he has sufficient reason for doing so and his actions were justified. But where is the evidence? By arguing that the Monroe administration was acting covertly to takeover the Floridas, he fails to cite from where he gets such information. There are no references to Monroe's history.
Buchanan has done his homework when discussing Jackson. He cites Jackson's papers and other credible biographies. He gives a well-rounded picture of the life and hardships Jackson endured and how electrifying his personality must have been. However, Buchanan goes a tad too far in arguing that Jackson, even when he broke the law, seized sovereign territory, killed two foreign residents, etc. was acting justly or on behalf of the administration where there is only evidence that he acted on his own accord. If those arguments are to be deemed credible in their own right, Buchanan needs to provide ample evidence that supports Jackson's seemingly arrogant decision-making process. He may have done his homework for Jackson, but the basis of his arguments seem based solely on his admiration for the man and not on historical facts or opinions of those present in that time. In other words, he acknowledges that there are those who call Jackson an Indian-hater or say he wanted to govern as a military dictator (ex. Napoleon), but fails to discredit those notions.

The reader gets two stories for the price of one in "Jackson's Way." The first 150 pages tell the story of America's expansion West to the Mississippi River with objective and rich detail about the conflict and trials of both settlers and Indians, but little about Andrew Jackson. The book is also a good balance between modern apologists and proponents of manifest destiny. The second story describes Andrew Jackson the soldier and general, mostly Andrew Jackson the consummate leader. I can list with the fingers on one hand the really good books about leadership, this book fits in that count. If you're tired of sniveling and self serving politicians and generals driven more by bureaucracy and pomp than fighting skill and tired of selfish chief executive officers raking in million dollar stock options while laying off thousands of workers without adequate severance compensation then meet Andrew Jackson as described by author John Buchanan. If you teach history and want to see students sitting on the edge of their seats instead of falling asleep then this book is for you too. The story describes in detail battles in the Mississippi River watershed during the war of 1812 culminating with the Battle for New Orleans (1814-15) when we whupped the British tail. Buchanan describes Jackson's leadership traits in a way that readers in virtually any profession can relate.

John Buchanan has written a most interesting book. Spanning the thirty year period 1780-1810 he covers a time of great uncertainty about just what to do with the existing and projected geographical definition of the fledgling United States. Aaron Burr was not the only person to think in terms of separation. Today, driving on Interstate Highways at 70 MPH through the Appalachian Mountains, it is difficult for us to understand just what an impenetrable barrier these mountains really were. No less a figure than Thomas Jefferson thought "whether we remain one confederacy or form into Atlantic and Mississippi confederacies I believe not very important to the happiness of either part."

No wonder then that the people of the west, as the west was then defined, drew so closely together and became such an interdependent, insular block. Surrounded by enemies (Great Britain on the North, Spain to the South and West and indifference from their own countrymen to the East), land locked with no natural outlet for their goods and agricultural products and at constant war with Native Americans, this, the fastest growing segment of the US population, was threatened with extinction. Thus, the setting was a tinder box with a truly separate people ready for that particular leader whose interests were not just aligned with but also coincident with their own.

Andrew Jackson was such a man. This is a story of survival, a story of great personal courage, of a very independent people who hacked their homes and way of life out of a true wilderness. It is a story of how the foundations of the Jacksonian Era were so firmly laid that the 34 year history of the Virginia Dynasty was so completely crushed in American politics that it never resurrected. An oft overlooked, misunderstood or just plain ignored segment of American history, these thirty years in the west were pivotal to the development of early America. Andrew Jackson was truly THE man, a most amazing force to be reckoned with, and an American to the very core of his soul.

Jack Buchanan is a great writer! I was enthralled by this book from the moment 15 year-old Andrew Jackson swept onto the page. Buchanan brings to life the saga of the Old Southwest and the American pioneers. The most interesting element of the book is the portrait you get of Andrew Jackson, who was so loved men voted for him fifty years after his death. Anyone interested in the Presidents or the history of the Old Southwest will want to read this book.

As you may have gathered from some of the other reviews of this book, the text could stand some improvement. However, the beautiful paintings and graphics make up for this somewhat, and are valuable for wargamers wishing to paint accurate miniatures, and for creating shorelines and fortifications.

The author has indeed found and printed some wonderful illustrations, especially the paintings, but his text cannot be relied upon. This book needed much more rigorous fact-checking.

This book contains among the best illustrations and the worst-researched text imaginable. It is truly recommended for the images, the prints, the photos... but DO NOT pay any attention to the captions or the words, which are inaccurate at best and wildly misleading at worst. A good coffee-table book, but a lousy history.

The Civil War Chronicles "Naval Warfare" is a must for any beginning civil war buff as well as the die-hard enthusiast who wants a strongly-written, coffee table pictorial book of Civil War Naval action. Wideman's narrative is balanced, and he has indeed chosen the best illustrations from the past as well as from today's Civil War artists, as he himself pointed out in his comments. Wideman not only covers and covers well the major actions ("Monitor" vs. "Merrimac", Farragut at Mobile Bay, the "Kearsage" vs. "Alabama"), he also covers the lesser-known incidents as well; i.e., the Red River Expedition of 1864, and the assault on Fort Fisher in 1865. All of the major naval personalities are also mentioned here, although he only gives scent coverage to Cushing's daring assault on C.S.S. Albemarle. Again, very value-priced and a finely illustrated narrative of civil war sea combat and innovation.

This book is absolutely a must for anyone interested in Civil War naval history. It is not a large book, but the paintings are absolutely wonderful. I have never seen a book of Civil War naval art which is so complete and visually stunning. The text is also quite good, and enhances the already enjoyable feel of the book. I would strongly endorse this book to any armchair historian, as it touches on an oft-neglected aspect of the War Between the States in a way that is very appealing, both visually and intellectually.

I am a professional artist and found this book to be one of the best investments I've made. He shows in detail every aspect of water from the foam on waves to shadows on waterfalls. I paint in oils and pastels and found even the watercolor demos to be very helpful. Highly recommend!

This book is full of useful information for painters wishing to paint water that looks 'right'. It is generously illustrated, with explanatory text that is clear and to the point. The layout is logical and clear, and the book deals with one point at a time by means of a short, clear textual explanation accompanied by an explanatory sketch, painting or diagram, before moving on to the next point.

The book starts with a short chapter on equipment and supplies, and follows with a chapter on how water's properties affect its appearance - transparency, reflection, angled reflections (e.g. a leaning post reflected in water), rippled reflections, reflections viewed fom above, reflections which are extended by ripples in the surface of the water, choppy water, colour reflected in water, sparkle on water, reflected glare, - and so on. Water is tricky stuff, but with this book as a reference, I find that my approach is more confident, and the visual results much more satisfactory.

Other chapters include painting to interpret mood, painting wet ground, puddles, creeks, lakes and ponds, rivers, waterfalls, bays and harbours, and surf.

I find it a brilliant explanatory and reference book.

The title of this review says it all. As for 'all mediums' mostly are watercolor. So, if you are into watercolor and not wanting to learn how to paint water, which what water is in there is terrible, then by all means purchase it. Personally, I sent it back as no help to me.

If you are looking for the same level of instruction as in the prior E. John books, you won't find it. The pictures are beautiful but no major step by step process--more a global overview. I pre-ordered this book months ago, as I think E. John is a phenominal painter and seems so spiritually attuned and connected with the ocean. I was a little disappointed with this edition, but being an admirer of E. John Robinson's, I would have purchased it anyway.

E. John Robinson is a well known California Seascape artist that works with both oils and watercolor. In his "Painting All Aspects of Water," Robinson shares his observations and techniques gained over his many years of study and painting water.

Robinson begins with a discourse on the properties of water and the creation of mood then applies these lessons to painting every possible use of water - wet ground, puddles, rivers, waterfalls, surf, and much more.

This is an excellent book for not only the novice but also for those who are more experienced and need that little extra from a master.

Robinson is the go-to person, whether oils or watercolor, to inspire you in making your water scenes mystical and magical.

The money you spend on this book will be the single best investment (aside from spending time on the stream gaining firsthand experience) you make. Easy to understand and turn into working knowledge for the flyfisherman new to this fishery.

Excellent book on steelhead fly fishing. Very good information and easy to read format.

NOTE - There is now a Third Edition of this book availible (March 2004) that has an expanded section on recommended steelhead flies and patterns. Book contains updated information on steelhead resources. Useful information on tying your own leaders (various leader formulas are explained in detail).

The Second Edition is good, but the Third Edition appears to be more complete.

John Nagy's book is perfect for the steelhead angler living in Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. Steelhead in Lake Erie are different from other populations of Great Lake's steelhead, because of the shale creeks and rivers.

John Nagy over the years has developed specialized leaders, custom built rods, and proper drifting presentations for these waters. The book goes in detail on weather and stream conditions, steelhead behavior, strategies, and maps of tributaries of Lake Erie. The book also has pictures of the most popular flies used for steelhead. I started fishing for steelhead two years and John Nagy's book has turned me from a frustrated newbie to a stream savvy steelheader. I would strongly recommend this book.

This books does have lots of decent info on the subject, and I learned a lot from reading it. However, the only photos of the fly patterns in the book are on the back cover, and leave a lot to be desired. I have been told that the 2nd Edition has much better photos and tying instructions for the fly (egg) patterns in the book. If I had known in advance, I would have purchased the 2nd edition for a few more dollars!

For a short book, this has it all.

The book is set up to provide a great deal of information in a concise format.

First it tells you where to fish in OH, PA and NY. Then it tells you how the weather affects the fishing (very important in the Great Lakes). Then it tells you how steelhead behave in this stream during different weather and water level conditions. This guides you in selecting a stretch of water to fish.

The author describes the various techniques that are effective in these streams, bottom bouncing egg patterns and nymphs. He closes with suggested fly tackle and local fly patterns.

I felt that I had accompanied a guide for an all-day trip after reading this book. It is an exellent start to learning how to catch these exciting fish.

I found this book to be incrediably useful. I purchased the guide book before my trip to North Carolina and found the detail about Nitrox availability, camera friendly dive boats, and dive shops to be right on the mark! I've never seen this kind of detail available in any other diving guide book.
I definatley recommend this book to any diver planning a diving vacation.
Kuddos to Jean Pierce for this great guide book!

A diver for just two years, I have already used this Unofficial Guide on at least three occasions. Yes, the choices presented are highly subjective (as most diving guides tend to be), but there are a wide range of locales and choices to get one started. I have begun all of my diving vacations by referring first to this guide...then researching more thoroughly on the internet. Usually, I end up using one of the dive operators and diving resorts which the book has suggested and finish the process by making reservations via the internet or by phone. If you enjoy reading more comprehensively about diving before making your decision, look elsewhere...if you are like me and prefer to glance at something more condensed or capsulized, check out "World's Best Diving Vacations."

This book is a must have for anyone traveling to diving/snorkeling destinations. My husband and I recently used it while traveling to Long Island Bahamas. Information on lodging, restaurants and points of interest were right on the mark. We have recommended this book to friends who found it very useful also.

Divers and non-divers alike would benefit from this guide. The author writes in an informative and interesting style, giving personal and historical information. It is enjoyable and easy to read. I pick it up for pleasure to read about places I want to travel to in the future.

This guide makes it possible to travel with confidence to completely unfamiliar places, knowing what to expect when you get there. Don't go diving without it.

This Unofficial Guide is a must-have if you like to keep your gear-bag packed for your next adventure. Jean Pierce has been there, done it and dived it. Having dived from Palau to Peurto Rico, myself, I thought I knew all there was to know about getting to the world's best diving, but this book has opened my eyes to even more. Informative, and written from a diver's eyes (as opposed to the travel agent's); it gives you the information you need to know if you want to get maximum bang for your diving dollar and diving time. I believe in traveling light, but I will always find room for this book in my bag -- it's just that necessary.

An absolute waste of money! As it turns out, I've been diving recently at many of the locations listed plus quite a few others. Given the title, I thought the list would be quite comprehensive. I expect there will always be differences of Opinion on subjects like this, but I can't figure out the logic of the locations chosen. The authors maintain that ease of travel is important to them, then list Heron Island Australia, but leave out locations like Bali. My biggest criticism, however is the long list of East Coast USA choices.