English Books

I've played many minis games in my life (Warhammer, 40k, LotR, etc...) and I have to say this original of H.G.Wells is still one of the best rule systems out there! It's easy to understand, easy to use, and easy to get immersed into. No dice, no ambiguosness, just straight forward fun. You can play a day long battle royale of many armys, or a quick 20 min skirmish between to friends. It's also a fun look at history as the pictures of grown men, in full suits and straw hats, laying on the grass playing from the turn of the century are priceless!

Wells is the man! Thank you Skirmisher for putting this classic into my hands. It's a great family game - not too complicated, but not inane. Great game to play after a particularly rough loss of your favorite football team - you get instant revenge on the enemy!

It is immensely appropriate that I review `Little Wars' by H. G. Wells on the day Stephen Spielberg's remake of a film version of Wells' `War of the Worlds' opens in theatres around the country. I have known of Wells' little book for at least 45 years, when I first became interested in wargames and searched out titles on the subject which, in 1960, seemed to be few and far between.

The early sixtys were the heydey of Avalon-Hill's tabletop sized board games with little cardboard counters representing everything from a single sargeant to an army corp. These games grew out of the minatures rules which would later contribute, along with the popularity of the `Lord of the Rings' novel to the creation of `Dungeons and Dragons' roleplaying games. Both Avalon-Hill styled and Dungeon and Dragons styled boardgames have been partially superceded by computerized versions of these simulations and, while I still fondly fondle my chit representing the 82nd airborne division as it participates in the Normandy invasion, I get much more satisfaction out of a good computerized version of the same campaign.

And yet, Wells' simplified minatures rules with no more than a few dozen pieces per side and firing success being determined by real live aiming, physics of ballistics, and the effect of wind deliver the same kind of charm evoked by that old Robert Lewis Stevenson poem of the young boy with his toy soldiers navigating the hills formed by his blankets lying over his outstretched legs.

I am not intimately familiar with minatures rules, but what I do know tells me that they are quite complicated with lots of tables based on the role of dice. Wells' rules are much simpler. And, he is not deeply involved in realistic landscapes which are so interesting to minatures hobbyists. Not a word is said here about cleaning and painting raw lead or tin soldiers. All our troops here are fully clothed straight out of the box. All the landscapes are created by nothing more complicated than the kind of plain wooden building blocks I so coveted when I was a kid. These are embellished with the outsides of houses painted or drawn on the plain side of wallpaper which is then folded and glued around the blocks. There is not interest with any ability to hide inside any of these houses, as this would simply slow things down and make the rules more complicated. The only other concern is that if rivers are part of the landscape that there are enough fording and bridged points to not funnel things too much into a single choke point.

The rules only deal with three kinds of troops, infantry, cavalry, and artillery. As this book was written in 1913, and Europe had largely been at peace for almost a hundred years since the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo, it is not surprising that the strategies evolving from these three types of troops are strongly similar to Napoleonic battles. As this was the period of muskets, long range infantry fire was remarkably ineffective compared to the destruction caused by Napoleonic era artillery. To a person versed in 20th century wars, it is strange to see the lineup of forces at, for example, the Battle of Waterloo, where the guns were in front of the main lines of infantry rather than far to the rear. This was before the age of indirect artillery fire, which just began in the American Civil War and it's great mortars.

So, the only way our small forces can inflict damage at a distance is by little cannons which fire real live wooden projectiles and, a soldier is killed only if you actually succeed in knocking the little fellow down with the wooden pellet.

A similar combat simulation which existed in parallel with Wells' and other minatures' rules is the kind of wargame simulations invented by the German General Staff with the very German name of `Kriegspiel' or War Play. An expert in English Kriegspiel practice compares this professional exercize with Wells' game and finds the latter far more fun, as the Sandhurst (English Army Military Acadamy) version is weighed down with rulings from referees and the kind of tables of outcomes so familiar to modern manual wargame rules.

Remembering that this book was written in 1912-1913, it is chilling to read Wells' final assessment of the lack of proficiency of professional military men at this little game. The most chillingly Strangelovean statement is that `You have only to play at Little Wars three or four times to realize what a blundering thing Great War must be'. This was written in 1913!!!

One may be discouraged from reading this book by the prospect of reading 120 pages of game rules. This is not what this book is about. All the details of the rules are compressed into the last six pages. Everything which goes before is the stuff which is written to bring out the little boy in us all. And, the author knows nothing of politically correct gender washing, as he is firmly committed to the idea that this is an activity for little boys, and maybe girls who think like little boys.

A minor classic worthy of it's famous author.

This is really worth picking up. A great book and a good time.

I've been an avid wargamer for 15 years. I'd heard of the rules set down by Wells but hadn't gotten around to reading them. I am glad I did. It took me back to the days of playing with toy soldiers in the back yard. It was neat to see how move, fire, and cover rules came to be. Unit integrity, hand to hand...its all there in its infancy. Its funny how Wells and his sons tackled the same issues that current game designers have to face. The book is a piece of wargaming history and any self respecting Grognard should have a copy of this on their shelf. It would be fun to read and share with children as well.

I come to the conclussion that The Man Who Laughs is the most descriptive, saddest, romantic and most beautifully written book that Victor Hugo has written. It is unfortunate that this book doesn't have the standing that Les Miserables or Our Lady of Notre Dame occupies. Also, it is a very hard to find book, specially in Spanish, which is my first language. The traduction is done extremely well (I have verified it with a Russian version I have). It is highly recommended.

This is a difficult and demanding read, but entirely worth it for those who want more from a novel. The story is of a confrontation of moral opposites set in England in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, as a deliberately disfigured outcast named Gwynplaine faces a powerful conflict between the simple life of a mountebank, with the love of a pure-hearted blind girl, and the power, glamor, and corruption of nobility, with the love of a depraved, self-loathing noblewoman. Gwynplaine's disfigurement hides his true identity from all, including himself; and out of the eventual revelation of this truth, Hugo constructs a magnificent and heart-wrenching symbolic drama that is as filled with meaning as anything you'll find in literature. Again, this is not light reading, and it is not made for those who prefer to breeze through an action thriller in an afternoon.

Hugo has much to say about the destructive nature of political power, as well as the envy and injustice that conspire to keep the high and low in their respective places. The Mohawk Club of the nobility exemplifies these themes through their vicious and destructive pranks, victimizing the helpless in the name of "fun."

Hugo's contempt for the period's institutions of power is evident throughout the novel; on the wicked Barkilphedro's rise to prominence, he writes: "He had crawled where he wanted. Flat beasts can get in everywhere. Louis XIV had bugs in his bed and Jesuits in his policy. The incompatibility is nil." Clearly this is a novel of ideas, written by one who had a great deal to say and knew how to express it. Even so, I must acknowledge that Hugo's expository passages, although witty, impassioned, and eloquent, occasionally become a distraction from the story.

Hugo's style is astonishingly lofty, in a way that just doesn't happen in the present day. It is an ambitious and demanding discipline, now so far gone that we scarcely even know to miss it. As such, it may strike today's readers as unnatural and overdone; or so it did to me, at first. But by the finish, I was fully seduced into Hugo's stylistic world, and left unable to choose what to read next -- for what is there today that is even conscious of this standard of craftsmanship? I can only imagine how much of the effect of this high language is lost in translation from the original French.

If you are interested in this book, I strongly recommend the Paper Tiger edition, with its afterword by Shoshana Milgram. This afterword was of great use in understanding the book's ending, which to me was difficult; it clarified how the ending was necessitated by the novel's overall theme -- and it made the extent of Hugo's achievement that much more evident.

I read this book as a teenager, along with "Toilers of the Sea," Ninety Three" and "Hunchback of Notre Dame."
I have re-read only "Toilers of the Sea" and found it as riveting now as were all of Hugo's book then. I can't imagine a library system not containing these timeless classics or their being out of print.

I have read almost all of Hugo's novels and I feel he was a master beyond most as far as story telling goes. This particular books is ingenious with the various characters and the twists and turns and the tragedies and political statements. It broke my heart, while exciting me to cheer on the lead character in his efforts to right the wrongs of the parliament. I loved the characters of this books and the story line and I would strongly recommend it to any who are fans of "Hunchback" or "Les Miz" (forgive me). While I really loved Les Miz (and again, it broke my heart, as did the musical,which I thought was brilliant), this is the one that stayed with me. I read it many years ago and have a number of copies (some very old). When I bought this movie, I had no expectations, and I was amazed to see how much of the story was included. It was brilliantly produced, directed and acted. Even though it is a silent movie, it speaks volumes. I highly recommend the book and then the film. I also urge everyone to see the musical "Les Miserables" because it is all so wonderful. Hugo was a true master!

This is extremely well written and the story is easy to follow. The story had me smile and cry. The method that Victor Hugo collected the sections of this book is similiar to the style Ayn Rand used in writing Atlas Shrugged-my favorite book. The Man Who Laughs is one I think every Victor Hugo fan would want to read and read again--I loved it!

Dangling modifiers. Loose pronouns. Mixed metaphors. Sentence fragments . . . aw crap.

Whatever your sin, Sin and Syntax is an all-purpose grammar guide that helps not only to improve your grammar but also to polish your prose.

Constance Hale divides her book into three sections: words, sentences, and music. In words, she defines the fundamental building blocks of grammar (nouns, verbs, prepositions, etc.). In sentences, she teaches sentence mechanics and variation. In music, she explains how to add verve to your writing by experimenting with techniques such as assonance, metaphor, and beat.

Her book, however, is not simply about correcting wrongs. Hale informs writers when you can break the rules and when you look illiterate when you do. Putting prepositions at the end of the sentence? Not a big deal. Peppering foreign words into your story? Sure, just don't go crazy. Nouning verbs and verbing nouns? We have a bit of a problem here.

Hale did her homework. She provides extensive examples from politicians and writers to illustrate her concepts. She references numerous other style guides and also provides a handy list of them in the appendix. Most importantly, however, anyone can benefit from reading her book. She writes at a level that's easy enough for the grammatically-challenged to understand, but she also explains advanced material that's still useful to experienced writers. She doesn't delve too deeply into grammar terminology; she focuses her energies on improving your style all-around.

Frank, clear, and amusing, Sin and Syntax is one of the best grammar guides when it comes to perfecting your craft.

This is a fine book about the mechanics of writing. Here's the rub. Appendix 1 and 2 were replaced by duplicates of chapters 14 and 15 in the book I read. Otherwise this book is worth 5 stars.

My sister stole my first copy, my other sister stole my second copy, I gave my third copy to a friend (but only because I knew she would love it as much as I do). My fourth copy doesn't have the dog-eared pages and underlining that my first copy had (I fall into the category of people who think tattered edges and scribbly notes add character to books). And I gave a fifth copy to another friend who was frustrated drafting an admissions essay for grad school. One of the best books on writing (generally) on the market. Funny and entertaining, with excellent advice.

wow. this book is a must for any writer, experienced or novice. not only is it a useful tool, but it is a fabulous read with witty references and comments throughout.

This is your average grammar book, but with a sense of humor. I discovered nothing new in it.

This is an excellent book for those who want to really dig deep and see what Jesus was saying in the Sermon on the Mount and that he wasn't just talking to his disciples but to us too.

This is a wonderful book and well worth the time to invest in reading it. I would urge you to buy this timely book.

This is a wonderful book that does not hide nor apologize for the fact that it is really a compilation of 60 sermons delivered by the author. Each chapter is one complete sermon. This will be helpful and instructive to some and confusing and frustrating to others. I, for one, love it. The illustrations he uses are very good but the questions he uses to cause one to search their own heart in light of the scripture are fantastic. He applies the passages being studied to real life in meaningful ways inviting the reader to interact with the passage and allow it to have its work on their heart.

This is NOT a preachy book but is it a book full of preaching...many a pastor would do well to study this book for its instruction on how to put a sermon together.

BTW, if you wish to purchase the electronic version of this two-volume-in-one-book BE AWARE that only Volume one is included in the electronic version.

Through forceful, powerful, blatant, bold Calvinistic and evangelistic sermons, Pastor Jones did a marathon preaching on one of, if not the most controversial and heavily debated Sermon on the Mount; shattering other man-centered, self-centered, legalistic, antinomian, perfectionist interpretations. I have to admit before I read these sermons, I had most of my interpretations wrong. Here are some observations from what I took in. First, the Sermon on the Mount is not a social gospel where all it cares about is the actions, ethics and morale of the story. Though important, they are neither the meat nor the center of it; Christ the Preacher is. Not only is this so, but as Pastor Jones remarked in the concluding sermon, that throughout the course of it, Christ declares, I would say, both implicitly and explicitly, that he is the true giver, interpreter and center of the law. Second, no one can rightly live out the principles taught in it unaided unless one is a believer relying on the grace and power of God who enables him to do so. Third, it is not something one has to do to become a Christian. Instead, it shows what Christians should become as a result of a new gracious ruling principle in their hearts. Fourth, in some cases like turning to the other cheek, going extra miles, giving away both the cloak and the coat, loaning to those in need, not committing adultery, it is the general bigger-picture principles behind the detailed examples that was to be conveyed, not the actions themselves that are the most important. I wouldn't write what they are here, but let the readers discover on their own. Fifth; on the other hand, it involves some details which Pastor Jones beautifully expounds within the general description or principles, for example, on what the Lord's prayer means and how it is to be prayed properly with the right heart and attitude, how to determine the characteristics and signs of false prophets and professors, what it means to enter through the straight gate and going through the narrow way, what building house on sands and rock by the foolish and wise man signify and how we know which one of these categories we fall into. These are stunningly soul-searching; something critical that those of us who confess to be Christians should test ourselves with. Here is one of his quotes worth musing on what it urges us to do in regard to entering the strait gate,

"You have to go out of your way to find this gate. You will have to analyze yourself and be very honest with yourself, and having refused to hold back, say, `I am going on with this until I discover exactly what I have to do'. Here are so many who do not find this way of life because they have never sought the gate and entered in.... [it involves] fasting, sweating and praying... we must give ourselves no rest or peace until we know for certain that we are on this way."

And lastly, without trying to be simplistic, the underlying principle of it all is that it is the spirit, not the letters that matters. It is the heart, the desire, the attitude, the character and the outlook on one's life, not the actions, that Christ is concerned the most and therefore focuses his sermons on to graciously rebuke, correct and encourage. Despite his sober and frightening warnings, we should not lose heart but continue to persevere to the end to follow him for he who has began a good work in us will never leave us nor forsake us and will carry it on to completion.

This book on the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) is one of the best books ever produced by Martyn Lloyd-Jones. If you have never encountered Lloyd-Jones then you will be blessed as you read this book and discover a man with a passion for both the Word of God and the God of the Word.

Lloyd-Jones, according to John Piper, is one of the last true Calvinistic Methodist from the days of George Whitefield. Here was a man who not only embraced Reformed Calvinism but also embraced a passion for God from the likes of Whitefield and John Wesley. He not only wanted to study the Bible and teach it clearly but he wanted to give people a hunger for Jesus that would become evident in holiness in life and character.

In this book, Dr. Lloyd-Jones explores the implications of the Sermon on the Mount for the Christian. He works his way slowly through each passage giving not only the content of the passage but many points of application for your life. I would encourage you to have your Bible open to Matthew 5-7 as you read this book and even more to memorize the passage (Psalm 119:11). This is a solid book well worth the price and its also a book you will refer to again and again.

Your book is really well written and refreshing. I've read several books on screenwriting and you are much more "with it" than any one else writing on the subject right now. I've read books where the only movies they cite are Butch Cassidy and Casablanca the entire time. Great movies but if these gurus stopped watching movies that long ago, why are they writing for people who are writing now? I even read one where the guy cited a tv movie script he had written more than anything else. Don't get me wrong, these were still helpful books but I really enjoy your approach.

Thank you very much for your insight ^__^

After you've acquired John Truby's "Anatomy of Story" and Robert McKee's "Story", you MUST get William Akers' "Your Screenplay Sucks!", or you're not a serious writer. What good is it to write a great script if no one reads it. Mr. Aker practically guarantees your screenplay will be not only better, but will be read.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3OV2MIYRQTQHS This is a great book. Seriously. Buy it.

GREAT BOOK! Unlike most of the other screenwriting books out there, this isn't a how-to guide for writers who have never before tackled a screenplay; rather, this is an in-depth checklist for writers who understand the basic tenets of screenwriting or, at the very least, have finished a draft of their script. It goes through, point by point, the 100 most common mistakes screenwriters make... making it super-easy to put your screenplay through a rigorous rewriting process so your script can be as tight, solid, and sellable as you can possibly make it. If you're serious about making it as a screenwriter, this rigorous rewriting bootcamp may not be able to sell your screenplay for you, but it'll whip you and your script into the best shape possible!

I'm relatively new to the craft of screenwriting, but I'm passionate about creating a great work that has a legitimate chance at making it to a theater near you. It seems that the trademark start for every aspiring screenwriter is to stock up on a library of books that explain screenwriting from every imaginable angle; only to find a few that truly make the difference. Rare are the books that stand out as "Must Haves", and Your Screenplay Sucks! 100 Ways To Make It Great, is a "Must Have".

Although people write for different reasons, it's relatively safe to assume that most people attempt to write a screenplay because they want to sell it. They want to see it on the big screen. The logic that should then follow is to make your screenplay the best it can be at all costs. In reality, this doesn't often happen. In my opinion, if near perfection is not your goal or if you are writing solely for the money, then screenwriting is probably not your ticket. However, if it's your passion, this book is an indispensible companion to realizing your dream.

While I think of this book as the ultimate checklist, the truth is that it's far deeper than just a checklist. It's like having a coach with you at every step of the writing process; from initial concept, to rewrites. Each topic Mr. Akers discusses is clearly explained (often with examples) and communicated in an entertaining and humorous fashion. Also, the topics are broken up in such a way that finding answers and explanations take no time to find.

What I love most about it, though, is that if this book is used properly, it will greatly reduce unnecessary rewriting. I'm not talking about the inevitable rewrites that you'll have to do. I'm talking about the ones that make you throw your laptop or Smith Corona(???) across the room - not to mention the loud expletives that will have mothers within a three mile radius covering their children's ears in shock.

Most importantly, if you want to write with the confidence that your story structure is tight; that you didn't forget to give your bad guy a "Bad Guy Speech" and that every one of your scenes means something BEFORE you've finished your first draft, just plunk down the dollars, pounds, euros, yen, rubles or whatever currency and buy this book. You'll be thankful it was written and happy you bought it!

I am actually amazed that I never read Agatha Christie's autobiography before now, since I have loved her books and re-read them many times over the years.

She was born in 1890 in Devon, England and died in 1976 in Oxfordshire, England. She started this autobiography when she was 60 and finished it when she was 75. And, just to make sure people don't get disappointed right away, her publishers state flatly in the preface (of the edition that I own) that she does not, EVER, mention the infamous disappearance the year her mother died and Archie Christie asked her for a divorce. That will be a mystery never solved. You get the sense that she left quite a bit of her emotions and feelings out of the book. She mentioned frequently in the book that bad times were to be got through so that one could enjoy the good times.

The book does ramble on delightfully, as she herself would probably put it. "What I want is to plunge my hand into a lucky dip and come up with a handful of assorted memories." (from the Foreward). Here's a critical paragraph about how one should view her autobiography:

"We never know the whole man, though sometimes, in quick flashes, we know the true mam. I think, myself, that one's memories represent those moments which, insignificant as they may seem, nevertheless represent the inner self and oneself as most really oneself." (also from the Forward).

There is an amazing amount of detail regarding Victorian and Edwardian England. Her ability to describe things minutely and interestingly was one of the things I always loved about her books.

The main outlines of her life are there, as are quite a few details about her family. She loved her family immensely and it shows. She discusses her father's lack of business skills that wasted away the fortune he inherited and her brother Monty's wholly unsatisfactory life in the straightforward way that she wrote her books. She was an extremely practical person, I think.

Her interest in archaeology because of her (2nd) husband Max Mallowan manifested itself in quite a few of her books, and I think that perhaps some of my interest in archaeology was because of her interest. She had one daughter, Rosalind, who died in 2004, and a grandson, Mathew Prichard, who runs "the family business" as it were.

There are a few preachy parts and I would like to have had more dates, but she warns you in the Foreward, and you must simply sit back and let her tell her story and understand her the way she wanted to be understood.

The book ends before her husband, Max Mallowan was knighted for his distinguished archaeological career in 1968 and before she herself was appointed a dame of the British Empire in 1971. Truly an interesting woman, truly an interesting autobiography.

Agatha Christie recalls a happy childhood in Victorian England. Unfortunately, it's a way of life now gone. Hers was a fairy tale upbringing when customs, manners and the family group were all important in upper-class society. Her portraits of the family, her governesses, the servants, her pets are descriptive and funny. Now I know why she became such a great writer. Wonderful!

Often times autobiographies are dull things of interest only to the author or those who may be mentioned in the book, others are glowing brag fests relating how marvelous the subject is, or are filled with juicy gossip about other celebrities. This one is completely different in that Christie did not attempt to write a complete chronicle of her life, or to focus on what the public might want to hear (in fact she deliberately left out the very episode - her disappearance - that most would want to know more about) but instead told about those parts of her life that she was interested in remembering. For example most autobiographies rush through the subject's childhood and focus on the parts of their adult life that made them famous, not so here. Instead Christie takes the first third of her tale to describe her life before she ever thought of Hercule Poirot.

What the reader gets instead of stories about the great and famous is a charming glimpse into the life of a middle-class child born at the end of the Victorian era, her perceptions of a society that was rapidly changing as she grew to young adulthood. She tells about her life as a child in a comfortable household filled with servants, her teenage years with her widowed mother, as a young woman caring for wounded soldiers, as a bride then a single mother through her later years as a successful author and her second, happier marriage to an archaeologist and their travels to the Middle East. She glosses over meeting the Queen but tells at length about various nannies and secretaries that were part of her everyday life.

For fans of Christie it is particularly interesting to learn what inspired certain of her characters or plots, what was occuring in her life while writing some of the novels, to see people or situations that one can recognize in a favorite novel. For anyone interested in life in the early twentieth century this book also gives an insight into that time that is rarely seen.

I want to say, up front, that I'm a HUGE Christie fan -- I've read everything that she wrote, over 80 mysteries, plays and her Mary Westmacott pseudonym stuff. However, I was very disappointed in this, her autobiography for multiple reasons which I will elaborate upon here in detail.

First, she utterly fails to discuss her famous 11-day "disappearance" in 1926 (to the Harrogate Spa), which is probably the most intriguing thing that ever happened in her lifetime! Here, I'll cite a website (http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1922888,00.html):

"But Norman, a former doctor, believes the novelist was in a fugue state, or, more technically, a psychogenic trance, a rare, deluded condition brought on by trauma or depression, which may also have led the writer and actor Stephen Fry to travel to Bruges in 1995 without leaving word with his friends or family."

Okay, I'm Hoyle with that (there was a Hollywood movie that implied that she was having an affair, which I did not necessarily accept as truth) -- but why leave such an important event out of an autobiography that is certain to be of huge interest to fans?

My second criticism is more pointed. Over the years, Christie issued MANY racist comments in her various works. I won't repeat them here as all fans will know what I'm talking about. Now, this was COMMON for writers to do throughout the 20th Century so, on it's face, taking into account that this was "an acceptable practice" for the era, I don't condemn Christie for this initial act of making such comments, even though many did not benefit or lend real support to the dialogue.

However, Christie died in 1976 and this autobiography was published in '77. By this time, racist commentary was being very much looked down upon (as it should have been), and Christie could have made some sort of positive overture, however minor, to say that she wished that she had not used certain words that were hurtful to people. No such apology, however minor, is found in this autobiography, that I could find, and I feel certain that by 1976, Christie had received many letters which pointed out these anachronistic racial comments, probably seeking some sort of reaction. Based upon the absence of such thoughts in her autobiography, I seriously doubt that any response was issued. I find that a sad omission.

Finally, as I read this book, I got the distinct impression that her heart was not at all in writing it, that it was a drudgery of sorts. I don't blame her for not wanting to write it but, if she didn't want to do it, she should have simply not done it, rather than issue something that reflects a sort of sideways contempt for her millions of fans.

Here's what I DID like about the work: I learned a great deal about little things that ended up in her mysteries (such as "Truelove"). I learned something of her family (not enough about her trials and tribulations in marriage, though), and I went away sort of feeling sorry for Christie's father. Beyond these things, she came off as pretty drab to me -- my expectations were so much higher as she had been a world-traveler and COULD have said so much more. I found that the whole thing lacked a sense of history.

So, I'll no doubt take some hits for my review and, if I'm in error about my facts, I'll come back and make corrections -- but I just think it could have been a super work and, compared to other autobiographies that I've read, I found this one dull and lacking in honesty.

I have a tendency to over-rate the media which I review but I can't go along with the crowd on this one. Perhaps I'm wrong in that they say you should review what's IN a book and not what is absent. I'm not certain about that but I welcome your sincere feedback and comments.

Agatha Christie, perhaps the best known mystery writer of all time, did not ever plan on becoming a writer. And when she did become one, it took her years to accept this as her profession and to believe that there was something other than money to be gained by writing books. Her autobiography is a pleasant ramble through the fascinating live lived by the creator of those master sleuths, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Her life was no mystery but most definitely an adventure.

Agatha Christie began writing her life story from her second husband's archaelogical dig in Iraq. It is set up in a rather rambling manner, starting from a brief family history to her earliest childhood memories and on through her life. Throughout these memories are punctuated by various tangents, often involving her writings, other times not. It is not a straightforward chrononlogical telling of her life, but rather like having a pleasant conversation or reading a leader that she has written to her readers. It allows fans of her writing to get to know the woman behind those characters.

While not as detalied as some fans might wish for - as author and editor, Christie has left out some events - and rather long, it is a pleasing read for any fan of Christie's stories. I learned much about her life that I did not know, including novels she wrote using pseudonyms, and took joy in reading her views on social concerns. While the time period she lived in and wrote about may seem long gone, Christie's words prove again and again to be timeless.

this book was recommended by the instructor for a course on Shakespeare I took, to help those of us who were new to the literature and language of Shakespeare. It was an amazing resource and made it much easier to read and write about the plays. It's clearly written, explains the story well and any historically significant information that might be of importance to the play's history. This is an excellent suppliment for anyone reading Shakespeare.

This really does sum it up best:

"Shakespeare's genius is marked by his rare ability to appeal to theatergoers of all types and all levels of education. But for most modern folks, the Greek and Roman mythology and history, let alone the history of England and the geography of sixteenth-century Europe that his works are laden with, are hardly within our grasp. Isaac Asimov comes to making obscure issues clear to the layperson, selects key passages from 38 of the great bard's plays plus two of his narrative poems and, with the help of beautifully rendered maps an figures, illuminates us about their historical and mythological background."

Asimov is a genius, Shakespeare is a genius, it takes one to know one.

October 21, 2007

If you want to understand Shakespeare or just appreciate him more,this is a "must have" book.

Highly recommended for Shakespeare fans.

Gunner October, 2007 Comment | Permalink

This is the book if you want to start exploring Shakespeare. And don't get me wrong: it is not shallow -- on the contrary! -- but it is a very uncomplicated reading. Totally worth it.

As usual with Asimov works, this guide is absolutely superb!! I fully recommend it to readers attacking Shakesperare for the first time

This is the final volume in the "Ages of Middle-Earth" series and it was actually the first written. Although published in two volumes The Book Of Lost Tales was originally written as one. Tolkien expands in this second volume the stories of Middle-Earth as they unfold during the first four ages. For years Tolkien had been a scholar of mythology and he used his studies to transform ancient Earth mythology into the fantasy we know today. So if you love fantasy, whether you are a Tolkien reader or not, you will love this remarkable first attempt at reshaping modern fantasy.

If you like the silmarillion and book of lost tales one, than you cannot wait another day to get this. If you are like me and REALLY LIKE this whole middle earth thing with the trees, music of the ainur. etc, then you absolutely have to read this.

The first lost tales was the first half of the silmarillion, and of course part 2 of lost tales is the rest of the silm. Though a lot of these works are unfinished(certainly the whole tale telling itself with eriol and gilfanon?, yet some seem very finished like the fall of gondolin.

Some people don't think peter jackson did not do a good job with the lord, yet they do admit it was still a pretty good movie. I did not find return of the king NEAR as good as the other 2 movies, but I think that Pete was the best choice as director.

Now the point that I wanna make is that with all of the material from the book of lost tales part 1 AND 2, the silmarillion, unfinished tales, and all the annals I think Peter Jackson could make another epic movie doing 1 of 3 things, or something that I'm not thinking of. It doesn't matter how these are made, I just wanna see them on screen.

1. Make a two-part movie 6-7 hours in total.
2. Make a 3 1/2 hour or 4 hour movie
3. Pick a certain tale like turin or luthien

Any of these things that I have suggested are acceptable to me, but I would be open to any way possiblre to put this on screen.

I honestly feel that with the very strong emotions in these books it could be better than the lord of the rings movies.

The Book of Lost Tales 2 is a fantastic continuation to the first, taking place right where it left off this book goes in deeper than the first. The Book of Lost Tales includes 6 tales that where apart of the first but explains it with greater detail. This book was edited by Christopher Tolkien, the author's(J.R.R. Tolkien) son. All of the six stories include many notes that help you with the story, and 4 of them include a commentary that Christopher Tolkien wrote. I found the commentary and notes to be very helpful and enjoyable although he refers a lot to The Simarillion so one who has not read that might not understand some of it, and infact the stories that are in The Book of Lost Tales 2 are briefly in The Simarillion, which is also a very wonderful book. These books can be at sometimes a little difficult to read given the ammount of detail and information that they give you, sometimes it is hard to organize all of it but as you read on more things fall into place.

I highly recommend this book, although suggest reading The Simarllion before hand, J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy world is quite enjoyable and his writings are full of detail. I also found the appendix and index of words quite useful and very nice to have, it tells you where all the names come from and have referances to where you can find them in this book and others. If you have read Lord of The Rings then you will find referances that are from this book and also The Simarillion that you did not get before.

Overall I thought this book was very enjoyable, although some what tedious at some points, and I recommend it to all fantasy and Lord of The Ring fans.

`if he could indeed destroy with his cunning the happiness and glory of the Gods and Elves...'

When the hateful god Melko marred the world, the Valar hid within the blessed land of Valinor, abandoning the Elves and Men of Middle Earth to slavery under his terrible rule. This was the time of great heroes who challenged Melko's impossible might. Beren and Lúthien entered Melko's hall to pluck his most prized possession from his crown. Cursed Túrin became a feared enemy of all evil creatures. Tuor fought to save a beleaguered realm. The mighty kingdoms of Gondolin - ruled by King Turgon - and Menegroth - ruled by King Thingol - long provided refuge for the few free people. Finally Eärendel risked all to beseech the Valar for aid. These heroes made terrible sacrifices to rid the world of the greatest evil it has ever known. Ashamedly, as magic faded and the Elves fled from the world, Men forgot these great deeds.

Ages later, the English mariner Eriol sailed to Tol Eressëa, the Lonely Isle, where Elves welcomed him as guest. In grand oral tradition, they recounted to Eriol the tales that should never have been lost.

Anybody who enjoyed The Book of Lost Tales Part 1, which should be read first, will love Part 2. It is also helps to first read The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Unfinished Tales, and, most importantly, The Silmarillion.

Christopher Tolkien continues to expertly assemble and present his father's works. His precise commentaries are essential to understanding J.R.R. Tolkien's mythos.

Some of the stories in Lost Tales are much more detailed than their final versions in the Silmarillion. Lost Tales is a treasure trove of rejected content that really fleshes out the myths.

The Book of Lost Tales Part 2 has six sections.

`The Tale of Tinúviel', one of Tolkien's most popular stories, tells of the triumphant love between Beren and Lúthien. This version is shockingly different than that found in The Silmarillion, and it contains much more dialogue and plot.

`Turambar and the Foalókë' is the stirring tragedy of Túrin son of Úrin (or Húrin). Cursed as a child, Túrin rages against fate with heroic intensity. This account is wonderfully detailed.

`The Fall of Gondolin' recounts the final days of King Turgon's fair city. Ulmo (the only Valar to intervene in Middle Earth during this period) sends brave Tuor upon a divine quest to bring counsel to the doomed realm. This Lost Tales version is staggeringly well detailed. The final battle for the city (summarized in a few sentences in The Silmarilllion) here receives tremendous attention. This action-heavy scene is definitely a highlight of the book.

In `The Nauglafring', Elves and Dwarves battle over cursed gold. This early-abandoned tale flatly contradicts much of Tolkien's other work.

`The Tale of Eärendel' tells of the legendary mariner who now sails the firmament above Earth as a radiant star, bringing hope to men. J.R.R. Tolkien never wrote this story, so this section consists of outlines, poems, and heavy commentary.

`The History of Eriol or Ælfwine' delves into Eriol's life. It clearly identifies Middle Earth as our Earth; for instance, the origins of England and Ireland are spelled out and Rome is presented as an Elvish enemy. Although enlightening, this thoroughly explained setting lacks the mysterious grandeur of LoTR's Middle Earth. This tale was never finished, and Christopher Tolkien shows superhuman diligence in piecing together jumbled outlines and narrative fragments. It is densely commented and makes a slow, though worthy, read.

The Book of Lost Tales shows the devotion J.R.R. Tolkien had for his craft. It is a perfect choice for any Silmarillion fan.

-Zach Zelmar

`The Book of Lost Tales, Part One and Part Two' by J. R. R. Tolkien, edited by son, Christopher Tolkien, is, according to the editor's Foreword, some of the very earliest works written by Tolkien on the mythology of Middle Earth. Many, it is stated, were drafted in the 1920s, nearly ten years before the start of `The Hobbit'.

This is an important fact, as it means that they were not written to `fill in' details of references made in either `The Hobbit' or `The Lord of the Rings' (LOTR). It means that both of these published novels were narratives of a preexisting world of Middle Earth with a history stretching back thousands of years, to the very creation of the world. This supports the sense of historical depth one has when you read both novels. Early in the Foreword, editor Tolkien addresses this very aspect and the danger that the great depth of history felt in the novels may not transfer to documents that lay out that history. I personally do not sense that danger when I read these works. The intellectual effort required to understand the text and tie it together with all the Tolkienania that has gone before is more than enough to keep me busy. This is the basis of my title for this review, `Fantasy for Grown-ups'.

My experience is that neither `The Hobbit' nor `LOTR' books or movies had a strong appeal to the same audience as the literal and virtual comic book works such as Spiderman, Superman, Batman, Star Wars, Lara Croft (Tomb Raider), or even Indiana Jones. The world in which Middle Earth is set is much more subtly different from our world or the world of `Long ago, and far, far, away...' Even in `The Hobbit' one gets hints that the world of Middle Earth is not our comfortable sphereical planet with a different geography but the same physics, chemistry, and biology. One gets the sense that while the great `Gandalf the Gray' may be called a `wizard', he is not a wizard in the same sense as Merlin or a wizard of `Dungeons and Dragons'.

The most important difference between Middle Earth and our world is that this continent is in the center of a great disk surrounded by seas across which are the undying lands including the Elven island of Eressea and Valinor. The next major difference is that there are beings, primarily elves, which walk the earth and which are literally immortal. That is, they cannot die by natural causes. They can, however, be killed in battle, as seen in `The Two Towers' movie with the death of the elven archer allies helping to defend the Hornburg with Aragorn, Theoden, and the Rohrrim. It is also interesting to see that Gandalf possesses an immortality of an entirely different order, as he survives the great battle with the Balrog in the mines of Moria, a battle that would have killed any ordinary immortal elf.

It would have been interesting to see Tolkien deal with immortality in the same way that John Boorman did in his script for the movie `Zardoz', an easily underestimated movie. (Oddly enough, Gandalf is most like the characterization of Merlin in Boorman's movie, `Excalibur').

Another big difference is that the physics of this world is different from our world. Light, for example, simply does not behave like our notions of light. It is much more like a liquid that can be captured in the Silmarils or in the vial give by Galadrial to Frodo in Lorien. This is part of the reason neither Gandalf nor any other character, even Sauron, seems to use much `magic'. What may appear to us as magic is simply bending the different laws of physics to the will of the magician, as Sauron does in creating the One Ring.

These two books are yet another step removed from the `popular fiction' of `LOTR'. `The Silmarillion' was one step removed in being much more like Hesiod's mythology than Homer's epics. The `Unfinished Tales' were another step removed in that they were close to being stories with extensive editorial annotations. These two volumes, which are really one work in two books are reconstructions of even cruder material. Reading them may be about as much fun as reading Frazier's `The Golden Bough'.

Now, reading `The Golden Bough' can be fun for a particularly intellectual interest, but it takes just a bit extra to gain the same pleasure from these works, as they are not stories from a historical mythology which may explain genuine primitive thought and beliefs. They are make believe! They just happen to be of a type of make believe which is more different than just about any other fiction you can imagine.

The greatest insight I get from these myths on the early history of Middle Earth is on the origins of Tom Bombadil and the Ents. While neither is mentioned, there are ample hints that both are beings who sprung up from the bones of Middle Earth itself, independent of any efforts by the Valar. This explains the total difference between Bombadil and every other character in `LOTR' aside from Treebeard and the Ents. The Elves, the Wizards, Sauron, dragons, and probably dwarves, hobbits, and men all arose out of immigrants from `The Undying Lands' or were created by the Valar.

I find the single most interesting character in these pre `LOTR' stories to be the Noldor (elven) leader Feanor. He seems to have the air of Prometheus about him in that he defies the gods (the Valar) without being an evil force like Melkor / Morgoth or Sauron. When Feanor is not on the stage, my interest drops several notches.

These are the first two volumes of the twelve volume `The History of Middle Earth'. While several of the volumes seem independent, I would not venture to read any of them without having read `The Silmarillion'. They will make very little sense without this background in hand.

The Complete Works of Shakespeare / 0-673-99996-3

Every play, every sonnet, every scribble is here - and much more. This volume includes useful background on the theatre, politics, morality, and social mores of the day. The level of detail here is absolutely stunning; the footnotes are numerous and incredibly helpful, especially to 'translate' obscure sayings or particularly unusual English usage. Each play is prefaced with an introduction containing the complete 'cliffs notes' of the play, providing useful insight into character motivation and development. I highly recommend this volume, both for Shakespeare enthusiasts and for students just wishing for enough information that they can passably demonstrate familiarity with the Bard.

This was the text for my college Shakespeare classes over 20 years ago (different edition of course) I still have it and still use it. A wonderful book for students and those who want not only the complete works but some well written and authoritative information about Shakespeare and the world in which he lived and wrote.

The texts of the plays are well foot-noted and the type is easy on the eyes. Well worth the investment.

While reading reviews of this edition elsewhere on the Web, I came across this review by David Allen White, professor of English @ the U.S. Naval Academy and editor (with Charles Boyce) of Shakespeare A to Z:

"Re-writing Shakespeare is nothing new. The Nahum Tate version of King Lear--with the happy ending--held the stage for nearly a century and a half. The great actors of the romantic age, Kean and Booth and Macready, not only spotlighted the heroes in the tragedies but felt free to beef up their roles. Directors began more than 50 years ago to monkey with the historical settings of the play, often with imaginative and instructive results. Scholars, critics, and directors have ridden various hobbyhorses through the plays for years, introducing us to Freudian Hamlets and Marxist King Lears and feminist Tamings of the Shrew.

"Recent Shakespeare production and scholarship, however, add a perverse twist to this long tradition. We no longer care what the Bard actually wrote. Years of deconstructionist theorizing have taught us that words are needy and we, readers or actors or scholars, have the right, indeed the obligation, to give them the gift of meaning--our meaning, the more bizarre the better.

"For the 23 years that I've taught Shakespeare at the United States Naval Academy, I have always used the same text, The Complete Works of Shakespeare, edited by David Bevington of the University of Chicago. Professor Bevington is an old-school scholar with a distinguished career. The book he edited had many advantages: large print, full character names before each speech, specific indications of settings, modernized spellings, solid introductions that connected the plays to the students' experience of love and politics, morality and order, passion and faith, and comprehensive but not overwhelming notes. Every few years a new edition would appear, and I would open it with interest and a little apprehension. But the changes would be minor--thinner paper (approaching the substance of tissue, a malady afflicting many recent books), hints here and there of encroaching academic perversity in the notes--nothing sufficient to make me seek another text. The 4th edition's introduction to The Tempest caused me to swallow hard: We learn there that Prospero's authority "is problematic to us because he seems so patriarchal, colonialist, even sexist and racist in his arrogating to himself the right and responsibility to control others in the name of Western and Christian values." But this is an imperfect world, and I soldiered on.

"Notified that a 5th Edition would appear this fall, I took time to examine it closely. Many of the introductions remain the same; but new editors and commentators have significantly altered others. Despite the myth of progress that reigns in all the disciplines of modern academia, "new" is often far from "improved." Apparently, Professor Bevington has either ignored the changes or allowed the young scholar-colts to have a romp. In some of the new introductory essays, especially under the guise of new brief histories of stage performance, questionable judgment, to put it mildly, has crept in. For example, the introduction to Othello ends with the following observation:

'In another recent development, Emilia has stood out in several productions as the raissoneur and heroic figure in the play, speaking as she does on behalf of maltreated women, urging Desdemona to stand up for her rights. One recent Chicago production went so far as to rewrite the ending: Othello and Iago both survive unpunished for what they have done, while Desdemona and Emilia lie dead as their innocent victims. This deliberate and provocative overstatement might seem extreme to some viewers, but unquestionably did signal the direction of recent performance history of the profoundly disturbing play.'

"It may be time to stop buying tickets to that great play.

"The current obsession in academia is "queer theory," and the homoerotic is everywhere, not just in Shakespeare studies. But this particular perversity fills the introductions to the new Bevington, especially the introductions to the comedies. Compare the following passages, the first from the introduction to As You Like It in the 4th Edition, essentially a carry-over from earlier editions:

'Rosalind's disguise name, Ganymede, taken from Jove's amorous cupbearer, has homoerotic connotations that are easily misinterpreted today. Shakespeare delicately acknowledges the suggestion, to be sure, both in Phoebe's pursuit of a young lady (but really a boy actor) in male attire, and in Orlando's courtship of "Ganymede" as though addressed to Rosalind. Yet this innocent titillation, found also in Shakespeare's source, is not meant to hint at homosexual attraction as we understand it. On the contrary, the point is that Orlando can speak frankly and personally to "Ganymede" as to a perfect friend, one to whom he can relate in platonically spiritual terms without the distracting note of sexual interest.'

"These are eminently sane and sensible remarks. Now from the Introduction to As You Like It in the 5th Edition:

'Rosalind's disguise name, Ganymede, has connotations that suggest ways in which human sexuality can be partly understood as socially constructed. If Rosalind in disguise as Ganymede wins the affection and eventually the love of Orlando, while her father and the others are equally taken in by the disguise, are maleness and femaleness chiefly matters of sartorial convention and superficial appearance? When Phoebe falls in love with Ganymede, is not her infatuation a way of showing that the roles of the sexes can be put on and off? Theatrically, the device of having a young male actor play Rosalind who then disguises him/herself as a young man adds to the witty confusion of sexual identities by introducing homoerotic possibilities. Not only can the roles of the sexes be put on and off, sexual desire itself is unstable...'

"This is ideology masquerading as interpretation.

"To be sure, the range of possible interpretations of Shakespeare's work is wide, for he encompasses all of humanity and tells profound and mysterious truths about human life. Such inexhaustible expansiveness invites discussion and dispute and differences. At the end of the Introduction to Richard II in this volume, for example, there is a brief but superb account of various interpretations of that rich role by leading actors. Professor Charles Forker of Indiana University provides that account; another old-school scholar, he knows more about that play than any other living soul. Too many of the revised introductions, however, are more interested in advancing the latest academic-political orthodoxy than in discovering and illuminating the natural and conventional moral order so abundantly on display in Shakespeare's works. Nothing is more orthodox--still--among contemporary literary critics than the alleged truth that there is no truth, that all interpretations are valid except the author's own.

"Thus Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream can be presented as "the denizen of a drug culture, with the love potion as the weed he gleefully distributes. The experience of the forest becomes a drug-induced 'high,' for audiences as for the actors. The fairies, sometimes played by adult and hairy males, can exhibit a streak of cruelty." And, indeed, in a recent production at the Shakespeare Theater in Washington, D.C., the fairies were hairy males who carried something like miners' lights. So much for lightness and charm and magic. This same Dream introduction gives the game away in words that are echoed in many of the other essays: "These modern interpretations are arguably neither more nor less 'true' to Shakespeare's text than earlier or more 'traditional' versions. What they do demonstrate is the play's remarkable permeability and openness to differing views."

"The new Bevington retails for $90; in good conscience, I cannot ask students to fork over such a sum of cash for a book that is now rife with nonsense. So next fall I'll assign The Riverside Shakespeare, which fortunately is still in its 2nd edition. I fervently hope it is not soon updated.

"Of course, the Bevington volume has come to reflect the universities it serves, where young students pay small fortunes to be taught that there is no enduring meaning or beauty to be found in the poetry of Shakespeare, no tradition worth preserving, no "truth" other than personal whim and innovative foolery. If the price of the new Bevington is petty theft, the tuitions charged by these institutions have become, at least for the study of the humanities, highway robbery.

"I know a father who gave his son the equivalent of a year's tuition and told the lad to go to Europe, to travel, to observe, to learn for as long as the money would hold out. The young man came back after two-and-a-half years, mature and educated, and instantly found a good job. The time has come for imaginative, alternative learning. I talked recently with a very intelligent young woman who loves literature; she is completing her sophomore year at Yale, where she had hoped to pursue an English Literature major. She informed me with sorrow that she was abandoning that plan. Her reason was quite simple: she had already sat through too many classes where lunacy prevailed. She mentioned the possibility of looking at traditional Catholic convents. Could this be the first refreshing drop of a wave of the future? It would not be the first time that civilization was preserved in the convents and the monasteries. Nymph, in thy orisons, be all of Academia's sins remembered."

(Allen, David White, "An Unweeded Garden," The Claremont Institute, http://claremont.org/publications/crb/id.959/article_detail.asp [originally published March 22, 2004])

I guess it's safe to say that, based on his review, Professor Allen'd give this edition 1 star...right?

I purchased this book as a birthday present for a graduating high school student who is a big fan of Shakespeare.
This volume has a lot to offer to both students and casual readers. In addition to very readable text of all the plays and sonnets, the fifth edition provides historical and literary context, including drawings and photos, as well as insightful essays on each of the plays. The essays include background, plot summaries and discussion of major themes and would be very useful to anyone seeing a play, especially for the first time. The helpful glossary is extensive, so the reader doesn't have to look up unfamiliar words or feel intimidated by the language. Professor Bevington's fifth edition of the Complete Works is a gem, authoritative and attractive. The birthday girl thinks so, too-- she gives it an A+.

This is truly a great book. Not only does it contain all of Shakespeare's works but it also has an enormous amount of information. There's a little bit on his life and a bit more about the theater during his time. There are also some great drawings in the beginning of the book.

This cookbook is my current favorite. It's like music; in each section, the author creates a theme and variations upon it. There is a core recipe with at least four different versions that taste completely different. In doing this, it manages to give you great ideas for what ingredients you can swap to make something new without having to learn a new skill set for each recipe. I have made the parmesan & basil drop biscuits, broken lasagna with cherry tomatoes, salsa verde and two smoothie recipes, and each has been easy to make with simple 3-step instructions and delicious every time. This book hasn't left my kitchen counter since I got it last week! I plan to make just about everything in here.

The best part is that I'm not a vegetarian and there's not a single recipe in here that turns me off. The author isn't pretentious about being vegetarian the way many vegetarian cookbooks are (you know what I mean, "2 organic tomatoes, free range eggs, etc"). It just happens to be food without meat or meat-replacements, which is great because I am not a fan of tofu either.

This is great for anyone especially those who want to try to eat vegan. It is simple with variety of options offered for each created dish! This is a keeper.

this book is great for foodies & those who need to tackle the challenges of being vegetarian. great ideas, easy to read, easy to implement, just an excellent resource for