Entertainment Books

Valeria Belletti was an energetic, intelligent young woman who came to Los Angeles from New York and worked as a secretary to some of the most powerful and interesting people in Hollywood in the late 1920s. During this period, she wrote dozens of letters to her best friend, describing not only her experiences at the movie studios, but her personal feelings and day-to-day life in southern California and on an extended trip to Europe. These letters make up the bulk of this short book, which left me liking Valeria very much and wishing there had been more. Well-written background notes are provided by editor Cari Beauchamp.

While Beauchamp supplies some valuable padding-out of the events and personalities Valeria described, she tends to give the compilation a modern feminist point of view the author of the letters did not seem to have in mind. In contrast, the letters indicate that rather than being the victim of an "iron ceiling" (Beauchamp's term), Valeria, although a high school dropout, had opportunities to grow professionally beyond being a secretary, but chose not to pursue them. Furthermore, rather than half-heartedly marrying a man she was "only fond of" (Beauchamp again) as a sort of economic expedient in an oppressive patriarchal society, Valeria was an independent woman who went where she wanted to go and did what she wanted to do. She had no trouble supporting herself comfortably, and she enthusiastically married a man of modest economic means, of whom she wrote, "The more I'm with him, the more I love him."

I have the paperback edition and find it odd that the name of Valeria Belletti, the delightful author of the letters comprising this book, does not appear on the front cover or the spine, while Beauchamp's name is displayed in large print. For enthusiasts of early Hollywood or 1920s southern California, Valeria's letters are well worth reading, while taking her editor's feminist leanings with a large chunk of salt.

Fabulous Book. If you want to know the inner-workings of the star-studded Hollywood Machine in the 1920's then this is the book for you. An insider's account with all the trimmings. Cari Beauchamp does it again. BRAVA!

This is a very fascinating book if you're into Hollywood history, specifically of the 20's. Although written as letters to a friend, they a lot like a diary, and as such it's a look at Hollywood of that era from a viewpoint we've never seen: the regular employee. There are plenty of books by and about the stars, directors, executives, etc., but this is the first one from a secretary, and while that may not sound as exciting as, say, a book about Buster Keaton, it really is interesting.

What's great is that these were just casual letters, not something their author (Valieria Belletti) expected anyone but her friend to read, consequently she speaks her mind with an openness and honesty you just won't get from someone who's expecting to be quoted. The letters are full of comments and incidents about major stars and directors, but are presented in a casual way, not jazzed up as they would be upon later reminiscence or if they were being told in an interview.

The only thing I didn't like, and this is to be expected from the private letters of one young woman to another, is that the "search for a husband" stuff gets a bit tiresome. It's still interesting in terms of being a window on the mores and social life of the time, and therefore some readers might find it better than the movie studio parts, but I came at the book through an interest in the movies not an interest in how women dated in the 20's. (As I said though, I did find this stuff interesting, it's just that it started to occupy more space than the studio stuff. And in Valieria's defense, it sounded like she was wearying of it after a while too.)

So I'm glad I read the book and I definitely recommend it, just don't expect wall-to-wall insights and revelations about Hollywood. Not that I expected that, but just be sure you don't either.

This book is not only for film buffs, it is a window to a world that is long gone. It is a bird's eye view of Hollywood at the end of the silent era and transitioning into the age of the talkies.

Aside from the great Hollywood dish, of which there is plenty, Belletti was remarkably candid and refreshingly not star struck. Although, I must confess that I can totally relate to having a crush on Ronald Colman. In the end it is the delightful, matter of fact, take no prisoners Valeria Belletti that you come so much to admire in reading her letters. She was a wonderful letter writer and these letters are, indeed, treasures. At the turn of each page you are delighted anew with some insight or adventure. She was one spunky girl and wrote letters that are filled with details of her days and nights in Hollywood. We need to bless her beloved friend Irma for saving these letters and presenting them to her many years later.

We must also thank Cari Beauchamp for bringing these letters to light and annotating them carefully with her own delightful and informative prose. As I said before, this is a window to a lost world. More than that, it is a celebration of an independent young woman making her way in a man's world and celebrating her life at the height of the jazz age. This will be a volume I will turn to again and again. Don't miss it, this will brighten the gloomiest and dampest spirits on a rainy day.

...because I was stupid enough to lend the miniseries to a friend. Anyway, I liked it so much I HAD to have it.

This is demi-science-fiction story about future ruled by Apocalypse and childhood of Nate Summers, known as Cable. It is EXTREMELY well written , and art is incredible, just like anything Gene Ha does. Reccomended for Marvel fans in general, other people would have too much trouble understanding who-is-who .

This graphic novel compiles the mini-series with the same title. It is very good reading and helps to clear away the grey (no pun intended) areas relating to cable's background in particular. All in all an X-cellent book. Excelcior!

There are simply too many people in the X-universe that carry the name "Summers". Well, at least this book clears some questions about one of them (Now if it wouldn't raise so many more). The story starts just after X-Men 30, with Scott Summers and Jean Grey-Summers (newly wed), are pulled 2000 years into the future by Mother Askani (Who happens to be Rachel Summers, the alternate future daughter of the newlyweds, who is a major time traveler). Their mission. Raise baby Nathan (who is, if you want to get technical, Rachel's older baby brother [did that even make sense?]) So here are Scott (who goes by "Slym") and Jean (Who goes by "Redd") raising one of the most powerful mutants, who has to disguise himself as a human, in a world where it is "survival of the fittest." And in this world, humans are not counted amongst the fittest, and are trated as such (Very much like in modern day comics with mutants). The unfortunate thing is that the series covers a few days in each book, over a period of twelve years. It gives us only a glimps into Cable's life. Oh well, The Askani Son series picked up the pieces there!

The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix trade paperback collects the 1994 miniseries that attempted to sort out one of the most bizarre family trees in comics, even by X-Men standards.

In this series, newlyweds Scott Summers and Jean Grey, otherwise known as X-Men Cyclops and um, Jean Grey (the name Marvel Girl must be passé) are snatched from their island honeymoon and sent 2,000 years into the future by their elderly daughter Rachel (who arrived there from yet another future timeline) to watch over Scott's infant son Nathan, who had been sent to that very future in order to survive the techno-organic virus that was killing him in "our" time. Rachel, like her mom, is the sometime host of the powerful Phoenix force, and Nathan would grow up to become the mutant warrior known as Cable. Nathan has a cloned duplicate called Stryfe, who is being raised as the heir to Apocalypse. Oh yes, Nathan's mother was Madeline Pryor, a now deceased (sort of) clone of Jean Grey.

I told you it was complicated!

This series attempts to weave these very different threads into a somewhat cohesive pattern. Scott and Jean end up spending more than a decade in the future, which gives them the opportunity to actually raise young Nathan, who is unaware of exactly who his guardians really are. The "Dayspring Family" eventually joins the underground resistance movement and makes what appears to be a final confrontation with Apocalypse. I say "appears" because Apocalypse is killed about as often as Jean Grey, and with similar long term success.

Scott Lobdell does an admirable job with an obviously difficult group of characters, origins, and events. While the series is not as fun and exciting as other X-Men adventures, it is a necessary story to tell, if for no other reason than to clean up the storylines abandoned by so many other writers.

Gene Ha's artwork is absolutely incredible. Ha is one of the most underrated artists working today, with an attention to detail that has to be seen to be believed. His art totally sets the tone of the series, and makes the otherworldly setting and characters seem that much more believable.

Overall, the Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix is a key part of X-Men history. It may not be as fascinating as the Dark Phoenix Saga or the Age of Apocalypse, but it is an important part of the lives of several key X-Men characters.

Aesock's Travels is a bilingual novel for young adults age 7-10, presenting the same story in both English and Spanish, under one cover. All one has to do is flip the book over to read the other language. Young Benjamin and Olivia embark on an amazing, magical adventure with Aesock, a mysterious creature with an affinity for finding lost socks. The crisp, clean prose is exciting, and provides a simple yet wondrous adventure in this story that is as engaging for adults striving to learn either English or Spanish as a second language as it is for young people.

Chances are you've never thought of your socks as remotely connected to royalty. They're...well...socks. They cover your feet. They keep your shoes from rubbing blisters. That's about it.

Get ready for all previously held notions about socks to disappear once you read Gretchen McMasters' creative tale, Lights, Camera, Edison! For one thing, remember how you "lost" your socks and then months later "found" them? Uh-huh. That's not what happened.

But we're veering off the subject, and the mystery of the disappearing socks will become clear -- though secondary to the story -- once everyone reads this book.

Aesock, the hero of this tale, is the Prince of Static Island. Think sock puppet with glasses. Likely you won't find Static Island on current maps, but don't be concerned. Aesock knows where he's from and what he's about. He comes to the aid of a dejected Benjamin at exactly the right time, when Benjamin feels as if his young life is over because his science project failed in front of the whole class. He brings dejection home with him, dragging it down to the basement laundry room where he can mope alone.

Except he's not alone, which he discovers when a pile of laundry starts talking to him. First he thinks his sister Olivia is playing a trick on him, but when she arrives in the basement, too, the laundry pile keeps talking.

Soon Benjamin and Olivia meet Aesock and before you can say "There's a hole in my sock!" they are off in his time-travel machine (bearing a strong resemblance to a laundry basket). Aesock takes Benjamin and Olivia on a trip backwards, where they meet an important historical figure. One who is missing a sock, by the way.

During their jaunt, which is over almost before they leave (don't try to figure it out), Benjamin sees how key determination is to all big achievements. And McMasters manages to slide in a history lesson.

This clever book, the first in the Aesock's Travels series, is about 160 pages, but divide that by two. You have your choice of reading it in English or Spanish, all in one book.

Not only a fun way to introduce history, but a great way to slide into a discussion about self-doubt. "Do you really want to give up?" Aesock asks.
Delightful and informative. An excellent book for story circle.
Carolyn Harris, MS
School Psychologist

After a failed science project seven-year-old Benjamin Barber retreats to his home's basement. He and his nine year-old sister, Olivia, are taken by surprise when the laundry pile suddenly comes to life.


From Static Island has emerged a sock laden creature with supreme static cling, Aesock. After Benjamin reveals his desire to become someone as important as Thomas Edison, Aesock invites the children for a journey back in time.


They board a ship or hamper in this case. Complete with captain's wheel, colorful sail and more. It doesn't take long before they are on their way, traveling, to meet a young Edison.


Gretchen McMasters has written a wonderful book that children will surely enjoy! Not only is this a great tale of adventure, but teachers English or Spanish will also want to use this book as a learning tool, especially for children with short attention spans. Younger children will adore having this adventurous tale read to them.


Aesock is well written, captivating, unique and its eye-catching cover are sure to be a big hit everywhere!


For other upcoming books in the series or lesson plans visit: aesock.com


Reviewed by Betsie

Let me just say one thing: I'm completely in love with this book. It's amazing and full of breathtaking pictures that will take you right away to the very heart of Africa.

The funny thing is that I got it for a very good price as well. The best purchase of my life!

Don't miss it if you're interested in Kenya and its surroundings.

This was bought as a gift, my dear friend who is also my mom had this on her wish list and I bought it for her birthday.
I didn't really know what to expect of the book, since it was not I who wished for it.
When it came, I was completely delighted with it. Not only is it a beautiful, big, coffee-table size volume, but the photographs inside are wonderful! Something else--the text of the book is written in a font that appears to have been written by hand, straight out of the explorers journal. A nice touch when accompanied by these wonderful photos.
A beautiful book, indeed and the price is very fair, in my opinion.

It makes a great gift, too! :-)

This is something of a `summing it all up' book for this photographer of Africa. With four books and an entire lifetime behind her, she is looking back over the path of her days and trying to clarify for herself what her relationship with the land of her birth has become. "I am a child of Africa," she begins by saying, and yet as we wander through the pages of her life it is clear that it is never so simple as that.

The journey that Ricciardi takes us on is made up of long passages of text and an equal abundance of beautiful photographs. This was my first introduction to this talented photographer, and some of her work took my breath away. The photographs each have descriptions and comments written along side them, and I ended up reading these before working through the sections of text.

Ricciardi's life has been vibrant and is fascinating to read about, though her tone is somewhat melancholy. She is looking back on the Africa that was, the Africa of her youth that has disappeared. She is also looking at it through her `white man's eyes', and realizing that although she may be rooted in the land she has always been a foreigner.

The photographs moved me and Ricciardi's words challenged me. As a white woman who loved Africa she has in interesting view point, caught between what her people have done to Africa and what Africa has done for her. Sorrow and pain and regret are unavoidable when it comes to the Africa of today, but they are bound up with incredible beauty. This book doesn't so much show us the heart of Africa, but the heart of a woman who has been effected forever by the two faces of this land.

Although Ricciardi writes eloquently about Africa and shares herself and her deepest thoughts with the reader in a personal, searching way, it is her photographs that tell her story best. She has captured both the last days of the Africa she knew and the beginning of its new life, in this collection of some of her best and favorite work. A beautiful book.

This book contains images of modest nudity, including nursing mothers and children, that would probably earn this book an "R" rating if it were a motion picture.

Having known of Ms. Mirella Ricciardi's work as a photographer in Africa, I expected this book to be the typical photography book. What I found instead was far more interesting and rewarding. The book combines brief essays about her life in Africa with captioned photographs of her family and friends, and of the scenes she visited, studied, and photographed. Extending from a privileged childhood in what was then colonial British East Africa to recently in Kenya and neighboring nations, you see the collapse of a fantasy-like way of life, the rise of a troubled new one, vanishing wilderness, and the reflections of an intensely self-critical woman. If you are like me, you will be moved by what you see and read.

First, you will be impressed by Ms. Ricciardi's frankness. "I was a bad mother, a discontented wife and a frustrated photographer." She blames herself for the death of her older daughter, Marina, at thirty-six. "To this day, I am convinced this tragic event was my punishment." Personally, I think she is too hard on herself. Her story shows a warm heart and an eye for beauty that have enriched all those who have seen her work. I hope she finds self-forgiveness in the future.

Her mother was quite remarkable, as well. Coming from an influential and wealthy French family, she studied sculpture with Auguste Rodin and lived life as an artist in Paris before meeting the author's father, who was an exile from Italy. Relying on her mother's wealth, the couple soon set up a dream-like existence on a vast estate in Africa based in a "vast pink Italian villa" they built there near Lake Naivasha.

Ms. Ricciardi grew up with great wealth, hunting and enjoying the wilderness, and appreciating the native Africans. Later, she learned how to be a photographer while working with her future husband, and produced her well-known photographic work, Vanishing Africa. You will find many examples of that book as well as the details of how it was shot. Married to this adventuresome man, you get a sense of their time together as well as their discontent. As part of this, Ms. Ricciardi recounts her years with a young black lover, and how they handled the social challenges this presented in the class conscious society. Her two daughters were raised in an unself-conscious way with African children, often cavorting together nude as many young children do. You will enjoy seeing these scenes of carefree youth. Ms. Ricciardi's love of nature is matched by her love of the African people, and you will especially enjoy her images of the Maasai.

Moving forward in time, you see photographs of white Kenyans who fought the Mau-Mau, farmed and studied wildlife, the destruction that war brought to Africans, and the retreating wilderness. I especially enjoyed her profiles of people who have found a continued life in Africa whose family roots go back to colonial days. Ms. Caroline Roumegeure was especially interesting to me, with her background as the daughter of a Maasai warrior and a French woman in a family with 6 wives and 26 other children. She seemed to blend the best of both cultures together. Ms. Ricciardi eventually became estranged from Africa and has left it.

The photography captures breath-taking beauty that will stun you with its mystical appeal. You will feel like you are looking at something that is beyond your own understanding, but which will beckon you forward. Ms. Ricciardi's openness to the people, land, and animals will become your own, and you will be the better for it.

After you finish contemplating this deep and self-critical view of another way of life, I suggest that you think about where you are divided from other people and nature in your community. How can you reach out to bridge the gaps in a loving way?

Share your love with all around!

Always have enjoyed odyssy. this is a great collection, our kids have enjoyed hours of listening to this set of C.Ds.

The collection of stories are wonderful and we enjoyed them as a family while driving around town and on vacation. Our 10 year old son enjoys listing to them on his own as well.

The stories are really well told and hold even our two year old sons attention for some time. It is a great value for the stories given in this set. It is hard to find something you trust to let your children hear and see these days. I am grateful some people still want to instill Godly values in their children and have made such available for those of us who have very high values and trust God as the source of instructions. I definitely recommend this for parents, grandparents, or anyone wanting a gift for a child. This is a great entertainment while travelling.

Contains Excellent 36 Episodes:
* "The Meaning of Sacrifice"
* "Treasures of the Heart"
* "Sunday Morning Scramble"
* "Someone to Watch Over Me"
* "Isaac the Chivalrous"
* "Our Father"
* "Greater Love"
* "Clara"
* "A Lesson From Mike"
* "The Tangled Web"
* "The Boy Who Didn't Go to Church"
* "Called On in Class"
* "Over the Airwaves"
* "On Solid Ground"
* "BTV: Compassion"
* "Train Ride"
* "Real Time"
* "It Happened at Four Corners"
* "The Shepherd and the Giant"
* "The Mortal Coil, Parts 1 and 2"
* "Best Intentions"
* "Family Values"
* "Welcoming Wooton"
* "Elijah, Parts I & II"
* "Hidden in My Heart"
* "The Ill-Gotten Deed"
* "By Dawn's Early Light"
* "It Is Well"
* "The Great Wishy Woz, Parts 1 and 2"
* "Odyssey Sings"
* "The Time Has Come"
* "Connie, Parts 1 and 2"

This was a very nice book. It was easy but it was really fun to read. If you like these easy and fun books you would like this one.

I love poog!!!!! And I can't get enough of the akkiko Adventures !!!!!!!! I hope you come out with More!!! Bye!!!

Dallas

I bought this book a short time ago. I started reading it and read straight through. It is about a girl(Akiko) and her adventures on the planet Smoo. If you want to read a good book , buy it!

I just finished reading Mark Crilley's Akiko, Volume One, and I have to admit it was one of the most delightful books for young people I have ever read!--a great little girl heroine, and two squabbling characters that just make the whole book. Mr. Beebo and Spuckler reminded me of Tweedledee and Tweedledum and Alice--always arguing with each other and Alice trying to make the peace. Really delightful reading! ...

I used to teach 4th and 5th grades so I am familiar with what would be appropriate for this age group, and I thought the vocabulary and storyline were just perfect. The vocabulary was right for 4th graders with some challenging words in there to challenge them as well, which I feel is absolutely necessary to advancce a young reader's reading skills. Great for children with that right added touch of growing maturity where the kids begin to understand and appreciate some adult humor. Spuckler says as he rushes to leave his house, "And take those Bropka steaks off the grill! :>)...Gax the robot says, "I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHIG LIKE IT, SIR...VERY ROUGH TERRAIN...CRATERS...NO SIGN OF LIFE..." "You idiot! You're looking at ME! " Spuckler shouts. lol! --The book is just full of these super one-liners, appreciated by 4th gradersand adults alike. And of course the drawings or beautiful--the characters expressions priceless--you have to see them to really appreciated their quality!

I want to thank Mark Crilley for such a great book and if you have children, or even if you don't this would make a wonderful book to read!...Betty Knowlton

Bryan Talbot's ALICE IN SUNDERLAND is so unique that it is difficult to find anything to compare it to. It would be inaccurate to call it a graphic novel, because it tells no story. There really is no plot of any kind. What it actually is is a local history. Talbot essentially tells the story of his town of Sunderland while tracing unexpected connections it has with Lewis Carroll and relatives of Alice Liddell.

The story, such as it is, concerns "a guy" (the book begins "Well, there's this guy . . . ") who walks into the Empire Theatre in Sunderland for a performance of ALICE IN SUNDERLAND, only to find himself the only person in the theater. Onstage appears a man in a puffy shirt (think "the pirate shirt" of SEINFELD fame) and the head of a rabbit. The Rabbit Man begins to talk, only to remove his head, revealing a human face (which is, in fact, Bryan Talbot's own). He then proceeds over the next 300 pages to provide an endlessly inventive history of the local area, repeatedly drawing connections to ALICE IN WONDERLAND. The exploration is categoric, embracing prehistoric and ancient history, medieval history, and modern history. He covers local the economy, politics, architecture, and cultural life. By the end of the book you not only feel like you've explored a corner of the world you never even thought about investigating, you feel that you'd love to visit the place. And indeed, you feel like you know it. You also learn a very great deal about Lewis Carroll.

What is astonishing is that Talbot keeps his story fascinating from beginning to end. In actuality this is a one-note symphony, but he so successfully disguises this that you scarcely notice it. Frequently his story approaches the sublime. For instance, at one point he enters the first house in a row of elegant dwellings for Sunderland's economic elite. He searches local records and discovers that it was built by a Quaker merchant named Joshua Wilson. He then spends the next five pages exploring his life and character. He seems to have been a thoroughly likable and admirable individual, a genuinely good, though largely forgotten, man. And then the sublime: " . . . and Joshua, long dead and long forgotten, now lives again in some small way in the mind of you, the reader." The book is filled with magical moments like that.

This is easily one of the most beautiful to look at books that I've ever seen. Talbot is unusual in the world of graphic literature in that he not only writes and pencils his work, but colors it as well. He also employs a hot of graphic techniques in organizing his pages. He uses paintings, drawings, retouched photographs, reproductions, collages, and just about anything else you can think of in creating his pages. I've shown the book to several friends who have been instantly struck by the sheer physical beauty of the pages.

I can't recommend this book strongly enough. It is easily one of the most beautiful books that I own (the only one that might surpass it is the first two volumes in THE ABSOLUTE SANDMAN -- Talbot, by the by, illustrated some of Gaiman's stories). It is also one of the most unique.

Throw away your notions of what constitutes a graphic novel because Bryan Talbot has rewritten whatever rules there were. This is a book that can't be devoured; it is a history of the Empire theatre in Sunderland but it isn't. What is evident is Talbot's love of Sunderland and its true importance in history. But it isn't a history book. It defies genres and so I will call it what it simply is:- a masterpiece.

There have been and always will be books that intimidate your average everyday book reviewer. As someone who works primarily with children's literature, this doesn't happen to me all that often. After all, as much as I'd like to be overawed by the latest Junie B. Jones series title, it just ain't gonna happen. But encompassing the whole of literature written with children in mind means sometimes having to deal with books that only just barely touch on my sphere of experience. When I first heard of Bryan Talbot's graphic novel, "Alice in Sunderland," I had no idea what it was. Not really. A glance at the cover gives the reader some hints to the contents, but for your average everyday American the word "Sunderland" means nothing. It's a nonsense word. A play on "Wonderland" obviously, but beyond that we're without reference. Standing at an impressive 328 pages, the book is obviously publisher Dark Horse Comics' most ambitious project to date. Dense, intense, and without comparison, Talbot has constructed the ultimate love letter/tour guide to his home. The fact that it may have also inspired Lewis Carroll's best-known work? Almost a sidenote.

Step right up! Step right in! Take off your hats and coats and make yourself at home. A man walks into a theater for a performance unlike any other. Onstage, the rabbit mask-wearing lead performer begins to tell the story. But it's not the story of Alice in Wonderland or even Charles Dodgson, her creator. Rather it's the tale of a place. A little strip of land on the North Eastern side of the island of Britain. A location that has inspired so many heroes, stories, tales, and legends you'd be amazed to hear them all. But Talbot isn't going to concentrate on the biggest folktales of his region. Nothing so straightforward. Instead, the book leaps, glances, references, and side-steps around every possible connection Sunderland might have to the world of Alice. What's more, the very history of Britain itself is tied intricately into Sunderland's tale. At the heart of it all, however, is the story of Lewis Carroll. For every seemingly inconsequential tangent, Talbot continually and continuously ties Alice Liddell, muse to the great author, and Carroll to the land they belonged to. Part historical treatise, part series of Rosicrucian-like connections, Talbot is unafraid to absolutely stuff his book with as much information as humanly possible. The result is a ridiculous and magnificent ode to a too little appreciated region.

It might sound a tedious affair. Constant backing and forthing between the present and the past. History coming alive is meant to be boring, right? So what are we to do when an artist like Talbot bends over backwards, not only to fit everything in, but to violently and continually change his style so as to both retain our attention and show off his prowess? Care to hear Henry V's speech before Harfleur, Act III, Scene I, done in the style of Mad Magazine? A Jabberwocky poem via Tenniel (right down to the unisexual hero?). Bryan Talbot can tell the story of brave Jack Crawford like it was a boys adventure tale then turn around and present some pretty nasty Normans ala Jack Kirby. There's even a bit of D.C. horror, odes to Herge, and a visitation from god-amongst-comic-artists Scott McCloud. Tenniel and Hogarth may get their due praise, but let us too admire what Talbot has seen fit to sneak in here and there artistically.

But I love the little things about this book too. The central plot concerns a single attendee, treated to this magnificent show in the Empire Theater. Of course the performer, the viewer, and even the man giving the walking tour are all various rather handsome versions of Talbot himself. Still, you grow very attached to the man watching. You're touched by his continual love and interest in George Fornby, local boy made good, ukulele phenomenon, and general nice guy. It's history is what it is. Hearing that the current Queen of England is related by blood to Alice Liddell isn't just good fun. Talbot can then turn Her Majesty into the Red Queen and at the same time show the moment Queen Elizabeth unveiled Sunderland's ode to the Great Library of St. Peter's in 1993. No detail is so small that Talbot can't weave it into the text in some fashion.

I had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Talbot discuss this book at a conference held by the Lewis Carroll Society of North America. And let me tell you, it takes guts to stand before that kind of assemblage so to present a book on their beloved. From that talk, however, I learned all kinds of secrets about "Sunderland". The amount of Photoshop that has gone into some of these pages looks daunting at the outset. It's even more so when you hear how Talbot meticulously reconstructed some of his photographic scenes. The image of photographers taking pics of Alice at Columbia in her later years? Some of those fellows were lifted out of the original filmed production of "King Kong". That image of the Bayeux Tapestry? It took some wrangling to get to display even the replicated version held in the Reading Museum of Berkshire.

Not that the book is flawless. Sorry folks, but while Talbot may be a genius he is by no means perfect. He tends to bog down on the topics that are of the greatest interest to him and him alone. A walking tour thorough the public art of modern day Sunderland is cool to begin with but can't maintain the book's momentum after a while. Facts about Sunderland's shipbuilding and geography come across as akin to Melville's whaling portions of Moby-Dick. You feel obligated to read through them, but you get no pleasure from doing so. It's also funny to take into account what Talbot didn't include alongside what he did. He fails to speak on whether or not the Cheshire Cat's origins are also Sunderland-based (a notable absence, I feel). He doesn't mention, when discussing the Bayeux Tapestry (England's first graphic novel and compiled by "a single artist") that the creator was widely considered to be a woman. Sometimes watching the unmentioned becomes as fascinating as the mentioned.

Ah well. It's a remarkable affair just the same. For those readers willing to dedicate a couple days of their time to reading it through, "Alice in Sunderland" is one of the most rewarding reads. The convergence of graphic novel enthusiasts, Lewis Carroll advocates, and history majors is sweet indeed. An intimidating work in the best possible sense of the term.

The book took me by surprise. I was expecting another boring graphic novel, but Alice delivers so much more. I've little to compare it to in the field of graphic storytelling, but the only thing that comes to mind is From Hell. Like From Hell it delves with an enormous amount of information on a subject and this occurance is Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll, and Sunderland England and how they all tie together.

Talbolt does this by presenting the facts in a lucid style of a theatrical presentation. Using this device, he jumps around the history of Sunderland(from it's begginings to the theatre he's telling the story and to so much more) and how Carroll may have been influenced by the location when writing the Alice stories.
Yet it isn't just a story about a book for kids, it touches upon so many varied things that it had my head swimming with information so I could only read about fifteen pages a day. His artwork adapts to the element of story that needs it. There are about a hundred smaller stories under this title and he jumps and creates some interesting designs to make this work. Talbot has gone beyond the usual standards of comics and presented a amazing new book.

The only complaint I have is how he overuses a photoshop filter over photographs. If he did this once in a while it would be alright, but it's a technique that is driven into the ground by the end.

Wow, This book really helps, I beat the game alone on alien and predator profiles, but the marine was a little tough, didn't need the book much, but is great for people who are stuck

I liked this book. It was a real help

wow it is great it helped me pass the gam

I have been playing the game since the first day it came out. And since that day, I have been completely frustrated with it too. This book has helped a lot. It give full maps of all the enviornments. Every air ducts, every sub-level, everything! I play this game 24/7, so you can tell I like it a lot. The most helpful thing are the maps. The alien levels are mind-bogglingly long. It took me a week to beet the first level on the alien. I got this book and beat it in 15 minutes. It tells every charecter's weaknesses and strong points. It even gives a blueprint of the weapons and people. It gives info about everybody. It is really great.

This is one of the most thoroughly researched film biographies I have ever seen. This book relates the life story of Tom Mix, the silent movie star who dominated Hollywood in its early years. Jensen has provided extensive documentation of all the information contained in this work, including material from original sources stored in the back rooms of libraries and museums. Due to the research and reliance on original documents (personal letters, court records, etc.), there is a considerable amount of material contained in this book that has never been published before now. This book is a true tribute to Tom Mix, and will serve as the definitive biography of his life and career for many years to come.

One of the better books on Tom Mix.I really enjoyed this one,it
tells the Mix story warts & all.Apart from spelling errors & some incorrect facts Mix fans will go for this one.A good proof
reader would have helped!!!
John,"B" Western fan.

"The Amazing Tom Mix" reads like a novel but it's a biography, which to me made it all the more enjoyable. I only knew a little about Tom Mix but my parents remembered him, so I read it and then gave it to them to read. All of us agreed that the book was fascinating. There is so much detail in the book, but you don't get bogged down in it. It's just a great book.

I loved this book and agree with these two reviews that were on the back cover:

"Here is Tom Mix as he really was ... captivating ... enchanting ... a splendid book."
- Richard S. Wheeler, five-time Spur Award winning author of "Trouble In Tombstone."

"...the most complete biography of Mix's life of trials, tribulations and victories."
- John Duncklee, author of "Bull By The Tale."

I found this book simply sensational, once it has hundreds of interesting puzzles on math and logic. One learns a lot by reading it.

With 430 puzzles, problems, paradoxes, and brain teasers, this book is a mammoth puzzle collection, compared with most math teasers and puzzles book available. But what is important is not the quantity, but the quality and charm of the problems presented. Each problem is presented with a full length solutions that makes the book absolutely an instructive experience for the reader. In some cases the author even discussed on how others had attacked and failed the problems.

Additionally the book is fully illustrated with clever diagrams and sketches, which make the reading even more pleasant for everyone. You, your freinds and family will spend many hours trying the vast array of puzzles prented in this book.

This excellent collection of teasers has inferential problems in arithmetic and algebra, and includes geometry, mazes, magic squares and a lot of chess-board tours. The answers are often gems in themselves -- things mentioned in passing and left to the reader to establish -- e.g. "... of the twelve ways that eight queens can be placed on a chessboard without attacking one another..." At twelve years old I spent many an hour finding those twelve ways. There is a small problem with the age of the book, first published in 1917. You could buy an airplane for 400 pounds ($1,680) then, and the money puzzles in the first chapter assume familiarity with British pounds, shillings and pence (and ha'pennies and farthings). The Dover edition of 1958 included a preface on British coins and stamps, and another on the game of cricket, but this edition was in 8vo rather than the original quarto, making some of the diagrams very small. I received my copy in 1936, at age eleven, and have cherished it ever since. I still find challenges in it in spite of my Masters degree in Mathematical Physics!

Dudeney was one of the two fathers of puzzles today. Amusements in Mathematics has many of Dudeney's best puzzles. An excellent book.