Genres Books

In this novel we find one Mark Robarts, clergyman and parson of Framley. He is an ambitious young man desirous of rising in society. He is friends since childhood with Lord Lufton who makes an unfortunate introduction in the person of Sowerby who seduces poor Mark into signing his name to a debt which the parson cannot afford.

Mark Robarts's father passes away early on and his sister Lucy joins Mark and his wife at Framley Parsonage where Lord Lufton falls in love with her. Two more couples form and while I won't reveal how any of these relationships work out it wouldn't really matter if I did. Trollope's plots usually vary from bad to good but they are hardly ever of any importance anyway. What is important in a Trollope novel isn't what the plot is or how it concludes, it's how it works itself out and how Trollope paints his characters.

The characters in Framley Parsonage are a little whiter and blacker than those of the previous novels in the Barsetshire series. Sowerby is by far and away the blackest and Trollope was so effective in painting him black that towards the end he clumsily appeals directly to the reader and assures us Sowerby isn't really as bad a fellow as he seems.

Dr. Thorne and his niece Mary Gresham appear (from Doctor Thorne) as do the Grantlys and the Proudies (from Barchester Towers). Lucy Robarts is a fascinating woman even more headstrong here than Mary Gresham was in Doctor Thorne, but my favourite character in this novel is Lady Lufton. She opposes her son's desire to court and marry Lucy but does so politely and with consideration. At the same time, Lucy behaves in way Lady Lufton can only find irreproachable. So of course, not having anything with which to reproach Lucy, Lady Lufton has nothing with which to oppose her son's suit. And yet she does. How will this three-sided battle of wills, pitting Lord Lufton against his mother against Lucy against her suitor, resolve itself?

Well, that would be telling, wouldn't it? Let's just say that Lady Lufton has painted herself into a corner and let us leave it at that.

All in all, another fine example of Trollope's mastery of moral calculus.

Vincent Poirier, Dublin

Framley Parsonage is the fourth in Trollope's Barsetshire novels. Trollope (1815-1882) wrote the novel as a serial in the influential Cornhill magazine in 186-61, This novel along with the others in the series: The Warden; Dr. Thorne, The Small House at Allington, Barchester Towers and the Last Chronicle of Barset is a delightful return to mid-Victorian middle class society in a rural mythical county named Barsetshire.
In this long novel of over 600 pages there are several stories. The main character is the Rev. Mark Robarts, a
doctor's son, who at a young age becomes the vicar of Framley Parsonage. He has children and a kind wife Fanny. Mark has visions of grandeur in his head. He lends money to the unscrupulous Member of Parliament Mr. Sowerby. As a result of this fatuity Mark falls into debt. His friends rally to his aid.
Mark's sister Lucy Robarts is novel's heroine. She falls in love with the wealthy Lord Lufton who lives at Eustace Court with his formidable mother Lady Lufton. Lady Lufton wants her son Ludovic to wed Griselda Grantley the statuesque but dull as dishwater and cold as a cucumber daughter of Archdeacon Grantley. Lufton is torn between these two women. We see Lady Lufton overcome her prejudice against Lucy. Lucy is a kind girl who minister to the family of the poor clergyman Josiah Crawley. She wins over the heart of Lady Lufton and the reader.
Secondary plots concern the midlife romance of Miss Dunstable and good Doctor Thorne. Olivia Proudie daughter of the fussy busybody and scold Mrs. Proudie and the uxorious Bishop Proudie weds a clergyman Mr. Tickler who is a widower. Griselda Grantley is courted by the stupid Lord Dumbello who possesses a name and title to the Hartletop lands and fortune. Will she win Lord Lufton or choose Dumbello?
All's well that ends well in this classic Trollopian tale. Long before Jan Karon, Anthony Trollope wrote humorous, moving and plot driven tales of the lives of the clergy dealing with real life problems, romance and challenges. In my opinion, an Anthony Trollope novel is a good way to spend a quiet evening before the fireplace. Enjoy this wonderful author and the world he created.

I'm reading the Barset series in order and have not been disappointed yet. Framley Parsonage is substantive, richer than The Warden, more serious than Barchester Towers, similar in much to Doctor Thorne, and slightly more intricate than DT. I enjoyed the introduction of a healthy dose of political gamesmanship in the form of descriptions of the parliamentary machinations and electioneering strategies. One also learns how to conduct financial shennanigans with horses, farmland, and public forests. The characters in FP are textured and almost always believable; there's only a few caricatures here. As always, the Everyman's edition is accompanied by a lucid introduction and helpful timetable.

As a sixty-two year old professor of English literature and a compulsive reader, I have read many, many novels in my life, and most of Trollope's (for they are, indeed, habit-forming), but this one is perhaps my favorite. I have not read it since 1982, but when I open the cover and look at the fly-leaf, I feel the special delight that I felt when I first read it. Like Austen's Emma, it is one of those perfect books you should not miss.

The fourth of the Chronicles of Barsetshire, Framley Parsonage (1861) is a gentle novel filled with memorable characters, including many characters from The Warden, Barchester Towers, and Dr. Thorne. Mark Robarts, a young vicar with a devoted wife, has a comfortable situation at Framley Parsonage on the estate of the indomitable Lady Lufton. Her son, now Lord Lufton, had been a friend of Mark Robarts at school, and it was their friendship which resulted in Mark's position. Mark, though conscientious in his duties and grateful for his situation, is ambitious, however, anxious to expand his horizons beyond Framley.

Lady Lufton, who rules with an iron hand, is appalled when Mark decides to spend a weekend with a "fast" crowd, one which he believes can advance his career. Young and naïve, he becomes the dupe of an aristocratic "con-man," an MP named Nathaniel Sowerby, who persuades him to help him out of a financial jam by signing a note for five hundred pounds (more than half Robarts's yearly salary), allowing Sowerby to draw funds on Robarts's name. Though Sowerby swears he will resolve the problem within weeks, he needs an additional four hundred pounds when the note comes due.

In the meantime, Robarts's sister Lucy arrives at Framley Parsonage upon the death of their father. Lucy, a sweet ingénue in mourning, soon comes to the attention of Lord Lufton, who is fascinated by her naivete, a marked contrast with the women he has known to date. Though Lady Lufton has much more "significant" matrimonial prospects in mind for her son, the courtship begins, and though Lucy declines Lord Lufton's initial proposal, she remains in love with him. As Robarts's financial miseries become more pressing, and as Lucy's misery at having turned down Lord Lufton increases, the scene is set for a final showdown.

Numerous peripheral characters, many of them known to readers of the series, add to the drama of the primary action. The implacable dowager Lady Lufton, wishing to maintain her family's social position, staunchly opposes the Duke's relationship with Lucy Robarts, pushing Griselda Grantly, daughter of Archdeacon Grantly, as the Duke's suitor. The competition between the (Archdeacon) Grantlys and the (Bishop) Proudies for suitors for their daughters adds great comic relief to the story, and the internecine manipulations among the clergy provide gentle satire in a novel which seems to be remarkably domestic in its focus.

Trollope provides a full picture of Victorian life, representing many aspects of society, and though his view of the clergy has in earlier novels been a bit jaded, he is sympathetic to many of its representatives in this novel, seeing them as humans, rather than as types. A sweet novel, part love story and part social commentary, Framley Parsonage is charming, memorable for its characters and picture of Victorian England. n Mary Whipple

The Warden
Barchester Towers
Doctor Thorne (Barsetshire Novels)

Man, this book was sooo good..I don't even know where to start with my review! I ordered this book based on all the five star reviews and I'm glad I did. Every chance I got I read this book. I kept telling myself I'll just read one more chapter and put it down, but I'll tell you right now it's hard to put this book down!

The residents of Macon Street Apartments are:
Peaches..a stripper that is only concerned with how much money a man can give her, and if he doesn't give her the amount she think she deserves then she has no problem taking it out of his wallet when he's not looking.

Romello..a street hustler that has been living with his baby momma for nine years. They have three kids together, but since his baby momma has put on a few pounds he starting to get a little bored, and boredom is not the only thing Romello is dealing with he's also obsessed with Peaches.

Alisha..is married to Craig. She's beautiful, faithful, well taken caren of, but one day her 'perfect life and marriage' seems to start crumbling like a cookie after Peaches starts whispering in her ear telling her you can't trust a man.

LaDonna..is a homely resident of Macon Street, but it's nothing for her to spread rumors or eavesdrop on other residents conversations. She's suppose to be Alisha's best friend, but is she really?

And then there's Lucky...he's the new resident of the complex. He doesn't work, drives a Mercedes Benz, his apartment is laid out and all the ladies want him. After reading this book I see exactly where he gets his name from. LADIES WATCH OUT FOR THIS MAN! lol

I loved this book from the first page to the last! It was good, good, good!

Welcome to Macon Street Apartments where there is drama on top of drama. If you ever stayed in an apartment you can relate to this book. The author takes you into the lifes of characters that have you laughing one minute and mad the next. Enjoying this book is not the word for it, a breath of fresh air I should say.

Peaches is a stripper that has the residents folks up in arms about her life style. Especially when she comes out of her door with a little bit of nothing on. All the ladies has a problem with this because their mens are looking from head to toe.

Romello has Jewel whip so hard that the truth is in her face and she can't see it. Romello has what us women says "it must be made of Gold!"

Craig & Alisha is the happy couple until her bestfriend (Ladona) starts to take interest in Craig. All hell brakes lose when Peaches starts whispering into Alisha ear about men's are no good and you need to watch that Ladona.

You have this mystery guy move in name Lucky that all the women is checking out. All the guys is up in arms about him because the rumor is that he has lucked up and have a women taking care of him. So he don't have a care in world but to get lucky so more.

Let me tell you that this book is not a fairy tale with a happy ending. I didn't see any of this coming for me. One time I throw this book across the room and left there. I was so made at characters I had to laugh at myself.

This book is very well written with the characters that is developed just right. I could see this book in a sitcom on television while I was reading it. There is so much that the author brings out and leave you wanting more after each chapter. This is a must read and I highly recommend this book to all.

This book kept me wanting more...and more...and more....Please go buy this book. I only have one question...How could Lucky be in 2 places at one time? I don't want to give the book away but how can he be in Utah and at the complex with Alisha???

I loved the book and I can't wait to read the sequel. I emailed the author, she even wrote me back and asked my view on the characters. It's a great read.

APOOO Rating: 4

In Getting Lucky by Kamryn Donavan, there never seems to be a dull moment in Macon Street Apartments. When a new resident, Lucky Thompson, moves in, EVERYTHING and EVERYONE is affected. Well, mainly the women. He claims that his "baby" is paying all his bills. He is riding around in a Mercedes, dressing nice, and his apartment is laid out.

Peaches, the stripper who sometimes brings her "work" home, is determined to find out why they call the new neighbor Lucky. Romello, Jewel's boyfriend of nine years, is determined to see what has the men coming back for more of Miss Peaches. In the meantime, Jewel has her eye on Peaches and Romello.

Alisha is happily married to her husband, Craig. She wants to start a family and make their life complete. Craig is not sure that is the best decision right now. He is working long hours to make sure that Alisha wants for nothing. He treats her like a queen. Alisha's friend Ladonna wants a piece of that heaven. She is dead set on having Craig for herself.

I was emotionally invested in the characters of Getting Lucky and wanted to know what would happen next. It kept me on my toes all the way to the end. There were so many twists and turns and it was a great read. I definitely recommend this one for those avid readers. Can't wait to see what Donavan puts out next.

Donnica Copeland
APOOO BookClub

In "The Greengage Summer" five English youths have their vacation trip to the battlefields of France derailed when their mother develops a disabling illness due to an insect bite. While she is in hospital, they stay at a hotel run by two sour proprietors and peopled by an eccentric cast of characters. Each of the youths pursues his or her interests (painting, photography, etc.) while exploring the hotel and the grounds nearby. They befriend the handyman Paul, a young man with a perplexing past, and bond with their temporary guardian, Eliot, whose background, they eventually discover, is even more disturbing. In their summer stay, the children also stumble upon a mystery. As they collide with a foreign adult world, they receive an education, but not quite the one their mother originally intended.

The Grey children are taken to France by their mother to visit the battlefields of WW1 in the hope that it will make them less selfish. However, she is taken ill as soon as they arrive at their destination, the hotel Les Oeillets, and the children find themselves bewildered and frightened in a strange land with a barely conscious mother. They are befriended by Eliot, a charming and enigmatic Englishman staying at Les Oeillets, who sorts everything out. With their mother in hospital, the children are free to explore this strange and exotic new world, so different from the dull suburban English town they have come from. They get to know all the people at the hotel, Mamzelle Zizzi, the beautiful but slightly haggard proprietor, who is clearly besotted with Eliot, Madame Corbet, grim and unsmiling, who equally clearly detests him, and all the rest of the staff. They make friends with Paul, an orphan who is an overworked drudge in the kitchen, but dreams of some day owning his own lorry. The story is narrated by Cecil, thirteen years old, who observes everything, especially the growing attraction between Joss, her exquisitely lovely elder sister, and Eliot. As Eliot spends more and more time with the children, Mamzelle Zizzi's jealousy grown, until it finally explodes one night in a scene that terrifies and bewilders the Grey family. The children try to retreat from the scary grownupworld to their safe childhood idyll, but it is too late, the happy atmosphere is poisoned. As Eliot's behaviour grows more mysterious,and Mamzelle Zizzi continues to simmer with jealousy the story heads inevitably towards disaster. All the characters in this book are fascinating, from secretive, sexy Eliot to the drudge Paul, and you feel totally involved in their lives. The atmosphere of a French summer is so vividly described, you can taste the greengages the children stuff themselves with, and smell the eccentric French plumbing. A gripping and poignant story of lost innocence, this book is based on actual events in Rumer Godden's youth, and is quite unforgettable.

When the dog bites, when you're feeling blue, simply get a copy of The Greengage Summer to gorge on its luscious and heady prose. Godden is a timeless writer and I'm fairly sure this started life as 'adult' rather than 'children's' fiction - for all the worth of those meaningless categories. I guess the teen reads didn't exist then and this seething, hormonal coming-of-age novel captures the very essence of that moment when knowing youth casts its spell without being able to foresee the consequences, for it to appeal to younger readers, but I wonder if the hindsight of growing-up add another layer or three. The prose is limpid, laden with resonance and the characters are wondeful. I can smell and see the summer and its dangerous allure. Nicely tragic too (in that noone actually dies, but the consequences of playing with adult-hood are suitably dire!). It is a book I turn to time-and-again and recommend unstintingly to anyone who'll hear me out.

This is one of those books I've bought again and again. It's a beautiful coming-of-age story set in the French countryside. I first read it back when the earth was cooling, and I have no idea what became of that original copy. I bought it again as an adult, loaned it to a friend and never saw it again. I recently bought it yet a third time, a used copy on Amazon, and this one I'm not loaning out.
Greengage Summer is a delicious melange of mystery, romance, travel writing, and character study. I'm surprised it's no longer in print, because I truly think it's a classic. It started me reading everything Rumer Godden's written. I like her writing tremendously, but Greengage Summer is her best.
When Mum is confined to bed in a small French village, her children are left on their own in the pensione. It's mainly the story of the oldest daughter's blossoming toward maturity, but it's more, much more, than what appears on the surface.
Read it, and loan it to a friend - but be sure you get it back!

A former "diplobrat" who grew up abroad, I identified with Godden's description of a child's first encounter with France. The effect of their foreign adventure on each family member develops along with an excellent plot (not usually Godden's strong point). Even better than the character descriptions is the evocation of French country life at its most seductive -- "next best to being there."

excelent transcriptions, and wait for purchase first part

Guns N' Roses Complete, Vol. 2 is a must buy for GNR fans and guitarists. This book contains 28 songs from M(Mama Kin)-Y(Your Crazy) including: "Mr. Brownstone" "My Michelle", "Night Train", "November Rain", "Paradise City" , "Patience", "Sweet Child O' Mine" and of course "Welcome to the Jungle".

As the title suggests, every guitar riff, arrangement, rhythm, lick, solo, and fill is fully transcribed, note-for-note, in music and TAB! From the timeless intro and solos of "Sweet Child O' Mine" to the wooing acoustics of "Patience", it's all here, fully transcribed to learn. The transcriptions themselves are of the best quality money can buy and include all of the guitars in each song, not just rhythm or lead. As a bonus, the lead vocals are also included and make following the music much easier. Basically, all your GNR needs are found here and in Volume 1. (By the way ,if you are debating, buy Volume 2 first because, by chance, most of GNR's hit-songs begin with M-Z--as listed above)

It is worthwhile to note that when I say 'perfect', I mean it subjectively. There are people out there you critique the book's accuracy. However, all of these arguments are inconsequential. For instance, I heard someone say that on the final two notes of "Mr. Brownstone's" signature riff, Slash uses a 1/2 bend instead of a hammer-on as the book denotes. To this and similar claims I respond with: Who Cares! They both sound the same, both give you the same pitch and sound, and you play it so quickly it really makes absolutely no difference. Most of the "Inaccuracies" claimed of this book are equally trivial, and depend on what each person perceives. To be fair to critics and any claims I have not refuted or heard I will compromise that % 99.99 of the book is accurate.

Now, while the transcriptions themselves are out of this world and need no further discussion, I have a word of caution. Be prepared to work hard for them! Despite the inclusion of the lyrics, it is very hard to follow the music at times (I can read music and still go through hell at times). And this is only made worse by the fact the pages are as crowded and hectic as the beaches of Normandy; any notation denoting a coda or repeat is easily lost in the jumble of rhythm slashes, fill and riff signalers, chords and other special notations. You will find that making sense of it all is a task in and of its self, and thus learning a new song can be annoying as you try to follow it all. I would be willing to pay more money for a thicker book if the authors would write out all the parts on the same staff all the time, instead of resorting to the short cuts they take.
For example: the book will often say "Play Riff A" over the staff, referring you to an obscure rhythm piece written out two pages back, which you now have to hunt down, recall, then flip back to the original page, figure out how it fits and play...etc. This and other similar little short-cuts are ANNOYING! Would it kill them to simply write-out bloody "Riff A" again where it is supposed to be played?

That said, if you can't read music (or read at all), this book will be very hard to follow. Yes, it includes TAB, but without the musical knowledge it will be hard to know what is going on. Also, for any would-be-Slashes-and-Izzys out there (including myself), none of these songs are quick and simple to learn, so if you are only a casual guitarist or fan, don't waste your time and money. You will need patience and skill to play what's in this book because, after all, this is a note-for-note transcription of Slash and Izzy's playing. If you are easily frustrated or bored, this book isn't for you, and you would be better off buying one of the more simply arranged books available on Amazon. But if you really want to rock-out just as GNR did for whatever reason, by all means BUY THIS BOOK! You will find yourself learning not only the songs, but tons of musical techniques and skills.

Guns N' Roses Complete, Vol. 2 is a fantastic buy if you are looking for the perfect guitar transcriptions of many GNRS songs. As long as you are willing to go through the long hours of practice and some frustrating layout issues, this book will rock you world with its priceless contents! (Conveniently priced under $20)

Well there are only a couple of things I have to say. Those things are:

1. Guns n roses what else do I have to say?

2. If you are a big fan and what to play their songs, buy this along with volume 1.

3. Guns n roses rule.

4. buy it

5. this is an ordinary tab book and it's of one of the many classic bands.

6. the notes are PERFECT so you do not have to go searching for them on the internet for hours to end up with the wrong notes.

7. has lyrics to help you find your way

8: Hoped it helped and pushed you over the edge to buy it.

Finally I can learn the songs how they're supposed to be played. I've downloaded and printed so many different versions of tabs of some of the songs in this book and most of them just never sounded right. This is a great collection of songs, I have the tab book for use your illusions II and I really didn't want to go out and buy all of their other album tabs seperately. This was the perfect solution. Excellent collection.
Just don't expect to be playing these songs the day you get this book - Slash isn't human, some of this stuff is impossible.

From the humble beginings of Reckless Life and It's So Easy through to their transition into the best rock band on the planet this book covers every song from the Gunners first 4 albums, unlike "GNR For Easy Guitar" everything from fills and intros to solos and riffs is covered.

Full of detail and top notch tabbing, the two volumes of Guns N' Roses Complete are the definitive guide to Izzy and Slash's guitar playing. I searched for these titles for many weeks and could not have been happier when they were delivered. Make sure you grab your copy of these hard to find titles before its too late. Over 45 songs in total are covered (22 on the first and 28 on the second)

To conclude if you buy any GNR tab books, make sure you get these two, plenty of songs and a good price

Beth Ann Decker is a hospice nurse in Eudena, Texas. For sixteen years she has strived to overcome the title of "Poor Beth Ann". A title given to her after a gruesome accident that left her severely injured and three of her friends dead. She was made stronger and learned to live with the past hanging over her head. Now her future, thanks to a murder, has been thrown into a state of utter upheaval.

Mark Jessup is the black sheep of Eudena, Texas. His own father has not spoken to him in the sixteen years since the fatal car accident. He has come home to attempt to make peace with the only family he has left in Eduena, his father. He has made peace with himself and grown into a stronger human being. It does not, however, make it easy for him to go home again.

In a town as small as Eudena, memories survive longer than people do. Memories of football victories and life altering accidents survive the longest. Can Beth Ann and Mark survive small town gossips, their own memories, intruders and murder? Can they move forward to the future?

The first chapter of Head On draws the reader into a tale of heartache, intrigue and the "joys" of small town life. It develops into a tale of forgiveness, acceptance and personal responsibility. Head On looks at the result of what effect an accident can have on the victims and their families even sixteen years later. Colleen Thompson gives you all the clues you need to figure out what is going on, then throws you with a climax that you just don't see until it hits you.

Emma
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

If you enjoy the books written by author Colleen Thompson you'll enjoy this book. Head on, is full of mystery,suspense, I couldn't put the book down for wondering what was going to happen on the next page.

Rarely is an author capable enough to deal with consequences of actions. Usually they can create the actions, but the messy afterwards gets the short shrift. Using deep emotional responses to horrific memories, this novel is all about the clean-up and it's a dandy of an idea--done to a turn! This author has wonderful male and female leads--both smart and emotionally deep--, a serial killer with a direct link to the Almightly and a wonderful cast of secondary characters. Keep your eye on "Elijah"--who was also a most interesting Biblical prophet--as a choice of names for a character. Because my life is so VERY high stress I avoid suspense novels like a bad rash. This one earns every little tingle and NOW I need to go back and check out the author's back catalog. A reader's work is never done....

Head On is a terrific story of suspense that evolves in the aftermath of a tragedy that has left many irrevocably scarred. But what sets it apart is the rich detailed layering that defines each of the characters, in particular how they have been shaped by the trauma they shared and even more by the place in which the horrible calamity occurred. In a story that is much more than murder, Colleen Thompson explores with a delicate hand the painful terrain of forgiveness, the often difficult ties that bind fathers and sons, and then, she moves boldly outside genre lines to touch, very realistically, on the dark thread of racial bias. In short, Head On is a story that will richly reward, illuminate, and satisfy readers on every level.

As a fan of Ms. Thompson's previous work including Fade the Heat, Heat Lightning, and The Deadliest Denial, I believe she really hits her stride in Head On. With all the thrills and fearful stalkings, with chilling peeks inside a criminally insane mind, Head On is also a poignant, layered story about forgiveness and redemption. With richly drawn characters, each with their own cross to bear, and a setting on the lonely high prairies of Texas, Head On delivers.

I read about "Heaven and Hell" in a British magazine before the book was published in the United States, and I knew I had to pre-order it. It was worth the wait. As mentioned by another reviewer, this book makes an excellent companion piece to Marc Eliot's "To the Limit." I've read all four Eagles biographies that I know of, but those two are the best.

"To the Limit" gives a great overview, and "Heaven and Hell" gives an inside look from Felder's point of view, plus later details not covered in "To the Limit."

Once the book picks up speed, it's hard to put down, even if you've read the other Eagles biographies. Felder seems like a nice guy; of course, I guess most people would present themselves as such in their autobiographies. However, since he's pretty frank about himself and others, he may indeed be as decent as he seems.

I think Felder is an immensely talented guitarist, and he does have the right to stick up for himself and the other lesser-known Eagles -- and he seems to really be the one member who most transformed them into a rock band (right in the middle of "On the Border").

Still, I'm not sure why he doesn't seem to realize why Henley and Frey demanded and got top billing when the reunion rolled around. Not only did they have the most successful solo careers, they were the primary songwriters, the primary singers on the hits (except for "Take it to the Limit" and "I Can't Tell You Why"), and they are the only two members of the band to be there from the beginning to the present. That said, it's a shame they carried on without him, and none of the Eagles books paint Henley or Frey in a very favorable light. With Henley's gift for writing and reputation for speaking his mind, you have to wonder if he'll ever decide to tell his version of the Eagles' story.

From a writing standpoint, the book is well written, except for the occasional times where it drifts from practically perfect prose to occasional profanity. When those instances occur, the reader is reminded that there are two people writing this book -- Felder and Wendy Holden. Better are the majority of moments in the book when the writing seems neither poetic nor profane -- just telling it as Felder remembers it. That's when you forget it's a book and you just become immersed in the storytelling, which to me is the mark of a great autobiography.

This was a very interesting read, albeit one-sided, of the inner workings of the Eagles. I have been a fan since they first broke, and enjoyed the music of every lineup change over the years as the band evolved.

I felt compelled to read this both out of pure curiosity as a fan,and sheer disappointment after hearing the new album "The Long Road Home." I listened and wondered why they would bother releasing such a trite and sterile album. The album has one good track, written by JD Souther, not Henley or Frye. The Long Road Home reminds me of Spinal Tap. After reading Don Felder's book, I can venture a guess why.

This is a must-read for Eagles fans from the perspective of a 25 year member of the band. It takes you into the studio, backstage, into the hotels during the 70s. It's both fun and disheartening, definitely an interesting read

While this is superbly written, I can only recommend it as a companion piece to Marc Eliot's "To the Limit," which provides a more well-rounded portrait of The Eagles as a whole. But that book's strength - the fact that Eliot was an outsider and relatively disinterested in the he-said-she-said world of rock and roll - is also its weakness. Felder makes up for that unavoidable shortcoming and then some.

It is important to note that the book's subtitle is "My Life In The Eagles." That's exactly what you get: Felder's perspective on the wild ride that was The Eagles in their heyday. The other Eagles (with the exception of Bernie Leadon, who was already an old friend of Felder's when he came on board) are for the most part presented as shadowy bit-players in the saga, which is why I recommend Eliot's book if you want a more well-rounded portrait of the band as a whole. What Eliot could not offer is an insider's look at what life inside the band was like. It is probably impossible for any of us to appreciate that fully without actually having actually partied with a best-selling band in a drug-infested hotel suite circa 1976, but Felder's vivid descriptions offer a remarkable look at the wonderful-yet-terrible experiences he had in that era. While one can tell that it's tempting to gloss over the excesses he himself went to in that time, he resists that temptation - albeit barely - and deals honestly with what life as an Eagle was really like.

Even more vivid are Felder's heartfelt memories of growing up in Florida in the 1960s, poor but determined to succeed, rubbing shoulders with future superstars like Stephen Stills and Tom Petty along the way, and surviving the pitfalls of the Woodstock era. Once his persistence and talent lead to his joining The Eagles literally on the eve of their emergence as the biggest band of the 1970s, there are plenty of great behind-the-music stories to share. I have read numerous other accounts of how "Hotel California" came to be, some of them essentially verbatim transcripts of interviews with Felder, but the one presented here is the most detailed I've seen. He also shares interesting stories I had not heard before about the emergence of classics like "One of These Nights" and "Victim of Love," but has surprisingly little to say about "Visions," the only Eagles song he ever sang lead on. (Tellingly, he does admit that he doesn't care for it all that much.) There is also a surprisingly candid insider's take on the frequent criticism of the Eagles sound as being too slick.

And then there is all the dirty laundry (sorry, couldn't resist) about The Eagles' last few years and the aftermath of the breakup. It is undeniably one-sided, but it also fits in well with most of what the public already knows about Don Henley and Glenn Frey and their less-than-charitable outlook on who and what The Eagles were (not to mention on each other). One comes to understand all too well why their name became synonymous with the term "corporate rock" and to see a classic divide-and-conquer story at work. It's a tale as old as rock and roll itself and then some, but in light of most of their solo works compared to the best Eagles material, it is all too clear that Felder has a point: Glenn and Don did not build the empire on their own.

At least he - and we - will always have the memories. If those memories include blasting "Already Gone" on the morning after a nasty breakup or putting on "Hotel California" and dancing both to remember AND to forget, you've got to read this. For fans of Scotty Moore, George Harrison, Mary Wilson, Richard Manuel, John Cale, John Paul Jones - or for that matter, if you even know who they are - this will tell you what you already know about the music business. Read it anyway!

I've been looking forward to this book ever since Don Felder first mentioned he might write it, apparently just after he was fired from The Eagles by Don Henley and Glen Frey. But then it was not going to be published because of lawsuits and counter-suits, etc., but now here it is at last. I have to admit I couldn't wait until now to get the book here in the US, so I paid a bit more and bought a new copy from England, where it was published last year. So I've already read it, couldn't put it down. A great read for any and every Eagles fan, especially those of us who followed the band from the very beginning, when The Eagles were comprised of Henley and Frey and Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner. Those four put together the band's first two albums; while working on their third album Felder was invited to join, and these five guys created the Eagles' most successful music. Back when all this was happening I presumed Felder was just some guy brought into the band to give them a harder-edged sound, much to the chagrin of the country-oriented banjo-playing Bernie Leadon. What I found out from this book, however, was that Felder and Leadon were old friends from back in Florida, and that it was Bernie who first came West and eventually persuaded Felder to come out as well a few years later. I also learned that Felder had known and played guitar with Duane Allman in Florida.
I followed The Eagles all the way through the 70s, was saddened when Bernie took his banjo and acoustic guitars and left the band, to be replaced by hard-rocker Joe Walsh, and then even more saddened when bass player Randy Meisner quit a year later. Felder talks at length about these two events, and how sad he was about it as well. He also gives us a much more realistic take on the "reunion" in 1994, as well as the reunion of all seven band members at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. And then he goes into the events around his firing. I think he writes very honestly here, without any petty vindictiveness. Sure he was/is upset about the way it all went down. What's left of "The Eagles" - Henley and Frey and about a dozen or more hired hands on stage filling out that "Eagles" sound - is currently putting on some big-time shows around the world and making a ton of money, and people who go to see them seem pleased. But are they seeing The Eagles? I don't think so. It's as if John and Paul, having fired George and Ringo, decided to hire a bunch of backing musicians and call themselves The Beatles. Sure, John and Paul were the main stars of the band, but only the four of them deserved to be called The Beatles. Same thing here. Henley and Frey became the big stars of what was originally a very democratic band. Henley is a fantastic talent, with maybe the best voice in rock. He and Frey wrote some great songs, no question. They can still play and sing and create a lot of good music. Don Felder created the song Hotel California, and it just doesn't seem right to see them playing it now without him. Ah well, this old sentimentalist remembers the good old days of The Eagles, and this book is a great way to bring those memories back. Thanks for writing it, Don!

First of all, I don't feel sorry for Felder. He is more than wealthy enought to maintain himself for the rest of his life. I feel this book is notable because he has given us a look into the workings of the Eagles. The last 4-5 chapters were the most interesting for me. Felder describes in detail the control Henley and Frey had in the band and how they un-equally shared the revenue with the Hell Freezes over Tour. Whereas Shmidt and Walsh signed their agreements willingly, it was Felder who tried to keep everything equal, and it was his downfall.

We hear the frustration of Felder when attempting to talk to Henley and Frey through their Manager Irving Azoff, who himself protected more of Henley and Frey that of the other band members. They all stayed in different floors away from each other in hotels during touring. When it was promised that the percentage of income would be worked out with Felder, (It never Happened). After Felder was fired, he was forced to Sue the Eagles over constantant mis-management and handling of the finances. This book put Irzoff, Henley and Frey in an extreemly bad light, and I must say I agree completely with Felder on many of his examinations.

I've read everything that I could on Jackie Wilson.the Man was something else in His Prime but sadly hasn't gotten His Full Due as a Artist to me overall.The Man knew how to Rock a Stage&was in Groove.but there was the Business which was Controled then as it is now by Payola&Scandal&at the End of the Day the Artist that has brought so Much Joy to so many People is the last Person Paid&Respected.this Book Explores many Aspects of His Career&Life.Ups&downs.it's a Great Inside Reflection of the Business.Much Props to Tony Douglas.RIP Jackie Wilson.

Mr. Excitement was really exciting!! Very good book

Singer Jackie Wilson was one of the finest singing talents of the century, but he suffered from chronic addictions and his career was controlled by the Mob. This biography of his life, work and achievements chronicles the accomplishments of a man who was buried in a paupers grave, yet at his peak achieved 24 top 40 hits in the U.S. An involving coverage of a talented yet tormented performer.

This book is unique. I've read books about Jackie LeRoy Wilson but this book by far is the best i've read. It cuts right to the chase and gives you information that's clear and not a run around. Also, gives you some pictures of Jackie that are in color. I recommend this book.

Tony Douglas' book, "Jackie Wilson:The Man, The Music, The Mob," far surpasses Mr. Douglas' talents. Mr. Douglas' book, "Jackie Wilson: Lonely Teardrops," was fantastic and now Mr. Douglas comes back with an even greater book. For the people who never knew Jackie they can now educate themselves on this exceptional man and find out why Jackie was, "Mr. Excitement." Mr. Douglas did years of research and has covered a lot of ground work. He has talked to the people that knew Jackie and loved him. This is an exceptional book taken from the heart of one man.

Mr. Douglas went a step further he spoke with one of the bravest woman of Jackie's life, Freda Wilson, Jackie's wife of 13 years. She sacrificed it all for Jackie to be a star. Jackie was the greatest R & B artist that ever lived and if he had survived he would have blown everyone away with his astonishing talent and charisma. He was the one and only, "Mr. Excitement."

For this price, to get so many great song - great deal! All the songs from the Lauren Kennedy Album (that aren't from other shows) plus songs from the "Wearing Someone Else's Clothes" album. Also a great selection from Last 5 Years, Songs For a New World, Parade, and Urban Cowboy. Even if you have some selections books, you still have great additions.

I particularly enjoyed the selections from "Parade", it's an amazing show. Jason Robert Brown is an amazing composer, and everyone should have this book for some of the brilliant songs in it.

Jason Robert Brown's music is eclectic and impressive. I bought this book after learning "Christmas Lullaby" and have already found several other songs I want to use in this collection. In case you have never heard of Jason Robert Brown, he wrote the music and lyrics for "Songs for a New World" among other musicals. Brown's music is intriguing and not your usual Broadway stuff. The collection contains twenty-four selections from his musicals (Songs From a New World, Parade, The Last Five Years, and Urban Cowboy), as well as other songs from CDs of his music (Songs of Jason Robert Brown, Wearing Someone Else's Clothes.) The piano accompaniments are full and not watered down - an important benefit for serious performers and pianists. One caution: the songs and piano accompaniments are challenging and require careful preparation to be performed successfully. The necessary effort will yield rich rewards in terms of increased musical knowledge and enjoyment.

If you are looking for unusual but eminently worthwhile audition or performance material, this book is a great place to go.

Jason Robert Brown is one of the leading names in the "new" musical theater. Outstanding collection for students, teachers and GREAT audition material.

I'll admit that I was suspicious of a collections of JRB songs. I already had the vocal selections for his shows, "Parade", "Songs for a New World" and "The Last Five Years". I just thought it was another way for the publisher to make a few more dollars. That was until I looked at the contents. This collection had things in it that are not available anywhere else...Particularly songs from JRB's album "Wearing Someone Else's Clothes", among others.

The music is very challenging and is arranged to be very close to what Jason actually plays. This authenticity is something I enjoy about all of the vocal selections from his composition.

Buy this collection and enjoy an emerging Broadway super star composer.

Great entertainment from the the first to the last page, even if you aren't a jazz buff. Mr. Crow was a bassist and he must have heard most of those anecdotes on the grapevine.

I love every moment since I read this book. This book would take u on forever even if u're a craver for jazz music. It tells all the details from Wynton, Duke, Miles, Hirt, Coltrane, Bird, all of 'em right here on 1 book. Go get it or u'll miss out a world of good music.

For anyone into jazz, if you don't have a copy of this book, you're in for a rare treat. Wonderfully captures the essence of jazz and jazz musicians. Great stories, unique personalities, and guaranteed a laugh a minute. Caution: Don't read it while you're eating and/or drinking...you'll probably choke to death. Thanks for a very special book Bill!

I bought this book for my son, whoÕs a musician, but I heard him laughing so much as he was reading it that I asked to borrow it. Even if youÕre not a musician, or even very knowledgeable about jazz, this is a really entertaining book. Almost every chapter has at least a couple of laugh-out-loud lines. It also gives you a good feel for what the lives of jazz musicians were like Ð the camaraderie and competition, the inventiveness, the struggles over money, the often terrible working (and especially recording) conditions. There are also poignantly funny stories about problems with drugs and alcohol, and even about the racial prejudice that musicians had to put up with. My favorite story in the book was about Bessie Smith storming out to confront a group of Klansmen gathering outside the tent where she was working. Peppering them with curses, she ordered them to "pick up them sheets and run." They did. Great woman. There are lots of great women (and men Ð mostly men) in this book. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know a little bit about them.

A - "About half a beat behind the drummer." Or. Q - "How can a jazz musician end up with a million dollars?" A - "Start with two million." Or. Q - "What do you call a person that likes to hang around with musicians?" A - "A drummer."

Jazz Anecdotes by Bill Crow is much more than a collection of jokes skewed towards a jazz musician's cattywhumpus view of the world. It's even more than a collection of colorful war stories about life on the road, playing lousy clubs, and trying to keep a band together. It's really an insider's look at the world of jazz, and a wonderful one. If nothing else emerges from this book certainly one learns that only love could keep a jazz musician playing, given the obstacles of this lifestyle.

Fact and myth seem to bob and weave through these tales, which is perhaps appropriate. I am a little uncertain about Lester Young's claim that he started playing the sax only after giving up on the drums because he noticed that when a gig was done and girls were milling around the bandstand, the sax players quickly packed up their horns and left with girls on their arms while the drummer desperately tried to pack up and when he was done - left empty handed.

Jazz Anecdotes is rich in content, interesting for novice and aficionado alike. The careers of great individuals and the storied histories of seminal bands are examined in detail. What's fun is that some of the "legend" is worn off, replaced by the person. Jazz truly is America's greatest contribution to world culture, we should all be proud of it. It's worth remembering that the music is not a monolithic entity but an organic, dynamic thing - the product of a diverse and eccentric group of splendid individuals. Bill Crow's book takes you inside that world.

Very clever book, I never read the notions explained here anywhere else,
or maybe it was because it wasn't clear enough. The material is precisely
organized and the examples sound great. This gave me another way to hear
bebop, recognizing some structures.

You have a lot to work on this stuff to make it comes naturally, but the
challenge is really worthy, so good luck !

peace

This book, though limited to just a few melodic structures, gives a very good insight to what improvisation is about: telling your own story, using coherent and consistent melodic structures. It goes to the basis, and because it doesn't overwhelm you with all possible modes/scales/structures but just sticks to a few powerfull tools, enables you to understand and implement. A must for the advanced guitar player.

I have all of Green's books and they are uniformly excellent. Structures gives you a wealth of applicable information. Not scales, or licks, or weenie theory, but applicable ideas. Intermediate++.

I bought Jazz Guitar Technique a little over a year ago and am still working my way through it. My wife bought this book for me for Christmas and let me tell you, these books are DEEP. There is so much information in this series of books that you'll be picking them up again and again before you feel like you've absorbed everything they have to offer. Andrew Green's instructions in this area are key: Don't try to learn too many things at once as it waters down the learning process.
Before I go further though let me warn you, these books are not for the total beginner looking to learn jazz guitar. Also, if you can't read music AT ALL then this book is not for you. My music reading isn't that great, but I can muddle along slowly and actually this book is helping me in that regard as well. Mr. Green's exercises are usually in eighth notes so the rhythms aren't complex. He encourages the readers to try the exercises not just in other keys and positions (which we should all be doing anyway) but in other rhythms as well, truly making them your own.
The content itself is very easy to understand and work with. If, like me, you've been practicing the same sort of stuff for years, the material in here will not only beef up your lines and overall knowledge of the instrument, it'll make you feel like you ran into the phone booth as Clark Kent and came out Superman. After I had a few things down and started trying to improvise with them it was scary how fast I was able to adapt the ideas into my style and how they instatly added a whole world of melodic depth to my playing. Even when I wasn't trying to sound "jazzy" I still found that the things I ws playing sounded much more interesting and relevant to the chords I was playing over.
It's strange that there are probably more guitarists today than there ever were previously and yet there are almost no heroes. There are a GAZILLION of us and yet so many of us are still trying to emulate Hendrix or Page or Montgomery or Christian. As a rock guitarist with a strong love for jazz I feel that this book and Improvising Jazz Guitar can help us learn new ideas while at the same time feeling inspired to achieve new heights in our own development as well as the development of the language of popular guitar. THANK YOU ANDREW GREEN!!

This book has been the stepping stone I need to get to applying arpeggios all over the neck and combining different sounds with them. I've only gotten through the 1st section (minor arpeggios) and I'm not only more able to connect arpeggios over the neck but also able to substitute them in over other chords. For instance, before this book I didn't know how to substitute and play only minor arpeggios over a ii V I progression. Now I know multiple ways and can very the sound depending on degree of the chord I build off of. There is a lot of information and so much to get out of the book. The other sections that I haven't even gotten to yet covers in the same way how to use and apply major triad +2 and minor tetrachords.

The best thing about Andrew's two books I have (Comping is the other I have) is they way he presents things. The examples he gives allow you to understand the concept and then later know how to easily apply it. So many books give too few examples that are so easily applicable outside the book.

To get a better idea of the contents of the book, check out Andrew Green's website at www.[...]com. This along with his Comping book have been two of my favorite books in a while. Know that both of these books require reading skills (no tab) and they are not aimed at beginners.