Genres Books

I was a little worried this book might be really dry and difficult to read but it has been enjoyable and interesting so far. I decided to buy Umberto Eco's Beauty book too.

I've enjoyed Eco's fiction (The Name of the Rose, Baudolino), but was never familiar with his work as a semiotician. This book gives a wonderful taste of his intellect outside of fiction. "On Ugliness" is Eco's companion volume to his excellent History of Beauty, and takes the same style: here you will find descriptions of the Western world's ideas about ugliness, from the classical era through the modern, discussing things such as the devil, monsters, death, age and decay, damnation, camp and kitsch, etc. Eco examines this subject broadly, and provides great insight. This book is essentially a collection of visual art related to the different subjects, juxtaposed with passages from literary works from a number of Western cultures.

What keeps this book from receiving my full 5 stars is the fact that none of the pieces (whether literature or visual art) include any kind of analysis or description. Eco simply writes bookending snippets for each chapter and then basically lets the works speak for themselves, which is largely unsatisfying. However, for anyone interested in conceptions of beauty or ugliness, or who would like a fascinating addition to their library, this book is for you.

'One man's trash is another man's treasure' might be a apt conclusion after spending the significant amount of time required to digest Umberto Eco's semiotic approach to 'ugly'. Eco's brilliance as an author is well accepted, yet his informed academic investigation (upon which many of his own novels are based) is only now being appreciated. It is difficult to read ON UGLINESS as a treatise, so lush and provocative is his prose style. Rizzoli International spared no expense on supplying Eco with images and design of this art treasure, and the result is a volume about art history and our manifold perceptions of the signs and symbols that through time have defined 'ugly' versus 'beauty.'

Eco wisely uses the chronological approach to his discourse on the semiotics of ugliness. After a superb Introduction in which he suggests the response of an alien visiting our planet, trying to determine what our civilization labeled beautiful (!), Eco launches into his presentation with gusto. He presents chapters on ugliness in the Classical World, religious use of ugliness (passion, death, martyrdom, apocalypse, hell), monsters, witchcraft, sadism, 'obscene pornography', the appearance of ugliness in architecture and industrial buildings, and finally the transition of the 'ugly' in the popular kitsch and camp.

Coupled with the fascinating written words by the author are copious reproductions of paintings, details of images (some of the details of Bosch's complex canvases are amazingly clear), by both well known painters and unknown painters, displayed with short excerpts from writers who wrote on the subject of the ugly versus the beautiful. Eco brings us to the absolute present (punk art, Cindy Sherman, current film, etc) and as his images emerge from the book's pages, so does his commentary quicken. And so we are left with a book on the subject of Ugliness, which as an art volume is quite the opposite: this is a very beautiful and informed new art book. Highly recommended reading and viewing. Grady Harp, November 07

Since I am only a hundred-some pages into this book I hope you'll forgive the premature nature of this review, but thus far Eco's latest work has been so movingly fascinating that I wanted to step up and urge anyone who might be considering buying and reading it to go ahead and do so. Initially I had reservations about beginning it but have no regrets that I did. Although it should become apparent early on that this is honestly less a companion volume to History of Beauty than it has been touted to be, this study of perception, beauty, and above all beauty's often more charismatic twin, ugliness, takes on the entire sweep of history and makes an investigation of the output of some of the biggest names in western art and literature. Why are, say, Goya's more gruesome works his most enjoyable? What makes villains the best characters in fiction (and life)? Why does the repugnant occur so frequently as a theme in art, music, literature and even in everyday fashion? Most of all, why is one object or individual deemed "ugly" and another not? Less (at least thus far) an indictment of the cult of beauty which seems inextricably bound up in human affairs and more an exhaustive investigation that intelligently asks numerous questions from many angles, Eco's challenge here is to compel each of us to contemplate the nature of perception itself. I have loved what I've read so far and can't wait to read the rest.

This is a good book with engaging and thorough review of each of his operas. The reviews are so detailed that it would be outstanding study for any team planning to perform these operas. A moderate list of references is provided with references noted in the text. There is a good index. There is a recording with excerpts from recent performances. The thing I like best about this book is that all the CD, DVD and book references include very recently released works so this book is very up-to-date.

In part this book is a short biography of Monteverdi. And in part it discusses his place as the originator of opera as we know it today. But mostly it's about the three surviving operas that he wrote: L'Orfeo (Orpheus, 1607), Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria (The Return of Ulysses to his Homeland, 1640), and L'incoronazione di Poppea (The Coronation of Poppea, 1643). The stated purpose of the book is not to treat these works as merely a part of operatic history, but explaining the vital theatrical experiences that they are.

Each of the three operas gets a complete description including the history, the nature of the roles, and of course a summay of the story.

The book includes a CD that has significant excerpts from the three operas.

This book is part of a series called Unlocking the Masters that covers the work of our most important composers. The whole series is excellent, bringing us a concise yet complete story that is both informative and easy to read.

I love this series (besides Verdi, it has Wagner, Mozart, Haydn, etc.) Being able to hear the music as you read about it makes a huge difference, and the text is written in an accessible way. It breaks the stereotype of Classical music being staid and boring.

The author who is an Associate Professor of Theater at Marymount College supports his belief that "Claudio Moneteverdi (1567-1643) was the first great opera composer" by commentaries on his operas scene by scene. Ringer follows the narrative line (such as it is in opera) and profiles the characters while explaining the role and effects of the music and words on these. Introductory parts give a biography of Monteverdi focusing on his distinctive creative genius and viewing him in the context of the development of opera in Florence in late Renaissance Italy. The CD contains 13 selections from Monteverdi operas; which are annotated in back matter. Ringer's accessible treatment of this outstanding and influential composer is an ideal introduction and companion to Monteverdi's operas.

i just learnt all the songs by my fave band ORGY! I actually totally love jay and ryan. I am really glad i got the book, i t was helpful and easy to follow. Well done guys!

this is a great book that shows you how to play all of the songs from Candyass. This book really helped me along well and very easy to understand. Recommended for everyone. Orgy has done it again!

I'm a big Orgy fan and I found this book very helpful. I played along to the whole CD and wasn't able to find one note that sounded off.

excellent explanations on how to play all the songs on CANDYASS. Very easy to understand and a great item for any ORGY fan. Once again i comment ORGY on being very talented. GREAT JOB GUYS!

not only is Ornette Coleman a Musical Genius but this Book captures his Full Essence.his Music Career is Incredible.he broke alot of Ground.his Music&Timeless.this is a Must Read on one Of The Greatest Musicians Ever.

Paving the way for some of the later innovative saxophonists such as John Coltrane, Albert Ayler, and others, Ornette Coleman was perhaps the pivotal man on his instrument in the '60's. Wilson's excellent new book brings his music before the reader in a clear, intelligent manner, offering a very accessible account of how Coleman's music works, how it achieves the effects it does, how he altered the rich tradition he had inherited. Perhaps most intriguing is the account of the considerable hostility Coleman originally met with from many critics, and Wilson's attempts to put the differing views into their respective contexts. Coleman's biography is equally fascinating, a unique life which resonates strongly with those intrigued by the idealism associated with the '60's. The second half of the book consists of 2-page reviews of Coleman's entire corpus of recordings, the most valuable section for this reader, allowing fans to navigate Coleman's 40 years of innovations.

Simply wonderful. I enjoyed every page of this book and could not wait for the next. Being a huge fan of Ornette's, this was the first attempt of approaching literature based upon him. Forever waiting for his yet to be published (and probably written) book of Harmolodics, I could wait anymore and this book ensured me I shouldn't have.

This is a great little book on Coleman. I wish the bio section at the beginning was more detailed (it states that a more representative bio has been written though it appears to be out of print). The section on Coleman's Harmolodic system was very interesting and written in a way that someone with limited knowledge of music theory (i.e. me) could comprehend. The write ups regarding all of Coleman's recordings were fascinating. Where many writers praise everything their subject touches, here the praise and criticism seems to be very objective. Sometimes writers show a preference for either Coleman's acoustic quartet or the electric Prime Time group but Wilson handles each on its own merits.

Recommended!

THis book is a collection of songs that Oscar Peterson approved himself. These transcriptions of classic songs such as "Hymn to Freedom" and "Oscar's boogie" are in it however these transcriptions are for real. They are seriously hard to play because they literally are note for note. Only if you are a seriously good pianist should you get this book. The master of jazz has it hardcore here, no simple stuff. Its the real stuff. On the up side, its magnificent.

I bought this book since Peterson is my favorite jazz pianist, and I'm playing the piano as a small hobby. And - I'm pleased with the book!

The transcriptions, as you might expect, are from a particular recording - 2 performances of the same jazz piece by the same artist will usually sound different... And indeed I have a few CDs in which some of the pieces from the book are performed with different improvisations and in different rhythm. But I did get some of the recordings the book refers to, and indeed the transcriptions are accurate. Note-for-note, as declared in the book. At least for the right hand...
In any case, most of the pieces as they are in the book sound great and cool (if you manage to play them!). Great moves, passages and improvisation techniques that give you a good taste of the musical world of one of the best jazz pianist ever.

I found myself using the passages and the ideas from the book in other jazz pieces, such as those from the Real Books. So performing the pieces as they are isn't the only reward you'll get - it will also improve your improvisation capability and technique in general.

I recommend studying at least a basic jazz theory before trying play from this book, so that you can understand the scales used for improvisations, the progressions and the left hand work done in the book. Besides, some of the pieces don't contain a left hand transcription. But since the technique for the left hand used by Peterson and in the book (tensions and voice spreading, for example) is covered by most theory books, you can easily figure it out by yourself.
There are no transcriptions for the bass line. But chords are written all the way (not all are 100% accurate actually), which makes it easy to play with a bass/guitar player.

As to the required level of playing - all the pieces in the book are hard to very hard to perform. Oscar Peterson was a great virtuous. You'd better work on your technique if you'd like to master them! Those who come from a classical music background will probably find it easier to read and play such scores.
There are no fingering specified, so it might be better for you to write down the fingering for the hard passages and such.

The accompanying CD is pretty helpful. It contains the piano parts performed exactly as they are written in the book, in the left channel (not performed by Peterson, of course. And played in MIDI I believe. Still, pretty nice), and bass and drum lines for some of the pieces in the right channel - useful if you'd like to play along with the bass/drums.

To conclude, I highly recommend this book for any jazz pianist (with a good enough technique!) or a classical pianist who wishes to try a good jazz

A little background info: I am a clasically trained pianist, and have played the piano for about 9 years. This book is an excellent tool for learning jazz... the transcriptions are extremely good, even though on the blues section there is no left hand transcription; all the songs are very challenging--even though I am in the advanced level of piano, I cannot play these solos very well by sight reading them. It would take a lot of practice to get these down well. Primarily I think this book is good for anyone who would like to learn Oscar Peterson's style of soloing and would like to get better at jazz soloing. The accomanying CD is great, even though it wasn't played on a real piano (it was played on a digital piano, synthesized, and recorded with the drums and bass on a computer). I really enjoy this book, and recommend it to anyone interested in jazz piano that has advanced enough skills to play it.

This is a great book, and I recommend it to all students of jazz piano. The book has lots of piano transcriptions from records, and its actually authored by Oscar Peterson himself. There's an accompanying audio CD so that you can hear the music as well.

I thought the book was superb in that it combined the flow of the times with the need for Broadway musicals that were divisionary to counteract the divisiveness in some of the difficult eras. I echo what the previous readers said, but I wondered why the author left out some poignant, comedic and inspirational shows as The Boyfriend with Julie Andrews, Lucky Stiff, a very low key show in the late 80's that was an Ahrens and Flaherty favorite along with Ragtime, and of course, Hairspray which probably would be the best depiction of diversion! Fabulous read and great for teens and university students of the musical theatre.

This book by a long-time professor of theatre arts at Brandeis University is a fascinating study of the social forces influencing the evolution of the Broadway music. Starting with the early part of the 20th-century and working his way slowly to the present day, John Bush Jones groups musicals according to their themes and intent, calling some simply 'diversionary' (the sort that is so often thought to be aimed at the 'tired businessman') and others 'issue-driven,' (those with a theme which somehow mirrors the society at large). Clearly his interest is primarily with the latter, although he does discuss some of the unconscious thematic issues of the former. He does sometimes tend to get a bit caught up in his own premises and oversell them, but by and large this is a scholarly, and entirely readable, history of an art form that was invented on our shores and brought to its peak here, although it has been imitated prolifically elsewhere. He makes the point that most of the creators were Jewish (as he is) but doesn't offer much of an explanation for why this might be so. He focuses repeatedly on such things as shows with African-American, Jewish, political, sociological and psychological themes. He offers a fine analysis of the so-called 'concept musical' (e.g., 'Company' or 'Chorus Line') which he prefers to call 'fragmented musicals,' a description which points out their lack of an ordinary linear plot line.

One could argue with some of his emphases and analyses, but one has to respect the depth and breadth of his research and knowledge. He analyzes sociopolitical themes at length in such musicals as 'Show Boat,' 'The Cradle Will Rock,' 'Pal Joey,' 'Oklahoma,' 'South Pacific,' 'Carousel,' 'Sweeney Todd,' 'Fiddler on the Roof,' and others. Sometimes he finds hidden meanings that I had a hard time agreeing with, but I can only admire his imaginative look at some musicals that many of us tend to see as primarily 'diversionary.'

The book includes appendices listing the most popular or important musicals grouped roughly by decade and the number of performances they achieved. And there is also an extensive bibliography. I've read many books about the musical theatre and this one is unique in its perspective; it brings an interesting slant to the subject. Thus, it is a worthy addition to the long list of important books about the art form.

Scott Morrison

I loved this book. Ever since my high school English teacher chastised me for trying to put Miller's The Crucible in the context of the McCarthy era, I have been fascinated with the social context surrounding the creation of art. Jones focuses on the political as well as social context that has given birth to the great...and the mediocre...of the American musical. First, his use of terms such as "diversionary" ring so true for those of us who love mindless fluff when we go to the theatre. Second, I was shocked at how little I had appreciated the contributions of African-Americans, inter alia, to the American stage prior to reading this book. But, mostly, I liked how he articulated how a writer's gestalt accounts for the end product on the stage and his description of how copy-cat musicals come into being. The book gave me the backstory to many of the original shows I had the good fortune to see on Broadway. I, for one, would love a Volume II of this book to be Jones' next foray. I especially offer this to aspiring young actors, writers, directors and songwriters as a required read before embarking on a life in musical theater. If you want to create art, you must know from whence you came.

As a lover of Musical Theater, and (minor) toiler in the vineyards, myself, I have probably read hundreds of books on the subject. Therefore, it is always a special treat to find one that brings a fresh slant to the subject. Jones' book does just that. By treating musical theater styles neither as a simple reflection of, nor an escape from the world at large, but rather as an integral part of the whole, he presents a broad, but always entertaining and on-target view of both the 20th century and musical theater's part within same. There are, as there always are in works of this scope, some factual errors (e.g. "No Strings" wasn't Richard Rodgers' only "public" credit as a lyricist. He's also so credited on the score for the TV musical "Androcles & The Lion". It ain't Broadway-in every sense-but it IS public!) but none that take anythng away from the over-all achievement of the work.

From the very first page I was hooked. You can see above what the story is about, but this is so much more than just a story. The level of detail was incredible and the friendships and hardships are painstakingly described. Immediately you are THERE. The Australian Outback is so beautifully portrayed in all it's glories and evils. Highly recommended.

This book is about an aborigine wormen who helps a white man, who is the son of a convict. This man was as a boy sent to an orphanage then adopted by a man to tend sheep. With the help of this woman he became the largest sheep station owner in the outback. Their children, who were half abo, were strong in their own ways but it was their daughter,Sheila, who was the strongest. She befriends a city woman Elizabeth, and between them a strong friendship is kindled fueled by the aborigine woman, Mayrah. As the original owner, Pat Garrity and his abo wife die, Sheila and Elizabeth take over the running of the station. Sheila is known to be tough, but Elizabeth gets a stronger reputation. By the end of the book, all fear the wrath of Elizabeth, who is the most fearsome sheep rancher in all the outback. In the final chapters the son of Sheila returns to the staion to find that Elizabeth is matchmaking with a relative from England who she is fashioning in her own image to be the next baroness of Wayamba Station.

A fictional account of the begining of English settlement of Australia. A wonderfully descriptive story of the hardships and triumphs of early efforts to settle this strange country with penal colonists. It is told through the eyes of an aboriginal girl and a young englishman.

When I first started to read this book (first page)I thought it might be just to mind boggeling. The first few paragraphs were unclear to me. By end of page 2 I was thoroughly hooked. It is a story about an Aboriginal female who is brought to the son, of a criminal sent to Australia from England, as he is looking for a full time companion during his long days and nights caring for thousands of sheep. She is scared to death, she can't understand his language, and he doesn't understand anything she tries to say. Over a long period of time she learns to speak pidgon english and he learns to understand. They have children of their own, and a long history of the family unfolds in all its glory and excitement. This one of the best books I have read. And that is more than a thousand. Give it a go you'll not be disappointed.

I received this book very quickly after ordering it and it was in excellent condition.

Dark Goddess is another epic adventure by Mark Ellis. It ties up (or does it?) the story arc about the Annunaki Overlords and Tiamat, the giant sentient spaceship.

The book is fast-paced and reading about the heroes now after ten plus years feels like a visit with old friends. I particularly liked Shizuka's inclusion in the novel.

Lilitu is possibly the nastiest enemy the Cerberus warriors have faced, and that's quite the statement. It's not a surprise that Overlord Enlil has been scheming against her.

As for the "death" of Team Phoenix in the prologue...I have to admit that after "Sun Lord" by Victor Milan I never read any other fill-in OL books by him, so this was only my second exposure to the group, the first being in the excreble "Awakening" of several years ago. Their demise really didn't mean as much to me as to other fans.

However, Dark Goddess is a colorful adventure epic, jumping from the coast of Florida to the Sinai desert to Egypt and then to outer space.

If you could cross Indiana Jones with Stargate SG-1, then you would probably get something very close to Dark Goddess.

It was over before it truly began.

The reign of the Overlords, after their transformation was record breaking in how brief it was.

See, its things like this that sets Mark Ellis' Outlanders apart from all the vast majority of the other series that are available for reading.

Pretty much everything that is published by Gold Eagle is Episodic, or Stand Alone. They have no impact at all in the overall picture of the series.

Deathlands had it years ago, when Laurence James wrote it, and then the short period of time that Mark Ellis, Mel Odem and another gentleman named Terry were working together to try and keep the continuity intact.

However, that is long since gone, and the other series that GE puts out are suffering from it as well. Rogue Angel, Mack Bolan, Stoney Man, they're all episodic and thus suffer from it.

In many ways, Outlanders has more in common with a Television series than it does a book series. Take Stargate SG1, Atlantis, Battlestar Galactica, Jericho, and Heroes just to name a couple.

Each show has an overall Story Arch, and in some cases, the entire year is a story arch, such as what you have with Heroes.

But at the same time, each show has individual episodes that don't have much to do with the overall story arch, but still contribute to the series.

Outlanders is just like that. The first thirty or so novels the overall story arch dealt with the Cerberus Exiles attempting to overthrow the powerful Baron's while at the same time learning about Humanities hidden past.

Then the overall arch changed in Children of the Serpent. The Barons became the lost Annunaki pantheon, the Overlords.

Now, the arch has taken a major turn once again. The events in this novel deal a major blow to the Overlords, with the death of not two, but possibly all of them, and the destruction of Tiamat.

Individual episodes are good, but the episodes that contribute to the overall story arch are by far and far the best.

And this novel is one of the best the series has to offer to date.

Don't fret, it has everything that the fan of the series has come to expect over the years. Exotic locals (Egypt, the Sinai desert, even space). Beautiful women (the introduction of another character as well, someone who's true intent has yet to be revealed), adrenaline pumping excitement - especially towards the end... hell, who could ask for anything more?

Oh, the death of Team Phoney - Err... Team Phoenix.

Top notch, 5 out of 5.

Back when Babylon 5 was running on television, creator J. Michael Straczynski used to refer to some episodes as being WHAM episodes, where he would kick over all the tables and knock the characters back on their heels. Usually a WHAM episode would in some way completely redefine what the overall story was about, and it would always spin the story off into some new and unexpected direction. Much like Tomb of Time or Children of the Serpent, Dark Goddess is absolutely a WHAM episode for the Outlanders series.

The prologue of the book serves up the long-overdue demise of Team Phoenix, in a way that is spectacularly and deliciously harsh. To borrow a phrase, I suspect the epitaph on their gravestones read "They died as they lived - stupidly". I was already set to give the book the highest possible rating just based on the first dozen pages, and then it got better.

The first act is set primarily in Florida on the Gulf Coast, with our leads facing off against the somewhat comically named Billy-Boy Porpoise. Although Mr. Porpoise certainly excels in creating a strong brand identity, he is perhaps not the best at correctly predicting the outcome of his actions. Ah, well, live and learn. Or not.

Very quickly the book moves into the meat of the story, with Overlord Lilitu plotting to wrest control of Tiamat from Enlil, a plan which requires the involvement of the Cerberus crew. As always, the story features globe-trotting high adventure with Ellis' trademark alchemy of science fiction and ancient mythology. All of the major characters give great performances, with a particularly strong role for Shizuka. By the end of the climactic battle, the series is once again completely redefined. I would easily rank Dark Goddess as being among the very best of the Outlanders series.

I thought this was an excellent book with an unusual angle, focusing on the tragic love Roberta/Tara felt for the evil Barch.

The concept of a holographic assassin with particles of anti-matter mixed in with her energy field was very original.When Tara's primary programming kicked in and she and went on a slaughter spree against those who had been using her--yikes!

I really liked the way Brigid reached her by appealing to her human counterpart's broken heart.That part of it was a real tear-jerker.

This was a great book from the opening chapters in the steamy swamps of Louisana to the explosive climax in snowy Alaska.

Axler has done it again, This new series is just as good or maybe better than the Deathlands series. An excellent read.

Way back in the beginning of the Deathlands series, the author gave us our first glimps into Zulu Redoubt. An inbred family tried very hard to kill Ryan and his band. Anyhow, there was a locked off section of the redoubt that we were never once allowed to see what was hidden. UNTIL NOW!

The secret that laid dormant for nearly two centuries was awakened by a magistrate and archivist. The end result was the death of a Baron which has never happened before in the history of the villes.

Kane, Grant, Brigid and Domi are sent to investigate the death, and the implications. They discover far more than they ever expected. Yet another mystery left over from the Archon Directive.

The name isn't misleading, but Doomstar isn't what you expect it to be.

And to the author.... I want to see Tara return!

Chris Van Deelen Owner of the Deathlands web survival Guide.

Doomstar Relic is a good example of why Outlanders is the best action/adventure series being published today. Axler gives us a bizarre menance in the form of a beautiful (and naked) woman, an even bigger menance which springs from a real scientific project and once again, a surprising depth of characterization.

Doomstar Relic also hints that things are not exactly what the reader has been led to believe over the last few books. And as always, there is intense action, violence and doses of humor.

This is the only men's adventure series I read and will continue to read consistently. Each book has been different from the others and the series stays fresh.

Patrick Lennons newest work, Paradise Lost is an exciting historical novel based on events surrounding Fidel Castro's rise to power in Cuba. Lennon excells at capturing all the different points of view expressed by the different groups both in and outside of Cuba at that time. His hero gets involved when his brother is killed by an assasin's bullet marked for Fidel Castro while he was in Florida. Ramon sets out to avenge his brother and gets involved in the politics and the intrigue to the point he is routinely risking his life. By that time the CIA has decided he should help them, willingly or not and the stakes just keep getting higher.
A great story, by a great story teller! Exceptional Writing!

[...]

Written by former US Air Force pilot and hospital CEO Patrick Lennon, Paradise Lost is historical fiction novel about a Cuban man caught in the midst of power struggles within and beyond the borders of his nation during the mid-twentieth century. When his younger brother is mistaken for Castro and murdered by an assassin working for the Batista regime, Ramon seeks the assassin to exact revenge, but when he sees the cruel conditions in Cuba, he changes allegiance and helps Castro put an end to the Batista government. Later, relations between America and Cuba turn sour, and the CIA blackmails Ramon into running guns for anti-Castro forces. Despite his warning to the CIA that Castro has significant Cuban popular support, the CIA proceeds with the disastrous Bay of Pigs raid. A period of quiet for Ramon follows - until he is placed firmly at the center of US-Soviet tension over the installation of missiles, in what was most likely the greatest crisis of the Kennedy administration. A singularly absorbing and suspenseful tale.

Paradise Lost by Patrick A. Lennon is a Historical Fiction that is about Cuba and The Cuban Missile Crisis that starts shortly before President John F. Kennedy took office.

This book is an outstanding read from cover to cover. This book is informative, exciting, well written, with a lot of suspense and action, and much more. You will like Patrick A. Lennon's writing style.

Patrick A. Lennon has won two Short story contests. 'Paradise Lost' has been accepted for the 2007 Pulitzer competition and after reading this book I can see why.

Some other books this author has written are :
Tale Spinning, Wolf Creek, A Dose of Murder, and Kiss The Pilot.

I highly recommend Paradise Lost and plan to read some of this authors other books.

After World War II, the United States were known as the saviors of the free world and entered a period of prosperity. Unbeknownst to the average American citizen, lines and boundaries had been drawn, territory had been claimed and there was an undercurrent of despotism on both sides of the Iron Curtain. The United States government was not above (and still isn't) lending a little aid of money, weapons and "consultants" to help certain countries with their revolutions, as long it seemed to be in America's best interest at attempting to slow the spread of communism. Whether or not the support America provided certain countries was in the best interest of the certain countries citizenship is another matter that didn't seem to be considered.

Paradise Lost is a story about revenge and ramifications. President Batista, dictator of Cuba puts a hit on young Fidel Castro, who is raising money in Key West Florida to support an army to over throw Batista's tyrannical regime. Carlos Molina, a Castro sympathizer, is mistakenly thought to be Castro and is shot and killed by an assassin Major Garcia. Ramon Molina, Carlos's older brother decides to seek vengeance for his brother's murder. In an exciting by the-seat-of-your-pants action scene Ramon tracks Garcia to Cuba. Upon his return from his vengeance quest Ramon is enlisted
as a gun-runner for Castro. Later he is coerced into working for the CIA while trying to balance his business and family life.

Lennon has successfully written from a Cuban American's point of view which lends a different but important perspective of an average person caught in the waves from Castro's overthrow of Batista reign, America's interest in Cuba, the Bay of Pigs Invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Any reader that enjoys a Tom Clancy novel minus the high-tech hardware and gadgetry should read Paradise Lost. It is an espionage thriller with a provincial realism and a human element that tugs at the heart and makes one reexamine their family and patriotic values.

John Milton's Paradise Lost is an epic poem about original sin, the fall of man and the loss of innocence. Patrick Lennon's Paradise Lost, shows us a loss of innocence when the blinders of ignorance are removed and we see behind the propaganda, rhetoric, double-speak and their consequences.