Western Books

This book is, a hilarious look at wordplay, images, and symbolism towards a very serious subject... war. A lot of the literal ideas I do not totally get (give me a break, I'm 27) but I read it has to do w/ vietnam. It relates to any inane/insane fight based on questionable info... a breath from that... it's humor is really funny... the games he plays with words are genius, (a horse named I = I is a horse)... stuff like that. I would have given it 5 stars if I understood it more... but a great read, if I had not researched it and found out it was about Vietnam, I would have enjoyed its funkiness, just the same.

The epic is conceivably the endpoint of the modernist implosion into premodern aesthetics and anti-formal/anti-perspectival tribal art. Whether that makes GUNSLINGER modern, postmodern, or premodern is anyone's guess, 5 of 8 dentists prefer "postmodern." The book smears semantics and Heidegger and cocaine into a psychedelic, post-industrial dreamscape. Ed Dorn studied an americanized version of "psychogeography" at the Black Mountain College with Charles Olson and Robert Creely which contributed to the development of his slow-acid-laced-western-sound poetry aesthetic: "I have no wish to continue my debate with men, my mare lathers with tedium, her hooves are dry. Look, they are covered with the alkali of the enormous space between here and formerly."(Gunglinger, Book 1). This should be read with some cigars and cactus and MM's cover of Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show's "Get My Rocks Off" and Beck's parenthetical "Lazy Flies" ("The skin of a robot vibrates with pleasure, Matrons and gigolos Carouse in the parlor").

It's great that Ed Dorn's poem (in book form, though it was originally published in a sequence of smaller parts, and assembled) is back in print, after the single-volume version took a short drop to the OOP lists. There are few poems that so effectively capture a decade -- and a century. Read it; fight with it; enjoy the sensibility. This is a book about the American West and, like the work of Charles Olson (one of Dorn's teachers), it is about poetry as a means of understanding aspects of the psyche, motivation, and acquisitiveness that is so American.

That's the good new; you'll read this and laugh about parts, and agonize over others, and relish still more. But be wary of the "Introduction," which is a heavy bolus of words (read the back cover excerpt, if you doubt me). Yes, the folks at Duke (a University Press) felt it necessary to drop a scholarly "Introduction" on the book, but Perloff's offering will inspire you to reach for your Metamucil. As a scholar, she is accomplished (publications on Beckett, Plath, Pound, O'Hara, Lowell, Stevens, Yeats, Williams, Berryman, Rimbaud, Zukofsky, Blackburn, John Cage, Goethe, Ginsberg, Ashbery, and a dozen others), but her treatment of Dorn is at best wooden, and with 35 years of writing on poets she musters great range without summoning either a notable depth or enthusiasm.

Buy the book for Dorn's own work and fight to cherish the results.

An epic poem so richly filled with wisdom, wordplay & laughs that a little of it is often enough. Dorn's characters - who are derived from both John Bunyan & Paul Bunyan - wander through a landscape that feels like a spaghetti western existing inside a Star Trek wormhole. All of the rituals of the Great American Desert are honored & performed in ways that surprise & delight. The cinematography is nonpareil. Does the Zlinger fall in love with Lil? Does he ride off into the Sunset of Happy Trails? Does Walter Brennan make a cameo appearance? Read on, fellow pilgrims, read on.

Bob Rixon

The late Ed Dorn wrote a masterpiece with "Gunslinger", an anti-epic poem that prefigures many post-modern gestures from its 60s era starting point. Funny, cartoonish, erudite to the extreme, it also locates a tuned lyricism in the Western vernaculars that Dorn uses: the metaphysical aspect of our legends, the sheer questing for answers as Euro-Americans come treading closer to a West coast that will stop them and force them to settle and create lives from dust and ingenuity, comes alive in way that never escapes the zaniness of Dorns' narrating inquiry into the nature of the search.

A masterpiece

I love all the Hank books, and this is a great one for the Christmas season. These books are hilarious and more important to the young reader, fun to read. I'd also check the rest of the series.

Author of "Hobo Finds A Home" editor "Of A Predatory Heart"

As usual Hank continues to impress with his down to earth humor & "wisdom".
Great for the whole family.

this is a great book and is my second favorite book, and number one is another hank book. i own it and it is very very good.

Hank the Cowdog is a good book that my classmates and I read. It is about faded love. Hank and Drover are in love with Beulah, the collie. Hank was telling Drover that Beulah is his girlfriend and not Drover's, but Beulah likes Hank only as a friend. She said, "Because the way I feel, Hank, is that we should just be special friends. I like Plato."

But Plato was looking out for birds because he a bird watcher. Later, Hank saw Miss Scamper and said, "How do you do you, lovely lady?" Hank was going from one girl to another. Then Hank wrote a song to Beulah and it went something like this, "I have the strangest dream, Beulah, my dear, I'm standing close to you and holding you near. I feel electric shock, just being close by, touching your flaxen hair and seeing you're my love. I can't stop thinking about you, Beulah." Hank rolled around on a dead skunk and went to test it out on Beulah to see if the perfume worked. The "love" perfume smelled bad because he smelled like a dead skunk and Beulah did not like the perfume. But Miss Scamper liked the perfume that Hank was wearing.

(...)

I think that Faded Love is a good book. It is funny and also it has lots of adventures like the other books of Hank. I read this book with my classmates. Each of my classmates had a part in the book, like a kid was Drover and the other was Hank. Hank and Drover make this oath that they would never return to the ranch, and they would quit their jobs as cowdogs.

Drover told Hank that there was a snake on the ranch. It really wasn't a snake; it was just a cat's tale, which was Pete. Pete became mad at Hank because he thought he was a snake, so Hank left with Drover. On his way he met all kinds of old friends. He also meets new friends like Miss Scamper. She is this dog that Hank meets by a lake. Miss Scamper's owner stops by the lake and puts water in his radiator. Drover and Hank fall in love with Ms. Scamper. He also meets his old friends Rip and Snort; they are coyotes.

We found out that Drover is not that dumb. Hank sings this song to Beulah (she is hank's old girl friends, which was kind of funny. Hank and Drover decided to go back to the ranch. Drover reminds Hank about the oath, but he said that there are different kinds of oaths; one is forever and others are temporary. So they went back to the ranch and they saw the real snake. It was going toward little Alfred. Hank attacked the snake and the snake beat him. Everybody now thinks Hank is a hero.

wow !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hank the cowdog is a great book for the family or by yourself . john r erikson did a wonderful job on this book . you need to read it to belive it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

I love all the Hank books, and this is a great one for the Christmas season. These books are hilarious and more important to the young reader, fun to read. I'd also check the rest of the series.

Author of "Hobo Finds A Home" editor "Of A Predatory Heart"

This is one of my favriote books it is funny and exciting. It takes the perspective of a cowdog on a ranch in east texas. That thinks he is head of ranch security and goes through a lot of hillarius storys.

In this book a buzzard gets hurt, and he gets taken care of.Well,one day Slim,Little Alfred, Drover(the dog),and Hank(the dog)was driving to town to get Christmas presents,and a buzzard named Wallace flew into the wind shield.He got hurt pretty bad,and Little Alfred begged Slim to take him home and take care of him.Slim took him home after he went shopping,and cured him.Then Wallace flew away with his son happily ever after.

Hank the cowdog is "head of ranch security," and tend to act like Barney Fife. the entire seires of Hank the Cowdog stories are hilarious. The story is told from the perspective of Hank and the animal characters in this story, such as Drover, the young pup in training for ranch security, are constantly causing problems for Hank. In one story Hank gets sick after eating a frying pan full of bacon grease. He knows what he should and should not do, but always finds himself being overcome by his true nature--egotistical, gluttonous, etc.

Read this book and you will be addicted to Hank.

SO many times you pick up a novel expecting to be entertained, but for that entertainment to last you also have to believe in the story and want to keep reading. Sherwood's work is not only entertaining, but not once did I skip ahead with a longing sigh for reality (a big achievement!) The plot is engaging, the characters sympathetic and real (no obviously trumped up stereotypes in this!) and the ending is very satisfying in a way that is both unexpected and relieving, as well as brutally realistic. (key words: realistic realistic realistic) His attention to character and environment is truly exceptional. I am impatiently awaiting his next literary endevor!

What an outstanding novel! It was thoroughly enjoyable. The western setting is authentic and you quickly feel like you are a part of the community. Similar to other reviewers - I was sorry when I finished it. I am looking forward to Steve's next novel!

I just finished Steve Sherwood's novel Hardwater and I'm very disappointed...that it's over! I couldn't put the book down. Mr. Sherwood has created such compelling characters that I feel like they are a part of my real life. I am a suspense and mystery novel buff, but Hardwater is the most emotionally involving novel I've read in a long time. Get this book, then get settled into your favorite chair, because you won't be getting up for a while! The setting, politics, relationships between characters is a joy to behold. When is Mr. Sherwood's next novel coming our way?

Hardwater is a hidden gem of a suspense novel set in the contemporary American West. The story opens on a gruesome crime scene, and a journalist intent on sniffing out the identity of a serial killer with a knack for verse.

Underneath this murder mystery is an issues novel about the contemporary American West, where native tribes and white farmers battle over water rights, and failed uranium mines sit abandoned in the landscape, to be approached with Geiger Counter in hand.

But more than the mystery or the provocative issues, what makes Hardwater such an enjoyable read is its fantastic setting. Hardwater is a world of granite monoliths, tribal customs, and wide open spaces. Fans of Tony Hillerman and John Nichols will eagerly devour this worthy winner of the 2003 George Garrett Prize.

If you're looking for a fine, fast suspense, Hardwater is a book you won't want to miss. Outstanding characters, fast paced plot, interesting setting--this novel has it all. Not to be missed.

365th veteran Charles Johnson wrote his comprehensive "History of the Hell Hawks" in the early '70s but only a limited number were published and if a copy can be found, it is very expensive. This new look at the group reasserts the history of this important outfit into the public eye. More importantly, the authors captured more personal stories of the 365th members that otherwise would soon be lost forever. For those who don't want to read through a long boring group history, this is the book for you! It is very well written and fast paced. I thank the authors for this wonderful work. Jay Jones, author of "The 370th Fighter Group in World War II".

The "Hell Hawks" is an excellently written and accurate presentation depicting the role of the P-47 pilots from D-Day through the end of WW II. The combination of fascinating aerial accomplishments and statistics are woven together to present an extremely accurate and equally fascinating tale of the role these dedicated and daring pilots played in destroying the vaunted Nazi war machine. It is a "must read" for anyone interested in World War II as it puts the American dedication and sacfrice into perspective.

Although I am only halfway through this book I am really enjoying it. I deals with American P-47 fighter bombers in the European theater. I never realized before how much more dangerous air-to-ground combat is compared to air-to-air. Pretty exciting stuff and very well written. (P.S. I do not live in Rock Hill, SC. I live in Denton, TX)

As the owner of many of Bob Dorr's books, I have come to expect that anything he produces will be well-researched, well-presented, and very well-written. "Hell Hawks!" is right up there not only with Dorr's other works but with the best in Be There combat writing. Here's an example: "The German pilot ran flat-out low...threading the needle between a church steeple and tall brick smokestack. Narrow streets raced under the wings of Kraman's P-47 as he engaged the throttle button triggering emergency water injection. His Pratt & Whitney surged as Kraman squeezed off short bursts at his quarry, the enemy banking abruptly left and right to throw off the American's aim. Across the Rhine, farther into Germany, the pair raced east..."

Dorr and co-author Thomas D. Jones (USAF Academy grad, ex-B-52 driver, veteran of four NASA space shuttle flights) also rightly recognize the guys who weren't strapping into the 365th Fighter Group's P-47s: "The men with stripes on their arms didn't pilot Jugs, but they made warfare in the Jug possible." We tend to forget that the aircraft of WW II, after all, were just 15 years removed from Lindbergh's Ryan NYP of 1927 but were very complex machines. The authors salute the men with the stripes well.

The results of close to 200 interviews of 365th FG veteans, other combat vets, family members, and more, plus four years of research, "Hell Hawks!" is loaded with the day-to-day details of fighting a tenaciously fierce enemy, demonstrating throughout the book that ground attack combat was a deadly way to earn your flight pay. The authors bring the personalities of the young pilots alive as well as provide a big picture of Allied strategy and the pace of war from D-Day to victory. This is an excellent book not only for military historians but for anyone who enjoys aviation writers at the top of their game. Splendid!

A very enjoyable book concerning the 365th Fighter Group, IX Tac, 9th AF. The author does an excellent job of covering the unit's campaign throughout the ETO, blending both the "big picture" and personal experiences nicely. My only complaints are that the time line seemed to jump around quite a bit in places and a tendency to throw quite a few names at you in short order, so I found myself re-reading paragraphs to make sure I knew what was going on and who was doing what. But this was a very minor distraction from an overall excellent book that I would recommend highly to anyone interested in the bloody air-to-mud war conducted by the 9th AF... a war that has for far too long been hidden in the shadow cast by the "Mighty Eighth".

I have been reading philosophy for a long time now and occasionally, when I talk about it to my friends, I get asked where one can start when it comes to a massive subject like philosophy. Before this book, I would have a hard time pinpointing a good source for a newcomer because most books out there are either boring and dull college books or books that are way too complicated and wordy for anyone without a background to enjoy them.

This series turned out to be perfect for starting a journey in philosophy or brushing up on your ancient Greek philosophy - where it all started. It is a pity that it does not include some Eastern thought schools that are very important to explore but I suppose it had to limit itself on some scale. It is easy to comprehend, laid out rather nicely and often enough refers to former chapters so you don't lose the thread. Not only does it give paragraphs of good translations of the original texts from Plato and Aristotele etc, but it also enriches these thoughts with its own neat and current examples.

I highly recommend it. It was a very pleasant read.

This item was in very good shape and came to me in no time. It was shipped the same day of the purchase and i got it 2 days later.

This book offers an excellent summery of the basic teachings, understandings, and doctrines from Thales of the pre-socratics to the late Classical period in Rome (Epicurus, Cicero, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, ect). The History of Western Philosphy Series is an excellent addition to the mind and bookshelf of all scholars who maintain interest in the evolution of the human mind. This specific book goes well hand in hand with F. M. Cornfield's "From Religion to Philosophy (A Study in the Origins of Western Speculation)."

This book, 'The Classical Mind', is the first volume of a five-volume series on the history of Western Philosophy by W.T. Jones, professor of philosophy in California. This series is a very strong, thorough introduction to the course of Western Philosophy, beginning at the dawn of the philosophical enterprise with the pre-Socratics in ancient Greece to the modern thinkers such as Wittgenstein and Sartre. It has grown, over the three decades or so of its publication, from one to four then to five volumes. It has remained a popular text, and could serve as the basis of a one-year survey of philosophy for undergraduates or a one-semester survey for graduate students. Even advanced students in philosophy will find this valuable, all major topics and most minor topics in the course of philosophy are covered in these volumes.

Jones states that there are two possible ways for a writer to organise a history of philosophy -- either by addressing everyone who ever participated in philosophy (which could become rather cumbersome if one accepts the premise that anyone could be a philosopher), or to address the major topics and currents of thought, drawing in the key figures who address them, but leaving out the lesser thinkers for students to pursue on their own. Jones has chosen the latter tactic, making sure to provide bibliographic information for this task.

This volume, 'The Classical mind', starts and ends in ancient Greece. Plato and Aristotle are well featured, to be sure, but the pre-Socratics and the post-Aristotilean thinkers are also discussed in great detail. The first chapter deals with a number of thinkers whose names are well-known to those who study the history of science as well as to philosophers -- Thales, Anaximander, Pythagoras -- showing the interconnection of disciplines that recurs again and again throughout history, but never again so closely as in these opening days of Western thought.

Jones gives a general history lesson along with the history of the development of thought so that the reader will understand the social and historical context in which ideas developed. Plato and Aristotle both came out a context in which Greece was a fairly violent place much of the time, with warring factions and city-states variously dependent upon and warring against each other.

The discussion of Plato largely deals with his theories of knowledge and metaphysics, with an additional chapter on subsequent topics such as ethics, politics, religion and art. Similiarly, Aristotle is dealt with in two chapters, with the major topics of metaphysics, logic, ethics, politics, aesthetics, and other issues addressed. At the end of each of these sections, Jones gives a general critique of the philosopher's main ideas, and in the final chapter of the book, sets the stage for further developments, particularly in terms of the decline of the Golden Age in Greece. In some regards, all subsequent Western philosophy vacilates between Plato and Aristotle, so a thorough grounding is important.

Each volume ends with a glossary of terms, and a worthwhile index. The glossary warns against short, dictionary-style definitions and answers to broad terms and questions, and thus indicates the pages index-style to the discussion within the text for further context. The one wish I would have would be a comprehesive glossary and index that covers the several volumes; as it is, each volume has only its own referents.

This is minor criticism in a generally exceptional series. It is not easy text, but it is not needlessly difficult. The print size on the direct quotes, which are sometimes lengthy, can be a strain at times, but the reading is worthwhile.

W. T. Jones' first volume, The Classical Mind, is a fantastic introduction for studying ancient philosophy. His work is fairly clear and not very difficult in terms of being able to understand his explication of various philosophers and theories. That is, Jones does not write to other philosophers; he is writing to would-be philosophers or students. Jones considers important aspects such as the timing and events surrounding the philosophical theories in order to demonstrate that these ideas do not develop ex nihilo. They arise because of important questions or issues developed in the relevant cultures.

This work covers quite a few people. Of course, it is not exhaustive on every thinker; nor is such even possible since many of the writings of people like the pre-socratics do not exist beyond a few manuscripts. In any case, Jones starts with them (specificaly Homer and Hesiod), through Thales, to Plato, to Aristotle, and up to the skeptics (e.g., Carneades and Sextus). From time to time, Jones will comment upon some of the positive and negative (or implausible) aspects of each of the theories provided. Sometimes his objections are good; other times, they can be answered. For instance, Jones treats Plato's argument for the Forms as a transcendental argument and he applies Stephan Korner's uniquness argument against Plato (c.f. Korner, "The Impossibility of Transcendental Deductions"). Jones doesn't refer to Korner, but it is the same point. I think Plato could *in principle* answer Jones.

There are a couple areas where I think that Jones has misinterpreted some of the early thinkers. For instance, Jones treats Aristotle as only holding to the intellectual virtues as being eudaimonia (for an alternative view, see Cooper, John M. "Reason and Human Good in Aristotle"). Also, Jones gives a traditional analysis of Parmenides. Patricia Curd offers an alternative analysis in "The Legacy of Parmenides." Both of these thinkers challenge the traditional views that Jones sides with. In any case, that's a head's up for readers who have not done exhaustive reading on these philosophers; just something to keep in mind when reading Jones.

Finally, I think that Jones often uses far too long of quotes from other people. At one point, he quoted Plato for an entire three pages (8 size font!). Jones could have summarized the point and added a footnote. Nevertheless, this is a great textbook for studying ancient philosophy and it deserves five stars despite my harsh disapproval of some of his analyses and writing style :)

Each chapter represents one program and most consist of a dialogue of sorts between Adler and Luckman, with Adler also answering viewer questions. But as it must already be clear what this book is, I will seek to establish why I gave it only three stars. Firstly, because Amazon does not permit assigning 3 and 1/2 stars. Second, that it is rather long considering how much there is to actually gain from it. The number of subjects that he attempts to cover reduces most of the discussions to a rather elementary introduction. This is good in the sense that it might whet the appetite, before you might get bored by a tedious analysis, but often you get a sense that Adler's final word is good enough before he moves on. Some of the brevity and incompleteness is a function of the presentation, and this limits how much you might actually gain in understanding the topics. The accurate presentation of dialogue adds nothing to the book. Probably it would be most interesting to those who are fond of Dr. Adler and like reading his other books. It is hard to recommend another book that would fulfill the same function that this one does, and this is the first of his that I've read.

This is an excellent book for academicians, journalists, historians,
philosophers, linquists and a whole host of thinkers in the
arts and sciences. The author discusses theoretic universals
in some level of detail. For instance, he roughly equates
consistency with truth. In mathematics, a proof is not complete
without enough consistent examples of an application and no
deviations from the theorem. The author discusses the distinction
between knowledge and opinion. He states succinctly that ignorance can be preferable to academic errors. In addition, he points out that opinions are accepted voluntarily. Emotions are
likened to instinct in that they are not learned. Freud discussed things to avoid; namely, bad love, pride and too much
reliance on monetary things to the exclusion of aesthetics.
The good thing is desirable over the bad. Goods are classified
into wealth, goods of the body, goods of the soul or spiritual
domain, knowledge, truth and wisdom which is the highest
form of knowing. Children spend much time learning skills;
while adults and elders develop and impart wisdom. Learning is
discovery and discussion. We learn things in the natural sciences
by observing them in a lab. For instance, a drop of blood may
be examined under the microscope for specific characteristics.
A frog may be dissected and examined under the microscope to
learn more about the vital organs-their placement and functioning.
This book is a wonderful acquisition for a continued discussion of philosophical, theoretical and scientific techniques and processes. It is a good value for the price charged.

I found this book very helpful.

I was introduced to Adler's writing about a year ago and have read 4-5 of his books, his two autobiographies, and 30 or so of his papers through the TGI website with Max W.

This book is a great summary of basic ideas in very accessible manner, such as: definition of truth; the moral *obligation* not just the right, to be controversial; crystalization of Adler's arguments against Darwin of why man's mental capabiliteis are a difference in kind and not degree from apes and other animals, etc.

The consice presentation clarified earlier readings and more than made up for any shortcomings due to editoral sloppiness, lack of charts, and difficulty in general with transcripts of a TV show.

A good book for those just beginning their reading of Adler's summary and critique of philosophy and a good reference summary book for those well read with Adler's books.

Paul Baier
Boston, MA

How do you summarize a summary of 2500 years of thought? Great! Mortimer Adler was one of the greatest philosophers of the 20th Century, primarily because of the literally ecyclopaedic nature of his knowledge. I say literally encyclopaedic because he edited the Encyclopaedia Britanica and wrote The Synopticon, a summary of Western philosophy, among the scores of other books bearing his name. He is best known for popularizing the Great Books theory of education. This is based on his own original reseach distilling the essence of Western Thought into 102 "Great Ideas." How To Think About The Great Ideas is a condensation of transcipts of a popular TV show of the 1950's, but the superficiality such an origin suggests does not permeate the book. The TV show covered only 21 of the great ideas, while the book deals with about half of the 102. The somewhat colloquial style will surprise readers who may have read Aristotle, Decartes, or Kant in full. We are not accustomed to hearing about philosophy from TV. But the simplicity of the presentation only serves to heighten the clarity of the ideas. The Great Ideas which you struggled over in college really can be discussed in ordinary language, and this is the real achievement of this book. The ideas build from the basic question of "What is truth?" to a consideration of the nature of man, human freedom, society and even a review of the arguments for the existence of God. Adler himself came to faith from agnositicism in his 80's before his recent death at the age of 98. Even so, the book is more of an invitation than an argument. It is best approached as a string of pearls, a series of thoughtful but isolated studies, rather than an essay in how to approach life or a true philosophical treatise. Refer to the Synopticon the academic treatment. But Adler never wrote just for academics. He believed philosphy is for everyone, and this book proves it. Now that Mortimer Adler has recently passed away, How To Think About The Great Ideas will remain as his exortation for all of us to lead thoughful lives.

This work is a handy reference to which I refer often. Adler provides a very useful "history of ideas". Each section covers what the some of the greatest thinkers have said about a particular idea, ideas such as "justice", "knowledge", "truth","God", etc. This book is a must if one wants to get a quick "birds eye" view of ideas and what great thinkers have said about them, and provides a nice springboard and direction for further study.

EnThe Story of Johnny Cash Eaton...: Moments Remembered...His Story As Told to Me...j

Very interesting

Greetings. May I congratulate you for finding your way to this book and to these few words.

This title, I STILL MISS SOMEONE, if from one of my favorite Cash-penned songs and the book was/is published by a very small mom/pop outfit in Nashville. They (the publisher) have no promotion or marketing or publicity savy, to speak of when promoting a book like this, so it has just layed here in obscurity.

This book, although it contains the input of over forty close Cash associates and a foreword by the Grahams (Ruth and Rev. Billy), has NEVER been reviewed by any press. In fact, the Nashville media didn't even give it one line. Small publishers suffer this snub, and in the end, so did this tribute book. Lost in the larger shuffle of all things Johnny Cash.

The only folks that know about this book are folks like you, that have searched, surfed and stumbled across it or maybe found it after hearing about it word-of-mouth.

To the point, if you get this book, I STILL MISS SOMEONE, and are not moved by it, touched by it, or feel it is more than worth the price, I will personally refund your purchase price. (hughwaddell@comcast.net)

Yes, I believe in this book with all my heart and soul!!!! In the few interviews about the book that happened last year (2005), I stated the same challenge, and have not been asked to refund one dime, yet. In spite of all the review snubs, the book stands on its own simple merit.

So screw the tiny publisher, the snubby-dub media and the self-serving Nashville "pompasses". This book does not need to be hyped or pumped by critics, anyway. I swear to you that you will enjoy this look at Johnny the Cash through the eyes and hearts of people who knew him best... his friends and family.

Thank you and God Bless!

All of us who followed the music and life of Johnny Cash;knew from the beginning of his musical career in the laste 50's that there was something special about this man. He came to most of us by his music and shows but we always knew he was a man who first of all knew and loved his God. The name Pilgrim was often associated with him;but the name Disciple would be just as fitting. I have followed ,listened to and read about him for about 50 years,but I can honestly say that the real truth about what Johnny Cash was really like is not any better shown than in this book. How he was seen and loved by those who really knew him,loved him,worked with him,family members,and people who considered him a friend and at the same time he considered a friend. Over 40 people got the honor to say what Johnny meant to them and what kind of a man and friend he was. One thing that is obvious from reading this book of over 300 pages and over 40 people,is that there must be thousands of others that knew him as well and if they had the same opportunity would have similar things to say.
It is so obvious Johnny loved life ,how much his family meant to him,and how much he respected those around the music business. If anyone in the public arena ever gave the impression that as he journeyed throuh life;his friend and Savior Jesus Christ was always by his side;it had to be him.
Millions of us admired Cash;but what a privilege it must have been to have been close to him. No wonder a great personal loss is seen in the stories each participant has to tell.
As we continue to listen to his music;this book will remind us what a Legend "The Man in Black" really was.
I am sure that when he finally met his God,he probably said something like;"Thanks Lord, for the privilege to have served you and my fellow man.I did the best I could ,and it's good to be home with you"
After you read this book,why not sit down and think or write about what Johnny Cash meant to you.

How do you come up with a way to tell the Johnny Cash Story that hasn't yet been done? There are countless biographies out there (disclosure: I have consulted, resourced and been interviewed on many), and the mythic history of this great man has been told many ways. But Hugh Waddell, JRC's friend and confidant of longstanding, has produced THE definitive portrait. He did it not by another retelling of the great Redemption story of our times (although that never gets old), or by a mere chronicle of John's achievements. Instead, he spectacularly tells the story through the eyes of John's family, friends, colleagues and fans. He wisely, and accurately, realized that it was John's effect on others which made him Mt. Rushmore-worthy. His life and music spoke to us, for us and with us, and the impact he made on people great and small continues to take the breath away. Johnny Cash walked with presidents (they fawned over him) and he sat with the people (who worshipped him). Hugh Waddell captures the qualities which allowed this by pointing the camera not at John, but at those he touched. The lens is reversed, and we see The Great Cash as a father, a farmer, a friend. His importance is told through the countless small interactions, the kindnesses and generosity, the human fraility and the soaring triumphs. He gave voice to our dreams and aspirations, taught us what it was like to run the mortal race, to fall greatly and rise back up greater. In these touching stories we see the real man, but more, we see ourselves. I did not want this book to end. The real people and their real stories about a real man are gripping. Johnny Cash was a giant, obviously. In this superb book we get to see how giants get that way. If I want someone to know what Johnny Cash was like, I give them this book.

Mark Stielper
Shoe size 11W

OK, with all the hype about the movie, Walk the Line, and living in Nashville as I do...and hearing Johnny Cash's name everywhere you turn...I hesitated going to see the movie "just because". Well. I somehow ended up seeing it, (long story for another day.) And let me just say that much to my chagrin, I LOVED the movie. So now I've been on a Johnny Cash rampage, listening, watching, and reading everything I can get my hands on. Yes, I succumbed. Call me weak.

This title looked interesting to me because it's written by people who knew him on a day to day basis. There's a chapter written by the guy who kept his farm, for gosh sakes! You just feel the love seeping from the pages. I wept, I laughed, I've read it again, and again.

For readers who might be wondering what all the shoe size business is about here in the reviews (I know I wondered before receiving the book)...Hugh says in the book that Johnny always said he had "itchy feet". He always needed to be doing something and going somewhere different. Johnny said "Everyone has itchy feet, some just itch more than others." So at the beginning of everyone's chapter is that person's shoe size. Just one more quirky little reason why this book has earned a place on my 'favorites' shelf.

As a Nashvillian, I would like to say: We are proud of our 'Cash heritage' and this book lays it all on the line.

Thank you, Hugh Waddell for such a wonderful gift that I'm sure even JRC's family will treasure for years and years.

May
Nashville, TN
Shoe size: 7.5

While I was never a dedicated fan of the Jonah Hex / Weird Western Tales series DC put out in the 70s and 80s, I definitely liked the reincarnation of Jonah Hex in 1993's `Two Gun Mojo'. Freed from Comics Code constraints, Joe R. Lansdale, Tim Truman, and Sam Glanzman put together a blood-splattered storyline with plenty of eerie goings-on, pathos, and Lansdale's unique sense of warped humor. "Riders of the Worm and Such", the 1994 follow-up, went more for humor than horror, but was still an entertaining read. Lansdale was going through a burst of productivity in the Western genre at this time (his coeval title for Dark Horse, `Dead in the West', is worth searching out, but be advised it goes a bit too over the top with the grue).

Jonah Hex now has his own ongoing series, up to issue #33 as of early July 2008. It continues to be one of the few Western titles with any kind of staying power on the comic store shelves. Compilations of earlier issues in this series are now seeing distribution as softcover graphic novels, hence `Guns of Vengeance', which features issues #7 - #12.

In this series, Hex occupies a Wild West where homicidal behavior and moral depravity are steeped into every nuance of daily life. This is the perfect setup for lots of violence, and `Guns' - or rather, Jonah and his trigger-happy compatriots - delivers. Every bullet strike calls forth a detailed, over-the-top spurt of gore, and in some stories the body count gets high enough to carpet the streets with corpses.

The stories in `Guns', which are written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti, are all standalones rather than multi-chapter stories, and center less on the horror or supernatural themes that are the bread and butter of the `Weird Western' titles. `Jonah Hex' focuses more on Spaghetti Western-inspired plots revolving around revenge and retribution. Gray and Palmiotti occasionally provide moments of black humor, but only the `Gator Bait' tale (i.e, Jonah Hex issue # 10) comes close to a Lansdale-style grotesquerie. Featuring a family of inbred backwoods types who enjoy feeding the occasional trespasser to their pet alligators, `Gator Bait' is simultaneously funny and grisly and one of the better stories in the compilation.

Overall, the artwork in the `Jonah Hex' series is good, and the issues compiled in `Guns' don't disappoint in this regard. The artwork by David Michael Beck, Paul Gulacy, Luke Ross, and Dylan Teague has an appropriately realistic style with lots of washed browns, grays, and blues. Moebius set a high standard for modern Western comic art with his famous `Lieutenant Blueberry' series, and DC's editorial staff seem to recognize this in assigning artists to `Hex'.

While the long-term fate of the `Jonah Hex' series is never secure in this superhero-focused world of comics retailing, I'll be looking for more compilations to appear on the store shelves and I'll be picking them up. If you feel some nostalgia for the Old School titles like Marvel's `Two Gun Kid' or `Rawhide Kid', the old Weird Western Tales series, or Lt. Blueberry, treat yourself and grab a copy.

if you like westerns and comic books , you'll probably be quite pleased with this book and all the following hex books . each book has six stories in it (sometimes an arc will be a couple issues) . mostly the stories are self contained though . in addition to the hex persona , which is well described , editorially and by other reviewers here , there's a lot to recommend . by keeping the same writing team (at this writing approx 33 issues in) and featuring different artists pretty often , the book never grows stale . justin and jimmy are teriffic writers and seem to really love this character . if you see an illustrator you're not really taken with , don't fret , they change out a good deal . i'm very seldom dissapointed with an issue . it's definitley one of my very favorite reads . gratifying , well laid out and nurtured by it's authors , these books are absolute keepers you'll want to revisit . great work guys and thanks .

I'm a long time reader of Jonah Hex from years ago when it first came out. I was very disappointed with the way the artwork in the Hex series basically ruined a fantastic character and comic series.
I was NOT disappointed by Face Full of Violence. It is 100% pure Jonah Hex all the way and the artwork is great just like the original series was.
Great stories, great artwork and inking, I hope they make a hundred of them because I would buy them all. If you've read any of the original series, this is a must buy.

I remember Hex from the day, this Hex looks a lot like Eastwood...but still has (some of) the spirit of the original HEX. I wish they would bring the old back in a colour compilation.

One of the most underappreciated characters in one of the most underappreciated genres in comics gets resurrected and reinvigorated thanks to the writing tandem of inker Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray. A duo who worked together on a series of holiday-themed Punisher one-shots (none of which were anything if at all to write home about mind you), both writers are firing on all cylinders with Jonah Hex: Face Full of Violence, which collects the first six issues of the revamped series. Instead of focusing on one continuing storyline, Face Full of Violence contains six seperate stories all involving our favorite scarred outlaw, as he pursues kidnappers, has run-ins with those from his past, and generally takes on all comers without blinking an eye. The stories themselves are gritty and violent without going over the top in terms of gore and profanity (this isn't a Vertigo title, it's under the DC banner), but it retains plenty of attitude and a mature tone that isn't seen in mainstream comics too often these days. The art by Luke Ross and original Jonah Hex artist Tony Dezuniga is nothing short of great, making an already sweet package even, well, sweeter. All in all, if you dig old western comics or have fond memories of a man named Hex, this is a must own.

That's a serious warning, by the way--I very nearly drowned laughing at the great confluence of events surrounding the bagpipe playing in the town square.

Parkinson is a flawless writer in several genres--but Jubilation Gap is by far my favorite of his books. We've read TWO copies to tatters in my family. Of course, the fact that one was dropped in hot water during the aforementioned near drowning probably contributed to the first copy's disintegration.

The characters are crisply and distinctly drawn, and as wildly funny as this book is, there's nothing out of place--just a long string of silly little events that somehow add up to nearly drowning.

If you haven't read this book yet, order it immediately. Just keep it away from the tub--or the pool!

Most people who read it think that this is the funniest of Dan's books. He is truly the best writer around today though... and ALL of his books are marvelous! I agree with the person who said it was hard to read his books in a public place... I have been embarrassed many times by laughing out loud when reading them! And sometimes I laugh so hard....I cry...or I can't even get my eyes open to read! He is a master at the running jokes... and the unusual twists!
It took me years to hunt down several of his books. But they are all worth the effort. This man is a real treasure... and so far not even an appreciated one! I reread his entire collected works...every year! I need the laughter. And his characters are so wonderful... I KNOW these people...and he reintroduced me to them. Plus, it has been so wonderful to learn so much history in such a fun way. BUY HIS BOOKS...read them... he is an American treasure!

Dan Parkinson is the master of creating chaos out of order.Unusual characters thrown together in an out of the way -turn of the century Las Vegas in Kansas of all places. Toss in a Russian master of "Wadka", an out of place Massachusetts blueblood,a drunken Shakespearean,a lost herd of cows, girls, illegal booze, and oh yeah a circus elephant.How Parkinson weaves all these elements together is pure mastery of the obsurd and the hilarious.Laugh out loud? Impossible not to!

When my father-in-law recommended this book I took it with trepidation. It was old and tattered. I should have known, no one reads a book that many times unless it's great! I have now read the book 3 times. It is uproariously funny! Parkinson is a master of juxtaposition of his characters--be they people or animal. If you've read Parkinson before, you'll know he usually includes a running gag all through the book. This one revolves around the Russian character Vladimir. His native tongue is misinterpreted in many ways. It reminds one of Mrs. Malaprop!

This is the funniest thing I've ever read. I got in 32d hand from a cousin on ma's side, who had already passed it thru her entire family twice. From me to my dad to my cousins on his side and back around to my sibs. Nobody could find it in a bookstore, and we kept passing this volume around until it literally fell apart despite valiant efforts with glue and tape by several of us.

Every kind of humor is here -- man/woman humor, cowboy humor, slow humor building from inocuous beginnings that evolve into outrageous consummations, plays on words and names, memorable phrases by forgettable rascals ("Shoot the scutter!"). This homely tale of the range of the Old West has cunning cows, stupid people accidentally winning, smart people outsmarting themselves, bad guys getting their due. Everyone's on the make in some sense and no one's plans work out quite as envisioned.

If God has a sense of humor, this is surely how he sees the human comedy.