Studios Books

I have just recently become interested in the whole horror film genre and a friend recommended that I read Mr. Soister's book. I'm glad I did. I learned lots of interesting stuff about the whole Universal horror film business and had an easy time pouring through the chapters. It was fun reading and Mr. Soister's keen insights and humorous style kept me wanting more. I hope he has another book waiting in the wings! Congratulations on delivering a winner.

John Soister has been a contributor to various horror books in the past. His ability to capture the details of the horror films of the 20's & 30's truly entertaining. He expresses his opinions with humor yet based on fact.

Mr. Soister has done a remarkable job here! Not only has he covered some of Universal's greatest horror films, he has given them a new, fresh perspective. All the greats are covered here, FRANKENSTEIN, DRACULA, THE MUMMY, etc., but he has also written about much lesser known and borderline horror films that I've NEVER seen written about, like the entire Crime Club series of the late 1930's. His book covers in great detail Universal's horror and mystery output from the 1930's, and wonderfully so! Here's hoping he does another volume for the 1940's films. Can't wait to see what he writes about JUNGLE WOMAN!! A 'must have' for any horror film fan!

Wonderfully written, full of intelligent, objective opinions, Soister's book is a breath of fresh air on a subject that I suspect most fans feel they already know thoroughly. "Of Gods and Monsters" opened my eyes to the many dozens of "forgotten" Universal films made in the 1930s, particularly their oddball mysteries (like the fascinating "Inner Sanctum" series). Sadly, few of these films are available on home video... yet. One hopes that perhaps NBC-Universal's execs will read this book and learn about their past history, and open up the vaults so that fans can enjoy these classics again, instead of having them gather dust.

If you have Soister's book, along with the Brunas/Brunas/Weaver "Universal Horrors: The Studio's Classic Films" (also from McFarland), you've got a fairly well-rounded coverage of Hollywood's great horror classics. I only wish that the publishers would consider allowing the author to do a second volume covering the rest of Universal's classic mystery/SF/horror films from 1940-1959. That would tell the rest of the story, particularly for the 1940s, which was a very rich period for the studio.

Usually I skip long, detailed plot synopses in movie books, but with Soister I look forward to them. Like most critics, Soister is even more entertaining when discussing a bad film -- I laughed out loud through his description of several stinkers in this entertaining book -- but this teacher from Pensylvania is never less than authoritative. Soister covers all the Universal horror, sci-fi, and related films 1929-1939 in this handsome volume, which no fan of the genres should be without. It doesn't matter that "Dracula" and "Frankenstein" have been discussed at length in previous works -- do yourself a favor and "see" them once more through the eyes of John Soister!

I love this book. It explain how to make pasta from scatch and how to make many differt flavor of pasta. I got a pasta machine for Christmas and these recipes work great for my pasta machine

This is an absolutely essential book for anyone who loves pasta. It is packed with wonderful color photos. The recipes are delicious. Some are quite involved and require exotic ingredients.

Being so much more than a cookbook, it starts out with a brief history of pasta. It then discusses grain in detail. Pictures of each flour type & an illustration of a wheat grain are included here. There are also pictures all the of pasta tools.

Next, dry pasta is covered. There are great photos of over 125 different pastas, including Asian noodles. It also demonstrates step by step how to make, & shape fresh pasta doughs from scratch.

I loved the inclusion of colored, flavored pastas. The sweet pastas including chocolate noodles are divine. Other great recipes focused on pasta sauces, soups, dumplings, gnocchi, baked pastas and stuffed dishes.

History, recipie, and skills all shown and done beautifully. THis is a great book.

Great illustrations, clear instructions, & lots of recipes. What more could anyone ask for?

The beginning to the experienced pasta maker will benefit from this book. Large, clearly printed, well outlined and containing lots of photos of the recipes, this book also has the "cooking school" format that has step by step photos. A entire chapter is devoted to dried pasta with photos of the different shapes. Never wonder what casereccie, banane, or grimigna are again! With this book, you will know! Imaginative use of fresh herbs pressed in sheets of pasta, cuisines from Italian to the Orient (and points in between), baked, stuffed, desserts, this book has enough ideas and recipes to get you started and keep you busy.

As well as great written history of liturgical art. I bought this for a friend, and instead kept it and ordered another one to be sent. As a liturgist and director of music, this is a MUST to have in your library.
Anyone inerested in the art of the Church would benefit from this book. The pictures are wonderfully clear, well detailed and a treasure of ideas and inspiration.

Good for churches ecspecially for catholic

Every time I look at my copy, I find more to give thanks for. Our church has benefitted from the Banners and Quilts we have created, adapted from ideas we found in the book. My dream is to find it reprinted and get it for some friends. I have been fortunate enough to see the cover quilts at an Ecclesiastical exhibit and they are even more beautiful in person. This is a book that should be in everyone's library.

Inspirational book, stunning pictures, I've given several copies away to lady priest friends and now I wish I'd saved a copy. It show a way to combine your love of God and love of fabric/quilting/needlework. Some of us shouldn't sing in public, other for one reason or other don't want to or can't participate in front of the congregation, this is a way to do something to show you care

The Patchwork Pilgrimage) by Jill Liddell is a compendium of Christian liturgical art, especially quilted banners, altar cloths, and vestments. Nearly every page has at least one color plate depicting a church decoration found in Scandinavia, England, France, the U.S., Canada, Australia, or New Zealand. Though most are contemporary (1980's and 90's), examples from as far back as the Middle Ages are also included.

Jill Liddell's descriptions of the individual pieces are supplemented by Andrew Liddell's historical overview of church art. The sections entitled "Ways and Means" and "Christian Signs and Symbols" offer suggestions for quilters who might like to try their hands at liturgical art. Christian quilters will benefit from having this inspiring book in their collections.

reviewed by Andrea R. Huelsenbeck

Deep among the treasures of Cambridge University Library, England are to be found two Sanskrit palm-leaf manuscripts which illustrate, through text and pictures, the life and philosophy of Gautama the Buddha in especially moving and powerful form. Both are about a thousand years old, and one is thought to be the oldest dated Indian illustrated manuscript extant anywhere in the world (997 CE); both share the title 'Astasahasrikaprajnaparamita', or 'The Perfection of Wisdom in 8000 Lines'. They were probably produced during the reign of Mahipala I (992-1042 CE) over a territory approximately including parts of present-day northern India and Nepal.

Craig Jamieson's new volume is not a complete English translation of 'The Perfection of Wisdom' (that has already been done by other hands), but an attempt to bring this remarkable material to a wider audience through a judicious selection of text - newly translated - and pictures. As such, it succeeds admirably.

The volume begins with a foreword by no less an authority than H.H. the Dalai Lama, who tells us that 'in ancient India and later in Tibet, it was considered an act of virtue to honour the practice of "The Perfection of Wisdom" by creating or sponsoring the creation of elaborate and illustrated editions'. Craig Jamieson contributes a brief but informative introduction; the illustrations are explained in detail at the end, and a glossary and bibliography are provided. All the necessary apparatus is there for the reader to approach the tenets of Buddhism through the vehicle of the mind; meantime, the body of the book sets brief text extracts against full-colour pictures in such a way that those who choose may simply feel their way towards enlightenment instead.

It would be presumptuous for the non-initiate to attempt a commentary on the ideas, intuitions and paradoxes that leap to the eyes from the perusal of these pages. I shall therefore let a few of those thoughts speak for themselves:

'The perfection of wisdom is neither form nor other than form.'

'Where there is no consciousness, no names, no words, no designations, that is called the perfection of wisdom.'

'A mass of words, a mass of sentences, a mass of syllables, Ananda, that is bound by a limit, but this perfection of wisdom is bound by no limit.'

The illustrations are all taken from the two manuscripts; indeed, in the case of the older manuscript every illustration is reproduced. The technical quality of the reproductions is excellent. Red and gold tints gleam richly in the artists' hieratic visions of Bodhisattvas and Taras (male and female characters seeking enlightenment), lions, elephants or lotuses. Text and illustrations complement each other admirably.

The millennium-old Buddhist world of these manuscripts might seem alien or impenetrable to many English-speaking readers today; the days of instant enlightenment for Westerners, of what the writer Gita Mehta calls 'karma cola', have receded into the past. However, anyone with a serious interest in understanding the philosophies of the Indian subcontinent, whether on the path to enlightenment or for purposes of mere knowledge, should derive pleasure and profit from owning this beautifully-produced and eminently readable volume.

Christopher Rollason, M.A., Ph.D.

Now I know that I should write a review illustrating how good this book is, and how practical its advice is, and how lucid the prose is, (all of which is true), but the thing that made me buy this book was 10 little words:

"Introduction by His Holiness the Dalai Lama" and "Printed in China."

Yep. *That* China.

I don't know how long this edition of the book will be in print, but it's definitely unique.

Having bought the book I would agree that of all the Mahayana texts I've read, this is quite accessible, with beautiful illustrations, and should be read by anyone who wants to seriously study Buddhism. Of course, the tale told is mythical/metaphorical, but the logic and wisdom is profound.

One minor quibble: I'd have appreciated a bit more of a scholarly preface and historical background.

This book is for Buddhism what Harry Potter was for children. Jamieson, like Stephen Hawking (another Cambridge academic, he made cosmology attractive to the general reader) has the knack of grabbing your attention and never letting go. Stunning pictures. Great choices of text, real and authentic, but not the dire long-winded wooden translating of most current Buddhist scholars. Detailed explanations of the manuscript illustrations from the time when in Europe the Vikings demanded Danegeld protection money from England. A very different world in India then.

The earliest dated illustrated manuscript from India to survive. Fascinating. Irresistable. Not too expensive, for an art book. Less than his Nagarjuna book, and that one has no pictures!

The Dalai Lama's intro is great too, very moving, not perfunctory.

A powerful book. Definitely a fabulous jewel for us folks on Earth!

Rate it 5 stars as a translation of scripture (any religion!) *AND* 5 stars as an art book. The Dalai Lama's intro is pure gravy and easily worth another 5 stars! 15 stars!

This is a wonderful book. It drew me in with wonderfully reproduced graphics taken from the collection of Cambridge University. However, while browsing the pictures I found myself reading, and entranced by, the text. The translation and explanatory notes by Mr. Jamieson take this far beyond being a mere coffee-table book. It is a book which can please both visually and intellectually.

The most understandable and beautiful version I've yet seen. This is not a review, only a comment. In my opinion we need more books like this that relate to the average reader. It seems clear to me that this book was not written for the scholar, but the beginner; easily read, understandable and beautifully illustrated. R.C. Jamieson seems to have an ability to relate to this audience in a remarkable way!

I bought this book after having owned the editing program for about a year........and suffered all the heartache that can occur if you do not know what you are doing....including crashing Windows.....finally located this superb manual that is user friendly and written by a pro in the field. Since that time, I have produced several projects that are startlingly complex.......and am currently being PAID to produce VHS/DVD productions. A MUST BUY if you purchase Pinnacle Studio 8.

Well laid out and quite thorough. Really a must-have if you are new to Pinnacle Studio DV.

I've had this book for less than a day and it's already paid for itself. I bought Studio 8, which now has been updated to version 8.10 (eight point ten, not 1.0). I figured even if the book were good for the very first versions of Studio 8, OK. As soon as you open the book, you see that Jan refers to changes made as recently as v. 8.6; I was thrilled. This is a brand new book/edition. Studio 8 ships with a 258 page manual right out of the box, which is somewhat amazing for a piece of software like this, but admittedly, the manual is very remedial. This book, from the earliest pages, delves into some seriously useful components within Studio. I have a bunch of these Visual QS books; I'm always ammazed at the bang for the buck in every one of them, this one no exception.

This book is a MUST for anyone new to Pinnacle Studio. I bought the software thinking I could "figure it out on my own"...Not!
This book has saved me!

This book tries to sell itself on the photos of the GUI that you will be using. The photos are a bit small, but good enough when you really need them, which is rare, because the author does a wonderful job of explaining how Pinnacle works. I recieved the software with no documentation and within a few minutes of opening this book I was well on my way to creating DVDs out of some digital movies. The author does a great job explaining both the simple and the complex parts of the software. And refreshingly, the author actually offers opinions on better ways to do some tasks. This is a good buy for anyone using this software.

My husband and I have been doing pottery for many years and we're always picking up books to get new ideas. This one is the best we've seen in a very long time in regard to variety, unique ideas, and information provided. We highly reccommend it for anyone from beginners to experts.

this is probably the best & most informative ceramics book i have bought (and i have bought lots!). It gives great detail on every decoration method and even includes some great yet simple glaze recipies! Definitly the book i am most happy with of all the books on ceramics i have. Sure, some of the work used for examples would not be to my taste but the method is there and can be applied to anything you design yourself. On saying that there are also some pictures of really nice pieces, but i guess it covers everyones taste. A highly recommended buy at what i consider a great price for what you get! Enjoy! your 'bible' of surface treatments!

A fantastic reference book for beginners to experts. This is one book I have not regretted purchasing as I still often refer to this book for ideas. Potters will find well presented, practical information and photos for most types of surface decoration.

This book is very useful, has clear illustrations and instructions. I am a ceramic teacher and plan to use the book and some of the decorating techniques in my classes.

This book serves as a very good starting guide for beginners. It is so comprehensive that almost all the techniques for surface decoration are covered. It should be unparalleled if further enriched on the glaze part.

This is a good introduction to both casting and pate de verre, well-researched and the authors obviously have a lot of hands-on experience. Don't be put off by the fact that it's a decade old; although some of the latest equipment and glasses won't be referenced the techniques don't change.

This is one of my favorite glass technique books. It combines intense technical detail with profound humor, and was my main source of information for my first forays into mold making, casting and pate de verre. Many "how-to" books will tell you what to do, but they don't tell you why. They don't provide the science, the reason. This book is excellent because it not only provides all the science you could want, but it does so with humor so you can read the technical bits without your eyes glazing over.

This book was awesome. It had everyhing I needed to know to get started with pate de vere. It was the only book I could find which talked about safety in my workshop. I liked it because it was not the visual fluff found in all the other books.

This is the best book I have seen for anyone who wants to learn the basics of glass casting and pate de verre using a kiln. It's more focused than Lundstrom's 3rd book, better written, with more coherent step-by-step instructions and lots of suggestions that will be useful to both the novice and the more experienced kiln caster. Highly recommended.

Note: This book is NOT, despite a previous reviewer's statements, about making beads. It has no information about beadmaking -- the earlier reviewer was probably confusing this book with Dan Fenton's "More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About Glass Beadmaking" (which is, as the title suggests, about beadmaking).

This book is everything you wanted to know about glass beadmaking. For only fourty daollars this book gives you a step by step account of what you should do to create beautiful glass creations. It starts out by telling you the tools needed to get started in one of the fastest growing arts in the country. The step by step instructions on how to create special types of glass beads is also exceptional. This book is a must buy book if you are interested in the art of Glass Bead Making!! -Nicholas J Johnson -Milwaukee Art Examiner

This is a book not only for children but for adults too. So much is said in so few words. The illustrations are key to the message. With so much going on today and so much of our pain and feelings kept inside, this book helps up to own our feelings without having to fix them.
I know personally that this book has had a deep affect on mnany children as well as adult friends.

J. McArthur

"Sadie Listens" is a short children's story about Sadie and the emptiness that she feels inside after the death of her cat. It elegantly discloses her feelings and the failure of activities to fill her loss. She learns to turn inside and listen to herself and to her feelings. It is a book about feelings, confusion, social expectations, and healing. A highly recommended purchase for anyone with a child going through difficult times of any kind, it can easily be used to open a discussion with children about honoring their feelings and moving on to healing.

The words of E. McMahon and P. Campbell about "Sadie Listens" from the Foreword to the book summarize the essence of the book for me. They wrote: "Steele's ingenious little classic provides a unique glimpse into that moment of transformation when body-connections are made and inner worlds unfold" And they conclude this paragraph with "The outer conflict we experience and the social disorder so prevalent in our world today, stem directly from this state of inner disconnection."

The author provides this glimpse with the use of incredible drawings which appear almost three-dimensional. Sadie's appearance could be related to by a person of either gender, or most any racial background.

The book is of exceptional quality. The hard back cover contains the same rich design that is also on the dust jacket. The colors throughout are rich and meaningful. The author describes his reason for the choice of tones in the synopsis on the front flap of the dust cover.

The book can not fully describe what Sadie does inside when she listens, but I have seen it open readers to want to learn more. A resource for learning more is listed at the bottom of the Foreword page.

"Sadie Listens" accomplishes a complex task in a profoundly simple story. It is easy to talk "about" feelings. It's easy to say "I'm sad" or "I'm mad" but it is very difficult to focus inside and just "feel" feelings--especially the scary ones. Working with children who are grieving, this is one of our tasks; so I am always looking for ways to help the children move from just talking about their feelings to actually feeling and listening. The first time I read the book to a group of bereaved children, it was obvious that they "got it."

Sadie Listens at first glance is a children's book, but it is also a book for adults. This beautiful story weaves us through the emotional journey of grief and shows us that the path lies directly in front of us and we must move through the path rather than around it. I highly recommend this book for anyone dealing with the emotional turmoil of the grieving process.

Sonny's Dream not only teaches children about bear activity in Alaska but also serves as a metaphor for growing up, gaining independence, and trusting one's instinct. Drawn in a soft soothing style she presents nature as vibrant and uncontaminated. The anthropomorphic qualities given to the bears does not hinder their feral nature providing children a lesson in empowerment.

I am a teacher of younger boys and they LOVE this book! It's a wonderful, read and the illustrations are gorgeous!
Sophia

The soft pictures and poignant words of this book speak magic to the cycles of life. A joy to read, A joy to look at, A great addition to any Child's room!

Alaska Wellness magazine: January/February 2004

Good Winter Reading ~ Something for Everyone

by Dawn Brunke

For Facing Fear ~ A Book for Children & Parents
Sonny's Dream
Sonny is a young grizzly bear with a scary dream. When he awakens in the spring, his mother teaches him how to hunt for food - which includes those red, monster salmon fish he remembers from his dreams! While Sonny learns many things, as summer ends, his mother advises that a big lesson is coming his way. Slumbering deep inside his winter den, Sonny once again encounters the monster fish. Drawing upon his mother's teachings and his own strength, Sonny learns how to move past his fears, marching out into the world that spring to become "a master fisher in the Land of the Midnight Sun." This is a lovely story with bright, dreamy illustrations by Anchorage author and illustrator Noriko Senshu. Dedicated to "all friends who have bad dreams," both children and parents will enjoy the gentle wisdom of Sonny's tale.

Sonny's Dream
By Noriko Senshu

One is beguiled by the cover's artwork showing a Mama Grizzly holding her baby tightly in her arms. Sonny, her cub, young, snuggly and asleep suddenly he has a bad dream. In it, red, monster fish come swimming directly towards him with their menacing teeth showing. Scared, he issues a huge roar in his sleep that disburses the fish and wakes him up to find that the long winter is over and spring has arrived. Sonny's Mother spends the coming months teaching Sonny how to hunt squirrels and to fish for salmon. He becomes proficient at both and as the summer ends his Mother says that to be an adult grizzly he has to make one decision. While he is frolicking, she disappears leaving him alone. Sonny wonders what big decision he has to make? He finds a cave for the winter and settles down for a long sleep. The red monster fish return in a terrifyingly bad dream. Again his roar chased them away and when he awoke it was spring again. He hunted squirrel and fished for salmon and with a full belly, he dozed off for an afternoon nap. The red monster fish quickly returned in his dream, but now, all grown up, Sonny wasn't afraid. He ate them! A marvelous story for preschoolers on how to overcome their bad dreams told simply and with beautiful illustrations.

Martin McDermott
Author of "CLEC" An Insider's Look at the Rise and Fall of Local Exchange Competition.

I would not recommend this book for anyone who has only a passing interest in the war of 1812, but for those who already know of the rudiments of the war and desire a more indepth analysis, then this book is fantastic. Graves leaves nothing to be guessed at. The narration is in great detail, almost to the point of being cumbersome, but in the end, it is all worth it.

This is an excellent study on the bloodiest battle of the War of 1812. For many years little was known about the series of battles fought along the Niagara Frontier in 1814. This book helps to correct that gap. A companion volume to the author's earlier title on the Battle of Chippewa, here again many myths are corrected.

Winfield Scott recklessly lead his well trained brigade against General Drummonds British posted on the bluff above Lundy's Lane. Unlike many accounts of this battle told in most histories, here Mr. Graves shows us that Scott marched his brigade up to the British position, deployed it, and allowed it to be shot to pieces! The British artillery tore Scott's brigade apart while it stood dutifully at attention awaiting Scott's word to advance. But Scott held back, fearful of being outnumbered, and affraid to retreat before a superior enemy. Most histories tell us that Scott recklessy attacked, but the in-depth study of the battle provided here shows us this was not the case. Scott advanced his brigade to contact, but did not commit it completely to attack. Only when Ripley's and Porter's brigades reinforced subsequently did the American's finally attack and carry the British guns. But Scott's brigade will play no part in this process until later.

One of the interesting things about this battle is how poorly both sides fought it. Scott was reckless to the point of mania, while Drummond was weary after the recent defeat at Chippewa. The British general had only to advance his line at any point during the battle and the American position would have been untenible. Why Drummond did not make use of his six light companies to screen his force and harrass the American advance remains one of the mysteries of the battle. The series of British counter-attacks which took place to regain their guns has also been wrongly described by many historians of the action. As the battle continued from late afternoon into night the fighting became more and more confused. If Drummond had properly deployed his skirmishers Brown never could have captured the British artillery. Instead, the Americans were allowed to gain a lodgement in the center of the British line and a bloody series of close range fire-fights took place, all to no avail in driving
back the determined Americans. Both sides would lose in excess of 800 men and the battle would become one of the greatest debacles of the War. Both sides would claim victory, even though neither really could justify it.

For sure the 1814 Niagara Campaign and its battles deserves more attention. It was this campaign and its battles at Chippewa, Lundy's Lane, and later the siege at Fort Erie which made the ameteur American army into a respected fighting force. If not for these two battles the New Republic would have been disgraced.
We can certainly learn a lot from studying this campaign. Andrew Jackson and New Orleans has been done over and over again. There is little to learn from this one-sided battle which saw Americans safely defeating British regulars from behind entrenchments. What makes Lundy's Lane important is that Brown's brigades went toe-to-toe against British professionals. They gave as good as they got, and could have done a lot worse. Winfield Scott emerges as a somewhat vainglory maniac, who nonetheless drilled his brigade to the point where it could fight like a European army. His colume attack later in the battle, while another dismal failure, illustrates that the American army, when well trained and officered, could perform European tactics. Scott, for all his faults and recklessness, deserves a lot of credit for this.

In sum, Graves has done a great job rescueing an important battle from the dust-bins of history. The narrative is vivid, smooth, and un-biased. Many prints and pictures enhance the text. This is the deffinitive work on this battle for many years to come. All War of 1812 buffs should have it in their collection.

Donald Graves is the authority on the campaigns on the Niagara frontier during the War of 1812. Of his three five books on the period and campaigns, this is the best one. It tells the story of a fight that was one of the fiercest fought on the North American continent, even though the numbers on both sides were very small. One British officer who participated, and who had experienced wwarfare in Europe during the period, said it was the hardest, most savage fight he had ever been in. Both sides literally shot each other to pieces, ending in darkness, confusion, and a very unsatisfying draw.

This book is highly recommended. It, along with Graves other books, and those by John Elting and Henry Adams, give the complete story of the War of 1812, the huge amount of territory over which it was fought by small 'armies', the drama, inexperience of the Americans that finally grew into budding professionalism, and the bright moments at sea when the yearling US Navy humbled the proud, seeminly invincible Royal Navy.

Well-written authoritative text that is easy to read, exciting narrative, well-researched and very reliable, this book is one of the best of its type, and the author is one of the best living militiary historians.

This is an excellent study on the bloodiest battle of the War of 1812. For many years little was known about the series of battles fought along the Niagara Frontier in 1814. This book helps to correct that gap. A companion volume to the author's earlier title on the Battle of Chippewa, here again many myths are corrected.

Winfield Scott recklessly lead his well trained brigade against General Drummonds British posted on the bluff above Lundy's Lane. Unlike many accounts of this battle told in most histories, here Mr. Graves shows us that Scott marched his brigade up to the British position, deployed it, and allowed it to be shot to pieces! The British artillery tore Scott's brigade apart while it stood dutifully at attention awaiting Scott's word to advance. But Scott held back, fearful of being outnumbered, and affraid to retreat before a superior enemy. Most histories tell us that Scott recklessy attacked, but the in-depth study of the battle provided here shows us this was not the case. Scott advanced his brigade to contact, but did not commit it completely to attack. Only when Ripley's and Porter's brigades reinforced subsequently did the American's finally attack and carry the British guns. But Scott's brigade will play no part in this process until later.

One of the interesting things about this battle is how poorly both sides fought it. Scott was reckless to the point of mania, while Drummond was weary after the recent defeat at Chippewa. The British general had only to advance his line at any point during the battle and the American position would have been untenible. Why Drummond did not make use of his six light companies to screen his force and harrass the American advance remains one of the mysteries of the battle. The series of British counter-attacks which took place to regain their guns has also been wrongly described by many historians of the action. As the battle continued from late afternoon into night the fighting became more and more confused. If Drummond had properly deployed his skirmishers Brown never could have captured the British artillery. Instead, the Americans were allowed to gain a lodgement in the center of the British line and a bloody series of close range fire-fights took place, all to no avail in driving
back the determined Americans. Both sides would lose in excess of 800 men and the battle would become one of the greatest debacles of the War. Both sides would claim victory, even though neither really could justify it.

For sure the 1814 Niagara Campaign and its battles deserves more attention. It was this campaign and its battles at Chippewa, Lundy's Lane, and later the siege at Fort Erie which made the ameteur American army into a respected fighting force. If not for these two battles the New Republic would have been disgraced.
We can certainly learn a lot from studying this campaign. Andrew Jackson and New Orleans has been done over and over again. There is little to learn from this one-sided battle which saw Americans safely defeating British regulars from behind entrenchments. What makes Lundy's Lane important is that Brown's brigades went toe-to-toe against British professionals. They gave as good as they got, and could have done a lot worse. Winfield Scott emerges as a somewhat vainglory maniac, who nonetheless drilled his brigade to the point where it could fight like a European army. His colume attack later in the battle, while another dismal failure, illustrates that the American army, when well trained and officered, could perform European tactics. Scott, for all his faults and recklessness, deserves a lot of credit for this.

In sum, Graves has done a great job rescueing an important battle from the dust-bins of history. The narrative is vivid, smooth, and un-biased. Many prints and pictures enhance the text. This is the deffinitive work on this battle for many years to come. All War of 1812 buffs should have it in their collection.

Graves knows his stuff and if you like military history, you will want to read this book. His research is impeccable and his writing style makes it seem as though you were reading a very historically accurate novel. The War of 1812 has been long neglected by historians and this, one of the largest and blodiest battles, is almost unknown despite taking place practically on top of Niagra Falls, Ont. This book corrects the situation and will certainly be the definitive work for years to come.