William King Books

I have written many reviews for Amazon.com. Blue Highways is the only book to which I've given five stars. I would recommend it to anyone.

Blue Highways is William Least Heat-Moon's account of his 1978 low-budget car ride across America. Heat-Moon's reporting reminds me a lot of Charles Kuralt's On the Road reports for CBS News. Heat-Moon has a talent for engaging strangers on the road and bringing out the best in them.

What separates Blue Highways from so many other travel books? There are a variety of factors. Heat-Moon is a good writer. He understands pacing - and does not allow the story to bog down. He is, overwhelmingly, positive about the people and places that he encounters. Heat-Moon took pictures of many of the people he met and I think that those pictures add much to the book.

More so than the above factors, however, I think that Heat-Moon's philsophical bent adds a lot to the book. Blue Highways is not just an account of a trip; in meeting these people and engaging them, Heat-Moon wants to help answer some of the big questions about why we are here and what it means to live a good life. While no one can answer those questions once and for all, Heat-Moon provides some great food for thought.

As several reviewers have pointed out, Heat-Moon's 1978 descriptions of the USA are now poignant due to the changes in our society. Sadly, many of the older people he encountered must now be dead. Many of Heat-Moon's other observations are just as valid today as they were in 1978. Specifically, he laments the increasingly-homogeneous American culture, materialism, careerism, and many other problems.

I first read Blue Highways in 1993. I reread it this summer (2008). It lost nothing on the second reading. If you like travel writing and are at all philosophical, this book will "speak" to you on so many different levels. Don't pass this one up; it's that rare, wonderful book that makes reading all of the mediocre books worthwhile.

I bought this book over 25 years ago. I picked it up by random because the the book's cover synopsis was intriguing. This book has been one of those books that I come back to over and over again. I enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone who seeks a soul-searching adventure. You will feel like you are travelling right along with the author; experiencing his adventures and depth of self-discovery,,, first-hand.

Buy this book and it will be a treasured book that you too, will come back to again, over and over throughout the years.

If you stop to think about it, this book and those like it really aren't about anything - just a person driving around the country because his relationship wasn't going well and he didn't have anything else to do. But for those of us who love to travel, doing it in person or vicariously through the words of a good travel writer is equally enjoyable, and Moon's anecdotes and experiences - the take he has on humanity - is ample reward for accompanying him on his wanderings.

This is an excellent journal of a troubled man's attempt to try to figure out who he is by taking a solitary journey to meet real people and see real places in this country. For all the loners and independent thinkers out there this is our "magic bus".

I've read a lot of travel and "road" books over the last two years, after having completed my own "cross country" road trip one summer... So not only do I have personal experience out there on this kind of trip, but I've read pretty extensively on the subject (fiction and non-fiction). And, this book came highly recommended (???) on here and I had heard about it several places, so I REALLY wanted to like it! But unfortunately, this book does NOT measure up to all the other "road" books and travelogues. I found myself skipping/skimming VERY quickly through many, many sections (especially many of the conversations and his own brooding). I found several interesting stories, road/place descriptions, and insights - but I only made it about 1/2 through this book until I just couldn't keep going anymore. I am a person who truly appreciates the road and good writing about the road, but this is not it. I couldn't put my finger on it, but some of the stories were just plain boring and some too long-winded... and except for a few notable conversations/people, I was not interested in the people he met... This "journey into America" does not measure up to other books in this category. I have no idea if the last half of the book is better than the first, maybe it is but I doubt it after reading some other reviews. I give it two stars for some interesting insights and descriptions but don't waste your time. Find some better road books.

The Cd begins with the powerful witches scene-great music-definitely causing my students to sit-up and listen.

The Dover Thrift Edition is a good choice for a reading text because it presents the entire, unabridged play, and has enough notes to be helpful to inexperienced readers without overwhelming or distracting them. The omition of a scholarly apparatus makes the Dover Edition more flexible and keeps it from becoming outdated.

This product was great. It helped my students and I read and comprehend Macbeth so much better than us trying to read it and comprehend it. The actors voices are great! I think they do a great job being the characters on tape!

Virtually all editions of Macbeth will have at least some annotations. Rummaging through five different editions, I preferred the Yale University Press version, edited by Burton Raffel, as having the most comprehensive and comprehensible notes, as well as an excellent introduction to Shakespeare's play. Raffel not only explains the meanings of obscure words, but also gives brief notes pertaining to relevant history, geography, stage directions, etc, that are rarely addressed as fully by other editors. In addition, Raffel frequently gives the proper way to stress the syllables in a line when reading it aloud, which can be extremely helpful. (However, in most places these stresses need to be very subtle, so that you don't sound like "taDUM taDUM taDUM".) And Yale's page layout is among the clearest that I've seen.

(To find this edition: at Avanced Search, enter ISBN 0300106548; or, enter Macbeth as title, and either Raffel as author or Yale as publisher.)

As a bonus, this edition includes at the back a long essay on the play by Harold Bloom. This is not an uninteresting commentary, but Bloom desperately needs a good editor. His essay is not only at least three times longer than it should be, but is startlingly repetitious. Yale would have been wise to have asked Bloom for a rewrite.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was a dramatist whose genius is universally acknowledged, with a reputation as an actor, playwright and poet. He lived in an age of vast and significant changes characterised by the rise of the middle class and of a centralised government and the disappearance of medieval religious beliefs. England was transforming into a modern state. This was a time when self-realisation, self-respect and boldness of thought and action was idealised. Shakespeare's drama merely reflected the dramatic times of the age.

Shakespeare's genius can be reflected by the variety of his productions, where out of the 36 plays he has left, no two are alike and he managed to articulate the diverse subjects with exceptional expertise, handling both tragedies and comedies with ease.

Macbeth is a tragedy, intended to teach us a lesson about the human condition. The play is a tragedy about a wealthy Scottish noble called Macbeth who kills his king to gain the throne. During Shakespeare's time, this was a terrible thing to do, and from then on, Macbeth was doomed to die a tragic death.

The play starts with three witches confronting the great Scottish general Macbeth on his victorious return from a war between Scotland and Norway. The witches predict that he will one day become king. They also predict that another General called Banquo will be the father of kings, although he will not ascend the throne himself. The Scottish king, Duncan, decides that he will confer the title of the traitorous Cawdor on the heroic Macbeth. Macbeth, with the urging of his evil and ambitious wife murder King Duncan and ascends to the throne of Scotland.

Macbeth and his evil wife begin to do strange things, partly because of what they have done and also because they never get a whole night's sleep. Macbeth thinks he has to kill two of his former friends because he believes that they threaten his new throne. His efforts fail and he is eventually killed.

This is the third volume in Stephenson's ambitious and fun recounting of the world events circa the late 18th century. This has got the birth of the royal society, the growing pains of international trade and the intrigues at Versailles for starters. This volume is tying up a number of lose ends, and focuses more on the Royal Society and Versailles then on the swashbuckling adventurers that take up a lot of space in volume two. It's good fun, especially if you have any interest in doorstop historical fiction.

Having just completed System of the World I have now completed Neal Stephenson's ambitious trilogy in its entirety. While I personally enjoyed the books very much they are not for everyone. First, the time period in which these books are set is not that familiar and while some of the names and events are recognizable much of the context is unfamiliar terrain for most. That makes a more than passing interest in history and sharp focus necessary to keep up with the plot. That brings me to the second point. While the plot is grand and sweeping it can be hard to follow and it is not until the latter part of System of the World that you see the whole story come together. Again, these books require active efforts by the reader and do not fall into the category of a "beach read." That being said, once the story was tied up and brought to a conclusion I found myself marveling at how neatly all the complexities had been tied together. Further, the writing is outstanding and despite the "work" needed to keep everything straight I found myself engaged in and caring about the characters and what happens to them. Always the hallmark of good novels in my opinion. The bottom line is that if you are interested in an immersive experience that will take you through a whirlwind of science, philosophy, history and politics then these are the novels for you. The "work" required by these novels turns out to be the reward as well.

Thus spake Zarathustra! That's about how someone feels upon completing the Baroque Cycle, a long extravagant tale of the life of Dr. Waterhouse (our erstwhile host), Eliza, Jack, kings, queens, scientists, warriors and history. While the reading at times may have been rough sledding, in the end I would say it is worth it. I can also state that it is almost impossible to enjoy these novels without reading the previous one (exceptin the case of the first that references another novel).

Years have passed and Jack is back in London and following the orders of Leroi ("Le Roi"), king of France. To save his beloved Eliza he is attempting to destroy the monetary system of Britain (by debasing the currency) that is bringing that small nation to the pinnacle of power with the torrent of inventions and discoveries - economic, physical and philosophical. Stephenson repeatedly demonstrates WHY England won the race instead of France, why the new invention of credit, sound money, virtual payments and modern financial tools made the scientific and poliical revolutions possible. In fact, he cites Fernand Braudel's massive "Civilization & Capitalism" as one of his guiding lights. This wold be especially true considering the detail of everyday life Braudel references (and Stephenson uses).

Amid royal machinations, the possible return of the hated Catholic Charles with the aid of the French and the Scots, the Hanovers, William and the Dutch, one man (Jack) is counterfeiting coins. In an odd but prescient insight, the King of France understands that England's strength is her financial system (yet refuses to modernize his own) and thus he has forced the King of the Vagabonds, Jack Shaftoe, to destroy it.

In the meantime, the battle between Newton and Liebwitz continues, plots within plots abound and Jack is caught and sentenced to die. I won't repeat in detail my stated problems with the series - excess wordiness, foreign phrases, long names/titles, unneccesary description - but needless to say it's all there again. The inclusion of the science fiction episode at the end with Solomon's gold and immortality was simply the cherry on top of a lush, satisfying dessert.

Many have criticized Dr. Waterhouse but to me, his thoughts and actions made the story what it is. The tale spread over several continents, long time frames and numerous personalities and Waterhouse was a sort of anchor around which all else flowed. Eliza, of course, was wonderful but the real hero was Jack and he is superbly realized. I appreciate the fact that he did not have Jack conquer the world at 21 but imposed a realistic lifetime of effort in order to achieve his goal of being with the woman he loves. My Grade - A.

The System of the World is the third in Stephenson's massive Baroque Cycle, and worth every minute that I spent reading. The entire series is something that I would enthusiastically recommend. It's fun, in the biggest sense of the world. Thought provoking, clever, occasionally laugh-out-loud funny. Not bad for what can only be described as rather dense historical fiction.

I wouldn't want to or attempt to write a plot summary, but suffice to say that this book continues the series preoccupation with economics, currency, logic and alchemy. I know that some didn't like the extensive descriptions of London in this volume, but I really enjoyed that part-- great to be a virtual tourist.

I have to say that the ending was a bit much (the bit with Sir Isaac at the Trial of the Pyx), but my that point I was almost willing to forgive Stephenson anything.

Highly recommended.

This three-volume, 9-book set is, believe it or not, a *prequel* to his previous massive effort, Cryptonomicon. In the Baroque Cycle we find the ancestors of no less than NINE characters of that modern day tale of cryptography. But the Baroque trilogy covers much more ground. The fictional characters are used to take the reader through the lives of very real historical characters. The topics that Stephenson deals with in detail are the history of banking, medicine, international finance, cryptography, espionage, mathematics and computing. Not a light read by any stretch of the imagination, it is still enjoyable.

On a personal note, I gained great insight into the turbulent period when William of Orange chased the Jacobites out of Ireland. I had always wondered why my ancestors departed Ireland for Penn's Colony in 1689 until Stephenson documented William's march across Ireland in that same year. My pacifist Quaker ancestors had seen enough.

I have never written a review of a book before, but I was reading a review of another book I had just read and the author of that review said if you want to read a true legal thriller you need to read this book. I could not find it in the bookstores so I ordered it via amazon.com.

I thought the book started out kind of slow and I did not care for the use of the "F" word a few times at the beginning. I like to recommend books to my mother in law and that might stop me from recommending this one, but maybe not. Once I got into the book there was not an excessive amount of profanity and I could not put the book down.

I really like John Grisham books and this one ranks up there with Grisham's best. I highly recommended it if you have not read it already.

This was a marvelous read. Fast, frenetic--- keeps you on your toes. I would recommend this to my friends who love thrillers.

William Diehl, Primal Fear (Villard, 1993)

As I continued on through this book, discovering its many flaws, I wondered more than once if the reason I kept reading it was, at least in part, my extreme regard for Gregory Hoblit's amazing film adaptation. It's one of those rare cases (Psycho and Silence of the Lambs are the most obvious examples) where a director took a mediocre novel and really made it his own, with the resulting movie being better than the book could have ever hoped. And yet, a day after I started reading Primal Fear, I was three hundred pages into it.

There's a difference between an author who can write and a book that's well-written. I've been thinking about this over the past few days. I think the distinction, ultimately, derives from what's important to the author. A well-written book is in love with language. It is painstakingly checked for errors, each word has been chosen with care (there are some books, such as Wendy Walker's The Secret Service, where I've actually wondered, idly, how much time the author spent considering the placement of each "the"), the book was written with an eye to the overall beauty and mellifluousness of the words just as much as to plot, characterization, pacing, all that sort of thing. But a book does not have to be well-written to show evidence that an author can write. (When reading this, imagine emphasis on the word "write," in kind of the same way you might say, "dude... that guy can drink", after the guy next to you at the bar has just put back his fifteenth shot of Yukon Jack and shows no signs of disorientation.) It is possible to have cultivated a fantastic feel for one or two of the major structural components of a novel without having quite grasped the rest. I'm not exactly sure how such books actually get published (this may stem from my just having finished Noah Lukeman's excellent The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile, which assures the avid reader/writer that stuff like this gets tossed out the window unless you're, say, Danielle Steel), but man, someone, somewhere, had to okay The Da Vinci Code.

Not to say Primal Fear is as flat-out bad as The Da Vinci Code. Diehl, while seemingly uncaring about the language itself-- while the phrase "riddled with clichés" has become something of a cliché in itself, it's quite an apt description of the writing here, and that's only the tip of the linguistic iceberg-- knows how to plot and pace. When an author doesn't spring the big twist on you until halfway through the book, and you don't care, that's pretty impressive.

In case you've been living under a rock since 1996, the plot: a sleazy, but very good, defense attorney, Martin Vail, wins a big case against the city of Chicago for police brutality against a minor mafioso. In revenge, they set him to defend Aaron Stampler, accused of killing the city's most beloved Catholic cardinal, found shivering in the confessional with the cardinal's blood all over him, the knife in his hand, wearing the cardinal's ring. An open and shut case, right? Well, you've seen Twelve Angry Men...

Unlike most courtroom dramas, this one spends most of its time outside the courtroom, with the first three hundred or so pages of the book devoted to Vail and his team trying to unravel the mystery of who really did kill the cardinal. (That's the big twist I mentioned before.) Once that's out of the way, then we get to the courtroom-drama bit. And, along with the language, that's Primal Fear's biggest failing: this is a very linear book, almost videogame-like in its insistence that we have to solve problem A, fight the boss battle, and then go on to problem B. Even though it's an old cliché in itself that (unless you're Law and Order) the basic piece of mystery-flavored entertainment will have two threads of mystery going at once-- only to be wrapped up into one at the end, of course-- utilizing that particular cliché at least shows that the artist doing the creating is capable of juggling such things in such a way that it keeps you entertained. Diehl is either beyond that or simply not capable of it, given the linearity here. He's just not interested. He's relying on the big reveal to throw the reader off. And it does, somewhat, but the linear nature of the narrative makes him reach for stuff that comes naturally to authors who do it the other way (dramatic tension being the main example).

In any case, the short answer, though it's already far too late for that: eh, not awful. But the movie is much, much better. Not terribly often I get to say that. ***

I read this book a few years back and could not get it out of my mind. The ending was just such a surprise. I read it and immediately had to rent the movie. The book was better, although I thought the movie was very good and true to the novel. Edward Norton played his character wonderfully.

This is my favorite all-time suspense novel.

This book is my favourite novel of all time. The story line is fantastic and the ending is simply chilling. The complex and descriptive paragraphs are completley stunning. The way Diehl can keep the story flying along with unbelievable speed and excitment is a rare and raw talent and is a joy to read. Also, as well as being fantasic read, it is also fasinating-it reveals the world of the court room in all its glories, as well as looking in to the human brain. Fasinating! If you haven't read it shame on you! Read it, you haven't read a thriller untill you read a novel by William Diehl!

I love time travel stories! This YA novel is great for teens who love time travel, but mostly for teens who love Shakespeare! A really well-written tale of a boy who travels back in time to the Globe Theater and stars in some of the bards best loved plays...and becomes an apprentice to Will S. himself! A really lovely story, with great characters and a tense plotline.

I have a soft spot for time-travel books and have read a fair few. This one will go right to my "very special" shelf of YA books, alongside "The Dark is Rising" (which is actually better than this, but it's better than just about anything!). I read a borrowed copy in one gulp, and now I'm ordering my own.

Looking through the reader reviews, I didn't notice anyone linking this to the "Dark is Rising" series, but did anyone else notice that we have a character in here who has been living for a very long time, making things happen for Good?

This is a super novel I'm using in my Drama class to prepare for reading Shakespeare. Cooper provides some good background information--daily life, the Globe Theater, Shakespeare himself--as well as theater life (actors, costumes, makeup, rehearsals, scripts). My students will relate well to the sympathetic protagonist as King of Shadows is written at a level that my ELL students will benefit from.
Mrs. Wooster, Desert Springs Middle School, DHS, CA

Nat Field has been chosen along with a group of select boys to perform Julius Caesar and A Midsummer Night's Dream at the newly-built Globe in London. The cast consists of all boys - the director wants this play to be as true to the time as possible. A different adventure begins for Nat when he awakes to find himself 400 years back in time, when the original Globe was first built!

A couple of summers ago I took part in a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, which is the play this book mainly focuses on. I had a wonderful time reading about their preparations, costumes, and ultimately the performance. It brought back a lot of memories!

I also enjoyed reading about Nat's friendship with Shakespeare. When they acted together (Nat as Puck and Shakespeare as Oberon) the author wrote that they had a natural chemistry. And as a reader you could feel that chemistry working between them, whether they were on or off stage.

My main complaint with this book was that in the few chapters that didn't take place back in time, there was some foul language scattered throughout. I'm not sure why the author thought it necessary to make the modern-day kids and adults have bad mouths, it certainly didn't add anything to the story. Also, *POSSIBLE SPOILER* parents of young children should be warned that Nat's father commits suicide, and that scene gets just a little graphic. *SPOILER OVER*

That aside, I think King of Shadows is a well-written, intriguing peek into life as an actor during the Elizabethan time period. Anyone who is interested in history or acting is sure to enjoy it.

Nat is eleven years old and has been chosen to be a member of a very exclusive boys' theater company. The company, made up of Americans, is going to travel to London to perform two Shakespeare plays at the newly rebuilt Globe Theater, modeled after the theater William Shakespeare first wrote his plays for four hundred years ago. The idea is thrilling to Nat. Ever since the death of his parents, theater has been his escape. His aunt has encouraged him to perform as a way of finding calm and comfort, and Nat has found that he has real talent in acting and tumbling.

Soon after his arrival in London, though, Nat becomes very ill. One night he loses consciousness and when he wakes up his surroundings are both strange and eerily familiar. Before long he realizes that he is still in London--but four hundred years earlier! He is a member of the theater company that Shakespeare himself writes for and performs with, and he is preparing for the same part in the same play he was to perform in modern-day England.

Nat adores William Shakespeare and loves his old English theater company, but he can't figure out what is going on and why he is here. Furthermore, he worries that after this performance is finished, he will be sent back to the boarding school where someone is sure to notice something funny about him.

The details of life in the theater were great, and I loved the characterization of Shakespeare and the way Nat interacted with him. However, the time-travel aspect seemed really gimmicky and forced, with far too many coincidences to overlook.

This paperback is a handy edition of Shakespeare's great play, useful for students on all levels. The critical essays in the back are helpful, though one or two more recent ones could have been included.

It is not easy to understand the old style Eglish to non-native foreigner like me. But I read it cover to cover.

I bought this edition as a teaching supplement, not realizing that it is the folio version of the play. The words "quarto" and "folio" refer to the size of the pages in the two editions. Many secondary schools and universities use the quarto edition and a lot is left out of the folio--this version cuts out three hundred lines and adds one hundred new ones. The effect is that it alters the way the characters are shown. If you are reading the play with a class and they have a quarto version, while you are using your trusty teacher's Cambridge, chances are there will be a lot of blank expressions and confusion on their faces. The lines they see will not jibe with yours. The extra articles and class activities are great though--just make sure that if you use the Cambridge, you have your students buy only folio editions.

I have my degree in English... I like reading and teaching with this version as "help" not as a substitution. It gives a clearer understanding to Shakespeare for people who have difficulty with it.

Although this edition is not quite as exhaustive as the Arden Shakespeare paperbacks, it does have good commentary and even includes a fair bit of criticism. It's not expensive and the print is clear and readable, not small or cramped like some Shakespeare editions. The comments, which largely explain difficult words in the text, are printed on the same page as the text, which is helpful. I use a copy of this for studying Shakespeare - at such a good prize, you don't feel bad for scribbling notes in the margins.

In this 17th book in the series, the Emerson clan is back in Egypt after WWI: Emerson, Amelia, Ramses, Nefret, and their twins: David John and Carla.

Shortly after their arrival, a famous author of sensational novels arrives with a gold statue. She begs Emerson to take the statue and protect her from the curse she claims killed her husband. She seems genuinely frightened, but they're suspicious that it might just be a publicity stunt. Regardless of the existence of a curse or actual danger to the woman, the statue is genuine, and for the Emersons, the questions of where the statue came from--a lost tomb?!--is far more compelling.

Things become complicated, of course, starting with the widow's stepchildren barging into the Emersons' home demanding the return of the statue at gunpoint. There are several sightings of a black-robed "demon," prompting one of Emerson's famous exorcisms; the appearance of Emerson's half-brother Sethos, always suspicious when there's treasure around; kidnapping, disappearances, and murder.

As usual, the family adventure is just as important as the mystery--watching Peabody and Emerson growing older and Ramses and Nefret with the twins is like visiting with old friends.

Also as usual, the characters are their distinct selves--Amelia's not-completely-reliable narrator is a delight, and the sections from Ramses's point of view demonstrates his character well. But because their characters are so vivid, you really have to like the characters to enjoy the books.

I had been meaning to try one of Ms. Peters' books, so when I saw this in the library I picked it up. I guess you have to read the many previous Amelia Peabody novels to appreciate this one, but I gave up after about 60 pages. Boring and confusing.

This book was shipped very quickly from the UK and it came in perfect condition. Great product!

Ever since Ramses grew up, I've missed the pedantic child. I'm delighted to see him now reincarnated in his son, David John. Though my children aren't so precocious, they play an important role in my second comtemporary romance, "Big Bad Wolfe." I look forward to reading "Tomb of the Golden Bird" to see what David John, his twin sister Charlotte, and the rest of the Emersons are up to next.

I just love these books. I love spending time with the Emersons and nothing makes me sadder than when the book ends. I had tears in the end when reminded of the intense love Amelia and Emerson have for each other. These books are romantic, fun, adventurous and educating. What more could you want from a book?
My only issue is Amelia's expressed view of how she wants to leave this world. When she talks about it, my stomache is in a knot and my heart pounds as if she is someone I know and love in real life. She must be etneral on this earth!

This book is a collection of short stories. All of the short stories go like this: (without any spoilers)

Gotrek- I hate trees
Felix- I hate myself for coming with you
Bad guys show themselves/ first encounter
Builds up to giant monster
People die
Felix and Gotrek kill monster
Run away
fade to black
Repeat

This series of vignettes does have an overall storyline but because it was originally meant to be published separately you'll be reading about how Gotrek hates only Elves more than he hates trees a lot.

I recommend buying the Omnibus, because after you read this one, you'll be longing for more. If you don't like the concept, don't read this series. If you're a bit shaky on the execution, but you think its a good concept, get through this one and start reading skavenslayer.

This was the first book of warhammmer I bought. I was reading at the time some book of Dragonlance or Forgotten Realms. I try to read it and I quit after reading about 50 pages or so.
Some time afterwords after reading the GILEAD'S BLOOD I try it again.. this time I didn't stop.
Some of the previews before say it all.
I like a lot of the dwarf with his bound-code of honor. It's nice to see a character not following some human characteritcs.
I mean... I've read some books with dwarves and elves and some of them put human carachterics in it or the other way around. They follow and never leave the general caractheritcs of a race.
In general I like it a lot.
Something didn't feel right althought.
Gotrek it's almost invencible. I don't like that in a character. But besides that everything fits alright.

Before each battle the Trollslayer passes his finger in his axe making it bleed. I bet his fingers are full of scars lol.

...And I loved every sentence of it! Sure, it's good to read about the exploits of friendship and love with Drizzt or Cadderly, but sometimes you want to get down and dirty with violence and blood!

Trollslayer does this brilliantly, it is a highly addictive book (almost as addictive as an RA Salvatore book). And you become familiar with the characters like you would if you read the Drizzt books. I can't help but laugh everytime Gotrek makes a joke at the expense of an elf!

This book is composed of short stories, but they all connect.

But the beauty of it is: This book shows what Warhammer is all about. It is completely bloody. Fans of WH or gothic fantasy or adventure for that matter, should pick this one up.

Trollslayer is actually seven adventures during the travels of Gotrek & Felix. Slayer Gotrek Gurnisson is a dwarf on a death quest. He roams the land searching for the mightiest of evils to fight and slay until he is finally rewarded with a glorious death that will long be remembered and talked about for generations to come. Felix Jaegor is sworn to accompany the Slayer, however long it takes, even though it could end in his own death. Should he survive, it will be Felix's job to record and report the heroic dwarf's many battles, as well as how Gotrek fell in combat. Here are the adventures within this book:

Geheimnisnacht: Daemon cultists are making sacrifices and summoning dark powers.

Wolf Riders: The pair are en route to Karak Eight Peaks, beyond the Empire's southernmost borders, to hunt for treasure guarded by a large troll. They meet up with a caravan and get hired as mercenaries. But the people seem to be having a long run of ill luck.

The Dark Beneath the World: The pair reach Karak Eight Peaks and enter the mines in search of the gold and to kill the troll guarding it. While there, the pair set out to free spirits of dwarfish ancestors.

The Mark of Slaanesh: Gotrek gets a head wound and has amnesia. Felix is on his own as he sets out to find an ingredient an alchemist needs to create a cure. Of course, the ingredient needed will not be easy to obtain.

Blood & Darkness: The pair go after a sorcerer of Chaos, his mutants, and female Chaos Warrior bent on killing a little girl.

Mutant Master: Felix is reunited with a student he knew during his time in Altdorf. The man is now nothing as he once was.

Ulric's Children: Sorcerer Voorman is using forbidden magic to transform (transmute) himself into something wicked.

**** Gotrek and Felix deal with zombie-like creatures, mutants, cultists, orcs, magicians, trolls, goblins, ogre, and much more during these adventures. Readers follow only the two main characters; there are no secondary characters. As always, author William King keeps a small bit of ironic humor in each adventure. This reads much like an anthology, except each tale starts off where the one before it ends. Very interesting reading, to say the least. ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

I cannot give a higher review then to say that a writer has finally come forward with an excellent fantasy book. If you like, Robert E Howard, Fritz Leiber, Michael Moorcock, or R.A. Salvatore then you will like this book. Lots of action and no wading through endless pages of boredom. Now if only the major publishers would get their acts together and start printing this kind of fiction again.

As an avid fan of the Dealiest Catch, I wholeheartedly enjoyed the book. You get a peek into the lives of some of the characters you meet during the TV series, which is intriguing however it leaves you wanting more. The book provides a much deeper insight into the characters and lives of the two borthers.

It gave me an understanding of the lure of the sea and passion of the brothers and how this has evolved over the years.

My only reservation would be that it may be a little difficult for those who have not seen the TV series to follow. For those who have, and who loved the show, it is a "must have".

Most people are aware of the show 'Deadliest Catch' and this book is a more intimate insight into the lives of two brothers and their boat the 'Time Bandit'. When I started reading the book I could not put it down and even read it by the light from my television so I would not keep anyone awake. The words on these pages had me crying. But it also had me crying while I laughed. This book is very well written and I appreciate Captain Johnathan and Captain Andy for sharing intimate details of their lives with me through the pages of their wonderful book. There are very strong women through out the book as well whom I admire and have a lot of respect for because it can not be easy to be a fishermans girl. I appreciate these men and the risks they take to do what they do. You won't complain about the cost of that crab meal ever again!

Time Bandit: Two Brothers, the Bering Sea, and One of the World's Deadliest Jobs

Really much better than I expected! I actually laughed out loud. If you watch the show on Discovery, you will probably enjoy the book.

TIME BANDIT is the name of one of the crab boats featured on Discovery Channel's DEADLIEST CATCH. The Hillstrand bothers who captain her give us a first hand look at the daily life aboard their boat, and let us meet their families, both past and present. For fans of the TV show, it is full of explanations about how things actually work aboard a crab boat. Best of all, it includes their take on the events of some of the episodes aired on TV, including the parts that the viewers never got to see. Like Jonathan in a fist fight in the wheelhouse with one of his crew! None of the story is dressed up or cleaned up to look nice in print.
Younger brother Andy takes us to his home in Indiana where he trains horses- and people.
Older brother Jonathan takes us into bars along the Alaskan waterfront, brawls and all. He says, we shouldn't judge him, just take him as he is. There is a reason he says that. An interesting one that I won't comment on, but let you read for yourselves if you choose.
Well written literature it isn't. Fascinating it is. Its a miracle they are both still alive to tell these tales.

This book is a fantastic journey. I love the use of three perspectives and the blunt nature of Jonathan's writing. After enjoying it I leant the book to a friend; she can't stop talking about it and has to force herself to put it down so that she can go to bed at night. I read Time Bandit in just under a day; I wish there were more books like this out there. If you are considering buying this, go for it, you will not regret it!

This is a great book. If you are interested in learning more about the Quaker faith this is a wonderful guide to applying Quaker tenants to everyday living. If you are looking for spiritual direction in your life this book shows you the Quaker path. I enjoyed reading it on many levels. I recieved it as a gift and have since give it as a gift.

This book is simple, a good read, and an excellent book that introduces you to the Quaker practice. I have enjoyed it very much and I am delighted to discover how much Quaker teachings go hand-in-hand with simplicity and Unity ideals. This book has encouraged me to investigate more in to Quaker beliefs. This would be an excellent addition to any library for those who enjoy searching for and reading spiritual books.

I am not a quaker, but have been interested in the religion. This book helped me with some of my questions about it. The author talks about his own experience with various parts of the religion, and relates to things like being honest, being there for people, ect. It is a thought-provoking book, as it looks at our world today, and how things have changed. I bought this book sometime last year, and still re-read it today, and have found it extremely interesting and helpful to me. Overall, I would recomend this book for anyone, really.

A Quaker Book of Wisdom is a delightful, simply worded, autobiography of a Quaker. Smith explains through the recounting of his life what it means to be a Quaker. As a very small minority within the religious landscape, Quakers are misunderstood by the mainstream and few Americans understand the great contributions they have made to our society. The prohibition of slavery, the humane treatment of the mentally ill, the advocacy of the rights of prisoners, opposition to war, and opposition to the death penalty are all manifestations of the Quaker faith which have helped shape our world.

Smith conveys his personal experiences and insights on what it means to be a Quaker in simple worlds, gentle prose, and honest introspection. This book is an enjoyable read for people of all faiths and non-faiths alike.

I happen to be a Quaker. This book, however, is practical inspiration in a very readable form, from a very wise man, for anyone. I like to keep it next to my bed to read a bit before going to sleep. Excellent insight to help guide our very busy and sometimes confusing lives. I have bought 5 copies, and given them to my favorite people.