Duncan Long Books

Duncan Long does a great job of reviewing the great majority of the worlds assault rifles and subguns. This book is a great startng point for anyone interested in modern military weaponry.
The book is broken down into sections covering machine pistols, submachine guns and assault rifles and does a good job of covering the various weapons.

I had read some of his work in another version and wasn't very impressed.
I am holding him to the standards of the really great authors
of his own day. It is said in the beginning that he was killed by the kings dogs
( By implications that he had offended the king and they were turned on him?).
His tragedy isn't tragic enough, and he rewrites the Trojan war as it pleased him in his age 1000 years later.
In many ways he seems a toned down Greek with less passion and blood on stage and more political insinuations.
Only about half his plays survive and reading these I realize that they were probably worse?
I did find one interesting note in Alcestis that suggest that three days in the grave wasn't a Hebrew superstition, but a Greek one.

10 beautiful and powerful plays by a man whose genius can still be felt today

Euripides was the youngest and the least successful of the great triad of Greek tragic poets. Criticized by the conservatives of his time for introducing shabby heroes and immoral women into his plays, his plays were ridiculed by Aristophanes in "The Frogs." His plays exhibited his iconoclastic, rationalizing attitude toward the ancient myths that were the subject matter for Greek drama. For Euripides the gods were irrational and petulant, while heroes had flawed natures and uncontrolled passions that made them ultimately responsible for their tragic fates. Ultimately, your standard Euripides tragedy offers meaningless suffering upon which the gods look with complete indifference (until they show up at the end as the deux ex machina). However, today Euripides is considered the most popular of the Greek playwrights and is considered by many to be the father of modern European drama.

This volume does not include all of the extant plays of Euripides (we believe he authored 92 plays, 19 of which have survived), but what are arguably the ten most important: "Alcestis," "Medea," "Hippolytus," "Andromache," "Ion," "Trojan Women," "Electra," "Iphigenia Among the Taurians," "The Bacchants," and "Iphigenia at Aulis." The translations by Moses Hadas and John McLean are not as literate as you will find elsewhere, but they are eminently functional and make this volume one of the most cost-effective ways of providing students an opportunity to study the work of a great dramatist.

After reading several Euripides tragedies several things emerge in our understanding of his work. First, he has a unique structure for his plays decidedly different from those of Aeschylus and Sophocles. Usually the play begins with a monologue that provides the necessary exposition regarding the situation with which the characters are confronted. At the end of the play a god usually descends from heaven to provide an epilogue to say what happens afterwards (e.g., "Hippolytus"). Second, Euripides is much more interested in the dynamic interaction of his characters than the role of the chorus. The stasimons and occasional monodies are more what exists between scenes for Euripides instead of an opportunity to comment upon the story as with Aeschylus (e.g., "Agamemnon"). Third, the idea that Euripides is a misogynist just does not bear up under even a basic reading of these plays. This misconception might stem from our understanding of the culture of the times, because the "worst" thing you can say about the women of Euripides is that they are realistic characters.

Fourth and most importantly, clearly Euripides is at his best when there is a political agenda embedded in his story. "The Trojan Women" offers a fascinating counterpoint to the reactions of those same characters at the end of the "Iliad" when Hector's body is returned to Troy, but Euripides is not concerned with commenting on Homer but rather on the Athenian destruction of the city of Melos, which had tried to stay neutral in the Peloponnesian War (compare this with Euripides in a patriotic mode in "Andromache"). Much more is made of Euripides irreverence towards the gods (e.g., "The Bacchants"), however I think his greatness lies not in being an atheist but in being a strong advocate of democratic principles (e.g., the treatment of foreigners at the heart of "Medea"). Hadas reinforces this latter idea in his translations, admitting that for the modern reader it might be better to think of Euripides "as a pamphleteer rather than a poet." Still, Hadas emphasizes that despite the parodies provided by Aristophanes, Euripides was a great poet. Furthermore, Hadas is committed to keeping the translations as poetry rather than prose.

But there is also a sense in which Euripides provides psychological insights into his characters as much as Sophocles, who usually gets the edge in that respect because Freud derived the Oedipal and Electra complexes from his writings. Even though there was a limit of only three characters on stage at a time, Euripides would often made one of these characters, such as the nurse in "Hippolytus" or Pylades (friend of Orestes in both "Electra" and "Iphigenia Among the Taurains"), a normal person, who served as a means for showing the profoundly disturbed nature of the tragic hero.

Reading a single Euripides play is not going to make the validity of any or all of these points clear, but if you read most of these ten plays you should come to similar conclusions. I still like to use Euripides in bracket Homer's "Iliad," looking at the way he presages the conflict between Achilles and Agamemnon in "Iphigenia at Aulis," and the fate of "The Trojan Women," but there is much value to studying the plays of Euripides on their own terms. Granted, you can find better (i.e., more "modern") translations, but finding ten Euripides plays in one volume is going to be impossible and/or expensive.

Some reviewers say that Euripides is not strictly a tragedian in the Greek sense, but a playwright who took Greek drama to a next level of development. I agree, and this can be seen both in structural and styilistic innovations, as well as in the way of treating his subjects, remarkably the Gods, myths, religion and the situation of women. Maybe that's why he was the least successful of the three known Greek "tragedians", the other two being Aeschylus and Sophocles. Structural and styilistic innovations include the opening monologue in which one of the characters explains the situation such as it is at the beginning of the action. Other ones are: a lesser use of the Chorus and the treatment of the final deus-ex-machina. But in my view, the most important aspect of his dramas is the controversial stance he takes against traditions and myths. If Aschylus lives in a world of gods, heroes and titans, and if Sophocles is the great tragedian of Fate, glory, downfall and grandilocuent suffering, for Euripides humans are just humans and the gods are, in the best case, distant, cruel and frivolous entities. With Euripides, it is not so much Fate but every individual's decisions which decide their fortune. He also exposes crudely the disadvantaged situation of women, hand-tied by laws and traditions which preclude their human development. Finally, for him war is not an opportunity for glory, but only destruction, misery and disgrace. War does not purify or ennoble, it just destroys and saddens. In spite of this vision, his plays do not entirely lack a sense of humor, even if it's black humor. Some of the plays included in this volume are:

"Alcestis", a good example of Euripides's anti-tragedy which begins sad and ends joyful. Alcestis volunteers to die instead of her husband, Admetus (whose own parents refuse to sacrifice for him). Admetus has to be one of the most despicable characters in literature. In the end, a drunk Hercules saves the woman and all ends well (more or less).

"Medea" is the terrifyingly cruel story of Jason's wife, who goes mad at his infidelities and punishes him by murdering their children. Chilly.

"Hippolytus", which is more properly a tragedy in the old style. Here the gods do intervene decisively: Aphrodite inspires in Phaedra a lustful love for her stepson, Hippolytus. When the boy finds out about it, he sternly rejects the idea and Phaedra kills herself. She lefts behind a letter accusing Hippolytus of having tried to seduce her, which brings about the boy's death.

"Andromache", a drama about jealousy in which Hector's widow is about to die at the hands of her raptor's wife (the raptor is Neoptolemus, Achilles's son). In the end, she is saved by the wisdom and mercy of Achilles's father.

"Ion", apocryhphal son of Apollo, who is adopted by another man and made priest of his true father's temple (he ignores his true lineage).

"The Trojan Women", where the cruel deaths of Priamus's children are told.

"Electra", very different from the one written by Aeschylus where Electra is a hysterical crazy. Here, she is a cold and firm avenger.

"Ifigenia among the Taurus", where the supposedly sacrificed daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra appears as the guardian of Artemisa's temple in the country of the Taurus, nowadays Crimea. Her brother Orestes arrives to the place with his friend Pilades, escaping from the cruel Erinnis (deities in charge of punishing parricide or matricide). His goal is to steal the statuette of the godess in order to perform some ritual of atonement for his sins. Brother and sister recognize each other and run away together. This isn't either a proper tragedy, but more of a farce.

Euripides laid down the basis for what would be modern drama. The plays are quite good and relevant and so completely recommended.

Euripides is not a definitive tragedian (in the Aristotelian notion) like his contemporary Sophocles; although he mines the same subject matter, he exhibits a number of stylistic differences and peculiarities. His plays tend to begin with a single character delivering a soliloquy that introduces the background of the story, and he makes frequent use of a "deus ex machina" at the end in order to set things right, or as right as they can be.

The biggest difference between Sophocles and Euripides is their approach to tragedy. Sophocles uses tragedy as an enhancement of nobility, an illumination of heroic dignity and grandeur; to Euripides it is just ugly, crude, and awkward, like a ketchup stain on your shirt. Tragedy elevates the Sophoclean hero to a state of fearsome awe, but it merely reduces the Euripidean hero to an object of pity and even derision. In this sense Euripides is more of a realist and a humanist, and therefore more modern.

Euripides's plays transform classical mythology not into morality lessons but into drama in a very basic, empathic mode. He makes the most of every dramatic situation: Medea, who kills her children to punish her unfaithful husband Jason; Hector's widow Andromache, who is enslaved by Achilles's son Neoptolemus and is accused by his wife Hermione of seducing him; Ion, son of Apollo by the rape of Creusa and attendant at his temple, in a classic plot of mistaken identity; Pentheus, king of Thebes, who is murdered by frenzied Bacchantes, one of whom is his own mother; Iphigenia, who is sacrificed by her father Agamemnon to ensure Greek victory in the Trojan War. There is a very clear path that connects Euripides with the conventions of two and a half millenia of Western literature. He might not have been as famous or as respected as Sophocles, but he is no less important a dramatist.

If you are thinking of buying a target pistol, can't decide exactly which to buy, but are considering a Ruger, then read this book. It will make your decision for you.

The book covers the history of Sturm, Ruger & Company, the various models of the .22 automatic pistols, the chronology of their production, and brief descriptions of other firearms developed by the firm. Also covered are care and maintenance of the pistols, including field- and detail-stripping instructions. The book concludes with chapters on available accessories and a survey of ammunition for use with Rugers.

The overall story is one of high quality, accuracy, continuous refinement of design, and innovation in weapons manufacture. Enjoy your new Ruger.

This book is essential for the Ruger semi-auto pistol collector. It only covers the Standard, the MKI, and MKII pistols, but that is all it should cover. The MKIII pistol is not present, nor are the Ruger revolvers or the Ruger 22/45. The book does cover a few Ruger MKII facsimiles and successful gunsmithing trends, as well as proper maintenance and detail stripping.

The book is not a volume worshiping Bill Ruger. Rather it is an information packed publication of the origins and development of the most popular .22 auto-pistol of all time.

For under $12, it's an absolute steal. Buy it.

For some reason the three guns - MAC-10, TEC-9, and Uzi have captured the attention of Hollywood, the news media, and the anti-gun crowd. You see them in movies, usually in the hands of the bad guys. They are inexpensive stamped sheetmetal guns, which with the exception of the Uzi have not found significant favor with any of the world's armed forces.

The important thing to remember is that these guns are available on the civilian market, but they are not fully automatic sub-machine guns. They have effectively the same functionality as standard semi-automatic pistols, but they look mean. And to be sure, most of them have large capacity magazines which seems to annoy lots of the anti-gun crowd.

If you really want a machine gun, different rules apply and you probably don't need this book.

I have not read books by Duncan Long before, but I was quite impressed with this one. He clearly knows how to write, and has an amazing amount of background information on the guns, the companies that manufactured them, the various choices in ammunition and so on. I shall look for other books by him.

Great book tells all on the Uzi, Ingram and Intratec family of weapons. The book needs a few more pictures to help with the understanding of the inner-workings of the pistols. Overall the book was worth the price, and I plan to read a few others by this author

There are some good ideas here but almost all of the back-tested systems are too curve-fitted using TDW (Trading Day of the Week -- e.g. never buy on a Thursday) and inter-market relationships (e.g. buy stocks only when bonds are going up).

I made my own system using only one of Williams' basic ideas, then parameterized it to use about 6 parms (e.g. stop value, distance from open, etc.) and back-tested it using about 15 years' data with all possible parm combinations.

With the best parm set this system gained about 100% per year, figuring percentage gains the way Williams does. It had rather low drawdown.

Then I modified it as follows. I selected the parm set that did the best for the first year, then used that parm set for the 2nd year and recorded those results. Then I ran all parm sets for the first 2 years, picked the best parm set and used it for the 3rd year. And so on.

These results then, are all from testing on out-of-sample data. Results over the same period (but only 14 years as year 1 results are not out-of-sample) were diminished by about half. But they are far more realistic than results obtained from 100% back-testing as Williams does.

I am writing this in the middle of June, 2008, using the best parm set as of the end of 2007. The system is up about 44% since the end of 2007, which is better than the long-term average.

I highly recommend this form of system development, which Williams does not use in this book. It takes a lot of work to do it right, but the results are worth it -- if you can stick to the rules you develop. Unfortunately, this will be even harder to do than developing the rules will be.

Good luck.

When I first encountered this book at the library I thought it was fantastic. It utilized methods of getting the odds on your side and used money management to make millions!
Well, once I tried his mostly badly explained techniques using Tradestation 2000i on S&P500 and Bond data from Norgate the results were not so flash. He also is a blatant lier. He mentions that each test in his book uses a $50 commission. Well they don't. Only very few of them do, as you can see from the System Writer printouts. As soon as you add commission, the hundreds of trades turn a super winning system into a dreadful loser.
Its a pity that this book doesn't deliver what it seems to but it is different and quite enjoyable to read; although you need to take notes as you go along!
I did learn one good thing. Find a system that offers you the edge, consistently, and use money management to make you rich.

I'm still going through the book (few weeks now) trying out some of his methods on different data, but the techniques don't hold up so well in real life.

i dont personalluy have anything for, nor anything against, larry and the countless other individuals and companies that produce an amazing amount of trading books, tools, programs, lectures and so forth. in fact, i myself wrote the book "beginners guide to computer assisted trading", which amazon sold for several years. the truth of the matter is.... those who cannot do, teach... meaning that around 90% of the stuff you are being offered is by people who were, in reality, not successful in, or never even actually did what they are claiming. just think logically, if YOU had a great way to beat the markets, would you waste time telling others how to do it? of course not! i personally stopped trading several years ago as i realized that technical analisys and simple to moderatly complex trading models no longer work. however, i do contract work for one of the worlds most successful private hedge funds and i can tell you that yes, if you have a big bankroll and at least 1/2 dozen rocket scientists you may find a way to beat the market for a while. but markets can always change (ususally quickly) in a way that can turn a good system into a dud. final food for thought, never mentioned in the financial press: the longer you stay in the markets, the higher your risk of ruin....

Many of the ideas in this book validated Larry Williams' previous market concepts in its totality thus proved that they do indeed have strong merits and he still has conviction in what he originally expounded on. The priciples surrounding concept known as 'Market structure' is basis for a lot of trading courses out there costing anywhere between a few hundred dollars to ten thousand dollars. Although I agree with Chuck Lebeau who stated in his book that Volatility Breakout system simply deteriorates going forward as new data enters into pictures, I strongly believe that with an individual trader's overall well-defined market context, it can prove to be an excellent entry strategy because it's based on sound market principles. This book is worthwhile for me, at least, to confirm my market belief. The cycle phenomenons occurring in range volatility and pattern shift in open and high are enough of valid reason to invest your time in this book. In the end, I picked up a few ideas worth adding to my trading repertoire.

I was happy and making money slowly and steadily until i read this book. after reading is my account dropped from +50% for the year to +22% so far. his statistics are way over fitted. i realized that once i tested his data. the thing that i never understood is that why do these people keep publishing books if they are making millions. i know the answer now. they are not making millions trading , they are making it selling the book. maybe you can figure a way to make money with his stuff, but i couldn't.

best of luck

Nice history and overview of the rifles development, but weak on assembly instruction, maintenance, cleaning etc. A nice historical reference book really.

I was new to the AR-15 pattern rifle. This book was informative and still a great read. Provides a full history of the design with info about competing rifles. It could use some updating to cover newer accessories.

I enjoyed and found the information useful. If your new to the AR15, this is
a great way to get up to speed on the subject. The author knows his subject
and communicates it well. There's a lot more that could have been covered
but for that, one is well advised to visit www.ar15.com
You'll find answers there to questions you probably haven't even thought of.

The Complete AR-15/M16 Sourcebook: What Every Shooter Needs to Know keeps with its title. Well, somewhat. The book is a very detailed SOURCEBOOK. Do not buy this book to find out what you can do to accessorize your rifle. This book goes into detail about the origins of the AR-15/M16 beginning with the early years and including some photos and text on early models and models that did not make it. The book talks about some of the larger companies that make the AR-15/M16, and has pictures of most of the variants by company. It is a worthwhile read if you desire to learn about the history of the rifle, but is by no means what every reader needs to know.

The Complete AR-15/M16 Sourcebook: What Every Shooter Needs to Know keeps with its title. Well, somewhat. The book is a very detailed SOURCEBOOK. Do not buy this book to find out what you can do to accessorize your rifle. This book goes into detail about the origins of the AR-15/M16 beginning with the early years and including some photos and text on early models and models that did not make it. The book talks about some of the larger companies that make the AR-15/M16, and has pictures of most of the variants by company. It is a worthwhile read if you desire to learn about the history of the rifle, but is by no means what every reader needs to know.

This book on all types of combat ammo (shotgun, rifle, pistol) covers most variations on the theme in an entertaining easy-to-read way. Long gives instruction on how to make different kinds of ammo (tracer, armourpiercing etc), and while I cannot vouch for the accuracy in any way, it's sure interesting to read

Although first published in 1987, the book is a timeless classic for anyone wanting to know about shotguns for urban warfare (i.e. home defense). It covers the history of offensive and defensive use of shotguns, ammunition, tactics, indoor combat and a host of other related subjects. This is not just another one of those cheap throwaway books with lots of pictures and model descriptions. The text is substantive, well written and authoritative. It's just about everything you want to know about non-hunting uses for shotguns (but were afraid to ask).

Phil Hunter has just discovered the invention of the age--working antigravity--when he's laid off from his job, the entire department shut down. Phil decides this is what he's been waiting for--a chance to become fabulously wealthy with his own company, Anti-Gravity Unlimited. With anti-gravity, not only is space flight a cheap possibility, perpetual motion is also possible. With a couple of anti-gravity rods, it's easy to hook up a generator and create unlimited electrical current. All of mankind's environmental problems are solved--as are any issues with poverty. Phil sees a new utopia--until his house is blown up and all of his former co-workers are listed as killed in the paper.

On the run, Phil heads for his best friend's house, only to discover that his best friend has abandoned his long-time girlfriend (and clone)--where a hitman disguised as a bag lady tries to gun both of them down. Together, Phil and Nikki try to figure out how to stay alive for long enough to mass produce enough anti-gravity rods to allow him to start his business. Still, where on earth can they hide if the entire world corporate government is after them?

Author Duncan Long creates an intriguing dystopic future where corporations have taken over the government and are gradually replacing workers with robots, forcing the masses into poverty. Long adds charm to the story by having Phil accept this world in a matter-of-fact way. Sure everyone goes armed and expects to run into ambushes if they travel the interstates. Sure, armored bag-lady hitmen are going to be out there. Long keeps his writing and his narrative simple. ANTI-GRAV UNLIMITED wasn't (I don't think) targetted as a young adult novel, but it could have been.

I kept expecting to see some big reversal, a black moment, but things seemed pretty easy for Phil and Nikki. Because Phil made a big deal about his best friend (the one who'd cloned Nikki), I anticipated that Craig would play an important role--as an antagonist. Instead, the primary antagonist didn't seem especially frightening.

Unlike some other dystopic novels written during this period, ANTI-GRAV UNLIMITED doesn't really push the envelope and make us question society's directions. It's simply a nice old-fashioned story about one guy trying to get rich and get the girl in the face of overwhelming odds. Nothing wrong with that--I enjoyed it.

Reminds me of the Heinlein books that got me started in SF (think 'Have Spacesuit, Will Travel').
I hope the typos mentioned by others were simply the result of a hasty data entry from the original print edition to the digital one. I never saw the original so I cannot say for sure. Only a couple of them are glaring enough to take the reader out of the story but I hope they get cleaned up before this entertaining book ever gets the reprint it deserves.
As for the suicidal 'bag ladies' I assumed they were 'programmed' with the same drug used on the Lincoln character. The bad guys were certainly portrayed as ruthless enough to expend a few pawns to keep their secrets.
Finally, If Duncan Long ever sees this I urge him to write a sequel. The ending certainly deserves one. It sure looks like he planned one. Let's hope he still has his notes.

A wonderfully entertaining and somewhat thought provoking work of "tounge-in-cheek" science fiction. Kind of reminiscent of some of Heinlein's work.

Basically, it's a future-dystopia with a positive outlook. Corporations rule the Earth and prevent any technological development that might improve people's standard of living, wanting to keep us all as humble peons (sound familiar? *cynical moment*).

All is well in the land of rampant capitalism, when an inventor comes up with anti-grav rods that are a source of almost free, unlimited power (perpetual motion, yes!). While dodging corporate hit-men, who are actually hit-bag-ladies (for reasons never explained) he flies his van around and...well...you can read the book.

It's not great stuff - the bag ladies and their willingness to commit suicide at the drop of a hat were hard to swallow, and when we finally met the Big Bad, he was over-the-top and cliche-ish. Also, while I usually like romance subplots, this one was two-dimensional and the book would have been better off without it, IMNSHO. The ending is somewhat abrupt, too. And there are some wince-worthy typos, but you can fix those in the digital copy.

I think the real problem with it is the fact that it's got oodles of plot, but not really any *theme*. Nothing to make you think, nothing that really touches your heart and soul, no characters you fall in love with, or remember years later.

To be fair, there are good things about Antigrav Unlimited. It's entertaining enough to keep the pages turning. I probably won't ever reread it, but despite the cliches, it's a reasonably fun read. And it *is* a free download from www.baen.com's Free Library, so you can't beat the price. Give it a try sometime when you're out of things to read.

To the reviewer who's read it an ungodly number of times - well, I guess there's someone for every book, and I admit that I like a few that are less than original myself. They're...comfort food.

I thought that this book was decent, but only decent. I can't really say specifically why, but I found the writing style to be a touch sophomoric. I never really got the sense that the protagonist was in real danger, and everything he wanted to do seemed to come too easy for him; I didn't find the villains terribly well-realized either.

That being said, the entire book can be read for free, courtesy of Baen's Free Library, and it was at least diverting and entertaining enough to be worth "free". I probably wouldn't pay money for it, though.

While the cover for this book says 'Updated' and is labeled 12th edition, it appears to be a 2002 printing of a 1990 copyrighted texted. It describes the use of GPS briefly and refers to 'when it works, it is okay'. Obviously the comment predates the bombing raids on Bagdad. The description of harbors is little changed from a 1978 printing but having visited some of these harbors in 2004, I found the names, phone numbers and parts of the onshore facilities' descriptions totally out of date. I returned mine...hope you find a more up-to-date reference.

a must have for the serious cruiser, a joy just to read as well.

Maptech is a better quick reference guide and more useful for navigation

A wonderful and entertaining resource book. It is filled not only with reference information for the cruising sailor, but geography, advice, local history and accounts of sailing (mis)adventures.

Well worth reading for anyone who loves the Northeast coastline - whether or not they have ever entered an unfamiliar harbor, short of food and fuel, just ahead of a storm.