Non-fiction Books

The first and third books in the series are good to read once, but Wyvern's Spur can be read over and over again. I can't guess how many times I've read it. While the other books are kind of dark and spooky, WSpur is just fun. It's a kick in the pants. Giogioni is my kind of hero. I doubt the missus'll let me name a kid after him though.... Oh well. Hooray for Giogi!

As a sequel to Azure Bonds only one major character appears in this book. But that is alright as this turned out to be a fantastic story. I did not want this story to end!! My only complaint is that the authors did not write another book using these characters. The story was unique and an all around excellent tale. Nothing lacking in this book. Would like to see a book about how Olive and Jade met up, though, which would precede this story.

What can I say? This book is a shining example of good fiction writing. Good plot, good characters, good pacing and a wonderful change of pace from the traditional trilogy formula of having the main characters in book #1 in dire trouble. I am disappointed however, that the only other novel that I have seen with Giogi and Cat in it has been Ed Greenwood's Cormyr (an excellent book in its own right). Highly recommended along with the two other books in this trilogy.

It appears to be that several TSR writers are themselves readers of the works of PG Wodehouse. If so, I'm very very thankful. I feel it is a pity that Giogini Wyvernspur only appears as the main character in only 1 novel. The realms need more stories with this type of clean yet side-splitting humour.

If you haven't read the Finder's Stone Trilogy, do so. This is excellent Fantasy writing. Novak and Grubb are able to suck the reader into the story.

It's hard to say whether Wyvern's Spur was the best of the three books, they were all so good. You will not be disappointed in reading this book.

The book's title might be "Learning How To Do Yoga Without Turning Yourself Into A Pretzel. No doubt, Mastering the Basic is a better choice for the book's title. The trick to doing yoga is knowing the preliminary moves that eases one into the posture without strain or exertion. This book does just that with illustrations and concise easy to follow text printed next to the illustration.

Make no mistake about it, yoga can become "entwining" but this book stops short of that. From the most elementary posture one progresses to more complicated postures in what seems effortless. The result is, "Hey, look what I can do.".

Therefore knowing what to do and how to do it makes all the difference in the world in sticking with your yoga practice and this book does exactly that. If you ever wanted to learn how to do yoga this book would be a big help in getting you started down that path.

I am reviewing the DVD which has two programs: Flexibility Strength and Balance and Deepen & Strengthen.

This dvd is great for beginners. You are lead through a series of warm-ups that are basic to all yoga moves. You learn how to move and hold the body which is essential for a good yoga foundation. There are two sessions. I prefer the Flexibility session to the Deepen and Strengthen.
The 2nd session makes you hold the positions for long periods. The young woman demonstrating the moves is Amazing! This is probably "old school" for many people, but without the foundation, you might as well just be exercising. Not for every day use, but great when I don't feel like twisting my spine into a pretzel.

I feel this book does what it says, covers the basics. It's easy to read and the pictures clearly show each pose. There is more to read than expected, and it is all beginner-friendly & not over-kill at all. A good book that provides exactly what it says it will.

This Hatha Yoga manual is authentic, clear, thorough, precise and well illustrated. For each posture, there is at least one illustrative photo. All the postures are scientifically sequenced. As a Yoga student of the same tradition, I recommend this book to all Yoga students and teachers without reservation.

This is an excellent and thorough introduction to yoga including the philosophical foundation and context for a meaningful practice. It has a great progressive program and provides a complete and comprehensive rationale for following it. It is well-organized, contains a lot of material, is very readable and very accessible to anyone. It is also printed on very quality paper, has excellent illustrations and is quite a bargain at this price. Highly recommeneded by this reviewer and I see a lot of yoga books!

I am an art teacher in an elementary school. Each year I read the series of three Angus books (in the order they were written) to my first graders when we are folding an origami puppy. They love each book. I introduce the Scottish Terrier by showing the encyclopedia entry about dogs. This gets them excited about dogs AND the encyclopedia. By the third book, Angus Lost the children can hardly stand it - they are so excited. They cheer at the end. We look at the dog entry again in the encyclopedia to find the collie that Angus meets on the wide road. (These children don't know Lassie!) We compare the sizes of the dogs, etc. The books offer a view into the past: suspenders, hedges, and the milk man, but the story is current, the illustrations lovely. In Angus and the Cat the children whoop with delight over the illustration of Angus looking out the second story window looking for the cat. All three books are great read-alouds!

I love all the Angus books. Having owned a Scottie dog, I am particularly thrilled with the illustrations - they are so accurate. I used to read these to my daughter when she was a child & am now buying them for all my friends' little kids. I'll keep my set forever. The stories are so endearing.

My 1.5 year old is already a fan of this book. We bought it because she's fascinated with ducks. The realistic illustrations and complex sentences are a nice change of pace from most of her more recently published children's' books. The story has a bit of intrigue, a quick pace, and a humorous ending. It's just perfect.

This is a wonderful book for children or for any age. Subtle and beautifully written, and perfect artwork.

I think this (or Make Way for Ducklings) was my first library book. At any rate, it starated me on a lifelong love of reading--and dogs! The illustrations capture every nuance of a dog's body language--you can practically feel Angus' warm little tummy as he stands up to reach something high. The story is not babyfied, but, as another reviewer indicates, is told with an intelligent vocabulary. Build vocab early!
I treasured my Angus book and each time my mom took me to the library (years and years and years ago), I confounded her by ALWAYS adding the same old Angus book to my pile of borrowings. I hope I will OWN them all one day!

I love all the Angus books. Having owned a Scottie dog, I am particularly thrilled with the illustrations - they are so accurate. I used to read these to my daughter when she was a child & am now buying them for all my friends' little kids. I'll keep my set forever. The stories are so endearing.

My mommy helped me read this when I was a mere toddler. My mommy is gone and I am an old person now, but I want to thank mommy for introducing me to the lovable Angus! Each time she took me to the library, I lalways wanted to take out the same Angus books. And now, YEARS LATER, I want to own them all. One never grows tired of the spunky little terrier and his adventures. If you are an old curmudgeon, Angus will lower your blood pressure. If you are an adult and introduce a child to Angus today, they will be thanking you half a century later--trust me!
Keep going, my little Angus--I love you!

An absolutely wonderful and charming children's book that can be enjoyed by adults as well

This is one of three books about Angus, the little Scottish Terrier. He is like many small boys or girls
who do not want to stay safely at home, but want to take off and explore the world. Without being terribly scary
this story illustrates that sometimes we are not ready to do what we think we are ready to do, and that there are
good reasons for certain rules. Angus is very smart and learns quickly. I feel children relate to the way curiosity
tempts us to do things we should not do.

I also enjoy reading the Quack Quack Quackety Quack talk of the ducks to little children because they love
hearing an adult quack.

Oh Angus, how we love your stories! This little curious scottish terrier is more curious that Curious George. He goes off in winter to explore where the milkman goes, finds a dog friend, meets a goat who luckily is on a chain. He runs to find more adventure and gets caught overnight in the snow. He hears a sound he knows...the milkman and follows him on his route until he finds his way home. Very heartwarming story.

it is a common complaint among good readers that a foreign classic suffers by what is inevitably lost in translation, that true appreciation of a foreign classic is only possible if one undertakes to read that foreign classic in its native language.

i beg to differ. a classic is immune to the exigencies of translation. i grant that what is lost is lamentable but what is gained is the acknowledgement with each successive translation that this book, leo tolstoy's anna karenin, is a classic.

a lesser book by a lesser author does not warrant numerous translations; one will suffice. which brings me to rosemary edmond's translation. it does not read as well as david magarshack's and yet there is a fidelity to detail in the former that i applaud. so one cancels out the other.

bring on the next translation of anna karenin. i'll be ready for it.

I received a different translation of this on loan from a friend a short while ago (the David Magarshack translation). I took it with me on a short trip to London (yay!) where I got to see Ewan McGregor in Guys and Dolls (which is neither here nor there but I'm still excited about it). I figured a big long book would be appropriate for a big long airplane ride. And really it probably was the best choice for where to begin this book because while it managed to hold my attention while I was reading it, there was nothing about it that compelled me to pick it up when I was not.

After about 150 pages I felt unhappy with that translation. It felt like I was missing things. So in London I bought another edition of it and finished up by reading this. I wasn't entirely happy with this translation either)... I think this is my first Russian book, so maybe Russian has too complex of a structure to translate well? Because I haven't had this feeling with, say, French translated classics.

Ultimately, I wasn't very drawn in to the love stories, or the philosophical agonies, and while I partly identified with Levin's crisis of faith I thought it was interesting that the book ended by talking about that which seemed to give it extra significance, as if to imply that was the most important aspect of the novel.

I would be interested in hearing a bit of a critical analysis of this book to get at different layers of it but I don't think I will ever read it again, unless many many years down the road when I have forgotten what it was about.


One particular note about this translation:

I wondered while I was reading this why they called it Anna Karenin and not Anna Karenina as it seems to be called everywhere else. Recently I've been doing a lot of research on Russia for a novel I'm writing and now I wonder even more. Apparently in the Russian language the last names are different based on gender. So her husband would be Mr. Karenin, she would be Mrs. Karenina. If you call her Anna Karenin you are calling her Mr. Anna Karenin. It's not the female form. I can't imagine why the translator would feel like she needed to translate a character's last name to an anglicized form. I think we could all deal with it being slightly different from her husband's. Ms. Edmonds didn't feel the need to anglicize the first names of anyone and if she had that would also have been in poor taste. It was a bad choice, in my opinion.

This classic Tolstoy novel about love, loss and the nature of good is one of those books that should be re-read to fully appreciate their scope. As a teenager, you focus on the doomed love affair between Anna and Vronsky. As a thirtysomething reader, I read it as a book about compromises and trust. I can only expect that if I read it at midlife, I am going to find something else again.

It is too big to be perfect, and you can pick nits with much of what Tolstoy has done here. But why would you? It is a masterwork accomplishment by virtually any standard. The Rosemary Edmonds translation is smooth and well done. It flows smoothly and does justice to the original.

A good book to get teenagers reading, approachable and accessible for most readers. Highly recommended.

This is one of my favorite books of all time! Though Anna Karenin is not necessarily an easy or quick read, you will thank yourself for persevering and reading this book. Tolstoi has an amazing way with characterization and descriptive narrative. He managed to find just the right words or phrase something in just such a way as to evoke real feeling from the reader; you can truly identify with the character/situation at those moments and appreciate the literary beauty of this novel throughout. Happy reading!

I found this book slightly dissapointing after reading "War and Peace". If I had read this first, I might be saying it's the greatest thing ever, but I just didn't think it had the same energy and life that "War and Peace" had. Tolstoy seemed to go through agony writing the book and it shows. The problem is the characters just don't come to life as much. Anna and Vronsky are just too shallow to be truly tragic. Anna comes close at the end with her utterly despairing observations on life just before her suicide, but that was too little too late. And Levin and Kitty are likable but I thought the Pierre-Natasha love story was much better. Levin is a little too stiff--Pierre is Bill Clinton and Levin is Al Gore.

I think heroic epics and Religious tracts were more in Tolstoy's nature. Tragedy was not. I know Tolstoy suffered from depression and had a dark side, but I don't think he had a tragic view of the world overall and he seems to be straining here. Every great writer has to write a tragedy to be considered truly great. I wonder if he subconsciously wrote this as an assignment to be considered a Literary God.

Maybe this is unfair. It's clearly a work of genius but it just didn't personally move me as much as that other BIG Tolstoy book.
But still worth reading for any serious fan of literature.

I just finished reading "The Awakening Land: The Trees, The Fields, The Town." I had to get on a waiting list at the library (and they had to borrow it from another library). I can't figure out why there aren't several copies in every library. I saw the miniseries years ago and was enraptured, and the book is every bit as good. Every time Sayward spoke, I pictured Elizabeth Montgomery - her performance was so true to the book. I can't see anyone else as Sayward Luckett; Elizabeth was made for the role. Why, oh why, hasn't this been released on VHS or DVD? Why isn't the book easily purchased? This is such a fascinating time in our American past. Shouldn't this be more available to our kids? I couldn't put the book down, but I know today's kids would rather watch a video -- so how about it, Powers that Be?

Like others here, I first saw the mini series years ago. I haven't seen it since but remember it vividly. But this trilogy is so much more. It is a good example of how a movie or TV show can bring people to great literature.
This book is rich and wonderful in its language and story. If you can't get the collection then go for the books singly. I have re-read them at least a dozen times since I first read them about thirty years ago and they never get old. I can't say that about many books. I really don't know why Conrad Richter is not better known these days or mentioned more often as a great American writer.

Set in Ohio from 1790 to about 1860, this trilogy within one book tells of the members of an Ohio family as their state goes in the course of one human lifetime from a howling wilderness to one of the most industrialized places on planet earth. There's no way my review could do justice to the majestic goings-on inside this multi-faceted book, so I won't try. It's amazing. I will say that much. This trilogy is scary, uplifting, and adventurous, all at once. It won numerous awards for its author, Conrad Richter, and deserved every single one. Why this classic is so little know today, half a century after its publication I do not know, but hope that someday future readers rediscover it and give it its due.

This book is so amazing! I completly agree with the other people on this site who have reviewed this book. I see that I am very fortunate that my mother owns this book, since I see from other's comments how hard it is to come by. I also think that it should be put back into print. People now are missing out on a wonderful book that takes you back to a time when parts of this country were completly wild and what this family experienced as they struggled to make it a place that they could live and grow in. The family is so enthralling, you get totally caught up in their lives and it is definetly a book that you hate to come to the end of. I have loaned it to 4 other people who love it as much as I do. It is a gem of a book. Sincerely, Wendy Scopa

"The Awakening Land" is the story of the settlement of America, told through the life of Sayward Luckett. When `Saird' is a young child, her father brings the family to the Ohio River valley, at that time an endless expanse of unsettled forest. Other settlers come, and eventually a town called Americus, Ohio is established. Sayward marries Portius Wheeler, a reclusive young lawyer, and together they raise nine children. The story covers the usual events you would expect in a multi-generational saga: births, deaths, marriages, infidelity, murder, illegitimate children, etc. Most of the story is told from the point of view of the plucky, practical Sayward, who never looses her "woodsy" heart, even after living over 40 years as the wife of one of the town's most prominent and prosperous citizens.

This was made into a miniseries in the 1970s, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Hal Holbrook, Jane Seymour, and William H. Macy. I remember it as being very good, but it is unfortunately not available on DVD.

Very nicely writen, warms the heart and reminds me to follow my heart regardless of the outside pressures.

Love isn't supposed to hurt. A sage's perspective on the matters of real love.

This book was ok, but didn't touch me as much as "the prophet" did.

For Khalil Gibran, love was a way perhaps a supreme way of achieving self-realization and completeness as a human being. Anyone can live their life transformed by the all consuming power of an encounter with "The Beloved". Particularly in the Eastern cultures there are people trapped in joyless or organized marriages; their passions sacrificed to convention. It is these segments of people that Gibran has brilliantly targeted. Gibran can write very complex social issues in quite simple terms. He can make these issues in a way that can make the reader feel one is taking a walk in a quiet wood, or bathing in a cool stream.

During the course of his reading one can observe that Gibran is a fervernt and outspoken champion of the cause of human rights. He has waged a struggle to strengthen the recognition of youth's freedom of action in love, and abolish from the social structure some of the prevailing ancient marriage customs. He has a strong condemnation of traditions of pre-arranged marriages of children by their parents, in complete disregard of the wishes of those so betrothed.

The ill-fated story of Lyla in `The Brides Bed' is an eye witness account recorded by Khalil. Lyla with courage, anguish and heroism broke in fury from this custom. She brought as a result on her self consequences extremely tragic. This is best described in Khalil's prose:

"... Come you cowards! Fear not the specter of death whose greatness will refuse to approach your littleness and dread not this dagger, for it is a divine instrument which declines to touch your filthy bodies and empty hearts. Look at this handsome youth, he is my beloved and I killed him because I love him. .... We sought a bed worthy of our love in this world which you have made so small with your ignorance and traditions. .... Then the bride lifted her dagger towards the sky, and like a thirsty person who brings the edge of a drinking glass to her lips, she bought it down and planted it in her chest..."

In the `Vision' he describes the social convention issue faced by one:

".. I am a lost human heart, imprisoned in the foul dungeons of mans dictates; tied with chains of earthly authority, dead and forgotten by laughing humanity whose tounge is tied and whose eyes are empty of visible tears. ..."

"His power came from some great reservoir of spiritual life else it could not have been so universal and so potent, but the majesty and beauty of the language with which he clothed it were all his own." -- Claude Bragdon



Kahlil Gibran, on Love:
Love was the central theme of Gibran's life which he expressed in prose poems, and drawings; "Just reading the English translation for this collection of his love-related Arabic works makes my bones ache with the amazing insights he portrays through moving language." ankh fire

"Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart,
and a song of praise upon your lips."
G. Khalil Gibran

The Beloved:
For Gibran, love was the eternal way for any human being to reach completeness, in self realization transforming their life by the power of the encounter with the beloved;
"Who among you would not cross the seas, traverse deserts,
go over mountains and valleys to reach the woman whom his spirit has chosen?
What youth would not follow his heart to the ends of the earth
to breathe the sweetness of his lover's breath, feel the soft touch of her hands,
delight in the melody of her voice?"

The Arkana Edition:
This Penguin Arkana edition of the unique selection of Gibrans writings on the mystical union in love and marriage which he dedicated to the spirit that embraced his spirit and the heart that poured its secrets into his heart, will kindle a fire in the emotions of poetry responsive readers like Ankh fire.
The introduction by Robin Waterfield is concise but eloquent and informing. The translator John Walbridge of Indiana University, who lived and studied in the Middle East introduced G. Khalil Gibran, in a nice biography analyzing his thought, and how he liberated traditional Arabic of his time, writing in a simple diction of modern new form. He compares the passion expressed in his early writings, with the its Lebanese setting and American influence. This new translation of the gifted poet's early Arabic composition is a contemporary fresh one which reflects the original text more closely.

G. Kahlil Gibran, 1883-1931:
I encountered Gibran before appreciating Arabic poetry, as a young kid I was amazed by the beauty of his art and the romance of his expression, in 'The Prophet.' Later, I read him in Arabic, before I found out how the Libanese emigrant poet has touched the Western hearts. This collection of Gibran's early stories, parables and poetic prose, were written in Arabic before his works were translated into English, earning him the nickname 'the Shelly of the Orient.' Many Arabic speaking intelligentsia, including my dad thought he has qualified to have been a Nobel Laureate!

I can scarcely imagine an author who has done a better job of creating a world that is as meticulously researched, historically accurate and heartbreakingly tragic. This series is an installment in a prolonged effort by Kurtz and this first book is splendid. Depicting the start of the reign of a young King, newly come to power and his struggles to become who he wishes and not what others would have him be.

The author writes with such expertise in depicting the world and conditions that the characters live in, that you are truly there. It's gritty and dark and entirely realistic. The characters are flawed, but that is the beauty of the craftsmanship because they are all the better for being something other than the infallible heroes that so often bedeck this genre.

The author's depiction of the role of Church, politics and intrigue are flawlessly intertwined. The very title of this book is controversial enough to pique the interest of any student of human history. I really enjoyed that she so closely emulates what really happened, but still blends in the fantastic and sets it some place other than our world.

Prepare to be entertained and educated, but make the effort and take the time because this is what we all hope to read and so seldom find.

"The Bishop's Heir" is one of my favorites in this series -- fantastic writing; wonderful, well-developed characters; adventure; intrigue; brotherhood; loyality; friendship; sacrifice; and some humor thrown in for good measure. Who could ask for more?

What an amazing work! So many different things for so many different characters were developed in this book, and I couldn't have been more pleased.

This is the first of her books that I ever read. I found her description of ritual to be very moving. Enough so, that I gained better insight into the attraction of religion.

She has created a world not dissimilar to Europe around the time of the dark ages. Reading one of her books makes you see the history of Europe with new eyes and interest. An added bonus for your kids who are just getting up to that section of history. She delves deeply and to great effect into the politics of a kings court.

I say 'undiscovered', because it is difficult to find her books in the library or at the book store, you can generally pick up one or two somewhere, but not the whole collection. However, those that know her writing, seem to always want more. Our local library has four of her books - all of which have been stolen from the library. While a pity, certainly she has a following.

I don't think she writes with a master plan, book 1-book 10 of a series. Instead she seems to write about something, and then explore what happened before that to this character, or after to that one, or 'between' events. Makes is difficult to get a linear progression of a story, but then history is like that.

Anytime I run into one of her books at the bookstore, I buy it.

I can easily describe Katherine Kurtz The Bishop's Heir in one sentence: Brilliant. This novel, which is book one of the three part Chronicles of King Kelson, is absolutely brilliant. Kurtz weaves a rich tapestry of intrigue and war all set in an alternate reality.

The plot of the story is strong, which is typical of a Kurtz novel. She obviously is well read on medieval History (M.A. in Medieval English History) and religion, which adds a depth to this novel that most fantasy authors could only dream of achieving. Rather than take the worn out theme perfected by Tolkien (and then worn out by subsequent copy cats) she devises a plot based around the desire for power and combines it with racism and genocidal desires (themes from our own time).

No review of this novel would be complete without a discussion of Ms. Kurtz's use of religion to drive the plot. Something most fantasy novels simply brush over is the religion of the characters involved. If, and that's a big if, religion is mentioned, it's usually some bland form of paganism similar to just about every other fantasy novel out there. Not this one. The use of the Catholic Church, along with it's heirarchy of nuns and priests, bishops and monks, gives these books a depth I've not seen in a fantasy novel since, perhaps, the master himself. Like the Lord of the Rings, The Bishop's Heir reads like a great historical novel, rather than a half baked fantasy.

If you are yearning for a good fantasy with some magic, lot's of plot, and well written characters, you've come to the right place.

Tom Sharpe, Christopher Brookmyre, P.J. O'Rourke, Stephen Fry, P.G.Wodehouse - they all fall into the category of authors who REALLY make me laugh. If you mix up Billy Connelly and John Cleese, you'll get the idea. In Blott on the Landscape (which was turned into a BBC television series), Sharpe's humour is as sharp as ever (pun intended) and his characterizations are an absolute scream. Of course, it helps if you appreciate British humour which, at times, can be quite black. (A woman getting a lion to eat her own husband?)

Tom Sharpe's 'Wilt' books were comical enough but, in Blott on the Landscape and Porterhouse Blue, he excels even his own high standards of comic writing.

No need to look at of Tom Sharpe's novels if you are looking for refined literature. The man simply pumps out farcical stories which polk fun at the establishment and wealthy folks in particular. As with most farces, the reader can either find it all to be hilarious or simply stupid. Fortunately this reader found it to be hilarious.

'Blott on the Landscape' is about one woman's fight to keep her ancestral home at all costs, with the help of her gardener (Blott). We are exposed to the most improbable characters and actions imaginable, with rude behaviour and language in abundance. It all has a 1970s British television sitcom feel about it. Still I think most Brits will enjoy this book, and fortunately it is still in print over here.

Bottom line: Tom Sharpe in fine form. I'm still giggling.

Sir Giles Lynchwood, Conservative MP, schemes to have a motorway extend over his houses. He never liked the house and is in a position to earn quite a bit from the transaction. His wife who married him with the promise of children to keep the house and the estate going. The handyman, Lott a German refugee, fortifies the gatehouse to repel the construction crew. It is much more complex with subplots. Everyone has their own agenda and watch out for the lions.

Be sure to watch the mini-series also.
Many videos do not live up to the expectations of the book. This one may even surpass the book. All of the characters fit and all the irony hits you in the face. This was my first encounter with David Suchet (Blott). And you will recognize all the other major players including Geraldine James (Lady Maud Lynchwood).

Aside from his excellent performance on the audiotape; David Suchet is Blott in the mini-series. This tape is easy enough to follow that you can use it in the car. When following the book you can get a different perspective than the TV series offers. The TV series is now on DVD. I know Tom Sharpe's comedy is similar to other British comedies; however I really identify with the people that he describes. The people are similar in "The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy". Come to think of it the plot is similar in a domestic sort of way.

This was the first book by Tom Sharpe I've ever read. Blott OnThe Landscape is a wonderfully funny, campy book that is hilarious!The contrived situations... A hysterical plot for a hysterical book. Read this in the summer when you want to feel light and bubbly. Have plenty of Gin and Tonic on hand! END

This is the first Tom Sharpe I read, and it just seems so much better that the others...I first saw the t.v. series, and was even more impressed by the book. I loved eveything about it, the plot, the exagerrated characters, the way everything fits together at the end. I was a bit disturbed that I could laugh so much about a woman deliberately letting a lion eat her (thoroughly horrible and worthless) husband, but this is the mad world that Tom Sharpe takes you to. Ther way the betrayed wife should become best friend and ally with her husbands mistress is just hysterical! My other favourite character was the poor,bureacratically challenged head of the motorway planning authourity who had none! A great book to escape into.

Back in the 1970's as the Viet Nam War was winding down for us. A lot of the veterans wrote of their experiences in the ill fated war. This book was one of the better efforts of these men. ( A Marine Veteran of that war was kind enough to lend me his copy before I joined the Army. Thanks Lloyd!)
In this book, one got a feel with the Authors telling details of his experiences as a Junior Officer in a Marine Line Company. For example the power struggle with the Senior Sgt. in his Platoon, the overwhelming heat and the plain hard work needed to just survive let alone the fighting an elusive and talented enemy. That and gaining the trust of his men in the platoon was a major effort for the Lt. All in all a very well written book that the Author can take pride in.

I read this novel first when I was in middle school. It was around 1984 when I found a copy of the book at a garage sale in Russellville, Ohio. I asked about it and the lady said it belonged to her son, I could have it if I would carry a could of tireless rims out of her garage for her, she was old.
I read most of the first half of the book on the ride home, we lived in Springfield, Ohio and were traveling home from visiting family on the Thanksgiving holiday.
The novel gripped me and opened my young eyes to the true face of war. Public school education is such a sanitary way to learn of the real historiues of men... I later heard Huggett speak, fascinating... I recommend this, I still have that first copy, thumbworn and held together with duct tape, though I do have a newr copy that I read every couple of years... It, coupled with ten years of service in the U.S. Army remind me that sometimes we have to take responsibility and it isn't always pretty.
I highly recommend this to anyone who likes to read hnovels that fell honest.

Let tell you, this is one of the best novels I have ever read about war. Let me tell you it is increadibly realilistic (exept for a few parts) it is mind blowing in the war scenes. The last battle is amazing. The book is about some guys ina platoon during the Veitnam War. The main charicter is Hawlkins the new 2nd Letuinent of the platoon. It is also about Cheif an american indian who is fighting d'nam as they call it. Also they tell the story of two black men Carsyle and Wilson who are at the oposing ends of Black Power. The book tells of all their "adventures" in war, the rear, and R&R. Its increadibly interesting. Read this, if you can find it in a Used Book Store. It is WONDERFULL!

William Kelly Turner Huggett, 65, died in Miami, Florida, August 31, 2004. He was graduated from Emory University with a double major in history and political science, joined the Marines because he wanted to serve his country, and was awarded the bronze star for heroism in Vietnam as a 2nd Lt. His book "Body Count", published by Putnam in 1974, was based on his personal experiences in the Marines and in Vietnam, and was written while he was in law school at the University of Florida. I first met "Bill", or "Huggett" as he was called by friends, during a small dinner at a friends home in 1977. When he found out that I had served three tours in "Nam", he went out to his car, and came back in with a copy of "Body Count" which he autographed for me. I still have the book. He was married with two children, and practiced Admirality and Maritime law in Miami. Huggett was among the most energetic and magnetic personalities I ever had the pleasure to know. Semper Fi.

I thought I'd read them all, all that were any good that is...Then I picked up BODY COUNT. Notice it was published in 1974: right between the "peace treaty" and the full-scale final communist invasion of South Vietnam. So maybe this is one of the first post-Vietnam novels. Yet it is still hot from the years of heaviest fighting by U.S. troops. My Dell edition doesn't give infomation on the author, but the story is so authentically written that he must have first hand experience on his subject. This is the ultimate platoon diary. There is dirt, sweat, and blood on these pages. There is the tedious labor of day to day survival in the bush to the excessive gratifications of long awaited RnRs. The author is not content to simply relate the events of the platoon; he builds his story and the characters may grow, die, or stubbornly do neither. Since this is almost a contemporary piece, social problems like racism are accurately dealt with believable results. The death of two characters in their listening post is at once horrific and beautiful-you'll have to read the book to understand what I mean. BODY COUNT is now at the top of my list of Vietnam novels. It is far better than most of the better known authors books on the war, so find it if you can.