Oliver Books

I did not care for the writing style of this book. (Too chatty and conversational.) The "think-aloud" and "questioning" examples sounded forced and patronizing.

I had to buy this book for one of my literacy graduate courses, and I really am enjoying it. I like the little asides and examples that the author uses, and the narrative format is much easier to follow and understand than "normal" or dry textbooks. The subheadings for the chapters give a fairly nice indication of what each chapter is about, and the book is organized nicely.

I'm a teacher and needed this book very badly. I bought the book and the used copy that I received is in perfect shape and arrived in lightening time! Ordering was so easy and satisfactory that I will definitely do it again.

Ellin Keene has added a lot more depth and practicality in her second edition. All teachers of reading should read this book!

I loved this book. I couldn't put it down and finished it in less than a week. It is chock full of great reading teaching points and literature discussion starters. I definitely plan on using this book while planning this year. My husband laughed at me because I tabbed so many of the pages.
Excellent book on language arts for teachers.

Laurel & Hardy fans will love this book. I certainly did. The warmth and affection that John McCabe had for both Stan and Ollie comes through on every page. While the focus is more on Laurel, Hardy comes off well in the chapters devoted to him.
I wish there had been more pictures, but the text more than made up for it. Don't be surprised if you find yourself whistling the "cukoo song" while reading this book. The "boys" are gone, but the laughter they created is still with us, unlike the current crop of "comedians".

I wish they'd put Stan and Ollie back on TV to show another generation how wonderful these two are. There's no doubt that they remain as funny today as they did back in their prime. I'm a big fan and have many of their DVD's. I wanted to know about the duo and this book informed me greatly.

Mr Laurel and Mr Hardy is a riveting biography of the two men. It took me only a few hours to get through. It concentrates mostly on Stanley who was the creative genius behind the pair, but this only heightens interest in the chapter on Ollie, which is written in interview form. I liked the way the book started with Laurel failing miserably on his first attempt at performing, with his Dad in attendance. His perseverence was incredible as he subbed for Chaplin during the early days before hard work and the luck to be partnered with Mr Hardy, finally garnered him some success.

The book, written after many interviews with Stan, has got a very appealing narrative. We get insights into the making of their films, answering questions about how the pair came together and how most of their routines got started. It's very enlightening.

What I found most surprising was the undercurrent of emotion throughout. Its author obviously had a wonderful adoration for the pair and Stan, while speaking to him is very nostalgic about the past. I love the parts where Stan met Chaplin after many years, after they both had made it. And where, years after their filmic success, when they were touring Europe, the church bells in Cobh played out their theme tune.

If you have any interest in Laurel and Hardy, you must get this book.

A great book. If you are a Laurel & Hardy fan get this book. Very few pictures but a lot of quality information. A realistic look at team team's early years, hayday and then fall after leaving Hal Roach. It is obvious John McCabe loves Laurel & Hardy. A GREAT BOOK.

In this first book that looks at the work of one of the movies'most beloved comedy teams.Prof(Now Dr.)John McCabe gives some insight into Laurel And Hardy's film work.As he explains the evolution of Stan Laurel's approach to comedy and methiods to creating and performing comedy skits.The Prof. also looks at the boyhood days of Oliver Norvell(Babe)Hardy and his unconventional approach to performing comedy and the development of his singing talent.

The book also looks at the team's vintage years at The Hal Roach Studios and their forgetable film series at Fox and MGM During the war years.It also recalls the team's successful performances at The Music Halls and Cabrets of Europe and Stan Laurel creating funny comedy skits and seeing the team's rebirth during the early days of tv.As he became an idol to many kids of the tv generation(Myself included).While the book doesn't go into great depth about the complete creation of the team's film work.It does show us all how L&H worked at creating and presenting their classic comedic characters and their approach to spoofing man's foilbels.And it shows us Prof.McCabe's love and admiration for both men and for their wives:Ida Laurel(Stan's fourth wife) and Lucille Hardy(Babe's third wife)and their love for their work and for life.If you ever wanted a book that shows a positive look into the physce of two funny and charming people? This is The One movie bio to have.Bravo Jack.Kevin S.Butler.

This was the first book about everyone's favourite comedy couple. I recently read it for the fourth or fifth time and felt inspired to recommend it at Amazon. McCabe interviewed both comics and knew Laurel for years. As an overview and appreciation of the Laurel and Hardy career this is still the best book to start with. Those more seriously interested will find a number of excellent books on the subject written in more recent years. I recommend 'Mr Laurel and Mr Hardy' enthusiastically to all fans.

Another customer review used the word 'laconic,' and it is apt. The author could have said more than he did, but he was writing for readers of an earlier time, who must have known more about the frontier than most of us do today.

Gillett has lived a wonderful life. I have read many Texas Rangers books and this one is very good. You have to understand the absolute bravery of the Texas Ranger and the lack of any fear. Never in the book does any weakness raise it's head and at the same time never does Gillett take on the attitude of, "I shot a bear". I have fowarded the book to my son in Chicago. I don't think he shares my admiration for the Ranger force, but someday he will.

James B. Gillett became a Texas Ranger in the Frontier Battalion in 1875 at the age of 19 after growing up on ranches near Austin and Lampasas. This book, written long after he had left the Rangers for ranch life mainly near Alpine, Texas, is a reminiscent account of his experiences while serving with the Rangers (1875-1881). He says in the Preface that he will write only about what he personally experienced and not try to write a history of the Texas Rangers, a task he feels unqualified to do; he is mostly faithful to that endeavor, though some events (the "Salt Lake War" near El Paso, for example) were not actually witnessed first-hand by Gillett. Some other major episodes related include the killing of Sam Bass (some of the details regarding Bass appear to be embellishments), the escorting of John Wesley Hardin to prison, capturing the murderous Baca brothers, and conducting numerous raids against the Apaches. Gillett writes in a straightforward, matter-of-fact style, and his memory for events and people encountered decades earlier is impressive. He doesn't embellish too much in his recounting, and he has the knack of telling a story interestingly and with authority. One comes away from the book with a very good idea of what made the Rangers tick and some of the difficulties they were up against. It would be hard to ask for anything more.

First-hand accounts are always the best and this, although written by a non-writer, is very entertaining and quite readable. Well worth the price.

This book is a compelling and entertaining first-hand account of one of Texas' most revered lawmen of the old West. James B. Gillett's experiences in the far-western reaches of the Texas frontier make for exciting reading as he takes on the likes of the Apache chieftan Victorio, one of the last and arguably the greatest of the Apache war chiefs. Gillett recounts the day-to-day experiences of those who rode with the Rangers from 1875-1881. From the Mason County War to encounters with the likes of outlaw Sam Bass, this book captures the excitement and the aura of the real Texas near the end of the nineteenth century. For the reader who yearns for the smell of wet saddle leather and gunsmoke, Gillette delivers on a most memorable note.

There is growing evidence that while this play was attributed to Thomas Kyd on the slimmest possible evidence, it is actually an early play of Shakespeare. It's similarity to Hamlet has so often been noted that Kyd is supposed to have written a hypothetical earlier version of Hamlet that has never been shown to exist. The way to figure out for yourself who wrote this play is to read some of it aloud. You'll find that its speaches have a musical quality that echoes those in Henry V (which may have been written at about the same time). Also, compare one of its early scenes with a very similar one in Macbeth. The more you read this play aloud, considering the music of its poetry rather than just its imagery and thematic strucure (it's very early Shakespeare) the more you're likely to be struck that here is a masterpiee forgotten (except to scholars) that is worthy of frequent theatrical performance. Perhaps you'll be moved to produce it yourself.

There have been great controversies over whether The Spanish Tragedy is the greatest English play to have ever been composed, or rather a fantastic counterfeit of past playwrights. Either way, this revenge tragedy delves into the realm of human suffering and selfishness while searching for answers in the heavens or in the wicked wheel of Fortune. While some characters are a bit melodramatic, one must be aware that melodrama was one of the few ways to properly express emotion on the Elizabethan stage. It's a quick read, but not for the light of heart or mind when dealing with the fanciful language and tranfers between long and even-redundant soliloquies and sporadic stichomythia. Don't expect this to be any sort of heart-warming play; there's a reason it's called a tragedy.

The Spanish Tragedy (1592) was a remarkably popular Elizabethan revenge play that substantially influenced other Elizabethan playwrights including Shakespeare. The gruesome, neo-Senecan melodrama, Titus Andronicus, dates from 1594; Hamlet was first performed in 1602.

I knew little about The Spanish Tragedy at the time of my first reading (and review) in 2003. In retrospect I failed to appreciate fully Thomas Kyd's Senecan framework, especially the significance of the prologue by the ghost of Andrea, the role of the supernatural Revenge, and the varied scenes in the underworld of Roman mythology - all found in the first act. I am not certain whether I even realized that the ghost Andrea and Revenge remained on stage throughout the play, invisible to the actors, but clearly visible to the audience.

I wrote that although I was confused with intervention of pagan gods and that the numerous murders seemed excessive, I still considered Kyd's tragedy warranted four stars. Having recently returned to The Spanish Tragedy (as part of a collection of Elizabethan revenge tragedies), I am now much more enthusiastic (a solid five stars).

I no longer find the two intertwined plots to be puzzling. I now see the thoughtless injustice suffered by Hieronimo in the Spanish court as mirrored in the random, capricious behavior of the gods: the confusion the deceased Andrea encountered upon entering the underworld, Proserpine's arbitrary, even frivolous suggestion for Revenge to aid Andrea, and the gods's uneven punishments meted out to the murderers of Horatio (and to others only marginally involved with crime). This disturbing parallel reflects Kyd's nihilistic and pessimistic view of life: not even the intervention of the gods offers any assurance of rational justice.

New Mermaids edition: The footnotes come in two forms. The first provides definitions for unfamiliar or archaic words, or words whose meanings have changed significantly. The second offers explanations of plot subtleties, differences in interpretations by experts, and possible influences on later plays by Shakespeare ans others. Also, translations are provided for Kyd's frequent quotations in Latin, many from Seneca's writings.

J.R. Mulryne's edition of *The Spanish Tragedy* is without a doubt the best that may at present be bought: informative, helpful, intelligent and accurate in introducing the text, presenting it, and glossing difficult words and phrases where necessary. The play is among the most exciting and artistic of its period. Kyd writes, and constructs his plot, with a level of skill comparable to that of Shakespeare, who was much influenced by *The Spanish Tragedy*, particularly in writing *Hamlet*, which is possibly yet "richer", but undoubtedly less clear and focused. Kyd shows us in an extremely sophisticated way the workings of revenge, both at an earthly and at a supernatural level. From the beginning the audience knows, in a way that the characters do not, that the supernatural world will insist on revenge. The pain of those who suffer injustice here on earth and clamour for revenge is painful to behold. Ultimately, however, in a baffling way, evildoers are punished: Hieronimo, the main character, manages to take matters into his own hands after exhausting all other possibilities, and thus ironically enacts the wishes of the higher powers. The FORM of Hieronimo's revenge is extraordinarily interesting: under the cloak of art - of a theatrical plot - he manages to kill his evil opponents quite easily. The tension between "art" and "life" is thus handled by Kyd in a very innovative fashion which still shocks modern spectators and readers. The role of language, too, is called into question: much of the play demonstrates that in real life finally action does speak louder than words, which often do not make their point or simply get ignored. Any reader who wants to get a notion of the superb quality of plays written by Shakespeare's contemporaries is certain to admire and enjoy this striking work of art. - Joost Daalder, Professor of English, Flinders University, South Australia

Hey everyone! Don't even bother paying ANY attention to the ...peter kline spouted in his horrendous review of The Spanish Tragedy. Shakespeare wrote Kyd's masterpiece? Give me a break! And I suppose you're also going to say that Shakespeare secretly wrote Marlowe's plays as well, right? Kudos to Mr. Richard for being a well-informed reader of the English Classics! And as for Mr. Kline, you should do some research ...

This book is a series of stories and insights into how dying people remind us who we are. It is an indespensible tool for those touched by grief. This book reminds us who we are and allows the reader to experience the expression of the soul through the written word.

From an experienced hospice minister comes a revelation of the heart of the Hospice mission. This book conveys the inner experience of hospice care, death and dying and questions about the meaning of life, death and the Spirit. Read along and get back in touch with what is really going on during the most intimate moments of the dying process as well as life itself.

At the time I discovered Sam Olivers Book, I was enrolled in a chaplaincy program at a local hospital. I believed the content would be most helpful in my own ministry. Little did I realize that this book would be my own source of comfort, strength and guidance only a few short months later when I was thrown into an unwanted, unexpected divorce.

I have discovered that the pain of a divorce can be almost as devastating as the death of a loved one. This book served as a guide through that darkness. The comfort and spiritual direction I derived has contributed greatly in my healing process and the continuation of my ministry.

Thank you Sam Oliver for your contribution to my life.

i am interested in insight into life and the experience of dying. partly because i have a heart condition and had open-heart surgery two years ago. i was intrigued by the title of this book and wanted to learn from the experiences of others in the hospice experience. i think i will just volunteer instead. i don't mean to offend anyone with this review, but i wish the Reverend had gone into more detail of the interactions with those in hospice. for me the book offers too much of himself and not enough of their experiences beyond what seem to be brief visits that he has with them. i would be more interested i think in the stories of full-time hospice caregivers. for me i had a problem with the spiritual messages that the Reverend saw in everything. i find those experiences highly subjective and would have preferred merely human stories to the inferences of the eternal and spiritual that the Reverend saw in everything. i guess i should have read the reviews more clearly and exercised more caution before picking this up to read. dying isn't necessarily a religious experience, although i'm sure that this statement will not compute for many who are religious. dying is however a very human experience that we will all share and it is important for us to be in the moments that we have with each other, especially in these necessarily final moments. peace be with you.

Sam knows how to write a great book. Not just about what it sounds like, death and dying. He has lots of great stories and personal experiences that lift you up and definitely get you thinking in a good way! Get it, you won't be disappointed! And if you do know someone who has family that are approaching the hospice stage, buy them a copy or share your own.
I plan to read it again slower this time, a definite keeper!!!

If all we needed was dissent, then we could dissent all day! The problem is that we need something: 1) the right answer, and 2) with a limited amount of information to make the decision we want it 3) quickly and cheaply. Without knowing that the author begins with that background, the title of the book might lead a potential reader into judging that the author was a Bob Dylan wannabe.
The author makes a number of useful observations while dealing with the manifest observation of the most casual observer that the dissenter never profits from his dissent. In other words, dissent is costly from several points of view, so the question is: When is it worth it--if ever?

I really enjoyed this book. It was very readable and well written. I appreciated how the viewpoints and examples used were neutral and usable regardless of the reader's perspective on any issue.

Some of the more interesting points were: (1) an explanation of the pressure to conform, and why this pressure is surprisingly high even among those who consider themselves independent thinkers (2) the power of being first to speak in a group and the efficacy of a firm and confident tone (3) the two types of dissenters: contrarians and disclosers; and the importance of disclosing one's opinion and reasoning (4) discussion of "groupthink" and how group opinions form based on the group's members.

I appreciated Sunstein's frequent reference to psychological studies. That made this book much more credible and useful than one where an author merely formulates theories and writes about them.

It took me a couple of years to get to this book, but I am glad I did. Interestingly, it is dedicated to Judge Richard Posner, who has become quite a celebrity in writing and talking, from a legal point of view, about secret intelligence, in addition to his many other works.

The author's position is not completely new (see for instance Elizabeth Janeway's 1987 classic, "IMPROPER BEHAVIOR: When and How Misconduct Can be Healthy for Society", and the more standard but still seminal "The Social Construction of Reality."

The author rises beyond the law to embrace sociology, psychology, and philosophy, and in that vein, reminds me of Norman Dixon's classic work, "The Psychology of Military Incompetence."

The core of the book addresses what the author names the two influences (most people get most of their information second-hand; and the general desire for good opinion of oneself) and the three phenomena (conformity, social cascades, and group polarization).

He notes that pluralistic ignorance is dangerous; that groups and systems work better when there are incentives for sharing information openly; and that "free speech" requires BOTH legal protection AND cultural acceptance.

He discusses the superiority of the more adaptive and open democratic decision making to that of totalitarian societies, but his description of their pathologies, ideas hatched in secret and for which no opposition will be accepted, sound starkly like Dick Cheney's Standard Operating Procedure--facsist control, lies to the public with impunity, and no tolerance for flag officers, including flag officers like Tony Zinni and General Shinseki, who have the courage to say that invading Iraq is not only nuts, it will be a disaster. For deep insights into Cheney's impeachable suprression of dissent, see "One Percent Doctrine,' "VICE: Dick Cheney and the Hijacking of the American Presidency," and "Crossing the Rubicon"--and of course the various books on impeachment (see my list).

The author concludes with a special focus on the role of Judges and Senators as dissenting voices, and I am reminded of Senator Robert Byrd's courageous and erudite opposition to the illegal war on Iraq, with his speeches available to all in book form as "Losing America: Confronting a Reckless and Arrogant Presidency").

The author concludes with a very disappointing section on education and affirmative action, and in this section, spoils an otherwise superb book by focusing on the banalities of affirmative action. Like George Bush and Hillary Clinton, he is toying with the cosmetics and avoiding the deep--the really deep--need for a complete recasting of education to fully integrate distance and self-paced online learning, multi-cultural learning, deep historical and cross-cultural understanding; a draconian Manhattan Project to improve desktop analytic tools and the need for an Information Economy Meta Language (IEML) such as Pierre Levy is creating (see his "Collective Intelligence"), as well as life-long learning, the localization of everything, and so on. I beg to emphasize this: it is the agricultural era school schedule (summer off) and the industrial era rote learning rigid structured program, that is killing the creativity of our kids while locking them up in a program that is nothing more than advanced child care with a semblance of prison population, the "club med" aspects for cheerleaders and jocks not-with-standing. Our HIGHEST national priority should be to churn education so that our kids are liberally and broadly educated and armed with all of the tools for thinking that the Central Intelligence Agency still does not have today because it too is a vestige of the Soviet era of gray desks and dumb telephones.

Thomas Jefferson had it right: "A Nation's best defense is an educated citizenry." Cass Sunstein is arguably, with Lawrence Lessig, one of the greatest lawyers of our generation, but in the final section, he plops quietly.

Never-the-less, a five star book.

This book gathers together and puts a philosophical/political thoery frame on a range of findings in social science about conformity, information gathering, groupthink, fanaticism, and dissent. The lesson is that a free society needs to encourage, and maybe reward, dissent. If you're familiar with other books the author has published recently (Republic.com, Designing Democracy), the philosophical story and institutional proposals will be familiar. But the survey of the social scientific findings is worth the price of the book.

A breathtaking piece of scholarship, Sunstein's book is readable, riveting and convincing. The arguments are sober and well-reasoned, providing ample citation and the address of multiple hypotheses at each stage of each argument. What emerges in the end is a powerful and compelling case for dissent not as something to be merely tolerated but as an essential high value, vital to the success of organizations and nations. At a time when this value goes largely unrecognized, Sunstein's contribution is inestimable. Never in my life have I bought multiple copies of a book to help spread a message --- until now.

The gun is said to be the great leveler. It doesn't matter how big or small you are, weak or strong, skilled or unskilled at fighting, a shotgun blast to the chest will take you down. Obviously, in a world of supernatural monsters, the humans are going to want a boatload of guns. Sometimes, though, you need something sharp to finish the job, and sometimes you have to fight with whatever you have on hand. And sometimes, you just REALLY have to blow something up. Nuke it from orbit; it's the only way to be sure.

ARMORY is a supplement for the core line of White Wolf's World of Darkness. It's critical for mortals to have some kind of arsenal, but mages need kevlar vests as much as anybody and a werewolf might find an antique silver butter knife to be the most effective weapon against her opponent. ARMORY has all that and more.

Also, it seems that every group has a gun nut, or a sword enthusiast, or someone who just plain knows how to brawl (I had an artilleryman, for example). They know a lot more than the ST about the equipment they specialize in and can overwhelm you with their technical knowledge. ARMORY at least keeps you informed about the difference between ACP, LR, and magnum ammo.

I originally thought ARMORY would just be a list of equipment and how it modifies dice rolls. And how much stuff could there possibly be to describe? Well, ARMORY covers improvised weapons, guns of all kinds, heavy weapons and explosives, WMD's (chemical/biological/nuclear), vehicles, and equipment. And it doesn't just list weapons, it tells how to use them. This is really invaluable, and you will learn a lot about how firearms work, how bullets deal damage, what kind of nerve agents are out there, and how a kevlar vest protects you when it is nothing but tightly woven cloth. It is really quite fascinating (and a bit chilling) to read and really understand the myriad ways that human beings have for killing each other.

ARMORY also includes new combat merits, including fighting styles. The "sniping" and "Spetsnaz knife fighting" styles are probably the most impressive.

Overall, ARMORY is an amazing book and so much more than an equipment list. After reading ARMORY, you'll have a much deeper understanding of weapons and defenses, and knowledge is a powerful weapon in the World of Darkness. But a Magnum Research Desert Eagle is even more powerful.

Gives the user all up todate information on weapons and weapons and brawling. Features swords and guns alike.

I appreciate most about this book what it does that isn't typical of an equipment guide. It offers legal context for items. It lists common myths about weapons and the truth behind them. It gives results for the often silly and overly cinematic things that the players may try. It offers guidelines on how high a character's skill should be based on background and training, often giving creative means to justify having a score (Weaponry dots justified by playing baseball, for example). Lastly, it doesn't feel the need to provide lists and lists of weapons, rather it encourages the Storyteller to just use the stats of the most similar item provided. Not at all what I expected and I am very happy with it.

I was reluctant to get this supplement. My games are not combat heavy or combat focused, but this book does an excellent job of detailing any possibly weapon a player can use in the World of Darkness game. It is also usable in any WoD game such as Vampire the Requiem or Werewolf the Forsaken. It even covers combat merits and maneuvers for developing good cinematic action games. I am very glad to make this book an essential part of my gaming library.

Armory presents a wide variety of new weapons, vehicles, and equipment for any World of Darkness game. New fighting styles and other merits add many new combat options for characters, and the discussion of how real world equipment and weapons training works is very helpful. If you want more detail than the World of Darkness corebook offers, or just don't know a lot about guns and weapons, then this is a great product offering enough detail and discussion to flesh out equipment without overwhelming the reader with endless lists of identical weapons.

I agree that this is not the correct description of the book. Floating cities is actually a series of drawings done by a young english autistic boy. They are absolutely fantastic renditions of famous buildings, made more incredible by the fact that Stephen himself has this overwhelming disability, and many of them were done by memory. This book will make you realise that disabilities are by no means disabling, and can open up worlds unaccessable to the rest of society.

Stephen Wiltshire's pen and ink drawings are fantastic. He captures each subject perfectly and in incredible detail...sometimes having only seen the subject for a few minutes. Incredible drawings made even more incredible by the fact that Stephen is autistic.

Reading this book was an inspiration.The intricate detail and elegance of each drawing is breath-taking.
As an autistic individual he is able to capture the beauty an essence that a normal person with their eye would not see.
His work seems effortless, and takes him no time to do at all, but yet he is a perfectionist, right down to the last detail.
I am not an art critic, but certainly now I do appreciate the architecture that surrounds me and realize how beautiful it really is, and although Autism is not really understood and how it is actually caused.
Stephen, no matter what level of autism he seems to possess, he has truly mastered and captured the gracefullness of each buillding that he draws.
In a word he is an "Artistic, Autistic Genius."

This man's pictures have to be seen to be believed. Stephen Wiltshire actually is Autistic,operating on a six year old level for most of his adult life. He has a very rare talent of being able to visually process all that he sees and reproduce these images on paper. I have seen him on a TV show being flown around London on a helicopter and reproducing a image of 4 square miles, including 11 London landmarks and over 600 buildings with perfect perspective and scale in less than three hours.

This book has to be appreciated for what it is, a work of a genius!

I agree that this is not the correct description of the book. Floating cities is actually a series of drawings done by a young english autistic boy. They are absolutely fantastic renditions of famous buildings, made more incredible by the fact that Stephen himself has this overwhelming disability, and many of them were done by memory. This book will make you realise that disabilities are by no means disabling, and can open up worlds unaccessable to the rest of society.

This is indeed, like the other reviewers have stated, the most complete foray into the subject matter to date. It's too bad that the author's abilities at unearthing such treasures were not matched by a very readable writting style. Five stars for effort and material and one star for readability equals a three star rating.

...I have ever read. BEST BOOK EVER!

To take on the assignment of creating a filmography of Oliver Hardy was a duanting if not impossible task to undertake. But Rob Stone has done it. I would estimate that he has confirmed 95% of Mr. Hardy' films of his early career. To say that this book serves the needs of Laurel & Hardy infophiles is selling it short. It also gives a rich and informative history of silent film comedy making and it's makers, with information of other studios and stars who are not well known. More films and titles are likely to show up making the second edition a must. Bravo. An excellent companion piece for "Laurel & Hardy - The Magic Behind the Movies".

This eminently affordable 573 page book is meticulously researched and written by an author who knows his stuff. "Laurel or Hardy" is a must have for any fan of the team -- indeed for anyone who loves silent movies. The book is the perfect companion piece to Randy Skretvedt's invaluable "Laurel and Hardy; the Magic Behind the Movies."

Rob Stone is to be congratulated for taking on the Herculean (and seemingly impossible) task of documenting all of Stan Laurel's and Babe Hardy's solo film appearances. The comedians frequently worked for small studios that are long since gone, and many of the films apparently no longer exist. Stone has done a superb job of detective work and documentation, and leaves open the possibility of further discoveries; indeed, since this book was published, a previously unknown Oliver Hardy film has surfaced! An essential volume for silent film and comedy buffs. And for fans of the boys, this is a great companion piece to both THE MAGIC BEHIND THE MOVIES and FROM THE FORTIES FORWARD.

Lonely planet has a great team of writers. Every time I travel I get one of theirs books. It is a good format, has information on hotels, attractions and so on that are updated and realistic. Lonely planet a great job.

I love these books!! The first one that I used was Chicago. I have let more friends use it. They love the notes my husband and I made in the margins. The England book has been so helpful in planning our 10 day back packing trip through Great Britain. My only complaint is that maps need to be in color!

I will soon be traveling to England and plan to trek around the country for a week on as little money as possible. I know that Lonely Planet produces the best kind of guides for this type of traveler - that is, a cheapskate drifter like me. I'm certainly happy I picked this guide up and I'm mostly confident in the data it provides. There's a treasure trove of information on how to travel cheap, especially in terms of bus and train transport between the major cities, plus inexpensive lodging - including hostels and even YMCA's and campgrounds. The problem with this guide is a general "cooler-than-thou" attitude toward tourist areas, with a real snobbish outlook on some popular attractions. An example is the Madame Tussaud organization, as their various museums are described as boring at least twice in the book (I've been to England before and I strongly disagree). Also watch out for the general "tacky" or "dull" label for many towns that cater to tourists, which makes you wonder about Lonely Planet's motivation for including them in the guide at all. In most cities, the restaurant and club recommendations do not seem like a representative sample, but just a quick list of locations that the LP team found cool enough to visit in a short amount of time. A lingering production problem is the quality of the maps, which are mostly dim in the black-and-white format and hard to read. But despite the occasionally condescending attitude, Lonely Planet succeeds in providing a very informative guide for the penny-pinching traveler.

You're going to LOVE BRITAIN! I've spent a year in England and have made >30 visits all together.

Here are my reviews of the best guides....to meet you r exact needs.....I hope these are helpful and that you have a great visit! I always gauge the quality of my visit by how much I remember a year later......this review is designed to help you get the guide that will be sure YOU remember your trip many years into the future. Travel Safe and enjoy yourself to the max!

Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet has City and Out To Eat Guides. They are all about the experience so they focus on doing, being, getting there, and this means they have the best detailed information, including both inexpensive and really spectacular restaurants and hotels, out-of-the-way places, weird things to see and do, the list is endless.

Fodor's
Fodor's is the best selling guide among Americans. They have a bewildering array of different guides. Here's which is what:
The Gold Guide is the main book with good reviews of everything and lots of tours, walks, and just about everything else you could think of. It's not called the Gold guide for nothing though....it assumes you have money and are willing to spend it.
SeeIt! is a concise guide that extracts the most popular items from the Gold Guide
PocketGuide is designed for a quick first visit
UpCLOSE for independent travel that is cheap and well thought out
CityPack is a plastic pocket map with some guide information
Exploring is for cultural interests, lots of photos and designed to supplement the Gold guide

MapGuide
MapGuide is very easy to use and has the best location information for pubs, hotels, tourist attractions, museums, churches etc. that they manage to keep fairly up to date. It's great for teaching you how to use the underground and the double decker buses. The text sections are quick overviews, not reviews, but the strong suite here is brevity, not depth. I strongly recommend this for your first few times learning your way around the classic tourist sites and experiences. MapGuide is excellent as long as you are staying pretty much in the city centre. When you get to be an old London hand, remember that the classic Londoners guide will always be an A to Z (zed) map and guide. If you want to go a bit beyond the central core of the city (perhaps to Windsor, Hampton, or further away) you really need the proper AtoZ to be able to find exact routes and streets.

Time Out
The Time Out guides are very good. Easy reading, short reviews of restaurants, hotels, and other sites, with good public transport maps that go beyond the city centre. Many people who buy more than one guidebook end up liking this one best!

Blue Guides
Without doubt, the best of the walks guides.... the Blue Guide has been around since 1918 and has extremely well designed walks with lots of unique little side stops to hit on just about any interest you have. If you want to pick up the feel of the city, this is the best book to do that for you. This is one that you end up packing on your 10th trip, by which time it is well worn.

Michelin
Famous for their quality reviews, the Red Michelin Guides are for hotels & Restaurants, the Green Michelin Guides are for main tourist destinations. However, the English language Green guide is the one most people use and it has now been supplemented with hotel and restaurant information. These are the serious review guides as the famous Michelin ratings are issued via these books.

Let's Go
Let's Go is a great guide series that specializes in the niche interest details that turn a trip into a great and memorable experience. Started by and for college students, these guides are famous for the details provided by people who used the book the previous year. They continue to focus on providing a great experience inexpensively. If you want to know about the top restaurants, this is not for you (use Fodor's or Michelin). Let's Go does have a bewildering array of different guides though. Here's which is what:
Budget Guide is the main guide with incredibly detailed information and reviews on everything you can think of.
City Guide is just as intense but restricted to the single city.
PocketGuide is even smaller and features condensed information
MapGuide's are very good maps with public transportation and some other information (like museum hours, etc.)

Frommer's
These are time tested guides that pride themselves on being updated annually. Although I think the guides below provide information that is in more depth or more concise (depending on what the guide is known for), if your main concern is that the guide has very little old or outdated information, then this would be a good guide for you.

Rick Steves' books are not recommended. They may be an interesting read but their helpfulness is very poor. They don't do well on updates, transportation details, or anything but the first-time-tourist routine and even that is somewhat superficial on anything but the mega-major sites.

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