Queen The Books

I really enjoyed this book, as the final installment to the series.

IN this valume, we see Camelot falling apart as the Grail Quest consumes the companions. Lancelot and Guinevere finally consummate their relationship.

The relationship between Arthur ans Mordred, his son by Morgause, comes to a head, and the story ends as it usually does. But, this story makes it all fresh. Its morew realistic them MZBs story, without all the magic interfering. Don't get me wrong, MZBs book was, and still is,one of my favorites. But its nice to see a book(or trilogy) where for once, religion isnt such a large part. Its the people more at center stage. This book is more historical fiction then fantasy.

This trilogy by Persia Woolley, which includes Child of the Northern Spring, Queen of the Summer Stars, and The Legend in Autumn, is well worth reading. Among the plethora of feminine centric Arthur retellings, I thought this trilogy was second only to The Mists of Avalon, which is the best Arthurian novel I've read, period. Neither a simpering bauble like Marion Zimmer Bradley's queen, nor a bitter shrew, as she is depicted in Rosalind Miles' trilogy, the High Queen in this series is a strong woman, bold, intelligent, compassionate, and well worth the love of two legendary heros. My only complaint with the character is this: Woolley saw fit to make her Guenevere homely, not the great beauty of legend, and Guenevere is supposed to be the fairest of the fair. Otherwise, this trilogy gets my highest recommendation. It is much better than the other Guenevere trilogies out there (by Miles and Newman). If you like this one, you might also enjoy Queen of Camelot by Nancy McKenzie.

I love reading the Arthurian Legends from a "woman's point of view." I loved Mists of Avalon because of that feature, and I adored these books about Guinevere. I knew there had to be more to her than traditional Camelot portrayals! I am surprised the 3 books in this series are out of print. I was lucky enough to find the first 2 (Child of the Northern Spring one year and Queen of the Summer Stars the next year) in hardcover on a clearance book cart at 2 different locations! What a treat! I had to order this final one in paperback. Each time I got the next book I went back and re-read the previous one, until finally, when I bought Legend in Autumn I re-read all 3 one after the other. I was sorry to see it end. I am not sure if Persia Woolley will write anymore, but if she does I am certainly a fan. Thanks for a great series!

This book was FANTASTIC!!! I am an avide reader, and can honestly say that the three books in this series were the best I have read in many years. I laughed and cried and sat up till the wee hours of the morning not wanting to put down these books. The storie put such an increadable spin on the King Arthur tails, and made me want to read everything I can find on the ancient Celts.
The only negative thing I could say about the series is that it is probably more of a "Chic" book than something a guy would get into.

This is a good book--even though it perpetuates the flaws seen in Woolley's previous Guinevere books, _Child of the Northern Spring_ and _Queen of the Summer Stars_. Woolley's Guinevere still has a habit of distancing herself from the story, briskly rattling off the legendary happenings like an anchorwoman for the Camelot Nightly News. Woolley's desire to tell the Arthurian legend without the use of "magic" or "fantasy" still results in cumbersome and byzantine plot devices as the author attempts to explain magical events without the magic. Her characters still borrow heavily from other authors--Cai is straight out of Phyllis Ann Karr, and Morgan is a twisted reflection of Bradley's Morgaine. But all of this aside, this is still a good book.

In _The Legend in Autumn_, the dream of Camelot begins to fall apart. There are quarrels--Guinevere and Lancelot fight bitterly over Elaine of Carbonek, whom Lancelot accidentally slept with. And Mordred, whose best friend is a Saxon captive, comes to believe the Saxons are basically OK, and wants to include them in the Round Table--but Arthur, veteran of countless Saxon wars, holds his old prejudices dear, and refuses his son's request. And into this tumultuous court comes the young bard Taliesin, singing of the Grail, and the Round Table warriors begin to scatter to the four winds in search of the mysterious object.

Woolley deftly describes the tale told by each returning knight; she does a great job of showing how the Grail means different things to different people, and what sort of meaning each man finds. (And woman, too, for Guinevere will find her own personal Grail by the end of the story.)

Also wonderfully done was the treatment of Guinevere's punishment for adultery. The usual retelling shows Arthur standing by heartlessly as his Queen is sentenced to the stake, and Lancelot ruthlessly killing his friends to save her. Woolley has a more complicated but more believable theory about what reall happened behind the scenes, one that rings true to the characters of the brave Queen, the idealistic King, and the deadly but good-hearted knight. I won't give it away, but it's good.

After Lancelot makes away with Guinevere, they flee to Joyous Gard, where they live simply and happily--until the threat of war looms. Guinevere is supported by the counsel of Isolde of Cornwall, who has grown wiser since her star-crossed love affair with Tristan, and together they see what must be done. Far from being the downfall of Camelot, Guinevere will now give her all to save it.

This book ought to be remembered, above all, for its sensitive portrayal of the Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot love triangle. Gwen and Lance truly have a love for the ages, but Gwen also shares a special bond with Arthur, which holds Camelot together more than they realize. Guinevere is the human touch that balances Arthur's ideals.

This book is actually three books published as one volume for what may be the first time. This is the story of the Spanish princess Katherine of Aragon and it's beautiful, tragic and stirring. Katherine was the daughter of Queen Isabella of Spain. Isabella was a bold, powerful and capable ruler and there was no reason in Katherine's experience why she or a daughter of hers couldn't be the same way. And then she goes to England.

As we all know Katherine's marriage to Prince Arthur lasted for one hot minute. The gentle, sickly boy dies leaving her in political limbo. It was an unpleasant time filled with worry but Katherine bravely gets through it and has a fairy tale ending. Henry, Arthur's younger brother marries her. Plaidy is particularly good at describing Henry. He goes from being a wonderful/horrible boy to a beautiful, dangerously sexy and impulsive young man. He's a romantic dream and all he wants is Katherine.

And then a cloud appears. Katherine gets pregnant but her son dies. And then other babies are lost. In the end only her daughter Mary survives. Plaidy deftly shows Henry begining to change. He's still beautiful, still a romantic dream but he wants a son and he begins to stray. Some of the most touching passages in the whole series describe how Katherine toughs this period out.

And then comes the final act. Henry turns mean and dangerous. Katherine is divorced, cast aside, friends are killed, her child is taken from her. Her faith, her dignity and her entire world is attacked and still she stands. The book ends with delicate touch. Katherine hasn't quite lost and Anne Boleyn, who is shown only from a distance in this series hasn't quite won.

Jean Plaidy was a fabulous writer and the Katherine of Aragon series was one of the top five greatest things she ever wrote.

Deep soul wrenching characters, sometimes dysfunctional victims of their time.A greay history lesson.

I couldnt get through this book fast enough. I very much enjoy Jean Plaidy's style and this book was superb! If you are a lover of historical fiction, she's got a knack for it! Excellent read!

The first of Henry VIII's famed wives, the Infanta of Spain was a courageous woman who stood her ground in the worst of suffering, only to love and forgive those who never once showed her compassion.

The leading novel (Katharine, the Virgin Widow) contains the Princess' journey from the comfort of her mother, Isabella of Castile, to the loneliness of dreary England. Soon enough she is married to Prince Arthur to her delight, as they become great friends. Inevitably, the sickly Arthur dies shortly after the marriage, leaving Katharine alone in a foreign world. Still a virgin, she is sent away from court to remain a widow in poverty with only guidance from those she cannot trust. In this state of despair, she waits.

Preceding the death of his father and brother, Henry VIII is crowned King and defies his father's wishes: he acquires the dispensation from the Pope and marries Katharine. The tale of their marriage is depicted in the "Shadow of the Pomegranate" as loving and hopeful. But when "Kate" cannot produce a male heir, the King grows restless as his attention wanders, until he finds true passion in the arms of a young Lady in Waiting, who shortly produces a son, much to Katharine's envy.

The third and final novel, laughably entitled "The King's Secret Matter" is the last stand Katharine makes for herself and her daughter, the young Princess Mary. The pious Queen is shown with as much grace and wisdom that one in her situation can muster. Unfortunately, she lacks the health to survive her ordeal, and soon dies after being divorced by the King of England and sent to live in manors of appalling condition.

No other Queen matches Catalina of Spain. She is often times found lost and hurt, but she always manages to spite what she is told and follow what she believes. If it weren't for her "inability" to produce a capable (male) heir and save her marriage, I would not believe the great lady was real or mortal. Thanks to Jean Plaidy (Eleanor Hibbert), Katharine can now be remembered as more than just one of the many wives of a promiscuous King, but as someone to be honored and loved among everyone.

I must confess that inexplicably there have been few great heroes of the female gender wirtten about throughout history as compared with men. So, as I matured, I sought the likes of Sir Thomas More, Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr., and so many others. Then, I happened upon this astonishing book about a Queen with the courage to stand (no matter the consequences) against arguably one of the the mightiest men in all of history - King Henry VIII. And stand she did with grace, humility, wisdom, intelligence but above all her devout belief in a good and gracious God for whom she served above all - something that King Henry could never abide. If you would like to not only attain historical accuracy on this topic which many like myself did not have before, - buy this book as a present for yourself. No matter your faith or no faith, culture, class, race, or education...you will never be the same woman again.

This is the tenderest, sweetest, most beautiful love-story I've ever read. To those who would implore: "But it's not biblical!" I would reply simply: "It doesn't pretend to be." Read it with an open mind and remember that one of the great mysteries is that our Lord was as fully human as He was fully God. This deeply touching love-story of our Lord and the woman He chose to be His bride will make you weep - it did me.

Here we have King Yeshua and Queen Miriam in all the satisfying details of their homelife, their life as parents, their relationship with the other "early Christians" and their community, and most important, in their personal love and devotion to each other. The reader is given a glimpse into the sense of soul destiny and human recognition they each felt as they found each other and began "the greatest love story ever lived", which unfortunately became (as Margaret Starbird says) "the greatest story never told."
This Queen Miriam is a Goddess devotee of the Old Religions, which Yeshua respects completely. He includes her in his teaching times, holding her up in equality and expecting the men to do the same. In my own book,The Mary Magdalene Within this same philosophy of Christian equalitarianism was expressed, but not with the lovely earthy details of human life shown to us as they are here.
So, when you are tired of the theological speculation of the many, many books about Mary Magdalene and you hunger for a "real story" of the love between the Sacred Masculine and the Divine Feminine,represented by Jesus and Mary Magdalene, seek out C.A. Thomas' book. You might find that you relax into it and feel so satisfied to be let into their daily life and daily love for each other.
This book made me think, once again, that we are helping to bring alive a more relevant Partnership Paradigm Christianity for the Aquarian Age. It will be one which offers a healthy-model family instead of the "lone male god" story. It seems to be happening within each psyche that creatively engages with "the greatest love story ever lived".
By humanizing the archetypal Divine Couple's love story, we understand that our own capacity to love is divine. How hopeful !

Joan Norton, www.MaryMagdaleneWithin.com

Great love story about mary and jesus. I loved it and everyone should read it who is interested in mary and jesus.

She was fourteen and he was nineteen when they became betrothed with their families' blessing. Yeshua loved Miriam with all his heart and saw the innocence in her that touched him deeply. Miriam the Magdalene felt Yeshua was different than any other man in existence but she loved him with the whole of her heart, understanding him when his own disciples were confused. Yeshua thought of Miriam as his uncrowned Queen, a Nazarene high priestess who worshipped the Mother Goddess with Yeshua's approval for what is the Father without the Mother.

The disciples especially Peter and his male followers were angry and jealous that at times he paid more attention to Miriam than he did to them. He sat with her when he preached and he was not afraid to caress her in public and treat her as an equal. They had three children, a boy and two girls and Jesus loved his family. He saw the future and knew that Miriam would be reviled, her name an anathema to many people even though she gave much to the world completing the circle of Jesus' life.

Although the basic essence of how the bible describes Jesus is not changed, C.A. Thomas shows Jesus as being as much a man with a man's feelings and needs as he is part of the Divine. He states that Jesus treated men and women as equals. The women played an important part in Jesus' life because as he lay dying at the cross, they were the ones with him. C.A. Thomas has a written a beautiful love story that allows readers to see the times in which Jesus lived.

Harriet Klausner

This beautiful story explores the human aspect of Jesus. We learn of the everyday interaction between Jesus the man and Miriam the Magdalene who was his wife. The writing leaves no doubt that this historical figure was larger than life and challenges everything we think we know about him.

As a lifelong Catholic I had always felt that there was so much more to the story of Christ than was being told to us by the Church. This story hit home and spoke to me on many levels. The writing is beautiful and fills the voids of the reader's soul.

However, as an author I found much to be desired. Thomas has spent good money having this story self-published but should have gone the extra measure and had it edited. The manuscript would benefit greatly from revisions in punctuation and grammar, not to mention shorter paragraphs. I certainly hope that in future works from this author we are treated to those little extras.

That said, I simply loved this story! Look forward to seeing more work by this author. The concept and story alone warrant five stars but because of the poor mechanics I need to subtract one star.

What kid doesn't love pizza? You cannot go wrong with this book. The illustrations are extraordinary!!!

This is a children's book that sweeps away the viewer, young and old alike, into a light, colorful fable about sharing and fun. The illustations are wonderfully vibrant and richly bring to life the delightful story of an eccentric King discovering pizza for the very first time. I highly reccommend it!!

When you are a kid growing up in the US, pizza is undoubtedly your favorite food...a definite treat that instantly brings a huge smile even from a tear-stained kindergartener. Mr.Sanzari captures this feeling beautifully, and reminds us adults what it was like when we were young...how we loved to be in the kitchen watching and helping mother cook. In fact I was a student of Mr.Sanzari, and remember very well how he appreciated and accepted the emotions of children..their wonders, disappointments, inconsistencies, and joys. This book proves that he is still unchanged. I am greatly looking forward to his next book.

This is an engaging story that teaches a valuable lesson about the good that comes from sharing--how it benefits both the giver and the receiver. The moral of the story is clear without being overdone or preachy. As a teacher, I read books to kids, but it is rare that I find a book that I really enjoy reading! This book is just charming!

If you love kids' books like I love kids' books, you've also found a few that are simply perfect. No other word describes them adequately. The characters are delightful, the plot expands with charm and insight, every word is exactly the right word, and to change even a simple punctuation mark would be a crime. The King of Pizza is one of these books. Ah, to be ruled by such a wise and caring king, to have subjects as generous as Salvatore, the pizza chef, to have a national decree of pizza every Saturday night! Life is good and The King of Pizza in my lap has made it even better. Thanks, Mr. Sanzari and Mr. Hurst. Keep cooking up more magic.

This is a great bedtime story. Its a quick read with colorful detailed pictures. My son is 2 1/2 and follows the story with great anticipation. It is a fun book to read outloud because there are plenty of words with onomatopoeia to make the story come alive.

This book is full of fantasy and charm. My 5 year old son, who has a baby sister, liked the humorous illustrations. At first he did not understand the subtle motif of the story that encourages an older sibling to help pacify a baby. But thanks to my explanations, and very intricate and colorful drawings, which he could examine for hours, he was mesmerized.

I bought this as a gift because we enjoy our book so much. It is sweet and intelligent but easy for my daughter (3 yrs) to understand. AND....it doesn't scare her.

I bought this book as a birthday present for my two year old daughter. She and her three year old sister have decided it is their new favorite bedtime book! The writing makes it easy for grown-ups to add a little pizazz with voices and excitement, and there are not too many words on each page which lends itself well to younger children's attention spans. The artistry is excellent and serves as a perfect backdrop to the comedy of the tale. A perfect bedtime story!

I took this out from the library and boy did we enjoy this book. The illustrations remind me of Disney cartoons. The plot is so fun and everything ends up happily ever after. Whats wrong with that? Shouldn't bed time be peaceful and funny? Even this parent enjoyed it. A great good night read. I'm going to purchase one for me and my 5 year old.

Foo bar, baz!

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The Lion in Winter (Penguin Plays)


Tell us what you think. Write a review of this item and share your opinions with others. PleAmazon.com cares about children's privacy on the Internet. But we also care about freedom of expression and the exchange of ideas in a safe environment. That's why we've created this separate form for those under the age of 13. When children under 13 submit reviews for their favorite items, we won't ask for names or e-mail addresses, but we'll still enable them to share their opinions.
The Lion in Winter (Penguin Plays)


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This play about the famously disfunctional family of England's Henry II is perhaps the most devestating family drama this side of "Long Day's Journey into Night".

For those who want a real epic, it can - but doesn't have to - be read as a sequel to Jean Anoilh's "Becket". Personally I found that this adds to the tragedy.

It opens during a fictional family Christmas get together that is combined with a historical meeting between Henry and France's young King Phillip. Henry's persistent humiliation of his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, through his string of mistresses has prompted her to hurt him in the only way available to her - by systematically destroying his relationships with their sons. Now Henry - although not old yet - is no longer a young man. The fact that a potentially dangerous Phillip - who has a legitimate axe to grind with Henry - is no longer a child forces them to realize that their familial intrigues have set their boys up for both internal and external disaster upon Henry's death. They make a real effort to save both their shattered marriage and their shattered children, but it may already be too late ...

The main tragedy, of course, is what Henry and Eleanor have done to their children. Richard is admirably brave but has had much of his compassion beaten out of him and replaced with brutality. Geoffrey's great sense of humor has been blasted in the bud, and his fustrated capability of love makes a weapon of an intelligence that would have been an asset to anyone who would have shown him the slightest affection in return (it's worth noting for those who don't know the family's subsequent history that given the condensed time of the play, Geoffrey would presumably have died in a fatal tournament accident soon after the action of the play - making him even more poignant). John, the youngest son of Robin Hood fame, is somewhat mishandled - his failure had much to do with Richard's prior mismanagement and lousy historical timing rather than his own faults, and the ruthless streak that doomed Geoffrey's son Arthur (who isn't in the play) as well as his general competence in many instances (he would later rescue Eleanor from a siege in a manner that would have done Richard proud) doesn't really come across - but in an otherwise excellent play Goldman can be forgiven for bowing to popular opinion in one case.

An accurate depiction of the dynamics of the Plantagenet family, "The Lion in Winter" is also a timeless study of what constitutes a healthy family.

I recently completed a production of this fine play where I played Geoffrey, Duke of Aquataine. I have done a lot of play and this without a doubt is the most well written. Goldman does not waste a single word in the play.

I just bought a new copy of this play and I am so very, very happy that I did. I dashed through it and then reread my favorite parts. I hadn't read it in many years, but my respect has really grown for the playwright's wit and imagination. What an absolutely wonderful play. Of course, I love the film, but it was great fun to see how the play moves rapidly and the dialog is so biting and bitter at times. I agree with all the reviewers. Buy this play because it is a classic play with ripping dialog.

I have to say Iam in love with this book. I know every line by heart. I saw the movie frist. Also a A+++++ movie. I don't know, something about it.It somehow just gets under your skin. Anyone who loves history. Or just just great works of writing should have this little book.

I received the book here in Germany at my APO (Army Post Office) address in a very short amount of time and the book arrived in perfect condition - I am completely satisfied with the entire transaction have only praise for the whole expereince and I order frequently on line and am not able to give this kind of rating to all the transactions from all vendors. Review by Mark E. Grant author of the novel - Blood of Scotland (also available through Amazon.com).

The book came when it was supposed to and it was in very good shape. I am happy with the service.

I'm 44 years old and bought this book for my 8 year old son. He hasn't gotten into it yet, probably because the reading level is more "instructional" for him and reading for pleasure should be easy at this age but I'm sure he'll love it. I know I'm loving it. I haven't finished it yet (with 4 kids who has much time to read) but it's an engaging story with wonderful characters that are easy to understand and love.

I really enjoyed this book in fact the series. As a nanny I would read it with my charge and soon I found I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. I have been waiting for a long time for the 3rd book and now I'm running to the store ASAP so I can find out what happens to the friendly squirrel!! hope you enjoy this series as much as we do!

Too often I've seen books, well-written and compelling, passed off as just another "children's" story, something that anyone above the suggested reading level shouldn't read. A book like this one could easily be thrown into that category. After all, talking animals on a fantasy island, seems pretty childish. There is no cursing, and it is relatively short, especially with the double-spaced printing of the book.

However, that is the books biggest downfall; it is too short. Other than that, this book is nearly flawless. McAllister is has crafted a wonderful, exciting world. The descriptions are well done. The plot is gripping.

McAllister's greatest achievement is, however, is in her character development. She has created a wonderful, lovable, and memorable cast of characters. From Crispin, to Urchin, to Husk, the characters have been masterfully created. It's amazing, in such a small amount of writing (relatively), McAllister could succeed so grandly. Within the first 20 pages, I was already idolizing Crispin as a hero.

Of course, the story is not lacking, either. This is a story of plotting and betrayal, deception and loyalty, compassion and evil. It is filled with suspense and drama, and you will not want to put it down until the end.

And it is not without its dark side. The island of Mistmantle is under a dictatorship, with a puppet king being played by a totalitarian, ruthless captain. Brutal work parties and "culling" have been instituted over the people. (culling is the act of killing new born babies with any physical defects present, which is branded as a type of "euthanasia" by the leaders).

A word of warning to any over-sensitive parent, there is alcohol use, as in wine, and several murders from knife to poison. Personally, I don't believe that this should affect how the book is seen, as they are all completely needed to craft such a compelling story.

Comparisons to the Redwall series are inevitable, but not justified. I'll admit, I'm a fan of the Redwall books, I've read about half of them, and that's the whole reason I picked this book up. The only similarity to the two, however, is the presence of anthropomorphic, talking animals such as squirrels, otters, and moles. Perhaps there is more action in Redwall, but other than that, the Mistmantle Chronicles is superior. It is plot-heavy, compelling, and leaves us with more than a simple "good vs evil" approach, but instead gives us moral ambiguity and social issues.

Urchin of the Riding Stars is a fantastic book, appropriate for any age. An above average reader could easily finish this book in 2-3 days, even one day if you can set aside a few hours. Easily worth the time and effort. And, if you find the problem of the book being too short, there are sequels waiting. I can't wait until I get the next one in the mail.

Having lived literally across the street from the north entrance of Mount Carmel for 3 years several years ago, I was excited to see a book written about it. The content I thought was great. I learned all about the monuments I saw everyday from my apartment window. What really bugged me were the errors in dates. For example, on page 72 it is written that James Vincent Gibaldi "was born on July 2, 1903 in Licata, Italy" and that he "arrived at Ellis Island in 1906 at the age of one". Huh? He only aged one year over the course of three? On page 76 it is noted that William 'Willie' Heeney was born February 13, 1887 and died July 13, 1951. According to the text, he "died of throat cancer at the age of 61". My math would put him at 64. These were just a few of several obvious errors I saw and it got me wondering how many more of the "facts" presented elsewhere in the book were accurate. It really ruined the enjoyment of the book for me, because now I don't know what is true and what is not. I don't know if it was the author or the editing, but someone should have really double-checked this book before publishing it.

Jenny Floro-Khalaf and Cynthia Savaglio have done a marvelous job with this Images of America volume. They don't rely on the procession of beautiful, crisp images to tell the stories of the political, social, and underworld figures buried in the Mount Carmel and Queen of Heaven Cemeteries. The accompanying text is written in a clear and concise style that yields more information than the mere captions I've seen in other volumes of this sort. Highly recommended.

This small book is richly illustrated with the architecture of the cemeteries. The reader also gets insights into the customs involved in funerals. For instance, visiting the cemetery was once a regular Sunday-afternoon outing, and the Catholic Church lifted the ban on cremations in 1963.

Both famous and non-famous people are buried in these graves. Many are children who died at a time when child mortality had still been common. Those interred include sports figures such as Elmer "Moose" Vasko of the Chicago Blackhawks, and Father Martin Jenco, a onetime Beirut hostage. It is sobering to realize that the grave of Al Capone not only gets visited, but also that people leave such things as cigars, cash, and religious medals on it (p. 59).

Considerable detail is devoted to the aftermath of the Our Lady of the Angels School Fire of December 1958 (pp. 91-98). There are many photos of the victims and the funerals. All 3 of the nuns killed, along with 11 children, are buried at Mount Carmel. Another 45 children are buried at Queen of Heaven Cemetery. This leaves 36 child victims buried elsewhere.

As an amateur history/crime buff and cemetery enthusiast, I made 2 pilgrimages to Chicago in the early to mid 90's, and a major part of the reason was to visit this historic cemetery, the mid-west counterpart to St. John's in Queens, NY...popularly known as the "Mafia's Boot Hill" (the other major reason was to visit the Biograph Theatre, which is still in operation and is the place where John Dillinger met his end in 1934). On the first trip, I was unable to find Al Capone's grave and called the front office to enquire as to its location. They were polite, but firm in their unwillingness to enlighten me. Finding the tombs of Dion O'Banion, Hymie Weiss, and the Genna brothers was relatively easy but Big Al remained elusive. On the second trip, I used a photograph from the then-recent biography by Robert Schoenberg as a guide (tomb is near an iron fence in the photo), and some instinct, or maybe it was Al's ghostly influence, guided me almost immediately to its location near the elaborate front gate. Obviously, a lot of other people had found it too, as most of the grass in front of it had been worn away. It was discouraging in the extreme to learn that proper respect or decency to the dead (whether Al Capone or anyone else) hadn't been shown and that Al's gravestone had twice been stolen. As I stepped away to unobtrusively (and respectfully) take a picture, a black Cadillac pulled up, and a young muscular guy helped an older gentleman with 2 canes out of the car and over to the grave to pay his respects. Was he an old associate and friend? A rich eccentric? Who knows? My only complaint with the book is that it neglects to showcase the tombs of other notorious figures buried there, including those of Tony the Ant Spilotro, Turk Torello, Fiore Buccieri and Mad Sam DeStefano (all of whom I was able to locate without the difficulty that attended the finding of Mr. Capone's final resting place). I spent hours in this magnificent cemetery but could have spent days, and I guess the same thing could be said for this book. No matter how thick or packed with photos, it still probably would not be sufficient for some. Having said that, it's still a wonderfully-illustrated, exhaustively-researched tome and should be in the library of everyone interested in historic cemeteries, architecture, art and sculpture, the religious and ethnic heritage of the city...even if you've never been near Chicago and don't ever intend to. Even if you're not interested in the notorious figures buried here (or some of the distinguished clergymen), it's still a beautiful and aesthetically-fascinating cemetery and this book is a worthy tribute to it and the people buried there.

Prowling cemeteries searching for the graves of the famous and infamous is cheap and enlightening entertainment. I have to admit my main interest in this book was chapter four entitled "Gangsters in Granite." I have visited Mount Carmel and Queen of Heaven Cemetery twice in search of the graves of the infamous gangsters from the 1920's and found all but one, Machine Gun Jack McGurn even though I knew what stone to look for. Jack is supposed to be located somewhere in Section O. This book includes all of those whose graves I took photos of with a nice description of each. I would have liked if the graves of Roger Touhy and Jake Lingle had been in the book as well. Both men also reside at Mount Carmel. It is well to keep in mind that behind the name of each stone is a story even though it may not be well known to the world. For those looking for Al Capone enter the cemetery from Roosevelt Road. To the right the name "Capone" is hidden behind some shrubbery. Just a pop fly away as you enter the cemetery and turn to the left is the grave of Frank "The Enforcer" Nitti or "Nitto" on the headstone. Near the Bishops' monument are the graves of several other bootleggers who met an early demise. Kudos to the individuals who put this book together.

i love the whole series. this book ruled. but be warned, this is in the american style not manga..and a little bigger then manga.

Queen Sayoko was, like any OMG/AMG comic, full of comedy and charming. Still, it didn't deliver the punch to the funny bone or the romance I expect from the series. The fact also remains that the whole, very large, comic was made supporting a small, insignificant chapter from earlier in the series. Making such a big deal (book) out of so small a chapter seemed somewhat lame, to me.

Overall, Queen Sayoko is both funny and charming, with the slightest hint of romance. Thus, it gets 4 stars, but loses out on the 5th one because it lacked the comedy-romance-charming ratio I'd expect from such a series.

In this volume, Skuld gets her own angel, there's a completely smitten broom, and Sayoko becomes an "all powerful" queen. Although I haven't read all the Oh My Goddess books, I still had fun with this. I would like to find some of the other books, so I can find out how Skuld became a part of the group (that's a volume I missed). Belldandy is still the nicest character in the series, and I loved Skuld. Sayoko definitely shines in this book, as well. Very recommended. The art is gorgeous and the story should improve any bad mood.

I must say, the artwork in OMG is to most manga what Crossgen is to American comics. Everything else is a good deal worse (well, DC has Jim Lee now, but other than that...). As far as stories go, OMG is decent enough. It's not completely engrossing, but it keeps you amused. The character development is good, too. In Queen Sayoko, there is a bit of transformation in Skuld's and Urd's appearance (particularly the hair). Still a long way away from what it is "at this point," (the graphic novels are a good deal behind the monthlies) past the Rind arc.

Everyone knows Sayoko thinks she is a queen...well, through a deal with the demon Mara, she now is one for real! The campus of Nekomi Tech goes under a major transformation, and everyone is brainwashed into worshipping Sayoko like the royalty that she thinks she is. The goddesses and Keiichi must stop her, but the brainwashing can affect them too. And the loyal subjects of Sayoko are not going to let her go down without a fight..

Beth Moore is wonderful at taking complex concept and making into a simple story that everyone can understand. I used this book in a all girls sunday school class and they loved it!

This is a charming book, I think for a girl or boy (but my boy has an older sister so princesses are his world). The message is phenomenal for young and old; the king pursues us and loves us to pieces regardless of the things we have done in life.

Sometimes telling a story to make a fact more real to us is a wonderful way to reach a persons heart, child or adult. That is what Beth Moore has done with this parable about a king. If you read it out loud to a child, you may end up with tears of thankfulness, and longing, for such a wonderful King in our own lives.

This was well written and I loved the graphics. This is a keeper for all my grandchildren to read with me, and hopefully pass on the them when they have children.

This is a fantastic book. The illustrations are truly amazing and the moral of the story is inspiring for young girls, boys and for adults! I will be purchasing this wonderful children's book for all of my friends who are expecting!