Queen The Books

I am not someone you would normally find reading a book on high sea adventure but for other reasons I purchased this book and I was hooked. It is a wonderful story full of humour, adventure and suspense. The characters become alive, paticularly Captain John C. Voss and you feel you are making the journey with him. The story is compelling and the reader finds it difficult to put the book down. The book actually contains two stories but the one that captured my attention was the journey on the Tilikum with Norman Luxton. The story awoke an interest in me to the point where I continued to research the characters and the vessel and the story of what happened to the Tilikum after she reached Margate, England. The Tilikum just celebrated her 100th anniversary of her departure from Oak Bay (Victoria, B.C.) where they have erected a plaque. She has been fully restored complete with new rigging and is now on display at the Maritime Museum in Victoria. For a book to interest a reader to the point where she will track down the vessel in order to see her means you have a very powerful and well written story.

Voss is more than just an expert sailor. He is cunning and has a genius for understanding the sea in all of its moods. The story is every bit as good as any other sea tale including Slocum's and Chichester's stories. Voss describes, in a matter of fact way, conditions that would frighten even the saltiest of sailors. To imagine being in those situations in a modified canoe is all the more incredible. Yet he survives and describes in great detail his recommendations for small boats in large breaking seas. And swears that a small boat can be comfortable in such conditions if handled properly and if the equipment is up to it. Although obviously dated in many respects his love of the sea and his understanding of how to survive the worst of it are timeless. I have read several of the great sea tales over the years; I don't know how I missed this one. It was a joy to read. He uses some very old nautical terms ("We made a board to shore." I think was one of his statements) but a good dictionary usually put me back on course.

I'm not just saying that because I know the author. He's an amazing writer, and this is an amazing book.

This tale of Christopher Columbus provides a vivid story of his expedition to the Caribbean, providing a fictionalized account of his earliest explorations and including a healthy dose of poetic description. A unique "you are there" approach brings the experience to life: "It is not disappointment, but surprise to find so little of what he had been thinking of, ghosting in on the making tide to a broad and shining bay. The bosun sounds the still water. At every fall the lead marks its own centre; ripples widening outward link with those before and after, the ship's course marked by this light chain."

The Afterlife Of Trees is a selection of Brian Bartlett's memorable, free-verse poems that carry both the pedantic nuance of events of everyday life, and a personal respect for the majesty and grace of the soul that trees, birds, and nature have given to humankind. The Afterlife Of Trees is recommended as an insightful body of work reflecting communion with nature amid a culture choked with the clutter of material things. "To a red-eyed vireo: Minimalist of the tree tops / more than a scrap of dawn chorus, all day / you ask and answer one question / in two-to-four-note phrases, you're drawl's inflections / reversing, a rise giving way to a fall, a fall / to a rise / ask, answer / ask answer / Is it fair to say you sound like a lecturer who won't / move on to the next point, / or some weary barker / slowly going mad with the monotony of selling?"

The Afterlife Of Trees is a selection of Brian Bartlett's memorable, free-verse poems that carry both the pedantic nuance of events of everyday life, and a personal respect for the majesty and grace of the soul that trees, birds, and nature have given to humankind. The Afterlife Of Trees is recommended as an insightful body of work reflecting communion with nature amid a culture choked with the clutter of material things. "To a red-eyed vireo: Minimalist of the tree tops / more than a scrap of dawn chorus, all day / you ask and answer one question / in two-to-four-note phrases, you're drawl's inflections / reversing, a rise giving way to a fall, a fall / to a rise / ask, answer / ask answer / Is it fair to say you sound like a lecturer who won't / move on to the next point, / or some weary barker / slowly going mad with the monotony of selling?"

"Excellent...A synthesis of great density. On 150 pages, Klaus Schippman has assured pre-Islamic South Arabia an honorable position among the civilizations of the Near East."
--Bibliotheca Orientalis

Ancient South Arabia: From The Queen Of Sheba To The Advent Of Islam by Klaus Schippmann (University of Gottingen) is an impressive and scholarly history of the South Arabian kingdoms that draws from archaeology and primary sources to informatively depict an evolving picture of life in the crossroads between Africa, Asia, and Europe. Smoothly written, nicely illustrated with black-and-white photographs, and also available in a trade paperback edition, Klaus Schippmann's Ancient South Arabia is a uniquely insightful work and a very highly recommended addition to World History reference shelves.

The children in my Sunday School chose this book to read and demonstrate for their participation in an adult church service. The theme of the story, sharing, is told in a fun manner (a selfish king and a brave worm) and the ending is not only happy, but the lesson, there is real joy in sharing, is clear.

The children really liked and laughed with some of the story lines as outlandish things were done to save the apples from the worms. The one thing they did not like were the pictures in the book. All characters are illustrated as animals and the king is a pig. These are children in 2nd grade. (On the other hand, my 3 year old liked the pictures, but I'm not sure she understood the message.)

Overall, I believe the book gives a great message within a funny story.

We've all heard of King Midas and what befell him because of his penchant for gold. Now, make way for The Apple King, an old. old ruler who had a magnificent apple tree that bore the tastiest fruit in all of his kingdom.

Why, he was so proud of those apples that no one else was allowed to touch them. Anyone else even thinking of tasting one would probably be grounds for beheading. Pity the poor king's gardener when he discovered an unsightly hole in one of these prize apples. Surely not a worm!

Not one worm but worms. Stubborn worms who wouldn't leave even for a bag of gold. Faced with such a catastrophe the mighty ruler learned a lesson in sharing; he learned the joy of spreading happiness.

There's a lesson for youngsters in this ripe, juicy tale beautifully illustrated in sun-washed colors.

Get this if you love RMS Queen Mary as much as I. According to the publisher's page, there are only 1500 copies. It isn't much of a volume, 11"x 8.5," but is great to have if you are building a collection of ocean liner books. There is a bibliography in the back as well as a list of the artists' births and deaths, with a brief description of the pieces. It is sad to know in fact which art is lost. It would be interesting to know how and when they were lost. Who was in charge? It is nice to see the "Unicorns in Battle" panel without the obnoxious red stain found on it now. No wonder there is missing art. At least there is documentation of this special ship, which was a part of the time when things were made to be authentically beautiful.

Book is primarly about the art/decor created for the ship, including rare images of now lost art no longer on board as well as the more permanent decor. A real art glimpse into the mid to late 30's.

This story is descent. The grade level is 2nd to 4th in reading level and content. The illustrations are wonderful! They are clean and fun. A mix of animae and the illustrators own personal style.

The illustrations in this book were adorable. I would encourage the young illustrator to continue in her pursuit of a career in this field.

Warren Weirsbe always writes easy to read commentaries! This was an excellent book to use along with a Bible study. You can't go wrong with his study volumes.

A well written book that is useful in Sunday School, Bible Studies and use at home for studying these books of the Bible.
I find most of Warren wiersbe's commentaries easy to use for a
non-professional Bible student.

I was vaguely familiar with the extent of mining in WWI due to a TV special on one of the history channels, so I decided that I would like to know more and bought this book. The team of authors with various backgrounds put 25 years worth of research into this work, and man, does it ever show. Superbly researched, extremely well written, and jammed full of crisp, rare period photographs and maps, topped off with a high quality printing. No way will you be disappointed with this book, and should you ever have the opportunity to tour the WWI battlefields, you'll never look at the ground beneath you feet the same again!

This is how books should be produced. Clear reproductions of contemporary photo's, beautifully executed line drawings that help explain & illustrate the text and clear color modern photos of what remains on site today.

The book covers the deep tunneling 'war' in Flanders in great detail, with the other tunneling sectors - where conditions were less difficult - in less detail & in their own section. And does so from both sides, which is still uncommon in any modern military books - most being written from the point of one side or the other.

I have also recommended this book to acquaintances well outside the military history field - it is an excellent book for those interested in 20th Century engineering and equally to those with an interest in archeology - I expect to see some of the techniques described in this book being used in future field excavations in anthropology.

The only way to safely express the feelings Bill Clinton's conduct produces is the editorial cartoon. The man just defies words. So this was a vintage year for cartoonists - and it shows. The cartoons in this book are just great. They canalise wrath into laughter, but also - on social issues - create the awareness that some matters are too serious to be laughed at.

A very good reason to buy this book: it features some of my own work. Really, this is reason enough to buy this excellent volume. Trust me.