Queen The Books

E T A Hoffmann was no ordinary man. He started life as a composer and then moved to writing stories. There are several of his sketches reproduced in this book and these show flashes of great talent too (you can see one on the cover). Hoffmann's influence is enormous in the musical world (Tchiakovsky, Delibes, Offenbach, Wagner all drew inspiration from Hoffmann). And there is something timeless in these stories even into the 21st century - there are psychological puzzles, studies of behaviour and myth, stories of automata that Philip Dick, Cordwainer Smith or Isaac Asimov would have been proud of, there are links not surprisingly into the world of music (you mustn't miss 'Rath Krespel') and the world of art (see 'Tobias Martin, Master Cooper'). Somehow Hoffmann makes ancient technologies and methods fresh and exciting - barrel making, sailing, alchemy, mining. Unfortunately the most famous of Hoffmann's stories (Nutcracker) is one of the weakest for me, and the one with the greatest reputation ('The Golden Flower Pot') suffers in this anthology by a translation that didn't engage me as well as those of other stories. My favourite stories are 'The Sand-Man', 'Rath Krespel' and 'Tobias Martin'. Here's a brief quote from 'Tobias Martin' that appealed to me especially: 'It sometimes happens that the deepest sorrow, if it can find tears and words, dissolves into a mild melancholy, so that perhaps even a gentle shimmer of hope begins to beam faintly through the heart.' Hoffmann is often sentimental but this is more than offset by an unpredictable exoticness.

Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann was born Ernst Theodor Wilhelm - he changed his name in honour of Mozart, and music was his first and possibly greatest love. He was a brilliant critic, a talented painter and caricaturist and, by all accounts, a very serviceable composer. All these elements - music, the pictorial sense, and the critic's sharp probing intelligence as displayed in the present review - feed into the stories, which perhaps is why they turned out to be his most lasting achievement. The ten in this collection are tales of the fantastic (Hoffmann is also credited by some with inventing the detective story with "Madame de Scudery", not included here, which predates, and may have influenced, Edgar Allan Poe's pioneering efforts in the genre) and include the four which provided the basis for Offenbach's opera. The style, like Mozart's, is bright, energetic and often comic; the substance, as with caricature, mixes the bizarre with the mundane in a fashion quite unlike that of anyone else you've ever read, even among Hoffmann's batallions of readers, followers and imitators. The general effect is strikingly original, often disturbing, sometimes hilarious and, not infrequently, loony - not at all what one would expect from the last of the German Romantics. This volume also boasts several illustrations scrawled by the author, a helpful introduction by E F Bleiler, and Dover Books' usual robust construction and reasonable pricing. Like Lord Dunsany, Hoffmann has been prized more as an influence than a writer. His work has certainly had an incalculable influence on modern fantasy fiction, as well as the detective story, science fiction and the 19th-century "novel of ideas" (Dostoyevsky noted Hoffmann's psychological insight as an influence on his own). But his own best work falls into none of these categories, inventing them all in the service of the author's vision - the mark of a true original, and the best possible reason to read Hoffmann for himself.

very very good, no jargon, analytical, no genuflection to postmodernist shibboleths, packed with ideas,

A model of interdisciplinary/literary scholarship. The prose is lucid and informative, the ideas innovative, and the overall effect of a densely packed but readable study.

I haven't met the author, but I'll catch her at a Chicago book signing soon.
Her book is warm, wondrous and whimsical. I loved every word. She's a "been there, done that" kind of girl.
Funny, funny, funny.
And touching, too. My only question is, where's the sequel?
Heather is cool, cool, cool.

This book is incredibly sweet, very funny and clearly shows off the author's overwhelming zeal for life. Feather is a talented writer who makes up for whatever she lacks in experience with an abundence of passion; passion for entertaining, passion for her dance career, and passion for telling the stories of her life and the lives of the amazing queens she performs with. Her book reads like the diary of the girl next door (complete with snide inside comments from her closest friends.), the one with the warm heart and the larger than life personality (not to mention that one who is slightly accident prone). I think this book is a wonderful behind the scenes romp into the world of drag told from a rarely heard perspective. I have a feeling that Feather has plenty more stories to tell and based on the joy that this book is, she should get the chance to tell them soon. Highly Recommend.

This book has everything that one would want to know about pearls. It includes the pearl's cultural and natural history, commerce, industrial and medical uses, methods of pearl gathering, lists of famous pearls, ancient legends about pearls, (black and white) pictures of pearls, and portraits of royalty with their pearls.

Since this book was written in 1906, the values of pearls are outdated, and the pre-metric measurements used are confusing.

This is the best and most useful resource on pearls that I have discovered.

This book is the best single reference on humanity's long-love affair with this unique gem: the pearl. Information on the pearl is given by time period (up to the early 20th Century) and by pearl producing region/country.
If you love pearls (or are in the process of knowing about them), this book is definitely a must have. It has it all: scientific facts, pearl oyster biology and history. Incredibly well written.

This is one of the best books on Boudica yet, and if you only read one, this should be the one you read. There is relatively little known about the woman that has become so important in some many ways to so many segments of society, and what is "known" should be treated with caution. Hingley and Unwin do an excellent job of showing what we do know, what we don't know, and what we might know but should think critically about in the context of the story of Boudica. They manage to create an interesting story without compromising on the evidence, avoiding what so many do when they say all the right things about biased sources and then mostly ignore what they just said and relate what those sources say as fact. Instead, Hingley and Unwin weave the critical assessment of both written and archaeological courses into their discussion in a way that keep it relevant to the story they tell. This story is given substance by the up-to-date discussion of current archaeological research on the period, which provides as useful review for professionals and interested others alike. The second half of the book was also interesting, providing a review of the ways in which "Boudica" became transformed into "Boadicea", the cultural icon variously of the right, the left, and the centre. This is far more standard in this type of literature, but nonetheless valuable in terms of what it brings to the table.
Probably most importantly, they manage to do all this in a highly readable fashion. Tackling the deconstruction of assumptions of Roman superiority, the inevitability of Romanization, and the uncritical use of written sources can often get mired down in jargon and so sail beyond what most people understand or care about. However, this book does it in a way that is both accessible and convincing. Nice job all around!

This book could not be given enough stars. It takes a fascinating episode in history, the revolt of the Queen of the Iceni of Britain in AD 60-61, and looks at it from historical, archaeological, literary, and mythical points of view. It shows how Boudica has went from simply the best-remembered of many contemporary British female warlords to variously being portrayed as a sadistic villian, a feminist hero, and a champion of British nationalism and politics. Overall, the book examines the real Boudica's role in history and her subsequent impact on modern Britain in a manner that is both informative and enjoyable to read. It is a fine source on Queen Boudica, the Celtic 'Woman of Victory' from every perspective!

A novel about the sentimental and sheltered princess who blossomed into the most famous queen of all time ...

Description from the book back cover:

She was haunted by a crown and scepter. Young Princess Victoria was never allowed to be alone. She was always protected from political intrigue and royal scandal - a virtual prisoner of her ambitious mother and her scheming lover. It didn't take long for Victoria to become aware of the sinister conflicts surrounding her. There were those who were obsessed with usurping her future power by either violence or marriage. And there were those who were determined she would never take the throne. But no one could deny the glorious destiny that awaited her ...

Victoria is virtually a prisoner in Kensington Palace. Her mother and her mother's chamberlain, Sir John Conroy, are her guards. They will not allow her to associate with anyone that has not been thoroughly and critically checked to make sure Victoria is not made harmed by their very presence. Even her governesses are under scrutiny. She is not even allowed to be alone! Someone must always be with her. Her only hope is in contemplating her coming of age, whereupon she may be free and able to take her "Uncle King's" crown without her dreaded captures taking regency. Her best friends are her "dear" sister Feodora, married and living in Germany; her Uncle Leopold, her cousin-in-law and uncle as well as King of the Belgians; Lehzen, her faithful governess; the King and Queen, whom she is rarely allowed to see; and her cousins that she is also rarely allowed to see. She has scheming uncles trying to usurp her right to the throne, and family fighting over her. Every day she comes closer to her dream of adulthood, and her guards' despair at loss of power.

This is the first book in the Queen Victoria Series, as well as the first one that I have read in the series (I think that is how they plan for you to read them!). I have read the Royal Diaries version, as well as the A&E mini-series "Victoria and Albert". I was very pleased to find them saying the same things about Queen Victoria's early life. I also enjoyed reading about William IV's and Queen Adelaide's life, as they are usually passed over in history.

Everyone knows the story of Pocahontas - or at least "a" story of Pocahontas. Pocahontas WAS intelligent, capable, curious, and brave, but real life isn't as palatable or black-and-white as the Disney-ized version of the story.

Wendy Lawton continues her "Daughters of Faith" series with "The Captive Princess," a respectful portrayal of Pocahontas and the people of her world, a story that recognizes the ambiguity of life. As the great Powhatan's daughter, Pocahontas enjoys both special privilege and responsibility within her family and her tribe. When Englishmen come to the Powhatans' shores, Pocahontas is both curious and wary. She knows there will be eagerness and distrust from both those new and those familiar to the land. She works to bring peace and trust between the two, but is betrayed. As she struggles to come to terms with the "grayness" all she has experienced, Pocahontas learns, in the words of a minister who befriends her, that "we battle between what we long to be and what we fall back into." When Pocahontas learns to accept God's forgiveness, she learns how to forgive herself as well.

The Captive Princess is a must read for fans of the "Daughters of Faith" series and new readers alike. Wendy Lawton's well-researched attention to historic details and her always present glossary of terms make "The Captive Princess" the perfect choice for a fun read or as part of a larger study of American history.

Most of us studied Pocahontas and the Jamestown settlement in American History. I enjoyed going back in time with Wendy Lawton and getting to know the young Pocahontas even better. Lawton does an excellent job bringing the young princess to life and makes learning the customs and language of the Powhatan Indians and the early Jamestown settlers an enjoyable experience. History has never been so fun. Pocahontas' compassion, spirit and faith will inspire you.

It's like a lullabye. Sing the words to this book and you'll see and enter into a magical, warm and cozy world that Ashman has created. It's a beautiful book.

This is a lovely book that I have read basically everyday since we bought it. My daughter, who loves animals, is fascinated that animals do not live in houses. To her, animals have real lives and she now likes to talk about the different homes that the animal mommies and daddies make for their animal babies. The soothing text and beautiful illustrations make this a cuddly, cozy picture book. I just love it. I think it's a book you'll find yourself enjoying again and again and again.

This was an outstanding collection of comic strips that made up the career of my favorite crime fighter Dick Tracy.I began reading Dick Tracy comic strips at the age of 5 in the Beaumont Enterprise. Dick Tracy was the embodiment of forces of good crushing the forces of evil.I am now 50 and I still enjoy Dick Tracy. This book is the best of Dick Tracy. You have an early
history of the beginning of Tracy's crime fighting career.This
book features some of Tracy's most evil villains.You have the Blank,Mary X,Jerome Trohs and Momma,Little Face Finny,the Mole,
B.B. Eyes,88 Keyes,Flattop,the Summer Sisters,the Brow and Gravel Gertie,Breathless Mahoney,B.O. Plenty,Mumbles,and Pear Shape.This is a must buy for the serious Dick Tracy fan.This
is the finest of Dick Tracy.Read this and you will become a fan of Dick Tracy too.

I searched high and low for this book until I found it for sale on line through Amazon. I first read this collection of Dick Tracy comic books at the age of 10 and have been hooked ever since. Reading through it a second time was even better because I now had a historical context to enjoy some of the references and greater awareness of some of the unfortunate racial stereo-types sometimes depicted. The cases include criminal minds like Flat Top, Pear Shape, Gravel Gerty & BO Plenty, The Blank, 88 Keys, Jerome Trohs & Mamma, Little Face Finny, The Mole, The Brow, Breathless Mahoney and Mumbles. Some color pages. This is a must read and must have for all Tracy fans and fans to be.

This is an excellent discussion of Celtic mythology and the female archetype. I am not an expert on either archetypes or Jungian psychotherapy, but I still found this book utterly AMAZING. Being in recovery myself, I could relate to many of Perera's clients' stories. So, from an ordinary person off the streets, let me send my highest praise to Perera for an EXCELLENT book.

Celtic Queen Maeve And Addiction: An Archetypal Perspective by Jungian psychoanalyst Sylvia Brinton Perera is a scholarly, serious look at the phenomenon of addiction utilizing the mythological stories and images of the Celtic Queen/Goddess Maeve. Highly researched and presenting a complex, multi-dimensional view of a very human problem and social ill, Celtic Queen Maeve And Addiction offers a fascinating dichotomy presentation that seeks to better understand the nature of addiction and the symbols of addiction. A close and extensively detailed look at how a figure in ancient Celtic lore relates to modern times. Celtic Queen Maeve And Addiction is an impressive and insightful contribution to the literature of psychoanalysis, addiction, and Jungian Studies.