The Empire Books

I am related to James G. Blaine and have read most books about him and his times. This was the best to date. Wallace Blaine Murray

This wonderful study opens a new window on Mr. Blaine and his contributions tot he development of America. Many have looked towards TR as the 'imperial president' but this fine study shows that in fact the ideas and the machinery of 'empire' and expansion beyond the continent were being drawn up long before, in the late 1800s. Blaine used his influence on the navy and to encourage the movement into such spheres as the 'guano' islands, finally America was beggining to actually enfore the Monroe Doctrin, which had been enacted more then 50 years before.

This is an excellent study of America and one of its great 'forgotten' politicians, someone who everyone knew about in the 1800s but who many forgot by the 1920s. Exploring the picotal role of this man, this is a must read for any student of american history or anyone interested in Americas place in the world.

Seth J. Frantzman

BEING A LIFE LONG FAN OF THE B WESTERN OF THE LATE 1930'S-1940'S THIS IS AN EXCELLENT TELLING OF THE LIFE AND CAREER OF ONE OF MY FAVORITE HERO'S FROM THAT TIME AS A SMALL BOY. HE WAS IN HIS PERSONAL LIFE WHAT I HAVE ALWAYS HELD HIM UP TO BE-A OUTSTANDING ATHLETE, HORSEMAN, AND GUN HANDLER. BUT, MORE IMPORTANTLY, HE WAS A TRUE & HONORABLE SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN, A DEVOTED HUSBAND AND FATHER. IF YOU ARE A FAN OF THE OLD B WESTERN STARS; ESPECIALLY ONE NAMED JOHNNY MACK BROWN; YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK.
A FAN IN TALLAPOOSA, GEORGIA

Bobby J. Copeland's book on "Johnny Mack Brown: Up Close & Personal" is chuck full of answers to all the questions his fans had from early on...when you went to see him on the big screen, you got exactly what the marquee said...plenty of thrills, adventure and loaded with action...Johnny Mack was a natural for the western, his riding abilities and fight scenes were of the the same caliber as Buck Jones and Bob Steele...Johnny Mack sets the saddle better than Duke Wayne...seems Johnny got better with the more films he made and the scripts were always top notch...he was one of the best-liked people in films, what you saw on the screen is what he really was...a great human being.

Copeland's coverage of up close and personal is very touching and entertaining...as in the table of contents with page numbers of chapters listed:
INTRODUCTION - 9
THE EARLY YEARS - 10
BROWN AT ALABAMA - 14
HOLLYWOOD BECKONS - 26
THE HOLLYWOOD MANSION - 33
GARBO, CRAWFORD & MAE WEST - 37
A TURN FOR THE WORSE - 40
JOHNNY RIDES THE RANGE - 44
THEY WORKED WITH JOHNNY - 62
FANS MEET JOHNNY - 66
RAYMON HATTON - 70
FUZZY KNIGHT - 77
MAX TERHUNE - 79
JOHNNY'S WESTERNS - A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE - 82
THEY'RE WRITING ABOUT JOHNNY - 97
THE FANS SPEAK - 101
POSTHUMOUS AWARDS - 107
REVERIES FROM CYNTHIA - 111
JOHNNY IN THE POLLS - 114
JOHNNY IN THE COMICS - 115
JOHNNY MACK BROWN TIME LINE - 117
JOHNNY'S CHILDREN & GRANDCHILDREN - 119
FILMOGRAPHY - 120
ESSENTIAL VIEWING OF JOHNNY'S WESTERNS - 131
PHOTO GALLERY - 141
ABOUT THE AUTHOR - 153

Find myself in full agreement with author Bobby Copeland and Boyd Magers (publisher of Western Clippings) with their picks in alphabetical order...this is only a partial list...there are other Westerns that did not make this list and were simply outstanding:

ARIZONA CYCLONE (1941 Universal)
BADMAN FROM RED BUTTE (1940 Universal)
BETWEEN MEN (1935 Supreme)
BORN TO THE WEST (re-released as HELL TOWN - with John Wayne) (1937 Paramount)
BRANDED A COWARD (1935 Supreme)
CANYON AMBUSH (1952 Monogram)
CHEYENNE ROUNDUP (1943 Universal)
CHIP OF THE FLYING U (1939 Universal)
CROOKED TRAIL,THE (1936 Supreme)
DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS (1942 Universal)
FLAME OF THE WEST (1945 Monogram)
FRONTIER AGENT (1948 Monogram)
GAMBLING TERROR (1937 Supreme)
HAUNTED MINE (1946 Monogram)
HIDDEN DANGER (1948 Monogram)
LAND OF THE LAWLESS (1947 Monogram)
LAW AND ORDER (1940 Universal)
LAW OF THE PANHANDLE (1950 Monogram)
LONE STAR TRAIL (1943 Universal)
OVERLAND TRAILS (1948 Monogram)
RAIDERS OF SAN JOAQUIN (1943 Universal)
RIDERS OF PASCO BASIN (1940 Universal)
SHERIFF OF MEDICINE BOW (1948 Monogram)
SILVER BULLET,THE (1942 Universal)
SIX GUN GOSPEL (1943 Monogram)
TEXAS KID,THE (1943 Monogram)
TRAILING DANGER (1947 Monogram)
TRIGGERMAN (1948 Monogram)
VALLEY OF FEAR (1947 Monogram)
VALLEY OF THE LAWLESS (1936 Supreme)
WEST OF CARSON CITY (1940 Universal)
WHISTLING HILLS (1951 Monogram)

Copeland has composed each section in his book to perfection noting Johnny Mack ranked a close No. 2 behind good friend Charles Starrett (Durango Kid)...in the amount B-Westerns filmed Starrett made 131 and Johnny Mack made 110, just five more than B-actioner Bob Steele, No. 3...Johnny Mack was always in the Top 10 Western Box Office Attractions for Motion Picture Herald Poll and Box Office Poll from 1940 through 1950...this book is unlike any on Johnny Mack as you will have greater appreciation after reading about his film career, football and real-life experiences...covers Johnny from birth on September 1, 1904 (Dothan, Alabama) until his 2004 Golden Boot Award...written with the assistance of the Brown Family...complete filmography...extensive quotes by Johnny, his family and his peers...thoroughly researched through over 70 years of documents..Johnny was handsome, perfect physical specimen, a capable rider and with his exploits on the football field had provided plenty of publicity with which he would savor for the rest of his life and career.

I found myself being transported back in time, Mr. Copeland's book has opened my eyes to what a wonderful unselfish person Johnny Mack Brown was...only wish I could have met him, he was one of a kind...we lost Johnny Mack November 14, 1974 (Woodland Hills, CA.)...Copeland takes the reader into the off screen events that each and every "B-Western-film-buff" lives for...knowing that Johnny was one of the nicest people, well liked and highly respected by directors, producers and cast is another plus. Pictures galore and great interviews by his co-workers make this a collectors dream come true...one of my favorite character actors was Johnny Mack's sidekick Raymond Hatton (1887-1971) as Marshall Sandy Hopkins who appeared from 1943 and made 45 films for Monogram Pictures...Don't miss this one...now appearing on Amazon or Empire Publishing ...Don't hesitate...rush out and pick up your copy today. Great reading in the days and weeks to come...I guarantee it!

Total Pages: 156 ~ Empire Publishing ISBN 0-944019-45-5 ~ (6/15/2005)

One of the best books I have ever turned pages in, this book kept me reading from beginning to end, not alot of modern books do this for me. the author has many other short stories about life, politics, and todays social issues. If you want to learn something read this book and other writings from Mark Driver.

I was actually lucky enough to have a boyfriend who obsessed with this author and ended up having beer with him! He was a fun person and his writing is really interesting and amusing...ah heck it's great! I have this book and i make everyone read it all the time..rave reviews from them as well although i never use the term "rave" I will throw it in here for entertainment purposes and to help sell this awesome book!

I had the honor of studing Chito-Ryu Karate when I was a guaduate student in Louisville Kentucky in the 1970's. I met and studied under Dometrich Hanshi on several occassions and will always have the deepest respect for him as a Karate master and great person. This book is a wonderful and inspiring story of his life and his love for Karate. I will always keep those memories and continue to use what I learned from him in Chito-Ryu in my life and personnal Karate quest. This is a great book and story.

Let it be known that I am a biased reviewer. I am a student of Chito-ryu Karate-do and Dometrich Hanshi is my Karate grandfather (he is my teacher's teacher) and I have had the privilege of training under him for over 25 years.

Like many students of the martial arts, I have read many martial arts books, including numerous biographies and autobiographies. I base my review on both personal relationship as well as literary scholarship.

I can say without a doubt this is one of the best autobiographies I have ever read and a must for any student or would be student of martial arts. Particularly those interested in the history of the propagation of martial arts in the Americas. The reason it is so great is that it is so real and so immediate. He is not a writer, he is a story teller, and the material he has to work with is so good.

Dometrich Hanshi is widely recognized as one of the leading pioneers of traditional Karate in the US and this is his personal account of the unlikely events of his incredible life. From a young boy in Clarksville WV to the training halls of southern Japan to becoming a bastion of true Karate-do in the United States. He has been a soldier, a cop, a buddhist monk, and the founder (along with his wife Barbara) of the United States Chito-ryu Karate Federation. It is a Hollywood-worthy story full of excitement, intrigue and heartbreak. It is an easy read made more enjoyable in his own voice.

Dometrich Hanshi will be the first to tell you is is just a guy that was given a job to do and he has done the best he can. In doing so, his influence on the landscape of Karate in the United States over the past 50 years has been profound.

The title "The Endless Quest" underscores his mantra of Shoshin (Beginners mind) : he has seen and learned a lot, but he continues on the path of learning. He has been unflinchingly loyal to his teacher, Chito-ryu Founder Dr. Tsyuoshi Chitose, for over 50 years. A lesson for all of us, but one that is so often lost in this day and age.

Both in the States and abroad, real recognizes real and any "true" karate senior will tell you, Dometrich Hanshi is the real deal, and his life story is an inspiration to us all.

He is true "old school".

It is with great humility that I am the first reviewer of this important contribution to the legacy of Karate-do. It is a great event that this book is now easily accessible to a wider audience.

Recommended without reservation.

Cyna Khalily, MD
United States Chito-ryu Karate-do Federation
Yoseikan Taka no ko Dojo
Louisville, KY

Excellent value for a very interesting book. It arrived less than a week after I ordered it

The Khmer Empire, Cities and Sanctuaries from the 5th to the 13th Century is a fantastic book with up to date detailed information about the most important khmer architecture in Cambodia, Thailand and Laos. The information is complete including maps, floor plans, photographs and a chronology of the Khmer Kings. Lacking is a chronology of the sites. This book is a must for those interested in the Khmer culture, architecture, temples , archaeology and history. It is certainly helpfull to understand the importance of each monument not only before visiting the sites but also after visiting them.Angkor and the Khmer Civilization (Ancient Peoples and Places)Angkor: Cambodia's Wondrous Khmer Temples, Fifth Edition (Odyssey Illustrated Guide)

This is the continuation of the story of Harry Wiggins, an undercover operative caught in the evil web of Klitzman's Empire. Klitzman is a depraved international criminal who uses his West Arican island as a resort where kidnapped young women are trained to serve as sexual slaves and satisfy the unrestrained erotic demands of the wealthy and powerful. The story is compelling as Harry walks a fine line between losing his soul and fulfilling his role as one of Klitzman's cruel henchmen. His story is intertwined with the fate of several unfortunate, beautiful, young women who have fallen prey to Klitzman's minions. Not for the faint of heart.

I would put this among some of the best for those into hard bdsm books, or into detailed bondage and torture of whipping, caning, lashing and other torments. What makes this book unique is the many hot steamy sex scenes. They abound as much as torture scenes. What is novel also is - Harry, the main character was a reluctant master, with heart, feelings and sensitivity for the victims - at the same time finding his baser nature surfacing to where he found himself enjoying inflicting pain then wonder about it. It makes him a humane figure in an otherwise very inhuman setting. One can identify with a character like Harry more, making it a refreshing plus.

Again if one likes it hard with endless many and varied scenes of bdsm torture and sex, this is it. I highly recommend it.

L'empire des anges est un must pour toutes personnes qui souhaitent en savoir plus sur la vie, sur comment tout ce qui nous arrive est relié et sur comment le "destin" fonctionne.
Bernard Werber à su comment expliquer les mythes de facon logique et vraisemblable.
Êtes vous prêts à comprendre?

Il faut dire que je suis une grande amatrice de Werber, mais je considère que L'empire des Anges est le meilleurs que j'ai lu à ce jour... Le sujet est vraiment intéressant et la teinte de philosophie est présente. J'ai également trouvé le livre très drôle par moments!
Bravo Werber!

Only a handful of historians have the gift for story-telling that Dr. Nicol demonstrates in this great work. It is an academic work in popular style comparable only to the works of Steven Runciman (see especially, The Fall of Constantinople 1453 (Canto)).

In this work, Nicol organizes the post-Latin kingdom into 4 periods, the post-Latin empire restoration (1261-1282), the era of decline (1282-1321), the civil wars (1321-1354), and the final century of Ottoman incursion (1354-1453). Each section could be studied on its own though each builds on the previous sections as a coherent whole. The final chapter concerning the last holdouts after the fall of Constantinople seemed a bit rushed compared with the rest and this reviewer was hoping for more detail there. There was one map for the entire book and that makes understanding the 200 year span of changes more difficult to follow. Inside the back cover is a family tree for the last emperor, Constantine XI. Despite the minor disappointments this important work is a fine overview of the last centuries of Byzantium and a useful and enjoyable read. The book's overall value far exceeds any of its shortcomings.

Donald Nicol's account of the last 250 years of Byzantine history is accurate, well written and neatly organized. Unlike studies of earlier ages for the Empire where the Empire and the Arabs ruled the East, Eastern Mediterranean history after the Fourth Crusade can get rather complex and confusing, as not only the Empire, but the "crusading" Latins, the Islamic nomads, and the Slavic Christian Kingdoms must all be considered. A tale that could easily become entangled and confusing for the reader, Nicol superbly narrates the events and provides detailed accounts of the players. He cleverly demonstrates how entrenched the beleagured Byzantines were, with the greedy Italians to the west, the encroaching Turks to the east, the growing Serbian Empire to the north, and the festering internal decay of Imperial decentralization from within. Yet, the Empire still produced great leaders like Theodore Laskaris I, John Vatazes, Michael VIII, John Cantacuzene, and perhaps the most tragic of all medieval heroes, Constantine XI Palaeologos, who all, in better times and without so many encoaching powers from the outside, may have saved the Empire from such tragedies. But in addition to this sad tale of Byzantium's fall, Nicol also narrates the flourishing of Orthodoxy in the Imperial and Slavic world, as well as the flowering of learning and thought at Mistra, in the lower Peoloponese. This alone, was the spark that triggered the resurgance of knowledge and arts in the Italian Peninsula, less than 100 years after the Fall of Constantinople. What many, scholars and readers alike, tend to forget is that Byzantium's lasting legacy lay in its cultural achievements in the Orthodox Church, as well as providing the materials and teachers that would reawaken Western Europe into that period of rebirth so commonly referred to as the Renaissance.

Nothing even gets close to any other autory regarding the history of USA. Period.

As an insider, and stauch American, and a brilliant mind, Gore transends all bias, evolving with a consie "real" history of the United States. I veleive this book should be required reading in every acedemic institution.

History as "real". It's a "gift" for all those who know nothing about our Empire. In additon, he's a most gifted and patrioc american, who writing stye and gift for relating ideas, out strips all other autors regarding historical novels.

I wish him long life. One of our last Lions in the literay owrld.

The narration is below par but the book is so great that you'll want to save this one for that long drive.

i never really got into rpgs my friends got me to play vampire once or twice but it was boring and i played wraith whcih was cool because of the great war expansion but this has to be the best rpg ever most of my friends and me loved the card game and we developed our own storyline for our campaign form the card game it was very fun and we had a huge battle at beiden pass that rivaled the scorpion clan coup this game is great

Let me start by saying that I've been playing RPGs since D&D came in a little box with three little soft covered books (about 30 years). This may be the best RPG I've ever played. The game world is incredibly well developed, charactes are awesome and fun, the mechanics are fairly easy, and it isn't just hack and slash. My hats off to Alderac.