Graphics Books

Lots of pictures of different logos and the book is arranged in a very orderly manner. Excellent book!

Well printed, well edited and an excellent resource for designers and creative individuals.

I'm very impressed with the wide array and organization of this book (and the others in the series). Such great colors, and layout... everything just makes me want to study every last detail on every last page. I've bought the first two... and have added the third one to my wish list. If you want to be a good logo designer but experience "designer's block," this should get you over that hump. Thanks, Bill Gardner, and all the fabulous designers who were featured in the book!

Logo Lounge 1 is a must-have in my design library - I refer to it often. Unfortunately Logo Lounge 2 seems lackluster, uninspired, and disappointing. While it contains the same quantity of logos as the first book, the solutions are much less imaginative and the profile section at the beginning is too long and the designers profiled, and their work, are difficult to relate to.

Great for idea gathering and inspiration. It keeps you up to date with the newest logo designs.

This is the last volume of the Lone Wolf and Cub series. Yes it is the end. I must say one thing first, if you read this book make sure to have read all the volumes before it. This is the only way to truly feel the impact...of this amazing story. If you have read this far there is no need for me to describe the plot. So I am speaking to those who have read some but not all of the series. This is not at all disappointing in the least. It is well worth the money and the ending is truly something to be read for oneself. Never, and alot of people say never, but TRULY never have I read anything so well put together. Kazuo Koike & Goseki Kojima are truly talented.

The final stop on the assassins road ...

You have to read the first 27 volumes of this series to comprehend just how incredible it is. Cinematic in style, and perhaps one of the greatest pieces of literature of modern times, this sage comes to an end here, as debts are settled, and a country awaits the outcome.

I've heard comic book fans say they would never read this because it's manga. Ignore them. Even if you don't read comics, you need to read this series. It will make you laugh, cry and get angry -- often in the same story. Few works of art can do that to you. This one does.

This volume is a fitting end to the saga. The events of the previous 27 volumes propel readers to this conclusion, and if you aren't moved by the story aren't breathing. It's that simple.

If you are about to read or order this final book, please read this! This volume has a glossary at the end, as do the others in the Dark Horse reprint of the series. Do not flip to the glossary in this volume; it's located adjacent to the final panels of the series and inadvertently seeing them may spoil your enjoyment of the book. Do without -- there's nothing in the glossary of this volume that isn't in a previous issue.

As for the content, the volume is an incredibly tense, poignant, surprising, and confusing conclusion that draws on the stories and themes of the earlier volumes. Read the books from start to finish. The first two volumes suffer from a weak translation and some clumsiness but from then Lone Wolf and Cub is thoughtful, visceral, transcendant series that will make you proud to be a comic book reader.

In thinking over these stories, I often thought back on "Beyond Fate" by Margaret Visser, a transcription of lectures about fate and honour, which I would also recommend.

I just finished this final volume of the lone wolf and cub series. It is an incredible series, by far the best comics I have ever read. I would echo others reviews about not reading this without reading the others. The power of the ending and the story as a whole will be lessened. I am still in shock about the ending and wish that there were another 28 about Daigoro and the future of the Yagyu

After 28 HUGE volumes, Lone Wolf and Cub finally comes to an end. On the one hand, I couldn't WAIT for the series to end, so I could see what happened to Itto Ogami and his son, Daigoro. Would they have their revenge against the Yagyu clan at last...? On the other hand, I knew I'd miss the characters and the magnificent work of creators Kazuo Koike & Goseki Kojima....Well, I've finally finished the series, and I miss Daigoro already...

This final installment revolves around the showdown between Ogami & Daigoro and their nemesis, Retsudo Yagyu. Yagyu brings the final remnants of his "Grass" (Deep-cover Ninja who spend generations infiltrating villages in Japan) to the battlefield, and employs a truly insidious deception against Itto (Which I won't spoil!); I studiously avoided any situation that may have resulted in my discovering the end of the series before I got a chance to read it, and although I had a general idea of how the final battle would play out, I was still moved to tears at the final twenty pages.....

If you haven't experienced any of the Lone Wolf and Cub series, I can't recommend them highly enough. I've been reading comics since I was two years old, and I have NEVER read such a finely wrought story; It ranks among my favorite works of fiction, right alongside Lonesome Dove and The Stand, and that's pretty damned impressive.......

Want to get your kids or students interested in math? Let them put together a geometric solid covered with interlocking trolls or other tesselated designs, then hang them from the playroom ceiling! Your kids will never get over it!

Beautifully colored, easily put together. and very, very neat...

This is the bet presentation and best manufactured kaleidocycles that I had bought. Sent in a very good and fast way.

"A kaleidocycle is a closed chain of tetrahedra that can cycle endlessly through a center hole. ? Best known for his strangely realistic depictions of things that defy the laws of physics, Maurits Cornelis Escher became interested in problems of repetition and symmetry after traveling to the Alhambra, a 14th century Moorish castle in Granada, Spain. Fascinated by the periodic (i.e. regularly recurrent) designs of the castle's mosaics, he began to pursue the idea that a plane can be divided into uniform, interlocking figures, forming a pattern that repeats itself at set intervals, theoretically to infinity. Instead of simply combining abstract shapes to produce a pattern, however, Escher decided to use more meaningful figures--shells and starfish, angels and devils, for example--images that could be connected not just graphically but also conceptually. Kaleidocycles, created by mathematician Doris Schattschneider and graphic designer Wallace Walker, explores the three-dimensional implications of Escher's two-dimensional periodic designs. With a little glue, you can easily assemble the enclosed models--all printed with repeating patterns derived from the artist's original drawings--into various kaleidocycles and geometric solids. In doing so, you will transform Escher's beautiful designs into true examples of infinite repetition: the interlocking images will wrap endlessly over the surfaces of the three-dimensional objects. ? Kaleidocycles contains a 48-page book with over 80 reproductions and diagrams, assembly instructions, and a fascinating discussion of the geometric principles and artistic challenges underlying Escher's designs and their transformation to three-dimensional models; and seventeen die-cut, scored, three-dimensional models (11 kaleidocycles and 6 geometric solids) Cigar box-style packaging, size: 9-1/2 x 12-1/4 x 1-1/2". [Refers to revised edition:] ISBN: 0-7649-3110-5

KALEIDOCYCLES 3-D MODELS ONLY
"Purchase an extra set of the 17 models for each additional participant. Assembly instructions are not included. ISBN: 0-7649-3207-1."--? Pomegranate

If you are as fascinated with the graphics of Escher as I am; you'll be entertained,amazed and engrossed with this 'kit' which allows you to assemble and hold these wonderful models of intrigueing mathematics , coupled with the graphic art and figures of the master himself; M.C.Escher.
It is one thing to look at Escher's magnificient work in 2-dimension; but it is another experience entirely, to hold these 3-dimensional models and view the figures and patterns as you turn as fold these models on themselves,
One of the other reviewers talked about creating additional models; and that is obviously possible ,because there is all the information needed to do that; right here in the book.
I have had this kit for some time ; but hadn't actually constructed any of the models. I recently was told about a man who constructed ball and stick models. I contacted him,and visited him to see his models. I brought along with me a book ,
"Polyhedron Models" by Magnus Wenninger .This is an outstanding book covering the subject as well as 119 models. The man I was visiting ,had the book and even knew its author. This book deals with models whose surfaces are flat and made of cardboard or if desired ,other materials. To see what these fascinating models look like, look them up on the net under "Magnus Wenninger".
The man I visited constructs similar models;but uses only wooden balls and sticks. Think of those chemistry models of compounds,and you can imagine how beautiful and interesting they can be. All models begin with one of the known uniform polyhedra and from them the stellated models are formed. The variations are in the many millions.
Anyone who has much interest in this sort of stuff will find an excellent chapter ,Polyhedra,in "Mathematical Recreations and Essays" by W.W. Rouse Ball,a real classic in the subject of Mathematical Recreations.
The man I went to visit has been working on these models for many,many years. He has created his own techniques and even an intrigueing appratus to make the holes in the balls. The exactness is so critical,that making them by hand would be terribly difficult. To date he has made about 500 0f these ball and stick models.
So, after my visit,it was a real joy to cit down and construct some models.

My 9-year-old son and I had tremendous fun assembling the models in this kit. Each of the models in the kit contains an adaptation of Escher's periodic design in a way that the geometric solid is continously covered with it. Though a unique personal experience, my son learned what tetrahedron, octahedron, dodecahedron, cuboctahedron and kaleidocycle look like. This is the best project we ever worked on.

After fumbling through my iMac's "Help" system, with little success (because I didn't know enough to ask the right questions), this interactive book, with a DVD, about the Macintosh iHub applications (iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie and iDVD) was a "bolt out of the blue"!

It is the best organized, and easily understood tutorial that I have ever experienced in my long computer life
(I had my Boy Scout Troop attendance on punch cards in 1937).

In a short period of time this book had me downloading my "old" VHS movies, creating titles with special fade effects, importing background music, and producing DVDs of my family's "visual history" for my kids and grandkids to play on their TV's. Thank you Mr. Heid!

I hope Mr. Heid follows this up with an "update" that covers the new iLife release.

Buy this book and an iMac and you'll never look back! Great read, and an awesome DVD. If your into digital photography, music or making home movies this book shows you how the digital hub applications are so simple a child could use them, but they also are so powerful as a professional I would swear by them.

Note that as of April 2003, this book has been superceded by the author's newer "The Macintosh iLife, an Interactive Guide to iTunes, iPhoto, iMove and iDVD" which covers newer versions of these applications. I wish I had known that when I ordered this book...

Still, I enjoyed the Macintosh Digital Hub a lot. It is a great overview of the iApplications, explaining their purpose and how to do common tasks in an interesting and easy to follow way. It also points out tips and shortcuts you may not be aware of if you haven't read the documentation (and who really does?)

The book itself is beautifylly laid out (coffee table style) with lots of ilustrations and pictures and the DVD complements it nicely. I'd recomend watching the DVD and then reading the more detailed chapters. This type of book would make a great gift to someone who just got a Mac.

I've had my iMac for about a year now and thought I had become a reasonably successful user of the iLife software (iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD). Since purchasing this book, I now realize I have only scratched the surface of possibilities for my iMac as the 'digital hub' of my home. This book/DVD combo provides for the most effective method of learning I've come across in a how-to book; I read about the steps necessary to complete an action- for example, within iMovie, then watch it on the DVD, then try it myself, stopping to pause and review the DVD if I find myself a little confused or unsure of the next step. The book and DVD complement each other perfectly. I am extremely pleased with this book. It has demonstrated the elegance and intuitive simplicity for which I bought an Apple computer. Kudos to the author and editorial team.

My office is littered with "how to" books about computers and software and none can compare to this approach. It's like having someone in the room while you make your way through the learning process. I've always believed you can't just learn how to use these programs and put them away until later. You have to use them every day, and then you will know what you are doing; this approach breaks the ice. This is like the "Teach Yourself Visually" series, only better because the DVD supplements what is in the book. They have others on Word and Photoshop and I will be buying them soon. The only bad thing I can say is buy you copy from Amazon.com for [money], I paid [money] at [name].

Excellent book with a very easy exposition of photogrammetry an the newest applications it offers. Very good to understand what's behind camera tracking software in the postproduction market.

The book covers the general theory behind of matchmoving and photogrametry pretty clearly. There's step by step tutorials that guide you thru the matchmove process such as manual and auto tracking. I was a beginer and learned quiet a lot. I only wished he covered more on the interface of matchmover. Still a great book though.

If you want to know about "black" art of matchmoving this would be the author and this would the book.

Recently, I started doing matchmove work again, after a two year break. Before starting the new job, I wanted to brush up by reading this book. This is an excellent reference and I wish I had it when I started matchmoving four years ago. For the novice I can not recommend this book enough. For a manual, this book is easy to read and breaks down all aspects of matchmoving in just 250 pages. I did not go over the tutorials on the CD, I am just reviewing the written portion of the book.

Since this is only the Matchmoving book out there, there not much to say. The book has some really nice tutorials, is clearly written, and once you finish the book you should be able to go out and shoot your own footage for CG animation/fx.

A big purple monster type guy protects a girl that is trying to help others. A nasty bad guy and his hordes of creepy little black chomping demon type things try and get to her.

That is, if most of this isn't just some demented dream or other. Entertaining, but maybe a little wayward.

The first three volumes of the Maxx are by far the best experience in reading comics I have ever had. Seeing how the story unfolds and the mystery of all this crazy stuff unravels is awesome. Sam Kieth does an excelent job of dropping hints and little visual clues along the way without giving plot points away to soon. this was an excelent comic and sam keith's visual style is so neat.

The Maxx is a masterpiece. It's that simple.

Personally, I found The Maxx through watching the MTV Liquid Television show. I was very young, and very confused. Once I got older, though, I found a renewed interest in The Maxx and Sam K.'s work.

If you liked the show, and you know how to read, this is a no-brainer. Even if you've never seen the show, the various art styles, deep story and astounding, true-to-life dialog (Thanks to Messner-Loebs) will suck you in. This series honestly changed the way I look at life. You can see the specifics on the story in other reviews. I just wanted to share what The Maxx means to me. Which is a lot. Thank you, Sam Kieth.

I do not read comic books. I got the first volume of The Maxx because I enjoyed the cartoon so much - and volume 1 is almost exactly like the cartoon. The same is with the first half of volume 2 - then it starts to expand in strange and interesting rhelms!

Now - I can't help it, I'm ordering volume #3, I'm hooked.

Ok, this book is the beginning of the Maxx series. The story of Maxx that goes on til first breakup of Dave and Julie is the best considering whole series (first 10-11 ish).

If you are a fan, get first twenty issues. Issues 12-20 are also about Dave and Julie. After that, story is about Mister Gone's daughter, her Maxx and it strays even more around ish 30 into some one shots and Friend of Maxx like stories. Maxx is 35 issues long, but first 10 issues are must get. They are best art/story combo EVER, and only story arc comparable to best stories of Sandman.

Martin Lemelman has created a beautiful memoir, with his mother's voice speaking to the reader (you can hear her adorable accent!) and tender drawings that recreate her life as a young Jewish girl in Ukraine, a life that was torn apart by Nazi invasion.

I almost left this book on the shelf because - sometimes you don't want to hear another story like this. But one look at the pictures and I had to read it. I could see this book would not be like any graphic novel or any holocaust novel that I read before.

Somehow you finish this book, despite the story, feeling unexpectedly happy. Why is that when there is so much sadness, when you expect only grief or rage? Well, on every page you can feel Lemelman's love for his mother and you just feel happy that this beautiful book was made for her, and that her story is shared with us.

By the way, I was reading to see whether I might share this book with young people. If you find yourself beginning to approach the story of the Holocaust, I definitely recommend Mendel's Daughter.

Our book club read this wonderful book and everyone agreed (which was a miracle) that it was an amazing experience. From the lovely illustrations to "hearing" Gusta's voice, it was a totally memorable read. The author, Martin Lemelman, accepted our invitation to speak to our book club and he added even so much more to this story. His gentle manner was in direct contrast to the horrors of the stories he told us. Reading the book then having Martin speak to us about researching and writing it, was a definite highlight for all of us.

As an Interviewer for Steven Spielberg's Survivors of the Shoah Foundation, I have heard many moving testimonies, but Mendel's Daughter: A Memoir touched a raw nerve. Through his drawings, Lemelman was able to convey not only his mother's story, but his emotional reaction to it as well.

I picked up Martin Lemelman's book, "Mendel's Daughter," and did not put it down until I had read through to the last page. The story is familiar, yet new--a testimony to the spirit, faith, and tenacity of those who did whatever they could, whatever they had to do to survive the atrocities of the Holocaust. Yet it is much more than a tale of survival or an account of the fate of the Jews at the hands of the Nazis. It is a touching, poignant story of a family that although divided by circumstances, remains whole and committed to surviving, supporting each other, reuniting, and, throughout, holding tight to their beliefs and traditions. The beautiful artwork that pictorially weaves this tale brings the characters to life, and the reader cannot help but feel their pain and anguish, their struggle to survive, their love and their joy. The drawings, the photographs, and the text of "Mendel's Daughter" all combine to create a timeless memorial to a family, a people, and a period in our history that must never be forgotten or dismissed.

MENDEL'S DAUGHTER details the harrowing story of Martin Lemelman's mother and her family during the Holocaust. It is a story that Lemelman grew up knowing very little of. But in 1989, after his mother, Gusta, dropped a frozen chicken on her foot (causing it to be broken), Lemelman brought her to stay at his house in Pennsylvania. In part to curtail her efforts to do all of the cooking and cleaning at his house with her broken foot, and in part to have a family history that he would be able to pass along to his own children, Lemelman persuaded his mother to finally share her story. He wisely videotaped her. After her death a decade ago, he watched the recording, edited the story Gusta related by reorganizing it chronologically and augmenting her accounts with those of his Uncle Isia, who also survived. He then illustrated it with hundreds of drawings interspersed with actual documents and some little black and white photos his mother had saved from her childhood.

Gusta Mendel grew up in a prosperous and well-regarded Jewish family in a portion of Poland that is now part of the Ukraine. This was a region that during World War II was invaded first by the Communists and then by the Nazis. We know from the outset of this memoir that this is a story of survival, that Gusta made it through the Holocaust. Following the historical and personal events that are depicted in this book, Gusta would eventually come to America and, with her husband, raise Lemelman and his brother in the back of their Brooklyn candy store.

The rest of the Mendel family was murdered by the Nazis, but Gusta, Isia, Yetala, and another sibling, Simon, lived. The four siblings survived in the woods through two winters, digging themselves a series of underground shelters, burying the potatoes and sugarbeets they'd steal from fields in the middle of the night, and getting some help from a few people who were sympathetic to their plight.

"For us, the war ended in March-April 1944.
"Who could believe that the German army coming back to Germakivka would be the beginning of our liberation? This time, thanks God, they was coming from the East, running away from Russia."

The result of Lemelman's labor of love is the real deal: an illustrated memoir which, while technically published as an adult book, will be incredibly approachable, engaging, and memorable to middle school and high school age readers.

GREAT ! entertainment for the youngsters its aimed at." I know I certainly enjoyed it when I was a kid ! Assuming your youngsters are old enough to read, it's a great way to start a life long devotion to comics. It's a shame used copies are so expensive.

I own all the original Metal Men comics, but with this book,I don't have to take them out of their bags in the attic. These quirky tales personify the Silver Age and are as fun to read now as back in the 60s. Can't wait until future volumes are released.

In the early '60s, my mother would sometimes bring home a comic book for me to read. One I remember best was a band of robots known as the Metal Men.

Constructed by the genius Dr. Will Magnus, each of these robots had abilities which reflected the metal of which they were constructed, i.e. Gold was very malleable, and could form very thin sheets or stretch to extraordinary lengths. Iron was strong, and often formed battering rams, girders, cranes, and other tools. Lead frequently formed barriers against radiation, as well as heavy objects which Iron would throw or swing against their foes. Mercury frequently boasted that he was the only metal liquid at room temperature, and so could flow into narrow spaces. Tin was physically weak, a flimsy robot easily crushed, but would sometimes form a plating over one of the other robots as a protection against some corrosive agent. Tina (the only robot with a personal name) was made of platinum, and was often observed to stretch herself into a fine wire, ensnaring their enemies by winding herself around them.

Over the years, I would sometimes recall their individual personalities, level-headed Gold, strong, resourceful Iron, stalwart Lead, boastful, argumentative Mercury, timid, insecure Tin, and most of all, Tina, the stunningly beautiful platinum robot who was more emotionally warm and loving than many human women. These were basic qualities which are seen as ideals or flaws in humans, examplified in not-quite-human form.

Each adventure would pit them against some peculiar foe which would give them an opportunity to demonstrate their personality characteristics, as well as a simple science lesson involving the characteristics of their metal bodies.
In many adventures, one or more of the team would sacrifice themselves, only to be reconstructed by Dr. Magnus, where we would be given a peek into the manner in which they were formed. As it turned out, they weren't assembled like an automobile, but more correctly cast or forged from pure metal, which was somehow animated by a device called a "responsometer". This was what allowed them to change shape without losing alignment of internal parts. They were drawn in a manner which suggested their human characteristics, with very human facial features and physiques with visible muscles, and only small hints at their robotic nature, such a exposed rivets in a few locations, notably at the edge of their face, on their abdomen, and near their wrists and ankles. They resembled living metallic statues with human personalities rather than mere automatons assembled out of parts, and the stories portrayed them essentially in this manner as well.

Most adventures included a bit of an ongoing drama of unrequited affection, in which Tina was in love with Dr. Magnus, who was obviously in denial. He would sometimes slip up and say something kind to her, then correct himself and remind her, usually in an unfeeling way, that she was "only a robot". But what a robot she was! Her cold metal body housed a genuinely warm and tender personality. I often felt her anguish when he would caustically reject her. Seeing her tears wrenched my heart just as it did years ago. Who wouldn't want a friend and companion such as Tina, robotic or not?
I was interested to learn that the Metal Men have had recurring "guest appearances" in other DC comics. The DC One Million series of a few years ago revealed that Tina at least still exists and functions 85,000 years from now, where she gives testimony regarding the identity and authenticity of Superman.

Some of the plot points in these stories from 1962 and 1963 were a little naive, for example their very first adventure has them battling a prehistoric flying stingray which has been mutated by radioactive meteorites.
In another story, an evil robot from another planet was abandoned on a "junkyard" planet, and tried to construct a "queen" to rule alongside it. Why? Apparantly because that was the natural thing to do. When it was unable to build anything other than duplicates of itself, it decided to capture Tina as its queen.
In another adventure, another planet inhabited by robots had exact robot analogies to Earth life forms, so we saw robot birds which laid metal eggs, robot crabs, robot rulers who hunted with robot falcons, etc. Food on this planet resembled oranges, lemons, grapes, etc, although with unique properties.

None of this detracted from the entertainment value of the Metal Men, who were, after all, the reason we were reading in the first place.

I was very pleased to find The Metal Men Archives, which collects their earliest nine adventures from March 1962 to December 1963 into one, hardbound volume. The book is printed in full color, on much better paper than the original comics, and includes the original cover art as well as the contents. These nine adventures were all new to me, apparantly the issues I had read came from later in their run, which lasted until December 1969. At the current price of comic books, this volume is a bargain.

Reading this was very entertaining. I was elated to see the Metal Men in action once more. It was refreshing to see their individual personality strengths and weaknesses, and especially to see Tina professing her devotion to the (totally undeserving) Dr. Magnus.

I enjoyed the team spirit of the group, their positive interactions as well as the occassional bickering between, for example, Mercury and Tina. I found these stories to be somewhat inspiring in that, ideal or not, each robot demonstrated that anyone can do the right thing. Flimsy Tin, although knowing his limited abilities, could face enemies just as bravely as strong Iron. Although unpredictable, when faced with disaster, Tina still frequently managed to think of solutions which would save the entire group. Thus, anyone of the group, regardless of their abilities or personalities, could end up being a hero.

I eagerly look forward to Volume 2 (as well as the Metal Men movie which is currently in the works).

Metal Men was one of my favorite comics as a child, even though it's a lot less well known than most. Maybe I liked it because getting super-powers is hard (the near-fatal freak accidents that were required seemed scary), while it didn't seem so impossible to become a scientific genius and invent some super-heroes who would look up to you (or even, in the case of Tina the platinum robot, fall in love with you in a kind of reverse-Pygmalion kind of way.)

Looking at the series from decades farther along, you see the plot problems- the amazing coincidences that helped Dr. Magnus (such as always having a "magnetizing ray" on hand when you need one); the fact that Dr. Magnus and 5/6 of the Metal Men had a pre-adolescent male contempt for women (apparently Tina was originally intended by Dr. Magnus only as a pretty thing to look at, and he neither thought of her as a woman nor as a useful fighting member of the team- so she had to struggle mightily to be accepted on both those fronts.) And while the series tried to be conscious of the chemical and physical properties of the metals the Metal Men represent, there are occasional goofs, my favorite being a scene of Dr. Magnus carrying Tina- it's only credible if he has the strength of a construction crane.

On the other hand, Metal Men had some of the most bizarre villains in the comics, and two of the most memorable debut in this collection: Chemo, whose chemical blasts had as unpredictable an effect on things and people as red kryptonite did on Superman; and the Missile Men, an army of duplicates created by a renegade robot who had actually been trying to create a Queen.

The Metal Men Archives Vol.1 is a MUST HAVE for any serious DC Comics collector. They were way ahead of their time and it's easy to see after only a chapter or two why they still grab and hold your attention after all these years. The artwork is amazing and the characters seem to jump right off the pages. Don't be left out, order your copy today and enjoy...it's pure platimum from cover to cover!

This is a great book. I couldn't put it down once I started it. I really enjoyed it and I look forward to her next one:)

What an excellent book! It grabbed me from the very first page & ended with me wanting to read the next book! You know how authors include excerpts from a chapter of the next book in a series? Well, when I finished this book, I was dying to read an excerpt from this author's next book! The Misplaced Horse is very well-written ~ it's as good as ANY of the mystery books that are written by famous authors. It has the added bonus of being written around the horse world. It's refreshing to read such a book that's not full of mistakes about the horse "stuff". I once read a book by a VERY famous author who was talking about a big Tennessee Walker. Then the character went on to say that this big TW was 13.1hh. Nothing like that happens in The Misplaced Horse! The characters are well-developed & the storyline will grab you & hang onto you until the end. I'm going to get copies for everyone I know who likes mysteries or horse books. The Misplaced Horse is a great gift.

I loved the characters and the way the plot moved along. I especially enjoyed the wry humor combined with a mystery plot. A great read, it is a fun book. Great job and I look forward to more.
Jim Brady
Washington, DC

I loved this book from the beginning. It was neat to find a writer who doesn't just write about the horse world but obviously knows a lot about it too. Things were accurate to true life PLUS it was a great story! What a bonus!

This book caught my attention from page 1 and held it throughout the entire book. About half way through I realized I felt like I *knew* the characters. That is not an easy feat and is VERY well done in this book. This was a book I couldn't put down until I was done. It has been a long time since a book has held me that captivated. I look forward to future sequels. Aside from all that, the best part of this book are the details regarding the equestrian aspects of this story - they are well done and true to life. Nice to read a book by someone that actually KNOWS horses and can get the details right.

I've been a fan of Modesty and Willie since the books first came out, and I was a loyal reader of the strip in the London Evening Standard for many years.
If you like action novels, with unusual villains, fast-moving scenes, and plenty of tongue in cheek humor, Modesty Blaise is the girl for you, and 'Modesty Blaise', the first novel in the series, is a good place to start.
After writing non-fiction for many years, I turned to fiction in 2003, and my first novel 'Snides' is available on Amazon. As a gesture of homage to Peter O'Donnell, I created an action duo, John Pilgrim and Sally Brandon. They're not straight copies of the originals and the best, Modesty Blaise and Willie Garvin, but I've tried to hit their target of plenty of action, with a little humor.
I own the complete series of Modesty Blaise books, and one of them is always on my bedside table. I must have read them all dozens of times, but I still keep re-reading them!

Tony Walker
Scottsdale, Arizona

Modesty Blaise is the perfect woman. That is if the perfect woman is a different sort of beautiful, witty, funny, sophisticated, terrifyingly focused and a lethal killer without commitments.

If you like your superheroes or thrillers to be up close and personal, you need to read O'Donnell's Modesty Blaise. There are gadgets, guns, and impossible missions, not to mention hand to hand combat poetry.

In this book, Tarrant, of the British Secret Service, has a problem. He wants Modesty's help, but really has no leverage, except to play on how much she cares about Willie Garvin. The reasons why are revealed.

He does so, and they go into action. A very dangerous situation, and they must be captured by a ruthless man named Gabriel, to stop a diamond operation.

I became an instant fan from the beginning pages of this lst of a series. Modesty and Willie are fascinating, likeable characters with almost superhuman powers between them. They fight the evil doers of the world and win against all odds. The strong, fast moving plot is deeply satisfying with unexpected twists and turns. Even though it was written over 40 years ago, the characters are still fresh and compeling. Modesty can hold her head high in the world of superwomen who break rules when necessary for the greater good. A winner for both male and female readers!

Modesty Blaise started life as a cartoon strip, but O'Donnell then put his creation into novel form, and did a superb job in both formats. This is the first novel in the series, and introduces the setting and most of the main characters.

Modesty Blaise is a former refugee and survivor of the terrible disruptions caused by the war, and as a child drifted across Eastern Europe and the Middle East in the company of an old professor. She had to be tough to survive; but her companion instilled in her a strong moral code. She took over a small criminal gang and built it up into a powerful criminal organisation infused with that moral code--they never touched drugs or vice, and occasionally co-operated with the police and intelligence services to help clean up such crimes. She retired a wealthy woman at the age of 24.

As the novel opens, Modesty and her friend and former second-in-command Willie Garvin are finding that retirement is boring and adrenaline an addiction they cannot shake. Sir Gerald Tarrant, the head of British Intelligence, exploits that addiction to recruit them for an intelligence operation for which they are peculiarly suited. What follows is a thrilling caper novel pitting Modesty and Willie against a bizarre criminal mastermind. Tight plotting and wonderful prose make this a very entertaining read, with a unique pair of heroes. It's wonderful to see Souvenir Press reissuing the novels, making them available again to both a new generation of fans and those with fond memories.

It is hard to say whether the Modesty Blaise novels or the Modesty Blaise comic strips are better, but the lucky reader doesn't have to choose. Read both. The comic strips have been reprinted by Titan Books, Ken Pierce Books, Manuscript Press, and in Comics Revue magazine, and now the novels are being reissued. Also highly recommended are the books Peter O'Donnell wrote under the pseudonym Madeleine Brent.