History Books

The explosive, defiant spirit of Nietzsche is engraved in his very own fierce writing. His words are alluring and somewhat dangerous, as the reader will come to feel guilty for recognizing sparks of truth even in his most provocative & offensive ideas . His defiant character makes you shiver from pleasure: here is someone who has no fear of sounding raw and brutal. His ferocity and cynicism will often make you laugh; the painful laugh of realization.

The best first and/or last step into Friedrich Nietzsche's thought. It reads quickly and gives a fair cross-section of his writings chronologically: just before TSZ, right after his "free spirit" epoch, and Bk. V from around the time of Beyond Good & Evil. Only a shame that a Hollingdale translation is not available in English.
And now some buffoonery from yours trulery.

Down Going Limerick

Zarathustra is now down going
And so he speaks in rhyme:
The madman said, "God is dead.
Where is he? Is it we who killed a lie?"

Now I Exhort You to Love What is Most Distant, to
Dionysus Against the Crucified.

Burn Your Ships and move to Inland Deserts
Onward--To the Great Noontide,
For The Twilight of the Idols Approaches,
And The Overman's Time is Well Nigh.

At Last Behold the Higher Man--
Whom With Hammer Doth Philosophize:
"You yourself are this Will to Power,
and nothing else besides!"

Now Completely Drunk With Laugher,
And Unafraid to Die
The Higher Man Declares: Amor Fati!
Finally Dionysus Will Fly!

Thus Spoke Zarathustra in His Down Going
Of the Innocence of Becoming from on High.
"Together, Apollo and Dionysus unite
Against the Crucified."

Thus Spoke Zarathustra

The Sorcerer unpursed his lips
laying his flute beside him, and sighed.

Nietzsche's Die Froliche Wissenschaft may be a great and brilliant book precisely because it is impossible to say exactly what it is about. On the one hand, we are given the Nietzsche who repudiates the assumptions of Christian morality and German Nationalism, as well as the familiar Nietzsche who rejects dogmatism and rationalism, but we are also given an unusual Nietzsche who discusses the tremendous potential of the theoretical and physical sciences. There are also profound discussions on women in the Gay Science which break with his otherwise overt misogyny. Additionally, Nietzsche provides very lucid repudiations of all forms of nihilism (aphorisms which are often overlooked by contemporary commentators who wish to write Nietzsche off as a nihilistic thinker). Nietzsche also introduces a number of his most important philosophical ideas in the Gay Science, namely the notion of ressentiment, slave and master morality, 'God is Dead,' and the eternal recurrence of the same. This is a hugely important opus in the history of modernity, and it is an immensely pleasurable and satisfying read.

For the admirers of Nietzsche and those who love to read him, "The Gay Science" is somehow their FAVOURITE BOOK. In this work the hughe, great German philosopher and psychologist (honour to whom it deserves!) confronts us with a rather fleet-footed, almost "dancing" way of writing about his eternal themes that never ever have left his thoughts, his way of thinking and his brilliant pen.
HERE is a work that is EXTREMELY RICH, OF GREAT VALUE:
* For the FIRST TIME he announces the death of God;
* For the FIRST TIME his thoughts about eternal rebirth are formulated;
* He introduces the reader into his theory of "THE DANGEROUS LIFE": the author even recommends this to his readers (see too: "Thus spake Zarathustra", "Beyond Good And Evil" and his splendid "Antichrist").
At the same time I have to say that this however fabulous work, is a VERY CONTROVERSIAL writing of Nietzsche. At many places in the book he is dealing with - what I will call here "DELICATE THEMES" as there are for example "THE JEW" and "THE WOMAN". Passages where every reader of these days (early 21st century) cannot read those paragraphs without frowning the eyebrows, not to say will be "feeling uncomfortable with".

Now, quite REMARKABLE is that "THIS FAVOURITE" was written in the years 1881-1882, so about the same period the author "created" his "Zarathustra"! Knowing this AND knowing the subjects of Nietzsche, I cannot say elsehow - about the writer as a man as well as about his eternal themes - that right here "we" meet/deal with the greatest of all contrasts in his entire, well-filled life and work. In fact "THE CONTRAST" which cannot be found elsewhere in his oeuvre, is the "HEAVY PROPHETISM" of his "Zarathustra" versus "The Gay Science" of which the character is to be defined "RATHER AIRY, LIGHT-HEARTED AND PLAYFUL".
BUT: do NEVER let this contrast be the (false) reason not to read this beautiful "product", ON THE CONTRARY!!! No more, no less it is showing THE REAL GENIUS of the author (there exist/are/were far more less than one would like to think or thinks!). Without any doubt this PHENOMENON OF CONTRAST must be seen, interpreted as the REAL, IMMENSELY GREAT TALENT of Nietzsche: as well concerning the literary point of view as to his INEXHAUSTIVE, UNLIMITED CAPABILITY to play with words and thoughts. JUST AS IF it were the most common thing on earth to do so, while in fact this GENIUS (noblesse oblige!) is playing, juggling with the most difficult items of philosophy, psychology, even theology, in a way ... it can be read by all.

ESPECIALLY HERE, ABOUT "THE GAY SCIENCE", this has to be said all over again - whether one is PRO or CONTRA Nietzsche: the phenomenon of his GENIUS will and can never be denied. It is INTELLECTUAL HONESTY that makes, requires one to consider him that like. The book is AGAIN one of his "creatings" that is very well readable AND that will be re-read. RECOMMENDED FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART AND REASON, MY WHOLE BEING!

If you have heard this phrase and never done a critical reading of Nietzsche you may understandably be confused! He is saying the authority (moral, scientific, etc.)previuosly accorded "god" (also religious institution)belongs properly to man.

"Man is the measure" and, thanks to historical movements like Romanticism and the Enlightenment, we are free, rational (lower case 'r') beings not dependent on "god" for our grounding. Hence, "God is dead."

Disclaimer, there are numerous readings of Nz, I think this reading is accurate, especially when contextualized, but...I did learn Nz from a positivist.

Andy's book is a very interesting look at a very difficult time in our history. The details were interesting because you knew it was genuine through and through. Andy gets your interest early on and keeps it till you've read the last page.

The Good Old Days Surviving Appalachia has given me
quite a trip down Memory Lane. Life in East Kentucky
for me, in the early thirties, was a little different
than the life young folks have today. He reminded me
of things like the grapevine swings, which was the only
"playground equipment" we had when I was in early grades
at school. Of course we never
heard of calculators, computers, cell phones, etc., that
seem so necessary for young people today. Mr. Baker
covered many areas such as a lack of textbooks, school
interactions, what was for lunch - so many things that
now are taken for granted. Perhaps this could be
required reading - but I am puzzled by the right time.
Education is so advanced now, where would it fit in the
student schedule? Everyone must read, just to touch on
"How life was..." We must appreciate a warm bed on
these cool nights, as well as appreciate that we do
not go to bed hungry. vg

Andy's first hand accounts and those past down to him from family and friends of life in the hills of southeastern Kentucky are a refreshing change of pace from today`s world. Sometimes happy, some sad, but always compelling, The Good Old Days is well worth your money and time.

A wonderfully honest look at the many facets of life in an Appalachian home in the "good old days". At times funny, at times heart wrenching, this book gives the reader a true peek at Appalachian life's joys and hardships. Readers with Kentucky roots as well as those without will enjoy reading the author's memories of life, which is so different from how we now experience it.
Pam Fraley

Great story of growing up in the hills of Southeast Kentucky. That is a special area and Andy does a terrific job of bringing it to life for all of us. Thank you Andy! It left me wanting more!

This is one of the few books I've had trouble putting down. It's the story of an amazing man that I truly admire. I would recommend this book to everyone. Also his CD's and those of the three tenors are beautiful music to say the least.

Dr. Ronan Tynan has to be one of the most friendly, inspirational, and heart-warming people on the face of the planet. I'm convinced of it. For a man who has had to persevere as much as he has, his outlook on life, his accomplishments, and his stories are awe-inspiring.

I first learned of Tynan when I heard him sing "God Bless America" on TV. I was enthralled. I had never heard a voice so pure, so powerful, so emotional. His voice touched me, it caused goose-bumps. I immediately began to research, trying to find out about the man who had just amazed me so.

After reading "Halfway Home", I am even more impressed with the man. In every aspect of life, he has triumphed over odds and circumstances that would have buckled the average person. To be accomplished in so many ways, to have lived such a rich, full life, is a dream for which we all should strive. The blueprint for such a goal is in Ronan Tynan's approach to life, which is guided by kindness, decency, hard work, love, passion, and faith.

At times the book is a bit boring, as is nearly all biographical material, but the inspiration overcomes, just like Tynan. Add him to my short list of personal heroes.

This is an inspiring book. I cannot overstate that. Ronan could have folded his cards and done nothing in the face of adversity. He could have just stayed inside and watched tv or something of that nature. Instead he did not even let it bother him at all. In fact he hurdled right over the adversities.

Firstly this review is not intended in any way to be objective. I love the man who is Ronan Tynan, I love his voice and all that he has contributed to the world. Halfway Home is the story of a man who is passionate, driven, inspired and someone who refuses to beaten down in any way. He is a Maverick, who in this side-splittingly funny book, outlines just some of the things that he has done in his life. What makes this book special is that his accomplishments that are detailed in this are done so with such humility that it seems as if he is with you in your living room having a friendly chat. I met him a few weeks ago and he is just as funny and outgoing in person as this book suggests. One of life's true heroes.

Dennis Charles

In the book "Halfway Home-My Life til Now" Ronan talks about family and those whom he has met so far in his life. He also talks about the women he has slept with so far. Which I find appalling, and just plain bad taste. He should apoligize to the women he talks about in the book. I wouldn't let anyone under the age of 21 to read this book. Keep it away from children.

Nash does one of the best historical accounts of a massive and complicated battle that I have yet read,The extra time spent on the personalities involved and their relationships adds tremendously to the value of this book. Winning the battles but losing precious equipment and ground was a big part of the German retreat, Sadly the loss of life here is also extreme and the personal stories that delve into that loss are painful and foretell of worse to come.Filled with rare fantastic photos and first person accounts this is the definitive book on Korsun/Cherkassy. I hope that while survivors of battles like these are still living Nash will continue to create works like this that add so much to history and our understanding of WWII.

Col. Nash has written what I consider to be an epic on the war on the Ost (east) front of WWII. His plain language style and the relating of participants accounts are compelling and draw the reader in. He makes a theater of war not fully known in the west understandable. The story as depicted could be the basis for a screen play in what would be an epic film matching "Das Boot", "Saving Private Ryan", "Band of Brothers" and "Stalingrad" if Hollywood only had the courage to show it the way he presents it (sans politics). The strugle for survival is basic and one that everyone can understand and Col. Nash is an artist in painting that picture. This is the kind of book I love, one that gets into the day to day life of the soldier while giving the bigger picture. If anyone reads just a few books about the eastern front in WWII make this number one on your list!

Expert writing on a relatively little-known albeit vital battle on the Eastern Front in 1944. Military History does not get any better than Mr. Nash's account of the battle of the Cherkassy pocket!

"Hell's Gate" is a meticulously researched volume of a little known brutal winter battle on the Eastern Front during World War II. The writing is clear and unambiguous; the text is supplemented with many photographs, including previously unpublished photos made available to the author by participants of this battle.
There are some irritating production shortcomings, such as the occasional line dropping off at the bottom of a page and the seemingly inevitable misspellings throughout.
In all, I readily recommend this book.

Excellent book, with loads of anecdotes and personal accounts, at least for the German side. The book would have been even better if the author could have managed to obtain more Soviet first hand accounts as well, but even without them he does a good job of describing and assessing the Soviet side of the battle as well.

I read books in a wide variety of topics. I decided to read about Lewis and Clark because I felt I just did not know enough about it and I felt that I should. When I received the book, I opened it and was fearful that I made a mistake because it was made up of journal entries, day by day in Lewis and Clark's own words. I started reading and I found myself immmediately engrossed in the story. I mean immediately. You can read the letter from Jefferson containing the instructions and mission of the expedition- just fascinating. Then you get the story of the expedition, day by day, straight from the horses' mouth. I could not put this book down. I could not stop talking about it. I used Google Earth (so cool!!!) to follow the Missouri River into the Rockies, across the mountains, finally to the Columbia to the Pacific and then back. Canoeing up rivers, down rivers, fighting bears, trading and smoking with indians, fighting with some indians, at times overheated, at times freezing. Surving on the land with strategy and forethought. I learn an incredible amount of information about that time in our country's history. I was blown away. And the greatest part, I had to keep reminding myself of, is that it was absent all of the politically corrected revisionism we read today. This story is straight from them. They are sitting down at night and recording what they experienced in 1804 (05-06). Those notes are delivered to you via an author Bernard Devoto who uses only the most relevant parts of the journals (leaves out the volumes of strict scientific research data). Then, when he has to make the occasion insertion of a letter or two to make sure a misspelled word is not misinterpreted, he gives very clear instruction on how he has denoted the change. He also, upon occasion will give a summary of events, or a note of interest.
The end result is a splendid story, rich in historical information, written by the men who lived it, about one of the most important events in our country's history. I leave you with this excerpt, logged Sunday August 18th, 1805 by a man who is in the middle of the American West, where no white man has tread before, trading and smoking with Indians, shooting bear and deer to survive, canoeing upriver for 2000 miles;
"This day I completed my thirty first year, and conceived that I had in all human probability now existed about half the period which I am to remain in this subluminary world. I reflected that I had as yet done but little, very little indeed, to further the happiness of the human race or to advance the information of the succeeding generation. I viewed with regret the many hours I have spent in indolence..."

I would use one word to characterize this work: Timeless. To relive the great expedition through the words of Lewis and Clark themselves is a fantastic experience. I think that most people who enjoy American history will love this book. People who are not inclined to read or enjoy historical non-fiction might find it tedious (such as students forced to do so for class assignments), as it is long and detailed.

I previously read Ambrose's "Undaunted Courage" (which itself is excellent), which contains many passages from these journals, but the journals themselves are unsurpassed.

This work has been edited for the general reader. Many entries have been considerably shortened in the hope of gaining a wider public. For the most part only the highlights are kept, being the actual journal in its full version is so extensive. Most of the original punctuation's and spellings are kept (this gives it a feel of nostalgia). There is repetition. But this, I would think would be impossible to overcome. DeVoto has "produced a straight forward text which could be read without distraction".

The introduction is lengthy; discussed are: the importance of the Louisiana Purchase; the history and purpose leading up to the exploration; earlier expeditions, such as Thompsons' and Mckenzies'; and Lewis' and Clark's background. This was said of these two great men: "The two agreed and worked together with a mutuality unknown elsewhere in the history of exploration and rare in any kind of human association", and "Ingenuity and resourcefulness [by Lewis and Clark] in the field are so continuous that a casual reader may not notice them".

Each chapter is identified by the author whose journal it is taken from, such as Lewis, Clark, Biddle, Orduray, and others. The journal writings have been left as original, giving it that early America mystique. On the 14th of May, 1804, 32 men embark in search of a trade route from the Atlantic to the Pacific:

Dangers lurk around every curve. Indian, grizzly, and immense animal herd encounters are prevalent throughout the journey. To think of the rich bounty contained in the wilderness of the past is beyond comprehension. With leadership that is both strong and wise, Lewis and Clark take this large party of men on a blind epic journey. And on looking back, it was relatively safe. The treatment of the Natives is to be commended, even though many tribes were untrustworthy and warring to other Nations. Trade with the Indians was essential if they were to survive. Also recorded were observations and behaviors of the different tribes. A few of these tribes possessed a huge wealth in horses. Lewis and Clark's party purchased these horses both for traveling overland (which I was never aware) and for food. They did not seem to be displeased with eating horse-meat, dog or roots, which they bought and traded for. The days spent on the Pacific coast were to be the most miserable. The medical remedies used were almost comical; some that were proved beneficial have since been lost through time. The journey ends over 28 months later on the 25th of September, 1806.

I don't know if we can understand completely, how important this expedition was for our country. The undertaking involved in putting this book together from the hundreds of pages of numerous journals is truly amazing. And finally: Appendix I contains Jefferson's instructions; Appendix II is the personnel (32+); and appendix III is the list of specimens brought back.

Wish you well
Scott

I recently took a college class about the hidden history of the West--and it was a great class, one of the best ever--but one of the books we read in there was all about the Native American perspective of the Lewis and Clark expedition and while it was interesting to hear that take on the subject, I couldn't have been more at odds with the discussion that followed, most of which had to do with the low characters of the men of the expedition, the subversive agenda behind it all, and the thought that the world would have been a better place if the entire undertaking had never taken place.
That's because, to me, there has never been anything cooler than the Corps of Discovery, than the journey West, than Lewis and Clark and their whole ragged crew.
Actually, I take that back: the journals they kept...those are even cooler.
From Lewis's insightful reflections, to Clark's lyrical descriptions, to their hilariously bad attempts at spelling, to the thought of moving unknowing into America at its most pristine, these journals have it all. This is the quintessential American adventure story, an amazing account of men against the unknown. This edited collection of the journals, well-compiled by Bernard DeVoto, is one of the greatest things I have ever read, and ever since reading it, I have had an undeniable love for Lewis and Clark, and for their expedition.
Words fail me, but they didn't fail these guys, because here is the West of 1803, vividly rendered for us all to see today. When I first read these in 1999, they convinced me to move into the wild, onto the water, and I spent seven months afterward living out of a canoe...keeping a journal of my own.
If you haven't read these journals, do yourself a favor, and do so now: read them. DeVoto has already made it easy for you, by picking out all the most interesting parts, and by putting them in context with a well-written introduction. You need this book, and you may not even know it.

I am not an accomplished reader so it has to really hold my attention to finish a book. This book is written exactly from L&C's journals. Lots of mispelled words and some confusion. Sometimes hard to follow. Sometimes the minute details are a bit much. They don't really expound on things. I guess what they go through on a day to day basis is somewhat mundane at times. Overall a decent read IMO...I wouldn't get it again if I knew what I know now. Oh well. Enjoy!

The year of the Titanic.

1997.

We saw the movie THREE times at the theater. Film lovers that we are... even still, this was excessive for us. And when the video came out... bam... we bought it. I can not tell you how many times we have watched that ship sink.

What is the fixation?

We were living in the world before September 11th.

The story of the Titanic asks that great question...

How would you behave if you knew you only had moments left to live?

Would you panic?

Would you fight tooth and nail to survive?

Would you be the villian or the hero?

And the love story brought to life in James Cameron's magnificent film reignited that wonderful spark that my husband and I share. We were Jack and Rose. I was in a suffocatingly rigid life that was killing me inside. My husband was, and continues to be, the scamp who rescued me from that world and opened the door of a life of adventure to this day.

So the passion for the Titanic lives in our home.

Wanting to please my husband I bought him this book for the Christmas of 1997.

He is a gourmand, and the thought of preparing a meal worthy of the first class of many decades ago was irresistable.

He prepared the lobster thermadore from the recipes, and the vegetables... exotic to our modern tastes with an unusual combination of flavors that were the common fare of the wealthy in the turn of the last centruy.

That feast was our New Year's meal for the dawning of 1998.

We never ate one more recipe from that book.

I don't know... if you really think about the whole... it is rather morbid to be feasting on something that was literally the last meal on Earth for a bunch of folks.

I am not the first one to mention that in regards to this book.

The plight of the 1500 hundred passengers has been dimmed by post September 11th.

The Twin Towers, the Titanic of the modern era, came tumbling down on that firey day. Along with the symbol of this nation's military power at the Pentagon. And those trapped in Flight 93... I mean wouldpeople be writing recipe books about their last airline meal?

No.

But, I still recommend this book.

And, yes, do try some of the meals.

Reading about an era gone by is one thing, but to actually experience the sensations of that time through the power of taste and smell is an indescribable experience.

Buy this and you won't be disappointed. This is a chance to relive history through a beautiful book of recipes. I'm very happy I purchased this item!

I love this book! I have owned a copy for 10 years, and this year I finally got around to hosting my own black-tie dinner in the "first-class dining saloon." I prepared and served a five-course dinner from the first class menus featured in the book. Everything was absolutely delicious and actually rather easy to prepare. Alas, I could not procure any quail eggs, but I cut (chicken) eggs to use in the aspic and no one knew the difference. Each of my guests came as a passenger on the ship, but rather than assign them the passengers featured in the book, most of whom went down with the ship, I researched passengers on the website [...] and mailed each guest a one-page bio of his/her person. I also made up a one-page "cheat sheet" for the guests to use at the party. Everyone had a blast. It was truly "a night to remember."

This is a delightful book and a recommended read for anyone who is a Titanic fan or interested in the history and the food. I love the books presentation. The fact that you can re-create any of the three levels ie 1st glass down to general is a hoot that harks back to a time of fine dining and almost apartheid snobbery. You can host your own dinner party and the book explains in fine detail how to achieve this. I only need to buy the CD of the music now and I am set for my "Titanic Dinner" The Last Dance: Music for a Vanishing Era (The Music Heard on the Fateful Voyage of the Titanic).

After almost 100 years, the Titanic disaster continues to fascinate historians and the general public. The snapshot of Edwardian culture is nowhere more apparent than the famous "last meal" that Sunday. Thanks to menus kept by survivors as mementos, and some indepth research, Mr. Archbold has written up the dishes served in all three classes as recipes that, theoretically at least, anyone can serve.
In the early 20th century, the exploits of the super-wealthy (facilitated by the laissez-faire attitude of the gov'ts of the time, and lack of income tax) were followed as closely as celebrities today. One aspect of this conspicuous consumption was the ability to afford truly staggering meals. The meals themselves evolved from the attitude that someone who is well-off will be somewhat portly, as least for males, and the large meals typically served by farm families.
The Titanic, catering to the tastes of the times, as any smart hospitality service would, reflected this in their menus. Meals of up nine courses are not unusual, at least for the first class passengers, consisting of a richness "that today's four-star restaurants would have trouble duplicating" in the author's words. Given today's eating habits, the author recommends that one serve only a selection of the historic menu as these dishes require extensive preparation. Since no extant wine list for that last night exists, the author suggests some modern equivalents for what possibly was served-keeping in mind the tastes of the day, and vintages-primarily French in 1912.
In addition to the meals, the author gives a quick overview of that last evening, with snapshots of the personalities on the ship. He ties these two threads together in an appendix where he gives some ideas of throwing a Titanic dinner party.
It's often ignored, but food is an integral part of any social history. This book gives one the chance to be a "historical-reenactor"-while enjoying some amazing food.

Michael Shapiro does a superb job not only of capturing the excitement of the Brooklyn Dodgers' last pennant-winning season but also of explaining just what the Dodgers meant to so many Brooklynites. Set against the background of the Walter O'Malley-Robert Moses negotiations that would determine the fate of the Dodgers, Shapiro provides logical proof that it was not O'Malley's intention to move the ballclub but that Moses kept making a fool of him to the point where remaining in Brooklyn would have been rather humiliating for O'Malley.

Though never elected to any office, Robert Moses was the most powerful official in New York City in the late 1950s. His power was further enhanced by the fact that the Mayor at that time, Robert F. Wagner Jr. was both lazy and indifferent, and would not have gone far in politics except for the fact that his namesake father was a very popular U.S. senator. If O'Malley was going to get the land and permits to build a new ballpark, he was going to have to go through Moses and Moses couldn't have cared less as to what became of the Dodgers.

O'Malley tired desperately to be taken seriously by Moses and the NYC politicians to where he even had the Dodgers play seven "home" games in Jersey City in 1956. In the end, the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles, not because O'Malley plotted to take them there but because L.A. politicians eagerly and actively courted O'Malley to move to their city while their New York counterparts, especially Moses, gave him the brush-off.

O'Malley wanted to build a ballpark at the junction of Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues, where multiple subway lines and the Long Island Railroad converge. Moses at first wanted O'Malley to build a ballpark in a hard-to-reach part of Bedford-Stuyvesant and later proposed having the city build a ballpark on the site of what is now Shea Stadium. Anyone familiar with Brooklyn knows that if you're riding the subway, it's easier to get to Yankee Stadium from Brooklyn than to go out to Flushing Meadows, where Shea Stadium is.

In any case Los Angeles made O'malley an offer he couldn't refuse--300 acres in the heart of the city, where multiple freeways converge. New York officials made no effort to compete as Brooklyn didn't count for much in their eyes. When the Mets were created a few years later there was no question in their minds that they should represent New York and use the orange "NY" logo formerly used by the New York Giants, rather than the Brooklyn Dodgers' "B."

50 years have now passed since the Dodgers moved, and Walter O'Malley has been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The ballpark he built and paid for (which opened in 1962) remains one of the most beautiful and popular in major league baseball. Shea Stadium, on the other hand, built by Robert Moses with taxpayers' money and opened in 1964, will soon be torn down. What is more, New Jersey Nets owner Bruce Ratner is currently trying to arrange to move his NBA basketball team to that same junction in Brooklyn that O'Malley originally wanted.

Michael Shapiro is an excellent writer and his book is highly recommended!

THE LAST GOOD SEASON, by Michael Shapiro, earns itself a provisional rating of FIVE STARS in my mind, based primarily on the quality of the writing (which is uniformly excellent) and the depth of the research (which, within limits, is exhaustive). Yet the book deserves, like Roger Maris' "61*", to be only a qualified ***(**) success.

Much of that qualification comes from Shapiro's heavily touted and slanted thesis that Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley was not responsible for the Dodgers' departure from Brooklyn in 1957, after Robert Moses refused to build a replacement for the aging Ebbets Field.

Shapiro's grasp of the facts regarding Brooklyn is somewhat fuzzy. He says, "Jews went to Midwood [High School], poor blacks to Jefferson." Yet in the Dodger era, Brownsville was predominantly (70%) Jewish. It was not until later that Brownsville became a black neighborhood. Shapiro waxes rhapsodic about Midwood (his childhood home?) but slights the rest of Brooklyn. He admits that by the time he became aware of the Dodgers they were gone. Ironically enough, even while granting O'Malley absolution in absentia he makes and supports every argument as to why the man did not deserve it.

Shapiro blames, among other things, "white flight" for the Dodgers' relocation, but then argues that fans come in all colors. It's as if, in pardoning O'Malley, he is trying to convince us of something he really doesn't believe himself.

According to Shapiro, "Robert Moses is the bad guy in this story." This is an incredibly strong statement, particularly since Shapiro admits in many places that O'Malley was mendacious, that he was arrogant, that his plans for a new Buckminster Fuller-styled stadium seemed, at best, to be for public consumption only (O'Malley stole the scale model from the actual designer, Billy Kleinsasser, and used it without permission or recompense at public events), that he dealt with player and staff salaries in increments of hundreds and thousands of dollars not hundreds OF thousands of dollars (i.e., star pitcher Preacher Roe claims his highest Dodger salary was a paltry $28,000.00 in 1955), that he did not understand the "Little People" who were Dodger fans, that he once (as a youngster) traded a stack of Dodger baseball cards for one Giants' Christy Mathewson, that he fined employees who mentioned Branch Rickey's name in his presence, and, in short, that he was not really a fan of the team he owned.

Shapiro wants to paint horns on Robert Moses' head, and in some sense they do belong there, but not necessarily in the sense that Shapiro would prefer. Like the Master Builders of Ancient Egypt he had virtually unlimited power in his sphere. The ironically-named Moses was a man with a vision for New York, and he set about creating that vision of shining, rising buildings (such as Lincoln Center), vast bridges (the Throgs Neck, the Whitestone, The Triborough, and the frighteningly huge Verrazano are all his), and endless parkways (as a sampling, the Cross Island, the Belt, the Northern State, the Southern State, the Meadowbrook and the Wantagh) linking New York City and its expanding suburbs in a net of urban development. Yet this visionary had pathological flaws. Monomaniacal in his sphere, he had no compunction about unilaterally razing hundreds of city blocks, evicting tens of thousands, and altering the neighborhoods and neighborhood patterns of New York without a thought. Such changes brought other, unanticipated changes---the "through" expressways of The Bronx relegated it to a kind of backwater status accelerating its descent into slum conditions, and Moses' chopping up of neighborhoods in Brooklyn balkanized the Borough into a patchwork of disconnected rich and poor enclaves. Moses was more successful on sparsely-settled Long Island and in Westchester, where his road network created rather than changed demographic patterns.

When these two prima donnas met head-to-head, they treated each other with barely-concealed contempt. Although Moses was at first favorably disposed to a new stadium in downtown Brooklyn, this agreement soured within days. Without access to O'Malley's papers (which he was refused by the O'Malley family), the reason for this sudden souring is unknown, and ripe for speculation. Moses pressed, at first, for a new stadium in Bedford-Stuyvesant, a declining neighborhood; O'Malley refused. Moses promised him a new stadium in Flushing Meadow, Queens (the future Shea); again, O'Malley refused, declaring that the team was to remain in Brooklyn---he countered with an offer to build in Brooklyn, on the site of a ramshackle meat market. Moses refused to condemn the property (a first for him).

This bickering was never about questions of civic-mindedness, fan appreciation, nor humanitarianism. This was strictly a personal issue between the two men that affected millions of people.

While this was going on, the 1956 Dodgers struggled successfully through their World Champion season. Shapiro's snapshot of the team is far more detailed than his portrait of the politics, and is a joy to read. Shapiro is at his best as he describes the dynamic tensions that existed between the various Dodgers, the great negotiator of personalities, Pee Wee Reese, and their fanbase. It is clear that Ebbets Field was no longer a suitable home, at least without major modifications. Parking was very poor, a serious concern in the emerging era of the suburban commuter fan; the stadium itself needed to be revamped, the plumbing fixed, the seating rearranged. Still, Ebbets Field was only 45 years old, and was a solid structure, despite its flaws.

If O'Malley was indeed "desperate to stay in Brooklyn" as Shapiro posits, then why weren't his efforts directed toward staying? Why was he engaged in a stalemated battle of wills with Moses over a new stadium? Perhaps O'Malley simply wasn't "desperate" enough. Certainly, Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park still stand in less than desirable locations, but they draw dedicated fans nonetheless. Had O'Malley spent a part of his considerable fortune buying up some surrounding properties and building a parking complex, and then incrementally improved Ebbets Field with better seating and new amenities, the Dodger fanbase would have continued to travel to Flatbush.

O'Malley did not do this. He wanted land, and a lot of it, on the cheap---had Moses condemned the meat market, O'Malley would have bought the property for pennies on the dollar, a very attractive possibility to a man who squeezed a penny hard enough to put a permanent wave in Lincoln's beard. Los Angeles offered him that and he jumped, literally across a continent, to get it, taking his team about as far from Brooklyn as it was possible to go in his desperation to stay. Yet, if he'd REALLY wanted to stay, Flushing Meadow beckoned. And despite the fact that Flushing is not Brooklyn, the New York football Giants play in New Jersey's Meadowlands and still remain a New York team (the O'Malley-inspired move of the baseball Giants from Manhattan to San Francisco is another issue). In 1957, many of Brooklyn's fans were Long Island transplants, and more would be as time passed. Queens, while not the best of all possible worlds, would have been a convenient waypoint for fans from the old and new neighborhoods.

For that matter, had either O'Malley or Moses given a damn about Brooklyn, they would have cooperated in building a new stadium and reinvigorating Brooklyn. Neither cared to.

"Walter O'Malley was not a bad man. He was devoted to his wife and his children loved him," Shapiro points out. That's nice to know. But O'Malley was also an S.O.B. in business. The two are not mutually exclusive. "Only a sentimental man," Shapiro writes, "would have stayed." Maybe so. But the Dodgers and the Dodger fanbase needed a sentimental man, they needed a fellow fan, they needed a man who loved the team and who loved Brooklyn. What they had was Walter O'Malley, who saw the team merely as a moneymaking concern. O'Malley's actions speak for themselves, regardless of Shapiro's revisionism. And if O'Malley was "not unique" among team owners but merely "so obvious" about his profit motives, the blame is still his for eroding the spirit of The Game, and beginning the slide to where we are today in baseball with its overly mobile nonentity franchises, bloated payrolls, stars on steroids, cupidity and stupidity, and fan disinterest.

In the face of necessity, sentiment oft-times does not serve. But in circumstances of choice, such as faced by the Dodgers, sentiment can be a hedge against callousness.

What O'Malley (and Moses) failed to grasp is that a ball team is more than an agglomeration of men in uniform standing around in an open field. He (they) failed to grasp that a baseball game is more than just nine innings and a cold toting of runs, hits, and errors. It is a conversation at a water cooler, a friendly argument over lunch, an invitation to meet at the ballpark on Saturday afternoon for dogs and beer and a chance to see The Duke of Flatbush. It is a sense of neighborliness, a sense of pride, and was---still is---an important part of Brooklyn's special identity.

As Roger Kahn says in The Boys of Summer, "In the best of all possible worlds the Dodgers would be in Brooklyn and Los Angeles would have the Mets."

That's as it should have been.

This book probably doesn't get the sales or the attention it deserves, because the title and the cover make it look as if it's intended just for baseball junkies. But it's far more than that. In just 332 pages, Shapiro tells four stories:

1. The story of the National League pennant race in 1956.
2. The story of why the Dodgers (and therefore the Giants as well) decided to move to California in 1958.
3. The social, demographic, and economic changes that Brooklyn (and, by extension, much of urban America) experienced in the post-World War II era.
4. Thumbnail sketches of the personal lives of the core players in the Brooklyn Dodger lineup from 1947 through 1956.

None of these four themes is given short shrift. Furthermore, Shapiro has organized this book beautifully. He seems to have done a perfect job in choosing exactly where to break the narrative of the Dodgers' wins and losses, and insert a section about the changing character of a neighborhood in Brooklyn.

Not only that, but Shapiro's writing is superb. Here is his account of the last pitch of the last Dodger game of the regular season - a game they had to win in order to clinch the championship, with Dodger Don Bessent pitching to Pittsburgh's Hank Foiles:

*****
Don Bessent went into his windup. The last thing he thought before releasing the ball was, he later said, "Tight, keep it tight."

Hank Foiles swung. The next thing he heard was the thud of the ball in Roy Campanella's mitt.
*****

You don't have to be a baseball fan to enjoy this book. You just have to enjoy good writing and a wonderful story, wonderfully told.

I have long been interested in the old Brooklyn Dodgers, having read multiple books on the subject. This is among the best. First of all, it is an excellent read. There is plenty of baseball included in its pages, and the Dodgers teams of the 50s were always interesting. But I learned much more than I expected from this book about the politics that led to the team's move to California. It's too bad the franchise couldn't have remained in Brooklyn, but the reasons they left were different than I would have imagined. The book also paints the picture of a post-World War II New York that was rapidly changing. As a lover of baseball, history and baseball history, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Wow. First let me say that I'm not a Brooklyn resident or a Dodger fan and picked this book up without knowing anything about it. The book turned out to be one of the best baseball books I've read in quite some time.

I was drawn into the book immediately. It is clear in the Prologue that Shapiro is a very good writer and that the book is as much about the fifties and Brooklyn as it is about a pennant race. The book is enjoyable on both fronts.

Shapiro does a great job of weaving a portrait of the changes going on in Brooklyn in the mid-fifties and giving younger readers a good idea of what it was like to grow up in that era. It is clear that Shapiro has done quite a bit of research and I think the reader really gets a good look into the personalities of the players and other characters in the story.

Any fan of baseball history will do himself a favor in buying this book. It truly deserves more acclaim than it has received.

This is the best most spectacular book on leonardo to date.What can i say that hasnt already been said in the reviews above except that i cant believe that a couple of reviews gave 3 outof5 stars for this book. I think the book deserves 10 out of 10. The book is a masterpiece in itself. Keep up the great work.

without studying Leonardo da Vinci, one of the greatest Italian Renaissance artist and would-be inventor of all time. He left us a legacy of paintings, drawings, diagrams, inventions, and even sculpture for all to see. He's known more than the Mona Lisa painting, he's an inventor of sorts as well as a very fine draughtsman.

This book should be a required course for art students everywhere.

I first saw this outstanding book at the Palm Springs Air Museum's Da Vinci exhibit last month. It is a comprehensive and beautiful tribute to Da Vinci's genius that young and old alike can enjoy for decades. Spending an hour glancing through its pages is a visual treat; reading it to more deeply appreciate his multiple talents will take years. Though the price of the book may seem high, it is an unique volume and worth the price.

this book is a daily source of admiration, exposed on our table and we change the page practically every day to have a new work of wonder to admire every day. combined with more and deeper information on leonardo da Vinci the true art becomes clear.

The massive size of this book is only dwarfed by the enormous amount of information it contains. Did you know Leonardo Da Vinci conceptualized the helicopter...or the x-ray machine...or even the engine???? He did indeed and it's all in this comprehensive anthem. I highly recommend this book for the Da Vinci neophyte as well as the most avid "Leo scholar" as both will be awed and amazed.

At first you can't help but chuckle, especially if you were around during the 80's. Alot of the work in here is very time based and looks like posters hair metal bands would drool over. Regardless of the decade inspiration, the sheer talent Olivia has will keep you studying a piece long after your nostalgia for the days of air guitar and Iron Maiden ware off you can't help but see nothing but beauty on page after page. My favorite piece is "Cat and Mouse" it's a bettie page number. Enjoy!!

Second Slice, The Art of Olivia is two books in one...sort of...about ¾ of the book is displays Olivia's paintings in portrait format. Flip it over, and the rest of the book is in landscape format...a flip book for adults! Olivia's second slice is every bit as filling and delectable as the first offering featuring 124 pages with 140 paintings in full color. Each of the two sections provides a detailed index with the name of the piece, size of the original painting, materials used, the name of the model, as well as Olivia's own commentary on her works. These comments are often as entertaining to read, as the paintings are to view.

The models used in this edition include Pamela Anderson, Rhonda Shear, Bettie Page, Julie Strain, and Sandra Taylor. The paintings of the saucy Julie Strain are some of my favorites in the book. With her long, kinky black hair, ample curves, and playfully wicked smile, Strain made a wonderful pin-up queen for the 1990's, when most of these pieces were completed.

Olivia experiments with many forms of style and color, which make for some of her most striking and exotic work to date. This is well displayed in "Zebra Lady III" as the nude, striped model (Rhonda Rydell) blends into and almost disappears into the striped backdrop. While not necessarily known for darker, gothic works, Olivia clearly shows she can compete with the best in that genre with works such as the female vampire on display in "Things that Go Bump in the Night" and the winged, horned "Banshee" which serves as one of the book' covers.

Flipping to the landscape side, the buxom blonde bombshell Shear is captivating in the painting entitled "Pomeranians" as she finds herself lying on the ground, covered in a wrap made out of those furry, little dogs.

Second Slice is another gorgeous collection of Olivia's works, all from the 80's and 90's. It is filled with gorgeous women and bold, sassy, and exotic colors and settings. Olivia continues to prove why she is at the top of her game.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

Olivia was one of my favorite artist, and in my collection of Illustrations books she can't be absent. This new collection of paintings shows her skills to mold all kind of techniques.
A must have release.

Who better to draw women than a woman? Olivia De Barardinis is the undisputed queen of cheesecake art, that wonderful if ill-defined blend of sensuality, sexuality, humor, and glamor.

Although her style covers a wide range, each illustration depicts a lone model. Based on Olivia's notes at the end of the book, it sounds as if each woman's presence is just too big to share a page with any other. Each time Olivia paints, she captures something unique to the model, so two models might confuse the directness of the image. Other visual elements appear in her work often enough to form a recognizable ensemble: happily erotic poses, improbably high heels, and lingerie ranging from antique to futuristic fanatasy. Various of the paintings here show other influences, including Bettie Page, Klimt, Marilyn Monroe, Erte, and generations of other sensualists.

Olivia uses the last few pages to add notes describing the paintings. The text identifies each one by title (if any), year, medium, and usually the name of the model. In many cases, Olivia says a bit more about the woman depicted, the inspiration for the image, or something else to help the reader enjoy the picture - as if help were needed. Then, the last two pages let her talk about the creative process in each of her media, including watercolor, gouache, acrylic, and her trademark oil. I recommend this to anyone fascinated by Olivia's voluptuous, vivacious vamps and vixens.

-- wiredweird

Olivia is the Vargas of our time. As Vargas took the reigns from Petty, Olivia has done the same, and Just like Vargas went beyond Petty in terms of realism, and delicate beauty, Olivia De Berardinis has taken cheesecake to a whole new level. Every pose, expression, and little bit of body language is put to use. Every Shot is beyond what a glamor photographer would dream of. Utter Perfection on so many levels. There is definitely some of her art that pays tribute to Petty, and Vargas among other legends of pinup in many of her pieces in most of her books. This one is a collection that spans many realms, and genres as would only be appropriate in our day. (Frank Frazetta influence spans the universe) There are no pieces that are over the top goriffic, or Horrific works like Clevenger, but there is some definite influence from Fantasy art in a portion of this book. The cover of this book was also a cover on Heavy Metal Magazine of which Olivia did many covers for in the past. This book is like an homage to the beauty of the feminine and female form, as is all of her work. Mouthwatering is the only description I can give it. If your looking for extreme fantasy, or horrific, gorrific works go for Clevenger. But if you want to see the beauty of the female form that can only be described as: like looking into the eyes of an angel". Olivia's books will do you no wrong. This one is no exception.

This scholarly and highly readable book is of importance to art historians, historians, and anyone with a serious interest in orientalism as both an art movement and a western cultural phenomenom. The illustrations are superb,and the additional profile articles on key orientalists (such as Richard F. Burton) are an added bonus. This book is certainly worth more than its price and will be of lasting value to future readers.

Brilliant book completely covering the subject, solid research, perfect rare illustrations. Lots of forgotten and difficult to find names. Very useful and highly recommended - worth every penny!

"coffee table" art books are usually just vehicles to display reproductions of the paintings. Not here - Davie's writing would make compelling reading if it was published in regular book format. He mainly focuses on orientalist painting itself - and shatters the critics - but he also has a fascinating section on four famous 'orientalists' which include Richard Burton and Lady Digby.

The reproductions are are splendid very accurate ( i have the pleasure of having easy access to some of the original paintings) and capture the exquisite craft of "Orientalist" painters. often with close ups of parts of painting that allow the reader to see the elaborate detail.

Worth every penny. I find myself reading it again and again.

An outstanding volume providing high quality images and interesting commentary. Too many art books commit the sin of spreading large images over two pages so the picture gets lost in the spine - not this one. Orientalist paintings are crammed with detail to show the erudition of the artists and their patrons: for once you can see plenty, and you're not sold short by the layout or the print quality. Not a book if you're looking for lush pictures of harem lovelies, one of the aspects of orientalism not given such high prominence here. Over all impression? The many different effects created by light in Middle Eastern landscapes, and the skill of these artists in capturing it

Really I'd like to give this 5 stars but for the lack of women it's 4. I feel sort of silly doing so because the art is astonishing and the sheer beauty just magnifies how "art" has changed. I wonder if any artist alive today could come close to duplicating these masterpieces. I doubt it. And Mr Davies writing blends with the terrain and subject matter splendidly.