Buccaneer Books

This book, like the Little House books, gives a true look at what life was like in the past. I was amazed at what such a seemingly young boy was able to do. Kids really did grow up a lot faster then.

The story tells about farming, raising cattle, cowboys (real cowboys), making do, being neighborly, dealing with not-so-neighborly people, taking responsibility for your actions, and so much more.

The author tells a story that is believeable and satisfying. This is a great read-to-yourself or read-aloud. Please note there is some 'cowboy language' but nothing horrible and you can easily substitute other words in their place.

This book was read to our class when I was in the 6th grade. I loved it! When our kids were growing up, I read all of the series to our kids as we traveled. Because I am a speed reader, sometimes I would "read" a funny part and start laughing, before my out loud reading would be there. Who would think that modern-day kids would be entranced with stories about early 1900 kids, but they were. Ralph Moody caught the imagination as we could see this kid getting into situations before he was there. These are marvelous. Every child in America should read them. This is the stuff of the sturdiness, resiliency, & character we come from. Adversity happens, it is happening right now...the question is can we face it with strength and imagination. Laugh until you cry. Love greatly. This is a splendid series.

I just finished this book tonight. I laughed and cried and couldn't put it down. Every family in todays society needs to read and reread this book as it is all about character and goodness. I am a better person because I read this book. I will read it to my kids immediately!

Oh I am speechless. This is a book full of grace, character, This is the writers real life boyhood and apparently thought he could make a good book out of it. Boy was he right! I could read this book about three hundred times and then maybe think about putting it down! This man had such a life as a kid! man you would think it was fictional but when you know its not it makes you well... Speechless!

This is a wonderful look into how life was... I found myself thinking about the work load on children back then and thinking "and I worry that unloading the dishwasher and keeping their bath clean is too much to ask?!?" Well not any more. A great "classic"

All the reviews you find on this book are right. Straight up amazing story, BUY IT!!! You might as well since you are on this page. This is the paperback edition (I was actually expecting hardcover when I ordered it), and there actually are a few typos here and there. That shouldnt matter unless you are OCD though. But seriously, a wonderful and beautiful story, well worth whatever price you have to pay for it!

I've read this novel many years ago and left within me a certain fascination for the Viking Era.
Lastly books like Harry Harrison's "The Hammer & the Cross" trilogy, movies like "Grendel & Beowulf" (2005) and "Beowulf" (2007) had triggered again my curiosity about these times. So I decided to "pay a visit" (aka re-read) "The Long Ships".
And here I am reviewing this excellent book authored by Sweden writer Frans G. Bengtsson (1894-1954). The book was originally published in two parts first in 1941 and second in 1945; the present edition contains both of them.

The story follows the life & circumstances of Orm from infancy to old age at the same time describing daily life of that period.
Orm as teenager is abducted by a Viking war-party and joins them willingly after a short period. From their homeland they sail to Spain where they are captured by Moors and enter Almansur's service.
After serving some years as Caliph's bodyguards they are forced to fly and return home, yet not empty-handed.
They are welcome at Denmark King Harald's Bluetooth court where Orm fall in love with Ylva one of the King daughters and ask her hand. The King is quite accessible but asks Orm to ensure his wealth and return next year.
Orm & his friends join a mighty Viking army and sail to invade King Ethelred's the Unprepared England. After many battles and errands Orm rejoin exiled Ylva & marry her, returning then to his home.
Orm and his family are forced into exile to escape King Sven Forkbeard revengeful mood and finally root in his mother's ancestral domains.
After years of consolidating his position as a respected member of that frontier community, Orm sail for his last great adventure in Eastern lands.

This is a very entertaining book merging seamlessly historical characters as King Harald, Sven, Ethelred and Caliph Almansur with fictional ones as Orm, Ylva, Asa and Toste. The author is able to transmit to the reader the true spirit of those turbulent times. Another very interesting aspect of the story is showing the beginning of Christianization of Scandinavian communities.

Take a joyful romp thru Viking's world, you won't be disappointed!
Reviewed by Max Yofre.

I disagree strongly with many of the people who have reviewed this book.

There's nothing wrong with its cover. I've done book and magazine covers myself. This cover is a little dated in style, being an oil (or more likely acrylic) painting with visible brushstrokes in places, but it's perfectly acceptable in quality. In fact, the use of unusual pastel tones on the front (sea green and lavender) is interesting, and the texturing techniques used on the shield and the loincloth of the viking warrior are very nice. It's not a masterpiece, but I have seen far worse book covers. If I had the original, I would hang it on my wall in a heartbeat. It's kind of nice. I like it.

Oh, you probably want to hear something about the words inside the book. All right. What everybody else says is true, only they are probably underestimating this book, if anything. Man, is it ever good. It reminds me of "I, Claudius", which is generally considered to be the best historical novel ever written, only this one is actually better. Like "Claudius", it is full of dry humor, but at the same time, it is a perfectly serious and thoughtful historical drama. If you have the slightest interest in the Viking era you must plunk down however many dollars it takes to get this one as soon as you can; it is worth every penny of whatever inflated price you have to pay for a rare used paperback. And don't worry about the darned cover!

War and strife make for good reading, at least for men pining for the (fantasy of) days of yore where heroes-to-be would gather fellow men to pillage far away lands for adventure and booty. This is among the best of such works I have read, ranking up there with the Homeric tales and the story of the Three Kingdoms from China. These Skanians (whom at that time considered themselves Danes, a far throw from the pacifist Europeans of modern Denmark) are savage men from a harsh culture, but they are also full of humor and a sort of stoic approach to both fortune and misfortune that despite their being seamen, would make a Spartan (from Laconia) proud. The story progresses through multiple kingdoms and conveys an accurate historical depiction of cultures at the cusp of the second millenium. Religion is dealt with in a tellingly humorous manner, and it reminds one that conversions were historically based on pragmatic choices and rarely some sort of spiritual epiphany. Adherents would switch from one religion to the next as their conditions (and fortunes) demanded. Buried into this amazingly rich (and incredibly fun!) tale of adventure like a vein of gold, it is a suitable reminder of what makes us human in this day of flaring religious strife and shameless demagoguery.

English literature began with a Viking story, "Beowulf," but have you ever tried reading it? My own "Beowulf" experience led me to believe Viking literature is right down there with Viking cuisine in terms of digestibility. Imagine my surprise when I discovered a novel about Vikings, written over half a century ago, to be as thrilling, fantastic, and engaging as "The Long Ships."

It's the story of Orm, a farmer's son in southern Sweden in the late 900s who one day finds himself a prisoner of a merry gang of Vikings. They quickly adopt him, and set out for adventures off the northern and southern coasts of Europe. Before the book is half over, Orm has found himself in courts from Spain to England, espoused three different religions, slain several dozen foemen, and found a princess to be his bride.

Frans G. Bengtsson's novel, originally published in Sweden in 1945, showcases two things I didn't expect from a Scandinavian academic, brevity and humor. Sure, the book is nearly 500 pages long, but Bengtsson crams a lot of incident in every page, describing events in broad strokes and letting the reader's imagination do the rest. Bengtsson's style, preserved marvelously by Michael Meyer's 1954 translation, is to consciously evoke the elliptical prose of ancient Viking sagas, but in such a way as to allow for a modern, tongue-in-cheek sensibility to come through, one that reflects a Viking world, however hard-bitten, of great wit and depth.

"The Long Ships" is marvelously quotable: "For no man complains of the weight of the cargo, when it is his own booty that is putting strain upon the oars." Or: "Only poets can win wealth with empty hands, but then they must make better songs than other poets, and competition spoils the pleasure of composition."

The book jacket includes an enthusiastic reviewer describing "man-size helpings of battle and murder, robbery and rape," which captures some of the tone of "Long Ships" but misses most of the point. Orm is no savage bandit, but a thoughtful, evolving character of great honor. The Vikings he travels with do some robbing and killing, but in a measured way. As the novel goes on, a sense of social responsibility, manifested in Orm by his adoption of a somewhat twisted form of Christianity, comes through.

You might say the story of Orm is the story of the Christianizing of Scandinavia, told from a rather neutral viewpoint that respects Christianity's mellowing influence without being blind to its flaws in practice. You might also call it a straight-up adventure yarn of many threads. After a battle, Orm and his comrades may retire to a feasting hall to hear stories of brave deeds that fill pages and then never come up again. Or else we might get stories like that of a pair of jesters, forced to entertain the slayer of the king they loved, who come up with a marvelous form of vengeance right out of Monty Python.

One thing you can't call "The Long Ships" is dull. Even when Orm is not actually at sea (he actually spends a good deal of time raising a family on a farm), the book stays busy. Some old enemy is trying to take his head off, or else he is having another marvelously circuitous exchange with his dyspeptic priest friend, Father Willibald.

And the voyages Orm takes are a lot of fun, encompassing as they do the whole of the known world at that time, from Ireland to the Dnieper River and many points in-between. While a work of fiction, Bengtsson finds ways of introducing a lot of relevant Dark Ages history, even if some of it, like an enjoyably arch Y1K scare, may not be 100% accurate.

Other books are fun to read. "The Long Ships" is a book to get lost in. You will feel like a teenager again as you take the long way home with Orm, enjoying his simpler yet wondrous time and wishing the world could have stayed so forever.

Jim Corbett was an excellent writer and storyteller. Although I've read other stories written by adventurers and hunters that were Corbett's contemporaries, none were as interesting or as well told. My 11-year-old son particularly enjoys them. I would highly recommend any of Jim Corbett stories for teens or pre-teens as well as adults.

This book, read first when I was 14 years old, and since added to my adult library, read and re-read again, has stayed with me like so very few other books in my life.

I wont over-egg the review - Corbett wouldn't have liked that kind of lionising (good pun!) and he doesn't need it. Suffice to say I respect Corbett deeply, and often think of him. Unabashed admiration for this man is easy. All his books are worth your money, but start with this one.

In the early twentieth century, British held South Asia was terroized by a number of infamous tigers and leopards. Entire villages were abandoned and literally hundreds of human beings found out they weren't at the top of the food chain. In the "Man Eaters of Kumaon", hunter jim Corbett describes in vivid and suspensful detail his hunt for tigers in Northwest India.
Corbett describes the perilous beauty of the jungle clad hills in the shadow of Nepal's majestic summits. He also masterfully paints an image of terror and suspense as he faces off against tigers, leopards, a bear, and a venomous snake. Even as he pursues his prey, he often comes close to having the tables turned on him. He also presents readers with a glimpse of the cultural spectacle and harsh life-or death realities in India under the Raj.
Corbett doesn't come across as very prideful. In fact, he even respects the animals he's hunting and often notes injuries or situations that likely caused them to hunt humans. I will warn potential readers that there are several rather gruesome scenes ranging from finding dead or injured humans to some of the hunting itself. However, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in adventure, hunting, or both. It is well written, a fast read, and ultimately a powerful tale of man against beast.

Probably the best big game hunting book ever written. Will keep you on the edge of your seat and I do not recommend reading it while camping in the woods (especially if the woods happen to be in India). Corbett describes stalking man-eating tigers and often they stalk him. These are not made-up stories nor are they self justifying. Corbett ONLY hunted tigers that the local population asked him to, after dozens or sometimes hundreds of people had been killed. His descriptions are beautiful and picture an era (India in 1900-1930) that has long since gone. I have read it many times, the first when I was about 11 years old.

This book was written by not only a very brave man but a man that possessed great character and class. His only reason for hunting these Man-Eaters was to rescue the villagers from this ever present terror. He took no money for his efforts. Very exciting reading without ever a hint of bragging about his extraordinary gift of successfully hunting the most dangerous animals on earth.

I can't believe I missed out on this one as a child... but it's just as good coming to it as an adult. The perfect lazy Sunday afternoon book to read. Adults can also escape to the wilds of Lake Windemere (Lake District), to sail up the Amazon, do battle with pirates and search for buried treasure on Cormorant Island.

The year is 1929 and story is about four children - John, Susan, Titty and Roger (in age order) - who are holidaying on the shores of Lake Windemere with their mum and baby sister, Vicky. The children are an adventurous lot and love sailing in their boat, the Swallow. Towards the end of their holiday they persuade their mum to allow them on an adventure for a week. They're allowed to sail across to the island not far away and make camp there by themselves.

This is a great adventure for these intrepid explorers. They discover a retired pirate, camp, bathe in the lake, fish and cook for themselves, and are threatened by a rival group of bandits, the Amazons (otherwise known as Nancy and Peggy). All in all a great week of fun and adventure is had by all - brilliant to read about, although there are very few children who'd be allowed to do this now! Inspired by the author's own childhood holidays at the south end of Coniston in the Lake District.

This wonderful book was written about 75 years ago, but is still extremely popular today. It is ageless. I first read it as a nine or ten year old and have read it several times since then. The last time I read it I was in my late 50s or early 60s. Every young person should enjoy it immensely as a fictional story. But there are many moral and ethical issues that are slyly inserted into this novel. The biography of the author and how he came to write this book, which was the first in a series of 9 or 10 novels, is a fascinating story in itself.

The Swallows and Amazons series was one of my favorites when I was a child. The story, set in the Lake District of England where Wordsworth and other great poets grew up, is a gentle adventure tale about children camping out on an island and rigging a little sailboat. It is slower paced than children are used to today. But I think a sensitive boy or girl would find it reassuring that the children solve their own problems of navigation etc.

While it didn't bother me as a child that the language was distinctly British, as I'd been prepared by the Winnie the Pooh stories, and Wind in the Willows, I would recommend Swallows and Amazons as a bedtime story to be read aloud by an adult reader. The reader could then explain the language. A map of the UK would help too, as the story is set in the Lake District.

An adult storyteller might be interested in a biography of the series author, Arthur Ransome, who led an adventurous life - including work in the Soviet Union and marriage to a Russian woman.

Enchanting
It's hard to explain what makes this book so charming: The writing, the way the children and their relationships with each other are shown so clearly and believably, the very real adventures they have, the sense of place....but listing those traits doesn't do the book justice. It's also really funny in places! Ransome creates a world that is clearer and lighter and more enchanting than the one most of us live in -- but he's also written a realistic book. The Lake District DOES look the way he describes it, and there could be children like the Swallows and their friends the Amazon pirates.

The books are for all ages, and I think they are also inspiring and a good influence! They make me want to have adventures -- and they encourage parents by example to let their children have them. The parents in the books are responsible, teach their children well -- and allow them to adventure on their own. They can do that because they've taught the children to have good judgment and be responsible.

Arthur Ransome's own favorite in the series was WINTER HOLIDAY, which I also loved. Once the original characters leave the series, it loses its interest (for me, anyway) -- children who enjoyed the first books will also probably like Blow Out the Moon by Libby Koponen and all the E.Nesbit books.

About 60 years ago I read as many books from this series that I could find in my local public library. I had passed through a phase of devouring the Dr. Doolittle fantasy series (so damaged by the motion pictures using that title - how could they cast tall lanky Rex Harrison in the role of a short cuddly grandfather-like figure?) Another series in which, as an American boy fascinated by warplanes during the Worl War II era - I went on to become an aerospace engineer - I was enthralled, was "A Yank in the RAF", which I don't think would translate to the 21st Century very well. But the series that made the most impact on me was Ransome's Swallow family. As with Hugh Lofting's Doolittle, the author's drawings enhanced the books.

I have not visited there yet but I plan on touring Britain's Lake District (I don't think I was cognizant of where the tales took place, except I knew the children were British. They liked to drink ginger beer; in the US we had a ginger ale drink, but not ginger beer and I was curious to have some.) I have long wanted to live somewhere that would allow me to experience the thrill of mastering the small sailing boats of the story. The closest I came was living near the Pacific in California and near the Potomac River. But the boats in those regions were larger and not terribly accessible. I did go sailing with friends and tried to sail on my own in a marina with a rented boat (a too narrow and crowded venue for a novice just learning to tack and unfamiliar with how to dump wind from the sail when being carried in the wrong direction.) I have gotten to taste ginger beer. I have also used the children's means of including coded messages in their letters in the form of dancing stick figures around the page's margin (the secret was to ignore other parts of the figures and concentrate on the positions of the arms, which were standard semaphore code.) I introduced the code to one of my daughters when we were in the "Indian Princesses" organization. (Is the name and programs of that organization offensive to American Indians? I'm sure its founders weren't sensitive to the fact that American Indians still existed.)

I will introduce this series to my precocius 6 year old grand daughter when I think she is ready.

The Real Deal! No "Steve Mcqueen" character, but everyone a true hero.The Great Escape

If you want to know how to make something out of nothing, this is the book for you. I've been reading and re-reading this book since early childhood and that's how I learned to make a needed item out of just what was at hand. McGyver had NUTHIN' on these guys.

MRS. Dee Schauer
Texas

I love the movie the Great Escape and I loved reading the book it was based on. The movie did an excellant job of following the book but reading the book gave me so much more of an understanding of what these men went through and the courage they had. To truely understand the courage these men had and what they went through, you have to read the book.

It's a shame the publisher decided to put a picture on the cover of Steve McQueen wrapped up in the barbed wire at the end of his big motorcycle escape attempt. Because, you see, that never happened in the TRUE story of the Great Escape contained in this book. The movie (while good) took serious dramatic license, while Brickhill's book presents the facts. And they are quite inspiring and thrilling enough without the addition of fictional elements such as McQueen's stunt riding.
I first read this book while in elementary school, and was hooked to the extent that I've read it many times since over the decades. A truly outstanding story.

This is the (true) story of the efforts of a multinational group of POWs to escape during WW2, and led to what is one of my favourite films.

I anticipated the book to be a bit of a let down after seeing the movie, but it really wasn't. They emphasize quite different aspects, and some parts of the movie were clearly made up with entertainment value in mind (people jumping motorcycles over fences for instance!). I can't blame the movie makers of course, because the compelling essence of this story is the daily slog of tunnelling set against the backdrop of the mind-numbing drudgery of incarceration. No movie could be long enough to get this point across, but the book allows one to build up a better picture of what captivity was like, particularly because it provides such incredible details. I was really struck by the ingenious ways the prisoners found to fake German uniforms and official passes, improvise tools, and build radios and other vital pieces of equipment. The book provides sufficient descriptions to allow you to get an impression of the main characters and camp layout, though I personally would have enjoyed a few photographs of the people involved (good and bad), though I realise these wouldn't have been easy to obtain.

The author has a relatively dry style typical of a historian rather than a dramatist, and at times relates key events remarkably passionately. The book ratchets up the tension without having to try too hard however, and I could sense the tension that existed whenever the guards entered the barracks to check for tunnels. The depression that accompanies every uncovered tunnel jumps out of the page, as does the resolve to keep trying to escape without ever accepting captivity.

I was also pleased that the author described the events some time after the final escape, so that I could see how thoroughly the Allied authorities pursued the main protagonists, and what was their evetual fate.

This book was a fine testament to the memory of the brave men who didn't wilt despite literally years of incarceration in conditions that can best be desribed as spartan. If they had all died without anyone knowing their story the world would be a poorer place.

Patrick Dennis weaves a hilarious tale of two young children going through their parent's divorce. They must withstand the pretentious new suitors of their parents and doting grandmothers. Their adventures are a riot. A great read for a plane ride, beach or rainy afternoon.

Although this society comedy is set in the 60's New York era, it is one of my most favorite books. In fact, I checked it out so many times from my hometown library, they finally "gifted" it to me. When I'm down - and it doesn't have to be the holiday season - I pick up this book, and Kerry, the 11 year old who tells his family's story, always lifts my spirit with his sharp observations, and sometimes mistaken verbage. I read it again last night, will re-read certain highlighted areas again, tonight, and highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a light-hearted, witty look as two of New York's most "upper crust" families handle the divorce of Kerry's parents.

I have just ordered 2 copies of The Joyous Season - one to keep and one to share! I have had an old paperback I found in a used book store for 50c but haven't even let myself read it until I just saw it was back in print!!! Also never realized so many people gave it the 5 stars I do, so I have to add my review to the list. If you are even considering this book, just get it!!! You will want to read it over and over, then get another copy to lend!

I don't really have anything new to say, but I couldn't resist adding my voice to the throng. This is simply the funniest book I have ever read, from my first time when I was about the age of the protagonist, to now, nearing 40 years. If you've somehow stumbled up this review without already reading the book, ORDER A COPY IMMEDIATELY!

When my sister and I first read this book, we laughed uproariously, because the two grandmothers were exactly like our grandmothers. And today, my sister is both of those grandmas, having the given name of one and the nickname of the other. I've lent out this book to many people, and no one ever gives it back. I'm glad to see it again, because for a long time I could find it only in bookstores that dealt in out-of-print materials--and even then, not that many places had it. Now I can buy several for lending out--and not worry about their coming back.

The characters are high camp, but not so out of the ballpark as to feel like caricatures. I recommend this one. It's truly one of the most enjoyable reads I've ever had.

Lovely book, clearly 19th Century Lithographers had access to the Sony "blue tone" setting. Either that explains the covers strange colour, or they had run out of black ink. The book confirms my belief that Aleister, or Sir Aleister Crowley as he claims to be, though not an aristocrat, was a very well off young man; he was certainly a very naughty boy but not the incarnation of evil, Satan, as was claimed by The Daily Sport.

Aleister Crowley is best known for his books and essays on magick (it was he who coined that spelling), but he also wrote several works of fiction. Diary of a Drug Fiend may be his best novel, even though it is in many ways more a platform for his ideas and techniques than a conventional novel.

The novel takes place in Europe, mainly England, around the 1920s. This was apparently the time when drugs such as cocaine and heroin were just becoming illegal and socially unacceptable. The story concerns a young couple, Peter and Lou, who fall in love, both with each other and with cocaine and heroin. Crowley, who had considerable experience with drugs himself, is very effective at describing the euphoria of people experiencing drugs for the first time. Their lives are utterly transformed in an almost mystical way. Of course, the body quickly develops an increasing appetite for these powerful substances, and soon more and more is needed. Soon after that comes the inevitable crash, when the addict must take huge quantities just to feel normal and goes through hellish withdrawal when drugs are not available.

In addition to the physical addiction, Diary of a Drug Fiend shows how the addict's overall judgment is clouded. Peter easily falls victim to a con man, and soon the couple are facing a shortage of money. They are only rescued by the intervention of a mysterious man called King Lamus, who is a thinly disguised version of Crowley. What makes this book interesting, and different from other books that deal with addiction, is that the real point is to show the power of the will to overcome any problem. According to this view, which adherents of modern 12 step programs will not take kindly to, there is nothing special about addiction. It's simply one way people can lose sight of their "true will," to put it in Crowley's terminology. "Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be the Whole of the Law" was one of Crowley's favorite sayings, and it is repeated often in this book. The meaning, as is made clear, is not to simply do what you want or to follow your whims. That is how the couple in this novel end up addicted to cocaine and heroin. It means, rather, to follow your Will, which means living up to your highest potential, fulfilling your destiny or becoming one with your Higher Self, to put it in other terms.

Diary of a Drug Fiend is an enjoyable, if not a great novel; in some ways it's rather didactic, especially towards the end. Still, even someone who is not particularly interested in Crowley or magick could find the descriptions of the couple's descent into addiction and madness compelling. Crowley says in the introduction that the events depicted are all true. How true they are we may never know, but it is a fact that Crowley set up a kind of community in the Mediterranean called The Abbey of Thelema. The last few chapters of the novel depict a kind of idyllic life where people discover and live according to King Lamus' magical instructions. What Crowley did here, both in the novel and real life, is to try to set up a kind of laboratory of the spirit where people are led to reach their highest potential. At various times, other spiritual teachers, such as Gurdjieff and Rajneesh (both as controversial as Crowley in their own ways) established communities of their own. Whether Crowley succeeded or not is still hotly debated, but Diary of a Drug Fiend gives a compelling summary of many of his ideas. It is also an entertaining read with a style more accessible than Crowley's nonfiction books.

This book is awesome wicked crazy and I would recommend it to anyone who was ever interested in anything on the edge of reality.

It's not quite as much fun to write a review when it seems everyone is basically in agreement. Crowley was not as evil as folklore suggests, and he was a lot more intellectually accomplished than his detractors would care to admit.

What struck me about this book were the resounding themes in the final chapters. (I don't think this is a suspense-driven book, so I don't see myself as "spoiling" the ending here.) "Do What Thou Wilt" may seem archaic or sinister, but it ultimately means nothing more than finding your ultimate purpose, your deepest will. Once you find that, your other problems will fall by the wayside. Put in those terms, perhaps the theme sounds too pedestrian. But the way Crowley presents it here in terms of overcoming a heroin and "snow" addiction is marvelous. In many respects this book, particularly toward the end, reminded me of Ayn Rand's writings, where man's ultimate potentials are examined and exalted. Crowley's King Lamus is not far from the John Galt and Howard Roarke idealisms. I walked away from this book refreshed and inspired. Thank you, Mr. Crowley.

Yes, if you have any interest in narcotics addiction this is a MUST-READ. Seriously, if you are a cop, or a lawyer, or a judge, this is a fundamental source of information that will really expand your comprehension of the subject of narcotics addiction. Thank goodness here in California the emphaisis is on REHABILITATION for users and simple possession. And, thank goodness, here in California if you are a dealer that clank you just heard is the prison door, scum bag.

Yes, for those with interests in the arcane, the esoteric, the occult or the erotic, your time will be well rewarded by the book. There is bizarre imagery and mystical references throughout. You'll have a blast with this one. Please note that these Crowley books become astronomical in price when they go out of print, even the paperbacks, so you may want to snag one of these even if you can't read it right now.

One sign of a good book for me is that when I'm done with it, the book is all marked up with pencil marks indicating points which I want to read again some day. Just about every page of this book is marked. Yes, it truly is classic.

Awesome. Great writer. First few pages took a little while to get through due to all the British lingo, but after that, it flew.

Irving Stone created a wondeful biography of Van Gogh, who is one of the definative "tortured" artists if for nothing more than his name is synonymous with the phrase to most people who are even casual fans of art.

In this book Stone captures the emotions of Van Gogh and the highs and lows of his life. This sheds even more meaning on his works of art. I was fortunate enough to see a Van Gogh Exhibition and hopefully will be able to do so again now that I read this.

I am sure it will add to viewing his works.

My boyfriend's father convinced me that, as an art history major, I needed to read this book. I was a little hesitant, but after the first chapter I was completely hooked.

This was a truly powerful book. No matter that it is not a true biography, it was beautifully written and moving. I would recommend this to anyone with even a passing interest in art.

Amazing book and so very well written as all of Stone's other books are...I have always been mesmerised by Van Gogh's paintings, especially when I saw an exhibit of his in London.The colours were so wonderful that I just stood there infront of those pieces of art like a zombie ! I loved this book !

I loved this book. For someone like me, with just a passing knowledge of art and art history, it was pretty amazing to learn about Van Gogh's development as an artist and the Impressionist art movement. In addition, I think that its two major themes of expression and immortality are going to have a lasting effect on me.

By expression, I mean that Van Gogh put all his time and energy into expressing himself in a way that he felt was making the best use of his skills. For him, his calling was a new form of art, and he stuck with it despite receiving no recognition or profit for his work during his lifetime. By immortality, I mean that although Van Gogh was not successful in his lifetime, his work lives on and is hung in the most important museums in the world.

Highly recommended.

This is a beautiful novel about a beautiful human being. If you love Van Gogh's paintings (he is my personal favorite of all painters) then by all means, you need to read this wonderful book. In his prose, Stone is able to paint a vivid, vibrant, illuminating portrait of an amazing artist. I was truly blown away and completely consumed from the first chapter on. I actually read this fine story after visiting the Musee d'Orsay (Museum Orsay) in Paris and seeing first hand the magnificent works of this illustrious Impressionist. Of all the great many paintings presented at the Louvre and d'Orsay, it was the Van Gogh's that captivated me more than all the others (which is saying a lot, because the whole place is captivating!). I couldn't believe some of his self-portraits. What really fascinated me the most was the despondency in those steel blue eyes of his. This is what led me to read this story. I wanted to know where all that pain and suffering came from. Irving Stone answered all of my questions and then some. He is a brilliant and insightful writer and I will be looking forward to reading his novel "The Agony and the Ecstasy" which is based on the life of another favorite artist of mine - Michelangelo.

Anyone who is struggling to become an artist needs to read this! Talk about sacrifice and desire and heart and passion... this man Van Gogh was a true original. A man like no other before or since.

"...for by sadness the countenance of the heart is made better."

I can't recommend this one enough.

This book is so good. It is where 12 year-old Mary, and her 10-year old sister, Jean are on a ship, and one day the ship starts to sink, and as quick as they can, the take all the babies that they had babysat while on the ship, and get into a lifeboat, but then, right before the boat sinks, their lifeboat gets accidentally thrown into the water, it is just them and 4 babies, all alone in a lifeboat with only a few odds and ends, like a tarp, jerky, canned milk, a jug of water, and some sfety pins. After 5 days of sailing in their little lifeboat, theese corageous little girls land on an island. They make shelter and look all over for food. There are ALOT more twists in the book............ but I don't want to spoil the surprises for you. you wil just have to buy it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just great all around!!! This was one of my favorite childhood books. I will now give this one to my goddaughter to enjoy.

I am currently running a girls book club for 4th grade girls and I decided to use this book because of the positive attitude of the children in the book. I am trying to teach the girls in the book club how to analyze a book, discuss a book and to learn from a book. This book had everything I was looking for. The analysis leads to talking about attitude, taking responsibility and using your creativity!

I did a book report on this book as a kid and really enjoyed the story. This will delight young babysitters and little girls with younger siblings! I have a sis five years younger and could relate to the hardships of these two girls who get stranded on an island with four babies. This book has a good balance of good and bad events and a great ending. The characters seem very realistic but parts of the plot are a little far-fetched and seem fictional. Either way, it's a very fun story with nothing too gross or scary. It also has a fair amount of cute, clean humor. I would say this is a good story for younger readers and those who like a lighthearted story.

Great fun!

As a young girl, I read this book over and over. Loved it! Magical. Shipwrecked on an Island with babies in their care - the girls in this story have an adventure. I was so jealous! I loved babies, still do! This book was dreamy fun.

The author, Carol R. Brink, also wrote "The Pink Motel," my other fav in the 5th grade. Have them both, and will treasure them forever. All my daughters read this, and liked it, as every little girl would.

Delightful! Buy it! thanks, Gramma Sally

"Beautiful Joe" is a wonderful story. It was given to me in the late 50's when I was about 10 years old, and I think I read it three times. It's always amazed me that so few others know of it. But it is a beautiful and enriching story especially suitable for a 9-12 year old child who loves dogs. It is very sad (and distrubing) in the beginning, however, so I would never recommend it for a young child.

I read this book countless times when I was a child in the 1950s; I was delighted to find it still in print and even more delighted to find that it is as moving and meaningful as ever. Today's children may find the language somewhat formal and will need to broaden their vocabularies, but they and their parents will find the small effort well worth it.

I love this book. Everyone should read it young or old. Beautiful Joe and the rest of the animals will touch your heart. I have never read this book without crying at the end.

I am not reviewing the edition but rather the book...and it is...of utmost excellence. Although written for its time period, it is something one can read now and enjoy...Beautiful Joe captures your heart, makes you share his opinions, memories and feelings...then leaves you wanting more.

Just thought I should say something. =)

I first read this story as a Whitman abridged edition when I was about eight years old. It was hard for me to believe that some people were so cruel to animals, but I loved the book's old-fashioned narration and of the adventures of and lessons learned by Miss Laura and her family in raising Joe. The moment I learned what the word "abridged" meant, I went looking for the complete story; it took me a long time to find this Applewood Books edition that included three of the farm chapters that were missing from the supposedly complete version I later purchased, and oddly, the Applewood edition is missing the chapter about the crow that is in some other editions. (I believe this is because the Applewood volume is a reprint of the original story and the chapter about the crow was added in a revised edition.) The story is full of memorable characters, both animal--Joe, Jim the spaniel, Billy the fox-terrier, Bella the parrot--and human--Miss Laura, Ned, Willie, Jack, and Cousin Harry. If you are tender of heart, you may find many scenes heart-rending, but it reminds us too that we have much to still work on in the area of animal cruelty.