Equipment Reviews

Shoot!: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about 35mm Photography

Published in Paperback by Amphoto Books (1993-05-01)

Author:

List price: $29.95

New price: $14.79
Used price: $0.81
Collectible price: $29.95

Average review score:

A great find for a photographer needing a brush up on skills.

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-05

This book is well researched and well written. Each chapter covers everything that you need to know from lenses to film. Giving examples of shots taken with a particular lens to film speeds and types. When to use a slower film or when to use a filter.

Great for Beginners and seasoned amateurs

Helpful Votes: 11 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 1999-12-01

This book is the book you want to read for the best handling of all topics relating to photography. Here I found great descriptions of terminology that I have puzzled about for months, but could not get answers to. This book will improve your photography whether you are just starting or have been shooting for years.

WONDERFUL! Clear and concise!!

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2002-01-26

After a nice camera if you have any money to spend on photography - this is it! With more than a dozen pros guiding you on most vital of things in photography what else can you ask for!!!

It makes a very easy read, even fine things are explained in very simple way, with excellent pix as examples. Best thing is that experts talk abt all the things like lens basics, depth of feild, metering, filters, B&W pix, fashion photography and even abt business side of photography.

After going thru various topices of this book quality of my pix has improved many-folds. If you go thru a topic and try it on the field, results would be IMMED!!

I have a digital camera and before reading this book I always relied on the camera and operated it in all auto mode! Not anymore, now I'm deciding everything abt the picture. Feels great.

Great compilation, worth its price. A MUST.

Cheers

Great Balance!

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2001-02-03

I found this book to be a great balance between technical and visual content! If you're tired of "point the camera at the subject" primers and bored with "see how good my pictures are" albums, this one might be for you.

It covers the basics thoroughly, but goes beyond the basics. Did you know one brand of slide film gets better saturation in red-yellow while another gets better saturation in green-blue?

The pictures are fascinating, and the aurthor explains the specific applications of basic principles that went into them!

An inspiring work

Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2001-03-30

This book will inspire you to THINK as you look through the viewfinder. All too often, books in this category spend far too much time on the basics and go no further than that. This book not only covers most of the basics, it prods you to do more than just get the exposure right or the focus sharp. Chapters are titled "Film" or "Exposure" to let you know they cover basic topics, and then chapters like "Composition" or "Outdoor Photography" challenge you to do more with the camera.

The drawbacks? The book has a couple. If you're not into B&W photography or slide film several of the books sections and photographs will leave you cold. The other main "distraction" is also a benefit; it's written by multiple authors with multiple (and sometimes conflicting) points of view. Be prepared to read a "do this" suggestion on one page and then five pages later read a "don't do this" suggestion for the same thing!

All in all, a worthy addition to your bookshelf.

SILENT SENTINELS: A Reference Guide to the Artillery at Gettysburg

Published in Hardcover by Savas Beatie (2005-09)

Author: George Newton

List price: $29.95

New price: $19.64
Used price: $18.54

Average review score:

Get to know the guns!

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-27

This is a reference work. Its title indicates it is aimed at students of the battle of Gettysburg. If you skip the first twenty-five pages, "an overview of the Gettysburg Campaign," this book is so much more than it is billed.
It is first and foremost a great introduction to the field artillery of the Civil War. It contains an excellent, concise guide to how the big guns were operated and used. You can find everything in that short chapter from the location of the lunette to the invention of the three-inch ordinance rifle.
Next, the author tells how the artillery arm was organized in both the federal armies and the Confederacy. This is not an organization table. Rather he starts with the manpower requirements of an individual battery, then he goes on to the organization of the artillery arms of the Armies of the Potomac and of Northern Virginia. Before giving us a tour of Gettysburg today, the author gives us a lesson on loading and firing these old muzzle loaders, complete with tables showing ranges of fire for the principal types of guns used in July 1863.
Where Mr. Newton does us the greatest favor is in Chapter 6, where he gives an excellent guide for a driving tour of the artillery still on display on the Gettysburg Battlefield. (Many of the guns shipped there were, according to the author, melted down to make many of the bronze equestrian statues visitors have admired for decades). He adds to his narrative numerous useful appendices that detail with which larger units each battery was assigned, which states provided which batteries, and setting out the official reports of the principal artillery commanders involved at the battle. If you don't know how Civil War field artillery worked, and you want to, this would be the first book I would recommend.

An Unexpected Pleasure

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2006-04-27

I was fortunate to meet the author by accident at Pickett's Charge, Gettysburg, and I purchased my autographed book for emotional reasons. I was glad to have given in to them. The book is a gem on many accounts. For the Civil War enthusiast, who doesn't need the background, the non artillery information is placed in appendices in the back. The artillery information is concisely placed in seven chapters, and it is quite easy and interesting to read. It would make an excellent handbook for any teacher of the Civil War, who would love a hands-on approach to how the battles were fought and won/lost; and of course, a must-read for any Gettysburg enthusiast of whom I am one. An absolute delightful read. Colleen Bognet - Foreign Language Teacher/History Day Advisor - Hazleton Area School District

Easy to read, Plus a good reference.

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-28

An interesting book on the artillery arm of Civil War service. The book focuses on Gettysburg and will answer many questions on the guns themselves plus many little know facts of the service they played at Gettysburg.

A must-read for Gettysburg/Civil War enthusiasts

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2006-01-01

This book offers the reader a comprehensive look at the artillery used in the July 1863 Battle of Gettysburg, complete with numerous photos and illustrations, as well as informative diagrams and guides. Every Gettysburg enthusiast (no matter how serious) will find this detailed book to be enlightening and useful as both a recommended read and a reference guide. And not only does it contain a comprehensive detailed look at every type of gun used in the battle, it also provides a driving tour of the battlefield itself.

A historical guide to artillery used in the July 1863 battle of Gettysburg

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-12

Silent Sentinels: A Reference Guide to the Artillery at Gettysburg is a historical guide to artillery used in the July 1863 battle of Gettysburg. Though hundreds of books have been published on the battle, only a handful have devoted more than a few paragraphs to the role of the "long arm" artillery. Silent Sentinels opens with an overview of the Gettysburg campaign, then narrows its focus to the role of field artillery, its organization, loading and firing, walks the reader through a tour of Gettysburg National Military Park, and even offers a chapter full of Gettysburg Artillery Trivia. Appendices include a list of artillery battles arranged by state and biographical sketches and official reports about union and confederate officers who served at Gettysburg. Black-and- white diagrams revealing the workings of artillery as well as assorted tables round out this excellent, thoroughly researched and focused reference.

Skateboarding

Published in Unknown Binding by ()

Author:

List price:

Average review score:

Four Skateboard Magazines

Helpful Votes: 19 out of 21 total.
Review Date: 2003-11-22

This is a (very brief) review of four different skateboard magazines. To make sure that previous experience was not biasing my opinion (too much), I got four issues that were out at the same time. The magazines are Transworld Skateboarding (TS), Thrasher Magazine (TM), Skateboarder (SM) and SBC Skateboard (SS).

For photography, TS probably takes the lead. For the skateboard lifestyle, the edge goes to TM. For those who like to read text, SM has the most. Surprisingly, the best is probably SS, which is a balanced combination of all three styles.

Before spending too much on any one magazine, I suggest you try the same so that you get THE magazine you want.

Good

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2004-08-14

the magizine is very thick but a lot of it is adds. The adds have good pictures of skaters doing tricks and stuff though. It also has cool interveiws and stuff. It is the only magizine i get. If you like to skate buy this magizeine.

Great for Skaters w/out any other life (like me!)

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2002-09-02

Transworld is worth the Money! It's the price of a regular magazine, but 3 times as thick! Sure there are a lot of adds in it, but hey, they're all just pictures of skaters doing tricks! Also, there are cool articles, interviews, and coverage of tours. Any skater with {money} should buy this. SKATEBOARDNG IS NOT A SPORT!!!!!!!!

pretty nice

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2001-11-30

I bought this mag at a grocery store. I'm fascinated with skateboarding. It's a really thick magazine. Probably because nearly everything in it are ads. That's annoying. Good pictures, though. Anyway, it's pretty nice. I'd recommend looking around at other magazines like "Thrasher", "Skateboarding", etc. Enjoy!

Transworld Skateboarding

Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2002-08-27

The amount of skateboarding fans are increasing rapidly in the United States. If you are one of those fans, like myself, I highly suggest this magazine. It is well worth the cost. It covers everything such as pro spotlights, action shots, ads, trick tips and more. I have been reading this magazing for quite a while now, and plan on continuing my love for skateboarding. Subscribe now, you WILL be satisfied!

Spiffy Kitchen Collectibles

Published in Paperback by Krause Publications (2003-09-05)

Author: Brian Alexander

List price: $24.99

New price: $2.98
Used price: $4.12

Average review score:

A walk down memory lane

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-23

What a great book. Loads of pix of the way things used to be. How many of these items do you remember in your grandma's kitchen? It was just what I wanted as far as seeing what is collectible these days. Values included in the book seem to be realistic. Will look for more like this from the author.

Spiffy Kitchen Collectibles - fun to read and own

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-01

I have enjoyed this book very much. It is very informative. I own lots of kitchen collectibles, but was not sure of their use. Now I know. This book has covered a wide range of items and every page is bright and colourful. I'm sure others will enjoy this book as much as I do. It sure takes you back to the "Good Old Days". A great book to browse through and add to your collection.

My ma had one of those

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-07

What a delightful slice of Americana. I'm interested in mid-century America especially suburban living and this book captures a little bit of this so well. Look through the pages and it's clear that the author (and publisher) have taken some editorial effort to produce an interesting book. I was particularly pleased to see that this is not the usual dull looking, badly designed collectors book, full of amateur snaps of objects sitting on a table with several presented on the page as square photos.

The thirty-eight chapters probably include every popular kitchen gadget available at the time (all nicely presented as cutouts though missing light grey shadow effect that really would have completed each image) but nicely there are included period magazine covers, ads, pages from manufactures brochures and other graphics. Another thing I liked about the book is the addition of the packaging the utensils came in showing the design and typography, predictably lacking in any graphic design but showing vibrant colors and in fact anything to catch the housewife's eye while on the store shelf.

An ideal book for collectors and because of the way it has been editorially produced it will have instant nostalgia appeal and interest anyone who wants to know how folks lived a few decades ago.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

Anne

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-10

This book is great. There are so many kitchen items featured that it is amazing. It has been really helpful for me.

Warning--this is the same as the Warmans Kitschy Kitchen Collectibles Field Guide

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-09

I just recieved Spiffy Kitchen Collectibles and was quite disappointed to find out that it is exactly the same graphics and photographs as contained in the Warmans Kitschy Kitchen Collectibles Field Guide, just in larger format. I saw they were by the same author, but didn't think they'd be exactly the same inside!

Talk Is Cheap: Switching to Internet Telephones

Published in Paperback by O'Reilly Media, Inc. (2005-07-05)

Author: James Gaskin

List price: $19.95

New price: $0.01
Used price: $0.01

Average review score:

I saved money

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-04

I'm a prime candidate for using voice over Internet (VOIP), so it was with much interest that I dove into this book. The first few chapters are background information describing VOIP, how it works, and how it is different (and the same) as landline phone service. There is even a comparison of what you might pay in each case.

Since there are a myriad of choices in the VOIP universe I was glad to see a clear (and sometimes humorous) explanation as to what each offers. It helped me select which way to go for my own personal situation. Implementing the information from this book is saving me at least $10 a month initially and perhaps a lot more in the future.

Anyone wanting to adopt VOIP should read Talk is Cheap before deciding which (if any) provider to use.

Nice intro to VOIP services

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-12-08

Now that there are alternatives to using Ma Bell, people are switching (or contemplating it) to broadband phone services. Granted, those on dialup are still out of luck, but some of the services offered provide motivation to get a broadband account. With the proliferation of broadband phone companies, it gets confusing when trying to decide which service is the best, or which one offers the options you need most.

This book explains the services that broadband companies like VONAGE offer, as well as the ones that companies like Skype offer. It also explains (in the first chapter) how internet phones work, as well as an explanation how Voice Over IP works. I also liked the analogy about how innovation over the years has forced traditional phone companies however grudgingly to offer better service. It makes one wonder how they eventually will adapt to VOIP.

There's also a chapter devoted to features that you now pay for that you can get for free using an Internet phone (several of them are the various fees your phone company adds on to your bill), such as call waiting and forwarding. I find it interesting how the phone company manages to slip in various fees as a "cost of doing business."

911 service is also touched upon. Broadband phones will likely have complete 911 service within the next two years, whereas their computer-centric counterparts may not for a few years. It seems to be one drawback to using this type of technology, but one that will likely be ironed out the more popular this technology becomes.

This is a great "consumer guide" to Internet telephony, one that you should buy if you're considering the move to Internet phones.

Well done introduction to Internet telephony for home

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-28

With Internet Telephony gathering acceptance and converts daily many people are trying to figure out what service will work best for them and the differences between the various offerings. With a straight-forward analysis of Internet telephony as compared to traditional phone lines and the various options available, this book is well done and very informative. I happen to use one of the services mentioned in the book and found the author's review of it right on the mark. He provided an excellent discussion of the differences between a broadband phone-centric service and a computer-centric service as well as the offerings of specific vendors. If you are thinking about making the move to Internet telephony this book will provide you with sufficient background information to determine if it would be useful for your needs as well as how to shop intelligently for the appropriate product. Although the information also applies to small businesses this book is aimed squarely at the home market. Written in a very non-technical style Talk is Cheap is easy to read and understand and suggested for anyone interested in learning about the subject.

Good Primer for Broadband Phone Service

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-28

This book happened to arrive on my doorstep while I was doing my own researching on switching my traditional phone service over to Broadband. I had a lot of questions, and this book does a good job of providing answers to many common questions and technical details behind making the switch.

The author goes into great detail on both telephone-type broadband service (Vonage, one of the author's favorites) and computer-based Softphone systems (Skype, for example). He explains various packages, benefits and technical details behind each. For example, I want to keep my traditional telephones since for some reason my 15-year old, as computer-savy as he is, seems to have this need to "grasp" onto a traditional telephone receiver. Thanks to this book, I now know how to hook-up those phones (directly to the router provided by the broadband provider) and how to make sure that I maintain my current coverage throughout the house (get a base station phone setup with remote stations). I also found out a lot about how the services that are available as they compare to my traditional phone company today, and some of the pitfalls as well -- Fax machines don't work with broadband service without an extra fee from most providers, and my ADT alarm system is going to need to be retrofitted.

If you are curious as to how broaband phones work (and also want a short, but good overview of how traditional phones work) the author starts the book off with going behind the scenes to explain the details. How does my call from my broadband phone reach my mother, who still believes that computers are those strange machines in the basements of banks and other big companies that manage to overcharge her, who still uses a service provided by Ma Bell? How can I live in Missouri, but have a number in Las Vegas? How can I go on a month-long vacation and still receive all my phone calls? How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie-Roll pop? Ok, so maybe the author doesn't cover that last one.

About the only gripe I had with this book was the author does a lot of moaning about the traditional phone companies. I am no big fan either, but I still realize they are necessary and will be so for many, many years to come. I also would have liked to seen a little less emphasis given to just Vonage and Skype, though to be fair they are the major market players at this stage in the game.

A good read for those considering making the switch. It's written well and is it times humorous which makes for a very easy read.

Say good-bye to Ma Bell...

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2005-07-24

Want to say good-bye to your plain old telephone service with the high cost of taxes, add-on fees, and long-distance? Check out James E. Gaskin's book Talk Is Cheap - Switching To Internet Telephones (O'Reilly). I certainly learned quite a bit from this book...

Contents: How Internet Telephone Calls Work; Your Internet Phone; Free Internet Phone Features That You're Paying For Now; Choosing Your Internet Phone Equipment; Vonage And Other Broadband Phone Carriers; Skype And Other Computer-centric Services; 911, Alarms, And Other Outgoing Calls; Tips, Tricks, And Techniques For Advanced Users; Go Wireless; Index

As more and more people switch to broadband internet access, there's an emerging option for telephony services in the home. Using your internet connection (DSL or cable), you can switch to internet telephony, also known as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and go all digital. Gaskin does an excellent job in explaining exactly what this is, how it works, and the pros and cons of switching to a service like this. He's a pretty strong advocate of VoIP, so you can pretty much figure out where his bias is going to lie.

The book focuses on two major types of internet telephony: phone-centric and computer-centric. In the phone-centric area (using your phone much like before, but only through an internet service) he uses Vonage as the primary example of what to expect. On the computer-centric side (no telephone, just headphones and speakers attached to your computer), he uses the Skype package as the leader in that area. In this growing technology area, it's impossible to write a book covering every option such that it won't be out of date before it's printed. To Gaskin's credit, he does a good job in covering the current playing field, as well as giving enough detail to figure in new options as they emerge.

Even though you can come away from a book like this thinking all is rosy, that's not quite the case. There are very well documented customer service issues with Vonage, and no player in the field is mature enough to get it right as often as Ma Bell does. Still, if you're an early adopter of technology, this is definitely an area you need to check out. And if you have no exposure to residential VoIP up until now, I'd recommend a copy of this book to get you up to speed quickly.

Terryworld (Taschen 25th Anniversary)

Published in Hardcover by Taschen (2008-04-01)

Author:

List price: $19.99

New price: $12.98
Used price: $12.23

Average review score:

BEST BUY of 2008 (and one of the best buy for 2004 too)......

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-23

HONEST, ENERGETIC, though totally unappetizing content sometimes, ALMOST PERFECT PHOTO COMPOSITION, winning other 'trend following' artist (Jergen Teller for example) by a mile! Somehow i've got a gut feeling mr richardson is going to be the picasso of this century.....a classic already!

Terryworld: a masterpeice of smut

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-01

Not for everybody, be forewarned. If you have seen Terry's work before and find yourself craving a high dosage of trashy, sexually explicit and raw photography, this ones for you babe. Suck it in, and puke it up into the air while laying on your back, and let your own metaphorical vomit shower your filthy nude inner workings.

Great for the kids

-j

A great coffee table book

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-02-24

If your a fan of edgey, vice magazine type of photography and enjoy the seedy side of life, then by all means man, get this book!

different and fascinating

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-02-13

i pretty much knew what the book was like since i'd seen it in bookstores several times. i always concluded that is not for me, but time after time i kept going back to it and kept seeing Terry's photos in magazines and so finally i got it.

the book then...it's huge, with a LOT of photos. i'm still not a fan of Terry but i respect his style and originality and bravery a lot. he uses a snapshot cam, and it shows. that sounds bad...and most people think upon seeing the pics 'these are snapshots! i can do this myself!'. well, think twice, it is not in fact that easy. Terry can handle the medium in a whole different way and as a photographer myself i appreciate this skill. his subject matters are however what usually turns peoples heads...the genitalia shows here and there, and it's not subtle. Terry is a part of the photos himself too sometimes, and he shows he's ready to give just as much as himself as the models. what i like specifically is the humor and brave subjects, daring to show things in a new or different way. or just really bluntly.

more specifically his photos are of people, often naked and daring, posed or dressed funny. some are celebrities, others are not. the snapshot camera gives the photos a blunt 'in your face'-look and i don't think the photos are in any way manipulated, at least they look very raw and like something from a snapshot camera should. his website shoulf give you a better idea of the content.

besides the photos, i think this book is worth having because it's a part of photography history, different and i'm sure he will be remembered as such.

Terror-World!

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-09

Terry's world might be, hell, it's MEANT to be a little scary for alot of people! Not in the sense of depicting violence or even real depravity but rather in the near-apocalypitc vulgarity with which it depicts post modern-hedonism, where sexual pleasure is about as idealized as a Tijuana donkey-show.

A man, laying half-passed-out on a bed, is seen puking, Terry (who appears in many of his own photos) pulls a tampon string out of a woman's vagina with his teeth, a guy pisses into his own mouth--you get the picture. It's a garbage-world where all the turn-ons are trashy. It is strangely arousing inspite of the yuck factor, but whether that's because it's sexy or because I'm just so jaded I'm happy for anything that can jolt and shock my deadened nerves, is up for debate!

Jolts and shocks are what Terryworld is all about. Terryworld is to erotica what Hustler was to Playboy. It's flat-out raunch,but with a fashion photographer's sensibility, which is to say that it does have some artistic merit beyond its novelty value, calling to mind the "provacateur" advertising campaigns of recent years, of which Terry himself has often played a part. His situation-heavy portraits are Tarantino-like movie stills from a movie I'm not sure I want to see.

Which brings me to my point; In the end, after all the money's come in, all the heads have turned and all the word-of-mouth has been exhausted, what is the final value of shock?

Remember when you were fourteen and looking at your stolen copy of Hustler, you felt kind of sick at the end of the ride. Your heart rate increased as you turned each page, your curiosity peaked to see the next lurid spectacle, you flipped faster and faster until finally it was over, you'd seen the whole thing--More, in fact, than your mind was capable of processing in one sitting. You were late for dinner, had a pressure headache, and a faint desire to go to church.

Welcome to Terryworld.

Titan II: A History of a Cold War Missile Program

Published in Hardcover by University of Arkansas Press ()

Author: David K. Stumpf

List price: $49.00

New price: $37.83
Used price: $37.83

Average review score:

Excellent Book

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-04

Very informative book chock full of all the information you could ever want to know about the missile and program.

Thorough and entertaining

Helpful Votes: 13 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2001-05-31

I was expecting the typical academic or historical reference that is chock full of info, but fairly dull to read. As the cliche goes, you can't judge a book by its cover. Mr. Stumpf has done a great job of writing also. He details the beginnings of the program, operational aspects and the fatal accidents which seem to have been forgotten over the years.

He even details the program to turn the old warhorses into satellite launch vehicles and the remaining silo, now a musuem in Arizona.

Like the previous reviewer, I would have liked to seen some info on the Titan II and the Gemini program.

If you're a space or Cold War buff, read this book, then visit the silo/museum in Green Valley, Ariz.

You need this book...

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-26

Wow another wonderful cold war missile history book.This book is so imformative it get right down to the nuts and bolts that kept this mighty missile together.If you want to learn about what Titan was and what it did to protect us then get this book now trust me it's that good.

Amazing detail but perhaps overly technical

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-04

I admire the author for his undertaking. It is like he saw an important piece of history disappearing, and he decided to write a book to put together the source materials before they disappeared. He ended up with what must be the definitive book on the Titan II ballistic missile program from concept to design to installation to operation to retirement. He is to be applauded for this effort because even he probably does not know how much time it took him.

That being said, this book is probably overly technical except for the most detail-oriented student of history. One literally learns every serial number of every missile and the names and ranks of all military personnel down to every team member on every missile crew. I found that intimidating for someone with my level of interest, which is more than the average lay person and less than the professional historian.

The level of technical details is so exceptional that it almost reads like a military briefing book. I wish there had been more about the people, the mission, the Cold War, but perhaps the author thought those matters were better left for others.

For someone wanting to know just what Titan II was all about, this may not be the book. It can be, but it will require a lot of skipping over of the very detailed sections and possibly a second reading if the first one leaves a thirst for more detail. I did not mind the intense level of detail, but I give it four stars for this reason.

A definitive, strongly recommended, technological history

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2003-02-10

Compiled and written by David K. Stumpf (Associate Research Scientist, University of Arizona), Titan II: A History of a Cold War Missile Program is the informed and informative story of the intercontinental ballistic missile program developed by the United States military in the 1950s and 1960s. Each missile was designed to carry a single nuclear warhead, used liquid fuel propellants, and was stored (and launched from) hardened underground silos. The missile sites were based in Arkansas, Arizona, and Kansas facilities, and then were finally deactivated in the early 1980s. Based on a wide range of sources including engineer and airmen interviews and memoirs, declassified government documents, and other public materials, and enhanced with more than 170 drawings and photographs (most of which have never been previously published), Titan II is a definitive, strongly recommended, technological history of a deterrent weapons system that for more than 20 years successfully defended America from nuclear attack.

A View of the Universe

Published in Hardcover by Cambridge University Press (1993-11-26)

Author: David Malin

List price: $70.00

New price: $51.48
Used price: $1.97

Average review score:

the paperback edition is just postcards

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2001-05-01

Actually it does say postcards above but I didn't notice when I bought it. Considering the price probably it couldn't have been anything else but just thought I'd point it out in case anyone else was going to miss it. Nice postcards of course, but only postcards.

Photographers perspective of the universe

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2005-06-20

David Malin is an astronomical photographer. In this book he shows his love for both astronomy and photography. He gives a lot of information about stars, globular nebula, supernovas, galaxies etc. etc. But he also explains how they are photographed! He describes all kinds of techniques that are used to make things visible that would otherwise stay undetected. The writer explains why it is better to make astronomical photos from three separate B/W plates with use of blue, green and red filters, instead of using regular colour film. He explains the reason behind using more than one plate for photographing faint objects. Or techniques like "unsharp masking" and "amplification". His story is illustrated throughout the book with many photos. Regularly the same object is shown with the use of varying techniques.

The book contains 66 B/W-photos and 149 colour photos (20 colour photos full page). Reproduction quality is good, as befits a book by a photographer. Only a side-by-side comparison with the coffee-table sized book "Magnificent Universe" by Ken Crosswell shows that in that book the photos are even better reproduced, although not by too big a margin. The paper quality is good (nice, thick paper). The book is well bound. Compared to "Magnificent Universe" I like the text more. This book is highly recommended.

Fascinating

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2003-04-20

This easy to read and understand book includes spectacular photographs and explanations of celestial sights and events. I flipped through it at Borders and bought it mainly for the pictures but it makes for good reading also. Malin takes you on a journey around the galaxy and to places further out, places like the galaxy M-83, which can be described in one word: incredible. He doesn't dazzle you with confusing technical terms. You almost feel like you're out on a clear, moonless, very dark night with a buddy who has a great telescope.

Stunning Astrophotography

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2000-02-02

David Malin is one of the world's best astrophotographers. This book perfectly displays his work from the Anglo-Australian Observatory. The photos are stunning. Malin actually seems to be able to capture movement in his photos showing the universe is certainly not static. This book is a must for your library.

The Astrophotography is simply amazing!

Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2000-02-29

The photos in this book are positively stunning! This book is great for the price, and it might help to pique your curiosity about the universe. I would recommend it for the novice astronomer or astrophotographer, as it will give you a goal to strive for! (However, I am sure that seasoned veterans will enjoy it as well.)

Weapons and Warfare in Renaissance Europe: Gunpowder, Technology, and Tactics (Johns Hopkins Studies in the History of Technology)

Published in Hardcover by The Johns Hopkins University Press (1997-05-12)

Author: Bert S. Hall

List price: $34.95

New price: $115.00
Used price: $38.71

Average review score:

technology and warfare

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2002-06-04

Best treatment of weapons and Renaissance-era warfare !!

A Fascinating Overview

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-19

Bert Hall delves deep into the technological history of Renaissance warfare and demonstrates both how much and how little new technologies have changed the face of battle. It deftly combines both a technical understanding of how those technologies were made with Mr. Hall's detailed understanding of the military history of that period.

The work is primarily focussed on the effects of gunpowder and firearms, but begins in the pre-gunpowder era of the late middle ages. By demonstrating how wars in this period were waged, the author shows the reader just how little the first gunpowder technology changed the way wars were fought. In essence, he shows how commanders faced with the new technology tried to fit it into traditional roles previously occupied by the longbow and crossbow and how it did not immediately eclipse those weapons in such roles.

From there, the author goes on to show how the peculiar advantages and disadvantages of the increasingly sophisticated gunpowder technology came to revolutionize strategic and tactical thought.

It is a rare work that considers topics ranging from the way in which the differing "recipes" that existed for gunpowder vastly altered the explosive potential of the substance to the tactical innovations and battles of Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba. Mr. Hall handles both technological and historical matters with equal ease and effectively demonstrates how deeply the two are intertwined.

It is a tremendously engaging and enlightening work, and very well documented in its more than 800 endnotes. Perhaps surprisingly for an historical work, it was a real page-turner. When forced to set it down, I found myself counting the hours until I could get back to it. I will definitely be looking for additional books by this author.

Original thinking and excellent scholarship.

Helpful Votes: 14 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 2003-01-29

It didn't take long for me to be pleasantly surprised at the high level of scholarship and clearly presented facts, the sort of writing all too often lacking from this area of history. As the author notes, many technology historians, military historians, and arms and armor writers propagate continuing myths and assumptions that can't be supported when the facts are examined closely. Here, Hall does the topic justice and it is clear he did his homework. The chapter discussing the technology of gunpowder was especially interesting, and supports his case for the reasons firearms developed as they did. I recommend a trip to the Metropolitan Museum in New York to have a look at their firearms, where many aspects of his discussion will further illuminate the items on display.

Outstanding.

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2003-11-24

1.000 words could be not enough to praise this book. Bert Hall produced a long needed work that will remain a foundation-stone in military technology of the black powder era.

The title should be: Gunpowder in Renaissance Land Warfare!

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 1999-02-01

This book presents a serious, unbiased and well documented view on gunpowder-technology origins and evolution and its real significance in medieval and Renaissance land warfare. However, only the projectile weapons have a good coverage, and warfare (and use of gunpowder) at sea is almost totally forgotten! If its title reflected its contents this book would get SIX stars from me.

Winchester: An American Legend: The Official History of Winchester Firearms and Ammunition from 1849 to the Present

Published in Hardcover by Random House (1991-04-30)

Author: R.L. Wilson

List price: $65.00

New price: $56.00
Used price: $13.92
Collectible price: $68.00

Average review score:

Treasure abounds!

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-25

This book is an eye opener for sure! Okay it is a coffee table book rather than a serious reference work, but hey, you cannot deny the shear luminous beauty of the photography and the well thought out layout and design. There is good info to be had as well, this book is a 'faster' reference than Madis' work and leaves you hungry for more. Well done Mr Wilson, I will be buying more of your work!

winchester/an american legend

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-09

the next best thing to owning a winchester rifle itself.

excellent in every respect and well recommended.

Another winner from R.L. Wilson

Helpful Votes: 18 out of 19 total.
Review Date: 2000-06-07

R.L. Wilson, who wrote this book, also wrote one called 'Colt, an American Legend.' Both books are exquisite, coffee table size--eight and a half inches by eleven inches (landscape)--and each are over 400 pages, almost every page filled with extremely high quality color photographs.

R.L. Wilson, in addition to being a collector and well-known author in the firearms field, is a historical consultant to Colt's Firearms Division.

The subtitle on the first page says, "The official history of Winchester firearms and ammunition from 1849 to the present," which pretty much covers the entire history of the Winchester Firearms Company (now known as U.S. Repeating Arms, since a bankruptcy and change of ownership.)

If you are a Winchester aficionado, or just a Western history buff, with an interest in "The Gun That Won the West," this is a book you will want in your library.

It is one of my favorite books. It will probably be one of yours, also.

Joseph Pierre,
Author of THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS: Our Journey Through Eternity

Wow...A Great Coffee Table Book for Any Firearms History Buff

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2005-12-28

Just the pictures in this huge volume are enough to make it worth thumbing through, but the written information is tremendous and the author manages to cover all connections to Winchesters' Fathers, including John M Browning, my personal hero (other than my Father, Uncle, Grandfather and all other veterans of WWII and Korea). Probably not all the information on Winchester firearms and ammo history but all that I can absorb and still have a social life.

Eye Candy

Helpful Votes: 8 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2001-04-15

Beautiful to look at. Not heavy in the way of company or technical history, but what a great coffee table book. Costly - if you can find it - but wow!

Equipment Books