A Books

I have made more progress with the advice in this book in the last month than my average year. After years of thinking I knew what i was doing at the gym, I finally feel like im on the right track with my body and my health.

Its also refreshing to read (and ironic since this book is 30 years old) people recommending moderate weight/high reps as opposed to the high-intensity school which I feel has its place in your routine, but just was not leading to muscle gain for me.

If you are interested in fitness, getting in shape or body building, I think this is required reading. It has also given me a tremendous amount of respect for Schwarzenegger who seems to have conquered everything in this world except the California legislature.

I first read this book back in the summer of '83, as a skinny kid, while in college. I was curious about bodybuilding before buying it, but after reading it this book actually inspired true change in me. I immediately began training using the dusty, dilapidated weight-set that sat down in the dank, beer-stenched fraternity house basement that I lived in during the summer. I then graduated to the university gym, and then to a real Gold's Gym- I was working out with real bodybuilders! It was such a rush to get into the true environment of pro bodybuilding. It took seemingly forever to put on muscle but one day it seemed to magically start to happen. It was like a dream come true. I used to sit at a bus-stop waiting to come home after a monsterous workout. I never remember ever feeling so exhausted in my life while waiting for the bus.

Anyway, I managed to get into beautiful shape and excelled in my studies and eventually reached the pinnacle of my profession...and bodybuilding was one element that helped, without a doubt. This book by Arnold and friends was so inspirational to me and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to transform their body/lives or anyone who wants to peer into the world of the greatest bodybuilder of all time. You won't regret buying this book. If you happen to be reading these reviews, Arnold, thank you for the memories. I will always consider you as being one of the top greats of sports and success stories..

Full of information on mental & physical training. Things even I would never have thought about. Recommend it to anyone, well worth the money.

What can we say?

Fantastic book. Great for motivation. After reading this book you will realize that dream really can come true if you put enough effort and passion in them.

This is a must have for anybody wanting to know more about the basics of bodybuilding. This book has loads of pictures, detailed descriptions and is thorough and straight forward. And if you happen to be an Arnold Schwarzenegger fan, even better. Buy it!

This edition lits the hits that most people forgot! I was looking for info on one it wonders and other fun trivia that we could enjoy at work. This book was it!

This is a great book for laying musical artists and song arguments to rest.It is also very informative and fun to read.

For some reason this book is very hard to get in the UK (a bit like a good train or bus service). Hence the need to purchase it from the international site of Amazon. Once obtained it is very useful.
It now also seems difficult to get the UK version, so good luck if you are hunting for either.

An excellent reference for any music enthusiast wishing to narrow his or her research. Well written, informative and accurate. Another typical Whitburn product worth every penny. The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (Billboard Book of Top Forty Hits) 8th Edition

Supplement this one with his Billboard Hot 100 Charts (The Sixties) Billboard Hot 100 Charts - The Sixties. And lastly, while we're still in the 60's music Era, don't forget Whitburn's Bubbling Under The Billboard Hot 100, 1959-2004.Bubbling Under the Billboard Hot 100: 1959-2004: Joel Whitburn Presents

You can't go wrong here. The research he's done in these references to ensure accuracy and simplicity is incredible.

The 8th Edition of "The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits" is another winner. Those familiar with this series already know that this book will be an outstanding research tool for radio stations and music collectors. The 8th Edition, written by Joel Whitburn, is another "must have" for anyone serious about music chart performance. Joel's reputation for compiling and publishing chart data in an interesting and useful format is well recognized, and this edition covers the entire time span of 1955-2003. Whitburn's books can get so much use as valuable reference tools, that it's easy to wear out the binders. Can't wait for the 9th edition!

This is an outstanding field guide, easy to use and understand.I live in the mountains of western North Carolina and many species of birds migrate through here and also there are many year round species that I have identified with this bird guide. I highly recommend this guide if your looking for a bird field guide that is easy to tote in the field for a quick reference for any unusual birds you may want info on readily.

Love my new Sibley Field Guide. It's better than the old standard guide I've used for years. It's easy to navigate, and I love the varied views of individual birds, flying, perched etc.. It stays on my kitchen table for constant reference!!

I owned this bird book before my purchase from Amazon. The two copies I recently purchased from Amazon were for gifts. The Shibley field guide is my favorite because it also includes the color configuration of the underside of the bird's wings which other authors don't include.

I love the Sibley guides. The one criticism that I have heard and will agree with is that some of the drawings are a bit "dull" in comparison to other guides. Having said that, this has never deterred from my ability to identify a bird in the field. I both watch and study birds and absolutely adore these guides. Everyone who I've spoken to agrees that these books are excellent. Probably the best feature to me is how each species is depicted in flight as well as percing. Arrows highlight key features to look for. Juvelniles and females depicted. Other unique characteristics noted or depicted (e.g. diagnostic flight patterns or other movements). Wonderful! (Western edition too).

My Uncle, G. Max White, gave my son a hand-crafted peanut butter feeder that he'd made and stained. He explained to his great-nephew, in specific detail, the kinds of birds he would start to see. We hung the feeder outside my son's window and within three days the birds started to arrive. My son was elated! We decided to add a birdseed feeder, a woodpecker feeder, a finch feeder, and a hummingbird feeder to his collection. We put a songbird clock on the wall next to his window so he could compare the birds he saw with it until we received the field guides we ordered from Amazon. He was in heaven!

We purchased the National Geographic guide and The Audubon Backyard guide, but THE SIBLEY FIELD GUIDE TO BIRDS of EASTERN NORTH AMERICA is by far the best. Everything about each bird is all on one page. The illustrations, "(more than 4200 total)" are smaller but plenty large enough to see each bird's features.

We are able to see the bird's appearance from juvenile to adult and breeding or non-breeding. We love the way we can look at the characteristics of the bird, the detailed descriptions and a map showing where the bird thrives all on the same page. It is informative and concise.

My son has discovered a vast array of birds in our area. He has been intrigued by their characteristics and songs. Uncle Max's love for birds and nature, and the spirit that has been passed on to my son through his artwork, lit the spark! My son's enthusiasm for bird watching has been fueled by referencing David Sibley's meticulous and inspiring work, THE SIBLEY FIELD GUIDE TO BIRDS OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA. Together, G. Max White and David Sibley have encouraged my son's passion for birds; a love that will last a lifetime!

I have always been interested in WWII history and this book is excellent as it deals with the consequences of war. Wolfgang was blessed with an incredible memory and this book tells the story of the time from 1945 to 1950 in Germany and how things were. I will not recap the story since others have done it so well, but this is in the top 10 of the hundreds of books I have read.

This is a great book. I gave the book to a few German friends who lived in Germany during the war. They could identify with the author's experiences.

The author became a U.S citizen and fought in Vietnam. I would have liked to read about the author's experience in this country, and his experience, as a pilot in our Air Force.

A well written book and interesting too.

Wonderful and descriptive first hand account of living through WWII in Germany and the life there afterwards.

The author, who was 10 years old and living in eastern Germany when WWII came to an end, has an amazing memory for telling details and an irresistibly engaging personality. His memoir of that dreadful time is framed as a tribute to his mother, who certainly deserves it, and an unforgettable lesson in history as it is really lived. Once you start reading this book, you will be unable to put it down and you will never forget it.

This harrowing memoir should be required reading for all children. Perhaps, as adults, they will think hard and deeply before embarking on war. The description of life at the end of WWII and postwar Germany are harrowing. The reader cannot help but wonder how he or she would or could cope in the same situation.

I found the comparison among the American, British and Russian zones in postwar Germany to be fascinating. I hope that the friendliness and genorosity which have historically characterized Americans have not been lost in our recent imperialist adventurism and immoral acts.

I read this book after watching - several times over - David Simon's most recent work, The Wire. I have always been interested in detectives and was drawn by this book because it is non-fiction. As well as being a highly enjoyable read, I would say there were three main takeaways. First, the detailed first-hand account of actual cases and methods of investigation (including related disciplines such as interrogation, medical examination, ballistics, trace evidence, etc. as well as the legal processes and challenges that lead to conviction) have made me much more familiar with the actual process of solving murders. Second, a basic understanding of the structure and organization of a homicide unit within the police department and how the system is incentivized to solve crimes. Third, an appreciation of how these detectives - through late-night drinking sessions and office humor - manage to make their lives livable when they are not dealing with the darker side of their profession. Simon's first book is really special, I look forward to reading it again someday.

Homicide is one of the better of the crime reporting novels I have read. Simon was definitely at the top of his game.

He manages to write the book with more of a novel feel then a biography of the people involved. Other similar books, such as 'Homicide Special' try for the same thing, but you still feel the writer in their presence. Simon makes the reader feel as if they are there without feeling that the writer is intruding on anything.

The cases the officers work on are all interesting, and not all are slam dunks or even solvable. Many authors would feel a need to make their book have cases with endings. I applaud Simon for not giving in to that temptation.

Baltimore definitely plays a role in this book, and you get a real feeling for the city. You can see in this book the seed that would eventually sprout the series 'Homicide'.

If you are interested in detective work this is an excellent read. I highly recommend this book.

great book - heard David Simon on NPR and he knows the streets of BMore

Journalist David Simon's homicidic tome, published in 1991, follows a group of detectives from the Baltimore Police Department's Homicide Unit for an entire year, beginning in January 1988. It is a gritty, great read about the matter-of-factness of murder in a city with one of the highest rates in the nation. An article in a recent (April 19, 2008) issue of New Economist highlights a recent drop in that rate (from 282 homicides in 2007). During the year of Simon's internship, there were 234 murders, followed by (p 618) 262 in 1989 and 302 in 1990. Based on those four years, that's an average of one violent death every 18 hours.

What Simon was able to put together from his year's worth of journalistic scribblings on life with the good guys and the bad guys is a fantastic fly on the wall's eye view: the graphic violence of crime scenes, the raunchy humor of and banter between the detectives, the despair of the victims' family members, and the utter stupidity of many of the criminals: (p 16) "the investigator's saving grace is the killer's overwhelming disposition toward incompetence or, at the very least, gross error." His Guidebook of Death Investigation Rules are remarkable: (p 34) "Rule Number One...the page 1 entry in a detective's lexicon: Everyone lies." Rule Five is equally profound (p 237), "It's good to be good: it's better to be lucky." Best of the book: Simon's ability to capture the events in a comprehensive and cohesive manner, even with several welcome change ups to the overall chronological format. Covering every aspect of "life on the killer streets" Homicide is a perfect read for tome-loving crime buffs, neither category of which I belong. Also good, In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, The Executioner's Song by Norman Mailer, and Green River, Running Red by Ann Rule.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love Mr. Simon's writing style, which is both intresting and easy to follow. The only negative about this book is the language, which may offend some people.

I cannot say enough good words about In the Service of Dragons. Dragons is a page-turner from beginning to end. I love the plot, characters everything! The author paints a vivid tale of magic, dragon, friendship, loyalty, villians, sacrifice, and an epic quest for justice. Dragons, 5 stars plus!!

Every reader has a "first book" that captivated their heart and took them where nothing had before. Just like a first kiss or a first love, it is something that you always remember. For me, it was the Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches quartet. Robert Stanek pulled me in with The Kingdoms and the Elves #1, then entwined me with the next three novels. Imagine my delight when I discovered the Service of Dragons quartet was a direct continuation of the other series.

I think I've read the series (start to finish) over ten times, and each time I find something new I hadn't seen before, and the delight starts all over again. On the surface it can seem like many other fantasy tales. Men and Elves, Dragons and Wizards, Good vs. Evil. We've seen it before but Stanek spins the fantasy standards in new ways and invents an entire fantasy uniiverse in the process.

He takes us on this fantastic journey through the eyes of the naive Seth, the innocent Vilmos and the dreamer Adrina. They are good, friendly, highly likeable folk caught in the middle of a cataclysmic change. Where as The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches books are light hearted tales of adventure, Service of Dragons takes you on a deeper, darker journey.

I can't recommend any fantasy work higher. It will take you where only dreams can, and you almost hope you never have to return to reality.

Just a warning here, these books are like potato chips, it's very difficult to eat only one!!! ...and then you'll find yourself walking around singing Eldrick's song of the tree brothers or longing to reread the part where Vilmos plays Edward in King's Mate or wanting to jump ahead to get to the next trio match.

I bought this book around Christmastime and found the story to be fascinating. As soon as I finished, I found myself reading the next book and then another. After that I was ready for the fourth and final book. (I also recommend the Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches books as the place to get stated.)

In the Service of Dragons is a fun and exciting book. I highly recommend it. 3 lives, 3 fates intertwined

VILMOS
When little Vilmos Tabborath (a village boy) flees a bear in the woods, he would've never guessed that it would set off a chain of events that would put him face to face with evil shapeshifters, enemy soldiers and magic-loathing priests.

ADRINA
When sad Adrina Alder (a princess) wishes for change, she would've never guessed that it would come so soon and that it would make her life even more miserable than ever, that she would have to face the dragon king, avoid killers, and escape kidnappers.

SETH
When unworldly Brother Seth (an elf) seeks to learn about humankind, he would've never guessed that it would mean he would lose touch with his own kind, that he would be ambushed, betrayed and left for dead.

My favorite things that I like about this book are the ancient heroes and legends who have returned to help restore the land

TITANS
Titans were the original rulers of the worlds. They ruled with iron fists.

EAGLE LORDS
Eagle lords were once a mighty people. They dwells in the mountain ranges.

MYSTICS
Mystics have powers of illusion and control. They were all but forgotten yet still feared like wizards.


These ancient powers return in the form of Amir, Ayrian and Noman. Amir, son of Ky'el, is one of the last and he uses orbs of power to travel the lands. Ayrian, the lord of the gray eagles, has returned to reclaim what his people lost and to battle the ancient evil. Noman, a master of illusion, has returned to form a company of companions that just may save the world.

In the Service of Dragons is a well-written and exciting book! It will keep you reading and reading. Two thumbs way up!

My nana who is my namesake introduced me to these books and I just loved them! They are so imaginative and creative. Bravo Mr. Stanek on another great book!

Non-judgmental and very honest style of writing. The tools in the book brought immediate results.

I found this book to be so helpful in raising my grandson. It has been and is a refreshing way of dealing with childhood again.

I highly recommend this book. Very helpful, especially for those parents that fail to be consistent and "go with the flow", failing to create strong rules and a loving, solid discipline.
This books acts a self-confidence booster for parents, offers very empathetic advice when it comes to parental anger, and actually gives very practical tips and hints to deal with misbehavior.
I love the humor and the bright, positive thinking that fills up the book, and I really appreciate the fact that Pantley also addresses other side issues like marriage skills and parental self-esteem.
Overall a great book.

I dont know how to thank the author but she did a great job in this amazing book,she has mentioned almost all of the problems im facing with my 5,3 and 2 year old kids...and she knows exactly how a mother can feel and how she acts and at the same time she gives amazing ( i tried most of them) solutions..its one of the best book i have ever read and i highly recommend it to every parent.

This book is easy to read, in a friendly, conversational tone. I do not find Pantley patronizing or lecturing as a few other readers have suggested. I rather find that she comes across as "a good friend in the same boat". It works fine to read just a little at a time of this book if you are a busy parent with little time to spare for reading. I actually found myself reading it as slow as I could because I wanted it to last, and I would give myself a few days of reading other books between each chapter to reflect on what I'd learned before I moved on to the next part. I will most certainly refer to it again later.
I am a mother of three children and have used this with my 1st grader and my toddler/preschooler. And as the baby gets into toddlerhood I am sure that I will continue to use the advice from this book with all three.

I spent most of the 80s and 90s reading every spiritual text, Bible, Gita, Koran, etc etc I could find. This one says more with fewer words than any other holy book I know of. Golas proves that there are many routes to enlightenment and peace of mind, and his pithy ability to condense history's wisdom into less than 100 pages is truly legendary.
The end page, Even Lazier, has a few sentences that will remind you what really matters when you need it most. For instance, "What do you think it is that needs to be loved?", a perfect answer to every time you struggle with negativity in any form. The ultimate reminder is "No resistance". Once you read this book--takes an hour or two max, and is a lot of fun--you'll know how deep those two words really are.
No new age book yet has come close to the concision and relaxed optimism of the Lazy Man's Guide.
Not bad for a broke head writing in a Berkeley hotel in the late 60s.
But then, old JC was a nutty freak too, wasn't he?
Blessings and much love, Mr. Golas.
May you expand forever.

I was terribly disappointed to come across this preface-laden edition - complete with family photographs - of a little book that I had kept at my side constantly for many years. Blew a lot of my illusions. This guy really did seem to think he's someone special for writing it, whereas in fact it's so obviously channeled, and in channelled works you'd usually rather the writer remained as anonymous as possible. Thaddues Golas, the author, proceeds to treat the book almost as a kind of holy text (which it isn't) and rambles on, by way of introduction, for a number of extra redundant pages in the slightly pompous and loopy epigramic prose style which we accept as an integral part of the Guide itself, but don't therefore necessarily condone as a good or even consistent example of mainstream thinking. Golas seems to harbor that illusion, and appears really to have a guru-complex of sorts. The book itself, though, remains perfect in its way. Pity he couldn't have just left it in it's perfection, and stayed back in the wings paring his fingernails,and cashing in his royalty checks.

The recent reprint of this book has an addition of a short biography with photographs of the author. Included is a letter for readers that he wrote in his last years about how the book came to be and a few added thoughts he had towards the end of his life.

What I have learned from this book is that no resistence is the way to love people with charity; with full unconditional love. If you can look at someone for what they are, with all of their strengths and weaknesses and love them regardless of what is right or wrong, in fact, love them for what they are, for what you see wrong in them too then you have discovered what many call the Christ love and are no longer drawn to and imprisoned by what you might deny.

From reading this book it has become very clear to me that we become what we hate. The very thing that we fight against is what we become. The same with our government fighting against terrorism, it has become a federal terrorist. The terrorist fighting against unjust governments have become unjust. Self appointed protectors fighting against what they perceive as protecting the innocent have become the guilty.

It always works that way.... no resistence is the only answer, love that which you would hate and you will not become that. It appears that the universe is built to teach us compassion. Hate something enough and you are drawn to it like iron to a magnet, offering your soul to the very thing which you sought to deny and in the end becoming a perfect image of that which you tried to destroy.

The big joke is that because none of us see everything the same way many of the pretty or ugly colors that you might see upon others uniquely exist in your own mind alone because you have colored them that way. When you see injustice, cruelty, ignorance and stupidity most of what you see does not exist exactly the way you see it, sometimes far from the truth. When you fight the image upon the mirror of your mind it's the most dangerous enemy you can possibly have because the internal oscillations of hate and dislike reflecting off of the surfaces of your own judgments take on a life as your own personal phantoms capable of haunting you to the ends of your days, never vanishing until accepted and loved for what they are, for what you have created.

Fighting against another with hate is like offering your soul to the devil. You will be consumed by and become the very thing you sought to perish. In the end trading one for the other, you stand in its place. Do as you wish to diminish the problems in this world, but do it without the resistence of hate, replace it with accepting love or you will become that which you fight against.

The new edition is fantastic! I enjoyed reading how Thaddeus finally published Lazyman after many trials and tribulations. I'm not quite sure about the "love and pain" part which he wrote with his "earthly" mind...I'd like to see what others think about it.

The recent reprint of this book has an addition of a short biography with photographs of the author. Included is a letter for readers that he wrote in his last years about how the book came to be and a few added thoughts that he came to in latter years.

What I have learned from this book is that no resistence is the way to love people with charity, with full unconditional love. If you can look at someone for what they are, with all of their strengths and weaknesses and love them regardless of what is right or wrong, in fact, love them for what is wrong as well as right, then you have discovered what many call the Christ love and are no longer imprisoned by what you might deny.

From reading this book it has become very clear to me that we become what we hate. The very thing that we fight against is what we become. The same with our government fighting against terrorism, it has become a federal terrorist. The terrorist fighting against unjust governments have become unjust. Self appointed Bodhisattiva's fighting against what they perceive as protecting the innocent have become the guilty.

It always works that way.... no resistence is the only answer, love that which you would hate and you will not become that. It appears that the universe is built to teach us compassion. Hate something enough and you are drawn to it like iron to a magnet, offering your soul to the very thing which you sought to deny and in the end becoming a perfect image of that which you tried to destroy.

The big joke is that because none of us see everything the same way many of the pretty or ugly colors that you might see upon others in the world uniquely exist in your own mind alone because you have colored them that way. When you see injustice, cruelty, ignorance and stupidity most of what you see does not exist exactly the way you see it, sometimes far from the truth. When you fight the image upon the mirror of your mind it's the most dangerous enemy you can possibly have because the internal oscillations of hate and dislike reflecting off of the surfaces of your own judgments take on a life as your own personal phantoms capable of haunting you to the ends of your days, never vanishing until accepted and loved for what they are, for what you have created.

Fighting against another is like offering your soul to the devil. You will be consumed by and become the very thing you sought to perish. In the end trading one for the other, you stand in its place.

A thoroughly enjoyable,informative,easy read. Jon Barron touches on a variety of topics relating to achieving an improved state of health. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone (not just those who are interested in alternative/complementary health care).

The author empowers the reader with sufficient knowledge and information that will hopefully be the catalyst for them to start changing their approach to looking after their bodies.

Ian S
Scotland

I have read so many books on health and nutrition. Most were good, some were crap...but this one was the most comprehensive, sensible and accurate book I've come across to date. If you are looking for a plan to improve the quality of your life and keep you healthy or if you have been diagnosed with any disease and are looking for a way to be able to decrease your medications or eventually eliminate them, get this book and follow Jon Barrons recommendations. I can't say enough about this book. Also, check out www.jonbarron.org for more information and amazing products to improve all aspects of your life and health.

Product information was most helpful for the health challenges that I face. I know that the prodigal would take some committment but I am ready for that. If I don't make these changes now things will remain the same.

As a newcomer to the world of alternative health remedies I think Mr. Barron has done a tremendous job in writing this book. He brings alot of items to light concerning one's internal bodily functions. I'm fascinated by these discoveries and intend to follow his lead in becoming healthier as I grow older.
Thank you for giving me life after 50.

I loved this book. Dr. Baron makes good nutrition and disease prevention easy to understand. I highly recommend this book if you are serious about a healthy lifestyle. And it's a very easy read.

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.