Anthony Books

The book starts off exciting and doesn't quite. Dr. Sacco writes about the different characters we'll meet in the book - introducing them to us before even getting into the full story. That's a stroke of genius, because when he brings them into the story later, we really feel that we know them and understand their actions, motivations, and conversations more fully.

Then, the author - through a flashback technique - gets into the political scene of the times, honing in on Richard Nixon as a young Representative in Congress, and the infiltration of communist spies into our government.

At first, I found this section a bit boring and was tempted to fast-forward because I wanted to get to the meat of the book. Don't do that! Stick with it. This is one of the best books I've ever read. It describes the greed, deceptions and power-hungry political leaders of that era, including presidents. And it explains why many people turned to Communism; basically because they were dissatisfied with what politicians were doing to our country, and felt that an atheisitic, socialistic society was the answer.

It sounds like something happening now; a multi-billionaire using his personal wealth to turn the USA into an atheistic, secular society.

Continuing to read the book gives us answers to many upsetments, faulty beliefs, and angers found in so many lives, and leads us back to the One that many, especially leaders, are trying to erase completely from our society. It will also help us find out what TRUE freedom is all about.

The book also reveals a keen insight into the author, whose faith is deep and as wide as his knowledge of what we call human beings.

I believe whoever picks up this book, because they like mysteries, will find healing taking place, especially if they need healing in their lives.

Because it's 400+ pages, you might be tempted to put it aside. But don't. Stick with it to the end. You'll be surprised at the effect it will have on your life.

LITTLE SISTER LOST is an amazing work---based on true events but as exciting as any novel you will ever pick up! The back-drop of facts (that many of us remember) interlaced with fictional, but very believable characters make this a book hard to put down, and when it is over you will wish it wasn't. There rarely is a slow moment throughout, and whether one is old enough to have experienced this era of our country's past, or he/she is just newly introduced to these historical facts, I can't imagine a reader not being fascinated by this intriguing story. Those readers so inclined will enjoy the comparison's between our capitalistic society and communism. Others may be more drawn to the main character's personal struggles and how his religious beliefs bolster him through painful times. Personally, I think it all blends quite harmoniously into one very good book!!!!

Matt Dawson, whom we first met in The China Connection, is the investigator hired to find Anna Lieber. When Matt agrees to take this case, he has no idea what he has gotten himself into or the dirty little secret he will stumble on to that will put him in the path of murderous danger. The search for Anna takes him back in time to 1951, when an ambulance mysteriously whisks her husband, Maxim, away in the middle of the night to Mexico. Matt also discovers the complicated ring of espionage and the thriving communism underground of the early 1900's involving Maxim Lieber, Alger Hiss, and Whittaker Chambers. Evidence is unveiled in the House Un-American Activities Committee hearings where we also get a glimpse of the events that catapulted Richard Nixon into the political limelight.

At one point, Anna Lieber, is having a rather heated discussion with her husband, Maxim, about the search for truth. Lacking any religious upbringing Max had turned to communism early in life-he'd become a relativist rejecting any kind of truth. He told her that to accept truth, or even goodness, it would have committed him to moral and social responsibility, and yet truth seemed to be what he was continually searching for and always came up lacking. Anna's response, to me, quite sums up the truth regarding capitalism vs. socialism.

She said to Maxim, "You want truth, Max? Here's truth. Western capitalism has created a wealthier, more numerous middle class than socialism. In every country where it exists, capitalism has spread wealth; housing, food, clothing and consumer goods among more people than any other system. And with more personal freedoms intact, too. Socialism, on the other hand, has produced a dependant middle class, with its hand out."

Matt, a lawyer-turned-investigator, has a past full of painful circumstances which have forced him to take a good hard look at himself. Because the time-frame for Little Sister Lost is set before The China Connection, we get to know more of Matt's background, and the personal struggle he experiences because of his divorce, and subsequent damaged relationship with his children. His realization
that what is missing in his life is a personal relationship with God, starts him on the path toward healing.

All this, along with an edge-of-your seat, what's-going-to-happen-next story woven around a controversial and complicated piece of American history, makes for wonderful reading.

Anthony Barrett has written another excellent biography. Livia is an historical figure who has been much maligned over time and effectively turned into a ruthless serial killer in order to see her son Tiberius as emperor. Reality is a different matter and Livia emerges as an intelligent, beautiful and caring woman whose life was generally restrained by having no official political position. As Augustus' wife, she could exert a great deal of influence but until he death, when she was adopted into the Julian gens and given the title name Augusta. Mr. Barrett has examined Livia's life in detail as the wife of the princeps, the mother of the second emperor, her role as a protector and benefactor and her public and her private life.

Among the bits of interesting information I found was that Livia gave an allowance to the Elder and Younger Julia's after they had been sent into exile that lasted for the rest of their lives. Also of interest was Livia's healthy habits, which included drinking red wine each day, and that she underwent grief management after the death of her son Drusus..

Mr. Barrett separates some more specialized discussions in the appendix, dealing with such topics as Livia's name and birth to Livia's relations with Agrippina the Elder etc. The book is invaluable for the detailed listing of sources of information about Livia, including inscriptions, sculptures, books and articles and a list of abbreviations of ancient authors and their individual works. In short, this is as complete a biography of Livia that we will have in English.

LIVIA (First Lady of Imperial Rome)was just that. She was Augustus' wife and the mother of Tiberius and the grandmother of Caligula, Claudus, and Nero. As the first 'first lady' of the Imperial age she set the tone and pace of what would become the de-facto wife-of-an emperor (Augustus). No one had ever been in this position before. History has painted her as a murdering poisoner but author Anthony Barrett sets the gossip aside and plows right through the original sources teaching us why Tacitus and other primary sources were prejudiced against her and have handed down a tainted picture of her situation. Make no mistake, this was a hard book to read. It is real history by a real historian. But the effort really pays off if you are interested how Augustus and his wife virtually invented the politics that came to run the machinery started by Julius Caesar prior to his slaughter in the Senate House. I give it all 5 stars but caution that you should look elsewhere if you are just starting your adventure in reading about the glory that was Rome.

The book offers a unique insight into the life of Rome's first imperial matron, Livia. Reviewing narrative and archeological evidence, Anthony Barret succeeds in showing how Livia was perceived by her contemporaries in light of Augustus' new imperial institutions. Because there's so little information on who Livia really was as a person, Mr. Barret's analysis starts becoming rather speculative when it comes to Livia's private dispositions. The book is thus more of a review of Livia's persona as opposed to her actual beliefs and behavior behind closed doors. At the very least, he succeeds in dispelling many of the anecdotal stories of her as a ambitious master schemer and regicite. These negative qualities are mostly the product of Tacitus' biased accounts which were so wonderfully crafted into Robert Graves' "I, Claudius" books. At the very least, one gets a good picture of the political and social environment Livia found herself in when she married Augustus and how it affected her public image. The book is easy to read for the casual reader but detailed enough for the scholar. I strongly recommend this work.

Lovely story of a sweet amnesia victim mistaken for a beautiful but cold hearted actress. I cried! The perfect Cinderella stor

The classic tried and true amnesia story with a twist. The mousy heroine is mistaken for her love-alike glamourous movie star, Elizabeth Destiny. It's heart wrenching to watch the heroine Bonnie try to rekindle her romance with the ex-fiance who was never hers to begin with

What a book! When a mousy legal secretary who looks a lot like a glamous movie star gets hit on the head and develops a case of amnesia, she's mistaken for the actress herself by none other than the actress' ex-fiance! You'll laugh, you'll cry in this heart wrenching story of a confused young woman trying to mend relationships with a lover she never really knew. A must read

This is a very enjoyable collection of stories based on scripts from the original radio plays.

Basil Rathbone was a "softer" version of Holmes. The original Sherlock could be hard and unfeeling - a machine as Watson often describes him.

That probably didn't play to audiences so, by comparison, Rathbone is just mildly eccentric. He's far more tolerant of the inability of Watson and others to keep up with him than is the original Sherlock.

It's a little as if someone had found the dichotomy betwen Hamlet's magnificent spirit and his fatal flaw disconcerting and had rewritten Shakespeare's classic to make Hamlet just a typical troubled young adult struggling with newfound freedom and responsibilties.

And Nigel Bruce's bumbling Watson is largely comic relief and equally unlike the original Conan Doyle version.

But at least the original radio playwrights kept the two heroes in late 19th century/early 20th century England. I think that most of the movies that Rathbone and Bruce made were set during World War II. I mean, no one could be a worthier contender against the Nazis than Sherlock Holmes, but still...

The story of how Holmes and Watson first meet Moriarty is unconvincing, as is the portrayal of Moriarty, and equally unconvincing is how, in "The April Fool's Adventure", Holmes finds all of the clues that the pranksters leave for him to find but doesn't see how they were intended to point to himself as the culprit. His inability to recognize himself is bewildering, and he must have forgotten to use his magnifying glass to look at the calendar.

But so what? When a classic is changed for mass market effect, the result is often disastrous, but not so here.

The bottom line is that all of the stories are very enjoyable. For all of the merit of the original Conan Doyle classics, they were written as a disagreeable chore to satisfy the public's demand for a character that Conan Doyle himself had quickly grown tired of.

These stories were crafted with a lot of love and care, and that might be why the two main characters themselves draw more affection than do the original versions.

Our debt to Conan Doyle for bringing us Sherlock Holmes is incalculable, but equally incalculable is our debt to his contemporaries for forcing the author to resurrect the great detective from (what we were led to believe was) the bottom of Reichenbach Falls. Perhaps the public also deserves credit for rescuing Holmes's humanity as well as his life from the clutches of his original creator, and perhaps this kinder, gentler Holmes is an example of this second rescue effort.

And speaking of Holmes's life, the last story in this collection provides a plausible explanation (entirely consistent with the Conan Doyle concordance) of why Sherlock Holmes cannot die. Literally. That's worth the price of admission, in and of itself.

There never has been anything quite like old-time radio in America. It was pure magic. It was adventure and drama, mystery and suspense, drifting through the night air into homes lit only by the orange glow of tubes warming up. Families gathered around the radio, carried away by their imaginations.

Author Ken Greenwald was one of those listeners, and one of his favorite shows growing up was Sherlock Holmes. For most of us, Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce will always be Holmes and Watson. The films and radio shows are still watched on late night TV and listened to by old-time radio buffs like myself.

When radio archivist Ken Greenwald and a small group of friends discovered a long list of missing radio shows from 1945, written by great radio writers Dennis Green and Anthony Boucher, the idea of turning their original radio scripts into short stories was born. Greenwald has done a marvelous job of blending the two distinct mediums together.

You can easily picture Rathbone and Bruce in these fun adventures as Greenwald has kept the fast pace of the radio plays while fleshing them out a bit and adding the transitions necessary for the short story form. Greenwald gives us a baker's dozen here. My personal favorites are "The Adventures of the Headless Monk" and "The Adventure of the Iron Box." The former is filled with the atmosphere of the foggy moors and a dash of the supernatural, making this one a lot of fun. In the latter, Holmes hatches a clever scheme to solve a mystery shortly after the Christmas rush that will include, of all people, Sir Walter Scott!

How did Sherlock Holmes first meet Moriarity? Why in the world did Holmes buy that Sussex bee farm? Telling you which stories you'll find the answers to these questions would only ruin the fun. Enjoy!

If you enjoyed the classic Sherlock Holmes film series starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as the original dynamic duo, you will enjoy this great collection of short stories adapted from the original radio plays produced in the 1940's.

Well-illustrated with drawings based on Rathbone and Bruce, the author delves into the so-called "lost adventures" of the great detective covering his exploits in the late 19th Century. While this book's Watson is distinctly different from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original character, the book is nevertheless an enjoyable addition to any Holmes fan's library.

Plus, if you enjoy this book, try to find the audio CD called "The Unfortunate Tobacconist," which features this same collection of stories as the original radio plays performed by Rathbone and Bruce.

I have reviewed this book twice. I review books for a National Foundation. It offers more information for the treatment of Lupus (withholding drug treatment) than any other book I have reviewed. The information provided in this book allows a person with lupus to "look outside the box" of conventional drug treatment for lupus. Understand that in doing this the person may meet with some resistance from physicians. Who rightfully are doing what they know, what they have been taught. This treatment has not received the attention it deserves. Nor has the physician who heads this research, Dr. Hugh McGrath. The author is amazingly informed of the technology involved. He tells of his own battle and appears driven to regain his health. In searching what may help him, he finds this amazing treatment for the immune system, an approved NIH study, not a fly-by-night theory. I am grateful that the author, Anthony DeBartolo, was inspired to share with us this fascinating technology. Since the treatment doesn't involve drugs, the pharmaceutical companies are not interested. So people, rise up and claim your health, read this book. It may save your life.

Well-written, well-researched, well-reasoned and at times, more than a little funny. I think this book is a must for all lupus sufferers frustrated with currently approved FDA treatments. We're lucky that Mr. DeBartolo, a great investigative journalist, got sick. The 3 years of research he did to find a treatment that worked for him - UVA1 photo therapy - benefits us all. What I do not fully understand is why the work of Dr. McGrath at LSU has been so "long-ignored." Is it really because the big drug companies can't make a dime off his work? Makes me want to move to Canada! Especially useful (and informative) is the book's extensive reference of UVA1 lupus therapy research. Thank you, Mr. DeBartolo. You've given me some hope!

I've had lupus for 10 years and have read everything I could get my hands on. This is positively the most helpful book I've read. What is so surprising is that the UVA1 light treatment has also been around for 10 years. Like I just read in another review, I guess I'm lucky that a investigative journalist got sick. This is one lupus book I'm sure the money-grubbing drug company cartel didn't want written. Thank you!

This book took me out of reality to and helped me to realize I am not the only one with these types of problems. It is an great way to relax when you have had a stressful day.

When I got this book, I thought that it was just another long book. But when I started to read it, I couldn't put it down. It has interesting events on every page.

I was introduced to Xanth when I was sick and became one of it's greatest silent fans. The library had this buried and I just had a feeling I finnally found someone I can identify with, Dee. Her simplistic complexity was right on the mark and when she wins, not only her true love, but also finds that it's o.k. to be so different and yet the same as everyone else, you can't help but LOVE these books! Piers, please don't ever stop being a kid inside, i'd think the world as I know it was about to end. With resspect from a former Alcoholic, thanks

Norman Lebrecht observes that Virgil Thomson considered Satie the most original mind in modern music, and laments that he applied his gifts so inconsistently. This collection may engender the opposite conclusion, that Satie could have been a great humorist, had he not devoted so much time to musical composition. Included here are the instructions to performers that Satie forbade sharing with the audience, although, unfortunately, the individual piece to which each one applies is not specified. Several essays, notably "The Musician's Day," straddle the line between satire and surrealism. Overall, the collection adds a dimension to Satie beyond his music. Somewhat disturbing are the samples of "advertisements" that reveal an obsession with adolescent interests - castles, sorcerers, and aircraft.

I would like to relate to you all the occasion of my first encounter with "A Mammal's Notebook". I had found a copy in my university's library. On the train-ride home that same day I started to read. I found Satie's words and satirical sense of humour so delightful that it was impossible for me to put the book away when my train ride came to an end, so my 20-minute walk home became a half hour walk-read with occcasional bursts of laughter. (I guess I looked a little strange, but one often feels compelled to do strange things when immersed in the eccentric world of Satie, who was a true maverick.) Since that time, I have spent many an hour enthralled by this book. (Luckily, I have since invested in my own copy)

Now, I may be a little obsessive, but I think many others will also enjoy A Mammal's Notebook.

About the contents:

Satie is an enigmatic character. He very rarely discussed his own composition processes, so if you are looking for that, you will not find it here.

What you will find includes:
-A mini biography and timeline
-Translations of the witty and mysterious texts that accompany many of his pieces.
-A list of Satie's eccentric performance markings translated to English (e.g. Almost invisible..., Avoid any sacrilegious excitement... Grandly forgetting the present,... etc)
-Articles which he wrote for publication (on various topics: his contemporaries, the art of reading aloud, books, etc.)
-Transcriptions of speeches
-Other writings and musings which weren't intended for publication
-Sketches (of unusual architectural constructions, boats, etc.)

The only thing missing here is an analysis of the material included, but that point is forgivable as there analyses out there. (I would encourage other readers not to skip the end notes as these do give context to some of the items included.)

A highly recomended collection.

This book gives a delightful introduction to the life, letters and drawings of Erik Satie, one of the greatest artistic minds of the century. Although his music is his foremost contribution to the world, his writings and drawings express his gently humourous and damning views of the world and offer tremendous insight to his musical work. The book includes a list of the directions his wrote in his musical scores, which are marvellously absurdist. The drawings include the many somewhat enigmatic "advertisement" drawings he made in later life as well as Memoirs of an amnesiac and A mammmal's Notebook. There is also a libretto for a ballet which Satie presented to the directors of the Paris Opera (it was refused) as well as a play with incidental music. Satie's work has been very well translated and quite a bit of it is in both translation and the origonal french, which is lovely if you speak french and enables you to realize how good the translation is. Also, there are no annoying, silly views on Satie by stodgy editors and biographers. One can draw one's own conclusions.I cannot imagine a better book on Satie.

This is how a book should be written. The way the author breaks every chapter down into sub chapters, it's true genious. When I first saw this book I thought to myself, "how is this gonna be any different from all the rest?" I picked it up anyway and let me tell you in two words, truly phenomenal! The way he developes each character let me draw my own image of what he was trying to tell you through his writtings. The ending of this book is magnificant. If you love cliff hangers then this is for you. If you don't love cliff hangers, well piss yourself off and read the book anyway, you'll have fun doing it. This is a great story and I hope to see more from this up and coming author. God Bless.

I stumbled onto this book while browsing the Internet, and picked up a copy for my 16 year old daughter. It seemed right up her alley. She reads constantly and expressed her liking for the book upon finishing it. It is a page turner and I must admit all though Science Fiction isn't my normal cup of tea, it is a very exciting read. I couldn't find much information about the author or if he has other published works. I hope more information becomes available.

I feel this book has the making for a wonderful adventure series. It moves very quickly which I enjoyed greatly. I really enjoyed the method in which the author tells the story. He separates each chapter into different sections which represent each character and by doing this he pulls his readers into a more personal relationship with each of them. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a fast paced exciting read.

This book illustrates that professional agents come from amongst us and adjustment back to reality is harsh. The author throws out many obstacles which make it very difficult for a normal man to keep his sanity. This person is cold blooded and gets a rush out of putting his life on the line for his country. He is not afraid of death, going there many times and coming back. The terrorist of today would not want this man on their trail. I recommend this book for soldiers from any branch and readers of action and adventure. I wonder how I would have done in his shoes???????

This book is one that will heighten your senses about the Vietnam War and all the post destruction it wrought. Seen through the eyes of a trained government assasin, Grayson relates how the thirst for blood and money can sometimes overtake the valuable ethics brought up in the lifetime of a man. Beautifully written, it keeps you on your toes from start to finish. He brings self-discipline and order to a most chaotic era in American history. Grayson explains the evolution from childhood to killer while trying to come down and adjust to life as a father after the chaos is over. A must read for any member of the United States Military.

Turn an average normal person into a responsive killing machine and then watch him adjust back to normal. Seen through the eyes of a trained government assasin, Grayson relates how the thirst for blood and money can sometimes overtake the valuable ethics brought up in the lifetime of a man. Beautifully written, it keeps you on your toes from start to finish. He brings self-discipline and order to a most chaotic era in American history,Vietnam. Grayson explains the evolution from childhood to killer while trying to come down and adjust to life as a father after the chaos is over. A must read for any military member or adventure reader.

This great little book is the perfect pocket guide to Marc Anthony! Johns displays everything you've rever wanted to know about Marc Anthony in this great 80 page book. Though it is an older publication (and much has happened to the singer since, like his second english album entitled "Mended", and the birth of his son) it contains some great info about how the crooner began his amazing career. It also contains some wonderful photos that you just can't find on the net! A must-have for ANY Marc Anthony fan!

I have known about Marc Anthony since he first started and he only keeps getting better. I have enjoyed his music as well as finding out about how he got to where he is! He's a lovely man and I wish him the very best! Loved the book!

Who doesnt love him? his music is sensational, his songs are meaningful, and not to mention....he's gorgeous! this book is wonderful because it tells all about his childhood and family. he is a very great man, with a great heart. and you can definetly tell that in this book.