Black Books

I was exposed to a lot of the 1662 BCP, but this worship grows on you! I love to hear the voices of God's people unite in prayers of such great beauty and power and Holiness. Grace and Peace in the Name of Jesus Christ.

The 1979 Book of Common Prayer returned the Eucharist to a place of primacy in the Episcopal Church. It replaced the beautiful Phos Hilaron in the Evening Prayer, brought Compline back to the liturgy and provided a variety of services for congregations, families and individuals.

What, precisely, the below reviewer MEANS by "no longer Christian" is quite beyond me. As for "totally junking the creeds" he might try opening to pages 53, 66, 96, 120, 292, 304, 416 or 496 on which the Apostle's Creed appears...Or maybe pages 326, 358, 519, 529 and 541 where the Nicene Creed is printed. If anything the Episcopal Church will keep the Creeds long after fundamentalist Christians have forgotten that they exist.

I'd also take exception with the notion that the 1979 BCP is "No longer in touch with a 2,000 year tradition of faith." If anything this edition restored a great deal of the Patristic Church's ceremony and solemnity. The traditions bemoaned below might refer to the quaint use of "thy" and "thou" in the 1928 version. I certainly don't see any loss of Christian morals there. As for Christian identity, most of the text of the BCP is taken straight from the Bible - the whole thing is basically the Bible turned into prayer.

The 1979 BCP isn't a perfect book - nothing touched by human hands can ever be. It is, however, a book that invites the worshipper to prayer...and that's all it aims to do.

This is a liturgical resource of wonderful depth, compact in size and hardcover so you can take it with you everywhere. Whether you are an Episcopalian or not, you can use it to meditate, reflect and pray at dawn, mid-day, evening and before sleep, as is the habit of monastic orders. The BCP also provides the daily liturgy Episcopalians celebrate daily, on a global basis.I'm a Catholic, but I use the BCP that way, since the liturgy parallels our own. For those of you whose faith life is magnified knowing people all over the world are praying exactly the same thing you are, in exactly the same words, on the same day, the BCP is a treasure. For those of you planning wedding liturgies, BCP is what my Methodist wife, her pastor and I decided to use at our own wedding. check it out. In the back of the BCP you'll find the Common Lectionary, a three-year cycle for reading the New Testament used by many churches--Catholic, Episcopalian, Presbyterian and Methodist--among others. The Common Lectionary tells you what scriptures will be read, every day of the year, at daily services.

The exquisite poetry and praise of the Book of Common Prayer speaks to all Christians--except perhaps those of the 1928 vintage. Prayers for all people in their daily life and work remind us that we are not only to be Christians of action, but also contemplation.

This edition of the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer is perfect for the worshipper on the go. It is very compact in size and it is hardback so it will last longer. This is the perfect book for anyone wanting a closer walk with God. You can use it to pray at morning, evening, noon, and late at night. This is the ideal BCP for anyone taking Christian Education classes.

No sentimentality here. Just warm, rich story telling of a great man. I'm actually embarrassed to say that after lifetime of jazz I just dicovered The Duke. This is a very well written and balanced portrayal of a man,his music and his times. If there's more to say I don't want to read it; it's time to listen.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable story of the life and times of one of America's greatest and most prolific composer/musicians. It characterises the "Duke" as a caring, people loving person with close family ties, and a quest for excellence against all odds. The Forward by Wynton Marsalis is clear and insightful. The author has accomplished an easy to follow sequence of events enhanced by photos and drawings. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the genre.

Beyond Category is the best introduction to Duke Ellington's life and music. It was created to coincide with a Smithsonian exhibit and it offers a quality professional biography of Ellington's life and times. The author considers Ellington's life a series of problems to solve for his mind. Some of these problems are how to learn piano, how to start a band, how to compose with a partner, how to react to the recording band, how to deal with the loss of key soloists, how to compose larger works and ends up hitting many of the high points of Ellington's life and works.

Most of the new research at the time came from Mercer Ellington's enormous donation of his warehouse of materials for the Duke Ellington collectionl. Yet as a book intended for a popular audience, the musical content of this trove was not really fully dealt with. Mercer's collection comes through in the fabulous photographs that are interspersed throughout the book. It may have been better to have all the photographs grouped in several sections as not everyone will have time to read the entire book I suppose.

One very helpful aspect to the book was that at the end of each chapter there was a guide to key recordings of Ellington's life. This type of material is very helpful to those new to Ellington's life.

I found the prose to be clear and adequate although not as lively as some of the other excellent jazz biographies I've read such as Chambers' Milestones.

This book gets a 4.5 star rating for anyone new to Ellington. It's accessible, readable, and gives you several ideas to approach the true gold mine of Ellington's music.

For jazz researchers and scholars, there's still room for a knockout biography of Ellington that adds the information from the Smithsonian collection to wide ranging interviews and even better prose. Researchers will want to read this, but I'm not sure how much of this material is groundbreaking.

4.5 stars for neophytes
3.5 stars for Ellington scholars

4 stars overall

As an old time lover of Jazz, but rather new to really examining the lives behind its great musicians, and particularly Duke Ellington, I started out with "Duke Ellington: A Spiritual Biography" by Janna Tull Steed (great book (and just 192 pages) for anyone new to the Duke & jazz). It was Steed's book that really built the interest to explore Ellington in more depth and, Hasse's book is just what I was looking for. It is a hefty book but it is absolutely and completely accessible, just what is required to approach this great man of Jazz.

His music has resonated all around us for nearly a century. We almost unconsciously react to the melodic rhythms of his brilliant compositions as we watch television or listen to the radio. Often the arrangements are backdrops to our daily lives...soothing our mood or stimulating us to tap our feet or simply sway to its almost spiritual cadences. Such is the music of the Great Duke Ellington. In "Beyond Category" we find an outstanding biography of arguably the greatest composer the world has ever known. From his early days as an aspiring composer/bandleader in Washington, D.C.; through his New York days at the Cotton Club; and onto his unprecedented tours of Europe, Africa and the Far East, this book takes you on a delightful journey into the creative mindset and personality genius of Ellington. Unlike many writings of this nature, Hasse manages to avoid sentimental veneration in conveying many of Ellington's talents in regards to people, business dealings, and his relationship with women. The book is a well-written, enjoyable composition that draws the reader into Ellington's world. Additionally, the author grants appropriate respect to the musicians, artists and businessmen who aided Ellington throughout his career, thus balancing the text superbly. I highly recommend "Beyond Category", not only for the Ellington fan or even a Jazz fan, but for anyone interested in the life and times of a musical genius and an icon of American history.

Wilma Kahn takes the reader on a jaunty pursuit with Gayle Fisher,PI. Gayle is confident yet cautious, quirky yet professional. Her escapades with family, lover, co-workers and the many locals that haunt the shores, are as authentic as the
sand laced through any visit to a Michigan beach. As Gayle navigates her way toward the truth about the Montague family, her wit and compassion create a character to be admired.
The sassy PI will have readers both chuckling and looking over their shoulders.

In Big Black Hole, author Wilma Kahn introduces Gayle Fisher, a young private detective who urgently needs a job. When she is asked to investigate an apparent suicide in nearby Shore Haven, she readily agrees. Upon arrival in the small lakeside community (where tourists are breathlessly desired yet barely tolerated), she accepts employment in the victim's household, and uncovers evidence that the death was not at all what it appeared to be. Though the people she encounters seem harmless enough, it soon becomes apparent that she is in grave danger. There is a secret that someone is desperate to keep.

Big Black Hole offers engaging characters, an appealing setting, and a well-constructed plot which, after many twists and turns, builds to a dramatic and totally unexpected climax. I strongly recommend this book.

Female P.I. Gayle Fisher needs a job but gets more than that with an investigation into a supposed suicide in the sleepy resort town of Shore Haven, Michigan. In the same vein as Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels and Alexander McCall Smith's "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" books, Wilma Kahn delivers a compelling read full of vivid images, sparkling dialogue, and continually escalating threats to Gayle's life.

I just adored Big Black Hole. The author, Wilma J. Kahn, transports the reader to Lake Michigan for this half-farcial, half-serious novel about a young female P.I. Gayle Fisher. Not only does she electrocute her own cell-phone, but she also takes on a murder that the Shore Haven police want to sweep under the carpet. I wholeheartedly recommend this novel to anyone who loves detective fiction, good writing, and abundant wit.

Big Black Hole, written by Wilma J. Kahn, initiates a playful detective
series that promises to be as addictive as Lay's potato chips. Her
detective is the single, attractive, and broke Gayle Fisher who has
inherited her father's PI business. Rather than continue his specialty of
photographing cheating spouses, Gayle takes on any job that comes her way.
Right now, her biggest task is to discover who hanged flautist Eleanor
Montague. This job takes Gayle to Shore Haven, the touristy beach
community on Lake Michigan where Eleanor lived with her piano-obsessed
husband, her caregiver sister-in-law, and her Alzheimer-afflicted
father-in-law, the famous pianist Dennis Montague. The plot is fast paced
and spiked with small subplots that lift the book off the ground on page
one and keep it airborne until the astonishing end.

Gayle tells her own story, and her voice adds a charming mix of heart and
adroit wit to her risky adventures. Her descriptions are precise and,
although Gayle admits to being a liar by profession, straightforward.
Gayle might get her heart from her female relatives, the McKenzie
clan, but that clever Fisher tongue is what sets her apart from her
organist sister. It allows her to spar, in and out of bed, with
super-sexy Lieutenant Leversee and to temper the dangers she faces with an
ironic perspective.

Kahn places the mystery in the pseudonymous towns of Collingwood and Shore
Haven in southwest Michigan, and her sense of place is exquisite. I look
forward to reading Gayle's next adventures trailing suspects around the
city streets and shorelines of Michigan.

I simply adore this book...It has so many creative short fact/fictional stories that keeps you wanting more, and the poetry can only be thought up by a truly creative person. I got the chance to meet Carmela Hayslett and she is a wonderful person and author! Thank's....Jeff in (Indiana)

Carmela Hayslett, 19 year old Philadelphia native, has been dreaming of publishing a book since she was only five years old. After years of writing schools, brain-storming, and excessive writer's block, she releases "Big Boots and Black Hair Dye" a compilation of her best short stories, poems, and personal essays all in their raw form.

The stories cover varies genres: Action Adventure (The Young Wolfpack), Children's Humor (The Lemon Kids), Gothic Prose (Smith's Mausoleum), Metaphysical (Motorcycle Dreams), Young-adult Humor (Her Name is Dolly), and Fantasy (Mend My Heart). You will also find written commentaries for some of the short stories and what inspired her to write them. Most of her stories and poetry were based on real events in her life with a fictional twist!

Her poetry are mostly of death and heart break, but also there some about domestic abuse, drunk driving, and even some humerous poems. Carmela Hayslett touches on real subjects.

With this book, Carmela donates half of her proceeds she makes directly to literacy foundations and charities. Two thumbs up! Way up!

there are few people able to capture the amount of meaning and experience into thier writing as Carmela does in this book of hers. there is something in there for all kinds of readers including poetry, short stories, and personal essays. this book is a definate buy, so please support this talented author with your purchase.

You cannot put it down once you start, and I promise you will not want to! I laughed, I cried, I was in awe that a 19 yesr old wrote this book. This girl is a GENIUS and will make you all re evaluate your outlook on love, life and religion. BUY THIS BOOK!

I highly recommend this book for readers of all ages. While reading the many short stories you may find yourself laughing or crying or saying "that's me!". While reading the poetry be sure to have a box of tissues handy because this author reaches so far down into the well of heartache and loss, love and triumph that you will surely be touched and may find yourself reduced to tears...as was I. While reading Carmela's personal writings, you will find yourself either agreeing with her (as I did) or you will find yourself ready to wage war in a debate with her. It just proves she has certainly done her job well to make the readers think.

This book was accurate, thoroughly researched, and suprisingly well written. It helps one gain an entire new perspective on early race relations in the United States. Even the most seasoned historian will likely walk away in awe after reading Hashaw's fabulous work.

Dont expect the story to be entirely about Africans however. In order to help us understand their history, Hashaw takes us through much of what was going on in Europe before and after the "twenty-odd" landed at Jamestown.

This is a wonderful rendering of the history of English piracy, the slave trade, and the religious and political events in Europe and Africa that led to the beginning of African lives in the US. It is a gripping story, told as an unfolding play. VERY enlightening about early American history.

The book was excellent!

This book is excellent for 1) putting the arrival of Africans at Jamestown in context both in European (English, Spanish and Portuguese) politics of the time, and 2) giving in great detail the political, social and economic situation of the Angolan kingdom whence these Africans originated. The activities of the Spanish ambassador to the court of King James is enjoyable diplomatic intrigue; the relation of James to Africa is convincing and should be part of literary studies of Ben Jonson's work. I was amazed to learn that many of the enslaved Africans had Christian backgrounds of several generations, and familiarity with European languages and customs, resulting from Portuguese colonization and missionary activities for more than a century prior. Hashaw does himself credit in showing the similarities and differences in the political and military activities and alliances of these African and European rulers and aristocracies. In addition, he shows in great detail the identities, activities and onward movements of these Africans and their descendents (who are normally anonymous figures in standard histories), and gives credible evidence on the origin of the Melungeon families of Appalachia, and insight into the contributions of Africans to cattle herding and to agricultural success in the Americas. A real page-turner -- a riveting and enlightening account that makes fresh some once-stale facts from your obligatory American history class.

The real story of what went on before and during seventeenth-century Jamestown (along with correlated events in England, Angola, and Spain) is found in Tim Hashaw's definitive book, THE BIRTH OF BLACK AMERICA: THE FIRST AFRICANS AND THE PURSUIT OF FREEDOM AT JAMESTOWN.

Using his extraordinary gifts as a researcher, combined with a curiosity as wide as it is deep, Hashaw probed every primary source he could find to try to understand and explain the many gaps and suspected falsehoods embedded in what has passed to date as the history of the early Virginia colony of Jamestown.

The author chose to avoid in his book any imaginary dialogue, fictional characters, or fictitious events. But despite these rigid self-imposed standards, he has produced an absorbing and exhaustive chronicle, singularized by being based on TRUTH. Of all writings meant to commemorate the four-hundreth anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, Hashaw's book is likely to remain THE primary reference of all time. Small wonder he has received any number of professional honors for investigative journalism.

Preceding the MAYFLOWER by seventeen years, Jamestown was founded in 1607 by the Virginia Company of London, a private enterprise supported financially and controlled by a group of wealthy venture capitalists. Authorized by King James, this company was initially given CARTE BLANCHE to monopolize virtually all of North America. A primary motivation was to build an empire in America to serve as a bulwark against further Spanish expansion, but the shareholders also hoped to find in the Chesapeake area a river route to the South Seas, along with vast treasure, such as the CONQUISTADORS had confiscated in Mexico and Peru.

Jamestown became the first "successful" English settlement in the New World. At the same time it was also the birthplace of English-speaking America. A far less publicized event took place in late August, 1619, however, when roughly twenty, branded, shackled, and half-dead Angolans were exchanged for grain, and dumped off at Jamestown by an alleged "Dutch" man-of-war to become the first unwitting African co-founders of America.

In articles and history books these newcomers are most commonly referred to as "the twenty and odd," a quaint phrase found in an original document written by Captain John Smith, who recorded their arrival. But in most versions there is a major omission. The qualifying noun at the end of the initial phrase was a single word identifying them only by "hue." (But there had already been some precedence for racism by skin color. In 1602, and even in 1580, Queen Elizabeth I had issued a proclamation for the exportation from England of "Negars and Blackamoors.")

In the spring of 1619 the Spanish slaver, SAN JUAN BAUTISTA, set sail from Africa's west coast, crammed with a human cargo of 350 Angolan prisoners of war, captured during the heinous Portuguese campaign against the Ndongo people begun a year earlier. Bound for the slave distribution center at Vera Cruz, Mexico, when the ship reached the Gulf of Mexico it was savagely attacked and all but destroyed by two English men-of-war acting in concert - the WHITE LION and the TREASURER.

But when the smoke died down, the privateers did not find the gold and silver they anticipated. Instead, on the smoldering BAUTISTA they found an unspeakably pitiful assemblage of terrified prisoners, jam-packed into the hold like so many animals. Because of size limitations, only 60 of the most healthy-appearing men, women, and children were transferred to the two waiting ships destined for Jamestown.

The first to arrive at Jamestown was the WHITE LION, but since it was protected by a Dutch "marque," and had sailed from the Dutch port of Vlissingen, it was considered "legitimate" and had no difficulty in trading its "twenty and odd." (In those days "letters of marque" distinguished an authorized privateer from a pirate, even though the distinctions between a privately owned corsair and one commissioned by a government were often blurred. Individuals whose own countries outlawed piracy sometimes sought protective marques from other countries.)

Tim Hashaw discovered - after a 400-year-old mystery - that the "anonymous Dutch ship" (as it is still called in most historical records) was actually the WHITE LION. He also discovered that this ship was English, and owned and commanded by a Calvanist minister from Cornwall, England.

When the TREASURER arrived four days later, however, it was a different story. While poised at Point Comfort, awaiting the go-ahead to advance to Jamestown's port, Captain Elfrith received an urgent message from an informant that the TREASURER was suspected of piracy and about to be apprehended.

Earlier, Lord Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick, had obtained a protective Italian marque for the TREASURER by bribing Italy's Duke of Savoy. But the marque had since expired, and in light of the major peace treaty of 1604 between England and Spain, piracy was a treasonous act. Only a year before, in fact, King James, at the urging of the smarmy Count Gondomar (Spanish Ambassador for the English Court) had ordered the public beheading of Sir Walter Raleign for this very offense. Realizing how desperate the situation was, Elfrith took time enough only to trade six more prisoners before hightailing it to Bermuda.

To a few powerful members of the Virginia Company, Jamestown was secretly always regarded as a perfect haven for piracy. Deep waters surrounded the Island, and there was excellent visibility up and down the James River. It was also far enough inland to minimize any potential contact with enemy ships. Yet, the water immediately adjacent to land was deep enough to allow the colonists to drop anchor, or make a quick getaway if necessary. Moreover, pirate ships could easily sail in and out of the Chesapeake area without undue notice.

The piracy plot had already been tested early in 1619, when the TREASURER docked uneventfully at Jamestown with its plunder. At that time it was still under the protection of an Italian marque. But because of the later crisis at Point Comfort, involving an unauthorized pirate ship BELONGING TO THE VIRGINIA COMPANY(!)that also contained human cargo, the conspiracy to make Jamestown a piracy stronghold had unexpectedly surfaced. Later this unfolding scandal would be the major reason why King James - who passionately despised piracy - withdrew the Virgina Company's charter in 1624. His decision, however, simultaneously opened the door to the founding of additional colonies that became, during the American Revolution, the framework of a new nation.

Lord Rich was a complicated,contradictory, and controversial "gentleman," at once a swashbuckling and greedy privateer by temperament and deed, a poweful dedicated political leader of the Puritan movement, and a major investor and voice in the Virginia Company. It was he who initiated the piracy plot when he met in 1616 with co-conspirators, Samuel Argall and John Rolfe, who were also prominent members of the Company.

Rich had paved the way for the risky scheme by persuading the Virginia Company to name Argall and Rolfe Jamestown's top administrators. The plan was for these men to attend to the colony's business, while surreptitiously overseeing piracy activities (from which they would personally prosper) and making sure that they would not be caught. But by yielding to Rich's wishes and appointing two traitorous members to such powerful roles, the Virgina Company had - albeit unknowingly - also aided and abetted treason.

In the early decades of Jamestown, before some of its worst problems had been solved, and tobacco had become a profitable export, the colony was a living hell. The settlers were beset in turn by drought, fierce winters, dread diseases, starving, polluted water, attacks on Indians, Indian attacks on them, conniving, conspirarcy, in-fighting, corruption, hanging and near-hanging, insect swarms - and during "The Starving Time," even cannibalism! Throw into the mix that some members of the Virginia Company were actively promoting piracy, and a more realistic picture of America's ignominious past emerges.

What of major importance should be distilled from the incredible amount of factual information in this book?

ANGOLA

1. Ndongo was one of several sophisticated Iron Age Angola states.

2. It was a kingdom of settled farmers, craftsmen, and cattle-herders.

3. Long before the founding of Jamestown, Angola had embraced Christianity.

4. Angola had a written history transcribed by its own European-educated scholars.

5. Angola traded actively with Europe.

THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICANS

1. For several glorious decades they were equal members of the community, working side-by-side with their English counterparts.

2. Many were indentured servants who labored for their freedom for a set period of time, just as did the English.

3. They socialized, owned land, cattle, and other properties, used particular and useful skills, actively traded, lived in decent homes.

4. They intermarried freely with each other, with Europeans, and with local Indians.

5. They had all legal rights.

From Hashaw's book we see how, using the fallacy of race as a way to mask unmitigated greed, a determined Virginia gradually outlawed all civil liberties of these pioneer Americans, and converted them into chattel slaves.

There are lessons to be learned from this...

This softcover, colored picture book is the one to have. Be sure to have a pad of Post-It notes handy because you'll be marking pages for future reference. I saw this book in my local mall's bookstore and thumbed through the pages. I liked it so much I went home and ordered from Amazon.com for $[...] less than the bookstore and also received free shipping!

I bought this book because I've been trying to design a porch and deck. Most books have deck plans and ideas but nothing about porches. This book had pictures and detailed diagrams complete with top and side elevations. It showed beam layouts and spans with measurements.

Of course there are many other sections in this book about pathways, patios, fences, walls, gates, sheds, outbuildings, and outdoor accessories such as kids' play structures, raised garden beds, fire pits, and many more. This is a great reference guide for all of us who love to build things but sometimes need guidance. It'll be the best investment under $[...] you'll make.

Bruce Campbell
Camden, Delaware

I have dozens of these "how to" books in my library and was most impressed with not only the concepts, but the instructions this book offered. This book could keep the outdoor handyman busy for a dozen summers. Very well done and most original.

Black & Decker is of course synonymous with power-tools, but less well known is that they make really excellent how-to books as well. This one is outstanding. If your interested in carpentry, masonry, and landscaping design, this book is first rate. The emphasis here in on things like fences, gazebos, stone walls...things with an outdoor landscaping theme. There is also excellent coverage of decks, porches, and sheds, too. A nice and very comprehensive book. Tons of color and detailed illustrations. You can't go wrong with the B & D series or the Better Homes and Gardens series.

This book is worth all others on this subject. It is good money saver for me.

As a do-it-yourselfer, this is a wonderful addition to my DIY library. The pictures are colorful and add to the project explanation and the directions are clear and consise.

I am a long time hunter but am heading on my first black bear hunt in June. This book was exceptional in the way it explained tactics for taking a black bear. It was great learning about bear hunting from experienced and successful hunters/authors. I learned a lot about habitat, diet, and and bear activity. Although there were a few paragraphs about anatomy, shot placement and post-kill activities, I would have liked to have seen photos or diagrams showing vital organs from various angles. Also, preparing meat, head, and hide appears to be quite different for a bear in comparison to a deer. Again, I would have liked to see pictures/diagrams of post-kill activities. All in all, the book if chock full of good advice and I, too, will read it again before our upcoming hunt.
Richard Shipley, San Antonio, TX

In order to have any successful hunting adventure, it is necessaary to gain all the knowledge possible about where and what you are hunting. I found Black Bear Hunting by Lewis & Vantassell to be well written, and very informative. I will even read it again before heading to Prince of Walse Island, Alaska in June of 2008 for my first black bear hunt. I have hunted dangerous and non dangerous game animals in North America, New Zealand, and Africa, and I highly recommend this book for the novice and for the experienced hunter. Good Luck to all of you on your next adventure. John D. Beals, D.D.S., Redmond, Oregon

Having successfully applied deer and elk hunting tactics gleaned from Gary's previous titles Hunting Oregon and Deer Hunting, this current title from Gary Lewis has me eager to be in the field for the upcoming 2008 seasons.

From the perspective of someone who is relatively new to bear hunting, I found "Black Bear Hunting" by Gary Lewis to be a very good read. It is packed with great tips and insights that have me more prepared than ever to succeed during my 2008 Spring and Fall bear hunts.

This book is an excellent addition to my hunting library.

My husband, Bob, is 68 and preparing for his first big game hunt this spring; Alaskan Black Bear. He has read numerous books, consulted with experts, watched videos all in preparation for the hunt. Bob just read Gary Lewis' book, Black Bear Hunting and had the pleasure of meeting him. He found answers to his most basic and advanced questions in this fine work and Gary really "walks the walk". We highly recommend it to beginners and experts alike.
BJ in Bend, Oregon

i have thoughly enjoyed reading gary lewis and lee van tassell black bear hunting book

this was bought as a gift for a child....but I would have kept it myself...the book was in perfect condition and arrived very quickly....

Look out for the world's most spirited horse; because here comes Black Beauty, with the most ongoing spirited that never ends. In this book, Black Beauty suffers in many ways. But he does not stop living his life the way it takes him.

The book Black Beauty by Anne Sewell is about a horse that's forced to live in horrible ways with kind and loving masters or cruel and mean masters. On his way of meeting masters and friends, Black Beauty he comes upon one master who would whip and break Black Beauty's knees. Alfred Smirk. Alfred did not care what happened to Black Beauty, he worked Black Beauty hard and that's how he broke his knees. He let all horses suffer in pain and would not take care of Black Beauty. But he also met Joe Green; Joe was very kind and loving. He never ill-used Black Beauty or hurt him. He brought Beauty apples and oats. Many events happened in this story but this one was the worst, they got separated.

So will Black Beauty still have his high spirits at the end of the story or will the masters break him? To find out more read Black Beauty by Anne Sewell. It's one of the most moving horse stories by Anne Sewell.

I like horses and the color black and Black Beauty is my favorite book and one of the best novels by Anna Sewell. He is a beautiful black animal with a white star on his forehead and one white foot and in the novel of Black Beauty, Black Beauty's white foot was usually always on the back in the left and another second best of Black Beauty's white foot was on the front in the right and that's where I like to see Black Beauty's white foot and it's perfect for the best on the front in the right, and the two hind legs on the left and the right and that's how you like Black Beauty and the best choices.

My favorite character in this book is Joe Green, because at the end of Black Beauty, Joe becomes a man and one lucky day, he finds that horse he used to care for and gets excited when he said he had almost killed him so many nearly ten years ago at Squire Gordon's farm after coming back from the Doctor's. This is the best one illustrated by Scott McKowen because there is five black and white illustrations in this book of Black Beauty as a colt with his mother Duchess, Rob Roy or a differnt horse either on a hunt or Lady Anne on Black Beauty, Black Beauty getting shoes for the first time, A kind man leads Black Beauty to his new home and Black Beauty as a cab horse and if there were some other 2 illustrations for this book that would be part of in with illustrated in black and white by Edwin John Prittie and 4 color illustrations by Edward F. Cortese and Going for the Doctor by Percy F. Spence of 7 black and white illustrations and 5 color illustrations in this book, that would make it the best but...

there would be like some of the best seven Full Page Illustrations that would be best for the Scott McKowen part of in with some of Edward F. Cortese and some of Edwin John Prittie and Percy F. Spence are:

One of the riders was getting out of the water, covered with mud the other lay quite still color illustration by Edward F. Cortese
"The children did not know when they had enough, so I just pitched them off backwards" black and white illustration by Edwin John Prittie
Safe in the yard, he slipped the scarf off my eyes and shouted, "Here, somebody! take this horse while I go back for the other" color illustration by Edward F. Cortese
Going for the doctor color illustration by Percy F. Spence
With scarcely a pause Lizzie took the leap, stumbled among the rough clouds, and fell color illustration by Edward F. Cortese
"My dear master was cheering on his comrades when one of the balls, whizzing close to my head, struck him" color illustration by Edward F. Cortese
My groom began patting me as if he were quite overjoyed at seeing me again black and white illustration by Edwin John Prittie

That was talking about two of the black and white illustrations by Edwin John Prittie, the four color illustrations by Edward F. Cortese and Going for the doctor by Percy F. Spence and that would make it just for the perfect book illustrated by Scott McKowen if you imagined it in your head to make it go with the book, plus this Black Beauty book is very much easier to be in of Scott McKowen of the five black and white illustrations of Duchess the white horse with Black Beauty the colt in a red background, hunter or Lady Anne in a black top hat, white shirt, brown riding jacket, black leather gloves, brown dress and tall black leather riding boots on a different horse or Black Beauty in a blue background, blacksmith in a light blue shirt, light brown apron, brown pants and short black leather boots shoeing Black Beauty in a pink background, A kind man in a brown cap, white shirt of his sleeves pushed up, plaid vest of green and black, black leather gloves, brown riding pants and tall black leather riding boots leads Black Beauty to his new home in a yellow background and a driver in a black derby hat, white shirt, black vest, black jacket and black pants and probably has a blanket over him driving Black Beauty with two passengers of one of a man in a white shirt, black bowtie, black suit jacket and black pants and a girl in a black hat, green shirt, and grey pants are in a purple background, as for out of this book just to tell you of what clothes they would wear and they are John Manly the coachman in a brown cap or a black top hat, white shirt, black vest, brown riding jacket, beige riding pants and tall black leather riding boots, then James Howard the stableboy in a green shirt, brown vest, brown jacket, light green scarf, grey pants, spats and short black leather boots, then Lady Anne in a black top hat, white shirt, brown riding jacket, black leather gloves, brown dress and tall black leather riding boots, and then for the final in My Last Home when Joe Green becomes a man, Joe would be in a brown cap, white shirt, black vest, beige riding pants and tall black leather riding boots with brown tops when he recognizes its Black Beauty and that that's very perfect for some of the best seven black and white and color illustrations that would've been great if it was in the Scott McKowen book and thank goodness it is part of it and I am using my imagination as I read the book for the few favorite characters of John Manly the coachman, James Howard the stableboy, Lady Anne and when Joe Green becomes a man at the end and that's what it always means a lot to me for this best book of Black Beauty illustrated by Scott McKowen.

This book of Black Beauty - Illustrated by Scott McKowen reminds me of DVD movies on Bonanza, Vol. 7: Silent Thunder/The Last Trophy/The Hopefuls/The Spanish Grant, Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again, Disney's The Pacifier, Virginia's Run, City Slickers, Jeopardy!: An Inside Look At America's Favorite Quiz Show starring Alex Trebek because of episode 3. Ultimate I: Anyone's Game in Ultimate Finals, and the 2006 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (Wrangler NFR), for this year in Las Vegas, Nevada and that's what this means to me, a lot. I loved and enjoyed this book of Black Beauty and it's the best book ever to look at over and over again and live with that easy one by Scott McKowen so you'll have great effort into this book and this Black Beauty book illustrated by Scott McKowen also goes with the DVD of an animated version of Black Beauty with actors David Gregory and Barbara Stevens.

For this book of Black Beauty illustrated by Scott McKowen (where Beauty's white foot is on the front in the right) to make this go good and great with the animated DVD version of "Black Beauty" (Hanna-Barbera Productions) with David Gregory, in this Black Beauty book illustrated by Scott McKowen, Black Beauty is Anna Sewell's beloved story of a sweet tempered horse born and raised in the English countryside. Taught by his mother to always be a friend to man, Beauty lives happily with his master Squire Gordon and the stableman John Manly. Beauty soon learns that the world can be a harsh place when he becomes the property of several owners who use him as a job horse, pulling cabs and heavy loads through city streets. Beauty endures this through his unyielding courage and lives out the rest of his life in meadow where he was born. At the end of the book, Black Beauty comes into the care of Joe Green with three kind ladies and Joe Green is proud to be home with him again.

My other favorite Black Beauty books with the one Illustrated by Scott McKowen is the other best eight are Illustrated by Neil Reed: Published by Prospero books in 2001, Illustrated by Ian Andrew, Adapted by June Brigman and Roy Richardson, Retold by Lisa Church and Illustrated by Lucy Corvino, Illustrated by William Geldart and Illustrated by G. P. Micklewright and that's my best new favorite eight books of Black Beauty to live and read with but, the real ones I would be in for the ones I like are Illustrated by Neil Reid published in 2001 by Prospero books, Illustrated by Scott McKowen (which is the easiest one to live with, because of the five black and white illustrations which are great and good and much easier), Illustrated by Ian Andrew, Adapted by June Brigman and Roy Richardson, Retold by Lisa Church and Illustrated by Lucy Corvino, Illustrated by William Geldart and G. P. Micklewright and that's the best seven books to be in of Black Beauty.

Another two favorites of Black Beauty I like are his white foot on the back in the left and three white feet of one on the front in the right and the two in the hind right and left and that's three different favorites I like of Black Beauty and where his white foot will be.

Examples of my favorite horse of Black Beauty in different ten books of his white foot are:

Black Beauty's white foot on the back in the left in the five different books of Adapted by Laura F. Marsh, Illustrated by Neil Reed: Published by Prospero books in 2001, Illustrated by Ian Andrew, Adapted by June Brigman and Roy Richardson, Retold by Lisa Church and Illustrated by Lucy Corvino. So that's where I would like to see Black Beauty's white foot on the back in the left.

Black Beauty's white foot on the front in the right in the different books of Illustrated by Scott McKowen and Illustrated by G. P. Micklewright. So that's where I would like to see Black Beauty's white foot on the front in the right.

Black Beauty with three white feet of one on the front in the right and the two in the hind right and left in the specail book Illustrated by William Geldart. So that's where I would see Black Beauty with three white feet so his you would want it on the front in the right, back in the right and the back in the left and if you see one white foot because of the three, you would say the one on the back in the right.

Black Beauty is my favorite horse and he would be a great horse for roping and bulldogging as if he could be a perfect rodeo horse.

Here's how the Black Beauty books will work out for the two favorite DVD's I like of Black Beauty are the ones by Sean Bean (1994) and directed by Caroline Thompson and the animated one with David Gregory and that's the best two to watch over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.

Black Beauty (1994) starring Sean Bean DVD is like the novel with the three of the books on three different Black Beauty books of Adapted by Laura F. Marsh, DK Readers: Black Beauty (Level 4: Proficient Readers) (Paperback) adapted by Caryn Jenner and illustrated by Victor Ambrus, and Illustrated by James Needham and because those three different books of Black Beauty would go great with the movie as the three matched up and go. The one illustrated by James Needham for sure goes great with the movie because of his white foot on the back in the left.

Black Beauty with actor David Gregory in the animated DVD is like the novel with the two of the books on two different Black Beauty books of Illustrated by Scott McKowen and Illustrated in colour by G. P. Micklewright would go great with the animated DVD version as the two matched up and go. The one illustrated by Scott McKowen for sure goes great with the animated movie because of his white foot on the front in the right and that's how it would be for the animated version.

Well, I gotta say, now that I love the best eight Black Beauty books, instead of ten which was way too much, I wanted to find a way just to live with eight and that was a better well mount and that's how I could make my living by some of the Cortese and Prittie and Spence for the Scott McKowen book by imagination and that was the best book I ever read which showed me how to treat horses with respect and kindness.

This book should be perfect and great for the 2006 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Las Vegas, Nevada to show how cowboys in the NFR should treat their horses with respect to train roping horses how to rope and wrestle calves or steers.

I loved, liked and enjoyed this book.

It is a GEM, I loved it and it's the greatest novel of all times of the greatest horse story ever told.

What a great book I ever read if some of the cowboy art of paintings of "HH "Slim" Hill circa 1920 Calgary Stampede" by artist Gail Guenther as if on the front cover of a book, "Caught in the Open" by J. Swanson, "Bronc Rider" by Colette Pitcher, "Jerkin' The Slack" by Rick Timmons and "Steer Wrestler" by Colette Ptcher and one pencil drawing of "Calf Roping (6)" by Virgil C. Stephens and that's how those cowboy art go good with this Black Beauty book by Scott McKowen of rodeo events of saddle bronc riding, team roping, steer wrestling and calf roping. For the roping, the two cowboys of one is on a ranch as they are team roping to catch a steer for branding as the header ropes the horns by three swings and the heeler ropes the hind legs by four swings, then the two different calf ropers at rodeos, one cowboy ropes it by one swing and ties up the calf with two wraps and a half hitch and another second cowboy ropes it by two swings and ties up the calf with two wraps and a half hitch and that's how cowboys must learn to rope by treating horses right by reading the book of Black Beauty.

Again cowboys and cowgirls, I loved, liked and enjoyed this book.

It is a GEM, I loved it and it's the greatest novel of all times of the greatest horse story ever told. Best book ever:)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the first book of considerable length I ever read. (I first read it when I was under ten years old.) I remember each detail as vividly today as I did after I first read it - it is that outstanding. I love this beautiful horse. He taught me honor, justice, fortitude, and, most of all, compassion.

Okay, I remeber back in like 5th grade when IU bought this book at my local book fair. Then I could not read very well, and I was still having troble. When I got into six grade and got a whole lot better at reading, I read this. I shall the movie ten thousand times, and the book was even better! I loved it! It's a heart warming story about a black quarter horse, with a white star on his forehead. There Ginger, the abused bad temperd mare, now owned by John. And learns, with king treatment and love, becomes better and becomes a good companyion for black beauty. And the small white pony named Merrylegs. Black Beauty is warned when young by his mother that a horses life can be hard. He doesn't relize this till he comes to Earlshall where they have the bearing rein, a device to making the horses hold there heads high, and are very hard on there backs. After about five times of being strained back more, Ginger bolts, and break the cart, and in the process runs the men over. And starts choking on the reins. It sad, for then they are no longer in shape, and finaly Black Beauty is sold for his knees are open and would not heal because of the stupid thing! Life becomes even harder for him, till he comes to Jerry a cart driver in the busy streets of London. But once again is sold and comes to caring a cart up a hill loaded with sacks of grain. When a woman one day comes up to the man and says to him, to lead him up the hill, besides yelling and flipping the reins and smacking the rip. But the job destroys him till he goes to a sale and brought by a old man and his son, and comes back to health. Then sold again and comes to Joe Green. And fianlly has a home to live in for the rest of his life. This book is one of the best horse books I ever read, and my most favorite. Set in England from a horses point of view of old life back there. If you want a book about a horse, well this book is for you! I adore it, and I hope you do to!

Edward Daniels is a writer/photographer for a local Trinidadian newspaper, who's been given an assignment to photograph a rare species of butterflies. As he ventures into the woods, he realizes he's close to the sea, and when he stumbles out to the beach he sees what could only be a heavy-duty drug-smuggling operation, and it is being conducted by some high level people, some of whom see him. The rest of Kirk Inniss' suspense/crime novel concerns itself with how the otherwise ordinary Edward keeps one step ahead of the thugs who would happily rub him out.

At first Eddie (as he is called by his few friends), seeks the help of the local police and is taken into unpleasant protective custody, first under the auspices of Scotland Yard Detective Cassius Charles, and then under Patrick Stewart, a senior police superintendent. Stewarts takes Eddie into his home, where Eddie gradually falls in love with Stewart's daughter Arlene, a police prosecutor.

Arlene is tough, smart, loving, vulnerable and beautiful, but she and Eddie's romance hardly has time to flower given the pressure they are under. Such pressure takes the form of houses being burnt down, people being shot, and even airplanes being blown up. More, the government at the time was corrupt and Eddie and his protectors can never be completely sure who are the good guys and who are the bad guys.

Inniss is a good writer who can keep the reader engaged and he also wants the reader to see something of normal life even in the midst of pandemonium. On top of all this the book ends in a cliffhanger. Expect a sequel. The Black Butterflies is an enjoyable read.

I was very impressed with this story. It was not the greatest story I have ever read, but it was a lot better than most. It is a lot better too than "supposed" classics by established authors. So for a debut novel it is a very good read. The author was able to keep me very interested from beginning to end and now that it is over I have one regret: The wait for book two might be too long.

This is really an honest look at crime in Trinidad and even though it is listed as a work of fiction, some of the events described are indeed real. Many people aware of current events in the Caribbean would be able to relate to this story on many levels. The behind the scenes murders and kidnappings are brought to the front here and we are able to appreciate an eye-witness view of things that may have been confusing at first glance.

The main characters are well developed and the reader is able to relate to their struggles. One can not help but like Edward Daniels and his sacarstic side, along with the few people that have decided to help him get his story out before death comes. These are regular people without super powers, but they come out this story as heroes.

I am certain that after you read this story, the way you look at crime and Trinidad in particular would never be the same.

The truth is really very simple. All truths has some measure of fiction. And so it seems that all fiction has some measure of truth. The deciding factor of course is this: What do you believe?

This book was written with the desire to share another view. Another view that we, the general public are hardly ever aware of. You see there are many with stories to tell and with secrets that are as dark as a moonless night.

I would like you to follow the story within these pages and be amazed by how close both reality and fiction really are. And then, you decide.

This book is an amazing thriller from start to finish! Highly entertaining and very good work for a debut novel. I can't wait for Book Two!!

This book takes you through a series of unpredictable and enthralling twists and turns that guarantees non stop reading till the very last line!!!!

This book had something happening on each page! I could not put it down! I was amazed as to how the author could come up with such an original plot! This book was well worth the money! Excellent Book!!!

I love this book. It provided a wonderful retreat. I stayed up way past my bed time reading it! I couldn't put it down because I just HAD to find out what was going to happen next! The character development is so real that I could picture each person, what they were wearing, even the looks on their faces...and there were so many surprises. I think I even gasped out loud...I had the pleasure of meeting the author, Vicki Hubbard and I would like to say she is one of the most genuine, beautiful angels I have ever met. A heart of pure gold is how I would describe her. I hope she writes many more books. 5 stars!

I truly enjoyed Ms. Hubbard's book. The author weaves a flare for story telling with an eye for subtle emotional nuance. It is refreshing to find a story with a serious undertone interspersed with moments of brutal honesty and outright zaniness. I highly recommend this book.

As an editor, I'm accustomed to critical reading. It's rare that a book absorbs me to the point where I forget I'm editing and keep reading to enjoy the story. That's what happened with this double volume. Vicki has a great talent for developing characters that evoke empathy. They have intrinsic beauty and worth, even though they sometimes take wrong turns and involve themselves in immoral/nonproductive actions. In the multi/generational storyline, Vicki shows how maturation and growth can occur at any stage of life.

I could not put this book down. Most books that I have read takes months to finsh! This book had 544 pages and I finshed it that day! The words were large and evenly spaced making this book an easy read! Vicki L. Hubbard created chracters in which you cared about! I love Vicki's style in writing this author has great talent a nitch of her very own! 'Stories From The Herart: Black Butterflies Secrects From The Past & Chocolate Burnout' is two books in one! " Black Butterflies Secrets From The Past" Was about a four women each linked together trying desperatley to rise above their own pain. The Main chracter Merce Mitchell is trying to hold everything together. But realizes that she has issues of her own, However this poor woman trys endlessly to help her sister, mother,& daughter live productive lives! This book carries a strong messsage you can not save people from themselves! Lean on God for understanding not man or woman! Dont try to take on some one elses load! Life is a learning process and you cant fix what has already been broken. All you can do is pray for healing! 'Chocolate Burnout ' was about a woman looking for love in ALL THE WRONG PLACES! And at the end of this book as far as I was concerned she still had not found it! Hopefully the main chracter Chantel Reed will find herself in Miss. Hubbard's sequeal 'Chocolate Burnout: The Road To Freedom I Loved 'Stories From The Heart: Black Butterflies Secrets From The Past: and Chocolate Burnout' I have added this book to my list of one of the best books I have ever read! I highly recommend this book to everyone! Vicki L. Hubbard does a remarkable job! I expect great things to come from this very talented young author!