Burns Books

I stumbled across this book about 6 years ago in a sales rack at Crown Books in Topanga Canyon, California. There were only three left, so I picked one up and paid about $11 for it. How I wish I had snatched all three, because it is now impossible to get and some dealers are asking a fortune for used versions (Ron offers the best price and his are new!). One of a kind posters, many that are different versions from the same film and sometimes foreign versions, are artfully arranged and beautifully reprinted throughout this book. The reader can enjoy the fabulous art again and again, as well as learn quite a bit about the history of film posters, lobby cards and one sheets. Ron's narrative about his love for collecting posters is a treat and he paints a great picture with words of what it was like when he and his friends started out collecting. I urge you to visit Ron's shop on Hollywood Blvd. for a look at some truly classic film posters if you just can't seem to find this great book. What can I say but, "Five Thumbs Up!" (And thanks, Ron, for sharing!)

I stumbled across this book about 6 years ago in a sales rackat Crown Books in Topanga Canyon, California. There were only threeleft, so I picked one up... How I wish I had snatched all three, because it is now impossible to get and some dealers are asking a fortune for used versions (Ron offers the best price and his are new!). One of a kind posters, many that are different versions from the same film and sometimes foreign versions, are artfully arranged and beautifully reprinted throughout this book. The reader can enjoy the fabulous art again and again, as well as learn quite a bit about the history of film posters, lobby cards and one sheets. Ron's narrative about his love for collecting posters is a treat and he paints a great picture with words of what it was like when he and his friends started out collecting. I urge you to visit Ron's shop on Hollywood Blvd. for a look at some truly classic film posters if you just can't seem to find this great book. What can I say but, "Five Thumbs Up!" (And thanks, Ron, for sharing!)

THIS BOOK IS A JOY TO BEHOLD.SINCE THE FRONT JACKET ILLUSTRATION REPRODUCING THE ONE-SHEET POSTER FOR "MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE"(UNIVERSAL,1932),CREATED BY KAROLY GROSZ,UNIVERSAL'S OUTSTANDING POSTER DESIGNER ,TO THE MORE THAN 500 OF THE FINEST VINTAGE FILM POSTERS(AND RELATED MEMORABILIA)BELONGING TO THE PRIVATE COLLECTION OF RONALD V. BORST.MY PERSONAL HIGHLIGHTS:THE BRITISH TWENTY-FOUR-SHEET POSTER(PRESSBOOK)FOR THE GERMAN EXPRESSIONIST FILM "DAS CABINET DES DR.CALIGARI(U.S.TITLE:THE CABINET OF DR.CALIGARI),DECLA-BIOSCOP,1919;THE PRODUCTION DRAWINGS BY ART DIRECTOR ALBIN GRAU FOR F.W.MURNAU'S "NOSFERATU,EINE SYIMPHONIE DES GRAUENS"(U.S.TITLE:NOSFERATU,A SYMPHONY OF HORRORS"),PRANA-FILM(GERMANY),1922;THE TWO ONE-SHEET POSTERS FOR "THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA"(UNIVERSAL,1925),AND THE ONE-SHEET FOR PAUL LENI'S "THE MAN WHO LAUGHS"(UNIVERSAL,1927);THE SIX-SHEET POSTER FOR BELA LUGOSI'S "WHITE ZOMBIE"(UNITED ARTISTS,1932);KARL FREUND'S "THE MUMMY"(UNIVERSAL,1932) ONE-SHEET POSTER;THE SENSATIONAL(IN ART-DECO STYLE)ONE- SHEET FOR THE BRITISH PRODUCTION OF H.G.WELLS "THINGS TO COME"(LONDON FILMS,1936);THE TWO MYSTERIOUS POSTERS,ONE ONE-SHEET AND ONE THREE-SHEET,FOR JAQUES TOURNEUR'S "CAT PEOPLE"(RKO,1942),REPRODUCING THE LOVELY FIGURE OF SIMONE SIMON;THE ORIGINAL BRITISH QUAD POSTER FOR EALING'S "DEAD OF NIGHT"(1945);THE DOZENS OF POSTERS FOR AMERICAN SCIENCE-FICTION FILMS OF THE 1950'S.ESPECIALLY THE REYNOLD BROWN'S(1917-1991) CREATIONS FOR UNIVERSAL'S FILMS:THE ONE-SHEET POSTERS FOR "CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON"(1954),"REVENGE OF THE CREATURE(1955),"TARANTULA"(1955),AND "THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG US"(1956).WE CAN ALSO ADMIRE HUNDREDS OF OTHER STARTLING FANTASTIC FILM POSTERS.HOW LUCKY MR. BORST IS!THE ESSAYS ARE VERY GOOD.MY FAVORITES:THE LATE ROBERT BLOCH'S "THE TEENS AND TWENTIES" AND "THE THIRTIES" BY RAY BRADBURY.BLOCH WAS A REAL CONNOISSEUR OF SILENT MOVIES,AND BRADBURY IS ALWAYS AMUSING.A GREAT AND BEAUTIFUL BOOK!

I have seen the collection in person and let me tell you that this book is phenomenal! . There is no book that comes close to this masterpiece. Ron still sells copies at his store in Hollywood. It is a must for any horror fan. From silent to the 70's it's all in there. There are even some items in his book that are 1 of a kind. Yes, the only specimens left on the planet earth. A feast for the eyes!

GRAVEN IMAGES is exactly what it claims to be, 235 pages of the best fantasy and science fiction film art you could possibly imagine and-- beyond! It features beautifully reproduced photos of everything from the common one sheet all the way up to six sheets (that were literally plastered on the sides of buildings to be viewed from car or train) and everything in between including half-sheets, inserts, and lobby cards. It also includes a glossary to define these terms for you in case you are unfamiliar with them. Best of all the items represented aren't simply the American publicity materials, oh no, collector Ron Borst who compiled the book has also chosen to add foreign material chiefly British, French, and Belgian though other countries are represented as well, and some of these posters are absoutely breath-taking.

The book starts with a 15 page forward by Borst (everything is always illustrated) aptly called "The Genesis of a Collector". Among other things Borst's hobby has lead to one of the best known memorabilia shops in Los Angeles. This is followed by the handy-dandy one page glossary, and then by a five page intoduction by the ubiquitous Stephen King that sets the tone for the book which of course is how publicity material, specifically theatrical posters sets up the audiences expectations for the film. It also contains 2 lists, one which is King's list of favorite horror movies as of 1992 and the other his list of favorite horror movie posters as of the same date. Looking at the list I'm assuming that he's referring to American one sheets.

MOVIES (alphabetically)
Alien
Burnt Offerings
The Changling
Curse of the Demond
Dawn of the Dead
Dementia 13
Evil Dead
Pet Semetary
Psycho
Texas Chain saw Massacre

ONE SHEETS
Child's Play2
Curse of the Demon
Earth vs the Flying Saucers
I Was a Teenage Frankenstein
I Was a Teenage Werewolf
Night of the Living Dead
Paper House
Rabid
The She Creature
Them!

The remainder of the book is divided into eras and each era is introduced by a different science fiction writer; The teens and twenties are handled by the late Robert Block author of PSYCHO, the thirties by Ray Bradybury, the fourties by Harlan Ellison, the fifties by Peter Straub, and the sixties by Clive Barker with an afterward entitled "Imagi-Movie Memories 1922--1968" being contributed by Forry Ackerman. Their anectdotes are all well and good,but the real reason to buy this book is the art, and art it is! So many of these images are so beautiful that it hurts to look at them.


The teens and twenties were the high point for this type of poster art in films, but soon it would end, a victim of mass production. Within a few years circus posters, cigar box labels and all the other forms of beautiful lithography of which these early posters were but a part would be gone forever, and by the 1980's almost all theatrical posters would be photographic in nature. Once you've seen the posters reproduced in this book you'll realise just how big a loss that really was. If you get a chance take a look at this gorgeous book--grab it! What you find within its pages will open your eye, especially the work for the silent films that were coming out of Germany such THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI and METROPOLIS for the art chosen to sell these films was every bit as exciting an innovative as the films were themselves.

My only criticism of the book is that I would have liked to have seen mention by name of all the artists who had produced these ephemeral masterpieces. I suspect though that the artists, like their work, were disposable. How sad.

One of the biggest problems I have with books written for equine enthusiasts is the effort it takes to read them. Most of us don't have time to sit down and read technical books for hours on end. While there is a lot of information to gain, you first have to comprehend it before you can commit it to memory or use. This book is opposite of anything I have read or tried to read recently. There were sections of it that I didn't want to put it down. I find that extremely rare and priceless. I'm done Christmas shopping for my horseless rider friends, they're getting this book!

This is awesome. It tells about how to choose a good stable, how to be safe with other's horses, how to groom and care for horses, how to inspect tack, how to make you've got liability for borrowing a horse--plus humorous insights into the horseless. Adressed to the normal, horse-crazy public, this is a must have!

Being an experienced (but currently horseless) rider I loved this book! It's a wonderful celebration of everything that a horseless rider has gone through or dealt with. The author's stories of investigating a potential stable had me laughing from experience; the author seems to have found that not all barns with stunning white fencing are always worth their price.

I personally wouldn't really recommend this to a person who has ridden for less than five years because some of its advice will probably cause problems with other riders or stables. From my perspective the book was too quick to recommend readers to report to the ASPCA any stables with a horse that appeared to be thin. Some horses are "hard keepers" and will tend to look like that, they aren't always being neglected or abused. Additionally, the recommendations to "train" other people's horses for them while riding them will quite possibly not be appreciated by the owners if the horseless rider has not undergone extensive (and good) riding instruction themselves. My point is, unless you've been riding for a while, you wouldn't know any differently and might get yourself into some interpersonal relationship trouble.

Regardless, I loved this book and the wonderful way of writing that the author had and would not hesitate to read it again and celebrate memories of being a "horseless" rider.

Barbara Burn's The Horseless Rider provides a guide to riding, showing and enjoying other people's horses. From analyzing a stable's qualities to taking different approaches with different horses, this is packed with invaluable, practical ideas.

This book nourished me through many dark days of horselessness, and helped me even see it as an advantage. This is an outstanding book for new riders who want to know how far they can go without the committment of becoming an owner (as far as you want!), or for those who already know they want it all but do not have the resources to have a horse of their own.

Ice written by candace watson needs to be read by everyone. it is wonderfully inspiring. i read the book in 2 1/2 days. it kept me on the edge of my seat wanting more. i hope that she will continue to bless the lives of women through this well written masterpiece. i weeped during certain portions of the book. i told everyone that would listen to read and buy the book. when i reached the end of the book and did't see any words my mouth dropped open. this book needs to be a movie. i love it ! keep letting God's light shine through you.

I hope this novel touches the heart of many the way it has fulfilled mind. The joy, hurt, pain, and life lessons you receive are overwhelming! This fiction novel is full of reality. Ice is a spectacular person(character) who brings the enlightenment of self awareness and self love.
Despite the abrupt ending(which has left me on edge of my seat)this book was more than a person could ask for; whether going through this type of situation or trying to make others aware of the mental anguish and physical abuse many women secretly go through.
I am so waiting for the "be continued", "follow up", "book II version"! Maybe even at the end of the 2nd novel the author could put in some domestic violence help phone #'s and addresses.
Many are and will be blessed by the inspiring, entertaining, motivating words Candace Watson has been blessed to share. Go buy ICE and share these words; prepare yourself and others for reality!

I really enjoyed this book ICE CAREFUL DON'T BURN YOURSELF. I can't wait to read more of your work. Keep up the good work!

The constant "Boomerang"...is it the money, love, or just plain denial? This is the best rollercoster ride ever, it keeps going up and down and bouncing you back and forth through this ladies life. "When will it ever stop!", is what you'll be screaming after each chapter. You've got to keep the pages turning for each next event. You'll love every twist and turn. This is a great book and I can't wait for part 2!

I received this book ICE in the mail on Tuesday, June 19th and I was finished with it on Wednesday, June 20th. Why ? Once I began to read it I couldn't put it down so I end up reading 12 chapters the first night until midnight so there was not much to finish reading the next day and it gripped my heart because even though I've been subject to physical, mental, and emotional abuse ; nothing compared to what ICE went through and what a lot of women are going through right NOW. I am very concerned also with our WOMEN and how they are being subject to so much DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. It's more prevelant than you could even guess. Everyday some woman or girl is being ABUSED by their husbands, boyfriends, or ex's and something needs to be DONE to stop all the VIOLENCE. But the number one issue is that OUR MEN/BOYS should have been taught on how to treat the women/girls. Thank God I taught my two sons how they were suppose to treat women although they saw their dad sometime abuse me. Sometimes Men are products of their environment and without them realizing that they can break a loose from whatever they saw happening in their home and make their own decisions not to DO WHAT THEY SAW MOM OR DAD DO to each other rather than take it over into their own marriage. The Curse has to be broken and you need to ask the Lord to help you do it. YOU should have the tenacity to say that THE BUCK STOPS HERE ! We will not continue to misuse and abuse our WOMEN. Although, sometimes we as women may tend to bring some of it on ourselves, A REAL MAN especially a man of GOD will walk away rather than lay a hand on his woman if HE'S been taught to do that or have made a decision within himself that he knows that this is wrong. This book should be READ by everyone especially us WOMEN. I just thank God for Ms. Candace Watson coming across my path so that I might have had the opportunity to know of her writings and to have been able to read this sentimental book and I do hope that it gets many sales and that she continues to be BLESSED OF THE LORD for reaching out to other WOMEN and allowing the ABUSE to be known to the PUBLIC. You would think that everybody knows about the abuse of our girls, and women but there are still somebody out there that haven't heard of it happening but IT'S REAL AND IT'S HAPPENING SOME WHERE ALL OVER THE WORLD EVERYDAY. God Bless You Candace for sharing with us the experience.

Chiunque avesse intenzione di scoprire qualcosa di veramente entusiasmante dovrebbe acquistare questo libro in cui sono raccolte tutte le emozioni e le sensazioni scritte da chi mi fa emozionare ogni volta che ascolto le sue parole. Ian Anderson, geniale nei suoi testi come nella sua musica, vi porta in un mondo fantastico con argomentazioni varie e mai noiosamente ripetitive. La musica dei Jethro Tull deve essere ascoltata ma anche...letta!E vi assicuro che per chi come me riesce anche a suonarla l'emozione più bella è quella di addentrarsi in ogni sua sfaccettatura. Vi consiglio di acquistare questo libro che è cultura...non solo musicale. Io devo ancora acquistarlo perchè in Italia non si trova!!!Ma non mancherò di accaparrarmene una copia quanto prima,a costo di farla arrivare dall'America. Per i Jethro Tull...questo ed altro! W la musica (quella buona) e W chi ti infonde lo spirito per volerla suonare, fino in fondo.

Quality hardbound book essential for any Tull fan. Lyrics for the audibly challenged to help us understand what that leapin' lemur of a musician was singing and snarling all these years. If you were a fan, this book can resurrect your latent Tull spirit. Book even covers his "warty rejects". Get a fill-up of Tull fuel and drive Baker Street enlightened.

For anybody bothering around with the lyrics one does not understand or possibly even misunderstand, this book is essential. Now I have wider access to the meaning of the texts sung by Tull.

This is a nice resource for Tull fans -- most of whom probably already have it, but mine just arrived yesterday.

Anyway, for anyone who doesn't already know it, this volume collects all of the lyrics from Tull's and Ian Anderson's official releases from _This Was_ in 1968 to _Roots to Branches_ in 1995.

The first twenty or thirty pages consist of Ian Anderson himself providing a retrospective/commentary on the various releases, and on the stages of Tull's long and varied career. These are culled from a couple of talks with Anderson and they're clearly transcriptions of oral interviews, with all the limitations thereby implied. (For example, the word "tempo" is consistently transcribed as "temper".) They're pretty informative, though, and at any rate I like the transcriptions since I enjoy listening to Anderson talk.

The lyrics themselves will be most useful for those albums/CDs with which the words aren't already included in the liner notes, but there are also a handful of helpful footnotes scattered throughout. (Nothing interpretive; just stuff like the actual name of the "Winged Isle" and the significance of "Beltane," items probably already familiar to longtime Tull fans but perhaps not to the band's newer audience.)

There are also a dozen-odd pages of photos, some of which had never been published before this. (There's a list at the back of the book telling who's in them and when they were taken. Incidentally, one allegedly from "1974" -- Anderson on a motorcycle -- appears to be misdated; it looks to be from a decade later. I assume "1974" is a typo for "1984".)

Some customers may also want to know that Anderson donates all his royalties from the sales of this book to a fund for the preservation of wild cats. I'm delighted to have contributed to such a cause and I'd have bought the book sooner if I'd known.

This is a must have book for any Tull fan. It covers the lyrics to every album from This Was through Roots to Branches (hopefully a new edition will be forthcoming to cover J-Tull.Com and Ian Anderson's Secret Language of Birds) There is also commentary on each album by Ian Anderson for further insight.

To have one book with all of Tull's lyrics in one place is well worth the price. If you're a Tull fan, get it.

I enjoyed reading this book. it adds greatly to my library if religion,
it brought back some interesting research.
Thank you. it was in great condition.
Monica C. Coleman

This book goes over the life of St Francis of Assisi about 15 times, each chapter reflecting a different aspect of his life. I found the format very easy to understand and I think if it were to be written any other way it would not have done this Saint justice because we would not have been able to concentrate each and every one of his virtues.
It is written by another Saint, St Bonaventure, so it is highly impressive in it's credentials. I chose St Francis as my confirmation Saint after reading this book. He was a humble Christian who took God's Word very seriously and he is a perfect example of God's love to be seen here on earth. It is impossible to read this book and not be touched by it. My life has literally changed by St Francis, the poor servant of Christ who's love for Christ sets a new standard for us all.

St. Bonaventure, cured of a childhood illness by St. Francis, writes a vivid biography of St. Francis.

I think because it is written by a great Saint, this biography perceptively considers St. Francis through his spirituality above all. It is not the most complete memoir of anecdotes about St. Francis' life, but a compendium of anecdotes about St. Francis is not St. Bonaventure's purpose.

St. Francis is perceived through his faith in God; in going from Gospel to life and life to Gospel. He is portrayed as the man who gave all to attain the pearl of great price. He was all of these things.

As far as biographies go, this one can be classified as not only a chronicle of St. Francis' life, but also spiritual reading which will edify the reader and draw him or her closer to Christ.

As St. Francis said, "What a man is in the eyes of God, that he is and no more." St. Bonaventure portrays this truth of St. Francis exeedingly well. Buy this book and, perhaps, it will assist you in going from the Gospel to life and life to the Gospel.

Taken from the Legenda Sancti Francisci and edited, with a preface, by Henry Edward Cardinal Manning. The life of a Saint, written by a Saint, speaks to the heart with a vital power which no work of merely natural genius can command. It has a twofold operation of the Spirit of God with it, both in the subject and in the writer. Among uninspired books there are few that breathe more sensibly the love of God than this famous work. "There is a light and a sweetness about it which is not of this world," says Cardinal Manning. St. Thomas writes about finding St. Bonaventure in his cell writing this work in ecstasy, and drawing back from the door exclaiming, "Let us leave a Saint to work for a Saint." St. Bonaventure conveys a picture of St. Francis through his miracles (including turning water into wine, raising people from the dead, commanding water to flow from bare rock and even curing the author of a childhood illness), his sayings (even the animals were exulted at the sound of his voice) and his holy life that renders an indelible impression of a man totally transformed in God and by God. In short, St. Bonaventure presents the life of a man who was like a seraph - an angel in human form - for no other word but "angel" can truly describe the beloved St. Francis of Assisi.

From St. Bonaventure's 13th century "Legenda Sancti Francisci" Cardinal Henry Manning translated into English the "Life of St. Francis" (1867). The current 1988 edition is a 187-page paperback. Fifteen chapters, over 140 pages, present Francis' life, ministry, humility, poverty, piety and fervor. The remaining 47-unchaptered pages present several vignettes from Francis' life (1181-1226) including his Romagna imprisonment (page 164-165) and his saving various shipwrecked monks off Baruti (page162-163).

This absorbing book also witnesses the saint's austerity (almost catatonic at times), founding the Franciscan order, Francis' stigmata, his regular church attendance (often sleeping is churches between worships), his death and canonization. Readers hear of Francis' views on preachers (page 74), his love for animals (page 78-85), and his distain for property and money (page 67-68).

Bonaventure tells the hair-raising story of Francis' pilgrimage to Africa and his capture by Saracens. Deported to Babylon, the saint is taken before the Sultan. Francis witnesses Christ to the Muslim leader and is later released (Bonaventure presents it with almost miraculous proportions) as the Sultan realizes the man of Assisi to be a "blessed" holy man.

Although St. Bonaventure is prone to mystical overstatement (there are several blatant parallels between his Francis and the Gospels' Jesus), Cardinal Manning translates the saint's story into a very good read. Francis' life is profoundly significant as Christian witness. His life will attract readers to faith. This informative and interesting book is recommended to everyone.

.... and by the way, not the only one fiction involving burning man --- you read this and it's pretty much like waqndering for the playa (only that it's actually better to be there for real).

Good book!!!!

This book is SOOOO fun, great descriptions, great insights, I have been savoring it.

I don't know if I would like it as much if I were not a burner but it is very descriptive if someone is looking for a narrative of someone experience rather than an essay about the concept of the event.

2 Thumbs up!!

A wonderful read for a burner who misses home. It really reminds you of all the reasons you fell in love with BRC to begin with and makes you miss it that much more.

Captain Fun (Cortez) does a great job of capturing the flavor of the most unique place on Earth, Black Rock City. As he shows our hero Dex the ropes, we get to see the playa again through the eyes of a virgin. Fun also does a great job of explaining the customs of BRC very well, gifting, participating, leave no trace, and my favorite, safty third!

I loved reading this book because it took me on one more playa adventure while I was decompressing in the default world.

Let this story of murder be a lesson to you all that BRC isn't for everybody. Newbies and virgins think twice before you make the trip to Nowhere...Darth Bunny is out there!

it's Sunday Morning. I woke up at around 9 something, as I have been for months now - even on the Playa. I picked up the book that I've been reading since Thursday on the Playa. A book call 'The Man Burns Tonight" by Donn Cortez... or should I say, Captain Fun. I can say that because I got the book from Captian Fun himself. He gave it to me while chatting on some tower, sharing a smoke, in a drunken haze called SantaCon. Black Rock City had it's SantaCon on Wednesday. It rivaled many of the local LA SantaCons that I've participated in. We bar-hopped many of the best bars in Black Rock City. It was on the top of one of these bars where I met Captain Fun. We chatted about the random excitement and joys that is Burning Man. He then gave me his just published novel & signed it for me. I do remember giving him one of the last of my custom postcards. I might have even placed proper postage on it. I can't remember because it is around that point when it all became a blur.

So i finished the book this morning. I have to say, it was one of the most fun & exciting books I've ever read. I had a couple issues with the plot, you could say there were a few holes in them, but overall it worked itself out. The thing I enjoyed the most were the characters. The story emphasised the true body of Burning Man, the people - The citizens of Black Rock City. Throughout the novel were interviews of various Burners. Although they are supposed to "fictional" they felt very real. They each had their own personal views of what Burning Man is or means to them. I would find it hard to believe that Captain Fun created all those thoughts & feelings himself, unless he's schizophrenic... which is possible. But in all seriousness Captain Fun was down to earth and... Fun. And so was his character in the book, aptly named, Captain Fun.

The story revolves around a virgin Burner by the name of Dexter Edden, or just Dex. In the beginning he witnesses the violent murder of his boss, who dragged him out to the desert against his own better judgement. He runs for his life away from the killer and gets lost in Black Rock City. He eventually meets & becomes friends with various citizens who decide to help him prove his innocence. "...Dex is wanted by the killer... and by the police."

The book is fast paced and full of wonderful characters. I don't know if the characters were genuinely fleshed out with prose or if my own biased Burner mind was able to fill in the blanks. It didn't matter because all the characters felt very real. It felt like I was really there on the playa. I could see the colorful lights and feel the drying wind. I could also taste the playa in my mouth - Or that could be because I was just there and I havent cleared up completely. Mmmm, playa dust.

“Galveston … Lore, Legend, & Downright Lies” is a delightful , entertaining potpourri of life in days gone by on Texas’ famed island city, once known as the Wall Street of the South. The city boasted electric lights and the best of practically everything west of the Mississippi.

The collection of stories was compiled by Gini Fendler-Brown and Max Rizley Jr., Texas writers, and published by Eakin Press, Austin, Texas in a 164 page package sure to please history-lovers near and far.

“Galveston … Lore…” brings to the reader stories ranging from the disastrous 1900 hurricane -- the worst natural disaster to occur in this country, to the fact that the extinct Karankawa Indians cared for Cabeza de Vaca and his shipwrecked party in 1588, and tales of fabled pirate-patriot-lover Jean LaFitte.

Stories abound telling of the history of Galveston’s moniker as “The Oleander City” and the true origin of the Oleanders, to the fact that Galvestonians took on the challenge to rebuild after the 1900 storm and physically raised 2,100 structures above the sand during the city grade raising to avoid any repeat of the disaster. Extreme hardship, loss and Pride.

The book, easy to read and hard to put down, is bound to be a big winner for all who are fortunate enough to get their hands on it.

Galveston Island is home to a unique community. Although it is connected to the Texas Gulf Coast by two bridges and a ferry service, in many ways it is its own society separated by much more than a mere few miles of saltwater.

This book takes us into the distant and more recent history of the island and its colorful inhabitants, telling us stories in a way that leaves one feeling like you're sitting around a fire at a family reunion recalling old friends, neighbors and family members. Some stories one might tell only in hushed whispers. Others provoke knowing interjections from all quarters. These are tales that deserve to be shared far outside the circle of sand.

Whether you were born on the island and want to learn about the gossip you might have missed, or live far away and merely wonder what life is like in a seaside city, this book delivers. From pirates to revered community traditions, it explores a vast scope of history in an easy way that leaves you wanting more.

Caution: You may be tempted to move to Galveston after reading this book, if you don't already live there.

Gini and Max's book captures the essence of Galveston past, with first-hand reminiscences of people who lived that past. Most of us know the main outline of Galveston history, but this book tells the stories of ordinary people, going about their lives on this sliver of sand in the Gulf of Mexico. Gini has been telling her stories to audiences for years in the bandstand behind Ashton Villa during breaks in the band concert. Max helps shape these stories into delightful nuggets you will want to savor while lying on wet sand. Experience Galveston all over again, and next time you're there in person, go to an old-fashioned band concert and listen to the history lady tell a new tale.

“Galveston … Lore, Legend, & Downright Lies” is a delightful , entertaining potpourri of life in days gone by on Texas’ famed island city, once known as the Wall Street of the South. The city boasted electric lights and the best of practically everything west of the Mississippi.

The collection of stories was compiled by Gini Fendler-Brown and Max Rizley Jr., Texas writers, and published by Eakin Press, Austin, Texas in a 164 page package sure to please history-lovers near and far.

“Galveston … Lore…” brings to the reader stories ranging from the disastrous 1900 hurricane -- the worst natural disaster to occur in this country, to the fact that the extinct Karankawa Indians cared for Cabeza de Vaca and his shipwrecked party in 1588, and tales of fabled pirate-patriot-lover Jean LaFitte.

Stories abound telling of the history of Galveston’s moniker as “The Oleander City” and the true origin of the Oleanders, to the fact that Galvestonians took on the challenge to rebuild after the 1900 storm and physically raised 2,100 structures above the sand during the city grade raising to avoid any repeat of the disaster. Extreme hardship, loss and Pride.

The book, easy to read and hard to put down, is bound to be a big winner for all who are fortunate enough to get their hands on it.

I was born on the island, and heard many stories from my father and mother, and my grandparents, uncles and aunts. However, Max and Gini's book has filled in all the gaps, either out of my own memory bank, or the stuff just left out by a father, protecting his daughter from the "sordid" tales. Galveston: Lore, Legend and Downright Lies has added even more to my "love of the island." I have bought the book twice, once for myself and once for my father. He loves it! I plan on ordering more from Amazon for Xmas gifts. A great "thumber" and definitely should be a part of everyone's home library. Thank you, Max, and Gini, and Robert John, and Amazon.....the world needs more books like this one!

I wish Reader's Digest would print some more of these books. It is such an excellent composite of popular music and the arrangements are fantastic. If anyone has a copy, I would love to buy it.

From "Somewhere, My Love" to "On Top Of Spaghetti", this book has so many songs that I find myself humming and wishing I could play. Did you like Sesame Street, Dr. Zhivago, The Godfather? Do you like showtunes? There's over a hundred of them here ... the breadth is part of the fun of the book!

Great book for the intermediate pianist. It's one of my favorites. Reader's Digest needs to reprint it. I borrow it at the public library and would buy it if available.

This songbook has many of the great songs of my youth. The chords are easy, there are guitar chords written above the treble staff and the print is large enough for those of us over 50 to see. The arrangements are outstanding. I wish Readers' Digest would reprint this book. I'd buy it in a second. I have to borrow mine from the public library.

Great songs to play for a party or for your own enjoyment: Georgia on My Mind, I Left My Heart in San Francisco, It's Impossible, My Funny Valentine, The Shadow of your Smile, The Way You Look Tonight, On the Street Where You Live, Honky-Tonk Train. ALL of the songs are excellent piano melodies sutable for the intermediate player.

This is a very funny yet extremely informative book with great illustrations about solar power using cats as examples. Very enjoyable!

This whimsical look at a usually dead-serious subject (solar energy, not cats) allows the information to sneak in under the "I can't learn that" radar. Cat lovers will especially enjoy the book, but non-cat lovers can also appreciate its charming approach to the subject. My four cats give it sixteen paws up. I give it two thumbs!

Jim Augustyne takes the Suessian approach to showing the reader our myopia when it comes to the nature of renewable energy, politics, and economics. Solar Energy is nature's way and cats are fundamentally in tune with nature. Even though Augustyne does not use rhyme to make his point, the reason is shown through the fun-house mirror of technologically advanced felines, and their 'natural' instincts and behaviour, optimized for solar utilization. Augustyne has developed an alternate universe of whimsy and pointy satire where kitties rule and our human foibles and blindness to the advantages of solar renewables are entertainingly exposed. The text and drawings unerringly capture feline personality and 'technical' accumen. A real entertainment bargain with a sideways squint at education. For real kids and kids at heart, like engineers, teachers, businessmen, homeowners, and politicians, of all ages.

One of the cleverest, funniest and most informative pieces of science writing to come along in years. Augustyn is equal parts Woody Allen and Stephen Hawking. But make no mistake: "The Return of the Solar Cat Book" is not only a rollicking good read and a visual delight, but an important contribution to the current debate over the nation's energy future. "It's the sun, stupid!" Augustyn is saying. "And here's why -- and how." Should be required reading for Presidents Bush and Putin, Energy Secy. Abraham and Ken Lay. Augustyn is way over the top. I wish I'd thought of "meowium" first.

I teach Middle School students all about the world in our tiny self-contained rural school. The topic of solar energy comes up in our physics curriculum; political aberrations are often discussed in our current events class; and, needless to say,we often share pet stories, especially reports on kitty capers.
I loved The Return of the Solar Cat Book immediately, and I realized my students were ready to appreciate it too. I took a chance and shared it with my students.It was a great decision. They adore the drawings, the author's wry wit, and the way the
book makes difficult science concepts very accessible.Now we learn and giggle together. I love it. Thank you, Jim Augustyn

This first of a two volume biography of FDR gives the reader an excellent introduction to the life of this most significant icon of the Twentieth Century. Although primarily a political biography, Author James MacGregor Burns gives the reader an introduction into the ancestry and early life of FDR.

FDR's education was received in the rarified air of Groton, where he under the tutelage of Rector Endicott Peabody, and Harvard, where he was a "C" student. His mother, Sara, moved to Boston to be near him during his time at Harvard, much like Douglas MacArthur's mother during his time at West Point. Formal education was completed at Columbia Law School, preparatory to his brief legal practice.

Roosevelt's life in the Democratic Party began with a call to run for the state senate in 1910. His position as a reformer made him an opponent of Tammany Hall. Over time he learned to retain his reform image while learning to work with the machine. His rise was not uninterrupted, as his 1914 attempts to run first for governor and then the US Senate were unsuccessful. His service as Undersecretary of the Navy in the Wilson Administration advanced his renown so that he was nominated for vice-president in 1920.

FDR's promising career was nearly brought to an end in 1921 by polio during a visit to the family cottage on Campobello Island. Burns tells the story of his convalescence and rehabilitation, culminating in his appearance at the 1924 National Convention to nominate Al Smith "The Happy Warrior".

Although 1924 brought crushing defeat to the Democrats, it was the start back for Roosevelt. Smith's presidential nomination in 1928 opened the governor's office for FDR who, in another Republican year, won a narrow victory, followed by a landslide in 1930. As governor he initially had to deal with a Republican legislature over issues involving the budget, electrical power and the balance between reform and Tammany. The advent of the depression brought with it new challenges of state solvency amidst rising needs.

1932 found Roosevelt as the leading Democrat in the nation, although his road to the nomination was rocky and by no means certain, with challenges from John Nance Garner, who would be placated with the vice-presidential nomination, and William McAdoo.

With election election, Roosevelt started to assume responsibility for the affairs of the nation. One of his most questionable periods was during the pre-inauguration time. As Hoover attempted to respond to the worsening economic crisis, his calls for joint action were rebuffed by the president-elect. Burns skillfully addresses the issue both from the perspectives of Roosevelt's willingness to let conditions worsen and the need to retain his own ability to act.

The main part of the story begins with FDR's first presidential inauguration in 1933 which started the fabled "First 100 Days", during which the Roosevelt magic was unchallenged. His proposals were passed with little or no opposition. With blurring speed, Congress passed the CCC, agricultural aid, states grants for unemployment relief, federal supervision of securities and railroads, the TVA, relief of mortgage debts and the start of the National Industrial Recovery Act.

Later in the year some opposition arose. One defeated measure was the St. Lawrence Seaway, which had to await the Eisenhower administration. The diplomatic recognition of the USSR and the economic downturn weakened FDR's position. Through 1934 conservative opposition held back administration measures, which led FDR to interfere in the congressional elections, not always in support of Democrats. 1935 saw a series of Supreme Court rulings which struck down New Deal measures, setting up the 1936 elections as a referendum on the New Deal. As hard as it is to believe now, the race against Gov. Alf Landon was expected to be very close. Although not officially campaigning, Roosevelt made the most of inspection tours.

The landside win in 1936 emboldened FDR to undertake his boldest initiative, the packing of the Supreme Court in order to obtain a majority which would let New Deal measures stand. Roosevelt approached the issue in total secrecy. The unveiling of his plan set off a firestorm of opposition, including much from traditional administration allies. In this he suffered his greatest defeat, mitigated only by a change which made packing unnecessary.

After the defeat of the Court packing bill, the second term was a period of mixed successes and failures, which did little to change the overall trend of events. In 1938 Roosevelt attempted, with little success, a purge of Congressional opponents. Through this term, he was hampered by the active opposition of his vice-president, John Nance Garner, a situation unlikely to exist today.

As the second term progressed, the focus shifted from domestic depression to the worsening foreign situation. This book does a good job in showing the reader how Roosevelt gradually turned the ship of state into the rising foreign headwinds.

The final drama of the second term was Roosevelt as Sphinx, leaving everyone guessing whether he would run for a third term or not. Ultimately, conceding that he could not turn down the call of the people, his nomination was assured and his transition to a war time leader continued.

Focusing on the political career of FDR, little attention is directed to his personal life, so one must look elsewhere for his relationship with Eleanor and his family. Burns skillfully presents a balanced approach of Roosevelt's career, explaining both the successes and the failures. He helps the reader understand the distinction between FDR's personal successes and the success of the Democratic Party. Neither an uncritical paean nor a hatched job, the book provides the reader with the facts of FDR's actions from his time in the New York Senate through his first eight years in the White House, with an epilogue so as not to leave the reading hanging pending the reading of the second volume. The FDR saga justifies the book and the book justifies the reading.

Gives a fantastic account of FDR from his privileged childhood and days at Groton, to his harsh induction into the world of politics; the skill at which he maneuvered the political currents to the New York Capital in Albany, and ultimately the White House. Once there Burns gives an account of passionate dedication to the American people, both during the Depression and WWII, that most likely was not seen since Lincoln. A must for anyone's Presidential Biographical collection.

This is the best account of pre-WWII FDR that has been written. Burns combines established facts with a commentary that examines the 32nd President's possible psychological views on issues. From major decisions during the New Deal to relationships with Eleanor and staff members, Burns paints an objective picture of FDR. The picture is neither rosy nor clouded, but is an intimate portrait of the longest- serving President in American history.

FDR was perhaps the craftiest politician to occupy the White House since Lincoln. The Title, "...Lion and the Fox" is an allusion to Machiavelli's dictum that one must be stouthearted like a lion and crafty like a fox. FDR combined these qualities to achieve political mastery of his time.

This book focus on his life up to the start of WWII. It paints a thorough life portrait of the president and illustrates the events and experiences that shaped this master politician. Although enjoying congressional majorities like no other president (that certainly aided the implementation of his program), FDR had to over come the reluctance of both GOP and Democrat conservatives to rework the federal government into the active economic and social player it is today. McGreggor's book explains how FDR the man made the New Deal possible.

This is a well written book that gives evidence of being thoroughly researched. For anyone interested in presidential history, I'd recommend this book.

I recently had occasion to re-read James MacGregor Burns's marvelous Roosevelt: The Lion and the Fox and was deeply impressed by how well its has withstood the test of time. The early paperback edition of this book, which was originally published in 1956 and covers the period from 1882 until 1940, characterized it as the "first political biography of Franklin Delano Roosevelt," and it continues to be the authoritative study of Roosevelt's preparation for and then conduct of his first two terms as president, when domestic affairs demanded most of his attention. This remains a wonderful book about this country's greatest politician of the 20th century, and it also offers many penetrating insights into the American political system.

Burns's treatment of Roosevelt is comprehensive, "[treating] much of [Roosevelt's] personal as well as his public life, because a great politician's career remorselessly sucks everything into its vortex." Roosevelt was the only child of a member of the upstate New York landed gentry, and he could have led a life of leisure. Instead, he was sent to Groton School in Massachusetts, where the headmaster, according to Burns, "made much of his eagerness to educate his boys for political leadership." Roosevelt completed his formal education at Harvard College and Columbia University Law School. Burns writes that Roosevelt's first elective office, as a New York State Senator was a "political education," and he became a "Young Lion" in Albany. Roosevelt served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy in Washington, D.C., during World War I and was the candidate for Vice President on the Democrat Party's unsuccessful ticket in 1920. In 1921, Roosevelt was stricken with polio, and the crippling disease would have ended the public career of a less ambitious and determined man. Instead, he continued to work hard at politics, was elected Governor of New York in 1928 and then President in 1932. This was just the beginning of a remarkable career in high office.

Burns makes clear that Roosevelt was a progressive in the tradition of Woodrow Wilson but was without strong ideas or a specific agenda. According to Burns: "The presidency, Roosevelt said shortly after his election, `is preeminently a place of moral leadership.'" Retired Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes offered this cutting assessment: "A second -class intellect, but a first-class temperament." Action to combat the depression was necessary to restore public confidence in government, and the first Hundred Days of Roosevelt's first term was one of the great periods of legislative achievement in American history. Burns writes: "Roosevelt was following no master program." However, in Burns's view: "The classic test of greatness in the White House has been the chief executive's capacity to lead Congress." According to that test, Roosevelt was a great president. Burns writes that, "[i]n his first two years in office Roosevelt achieved to a remarkable degree the exalted position of being President of all the people." Burns explains: "A remarkable aspect of the New Deal was the sweep and variety of the groups it helped."

As early as 1934, however, organized conservative opposition to the New Deal was forming. (A newspaper cartoon reprinted here shows a figure identified as the Republican Party holding a sign stating: "Roosevelt is a Red!") Roosevelt was increasingly attacked as a traitor to his class, but a large measure of his genius was his ability to hold the more extreme elements of the New Deal in check. Roosevelt's political skills were tested in every way. For instance, Burns writes that Senator Robert Wagner's National Labor Relations Act, which proposed to"[vest] massive economic and political power in organized labor" "was the most radical legislation passed during the New Deal." According to Burns, Roosevelt's initial reaction to the bill was "invariably cool or evasive," and the president, with what Burns describes as "typical Rooseveltian agility," announced his support for the bill only after its passage was certain. Burns demonstrates that Roosevelt's support, both in Congress and among the public, gradually eroded in the late 1930s, but he was, of course, elected again in 1940 and 1944. Roosevelt's nomination in 1940 was especially skillful. Many in his own party favored maintaining the tradition of limiting presidents to two terms, and Democratic Party leaders lined up in the hope of succeeding Roosevelt. Roosevelt outfoxed all of them and was elected to his historic third term.

I believe it is fair to say that Burns admires Roosevelt, but this book is not a whitewash. Burns candidly writes about Roosevelt's "deviousness." And the author is appropriately critical of Roosevelt's attempt to "pack" the Supreme Court following his overwhelming re-election in 1936. However, in my opinion, these instances simply are proof of the truism that great men are not always good men. Burns took the subtitle of this book from the Italian Renaissance political philosopher Machiavelli's dictum that a political leader must be strong like a lion and shrewd like a fox. Franklin D. Roosevelt was both, and that made him a great president. This is a great political biography of that great president