History Books

Was absolutely delighted when we received this book. This is an artist who is so ripe for a reappraisal! Waterhouse managed to pull off a genuine and moving romantic vision. The writing is thoughtful and spirited. The reproductions are first rate. Can't imagine anyone would fail to love this one.

Philip Koch
Professor of Fine Art
Maryland Institute College of Art

This is the best book I have found on J.W. Waterhouse. Not only does this book talk about the painter's life, but more importantly, each of J.W .Waterhouse's paintings are described in very full detail (eg: OPHELIA).

I was so intrigued by reading about Waterhouses' pictures, because the author of this wonderful book (ie: PETER TRIPPI) elaborated in great detail about each work of Art, by contrasting and comparing Waterhouses' paintings to other famous paintings and sculptures (eg: Bourne Jones from the 1800's, and also many famous Italian 1400-th Century Artists) .

The author has attempted, (& with great success, I may add), to show how Waterhouse was influenced by past Rapheaelite Artists and also by some of the other famous first-phase Pre-Raheaelite English Artists.

Each synopsis, of each Waterhouse painting is quite amazing and like no other interpretation that I have read on this famous late-Pre-Raphaelite Artist.

The repro-photos of Waterhouse's works are amazing, -----showing such wonderful details and colors.

If you are an art lover of paintings that can take your breath away, and pulling you int it than John Waterhouse is a must for your collection. He is such a great artist and this book is so incredible you want to devour it. He is one of the greatest artists of his time that I would recommend this book because it is affordable and wonderful.

I received this book quickly and with no delays.

Would love to have ordered the hardcover for a coffee table book but this one does just fine for the cost and over-seas shipping it would have taken for the hardcover. Lots of information on J W Waterhouse and great pictures. It even has some of his less known works and pictures that you can't find prints for. A true keep sake and treasure for those who are interested in this artist and his time. Oh, and a few of the house guests, students, have even asked to borrow the book. First table book to have created some interesting conversations.

Peter Trippi's monograph has done what I would assume had to be very difficult to do: he has a good feel for the quiet,quiet man behind the paintings. The depth of his study helped me to verify a number of pieces of information that led me into my own research, and has continued to be my main reference as I continue my work. I recommend that this is the book to begin with if you are going to enter any serious study of John William Waterhouse; however, don't let that make you think it is only a scholar's read: it is well written, beautifully illustrated, and simply a joy to behold.

KILLER ANGELS is one of those books I've always wanted to read but for some reason I just never got around to it. It is my favorite genre(historical fiction) and one of my favorite periods in American history(Civil War), I've lost count of the number of people who recommended it to me. So one fine summer July day in the year 2008 I see it on the shelf in my local library and with no hesitation I pluck it off the shelf. I get home and begin to read this gem of a book. I've read no finer book on the Civil War. There are plenty of reviews here and there to give you all the details you need so there is very little I can add to those reviews. But when you read a book that is so heavily anticipated (it won a Pulitzer for Pete's sake!) and the book so easily surpasses those expectations then it indeed it is a special book. When a writer writes with so much empathy and understanding for his characters and story line as Michael Shaara does then it is a book that you will never forget. This is one of those rare gems that forever will stay with you. Very few books reach that level as far as I'm concerned. A work of passion, intelligence, compassion and wisdom. My only problem is that I wanted more. I didn't want it to end, luckily for us Mr Shaara left us an equally talented son to carry on his work.

This was a major battle (Gettysburg, PA) between the Norhern VA massive group of 70,000 and the indomnable Union fighters that fateful day in one of the bloodiest fights of that war. Antienam in Maryland was the bloodiest with Atlanta's "fallen" depicted in 'Gone With the Wind' and Shiloh not far behind in numbers of casualties.

This fictional account of the Gettysburg massacre on both sides won a Pulitzer prize for Michael Shaara who uses the liberties of creative writing to make these men and their families "real." The most real of them all was the spy, Harrison, who reported to General Lee while JEB Stuart was out about town living it up and getting all of the attention. If you read enough about the U.S. Civil War, you'll realize right away that the truth, though mired in the mud of dissession and cow pastures from one end of the small country as it was in June, 1862, to the East Coast.

It was not the most dramatic confrontation (my choide would be Shiloh, which I drove to many times to meander around the large battlefield on many occasions), as much or more than our yearly trips to Gettysburg (not far from Westminster where Evelyn lived) which received more notice because of Abraham Lincoln's moving address. He had a way with words for a self-educated Kentuckian. But Shiloh, in Tennessee, endured more detailed plans for combat and Johnston met his destiny.

When we read what the scholars chose as the most important, we miss the human part of war (as we are doing now in that God-forsaken, medieval place in the Middle East, and are presented with statistics to prove their choices. Every Civil War encounter has the spy (like young Sam Davis of Smyrna) who met his demise on a lonely hill in Pulaski, TN. Without spies, the generals and their staff are left with maps but that's about all. The spies made the war come alive. Instead of a far flung field or stream far away from home, the spies kept the action going by risking their lives to get important information and plans to the leaders. 'The Killer Anmgels' were on Robert E. Lee's left shoulder but his melancholia wore him down emotionally. Without his generals (Nathan Bedford Forrest being his very best), there would have been no war. The spy Harrison blew cigar smoke "puffing exuberantly like a happy furnace."

"Why do there have to be men like that, men who enjoy another man's misery?" Reading about factual (as far as the staticians knew or could figure) war atrocities can be dry and not very interesting to the average person. It has been de-personalized. Stephen Crane followed his heart and instincts in 'The Red Badge of Courage' to bring the participants to life on paper and not merely a statistic. He inspired Michael Shaara to do much of the same. "The interpretation of character is my own," he wrote. At all times, especially in times of danger to one's life, you must keep one's sense of humor. I thought Mark had one but apparently I was mistaken. This book was written 34 years ago, the year Justin was born. Always the rebel, like his mom, he could not have been a spy. Brave, smart, something of an actor (like John Wilkes Booth), like Jeff could quote Shakespeare from memory, lucky and strong. "It has been my pleasure, sir, to have served such a man...God bless you, sir. Now, it is all in God's hands."

The compelling novel of Gettysburg that Laura Hillenbrand remarked was her model for "Seabiscuit". The times and events are different but the sylistic similarities are palpable. Short chapters. Short sentences, mostly. Extremely visual--concrete, up-close, detailed scenes, always with a dramatic tension. Superbly structured--makes the Battle of Gettysburg, one of the most confusing battles of the 19th Century, sparklingly clear. Accomplished by shifitng the viewpoint from one key character to another, from chapter to chapter (mainly Longstreet and Chamberlain, also Buford, Armistead, and Lee). This is art, and is not easy; the product of intense hard work, with the reader's welfare always paramount. Above all, a human story of real people under stress, striving, where the stakes matter. At the same time, Shaara manages to explicate the larger causes of the war, and in the mouths of his characters he ably argues both the National and the Rebel viewpoints. A masterpiece.

I became totally enthralled with the Civil War after reading this masterpiece. His story-telling style caught me off guard and I absolutely flew through this book. Thankfully his son has picked up the torch to complete the finest historical series I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Be sure to read Gods & Generals and Last Full Measure. I was moved to tears on more than one occasion.

I had been always interested in Americas' Civil War and had read some excellent books on the subject such as A Brotherhood Of Valor: The Common Soldiers Of The Stonewall Brigade C S A And The Iron Brigade U S A, Through Blood and Fire at Gettysburg and Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford History of the United States) but "The Killer Angels" is a very special one.

Late Michael Shaara has performed an excellent research on the private papers of the battle protagonist. Based on this material he produce a griping story, presenting the men that march to the tragic encounter, with their ideals, memories, sorrows, doubts & hopes.

He follows Generals Lee and Longstreet and Colonel Chamberlain amongst others, penetrating their most intimate thoughts in such a way that the reader can't avoid wondering how this is possible.
Mr. Shaara does not pick sides, he presents the reader with the confronting "Cause", which every man into the field believes to be just, and for which is willing to shed his blood. The valor and self sacrifice these men deploy, is reflected in each page of this incredible good book.

Enough maps are shown enabling the reader to follow the displacement of the armies in the field.

For readers interested in Civil War, Michael's son, Jeff, has written Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure telling the events preceding and following this crucial struggle.

A great stuff to be read by history buffs or casual readers. Enjoy!!!.

Reviewed by Max Yofre.

Not many authors can juggle politics, technical subject materials, an large cast of characters and tie it into a readable epic novel that entertains, teaches and inspires.

It reminds us that the stars are within our reach and all we have to do is harness private enterprise. If you want to wait for the government to take you to the stars you will have a long wait.

I cannot recommend it enough.

This is the only book that has ever caused me to actually jump up from my seat and run around the room cheering.. But, hats exactly what happens in one particular scene, and I think that anyone with at least some vestiges of childhoods imagination and adventurous spirit should feel the same way about the story inside these pages. Aside from he excellent quality, fleshed out characters, complex plot, and exciting story, Koman's novel sends out a wonderful message that shouldnt be ignored by anyone concerned for the future of liberty in this world... Buy this book and love it! I promise that my last request will not be hard to fulfill! Even if your political viewpoints disagree with the story, you'll get caught up in the excitement and love it anyways!

As one of the other reviewers stated this is one of the best books no one has read. I came across it in July, 2003 by chance in a small bookstore. Once I started reading I could not stop until I reached the end. It has interesting characters (and they are characters), good guys you cheer, bad guys you would like to shoot, inter-weaving storylines, an interesting story to tell, plot and subplots. The writing keeps all of the stories flowing along pulling you into the stories and along to the end of the novel. All in all a totally enjoyable read. Now some may find the libertarian ideas of the author annoying but they form an intergal part of the story and reminded me of L. Niel Smith at his best. And the conspiracy angle is well enough set up and argued that you are left thinking it makes perfect sense. Perhaps the best recomendation is that, as this was noted as book one on the High Pilgramage, I was extremely disappointed that no book two (or three) had been written. So let me conclude by suggesting you get a copy read it, tell your friends to get copies and get book two on its way for me to read!

This novel would have fit right in on my teenage bookshelf in 1980. It has all the grittiness and technical detail of Niven, Pournelle, Pohl and Hogan, overlaid with the libertarian elements that show up in some Heinlein stories. It lacks Bester's economy of prose, but does have a tight plot. Like many authors of the golden age of SF, Koman comes off as both cynical and romantic. In real life, this story's heroes wouldn't stand a chance. (Dude! Building a spaceship is hard!) But its villains are surprisingly close to the mark. Teens and NASA employees may bristle at the NASA-bashing, but every decade that goes by with zero progress in human space flight proves the point.

Like much of the great science fiction of the past, this book has a definite libertarian theme. My only faults with it were 1) lost of sleep while reading it because it is one of those books that you can't put down and 2) one rape scene that I considered a lot more graphic than it needed to be and thereby precludes my recommending the book to younger readers. One might object that many of the characters in the book are too black and white, but I would maintain that Koman may be closer to the truth here than many are willing to admit. The reality is that evil exists and most politicians are scum. "Kings of the High Frontier" immediately flew into my top 10 fiction list. Victor Koman seems a worthy successor to Robert Heinlein.

Me and my girlfriend were looking at getting Kittens in our Condo. Even though we decided not to adopt kittens, this book really gave me a lot of information on how to take care of them.

This book is really easy to read and it has so much information inside. I love the "Dummies" books and this book will not disappoint.

This book is great! It's an easy read with loads of good information. I would recommend it to anyone with or considering getting a kitten.

Most of the information found here overlapped with what i've read elsewhere but the illustrations on clipping the kittens nails were the best I've seen--very clear and understandable.

I enjoy reading this book. It is full of usefull information, and fun and easy to read.

Kittens for Dummies is quite simply one of the best books I've ever read. I'm glad I didn't get a copy from the library because the overdue fines would have bankrupted me!!!

Growing up, my mom was a breeder and I've had cats ever since. About 1.5 yrs ago,my son decided that he wanted a dog or cat that would be 'his' and sleep upstairs with him. We were at Petsmart and there was an adoption event. He saw a 7 mos old black kiten named Scamp. He wanted to take him home immediately, but had to talk to Daddy, who at 43 and never having an indoor pet had graciously allowed the adoption of a cat and a rather large dog. He agreed and during the week that we waited to adopt Scamp, I went looking for a book that would explain to my son all about kittens and what kinds of things they needed. I found very few children's books that covered the kinds of info I wanted. On the shelf next to it was Kittens For Dummies. It had all kinds of information in it, and happened to have a sticker on the front that said "Autographed Copy". I thought that was neat and that it had been so long since I'd had kittens that it wouldn't hurt for me to brush up on my own kitten care knowledge. I read the book cover to cover, like a novel. I couldn't put it down. For the interesting, pertinent and especially funny parts, I read it aloud to my husband and son while we drove from place to place that week. I suspect they had most of the book read to them. When I got to the part about orphan kittens, I was very interested. I had only one child, and we could not have any more. The thought came that maybe I could use some of the 'baby crazies' to take care of baby cats that didn't have mothers and more. I talked to my husband and to the people at the rescue group when we picked up Scamp, and while they said they didn't get a lot of bottle babies, they didn't have many people that could care for them and they would definitely call me. They called a week later. I got a box with a couple of towels, a bottle, a brush, an can of formula and I was a new mom! THANK GOD for Dusty's book. That kitten had a number of problems, but I was prepared for almost every single one, thanks to the book. I learned the signs to watch for when he would get sick, times he needed medicine or special care, how to determine what age he was, and what milestones he would or should have reached. Since then, I've been a foster mom to many more kittens. I catapulted from 'newbie foster parent' to 'expert kitten foster'. When the group had a kitten that a lot of supervision or that was very medically fragile they brought them to me. I had a lot of help from the more experienced rescuers in our group and from friends online, but more often than not, they reminded me of something I'd read in Kittens for Dummies. I had the privilege of meeting Dusty and Weems, and found out something really neat about the book -- All of the pictures except the show kitties and the one on the cover are ALL orphan kittens raised in their home. That's a LOT of happy and healthy kittens!! The book has something for everyone that has or will have a kitten or cat in their life. A lot of the information I've used for full-grown cats as well as kittens - because the information is so thoroughly presented. I have places that the book will fall open to on it's own because it's been in that place so many times -- I use the age chart often to try to figure out what age a kitten that has been brought to me might be. A normal, healthy, indoor kitten can be estimated by weight, but in rescue, very rarely are the kittens we get normal, healthy indoor kittens until we help them become that. Rescue can be hard work - especially when you lose one of the kittens. Dusty even covers that possibility in her book. That's not something we all want to think about, but it's an important thing to consider, since everyone experiences the death of a pet differerntly. Having lost my own cat of 10 years recently, I ever found myself popping my book open, once again, to check out the web address for petloss.com. I hope if you have or are going to get a kitten (or a cat) that you will get this book. I don't know what I would have done without it!

Patterson's style is the style of a journalist (which he is): very bon ton. Besides, the information in this book is of high value, as it is one of the very few sources for information of a period of Gurdjieff's work in Paris.

On his birthday in January 1936, G. I. Gurdjieff, a Greek-Armenian teacher living in Paris and a man of the most traditional views about men and women, consented to teach a group of fiercely independent western women to prepare them for a difficult spiritual path. Although he had previously stopped all teaching and had for the past few years been devoting himself to his writing, he saw something unusual and very special in these women. He told them that they must form themselves into a group where they could work together for mutual support, "roped" together for safety, as if they were climbing a dangerous mountain, "each one thinking of the others, all helping one another."

They had heard of him from people who had been to the Prieure where, during the twenties, Gurdjieff's Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man had attracted some of the brightest lights in the literary world. They were writers, editors, musicians, and women in the business world: highly cultivated, avant-garde personalities, intelligent and sensitive, living in Paris and rejecting the traditional paths for woman. Psychologically, they were fragile, yet tough; some had formed lesbian attachments - all were determined to learn and develop themselves through his teaching. They came from a group taught by one of his earlier students, Jane Heap, but now she was leaving Paris and these women were determined to study with Gurdjieff himself.

By 1935, the Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man was a failed experiment and Gurdjieff was putting all his energy into finishing his series of writings called, All and Everything. Given his traditional view of what he called the "third sex", why did he consent and what was it he saw that made him want to adjust his course?

From the papers of four of these women, now archived in various university libraries, William Patrick Patterson has written an absorbing history of this unusual women-only group of spiritual seekers and their teacher. We see another side of Gurdjieff, close up, he seems softer and more compassionate, yet in his demands on his students, perhaps, even more rigorous. The group includes Kathryn Hulme, author of The Nun's Story, and Undiscovered Country; Margaret Anderson and Jane Heap co-editors of the Little Review, early publishers of James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, and T. S. Eliot; and Georgette LeBlanc, diva and actress.

For those interested in women's spirituality, it properly credits and documents the pioneering efforts of these accomplished women. And for the seeker following Gurdjieff's ideas, it is an invaluable text addressing, for the first time, this most enigmatic chapter Gurdjieff's life. Once again William Patrick Patterson has brought forth an excellent volume that adds to our understanding of Gurdjieff and the Fourth Way.

The ladies of The Rope were in no way average people. They lived large lives. They were intelligent and talented. Patterson begins by describing their lives and you can't help but be impressed and caught up in the glamour and excitement. But when they meet Gurdjieff things are moved to a whole different level. They (and the reader) begin to see things from a different perspective. As Gurdjieff says of one of the women, "In life she perhaps have something good. But not for our work...She has only automatic mind...she quite not have real mind mentation."

Patterson take us all the way from the time the women met and began working with Gurdjieff, through Gurdjieff's passing and finally to the their old age and death. The letters written when they are old and physically feeble are very moving. You see the real experience and emotion of old age. The book lets us see the women's struggles and how they worked. As one of the women said, "Our 'rich' personalities had been an obstacle to understanding...We who had been born outside the dull, the routine... --what had we been all our lives? Almost nothing at all."

I found these women's stories very disturbing. I have many questions as to what transformations were actually realized by them. For some of them it seems that it may have just been on a psychological level. Why did Margaret Anderson, at the end of her life, say "I know it [the story of my life] at first hand, but so incompletely that it has little meaning."?

There is much to think about here. As Patterson says in the Epilogue, "What we may make of this is for each one of us to ponder and work with."

In Ladies of the Rope, William Patrick Patterson brings together the story of Gurdjieff and the women's only group of students he formed in Paris. The telling of this story sheds light on the formation of some of the seeds of influence that Gurdjieff had planted in the West. The group contained some brilliant and influential people mostly involved in the literary world.

Once again, William Patrick Patterson brings together a story which helps the reader understand the teaching that Gurdjieff brought to us.

The fundamental question of this book is, "Why did Gurdjieff create the Rope?" Because the Rope was made up of mostly lesbian women I wondered how or if it fit within spiritual tradition. After the first reading I did not have an idea why Gurdjieff did it. But later, in re-reading, the idea came, that maybe Gurdjieff was conducting an experiment to see if the third sex had the possibility to transform themselves or to get to the point where transformation was possible. So perhaps, this was a test of the Teaching, so to speak.
"Ladies of the Rope" also explores areas of the Teaching that are rarely mentioned elsewhere--the inner animal and the toasts to the Idiots, to name a few. This book also evokes the feminine, the idea and experience of relationship, and has a depth of understanding revealing subtleties that widen the reader's perspective. As most books of the Work are more masculine, this book is a jewel for those interested in this intimate perspective.

I'm so glad I found this book, it's very much like how my poppy (grandfather) used to tell stories.

I'm a criminal defense attorney who represents many Native Americans all around the country. I've purchased this book for years. It is a must read for any new employee in this firm. I have also given it to many of my clients while they are in jail awaiting trial. It's a magnificient book. Mary M. McMahon, criminal defense attorney and author of Once a Warrior.

This book is extremely accessible as if ingrained in human nature. I have no background in indigenous culture and spirituality. I wanted to capture this book and live there. I had to wonder if anything about me was uniquely tuned in to this book and I don't think there was. I had to wonder what kind of effect this book would have as a large scale required reading in families, schools, churches, prisons, cities, the White House, etc. The Lakota way creates a desire to become honor, dignity and peace by being unselfish.

Stories. Lakota stories that tell about morality and virtues---persistence, honor, love, respect, and so forth. We can all benefit from reading these stories. Interesting and enlightening. What more can you ask for? Recommended! boland7214@aol.

I bought this book at a store in Oklahoma City and it was wrapped in packaging. I had already read three of Marshall's books but when I unwrapped it after buying it, my first reaction was it was a mistake to buy it. It was not what I was expecting. Much to my pleasant surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed Marshall's story telling.

I highly recommend anything he writes. I am currently reading his book on Crazy Horse and it is excellent. His book, "Walking with Grandfather" is outstanding.

Marshall is certainly one of the Elders of his tradition and is an accomplished writer and historian. His works are a must read.

...in preparation for my long overdue personal visit to Ireland a number of books including `Last of the Donkey Pilgrims' by Kevin O'Hara (www.kevin-ohara.com) were purchased online through Amazon.com for shipment to the parched distant locale of Doha...another Qatar `Transient', he being a native of Ireland, last 31 August had kindly written an Itinerary of Travel setting off westward from Dublin to Galway, proposing then a sweep about the coastal extremes of Eire on a circuitous route in return to Dublin a fortnight later...

New Zealand born with Great Grandfather Irish ancestry (Co. Tyrone), some years since I had the privilege of living on a long established property in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, created by it's owner `in the manner of England', and on which co-resided an elderly Donkey of much spirited antic, mannerism and personality - an endearing memory remains of that acquaintance in those bygone days, and influenced the choice that the Donkey odyssey would be my final read...my reward was to discover an absorbing chronicle of Kevin's 1979 1800 mile trek around the peripheral coast of Ireland, walking alongside his donkey Missie `Long-Ears' Mickdermott yoked to her cart, and written in 2004, 25 years after the doing...

...an inspired achievement to be applauded, and for me a delight to share the journey by way of an intimately personable published recall of such a grand meander through a land and people of a then traditional lifestyle which soon would substantially fade away into history...Ireland 2008 surpassed my any and every expectation - time and change may have advanced apace since the Nation in attaining EU membership emerged from being a `third world' Country, bringing financial advantage in some quarters and also significantly transforming the landscape and makeup of the populace, but the welcome and essence of the Irish people as acutely portrayed by the innumerable encounters and acquaintances along Kevin O'Hara's wandering way, we found to be very much the same...

...the book and infectious spirit of Missie accompanied us throughout as by car we drove, blessed I must add with only fine weather, our brief excursion along some of the highways and byways that shared partial commonality with the much earlier passage the Donkeyman and his travelling companion together had traipsed many years prior...there were particular moments which brought upon me a quiet smile with vivid memory of what I had read; hearing the call of the Cuckoo at Inishmore and Doolin - boarding the Killimer to Tarbert ferry, then later that same day driving through Abhainn an Ghleanna (running at but a shallow flow) on the road to Slea Head, Missie's obstinant reluctance to go on in chancing upon those two same `obstacles' came to mind...we sought out and had the pleasure of meeting Robert Shannon, mentioned in the book who happily recounted the long ago arrival of Missie in lovely Doolin - affection for Kevin and his roving partner lingers...

...having partaken of the ready welcome, spirit, beauty and abundant joys of Ireland, a return is inevitable - likely to be sooner rather than later I would venture...similarly I am driven to pick up and once more read `Last of the Donkey Pilgrims' - my immense pleasure and appreciation of the Tale at first take will assuredly be all the greater at a second reading, enhanced further by familiarity and insight gained from our recent visit...

Lindsay McLean
Doha, State of Qatar
16 June, 2008

I bought this book on my way out the door on a trip to Ireland, as a friend had recommended it. I read it on the airplane and during quiet moments, and finished it on the way home.
Not only is this book entertaining and well-written, I was amazed by how much I learned about Irish culture and history as I was reading.
It is especially recommended to those traveling to Ireland, but has wide appeal for its insight into human nature, and warm humor.

I enjoy reading about Ireland, and thought this book would be like Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods. The donkey book was much more serious. I liked reading about the different people he encountered, but at times, felt that it was a glossary of names of potential buyers. I did enjoy his time with the travelers. He exemplified the attitudes of the 70's, and I think the book would have been more effective if he had written it 25 years ago. Still, it was a good story.

This is a fun story of a Yank's trip around Ireland with a donkey cart. His trip fulfills his longing to know the land of his forebears, and he wonderfully captures the language and attitudes of the people just before modernity finally arrived full force. Highly recommended!

Kevin's writing draws you into his journey - a remarkable romp around Ireland with a donkey that seems human. I loved it. You could nearly smell the air and see the characters. A magical look at an island that has changed so much in the 25 years since his journey took place. I wanted to be there by his side as he runs into character after character. His book is the next best thing to being there.

I didn't want his journey to end. Alas, time moves on and progress can't be stopped. If only there could be a sequel.

Anyway, it is written in very short, easy to read chapters. Perfect nighttime reading. If you like adventures, humor, self reflection, and interesting characters - read this book. If you have ever been to Ireland and fallen in love with it, this book is a must read. If you live in Ireland now and want a look back at the country as it existed 25 years ago, this book is required reading.

John Muir Law's Guide to hiking in the Sierra Nevada is lush with his artistic renditions of all you might see, and want to identify, as you hike this area. Small enough to carry in your back pack, but chock full of helpful information.

I have at least 10 books specifically on Sierra wildflowers and several field guides. This is the best all-in-one book. It's not too heavy for me to carry on a day hike.

Janice
in the Sierra

This book is stunning!..Beautiful artwork by the author as well as meaningful interpretations of wild life. The author is a gift to natural books as well as his art!

This book is amazing. With all the different species of life.
I'm going to keep it in my car. Some times when we're driving; my husband will say "what kind of bird was that" or "what kind of flower".
It's very imformative and very handy.
Thank you

This field guide is perfect for the hiker and camper or general nature lover who lives near the Sierra Mountain range in central California or who intends to vist that region. The authur has drawn almost all of the animal, flowers,insect and bird life to be found in the Western and eastern Sierra mountain range in beautful color by hand. To identify the various life forms you simply look under the various topies and you no doubt will ID that strange bug or plant. You can trust the author and his work is among the best selling of the genre. This is one of the most readable guides to life in the Sierra's and the artwork is first rate. This little guide is perfect for the rucksack crowd in terms of size and weight. This guide has limited written commitary as the artwork is the key to this field guide. This is a well-designed book, making for effortless page-turning and the writer/artist really get into the detail of the creatures shown. You will enjoy your quick hike much more and will have a dramatic change of atmosphere as you reference the life surrounding you in these mountains of great beauty. I recommend this guide highly.

Ireland has a strange relationship with England. For generations we were part of the British Empire and we still have the echoes of this in the designation "British Isles". Many of our countrymen answered the call to arms in World War I and fought on the side of the British Army, something that is often glossed over in history books. Another thing glossed over is the treatment of the Irish soldier after the 1916 rising.

That's really what this book is about. Willie Dunne is the son of a British Police officer, living in Dublin Castle, born in Ireland to Irish parents but for all intents and purposes a Briton. Too short to become a police man he answers the call to fight for England. This story follows him through the trenches, to return to Ireland and experience some of the 1916 rising and back to the trenches. The 1916 Rising is only a short part of the book but with a big impact to Willie's life when the leaders of the British Army start asking questions about the loyalties of their soldiers.

It's an interesting read, I am glad I picked it up because of Dublin City's One City One Book project.

This is a superbly written and moving novel about the thousands of Irish men who fought in the British Army's Irish Divisions in the Great War and were later largely written out of the histories of both countries. It tells with wonderful pose the story of their sacrifice, immense bravery, and eventual disillusionment through the eyes of a young Dublin Fusilier Willie Dunne. It is a novel that says a lot about Ireland in those years and the Great War in general from the view point of some of those caught up in the tragic events. Its central themes have echoes that can be seen in many of the later the conflicts of the 20th century and those of today.

A truly outstanding novel of the Great War that tells the poignant story of the thousands of ordinary Irish soldiers that fought in that conflict and the over 35,000 that died.

This is an incredible touching book. Millions should read this. It is a cry against the violence of war. President Bush should take notice of this message!

He writes like a poet (which he is) and moves his reader as very few other writers ever have. War is brutal and senseless, and it destroys the hearts of the young men (and women now) who go to strange places to fight it. No one can bring home the sense of the innocent soldier who is loosing his soul more than Sebastian Barry, except perhaps Hemingway. Barry writes about Ireland's heart and the hearts of its young as no other.

Sebastian Barry's Booker shortlisted "A Long Long Way (LLW)" isn't just about the First World War. If it were, there wouldn't have been much of a point to it, since landmark works by Robert Graves, Siegfried Sassoon, Wilfred Own, etc already define the canon of war literature. The accolades that have greeted the publication of LLW have much to do with the fact that Barry offers a fresh perspective of the war experience and the poetic sensibilities he brings to the telling of it.

LLW is about the heartrending confusion and torn loyalities one Willie Dunne of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers fighting for king and country against the Germans experienced when the 1916 Easter uprising erupted that would destroy trust among compatriots, strain family relationships to breaking point and precipitate personal identity crises. It is Willie's ordinariness that generalizes his simple hopes and dreams, making them the symbol of Irish consciousness.

Ironically, despite the many battle scenes of war, terror and destruction common to war stories, restraint and understatement typify Barry's richly poetic prose which spawn fully drawn and utterly memorable characters like the sergeant Christy Moran, Father Buckley, little sister Dolly, and the tragic Jesse Kirwan. Scenes that show little Dolly's unconditional love for her big brother, Willie's father's rejection of his son for siding with the nationalists and committing - in his mind - treason are poignant, though more often heartbreaking. The brutality of Jesse Kirwan's execution and the discovery of a buddy's betrayal that would lead to Willie losing his sweetheart Gretta only heighten the pain that's felt when the knife is driven deeper into the wound.

"A Long Long Way" is a wonderful piece of work, an exceptional book. The subject may seem a little well worn, but Barry doesn't just give it a special spin, he offers a perspective rarely encountered in war literature. Highly recommended.

The way Malachy Murry brings the reader closer to New York and the great history behind the big city is both exceptional and breathtaking. If you have the slightest interest to know anything about New York - this book comes highly recommanded.
In mid-August this year my wife and I had the pleasure of taking the full tour with Circle Line around Manhatten and our tour guide, Mr Murray, made that the most interesting, informative and enjoyable tours we've ever attended.
Thank you,
Janne & Trond, Norway

Visited NY the last of August for the first time. Malachy was the tour guide on the Circle Line boat tour my son and I took around Manhattan. For everyone who thinks history is boring, you will thoroughly enjoy how he gives you a recap of the how's,when's, where's, and why's of NY. This book models the tour talk he gives while you look around at all of the history and famous sights.
It's light reading that leaves you with an education! He published this by himself so enjoy a handmade product full of his humor and unique twist on the Big Apple. Want to know where that phrase came from? This is where to look!

I ordered Malachy Murray's book after meeting him aboard the Circle Line Tour Boat on August 30th on the 4:30 pm tour. He is one of the most interesting people I have ever met. The book itself is truly unique in that it covers information and facts that a person would never know about unless they delved deeper into archives or lived the experience. Worth every penny and much, much more. My trip to NYC began on the Circle Line and will continue for months while reading and rereading "Unique New York"
John P. Hayden

If you ever get to NYC, take the Circle Line Tour and request his tour. He's great! He's funny, informative, serious, inspirational and takes great pride in his city.

We were lucky enough to get on a boat of the NY Circle Line where Malachy Murray held a microphone in his hand - and the attention of his audience as well. He made history come alive, and through his colourful comments on NYC the two hours on that boat went by without a boring minute.
This book is a fabulous way to remember this great tour of Manhattan, providing anecdotes and facts, and all of it in Malachy Murray's unique style.
Well done, Malachy :-)