Washington Books

Once you get past the strange layout (described in other sections), this is a great edition of Henry V. It is easy and fun to read and offers valuable insights (not just for students either). Well worth a flutter.

This play is best known for the St. Crispian's Day "Band of Brothers" speech given by King Henry just before the battle at Agincourt. It is a powerful speech that rallies people at all times and everywhere. Sir Lawrence Olivier made a film version in 1944 during WWII and Kenneth Branagh made another as recently as 1989. You can count on there being more versions. Epecially so when computers can help them make spectacular battle scenes (that aren't really in the play) with less expense.

Audiences love this play and they should. There is a lot to like and enjoy. I think upon repeated readings Henry becomes a more equivocal character than he seems at first. And readers of the King Henry IV plays will know him before he became King Henry and know something deeper about his personality.

And of course there is the whole bit about the drive to France being sponsored by the Church to avoid confiscation of property by the Crown. Moreover, there is the slaughtering of the French prisoners, and his treatment of Falstaff (who dies offstage in this play). This isn't revisionist stuff, it is right there in the play, but it is easy to miss the first time you are trying to take in the play.

In any case, this Arden edition is the one to buy and read from. Why? Because it has the most authoritative text, but that is only the beginning. It also shows variants between the early sources. The notes at the bottom of each page of the play are simply fabulous. The editor includes not only helpful notes explaining what might be obscure in the text of the play, he provides sources Shakespeare probably used such as Holinshed and makes for some very interesting study. There are also some helpful notes on how various scenes have been performed over time.

And to make this sound more like an infomercial, you get more! The introduction provides great background material on the play, its sources, and how it has been performed throughout history. After the play, there is a photo reproduction of the first Quarto from 1600 and it is fairly readable. There are also a couple of maps showing the path of the English Army from Harfleur through other towns on its way to Calais and makes clear how they had to pass through Agincourt.

There is also a helpful genealogical table so you can see the confusing claims used by Henry and the French nobility to make their claims. And there is a doubling chart so you can see how theater companies can perform all the roles with fewer actors.

This is a great edition as are all the plays published by the Arden Shakespeare. The amount of work collected in these volumes is stunning and they will enrich your experience of the plays tremendously. I can't recommend them enough.

This play more than any others in the histories glorifies Englishmen and England. His characters in this one are larger than life, but each has their own limitations and flaws. The play covers the time of the Battle of Agincourt when the French King Charles was so sure of victory that he sent a messenger to Henry to ask him to give up and to pay a ransom before the battle. On the eve of the Battle of Agincourt, the English were outnumbered five to one, Henry's troops were on foreign soil and riddled with disease. The scenes where Henry dons a disguise and goes out amongst his troops to bolster their confidence are great. The English managed to triumph in this battle where all was stacked against them mostly because of Henry's leadership. This is such a sweeping story that it is hard to condense in a few words, the plot of the play, but it is a wonderful example of Shakespeare's skills as a writer.

'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.' What more need I say? Henry V is an imortal classic of western literature. And this edition is complete and accurate. See the film if you want, but be sure to read the words at least once. They are inspiring.

"Now, if these men do not die well, it will be a black matter for the King that led them to it."

Particularly poignant poetry in these times of pompous presidential sabre rattling and wars based on questionable facts.

What can I say!!!Another great Dear America Book!!Their becoming addicting.As Kathleen Bowen lives with a topsy-turvy life you can see the real life features of Life in Washington D.C. 1917.Great book for anyone who is as addicted to the Dear America Series as I am!!

I have read many books in the dear America series and this one is one of my favorites. I liked it because in addition to being well written it's also exciting. Not only does Kathleen Bowen's mother Join the picket line and get arrested, but America also joins the first World War. Kathleen's sister and cousin leave to become nurses in Europe on the front. So not only was the book fun to read, but I also learned a lot about the suffrage movement.

Kat Bowen is living in Washington D.C. during the woman's fight for the vote. Her own mother is among the woman picketing outside the White House Kat writes down her own views and opinions during this time. She supports her mother but at the same time worries about her mother. Especially after Kat sees how women picketing are being treated. She also witnesses trouble in her family when her uncle is so against the picketing and noting of women voting to the point it almost ruins the marriage of her aunt and uncle. Its amazing how badly picketers were treated and at the same time the women who did picket and go through the hunger strikes and horrible time in jail they were all so brave. An excellent book.

Kat Bowen is a thirteen year old Washingtonian girl. Her family is generally wealthy, and she has a s many friends as she could need. Her cousin is her best friend, Alma, and her father is a well known and widely respected physician. But when the first World War and the women sufferage in her own home city begin to take the spotlight in her life, Kat finds herself being pulled deeper in with each day. Her mother decides to become a sufferagete, and her father supports her.
But Kat's uncle, Alma's father, is outraged, and refuses to allow the womenin her family to participate. Kat decides to help her mother sew banners for the suffragete movement, and do other deeds to help the women.
Real characters are incorperated into the book, which is one of the reasons as to why it is such a good historical reference. Another success in the Dear America Series.

A Time for Courage by Kathryn Lasky is one of my all-time favorite books in the Dear America historical fiction series. It is not particularly my favorite era of American history, but it is so well-written and interesting you just fall right in.
Kathleen Bowen's mother, aunt, older sister, and best friend's mother are all deeply involved in women's suffrage and equality rights, living in Washington D.C., 1917. Kathleen's father does not approve only because he worries for his wife's safety---many women have been arrested and beaten by police for protesting outside the White House. Yet Kathleen's friend's father disapproves of his wife's antics because he is a bit of a sexist. Soon, Kathleen becomes involved with the rights of women everywhere, just like her sisters and mother.
This timeless addition in Dear America will please all, and I promise you shall not be able to put it down. All the protagonists are extremely likable, and this book is just indescribably great. I just can't put it to words. READ IT!

All Aunt Hagar's Children is a collection of short stories by Washington D.C. native Edward P. Jones, it is his third book and the first since winning the Pulitzer Prize for The Known World (2003). The stories are about black Americans in Washington D.C. during the 20th century. Each story revolves around family, society and self, detailing experiences emblematic of southern blacks who migrated to northern cities from rural roots: some found salvation and others a living hell. In all the stories there are transformative turning points in peoples lives. As Jones shows, they are often not conscious of what happened - life-altering events can happen in the course of the banal every-day, setting in motion life patterns that can be hard to break when it's forgotten or not noticed how it started. In some cases the patterns are passed down unconsciously generation to generation - like the devil, cycles of violence, poverty, addiction, sickness and ignorance stalk many of the characters for seemingly mysterious reasons, bordering on the mystic in some stories.

The stories are beautifully original, Jones employs authentic southern expressions creating a time capsule reverberating with fading folkways. Like the characters he writes about, Jones grew up poor in Washington. He had a strong mother - whom he dedicates the book too - and it contains many of her colloquial sayings. This is not a book to be read quickly, like the pace of southern culture, each sentence demands respect for plot structure, character development and the unique southern way of putting words together. I read this hoping to learn more about the black culture of Washington (and Baltimore up the road) and was not disappointed, but what an extra treat to have a world-class writer with a deep sense of humanity, empathy (and sometimes sly humor) show the way.

This author has done it again with brilliant illustrations of a city and families that touch the core of our compassion. No wonder he won the Pulitzer-he is amazing, and this is an amazing piece of work with suspenseful endings quite similar to Toni Morrison.

In his highly-acclaimed volume of 14 stories, "All Aunt Hagar's Children", Edward P. Jones draws portraits of African Americans who have migrated from the South to Washington D.C. The stories are set from around the beginning of the 20th Century to the present day. The stories describe many types of people from young children to old men and women and from the poor and illiterate to the highly educated. They speak of loneliness and change, of the frustration, sexual and otherwise, that results from moving to a new urban place, of criminality and drugs, and of education. The stories are short but deeply textured, as in tapestries(the title of the final story). Characters, histories and sub-themes are realized in brief spaces.

The writing style in these stories is a major factor in their success. All but two of the stories are told in the third person by an all-knowing narrator. (The exceptions are "Spanish in the Morning" told in the voice of a precocious young girl and the title story "All Aunt Hagar's Children told in the voice of a young Korean War veteran who hopes to move to Alaska in search of fortune and women.) The writing is full of Biblical allusions. Hagar, of course, was the concubine of the patriarch Abraham who was sent into the desert after she mocked the childlesness of Sarah who then became jealous of her. God spared Hagar and her childen. The figure of Hagar is used her for the outsider and the outcast -- symbolizing the lives of the African American characters of the stories. The language of the stories in its richness, difficulty, and frequent elliptical character, particularly in its repetition and in its use of names, also owes a great deal to the Old Testament. There is also much in the stories that reminds me of the African American preacher of Jame's Weldon Johnson's poem "God's Trombones". The rich, narrative voice of the stories is complemented by the contrasting voice of many of the characters with its slang, dialect, and frequent use of obscenity.

The stories develop character and place. Jones shows the reader a Washington D.C separate from the world of national politics familiar to most Americans. I have lived in Washington D.C. for many years. Jones's depictions of neighborhoods, streets, landmarks, stores, and people had a deep sense of familiarity. They also helped me see the familiar aspects of my city in a new way. The characters are true and believable in their many responses to living in Washington.

The stories I especially enjoyed included the first story "In the Blink of God's Eye" and the final story "Tapestries". Both these stories are set both in the rural South and in Washington, D.C., the former at the turn of the 20th Century and the latter in the 1930s. They both show the difficulties young married couples encounter with the change of place.

The story "Old Boys Old Girls" describes the life of a young man who spends years in Lorton prison and his attempt to make a life for himself when he is released. Jones contrasts the life of his down-and-out protagonist with the lives of his wealthy and successful family. "A Poor Guatamalean Dreams of a Downtown in Peru" tells of a young poor girl who achieves great academic success but whose life has otherwise been filled with catastrophe and loss. "All Aunt Hagar's Children" is a complex story filled with themes of womanizing, murder, family, and wanderlust. It is a compelling portrait of African American life in the Washington D.C. of the early 1950s and it touches briefly as well upon African American -- Jewish relations.

My two favorite stories were "Root Worker" and "Bad Neighbors" both of which explore themes of the search for love and finding it in unexpected places. The main character in "Root Worker" is a young successful woman doctor who gives up a planned vacation to travel South to consult a root doctor for what ails her mother. In the process, she learns a great deal about herself. "Bad Neighbors" tells the story of a large, poor family that rents a home in a middle-class black neighborhood where they are shunned and feared by their more successful neighbors. There are many turns as the story progresses, as the main character, a young woman who has become a nurse, gains a deeper understanding of people, status, and love.

Jones' stories depict African American life in a loving, involved manner but without polemicizing or blatant social criticism. They are rooted in African American life but, in their treatment of love, sexuality, change, and character speak universally as well. The stories are dense and thoughtful and will reward careful reading. I am pleased that many of my fellow Amazon reviewers have enjoyed this outstanding book and written insightfully about it.

Robin Friedman

In his second book of short stories, Edward P. Jones does a wonderful job of chronicling the African-American experience in All Aunt Hagar' Children. Just as Lost in the City did, Jones brings to life a city that is hardly ever written about, Washington, D.C., and uses fourteen tales to describe circumstances that include life inside of homes full of love, and those without and those that are wealthy and those that are struggling.

Jones' depictions are as real as it gets, thoroughly describing life for Blacks fleeing an angry South to a new beginning in their first experience of living an "urban" American life from the early 1900's all the way to the mid-twentieth century and the loneliness it may sometimes bring. For example, "In the Blink of God's Eye" is about a newlywed couple that moves from Virginia to Washington, D.C. From the way Jones writes, the reader would assume that the couple traveled all the way to Washington State, because that is just how much home was missed for the young bride and how far away it seemed to her. In the title story, "All Aunt Hagar's Children", a hopeless young man aspires to go to Alaska to hunt for gold but in the meantime, spends his days helping a neighbor solve the mystery of how her son was murdered while also dodging an ex-girlfriend that he perceives to be angry.

Overall, this reader really enjoyed Jones' ability to tell a story but at times, wanted it to be longer and did not feel that the short story version could give these stories justice. At other times, the story was just long enough to get to know the characters and get a meaning out of the story that could resonate. Avid readers of Edward P. Jones will definitely want to add this collection to their libraries and will pick their favorites within All Aunt Hagar's Children.

Reviewed by Lena Willis
APOOO BookClub

In All Aunt Hagar's Children, Edward Jones once again showers us with prose that is both concise and metaphoric. He is truly one of the great writers of our new century. His stories capture the intricacies of living in our complex and strife-torn world with true humanity and humility. For me, his strongest metaphor comes from the last story - the metaphor of a tapestry. It takes many years to create and is full of innumerable details, yet it produces a work that last for many years and enlightens many other lives. What a wonderful image and a challenge for us to live into. In All Aunt Hagar's Children, Jones has surely presented us with a tapestry that will live for years and enlighten lives.

As I read through the pages of this book, the war in the heavenlies between the Kingdom of God and the forces of darkness became even more real to me. This book provides insight into spiritual warfare that has to be unprecedented. Although it is fiction, it is still fact based. It's based on the word of God, the Holy Bible, and Brother Humphrey put a Holy Spirit inspired spin on it that should cause every person to understand how real Satan and his kingdom are. More importantly, it demonstrates the awesome power of God and proves that if we are on the Lord's side and He is for us, we are victorious over the works of the enemy in our lives. If there is the slightest propensity in the sinner to forsake the things of this world and live for God, this book will push them over into a place of total surrender to Him. In addition, it will frighten the believer into selling out to God totally and completely. I highly recommend purchasing this book because it is a true blessing. I thank God for Divinely placing it in my hands.

This book was TOTALLY AWESOME!!! I couldn't put the book down! (even almost got fired for bringing it on the sales floor!)I can't believe how great the book was. I can't wait to see if there is a second part continuing the search for the rapist! This is a book if you have any doubts about, just pick it up and read it, you will love it! An amazing story with a great ending!!

When Virginia Sills is found stabbed and raped in a dark alley, no one can possibly guess how twisted her story really is. Not even Virginia knows. On the verge of death, her Guardian Angel, Mahatiel, attempts to force her back into the land of the living. Ever stubborn, Virginia balks at every turn, endangering her soul and Mahatiel's life as the forces of evil gather to snatch her to themselves. Marcellus Grimes, an arrogant detective, is assigned to find Virginia's rapist. He has no idea of the darkness he will enter while on the search. Want-to-be detective Darrell, who takes a lot of abuse and ridicule from Marcellus, sees clues that Marcellus doesn't and he determines that he will find Virginia's abuser on his own and the race is on.

IN DARK THINGS David M. Humphrey, Sr. spins a tale of heaven and hell, of good vs. bad, God vs. Satan. He covers the fall of Lucifer from grace and the birth of all Lucifer's dark demons. He shows us the trials that Guardian Angels have as they try to protect their human charges. The book encourages the reader to listen to that voice that is telling us what to do: it could be God talking to us. It was an interesting story with a Christian message. In some places, it got just a bit preachy which slowed the action down. It was certainly an interesting story on the relationship of God, Satan and human beings.

Reviewed by Alice Holman
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Wow, what a gripping book, providing insight to the spiritual world. Through a fictional and gripping story, you are also taught and realize how little the everyday material world means in God's grand scheme of things, and how wonderful and powerful God is. Through his Son, Jesus, he has bestowed this power on us to use against the principalities of darkness.

Great read! I was glued to the pages as the lives were protected and saved by mighty angels and deceived and ruined as puppets by mighty the dark-things.
David's vision of Satan creating "Death" was awesome, I was in the lab, frozen as the plot unfolded and transformed the unwitting demon into Death it self. keep writing and your gift will make room for itself.

And keep praying the enemies/dark-things are not pleased when someone turns on the light.

The young Hal and his instructor in the art of living the good life , Falstaff cavort through the first half of Henry IV as if life were going to be one long , irresponsible entertainment. The dramatic transformation of all of this , and Hal's casting off of Falstaff, and moving to kingly responsibility will come in the Henry IV Part II.
What is present here throughout is the tremendous richness of Shakespeare's imagination in his creation of character, and inventiveness in language , in his ability to create so many different moods and feelings.
'Falstaff' is one of Shakespeare's most beloved characters, and one of the great figures in the Comedy of world literature.
Enjoy.

This is the play where the Percy rebellion begins and centers around the Achilles-like Hotspur. Eventually, Hotspur (Henry Percy) and Prince Hal (Henry Monmouth - later Henry V) battle in single combat.

We also get to see the contrast between these young men in temperament and character. King Henry wishes his son were more like Hotspur. Prince Hal realizes his own weaknesses and seems to try to assure himself (and us) that when the time comes he will change and all his youthful foolishness will be forgotten. Wouldn't that be a luxury we wish we could all have afforded when we were young?

Of course, Prince Hal's guide through the world of the cutpurse and highwayman is the Lord of Misrule, the incomparable Falstaff. His wit and gut are featured in full. When Prince Hal and Poins double-cross Falstaff & company, the follow on scenes are funny, but full of consequence even into the next play.

But, you certainly don't need me to tell you anything about Shakespeare. Like millions of other folks, I am in love with the writing. However, as all of us who read Shakespeare know, it isn't a simple issue. Most of us need help in understanding the text. There are many plays on words, many words no longer current in English and, besides, Shakespeare's vocabulary is richer than almost everyone else's who ever lived. There is also the issue of historical context, and the variations of text since the plays were never published in their author's lifetime.

For those of us who need that help and want to dig a bit deeper, the Arden editions of Shakespeare are just wonderful.

-Before the text of the play we get very readable and helpful essays discussing the sources and themes and other important issues about the play.

-In the text of the play we get as authoritative a text as exists with helpful notes about textual variations in other sources. We also get many many footnotes explaining unusual words or word plays or thematic points that would likely not be known by us reading in the 21st century.

-After the text we get excerpts from likely source materials used by Shakespeare and more background material to help us enrich our understanding and enjoyment of the play.

However, these extras are only available in the individual editions. If you buy the "Complete Plays" you get text and notes, but not the before and after material which add so much! Plus, the individual editions are easier to read from and handier to carry around.

I am actually reviewing both Parts One and Two with this since they should be read together.The reason why I enjoyed these plays so much is because we see Falstaff in both of them. He is my favourite Shakespearean character - big, bawdy, rough, a liar and a cheat, but again we know what he is right from the beginning, and Shakespeare keeps him so true to character. These plays are a bit different from some of the other histories. There are more comedic parts in them for one thing. The plays are certainly used as a medium for introducing young Hal (who will become King Henry V). We see him as a young man, and watch him grow and see the influences that his society and the people in it have on his development. He doesn't appear to be growing up well according to his father because he is so irresponsible. King Henry IV was not England's strongest ruler. He was haunted by his guilt over the death of his predecessor, King Richard II. In Part Two, comedy still plays a big role, and we still see Falstaff's influence on young Hal until the shocking moment of Falstaff's death. The best part about Part Two though is the deathbed scene between old King Henry IV and his son Prince Henry. The play leads us to "King Henry V". Prince Hal does finally grow up and he becomes a very strong leader. Actually King Henry Iv, Parts one and two should be read before King Henry V. It is the correct sequence and we see Prince Hal grow and mature.

Henry IV remains one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, even though the tragedies and comedies get far more attention and seeming appreciation than do the histories. As an English major, I examined Henry's (Hal's) character, and I focused on his development from a somewhat foolhardy young man into a self-assured, even manipulative prince. It is hard to say which of these Hal truly is, or if he is a little bit of both.

At the beginning of the play, Hal spends his free time cavorting around with his friend Falstaff (who provides all of the laughs in the play and is cited as one of the best comic characters in all literature). In the first act we already see hints in Hal's sololiquy that he may not be as carefree as we are led to believe, and that he might betray friends like Falstaff to be the prince that he is expected to be. Read on in "Henry V" to see just how much of a polished politician Hal becomes--his battle cries and his "once more unto the breech, dear friends" is masterful in its persuasiveness and ability to induce his countrymen to fight.

Hotspur serves as a nice counterpoint to Hal in "Henry IV." Hotspur is the hothead and Hal makes his decisions calmly and rationally. This almost inhuman rationality comes into play again in "Henry V" and makes you long for the seemingly carefree Hal.

All in all, "Henry IV" is a great read and quite an interesting character study--I highly recommend it!

In Part One of Shakespeare's "Henry IV," the titular king tries to defend his throne from a rebel army led by the hotheaded Hotspur, who has a long list of grievances about the king's treatment of his family, the Percys. Hotspur has allied himself with several principal figures including his uncle the Earl of Worcester, his brother-in-law Mortimer the Earl of March, Lord Douglas the Scot, and Owen Glendower, a Welsh chieftain with a vivid mystical imagination -- he is so egotistical that he insists an earthquake that occurred the day of his birth was a divine proclamation of his importance -- and a desire to usurp all of Wales from the king.

While he is preparing for war against the rebels, Henry IV laments that his own son Henry (Hal), the Prince of Wales, is a shameful libertine living the high life in London and consorting with a gang of scurrilous miscreants. Indeed, Prince Hal's idea of fun is robbing people, and his best friend and accomplice in this activity is Sir John Falstaff, who turns out to be not Hal's peer but a middle-aged man. In a character transformation of an abruptness that can only be described as magical, Hal becomes a serious young man determined loyally to defend his father's kingship from Hotspur's assault after he receives an earnest lecture from his father about the dangers of acting irresponsibly as a public figure.

Not enough can be said about Falstaff, who is undoubtedly one of the most richly realized characters in literature. He is fat, lazy, cowardly, yet boastful, but not in the same way Owen Glendower is -- Owen really believes what he says; Falstaff is just trying to make himself look better than he actually is, but fools nobody because he prevaricates and embellishes without bothering to remember his previous lies for the sake of consistency. You probably know somebody like this in real life -- especially if you're ten years old. Falstaff's piquancy, in fact, so outweighs the stature of the other characters that his absence is sorely felt in the scenes in which he does not appear.

Most of all, Part One of "Henry IV" is a play of contrasts personified by Prince Hal and Hotspur, who incidentally is also named Henry. In their confrontation on the battlefield, it seems unlikely that Hal, who wasted many of his best days living as a rake, could conquer a seasoned warrior like Hotspur in a swordfight. But there wouldn't be much of a tale to tell if not to show Hal triumphing after his resolution to change his weak habits, and the play ends with the conviction that, despite his past mistakes, he would make a noble king himself.

A beautifull written series of stories of life. An excellent book.

I became a fan of Richard McCann's writing when I read his story "My Mother's Clothes: The School of Beauty and Shame" in the April 1986 issue of The Atlantic (still on my shelf). Since then I've eagerly read his poetry, essays, and fiction, and am ecstatic to find him at the height (thus far) of his literary genius in his collection of linked stories, MOTHER OF SORROWS. Were it not for the high art he brings to bear on profound human dilemmas--family relations, psychosexuality, societal pressures, desire itself--these stories would be unbearable in their heartbreaking poignancy. Fortunately, he transcends pain with his uncommon sensibility and gorgeous prose, deepening the reader's insight.

Picked this up at Borders and read it to the end nearly without stopping.

A collection that moves through a man's life - and revolves highly around a life of silence, self dissatisfaction and his 'instinct for survival' - remaining mute, going with the flow no matter the personal cost.

The strong images of his mother and as she fades with age contrast his soft background study of his father. His brother, Davis - someone he keeps at arms length even as he aches to hold him close. And the strange attraction that a person can have for someone so close to them - a need for that person that seems to defy logic and law.

The language is beautiful - and the store feels like an answer to the question, "If you had one day to spend with someone who's gone ... who would it be? What would you do?"

Even the close in its lakeside sunset styling leaves off with a man's voice who seems to have found that it is himself that he missed spending any time with while alive.

Its always good to read a book which comes with a fresh style of writing.
Its so easy to be with the narrator as he begins from his childhood till he becomes an adult and not feel at loss through his aging. The author shows his prowess in this continuity.There is not much about his transition between these ages. But this leap of time analysis is done on his elder brother, summing up what mess he got into.
His constant comparision of him and his brother to Cain and Abel make for a good reading on figurative writing.
In the background, his mother with an on and off appearance and impact and too many stories under her sleeve is an interesting character to know of.

The book is not a cheery one but it is so beautifully written and memorable that it is one that you will want to share with others after you have read it. The author has pieced together short stories from the last fifteen years which provide a cohesive narrative which reads like a novel. The stories are inner reflections from his life, growing up gay and under the spell of his mother and trying to make connections with his brother and father (who dies when the author is eleven). The brother is gay also but their lives are complete opposites - the author, struggling to come to terms with being gay and living in the closet and his brother, openly gay but living an aimless life filled with drugs and misfortunes. The slim volume is a haunting portrait of a fragile family coming to grips with life, love and loss. It is a book that you won't soon forget.

This is a great anthology on Asian American history that's well worth your time to read!

I am a proud owner of the Big Aiiiieee. It is absolutely refreshing to hear from other voices than the popular writers such as Tan, Kingston, and Hwang. Chin certainly has made many great and valid points. Tan, Kingston, and Hwang, together, represent a body of cultural sensationalism against especially 'Asian American' men. I agree with Chin on many points; however, Tan, Kingston, and Hwang are wholly to be blamed.
First of all, the term "Asian American" should be eradicated. I am not an Asian American. I am a Chinese-Vietnamese American, as specific as that. With that in mind, this anthology is mainly composed of Chinese and Japanese-American perspectives. Where are representational voices of Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, and South Asian people (India, Parkistan, Burma).
Secondly, I agree with Mr. Chin that Tan's and Kingston's portrayal of Chinese culture is primitive and backward. Tan's Joy Luck Club contains lot of images that promote cultural sensationalism and exoticism. For example, An Mei's mother cuts her flesh from her arm and dumps them into her grandmother's soup. The non-asian readers will subsequently thrive on this stereotype and apply it for all "Asians." This is like another form of canibalism. Another example of cultural sensationalism is the uncle eating live, jumping shrimps with his chopsticks (or Did I miss something?). As for Kingston, the Woman Warrior clearly was written with an intention as a feminist piece. Because there is no greatly equal novel to dispute its exaggerated feminism, mainstream readers take this as a true portrayal of Chinese/Asian men -- brutal rapists.
Furthermore and on a positive note, what makes this anthology fresh is the fact that it includes other fresh(not new)but neglected voices such as Louis Chu, John Okana, Monica Sone, Gish Jen, and so on, writers that are not given a fair chance in mainstream publishing.
Finally, I think this is a great anthology. Unfortunately, it does not truly represent me and my Vietnamese American community. What I got from reading this anthology is a sense of freshness as far as perspective is concerned; however, emotionally, I am more identified with Flannery O'connor, Toni Morrison, and Duong Thu Huong.
For those dire fans of Mr. Chin and harsh critics of interracial relationship: He married a caucasian woman, so are some of his colleagues.
Beware of whom you worship!

What gives people like Amy Tan, Maxine Hong Kingston, and David Henry Hwang the right to take my cultural distinctions and cater it to a white audience who want the stereotypical Chinese?! I'm glad Frank Chin exposed these sell-outs in this important book. There are Asians who are far from being these sorts of stereotypes described in the literatures of Tan, Kingston, and Hwang, and these editors prove it. Read this book and you'll find that out yourself.

and I know how much these editors helped my ethnicity in the first Aiiieeeee! These people (Chan, Chin, Inada, and Wong) know their stuff, and they're not ashamed of their cutlure. They are unassimilated, brave, talented, and strong. You would be more proud of your Asian race after reading this book.

Since the publication of this book, it has been criticized for it's "machismo, misogynist" morale. Guess who these criticisms are coming from? White feminists (or those who support them). They cannot look beyond history and textual matter, instead they force and assume their principles and try (and unforunately, they succeeded) to make this a battle of Women's rights. I have read Chin's "Come All Ye Asian American Writers of the Real and of the Fake" and in nowhere is there any misogynistic dictum. Why? Because this isn't a matter of Women's views or MEN'S! It's about history and how it should be interpreted. People like Kingston, Hwang, and Tan want to deconstruct Asian American history. Feminists want to help Kingston's and Tan's deconstructive views by arbitrarily labeling Chin as a misogynist. If Chin or the editors of The Big Aiiieeeee! were misogynist why would they have women writers in this anthology? Just because there aren't that many women writers doesn't mean it's totally and utterly sexist. Could it be because there aren't that many authentic Asian American women writers?! If there are no authentic texts to Asia America, would it hurt to say that stereotypes (or whatever) are actually right?

This book is a great read for anyone interested in climbing Mt. Rainier. It seems targeted for beginner to mid-level climbers, as safety is plainly paramount. Let's not forget, Mike Gauthier is the Head Climbing Ranger at Mt. Rainier. When individuals get in trouble at Mt. Rainier, he very likely will be involved in their rescue.

The first part of the book is information about the mountain and the park. It is well written and easy to read. Even non-climbers will likely find this interesting. The latter part of the book is the actual route decriptions. They are properly brief, but descript enough to make sure the reader will be able to find their way.

This book is unique because the author approaches it as not just someone who has climbed all these routes, but more importantly someone who has been involved in years of rescues. Gauthier obviously has first hand experience climbing routes of all difficulty at Mt. Rainier, but his more valuable lessons have come from the years of rescuing. He has witnessed the mistakes climbers have made, and wisdom from those mistakes is clearly more valueable than uneventful ascents, regardless of how impressive. His writing very much encourages a trip to The Mountain, but at the same time he makes the dangers clear.

This book covers everything from routes (with maps, elevation gain, difficulty) to permit regulations, information on guide services and common mountain practices/courtesy. Definitely recommended, a quick read.

Read the reviews, perused the book and decided to buy 3, one for each of our cabins at Mt. Rainier. We get a lot of climbers, scramblers and hikers to our cabins near Ashford and they love the armchair reading.

I summitted Mt. Rainier in July, 2002, and bought this book beforehand. Pretty good book if you're looking to climb multiple routes on Rainier. Very imformative, and very well written. If you're heading out there to climb this beast, I'd definately recommend this book.

I'm not much of a mountain climber at all...Mount Rainier is one of the very few mountains I've ever stepped foot on. Mike's book was still highly entertaining to read for stories or general infactuation with climbing.

I'd sit on a high ridge somewhere in the park ([First] Borroughs Mountain and Plummer/Pinnacle Peaks are great places for that...) and just compare the pictures with the mountain...the routes are clearly marked and explained including all access trails and possible dangers. It's got a lot of personal and relative stories that, once more, amuse more than climbers alone.

The new edition also covers glaciers by Paul Kennard, the regional fluvial geomorphologist of that area. More medical advice and guide advice too--it covers a good range of Mount Rainier necessary information. It's one of the most (if not the top) personal books on climbing Rainier I've found.

I saw a program on this garden on HGTV but had no idea that there was a book! I was not disappointed. Visually beautiful as is the garden and inspiring for a gardener like myself. I want them to come and work in my garden, but the book will have to do. Like dessert w/o the calories.

I first saw an article on Little and Lewis in a gardening magazine and had to have this book. I was mesmerized by what they had done.

The sculptures, greenery and landscaping are absolutely exquisite. I bought a copy of the book and sent it to a gardener friend of mine and he raved about it, also.

I think this book would appeal to fine arts people who are into gardening--people who want to create their own statuary, garden sculptures and unique landscaping and who need a creative impetus.

This is a wonderful, imformative and very useful book. The service in receiving it was excellent and the condition of the book was perfect.

We actually visited the gardens of Little and Lewis on Bainbridge Island, WA and they are every bit as good as shown in the book. Ordered two books for good measure!

What a wonderful, inspirational book. For the already accomplished gardener, this is a book not so much about "how to", as it is full of the great ideas and very personal vision of the author. Imaginative and full of pictures. I can't imagine a better gift if you have a gardener on your Christmas list.

Berg's work rallies all aspiring authors to the cause of sainthood for Max Perkins...maybe even deification. He tracks Perkins's career vis-a-vis the literary careers of important 20th century American authors. Gives a peek at the largely ignored man behind the curtain...and stands as a monument to his contributions to our literary heritage. A must read for anyone who enjoys books.

Scott Berg's biography of Max Perkins is a warm, sparkling account of America's greatest editor in the prewar period, the midwife for works by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Thomas Wolfe in the twenties and thirties, when big-time publishing converged on New York. Berg's book is cunningly organized: the reader steps at once into the rough and tumble of editorial work at Scribner's, leaving Perkins' early life, marriage, and family to be described in concise digressions taken only after we get another satisfying dollop of publishing history. Unhappily, once Perkins has delivered his discoveries to the public, the rest is mostly about their boozy extravagance (Fitzgerald), bullying ego trips (Hemingway), and petulant indiscipline verging on insanity (Wolfe). So even if, for this reason, you stop two-thirds of the way through, your curiosity about this key figure in modern literary history will be very well satisfied.

This is a wonderfully written book, very informative and inspiring for authors, editors, agents and anyone else involved or interested in publishing. Berg does a terrific and subtle job of painting these larger than life characters, allowing their own letters to speak for them. He shows remarkable restraint and good taste and yet has created a book that is enriching and very difficult to put down. Highly recommended!

Scott Berg has written a wonderful biography on one of the most important men in American literature, Max Perkins. Berg's book is well-written and very entertaining. It is more than a biography of Perkins, it is also a biography of Hemingway, Scott Fiztgerald, and Thomas Wolfe, and a portrait of America during the first half of the 20th century. This is one of those books that I could go on and on about. It is a book that everyone should read.

Max Perkins was the great editor at Scribners who handled quite a few of the finest writers of the twentieth century, F. Scott Fitzgerad, Hemingway, and Thomas Wolfe being especially noteworthy (and dealt with at length in this biography). One might envy such a man with such a job, but Berg makes it clear that having to deal with the likes of these authors was like walking around with a huge millstone around Max's poor neck. His job was endless and thankless (Wolfe actually betrayed him). You see from the many letters quoted that many of them are blatant pleas for money. Saying that Perkins had to coddle some of these authors like children would be putting it mildly. Berg does an admirable job relaying Perkins's life and hard times. Recommended.