Bernard Books

All the reviews are right on; this book is wonderful for many reasons. I was compelled to read beyond the end of the story into "Notes on Sources," where, on page 240, I found a paragraph about the Chalmette High School's post-storm video on the St. Bernard Parish school Web site at: www.stbernard.k12.la.us/ Click on "Our Story" in the left panel. It is excellent and will touch you deeply.

A great storyteller with unusual sensitivity to the unique aspects of the a diverse people relates their tales of heroism/survival during the harrowing days of and following Hurricane Katrina.

Seldom do I read a book that I just can't put down, but this book was just that! Except for the bare necessities of living for those 15 hours or so, I just soaked up every page like the proverbial sponge. I live in Louisiana and have experienced several serious hurricanes - in Jena during Audrey in the 50s, then in Baton Rouge for Betsy and Camille in the 60s. Since the 70s, I've lived in the northeast Louisiana Mississippi River Delta and rarely feel much effect from hurricanes except for the increased rains, winds, and tornadoes. We experienced Gustav just this year in a much more catastrophic way than usual. Katrina brought us evacuees that lived with us for 4 months. Therefore, I felt connected to the author's stories about the storm, its devastation and, subsequently, its snails-paced recovery. The personal stories of the peoples' lives in Terrebonne and St. Bernard were gripping, and I could tell the author's commitment and connectedness to the people. Some of his most interesting work was the description of how the lower parishes were settled by the Acadians, Ilenas, and others who remain committed to their homes in that area to this very day. I hear people say, "That place is just uninhabitable....why do they keep going back.....how could they rebuild after what they've gone through." Reading this work of their proud heritage, I can say that I now have a greater understanding of why they go back. It is their home.

Although I knew Ken Wells was a great writer after thoroughly enjoying his novels, this book was a completely different experience. It blew me away--although not literally, as happened to some of the people interviewed for this true account of hurricane Katrina in the parishes where the hurricane hit before New Orleans. The story was gripping, moving, and informative. Wells provides not only the riveting first person accounts of riding out the storm and the slow, subsequent recovery, but much useful background information about the culture of the area, as well as meteorological and political information about contributing causes of the disaster. I truly couldn't stop reading.

Ken Wells can write. Let me repeat this fact. Ken Wells can write. If you like the grittiness of Rick Bragg or the majesty of Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea, you will like this book.

I am a reader, presumably readers of these reviews share this avocation. My greatest joy is what I call being "stopped" while reading a book. By this I mean reading a line so beautiful or thoughtful that I am actually stopped. I am forced to put down the book and let the words pour over me. Again and again Mr. Wells' prose stopped me.

Good Pirates is the story of courageous men and women fighting not only Hurricane Katrina, but for a way of life and a piece of America that most of their fellow countrymen do not even know exists. Wells, born and bred very near these bayous, knows these folks and their land in his soul --- and it shows.

The courage of good pirates like Ricky Robin and the drama of their fight against Hurricane Katrina and what is called modern progress is inspiring. The site of the battleground, essentially the same land where the Battle of New Orleans was fought in 1812, is the swampy end of America where Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico occupy the same space. The land is described by Mr. Wells so beautifully that it is as breathtaking as the book's narrative of the struggle of man versus nature. The following excerpt is an example:

"Uplanders might find the greater landscape monotonous, the way a driver across Kansas might finally declare the endless canvas of golden wheat fields monochromatic. But bayou folk never tire of it., for they divine, in observations steeped in time, how these landscapes shift with the light and the tides and the seasons; how routinely they give up their wonders and their mysteries. Round the right bend in the summer twilight on the road to Delacroix Island and you might catch a bull alligator nosing out to feed, carving a V-shaped ripple on still waters painted by a dying sun. Or you can watch pelicans clowning above schools of cavorting porpoises not a half mile down from Ricky Robin's house, where the MR-GO meets sleepy Bayou La Loutre. Or you might drive the back road to Yscloskey in the fall and be startled by the sudden appearance of a marauding school of redfish in a placid lagoon that looks like it's been there for ten thousand years."

Mr. Wells has been a journalist for over thirty years, including stints at the Miami Herald and the Wall Street Journal. He has lived in Miami, San Francisco and London and now lives and works in the Manhattan area and works for a Conde Naste publication. However, this book proves that you can not take the bayou out of the boy.

Mr. Wells told Terry Gross on NPR's Fresh Air that the recognition that his life growing up on Bayou Black in Louisiana was markedly different than his fellow reporters came while working in his Wall Street Journal office. He realized that because of his bayou roots, he was probably the only person in the room that had ever skinned a possum. This epiphany led him to write his Faulkneresque Catahoula Bayou trilogy of life in south Louisiana

This saga of The Good Pirates of the Forgotten Bayous is compelling; but the real joy is experiencing the writing of Ken Wells.

This is a great book by a great writer, telling a most compelling and inspiring story of real people and a forgotten land.

I absolutely love this tape! Hearing the voices of Kevin Sorbo & Michael Hurst reading the story of Hercules is just wonderful! The only drawback is that Kevin's side of the tape is shorter than Michael's,but I can't really complain about that,since they do such a fantastic job! I just wish it were available on cd somewhere!

I loved getting to know Sorbo and Hurst. They do a splendid job. I am a fan of the show, so this was something I created for pure fun (and charity). I will be re-releasing this project next year with HUDSON LEICK reading the final chapter! It will also include Sorbo's hilarious outtakes!
All in all this is fun for the entire family and educational as well. I am always happy to answer emails regarding the project. Enjoy, Craig Braginsky (Owner, BMP,Ltd.)

An excellent listening of the exploits of Hercules. Kevin Sorbo does a great job reading, but Michael Hurst, who reads the second side, is by far the BEST reader I've ever had the pleasure to listen to!! His Shakespearean training shines through and I would buy anything he reads...a definate MUST for any fan of the series or the legend.

This tape is great fun to listen to, especially, if you are a "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" Fan. My advice: take the tape recorder, dimm the lights, sit back and relax!

Sorbo's reading on Side A is extremely convincing and he could easily charm you or your kids to sleep. But Michael Hurst's voice and enthusiasm on Side B revives you, captures you and won't let go of your imagination until the tape is finished. It's as if you can almost see him in that recording studio, fighting invisible lions while turning the pages of the book.

However, if you think the Enchanted Tales are connected to H:TLJ, you will be disappointed. The story is the classic tale of his 7 labours and for all you Iolausians out there, Iolaus is not Iolaus, but Iole, a young girl. Also the tape is not very long and Side A is only half-played and you are being asked to forwind to the end.

Overall, two enthusiastic thumbs up for Michael Hurst and Kevin Sorbo! With those reading abilities, they can babysit my kids any day!

I bought this cassette through Amazon.com a couple months ago (originally it was going to be a gift!)and have to say it has been a truly enjoyable experience! The buying and the listening! Sorbo and Hurst are fantastic. Kevin's deeply sincere tone is captivating and Michael, on Side B, uses his "Iolaus" accent (American) to read with great enthusiasm, like a master story teller. His segment on the Nemean Lion should NOT be missed by anyone who enjoys listening about Hercules and his labors. By the way, even if you're not interested (in Greek mythology [stories]) these actors and their wonderful voices will MAKE you change your mind. Okay ... so when's the next tape coming out???

It took me awhile to get into this book but it was worth it in the end. Serious book about a very serious issue. Good read and a very deep story.

D.V. Bernard presents a fresh viewpoint of the rising violence and scandal in America in his debut novel, THE LAST DREAM BEFORE DAWN. Twenty years ago, Roland Micheaux's innocence was shattered when his father was executed for heinous crimes. Now, as a successful New York attorney, Roland finds himself face to face with the very thing that he has tried to put behind him. One night in a parking garage his father's persona comes to haunt him as Roland makes a calamitous move that will send his life into a tailspin and cause him to question reality. Roland then meets Jasper Kain, a seer of sorts, who tries to convince him that the world is coming to an end and that madness will take its reign on the city. Kain's prophecies defy rationale, but Roland soon sees that these ideas should not be so easily dismissed.

THE LAST DREAM BEFORE DAWN is a flurry of characters, scenes, and plots, but somehow, Bernard coheres it all together into cerebral fiction that challenges reality and sanity. A distinguished entrance into the literary arena, this novel is splendidly written and brilliantly executed.

Reviewed by CandaceK
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Roland Micheaux is no stranger to violence and holds a secret that he hopes will never be discovered. He is sitting on top of the world working as a successful attorney with a top law firm in New York City. Then one day he commits an unspeakable act and his world is turned upside down; and he is left pondering the question of who and what he has become. Leading him down this path of self-discovery is the unusual and elusive Jasper Kain.

Jasper Kain is a mysterious man who seems to just appear out of no where and feeds on evil and chaos. He is one of the most important characters in this book because he seems to hold some influence over all of the major characters.

Alexander Randolph is a Black Republican and Mayor of New York City. In his mind, he is one of the most important men in the world. Even though he has all of these things going for him, Mayor Randolph is not immune to madness.

The paths of these three men cross continuously throughout the book as each of them is touched by the madness and evil of the world. In reading this book, just when you think things can't get any worse they do. THE LAST DREAM BEFORE DAWN is an unusual book.

Reviewed by Simone A. Hawks
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Stunning. Poetic. Mr. Bernard did not merely "scratch the surface" but more like savagely clawed the surface (smile).

This book exposes or has the reader examine the whys and whats of what we, as humans, do, in all aspects concerning the way we live our lives.

There were times when it got to be to much as I was like "I'm going to read something else as this is too deep even for me," but by saying that it made me want to read more as I became addicted to this book. This book similar and different than when I read "The Darkest Child" was intoxicating.

This book, the characters, all became real and I recognized that this was fiction, but Mr. Bernard wrote this in such a fashion that made it real.

If you want a book that is and will take you on a trip that delves into the human psyche then I stronly recommend "The Last Dream Before Dawn" as it will truly rock YOUR world and have you examine yourself and others more closely.

This book was a great departure, from what I normally read, which is black fiction, based around romantic relationships. These books are more commonly known as "sistagurl" books. This book was written intelligently, and dealt with issues that we can all relate to in society. This book was a page turner, filled with mayhem, suspense, love, hate, violence, peace, and introspection. This novel makes the reader feel as though they are a part of the story, and I hope it will go on to be a best seller.

I think that this book will be a bomb! I work in the bookshop and I know that Werber like a people a lot

This is an in-cre-di-ble story of a group of people, the "thanatonautes" who experience the after-life in stages. There are five stages before the soul can reach heaven, and until then, the sould can come back to the body. What are the five stages, and can they see them all? You will find out if you read this book. So creative, and honestly, we all hope it's true.

Just an amazing theory about heaven.

If you are the kind of person who thinks every religions agree to say the same thing, this book is for you.

Enjoy it.

This book rocks! Get ready for one hell of a ride into the unknown and beyond... and perhaps not that unknown. Don't miss out, READ THIS BOOK! (and if one book isn't enough, vol II just came out... in French for now)

Un livre qui vous épatera à coup sûr. Tout le monde s'est demandé qu'est-ce qui arrive après la mort. Bernard Werber a réussi à partir de livre tels le Livre des Morts Égyptiens à créer une explication à la mort. Vous resterez marqué par ce livre, c'est garanti!!!

À lire du même auteur, la suite "L'empire des Anges" ainsi que la très populaire trilogie des fourmis.

Je vous recommande fortement la lecture de ce livre nouveau genre qui traîte d'un sujet délicat d'une manière intéressante et enrichissante.

This book, by far, hits the nail on the proverbial head. What Alan Greenspan wrote in 1966 (included in this book) is prophetic and sobering. What is unique is for someone to propose a logical, peaceful solution. Until now there have been theories and conjecture on what must occur or which tools are needed for the population to take back their economic freedom. This book shows you the tool and how to use it; a proven system, accepted by the majority of business owners, and fun to use. No academic hypothesis...this text contains the FACTS, the TOOLS and the IMPLEMENTATION. The rest is up to us!

To all my brothers and sisters on this earth as we know it. I truly feel that this book is a must read for everyone that has the ability to spend our so called money of today, that they may get a truly eye opening experience of what is real and not real in our monitary systems of today and protect their future from being stolen out from under them as their land is being stolen as we speak. Bernard is a Maverick and a great man among men.
Blessings Dr. Joseph

Bernard vonNothaus has produced one of the best educational compilations regarding money, and specifically, the use of silver and gold as money.
With essays from luminaries such as Alan Greenspan, and G. Edward Griffin, vonNothaus presents a compelling case that our current monetary system is destined to the predictable busts historically associated with fiat currencies which have been foisted upon societies long past.
As the title states, this book provides a solution.
And the solution simply stated is that our economy can only be salvaged with the re-introduction of a commodity based currency as called for in the U.S. Constitution.
I have read this book three times so far. I am reading it for the fourth time, and I learn something new every time.

Great book I can now see that we need to get back to having our money backed by gold and silver I have used Liberty Dollars in many states and find that many like what it stands for.
http://www.chooney.com/liberty/liberty1.html
Buy this book you wont go wrong one you read it you will want to
use Liberty Dollars also and we all will take back our money one Liberty Dollar at a time

About three years ago, while reading Otto Skinner's 'The Biggest "Tax Loophole" of All', I became aware of the phenomenon known as fractional reserve banking. Why is it a phenomenon? Essentially, fractional reserve banking is the ability to create money out of thin air. Or more accurately, the license to create money out of thin air. Black's Law Dictionary defines "license" as, "The permission by competent authority to do an act which without such permission, would be illegal." But it isn't the people doing this. It is the bankers courtesy of the Federal Reserve Act. People like the Rockefellers, Nelson W. Aldrich, J.P. Morgan and Paul Warburg. This books goes into the details. Fantastic information explaining the history of money, where the national debt comes from, why statists depise gold and silver and suggestions on what you can do about the problem of fiat currency. I, above all things, stopped using Federal Reserve Notes and credit cards and started using the Liberty Dollar. I signed up as an associate two years ago. It has been a fun and informative journey. I also have met Bernard von NotHaus on several occassions.

This is an excellent translation that reads like a smooth novel.

The thing that attracted me to this particular version of the Odyssey by Homer was obviously the translation by T.E. Lawrence (i.e.: T.E Shaw) - yes that Lawrence of Arabia. Apparently he carried a worn copy around for four years on his person and eventually produced this translation of the famous epic adventure. According to various Odyssy scholars this 1930 period translation remains important: "for it was the first translation which succeeded in offering both the spirit and the narrative of the Greek original".

There are a number of things about the book worth noting. The first is the introduction by Lawrence to his work. It is just a four page introduction but it makes one nervous since his writing seems to be in the William F. Buckley style where writers use complicated phrases and words to impress the reader or entertain themselves but make the whole reading experience somewhat opaque. But fortunately that disappears in the translation itself.

The translation is clear and highly readable like a Tom Clancy or Jack London novel or similar. The words just flow along and the 400 pages quickly pass by. It is an interesting and entertaining story and this translation is well executed.

Not being a Greek scholar or similar I found the first 10 pages or so slow going since I was not familiar with all the different Gods - such as Zeuss, Poseidon, etc and how these all came into play. But once that is absorbed, the story is like any other novel - but here of course the ancient tale of the trip by Odysseus home to Ithaca after battles in Troy, and his son Telemachus and his wife Penelope who stayed in Ithaca. It is the epic story of fights with Cyclops, the Goddess Athene, daring sea voyages, great feasts, singing, and many close calls with death.

A superb story that has lasted through the ages.
pixel

This was my first attempt at Homer and I have to say, Mr. Lawrence's translation worked for me.

T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) is an interesting person by his own right, and as the Introduction alludes to, we get his 'voice of experience' atop Homer's sublime poetry. If there is such a phenomena as 'Two birds with one stone,' this would have to be a good candidate for demonstrating same.

I am convinced by my own experience (as out of favor as it may be), that study of the Classics can be a Life Enhancing, and this book was essentially my first foray into this Truism.

Hope you find this review helpful.

T.E. Lawrence (the English officer who brought together the various peoples of the Arabian peninsula against the Ottoman Empire during World War I; better known as Lawrence of Arabia) called the epic poem "The Odyssey" by the Greek poet Homer "the oldest book worth reading for its story, and the first novel of Europe". The tale of King Odysseus, struggling to return to his home of Ithaca and his family after the Trojan War, is one on par with the finest of contemporary fantasy. Combining as it does a sprawling saga of a ten-year adventure with such fabulous creatures as the Cyclops Polyphemus, the hideous man-devouring Scylla, and the lethally-alluring Sirens with many of the gods of the ancient Greek pantheon (Athene, Poseidon, Calypso, Hermes, and others besides), one can even today marvel at its author's imagination and ingenuity. Then too there is the rich humanity of its mortal characters; the cunning Odysseus, his virtuous wife Penelope, his stalwart son Telemachus, the boorish suitors of Penelope, Eurymachus and Antinous, the august king Menelaus, and a great many more. It is a heady mixture. Lawrence's prose translation is written with a lyrical, romantic deftness. It harkens back to the high epic stories of Sir Walter Scott. But Lawrence never minimizes the sometimes brutal craftiness of Odysseus, nor his casual unfaithfulness to his wife, nor yet his still tender yearning for her and his son. And Lawrence glories in the ancient Greek tradition of "manly tales, manfully told", both in the novel itself and in Odysseus's recounting of his journey to his benefactors. Here indeed is a true flavor of those olden times. As wild and magnificent today as it was 2,500 years ago, "The Odyssey", in whatever form it takes, is still a story by which all other tales of fantastic adventure can be measured.

I have read the Odyssey several times in several translations, and this one, by the famed "Lawrence of Arabia" is the best of them all. No other translation that I have read makes this classic more readable and more enjoyable. Some translations plod, and obscure the excitement of the original, this one turns it into a real page-turner. If you've never read Homer and wonder which of the many translations to read, this is the one; I can recommend no other to introduce "newbies" to the classic world of epic fantasy and adventure.

I hesitated in buying this translation of the Odyssey having grown up with verse translations, most notably that of Fitzgerald. A prose translation somehow put me off; it seemed like the very meaning of Homer's words would be rendered into something different. One day, I read about the translation that T. E. Lawrence had made and, intrigued, I decided to read it for myself. I was very glad that I did.

Lawrence made his translation with an eye for the details and color of the text. He claimed that his experiences in the war in Arabia helped him to understand the writer of the Odyssey, and I think this did aid him in his approach to his translation. The introduction to this printing of Lawrence's translation provides an interesting comparison to another widely used prose rendering of the Odyssey, and one can instantly discover how much more vivid and faithful Lawrence is to the original. So, Lawrence's Odyssey is a translation I will return to in my future reading of this classic tale.

My wife needed this book for an Astronomy class. She wanted a book with a two cds and not all marked up. I got it for a good price and it looks like a new book with no extra marks. I am very impressed with the quick delivery time, the ease of ordering and the condition of the book. I was also kept posted on the sent date and anticipated delivery date and it was accurate. This was very much appreciated, especially during the holiday season. Good Job!

I received this book through Amazon way before my class started. I saved quite a few bucks and it came in mint condition.

This book is very thorough and not too grotesquely boring. Accounting textbooks can seem to drag on and on but the information in this book seems to all be relevant and pertinent. There are plenty of review questions and problems at the end of each chapter and the chapters do build on each other well, so the further into the book, the more questions from previous chapters. Some other nice things about this book are the continuation problems that utilize the posting of payroll accounts and ledger pages to further help the student grasp the content.
The CDs included are wonderfully useful, too. There doesn't seem to be a relevance issue with this text as I have experienced with textbooks in the past.

Good book, but the problems in the chapter reviews could be more discriptive as to what answer the want.

I have found this book to be very helpful in gaining a practical understanding in the workings of a Payroll function. This book has helped the entire department which has recently started performing the US payrolls for our organisation. I hope that a listing of courses that currently use this book as a recomemded text is included in its next edition.

I could reduce the number of service calls I perform by over 50% if the pin owners simply followed this manual. The truth is, there isn't any other book that puts pinball repair in layman's terms. How many pinball owners can actually read schematics? How many really do their own circuit board repair? The point I would stress is that all the repairs in the book can be performed by just about anyone, no kind of previous experience necessary. It is truly an outstanding manual and should be required reading for all pinheads, novice or skilled.

This book has step-by-step help for people who have never maintained or repaired a pinball machine. The book has a full section on general repairs, another full section on fixing flippers, and chapters on what to look for when buying a machine, disassembling and setting up the machine, protecting the painted backglass and playing field, checking fuses and checking batteries for leaks.
The book has information about the balls, rubber rings, locks and missing keys, lightbulb types that should not be used, wiring problems, tips for making the machine faster and more fun to play, and where to find parts and game manuals.
This book gathers all this information in one volume, with a separate terminology section that describes the parts and operations of a pinball machine, a lengthy index, and over eighty illustrations. Highly recommended, best guide of its kind.

If you're thinking of purchasing a pinball machine, this book will give you all the guidance you need to making a smart purchase. If you already own a machine, Bear's book will help you make repairs that you never dreamed you could do without a professional repair person. The explanations and drawings are presented for the novice. If you are a professional repair person, you will still probably pick up a tip or two from this book. I have many detailed repair books for pinball but I keep coming back to this one.

I acquired a 1971 Williams Klondike that had almost no maintenance performed on it in almost 25 years. Mr. Kamoroff's layman terms and step by step troubleshooting technics and hints saved me considerable money in returning a dead game into something special again. His simple approach to what may seem a difficult problem coupled with a everyman's writing style made for not only a handy manual but a very good read as well. I recommend this book to anyone who has an old pinball machine and I would not recommend anyone to even consider purchasing one without reading this book first.

I am the editor of GameRoom magazine which covers the world of pinball and all other coin-operated games. "Pinball Machine Care and Maintenance" is a hugely useful guidebook for novice and professional alike. What Kamoroff has accomplished here is the best of both worlds. By explaining the simple things, and offering helpful ideas to the seasoned folk, he's handed the hooby an all-around silverball guide.

This is one of the most incredible pieces of literature in human history, yet is one of the most often overlooked.
Plutarch is not as much a historian as he is a moralist, and it is his examination of the lives of some of the most important historical figures of the ancient world for their moral roots that is so incredibly engaging.
Oddly enough, I was first introduced to the works of Plutarch through the fictional novels of Louis L'Amour, who often has one charcter encouraging another to read various classical authors.
For a interesting peek at the lives and morals of some of history's most intriguing figures, Plutarch is a great place to begin.

First off, let me clarify that what follows is a review of a particular edition of Plutarch's Lives, the current (2001) edition from Modern Library Classics. It is not a review of the book itself and will not provide any information on the relevance of this wonderful classic or the many lives it includes or the ingenious structure of paralleling the lives of Greeks and Romans or the importance of this text to the history of biography. Several other reviews here do a fine job of that and I see no reason to cover the same ground. Moreover, I've noted rather a lot of confusion about this edition in reviews here on Amazon (see particularly the reviews associated with the hardbound Modern Library volumes). I am still researching the Dryden edition, but thought I might offer a few comments to provide clarity and a better understanding of this edition for those whose buying decisions are based on the nature and quality of a particular translation.

"The Dryden Translation" - this unusual phrasing (which appears on the cover) has become the traditional descriptor for this version of the Lives. In fact, Dryden is not, properly speaking, the translator of this book. In one article in Wikipedia he is described as an overseer for the edition and in another as editor-in-chief, but he is also described as having simply "lent" his name to the enterprise. I am still researching this, but I should not be surprised if Jacob Tonson, the publisher, was not more involved in editing than was Dryden. [Update: My research to date has been inconclusive on the full nature of Dryden's role in this undertaking, but none of the more detailed resources I have turned to suggest that Dryden actually participated in this book as a "translator." Very possibly, this is one of those many little facts of history that have gone unrecorded and for which we shall have to content ourselves with the conjecture of scholarly experts. What is most surprising, however, is how often Dryden is given as the translator of this volume in various less detailed references to the book. Encyclopedia Britannica, for example, has Dryden as the translator; Wikipedia, much to my surprise, does not -- what can I say? sometimes the amateurs outdo the professionals.]

Dryden's primary involvement in the project seems to have been his "Life of Plutarch" which is included in this edition only by way of a two short excerpts in Clough's Preface.

Arthur Hugh Clough's Preface and Revisions - Clough was a nineteenth century poet. Clough's preface was, for me, a major reason I became interested in the Modern Library edition. I found the preface quite intriguing. It is a solid piece of work from an individual who was neither a full time scholar, nor a particularly notable prose writer. In a couple of cases, the argument at the very beginning of the preface for example, he seems to drop his thoughts without fully completing them. But this is a minor problem in an otherwise well thought out and informative discussion of Plutarch and his book.

The text itself - One of the reviewers here on Amazon calls this Clough's "train wreck" assuming that the difficulties in the text must lie with Clough because, concludes the reviewer, Dryden is a much better prose writer. Few would doubt that Dryden was a better prose writer, but I strongly suspect that the translation in this case (not Dryden's as I have already pointed out) was aided by Clough's hand. I am having trouble getting a copy of the original (pre-Clough) "Dryden" translation, although I should very much like to do a comparison. Once Clough's version came out, publishers seem to have had no reason to go back to the original which provides at least some indication that Clough had resolved some of the problems with the text. As a result, the pure "Dryden" editions are older and more expensive.

I find the text quite readable. It is not a "modern" translation (I hate using the word "modern" here because I think of Clough as a modern, perhaps I should say it is not a twentieth or twenty-first century translation). This text is clearly more given to complex clausal structures than we would expect in a popular translation today. I think it more than has its merits. I'm not sure but that the complex clausal structures might not have their own virtue in a text like this. Certainly one of the interesting qualities in Plutarch is a kind of questioning of sources that the syntax of this edition brings out rather nicely. I say that, however, as a non-classicist with little or no Greek, so I cannot be sure whether it really does reflect the original.

Notes - My chief concern with the text would be that it lacks annotation or other textual apparatus beyond an index. This is particularly peculiar given that the cover states that it includes notes by Clough! I am trying to get my hands on an earlier edition of the Clough revision to see what it might contain in the way of notes. Nonetheless, I'm not quite sure what to make of the Modern Library advertising notes on the cover, but providing none. Until I know better what these notes might entail, I'm loath to make any judgment. [Update: I attempted to contact Random House about my concerns but, to my surprise, I could not get them to understand that I was not referring to the notes in the preface, but rather to notes for the text itself! I hate to be too hard on Random House over something like this, notheless, I still feel I should provide some warning to potential buyers. The language on the cover suggests that this book includes Clough's notes. It does not. I have, since I first wrote this, purchased a copy of an early edition with the Clough edits. In all honesty Clough's notes are few and far between, but there is enough of value in them that, in my opinion, at least, they should have been included. And, not to be too snarky, but Clough and Random House deserve editors who understand the difference between textual notes and notes to a preface.]

Introduction by James Atlas - I wish I could speak more highly of the Modern Library introduction, but I am afraid I felt it was lacking on many levels. It fails in anyway to clarify the nature of the translation. One would think that it would at least contain some mention of the relevance of this particular text (why reprint it now?), of the curious assignment of Dryden's name as translator to a book that he did not translate, and of the role that Clough played as a nineteenth century editor of a seventeenth century text.

Additionally, and perhaps most warranting concern, Atlas's introduction covers such similar ground to Clough's Preface (even using many of the same quotations) that it feels rather curiously redundant.

The cover - I cannot close without commenting on the cover. It looks like wallpaper for a nineteenth century classicist's study. And quite honestly, I like it.

I've given the book four stars because I see no reason to visit the sins of this particular edition upon the text as a whole, and the text has plenty of merits both as a translation and as a classic of literature.

Plutarch in his "Lives Of The Noble Grecians And Romans" written around 100 C.E., sheds new light on Greek and Roman history from their Bronze Age beginnings, shrouded in myth, down through Alexander and late Republican Rome. Plutarch is the lens that we use today to view the Greco-Roman past; his work has shaped our perceptions of that world for 2,000 years. Plutarch writes of the rise of Roman Empire while Gibbon uses his scholarship to advance the story to write about its decline. He was a proud Greek that was equally effected by Roman culture, a Delphic priest, a leading Platonist, a moralist, educator and philosopher with a deep commitment as a first rate writer. Being a Roman citizen, Plutarch was afforded the opportunity to become an intimate friend to prominent Roman citizens and a member of the literary elite in the court of Emperor Trajan.

Plutarch's influence and enormous popularity during and after the Renaissance is legendary among classicist. Plutarch's "Lives", served as the sourcebook for Shakespeare's Roman Plays "Julius Caesar", "Antony and Cleopatra" and "Coriolanus". By the way Plutarch is even the only contemporary source of all the biographical information on Cleopatra, whom he writes about in his biographies of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony and Octavian. Thomas Jefferson wrote to his nephew that there were three books every gentleman had to have familiarity with; Plutarch's "Lives", Livy's "History of Rome" and Virgil's Aeneid. In fact all the founding fathers of note had read Plutarch and learned much from his fifty biographies of noble men of Greece and Rome. When Hamilton, Jay and Madison write "The Federalist Papers" they use many examples of good and bad leadership traits that they read in Plutarch's work. His biographies are a great study in human character and what motivates leaders to decide and act the way they do, this masterpiece has proven to be still prescient today.

If you are truly interested in a classical education, put this book on the top of your list! I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in political philosophy, and history.

After having read McCullogh's splendid series on Rome, I turned to this fat, dense book with great expectations. I was not disappointed: the stories are endlessly fascinating, from their basic details on ancient history to the bizarre asides that reveal the pre-Christianised mind-set of the author.

Like all great books, this one can be read on innumerable levels. First, there is the moralising philosophy that is perhaps the principal purpose of the author to advance - each life holds lessons on proper conduct of great and notorious leaders alike. You get Caesar, Perikles, and Alcibiades, and scores of others who are compared and contrasted. Second, there is the content. Plutarch is an invaluable source of data for historians and the curious. Third, there is the reflection of religious and other beliefs of the 1C AD: oracles and omens are respected as are the classical gods. For example, while in Greece, Sulla is reported as having found a satyr, which he attempted unsuccesfully to question for its auguring abilities during his miltary campaign in Greece! It is a wonderful window into the mystery of life and human belief systems. That being said, Plutarch is skeptical of these occurances and both questions their relevance and shows how some shrewd leaders, like Sertorious with his white fawn in Spain, used them to great advantage.

Finally, this is a document that was used for nearly 2000 years in schools as a vital part of classical education - the well-bred person knew all these personalities and stories, which intimately informed their vocabulary and literary references until the beginning of the 20C. That in itself is a wonderful view into what was on people's minds and how they conceived things over the ages. As is well known, Plutarch is the principal source of many of Shakespeare's plays, such as Coriolanus and Julius Caesar. But it was also the source of the now obscure fascination with the rivalry of Marius and Sulla, as depicted in paintings and poetry that we still easily encounter if we are at all interested in art. Thus, this is essential reading for aspiring pedants (like me).

Of course, there are plenty of flaws in the work. It assumes an understanding of much historical detail, and the cases in which I lacked it hugely lessened my enjoyment. At over 320 years old, the translation is also dated and the prose somewhat stilted, and so it took me 300 pages to get used to it. Moreover, strictly speaking, there are many inaccuracies, of which the reader must beware.

Warmly recommended as a great and frequently entertaining historical document.

Plutarchs historic portrayals of the lives of the gretest men in BCE western history, is truly inspiring. From the passionate warrior kings Alexander the Great and Julius Ceasar to the Athenean states men Dion and Draco, the list goes on, each text providing an insight to lives that were lived to the fullest potential.

Robert Fripp's novel/faux memoir has much more multi-layered depth than any of the dozen or more Eleanor books I've read. The characters are richer, the stories and themes have many more angles, and the Eleanor who saw more and aimed higher than the powerful people she played with, really comes through at age 80. It's not the most 'pop' or easy of the books, but it's the richest in its vision, much of it coming from Fripp's journalistic rigour as a former CBC series producer for "The Fifth Estate". He sees very far, in many directions--as did Eleanor.

How captivated I was with "Power of a Woman"!

I found the ruthless nature of the twelfth century shocking, wrought
with not only loveless, but murderous marriages! I understood that
alliances (marriages) were the crucial scaffolding on which the survival
of a clan depended, but I did not realize that royal issue became
betrothed as infants, and that the female of the match went to live with
future in-laws in order to be more completely absorbed into the social
intricacies of that clan. Simply, the toddler was held hostage in the
face of present and future intrigues. Shocking indeed.

What particularly fascinated me in this telling saga of noble, military
and religious life during the Middle Ages was the description of how
Eleanor developed her own spin on Chivalrous Love. What a creative way
of compromising three conflicting demands: an individual's yearning for
love and intimate recognition, the passionate and artful culture of
courtship and restraint, and the absolute necessity of loveless,
politically-sanctioned marriage.

I enjoyed the book immensely, and am astonished that the author was able
to write from inside such a particular, feminine persona as Eleanor of
Aquitaine. I was immediately hijacked by the voice of Eleanor, and
became a willing victim of her extraordinary prowess. What a dame!

"Power of a Woman" brings us an "autobiography" of Eleanor of Aquitaine that is accessible and entertaining! Eleanor was Medieval Europe's most interesting woman. In an age when women were considered a necessary evil, and expected to bear sons and be quiet, she defied tradition. She married two of the most powerful men in Europe, and birthed several more. She went on Crusade. She ruled vast territories. She created a definition of love that survives to this day. Telling her story in Eleanor's voice, Robert Fripp shows us Medieval Europe through her eyes: Crusades, wars, enmities, alliances, eternal subterfuge. Fripp's vision brings the very stones and glass of cathedrals and castles to life. History becomes a tapestry which Eleanor works, stitch by stitch. At eighty-one, she hasn't much time. We feel her urgency, the ache in her knees, the chill in her bones. Will she finish before she dies? Her sorrow of lost love, lost children, lost time is as real as the triumphs of her extraordinary life. Eleanor emerges as a woman of great wisdom, dearly won. A real woman, with a strong sense of her place in this life and the next. What a great read! This is so gripping. I got so totally caught up in this story one night that I woke up with images of Eleanor in my mind, and Kate Hepburn's voice in my ear. I love this story."

"Power Of A Woman" is gripping in its wealth of detail. It makes me feel like I am in the midst of all the action. Of all the books I have read, this is the only one that makes me experience what it must have felt like to have lived during those troublesome and exciting times. Such a wonderful and exciting book! "Power Of A Woman" is more than just a book, it bring the people to life in a fresh, new way and contains a wealth of exciting information on its people and the times in which they lived. I highly recommened it to all who want a historically accurate book!

Lady Shirley Cassidy
Dublin, Ireland

Reading this book aloud to my legally blind companion was
immensely fun and educational. We gained many details of Eleanor of Aquitaine's life which I feel other biographers missed, especially her deeply personal feelings around Thomas Beckett. We are brought to ponder Eleanor's emotions in many various contexts. I loved how [the author
explains] her relationship with Richard the Lion. And all so vividly expressed from the mouth of a very wise and passionate woman!

Through diligent research, and artful pen, Robert Fripp brings
Eleanor of Aquitaine to life. I am absolutely amazed at his stunning ability to know the heart of a woman.