Blair Books

this is by far the best book i've read about britpop. it's a must-read for anyone interested in blur, oasis, and elastica, amongst many other british bands. it's very insightful, giving you the full history on many different bands as opposed to just the more popular ones. also discusses the link between british music and tony blair.

I was given this as a Christmas present and finished it within a couple of weeks. Whether you want to debate the whole issue of the link between Tony Blair and Britpop.....there are some links but they're not interconnected. It's true that Tony Blair ( or for the benefit of some Tony B(liar)) used the whole Britpop movement for political gain.....but that's only to be expected. He probably saw it as a calling from the disaffected nation of the youth ( if you've listened to him sometimes, he desperately wants to come across as a messiah ).

However the political aspects always seem to loom in the background. In the 80s, Paul Weller and Billy Bragg popping up as part of the Red Wedge ( horrible name ), which was a sort of Labour tie-in at the time as " Musicians against the Tories " which admittedly is a good idea but never amounts to much in the end. It ended in failure.....just like now when Bruce Springsteen et al rocking to get Kerry in.....see something here musicians don't make much of a difference!

It digs even deeper into Tony Blair's past when he used to be in a band and could do a striking Mick Jagger impersonation.....so no wonder Jagger got knighted! The 90s though was made up of new ideas. As the " baggy" movement died away and was superseded by America's grunge, various musicians ( Suede, Blur, Elastica etc. ) were thinking of something that was anti-grunge, that was gave themselves a British identity, " a sense of who we are " in a way. Steadily as it was built, the music press got more and more excited and had suddenly forgot about it's past politicking and other things and just forget everything and just be happy to be British and so on. To make this all the more clearer, in 1992, Morrissey was scorned upon for waving the Union Jack flag at one of his concerts. Within 3 years you were hailed as god for sleeping in a Union Jack duvet with your soon-to-be wife or play a Union Jack guitar in front of millions......well you get the drift of it. Funnily, the picture of Liam Gallagher and Patsy Kensit lying underneath a Union Jack duvet was to be mocked by an Irish magazine called In Dublin, where they had lookalikes under an Irish quilt. I say funnily, but in some ways it was as grotesque as the real thing. That last bit's not in the book but also it will tell you that most ( if not all ) Americans did not get to see that because, hell, an interview with someone from Seinfeld is far more interesting.

But rewind a little and we find that not only are the music press obsessed but so are the media which means a widespread cultural renaissance is in place. And while the general public are hastily looking for any little tidbit of information from their newspapers, we find that Blur and Oasis, who used to be at least friendly to each other, now go into a full on war for the number 1. The hysteria is palpable and duly enough Blur win and Oasis lose out.

What also should be noted is that there is a growing tapped interest by the Labour Party which started in 1994 and which they have to be seen with the coolest thing on the block. First Blur, then eventually it's Oasis which Noel Gallagher was invited to Number 10 to sip champagne and hobnob with the new prime minister.

And then everything seemed to go sour

With the whole Britpop ideal moving into more paranoid terms what with endless amount of hard drugs it seemed inevitable it would collapse. All the bands in heroin-stooped madness that all the creative juices just seem to curdle up and be spewed out like a really bad hangover. Everybody had moved on. If you were still playing Britpop by then you were sadly laughed at for jumping on the bandwagon while it had no wheels and was about to crash.

And New Labour......well by then perhaps the idea that New Labour wasn't really worth all the hype had dawned on everyone and while there wasn't a case of hopes being dashed but......well they promised more didn't they?

There is a hell of a lot more packed into this book that I'd run out of time and space trying to describe it for you. But to slim this down to an nutshell, to take from the song New Labour used as their party manifesto song from 1997 - D:Ream's Things Can Only Get Better. It was their promise to which the NME replied " Have you ever got the feeling you've been cheated "

This is a book that attempts to cover the music scene in Britain in the 1990s, contrasting the rise and fall of an indigenous rock music movement with the rise of Tony Blair. The author chooses to focus on a group of bands - Oasis, Blur, Suede, Elastica and Menswear - that were all part of the same incestuous group (The lead singer of Elastica went out with both the lead singer of Suede then Blur for instance). The book is full of minute detail - he said, she said about each other, dates and locations for early gigs, chart positions and such like. I can only say that I think only a real fan would be interested in most of this detail - and if you were a dedicated fan you would probably know most of this anyway.

The author's attempt to make links between the rise of Blair and the development (and fall) of Britpop is tenuous. It is true that there was interaction between the Blair camp and bands like Oasis and Blur, but they feel like adjuncts to the story. Yes, Blair and his people co-opted the rise of `Cool Britannia' to their cause, and Britpop was a part of Cool Britannia idea, but the author doesn't make a very strong cause for the association with Blair being a major part for the sell-out, and therefore end, of Britpop. It is as though the author wanted his book to be taken seriously, and thought a book 'just about pop music' wasn't enough, so he threw some politics in.

It has been said that `writing about music is like dancing about architecture' and this book is a good example of that. It didn't make me feel like getting out the Britpop CDs in my collection and giving them a new hearing. Rather, it left me feeling that the people covered were selfish, drugged up self-centred musos that lost all perspective and refused to grow up. I didn't learn much that I didn't already know, and I am not convinced that Britpop was anything special. Rather, I just feel that someone needs to shout `It's only Pop music!'

I actually discussed this book with Britpop fans who lived in England during the 1990s, and had also read the book. They were disappointed too. So i am not sure who this is meant to appeal to - nothing new for the fans, nothing too interesting for those who aren't fans. And the demise of English Rock? Suede, Blur and Oasis still sell out concerts. Doesn't seem like much of a demise

I approached this book with the highest of expectations, and perhaps therein lies the reason for my disappointment. As an historical record of the Britpop years, The Last Party is very thorough - perhaps too anecdotal, to the point where I remember reading most all of the information presented. If you, like me, read Q Magazine with any regularity - to the point of investing in an overseas subscription - during the mid-90s, you will have heard the stories before. To the uninitiated, though, this is a very thorough oeuvre - just not groundbreaking in the least.

I agree with the others here who question the links between the rise of Blair and the rise of Britpop. Blair latched on to the whole Britpop movement after its real high watermark (Oasis at Knebworth) - and before everyone in the world slagged "Be Here Now". But there was really no cause and effect - New Labour may have needed Oasis, but really only as background music for the May 1, 1997 celebrations - and reading this will convince few of any genuine link. The real reason Britpop died have nothing to do with politics - as Britpop itself was fundamentally apolitical - and everything to do with the Spice Girls being mistaken for part of the movement. That, too many drugs, and the seven minute songs on "Be Here Now".

Two stars for me, four for those who approach this book as a tabula rasa and read it simply as biography rather than its abortive attempt at political science. Thus the three overall.

I ran across this book in London in the summer of 2003 right after it had come out. As an Anglophilic purveyor of English Rock music (say that ten times fast!), this book appealed to me from the shelf at least. I took a chance on it, and boy, I wasn't disappointed. For Americans like me who are into English rock, all we know is what we get from the CDs. I lived through 1990's America, while England underwent a cultural shift not seen since 1960's America. You can really experience it in this book, especially if you have listened to all of the great music that came out in that decade (Blur, Suede, Radiohead, Supergrass, Pulp) and avoid the garbage (Oasis, Menswear). Besides in-depth interviews and private photographs from some of the biggest players, you get two feelings from this book: One, the English music scene was really like a gang of friends for the most part (excluding the Brett vs. Damon and Blur vs. Oasis feuds). And two, it was a talentless [...] of a woman in Justine Frischmann who really drove two of the biggest talents of the decade, Brett Anderson and Damon Albarn, to fantastic heights by being the third point in their little love traingle. A fascinating read.

Hunger is never a simple matter in the South and unlike other road food books, this one is not only concerned with what's on the plate, but also with the how and why and by-whose-grace it got there. Yes, you'll find out what you need to know about (and where to get a great taste of) Kentucky beer cheese, Big Bob Gibson coconut pie and great barbecue in Birmingham. But you'll also meet the people who make and eat this food, and learn the history -- some bitter, some sweet -- that lies enticingly behind it. The ability to notice and relate social/political/spirtual undercurrents behing the food of the South is what makes John T. Edge and Southern Belly such great companions both for the road or simply dreaming about it.

This is NOT a cookbook. I bought it based on what I saw on tv. I wish I hadn't.

Southern Belly is to food books what "burnt ends" are to barbecue: chewy, smoky, tender and tasty. John T. Edge understands that food = culture, and he captures the sum of that equation with efficient writing, colorful storytelling, and an obvious affection for his subject matter. It's a nifty travel book that would serve quite nicely as a guide to The South. And it's a well-researched antropological study that traces the history and status of the region's culinary traditions. But mostly it's a love story.

If you love food, if you love America, and especially if you love American food, you'll love Southern Belly.

Anyone searching for cook books should be fascinated with John T.'s food documentary The Southern Belly. If you love the Southern food traditions you'll devour every page and be inclined to jump in your car to search out the source of the marvelous food he describes. Want Southern recipes? Buy Emeril or Justin Wilson. Want to learn more about how food shapes a culture? Read The Southern Belly. You'll savor every delicious word.

I purcahsed this hoping it to be similar to "Backroad Buffets and Country Cafes." Instead, Edge is more intersted in telling annoying stories rather discuss the food of the restaurants he has chosen. The author's style stinks with an obsessive use of alliteration--and how many times can one use "porcine" to describe barbecued hogs? Finally, and especially irritating, is Edge's constant injection of racial commentary on dining in the South in the era of segregation. I did not buy this book to read about defunct cafes that have historical significance in the Civil Rights movement or any other movement. Rather, I bought it as a travel guide for fun dining. If a guidebook is what you want, get O'Briant's book--more restaurants, no prententious babble.

This is the book I have been searching for to answer those unanswered questions. I wondered what happened to the first Floyd (an older gentleman), why Ellie abruptly left after the first season, why Don Knotts left after season Five, etc... This book explains what happened behind-the-scenes.

The book is broken down into sections: The Production, Developing a Cast, Changes in the Cast, Going Out A Winner, and more. It offers up the thoughts of the producers, directors, and cast members including quotes from Andy Griffith and Don Knotts on their take of a situation. It's an informative, easy read that focuses on the development and inner workings. It brings about a certain personal closeness between the reader and cast.

If you're looking for a book strictly centered on the on-screen characters, check out The Andy Griffith Show by Ken Beck and Jim Clark. You'll find out the Floyd(the on-screen character) is married, has a dog named Sam, a son and so on. Everything you wanted to know about the on-screen folks is in that book. However, if you want to know about the real folks and what went on behind-the-scenes, The Andy Griffith Show by Richard Kelly is the book for you.

First published in 1981, Kelly's book was the first of what has become a groaning bookcase of titles devoted to one of television's most beloved sitcoms. To me, it is still one of the most satisfying. Far from being a gushy trivia tome, Kelly's book takes a scholarly look at the factors - casting, production values, writing style, etc. - that have contributed to TAGS enduring popularity. Fans who don't want to think that hard might find the book, shall we say, dry as dust. Others will find it hard to put down.

The insights of principals on both sides of the camera, from Sheldon Leonard and Aaron Ruben on the production end to Andy Griffith, Don Knotts and Jack Dodson on the performance side, are fascinating. The book even includes a working script (season four's "The Sermon for Today") from Griffith's personal collection, which Kelly presents as good illustration of Mayberry's (usually) unhurried pace and the show's character dynamics. He's right, but a more appropriate script to share would have been "Man in a Hurry" (often cited as the series best episode) from season three.

The book closes with summaries of all 249 TAGS episodes, including official script titles, filming sequence and airing order.

All in all, this is a valuable resource for serious TAGS devotees and anyone interested in the nuts and bolts of television production. Those wanting just another feel-good book about the folks of Mayberry had best look elsewhere.

This is the first and still definitive study of the show. It contains extensive interviews with the major stars, directors, and producers from the show. It also contains two full scripts: one never seen or performed before and the other "The Sermon for Today" (NOT "Man in a Hurry" as another "reviewer" appears to think!) Also provides concise summaries of all 249 episodes. A terrific buy and a must read!

This was the first book I ever bought on The Andy Griffith Show. My copy is now dog-eared, with some of the pages almost ready to fall out. I love it!! The comparisons between TAGS and other classic TV shows are a very interesting read, and the two scripts, "Sermon for Today" and the unfilmed "Wandering Minstrel," are the highlight of the book! I could clearly picture the scenes and dialogue in the scripts. If "Wandering Minstrel" had been filmed, it would've been a big hit! Anyway, go buy this book!

I love The Andy Griffith Show, and only want to read books on my favorite show written by authors who love it with the same enthusiasm as I feel. This book read like a term paper -- the writing dry and tedious. The only chapter of real interest? -- one containing the complete script of "Man in a Hurry" just as the actors saw it, and then another script that was never filmed for some unknown reason.

There must be other better tributes to this show. Bypass this one and keep looking.

In her simple guide, the author does an excellant job of helping a teacher prepare for a Bible Study course. This text, written in plain English for even the least experienced facilitator, gives the right tools to accomplish an engaging adult learning experience. Explaining models of study, adult learning needs, successful methods of education, and a Top Ten teaching tip list make this book a must-have in order to creatively step through a Bible Study.

This book is particularly helpful to me as a professional in the church. With responsibility for adult Bible Study, it is often challenging to offer our congregation the materials and programs that meet their needs, and also inspire and encourage them to attend! This book has convinced me that this is a true possibility!

Blair's book places Bible teaching within a theological framework and treats both teacher and student with equal respect, reminding us the best learning experiences occur when healthy interaction is encouraged between teacher and students.

Blair's ideas on how to make the study of the Bible meaningful and relevant are woven into a discussion of learning styles, models of Biblical interpretation, creating an effective learning environment, and building one's own Bible study (without using a published curriculum).

Highly recommended for anyone with interest or responsibility in leading Bible studies, whether connected with a church or for private study.

Christine Eaton Blair provides her reader with a good introduction to varying approaches to teaching the Bible in a Christian setting from a Christian perspective. The subtitle, "A Practical Guide for Adults," should be taken seriously but, perhaps, should have been "A Practical Guide for Teaching Adults." The philosophy and approaches she presents are oriented toward adult learners -- children and youth have different life experiences and educational orientations and will need a different approach.

Blair provides an overview of different goals of teaching the Bible: conversion, identity with Bible people, justice/faith in action, and spiritual growth. She points out that no single teaching approach accomplishes all of those goals--so differing goals necessitate different teaching models.

She provides an overview of adults as learners, stressing that they are not "blank canvases" upon which the teacher may paint. Teaching adults involves enhancing their perspectives, not creating those perspectives. Their life experience and their interests should be respected. In a brief book like this not enough is said, so additional resources may be necessary for the teacher to understand the nature of the adult learner.

Blair presents her own "Five Rs" model of teaching which includes "remembering," "revisiting the text," "reflecting critically," "reinterpreting," and "responding." Although she does not cite Thomas Groome's "Shared Christian Praxis", there are remarkable similarities found in this model.

She addresses different types of teaching: for cognitive, affective, and behavioral learning (my terms, not hers). Then she concludes with a list of tips for teachers.

Blair illustrates her work with examples. There her work seems more oriented towards concerns of mainline denominations rather than more conservative, evangelical denominations. This was not a problem for me, but may be awkward for a more conservative reader.

A minor printing problem is that the title of the fourth chapter found on the right hand page is continued into the fifth chapter. This made scanning the book quickly a problem for me. (But, I really don't need to share my own personal quirks here, do I?) This should be corrected in later printings.

This book should be a good resource for teachers of adult learners in the church and other Christian organizations. It would also make a nice textbook for preparation of Bible teachers. If this is an area of interest, it is worth your time.

This book touches on the surface of providing helpful information, but it is too short and does not provide enough depth to be useful.

This newly published work is a careful, clear, and concise guide to both the art and the science of teaching the Bible to adults. Dr. Blair presents information on the theological basis of biblical interpretaion, current adult learning theory, and educational methodology, in a way that is creative and challenging and, at the same time, readily accessible.
One of Dr. Blair's gifts as a teacher is her skill at synthesizing information and placing it within understandable frameworks. In this book, she creates a synthesis of several sub-disciplines of theology and education, from which she builds a very useable framework for wholistic Bible study that balances intellect and creativity, tradition and innovation. And she does this all in a very compelling way: using imaginative metaphors but without employing unnecessary jargon or needlessly obscure terminology. The result is a very useful and inspiring guide for teaching, evaluating curriculum, and developing one's own methods and techniques to lead adult learners in listening to, reflecting on, and responding to the Word of God.

I need some information on the Blair witch because me and my budds are going to try and find the blair witch. If you have any information other than whats in the books or you have a story to share with me e-mail me at EthanNJ@aol.com Thanks

This book, the fourth in the entertaining and likeable Blair Witch series, is a must read for die-hard Blair Witch fans who MUST read every book in the series. But, regardless, this book is a disappointing read. The Blood Nightmare has little to do with the classic Blair Witch legend and instead focuses on dreams and Native American culture. After reading the previous books, which all focus on the typical aspects of the legend (Elly Kedward, Rustin Parr, the drowning of Eileen Treacle) this book seems completely random and a little out of place in the series. It is also written in third person, while previous books were written in first. There are also several occasions where the book becomes pointless and boring.

On a positive note, the character of Lillith is incredibly likeable and easy to identify with (much easier than her arrogant counterpart). Readers will be drawn into her heartbreaking story of being abandoned by her parents and locked into a mental asylum because of her prophetic dreams. But the few pages that describe Lillith and her story are not enough to save this dry, cliche tale.

If you are a true fan of the series, by all means read this book, but be sure to read The Witch's Daughter, The Dark Room, and The Drowning Ghost first. These books preceeding Blood Nightmare are far better and will convince readers that the series is worthwhile. The Blood Nightmare will drive readers away.

Out of all the books in "The Blair Witch Files" I think this is the worst. I usually find myself very interested in these books, but this book bored me. I don't recommend this one.

Frank Hunter is new to Eldersburg. While driving one night he gets lost and ends up in a town called `Blair'. Frank immediately decides that there is something strange about this town - there are no lights, very few buildings and he can hear a young child crying in the woods. He assumes it is a ghost town until a pale young woman appears. Despite the fact she is obviously human, she ignores him and Frank realises that she is sleepwalking. Soon, other people emerge from the woods, all of whom are walking in their sleep. Frank attempts to communicate with the woman, but just as she `wakes', an old man charges toward them wielding an axe. Abruptly, the inhabitants of the town disappear.

The next day at school, Frank is amazed to recognise some of the people he saw in Blair the previous night. However, no one he speaks to seems to have any recollection of the events that took place, with the exception of Lillith, a purple haired girl who bears a striking resemblance to the woman Frank saw in Blair. She appears terrified of Frank and gives him the cryptic message "You're going to die. And there's nothing anyone can do to save you." As a boy is found dead, Frank and Lillith must work together to discover the truth. Why are these people drawn to Blair, and what is the connection between the woman in Lillith's dream and the Blair Witch herself?

"Blood Nightmare" is the fourth book in the Blair Witch Files series and probably my favourite so far. I have read and enjoyed the previous three books and this one was as good, if not better, as the dream world made it more interesting. The Blair Witch Files are more fun to read than the Point Horror books I have read, and a lot scarier as well! I would recommend it to all teenage horror fans as both creepy and entertaining.

Finally a good Blair Witch book. And this one is REALLY good! Frank Hunter is a cool character. Zoe was cool, too. I wish the other Blair Witch books were this interesting, but they are not. This one had a parallel world, an evil witch and a villain that was really scary. I might read more Blair Witch books, but only if they are as good as this was.

I laughed so much during the second part of this book. A young man runs 20 some miles through the forest holding onto a pig's tail with one hand and a hatchet in the other hand to chop a trail for the first road in the area. His adventures during that memorable day make great reading and a good laugh. Anyone who loves the south and mountain folks will appreciate this book from Robert Morgan.

Imagine as a small child you sat down in the cozy little living room of your grandmother's home with your brothers and sisters and perhaps a few cousins and your grandma starting sharing stories about her early life. It's in the first person and she's telling about how she came to meet your grandpa and how they made a life together and what it was like opening the West. Now I don't meet the Far West but simply extending life beyond the coastal area of North Carolina inland toward the Mountains and into Tennessee in the 1700s. That's the delightful manner in which Robert Morgan shares information in three parts of the life and times of early settlers, and specific families, around the mountain communities of Asheville, NC (that's `ASH vul' for those not familiar with the area). There's several surprises so don't think you'll know what's coming. And the language is true to form using such words as painter when talking about a panther. An animal that has mostly been hunted into oblivion in most parts of the US. Each part is told by someone different, several generations apart but through little hooks within each story the reader is provided an opportunity to share in the joys and sorrows of each family. The book is easy reading and keeps your attention throughout and what I especially liked was the sharing of tidbits of information of what was like in those times. This is a book you won't put down once you start it.

This book, Robert Morgan's first published novel, is seriously flawed, but I hesitate to give it a really bad review because Morgan obviously understands the people and the mountains which are at the heart of the book. Through dead-on dialogue in the vernacular speech of mountain people, Morgan puts the reader in the hollows and coves of upstate South Carolina and western North Carolina. Along the way he provides plenty of local history, which he gathers from his family's own oral history and from exhaustive research. Unfortunately, each of the three sections of the novel has major problems. The first novella, "The Trace," is marred by some pathetically stereotyped depictions of the Cherokee Indians, who are portrayed as the aggressors in the struggle between themelves and the white settlers who moved into the area in the 1700s. "The Road" had potential to be a rollicking adventure story about a man who chases a pig through the mountains, but instead it becomes almost humorless, repetitive drudgery. "The Highway" is the least memorable of all the stories: an awkward attempt to immortalize the men who built the first road through the mountains. Although Morgan tries to foreshadow the ecological destruction which the roads will bring to the mountains, his narrative style instead depicts the natural world as hostile, needing to be tamed; in each story the main character is stalked almost constantly by a mountain lion (the word "painter" appears at least every few pages in the book, as if Morgan himself is proud that he knows this mountain mispronunciation). Surely this could have been accomplished in a more clever and creative manner. On the whole, I found this book disappointing. If you have not read Charles Frazier's "Cold Mountain," read that one instead.

This is a marvelously warm and engaging story that is told in three parts about a family deep in the Southern mountains and how they made their lives and dreams unfold. The stories are said to be based on Robert Morgan's own family tales and they carry on the feel of the elders of the family telling the youngsters about life and living and it's true meaning. The dialogue is deceptively simple, creating a warm undercurrent to the intensity of the memories being shared. I adore Robert Morgan and his ability to create such wondrous everyday characters that reach beyond themselves to find love, faith and strength.

The first part is riveting, about a woman misled, then abandoned. The second is mediocre- interesting but monotonuos and long, the third part is throwaway and even though it is short, it is monotonous as well. There is not enough humor: a story about a man who chases a pig for 150 pages should be hilarious but it didn't even bring a smile to this reader's lips. Don't waste your time.

This book is nothing but a waste of paper. I am a firm believer that most books, no matter how bad the plot is, will help children in their reading skills. The writing style is not entirely bad, in fact the chapters are broken very well and leave cliffhangers, but that is about the only good thing about this book.

Centered on four 12 year old girls who are overly concerned with their clothes, hair and boys, the plot takes a while to pick up. When it does, many of the characters are just plain mean to each other and present poor role models. The notion that the lead character believes her teacher has a crush on her, even after she discovers that someone else was writing her the secret admirer notes she finds in her locker is disturbing.

Why 1 star?:
This books only redeeming quality is that the chapters do fit nicely in the way they are broken up. Blair (or most likely her editor) split them well so they form episodes. However, the events taking place are mean-spirited and promote a sense of superiority, and the idea that girls can only think about boys, and their looks. This book creates a poor example for developing young women and has no place in school libraries. There are much better books out there that girls will enjoy just as much and will probably get something out of: Flying Solo by Ralph Fletcher and Secret School by Avi, just to name two. E-mail me if you want a list of more.

O.K., so it does have a certain teeny-bopper kind of feel, but I bought these books years ago and I loved them. I have every single book in the set. Randy, Sabrina, Katie, and Allison always made me laugh, and I enjoyed following along with them throughout each story!

Ok, I read the book because I was in the mood to read something really dtizy and predictable, but turns out it was ditzy and semi-predictable. SUMMARY: Sabrina (a.k.a, Sabs) gets these notes from a "secret admirer, and Sabrina thinks it's from some one older and more mature, like the hot 7th grade social studies teacher, Mr. Grey. Sabrina goes all out to try to look good for him, but ends up with some mager embarassments along the way. Ok. that's all I'm gunna tell you, you gotta read it yourself to find out what all happens.

Ok, I honestly imagined it to be an aweful, boring, predictable book like the baby sitters club, or something. but, to tell the truth, It was awesome! a bit 80's true, but i liked it. it's an aweful shame it was taken out of print!

I read my teacher's copy of this book and fell in love with it. The story is about Sabrina (a.k.a. Sabs) and how she finds love notes and flowers from her "secret admirer" in her locker. Sabs thiks it might be some one older and sophisticated, like the cute Social Studies teacher Mr. Grey. All through the story, the author made it so you would think Winslow had a crush on her, but in the end... I shouldn't spoil it for you. It also kind of says, don't juge a person just becauses they're a geek. But any way, I loved the book and am searching for more in the series.

I won't be keeping this book in my collection to re-read. It was too much like a soap opera.

This book is the other part of "A Notorious Lady". It contains the details of Phoebe and Jordan's romance. I enjoyed it but didn't think it was as good as some of Blair's other books. I would recommend it though, along with the above mentioned.

I really enjoyed this book. It was one of those that keeps you thinking a long time after you've finished it. I like mature heroines, and Phoebe handles her damaged past and her uncertain future in a real and compelling way. This was far more than the usual arrogant-alpha-male-meets-lovely-innocent-miss Regency romance. I recommend it for those who enjoy something a bit more serious. That said, though it's more drama than fluff, it is still a deeply romantic story.

Ms Blair's stories have gotten progressively better with each one. This one is truly the best so far. The character development and dialogue are outstanding as always in her books. Cambridge and the academic/scientific interactions make for a refreshing setting. This one clearly is at the top in terms of its complexity and surprizes.

While this is not my favorite of Ms. Blair's many books (I mean, we have to choose a favorite, right?), I felt a special resonance with the issues Phoebe faced when dealing with Jordan and his scientific idiosyncracies and stubbornness. He's a very true-painted character! I suspect many of Ms. Blair's readers will recognize some aspect of the men in their lives in Jordan DeVaux. I believe it is his characterization that marks this book as unique and a must-read. It flows differently than her books, at times seeming surprisingly unhindered, and at other times impossibly so, which kept my interest up. Ms. Blair's always-interesting side characters did not disappoint either!
I can't wait to see her next book!

This is a short 200 plus page book and it is a one evening read. Once you start it is hard to put the book down. I just read until I was finished. The cast of characters include Blair (mainly), his son Leo Blair and Cherie Blair (only briefly), his staff Campbell, Morgan and Powell, fellow politicians Jack Straw, Clare Short, Robin Cook, John Reid of the Labour Party and other British politicians and civil servants, George Bush, Colin Powel, and Condoleezza Rice. Chirac, Aznar, and Schroeder are at meetings or involved. Miller the Polish Prime Minister and Arafat make telephone appearances. The press is lurking in the background.
My quick view of the book is that the author and former Times editor Peter Stothard acts like he is not in the room but rather he is a quiet observer just recording the events without comments and editorial comments. A "fly on the wall" so to speak for 30 days. The book starts on Monday March 10 and ends Wednesday April 9. The war starts March 20 2003.

At the beginning or near the beginning of the book Blair acknowledges that Bush will proceed with or without Britain. The war seems set and there will be no consensus at the UN.

What I found odd about the book is that there is very little mention of the WMD's, or the other reasons for going to war. There is no mention of intelligence briefings, or satellite pictures or similar. By March 10 his mind has been made up. It is more about damage control, politics, speeches, and not having ministers resigning and similar. His image in the press and on TV share a high priority along with with diplomacy. By March 10 the decision has been made.

The question on everyone's mind is why does Blair back George Bush - the "poodle principle". Blair is almost alone, and the other leaders in the "coalition" do so with great reluctance. They make a minimal contribution to the Iraqi war effort and they seem poised to not want to cooperate or back out at any moment. So why does Blair do it? The only strong point we learn or hear is that by that date (March 10) Blair is determined to proceed seemingly at any cost to maintain US ties with Europe. He has decided to let "history" judge him for how the situation ends rather than trying to further explain his actions privately. He thinks that the UN should be involved, but barring no UN consensus his main point (among his 6 talking points to parliament) is that he does not want the US to become more isolated than it already is through complete 100% unilateral action. So at least Britain will help.

We get a feel for his compressed and overstressed life, a political juggling act, his lack of sleep, his battle to survive as the Labour leader in a parliamentary system where he must face his opposition daily in question period and his caucus weekly. They all seem to be after his job and Iraq is as good as an excuse as any to oppose Blair. Unlike Bush he can be voted out by his own party on a whim - like Thatcher - so he is not secure for the term elected in parliament (5 years).

One thing that comes out is that Blair acts like a lightening rod for many parties that no longer have access to Bush. This includes various Muslim messengers and diplomats visiting him and his talks with Arafat and others by telephone.

Since we already knew most of that - the book seems a bit anti-climatic and deals a lot with the logistics of his day-to-day life, the trivial details, his meals, his assistants, and travel. It gives us an intimate feel for the life of the PM in the confined space of 10 Downing. It covers his meetings with other leaders, and various other dignitaries, his telephone calls to Bush etc. The logistics do not tell us a lot new, although there are some details on Robin Cook's resignation and similar tidbits. He comes across as an energetic and very focused man, with a strong inner compass and lots of self confidence, and a strong determined leader with an ability to take and absorb a lot of domestic criticism.

So the book is all very very interesting but short on any new insights. But still a great book.

Though they are very different in style, this book shares some important similarities with Bob Woodward's Bush at War, in that both provide insider looks at political leaders in the weeks before they lead (or send) their nations into battle. But while the ubiquitous Woodward writes big, portentous books that themselves often end up affecting the debate, "Thirty Days" is a quick, journalistic snapshot that doesn't pretend to be a lot more than that. That made this a refreshing and sometimes enlightening read.

I recently finished another title on the British PM (Tony Blair: The Making of a World Leader by Philip Stephens), so I felt relatively familiar with the central players in this book. Peter Stothard's quick, journalistic style introduces names and titles quickly, and while the players become clearer to us in the course of the narrative, Americans who don't have much contextual familiarity with British politicians may find themselves playing catch-up.

Since 9/11, of course, Tony Blair himself has become more familiar to American news-watchers than any British politician since Churchill -- with the possible exception of Baroness Thatcher. Therefore, even Americans who may not be up-to-date on the Who's Who of Whitehall will probably find a lot of interest and instruction here. Not least, they will see the influence -- for good or ill -- that American politics and political pressures have in the counsels of our allies.

Peter Stothard's book isn't a biography of Blair or a political analysis of his policies and his decisions. Instead, it's a look inside the highest reaches of British politics during one of the more eventful months in recent British history. American as well as British readers can gain a lot from the unique access Stothard enjoyed, and the useful work that came out of those thirty days.

I found this book very disappointing. Prior to the Iraqi crisis I was not a very big fan of Tony Blair. But since then I have developed a true respect for his strength and courage for sticking by America. Having lived in England during the 90's I knew the atmosphere and attitude that most English hold against the USA, so I could understand the pressure that the Prime Minister must have been under during these times.

When I saw this book, I had to get it. I thought this would show what really happened within the Blair administration and the UK government leading up to the Iraqi war. Evidently, Peter Stothard was not at Tony's side throughout these 30 days, as the book depicks. He was out in the hallway. For instead of reading about what went on within the meetings and press conferences, and reading the historic speeches that Tony made to the Parliment and House of Commons, we get what happened in the hallways with the people going into and coming out of the sessions. All we get is the one liners that the Blair administration made on the side. There's no insight what Tony Blair actually went through, the pressures that he and his family had to endure, and the arguements he had with his staff and the rest of the government. Peter was definiely kept at arms length. In fact, he wasn't even with the Prime Minister through several of the weekends during these 30 days.

In summary, I was left with no greater insight into Tony Blair than when I first started to read the book. Oh, there is one thing, Tony likes green apples.

Here Peter Stothard outlines how Tony Blair worked hard ("all out" is a constantly recurring phrase) to create a world-or at least the conditions for a world-in which the "UN frees itself from helpless torpor, [in which the Allies send] a lesson to extremist nations that terrorism will be met by massive force, [and to Israelis and Palestinians and the Irish] that America will not tolerate conditions of permanent instability."

And it tells of the many frustrations Tony Blair met while trying to achieve that objective. For example, after George Bush published the roadmap for peace (something Tony Blair worked very hard to achieve) the Prime Minister received a call from Yasser Arafat. He spent a bit of time on the phone with him (and got a chance to say a brief hello and congratulations to Abu Mazen before Arafat snatched the phone away) and when he replaced the receiver, he looked up at a television screen to see "a Palestinian representative damning Bush's motives."

He says nothing but his aid says it for him, "They've got to be told [that] this is their chance. If they don't use it, they'll lose it."

And then there is the never-ending frustration with the BBC which John Reid may or may not have called the Baghdad Broadcasting Corporation. But "even if he didn't say it," Peter Stothard assures us, "it's ___ well true." The Secretary of Defense (and his porcelain cup which nearly suffered a terrible fate thanks to the BBC) would most likely agree.

And then there are the conspiracy theories out on the street, just outside No. 10. Conspiracy theories propagated not by the "ignorant masses" but by elderly Arab professors, sipping coffee at the Churchill café and assuring their students that "oil companies and Israeli spies and Russians whose names have not been heard since the Communist days" are all working together to manipulate current events.

But above all, this is about the British political culture. Where else would talk of football/soccer dominate even at the height of the war? In what other country would the French President's comment that the British had "made a deformation of his view on the veto" be met with "Does he mean we got the translation wrong?" And in what other country would a three-year old pick up a telephone call from the President of the United States and pass the phone to the Prime Minister with the cry, "Dad, pick up the phone."

This is a book about Tony Blair vision and of how he tries to educate his American counterparts on what it takes to "get to where they all eventually want to go." (You want peace in the Middle East, great; but it will be neither fast nor easy. Here, look how hard it is to achieve peace in Northern Ireland-and compared to the Middle East this is a walk in the park.) It is about the vagaries of British political culture. It is about how one man acquires an unshakeable certainty that what he is doing is the right thing.

But perhaps more than all that, it is a beautifully written book (not something one can often say of books on current events) that is filled with humor and irony and is, quite simply, a very good read. I highly recommend it.

Peter Stothard's task (or prize) is to tail Tony Blair for the 30 most crucial days of his prime ministership. But I feel like he never connects with Blair during that time. Either TB is holding back during this period or Stothard never gets the total access he touts. Either way, Blair seems like he's simply part of the woodwork in the story.

But not that the book is totally without merit or interest. Where it does excel is in depicting Blair's inner circle. Stothard points out that Blair's governing model - to an upprecedented extent in British history - more resembles an American presidency than a typical Prime Ministry. "Unelected advisors" dominate the space closest to Blair. We're used to that here. But in the UK, TB's total absorbtion of his role model Bill Clinton's approach to governing is seen as an alarming trend.

Dominating the scene is media advisor Alastair Campbell. Perhaps that's because as an ex-journalist, he connects best with Stothard. Or maybe it's because Campbell is undoubtedly Stothard's patron in this endeavour. [Like Blair would suggest that a journalist tag along with him for 30 days?] But, it's more than that. Campbell dominates the book because Stothard has got it right. Campbell is *the* dominating presence in Blair inner circle. In the whole aftermath of the Iraqi conflict - the WMD debate, the row with the BBC, the suicide of Dr. Kelly - Campbell's fingerprints are everywhere.

He's a constant presence here on almost every page. He has the best jokes (Blair asks him for help in drafting the start of a speech...Campbell suggests "My fellow Americans..."), is connected to the best information (all via text messaging it seems), sees around all the corners. All while training for the London Marathon (which the 43-year-old finished in 3:53 shortly after the 30 Days were up...a great achievement considering all he was going through during training).

It's tough to imagine how the Prime Minister is going to survive without this guy by his side everyday.

I read UJTD for two reasons. Someone suggested it was good reading. Secondly, as an aspiring novelist, I like to see how I measure up. Obviously a subjective assessment. But isn't this a subjective business anyway. I thought it was boring. The Androgeneous One was lucidly a drag. Super hero beat reporter? Wasn't that underdog and/or Clark Kent.

I read the mystery as part of a Black Literature discussion group here in suburban Maryland, outside DC. Good story. Humor. Action doesn't fade when the events begin to come together in the denouement. I identified with Darryl Billups more than I did with Easy Rollins in Walter Mosely's "Devil in a Blue Dress", although the latter had a better story line. Since our discussion group quickly got off the subject of Walker's book, I missed the opportunity to talk about the newspaper journalist's life, and places and scenes mentioned in the story about Baltimore. I will read Mr. Walker's next work as well.

I just loved this book. A fan of mysteries, but having trouble finding ones to my liking, I was so pleased when I read this book. Daryll Billups, kept me laughing and intrigued. I also like that his character was fully developed. I loved hearing about what was going on in his life outside of his detective work. I liked the set up for a series, because I will be looking out for future books. Make sure you pick this one up.

Darryl Billups, Baltimore Maryland Police Reporter, has to deal with office politics, personal relationships, and the evils of race hate and domestic terrorism. Walker has an excellent ear for conversations, and an excellent eye for real life situations. There is little need for suspension of disbelief, so well structured is the plot and the characterizations. A nice blend of public and private, suspense and romance.

I never know what to expect when I pick up a 'new' author for the first time, and quite often, my fears are justified. Not this time! Blair Walker has a terrific, one-of-a-kind style that holds your interest on every single page. (And the story is as terrific as his style!) Watch out, John Grisham; there's a new talent right over your shoulder....