Blake Books

WHAT THE LEGENDS SAY!, September 25, 2005
Reviewer: signed_books from United Kingdom "This book is fantastic. My close friends Tel Currie & Charlie Bronson finally tell the truth and venture into controversial territory that is usually shied away from. A must read for anyone remotely interested in the history of Britain's underworld"
Charlie Richardson

 

"Tel & Charlie have written a cracker! I don't usually have the attention span for books but this one I read cover to cover. I recommend 'Heroes and Villains' to everybody."
Roy 'Pretty Boy' Shaw

 

"A great book packed with the truth. Well done Tel and Charlie on a fantastic book."
Freddie Foreman

 

"Tel and Charlie have written a blinder! I'm not just saying that because they are both close friends but because this book is a real winner... I loved it"
Ronnie Knight

 

"Well done Tel and Chaz on an absolutely blinding book"
Carlton Leach

 

BRONSON'S TALENT IN THE WORLD OF ART AND LITERATURE IS PHENOMENONAL AS HE TURNS OUT MORE BOOKS THAN CHOPPER 'MARK BRANDON' WHICH IS GOING SOME, AND FAIR PLAY TO CHARLIE WHO OBVIOUSLY HAS A LOT OF TIME ON HIS HANDS FOR TEAMING UP WITH FRIEND OF THE CHAPS TEL CURRIE TO WRITE 'HEROES AND VILLIANS' AND IF ANYONE HAS READ TEL'S BESTSELLING 'BOUNCERS' BOOK AND IS AWARE OF THE FREE CHARLES BRONSON CAMPAIGN, THEN YOU HAVE THE IDEAL WRITING PARTNERSHIP HERE, WHICH ADDS WEIGHT TO THE THEORY THAT MR BRONSON AINT THAT MAD. TIME HE GOT PAROLE FOLKS IF ONLY TO SIGN THIS NEW BOOK, BUY IT NOW.
CASS PENNANT
The Best Gangland Book In Years!!!, September 22, 2005
Reviewer: C Donovan from London, United Kingdom Just when you thought the Gangster/ Hardman books had died a slow death with
more and more nobodies with nothing to say appearing on our shelves, this
little cracker comes along.

Between them, there can't be many people in the underworld that Tel Currie
and Charlie Bronson don't know. The thing I like about this book is it's not
just the obvious names being churned out but people that are not known to
the public but are very respected amongst the main guys. There's not the usual
pages and pages of drivel about the Kray's, a subject that's been rinsed dry
usually by shameless mercenaries who waited until the Kray's were all dead
before churning out their version of the truth. This book is totally
different and is not just an excuse for the authors to actually write about
themselves.

With 'Heroes and Villains' you can actually learn about people with amazing
stories who you may not have heard of previously but you certainly won't
forget once you have read about their exploits. Of course, the well known
legends are all here like Charlie Richardson, Roy Shaw, Freddie Foreman,
Bruce Reynolds, Ronnie Biggs, Joey Pyle, Ronnie Knight, Frankie Fraser,
Howard Marks and Tony Lambrianou but they are balanced by names that made up
the support network that allowed these men to get to the top.

Charlie Bronson and Tel Currie have to be 2 of the most connected men in
Great Britain and this allows personal insights that you wont read anywhere
else. It's also interesting the amount of self proclaimed faces many who
have written books themselves who don't even get a mention because in
reality they are jokes.

If you have an interest in the names and faces that make up Gangland, this
is the book for you, you wont be able to put it down!

This is one of the very best underworld books out there at the moment

This book is simply excellent. It is the most comprehensive source in information on the slave trade that I have ever read. It is not just about African slaves but slaves from places all over the world during a several hundred year period of time.

It explains why people resorted to treating fellow human beings in this manner, the crew on the ship were probably treated worse than the slaves in many cases and they were unable to escape as well. (Whips, thumbscrews, "walking the plank,") The doctors on the ships would often times refuse to treat the crew as they were not paid to take care of the crew, only the slaves.

It goes into detail of how mothers would throw their children into the water instead of permitting them to live life as a slave. It goes into great detail the politics of each country and their slaves. Where did they get them, why did the originating country willingly hand over (sell) their citizens to be forced into slavery.

This book was originally privately published. The author hired people to travel and see if there would be a market for such a book. Apparently there was as there is more than one printing date. It has also been reprinted as of the '60s but I would advise anyone to wait for a more inexpensive copy of the original to buy. The cover is beautiful and that is part of the beauty of the book.

This story has a great moral to it as well as being very entertaining and interesting to both children and adults. The plus side of the cassette is that Jack Nicholson tells it in such a way that everyone will enjoy listening to it over and over again. The illustrations are perfect to fit the story and are great at intriguing the children. We have had this story through both of our sons and they both STILL enjoy this book. Hopefully will pass it on to the grandchildren. Tell your friends and family about this one.

I loved this book. I saw the movie first and the book is better. I am glad it was finally published.

An Oldie but a Goodie. I own over 100 cookbooks and this tiny gem remains one of my treasured favorites. It is one of a handful I keep within reach of my stove. Arlyn really does love to cook, but she's no snob. Every recipe is a winner, yet amazingly easy. She offers the definitive recipes for the most coveted and classic dishes: she is my source for Caesar Salad, the world's best (New York style) Cheesecake, and the easiest Chocolate Mousse on the planet. The Chocolate Mousse was such a hit that on two separate occasions, two different men tasted the mousse and proposed (marriage) on the spot--so serve with care...but what a way to go. She offers countless appetizers and entrees that make entertaining a fabulous breeze. If this book were not out of print, it would be my first choice for a hostess gift or a gift for a cooking afficiando. Since it is out of print, you'll have to make an effort to find it--but you'll be glad you did. If you can, buy it, you won't be disappointed.

Professor Williams has created a timely and insightful commentary on Blake's world. A must read for any fan of Blake's. (from a new fan of Williams')

An excellent collection of Lord Norwichs wit! If you like some intelligent writing, then go no farther! By the by, his History of Venice and of Byzantium are also worthy of possible purchase.

Unlike previous studies which documented the roles played by African Americans in the preindustrial "sepia-tinged" frontier West (Cowboys, Buffalo Soldiers, Exodusters, etc.) this is the first comprehensive study of the literature created by African Americans reflecting experiences in the modern, urban, multicultural West as well. Consequently, it covers a lot of territory and genres: Black westerns, melodramas, autobiographies, science fiction, detective fiction, experimental theater and even rap.

The study is limited to "works by African Americans who represent the experience of living in the American West" as opposed to those who were simply born or raised there. Even that boundary is by necessity rather fluid, which is exactly what makes the premise of this book so interesting. In addition to turning over new ground, Allmendinger helps readers view old ground through a new lens. The key word in the title is "Imagining" and I think the author himself has taken an imaginative approach which will appeal particularly to students of American culture.

I was pleasantly delighted by the variety of the art, essays and surprisingly fiction.

The exhibition is over 100 pages of the book in sections titled -
VOID
SELF
DRAG
OTHER
COUPLE
FAMILY
ORGY
WORLD
UTOPIA
I would have enjoyed a larger format edition to view the art more clearly and would have benefited by having an index that could have guided me to favorite artists.

I would have enjoyed seeing more of the artist Tee A. Corinne to be featured and would have liked if one of the 26 essays were from her.

From the publisher
This anthology documents a landmark exhibition at University Art Museum, Berkeley. Curatorial essays, artwork, fiction, personal essays, and rants explore gay, lesbian, and queer experience.
"This illuminating work is essential..."
"...a revelatory ground-breaking show. By its end, all art is seen in a different light, and, perhaps most profoundly, so is difference itself."

From opening the introduction by one of the curators Lawrence Rinder - In a Different Light explores the resonance of gay and lesbian experience in twentieth-century American art. This exhibition has been developed through poetics rather than polemics: not a definitive survey of gay and lesbian aesthetic sensibilities, it is, rather, a gathering of images and objects which, "with a likeness burst in the memory," sheds new light on our collective history.
The initial inspiration for the exhibition was the dynamism and innovation evident in the work of the contemporary generation of young gay and lesbian artists. Not only has there been, in these communities, an outpouring of work in the visual arts, but, especially in San Francisco, there is a palpable sense of community: visual artists, playwrights, poets, performance artists, film-makers, and video artists present their work together in a variety of non-profit venues and small commercial galleries, work that is often itself inter-disciplinary and collaborative. These artists live in a generally hostile social climate, amid the constant threat of "gay-bashings," proscriptive legislative initiatives, and surrounded by the tragedy of AIDS. Remarkably, they not only persist in making art, but do so in a spirit of humor, generosity, and flamboyance. Much of this work, too, has less to do with representing gay and lesbian lives than with conveying gay and lesbian views of the world: it is outward- looking, gregarious, and socially concerned.

And concluding the introduction - In a Different Light opens the door to a fascinating new area for exploration. The resonance of gay and lesbian experience in twentieth-century American art has been profound in ways we are just beginning to appreciate. At the same time, it seems that the work of many of the younger generation of artists is telling us that our definitions of sexual identity are changing in unforeseen ways. Now may be the right time to reflect on our collective history while we still have one foot planted in "gay," "lesbian," and "straight" experience and the other stepping into a new world whose definitions--and pleasures--are, as yet, unknown.

I read Nick Gordons book whilst travelling from South America back to the UK. I didn't want the book to end, and when I finished it, I was left wanting more.

Nick Gordon has a magical ability to tell a story. From the full gory details of the tarantula to the ghostly glimpse of a panther. He also lets you into the details of the human side of filming in the amazon... its frustrations and joys, the characters of his film crew, and the cultures of the indigenous tribes.

I could hardly put it down, and just wish there was a sequel telling of his time tracking and filming the rare wild cats of the amazon.