Blake Books

I thought this book "Dances With Wolves" was a great book. It cought my attention quickly watching the movie. I would prefer the movie over the book because I like movies better. Although The book has much more details.

My husband and I both read your book and loved it! We couldn't put it down. Enjoyed every minute of it. The movie and the book were both great! It will be a family favorite in our house for years to come.

I read this truly great novel after seeing the screeplay. The novel is really rich in detail and emotion. I usually never feel this way about litterature but with this novel it is quite different. I can only recommend this masterpiece for everyone to read. I also began reading about the Indians and I now have a fascination for them.

I bought this book after the movie came out and I've never regreted it. If anybody even remotely likes the movie, then they'll absolutely love the book. It gets so in debth about what he is thinking and feeling that you can't help but cry at the end just like the movie. So far I've probably read Dances with Wolves at least 20 times.

This being one of the most beautiful and inspiring movies of the last two decades, there are probably few people who haven't seen it at least once. For anyone interested in its background and the history of Native Americans, this book is a good starting point. However, it does NOT contain the complete screenplay. All of the important scenes are there (though stage directions are kept to a minimum), but a large part of the rest is told in prose narrative. Since there is no other publication of the screenplay around (the large hardback edition from Newmarket Press has the identical abridged version, plus photographs, minus the interviews) this can't be helped, but anyone buying this book should know they won't be getting the whole thing.

The basic hypothesis of this book (that Lucan made his way to India and lived as a recluse under the name of Barry Halpin) was shown to be incorrect soon after its publication. But for a number of reasons this book is still well worth reading.

It provides a well-written account of the crime and its aftermath and the effect which Lucan's status had on the investigation. It gives a fascinating and contrasting view into the life of people on the fringes of society in Goa in the 1970s, harmless, inconsequential souls aside from their unwitting participation in this case of mistaken identity. And it serves as an interesting example of how a substantial body of evidence, gathered in earnest, can still yield a totally wrong conclusion. Might have rated 5 stars if the theory was right.

Having no concept of who Lord Lucan was, I was intrigued by the back cover synopsis and picked up the book as a light read. I was pleasantly surprised. The book is engrossing and both explained the background of the Earl and the crime and delve into the international pursuit of Lucan. Just as interesting is the treatment of the elite in the eyes of the law and the fact that the interest in this character continued for so many years after his escape.

Instead of light reading, I was simply unable to put this book down. While there has been subsequent press claiming that the findings of this investigation have been flawed and that Lord Lucan has still not been found, I came away feeling that if this was in fact the Earl, his self-imposed exile and the life that he created in Goa must surely have been worse than the punishment that he would have received (considering his status and powerful friends) had he stayed and faced the music.

A must read for anyone interested in the case and a recommended read for anyone interested in true crime.

I'd like to start this review by stating I spent a fair amount of my time in Goa in the 80's and knew Barry Halpin well. He was a bearded drop out, who had turned to booze in a big way. He retained his Lancashire accent, but from memory, I never once saw him play backgammon. However, he wasn't the only long haired, long bearded Englishman who had 'escaped' to Goa. I can think of one or two others who settled there and who now that the suggestion has been put in my mind, could have been Lord 'Lucky' Lucan.

Like Winch, I recall an articulate and clearly well read Englishman who received "out of place" visitors from the UK. He did play backgammon and from memory was very reserved. The man depicted in the top photo opposite page 48, is in my opinion, Halpin. The man featured on the front cover and elsewhere in the book, is not. He is the articulate, quiet, backgammon playing Englishman I describe.

When all is said and done, this book has rekindled the saga and will leave the reader scratching their head, asking, "Is it, or isn't it him?" I knew both men. The mystery has in my opinion been solved.

The news that Lord Lucan's disappearance had been solved reached the States. I arrived in London the day after the story broke, determined to buy the book and read for myself the fate of Lucan. I was first assaulted with Fleet Street headlines, boldly claiming that the story wasn't true. Being a critical thinker, I wondered why "The Guardian" was claiming that Barry Halpin was a banjo player from St. Helens, but as the author of the book was quoted in the article, "Where is the photographic proof?" "The Guardian" used the author's photos for their story disclaiming the author's story. The only Fleet Street paper that had photographs that day was, "The Sun," and any critically thinking person could tell those pictures were computer generated! All these counter-claims did nothing to dissuade me from purchasing the book that day. I wanted to decide for myself if the discovery made by this former, decorated Scotland Yard detective was a plausible explanation for the whereabouts of Lord Lucan after that fateful night in November 1974.

MacLaughlin gives us much detail concerning the life of Lucan, his foibles and dark nature developing with his love of gambling. His marriage to social climber Veronica Duncan began well enough, but the erratic behaviour of Lady Lucan coupled with the spiral of Lord Lucan's fortunes at the gaming tables brought misfortune to their home as well. The final days brought a bitter custody dispute over their three children. Lord Lucan was initially granted temporary custody, but subsequently lost it when he overstepped the authority of the courts and took the children himself. He was left with a large legal bill, one he could not afford. And this is when it is believed he started making his plans.

Lord Lucan was well placed aristocracy, which was to the detriment of the murdered nanny, Sandra Rivet. Something that is obvious in this book is the concern the author has for the victim, and her son who was left motherless. Scotland Yard treated Lord Lucan with kid gloves in the hours and days after the murder. This enabled Lucan to make his getaway, using his network of close-mouthed, arrogant (by reason of wealth and class) friends to aid in his escape from the law. Lord Lucan's friends surrounded and protected him in his trouble, and helped him not only leave England, but brought him money and shared their friendship with him while Lucan was hiding in Goa, India.

MacLaughlin provides us compelling evidence that Lord Lucan made his way down to Goa, India, to live out his life in a drunken stupor. His witness list includes Indians who worked and lived on the shores of this once renegade spot on the map. Lord Lucan as Barry Halpin had many similarities, including backgammon gambling, alcohol, and a love for music.

After death by cirrhosis, the end of Lucan came in a pyrotechnic display. His body was doused in his favourite drink, feni, and burned on a pyre. The ashes were spread at the bottom of a waterfall, and it was his fait accompli. He had completely disappeared, and escaped the long arm of the law. But I wonder, with the life Lucan lived in Goa, if some hand of justice wasn't dealt him after all.

The book is very well written, looks very professional and puts forward a convincing argument for the hypothesis that Lord Lucan adopted the name Barry Halpin in Goa. Unfortunately the whole theory fell apart shortly before the book was published when it was discovered that Barry Halpin really was Barry Halpin, a hippy banjo player from Yorkshire who travelled around the world and settled in India. Enough friends and relatives came forward to identify the man in the photograph as Halpin. But I can understand the author; if I had spent years writing a book and then I discovered that it was fundamentally flawed just before publication, I would be reluctant to accept the truth.

A Doolphin's tale was a superbly written book but the reason I gave it 4 stars is mainly due to two reasons. One reason were the alternating black and white and color pictures which seemed to be more of a colorized Morse code than anything. The second reason being that I'm not much of a romantic story type person. Other than that, I particularly enjoyed the tidbits at the end of the book and the use of an actual South American tale as the plot of the book.

A well written story that is deep, inspiring, and thoughtful. I enjoyed the story very much. This is a wonderful story for children as well as older people. Even me, as being older than 'a child' enjoyed the story very much. While there are some 'big words' for a child to understand, one could only use those 'big words' to entirely describe the situation. A job well done, Mr. Blake.

The Dolphin's Tale is an amazingly written story about a dolphin and a young boy. As a 19 year old i really enjoyed reading this story and the children that i look after also enjoyed this story being read to them. This is a perfect story to read to children of any age especially at bed time. A non scary lovely story thats definately worth the read.

A Dolphin's Tale is a thoughful and educational book for children. The book centers around a sweet love story between a dolphin and a human while providing the reader with history and facts about fresh water dolphins. The vocabulary and length of the book are probably best suited for children preschool age and above.

I felt this book was insiping, it lifted me away while I was reading the pages. It isn't just a book to read to your 5-year-old child to make him fall asleep, it is more than that. You could read this book to a 5-year-old, a 10-year-old, even a adult could enjoy this book. What really inspired me was the way pedro; the main character, had his heart broken yet fell in love with the dolphin, angelique. You will enjoy this book the second you open it, I sure did! It's a really cool book, but still somewhat serious.

This is a beautiful, haunting collection of stories about a part of the country I have no connection with, yet Blake brings me there, sits me down and says, "Look around." I didn't want to leave. Buy this book and read it again and again.

Terrific short stories about things that matter written in a prose that knows that language might be music. Forget Franzen, buy this one instead. The only thing not first-rate about this book is the type-face, which is weirdly small. What were they thinking? Buy it anyway.

To read the short stories in Glenn Blake's Drowned Moon is to swim through a subterranean town like the one in his story "Chocolate Bay," just below the surface of the narrative. These are compelling stories, haunted by the unconscious life of the characters. Blake makes the subtext of their lives palpable by seamlessly interweaving character and setting--swamps and bayous, houses with back porches, dogs in the yards. The exquisite light and color of this world is grounded by the down-to-earth people and their alligators, trucks, fishing, kids. One of the most accomplished stories is "Hazard," about old rivalries between two brothers, with an ending all the more satisfying for taking the reader so completely by surprise. Some of these stories will break your heart, even as Blake's comic sensibility makes you laugh. This is a collection of treasures--literary and humane--not to be missed.

Glenn Blake is not well known, but gosh I wish he were. The stories in this slim volume opened up worlds for me that I never knew existed. The geography is the obvious definition of the worlds I am talking about, but also the characters. They are fresh, dynamic, and always a bit quirky, though not enough to make them unbelievable. They are perfect people, if there can be such a thing. They argue, they hold grudges, and they live without restraint, but it is these things that make them able to interact with their severe geographical settings.

This is by far the best collection of stories I have read this year. Glenn Blake is an artist of much importance, and I can only hope that he continues to write and produce such beautifully rendered stories. Don't hold the thinness of this volume against the writer. The stories in here breathe new life into the short story form, and it is very rare for an author to do that in their first published collection.

Bravo Mr. Blake, and please don't stop writing. Mr. Blake's gift is one that I hope all of you will explore and enjoy.

Happy reading.

I happen to know Glenn personally, and this is a very solid example of his work. The first story is especially good. His work is strongly steeped in Deep Southern culture, and well written. I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in the forefront of American short fiction, expecially those concerned with this near floundering facet of contemporary art.

Nothin' says lovin' like short fiction in the oven.

There is no question about it! This is the best book on the Enneagram (and I have accumulated quite a few).

Anthony Blake presents both the essence of the Enneagram and enough detail for the reader to become well acquainted with the workings of this symbol.

This book is ALIVE as much as the symbol itself is ALIVE! The Enneagram is not a diagram but an embodiment of the process of transformation, a process that is as much within as it is outside us.

Anthony's own rich knowledge and long experience makes him one of the few really qualified to write on the subject. His presentation of it is rightly rooted in the tradition from which it came.

This is the authentic Enneagram. It is more than a book on the Enneagram and the tradition from which it comes, it is one man's unshakable knowledge.

Table of Contents. PART I - The Frame of Transformation: The Symbol, Overview, Form of Sequence, The Symbolism of Making and Becoming, Sevenfold Architecture, I Put Three Together; PART II - The Hazard of Transformation: Four Paradigms of the Enneagram, the Metabolism of Perception, A Computer Running on Air, Being in Life, Drama, An Enneagram of Crisis. PART III - The Purpose of Transformation: Wheels within Wheels, Cosmic Interlude, The Greater Present Moment, The Great Amen, The Tescooano, Recurrent Meaning, Remember to Remember.

... I found this excellent book on the enneagram to be deep, detailed, and dependable! A.G.E. Blake, a sincere student of The Work for quite some time now, really understands the enneagram - and how to EXPLAIN the way it works to others. It is very enlightening.

... I have been reading books by and about Gurdjieff and The Work for over 25 years now, and I say with total conviction that this book is one of the best I have ever come across. It REALLY helps the reader to understand exactly HOW the enneagram works - in different situations, and on different "levels" (4th Way people use the term "octaves"). Read this book, and you will be sure to come closer to understanding the reality and truth of existence.

... I love the photo on page 36 of the nine-sided building based on the enneagram that was designed and built near London by J.G. Bennett and his students! I love the diagram on page 208 of the "Nine points of evolution" - including the Biosphere, Technosphere, and Noosphere. The photograph on page 33 of the sacred movements class at the Sherborne House in Gloucestershire is beautiful! The last chapter - #19: Remember to Remember - is very good.

... I was a little confused about the way Mr. Blake uses the Buddhist words "samadhi" and "satori" (I believe near page 137). I was always of the understanding that samadhi refers to the non-dualistic, "all is one" state of UNITY of the illusion; whereas satori refers to the TRANSCENDENCE of this unified illusion into the TRUE reality of The Void, where consciousness without an object is only aware of itself - where it simply IS. ... Maybe Buddhist terms are not applicable to 4th Way interpretation?

... I was also a little confused over Mr. Blakes's reference on page 312 to Gurdjieff calling the poppy plant an example of a "trinity-like" being. I had always thought that Gurdjieff helped to free individuals from addictions to opium and hashish, and that he said that: "The sly man takes a pill" - the pill being an allusion to psychedelic substances, or to 4th Way exercises, that may help catalyze spiritual enlightenment, such as: certain mushrooms, peyote, or LSD, as well as kundalini and/or breathing exercises. The opiates do the EXACT opposite - creating a psychological state of self-induced narcolepsy! ... (Maybe he needs to clarify this more?)

... In any case, overall, I found this long and heady book to be very rewarding. The more you get into it, the more you wish that Mr. Blake had actually written in even more detail! If you have the patience and determination to read the whole thing, you will truly benefit from having done so. After reading this book, you WILL understand how the enneagram works as a whole system. - The Aeolian Kid / Aeolian_Kid@hotmail.com

... I found this excellent book on the enneagram to be deep, detailed, and dependable! A.G. Blake, a sincere student of The Work for quite some time now, really understands the enneagram - and how to EXPLAIN the way it works to others. It is very enlightening.

... I have been reading books by and about Gurdjieff and The Work for over 25 years now, and I say with total conviction that this book is one of the best I have ever come across. It REALLY helps the reader to understand exactly HOW the enneagram works - in different situations, and on many "levels." Read this book, and you will be sure to come closer to understanding the reality and truth of existence.

... I love the photo on page 36 of the nine-sided building based on the enneagram that was designed and built near London by J.G. Bennet and his students! I love the diagram on page 208 of the "Nine points of evolution", including the Biosphere, Technosphere, and Noosphere. The photograph on page 33 of the sacred movements class at the Sherborne House in Gloucestershire is beautiful! The last chapter, #19: Remember to Remember is very good.

... I was a little confused about the way Mr. Blake uses the Buddhist words samadhi and satori ( I believe near page 137). I was always of the understanding that samadhi referred to the "all is one" state of unity of the illusion, and that satori refers to the TRANSCENDENCE of this unified illusion into the TRUE reality of The Void. Maybe Buddhist terms are not applicable to 4-th Way interpretation? ... I was also a little confused over Mr. Blake's reference on page 312 to Gurdjieff calling the poppy plant an example of a "trinity-like" being. I had always thought that Gurdjieff helped to free individuals to addictions to opium and hashish, and that he said that: "The sly man takes a pill." - the pill being an allusion to psychedelic substances that could catalyze spiritual enlightenment, such as certain mushrooms, peyote, or LSD. The opiates do the EXACT opposite - creating a psychological state of self-induced narcolepsy! (Maybe he needs to clarify this more?)

... In any case, overall, I found this long and heady book to be very rewarding. If you have the patience and determination to read the whole thing, you will truly benefit from doing so. After reading this book, you WILL understand how the enneagram works as a whole system! - The Aeolian Kid / Aeolian_Kid@hotmail.com

Blake's presentation of his aggregated experience and knowledge with/of the enneagram is striking in its rigor, its willingness to experiment with form and style, and its--intelligence. The emphasis here is on understanding the enneagram as a tool for decoding and unpacking processes, and how events as we experience them are constructed. Blake carefully examines the rubber-meets-the-road aspects of causality and chronology and the stories we like to tell about both. This is all very welcome.

The interested reader may wish to have a look at the writings of P.D. Ouspensky and J.G. Bennett, to understand where Blake is coming from, and books such as Matrix of Mystery (H.V. Guenther) and Time, Space, and Knowledge (Tarthang Tulku) for a slightly bigger scope in experiencing time in its dynamics and gaps.

Enjoy!

PS. The typographic errors in Blake's book are, admittedly, frustrating. Shambhala Publications could use a more skilled group of copy editors...

This book was completely unintelligible to me. I have read all the other enneagram books which were mostly quite interesting. This one was an enigma wrapped in lunacy. I did enjoy some of the weird sentences but I couldnt put it all together or figure out what I was supposed to take from it. I have kept all my enneagram books except for this one. I sold it.

Even Gurdjieff in Beelzebubs Tales is clear as sunlight compared to this.

From the very first paragraph you learn that this book will be a treat. It is full of intoxicating prose. Even though it is essentially about Majnoun and his deep longing, dare i say insanity over the beautiful Layla, I walked away with a much more intricate meaning. That is to say, that love," ishq" is an all consuming quest to find God. During Majnoun's exile in the desert and through his encounters with other humans, he is fully aware of his love for Layla, and that he has rejected a life among others, in the comfort of good food, friends and family, to lament Layla.

Layla and Majnoun were never actually together in the book, they are childhood friends who fall in love, but are kept apart. Majnoun takes the route of solitude and reflection, while Layla is basically forced into a loveless marriage. Although she never even consumates the marriage. Majnoun's sacrifice is the ultimate, his sanity and piece of mind, but he seems to come away with the greater gift of knowledge. In the Middle East today, Majnoun has come to mean someone who is crazy, and this tale of Layla and Majnoun is the western equivalent of Romeo and Juliet.

I've had this book for some years now and it is one of most romantic books ever written. Every time I read it again, it just gets better and better.

I have owned a copy of this book since 1991 and I have read and re-read it many times. This is one of those rare books which get better each time you read it. This is the most moving and dramatic lovestory I have ever read and ever will read. Romeo and Juliet to the power of ten!! The emotions portrayed here are so intense and real. It is my advise to everybody to read this book and enjoy it as much as I do.

The tale of Majnun (whose real name was Qays ibn al Mulawwah and who lived in the latter half of the 7th century) and Layla, his beloved, of the Banu Amir tribe is based on true events which have become legendary in the whole of the Islamic world to the extent that their names have become parts of common and everyday sayings and proverbs to do with love.

The most famous retelling of their love story is this one by Nizami Ganjavi, a Persian Sufi, of the 12th (?) century. He correctly understood that Majnun's love for Layla was a metaphor for his of God--in other words by loving Layla he was actually loving God as he totally consumed his ego into nothingness through his love for Layla so that he didn't percieve himself and her as separate entities but as One; in other words this story is an allegory for the Sufi's journey towards, and eventual annihilation, in the Divine.

He has described it in wonderful poetical rhyme and rhythm and although this translation changes his poetic form into prose, the rich metaphors and exquisite descriptions are kept and so the prose also reads like poetry. The central plot, in addition to being based on real-life incidents, is also very interesting and there are a host of wonderful characters too who play a part in this tale.

A must read: not only a classic love story but also a classic text of Sufism and one of the world's great literary masterpieces of poetry.

I hate being negative; but I have to in this case. I have been a student of epic literature for a long time and I particularly enjoy the early Islamic/Persian poems in the genre. Nizami tops the list of these poets with the likes of Omar Kayyam and Farid uddin al Attar. So, I was particularly happy to discover this translation of the Majnun and Layla and ordered it from Amazon.com. My joy quickly turned to disappointment. There is so much compression, so much excision of the philosophical and allegorical content of the work, it becomes little more than a 3rd rate Romeo and Juliet. In fact, it is much much more than that. Three stars because it is great to have a translation, any translation. But now (2000), one of the great modern classic translations, first made available from Shambala press (1978), is available again and you should get that one. Translated by Omid Safi and reprinted by Omega Publications. The work, particularly in this guise, will knock your socks off.

Excellent mystery and suspense keep your attention as the villain in this story nips at your fears. I recommend the introduction for history buffs.

This book demonstrates W.P.Blake III's uncanny ability to bring mythical folklore and tragic reality together as one. His keen eye for detail and overwhelming knowledge of an obsure topic is amazing. With the entertaining mixture of fact and fiction, Blake leaves his reader in a state of anticipation, longing for a happy ending. However, knowing full well that one is not likely going to occur. Good Job!

Blake takes an old folklore image and replants the seeds of evil and gives us a fresh and exciting look into the world of true horror. Ingenius combination of police story suspence and recognizable origins in scripture and science, create a new twist on lycanthropy.

Very good mystery that kept me guessing at the identity of the villain. At the mid-point of the book, the carpet was pulled out from under me and I plunged headlong into a world of new horror. A world that Blake created with a masterful blend of fact and fiction. By the final chapters, I couldn't pull myself from the pages. I could feel the intensity of the story and the peril to the hero as the book kept me awake, hoping for a ray of goodness to arrive.

A new twist on a classic horror character that makes you wonder if the werewolf truely exists. The crime story holds your suspense. The action haunts your dreams and the ending makes you cheer for the triumph of the human spirit. Kudos. Kudos.

I was able to use this book for two semesters! It contains double the info and you don't have to buy a book the next semester.

It's great. Would definately order more books by Gary L. Musser

Very fast receipt, well packaged, very well priced, and everything included. Outstanding service and will definitely consider buying used textbooks from this seller in the future!

I used the Mathematics for elementary teachers for a college level course. The text is interesting and provides the reader/learner with a solid foundation of Problem solving skills in learning and teaching mathematics. It has several useful examples of the strategies as well as challenging problems that can be solved on ones own. The problem solving strategies are new in the respect that "it's not your mama's math." There are several types of problem solving skills that I was not aware of and will come in handy for teaching and learning because not everybody solves problems the same. The text works at applying concepts to "real classroom" setting. Many of the strategies presented are in line with the National Council Of Teachers of Mathematics Curriculum and Evaluation Standards (NCTM)- the leading authority in the U.S. focusing on keeping standards in math curriculums across the country, to ensure that students are well prepared for future more complex mathematics. The chapters are followed by numerous challenging math problems to solve. And some of the answers are even in the back of the book so you can check yourself. A solid foundation of basic math operations and Algebra I is a must to keep up with the text. The only downside is that I wish there was a workbook to compliment the text. I found myself re doing the same problems in order to get the concepts down. It would have been better if there were more problems similar to the chapters. Another problem was that some of the answers in the back of the book were wrong.

Since I was unable to buy this manual at my college bookstore, it was great to be able to order it....and the manual was in perfect condition!

This book gives good insight on who Mr. Womack is and his life's challenge's. Inspite of the tragedies that have happened, he has gone on to live his life and cherish his life.

One of the finest reads you will fine. The nature of the reading material is so raw that i found it extremely hard to put this book down. I only wish there was more material to read. This is by far one of the best Auto Biographies I've come across.

This is an autobiography, and seeing as Bobby Womack is a musician and not a writer, one has to cut him some slack when it comes to his writing skills. This being said, the story he weaves is interesting and at times very moving. There is no doubt Womack is a tremendously gifted musician-self taught, plays the guitar upside down without inverting the strings(like Hendrix did) and furthermore he is a dynamite vocalist. Before reading this book I was unaware of the extreme poverty of his upbringing, which makes his achievements all the more amazing. His life has had many up and downs, tragedies and hardships but he survived it all and created a solid musical legacy for himself. Bobby may not be as well known as James Brown or Otis Redding, but anyone who taps into the Womack vibe will surely discover an artist of true greatness.

Bobby Womack is a heck of a Cat. dude Musically is scary versatile&has always been straight to the point on a variety of subjects. in this Book He talks about his music career&the various Politics in&Around the Business. he doesn't hold back about Sam Cooke&His Marriage to His Widow 6 months after Cooke was Killed. Bobby Talks about working&playing with a whose who of the music business. He pulls no punches&puts it all out there. Bobby Womack is a very Underrated Artist. this Book sets the record straight on different topics.

You know... he ain't lyin'. This is an awesome, entertaining, insightful, fact-filled read. All you want to know (sometimes more than you want to know -hehehe!) about James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Wilson Pickett, Sly Stone, and Elvis Presley, Solomon Burke, Ike Turner, The Rolling Stones & more. Hey, there's cocaine, murder and suicide too. My only gripe is he didn't really discuss his work on Ronnie Wood's "Now Look" album (Womack is credited as a co-producer on the album).
Great musician, interesting man, fascinating read. Worth the $. Buy this book!

A great book no matter if your a huge fan that thinks you know EVERYTHING about the band or a newbie, its not a big info book its more a "this is what happened in this number of days" kinda book.

I was very disappointed with this book. I was hoping for an all access pass to the happenings of the band with some insights on the bands dynamics. Unfortunately, that was summed up in about 10 pages. If you already know that they fired their drummer, that they drank uncontrollably, Noel is Oasis, and Liam is an eccentric rock star there's no need to buy this book.
Robbo is no doubt a talented writer who uses flowery language and abstract excerpts and could surely write circles around other authors but he forgets what his book is about. I don't care that he was in the millitary or how hard it was to be a babysitter to Oasis. Tell me more about the band. If you want to know more about Oasis watch the Definitely Maybe DVD interviews or at worst the Live Forever DVD. You'll learn alot more about the inner workings of the band told by the band instead of by a disgruntled ex roadie.

Robertson gave this book to people as he saw the scenes of Oasis. With his candid first hand experiece of dealing with the Gallahgers, Robbo wrote about the highs and lows of the life he lived. He made us realize that fame might not be what most people think about it.

This book is very exciting...it is different than any other one I've read on Oasis. Told from the view point of Robbo, who was on tour with them, it has tons of back stage stories that you'll never find anywhere else. From Liam and Bonehead's talk about baths, to Robbo's endless fights with Liam....it's top all the way!

Ian Robertson's "What's the Story?" is a fascinating account of life with Oasis. Robertson focuses on his personal dealings with Oasis, instead of relying on the typical assumptions made about Oasis like most who have written about Oasis. Robertson, their former tour manager, delivers his story with a simple, honest, style that keeps you riveted as you see the Gallagher brothers swallowed by fame. Instead of slamming the band that eventually let him go, Robertson focuses on the respect he had for the talented and loyal Noel Gallagher, while allowing the reader insight into the bizzare emotional behavior of Liam. Robbo never directly attacks the younger Gallagher, he even notes that Liam has a caring side to him that is usually not present in most rock stars. However, Robbo still relives accounts of times that Liam's behavior drove Oasis to the edge. An excellent book, Robertson puts his heart and soul into telling the reader what life with Oasis was like for him without becoming overemotional and writing a biased, selfish book. (Which is what many in his position would have done.) Definitely five stars.