Boone Books

This is a remarkably fun book.. a must for Kentuckians! Manning seems to be channeling D Boon, and the result is some remarkable poems as well as insights and speculations. In "The Sum Result of Speculation" is Boone's account of his land surveying ""Marking off thousand-acre parcels is a lot of paces, a lot of steps to count in your head ... I'm sad to say, walking this country for money only brought be loss; but I never once got lost.". In Sleeping in the Wilderness ... "No matter how well you dress the hide / a buffalo rug will always smell like buffalo".

From this frontier are thoughts of Boone presented about the Corp of Discoveries, Audubon, Jefferson, and 10 things he would say to Colonel Richard Henderson ("Henderson, you cur, I'll wipe that smirk right off your face.". ). The final section on "Illustrations, Inventories, and Maps" shows that Manning is also a imaginative illustrator, the "ring of sadness" around an Image of Boone's foot (which is also the shape of Kentucky).

Be sure to read the notes associated with each poem in the back. These not only present interesting facts, but some of Manning's own thoughts. Finally is an essay tracing English Romanticism through Wordsworth to D Boon .. Bear killer.

i am not a reader of poetry ...in general.... i stumbled across this at my local library and love it... i bought 4 copies from amazon and my friends are getting one.. gives you just a hint of the mind set of early frontier free thinking men (women)....

First of all, I don't think the intention was ever to be historical, so anyone expecting that will be sorely disappointed. It is a book of poetry that deals with human interactions with nature, etc. I wish I had time to be more thurough in this discription! Read it, though, even if you are just checking it out from the Library.

I was disappointed with this book because although, I knew in advance that it is fictional poetry, most if the information it communicates about Daniel Boone is just completely inaccurate falsehoods. As a Boone descendant and historian, it was a disappointing read. The author appears to have written many things based solely on rumor without even doing any verifiable research. Otherwise he would not have written a lot of the stuff he wrote - good example; "D. Boone Kilt Bar on This Tree, 1760." Things he says about Boone and his faithful wife in that "poem" are untruths and writings such as this only perpetuate false rumors. I would love a book of poetry about Boone - this is not one. It is a book about some fictional character that bears very little if any resemblance to Daniel Boone the real person. The author of A Companion for Owls does not know Daniel Boone.

I wanted to enjoy Maurice Manning's second book more than I actually did. While the premise of a series of poems based on Daniel Boone's life is fascinating, the poems themselves start to break down, about mid way through the book until they seem overly focused on delivering information as if Manning simply wanted to include more of the research and especially the letters section are just that, letters. It's less important, at least to me to stick to the historical facts alone, though historical figures can often be more interesting than any purely fictional characters. Anyway, the last few poems almost make up for the letters as the poems return back to actual poems. Read this collection for the first and last section of poems.

British Jockey Club investigator David Cleveland travels to Norway investigating the disappearance of British jockey Robert Sherman. It's presumed that he'd stolen the day's take from the racecourse and vanished. However, neither he nor the money has turned up, and some of the evidence doesn't quite fit together.

Things get complicated fairly quickly, and instead of a straightforward case of theft, Cleveland finds himself with a murdered witness, and his own life in danger.

If you like horses and horse racing, you'll probably enjoy this (and all of Dick Francis's books, for that matter) more than I did. In Slayride, there's a lot of detail about the Norwegian racing world, and how it differs from, say, the British.

I enjoyed the logical unraveling of clues--my favorite type of mystery. At times, this made the book seem a bit plodding, as Cleveland followed false leads, but it also felt realistic.

Best, though, was the twists and turns. The reader gets to experience them along with Cleveland--that is, they're not telegraphed or obvious... at least not to me.

I tend to mildly enjoy Dick Francis's books, and Slayride was no exception. He does a good job of crafting a mystery, but I get bored with the horse stuff after a while. So he's an occasional read rather than an author I collect.

I am not a great fan of Dick Francis. I've enjoyed every one of his books that I have read, but I do not go out of my way to look for his other books. After reading "Slay-Ride", I still feel the same way.

David Cleveland, an investigator for British racing interests, goes to Norway to track down a missing British jockey suspected to stealing racetrack money. At the risk of revealing too much, let's just say things are not as they appear. The plot is satisfactory with probably more emphasis on action rather than detection.

With just a couple of exceptions, I could not keep the Norwegian characters straight - I don't know whether this is my problem with their Norse names or it's Mr Francis's problem with not givng them more distinct personalities.

This really isn't up to Mr. Francis' usual high standards. The main character is an investigator for the Jockey Club, and that is pretty much all we learn about his character or motives. He is more a plot device than a living human being with whom one can empathize. The villains aren't particularly interesting either, nor any of the supporting characters. The story could have been more involving if the characters had been better drawn, but as it is, it drags. Francis is such a fine writer that nothing he has done is totally worthless -- but this book is only worth one reading, and one puts it aside with a sigh of regret that this very skillful author didn't have the time or inclination to give us a better race.

SLAY RIDE follows the normal Francis formula, but the life threatening assault on the hero, David Cleveland opens the story. This doesn't leave much time to develop the suspense that characterizes most Dick Francis novels. It was too easy to figure out "who-done-it", which spoils the fun, for the reader, of a mystery.
The betrayal by a friend is sad, but plodding like a hard run race that didn't make it. But by all means read SLAY RIDE for the interest of knowing an author who stands head above the rest at a low point, it gives you insight into his power of storytelling.
Nash Black, author of WRITING AS A SMALL BUSINESS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.

It had been a while since I had read anything from Dick Francis and I was in the mood for a mystery and saw Slay Ride at a used bookstore for $2.00. Let's just say it's a good thing that I didn't pay any more.
The bulk of the murder-mystery story takes place in Norway. After main character, David Cleveland is sent to investigate a death is Oslo; he is nearly killed in a boating mishap.
The book takes some predicable turns until the killer is flushed out.
By the end of the novel, I was quite bored and the end left me unfulfilled.
I am used to a better quality novel from Dick!

The story was exciting, had a good plot, and was believeable. I thought the sex was overdone...not realistic.

I was going to write a longer review but then I read the review by Sue Lit-Fan "Sue." I agree totally with everything she wrote so there is no reason to repeat; so I will just say DITTO.

"Appalachian Paradise" can be read as a romance novel or as a novel of self-discovery. Suzanne Bowers is a woman of the 21st century - choosing the pressures of an intense professional world over the stereotypical female societal roles. As a result of her high-pressure job, Suzanne is a bit more concerned with organization and efficiency than her therapist thinks is healthy; Suzanne is told that she needs to "get away."

Taking her therapist's advice, Suzanne decides to take a solo hike through the Appalachian mountains in an attempt to de-stress and center herself. Heading for her uncle's cabin in North Carolina, Suzanne is ready for her vacation. However, although Suzanne is willing to get away from the city, she's not willing to leave behind her world of schedules and to-do lists; her vacation has been carefully orchestrated. But, as with most plans, Suzanne's soon go awry.

Unbeknownst to Suzanne, her uncle and estranged father have arranged for Wes Avery, a handsome, intelligent businessman with an outdoorsy side, to be a "guide" to keep the city gal safe in the Appalachian wilderness. And, with Wes by her side, Suzanne learns how to relax, laugh, love, and just be herself - without her day planner. In the end, Suzanne's journey goes much further than her hiking destinations, and the resulting story captures the tranquility and beauty of the North Carolina mountains as well as the intricacies of the human heart.

I picked up this book solely because I live in the Appalachian region and try to support local authors.

Truthfully, my review would not be a fair review for romance lovers because I am not into the romance genre. So, I will stick strictly to the prose/style/story itself.

The writing is tight and flows for the most part. There were too many cliches and repeated adjectives for my taste; the descriptions of the trail itself and the hiking adventure were, in my opinion, the best part of the book. The plot and characters seemed too contrived. Nothing in the book really surprised me, so I guess that was the biggest disappointment.

On a positive note, I admired the straightforward writing style and the mountain imagery. The author did a nice job of bringing the reader along on the hike, and creating a couple of suspenseful moments.

I guess I was hoping for more complexities, idiosyncrasies, and surprising characters. Overall, the book was too simple and dry for my taste. But I appreciate the backdrop for this romantic adventure.

Suzanne Bowers is an upper-management executive used to living a high-pressure life; a woman who has decided love is only a fabrication. When her therapist orders her to take a vacation, she decides to go to her uncle's cabin in the Appalachian Mountains, where she plans to begin a five-day hike through the mountains. Wes Avery is an easygoing man full of Southern charm who agrees, as a favor to Suzanne's uncle and unbeknownst to Suzanne, to accompany her on her trek through the mountains. When the two meet, sparks fly. Suzanne is fiercely independent and finds Wes to be an irritant, but finally decides it would be safer to have another person along for her venture into the mountains.

During their five-day adventure, Wes realizes he is in love with Suzanne, but Suzanne initially wants nothing to do with the man. However, she is highly attracted to him, even though she does not want to be. The two slowly begin to know one another and become friends. They face danger together and share many visually aesthetic moments. Suzanne slowly begins to unwind and finds herself opening up to Wes. Before the trip is finished, their campfires aren't the only things sizzling in the mountains. However, upon their return, Suzanne is confronted with two unknown truths that Wes had not divulged and she flees to Baltimore, to her old lifestyle. But Wes is determined not to lose Suzanne and begins his own battle to bring her back to the Appalachians.

Maggie Bishop brings a vast knowledge of the Appalachian region and its multitudinous array of horticulture to APPALACHIAN PARADISE. She displays the unique ability to draw the reader into each setting with vivid description, to the point that the reader feels part of the scene. The story is well-paced, the characters deftly drawn, the chemistry between Suzanne and Wes searing, and the romantic story teasing enough to leave the reader anxiously waiting for "the moment".

I read this book in russian translation. And very disappointed that an original one is out of stock

I barely managed to struggle my way through this book. Frankly, it's a mess. It is in desperate need of editing. It lurches unsteadily and introduces new themes and characters on a whim for no apparent purpose. The Mongol horde mentioned in one of the blurbs provided here at Amazon is a good example of this "kitchen sink" mentality. The way "the seven" end up sitting around waiting for a meaningless ceremony in the end also highlights the basically unorganized and ill-conceived nature of the story. There's really very little to recommend this book to anyone. Even farce and satire needs structure and a cohesive thread. I really don't understand how this book got published in this form.

There certainly could have been a decent story here (as there can be with any premise really) but it doesn't seem like there was any attempt made to tighten up the story and string it together properly. It read like a very early draft meant to demonstrate a couple of key points rather than assemble them into an entertaining story.

I just finished 'A Farce to Be Reckoned With' by Roger Zelazny and Robert Sheckley. I've read a fair bit of Zelazny--the Amber novels and Lord Of Light and some others. This book looked more light hearted, but I figured I'd give it a try.

I was sorely disappointed. There's no plot. Or, rather, there is a plot, but it makes no sense. Plot turns are introduced (like the Greek gods getting free) and then dropped, willy nilly. There's a character called Peter Westfall who gets Pandora's Box at the beginning, but we never hear from him again. And at the end, we have a fight scene that is a total deus ex machina--the end of the book comes with no explanations.

Normally, you expect characters to have reasons for things they do. They can do weird things, but they should justify it to themselves, and have the actions be a natural outgrowth of their past. This is called characterization. Characters in this book have one sentence justifications for absurd actions. We have a nun who decides to deal with the devil, and an angel who is ordered to spy. There's a set of religious pilgrims headed toward Venice during the Middle Ages. A demon joins them, proves himself to be a demon, and they don't even run away from him.

The dialog is wretched. Everyone converses in a stilted manner. The description is campy; the authors apparently decided to focus on the clothing of women--there are attractive wimples and red low cut blouses galore.

It feels like this book has been subjected to random editing. Or perhaps worse than random, as I feel that there may have been malicious intent at confusing the reader. Characters pop up, disappear for a while, then pop up again with no explanation (an example is the young lady named Priscilla [or Puss]).

But you know what? All of the above flaws could have been forgiven if there had been any scene, any scene at all, that was funny. I wanted to forgive the flaws--I wanted to laugh--I read the entire book, didn't I? But I didn't even crack a smile the entire book. There were times I put it down and thought to myself, 'Why are you wasting your time?' I will admit, I finished the book (I think for the same reasons that folks slow down to look at a wreck on the highway).

Don't buy this book. If you want some funny fantasy, read 'A Night in the Lonesome October' (which is great!) or anything by Blaylock. Don't buy this book.

A Farce to Be Reckoned with is the best book that I have ever read. Even though the book starts out slow the fast chapter breaks make it a book that needs no bookmarks. I have read the complete Chronicles of Amber three times and the comedy that he displays in this book can only be compared to the duel with the sphinx. It's a book that will entertain and make you think at the same time. This is a must buy for any Zelazny fan!

This series (Bring Me The Head of Prince Charming, A Farce to be Reckoned With, and If at Faust you Don't Succeed) are, along with A Night In the Lonesome October, the polished works of a master.

I believe that when he wrote these, Zelazny knew he was dying. The writing is sparse, the plotting tight, the works polished before pen went to paper - or that's how they read, anyway. Beautiful, beautiful work.

Put them back in print, dammit!

I thought this was a great book with lots of stories of corporate raiding. T. Boone Pickens is an amazing man with lots of what I would call street smarts and then some. It is an autobiography with a little family history but mostly dwells on the later business years with Mesa Petroleum. He tells of the ups and the downs of the numerous businesses he was in including the cattle business and commodity trading. Lots of good stuff that will keep you interested in what is going to happen next. Pickens also is quick to tell his point of view on how a Corporation should be run in order to give the stock holders, those who actually own the business, some profit. I think you will enjoy it.

A great story about T. Boone, his dreams and his company. T.Boone, like David is not afraid to take the Goliaths head on. This book has some great quotes, like "Is you is or is you ain't, my baby". I also learned why you should never borrow neckties or shotguns. Really an enjoyable read about a great corporate raider.

Despite Pickens constantly patting himself on the back this
turned out to be a very good book. You are able to get a good
history of Picken's very own company,Mesa Petroleum.You also get
an insight into Picken's marriages and life. Most of the book
was taken up with the various corporate raids that Picken's had
a hand in initiating on some of the bigger companies in America.
It is a very interesting look at the actions of a corporate raider.Pickens also gives you his insight on the management of some of the big companies that he was raiding. All in all a very
interesting book.

A quick, enjoyable read, Boone provides the reader with insight regarding the motivations of corporate executives -- self preservation. T. Boone consistently highlights one theme -- creating shareholder value -- as the justification for his actions throughout the 1980s. The book provided an altogether different slant than that portrayed by the media and by corporate America. The reader should be prepared however, as T. Boone is self praising and absorbed throughout the majority of this book. In fact, one should consider this book to be the "other-side" of the corporate raider story.

Overall, Boone is a read which provides a glimse into the personality which exemplifies the corporate raider. Upon finishing the book I was taken two things: 1. The names of some partners: Ivan Boesky, Michael Milken, and so forth. 2. The continued "bloatedness" of big business (regardless of the industry) in America -- apparently things have not changed much in the last 15 years since Boone was originally written.

Daniel Boone: His Own Story

Boone is my Great Grandfather with 5 greats. The stories are true and exciting and interesting. Boone does not have a bias for or against indians. What I like about his stories in the book is that he explains why he did things. For example he jumped around in the open to get the two indians to shoot their weapons. After they fired, he had time to shoot one and then go after the other with his hunting knife which was a long knife. He did not put down his empty rifle. He used it like a shield to block the attack of the second indian like a Roman sholdier would fight.
The only problem with the book is that his speech was not so close to Oxford English and I believe someone else rewrote the stories in a more intelligent way from the way he actually spoke.

There are many, many, factual errors in this book, starting with Daniel's birth date which is given as 1746. He was actually born in 1734. He married in 1756, so the date given in the book would have made him only 10 years old on his wedding day. The "shining eyes" tale has long been discounted by the family. Human eyes do not shine in a light like animal eyes. The first 28 pages are written in the most flowery of language. Daniel Boone was uneducated, and I do not believe he spoke this way or wrote this way. This is a very poor book for anyone to depend on for facts about Daniel Boone's life. There are many better ones out there. Don't waste your money on this one.

Daniel Boone: His Own Story

I HAVE BOTH OF THESE BOOKS, AND REALLY ENJOYED READING THEM. I LOVE TO READ ANYTHING ABOUT DANIEL BOONE AND DAVY CROCKETT. I ALSO ORDERED THE DANIEL BOONE BOOK BY ROBERT MORGAN. HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO READ IT YET.

THEY ARE DEFINITELY WORTH BUYING.

SALLY REPASS

Here's a word from someone who should know more about history but does not (I'm working on it). This book on Crocket is really not quite what some of you might expect. Only the very beginning is by Crocket himself and it's quite brief. I was very disappointed by that. Had I known more about history I might have known ahead of time that he did not write a whole lot (although he comes across as quite intelligent and learned). The rest of the book is just not that great. Worth a read, but not a hearty recommendation.

THIS ONE IS NOT MY FAVORITE FROM MARGARET MARON. ITS A VERY MELANCHOLY STORY.

I usually don't enjoy the Sigrid Harald series, she is a little too one dimensional. This novel, however makes her a real person and not a stick figure with all the really interesting people around her. The mystery is great and the book moves very quickly with a nice twist at the end. The characters-cops, artists, and gallery owners are all very quirky, making this a very easy book to read.

This Sigrid Harald mystery follows two cases simultaneously--the murder or suicide of a spoiled drug user, estranged from his wife and baby daughter, and the murder of a second-generation art dealer in New York City. The perpetrators of these acts may come as a surprise. Sigrid Harald may not be as popular as Deborah Knott, but she and her police colleagues take on distinct personalities as the author begins to flesh out their characteristics.

Probably most readers know Margaret Maron better for her more recently published and more contemporary stories about (Judge) Deborah Knott. The Sigrid Harald series dates from the mid-80's to this, the last of the set (the eighth), Fugitive Colors, published in 1995 after a 5-year hiatus from #7. These books remind one of almost classic Ellery Queen type stories: long on police procedures, complexity of plot, and wrapping things up cleanly at the end; somewhat shorter on interesting characters, locales, or other diversions to enhance the entertainment value. Like watching an old TV show in black and white, our leading lady Sigrid is herself kind of a plain, by-the-books supervisor without much femininity or complexity. She did take on a much older lover somewhere along the line, an Arts Professor and painter (Oscar Nauman). He suddenly turns up dead (auto accident) at the start of this story, certainly an unexpected development; and we spend much of the first part of the book with Sigrid out of work grieving, art galleries posturing over showing and selling his works, etc. The mystery doesn't really get going until one of the art scene gallery principals is found quite dead. At that point, things pretty much returned to techniques of the earlier works.

I generally liked this somewhat old-fashioned series of mysteries. I grew somewhat fond of Sigrid despite her shyness and low profile, and there were signs she was gaining more worldliness with every passing book. There was just enough continuing story with some of her colleagues, and her painter-lover, that the characters were becoming more accustomed, more familiar friends. And make no mistake, Maron is a fine writer. I would rate most if not all of the other stories as "4's". But somehow, the disjointed start to this one, the fact that it almost seemed like the last of the series (even if I had not known it), just didn't provide the expected enjoyment. It was almost like the publisher insisted Maron dust Sigrid off and give us one more for the gipper, but that she did so reluctantly. Maybe her lack of joy translated into our own, hence the "3".

I guess I'll go see what Deborah Knott is up to!

This book is more suited for young adults. It does not have too much depth to the story. I felt the book could be appreciated more if I had read the whole series. It does not stand alone very well.

I enjoyed the first novel in this series but had trouble with the second one. I admit, I'm a bit tired of victimized female heroines and after reading about poor Laina in the first novel, reading about Charlotte's trauma at the hands of the Colonel did not excite me. I like heroines who are a bit less traumatized.

There is also a certain PC'ness which I found aggravating. The characters seem to have very modern values, particuarly in their consideration for minority characters, servants etc. While I concede that some people might have shared these values, I find it unrealistic for the times described.

There is a large focus on CJ (Laina's duaghter), and on Will, (Charlotte's son), and no romance at least in the first half that I read. I admit by the time Will goes to the ranch for the cattle roundup I became bored and went looking for something with a bit more oomph.

1 star. Not enough action for me, and the major players didn't interest me enough to make me want to finish this book.

I read this whole series.. I suggest you start with the first book and go to the last. It follows on with the people. I love this and would recomend this for any one. I think Stephanie Grace Whitson is a really good author.

Charlotte, the formerly snooty daughter of the town doctor has been away, married a high army office, had a son and is now widowed. She feels trapped in the home of his obnoxious parents, far from the love of her little town and loving family and friends.

She finds a way home, but 10 yr. old Will is incorrigible. Expected to perform as an officer's son, he rebels and ends up in the common school at which place he meets his best friend, 10 yr. old CJ, daughter of Laina whom we met in the previous book.

Laina is expecting Caleb's first child and they have moved to a ranch, talking with them several of the old friends from book one. An unexpected tragedy threatens their marriage and their sanity.

Will is the central focus, as is the change in Charlotte, his mother. This is another excellent portrayal of historical and spiritual significance, thanks Stephanie Whitson.

I may be a bit biased here, I had the privilege of having Ms. Cleveland as an instructor at a community college years ago. The love she has for teaching and the repertoire she achieves with students is evident in this great guide to anyone about to begin the art of teaching. Definitely worth a look.

Dear Aaron Parrish (AKA Jerry Creighton),
I hope I can return the favor and critique a work of yours someday. I promise that when I do, I will not make it a personal attack. I will try to be fair.
I still love teaching, Aaron, and I still do my best every day. I'm truly sorry that you had such a terrible experience in my class. I certainly hope that my poor methods did not land you in a sub-par college.
Best of luck,
Chris Boone Cleveland

Well, I had reviewed this item, but apparently, criticism isn't welcome. If there is going to be a self-help book, you might want to know the real creditials of the author. Do you want help from a completely amoral and unprofessional source? Didn't think so. Avoid at all costs. I have actually read some of this book. What I read was all very common sensical stuff. Judging from what I've seen of the author's teaching, I don't want to know what her more "enlightened" views are.

All in all, don't bother. It'd be like getting table manners from Attila the Hun.

I found this book to be a refreshing departure from so many other "how to" books on teaching. The author is obviously very passionate about her profession and takes it very seriously. This book is full of practical ideas on how to facilitate learning in the classroom. I have given a copy to my parents, both of whom are former educators, and they both felt that it was a guide they wish had been available when they were starting their careers in education.

Took a while for the shipping but the book was in good shape came with all cd's. Overall happy with service

This is the most boring book I have had the displeasure of trying to read I understand that tax law is not to most fun thing in the world but I think this book could have been written better. If you need to find a bed-time story for your child then I would consider buying this book it will put you to sleep in less than a minute.

The author of this book really had the student reader in mind. He includes every aspect of business and financing in the text. He is broad but simple at the same time. I would recommend this book to anyone that is beginning to get into the business world of learning!