Boyd Books

For over half a century the name Hopalong Cassidy meant something to either readers,movie-goers, radio listeners or TV viewers.The fictional book hero, created by Clarence E.Mulford,first appeared in 1905 and lasted until 1941. By that time the red-thatched, hard-cussing cowpoke had been transformed by actor William Boyd into an urbane, polished knight-gallant. This is the Hoppy that Francis Nevins looks at and, as the name of his book implies,the author exhaustively details all 66 of these superior B grade western Cassidy films,between 1935-48.These films continued to be run into the 1960s such was the great popularity of Boyd's Hoppy, in the 1950's, via TV, radio and the actor's marketing genius in promoting a plethora of Hoppy goods, including food, toys, clothing etc.Nevins also catalogues the TV Cassidy series but does not engage in detailed information on these as many of the early TV Hoppy shows were cut-down versions of the earlier films. The book is extensively laced with large black and white photos, from all the movies and, together with a lively text, brings back some great memories to all the Hoppy fans the world over who were growing-up in the 1950s,or earlier. As Nevins notes, 'the best of the Hopalong Cassidy movies are among the finest westerns ever made.'However this book is not just a puff-job. Nevins is also critical of some of the films and dismisses the TV series as amongst the worst westerns (that view of course was not shared by 1950's children who couldn't get enough of their hero-and of course the TV series was pitched at a juvenile audience). Although forgotten today, Bill Boyd was a huge-star for over 20 years as Hopalong, completely fusing his persona with that of the cowboy.The role seemed to change the man. From a frivolous silent-era heart-throb(with 4 failed marriages) whose career seemed over, until he accepted the Cassidy role in 1935, Boyd became the epitome of everything wholesome and decent.In 1937 he started two enduring partnerships,one with his fifth wife,the actress Grace Bradley,the other with Topper, his four-legged ghostly grey co-star. These partnerships were severed only by death-Topper's in 1961 and Boyd's in 1972 (Grace is still alive).Boyd's acts of kindness to children, particularly the sick, are legendary and in films and life Boyd represented the best of American values. Thus, whilst making a store-appearance in the Deep-South, Boyd refused to allow the segregation of children waiting to see him. Hoppy, as always, continued to 'ride-tall'. The Cassidy films too showed great sensitivity in portraying Indians and Afro-Americans in an era not particularly known for such portrayals.A minor criticism of this detailed book relates to Boyd's birth and death. Nevins, like a majority of writers on William Boyd, states the actor was born in 1898. In fact, Boyd was born in 1895. Likewise, Nevins states that Boyd died on 13 September 1972 whereas all other references I have read state he died on 12 September. Nevertheless, Nevins has written an interesting book on a great western star analysing the films in the context of the times.

Francis M. Nevins book on "The Films of Hopalong Cassidy", a detailed account and loaded with photographs of the Paramount Pictures and Producer Harry Sherman days and our leading Western hero "Hopalong Cassidy" (William Boyd)...our silver-haired, black clothes wrangler and his white horse (Topper) rode into our lives and we've never been the same since...when the good guys always won and their hat never fell off in a fist-fight and the moral to the story was fair-play

Hopalong Cassidy films were always first class and the early years had some of the best of the best...actors and actresses from the series Ted Adams, Morris Ankrum, Roy Barcroft, Rand Brooks, Edgar Buchanan, Jan Clayton, Andy Clyde, Jimmy Ellison, Douglas Fowley, Gabby Hayes, Russell Hayden, Earle Hodgins, Brad King, Jay Kirby, Robert Mitchum, George Reeves, Duncan Renaldo, Jimmy Rogers, Glenn Strange and Britt Wood...they all appeared in various films during the series loved and looked up to Hoppy...top-notch film-making, outstanding directing from Derwin Abrahams, George Archainbaud, Howard Bretherton, Joseph A. Henabery, Lesley Selander, David Selman and Nate Wate...Boyd gave his character life, his word was his bond...Hoppy never quit on a friend in need, always giving the other fellow an even break...this was the way of the early West...the code he lived by, they'll never be another Hopalong Cassidy or Hoppy as his friends knew him.

Paramount Pictures and Clarence E. Mulford's fictional western character "Hopalong Cassidy" comes to life through the producing of Harry "Pop" Sherman and the realistic performance of William Lawrence Boyd...as Hoppy aims to do some trailing for cattle rustlers, clean up a wild town and save the under-dog...always filmed in the great outdoors of Lone Pine, California at the foothills of Mount Whitney..."Hopalong Cassidy" (1935) features Jimmy Ellison (Johnny Nelson) always hot-headed & getting into trouble...but the scene stealer is George "Gabby" Hayes, as the old-timer Uncle Ben, gives the a film shot in the arm with his down-to-earth humor and sentimentality, as the father figure to Hoppy the interaction with Boyd's character is pure Americana!

Brings back many good memories of my years with Hoppy...William Lawrence Boyd was born in Cambridge, Ohio on June 5, 1895 and left us on September 12, 1972 in Palm Desert, California...filmed 66 episodes from 1935 until 1948...then went into the television series 1952-1954 with over 40 episodes... Don't miss this one...now appearing on Amazon as a used copy...Don't hesitate pick up your copy today...Great reading in the days and weeks to come...I guarantee it!

Total Pages: 324 Pages ~ World of yesterday 0-936505-09-5 ~ (6/01/1988)

I like these books -- I listen to them on my ipod when driving, to get the feel of the language.

These tapes ARE the welcome companion to the print ed. _Teach Yourself Gaelic_ (by Robertson & Taylor, c1993, 2003,) with the same "heather" cover. Becasue most Scottish Gaelic texts don't give a hint to the pronunciation, which does not resemble the spelling of the words, the tapes are a must.

(I believe there is an error above. This is NOT by Roderick Mackinnon in this iteration & not a companion to Gaelic, by Roderick Mackinnon.)

Caveat: Both books _Teach yourself Gaelic_ by Robertson & Taylor, & _Gaelic_ by Roderick Mackinnon are Scottish Gaidhlig (not Irish Gaeilge.) Also Mackinnon does include pronunciation guide for each of the vocabulary words.

When John Glenn, Jr. boarded Friendship 7 on February 20, 1962, he became the first American astronaut to orbit the earth. This book gives a biography of his life and describes how he came to be an astronaut. It also describes some of the technical information of how the shuttles are safely able to enter space and return astronauts to earth.

This book is a great biography of a very important man. This is the first biography book geared towards younger readers that I have encountered and I was very impressed by it. The beautiful illustrations draw the reader's interest and the story of John Glenn's life is written in a way that younger readers can understand it and will be interested in it. The sidebars include more technical information about how the shuttles work and the space program, which will appeal to older readers who are interested in space.

For John Glenn, becoming an astronaut seemed natural. After taking an airplane ride as a small boy, he became a Marine Corps fighter pilot during both World War II and the Korean War. Besides the numerous medals that he won during these wars, including being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on six different occasions, Mr. Glenn grew to love flying even more than he had as a boy. This led to a job as a test pilot for experimental aircraft.

It seemed only natural that in 1959 John Glenn was chosen, along with six other men, to form the Mercury Seven--men who would train with NASA to become astronauts. As they withstood the difficult training that they'd need before they could ever enter into space, NASA was busy sending animals, including Ham the chimpanzee, into orbit to test the body's ability to deal with weightlessness and other issues.

John Glenn's day finally came on February 20, 1962, when he boarded the Friendship 7 and was shot into space. After orbiting the Earth three times, he was forced to return due to a malfunction aboard his capsule. However, that first man-made orbit into space gave President John F. Kennedy the facts he needed to make a push for a man eventually landing on the Moon.

GODSPEED, JOHN GLENN is an excellent illustrated biography, perfect for a middle school library or classroom. For those students interested in space or history, this is a great book from which to gain knowledge of both.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

I am new to Harlem, completely - took a new job in a brownstone on 122nd just east of Lenox - and wanted to get some background on this neighborhood which I knew had a very complex history. This book gave me a good broad cross-section of context to start with. It is NOT centered on the Harlem Renaissance, the topic of many other books, but has short pieces and excerpts covering mostly the span AFTER that period to the near past. It really piqued my interest to search out and read other books on the history and especially the architecture of this amazingly rich neighborhood.

The Harlem Reader is a must read for anyone who would like to acquire more knowledge about Harlem. It has a revelation about the struggles of African-Americans during the Harlem Renaissance period after the migration from the South to the North.

This book stirs the soul and heightens one's perspective concerning the various viewpoints from a variety of authors. The contribution of their writings from essays to short stories for inclusion in the book is very enlightening and educational.

Harlem is not only touched upon during the Harlem Renaissance years; the writings also touched upon the present and anticipated future activities in Harlem. It shows the current state of economic development and the mistreatment of those who are not financially wealthy, or in the upper income class. It also highlights the lives of those who are financially wealthy.

The writings of great writers such as Langston Hughes, W.E.B. Dubois, Weldon Johnson, and Claude McKay will touch the soul. Also included are national liberators such as Marcus Garvey, Rev. Al Sharpton, Malcolm X, Reverend Adam Clayton Powell and others, just to name a few.

The essence of this book is straight from the heart of Harlem. It was a pleasure for me to learn from its golden pages. This book is truly educational and inspirational. Herb Boyd has highlighted the soul of Harlem in an uplifting manner for all to learn about and enjoy.

Recommended Reading: A Trilogy of Poetry, Prose and Thoughts for the Mind, Body and Soul, and Trilogy Moments for the Mind, Body and Soul

My family and I visit the Cashiers area several times a year and have found most of the falls by asking and hiking about. Then my mother gave me this book and I wonder how I found the ones I did without it and there are so many more!

The only thing I felt the book was lacking were the listings for the falls that feed into Lake Glenville: Mill Creek Falls, Norton Falls and Hurricane Falls. But those can be easily gotten to by renting a boat at Signal Ridge Marina.

Thanks for the great guidebook, Brian!

My husband & I bought this book and it easily helped us find the waterfalls in the area. The book accurately describes how to get there as well as detailed descriptions of the waterfalls and hiking trails in the area. Don't leave home without it if you are going to the land of the waterfalls.

I bought this book many years ago and still find myself thumbing through it every now and then. The pictures are great and it will get you motivated to go to the garage and start working on your hot rod.

I read this book and think "wow, this guy is great". Then I watch American Hot Rod and think "wow, this guy is a jerk" I guess thats because nobody gets fired during each chapter of the book.

The coverage and pictures on many of his best creations are spectacular.

A well-illustrated, well written "his life and work", of arguably the most accomplished custom car builder in the US today. Showcases his best known and lesser known projects, plus some work in prgress at the time of publication. A must for custom car aficionados anywhere.

Great for learning how do draw the DC characters with detailed steps and tips on how to draw them you can't go wrong if you buy this book.

This beautifully illustrated, easy to follow, step-by-step, how-to guide is the most useful and complete book on the basic drawing techniques you need to accurately depict the cartoon characters of the DC universe (in the Bruce Timm/Animated Series style) available on the market today.
The information and instructions contained in this book are wonderfully organized and presented in step-by-step format (from rough sketch to finished drawing), include a list of tools and materials you need to get started and cover topics that include: guidelines on basic figure drawing, head and figure proportions, movements and expressions, comparisons of male and female figure features, and perspective and foreshortening for backgrounds and figures. The book also contains a detailed treatment on how to draw DC heroes and villains, from the well-known (Batman, Superman, Flash, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, the Joker, Poison Ivy, Lex Luthor, etc.) to the less-known (Starman, Huntress, Black Canary, the Gentleman Ghost, etc.) As a bonus, the book teaches us how to draw places like Gotham City, Metropolis and Themystira.
This book is a simple, excellent and thorough resource for creating your own DC Comics super hero adventures, at the same time that you begin to understand the basic principles of cartooning and animation. This is a mandatory book for the shelf of kids and adults who want to draw the world of DC Comics like professional artists in a relatively short time.
A note of caution: this book not only includes everything contained in two previous Ty Templeton books: How to Draw Batman and How to Draw Superman, but also a lot more.
--Reviewed by Maritza Volmar

Excellent resource for those willing to think a little bit about the responsibility of citizens in a constitutional republic. Is written from the point of view of a monarchy, but with a bit of logical thought can be applied to the American form of government. As the citizens are the "authority"{under God} in this constitutional republic, the limits of power and consequences of usurpation was insightful. Most sheeple won't get it sadly.
Wayne

In the 1600's, the world shattering issue was whether kings ruled by "divine right." Lex, Rex brilliantly and comprehensively demolishes the idea that rulers are above the law. This book figured prominently in moving the British to a civil war that resulted in a kingdom under law ... with the law emanating largely from the will of the people expressed through representatives in Parliament.

Old news? Ancient History? That's where you'll be surprised. In all ages we as citizens must face these crucial questions: Is our government legitimate? Does our government have moral authority to rule? Must we obey evil rulers and unjust laws?

The 20th Century featured the rise of totalitarian governments -- rulers with absolute power. These modern "kings" did not claim to rule in the name of God -- they claimed to rule in the name of "the people." Except that the people were routinely enslaved, oppressed and murdered by these rulers who answered to no one but themselves. The ideas in Lex, Rex still shine as beacons of self-government 350 years after the book's first publication.

Lex, Rex rigorously analyzes more arguments for divine right of kings than I ever knew existed. In the process of reading it, however, you find issues raised that bother us today: Is the ruler ever above the law? [Think of certain U.S. presidents and federal judges] Do the people have a right of self-defense against their own government? [Think of the Branch Davidians]

To be frank, Lex, Rex is rather difficult to read for a few reasons. First, it is written in the English of the mid 1600's. An Oxford dictionary is handy for a few of the words whose meanings have changed over the centuries. Don't worry, it's not "olde English" ... but there are a few challenges.

Second, the book constantly answers arguments made by others. You probably haven't read those other arguments, so you might not know exactly what the discussion is about. Rutherford was methodical and complete, however, and did provide at least short summaries for nearly every opposing argument. With persistence you can follow the discussion more easily as you progress.

Third, at least in the Sprinkle Publications 1982 reprint edition I have, the print is small and densely packed. Rutherford broke his arguments down into parts and numbered or lettered them, but the old-fashioned typesetting jams most of the text together as tightly as possible. A modern reprint could easily enlarge the type, add white space, and employ outline indents and spacing to make the logic easier to follow and the whole book easier to read. To ice the cake, a scholar could help readers by adding little footnotes or comments to explain unusual terms and translate into modern English the occasional passages currently printed in Hebrew, Greek and Latin.

How did Rutherford demolish the "divine right" of kings, and the kings' claim to absolute unquestionable power? By referring first and primarily to Old Testament Bible analysis. Jews and Christians especially will find fascinating analyses of Bible texts that show God's plan for individual liberty under a limited government. Keep a Bible handy while reading, so that you can fully grasp and explore Rutherford's logic.

Rutherford's other key sources of political understanding were Greek and Roman sources. There are footnotes to these references, although you have to understand the abbreviations he used if you want to check them out in a library.

Lex, Rex transports you into the world of classical political thinking informed by Judeo-Christian morality. You see the roots of modern Western political civilization being formed and applied in the cause of human freedom.

Here's a good way to enjoy the book. It is organized into 44 questions. Pick one of the questions that interests you, and read that chapter slowly. I found nuggets of insight in each one. I gained also an awe-filled respect for those thinkers and writers who marshaled so much solid reasoning ... in the face of the king's raw power ... and ultimately won for us a radically different world view -- individual rights and autonomy under the rule of law -- a world view we automatically assume and take for granted under the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Get the book, at least for reference and the Biblical applications. Rutherford's bottom line: no ruler is above the law. Law comes from God's fixed fundamental precepts, and is implemented by government that rules with the citizens' general consent. When the government breaks the law, or operates outside of the bounds of citizens' consent, then the people may resist or abolish it.

A lesson for all humanity ... a warning to all would-be tyrants.

I bought this collection on audio CD to listen in my car as I drive to and from work, and I have to say this made sitting in traffic almost tolerable! great stories and excellent detective work by Lincoln Rhyme! A+++

THE LINCOLN RHYME CD COLLECTION
BY Jeffery Deaver
PUBLISHED BY Simon & Schuster Audio
REVIEWED BY Barbara Rhoades

This audio book is three times as much enjoyment if you are a fan of the Lincoln Rhyme series. It contains three of Jeffery Deaver's book: The Coffin Dancer, The Empty Chair and The Stone Monkey. It also has an excerpt from Mr. Deaver's newest book "The Twelfth Card".

The Coffin Dancer: What do you get when you cross a quadriplegic, forensic science and an apartment full of high tech equipment? You get Lincoln Rhyme, the best detective in New York City. And he has to face The Coffin Dancer again. He has killed Ed Carney, husband and co-owner of Hudson Air, a small freight company. Rhyme is called in to help the NYPD stop him.

Rhyme forms a team of the best people, Amelia Sachs, his right-hand person, Tom, his faithful care giver, DelRay, the street hardened black cop and Mel Cooper, the best lab technician anyone could ask for. This team has 48 hours to stop The Coffin Dancer before he kills Ed's wife, Percy and Brit, Ed's best friend.

The Coffin Dancer is very good as he leaves no trace evidence. So in order to catch him, they must be able to think like he does. From an airplane blowing up to safe houses being breached to landing an airplane safely that has an altitude bomb aboard, the Dancer keeps the team on its toes. And just to keep things interesting, Amelia and Rhyme have a romantic entanglement going!

Joe Mantegna reads this book and has the ability to provide each character with their own voice. A listener has no trouble knowing exactly which character is speaking. Mr. Mantegna speaks clearly and uses inflections in all the right places.

The Empty Chair: Corporate greed is the theme of this story. Garrett Handlin lost his parents and sister when he was only a child. He begins an interest in insects to ease the pain of this loss. Then as a teenager, he kidnaps Mary Jo and the Lydia.

Lincoln Rhyme comes to a hospital near Tanner's Corner to have surgery in the hopes of getting more movement. The Tanner's Corner sheriff comes begging for Rhyme's help to solve the kidnappings. Rhyme has some time before the surgery and begins an investigation.

Garrett is captured and Sachs believes he is innocent. She takes matters into her own hands and breaks Garrett out of jail. In the chase that follows, Sachs kills a deputy.

Not until the final moments of Sachs' trial are all the facts reveled and the real culprit is known which clears Sachs of the murder charges.

Joe Mantegna has a way with voices so you know just who is speaking. His inflections are a perfect addition to the actual words of the story.

The Stone Monkey: This is a story of human smuggling and the need for political asylum. The first few chapters are rather long and drawn out as the story is being set up. It reminds me of the way Tom Clancy goes into great and long details of setting up a story. After the first few chapters, the story returns to the true Lincoln Rhyme writing so being patient through them pays off as the rest of the story is great.

"The Ghost" has smuggled in Chinese dissidents but sinks the ship and begins killing all the passengers when the NYPD shows up just before the boat makes landfall. Between the INS, the State Department, the NYPD and a Chinese police officer, you don't know who to trust. Lincoln uses his forensic techniques to figure out who "The Ghost" really is and prevents him from being returned to China where he would go free rather than pay for all the people he has killed.

The secondary story is about Rhyme's upcoming surgery which Sachs doesn't want him to have. Listen to see what his decision will be.

The Twelfth Card: This is a small excerpt and tells a tale of a girl in today's world wanting to learn about her slave ancestors and what happened to him. She is reading in the History Museum when she notices she is being stalked. She is clever and gets away but in doing so sets off the alarm. The stalker blends into the crowd and returns to the Museum to see what the police have come up with........and this is where the CD ends.

The Civil War history is of interest to me so I will be sure to get The Twelfth Card and finish listening to the whole story.

this book is very important to read for management syllabus, and also latest business trends

This is a good book except for one major problem. It is a book about the use of information systems in marketing that fails to mention the Internet. Written just before commercial use of the Internet was permitted, that omission from the book is an understandable but major flaw.

If you want to read about how a firm can use internally-generated data to become closer to its customers, this is an informative book. It also includes some information about data sources that can be purchased from external sources, but that is not the strength of the book.

The book appears to be aimed at people in marketing who don't know much about information technology and how the data in your information systems can be leveraged for competitive advantage.