Bryan Books

I purchased ALL three of Ellis books (this one, All the shapes..., and Swing...) and I love'em all... They are all formated as follows:

1: First, he will teach you a common chord progressions. In this book it will be the Rhythm changes pattern (I, VIm, IIm, V and the bridge...). Followed by a discussion about chord substitutions...

2: Next, he discusses scale patterns and licks... He creates licks base off the scale pattern discussed, several of them for each patterns.

3: Lastly, he illustrate how to use those licks over the progressions... the key to IMPROVISING is to learn how to revamp the licks so that they will sound different each time you play them... This concept is very important to master especially for the Beginner Improvisor because it is not how many licks you know but "HOW TO USE THEM" over and over again without sounding the same...

It is written in TAB and Music and the improvisations are outstanding! Ellis really put his heart and soul into these books and will be well worth the cost... Trust me...

You should also purchase Joe Pass Blues DVD too... Afterwords, just play play and play...

K-man

Bryan Perrett is one of the most readable military history authors around, along with Ian Hernon, Ian Knight, and Byron Farwell, especially with regard to actions and officers from the 19th century and WWI. This outing showcases various officers from the American Revolution through WWI (with special emphasis on British figures from the Napoleonic wars and Britain's colonial era) who through force of will, charisma, brilliant tactics, and no small amount of luck were able to shape the outcome of various battles and campaigns, achieving contemporary honors and fame, but who through the passage of time have become forgotten. Some of the men profiled contributed to this ignominy by their less than stellar achievements and pursuits post-dating their moment of glory. The chapter on each of the men in question reads like a movie, explaining in exciting detail the particulars of each conflict that they played such a pivotal role in. Photographs and maps add to the overall picture. Of special interest was the chapter on Major-General Hector MacDonald ("Fighting Mac"), surely one of the best generals to ever serve in the British army, and one of the few British soldiers to rise from the ranks from private to general on his own merit. Serving in some of the more exotic and important theaters of conflict in the late 19th century of Britain's colonial empire, his achievements were sadly tarnished by false accusations of homosexuality that led him to take his own life rather than endure a scandal and bring shame to his family and his honor. Also of great interest were the exploits of Major William Hodson in the 1857 Indian Mutiny, where he made the controversial decision to personally execute several Indian princes in order to defuse a mob from attacking his troops. Anyone with a fervid or even a passing interest in military history will find this to be a fascinating tour of some of the more colorful figures to ever put on a uniform and seize the day, thereby becoming "heroes of the hour".

Just the chapter titles should be enough to get Hispanics interested in purchasing this well-detailed book. These topics are covered pretty well. (I've added details in the brackets.)

Chronology...xix [history of Iberia/Mesoamerica to present]
1. A Historical Overview [a summarized history of Iberia/the Caribbean/Central America/Mexican-America to their present]
2. Spanish Explorers and Colonizers [colonies in Mexico, Caribbean Islands, and U.S.]
3. Significant Documents [such as the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo]
4. Historic Landmarks [colonies in U.S.]
5. Relations with Spain and Spanish America [their relations with the U.S.]
6. Hispanics and Race [racial ideas/perceptions among colonial Spaniards, modern day Hispanics and non-Hispanic white Americans]
7. Population Growth and Distribution [demographics/census bureau of Hispanic population, both Native & "Immigrant"]
8. Language [slang, English usage among Hispanics, ethnocultural perceptions, etc]
9. The Family [institutions of Mexican/Caribbean families]
10. Women [Hispanic women in society/history]
11. Religion [the synthesis of Native American polytheism and Spanish Catholicism]
12. Military [Hispanic warriors in U.S. History, including the War of Independence, the Civil War, and World Wars]
13. Law and Politics [a lot there...]
14. Business [such as cattle and livestock industry]
15. Labor and Employment
16. Education [history from 1540-present]
17. Scholarship
18. Science [YES! Prominent Hispanic scientists.]
19. Literature [from Colonial period to present]
20. Art [1599-present]
21. Theater
22. Film
23. Music [history; explains how Latin American music has roots in Germanic/Slavic folk but broke off from that style by inventing its own unique sound]
24. Media
25. Sports
26. Organizations
27. Prominent Hispanics
Glossary

I'm not sure what the author's background is but this is among the most informative and well written books of modern military history I've read. It is the rare history that is simulaneously exciting and informative. For a short book it also provides good insight into high level command decisions conflicts and personalities as well as how talented mid-level officers can influence the early direction of evolving methods of warfare. Rarely publically stated, Blitzkrieg, even today, remains at the core of how the US defeats, in days to weeks, large enemy forces and overtakes entire countries with relatively small but highly mobile and combined arms deployments.

This book has a long history of being THE book to consult when researching the families of Marion County South Carolina. This book has been invaluable to my own research and to many others. Mr. Sellars was born in the early part of the 19th Century and lived until just after the turn of 20th Century. His knowledge of the area and it's people was phenomenal. Exhaustive lists of Civil War rosters are also included and would be a great help to anyone searching for clues about their Confederate ancestors from the area. This book is expensive but it's well worth the price.

This book is so rare with names of men who fought for the Confederacy. The author gives a complete list of Missourians during the Civil War.

I just read that the digital version is the first digital book admitted into in the Library of Congress. Anyway, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Wireless Web is a guide for ebusiness executives with an emphasis on practical results. It shows how to execute a wireless Web strategy. I liked that it covered what the obstacles are and especially how to overcome them. Highly recommended!

This book that covers all holiday seasons and the type of collectibles available in each could be an eye-opener as to what has value in the holiday market. Interesting for almost anyone to read!

In poetic, visual prose MacMahon evokes the Tinkers, the traveling people of Ireland, despised, illiterate and living by their wits.

Martin Claffey has fulfilled his ambition to travel the length of Ireland and now, just days before her time, his wife, Breda, insists on returning to Kerry to birth her first child in the Honey Spike, known to her family as a place with a lucky hospital.

Martin, reluctant and grumbling, agrees and the novel describes their journey home through an IRA raid, the suspicious countryside and the King Puck fair where a goat is crowned the only King of Ireland.

MacMahon homes in close to his characters so the reader feels nose to nose with them, pushed together in the intimacy of caravan and tent, day in, day out. Breda's mind drifts back to the days before she and Martin were wed - the feuds between clans that led to the death of her father, Martin's worrisome attaction to a girl from the rival clan, their own restrained courtship and early married days.

The book explores an intimacy so complete that Martin is like a new powerful limb grafted on to Breda, one that must be manipulated carefully to overcome its dangerous rebellions. It's a quiet, compeling book but the American reader is aware of details missed, subtleties unseen, simply by virtue of the close relationship between author and subject.

A fascinating study of the intelligence breakdown that led to Pearl Harbor. Was it a let-down in preparedness and communications failure, or a sacrificial lamb to grease the wheels for America's entry into World War II? Particularly relevant in today's post 9/11 world where comparisons between Pearl Harbor and the World Trade Center disaster are frequent and unfortunate. Is the U.S. government really capable of allowing such disasters to stir up popular response for its foreign policy?