Clarke Books

This book is unlike most other wine atlases. Instead of showing a flat map with regions outlined and highlighted, this book shows illustrared maps from a 3/4 aspect so you can 'see' the elevation and vineyards.

A very unique book and one that I refer to often in my studies.

I can hardly judge the author's knowledge about wine itself, as I am definitely not a connaisseur. I just enjoy wine and want to know a little better about it. It also happens that I like to travel too. So, I thought it was a pity that nobody has reviewed this nice book before.

What I can say is that this book is very well done, with an interesting introduction, and maps that try to replicate the vegetation you would find in the actual places. It really gives you the sense of traveling to the area he is describing, which is not bad considering the aim of this type of book.

Comparing this to Hugh Johnson's Wine Atlas, this one feels much more like a travelogue, a quite good one, whereas Johnson's seems to be more informative about growers, more like a mapped encyclopedia. If you are just a curious wine consumer and can have both, start with this then go to Johnson's. If you can't, perhaps a good idea might be to buy this one and Johnson's Pocket Wine Book...or the other way round. It's a tough decision.

This is a wonderful atlas. It differs from other offerings in that it includes panoramic maps, giving the reader a real feel for "the lay of the land". The book also has regional "keys", providing information on grapes grown, aspect, soil and climate. The accompanying text is less scholarly in tone than The World Atlas of Wine but nearly as informative.

If I were to recommend one reference, it would be the above referenced atlas. But if your bookshelf has room for two, get this as well.

While a decent enough compendium of wine info, it doesn't hold up against Hugh Johnson's better organized, more insightful guide. A good backup source for additional info but not what I'd go to for my primary research.

This is a terrific wine guide. Oz Clarke is knowledgeable and concise in his descriptions and often spot on. But best of all, the guide is totally alphabetical...you don't have to go to the country or regional section first...it's all one big section.

You can learn a lot from Clarke. but if you want a guide that helps you at the super market, the typical wine store (not one in NYC)...then get Andrea Immer's guide. Ever soooooooooo practical.

With its A-Z organization, truly 'pocket' sized narrow format with a durable hardcover for lasting reference, and survey of wines from Napa to Lebanon, Pocket Wine Guide 2006 is a recommended reference pick for any who seek at-a-glance information. There are over 1,600 entries on over 7,00 wines, plus tips on top values and favorites and advice on how to match wine to food. The latest vintage information assures a current guide.

The legend of the holy grail is one that has captured the imagination since it first appeared hundreds of years ago. It has been told and retold--as well as parodied by the Monty Python troupe. It is not widely known that in some of the original versions of this tale the grail was a stone rather than a cup!

This version succeeds at being true to the spirit of the original tale--a long mysterious quest where much is lost and much is gained. The ultimate goal according to Jungian theory is the restoration of balance--lost by a culture that overly values prowess particularly in war. Since this is a perennial problem for humanity, this legend maintains its potency.

This writer has managed to vividly convey beauty of the ancient time in which this quest unfolds, as well as the passion and enchantment. An enjoyable fulfilling read!

I enjoyed the only other retellings of the Parzival legends I've read, "Parzival's Page" and Katherine Paterson's "Parzival." A brief flip-through the book made me think at first that I wouldn't enjoy it, but I did end up liking it. Clarke does a good job of sapping the stiffness from old legends and making it palatable to the modern reader.

The story begins with the story of Gahmuret, who goes off on a Crusade and then returns to Britain, marrying two women along the way -- a Moorish queen and a Welsh queen. He's killed shortly after the birth of his son Parzival, and the shock of his death drives his Welsh widow mad. She secludes herself in the woods with her son, trying to keep him sheltered away from the world that might make him a warrior knight.

Years pass, and Parzival accidently encounters three knights on the road. Immediately he becomes obsessed with being a knight, and despite his mother's protests, he leaves to become one. By training and assistance, he does become a knight and marries the beautiful queen Blanchefleur. But before he arrives at King Arthur's court, Parzival comes to a magical castle where he is expected to ask the king a question. His failure to do so drives him away from God and into a desperate quest for redemption.

Alongside Parzival's quest, we also have the adventures of Sir Gawain, who seems to develop a crush on any mildly pretty lady he comes across. He becomes enamored of a very proud and obnoxious woman, who is entrapped in the dark magic of an evil sorcerer.

This is a nice book. It isn't perfect; with the exception of Gawain and Parzival, the characters are pretty two-dimensional, especially Kei, who is obnoxious for no reason that anyone can really explain. Other characters, like the pig-faced sorceress Cundrie, seem to exist for no other reason than to tell Parzival and Gawain things. Fans of the usual Camelot love triangle will be disappointed, while people who dislike the much-rehashed love story will probably enjoy reading some Camelot-related material that hasn't been done to death.

The writing style and dialogue are formal but not incomprehensible; Clarke does a good job of giving us a view inside the heads of the lead two characters. The plot itself is fairly straightforward, with some sudden twists and turns that might confuse people unfamiliar with the original legends. Readers may need to backpedal a few times.

This book would probably be a good retelling for teens and adults alike; it has some dirty content that the YA and juvenile retelling doesn't have, such as Gawain almost being seduced by a girl (they're in bed and they kiss and snuggle, but nothing more), and references to the "activities" of Gahmuret and his two wives, and briefly of Parzival and Condwiramurs. In addition, there are some very gruesome scenes, such as Parzival's maddened, deteriorated cousin who totes around the head of her dead lover.

A good retelling for any who enjoyed Parzival's Page, or Katherine Paterson's retelling. Or for anyone in the mood for some freshly-told Arthurian stories.

Clarke does a praiseworthy job of bringing Wolfram von Eschenbach's complex 13th century epic to life for 21st century readers. He streamlines the story and renders the verse original in prose, but his prose often achieves exalted effects. The story is far from 'a wearisome alternation of battle scenes and love conquests.' It is a richly symbolic tale of the life of the soul and the achieving of real maturity, told through encounters both magical and martial. Parzival's quest for the holy grail--in this instance more of a spiritualized philosopher's stone--enchants and absorbs the reader in a world of portentous marvels. The 1st eight chapters of the book, known collectively as 'The Wounding,' is the more powerful portion of the story. The concluding eight chapters--'The Healing'--is not as convincing in its impact. The solutions achieved are perhaps too overtly Jungian. But there is still great profundity and beauty in the events that unfold and resolve. Clarke's admittedly loose adaptation of Wolfram's masterpiece makes this reader hungry to get a little closer to the original. As I don't think I'll be tackling the 13th century German any time soon, I may give the complete, literal translation by Cyril Edwards (published by Boydell & Brewer) a try next.

The more acquainted you are with the food rituals of West Indians (and Bajans in particular), the more you should restrain yourself from reading this book in public. You will grin, chuckle and gafaw, and people will stare at you.

This delightful book evokes the language and spirit of Barbados. The author weaves in tales of growing up in Barbados with memories of the food, 'hot cuisine', that fashioned his childhood. For anyone who has visited the island, this will surely bring back fond and enticing memories. Read the book, visit Barbados!

This culinary memoir of the author's childhood in Barbados describes his early introduction to cooking, his involvement with native dishes, and his progress in becoming a cook. Don't look for recipes here; it's more a memoir and biography of Barbados cooking, though descriptions of preparing dishes are lovingly detailed and rival James Beard's American presentations.

I am well satisfied with the purchase of this book, Great seller and price.

I just finished taking a class called "Introduction to American Politics" and this was our only textbook. I found the textbook to be easy to read, clearly written, and factually accurate. I fear that many students, like myself, who have already studied some in this area may find the book to be too simplified, and will get bored reading about the basics of material which is already familiar to them. The book is great for the novice, but is definitely not upperclassmen material.

Overall this book is a good overview of the american political system. The structures of the beurocracy, executive, congressional, and judicial branches are covered very thoroughly. However, I found that the author inserted a bit too much of his own Republican biases in it. There is a whole section devoted to "government waste" - a common election tactic by Republicans. While it is true that the government is wasteful- all beurocracies are to some extent- a recent survey showed the US gov't to be the 3rd most efficient in the world. Also, sprinkled throughout the book are convinient three paragraph long and very shallow "Counterpoints" which try to convince readers of republican principles from the flat tax to the abolition of affirmative action. The most egragrious offenses come in various profiles "people in polics" of various leaders in politics. Invariably, the Republicans profiled have their personal strengths asserted with a folksy charm, while the Democrats are given a far away overview as well as mention of some trivial personal faults (Barbara Boxer's overdrafts from the House banks- a trivial issue in the big picture of things- is in her bio). And of course there are also the "Liberal ratings" in it- with the late Paul Wellstone topping the list. In addition to all of this, the general wording of the book and word choice used betrays the clearly Republican biases of the author. Overall the book is not a bad book, it does a good and thorough job at outlining the structure of the federal government, however, reader beware of the biases of the author.

I bought this a couple of months ago and one has to be impressed by the wealth of fresh ideas : the digital deletion problems, the Word Bandit idea, the imaginative way some problems combine lateral and logical thinking. Not only that, but one also gets succinct expression and humor, an ideal combination for drawing one into a puzzle. Not all the puzzles are meritorious, for example, "Elixir of Life" and "The Broken Pentomino" are plain unfair and unworthy of inclusion. I also felt that the recreational math section lacked diagrams and photographs for illustration. That said, one is left with the impression that Mr Clarke is an innovator in the world of puzzles and this is indeed a rare quality.

This is not a book for passing the time on the train! Some of these problems are real tough nuts to crack. This guy must have one hell of an IQ 'cos I got a first in maths and some beat me. It's not that the maths needed is difficult, it isn't (grammar school algebra at most). It's just that the way of looking at them requires a particularly visual mind. I'm thinking mainly about the Advanced Puzzles some of which were beyond me (until I looked at the solution!). One criticism : In The Same Boat (last puzzle) doesn't actually work.

A creative and challenging book of mind benders by that genius of puzzle creators Barry R. Clarke. If you enjoy thinking, this book is definitely for you; if you don't, what the hell, buy it anyway! In the Advanced section, you won't find a more brain stretching set of teasers. And the illustrations are something else!

The American Civil War is an event that has multiple aspects and of these many aspects, the Missouri guerrilla conflict, which developed into a civil war within the Civil War, is arguably one of the best examples of true guerrilla activity during the Civil War. Joseph Houts' Quantrill's Thieves focuses on one of the more infamous groups of guerrillas who were under the command of William Clarke Quantrill. Quantrill's operations became notorious within the Missouri region for harassing and terrorizing union troops and union sympathizers. Houts provides much more than just the details surrounding the operations of Quantrill's guerrillas. The book is very focused on the men themselves, who made up the ranks of the company. The field which Houts' book fits into best is guerrilla conflict during the American Civil War. Many of the examples which he found of the actions of the guerrillas during the conflict clearly follow the understanding of guerrilla tactics which experts of the field agree on. Houts differs from others who write on guerrilla conflict in the way in which he brought out the details of the events surrounding the guerrillas. He of course describes each of the battles which are common knowledge of the conflict, for example the raid of Lawrence. Beyond these events Houts provides a deeply comprehensive description of all of the members of the company which were listed on the group's muster roll.
The basis of Quantrill's Thieves is taken from a copy of the group's list of members which was obtained by the Union after the battle of Pleasant Hill. Houts states the group became labeled as thieves from the Union as a way to dishearten the support the guerrillas received from the citizens of the area. It does not seem Houts adds all that much to the field of guerrilla warfare, not because his process or detail is lacking, but more because the topic of guerrilla conflict in Missouri has been thoroughly discussed many times over. Houts in particular focuses on the background of the men under Quantrill's command, which is vital for understanding the influences that brought the men into guerrilla action. This understanding of the details behind the individuals of the conflict is the driving force behind the author's purpose. The reason for the main focus of the author being the men themselves is connected in part to Houts' background as a child going up in Missouri and his confusion on whether his confederate ancestors were "good" or "bad". Another part of the purpose was to further understand the progression from the beginning Union orders (General decrees) to the quickly evolved brutality. Houts spares no detail in his process of analyzing the conflict within his own perspective.
Quantrill's Thieves is by no means a work which will cause the current understanding of guerrilla warfare to change in any large sense. However, this does not mean it is completely useless. In reality the book is really much more in a field of the historic importance than the guerrilla warfare in the conflict. A brief look through both the Joes' books and Houts' book provides all the necessary evidence. Joes is largely focused on the tactics, strategy, and other operations and influences of the guerrilla insurgency, while Houts puts a microscope over the people within the guerrilla ranks to gain detail of the conflict and group. With that said, the book does provide an amazing view of each of the guerrillas which were on the muster roll captured by the Union. In recommending the book to possible readers it should be understood that two people may become interested in the book. First, would be the eager student of guerrilla warfare who wishes to expand their knowledge of different uses and effects of insurgency. I do not believe this particular book will serve them with the amount of information they are looking for. On the other hand, Civil War and history buffs which especially enjoy the interesting little details of the events should most definitely pick up this book. The detail within the book can be quite encompassing at times.

For all the civil war and partisan ranger buffs especially, this book is interesting. It offers useful new information and a completely different angle on Quantrill's Raiders. The title comes from a document, lifted from one of Quantrill's band, that amounted to a roster. When copied by Union soldiers, one titled the roster Quantrill's Thieves. Quantrill was a fascinating individual and an adept leader. The author's effort here is to provide some color and description about his followers not found in other accounts. He draws on local records, some genealogy and other data to flesh out the members of Quantrill's band listed on the roster. In some cases he makes an educated guess about the individual but in most it appears he has identified the person. Why were they drawn to Quantrill more than other partisan leaders? Why did they follow and trust him implicitly? Who were the faces behind some of the daring raids? Who were the men behind atrocities like the Lawrence Massacre? If you have been reading about Quantrill, you should read this book.

This is a great book with loads of detail. It explains the background and history leading up to some of the bloodiest guerilla raids of the civil war. It explains how various actions of Congress and government officials can lead to the Rule of Unintended Consequences. From the Raiders we get Jesse James, the Daltons, etc. There were decades of actions all which find there genesis in the civil war era raids detailed in this book.
The author sets the stage for the reader in a very straightforward matter. There are biographies of all the riders. Also the location of the beginning of the raid on Lawrence Kansas is revealed.
All civil war buffs should have this book in their collection.

I reviewed this book during my regular Reading course in my TESOL program, and I have found it very helpful to use with my students. I recommend this book to all TESOL teachers who want to teach Reading using a set of strategies already found in our first language.

I've used the Reader's Choice, 3rd edition quite extensively for preparing students to take English language competency exams. The exercises are very well organized and very useful for teaching students skills on skimming and scanning, getting the main idea out of a paragraph, or what to do when reading and come across a vocabulary word you don't know the meaning of. The exercises are short - usually practiced in 1 to 3 pages, and very concise.

This book helped me improve my classes quite a bit.

While originally written to help advanced ESL students, this book offers a comprehensive reading skill review for middle schoolers or junior high students. If a teacher is hoping to prepare students for achievement tests in reading, this book will help

Whether you're a romance fiction fan or not is irrelevant when it comes to RECIPES FOR ROMANCE. This great book allows you to take a look into the lives of women and men who really KNOW romance as they share how they celebrate "love" in their own lives. In addition, the author personally takes you by the hand and outlines RECIPES FOR ROMANTIC RENDEZVOUS, RECIPES FOR ROMANTIC GIFTS and even shows you how to treat yourself so that you avoid "Romantic Bounce-Off" and can enjoy every romantic moment that presents itself.

What a unique book! With the added value of some of the most delicious dessert recipes I've ever tasted, it's sure to make it's way on to the collectible shelf.

Tammie Clarke Gibbs has given us a delightful combination of food and romance. The recipes are wonderful and the comments from romance authors are such fun and insightful. A sure winner for a great meal and an evening of romance.

I would recommend this book not only for couples new and old, but to anyone with a romantic heart. The recipes are wonderful and easy to follow, by yourself or with your significant other. Unlike conventional cook books this one is special in that you get to know your favoite authors on a personal level, Tammie has asked them the questions you have always wanted to know. There are recipes for romantic nights as well as food. The contents in the book is unbelievable, and fun to follow.

Pauline Clarke took the known history of the Bronte children, and created a powerful fantasy around this. Lynne Reid Banks, years later, did the same with a different non-historical toy in "The Indian in the Cupboard", but Clarke did it first. Of course Clarke's story about toys that are brought to life by being played with, in itself, is not original. Nor is the idea of the interaction between human and small people (for "small people" read "toys") original - not since Gulliver went to Lilliput, or, a year or two before Clarke, since Mary Norton invented a race of small "Borrowers" - another outstanding classic of children's literature.

Branwell Bronte, the ne'er-do-well son, would-be painter, and drug addict, had a set of toy soldiers, in the otherwise grim rooms of Haworth vicarage. These were a stimulus for all the children to play and tell stories, often stories about the soldiers, and their exploits in imaginary countries. The toy soldiers were given names, and characters. They were truly loved by Branwell and his sisters. Small wonder then, if the toys were somehow to be lost, and then more than a century later to be discovered by a small boy, who in turn loves them - and they come back to life, full of Bronte spirit and imagination.

The story of their "Return" turns into a quest, both for them to be restored to their rightful home, and for them to be allowed to be themselves, safe from prying humans, from museum dryness, and from interference, however well-meaning. Their "Return" is a quest of growing up, becoming independent, becoming people. Toys imbued with childish characteristics by the children who loved them, created them, and played with them, can only grwo up so much. Max, the twentieth century boy who re-discovers them can grow up far more.

This is a neglected classic - in its time a Carnegie Medal winner - the British equivalent for a children's book of an Academy Award.

It should also be noted that Clarke wrote many other outstanding books for children - sadly, also neglected - fantasies, historical novels, and plain (?) everyday (?) comedies of family life. She ought to be far better known. You could spend a year reading and not find anything as good as "The Return of the Twelve", also known as "The Return of the genii" in Britain.

Very highly recommended.

The idea for this book seems so obvious in retrospect that it's a small miracle that no one thought of writing it before 1962. It was really just a stroke of luck that author Pauline Clarke happened to be the one to put pen to paper and write the tale herself. Or rewrite it, depending on your interpretation. "The Return of the Twelves" takes a classic storytale form (toys coming alive in the presence of children) and ups the ante tenfold. It acknowledges the ingenuity of the Bronte children (placing far more importance on Branwell than he probably deserved) yet makes it lively enough to be perfectly understood by kids today. It's odd to say, but as fantasy tales go, "The Return of the Twelves" is timeless in all the best senses of the term. It's one of those little known children's books that everyone should at least have a passing familiarity with. One of the great little known books for kids.

Max has a secret. An incredible, mysterious, overwhelming secret. When he discovered a cache of old wooden soldiers in his family's new attic, he thought they were fun and all but nothing particularly special. Sure, his dad said that may be over a hundred years old, but that still wasn't too shocking. No, it was the fact that the soldiers were alive. Magnificently alive. Finding himself now a benevolent deity to a crew of twelve lively individuals, Max befriends his tiny pals and discovers their secrets. They were once the property of the Bronte children, years and years ago. Their exploits have been well recorded in "History of the Young Men" (by Branwell Bronte) and their names and personalities established therein. Yet when an American collector offers a high price for the Twelves, wherever they might be, Max finds his new friends threatened and acts of heroism and derring-do quickly follow.

The real genius of the book comes from the fact that Clarke began with something real ("History of the Young Men" WAS created by the four Bronte kids) and adapted it seamlessly with fantastical elements (living soldiers). The effect is that the book works like a slightly more mature "Indian in the Cupboard" or even "Toy Story". In the hands of a lesser artist, this tale would've been trite or cheap. Certainly the soldiers never really act like real men. They're perfectly content to scale great heights in the attic or act like toys in fake battles against chessmen. Still, Clarke is to be commended for giving each soldier an individual personality and history in keeping with that determined by the original Brontes.

Which is not to say that the book doesn't have its flaws. I mean, it was originally written in 1962. I think you can guess the state of the gender roles. Also, there are odd plot points that come up at interesting moments. An evil toy seeker near the end of the book adds a bit of "Huh?" to the overall proceedings. But as it is, the book has pretty much held up well. There are some scenes of genuine tension when the Twelves escape from Max's attic and attempt to make it to the Brontes' original home. And there are mysteries that remain long after the story finishes.

Overall, this is a fine piece of literature. Nothing dates it so much that kids today reading it won't be enthused by the characters' foibles, betrayals, and loyalities. And any boy or girl who stares at their dolls lovingly, hoping to bring them to true three-dimensional life, will empathize with this story. It's a lovely enchanting tale.

When 8 year-old Max discovers a box of 12 wooden soldiers
in Napoleonic uniforms, hidden in the attic of their new home,
he is naturally delighted. But is there a link between this old house and the Bronte museum nearby? His find becomes a rare
treasure when he realizes that The Twelves are alive, having
been endowed by their four genii (the literary Bronte children)
with incredible abilities: to think, speak, behave and regenerate their lives at will! Each man has his own name, appearance and identity, reflecting the various aspects of the children's own personalities. But how long can Max keep his precious secret, with two suspicious older siblings nosing about?

This charming tale of miniatures answers the questions posed by Margery Williams: what is real and how do toys come alive? Max must learn to trust first his sister, then even an adult, as he struggles to prevent the unthinkable: crass commercial sale and heartless exportation to America. What devastating deportation to the Young Men, as a result of media curiosity and a mercenary older brother. Is there no way they can be saved for literary England and preserved in safety where they truly belong? Young Max behaves in a surprisingly adult manner, as he insists on permitting the Twelves to chart their own destiny. Keeping their military dignity intact, they attempt and accomplish marvels of logistics with minimal aid. This is a cute, imaginative tale (which might inspire some interest in the original Four Genii), for children of all ages.