Collins Books

This book s spectacular. The photography is outstanding. The scene outline that was scetched out gave an interesting insight as to how the scene was going to be shot. Couldn't get enough of Madonna and Antonio. Madonna was the perfect person for the role of Ava Peron the could almost be twins. Liked the opening by Madonna was very poiniently done.

This book is spectacular the photography is outstanding. The book gives you more than just photo's it gives you a couple of interesting insights as to how some of the scenes were created. Right down to including sketches of the scene in wich the song 'You Must Love Me' takes place intrieging. Would definetley recomend this book to any one interested in the movie; or if you like Madonna or Antonio. This book gives you your moneys worth and then some.

This book s spectacular. The photography is outstanding. The scene outline that was scetched out gave an interesting insight as to how the scene was going to be shot. Couldn't get enough of Madonna and Antonio. Madonna was the perfect person for the role of Ava Peron the could almost be twins. Liked the opening by Madonna was very poiniently done.

This book was awesome. It had wonderful photography, and a very good and understandable explanation of the movie. I could no put it down. I think that he pictures, though, made the book. Both Antonio, and Madonna looked great!

I loved the movie Evita, starring Antonio Banderas and Madonna. I read this book and couldn't believe it. It told me all I ever wanted to know about the movie, and more.

This book very beautifully and eloquently conveys the heart of service quality and excellence - building, nurturing, and protecting a strong services brand that revolves around the core humane values of integrity and customer respect. The hallmark of this book is the compilation of inspirational real life stories of staff and patients sharing their experiences of the successful customer-focused culture of Mayo Clinic. Moreover, the book very effectively sheds light on the importance of competing for talented employees and encouraging teamwork at all levels of the organization. Thus, it is a must-read book for the managers, administrators, and service providers across all industries.

How I regret this book was not written 25 years ago when I was developing and growing my international healthcare design practice.
It is elegantly and simply written and frequently uses the power of a story to illustrate "living the values" of this extraordinary organization.
Drs. Berry and Seltman make it clear that the Mayo success is not based on anything complicated. It is based on traditional values and good manners, but the secret is in consistent, relentless application. Thats not easy in any service organization. I am asking all my partners to read this book and we intend to discuss it at length to improve our own service performance.

This is a well written book which steps the reader through the success of Mayo Clinic. The book is laced with real life stories of what makes Mayo successful. This brings the lessons to life. Who would have thought that a small town clinic in Rochester, Minnesota could acquire and maintain a world class reputation for being the best in their field.

There are many lessons within this book for any service organization. Who can argue with:
* The patient's (client's) needs comes first
* Treat everyone with respect - coworkers and patients (clients)
* Work together as a team
* Deliver services efficiently
And, do all of this while being fiscally responsible.

The words are simple and no one can argue with them as core values. It is the consistent execution that is challenging. Mayo Clinic has gotten this right for over 100 years and, as a result, is in a class by themselves.

This book should be mandatory reading for managers and executives in any service organization.

Dr. Berry et al have beautifully gleaned valuable lessons from an outstanding organization that can be applied in multiple settings. The Mayo Clinic has attained a level of service that few organizations can achieve, and the secrets of there success are plainly revealed in their book. As a healthcare provider, I noticed how the authors clearly explained topics very familiar to those in healthcare so that members of all organizations can benefit. I would encourage any manager of a service organization to read this book.

I retired from Mayo Clinic 5 years ago, after spending 25 years with the organization in senior administrator capacities. I now live in Bellingham, WA, where I mentioned this book to the administrator of our local hospital and VP of a high-quality regional healthcare system. She said she had it on the top of her "to read" pile, but before doing so, she asked, "Is it true?"

My answer is a resounding, "Yes!" Kent Seltman was a colleague of mine for a number of years, and I'm so grateful that he and Dr. Berry took on this book. I personally know 90% of those quoted in the book and can vouch not only for their comments, but their personal integrity. For me, it was like a walk back through my career. What a gift.

Mayo Clinic is an amazing, though as mentioned, not a perfect place. I was continually in awe of the complexity and quality of the organization while I was there, and the feeling is only amplified after reading this book.

There's no one quite like Charlie Papazian. He's unpretentious, original, funny, and a very good writer. This book is a great read from start to finish. From the first paragraph in the introduction he gets you smiling as he tells you about his first homebrew, "an amber beer brewed in the basement of a . . . preschool and day care center." He must know how funny he is, but he never seems to crack a smile.

The book continues sort of like that until the end. Fifty great stories about beer, some from America, most from elsewhere, each with a homebrew recipe. But you would be mistaken, I think, to consider this book a mere collection of stories and recipes. Papazian is painting a picture, it seems, and each story and each recipe is like a brush stroke. We all chuckle at the one-liners about how beer is proof of God's existence and so forth, but it seems that Papazian might really believe that there's some sort of truth to that kind of thing. After you see the picture he "paints" with these stories, you might think so too.

Papazian, who does a great job, is back at it. I have to say that I like this books of his the best for its readability. I know, the first two were mainly for reference and how-to, but still, this is a great way to introduce someone to the many styles and types of beers. I have to agree with the earlier reviewer who said that the American portion is partially about his visits and partially about his fame. While in other nations, it is more about the beer. Very good read for those looking to expand their views about beer and its many faces.

The book reinforces the fact that Charlie is the godfather of beer!

Charlie tells some fun tales about the rebirth of microbrewing in the U.S. while intermingling some fantastic recipes. I highly recommend this read for any beer enthusiast!

Charlie Papazian is the homebrewer apostle best known for authoring "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing". He is also the founding president of the American Homebrewers Association and the originator of the Great American Beer Festival. In many ways he might be considered the father of the American microbrew renaissance that began in the 1980s and exploded in the 1990s (a good deal of the people who run and operate microbreweries started as homebrewers, and a number of them got their start with "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing"). He is certainly very adventurous and a wonderful beer enthusiast. Though "only" an amateur homebrewer who brews 5 gallon batches at a time like the rest of us, his stature, position, and impressive resume has opened doors to him all over the world to lecture, visit, and just have a beer. This book is a diary of sorts of these travels over the last twenty-five or so years.

Though the book is presented as a travelogue, it is not organized chronologically. It is divided into three parts: "Microbrewed: American Style", "Microbrewed: The World", and "Recipes". The first two sections are divided into chapters, which are further divided into short topics such as a visit to a brewery or to see a brewmaster. These short topics are only two to six pages long, so the book is very easy to read in spurts, or during brief interludes such as on a lunch break or on a plane.

What made this book special to me is that almost every short topic ends with a recipe that covers the kind of beverage discussed in that topic. These recipes were either given to Charlie by a brewmaster he visited, or (most often the case) a recipe he came up with that best approximates the brew. The recipes are all formulated for five gallon batches, and they are presented in both all-grain (with instructions for step-infusion) and mash/extract versions; in short, both the novice and experienced brewer can enjoy making theses brews. About a quarter of the book is recipes (the book cover states there are more than 50 recipes, but I didn't count them).

Mr. Papazian has a very conversational style of writing that works very well for this kind of book. The way the work is presented as a series of short pieces makes you feel almost as if you were sitting around the table swapping stories and sharing a homebrew with him.

Going in I thought I would enjoy most the first part because it covers many American microbreweries and the people who run them. Indeed Mr. Papazian has visited many of which I have heard and a good deal that I haven't and/or are no longer in business. He interviews the people who make the beer, and he has very good descriptions of the beers they make (not to mention the clone recipes he provides). Now that I reflect upon the book, I think I enjoyed the second part the most. Perhaps because of Mr. Papazian's celebrity status in the American beer world, his American brewery visits seem more like Norm walking into the Cheers bar where everyone knows his name and buys him a beer, so the events seem more about him. The stories related through his world travels are more about his journeys and adventures and the people he meets. I particulary enjoyed his visit to see Brother Adam of the Benedictine monks, or his visits to Cuba and Latvia to experience the passion of people who want to (and do) brew excellent beer with very limited resources.

Beer is certainly a huge part of Mr. Papazian's life and this book shows the riches (both material and spiritual) that it has bestowed upon him. But it is also very clear from his writings that beer is as much the journey as it is the destination. He shows his pride in connecting with a tradition that is thousands of years old, and how it connects him to people around the globe.

I purchased this book without any recommendations or reviews, and I only became aware of it as I was searching for homebrewing books. I paid particular attention to this book because I too own "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing" and I was familiar with Mr. Papazian's writing style. I also am making the move to all-grain brewing so the recipe section had particular appeal. Now that I have read the book, I will recommend this without hesitation to anyone who likes to brew. Even if you have only brewed one extract batch from a kit, you should have no trouble with the extract recipes here (if you haven't done any brewing yet, what are you waiting for?).

Like many, Papazian's "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing" helped introduce me to making my own beer. So when I saw his latest book at my local bookstore, I felt it deserved a look. In this volume, he brings his readers on a tour of the microbreweries and early beer festivals that helped create the commercial craft-brewing landscape that a youngster like me (27) can take for granted at times. The added bonus is that for each one of his anecdotes or reminiscences he includes a homebrew recipe (in both all-grain and malt extract versions). Often these recipes are recreations of early versions of classics like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale or Redhook Ale (I can't wait to brew the recipe for the original, more flavorful Killian's). Other recipes push the envelope like a "Belgian" stout or Pumpernickel Rye Stout.

Much like Garrett Oliver's "Brewmaster's Table" or Michael Jackson's "Beer Companion", this book offers a spirited look into the delicious world of craft beer. Not a comprehensive history, but a fun romp through American craftbrewing past and present (as well as some recent international beer adventures). I highly enjoyed this book.

"Collins shows how [Kahn] gave away money nearly as quickly as he earned it, his contributions to music, literature, theater, dance, painting and design establishing New York City as an international cultural mecca. . . . Essential details are expertly negotiated, and thornier questions on the reality of latent anti-Semitism among the heirs of the Gilded Age are explored in depth. . . . As Collins aptly demonstrates, this 'self-made aristocrat' mastered the East without losing his soul, and in the process, he ennobled the arts he loved."--Opera News

"a genuinely transnational biography and a model for those who wish to engage in that rapidly growing field of historical scholarship."(Michael Kammen, Cornell University)

"A considered and nuanced account of [the] early twentieth century American Medici. . . . Collins' accomplished biographical study profiles from the cinematic deftness with which she crosscuts facets of Kahn's life, an altogether appropriate technique in limning an existence so enamored of and beholden to modernity. Her use of the language of theater and film in interpretive contexts seamlessly brings his many worlds into a unified vision."--Aufbau

In his day, J.P. Morgan was the best-known head of an American financial house. But Otto Kahn was a close second. Today, Morgan enjoys immortality in the popular imagination, while Kahn is all but forgotten. Thankfully Theresa Collins ... has produced a biography of Kahn that illuminates his importance as a man who successfully combined modern business sensibilities with art patronage. (Review by Ian Drake, Philanthropy Magazine, May/June 2003)

In the early decades of the twentieth century, almost everyone in modern theater, literature, or film knew of Otto Kahn (1867-1934), and those who read the financial press or followed the news from Wall Street could scarcely have missed his name. A partner at one of America's premier private banks, he played a leading role in reorganizing the U.S. railroad system and supporting the Allied war effort in World War I. The German-Jewish Kahn was also perhaps the most influential patron of the arts the nation has ever seen: he helped finance the Metropolitan Opera, brought the Ballets Russes to America, and bankrolled such promising young talent as poet Hart Crane, the Provincetown Players, and the editors of the Little Review.

This book is the full-scale biography Kahn has long deserved. Theresa Collins chronicles Kahn's life and times and reveals his singular place at the intersection of capitalism and modernity. Drawing on research in private correspondence, congressional testimony, and other sources, she paints a fascinating portrait of the figure whose seemingly incongruous identities as benefactor and banker inspired the New York Times to dub him the "Man of Steel and Velvet."

"This rich and fascinating biography tells the remarkable story of a remarkable man who, combining the power of an international financier with the finesse of a patron of the arts, helped make New York City a world cultural capital."--Arthur Schlesinger Jr.

"Theresa Collins's Otto Kahn is a superb piece of biography and a major work of historical reclamation. This is history written in the grand manner--sweeping in scope, majestic in style. And it restores to us in all his grandeur and cultural consequence a remarkable figure from our past."--Martin Duberman, City University of New York

"This first full-length biography of Otto Kahn offers a compelling portrait of a major figure in the history of American finance and culture. The keen eye and vivid prose of Theresa Collins illuminate the many facets of this fascinating character and his world."--Maury Klein, University of Rhode Island

This book has wonderful pictures that shows you how to paint with a light touch. It is so hard for me not to be heavy handed with color. Yet this infuses color lightly.... I was encouraged to go for it without intimidation. For the beginner it states things in such a way that are easily understood that some painters( and books) think are intuitive - and simply are not for those of us coming from another media or are just learning at all. Good tips, worth trying...Lovely illustrations.

This book is full of GORGEOUS paintings. The no background style showcases the botanicals beautifully. This is one of my all-time favorite watercolor books.

I found Painting Flowers with Impact to be a stunning presentation of beautiful paintings shown against pristine white pages. This made for a very attractive book but is quite unhelpful if you are struggling with the problem of which background to choose.

It was truly inspirational with enough demonstrations to be helpful I liked her advice on materials colours and composition also good advice on painting white flowers, which I needed. I also found the section on painting leaves very helpful.

I have looked for other books by this author, hoping she is intending a further book covering more about how to paint backgrounds of flowers with impact. She included much information about painting on vellum, which seems to warrant a book all of its own: the space this discussion takes up may have been better used explaining how to paint flowers with impact against a background.

It must have taken a long time to paint all the subjects for this lovely book and I look forward to happily trying out her methods. and look forward to any other painting book she produces. I heartily recommend this book.

I rate this book: 5 stars

This is a great book, terrific colors, technique, and over all extremely inspirational. Leaves the wannabe artist panting for more....However, the only thing that I think Julie Collins should have added was the actual designs for her gorgeous to have been projects for the novice artist. Other than THAT, it is truly a work of art, a masterpiece.

It was a pleasure leaving my feedback for this wonderful book.

I actually purchased this book for a friend. Our art teacher purchased it also. Very informative and well illustrated and written. I plan to purchase the book for myself soon.

These essays or articles are engrossing reading for the insight they provide into the mind of one of the most fascinating revolutionary leaders in modern history. Thought of by many during his time and even now as a 'terrorist' or gunman, these writings reveal Collins to be a thoughtful, intelligent leader with a far-ranging interest in all aspects of the present and future of his country. Had he lived it seems very clear that the quality of his mind and the compassionate concern he had for his people would have made him as formidible a leader in peacetime as he was in war. His death was Ireland's great loss but he left an impressive legacy.

"Of all the words/ Of tongue or pen/ the saddest are these/ 'It might have been'/". Such go the words of a poet that I cannot identify. But they adequately encapsulate the emotions intended to be evoked by this finely-edited collection of various writings by Michael Collins, the Irish patriot, hero, and martyr (or traitor depending on one's perspective) who led his country's successful war of independence betwen 1919 and 1921. Assassinated during the Irish Civil War of 1922-1923 because of his role in setting up an Irish government not sufficently independent of Britain nor sufficiently encompassing the whole island to satisfy many of his former comrades in the struggle, he never got to be tested as a peacetime leader. Path To Freedom allows us to see the man through his own writings where he emerges as far more than a warrior. Keenly interested in economics and culture, well-informed and articulate on virtually every issue of state, foreign or domestic, Collins' legacy to the reader is to make him/her wonder what would the history of Ireland (North and South) be like -- even the history of Europe itself in the time of a coming Depression and Age of Dictators -- had Collins survived. The renowned modern Irish scholar-journalist Tim Pat Coogan provides a good introduction which is mostly lifted verbatim from his earlier biography of Collins.

It is difficult to top a book on Michael Collins composed primarily of his own words. After all, what better way to peek into his brilliant mind than by reading his words? This book was indeed published to coincide with the release of Neil Jordan's film in 1996, ostensibly to give curious moviegoers a way to better understand Collins before or after viewing the biopic. Tim Pat Coogan's foreword to the book is excellent and shows him in his usual top form. The book's chapters are "Advance and Use Our Liberties," "Alternative to the Treaty," "The Proof of Success," "Four Historic Years," "Collapse of the Terror," "Partition Act's Failure," "Why Britain Sought Irish Peace," "Distinctive Culture," "Building up Ireland," and "Freedom within Grasp." This book sheds light on how articulate, well read, historically aware and insightful Collins actually was. It is too often thought that Collins was a country bumpkin whose knowledge of anything beyond 'murder and mayhem' was quite limited. This simply isn't the case and it becomes apparent almost immediately into the book that Collins was a more than capable thinker. Collins discusses Ireland's tumultuous history, the accomplishments of the Easter Rising, the political events of 1914-1918, the many aspects of British rule, the potential resources of Ireland, and the work of Sinn Féin.

If you are looking for a traditional biography on Collins, this is probably not the right selection for you. _Michael Collins: The Man Who Made Ireland_, the book Tim Pat Coogan excerpted his foreword from, would be a much better fit for that need. If you are already basically familiar with the life and times of Collins, this book will give you a much richer sense of how his mind worked.

Tim Pat Coogan's account of the life of Michael Collins is full of information. The time and people come alive, and you are left knowing a lot more then you started with. This is the definitive biography of Mick.

Michael Collins own words provide a clear and insightful look at life in Ireland circa 1921, delving into the social conditions and circumstance that led to the infamous Black and Tan War. This book helped me see that enormous importance of the independence movement of the time, how Ireland was not even recognized as its own country, and what it meant to finally achieve that status. I could not picture a world without a free, seperate Ireland, its amazing to me that this was the case up until well into this century. Micheal Colins here is addressing the people directly, so you get a head-on view of the realities of the times without a lot of historical or sociological analysis. Thats good, because its better to encounter his words personally, to understand the case he is making in all its simplicity: The Irish people are, now and forever, Free!

I liked this book alot. It had a lot of information- as well as pictures to go along. I would Definitely Consider this book among others for first timers.

This book does just what it promises on the cover and more, it doesn't just guide you, it shows how to take great photographs! As a portrait photographer I found the chapter on studio lighting very helpful, and I found the other tips and examples truly inspiring. John Freeman not only writes clearly, he manages to get his message accross with great images, his photography style is refreshing without being pretentious, his landscapes are crisp and masterfully executed, and above all his captions do what they are suposed to do, they explain in detail how the result was obtained. This is a great book for any photography enthusiast, at any proficiency level, a worthy addition to any photography library.

This book talks about so many different aspects of taking photographs, and every step is so well illustrated, that everyone will find it very useful. The lay out of each chapter is very well-organized, and all details of photographing are described in understandable terms. I was very interested in photographic people, and I expected to get a couple of pages covering that at most. However, John Freeman went into detail showing how to photograph children, families, portraits and naked bodies. The examples he provided were stunning! I can't wait to try out new ideas I got from this book!

This book is wonderfully designed and covers everything a beginner as well as more advanced photographer could ask for. It is perfect for an advanced amateur/ semi-professional, such as myself, who's been shooting for several years and has a good grasp on aperture, shutter speed, and exposure. It's packed with a ton of information, and covers a wide range of topics, from the basics of different types of cameras, lenses, filters, and film, to the more advanced topics of panning, portraiture, macro, nudes (indoors as well as outdoors), shooting underwater, aerial photography, still life, interiors/ exteriors, urban and rural landscapes, mixed lighting, and even photographing food! And there's more! I especially liked the fact that this book even included discussions on cross-processing, digital toning, and polaroid emulsion lifts! In the Travel photograhy section, It even offers advice on the different lighting conditions one would face depending on all four of the seasons.

His style of writing is very straightforward and to the point, and easy to absorb. Every page is filled with gorgeous photographs and great examples of good and bad solutions for each of the situations discussed. I've learned so much from it and feel that it was definetely $19.99 well spent (I bought it from a bookstore a year ago). It is like an encyclopedia on photography, and I just ordered his other books from the series - The Photographer's Guide to ... I bought the ones on Compostion, Black and White, Light, and Portraits. I feel that at about $13 -$15 each, they are an excellent way to add to my library. ;-) There are other topics covered in this series, but before getting too excited and buying them all, I am waiting to see if his books in the series that I just ordered are as informative as the one I just reviewed.

To sum it up, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in owning an informative, well-written and beautifully photographed book on a wide range of topics in photography! Definitely worth the money!

If you think yourself as a serious beginner and wanna teach yourself photography, get this book.
I borrowed this book from local public library, and I love it instantly.

First, this book covers a lot of topics, which make me feel it's universal ^_^ form "One-use camera" to "Digital toning", all of them were well organized into 2pages and fit under 4 categories: Basic techniques, Photographing People, Travel Photography, Advanced Techniques.

Second, In every topic, the author give you detailed technics to shoot right, plus the wrong/right picture samples, it's very easy to read and follow.

To me, this book can be used as an Text book for Practicing Photography 101, - what you need to add are some quizes and home work after every chapter.

How to use this book? Read this book, grab a camera and shoot!
After practicing the technics or tricks the book covered, I'm sure you will shoot much better the most of other people.

This is a excellent selection of poems by the great Russian poet Anna Akhmatova. The translations are by the noted Russian scholar Max Hayward and the noted American poet Stanley Kunitz. As a non-Russian speaker, I can't really judge the quality of translations but the end product is terrific. There are a number of wondeful short lyrics. The peak of this selection is a powerful version of the great Requiem, Akhmatova's memorial for the victims of Stalin's purges. A truly great poem.

I grew up in Russia reading Akhmatova, Esenin and other great poets of the "Silver Period". To this day, Akhmatova is the poet I turn to when nostalgia hits. So when I wanted to introduce Russian poetry to my English-speaking husband, I bought this volume.
I am giving this book only four stars because of the somewhat limited selection of the poems: some of her greatest (and best known in Russia) are missing. Kunitz really shines in being able to relay the mood and (surprisingly) the rythm of Akhmatova, even if the actual translatoin is not quite accurate. Overall, this is a great introduction to the poems of a truly talented poet. However, you will soon find yourself shopping for the complete works.

This is a marvelous book. It is extremely difficult to accurately capture the flavor of the original writing in translation, but Kunitz has done this and more - the English itself is poetry. The book is dual language, so readers of Russian can read the original next to the English. Both are excellent.

The selection is fairly representative of Akhmatova's life work, with early poems from 1909, through her affair with the poet Blok in the teens, the Terror and War, to her deathbed in 1961. I particularly enjoyed the translation of the epic "Requiem". Without a doubt, this is the best English version I have ever read. My only complaint is its berevity - at 40 poems, it merely whets the readers appetite for more - a pity, given the outstanding nature of both poet and translator.

For those who are not familiar with Anna Akhmatova, this is a gem. If you have read some of her work, this is a must-have volume. Enjoy!

This is the volume that introduced me to the works of Anna Akhmatova. After having read this in one evening, I could not sleep - I was so moved by her poetry. The translation must have captured her heart and soul because it certainly captured mine - it inspired me to get up in the middle of the night and draw pictures to go with what I had read. I understood at once the love the Russian people have for her. Since then, I have gobbled up everything translated into English that I can find, but I still think this little volume is the best of all and return to it again and again. Enjoy......

I'm not a great poetry lover, but the simplicity and meaning of her poems is even enough to turn me on to poetry!!!! Her words reach my life experiences and touch my soul.

Absolutely awesome graphics. Text is a sort of summary of other books of Turnbull. Anyway this book is very interesting, expecially for "rookies".

The Samurai - in modern society, it's a shallow shell of what it formerly was - exaggeratedly awesome warriors capable of sundering tanks in two with there swords. But who were the real Samurai? "The Samurai Swordsman: Master of War" is an examination of the true Samurai, who dominated Japan during its feudal era, much like Knights once dominated Europe. Going deep into the nature of Samurai as complex individuals and not just swords with legs, it looks at everything - the Samurai statesman, the Samurai artist, and more. Enhanced with full color paintings throughout, "The Samurai Swordsman: Master of War" is highly recommended for community library history and art collections and for anyone who has always had a fascination with this warrior caste.

I have read most of the way through, and am *very* happy with this book. The text is engaging and full of interesting facts and anecdotes, the abundant illustrations make for an excellent collection of Japanese art, and the author's command of the subject matter is apparent. This is one I will read through several times.

I'm not certain why the "Samurai" bug bites readers but in my case I lived outside Yokohama, Japan, on the Kanto Plain for 25 months between October, 1962, and December, 1964. (Please see also my review of Oliver Statler's early 1960's book, "Japanese Inn" for additional detail of this area).

Living only a stone's throw from the ancient Tokaido Road, once capital city Kamakura, and medieval Odawara castle, among many other sites, caused me to this very day to have an avocational interest for Japan in general and the Samurai in specific.

I have several of Stephen Turnbull's books, feeling him to be very well versed in all aspects of this field to the point of being a notable expert in that area. The term "expert" is bandied about these days oft times without substance or merit, but in Mr. Turnbull's case it is well justified.

This particular book is one I purchased a year ago, and for the price was very pleased with its content. Should one look into it a reader would find it a good, comprehensive guide to the Japanese warriors known as 'samurai'. There are specific armor and weaponry illustrations and descriptions, as well as four "see-through vellum sections" where each layer of clothing and protective armour offers insight into the dress of these warriors. The text flows evenly and can readily be understood. Should the reader be new to this area of study this volume would easily serve as a great introductory volume.

This oversize book is amply illustrated in color, and in 256 pages offers magnificently "the story of Japan's great warriors".

Semper Fi.

This book would serve as an excellent introduction to someone who has read little or nothing on the samurai; it covers their history from the days of the Yayoi tribesmen to their overthrow during the Meiji Restoration, and provides much readable detail on their culture, organization, religious beliefs, armor, clothing, and most interestingly, the full range of their deadly arsenal.

Though I have maintained a strong interest in the samurai for several years and have read many books on them, I still learned some things from this book (notably that they used axes in battle, as well as clubs and maces). Anything by Stephen Turnbull can be pretty much guaranteed to be well worth one's money. In short, this book would be especially good for beginners but worthwhile for veterans of Japanese military history as well.

If you are going to Scotland, forget all the other travel books and buy "Scotland The Best." My family and I used it exclusively on two long trips to Scotland, mostly spent wandering around the Highlands and Western Isles. Irvine's book definitely has a point of view, which makes it entertaining reading. Most importantly, the reviews and recommendations are spot on. We found several places to eat, sleep and shop which no other book mentioned. And after you have visited Scotland, this is a great book to pour through as you plan your return visit (because you will go back!).

This book is a big hit with visitors and Scottish residents alike. Although the format is unconventional (lists of the best of X, where X ranges from upmarket hotels to spooky graveyards), it can be used to guide the tourist to the best that Scotland can offer. On the other hand, as a 'local', I've found it opened my eyes to places and things I might never have noticed on my own. And the witty commentary prevents the lists becoming too much like, well, lists....

The reviews of places to stay and eat are very accurate - I've had a lot of fun eating out in Edinburgh and elsewhere to check out the recommendations!

Only negative point - I find the map references irritating to interpret - the map section could be formatted and printed more clearly.

Once you have a solid book on Scotland, (Fodors, Eyewitness, etc), then this book will bring more life and excitment to your base of knowledge. The authors pick what/where they like best in certain categories, and you will find places not listed in the main tourist books but worth going for if your travels take you near the vicinity. The "best of" topics are such things as graveyards; churches; castles; historical places; waterfalls; coastal villages; shops; beaches; golf courses; glens; and so forth, along with more information in detial on Glasgow and Edinburgh. Told with honesty and a sense of humour, is good for tourists and natives as well. 300 pages of great information, well worth it.

This book is a must for the Scottish visitor. I bought 5 books including Frommers driving tours (never touched it) and eyewitness guide (nice pictures, but we never used it). It was the only book we used. The book is outlined in several ways, either you can pick by the area you are, or certain interests. Either way, this is a book written by a Scot, and he knows the area very well. He covers everything from best waterfalls and scenery to best pubs, and the things you shouldn't miss. We felt like we had a guide with us the whole time telling us where to go for the best Scotland has to offer, and everything he said was right on! We found so many places off the beaten path, that as a tourist we never would have found on our own. This book is also very amusing and unbiased, as the author has a keen sense of humor and I found myself laughing several times at his honest approach. I believe this makes all of the difference when you want to have a good traveling experience. I would recommend this book to anyone who is going to Scotland, and also the Michelin map was extremely helpful. It got us everywhere without a problem!

AS a well-prepared traveller, I spend WAY too much money on books and then have to cart them around the whole time. This time, I bought five books on Scotland and Edinburgh. As we travelled for five days, I noticed the book I continuously had out was Scotland the Best! At one stop at one of the "bloody good pubs" by Glencoe, we sat at a table next to Morag and Ian, both Scottish, married 35 years. They saw our book, grinned, and pulled out their own. They said they used it every weekend and kept it in the glovebox. How much more of a recommendation do you need? Buy this book and all the updates!