Edwards Books

As did other reviewers I got this book many years ago, I just read it again and still find it interesting and well written. It is one of the definitive books on the B-17 and it's history from drawing board to the end of it's service life and shows a true love of this airplane. Filled with great pictures (a few you may have seen but others are rare and awe inspiring) starting with the first model 299 along with all combat variations and lots of crew member shots too.Also short tales of combat along with a brief treatment of support units fills in some details that the beginning WWII student would like. Belongs in almost any air buffs library. Great first book for teens or adults interested in airplanes and WWII. I have met B-17 crew members who for reasons not given did not care for this account of the B-17, In honor of those valued opinions I must only give this book 4 stars not the 5 someone who was not there wants to.

This fascinating book has it all. The crews, the missions, 400 illustrations, training manual, specs, amazing individual stories, all packed into 362 pages. The B-17 in America, the South Pacific, North Africa, and Europe, it is all here. In 1990, after seeing the film Memphis Belle in the theatre several times, I purchased a Cooper A2 flight jacket and began attending air shows featuring B-17 rides where you can roam the 75 ft fuselage, listening to the awesome fury of four 1,200 hp Wright Cyclone R-1820-97 radial piston engines rumbling the 104 ft wingspan. During takeoff watch the ground fall away thru the tail wheel opening. When the removable window over the radio compartment is open, stand on your toes and stick your head out at 160 mph. Sometimes a Corsair or B-24 will be at wingtip for a Kodak moment. Check out the 10 locations of the tail gunner (whose average lifetime in actual combat was something like 17 seconds), 2 waist gunners, plexiglass ball turret, radio operator, flight engineer/top turret, bombardier (and the Norden bombsight), navigator and pilots; also the thirteen .50 cals. The manual section of the book explains the instrument panels, how to takeoff, how to feather, how to ditch, bailout, etc. There were only 12,731 of these 40,000 pound Boeings built, capable of 300 mph at 35,800 ft. altitude. With names like Hell's Kitchen, Hellzapoppin, Borrowed Time, Hang the Expense, The Eager Beavers, The Duchess, Damdifino II, Boomerang, Banshee, Bataan, All American, Alexander the Swoose, Just a Snappin, Laden Maiden, Miss Bea Haven, Red Gremlin, Rosie's Riveters, Ruthie II, Yankee Doodle, Skipper, Snoozin' Suzan, Sqawkin Hawk II, and Suzy-Q, the author covers all of the major engagements of WWII from the B-17's perspective, but the highlights are the individual stories of people like Major Robert Rosenthal's classic adventures, especially his 52nd bombing run. Born on September 6, 1944, actress Swoosie Kurtz is named after a plane her father Frank Kurtz flew and had accepted by the Smithsonian. The Swoose is the oldest surviving B-17. Named after a popular song The Swoose began her career on April 28 1941. She made the first non-stop flight by a land-based military aircraft from continental US to Hawaii, ran bombing missions against the Japanese forces and shot down several fighters. She made her last flight from Texas on Dec 3 1953 - to Andrews AFB, MD. Three engines failed by the time she touched down at Andrews. In April 1961 she was brought to the National Air and Space Museum Restoration Facility at Silverhall, MD where she is on display. The last flight I took was the Nine O' Nine in May 2001, so it is time to figure out the 2007 airshow schedule from the following list of airworthy B-17s: Aluminum Overcast, Boeing Bee, Chuckie, Flying Fortress, Fuddy Duddy, Memphis Belle*, Miss Angela, Nine O' Nine, Pink Lady, Sally B, Sentimental Journey, Texas Raiders, Thunderbird, Yankee Lady II. *some are named in honor of the original. The original Memphis Belle 41-24485, is at Memphis Belle Memorial Association Memphis, Tenn. Besides the 2 Memphis Belle dvds, others are: The War Lover (Steve McQueen), 12 O'clock High (Gregory Peck), B-17 Flying Legend (Mark Feijo, 2004).

I just wanted to mimick the above review. I bought this book over twenty years ago (I'm now 29), and it is dogeared and tired, but still the measure by which I gauge all aircraft books.

Anyone interested in a complete book on the B-17 Flying Fortress must have this one. It is a classic. I have been refering to this book for some 25 years. I used to check this book out at the library every chance I could as a kid. Now I own my own copy. It has copies of manuals from the planes. Complete documentation of the evolution of this magnificent bomber. Most men that flew this plane, loved it. Though this book was written many years ago, I don't think our history revisionists can add much of anything to it.

Edward Jablonski's FLYING FORTRESS is a classic of aviation literature and is unique as the earliest, best-written "biography" of any aircraft. Sometimes imitated but never duplicated, FLYING FORTRESS is a wonderful read, less military history than memoir, and anyone who does read it comes away with love in their heart for the Boeing B-17, one of the most lethal, effective, rugged, and beautiful (if such a word applies to warplanes) flying machines ever built.

Jablonski takes us through the step-by-step evolution of this airplane, from its earliest wooden strut-and-wire precursors to its ultimate development into the B-29 "atomic" bomber of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The general design of the B-17 proceeded from Boeing's Model 299 to the wartime B-17G, of which almost 9000 were built. Although the "E," "F," and "G" variants were the most common of the more than 12,000 B-17s constructed, the Flying Fortress underwent literally hundreds of modifications and served variously as a heavy bomber, a command plane, a radar platform, an antisubmarine hunter, and even a kind of long-range superfighter during its decade-long career.

The B-17 was as widely distributed as it was modified. Although the Flying Fortress is most commonly associated with the Eighth Air Force based in England, Fortresses served in Italy, Africa and the Pacific theatre as well. The B-17 (along with the B-24) was the backbone of America's Strategic Bombardment program against Germany during World War II. Although the price was steep (about 25% of Fortresses never came home) Strategic Bombardment demonstrably shortened the war by destroying Germany's industrial plant. (Strategic Bombardment really came into its own only with the development of stealth technology and smart bombs, which allowed for pinpoint accuracy in targeting.)

Even more than the plane, Jablonski regales us with tales---some comic, some tragic---of the men who flew these planes and the dangers they faced. Jablonski rejoices in recounting the war stories of these now gray-haired old men (where they've survived), especially the exploits of the "Bloody 100th" Bomb Group (famous to this day as suffering from a Luftwaffe vendetta), and "Rosie's Riveters." Jablonski doesn't much credit the vendetta against the "Century Bombers" except as a pilots' legend, but he does do a wonderful job of bringing to life the exploits of the B-17 crews.

FLYING FORTRESS is rounded out with an extensive technical section (including the pilot's manual) and hundreds of photographs. (Nowadays the Web holds the actual pilot training films, a must see for anyone interested in the B-17.) The only shortcomings of FLYING FORTRESS are the lack of a table of organization for the Army Air Forces, the absence of a brief summary of the postwar history of a few of the more famous planes, and nothing regarding expanded information on insignia and nose art (which is an engrossing subject all on its own).

The Flying Fortress still fascinates, and is still beloved. Much of the continuing public fascination with the B-17 can be attributed largely to this book, which kept the B-17 alive before the Internet made esoteric information generally available.

A definite and definitive five star effort!

This book is a very fast read, I found myself not able to put it down. The research the author put into this story is quite evident. He is able to convey both feelings and enviroment very well. There are a few graphic parts to this book, but definately neccesary for the story to work. The author also seems to have a real talent for getting you into the characters heads. If there are any movie producers out there, check this out!!! It could be the next big one!!

Excellent read! With the recent re-discovery of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker in Arkansas (thought to have been extinct since the '40's), you can easily imagine the giant fossa prowling the forests of Madagascar today! The detailed descriptions of the Madagascan environment and people truly brought the story to life.

This is an outstanding and very interesting novel. Not only does it hold your attention throughout but offers the reader an escape from reality in as much as you feel like you are in the chase and actually are on safari. I found myself cheering for the animal as well as the protagonist, Blaine Gibbons, who I became very attached to. This is a good read for all ages and a wake-up call for the protection of our environment.

Reading Foosa! Primal Instinct is both an educational and entertaining experience. Never having heard of the animal fossa, I was both impressed with and interested in knowing more about it. Mr. Begen does a great job of capturing the intensity of the animal and the plausibility of its ancestor surviving in the rain forest. All this interwoven with a story of family, love and friendship. Its a good read for people of all ages ... and would make a great movie!!

The book,FOOSA PRIMAL INSTINCT,gets the reader interested in the novel very quickly and soon becomes a story the reader don't want to put down. Done very suavy,it engulfs the reader from tradjedy to friends and family to a safari hunt to find this elusive animal only known by the natives of the area. Feared by tribesmen and a voracious predator,this book covers all the angles. For an animal not known by name,the author makes this animal one you won't forget.

We can't get our hands on enough of these books fast enough. They have my son laughing so hard, I am glad he doesn't have a weak bladder.

I found my daughter need a little pull to get her into chapter books, even though she is an advanced reader. I think this is partly because she is so visual. Most early chapter books have little color and few photos. These books are the exception.
Fun fonts with lots of color and colored pictures. It really is inviting to the child.

From the Himalayas to Mouseland, there's a phone call. Soon Geronimo grabs his family and set out to help Professor Von Valt. While trying to help him, he is captured by a yeti! While trying to escape, he finds a yeti cub! In this book you'll see how crazy Geronimo is. If you like traveling this is perfect for you.

Children should really read the Geronimo Stilton series - the rodent is just so adventurous!

I do love the way it is laid out. The fun is so special when you place 2 language versions side by side so that young children can compare them. This is a great way to get them interested to learn a foreign language as well.

Try Geronimo if you don't see your kinds interested in reading - you'd be surprised by the charm of this cheesy mouse.

I just bought this book for my son's 8th birthday. He's a fairly average reader so we're going through it together, and we both just love the story and characters, who are of varying ages and personalities. The book captures your attention right off with the common problem of being taken in by a TV commercial.

We love the varying type styles, illustrations and fun descriptions. We just popped onto amazon.com to learn more, and are excited to see so many titles to collect. The reading level is about age 9 or so, but the interest range is definitely at least 7-11. Also, my son is just learning about dialogue, and this story is great for reinforcing that, as well as increasing his reading vocabulary. It may not be fine literature, but it's fun and fresh and full of inoffensive charm, which is harder to come by for boys of this age than for girls.

I bought the Geronimo Stilton collection for my granddaughter and we listened to the 3 CDs at least 4 times already. I even listen to the great stories when I'm not with my granddaughter. The narration is great for all ages.

My son is just turning 3 and LOVES to listen to Geronimo in the car. The chapters are just the right length for short trips to the supermarket or post office. He quotes the narrator and loves the sound effects. It is entertaining for me too. Trust me, I've heard these 3 stories again and again. I got introduced to the series from a free CD of Curse of the Cheese Pyramid in the kid's meal at Wendy's. (I wish more fast food places would try this as a prize instead of plastic junk--it really gets the kids interested in reading.) He loved it and I've bought the first 2 sets in the series. If it's great for a 3 year old, it would be even better for kindergarten - 3rd graders too. I highly recommend it.

The Geronimo series books and audio books are all great. The audio books are well-done and do a lovely job of bringing stories to life. I definitely recommend listening to Sitlton for a long car/plane ride rather than the brain-numbing GameBoy. And my husband and I even enjoy listening in and will play the CD in the car rather than letting our kids listen privately on their Ipods. I also find these audio books to be a great price. If you're not familiar with the actual books, give them a try, too. The puns captivate your older reader who may techinically be older than the suggested reading level, and the fun colored fonts will encourage younger readers to push themselves. I am a big believer in reading books both below, at, and above reading levels (to gain confidence, push yourself, reinforce, and enjoy), so the Geronimo books are wonderful to appeal to those from ages 6 to 10 minimum.

Do you want to read an exciting hilarious book? Well then The Curse of the Cheese Pyramid is waiting for you! Geronimo is a great newspaper editor. He has to go to Egypt because a scientist, Albert Spitfur, has a new way to make electricity! Geronimo went to Egypt because he needs to report the new way to make electricity. Geronimo's great grandfather is on a money diet (he is not spending a lot of money). Weird things happen, you will have to read the book! Oh, did I say they talk about cheese a lot in this book? Well they do!

I like how great grandfather William always calls Geronimo and screams at him, "You're spending too much money", when he really is not!

I recommend this book to people who like talking animals, Egypt and lot's of cheese! So read it!

My 9 Year old daughter was having some trouble with her reading and the entire Stilton series has reversed that. The books are very well written for young readers and the stories are even fun for the parent to read as well. Overall this is a fun series with alot of good humor and will make you child enjoy their reading experience

Glen Edwards: The Diary of a Bomber Pilot is now available as an e-book for Amazon's neat new Kindle reader. The downside: no photos, glossary, or chapter notes. The upside: the e-book is less than one-fifth the cost of the hardcover edition. Blue skies! -- Dan Ford

This book is nothing short of captivating. The author provides brief explanatory narratives to connect entries from Edwards' diaries, beginning with flight training, then combat in North Africa, and the early post-war years in America.

Just ferrying his airplane from the States to North Africa was a big adventure, considering the rather primitive nature of navigation aids and weather forecasts in that era.

Combat in Africa and Italy is described in detail, some of it surprising. For example, a military advance had a down side. Moving forward to a newly captured air field meant that the American aviators were subjected to more ground attacks by German aircraft.

The second half of the book covers the early post-war years, when American factories were building new airplanes almost faster than the Air Force could flight test them. Many exotic, one-of-a-kind vehicles are described here.

To some extent, the reader has a sense of foreboding at this point, knowing that this story is destined to end as unhappily as the maiden voyage of the Titanic. Yet this knowledge serves to accentuate the daily events described here.

There are many memorable tidbits in this book, such as tales of a man who actually intimidated Chuck Yeager!

Glen Edwards is portrayed in these pages as so heroic, embodying so many virtues, yet so modest and unassuming. This is someone you would want to know and to spend time with. Through this book, you can.

"The amount of reseach Ford wove into Glen Edwards: The Diary of a Bomber Pilot" is remarkable. The result is a wonderfully readable tale of one man's contribution to freedom and flight. Nice to 'know" such a man as Edwards and to have Ford, a historian/author who brought him back to life."

I can't put this book on Glen Edwards down! God, I hope he makes it thru North Africa because I think I've fallen in love with him. What a can-do kinda guy. So positive -- capturing the essence of each place so well.

This book makes him live again.

A superb book about Glen Edwards. I thoroughly enjoyed and empathized with his career. The pace was like reading a literary version of Ravel's "Bolero" with the crescendo building to the final flight. The description of the crash was wrenching, superb.

A pilot's read! Bravo Zulu!

Paul M. (USN Ret.)

I bought my son several of the Let's Read and Find Out books for Christmas. He's a first grader going on 7 years. These are just absolutely fantastic books for introducing varoius difficult concepts. I like that they contain alot of information, but are still easy to understand. Hard to find something "not too young, not too old" for this age. We love them. This particular one was a favorite.

One of my older children brought this book home from a school book sale many years ago. It was a hit with both of my children for several years. Then, as they grew up, the book was put away in a box for another time.

When I had another child, I got out that "box for another time" and stacked the books on a shelf. This one was amongst them, and onto a shelf it went, though I did't expect it to be of interest to him for several years yet.

But lately, at 21 months, Jack has been asking for this book frequently -- and listening with interest to reading after reading! I doubt that the concept of "how much you weigh on Mars" makes much sense to him yet -- but the idea of gravity is one that he is working out, and Branley's explanations of the Earth pulling everything to its center is simple and seems to satisfy even at this age!

Even better, the science is simple, but accurate so it's a good start on his physics education!

Although this book will painlessly teach your four year old what science is and what that abstract concept, gravity, is, it is also excellent for a teenager who is struggling through a physics course. As Einstein said, you don't really understand a concept until you can explain it to your grandmother. Well, this is a book for Grandmother.

This book is as important as it is wonderful. It brings home the Big Secret about science that escapes most people: Science is about the unknown, not the known. There are lots of mysteries out there; the business of science is to change the unknown into the known, which is the lesson, I think, of Franklyn Branley's masterpiece.

In 1990, my husband went to the library and brought home " gravity is a mystery" for our son to read. He loved it! It was his favorite book for weeks! Every night one of us would have to read it to him. This is a fun book that everyone should get a chance to read.

English history made fascinating and definitely in the "I could not put it down" category. Great for ALL ages.

This third and final volume by Robert Lacey really finishes the series. Included are tales about the famous and the not so famous. What I really like about his books are that they are stories- great quick reads about events that we may not be familiar with.

I highly recommend this book to any Anglophile, or anyone wanting to learn more about the history of the UK.

Robert Lacey has a most remarkable aptitude for relating history in an engaging manner, while still informing and educating. "The Year 1000" and the first two volumes of "Great Tales" are testaments to this. Lacey also manages to make history relevant and selects figures of note. Also to his credit is his lively, entertaining writing style.

Those who have had the pleasure of reading this author's first two volumes in this series will know what to expect in this third and final volume - and they will not be disappointed. This volume contains 60 short (4 or 5 pages) snippets of English history - often little known but fascinating facts. These span the years from 1690 to 1953. The writing style, as usual for this author, is clear, simple, lively and quite engaging. The book is hard to put down for, I believe, the following two main reasons: 1) the shortness of the chapters and 2) the excellent writing style. This book can be enjoyed by anyone - but especially history buffs.

The author Robert Lacey, writes "The job of the historian is to deal objectively with the available facts. But, history is in the eye of the beholder and also of the historian, who as a human being has feelings and prejudices of his own." In Volume 3, few if any of Lacey's prejudices are apparent as he demonstrates once again that he is one of the best, both as a historian and a storyteller.

Technical, economic, governmental and political advancement dominated this period. The monarchs of the period are succinctly covered including the German George I, the madness of George III, and the coming to the throne of the teenage Queen Victoria. Tomas Paine's idea "that the rights of man, which include equality and liberty, are God-given at birth, and that governments are only good when they protect them" became a part of American doctrine. Curiously, profits of the triangular slave trade helped fuel the spectacular economy of England in the eighteenth century...." England ended slave trade in 1807.

The engineering marvels of the Great Western Railway are noted. In 1842 Queen Victoria chose that railway for her first train trip. This was also a period of great labor unrest and abuse. Labor alliances were formed. The 1888 strike of the "match girls" pioneered techniques of protest still used today, helped the formation of trade unions all over the country and "provided an early grass roots triumph in the struggle for women's rights.

Coverage of the twentieth century is excellent.The World War I trench-warfare truce of 24 December 1914 occurred when both German and Allied troops stopped fighting and celebrated Christmas together. Lacey notes that "such a widespread flowering of peace and friendship had never been seen in the history of war...." In 1915.when a few Allied soldiers trapped behind lines in Belgium were helped to escape by Edith Cavell, matron in a Belgium nurses' training school, the Germans executed her. The worldwide outcry was enormous and the bitterness so great that there were no more Christmas truces. In 1914 the British used volunteers. Young friends marched to recruiting offices, to enlist in what became known as the "pals or chums" battalions. At the Somme nearly twenty thousand British soldiers were killed with another forty thousand wounded: "the greatest ever British loss in a single day of battle.

Most interesting is the account of Edward, Prince of Wales' abdication. Apparently, Edward had been thinking of giving up the throne long before his father's death. Later Edward was involved with Mrs. Simpson, an American divorcee, which was his excuse for abdicating. Brief but sympathetic comments are given Neville Chamberlain's well-meaning attempts to appease Hitler. Robert Lacey asks the rhetorical question regarding Chamberlain "And was he really so wrong to try to stop a conflict which....would claim the lives of more than fifty million people?"

The text coverage of World War II is revealing. The story of the little boats at Dunkirk is exaggerated; "it was the big ships of the Royal Navy that transported the vast majority of the soldiers home.." While Churchill lauded the RAF pilots in the Battle of Britain stating "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few", the text notes "...every fighter pilot depended on a massive and complex pyramid of support staff--radar technicians, the observer crops...." The few were supported by "many." The text's final comment on WWII notes that Winston Churchill, taking up to eight hours,wrote all his own speeches. Churchill phrases are still quoted to this day.

Finally, the text closes with a review of the 1953 discovery of DNA 1953 by Francis Crick and James Watson for which they later received a Nobel Prize

This is an easy and very enjoyable book to read. The reader need not worry about the author's objectivity.

Fascinating account of what went wrong in the most terrible conflict in world history. What is most interesting is that the author not only accounts for the errors, mistakes and blunders of every major phase of the World War II, but bases his conclusions on the works of
the highest established authorities. For the readers who wish to understand what caused the world's greatest tragedy, and who was responsible for the nearly half a century of international conflict of the Cold War that followed.

This comprehensive review of the political and military blunders of World War II is awesome. It not only covers all the major campaigns of the most important war in world history, it also includes an analysis of the causes of the greatest military conflict and it also
includes the opinions of many of the most important military historians of World War II.
If you are interested in World War II, this is the book!

Probably the most complete analysis of why and how World War II happened of any book published on the subject. The author presents
a comprehensive review of every major action of the war, cites the views and conclusions of the leading historians of the conflict and clearly demonstrates that due to errors, mistakes and blunders Adolf Hitler lost the war and the allies and Russia won the war inspite of their blunders. thus saving the world from the suffering and extermination that would have been the consequence of Nazi world domination.

This is probably one of the best full accounts of all the major campaigns of World War II and includes the conclusions of many of the best military historians on what went wrong with the conflict and how the awesome consequences of the war were largely influenced by errors, mistakes and blunders. It is a MUST book for anyone who
is interested in the major military and polical blunders which determined the outcome of the most important struggle in world history.

Nearly a lifetime of research and study by a veteran of World War II reveals the major political and military errors and mistakes which caused the greatest catastrophe in world history, almost lost the struggle with the greatest evil the world has ever known, failed to end the conflict in a decisive victory for the survival of freedom and democracy, subjected the world to almost a half century of fear and turmoil in the Cold War, and wasted vast world resources on armaments while hundreds of millions of people suffered from hunger, illness and death.
Adolf Hitler lost the war because of his blunders and the Allies won the war in spite of their blunders due to an abundance of men and materiel.

I have loved this book my entire life. It is such a pleasure to read aloud. Children of all ages (even old children like me!) love it. Once in college in a drama class, we had to memorize a selection to recite on stage. Although the professor thought she was rather clear with her instructions, I found the loophole that allowed me to recite "Gwendolyn the Miracle Hen" instead of some stuffy Shakespeare soliloquy! I did not have to memorize this book as it was already committed to memory from childhood. Everyone loved it. The illustrations are fabulous and really stand out in a child's mind. Good over evil. It is truly a wonderful tale.

Even at $70.00. I bought one in a thrift store 17 years ago for 45cents and have completely worn it out with my 3 children. It is their favorite book. I had no idea we had a collectors item in the house until I tried to buy a copy for my future grandchildren. This is a treasure. The story and the way it rhymes it's way to a happy ending is fantastic. Not to long and not to short, the perfect childrens book. Take good care of it. I saw one on e-bay for $253.00.

The hen -- loyal to her kind farmer -- outwits a greedy old man. With her clever laying of multicolored eggs, she saves the farm. and, with her cleverness, all in rhyme. "Cluck, cluck," said Gwendolyn, "You'll see. Just leave the whole thing up to me." My children loved this classic example of good triumphing over evil, and wittily too.

The hen -- loyal to her kind farmer -- outwits a greedy old man. With her clever laying of multicolored eggs, she saves the farm, all in rhyme. "Cluck, cluck," said Gwendolyn, "You'll see. Just leave the whole thing up to me." My children loved this classic and witty example of good triumphing over evil.

The hen -- loyal to her kind farmer -- outwits a greedy old man. With her clever laying of multicolored eggs, she saves the farm. and, with her cleverness, all in rhyme. "Cluck, cluck," said Gwendolyn, "You'll see. Just leave thw hole thing up to me." My children loved this classic example of good triumphing over evil, and wittily too.

Ed Tripp wrote this book over the span of many years and it shows on every page. Excellent cross-references, alternate names indexed meticulously, superb background on every entry. The only downside is the paperback format - I wore my first copy out long ago!

I'm delighted to find that THE MERIDIAN HANDBOOK OF CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY is still available. My 1970 copy has served me well over the years, both as a student and as a committed reader of liturature. My seventh-grade daughter is now using my old copy. It won't survive the year. Thus, I'm pleased to find it has been reprinted. The book is arranged like a dictionary. Every name in Greek and Roman literature is listed and an identifying discussion provided. Mr. Tripp sources the entries so the curious reader can look further. The print is small. Some readers may want to use a magnifying glass.

The entries in this book are written far more clearer than in Grimal's myth dictionary. In fact I have enjoyed it more than the works of Edith Hamilton. This is a must have for any budding mythologist.

Edward Tripp's encyclopedic survey of Greek and Roman myths was originally published in hardcover 1970, in the United States by the Thomas Y. Crowell Co. as "Crowell's Handbook of Classical Mythology," with a simultaneous Canadian edition, and in Britain by Barker as just "The Handbook of ...". It was reissued as a trade paperback under the New American Library's Meridian imprint under title "Meridian Handbook" in 1974, and continued to be reprinted under this title, as the publishing industry was reshuffled, into the 1990s. So far as I can determine, the various editions are identical, so anyone looking for a copy can probably follow availability and price.

It now seems to be out of print, under any of the various titles, which is a shame. It is somewhat more comprehensive and generally easier to use than Kerenyi's admirable "Gods of the Greeks" and "Heroes of the Greeks," and far more reliable than Robert Graves' idiosyncratic and erratic "The Greek Myths." (One can hope for a future reprinting -- perhaps as "Tripp's Handbook..."?).

With its comprehensive coverage, and general preference for literary data over interpretation, Tripp's "Handbook" can serve as either a first-rate introduction or a convenient reference book, depending on a reader's needs and level of knowledge. A "pronouncing index" helpfully distinguishes traditional English pronunciations of names from currently favored approximations of the original Greek and Latin.

Tripp's dictionary-style arrangement of the material is easy to follow, the articles are usefully cross-referenced, and the sources in classical texts are carefully noted. The length of the article usually corresponds well to the prominence of the god or hero, but some relatively minor figures get the space needed to sort out contradictory reports. Most of the relevant classical writers get their own articles as well -- although it is often a good idea to look at the corresponding entry in Lillian Feder's "Handbook of Classical Literature" (also once published as "Crowell's Handbook...," and again as a "Meridian Handbook..." in paperback, and recently reprinted by Da Capo), for more specialized information in a similar format.

This is the best handbook of Classical Mythology I've ever encountered. It contains hundreds of entries of names (was anyone left out?), all in alphabetical order, of major and minor characters of the Greek and Roman myths. A very full account of each entry is given, including variants of many of the stories. Also included is a pronunciation index for most of the names listed. This is a tremendous resource for students and teachers alike. A great reference work.