Elliott Books

J'ai trouvé ceci pour être le regard très instructif sur sa vie et sa carrière. J'apprécié les parties de Québec et le FLQ.

M. Trudeau a fourni une touche personnelle ici qu'il a fait rarement. Comme un Fédéraliste vous ferez apperciate ces comptes.

Excuser ma mauvaise écriture de français.

Apprécier!

I found this to be very informative look on his life and career. I espically enjoyed the parts about Québec and the FLQ.

Mr. Trudeau provided a personal touch here which he rarely did. As a Federalist you will apperciate these accounts.

Excuse my bad french writing.

Enjoy!

I found this to be very informative look on his life and career. I espically enjoyed the parts about Québec and the FLQ.

Mr. Trudeau provided a personal touch here which he rarely did. As a Federalist you will apperciate these accounts.

Excuse my bad french writing.

Enjoy.

J'ai trouvé ceci pour être le regard très instructif sur sa vie et sa carrière. J'apprécié les parties de Québec et le FLQ.

M. Trudeau a fourni une touche personnelle ici qu'il a fait rarement. Comme un Fédéraliste vous ferez apperciate ces comptes.

Excuser ma mauvaise écriture de français.

Apprécier.

In retrospect history will judge Trudeau as an unmitigated disaster for Canada. Many mistook his arrogance and aloofness for intellectual stature. The only thing greater than the sycophantic love displayed by some Canadians for Trudeau was his absolute contempt for Canadian voters.

This is as fine a memoir as one could expect from a man who kept his secret self so distant from others that one suspects he sometimes found the line difficult to cross himself. Trudeau was not only the most intelligent prime minister Canada ever had, but probably the most brilliant (intellectually speaking) statesman any nation ever had. However, his mind went to places that were not always to do with the ebb & flow of politics. It is unfortunate that this memoir does not tell us more about the man's secret self. I don't mean just gossip column things; I refer to his thoughts on life, literature, & art: topics on which anyone who knew him recognized his mastery. The book is brilliant too, but I suggest that it requires some reading between the lines to catch at what Monsieur Trudeau only hints. It's his truth from the inside, after all, so he shouldn't be expected to see himself "objectively" & account for the way he was seen by others. This can be uncomfortable sometimes. For example, when he was nearly defeated in the first election after "Trudeaumania" in 1972 because he attempted to be straight, true, & honest with the Canadian public, he roared back playing the "promise'em the world" consumate politician in 1974 to a majority government. I would have wished for more third person objectivity here. Still Trudeau was a giant mind & a giant will-power amongst mental idiots & usual politicoes during his tenure. I believe he has the right to do just what he did in this magnificent memoir: Speak from the heights & tell it as he alone saw it. Bravo! We'll not see his like again.

Although always a controversial man, P.E.T. embodied what it means to be a Canadian. Over his 16 years as Prime Minister he was directly involved in many major events which have shaped Canadian history. I write this the day after his passing, so in consequence I am probably a little biased. I grew up with Trudeau. The first 11 years of my life he was P.M. I could go on and on with the memories, as some have suggested he did with his Memoirs. However, that was the beauty of Trudeau. He was a brilliant man and loved life.

In answer to the comment from the reader in Toronto that he glossed over many not so stellar performances on his part - have you ever read another auto-biography of a public figure which told the whole truth and nothing but? There are many sides to a story. I would challenge anyone to write about their lives and not smooth certain parts over abit!

All in all Trudeau takes us through his tenure as P.M. in one of the most exciting periods in recent human history - 1968-1984. Anyone who is interested in world or Canadian affairs should read this book. And it's a must for every Canadian household.

THE SPY, America's first historical novel, is set in late 1780. It plays out in New York's Westchester County, "the neutral ground" between the British forces occupying Manhattan and the American rebels further up the Hudson River. It is not long after the capture and execution under order of General George Washington of out-of-uniform British officer Major John Andre. It is a tough time to be a spy -- for either side.

The novel has two principal characters: an American double-agent and his handler.

The former is Harvey Birch, a wandering peddler, suspected far and wide of being a British agent. He lives in Westchester County with his ancient father, John Birch, and their housekeeper. American forces have arrested him more than once, but he has escaped, perhaps under command influence. He is under a death warrant, if caught by the Americans.

The latter lead character calls himself Mr. Harper. He is tall and has the upper classes about him though he does not wear a wig. Harper looks about fifty.

We meet Harper in THE SPY'S first sentence: "It was near the close of the year 1780, that a solitary traveller was seen pursuing his way through one of the numerous little valleys of West-Chester." He is dressed as a civilian and sits astride on a mighty horse. He takes shelter from a raging storm in "The Locusts," country home of Mr. Wharton, a man somewhat older than Harper. Wharton is wealthy, pro-British, but a political trimmer who hopes (for the sake of not losing his extensive holdings) to seem at least politically neutral to the Americans, in case they ultimately win.

There are also two Wharton daughters on hand that evening. A son, Henry, a British officer based in Manhattan, visits his family in disguise carrying a forged pass from George Washington. The peddler Harvey Birch arrives with goods to tempt the ladies. One of the daughters is pro-American and is in love with handsome Major Dunwoodie of the Virginia forces. The older girl loves a rascally British Colonel, whom she does not know to be an intending bigamist.

All the elements of the novel are in place that evening. The characters go on with their lives, harried by two irregular armed forces: pro-British Cow-Boys and pro-American Skinners.

The story is about the American revolutionary patriotism of Birch and Harper. Over time we learn Harper's real identity and see his national reputation grow until by the time of the War of 1812 when he is dead and gone, he almost equals the gods. Harvey Birch is equally the American patriot but is, by contrast with Harper, condemned forever to hide his true identity as a loyal American who only betrayed to the British what Harper ordered him to reveal.

When the ancient Harvey Birch falls after being drawn into a fight against the British near Niagara Falls on July 25, 1814, he had just made the acquaintance of two young American officers. One is Captain Wharton Dunwoodie, son of the pro-American Wharton daughter of 1780. Harvey recalls her to her son as "an angel." Harvey's corpse is found after the fight by Captain Dunwoodie. A bullet had pierced a tin container under Birch's clothing en route to his heart. In the case is an aging testament from none less than George Washington to "Harvey Birch ... for many years a faithful and unrequited servant of his country. Though man does not, may God reward him for his conduct!" (Ch. xxxv)

There is a view among scholars that celibate or childless heroes of Fenimore Cooper stand outside, even above time. They beget no sons to bind their generation to the next. George Washington and Harvey Birch were two such men. History, however goes forward dialectically through the marriage of the slave-holding Virginian Dunwoodie to the daughter of a wavering New York Tory. Their son, Captain Wharton Dunwoodie, representing, America's unique future, is the first to learn the patriotic truth about a master spy who had long before done much to make his parents' wedding possible.

This review offers a little bit about THE SPY's beginning and end. There is much, much more in between, including other characters, black and white, whom you will enjoy meeting. And you may also find yourself asking more than once: "Just who is this mysterious Mr. Harper?" -OOO-

Cooper's second novel and first important book is filled with things that aren't what they seem to be: people in disguise, others claiming things about themselves that aren't true, laws that appear to be unfair, unpatriotic patriots, etc. Set during the Revolutionary War in a sort of no-man's land (Cooper calls it the "neutral ground") north of New York City, where both patriots and English sympathizers intermingle and are more likely to be out for themselves than supportive of either side, the story centers around Harvey Birch, thought by all to be a British spy, but who is actually just the opposite: he's spying for George Washington, who appears in disguise as Mr. Harper. Washington is staying with Henry Wharton, a British sympathizer. Wharton has two daughters who provide the "love interest" of the novel (one is about to marry Colonel Wellmere, who, it's discovered just in time, is already married). Wharton's son, who is about to be hanged as a British spy, is "allowed" to escape by Washington as a favor to Wharton for his hospitality. Cooper's theme is moral ambiguity in the face of unfolding events, though individual characters do make clear decisions based on their beliefs, most of which have nothing to do with the war. Birch in particular acts with unflinching honor in spite of what most think of him. Although the novel at times can feel stiff, Cooper's story is animated and well- dramatized. Not as good as any of the Leatherstocking tales or some of his sea novels, but better than quite a number of his other books.

As an English teacher, I have had trouble over the years finding a novel that could be classified as a classic--or even a well-done movie--about the American Revolution. Cooper's *The Spy* can go some distance toward filling that gap, but it is perhaps the characterization of Caesar, the slave, that has made the book undesirable in today's classroom. Certainly it shows condescension toward Africans, but there is also a great conversation in the book regarding the hypocrisy of fighting for freedom while holding slaves, and Caesar becomes central to the plot more than once in this story. The novel shows how, as in the Civil War, families were divided, enemies mingled, and rowdies loyal to no one wreaked havoc in the countryside. The use of disguise and/or deception is key in this novel: I can count 8 off the top of my head. Things are not what they seem, which, of course, is Cooper's main point as he labors to enshrine the memory of those who allowed themselves to be hated by their American neighbors in order to aid the American cause. Cooper's characterization is not as strong in this novel as what he later achieved with Natty Bumppo, but *The Spy* fills the gap of the missing classic of the Revolutionary period in American literature and should not be left simply to gather dust.

This was Cooper's second novel and his first success (his first novel, "Precaution" is still in print but little read, deservedly, by all accounts). America wanted its own Walter Scott, its own in-house novelist, and at the same time it was busy mythologizing the Revolution. So Cooper and "The Spy" were opportune. He was consciously attempting to emulate Scott but, although he writes quite well, he lacks Scott's lyricism. Also, he was not yet into his stride as a storyteller and so, for example, conflicts are resolved too soon and sub-plots remain undeveloped.

Although "The Spy" was inspired by ('Based on' is too strong a characterization) events surrounding the Major Andre affair, the connection is tenuous, and even though real historical characters, including a most implausible George Washington, make an appearance, the historical accuracy is slight. It is a version of events that the American public wanted to hear. Probably it still is. In fact, Mel Gibson will probably one day expunge all vestiges of authenticity from it and turn it into a movie.

It is interesting to note the discussion on slavery that takes place between the British and American protagonists, and also the author's treatment of the black characters. Written between the Revolution and the Civil War, it reflects the attitudes of its time.

If you do decide to read it, I recommend the Penguin edition, as it has a very good introduction.

In his second novel, James Fenimore Cooper forces readers into the minds and mentalities of his characters, while practically bringing the readers to the scene with his excellent writing ability. Both of these things help to establish the basic ideas in the novel and make it easier to understand.
The story takes place during the heart of the American Revolution in 1780 on the neutral ground of Westchester County, New York. Harvey Birch is an American spy wrongly suspected by Patriots to be a spy for the British. Harvey meets a family named the Whartons, who are torn apart by the war. Throughout the story, Harvey helps the family by trying to save Henry Wharton, a British Spy, while he himself has to evade both the Continental Army and American guerrillas. In the end, George Washington offers the spy a reward, but Harvey refuses because he was motivated by his love for his country, and not by money.
Though it may seem unbelievable, the basis for the story of The Spy is actually true. There are even real characters, including General George Washington. The plot was very complex, growing thicker and thicker, containing many subplots which enhanced the entertainment value of the book. There were some very significant ideas in this novel, such as the elder Wharton's neutrality during the war which held his family together. There were also some confusing events, including Harvey Birch's sudden change of mind while handing his pardon note to Major Dunwoodie. Another puzzling aspect of the story was how the Continental Army still suspected Birch to be a spy for the British even after seeing all his pro-patriot actions. This book would be great for historians, history teachers, or war fanatics, but Cooper's sophisticated language would be more difficult for high school students.

Some of the photos are good but they put the majority of them on 2 pages which is difficult to look at.

Superly produced photo essay with momochromatic photos capturing those delightful fleeting moments in the daily relationship between a dog and his people.

A bunch of pictures about animals. No words...just pictures. No story, nothing. Is about as interesting as watching grass grow. Doesn't keep your attention for 5 minutes. A big waste of time. Save your money. That about sums it up.

Elliott Erwitt loves to take photos of dogs - all kinds of dogs doing all kinds of things - and Woof is a reflection of his passion for the animal, providing black and white shots of dogs in or near water, on land, on display, at play, and more. An outstanding, artistic celebration of the canine which dog and art lovers will find a satisfying blend of diverse images.

This is a big disappointment! Pictures are not all on one page. The animals are split in half because of this. What a dumb idea!! Save your money. This book isn't worth half of what I paid.

Night has always fascinated, and sometimes terrified, me. Blacklighting for moths alone in the Davis Mountains I heard in the distance the lonely calls of a group of coyotes - a sound that both thrilled me and made me uneasy. The sounds of a poorwill echoing through the canyons of Baja California's Sierra de la Giganta and whiskered screech owls near Geronimo Pass in the Peloncillo Mountains of Arizona-New Mexico gave the night a character that I will never forget.

My daughter gave me a copy of "A Guide to Night Sounds" for Fathers Day and I must say that it was great to hear some of the creatures I have heard on well-remembered nights and some that I have never heard, but hope to some day. Lang Elliot is a good narrator and does a great job of explaining the various sounds and behaviors associated with them.

My only complaint (and it is one that I'm sure many have) is that this just gives the listener a sampling of the huge variety of sounds one hears in the night. Around my house I hear night songs, not only from the mockingbird (which Elliott mentions along with the actual recording of a catbird), but also its close relative the curved-billed thrasher, which he implies has no night song. In recent times their night time chorus has been joined by the hoot of the great horned owl and in the close distance the wok of the black-crowned night heron. In rain storms both spadefoot and Bufo toads make considerable noise from the nearby fields. The list could go on and on, including broad-winged and cone-headed katydids, the barking of grey foxes and the chittering (just audible to some younger folk) of bats. I suppose that it would be hard to include everything and this CD contains a great sampling that leaves you with the wish for more. As in all of these works there seems to be a bias toward the eastern United States, but again this is where most of the people who work with animal sounds live, so I can't be too critical, I can only say that one day I hope a similar recording and book will emerge for mostly western creatures of the night.

I recommend this for those who would like to get at least a taste of the real night in nature.

I bought a book that comes with a CD: the CD is defective. It can no be played. I have written two letters asking what should I do. I want the product, but a need a CD that is not defective. No answer from Amazon.
I am very dissapointed. I am not buying another product until this matter is solved.

It's nice to listen to in the car (for a while, at least). It's pretty useless, though, since the geographical area is not limited enough. There might be a couple of those 60 animals in your area, but about 50 of 'em won't be. This should be a series of CD's: one for the northeast, one for the southwest....and so on.

I love Lang Elliott's voice. It is very soothing and doesn't detract from the bird, reptile and insect sounds. I was able to identify a Horned Owl from the CD, so it is informative, too. The sounds are grouped on different tracks so it's easy to find the category you want, much better than a cassette tape.

If you live in the woods or country and are curious about what goes bump in the night, this book and CD will explain those noises. We kept hearing a wonderful creature but had no way to identify it. Turns out it was a screech owl (they don't hoot nor do they screech). This book has also helped identify several frogs & night birds. As a bonus, Lang has a very pleasant voice and the CD is well made.

I read this book twice in my first four weeks of law school and I believe it is a helpful resource for a first year law student. The book is well organized and easy to read. The authors do not simply present information, but include exercises at the end of each chapter to help students reinforce materials presented. The book does not waste any space, it is very concise and to the point. I think I've learned more from this book than from some assigned textbooks for my legal methods class. The authors present a structural writing technique for legal writing (CREAC), but also include a wealth of additional useful information. It teaches students fundamental techniques of legal analysis that students need to succeed in law school. Additionally, for first year law students, who have not employed legal writing before, this book is very helpful in all aspects. I think the authors definitely had the right audience in mind when they wrote the book. Many first year law students can benefit by investing their time and money in this book.

This feels like one of those books produced so that it can be put on the syllabus and students are forced to purchase it. It looks harmless enough, as small as it is, but I agree with the previous reviewer who said it is simplistic and plodding. This book has no soul and the components are not well enough articulated to really understand what separates the good legal analysis from the bad. Granted, most legal writing books fail miserably at teaching the substance of legel writing so that students are able to make conscious improvements, but this book is no help. If you're not forced to buy this and are just looking for a good legal writing supplement, pass this one up.

I have been in practice for six years and I wish I had this book when I was a first-year law student. It's concise yet packed full of information. Legal analysis is a difficult skill for law students and this book expertly helps unravel some its mysteries. I bought the book for a newer associate at my firm and he loves it. In fact, his writing and analysis has improved dramatically. I read the CREAC chapter with particular interest. I learned that I naturally draft legal documents in the CREAC format; so it certianly applies to practice. If more lawyers (and judges) adopted the CREAC format, we'd all benefit. Thank you.

If your goal is to prepare effectively and efficiently for legal practice, do not use this book. Not a soul actually uses the CREAC formula advocated here, and all you end up doing is unlearning terrible habits you were made to acquire during your first year. Use Aldisert or Neumann instead. The techniques taught in those books conform to real practice, and you will look much more competent and professional if you use them than if you do anything this book advises you to do. If you are not a captive audience, avoid this book at all costs. If you are made to use it in your first year skills course, take CREAC with a grain of salt and be prepared to fix the damage during your first summer job. The technique advocated by this book is simplistic, plodding, and simply does not begin to meet even minimal standards of professional legal writing.

I struggled my first year learning how to write legal memos, and my Professor was no help. Someone suggested that I read this book and it was a life saver. It clearly explains how to write both an objective and persuasive memo. It teaches you how to structure paragraphs and layout the memo. The book also has full examples of both an objective and persuasive memo, which you can use as a guide. It also explains how to write a clear and precise law exam. My grades and legal writing improved substantially because of this book; it also helped prepare me for my summer associate positions. I still use the book today improve my writing and I suggest it to any law student struggling with legal writing or writing exams. I think for any law student this book should be on your shelf.

Bought Lonely Planet's Central Europe guide. Good and fast service. Will use same supplier in future if needed.

Naturally, because of the number of countries this book covers, it is far less detailed about any one country than Lonely Planet guides covering single countries or a smaller number of countries. Still, for my purposes--a 15-day motorcoach tour including Frankfurt, Berlin, Warsaw, Krakow, Budapest, Vienna, and Prague, with just a day and a half or so in each city--it proved adequate. Few people will have room enough in their carry-on or checked luggage to carry a book for each country visited during such a tour, so one is stuck with a single multi-country guidebook.

I don't understand why Lonely Planet included Switzerland and Slovenia in this book. If one is traveling to Krakow or Prague, one usually doesn't travel to Switzerland during the same trip.

My basis for comparison was the Lonely Planet guide to Belgium. Belgium's a small country and the guidebook covered just Belgium, so the editors had room for all kinds of fascinating descriptions and inset articles providing detail, such as several articles about beer styles, breweries, and top pubs, battlegrounds, and the scatalogical nicknames Belgians have for people of other cities. That was the best guidebook I've ever used.

My boyfriendand I travel a lot, and we usually take a lonely planet along with us.
The Central europe one, we've only used it for the Check Republic. It was alright but we think that the tips you usually get in this guide seemed to be missing. For the basics is fine, but we weren't totally satisfied with it. We understand that is not only about one country, that includes other's as well and the information is shortened, but anyway,it was of help only to a point.

We hope this information is of help for you,
kind regards
Lucila Lauda and Ulrik Bechtold

I have been a faithful consumer of Lonely Planet products for the last five years. However, this collection does little more than offer superficial information on every country in Central Europe. If you want to go anywhere besides the capitals and most well-known tourist "traps", forget it. I was particularly dissapointed with the book's treatment of Germany and Switzerland. Very vague, very minimal. If you want to visit any of the countries in Central Europe, buy the Lonely Planet Guide to that country or look for a different publisher. Sorry guys, this one doesn't go in my travel bag.

There aren't too many guides out there specific to Central Europe. The book was helpful for general reference but, lacked any good detail for traveling. The maps were somewhat helpful, but always seemed to be just limited enough so it didn't show where you wanted to go. The book is great for the tourist that doesn't want to get away from touristy places. If you want to go local this book is not helpful. And what is it about travel books? When are they going to make a travel book that you can seperate out the sections you want? If you don't want to carry around some 10 lb brick of a book and only the sections you need. I know the technology is out there.

This was bought for my husband and he said it is good , but not as good as the last edition. Which by the way fell apart.

Meets the needs in helping to solve crossword puzzles

Not only are a great many words included, but they are nicely organized and the large print makes it very easy to use.

Very satisfied, one suggestion though, Should put size of book in discription. Was very suprized at the size.

Being an avid crossword puzzle fan, I have a lot of puzzle dictionaries. The description sounded like this one would be a "must have" addition. I have been so very disappointed. Most anything I look for is not in there. The very best continues to be "The New Comprehensive A-Z Crossword Dictionary". Happy puzzling WITHOUT this one - you'll waste your money.

This book has some interesting analysis of Lennon's work, but it is cluttered with post-modern jargon, odd wording, and badly-researched claims.
p. 41 Elliott confuses Freud's "primal scene" (accidentally viewing parents having sex) with Janov's "primal scream," which involved *any* key childhood trauma, quite often non-sexual in nature.
p. 84 Elliott states "some critics...suggest[ ]that he [John] actually beat up women, including his first wife." No need to suggest: in the Hunter Davies '60s Beatles bio, both Lennon and then-wife Cynthia openly discussed his violent episodes during their dating days. Although Cynthia later back-tracked in her book _John_, indicating that this was an isolated incident, in the Davies book both John and Cynthia gave the impression that he was violent more than once, on one occasion shocking a cleaning lady who witnessed his behavior and later warned Cynthia not to get involved with a person like that.
p. 116 and elsewhere Elliott uses "sedimenting" where one would use "cementing," as in, "cementing his image." Is this a regional slang usage or just bad proofing?
All in all, it reads like a dissertation hastily adapted for publication.

This book is a psychoanalysis of John Lennon's life and songs. It is a waste of time and one of the worst books I have ever read about John Lennon. Give me a break!

Having read the two previous reviews, I got a chance to look at the book in the Cleveland Public Library. It is a great source, and a nice addition to the other Lennon books out on the market. It is well researched and gives a clear (although somewhat academic) portrait of an artist worthy of an indepth study. I would highly reccomend to other Lennonologists.

I read this book and I believe it is a great analysis on the life of John Lennon. I appreciate the fact that the first reviewer has their own opinion on the book but it is really not a waste of time. I highly recommend this book!!!!!

This book is unlike any Lennon book I've read before. It is intuitive and emotionally vivid in its description of Lennon. Beyond the myth of Lennon's "Beatle John" image, The Mourning of John Lennon manages to give you a powerful sense of what his life was about - up close and personal. Fantastic.

This new historical started off well. Beatrice, almost on the shelf at 23, has come back to London for what will be her fourth season after two years spent at home. This year she has to marry. Her father has made it clear that he wants her out of his care. She's finally resigned herself to giving up her dreams of love and romance, and is resolved to stop refusing suitors for whom she feels little more than liking. This year, she will find a husband.

Charles Summerson, Marquis of Pelham (Charles, not Derek as Ms Klausner says in her review) is Beatrice's next-door neighbour. He has no wish to marry. He's a rake and enjoys that state of being. He also enjoys staring at Beatrice's ankles from the upper-floor window as she lies on the grass in her garden reading. We can guess what's coming.

Why did I throw the book across the floor? Because I am tired of coming across authors who write in this period of history and can't do even basic research. In fact, some of the errors in this book don't even have anything to do with history. If Elliott can't be bothered to get things right, why should I bother reading her book? Especially as I'm getting jerked out of it every few lines.

Charles is NOT Lord Summerson. He is Lord Pelham. His mother is the widowed Lady Pelham, not Lady Summerson or, heaven forbid, Lady Cynthia Summerson. His *sister* is correctly styled Lady Lucy Summerson: Lady Firstname Lastname is either an unmarried woman or a married women who outranks her husband (being the daughter of an earl or higher) so she carries her title into the marriage.

Beatrice's brother does NOT have a title. If he's the son of a viscount, then he's the Honourable Ben. And she's the Honourable Miss...

Her aunt Louisa is Lady Sinclair. Not Lady Louisa. PLEASE get this right!

Charles' mother, a marchioness, asking Beatrice to call her by her first name? Please. Absolutely ridiculous.

Charles, contemplating seducing an unmarried woman of his own class? He's not suicidal. Nor does he want to get married. He'd know very well that Beatrice is best avoided. Sure, he could flirt with her, but he'd take his sexual pleasures elsewhere - with married women or widows who are fair game, or with professionals. It just doesn't make sense that he'd plan to seduce Beatrice.

I'm now wishing that I'd left this book on the shelf instead of wasting good money on it. Still, the used bookstore will take it!

Reforming the Rake was fun and full of great dialogue. The main characters, Beatrice and Charles, engaged in some wonderful sparring. I LOVED the supporting characters and hope Ms. Elliott will focus on them in upcoming projects--I'd love to know if Charles' friend, the rake Jack Davenport, ever meets his match; if Beatrice's brother Ben finds love; and if Charles' and Beatrice's sisters are successful during their "seasons." I enjoyed this book so much; if you are looking for a romance that is slightly different than the regular woman meets man/they instantly know they want to be together/but obstacles set them apart, this is it! Both Beatrice and Charles (but Charles especially) really fight against falling in love due to events in their past. All is eventually overcome and it is a lot of fun watching it happen. The story was also touching and kept me thinking about it the whole next day. Great job, Ms. Elliott!

Sarah Elliot delivers a first-rate historical romance that keeps you wanting more. If you are looking for an afternoon of playful whimsy, I highly recommmend this novel and hope that Ms. Elliott continues to write great stories.

I enjoyed this novel from beginning to end. Ms. Elliott has told a wonderful tale here, with strong characters. Beatrice and Charles are a perfect pair. They are perfect complements for each other and give everyone hopes of someday finding that special kind of love. The secondary characters are also wonderful. I enjoyed this novel from beginning to end. This was just the kind of romance novel I love. Wonderful characters. Characters that seem real because they are not perfect-something most novels like this lack. The secondary characters are not boring. The chemistry between Beatrice and Charles was very sensual and immediate. The heroine is the perfect foil for the hero's cynicism and intellect. Beatrice and Charles were both wounded, intriguing, complex, wonderful characters. The sex was HOT and perfect for the story. Reforming The Rake is a great escape from reality. I love seeing the hero change his ways and attitudes the more he gets to know his wife and falls in love with her. Charles is handsome, sexy, intelligent, but embittered by life. I am always a sucker for stories with "heartless" heroes who find their souls through the love of a good woman. From page one the characters in this charming book reached out and grabbed me. Page after page I just got sucked in deeper until I closed the book with a happy sigh. I'm looking forward to reading more from Ms.Elliott. I really like to see Beatrice and Charles's sisters get their own book as well Beatrice's brother and Charles's best friend. This book was great fun to read. I read in a half a day. Nice way to kill time on a lazy afternoon.

She is twenty-three years old and starting her fourth season in five years having taken time off for good behavior because Beatrice Sinclair wants only to marry for love. Since she has refused several proposals, the Ton calls her "Cold Fish".

Derek Summerson has no plans to marry, but he notices the beautiful woman in the next door garden. He goes out of his way to meet her at the boring Teasdale Ball. His mother notices her son's interest in Beatrice so she invites her to dinner. Beatrice quickly realizes he is the man she has been waiting for. Though he is knows he is a certified rake that a good female should not fall in love with, Derek cannot stop thinking of Beatrice. However, he refuses love as he remains scarred from the deaths of his brother and father in a carriage accident years ago.

Sarah Elliot's historical novel is a fine Regency romance that uses the classic (some will say overly used) theme of an innocent finding love but to attain her soulmate, the heroine needs some REFORMING THE RAKE. Beatrice is not a cold fish, but simply wants a lifetime of love only to find it in the wrong person. However, Derek makes the tale as his reason to shun love goes back to his childhood when as the sudden man of the family he never found closure with the deaths of his father and brother. If this is any indication of her writing skills, Ms. Elliot will live up to her surname with a long successful career.

Harriet Klausner

So far I have only read the 18 page introduction. Based on that I find the topic to be very original and the book looks promising. This is not a study of the battle of the LBH, but more a study of the people who study Custer, his times, and his last battle. I will complete this review when I finish the book, which I'm about to pick up again right now.

12/19/07
Having finished the book yesterday I'd like to follow up on my original brief comment. Certainly the book deserves 4 stars. I especially enjoyed learning more about the annual LBH reenactments (however, I do wish that he would have asked Joseph Medicine Crow what he thinks of the Real Bird reenactment). There's also lots of interesting people to meet and learn about within its pages. I didnt always agree with all of Mr. Elliott's conclusions, but at the very least there is lots to think about within this book. Definitely worth your time if your interest in Custer goes beyond troop movements at the Little Big Horn.

It is unfortunate that one reviewer here rated this new book as worthy of only a single star, because, having just read it, I think that it is definitely worthwhile. Not being divine and possessing the ability to judge "the thoughts and intentions of the heart", why the other reviewer scored Mr. Elliott's work so low is beyond my finite, mortal comprehension. Perhaps this book was not what they were expecting. Or perhaps this person was just having a "bad day". Or, I might speculate that maybe Mr. Elliott's (who is an associate professor) semi-academic tone and occasional "punch-pulling" was a "turn-off". But, maybe -- just maybe -- it was something else. Whoever elects to read this book needs to come with an open mind and a sincere willingness to be honest with themselves. Beyond that, they need to possess a well-developed tolerance for plenty of ambiguity, paradox, and irony.

Now, yes, "Custerology" respectfully presents a fair amount of accurate history about General Custer and his military adventures. And, for the record, the author does not indulge in "knocking" or disparaging Custer. But further, and most importantly for his purposes, he also does an admirable job of surveying and assessing the collaberative, multivariate, and far-flung "commemorative landscape" of "Custerology", and presents a wide variety of views from many diverse real-life contemporary characters (from various ethnic, educational, and generational backgrounds) regarding Custer and the meaning of his place in America's historical development. Elliot, true to his university training, seems to try very hard to be scrupulously objective, equitable, and to let everyone have their say.

But, primarily, I think that an open-minded perusal of Elliot's book requires a person to take a long, honest look at themselves in the mirror. Any prospective reader must be prepared to do so, and I know that some may not be. But if they have courage for candid self-assessment when they "look in the mirror", they, being merely human, will likely detect just under the sunny surface an irrational constellation of striving emotions, various logical inconsistencies, and some level of denial, regardless of their position or stance on American history, the Indian Wars era, or the likes of Custer. I know that I found myself regularly doing this while reading this book and, to tell the truth, I wasn't always pleased with the various inconsistencies that I beheld. However, it seems that some introspection is unavoidable if the reader desires any genuine longer term foundation for self-respect, which, as someone once pointed out, must ultimately be grounded in self-knowledge ("awareness"), though such may be initially painful to acquire.

Now, I've read scores of books about the Custer fight and the Indian Wars era over the years, and I suppose that I have been something of a "Custerphile" ever since I was just a boy who liked to "play cavalry and Indians" with my little friends in the back yard. And, as a result of multitudinous, eye-wearying studies prosecuted during my adulthood, I long ago concluded to my own satisfaction that Custer was indeed a bold, courageous, highly competent leader of cavalry and a bona fide warrier-hero -- not some inane, glory-seeking, hate-mongering, "ethnic-cleansing", mad dog buffoon without enough sense to come out of the noonday sun, as some have tried to depict him. And, yes. I resent the way that his reputation has been sullied and tainted in the popular (read "generally uninformed and self-complaisantly ignorant") view.

But, be that as it may, as I read Elliot's book, I found myself periodically flipping the pages to contemplate the famous cover photo of my "hero" in full Civil War regalia. When I did, I found myself struggling with some "mixed emotions" (as an aside, I heard an old wit once define "mixed emotions" as what you might feel when your teenage daughter has been out missing all night and comes home with a Gideon Bible tucked under her arm!) and feeling rather discomfited: on the one hand, when I pondered Custer's photographic image, I was gloriously stirred with a pronounced sense of romantic idealism and vivifying fascination, but, on the other hand, I was simultaneously confused and deeply saddened/upset by thoughts of the role he and those of his profession played in the unfolding of avaricious Manifest Destiny (which, by the way, still seems to be proceeding apace, even in this day and age -- consider "globalization" and, of course, space, "the final frontier") and the terrible, phenomenally unethical emaciation, despoilation, confinement, and eradication of Native American populations. Now, like I suppose some others do, I can readily "excuse" Custer by reminding myself that he was just loyally following orders and that he was no "armchair hypocrite" -- indeed, he bravely made the ultimate sacrifice (like some kind of "crucifixtion"!). But still...

Well, I could go on and on, but all I really want to be sure to do here is to warn prospective readers regarding this book: if you elect to have a go at this work, which I recommend, be advised that, unless you are irretrievably ensconced in the gloom of hard-hearted denial, you will likely experience some discomfort and some qualms. If you don't, I will have to really wonder about you!

I completely disagree with the other review. I got a copy of this book last weekend and couldn't stop reading. Elliott has vivid descriptions of people who keep the Custer story alive today -- like the reenactor who lives in his house or the Indians who hold their own battle reenactment in Montana or the priest who fills his house with Custer books. This book is less about Custer or the Little Bighorn than those people. I've always been curious about those people who go out to Montana every year, and so I was really glad to read this. It's true that Elliott has his own stick on the Indian Wars, but that's OK, he's entitled to it, especially since he does such a good job of letting other people have their say. One of the reviewers on the back calls the book "fair-minded" and I kept thinking that was a good phrase when I was reading it. I have lots of other books that tell me how wonderful Custer's Last Stand is or who try to figure out the x's and o's of the battle, but this one is different, because it's about why history matters so much. In fact, even if you don't know a lot about Custer or the Little Bighorn, this book is worth reading, and it includes enough of that history that you can follow it. This is a book about why people feel passion about history.

I never believed it possible that someone could take the story of Custer and the Little Bighorn and make it so utterly boring and belabored. Not ten pages go by that Mr. Elliott isn't hammering home his questionable notion that the Indian Wars were not a "clash of cultures" so much as they were political events between sovereign nations - this theorum partially based on the breaking of treaties between the US Government and the combatant Sioux, Cheyenne, etc who fought said government. (Largely conveniently forgotten by American Indians of then and now is that long before the advent of the white man, Indians were pushing and shoving each other off of each other's lands for centuries, killing and torturing each other in the most barbarous of ways. With such tunnel vision "survival of the fittest" becomes then sordid and evil when the "fittest" wear yellow stripes! So in this lop-sided book little is made of this internecine warfare twixt "Indians" as a group, as opposed to tribes with allegiances and land-grabbing instincts all their own.) But apart from this one-eyed shut view of history, the book outstandingly ignores what would have been a rich avenue to travel - namely that Custer may have had a son with a Cheyenne woman and a certain Gail Kelly-Custer has claimed herself a descendant of that union. She delivered her findings at a convention in 2004, after years of research into the family line. Whether true or not, her controversial claims are poo-pooed by Mr. Elliott - and a British historian who is soon to publish a book on the alleged Indian mother of Custer's son! - poo-pooed by both "historians" because they "have not had the chance to examine the evidence firsthand." That is a direct quote from the book in question herein! Kelly-Custer came out with the story in 2004 - and Mr. Elliott writes a book entitled CUSTEROLOGY published 3 years later and yet has not had the chance to pursue her claims firsthand...even though he travels the country throughout this book in search of analysing the Custer mystique and the Indian wars relationships to current America. This is a grandly lost opportunity to perhaps reveal a most startling notion: that Custer's and a Cheyenne woman's bloodlines mixed and continues to this day! How rich with potential irony and beauty. How potent a symbol of true multiculturality - which albeit is an over-driven theme of this book - but in the context of Custer's Indian relations how fascinating would have been the author's deeper delving into this possibility. But whether true or not....follow it! That is what the best historians and writers do: follow the trail to the most explosive ends if need be. But....Mr. Elliott hadn't the "chance" to "examine the evidence firsthand." Mmm.... He also never ponders the deepest reasons why the Custer saga resonates in our souls to this day - and that reason has naught to do with Indians or politics or even a historical moment so much as this.....Custer's Last Stand is a subliminal, subconscious catharsis for all our Deaths. We are all Custer atop Last Stand Hill, braving the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, fighting to the end...be it a terrorist climate in the country, or cancer, or too many darn taxes, or too many calories that will eventually kill us or family hostilities that will one day bring us down. If the "Boy General" Custer - glamorous, glorious, golden-haired Custer - could die so savagely and spectacularly at the age of 36....so can we all! Well...to Mr. Elliott it is all about politics and he makes this point in the pages of this book so many times that he has done the impossible: made Custer's Last Stand utterly boring!