George Books

In a world so hectic as ours, it is always a pleasure to be able to pick up a few lines of prose that returns us to the center and gives us reflections from outside our normally self-centered life.

Dr.John Hopkins

Beach Walks by George Thatcher In this well writen book, the reader is transported to their "beach" whether mental or actual. Mr. Thatcher has a wonderful way of communicating more than sights and sounds that goes to the heart and soul of the subject offered. Obviously, Thatcher is a man of rich life experiences and a high level of respect for life. His educated presentation is meaningful to readers (and beach walkers) of all ages. Around our house, one page can lead into a lengthy discussion. Thatcher's chronical is a treasure!!!!!! Son of a Beach Walker

For a land-bound Arkansas boy, BEACH WALKS opens new vistas of nature and beauty that I have not experienced as a way of life but only in passing on too-quick vacations. But Thatcher's introspection transcends the Coastal life to all who are one with God and nature.

Beach Walks is more than a collection of thoughts inspired by years of beach walking the Mississippi Gulf Coast by an observant, curious and perceptive beach walker. These thoughts, often lyrical, are enhanced with various quotations from Psalms to Mae West and Stalin, and frequently include fascinating scientific and historical facts, as well as entertaining trivia. Though this book will be especially meaningful to those familiar to the Gulf Coast, its essence is universal, transcending time and place.

Beach Walks is a lovely series of daily musings by George Thatcher, whose way of writing reminds me of paintings with words. George has an acute and creative sense of observation as well as a rich interior life! I am giving this book for gifts; a friend told me yesterday she reads my gift daily as a kind of devotional. Susan McNease

George Gillson is publishing the book periodically himself now. If you go to www.Dube.com, they will order a copy of the book from him. They charge $12.95 plush S&H. My wife found this out by emailing George Gillson himself. He actually answered her back with the info. What a great guy. Good luck. Egon

If you already know the baisics of jugling (3 ball cascade and reverse cascade/2 in one hand, ect.), but would like to learn more, this book is perfect for you. It may not be the best book from which to learn the baisic three ball cascade, but it contains clear and detailed instructions for many of the essential three ball patterns. This book is an incredible resource for even an experienced juggler. A must have.

So you've learned to juggle 3 balls. You're probably doing what's called a "cascade," with the balls forming a figure eight pattern. Now you figure you want to do more, so plan to move on to four. Wait!! There are literally hundreds (probably thousands, depending on how fine a distinction you want to make) of three ball tricks, most more interesting and challenging than the basic 4 ball patterns. From basics like under the leg, behind the back, the shower, and clawing, to exotic and beautiful patterns like Mill's Mess and Burke's Barrage, this will give you a clear explanation of 88 of them.

If you already know the baisics of jugling (3 ball cascade and reverse cascade/2 in one hand, ect.), but would like to learn more, this book is perfect for you. It may not be the best book from which to learn the baisic three ball cascade, but it contains clear and detailed instructions for many of the essential three ball patterns. This book is an incredible resource for even an experienced juggler. A must have.

An excellent resource for all jugglers. When I got this book I had already been juggling for several years and was working on seven balls, and still use it as a valued resourse. Gillson highlights cleary 88 excellent patterns, from the most common to some very rare and innovative. Beyond the Cascade is a wonderful way to increase your 3 ball repertoire quickly, and also a way to gain some great ideas for numbers work. I have also carried many of the tricks and patterns over to rings and clubs. This book is a valuable resource to jugglers of all levels.

The only book I could find that really focuses on the teen experience from the parent's perspective. It covers the phases a parent goes through emotionally from the onset of his or her child's symptoms until the illness is brought under control. It offers description of what bi-polar looks like in a teen that makes it easier to share with family what you as a parent are going through without having to discuss in detail the particulars of your child's situation.

The Bipolar Teen offers reams of data and facts, and is an excellent resource for families just learning about mental illness. It is not, however, encouraging or specific. Most families will need to augment this book with others, such as Kate McLaughlin's "Mommy I'm Still in Here" to get a more personal perspective.

I CANNOT recommend this book strongly enough! If you have a BP teen or soon-to-be teen DEFINATELY buy this book! Such questions as "is it BP or is it regular obstinate teen?", IEPs, social anxiety, medications, different therapies for different teens, etc. This book covers it ALL! Easy to read and understand. Many "if this scenerio than use this technique" type descriptions as well. This book goes with me everywhere as I read it over and over. Also bought The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide by the same author/doctor which my 15 yo is reading and also just LOVES it! We now have MANY MORE open and frank discussions on her challenges with both of us now able to understand the disorder better and also how she responds to it better. Again- if you are a parent of a BP teen- BUY THIS BOOK!!!!

Every parent of a teen with bipolar disorder should own this book. Using real life examples of parents and teens, the authors illustrate so many of the problems you face on a daily basis, such as: knowing when it's your teen and when it's the bipolar talking; how to solve school problems; how to restore peace at home; and even how to deal with suicidal thinking. This book is an easy read, without "doctor-speak," and uses charts, examples, checklists, your own fill-in-the-blanks, bullet-pointed information, and actual quotes and stories of real parents and teens to get the information across. I was very impressed with this book.

A well-organized, empathetic, and truthful book about bipolar disorder in teens. When I first started my journey with my child I could not get a straight answer from anyone. Miklowitz gives straight answers - which I find refreshing and honest. There is no sugarcoating here, but he is not fatalistic at all. I did not find this book discouraging, I felt affirmed in what I already know. We want science in dealing with mental health disorders and there is plenty to go around, but those of us who are on the frontlines need experienced opinions and on the ground knowledge of how to tackle some very difficult behaviors and we need to be able to understand as much as possible.

Difficult subjects are discussed in terms that are not alarming. Advice is given from the studies they've done and the clients they've worked with in practice. I have to say, that's all I ever really wanted. I knew there were no answers, I just wanted some strategies.

No matter where you are on your journey with your child, this book will give you the tools you will need. Does it contain everything you need to know? No, not one book can do that, but it certainly comes close. I am very grateful for the work they've done and for sharing it so honestly and openly.

It took me a few chapters to get into this book (possibly because I was reading it as I was falling asleep) However, once I was in the midst of it, I just sat down and finished it off. The characters are really appealing and interesting, and also very human. With a very few descriptive words I know these people that Sand has created, I can see them very clearly and imagine every detail that she doesn't give us.
It isn't a very long story, though it takes place over a couple of years, and the cast of characters is very small. Sept-Epees is our hero and Tonine the heroine, they are a very interesting and powerfully drawn pair. Sept-Epees at first has a burning ambition to prove there are better things in life for him and invests all of his time and money in a money-pit of a factory (What it produces we never find out, but it is ultimately not importatnt) This ambition drives him further and further away from what everyone else (including the reader) know as his real happiness, Tonine.

The complexity of the plot that Sand manages to created with relatively few characters or incidences is amazing and very tantalizing. I would reccomend this book to anyone who was looking for something along the lines of Dickens but with a little more sunshine.

I really liked it. It's a good story that everyone can relate to in some way. This book made me want to read more by George Sand. It's the perfect book to curl up with on a rainy afternoon!

This short, fast paced novel, artfully translated by Kover, is as much a social commentary on life during the Industrial Revolution as it is a story of true love. The plot is engaging, the characters are convincing, and the story culminates in an inspiring twist. A pleasure to read, The Black City will surely strike a familiar chord with every entrepreneur, aspiring business owner, or anyone who has ever yearned for something more in life. I highly recommend reading it!

If you like Victor Hugo, Emile Zola, or Gustave Flaubert, you will love George Sand. Many people have heard her name but much of her work has never been translated into English, so she is largely unread in the United States. Do yourself a favor and buy this book. The story seems fairly simple on the surface, but it has layers of meaning and truth that will strike you. The love story is very real and beautifully crafted, and the book's hero and heroine would not be out of place in the twenty-first century. I enjoyed every page of this book. You will, too! It's a must-own!

This is one of the best translations I've ever read, and it is so nice to have another of George Sand's works available in English. The story is surprisingly modern, very readable, with really appealing, human, simple characters. If you've heard of Sand but never read anything of hers, start with this book!

I first read Kerouac when I was a teenager in Hopatcong High School in Hopatcong, NJ. My father had gotten me The Dharma Bums for one of my early teen birthdays, possibly fourteen but I am not really sure now. Well I was taken on this new style of writing that I up to that point had never seen before. I read a few more of his books but it wasn't until I left NJ on a bus heading for Denver, CO on February the 13th, 1996 that Kerouac changed my life. Before this I was trying to learn how to write with little to no success but then it all changed for me. I got what was to be my very last slice of NY pizza being I am now a diabetic and I saw some street peddler selling "On the Road" by Kerouac. I bought it and devoured it with someone else I met on the trip all the way to St. Louis ,MO.

I was in fact reading the same trip Jack took all those years ago and now I come to the "Book of Sketches." I have always liked jacks poetry and this is a great example of vigilance to write. All of these came from a notebook he carried around where ever he went. I used to be that vigilant when I was homeless so I understand where he is comming from. Anyone that likes Jack or poetry should read this amazing book. I emplore you to, and you will not be dissapointed I promise.

At first you may not take this book seriously...ANOTHER "new" book by Jack Kerouac...released so that Kerouac lovers (like me) HAVE to buy it no matter how useless it might be; but then you start reading it...and it starts to get interesting...more and more interesting...Kerouac revealing incredible thoughts, brutally honest about himself, women and their body parts, America itself... the whole book is over 400 pages...and by the time you get to page 172 or so...you begin to realize...THIS BOOK IS GREAT...and then after that it doesn't let you down...it continues to be GREAT. FYI, the majority of "Sketches" was written between The Town And The City and On The Road. I absolutely give this book my highest recommendation.

I know this was an accumulation of Kerouac's observations from the early 1950's until 1957 written in little notebooks...writings that capture the detail of the world (mostly America) as he mentally photographed it and transcribed it ( as a writer's exercise or batting practice)...and I know that he took all these observations and typed them up as a manuscript titled book of sketches...But upon reading this...this stands as the greatest poem ever written about America...

>
Sketches of `Sketches'

Jack Kerouac's 'Book of Sketches' is beautifully
descriptive - I want to keep quoting passages
for you.... Kerouac sees & then meditates on
what he sees but all in an instant while watching
it.

Incredibly perceptive, Jack puts into words
what you suspected yourself but hadn't noted.
He invents words & re-spells words all the time
when he sees the limitations of language. If
somebody says something to him in a local
accent he spells it the same as the person says
it, not original among writers it's true, but a
a mark of Kerouac's accurate honesty to the
subject. And this conveys the full feeling of
the moment to us without it being distorted by
convention.

Most women wouldn't like this book (as generally
women don't like Kerouac's writing). Women
like plot and a dialog, you'll find neither of
those here.

Kerouac, more than any other writer I know, is
a pleasure to read. Someone once said he had
a hypnotic quality and true enough reading Book
of Sketches in bed - it's one book I don't want
to leave my bed for, for the bathroom.

Jack has learned the immediacy of writing "on the
job" - actually describing the scene as you see it -
so that descriptions of everyday street life appear
vivid.
But Kerouac goes further his thoughts melt with
what he see's so that as the great Scottish Beat
James Morton say's it becomes a journey of the
mind.

Physically a chunky little book, printed on that
sort of imitation old parchment with ragged
edges. Jack types out the lines short like American
poetry, which reads like prose, (unlike Jack's prose
which reads like poetry) - so it can be assimilated
in bite-sized chunks. A deceptively small book
though, Kerouac fans will be delighted to know
that there's a lot of text in there - I found it a long
read that went right to the back of the mind.
So, a far longer book than it's appearance would
suggest. I would say it will take two days solid
reading to get through it (that's if you're going
to take it all in).

Jack's thought is so natural you can often read the
last line of a passage and `know' the theme of the
previous lines.

The truth is we see nothing without feeling an
attendant emotion. Kerouac's genius is in noting
the emotion with the observation, but his economy
with language is such that where with most
writers this would slow the passage down with
Kerouac it's just a glimpse and the text rolls on
un-interrupted.
But I think I've said that already, so I'd better
wrap this small review up...

The piece that sticks in my mind is the description
of the sunken boat with the seagulls sheltering in it
(about 2/3 of the way through), probably because I
come from the seaside.

The nearest comparison I can think of to Kerouac
when he's in this descriptive mood is the writing
of Katherine Mansfield. Jack may be the last
great writer because in this day of television, and
instant visual art through computers and eight
screen cinemas, no one these days is immersed in
books for their fantasies the way they were pre-
the nineteen sixties. Therefore nobody develops
the ability to write the way they did back when.

I should think Kerouac kept a diary back in 1953
at the height of his writing powers - and this is it.

Hail, Oh genius!

In the Kerouac canon Book of Sketches is as
important and artistic a book as Dr.Sax.

After completing his scroll version of On the Road in April 1951, Kerouac was still unsatisfied and wanted to break away from its "conventional narrative survey of road trips etc." In October his architect student friend Ed White suggested to Jack: "Why don't you just sketch in the streets like a painter but with words?" Kerouac tried it, and was gripped by the power of the new technique which lent a new form of spontaneity to his writing. He began straight away, enthusiastically rewriting his Road book in this new fashion. The first 36 pages of Visions of Cody are pure sketches, recorded in the streets, subways and diners of New York in the fall of 1951. This new publication, Book of Sketches, contains over 400 more pages of sketches, typed up by Jack in 1959 from the original small breast-pocket notebooks in which they were recorded. They begin with sketches of life at his sister's home in Rocky Mount, North Carolina in August 1952, just after Jack had returned there from Mexico City where he had completed work on Doctor Sax. Jack describes his work on the North Carolina railroad just before taking off on the road once more on a mammoth hitch-hike to California, via Denver, and the new Cassady home in San Jose. Then follow sketches of Mexico from December 1952, and one on an airplane flying from St Louis to New York, a previously unknown trip taking Jack back home in time for Christmas.

In the following year Jack sketched while on a visit to Montreal in March 1953, and during his railroad work at San Luis Obispo, California that April, before taking off by sea for New York and a meeting with "Mardou" during the summer of the Subterraneans. Sketches of Jack's work on the Long Island railroad in October are also included , as well as more descriptions of the streets of Manhattan and Long Island that fall. The book comes to a close with a glimpse of life in San Francisco in early 1954, and tagged onto the end are a few sketches recorded during Jack's big overseas trip of Spring 1957, to Tangiers, France, and England.

The writing is superb throughout, and particularly the description of what must have been Kerouac's longest ever hitch-hike, 3000 miles from North Carolina to California in late August 1952, via Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada, a trip not previously mentioned in his other writings. Jack lists each town he passed through and describes practically every lift he obtained on the way. Reaching Denver, Jack spent a whole day sketching Neal's old haunts, including Zaza's barbershop, the Glenarm poolhall, and Pederson's. But as well as sketching the scenes before him, Kerouac also explored philosophical topics, such as his Spengler-inspired sympathy with the Fellaheen, in his "Notes on the Millennium of the Hip Fellaheen, Oct. 1952, California" and planned his future with them -- "Go among the People, the Fellaheen not the American Bourgeois Middle-class World of neurosis nor the Catholic French Canadian European World -- the People -- Indians, Arabs, the Fellaheen in country, village, of City slums -- an essential World Dostoevsky."

This has to be one of the most important pieces of Kerouac's writing to have been released in several decades. As well as providing further examples of Kerouac's innovative sketch-writing, it also fills some gaps in the Duluoz Legend. It will become an essential part of the Kerouac canon. The marketing of the book raises some queries, however, since it is described on the back cover as a collection of "poems" and is published in the Penguin Poets series. Kerouac always seemed quite clear that his sketches were not poems but prose. In his definition of a sketch (in Some of the Dharma) he notes that "A sketch is a prose description of a scene before the eyes," and on the title page of his typescript wrote: "Book of Sketches -- Proving that sketches ain't verse." It is clear, though, that sketching led to Kerouac's development of the spontaneous poems he called Blues, which he began in 1954 with San Francisco Blues, continuing with his classic Mexico City Blues the following year. Whatever, it's the content of the book that matters, and this is quite simply outstanding, and essential for any Kerouac enthusiast.

Plumb tells the tale of the four Hanoverian 'Georges' who seem to progress generation to generation in the direction of complete nuttiness. The climax however is in George III , the old villain of American schoolbooks. Plumb says he was extremely slow of mind, and the first twenty years of his reign a complete disaster. Thanks to the foolish advice of Lord North who is portrayed as a somewhat sloth rolypoly George III managed to antagonize and lose his American colonies. The last twenty years of his reign were however much more successful. Plumb artfully describes how the brilliant Lord Pitt at twenty- four became the King's First Minister and brought about peace with both America and France. This despite the fact that George III one day began to speak to a tree , spoke to it twenty- four hours without stop and after this was pretty much not 'in the loop of decision- making'.
The relations between the various Georges and the various Princes of Wales were most often horrible. George III could not stand his father, and his son. What is somehow surprising is that despite the eccentricities of the monarchs Great Britain continued to grow and develop its Empire.
Plumb has a clear vision of the story as a whole, writes with interest about the various figures, Robert Walpole, Lord Chatham, Lord North, Pitt et al. who served the various kings. A highly enjoyable piece of historical writing.

This classic of historical writing and interpretation was first published in 1956, and it's still the best single volume on the Hanoverian dynasty. Taylor trained under G. M. Trevelyan, another noteworthy narrator of history, and became an illustrious Fellow of King's College, Cambridge. While he produced many important works in modern English history, he still is best known for his examination of the dynasty that began with the arrival in London 1714 of George, Duke of Brunswick, successor to Queen Anne, the last Stewart monarch. He didn't speak English and his son and successor, George II, barely could. The family has gotten bad press for generations, their reputation for loutishness and general lack of intellect perhaps being colored by American attitudes, but Plumb portrays them convincingly as ordinary human beings caught up in a series of exceptional circumstances: The rise of parliamentary power, the loss of the American colonies below Canada, the Industrial Revolution, the effects everywhere of the French Revolution, and the struggle against Napoleon. Like many others, I first read this book as an undergraduate, but I now much prefer the 1974 lavishly illustrated Hamlyn edition [which Amazon doesn't list]; the numerous political cartoons are especially useful in providing the flavor of the times.

This is by far the best book that i have read in a long time. Most history books are boring but this one is anything but. Plumb goes to great details explaining the relationship that each King shared with his son. He does a wonderful job of giving his readers a rare insight to the royal family.

Fluent, lucid and written with Plumb's characteristic brevity, this is among the best introductions you will find to the high politics of the Hanoverian period. Sir John Plumb (d.2001) was one of the finest historical writers ever published in English. He is in the tradition of Macaulay and Trevelyan. His prose is polished and perfectly cadenced, and his light style masks a profound analytical grasp of the political forces that shaped this century of Whig ascendancy. Some may accuse him of adhering to the 'Great Men' school of history. If so, he highlights all their vices as well as their virtues.

Plumb was criticised for more often making the grand sweep of historical analysis as opposed to dredging through the minutiae of historical documentation. This analysis, I believe, is flawed and inimical to the notion that for history to be worthy of the name it should be readable for a wider audience, not solely confined to the institutions where it is nurtured.

Plumb's scholarship has inspired generations of laymen; his intellectual generosity and didactic rigour has also reaped its rewards within historical departments on both sides of the Atlantic. Those inspired by the Plumb school of history, who mastered their craft under his watchful eye at Christ's College, Cambridge, include such well known names as Simon Schama, David Cannadine, Niall Ferguson and Neil Mc Kendrick.

Published in 1956, this work by Sir John Plumb has remained a classic. Plumb focuses his attention on personalities and politics of the first four members of the Hanoverian dynasty. He paints a balanced portrait of his subjects, bringing them to life, warts and all. These monarchs are fallible human beings, placed on their thrones by accident of birth. Plumb is especially judicious in his handling of George IV, who as Regent and King was viciously derided in his own time.
Plumb's treatment of the monarchs is supplemented with deft character sketches of many of the significant figures of the Georgian century; Walpole, Pitt, Wilkes, Fox, and North are among the figures included.
In his introduction, Plumb takes the reader on a survey of the world over which these sovereigns presided. This is history practiced in the manner perfected by G.M. Trevelyan; continuity co-exists with change, and the dynasty survives despite mistakes and scandals. Published when the influence of Sir Lewis Namier was at its height, The First Four Georges provided a refreshing antidote to the atomizing analysis of the Namier school. A fascinating and hugely enjoyable read.

My only complaint is that the comic books are so short, but they end on wonderful cliffhangers that keep you wanting more, just like the tv series. The storyline for "season 8" starts off with a bang and I'm really anxious to find out what happens next.

I must say, this particular book is well worth the purchase just for the sexy pic of Angel, Buffy and Spike alone!

I'm so impressed with this series so far, and I loved this issue. The last page was a shocker. Love it. What more can I say?

Wonder no longer! As a huge fan of Buffy/Angel/Firefly/Joss, I was anxiously determined to adapt to this new format for Season 8...and, after a few issues, adapted I have. And I guarantee that you will, too - anxiety free. Let me tell you how you won't regret it:

1. It's Joss! He IS these characters. Even just scanning the word and thought bubbles, you can HEAR them all quipping and whining and fighting just like in the good ol' days. It's super fun to try to figure out who the "surprise" character is on the next page from the little bit of enticing dialog revealed before you make that fateful page turn...such is Joss's talent for words that you'll instinctively know who it is before you see the art. You might as well be hearing their voices off-camera on the show, pre dramatic entrance.

2. While some of the body-language slash facial-expression "acting" by the artists doesn't quite match what the actor-actors (on tv) might have chosen, it is incredibly well done and seems to be getting better with each new issue.

3. The comic medium is actually used to deliver new stuff...especially special effects that would've been waaay too "special" on tv. (Dawn's giant situation, for example...but other stuff, too. Especially in this issue.) Plus, you know that some of the harshness of real-world reality, like annoying network notes and the unavailability of actors, etc, just won't be responsible for derailing stories here.

[As an aside, I have to believe that some of the giddiness of this freedom is responsible for the much-hyped Buffy/Spike/Angel fantasy panel which, to me, seems completely bogus, out of character, and gratuitous for the comic-book-guy-stereotype. Some version of this for Xander - totally! But not so much for Buffy.]

4. Joss does an incredible job of smoothing the tv-to-comic transition. As another reviewer (Beranbo) eloquently describes, Joss blatantly chooses "surprises" that almost over-resonate with connections to the tv show. And, in retrospect, you look at the surprises and you're like, "duh-of course! Why didn't I see that coming?" But no matter how well you know your Joss shows, you STILL don't see `em coming. Unlike the other reviewer, even though I occasionally saw through the device-iness - I not only bought into it but completely LOVED it.

Most importantly, the combo platter of Joss's script, the art, your imagination, and your love for the show will allow you to FEEL the characters and their stories and be swept away into their world...which is the whole point!

These comics just keep getting better. This one starts off immediately after Issue #2, and the action never stops. This, I'm sure, is the issue that will woo over any Buffy fans that have been doubting the greatness of these Whedon-penned comics.

So many questions come up after reading the first few issues, so I was counting on some answers in this one. We get to find out the following...

+ Who is Amy's boyfriend?
+ Who is the "My love" guy in Issue #2? Is it the same guy as the floaty-leather-jacket guy?
+ Is Renee alive after being stabbed last issue?
+ What's up with Willow and Kennedy?

Also, we get an appearance from a very popular baddie--none other than Ethan Rayne. Not to mention the unforgettable image of Spike/Angel that Scott Allie promised us in the letters section of the last issue. All that, plus scenes with Giles, Andrew, and the re-union of Xander, Buffy, and Willow.

The art, as usual, is amazing. However, one scene bugged me. There's a scene with only Willow's face, where she says "She looks tired" (referring to Buffy). In that scene, it looks like Willow either almost fell asleep herself or got her hands on a whole lotta drugs. But other than that one little flaw, everything is done well. Particularly Jeanty's interpretation of Ethan Rayne. Spot on. And, while I didn't think Giles looked like himself in Issue #2, this issue shows a VAST improvement. Very Gilesy.

And what can be said about Whedon's writing and plotting that hasn't already been said? Everything is tight, all is perfect. The cliffhanger at the end makes me want the next issue right away! How in the world will I be able to wait until June 6th for Issue #4?

*Note: All Buffy/Angel products rank a 10/10 CLASSIC compared to other products. This is rated against OTHER Buffy/Angel products, not all products*

9/10

Granted, with Joss Whedon doing the writing the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight" comic book is an absolute must have for fans of the late, loudly lamented cult classic television series. You might have no interest in variant covers and you might wait for the inevitable collection of issues in trade paperbacks rather than finding your local comic book store to get each issue as soon as it is hot off the presses, but if you have all seven seasons of "BtVS" on DVD (or your own personal collection of videotapes) then you have to check out what Joss is up to here because it has the virtue of constituting canon. Now the question is: how good is "Season 8" going to be?

Our Story So Far: Of the almost two thousand Slayers running around in the world about five hundred of them are working as squads under the control of Buffy and her new "Watcher," Xander. The gang is working out of a castle in Scotland investigating a strange symbol that is being carved into human bodies. But things escalate when somebody (who do not yet know who) sics Amy on Buffy. The witch and former rat has Buffy living a nightmare from which only the kiss of true love can awaken her. Oh, and Dawn is a giant.

Written by Whedon with pencils by Georges Jeanty and inks by Andy Owens, issue #3 of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight" is the third part of "The Long Way Home." As the start of this issue Buffy's nightmare continues, with Ethan Rayne showing up to play Virgil to the Slayer's Dante on a tour of her collective slayer memory, which includes an image of Buffy with Spike and Angel that you have never seen before and will never forget (What is this comic book rated?). Back in the real world Willow has finally showed up and is going toe to toe with Amy. We do not get back to the plotline where the military thinks of the Slayers as being terrorists, which I find rather intriguing, so I assume that is a set up for something down the road. However, by the end of this issue all of the pieces appear to be on the board for the end game and I am willing to round up on issue #3.

So far all three issues have ended with a bug (gasp!) reveal on the final splash page, and what bothered me is that the reveal of Amy in issue #1 reminded me of the reveal of Darla in "To Shanshu in L.A.," the season one finale of "Angel," while Willow's appearance on the last page of issue #2 explicitly repeats the sudden appearance of Giles at the end of "Two to Go" from season six of "BtVS." I find myself wondering if Whedon is trying to mix familiar bits with all of this new stuff to make the transition to this new format palatable. I mean, we know what the man is capable of and I am certainly hoping that he is able to work into this "season" his story idea for bringing back Tara (a good pair of shoes holds not temptation for me). However, I think it is safe to say that Joss is laying the foundation for his brave new world in this first story-arc and you should plan on being here for the long haul.

Reading Joss Whedon's "BtVS" comic book might take a bit of getting used to and it dawned on me today that the pacing is much more like what he is doing in one of the other comic books he is writing, "Astonishing X-Men" ("Runaways" is now the third), than what we learned to love with the television series. It turns out "The Long Way Home" is going to be a four-part story, which will conclude in the next issues. But given that the real villain is not disclosed until the final splash page of issue #3 it seems there is a lot to get covered next month. Initially my big question was whether each issue of this comic book constitutes an entire episode or just an act in an "episode," and at this point I think it is clearly the latter case. So when I think that Joss has a lot of 'splaning to do regarding who shows up on the final page I know at the same time that I am going to have to see how this whole thing plays out before I make a final judgment on how well things are going with this first "episode." Suffice it to say that my hopes outweigh my fears in this regard.

General George S. Patton's younger daughter, Ruth Ellen, has written an interesting and readable memoir about growing up in this military family. The hero is her mother, Mrs. Beatrice Patton.

Beginning before World War I, the author takes us on several tours; life on military posts, growing up before radio and television, the folkways and mores of a society where children were raised by nannies.

Although replete with anecdotes and family myths that reveal Mrs. Patton's role in the success of her husband, the events and relationships which give her substance in her own right are a major and significant part of the story. Not a hagiography, the author easily and with good taste recounts family matters that would not have been shared with outsiders.

For some, the connection to 'Patton' will be the reason to read this book. I think, however, the publisher, The University of Missouri Press, saw this memoir in a much broader context.

If you think you've read everything there is on George Patton as I had, then you owe it to yourself to read this book or you will never really understand his life's story. His daughter did a masterful job of putting the family story in a readable fashion and I could only dream of having such an adventurous life as their's was.

Great Read for any Patton fan. Reads quick and is insightful.

Ruth Ellen Patton Totten has left us with an extraordinary insight into the lives of the Patton family & most especially a wonderful tribute to her mother, Beatrice Ayer Patton. This book does more than present facts as a biographer would. Ruth Ellen tells the story from an insider's perspective. She not only tells the story but more importantly gives her mother's reaction to some of the most trying events in her lifetime & how she handled those events. The underlying theme of the book is the way Beatrice faced life; positively. She summoned courage, dignity & perseverance in the face of trials.

Ruth Ellen makes a great point by saying that soldiers are not the only casualties of war & it is evidenced by the sufferings which Beatrice, Ruth Ellen & Little Bea (Beatrice's daughter) endured, each of them being married to husbands in the Army.

This is an inspiring book that makes you wish you had met Beatrice Patton. Ruth Ellen herself is an incredible story teller & must have been one amazing woman in her own right. The Patton family has much of which to be proud because of the courage & strong character of Beatrice Patton. You don't have to be a fan of General George S. Patton Jr. to read the book. If you simply want to read a great book about a great woman, read this book.

What an amazing window into the true lives of the "Cold Roast Boston" aristocracy, and what a tribute to a strong, multi-talented and insatiably curious woman. Hilarious, insightful, poignant, historical, and best of all...completely uncensored.

I am in total agreement with those who have praised this book. It is a model for all scholars and merits a major book award. Avoid any other publication that presents itself as accurate.

The Chevalier de Saint-Georges: Virtuoso of the Sword and the Bow is the biography of Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-1799), the illegitimate son of a French planter and a young African slave. Educated in France, his skill in fencing and amazing talent as a violin virtuoso earned him a distinguished place in French high society and the court of Versailles; yet he was not content to simply bask in court life, choosing to support the abolitionist movement, take part in the Haitian slave revolt, and join the French Revolution in the hope of ending slavery. Considered the first classical composer of African descent, his music is best understood in the context of his vivid life. Black-and-white photographs, illustrations, and sample scores, and reproductions of primary source documents round out this in-depth study of a singularly remarkable musician, politician, and fighter.

One of the problems in researching Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges is separating fact from fiction, due to the popular myths propagated beginning with Roger de Beauvoir, and continuing with Alexandre Dumas (fils). These and other semi-factual accounts of Le Chevalier's life led many to believe that it served as the basis for the character D'Artagnan in The Three Musketeers. In contrast to these myths, surviving well into the twentieth century, Mr. Banat's thoroughly researched study is factual.

Banat, a retired violinist from the New York Philharmonic and a specialist on the violin works of Mozart, is ideally positioned to understand the significance of this historical figure. It turns out that Le Chevalier was a major contributor to the symphony concertante genre, until recently thought to be Mozart's creation. As a musician, Le Chevalier was a violinist and composer, mastering the classical style and creating multiple compositions for orchestra and violin that remain underrepresented in the academic and performance Canon today.

Not only a prominent musician and athlete of his day, Le Chevalier was one of several African descendants who made important contributions to European elite culture. Born in Guadeloupe to a French plantation owner and his enslaved mother, Le Chevalier was educated in France, with substantial periods in England, where he was a champion fencer. In the latter part of his life, Le Chevalier became highly involved in the Haitian Revolution.

Mr. Banat began his study on Le Chevalier with an original article from the 1980s. Twenty years later, Banat's recent book reflects his dedication and enthusiasm toward his subject matter. The extensive documentation he provides for his assertions makes him the authority on Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges.

The second half of the 18th century from St. Petersburg to St. Louis was a socio-political mess as men and women of faith and courage strove to overthrow the imperial tyrannies oppressing their lives and stultifying their cultures. Supported by his white planter father and adored by his black slave mother, Joseph Bologne, born on Guadeloupe, captivated the Court and Parisian society by his extraordinary fencing ability and musical genius. Nor did it hurt that he was both handsome and intelligent. His violin playing, his original compositions, and his orchestral conducting assure him a place among the handful of outstanding musicians between Bach and Mozart. His military acumen and his political idealism on behalf of the downtrodden not only in France but also in Haiti made him a distinguished brigade commander in the Revolutionary army and led him, at the pain of a long imprisonment, to help stop The Terror. At the end of his life, the world he had bedazzled was gone and the world he had hoped to establish was falling to Napoleonic power.
The sad, powerful tale of this romantic hero's life and genius is all movingly here in Banat's scrupulous research and genuine affection--just waiting for an intrepid director and a first-rate actor to make a brilliant film that would really speak to our time.

This book is far more than a biography of the 18th-century fabled composer/violinist/swordsman Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, born in 1745 in Guadaloupe, son of a plantation owner and one of his slaves. Based on rigorous scholarly research, the author presents a vivid picture of the social and historical background of the period in France, and the picaresque life of an extraordinarily gifted individual. The book is informative as well as an exciting read. It is enhanced by numerous illustrations, reproductions of original documents, and musical examples.

"Cinema By The Bay" by San Francisco-based film and culture writer Sheerly Avni is a profusely illustrated survey of influential, full-length, post-1960s feature films produced by five movie studios located in the San Francisco Bay Area (American Zoetrope, The Saul Zaentz Company, Lucasfilm Ltd., Pixar Animation Studies, and Pacific Data images), or which were directed by independent filmmakers living and working in Northern California (many of whom were recent graduates of the California Institute of the Arts and Stanford - where they had studied experimental animation). Enhanced with the inclusion of an informed and informative introduction by film critic Michael Sragow, filmographies, an index, credits and acknowledgments, "Cinema By The Bay"is a welcome and strongly recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library Cinema History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

The pervasive influence of the San Francisco Bay Area on the American film industry certainly makes for a rich pictorial of quite a tapestry of movies. At first, it seems like the commonality of location would make for a contrived listing, but this book is not just about filming locations. What local arts writer Sheerly Avni does is a solid if rather lightweight job of capturing the frenzied spirit that has marked Northern California's moviemaking scene since the early 1970's. Unsurprisingly, she tends to get effusive about her publisher, George Lucas, and his limited output as a director, but it is a forgivable breech when one considers the breadth of films, both renowned and almost forgotten, that she writes about here.

The book is divided neatly into two sections, the first devoted to the five studios based in the Bay Area (Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope, Lucasfilm and the Saul Zaentz Company, as well as the CGI powerhouses of Pixar and PDI) and the second to the filmmakers who are either from here or have chosen toe base themselves here. They include not only Coppola and Lucas but also Carroll Ballard, Clint Eastwood, Phil Kaufman, Michael Ritchie, Chris Columbus and Wayne Wang among others. A complete filmography is included for each studio and director, and Avni provides plenty of interesting information about the productions. The best part of the book is really the treasure trove of production photos provided for each major film presented, many rarely seen before. I also like how certain overlooked films of quality, such as "Tucker: A Man and His Dream", receive renewed attention here, as well as vastly talented filmmakers like Ballard, who do not usually receive much media attention.

Michael Sragow, film critic for the Baltimore Sun, provides the book's invaluable introduction, which summarizes the long history that Northern California has had on cinema starting with Charlie Chaplin's use of Niles in the East Bay as a shooting location for many of his early silents. Alfred Hitchcock is another filmmaker known for his love of Bay Area locations as seen in "Vertigo", "Shadow of the Doubt" and "The Birds", a topic covered thoroughly in Jeff Kraft and Aaron Leventhal's entertaining "Footsteps in the Fog: Alfred Hitchcock's San Francisco". In the meantime, this is a worthy coffee table book providing ample evidence of how San Francisco has been an enduring creative touch point for much of the best of American cinema.

This book sums up the last four decades of filmmaking that has come out of the Bay Area. When you see all these films collected between the covers of this book, one realizes just how much Coppola, Lucas, Eastwood, Kaufman, Saul Zaentz, and Pixar have contributed to our collective movie consciousness. The writing is crisp and lucid, but the images [many never seen previously] and page layouts are astounding. This would make a wonderful gift for *any* movie lover, but even those with a casual interest in film will find it captivating. I am pretty sure this is the first book from Lucas Books, and I applaud it.

From the founding of Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope to Pixar's struggles to stay fresh, I learned so much about the Bay Area's contribution to American film reading this book. (And who knew film producer Saul Zaentz discovered Creedence Clearwater Revival in a prior life as a record producer?) I always thought of "The Godfather" as the region's major movie claim to fame, but this book covers five studios, and 12 independent directors, most of whose names even the most casual filmgoer will recognize. Of course, "Star Wars" and "Amadeus" are covered, but so are less likely suspects such as "Rumble Fish" and "A Perfect World."

The photographs and images are amazing, but Avni's spunky text really makes it. I will be giving this book to my dad, who has lived in the Bay Area for more than 30 years, for Christmas.

From the very first spread, I knew CINEMA BY THE BAY was going to be a very special book. The helicopters flying over the beach in APOCALYPSE NOW is one of the most referred to scenes in modern film history, for all of the elements of war and tragedy that it evokes, but also because it is a scene that demands watching on the big screen. Not only the big screen of a movie theater, also evocatively referred to by the layout of the first page, but the big screen of the imagination, which all good movies reside on.

With that one choice Sherrly Avni brings home not only what is special about the filmmakers covered in her well-researched and totally accessible book, but what was important about the studios founded and fueled by the creative and business efforts of those men and women: that the works created by those artists and companies were defiant, revolutionary, often strokes of genius that come on like an invading army going to war full of dreams to change the landscape while at the same time shackled by the politics of an industry rooted so deeply in its old ways that breaking free was sometimes an impossible task. That all these studios were born in the same area of California amongst a group of creative people who alternated between being mentors and students of each other's work was hardly an accident, and as I made my way across the pages of the book, first learning more about the films of American Zoetrope, The Saul Zaentz Company, Lucasfilm, Pixar, and Pacific Data Images than I'd ever learned in a thousand books and magazine articles, then delving into the meatier director biographies, it was clear to me why these filmmakers have been the people who have shaped the way we all look at movies for most of the last century.

The book's layout is great, the writing crisp and direct, and filled with first hand observations from the people who lived the challenges of making the movies what they are today. I can't recommend the book more highly. If you're a fan of movies or just a fan of people and companies that defy the odds, you have to get this book!