Grant Books

Tired of hearing that healing is a step-by-step process? Coping with daily challenges that threaten to overwhelm? Janalee Card Chmel offers you a gift in this honest, heartfelt work of art. GRANT ME SERENITY comforts in a singular, welcoming way: not by glossing over pain, encouraging readers to escape pain, or promising that life can be simplified and managed, but by illustrating how one strong person plowed through a series of tough experiences and, after a long and often bitter journey, comes to acknowledge how the painful loss she so resents compels her to live her life to the fullest. Janalee Card Chmel is that strong person. Her mother would be proud.

Not only is Chmel's book good for those with terminal illness and their caretakers, it was helpful for me--someone who has suffered with chronic pain and sickness. I could identify with Janalee's anger and frustration with the medical community and the unfairness of her situation. Just like Janalee, I've screamed at God and wanted to attack my bed with a rolling pin! This book gave me permission to deal with some of the feelings I've stuffed away, and revealed some other areas that I need to confront in order to heal and find "serenity". Thanks Janalee!

Janalee Card Chmel, by reaching inside herself, reaches out to all of us who have experienced a great loss. She is so open with her emotions and gifted in her ability to relate poignant moments that at times I felt like an intruder. But she chose to take us on her journey and shares it beautifully. By being so honest in her writing, she enables the reader to be honest with himself.

In addition to her writing ability, Janalee produced a book that is technically and aesthetically first-rate which book lovers will appreciate.

This book is one of the best I have ever read (and I've read thousands!). Janalee makes you really care about what is happening to her and her family, and though you know from the outset that her Mother will die, you can't help but keep hoping that a miracle will happen and she will be cured. Janalee opens up her heart to the reader, and lets you have the rare experience of sharing her pain, her hopes, and her love for her Mother. Having been given the privilege of reading Janalee's book while it was still in draft form, I couldn't wait for the finished product to come out on the market, and I was not disappointed! I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever gone through the experience of seeing a loved one through their final illness; anyone who needs help in coping with the loss of a loved one; or anyone who simply wants to read something that will warm their heart and make them feel that though life can sometimes be almost unbearably hard, we should take the time to appreciate our loved ones RIGHT NOW, and let them know it.

Proven Strategies Professional Use to Make Their Proposals Work is the rare book that delivers what it promises. It looks under the hood and tweaks the writing process in an insightful and cogent way. From developing a strategic approach, to researching to establish need, to using logic models to develop your grant application, to thinking through your evaluation plan, and using your budget to tell your story -- all the grant development building blocks are here in useful detail. Michael Wells has gifted the reader with street smarts and soul. My two thumbs are way up!

It is rare to find a book directed towards the experienced professional. The logic model section is especially helpful for planning more complicated applications including those to federal agencies. I found the information thorough, well presented, and usable, which is refreshing in a book about writing grant applications. I also found the case study exceptional. Seeing a winning proposal is always helpful but seeing the thought process behind the writing is a great way to get the point across. No matter how long you have been writing grant proposals, you can always learn more. This book gives excellent insight into today's funding world.

Michael Well's book is an excellent resource for grant professionals who have moved beyond the basics and are interested in expanding their knowledge and professional skills.

Michael has been actively involved as a leader in the developing grants profession, and his many years of professionalism and experience are evident in this work. He covers a wide range of topics that are faced when developing grant proposals, as well as managing and tracking grants. Further, he offers excellent real-life examples and samples.

I especially found the section on developing logic models to be useful. This is an area of grant proposals that many grantwriters handle poorly, and Michael has provided clear guidance and excellent examples that will help developing grant professionals take their work to the next level.

I would definitely recommend it to grant professionals interested in moving behind "Grantsmanship 101."

Although the title says that this book is to cover "Beyond the Basics," it will also serve as a good primer checklist to tell you what you need to get started. It begins with a general discussion on the rising number of nonprofits that are seeking grants from the rising number of granting organizations.

From there it goes into what it takes to make your grant fit what the grantor is looking for. It lightly covers each point of grant seeking including mundane things like accounting/budgets and the impact of various laws and IRS rulings like Sarbanes-Oxley. It also goes into what the reader is going to be looking for such as how the grant will be managed, why the foundation doesn't like to fund adminstration, operating costs and endowments, and other points.

Perhaps the most important part of the book is its discussion of where to go for more information on nearly every aspect of the grantwriting project. Many of these are web related at no cost, others such as the authors favorite books on grant writing have fairly nominal costs.

Beautifully photographed with interesting history on the diversity of Texas homes, this book details the unique blend of European sophistication and "homegrown" design that combined to create a truly unique architecture. This book makes a wonderful gift for any favorite Texan.

Great Houses of Texas would be appreciated by anyone with an interest in great architecture as exhibited in this book. Many of the houses included are well known, but some are hardly known at all. O'Neill Ford's house for the Steves family should have been included, in San Antonio. Its omission is my only disappointment in the book. The text is adequate though not extensive and the photographs, alone, are worth the price of the book. I know of only one other book on this subject, and that was written years ago, so such a book is long past due! Lee Govatos

Though some readers may quibble over the title of this book, it is clear that the book is focussed on the greatest houses still occupied in Texas. This is a subtle but important distinction. The houses shown are not dead great houses, of which there are many in Texas and many of which are greatly admired; Germany instead has focussed on private homes occupied by individuals. With that in mind, it is a fascinating read.

There are many things to admire about this book, the images are well presented, the text is informative and overall I liked it, but WHO selected these houses. The book should have been titled, some great and not so great houses in Texas. How could you write a book about Great Houses in Texas and not include the Sealy House in Galveston, the only McKim Mead and White house in the South, or the most famous house in the state, the Bishops Palace in Galveston, or not include Bayou Bend!!! or the McFaddin Mansion in Beaumont, a house that is considered by architecture scholars to be the best example in Colonial Beaux Art in America..it's just incredulous. Many of the houses selected were great, such as the mansion at Kings Ranch which graces the cover and leads you to believe all the houses in the book will be to this standard and they unforunitely are not...the Crespi House in dallas by Maurice Fatio is great as well as is the Bass House in Ft. Worth, as well as the Pease House in Austin, but many just leave you thinking..WHAT!..Im from Texas and am very familar with the grand houses in the state, so I shocked to see some of the most famous houses in the state not present in this book. This is not a bad book, I give it four stars, but it could have been great..too bad whomever selected the houses for this book, was not as thorough as they should have been, nice book, but a disappointment to those of us familiar with the truely great houses of this singular state.

Leave it to a guy at UCLA to write the perfect "how to" write a grant. Dr Yang's book was recommended by colleagues at UCLA, and they were right on the money. Very helpful for those of us not altogether familiar with the process. Unless you are an expert (in which case you would be writing your own book), this should be in your library.

I have worked with the NIH for quite some time. I also worked at the University of Pittsburgh for more than 4 years doing research with the NIH. This is an indispensible book. It goes very well paired with "Government Funding and You". I'd highly suggest both books.


Kelli

This is a great, quick read that is clear and can help you focus on key topics in preparing an NIH grant. I particularly like the emphasis on clarity of writing and making an interesting story, instead of the usual drudgery. It is short enough that you can read it in one sitting, before sitting down to write. It is much less detailed than the Ogden book, "Research Proposals", with a different emphasis, on clarity of writing. If you are looking for a book for a class, I'd suggest Ogden. But if looking for a quick read for the novice to get them started the Yang book is great, due to its brevity and clarity.

This book is full of tips and hints how maximizing the impact of your ideas in a grant application. Examples of effective writing and lists of common pitfalls give concrete guidance on writing a grant that conveys your ideas in their best light. The author also explains the perspective of the grant reviewers who read and score your grant.

This book was wonderful because it had lots of picture to draw ideas from. It also had information on different seasons and how the plants would be affected. It was so helpful to me.

This book is a wonderful resource. The book is full of design ideas shown in site plans, 3-D renderings, and with great close up photos of the flowers, scrubs, and trees. Many designs are shown in each season and in a progression of how it will look in three to five years and then in ten to fifteen years. I found this book to be very helpful in designing flower beds, in picking plantings, and in knowing how to care for each planting.

I am new to gardening and I am have cleared out my backyard, I had no idea what I was doing or what kind of plants to put where until I read this book. It also has good ideas for building patios... great illustrations too!

I'm not under 13, but I didn't want to give my name and email.

This book is great. It takes advantage of some great underused native plants from the Mid Atlantic. It is very helpful because it provides plant spacing and maintenance. Most plants are low maintenance, all year interest.

I have used the landscape plans in my yard and will continue to use this book as my number one reference.

and that is hilarious.

I've been reading Two Lumps ( [...] ) since the beginning, and the adventures of Eben and Snooch and their poor suffering mom have been a delight since day one.

We get the first years worth of strips here, along with comments from author Mel Hines and artist James Grant, which is a great bonus.

If you actually know what cats are like, I can't recommend Two Lumps enough, buy the book already.

I first discovered "Two Lumps" on line about two years ago and have been a faithful reader of this funny and deliteful comic ever since. The book is even better! I can't wait for volume 2 - the second year!

This is the funniest comic on four (or eight) feet! The art is fun, the stories witty (and damned accurate as any cat "owner" can attest). And now in the book we get additional commentary from the artist and writer that had me rolling on the floor laughing.

I've been a fan of the Two Lumps strip for a while now on the net, (www.twolumps.net) and I'm very happy to finally have a bit of it in my hands.
To quote Jennie Breeden's (author of excellent webcomic The Devil's Panties) introduction to the book, "Plenty of cartoons have explored the eccentricities of cats. Yes, they chase their tails. Yes, they lick their butts. But they also drink vodka and compose sonnets.If you have two cats, then you know Ebenezer and Snooch. The criminal mastermind and the fat, lovable idiot."
Eben and Snooch are both instantly recognizable and yet very much unique characters. If you haven't lived with them, you've met them, gone to school with them, or worked with them. The humor in this strip is a perfect mix of straight-up pratfalls, highbrow insults, and wicked innuendo.
If you have cats, you should have this book. If you have a pulse, you should have this book. If you have a pulsing cat, you're about to receive a hairball.
I pre-ordered this the minute I heard it was being produced and I will definitely buy the next ones.

I've been a grantmaker for approximately five years now. During the course of my on-the-job training, I've heard certain maxims over and over again until they've become ingrained in my mind and in my responses to applicants for grant funds -- now, after reading this book, I actually understand the philosophies behind them.

Every grantseeker who bemoans the fact that foundations don't want to fund ongoing operating expenses should read this book simply for the explanation of the difference between charity and philanthropy and where foundations fit in.

Likewise, the tips on meeting etiquette, attributes of a good grant proposal, and top four reasons proposals are denied will benefit professionals on both sides of the proposal.

Had the opportunity to see the author speak -- if you get the same opportunity, don't pass it by.

Dr. Joel Orosz continues his tireless efforts on behalf of philanthropy and those interested in philanthropy in his current book.

The Insider's Guide to Grantmaking is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in seeking funds from a foundation, or anyone interested in a career in a foundation. His years of experience give both experienced and inexperienced readers a window into a sometimes-shadowy world. Orosz lets the light shine in a way that is understandable and justifiable.

This long over due body of work is a must have for everyone in the third sector and especially should be required reading for those working in and leading foundations.

It's an art, it's a science, and it doesn't need to be a mystery -- since there's no academic training for a career in philanthropy (it's harder than you think!) Insider Orosz bridges the gap with this warm and rewarding User's Guide.

Outsiders will read it for its clear-cut description of philanthropy worklife and practice; insiders will find themselves affirmed or inspired. Both will enjoy the author's mix of humor and scholarship. Sure to be a classic in its field.

This is a much needed look at life in foundation grant making. As a retired executive director of a corporate foundation,books such as The Corporate Contributions Handbook and Corporate Social Investing were extremely helpful to the corporate grant maker. This book is a well-thought out look at foundation reality. While it is not meant to help those seeking grants, it certainly gives the donor a window on the inside process. It will serve as a good reference for those who wish to enter this field and provides sage advice to those who have been there for some time. The historical research was a plus.

I have been a development professional for over twenty years, but Mr. Poderis' book has been, and continues to be, right at reach on my desk as his insights and encouragement have been key to my success as a developmen director of a large arts organization.

A more than handy, practical, reference tool which is timeless and always relevant.

Often fund-raising experts understand an organisation's structure well enough to keep it
a float. Tony Poderis, understands the passion and personalities behind the story of each of his non-profit clients / institutions. Tony's insight positions him to get inside their mission as well as the motivations of prospective funders. It helps FUNDERS to GIVE in a way that catapults the financial futures and visibility of non-profits.

"It's a Great Day to Fund-Raise" is utterly brilliant in several ways:

A manual for Trustees.

A companion to non-profit directors.

A crucial first step for prospective board members.

A guide for current board members.

A conclusive resource for FUNDERS helping them to identify non-profits in key areas mentioned in this book.

"It's a Great Day to Fund-Raise" helps non-profits raise more than funds, they gain and raise genuine friends, who will love and care for them through thick and thin.

Wendy Cheltenham

Tony Poderis reminds all of us who have ever been development officers that it's not rocket science. In his words, "It's just hard work." He's right.

Poderis's "Nine Basic Truths of Fundraising" are worth the price of the book alone. But then he goes on to tell us chapter and verse just how to organize a development department, run a fundraising campaign, and work with volunteer leadership.

With over 30 years of fundraising experience, Poderis knows what he writes about. He's done it all and run a major operation as development director for the Cleveland Orchestra.

Newcomers and old hands alike will derive tremendous benefit from this book, and every board member should read the Nine Basic Truths.

This just could be the best book ever written on fundraising.

The problem with Tony Poderis is that he is terribly tardy in writing "It's a Great Day to Fund-Raise!" If I had read it 20 or so years ago, when he should have written it, I would have avoided some of the blunders he warns against. I wouldn't have taken nearly so long to become effective as a fund raiser. And I wouldn't have quite so many gray hairs today, each earned in the hard school of "experience." But (sigh) he wrote it only recently. Of course, there is a good reason for the interminable wait: Tony first had to rack up an incredible 20 years as director of development for The Cleveland Orchestra, where he was responsible for the largest annual institutional fund-raising campaign in Cleveland. Oh, and toss in another four or five years subsequent consulting experience, as well. I note, with some satisfaction, that the author has even more gray hairs than do I -- each one earned, no doubt, in the same "school." As evidence, I present Exhibit A: the picture on the cover (there's Tony standing before, of all things, an open bank vault!). That experience shines through in the book. His simple, pragmatic writing style patiently mentors the reader in the art of effective fund raising. The reader may be new to the field, where a book like this is invaluable and where I suspect Tony directed his focus. Or the reader may be well-experienced, where the book reaffirms lessons learned and truths well tested. Did I use the word "pragmatic"? "It doesn't take a genius to raise money," he states early on. "The process is a combination of common sense, hard work, preparation, courtesy, commitment, enthusiasm, understanding, and a belief in what you are selling." See? As expected, the book starts with goal setting and leadership (Chapter 2). But this is not an academic "text." Rather, the author reaches into his bag of experiences and pulls out the time a board trustee got up and announced, "What we need is more endowment. We ought to have a $50 million endowment campaign." Gulp. Wasn't his hair dark brown just before that? This guy has been there. Done that. That's where mentors come from. Well, actually, Tony starts even sooner than goal setting and leadership. Chapter 1 covers the Nine Basic Truths of Fund-Raising. Here's one: "You don't wait for the 'right' moment to ask; you ask now." I loved that one. How many fund raisers are captivated by the word "cultivation," so much so that they don't seem to understand that fund raising also requires "reaping," too? I often wonder how many fund raisers, were they farmers, would leave their carefully cultivated crop to wilt in the field, season after season? Tony's "Nine Truths" are as close to "theory" as he gets. After Chapter 1, he moves methodically through what it takes to succeed. Chapter 2, on goal setting and leadership, is quickly followed by an admonition to "know your organization" (Chapter 3); creation of a general development plan (Chapter 4); funding sources (Chapter 5); prospecting for donors (Chapter 6); rating and evaluating prospects (Chapter 7); annual campaigns (Chapter 8); endowment campaigns (Chapter 9); capital campaigns (Chapter 10); sponsorships and underwriting campaigns (Chapter 11); developing a campaign plan (Chapter 12); preparing for a campaign (Chapter 13); managing a campaign (Chapter 14); assessing and reviewing a campaign once it's over (Chapter 15); and developing the development team (Chapter 16). Clearly, this is a useful book that I'd wholeheartedly recommend for the fund raising professional -- new or seasoned. But it is also ideal for any other person involved with an organization's fund raising. Tony's simple, straight-forward, no-nonsense style will be welcomed by board members, volunteers, and others who will appreciate being able to get through it over a couple of evenings or a weekend.

Just for the record there are MORE than 12 books. Furthermore, yes, they are incredible. It's an ongoing adventure with a fantastic plot. I've used them to get my students into reading allowing them to DO something with their reading. But yes, there are more than 12, I DO in fact have them all and am NOT in fact interested in parting with them.

The Lone Wolf series is a great series. I have all 12 books and am going through them all again. Get this book.

The book basically brings you right smack into the surreal world,whereby evil and good fight for control.I can say joe dever moves you with all the vivid memories of how lone wolf journeys through the land to arrive at durenor to get the sommerswerd.The book made me think about life in fact and could even control my feelings[angry,sad,etc.]with the vivid descriptions of the situations.UNFORTUNATELY the books are all out of print.I just wish joe dever would actually consider reprinting new issues,as i never had a chance to find out how lone wolf developed in the later issues.PLEASE DO REPUBLISH THE BOOKS.

The Sword of the Sun is also the name of the book that encompasses both The Tides of Treachery and this The Sword of the Sun. That book is extremely hard to find. This volume of Lone Wolf Legends chronicles the results of Vonotar the Traitor's betrayal to Sommerlund. Vonotar the Traitor, after failing to overthrow the Guildmaster of Toran and exploding one of his brethren's heart (The Guildmaster had named Vonotar to be his successor, ironically) fled to the Darklands, with both advanced knowledge of good magic and a rudimentary knowledge of the Nadziran arts, the black magics. Upon arriving in the Darklands, the sorcerer was met by a pack of Giaks, the stupid and evil spawn the Darklords breed for slaves. Befriending a Giak, which he named Carag (Vassagonian for "cesspool"), Vonotar flew to the Darkland fortress of Kaag, the citadel of Archlord Zagarna. Vonotar exchanged with the evil being knowledge that could destroy Sommerlund for knowledge of the Nadziranim arts. Now skilled in both black and white magic, Vonotar had effectively married both together. His magical prowess was enough to make him the most powerful sorcerer in Magnamund, the world Lone Wolf takes place upon, but Zagarna had exacted a price for the exchange: should Vonotar turn on him, the Nadziranim sorcerers would scatter the sorcerer's body to the four winds. Vonotar had manipulated all of the other Darklords in believing that he was superior to all of them but Zagarna. He slowly insinuated his power, and Zagarna grew weaker and weaker... With the Darkland army poised to conquer Sommerlund, the Kai hero Lone Wolf must journey far to take the Sommerswerd, the Sword of the Sun. Vonotar has learned of Lone Wolf, the last of the Kai, and has made preparations to make sure the warrior never reaches his destination of Hammerdal... But another entity, Alyss, who thwarted Vonotar's attempt to destroy Lone Wolf, and raised the warrior from death, also waits..

I couldn't agree more with the earlier reviewer. Mundy is one of my favorite 'adventure' novelists, and this is one of his better works. He's almost forgotten today, but as a pulp writer he kept many on the edge of their seats 60 years ago. If you like E.R. Burroughs, Sax Rohmer or Robert E. Howard, this is one you shouldn't miss (Howard based one of his characters, 'Francis X Gordon on Mundy's King) If you liked R. Kiplings 'Kim'...imagine Kim grown up. Exotic love interest, intrique,a keen eye for native customs of 100 years ago, swords and blazing pistols, charging lancers on a path 6 feet wide, with death inches away over the edge 3000 feet to the canyon below...'King, of the Khyber Rifles' is about a British officer involved in the 'mysticism' of then-forbidden Tibet, includes frequent skirmishes with skulking mountain warriors, the old 'keeping the Khyber pass open' ploy, oh just read it. Mix up a peg of whiskey-soda, and escape the mundane last years of the 20th century. You can't go wrong with Talbot Mundy.

King of the Khyber Rifles (KOTKR) is just one of the great books that Talbot Mundy wrote. It was one of his first books and one of his best. This book and many of his others not only inspired other early writers like Robert E Howard but they also inspired more modern authors. In Robert Heinlein's Glory Road, Heinlein refers to Tros of Samothrace (a Mundy character). S. M. Stirling in Peshawar Lancers is obviously paying tribute to Mundy and other pulp writers of the time. Fritz Leiber (look up author on amazon.com if you are unaware of this science fiction and fantasy author's work. His "Fafhred and the Grey Mouser" series is on a par with Conan.) wrote an entire essay on how the "Tros of Samothrace" was one of his favorite set of books to read. If you haven't read any Mundy books yet, KOTKR and the Tros of Samothrace series are the best ones to start with. My comparision of Mundy and Kipling is that Kipling wrote from the typical British Colonialist's point of view. Mundy not only loved India, he "lived" India and Mundy's books reflect this. (Sidebar note of interest - Mundy hated being compared to Kipling. He preferred that his writing be compared to H. R. Haggard.) And if that wasn't enough, Mundy's chief characters (King, Jimgrim and Tros) all have a depth of intellect not seen in most of today's writing. Also many of Mundy's books have a surprising amount of mysticism and spirituality that adds immensely to the allure and intrigue of the storyline.

King--of the Khyber Rifles, as Mundy's third novel, is the first work to reveal the unique talent and archetypes that would emerge throughout his oeuvre. Mundy imagines a set of incredible places, situations, and characters, using all of the imagination of which he was capable at the time across such topics as the army, the secret service, a powerful woman, hidden caves, secret wisdom, a mad mullah, war, and indigenous peoples. King--of the Khyber Rifles has attained a certain classic status through his arrangement of these plot elements into mythic form. (To read more about Mundy's writing career, see my book, Talbot Mundy: Philosopher of Adventure, by Brian Taves.)

The unusual name of Mundy's hero, Athelstan King, is an inversion of the name and title of the tenth century ruler who became the first Saxon to govern all of England. Creating the English civil service, King Athelstan established legal codes and led a victory over an alliance of Norse, Scots, and Strathclyde Britons invading England. Like his namesake, Mundy's hero saves India from a foreign invasion brewing in the Khinjan Caves beyond the Khyber, which Yasmini hopes to lead.

Mathematics is the key to King's character; he relies on its logic and immutability to both govern his actions and resist Yasmini. He also studies medicine for relaxation, allowing him to adopt the disguise of the Indian physician ("hakim"), Kurram Khan. The country is as much his own as if he belonged to her indigenous races. Like Yasmini, with her background of both Russian and Indian ancestry, but reared in India, King is also a child of the country, despite being of English blood.

King is ready to lay down his life to preserve the peace of India, to prevent India from becoming a new front in World War I. Yet, from the outset of King--of the Khyber Rifles, Mundy demonstrated his increasing habit of reversing the imperialist presuppositions of colonial adventure. Unlike most previous chroniclers of British India, Mundy takes his hero well beyond the territorial and spiritual realms of English control. King provides a surrogate for the white, Western reader into a land far beyond their knowledge or domain, where all characters and power are in the hands of Moslem Indians. King's adventure in the Khyber Pass and Khinjan Caves is at once both a patriotic mission and a journey of metaphysical discovery, an initiation.

Within the Khinjan Caves, Yasmini has discovered the sleepers, a legend known to the hillmen as "the Heart of the Hills," the remarkably well-preserved corpses of a forgotten Roman warrior and the woman who inspired his brief conquest of the East. Their physical resemblance to Yasmini and King is uncanny. Yasmini hopes to use the legend of the "Heart of the Hills" to convince the hillmen that she and King are reincarnations of the dead pair, ready to resume their conquest. In this way Mundy also begins the theme of reincarnation in his writing, while not yet suggesting his actual belief in the phenomenon. Through a magical crystal, King and Yasmini are able to see events in the lives of the "sleepers." Previously, Yasmini has read King's thoughts, yet Mundy handles both these fantastic elements in a restrained, spare, and realistic manner.

In the test of wills between Yasmini and King, he maintains the greater self-mastery. Both are reluctant to admit their increasing love for one another, which would compromise their respective missions. Just as Yasmini has been unable to kill King, despite his interference in her plans, King is barely able to resist her spell. He is unable to harm her and indeed hopes for a conclusion that will allow him to serve her. There can be no surrender into the arms of the other for either King or Yasmini. King cannot be said to have triumphed over her, because to preserve the status quo is a far different task from Yasmini's dream of reviving an empire. Hence, even in defeat Yasmini retains her imperiousness, while in victory King retains his dignity and humility.

Throughout King--of the Khyber Rifles, Mundy turns conventional assumptions and metaphors on their head to reveal new perspectives, spanning the political to the sexual realm. All of the unexpected reversals and multiple roles of the hero and heroine add depth to both the plot and the leads. This reaches its apex with a major character, Rewa Gunga, who early in the novel King had anxiously suspected of being one of Yasmini's past or present lovers. Instead, Rewa Gunga is revealed as Yasmini herself in disguise. Just as Yasmini had been hired by the British to defuse a rebellion she was leading, and King went into Khinjan as an Indian, now Yasmini is disclosed as one of her own supporting characters.

Although some of the experiences of King and Yasmini resemble those of Ayesha, "She-who-must-be-obeyed," in Haggard's She, and its prequel Ayesha, the style and interpretation are different. Both Haggard and Mundy use a white man's journey to a remote area, where both Ayesha and Yasmini reside in underground caves. Unlike Ayesha's other-worldliness, and ties to ancient times, Yasmini is no superwoman who has overcome mortality to live on through the centuries. Instead she is a 20th century woman, whose dreams would only be possible in the present and whose interest in the past is the power it can give her today.

Mundy's style is elliptical and oblique, in a natural rather than affected manner, with numerous arresting juxtapositions, such as his summation of the Khyber as "haunted after dark by the men whose blood-feuds are too reeking raw to let them dare go home and for whom the British hangman very likely waits a mile or two farther south." The book is also full of telling details that add a sense of authenticity, despite the likelihood that they came largely from Mundy's imagination.

Imagine Kipling writing about India... now imagine the same stories as rewrittten by Edgar Rice Burroughs, but an ERB that actually sounds as if he's been in the places he's writing about. And all the detail of a George Macdonald Fraser novel... Then you throw in some mystic stuff that makes William S. Burroughs sound illiterate, add a pinch of "Boys Own Stories" or "Biggles" or whatever then light a match... this is one amazing novel, it really is.