Gregory Books

Gregory Helle brings the horror of the aftermath of war to the reader like few have ever done. He writes from his gut. Tells it how it is, and vividly causes the reader to experience the trama he has experienced during and after his service in Vietnam. It is a definitive narrative of the emotional and psychological pain that thousands of our veterans suffer because of the trauma they experienced in combat and sometimes not in combat while serving their country. It also ducuments the callousness of our government in its slowness to help these brave men and women regain their lives.

I must admit that I was stunned by Gregory Helle's honesty in telling his story. You will not put the book down once you start reading it. You will understand that war doesn't end when the war ends, but that it ravages the souls of thousands of our veterans for as long as they live.

A Walk In Hell is the profound work of free-verse poetry by Gregory A. Helle, one of many Vietnam War veterans, whose horrifying experiences induced post-traumatic stress disorder, haunting him with terrible and vivid memories thirty long years after the end of the fighting. The words capture emotion, distress, misery and the shocking reality of war with their brief simplicity and powerful impact. In My War: They had not taught me to fight/To kill/To survive/In my war//Taught to be a clerk/Nothing bad would happen/But that was not reality/They lied//They put me in harm's way/Without being trained/Without warning/They didn't care//Sometimes a bunker/Sometimes a hole/But Always the danger/Always the fear//The weapons were new to me/Had to learn fast/My life was on the line/With the lives of my buddies//Expendable

Most of society takes freedom for granted. And those who are willing to protect that freedom are also taken for granted. That is their job. We morn those who die in war, and then it is back to our safe lives. The soldiers, the young men and women who are willing to put their lives on the line for the rest of us, are forgotten. We are too busy to care about what happens to them after the war. But the price of freedom is much higher than most know. The war never leaves those who have fought. It destroys lives and families. It results in countless suicides. Their war continues... forever.

A WALK IN HELL

A New Book by Gregory A. Helle

A powerful, emotion packed trip through the mind of a Vietnam Vet disabled with PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder.) As with too many other young men, he was sent to an unpopular war and experienced multiple traumas Even though more than thirty years have passed, the realities of the war remain. Even with the best counseling and medications the war is only kept at bay. There is no cure. At best there is only coping. The war will never be far away. It invades his days and nights. His poetic journal is sometimes dark. It is the reality of his war.

This is not a book about the war. There are many books that depict the battles and heroes. This is about what happens when the war is over and society has forgotten. There are still thousands of veterans who are fighting the war every day. Through is poetry, Greg uncovers the effects of trauma on those who have served their country. With many wars on the horizon, it is important for everyone to understand what happens when the war is over and the dead are buried.

For many, the war never ends.

This is one of the most beautiful books I've ever read. It's the investigation of a personal mystery, genuinely dramatic and full of stunning surprises. A great story by a writer with perfect pitch, a voice that has no false notes.

I read this book years ago and have never forgotten it... the writing is beautiful, and the story is incredible... a trip of discovery from loathing and terror to love.

A wonderfully written, true story of a man's search through painful family history (including parental neglect and abandonment). Through it all, the strength and resilience of the human spirit prevails. Intensely personal autobiography, astounding for its clarity and its insights into how the past affects our present lives, even when we are unaware of it.

As you travel across our country and visit Civil War battlefields and the occasional National Cemetary..one thing will become very evident. Confederate Dead were not accorded the same respect as fallen Union Soldiers.

The large burial pits at Shiloh are a classic example of how Confederate dead were treated.

Coco's books focuses on the treatment of Confederate dead at the Battle of Gettysburg. Gettysburg presented an assortment of problems...the large number of dead scattered over a vast battlefield with some very difficult terrain, the burden of burial being left to the Union side, and the need to quickly bury the dead in the hot Pennsylvania July.

Coco covers all of these issues and in great detail. Short biographical studies are also present and add the overall value of this excellent work. I was particularly intriqued by the Post-War discoveries of both Union and Confederate war dead on the battlefield.

Overall, Coco's book is a fascinating study of an aspect of the Civil War that has gone overlooked for far too long.

Again Gregory Coco's work is an absolute must have for anyone interested in the Battle of Gettysburg. Coco's devotion for giving the reader the cold hard truths and facts regarding the treatment of the Confederate dead is excellent. Not only is this book informative, but it also mentions various true stories of Confederate soldiers that died on the battlefield or who were mortaly wounded. Actual burial places of the soldiers are covered as well. Coco points out places along the battlefield where rows of the Confederate fallen were laid to rest. He also covers attempts by families to capture or find their deceased father, son or brother. Coco's book gives credit to where it is deserved as Confederates were not properly looked after or interred as Union soldiers were in the National Cemetary in Gettysburg.

Gregory L. Coco has brought the horror and tragedy of the Civil War to readers in this book. The Battle of Gettysburg lasted for three days (July 1-3, 1863), yet the battle effected thousands afterwards for decades. Coco has given account of what happened to the Confederate dead and mortally woundededwho were not transported after the battle, but were left where they were mortally wounded or killed. Thousands of soldiers of the Confederacy had no tombstone, marker, or any identification after they were killed. Most were left in a mass grave, or buried in a farmers field, with no marker. What a tragedy, yet it was expected after such a tremendous battle.
Many families of southern soldiers made the trek up north to claim their loved ones and take them back for burial in the south. Unfortunately, many families returned to the south empty-handed because they could simply not find where their beloved son, father, or brother were buried. This was a too common tale on both southern and northern families during the war.
Coco describes how southern soldiers were mortally wounded and ultimately buried after the battle. Most were buried hastily and thus today, their grave location is unknown.
This makes the battlefield and the land around it even more hallowed. It dosen't matter what side of the Civil War a reader of this book is for, we should all be somber and respectful to these brave soldiers of both the North and South who fought and paid the ultimate sacrifice of their beliefs.
This book is fascinating, accurate, and articulate and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the Battle of Gettysburg and the Civil War.

Great book, we had never been in these areas and were able to find everything very easily.

Used this book exclusively on my recent "waterfall tour" of Oregon and Washington. I wanted to make the most of day hikes to areas that had waterfalls. This book allowed me to plan my day-to-day itineraries and cram the most into the trip. Invaluable for a true waterfall lover. Waterfalls listed by geographical areas. Descriptions of some trailheads hard to follow, but maps were good. Decribes the difficulty to reach each fall (easy to need to be a bushwacking expert).

My only disappointment is the newly built bridge near Elowah Falls that ruins the natural beauty of the falls... (not the author's fault).

This is an amazing book on locating the beautiful waterfalls of the Pacific Northwest. I own 2 of these books, 2nd and 3rd edition, and let me tell you, it has never let me down.

The book gives great detail and levels of the waterfalls quality, difficultly of the hike and much more. It even teaches you on how to determine the type of waterfall that you are viewing.

Mr. Plumb is the ultimate Mountaineer, and shows it through this amazing book. I call it my, "Waterfall Bible".

I highly recommend it for all your searches for waterfalls, and even some that you didn't know existed -- great for picinics, extremists, photographers, and for those just in awe of their beauty!

Don't pass this up, and at such a great price!

The two volumes of WOMEN IN HORROR FILMS (1930s and 1940s) are a wonderful addition to the serious horror collection.

Both volumes are constantly referred to in my writing on the subject of the Golden Age of Horror.

Tops in research is Mr. Mank
5 stars.

As in his brilliant Women in Horror Films of the 1930's, author Gregory William Mank provides 21 interviews with some of the women from classic horrors of the 1940's. And this book is nearly as outstanding as the 30's book. I say nearly only because the 1930's produced such pioneering classics of the genre like Frankenstein, King Kong, The Mummy, and Dracula, while in the 1940's, horror films had become almost exclusively "B" films. Mank has meticulously researched not only the films these actresses starred in, but their entire career, providing a filmography for each.

The Beautiful Evelyn Ankers is hailed as the top scream queen of the 1940's, starring in classics like "The Wolfman" and "Ghost of Frankenstein", and not so classics like "Son of Dracula", "The Mad Ghoul" and "Weird Woman." Lon Chaney Jr., always a bit of a gruff individual, delighted in scaring Evelyn when he was in full Jack Pierce Wolfman makeup.

Peggy Moran starred in only one horror, "The Mummy's Hand" which was the first, and best sequel to the 1932 classic. It's interesting to not that Moran actually met actor Tom Tyler, who played the mummy Kharis, out of his mummy makeup due to shooting schedules. Anne Gwynne is another interesting actress who did a number of horror films including "Black Friday", the 1941 "Black Cat" and "House of Frankenstein." Gwynne speaks fondly of "House of Frankenstein", particularly of her scenes with John Carradine who played Dracula. She felt it was one of her best performances.

One of my favorite actresses to read about was the sensuous Louise Albritton. Her most noted role was playing opposite Chaney Jr. in "Son of Dracula", and completely stealing the show. As the morbid southern Belle Kay Caldwell, she actually weds the count but plans on betraying him to live the life immortal with another man. It is Albritton that really carries this film as Chaney was terribly miscast.

While Albritton probably gets the nod for greatest Femme Fatale of the 1940's, the nod for single most chilling scene goes to Virginia Christine. Playing the reincarnated Princess Ananka in "The Mummy's Curse", she rises from the muck and mud of a bayou swamp, looking like a zombie out of a George Romero film. It's a very effective and well done scene.

Other women highlighted in the book include Elena Vedrugo, the beautiful gypsy girl from "House of Frankenstein"; Lenore Aubert from "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein", Simone Simon from Val Lewton's Classi "Cat People" and Jane Adams, who had this distinction of playing the only female hunchback in classic horror history in "House of Dracula".

The book is filled with many great photos from these films as well as many photos of the actresses today. They provide many amusing and informational anecdotes and this book is a must have for fans of classic horror.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

Gregory William Mank, who earlier has profiled Lugosi and Karloff, turns his considerable writing skills and knowledge to the distaff side this time, profiling such disparate talents as Maria Ouspenskaya and Louise Currie. Mr. Mank manages to bring the reader back to the mad-cap days at Universal and RKO with an authoritative yet never dull narrative that is peppered with asides from his large cast. This marvellous book concludes with a survey among well-known authorities of the genre to nominate the decade's best performance by an actress/supporting actress in a horror film: Allow this reader to add his choise: Frances Dee as the gutsy "I" of "I Walk With a Zombie."

I think this story was amazing. I couldn't put the book down. It is about an alcoholic, but the story is applicable to so many other things that happen to us in life. I connected with the characters in this book in unexpected ways. It is a beautiful story of a man finding himself by helping others. He ends up helping himself much more and they help save him. A wonderful all around book. I would highly recommend it to everyone, and already have.

An excellent book for anyone who has ever struggled with alcoholism / or addiction and all the related frustrations. Also provides insight to those close to the alcoholic / addict to understand the battles and the insanity of it.

This was a dazzling book of adventure and genuinely engaging! The author was extremely skillful at conveying his own sense of engagement and accuracy of details regarding the characters and experiences of the successful adventures. Raymer's openness of his thoughts and emotions in regard to his ongoing struggle with alcohol addiction is refreshing and inspirational! I found it very difficult to put the book down once I began the journey thru his chronicles.
Gregory's admirable journey epitomize's the importance of true change in an addicts life for a successful recovery. The author accurately conveys the importance of positive change thru the reaching out to help others.
The adventures were truly "intoxicating"!!!

This is a story about an imaginative, sensitive little boy with a wry sense of humor who describes his own moods as well as those of his family by comparing them to colors - his sister feels prissy (pink!), his mom is mad (red!), his grandma is joyous (yellow), his aunt feels creative (indigo), etc. The author free-associates about emotional states and colors with a dizzying lyricism and charm that made me AND my 7yo smile. The art is bold and fun, with a unique flair for leading the eye on a journey from one side of the page to another with its attention to bright little details. But the prose itself is the best part about the story - funny, quirky and alive with imagery that sparks the imagination of even very young children. We had fun naming other variations of "the blues" and "the grays" and "the indigos" ourselves. This book would stand out in any children's home library. It's been a while since we had THAT much fun reading one short little story! =)

My daughter (4 1/2) insisted on bringing this book home from school one afternoon, and after reading it to her for the first time, I understood why. Frame's sense of cadence is mesmerizing - the timing, phrasing and articulate descriptions of childhood moods and experiences are nothing short of infectious. After reading it that night, we checked out a copy from the library. After reading it every night for a week, I'm about to buy a copy. This book - a poem, really - has the kind of rhythm that makes Dr. Seuss, Ezra Jack Keats and Don DeLillo's poetry and prose sing. You and your child will love it.

I really enjoyed reading this book today. I thought it was cute, imaginative and fun for any child 3 to 8. I think the illustrations are adorable. The 'play' with color in both the text and illustrations is so creative and original.

Cartoonist Greg Irons was killed in 1984 at age 37 by a bus in Thailand so he never received the recognition he could've achieved over the decades, but YOU CALL THIS ART?! Provides a fine collection of his entire works; from the rock posters he designed for Bill Graham to his graphic comics and examples from his children's illustration and tattoo art work. The blend of black and white and color reproductions accompanies a survey of Irons' life, talents and achievements in a retrospective not to be missed!

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This is the book I've been waiting for, and now I can retire all my old Greg Irons undergrounds to bags and boxes and display this volume proudly on my shelf, and have it at easy access for constant consultation. About the only thing I don't like about this book is the weird day-glo cover design. For some reason it almost makes the book look like an advance copy, as it appears unfinished. Aside from that I couldn't love this book more. Mr. Rosencrantz is generous in his biographical details, family photos, snapshots and art from every phase of Mr. Irons' too short career. This book is well worth every penny it costs, and so few books are these days. If you have an interest in anything from old San Francisco Rock posters, to underground comix, to record album design to book illustration to tattoo art....This is the book for you!!! Can't recommend this book highly enough!!!!

In the Summer of 1974, Back in my "Starvin' Artist Daze", I had been working on 30 Pages of Comix Art for months. One August morning, I gathered up my Guts and Drove To Berkeley, and The Print Mint. Shaking like a Leaf, I walk into The Folger Ave. Office. Inside is Bob DeRita, The Owner, at his desk talking to a Lanky Young Guy with an Long, Long Blonde Hair and a Scruffy Beard. He's calling him Greg, I have walked in to the office right in the Middle of an Pay Dispute. DeRita, is not in a Good Mood (To say the least!) and Croaks: "Well, Whatta You Want"??? Well, by now I'm about to lose Breakfast, Right in The Print Mint Office, and Silently shove my Art at him. He looks it over (Quickly) and gives it back. "Two Words, Kid... Art School" was his reply. I'm lookin' at the Door, when the Other guy, Greg, say's: "Hey Man, Let me see your Stuff". At this Point I'm ready to Crawl under a rock and Die, But, I gave this Friendly Stranger my Art, kinda hoping he was the Owner of The Rip-Off Press. He looks it over for Many long minutes (Seemed like hours) and gently hands my Art back. Greg, tells me: "You are Good Man, But, you are readin' too Much Crumb, and you are trying to draw Crumb", (He had me Cold)..."But, I see a liitle of my Stuff in your Work as well". "Your Work?" I whispered. "Yeah", he continued, "Slow Death & Deviant Slice". Now, I Knew who this was, Greg Irons was Checking my Work.

Now, it's summer of 2007 and I'm readin' this Great Book, "You Call This Art?! and it's a Fitting Tribute to an Amazing Artist. Lot's of his Comic Art is in here, Many of The Filmore West Posters as well & lot's of his Tattoo Art. I had no idea that Greg had done Illustrations for Children's Books, but, they are here as well. I Own many Books about the Underground Greats...Crumb, Shelton, S. Clay, etc. BUT, "You Call This Art", is one of the Finest Publications I have seen in years, I learned a lot about the Man, as well as the Artist by reading this one.

Looking, Now at Greg's work, Three Decade's on, it's even better than I remember it way back from The Early 70's. There is a lot in that Art, You will see the EC influence, that he grew up with and he Brought that Love of Great Horror into the Underground for us to enjoy. This Book brings me Right back to that time Long Ago. Times have Changed, The Underground Comix Business is Kaput, and Greg is Gone as well.

Oh, Yeah...I attended some Art Classes, and my Comics ARE in print in a Small Mountian Newspaper in South Lake Tahoe, Ca. Greg, was a Good Guy and FANTASTIC ARTIST...This Book tells his Story with Ton's of his Wonderful Art...FIVE STARS.

Great detail book coming from an ancient writer that is very
applicable today.

This work contains two of St. Gregory of Nyssa's collections of homilies, the first on the Lord's Prayer and the second on the Beatitudes. They are classic works on the nature of the spiritual life by one of the most important Church Fathers of the late 4th century and one whose popularity has increased in the 20th century.

"The effect of prayer is union with God..." (The Lord's Prayer, Sermon 1). In his five sermons on the Lord's Prayer, Gregory invites the reader - the listener! - to embark upon the pursuit of the infinite God in praying the prayer that Jesus taught to the disciples. Each point in the prayer is like a kernel that contains profound spiritual truth, and the ultimate purpose in prayer is attaining likeness unto God. "The pure in heart shall see God." This simple statement is at the very heart of Gregory's understanding of the Beatitudes. Commenting upon a different Beatitude in each sermon, he posits that the they are like a series of steps ascending to God. This ascent is a becoming a son of God, sharing intimately in God's own life.

Many readers may be surprised at the way that Gregory approaches Scripture. He is rather disinterested in getting into the socio-historical context in which each of the above emerged and far more interesting in discussing the application of them to the Christian life. This is no merely "practical application", however. St. Gregory teaches that God is dynamically active. It is, in many ways, a playful image: the God who incites our desire for Him is infinite and incapable of being exhausted by us. "It seems to me that what we desire is nothing else but the Lord Himself" (The Beatitudes, Sermon 8) and this holy desire is a striving forward for God, with God, into God. As unending pursuit, it is unending union.

In our spiritual activity (praying the Lord's Prayer) and in our ethical and moral life (living the Beatitudes), we hear the intimations of "the sweet voice of the Spirit" (The Beatitudes, Sermon 6). Rather than separating the theological from the practical or the mystical from the moral and ethical, St. Gregory keeps them all together as inseparable parts of the same thing: our life in Christ.

Of all the books read - starting with Elements - it was Greg Georges who convinced me that RAW ("digital negative") photography is the quality way to go. Finding 8-bit Elements inadequate to the task, I switched to Photoshop and bought the companion "50 Fast Techniques". Sure wasn't a bit disappointed. In fact, this is a considerable step up in quality as the production is much superior to earlier books (recycled paper, with centerpiece color plates). This book is on a par with other topnotch Photoshop tutorials in being printed on quality paper, with color images on each page, and an attractively conservative layout to bring home the message.

Several unique features put this title on the front burner, not the least are the excellent 'full-strength' unedited images on the CD [Scott Kelby, take note], and the crisp explanations for more arcane (but very productive) features such as the histogram. Moreover, Chapter 1 (first 6 Techniques) is one of the best introductions around to the workspace and how to set its default selections. Chapter 2 (next 6 Techniques) introduces the basics of color correction, and Chapter 4 (5 Techniques) provides excellent guidance to enhancing portraits.

In between are some gems and pearls, while other techniques are more gee-whiz than broadly useful, seemingly in an attempt to fill the "50" numbers quota. In fact, the book no longer is well served by its irrelevant title; the author is fully qualified to go head-to-head with his peers in writing a comprehensive, understandable, and yet eminently readable tutorial to take Photoshop users from newby to medium-skill level, with some advanced bonus teasers thrown in.

I found this book to be loaded with useful, accessible techniques -- all supported by beautiful photographs. So many Photoshop tips books are packed with teasing, stunning images, but with techniques that tend to be difficult and focused on the esoteric. Fortunately, Gregory Georges keeps this one grounded in the real world, beginning with a step-by-step technique for properly setting up Photoshop, and moving on to scores of great effects - some subtle, some "wow" -that have allowed me to take my own photography and "kick it up a notch"! I especially have enjoyed the techniques for revealing detail in shadows and highlights, creating a duotone and adding "punch" to a black and white photo. An added bonus is a set of techniques using third-party plug-ins that are free and easily accessible online, though a few of those were for use with cameras other than the one I own. Mr. Georges is apparently an actual, working photographer, and in this book he always keeps his "focus" on meaningful results.