Nicholson Books

"Never Call Retreat" is the third and final volume of Bruce Catton's classic Centennial History of the Civil War. This volume was published in 1965. Although the details may have been improved upon by later scholarship, "Never Call Retreat" endures as a superb reading experience based on Catton's matchless presentation of history as dramatic literature.

Catton picks up the narrative in December of 1862, with the bloody slaughter of Burnside's failed assault at Fredericksburg. Whatever chance for moderation might have ever been possible, the Emancipation Proclamation and the rising casualties create an remorseless tide toward total war.

In the West, Grant will grapple with the Confederate Fortress of Vicksburg, enduring a series of failures before finally and dramatically laying successful siege to that city. In the wake of Vicksburg, Grant will be directed to retrieve the failure of Chickamauga by breaking the Siege of Chattanooga. His success there will cause Lincoln to summon him to command of the Union Armies. Sherman will be left in the West to take Atlanta before marching to the sea through Georgia.

In the East, Burnside and Hooker will each have a turn as commander of the Union Army of the Potomac, and each will be badly beaten by Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. George Meade, summoned to the command of the Army of the Potomac as Lee invades the North, will be just good enough to hang on and win at the three day trial of Gettysburg. The arrival of Grant as supreme commander will presage a bloody year long struggle between the two great Eastern armies, ending in the Siege of Petersburg, where Lee's Army will slowly bleed nearly to death before finally surrendering at Appomattox in April 1865.

Catton does not neglect the politics, North and South, behind the fighting. In the South, Jefferson Davis struggles to forge a unified war effort with a Confederate Government too decentralized to marshal the necessary resources. Abraham Lincoln, his Union counterpart, struggles to bring the Union's superior resources to bear while maintaining a democracy and holding off a defeatist opposition. Linconl will win reelection in 1864 after surviving the darkest hours of the nation's will to reunite the country.

Catton's narrative moves easily between theaters of war, detailing the struggles of very human leaders in the face of great challenges while placing those struggles in the context of the great themes of the war. Catton's superb narrative captures the uniqueness of an American Civil War.

This book is highly recommended to the student of the Civil War and to the casual reader, both of whom will enjoy this volume and series.

This last work of Bruce Catton's "American Civil War Trilogy" will not leave you disappointed. His work is especially compelling, interesting, historically accurate, exciting, and informative. I especially enjoyed his account of the war during the period of 1863, as this was such an important period of the war. I am unable to give the proper credit due this trilogy and will leave it to those more worthy of this task. When you reach the last page of "Never Call Retreat", you will wonder to yourself,"What can I read next that will be so important a work on the Civil war?"

Catton's trilogy is excellent at delivering an overview of the Civil War to you. His narrative is descriptive and flowing. He is accurate and provides the general and the anecdotal. Because of the scope of this trilogy, it is necessarily broad. So, you won't get a detailed, blow by blow account of incidents or battle order. What you will get is dynamic, moving history. Your interest for further study will be picqued.

My husband received Bruce Catton's American Civil War Trilogy as a gift and he said that he didn't want to see it end. After finishing Volume 3, Never Call Retreat, I agree with him completely. I can understand why it remains so popular almost 50 years from when it was first published. The Civil War trilogy is a scholarly work, but reads more like a novel.

Never Call Retreat starts after the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg) and the author will take us through some of the most momentous events to take place during the Civil War including the Emancipation Proclamation, the Battle of Gettysburg, the fall of Vicksburg, the siege of Charleston, the presidential election of 1864, Sherman's March to the Sea, the surrender at Appomattox, and Lincoln's death. He also shows how even before the war was over, Lincoln was debating reconstruction and how the Confederate states could best be reunited with the Union. But it's the additional information that Catton provides that makes these books so interesting. He tells us about the deficiencies of the southern railroads and how that handicapped the Confederacy. He relates how the Union and the Confederates still traded goods (especially cotton) despite being at war. He gives examples of how military technology was more advanced than the soldiers using it. All of these different facets provide a more in-depth understanding of the war.

Where Catton is especially talented is in analyzing the characters he writes about. In book one, Lincoln begins to stumble through his presidency. By book three, his genius shows through and he is in commanded of everything from his cabinet to the military. Catton also is a good judge of military leadership. Lee and Grant were brilliant, but many of the officers on both sides were uninspired, reticent and lacking in military skills. In Never Call Retreat, the Confederates are especially plagued by poor leadership in the Western Campaign. "John B. Hood was uncomplicated, and when they gave him Joe Johnston's army, he assumed that he was expected to go out and fight. This he did, and as a result the South lost 20,000 good soldiers, Atlanta, the presidential election and most of what remained of the war."

Catton also has a special skill in taking complicated situations and describing them with simple eloquence. In talking about the Gettysburg Address, he writes that Lincoln "spoke of liberty and equality instead of victory, as if these words alone could give meaning to what had been done here, and instead of dedicating the ground he called upon those who stood there to dedicate themselves to something that might justify all that Gettysburg had cost them." In describing the end of the war, he writes that after Appomattox, Lee "rode straight into legend and took his people with him...The cause that failed became The Lost Cause, larger than life, taking on color and romance as the years passed, remembered with pride and heart-ache but never again leading to bloodshed. Civil Wars have had worse endings than this."

The Civil War may have ended in 1865, but as long as Bruce Catton's works are still in print, he will continue to turn younger generations into Civil War buffs. What better way can there be to honor our nations past?

In "Never Call Retreat", the third volume of his Centennial History of the Civil War, Bruce Catton writes of the last two years of that horrendous conflict. As he did in his first two volumes in the Centennial triology, Catton effectively covers the social and political aspects of the war, as well as the military. A work of this scope is, of necessity, a top-down view of the Civil War, focussing on the principal commanders and their subordinates. Yet, Catton is able to impart to his readers the confusion of battle; we can almost smell the powder smoke and hear the racket of musketry. As always, he writes with an elegance and an eloquence that many historians aspire to, but most cannot hope to match. Catton never loses sight of the war's ultimate, and higher, purpose and he poignantly brings home to us the human cost of our bloodiest conflict. Perhaps nowhere is this sense of loss brought home more forcefully than in this passage about Lincoln's assassination:

"No one will ever know what Abraham Lincoln would have done--with Stanton's scheme for military government, with radicals like Wade and Sumner and Stevens, with any of the separate aspects of the intricate problem that lay ahead--because it was at this delicate moment (about half-past ten on the night of April 14) that Booth came on stage with his derringer. Booth pulled the trigger, and the mind that held somewhere in cloudy solution the elements that might some day have crystallized into an answer for the nation's most profound riddle disintegrated under the impact of a one-ounce pellet of lead: the heaviest bullet, all things considered, ever fired in America. Thinking to destroy a tyrant, Booth managed to destroy a man who was trying to create a broader freedom for all men; with him, he destroyed also the chance for a transcendent peace without malice and with charity for all. Over the years, many people paid a high price for this moment of violence".

Four decades after its publication, this book, and the two that precede it, still stands as one of the best introductions to the war that defines us to this day.

I never was ordered to Vietnam. My classmate and teammate, Dave Ncholson, went and fought and survived and now has written that life there back to and for us. In prose that is direct and detailed, he allows us to become part of his detail, if we care and dare to, if we choose to imagine and empathize with what it was like, and for our veterans, if they choose to remember again what they experienced. This is a memoire of necessity that is a necessary, inevitable and true rendering of one soldier's days and nights zoned in war. This is one man's way to continue to bring himself and us home.

Gary Margolis Ph.D.
Executive Director, Center for Counseling and Human Relations
Associate Professor, English and American Literatures
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT

-I served with the 1st Cav 70-71. I was assigned to the 62nd Infantry Platoon (Combat Trackers). Dave's book brought back many, many memories that I had completely forgotten about. The section of his book that explains some of the 'Nam jargon had me saying to myself, "yeah, that's exactly how we talked in 'Nam and that's the way it was!" His photos also elicted things I had forgotten and made me realize the importance of capturing the moments of our lives on film. I, personally have no surviving photographs of myself from the 62nd, and I took no pictures, because I believed (I had just turned 18)the top sergeant when he said, "anyone caught taking pictures in the field will be given an Article 15, no questions asked!" (I also have no pics from airborne school for exactly the same reason.) Dave's final thoughts and "flashbacks" from his back yard in New England many years after the war ended, inspired me to write a short song, entitled "Green Bird". Anyone who was in the 'Nam understands the extraordinary impact of the helicopter in their lives, both then, and even now. Do yourself a favor, if you'd like to experience the flavor of Vietnam for the very first time, or if you'd like to rekindle old memories (hopefully, more good, than bad) as a Vietnam vet, get a copy of Tales From The 'Nam and give yourself plenty of time before you start; you may not want to put it down!

Russell "Doc" Walters MAJ, RET, USA (In 'Nam SGT)

As a college classmate of Dave's I started reading his account of volunteer service in Viet Nam not being able to imagine why anyone, least of all one of the boys I had sat in class with, would want to go to Viet Nam and kill enemy soldiers and seriously put himself in harm's way. Thanks to his heartfelt account and open voice in explaining his thoughts and actions at the time, I not only came to understand his behavior but admire his guts, determinism, bravery, and skills. I was fascinated to see how his very strong athletic drive (He was an All-American soccer player at Middlebury.) was both cause and savior of his Army experience. Kudos to Dave for his excellent writing and revealing himself to his audience.

This book offers a glimpse into the life and everyday trials of a "grunt in the boonies" during the Vietnam War. With knowledge, honesty, and humor the Author paints a vivid picture of a chaotic, sometimes terrifying experience. Well written, informative, and surprisingly funny.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book for its fascinating glimpse into the everyday life and challenges of a soldier during wartime. Not once did the writing lag in any area for me, as I find in so many books and I found Nicholson's retelling completely entertaining, as well as the order in which he laid the events out. It feels as though he's just sitting there having a conversation with you. And his writing is so descriptive; every detail provided me with a visual image as though I actually could imagine being there. I loved hearing his thought processes throughout these experiences as well, such as wondering sometimes who these enemy soldiers were and what they thought of them (U.S. Soldiers). I also enjoyed learning of the things that end up meaning so much to a person in that situation - your buddies, supplies, even that simple towel which was used for so many things. And he never seemed to embellish his experiences, just told it like it was, even when he would bumble something, which the reader can so easily relate to. This is an entertaining read and I'm grateful to Dave Nicholson for his service.

Under the Eye of the Clock is the autobiography of Christopher Nolan, the talented young poet with cerebral palsy. He can't walk or talk or write in the usual manner. Since Nolan lacks the use of his hands, this book like Dam-Burst of Dreams, the book of poems that preceded it, was written by means of a typing stick affixed to his head. The book succeeds both as pure artistry and as a window into the world of the disabled. Nolan has re-named himself Joseph Meehan and told his story entirely in the objectivity of the third person. This brilliant stroke allows him to avoid excessive self-pity while making his sufferings and triumphs real and deep. Nolan's use of language had earned him comparisons with James Joyce, Yeats, and Dylan Thomas. Nolan stretches the meanings and implications of words, rearranges their spelling, and even invents new ones to communicate his moods and perceptions and illuminate life, his own and those he observes, with his unique poet's sensibility.

Christopher Nolan's "Under The Eye Of The Clock" is an autobiographical account of his incredibly awe-inspiring and miraculous life. Born a cripple, he could have been consigned to the rubbish heap but instead and against all odds became a celebrated writer of this Whitbread Book winner, "The Banyan Tree" as well as an early book of poems. Without taking anything away from Joseph Meehan (a self portrait of Nolan), he couldn't have overcome his debilitating handicaps to scale the heights he did without the steady support and tender loving care of his family. A father, mother and sister who are such warm and emotionally intelligent human beings anybody would be blessed and proud to have them as family. The school principals, teachers and fellow students who accepted him, nurtured him and gave him the chance to prove himself equal to the best among physically whole human specimens are themselves shining examples of humanity who deserve as much recognition in Nolan's lifestory. Although it has been compared with James Joyce's "Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man", it is in reality nothing like it. Whereas Joyce's work is for the most part depressing and full of pain and harshness, Nolan's story is so morally uplifting you almost forget its grave subject matter. Nolan's dazzling and inventive writing style is also unique and something to relish. He coins and mints new words which have a yet found a conventional meaning but are so emotionally accurate you know they're right. Read this if you're feeling down and need something to restore your faith in mankind !

As a college English and literature instructor, I intend to make this book a required reading if it becomes available in print again. It should bless all readers because it becomes a reminder that NO matter what the circumstances, people should still be respected, loved, and appreciated. And, with this in mind, the reader may receive a self-esteem boost when being reminded of inner-personal value. I appreciate this book so much. I have three copies and continually loan them out.

To learn about such an exceptional poet who, without the faith of his family, would never have been revealed to the world, gives the reader a new view of people's limitations. I bought 12 copies of this book (when it was in print)and somehow have given them all away over time.

I found my way to this book after I had read "The Banyan Tree" by Christopher Nolan. This was a book that I read and reviewed back in February, and ever since I have been mystified why the book never seemed to gain the wide acceptance of readers. All of the reviews that have been posted by readers for "The Banyan Tree" have been 5 star reviews, and the same is the case for "Under The Eye Of The Clock".

If you read you understand how difficult it is to write anything, much less a full book, and then have it selected for and win a prestigious award. In the case of the book I review now it was the 1987 Whitbred Award that was awarded to Mr. Nolan. All very impressive, but that's just the start.

This is an autobiography written by a very young man who next wrote the book "The Banyan Tree" and would take 12 years to do so. This is a painfully candid, but uplifting book about a man with the support of a wonderful Family overcomes extreme realities that are his life to become an Author of international renown.

Mr. Nolan cannot speak, he can barely move at all. He types with what he calls his "Unicorn Stick" that he wears on his head, and even then his head must be supported while he works.

An Autobiography is a courageous work if honestly presented. When you add Mr. Nolan's additional challenges he faces as a writer, and as a person living with his physical issues it becomes an extraordinary autobiographical book.

I hope more readers find Mr. Nolan, he is a unique writer of immense talent, and if you pass by his work you deprive yourself of great literature.

I am a fan of the "Golden Age" of American Comics which ran from the late 1930's through the 1940's. "The World on Sunday" is a compilation of some of the best graphic art that appeared in Joseph Pulitzer's "The World" from 1898 to 1911. Most fans of American comic book history know about the history of the early American comic strips of this period. The creators of the Golden Age undoubtedly were influenced by these early comic strips. However, they always were profoundly influed by the rich visual art work that came out in the newspapers of the era. "The World on Sunday" is beautifully produced and is a must purchase for all those interested in American popular culture. Finally, I would also recommend Cordula Lebeck's "Kiosk". In this volume, Lebeck follows the development of popular journalism into the age of photography in the 1930's.

Joseph Pulitzer's New York WORLD flourished at the turn of the 20th century and grew from a modern daily paper to a sensationalist publication packed with striking colorful art, from photos to cartoons and drawings. THE WORLD ON SUNDAY gathers over a hundred of the best from WORLD and places them in an oversized presentation to display their color on single and double-page spreads. A chronological arrangement lends to a fine sequence of reproductions tracing editorial and news highlights of the times, while colorful commentary accompanies the pieces and provides the necessary background for appreciation by all audiences. THE WORLD ON SUNDAY: GRAPHIC ART IN JOSEPH PULITZER'S NEWSPAPER (1898-1911) is a top pick not just for art or newspaper library holdings, but for general-interest collections as well: it captures the art, craft and style of a bygone era and is a lush example of newspaper history at its finest.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

A treasure of a lost time and a lost art. Aside from the short-life expectancy and lack of modern conveniences like, uh, cars, ATMs, antibiotics, radio, microwave ovens, television, computers, etc., this book makes you wish you lived back then- when science, technology, and journalism were in their infancy and every day held some new, authentic wonder- not just a smaller cell phone. It's also quite amazing to see how advertisements, typefaces, layouts, and prose have radically changed in a century, and not necessarily for the better- unless you're one of those "Form Follows Function" kooks. A must for all you Luddites out there.

As a librarian, I am horrified, but unfortunately not too surprised to learn that few libraries have kept back issues of the newspaper put out by one of the great figures in USA publishing. And that's before I saw how beautiful it is! The idea that not only all this information but all this art was nearly lost is appalling. (I'm glad Duke University took it, but I hope the gift requires them to return it if they decide to throw it out.) I've been on the losing end of these fights, and no, one can't always assume that someone else kept the material.

Meanwhile, enjoy a glorious and gorgeous piece of historic publishing. I had no idea that color printing was so widely used ad so good at such an early time. The pictures often show great artistic skill and witty humor. There are also some fascinating bits of newpaper history.

A fantastic gift to the nation and the world. I can only show my appreciation by buying my own copy.

This book celebrates one of the high points in American popular culture. In the late 1800's, Joseph Pulitzer, publisher of the New York World, purchased the first great high quality color printer for newspapers. He then used it to publish beautiful color graphics every Sunday. This is both great art and great entertainment. But the story of how the author Nicholson Baker and his wife, Margaret Brentano, tracked down the last surviving complete collection of this work just before it was to be lost forever is just as thrilling. This is an exquisite book that is the product of great work by great people. Get ready to enjoy a true treasure.

This is a great book and very interesting for everyone, not just artistic photographers. I love it! The only thing that was disappointing was that the label on the back of the book put on by Amazon was incredibly sticky and very hard to remove. I nearly damaged the book trying to get it off so be careful. Rubbing alcohol and a dull scraper of some kind works pretty good.

For anyone who appreciates the beauty of books or black and white photography, this is an absolute must have. It is beautiful. Highly recommended.

When I first saw this book in a book store last December, and began looking through the pages, my eyes welled up with tears at the sheer poetry of the images. It was as if doors opened into other levels of awareness. When I put the book down, I realized that I had been looking at it for over an hour, and that's when I knew I simply needed to own it. Since then, the detail and depth of the images have provided a refuge from the news in the world today. There is still beauty and peace. Thank you, Abe Morell.

Some of the photographs in Abelardo Morell's A Book of Books are of great books: A Tale of Two Cities, A Farewell to Arms, Alice in Wonderland. And in placing these photographs together in this wonder-filled volume, Morell has created a great book of his own. For like all great books, this one makes you see the familiar in new ways; offers layers upon layers of meaning; and pushes you to make connections among objects and ideas that sometimes appear to have little, if anything, in common. At the same time, it is a glorious book to look at, to sink into, again and again. If you love books, you'll love this one.

Everything Abelardo Morell does is gorgeous but what makes him such a genius is the mudane things he works with. The only photographer I can compare him to is Josef Sudek.

Let's be honest. Anybody can go to a beautiful place like Yosemite or Big Sur, take a view camera and wait for nice light. Instant Ansel Adams; you can't miss unless you kick the tripod.

But how many people can make a heartbreakingly beautiful photograph from a crumpled ball of paper or some peeling paint? Get this book of books and you'll see what I mean.

Nemesis is a true account of a scientist's journey in trying to solve one of the most fascinating puzzles in modern science... what is the cause of mass extinctions on Earth?

Upon reading a paper by two other scientists who showed that there was an unexplained periodicity of mass extinctions on planet Earth every 26 million years coupled with the discovery of iridium deposits at all of the extinction boundaries, Richard Muller comes up with a rough idea that it might be related to a companion star with our Sun which somehow causes a spike in comet or meteor impacts.

Muller gives amazing insight into the scientific process while telling this great story of discovery. Highly recommended to anyone, especially students.

Richard Muller's "Nemesis: The Death Star" is one of the most fascinating works on the subject. With 17 chapters and 185 pages, this book is easy to read and certainly a food for thought to which the author proposes the theory that our Sun has an unseen companion star. And, if there's an unseen companion star orbiting the Sun periodically, it would mostly likely to be passing through the Oort cloud (clouds of comets) surrounding our system, knocking off comets in the direction of the Earth and other planets, as it would leads to a periodic cosmic bombardment.

It is often a wonder on why comet impacts are not seen as frequent or so we have been told. Most scientists nowadays are focusing on asteroids, not comets. Why? Comets are generally known to be unstable yet they are being ignored. Some individuals would of course say that the Earth is pretty safe from the cosmic bombardment. No worry. Let's all relax and live our lives as normally. But, that is the sort of a wrong attitude to take now. Muller said that "we are in the 'eye' of the comet storm, and, just like the eye of a hurricane, it is quiet" (p. 107). In other words, we are in a "calm before the storm" phase. Will we ever be prepared?

Muller's book reads like a scientific autobiography, even though it is not, but it is a book that reveals an intellectual journey of discovery. It is very informative, eye-opening, and insightful. I would very much recommend it as I sincerely hope that the author would re-publish this work.

Along with Muller's book, I would also recommend other works relating to cosmic bombardment: Victor Clube's The Cosmic Serpent and The Cosmic Winter, as well Mike Baillie's New Light on the Black Death.

THis is both a scientific and a detective novel. But then again, all science involves searching for the unknown or the missing. Luis Alvarez and his son are both cosmologists of that old school - those who both theorize and journey beyond the walls of academia.

It was an insight, something totally unforseen, that caused them to think of a "death star" that routinely visits the Earth bringing with it asteroids of death and destruction. This new knowledge along with all the evidence of other, non-Nemesis destructive events makes one suddenly aware of how precious and fragile is our existence. Through journeys to all parts of the globe, collecting samples, months of analysis, back to the field and back to the labs, writing, formulating....this was a task of momentous proportions.

Particularly difficult was the disclaim received when their theory was first proposed. The scientific community is a jealous one and those announcing new or revisionist views are rarely applauded and even less accepted. When other scientists joined the fray and computer simulations began agreeing with the theory, attitudes began to change. One particular problem was synthesizing the known extinctions with the alleged serial ones - and once this was done they were home free.

Because we cannot "see" a Nemesis star, this will always have to be based on strong, circumstancial evidence (periodic mass extinctions, the layers of irridium, the computer-generated hypothese). Great book and great writing.

Dr. Muller is my Physics professor here at U.C. Berkeley, and he is quite an exceptional man. This book reads very easy, often explaining the most complicated scientific ideas and theories in easy to understand ways. The accumulated knowledge that this book provides is almost as spectacular as the description of the journey through that knowledge. I did not buy this book, it was actually given to our class by Dr. Muller himself, but if you have even an inkling of interest in not only science, but also in exploration and discovery, then I would sincerely encourage you to try to find it, if not thru a used bookstore then perhaps at a local public library. It's a relatively short and quickly read work, and is well worth the time you put into it. I can't recommend it highly enough.

"Nemesis: The Death Star" is the story of a possible explanation for periodic comet and asteroid impacts on Earth and other members of the Solar System. In brief, Dr. Richard Muller of Cal-Berkley believes that our Sun may have an as yet undetermined companion star (remember, many stars are part of binary systems).

There are about 3,000 stars which meet the basic qualifications for our Sun's binary companion: visual magnitude of 7 to 12, probably a Red Dwarf, and probably between 1-3 light-years orbital distance from the Sun. The distances for the stars which could possibly be the Nemesis star have NOT been measured, though the stars themselves have been catalogued. This is a tedious, time-consuming and, unfortunately, not very pressing matter for most astronomers. Hence, despite the widespread debates on the Nemesis Theory over all these years, it still has been left unresolved, indeed, the basic scientific measurements have not been done (though Muller and others are re-starting the effort).

If our Sun has a Nemesis companion, then every few million years it would come into contact with our Solar System by impacting the Ort Cloud. The Ort Cloud is the outer halo of objects tied to our Sun and the Solar System, and includes comets and other fragmentary matter which often have long, elliptical orbits. The Ort Cloud extends out almost to a light-year, or some 50,000 AU (astronomical unit = 93 million miles, the distance from the Sun to Earth). By comparison, Pluto, the most distant planet, is only about 50 AU distant from the Sun.

Nemesis would alter the route of some of those objects, throwing them "inward" towards the Solar System and causing the cratering so visible on our Moon and the planet Mercury. These impacts are less visible on Earth (erosion, plate tectonics, continental changes) but we have several "smoking guns" coinciding with some well-known impacts from Earth's history, most noticeably the impacts at the time of the dinosaur extinction (Cretaceous, 65 million years ago) and The Great Dying (Permian-Triassic, 251 million years ago).

You can see updates on Muller's Nemesis Theory on his website, which also includes interesting essays on scientific topics of current interest, like terrorism and climate change. Lately, Muller's research has included models on the potential long-period stability of an assumed Nemesis orbit.

Muller's book goes into details on the various scientific methods they used to determine possible impact time-lines and the causes of extinction at the end of the Cretaceous Era. It is pretty easy reading, you do not need to be an expert on astronomy or physics to understand or enjoy the story (it reads like a novel, as other reviewers have noted) and Richard Muller is a very good storyteller.

The only negative is that the book is out-of-print and might be tough to come by. On the other hand, if the search for Nemesis pans out, I am sure Dr. Muller will do the long-awaited 2nd Edition of the book and it will be readily available.

No time to write much - twin 19 month-old boys will do that.
I've been to pompeii a number of times, worked on a dig there and have read many books about the town. This book weaves such a fascinating story using known facts and logical assumptions that, after finishing it, I picked it up and read it again.

These two authors, Mr. Butterworth and Dr. Laurence, have brought a great human story to life. Offering insights I found most mesmerizing. I especially liked some of the 'dirt', Nero's challenges, and many attempts to murdering his mother, Agrippina, his acting career, and an account of the burnign of Rome. Their description of the devastating earthquake and the all important water system and aquaducts. The suggestion of the importance of public arenas and games, not unlike modern societies. This is a great non-fiction read.

Mention Pompeii, we tend to think of the ruins of a Roman city, and the eerie plaster casts that were made of those who had perished, the echoes of their bodies found in the ashes. Many books have the hints that the ancient Romans had it coming, the eruption of the nearby Vesuvius being a sign of divine retribution for their decadent, pleasure loving lives, and it was a view point that many later Christian writers took up with glee. Most writers focus simply on the eruption, the efforts of the inhabitants to flee, and not much more.

But authors Alex Butterworth and Ray Laurence take on a very different approach. Instead of imposing modern stereotypes onto the story of Vesuvius and Pompeii, they take a far wider and much more intimate account of the story. The tale begins a few years before the earthquake that shattered the city in 62 ce, a catastrophic event that ruined or damaged many of the buildings, and caused many inhabitants to either be killed or flee to other parts of the Empire.

But a few stay, taking advantage of low land values, and a dramatic political shift and are determined to rebuild. After all, not only was Pompeii on what is now the Bay of Naples, but it was a major port and agricultural center as well. It is an ironic fact that volcanos produce soils rich in nutrients, perfect especially for the grapes that produced the sweet wines that the Romans were so fond of. And during the first century of the common era, many thought that Vesuvius was a dormant volcano. Even Spartacus with his slave army had camped in the crater during his rebellion.

All of this I had known before reading this book. What I discovered afterwards amazed me. For Pompeii had a powerful patroness, none other than Poppaea Sabina, the wife of Nero. Possibly born and raised in Pompeii, Poppaea maintained close ties to Pompeii and the graffiti that was found etched and painted on the surviving walls mention her many times. Indeed, the authors go into great detail about the women of Pompeii, from their business dealings, lives as slaves, wives and workers; all too often, Roman women seem to be skipped over in favour of their more martial, public husbands and sons.

Interspersed throughout the book are small fictional snippets about the actual people in Pompeii. They're not too long, tiny vignettes about ordinary people, whether they are politicians, an abused slave girl seeking sanctuary, a smallholding farmer, or an overseer on an estate. Each one is vividly written and I found myself wanting to know more about each person. It was these snippets that really caught my attention and they kept the narrative fresh and creative. Not that there was a problem with the longer sections -- the authors are wise enough to gear this towards the causal reader; the story flows well for covering nearly twenty years of political turmoil and natural disasters.

Throughout the book, we're given tantilizing hints of the world of Pompeii, from the glittering surroundings of the wealthy and powerful, to the grinding misery of the slaves, graffiti and slander scrawled on the walls -- the Romans were not prudish or shy about denigrating an opponent in public -- the use of frankly sexual art that would horrify most people today, and all of the little bits of a world that was lost on a late morning in August, in the year 79 ce.

It's a great read, and I happily recommend this one for anyone interested in ancient Rome. This was a book that kept me up late at night, moving smoothly between the stories, and knowing that inevitable doom was about to hit. One aspect that I really enjoyed was that the authors bothered to put Pompeii and its story within the larger context of the Roman world, and suddenly a lot of history and ideas of their world came into focus and began to make sense.

Two inserts of black and white and colour photos are included, along with three maps showing the Roman Empire with its provinces and cities, a map of the Bay of Naples and the area around Pompeii, and finally, one of Pompeii itself. Along with the narrative, there are acknowledgements, a bibliography and index, all of which serve to tempt the reader on further discoveries for themselves about Roman archaeology.

I happily recommend this one. It's a worthy addition to anyone's library, and especially those who find the Roman world a very interesting one indeed.

This book takes a very close look at the buried city of Pompeii, and the type of living that went on in it prior to, and at the time of, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. It goes into great detail, and even has some fictional episodes done in italics to give more of a flavor to the work. It tended to be a bit dry at times, which cost it that last star, in my estimation. On the other hand, you will learn a great deal that you didn't know about life in Pompeii, and by extension, other parts of the Roman Empire during and shortly after the time of Nero.

This book brings Pompeii alive in way that I've only seen before in well made TV documentaries. The authors bring a depth of scholarship and imagination to this book that makes it easy to read and enjoyable. They have bought together many strands of information that has for many years languished in dusty Italian archives or only been published in Italian in obscure technical books.

This book only really covers the last 20 or so years of the cities life. It interspaces imaginative reconstructions of people's lives with the factual information on what people in the city would have lived with. We get a good overview of the reign of Nero and the impact he had on the city. (He has a deserved reputation for madness if this book is anything to go by) It also covers the great earthquake in AD63 and the impact it had on the city in the years leading up to its final destruction in AD79.

If you have any interest in Pompeii then this is a book you should read. It brings the Roman world alive. You have a distinct feeling that Pompeii was a complex city, in many ways like modern cities with its infrastructure needs - though distinctly different in its political processes and its reliance on the mass of slaves to keep things running. All said, this is a good read and if you know nothing of ancient Rome or Pompeii a good, and lively, introduction to both.

As with all Rumis poetry and Coleman Barks translations this is a goose bump inducing beauty. I love Rumi and this is no exception.

This has been my favorite book for years - it can transport the reader straight into the world of soul. rumi is the best and i love these translations. perfect, definately worth having even for people who are not-so-much-into poetry

Rumi needs no praise from me and Barks' translation is beautiful, mysterious, and urgent. I find his introductions to the many sections especially moving. My only problem is that I ordered the book after I bought Barks' "The Essential Rumi," which changed me. This book has many overlaps. I'd have preferred to see more original translations, but as a first introduction, you can do no better.

Coleman Barks once again translates the words of Rumi with respect, good nature, a bit of humor, and a deep understanding of this 13th century mystic and poet. A renowned poet and something of a mystic himself, Coleman Barks leads us through his book as a constant and caring companion. He begins each chapter with his own touching stories, guidance, and expert explanations for the material he lays out. One simply cannot come away from this book without having some sincere appreciation for the devotion and dedication Coleman Barks has for another poet's words.

In "Rumi: The Book Of Love: poems of ecstasy and longing", we are led deep into the regions of the soul, where love is both Universal and Divine. It is a love that beckons us to shed our own image and concepts of ourselves, in exchange for a love that is so vast and joyful, its eloquence can only be experienced rather than explained.

How can we know the divine qualities from within? If we only know through metaphors, It's like when children ask what sex feels like and you answer, "Like candy, so sweet." (88)

Rumi seems to realize mankind is comprised of many faiths, and he mentions many of them with dignity and respect. Yet Rumi's own experience takes him beyond religion, even his own. He often exchanges the word "God" with "Friend", and refers to himself and others who have achieved his enlightened state as "Lovers".

Rumi's words and sublime wisdom ring true for us, as he shares his knowledge of the God-Friend in a both Universal and personal message. We are extremely fortunate to have the poetry of this selfless and compassionate mystic reach us through the fragile, and often forgetful, span of time. Because through Rumi's poetry, we seem to hear our own soul's call and longing to gently open like a beautiful and fragrant flower, and laugh with a tender and colorful sweetness.

There is some kiss we want with our whole lives,
the touch of spirit on the body (33)

Brian Douthit
Author Of Perfectly Said: when words become art

How can I put into words the absolute wordless dimension this collection of poems creates within me?

The commentaries and introduction sections by Coleman Barks are valuable as well beyond words.

The reader would gain insights simply by picking it up and thumbing to any page and just read, read! My daughter and I tried this, we would bring up topics and then say "And what does Rumi say?" and I would read whatever the first words were that I saw in front of me.

They were always universally fitting.

I loved it, just like I love this book.

Wordless, speechless, love-filled - inspired.

If you want to send cards that will NEVER be thrown away, try these easy to follow steps. Great ideas with many that can be used in scrapbooking.
Have a good day!

Just purchased this book and found it a complete joy. There's step by step directions and photos to help you. At the beginning of each card the book lists the supplies you will need to complete each project. This book is AWESOME * * * * * So easy to use and fun too * * * * *

This book presents a lot of creative ideas and techniques that are easy to follow. The designs are refreshing many looking more complex than they actually are. My son, (age 11), tried his hand at a card too so giving me the time to complete mine! This book is a definite must-have for card makers, scrapbookers and papercrafters alike.

There is a good balance of card projects in this book.

The designs and instructions are easy to follow and supported by great step by step photos that clearly illustrate what the text says. The majority of the cards are easily achievable and some cards, such as the hidden message and pocket present, would be ideal for mass-producing for party invites, birth aanouncement etc.

Sue Nicholson starts off with a section that explores basic tools, supplies, tips and short cuts. This is extremely informative and easy to read.

She includes projects from beginner level through to the more advanced. Having said that the construction of the majority of designs is straightforward, so just follow the steps and prepare to be amazed at what you can produce!

The card decoration includes stamping, stickers, photos and ready made embellishments. All main cards have variations and some of Sue's "try this" ideas are inspirational.

There is a clean, bright airy feel to the layout of the book and this reflects Sues style.

Finally, a particulary innovative idea has been to include a Kids Korner. Great for help to adapt the designs for kids of all ages. A great benefit for parents of crafty children!

Recommended for card crafters that are looking for enjoyable, fun projects as a move away from a basic side folding card.

I was given this by my long suffering husband as an early Christmas gift so I could use it when creating my special Christmas cards!

This is an EXCELLENT book. All the ideas are great, and the cards really lovely to look at. There are lots of ideas to adapt the cards and even younger children can do some of the designs with good results.

And I had a query, contacted Sue, (her em address is in the book), and she got back to me in 48 hours with her suggestion! WOW! I have since made several Christmas starburst cards and received lots of compliments.

First-rate! A must!

Thank You for the Flowers is a rare book-- a single author collection without a single wasted page --- Scott's voice varies enough from tale to tale to avoid the reader being about to get a firm grasp on his world view --- no way of telling what's coming from second guessing him.

The mood of the stories shifts as well, from disquieting glimpses into aspects of human behavior to straight up fantastic with an odd not-ammoral twist . . . Scott is not precisely a moralist --- He does have opinions about right and wrong, good and evil --- while the reader may not always agree with his opinion the integrity of his fiction is such that you go along for the ride.

One of the stories in this volume is on my list of best stories I've ever read ---- several of them are worth the price of the book.

This is Scott's first book --- I suspect that collectors should grab it now ---

The only short story collection where each story shines. From touching your heart in The Vampire Shortstop, to chills and thrills, this is by far the best collection of stories I have ever read.

In this collection of 13 chilling stories by Scott Nicholson, you will not be disappointed if you have an appreciation of that tingly odd shiver that teases your spinal cord from time to time. In summary, here are the stories.

Haunted - One of my favorites, a story of who's-haunting-who?

The Vampire Shortstop - Probably my least favorite. I'm not a fan of humanized vampires or sports either. A young vampire boy just wants to play baseball.

Skin - Another favorite. Do donors haunt their parts?

Dead Air - Great story of a disc jockey's telephone relationship with a serial killer.

In The Heart Of November - A haunting relationship between two friends that crosses the border of the living.

The Three Dollar Corpse - A tale of prisoner's who sell the right to take corpses out from their camps in order to buy goods, and a revelation of who watches them.

Thirst - What, or Who, are the elements anyway?

Do You Know Me Yet? - The madness of a writer, and a bit of a dig at S. King.

Homecoming - Another of my favorites. A down to earth man is visited by the corpse of his son.

Kill Your Darlings - Not one of my favorites, another surrealistic writer's fantasy of his pages coming to life.

Metabolism - Not one of my favorites, a walk through insanity with a frail woman.

The Boy Who Saw Fire - Another story of what, or who, are the elements? Similar to Thirst.

Constitution - Another favorite. Loves crosses all boundaries, even death.

Afterwards - I listed this like it was a story, but it is not. It is Mr. Nicholson's tales of each of the 13 stories here, how he thought them up and where they were first published. Since I enjoyed his musings on his selection of tales, I included it as a story worth reading.

All in all, a fine collection of dreamy tales that are short and easily read, a worthwhile addition to your collection. Enjoy!

The one thing I came away from after reading these stories was, that Scott Nicholson is not confined to the horror genre: he can write solid pieces of fiction that I would suggest anyone read, even if they are not into horror.

Picks in this collection are the entire book; just read them all and enjoy.

Be sure to read the author 'after words' section at the end. There's some interesting info on where Nicholson got his ideas for these and what mags they were published in, for any writers out there.

5 STAR ESSENTIAL RATING. *****

Scott Nicholson, author of the very successful The Red Church, first began his career writing short stories. This short story collection assembles some of his quieter, more affecting pieces. And what a collection it is! You will not find a single story that rings false in this book.

Two of the best pieces, The Boy Who Saw Fire and Thirst, are two stories set in a strange mythology Nicholson has created. These stories explain the reasons behind rain and wind and the sunset/sunrise. They fully display Scott's great imagination and his skill with words.

There are also many ghost stories in this book. Haunted is a traditional haunted house story (every author needs to have one!) and The Three-Dollar Corpse is a strange ghost tale set in a concentration camp. Then, there is also In The Heart of November a very poignant and sad love story set around a ghost.

These are only some of the good pieces. The great ones are the ones we should talk about. First, there is Kill Your Darlings, a great little story that borders satire about writers and where they get their ideas. There is also The Vampire Shortstop, a great vampire tale about a little boy who just wants to play baseball. The ending will leave you all choked up.

The one story I enjoyed most was Dead Air, about a radio dj who receives calls from a murderer. The story is simple but the characters so likeable and the dialog so witty that I found myself grinning through the whole thing.

This is a great collection to have in your personal library. Every story has its own voice and style. Scott will surely become a great name in horror fiction, so you should grab his debut before they're all gone.