Owens Books

I just made Kitty Morse's Mint tea from her book Scent of Orange Blossoms. For years I have been digging and chopping away at a large patch of spearmint that takes over a section of my yard trying to get rid of it. Now after making Kitty's mint tea I am looking for another empty space to plant more. A simple infusion of fresh spearmint leaves, a little green tea and some sugar provided am amazing treat.

The Scent of Orange Blossoms is a lovingly assembled cook's tour of a regional cuisine that obviously has special meaning for the author. All eight of Kitty's cookbooks have been beautifully written and illustrated, but this one, with its mouthwatering recipes and pages of luscious photos by her husband Owen, is truly a feast for the senses.

I spent three wonderful years living in Morocco and although I learned many recipes from Moroccan neighbors and some from Kitty herself, I have found in her latest book new combinations of spices, fresh vegetables and meats that I can't wait to try. Most of the Sephardic families had left Morocco when I lived there in the seventies and most of their recipes had gone with them. Kitty's meticulous research with Danielle and the wonderful stories and letters that illustrate this tome make it as much a history book as a cook book.

More than anything else, at this time of great conflict and crisis in the world, The Scent of Orange Blossoms is a wonderful reminder of how Jews and Arabs can live (and cook) together in peace and harmony as they did for centuries in Morocco.

I must go now and begin preparing my preserved lemons (p. 20).

Salaam and shalom.

A celebration of Jewish cuisine that came from the interaction between Jews and Moslems in North Africa and Spain. When the author Kitty Morse led eating tours of Morocco, the highlight was a meal at the villa of retailer Danielle Mamane in Fez el Jdid. Both women have collaborated on this well designed and interesting book of recipes. I recommend it for its recipes, design, stories, and photographs. In addition to recipes, letters between mothers and their newly married daughters, and introductory stories, the authors list menu plans (with recipe page numbers) for the Jewish holidays, as well as the more Moroccan Jewish celebrations of La Mimouna (Pesach period), Hillula (visiting sages), and Kappara (pre-Yom Kippur). For Jewish weddings, there is the customary flan (t'faya). For Mimouna, the recommended recipes are Chicken with Orange Juice; Sephardic Mafleta pancakes; and couscous with raisin and onions confit. My favorite recipes include Walnuts with Pomegranate Seeds (which uses a heavy dose of orange blossom water); a cucumber with lemon salad; fish filets made in Fez style (with tomatoes, potatoes, and garlic); Fresh Fava Bean Soup with Cilantro for Passover; Chicken Couscous with Orange Blossom Water for Yom Kippur; Harira or Lentil and Chickpeas Soup (for Moslem Ramadan and Jewish Yom Kippur break-the-fasts); Meatballs in Onion Cinnamon Sauce, Chicken with Saffron and Ginger and Onions; and Honey Doughnuts for Hannukah. There are Fish Fillets a la Fassi (Fez style); Dafina Shabbat Stew (skhina); Chicken with Garbanzo Beans in Tetouan style; and Tangier style Potato Stew that uses preserved beef (kleehe). The Tagine of Beef uses carrot and turnips as well as cilantro, garlic, ginger, and tumeric. The Cornish Hens with Fresh Figs uses 12 figs and 12 threads of saffron; the Chicken with Onion and Tomatoes uses toasted almonds, ginger and eight threads of saffron. Preserved fruits, lemons, and kumquats play an important role in the cuisine. There is a recipe for Sephardic Shabbat Challa, and the Top of The Shelf spice that is often used; it includes a blending of cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, allspice, mace, salt and ginger. La Maguina, a vegetable and meat frittata, is sliced like meatloaf. Some unique soups and salads are a white and chard soup a la Tangiers; a fennel salad; a tomato and bell pepper salad with garlic, paprika and sugar; fava bean salad with cumin; and tomato with preserved lemons.

Excellent book for people who want to have a solid base of Moroccan cooking.
Finally recipes of our favorite foods with precise measurements.
AE

up your spine with this mystery evocative of Garcia Marquez and Hillerman rolled into one. Choctaw/Cherokee/Irish Vietnam vet Attis McCurtain is murdered; his friend Mundo Morales and his great uncle Luther know it immediately through vision and dreams. His brother Cole and father Hoey must find the body which authorities believe is still a living psycho on the lam.

As with his other novels, Owens tightly weaves many cultures to achieve a beautiful, funny and suspenseful story. If you're familiar with the mythological alter egos of Attis McCurtain and Diana Nemi it will take your breath away in its intricacy. A quick trip to read up on these two in Frazer's The Golden Bough will bring the story full circle, as manyNative American stories tend to be presented. This book has the sexiest octogenarian couple readers are ever likely to encounter along with surprise players from across cultures and times

up your spine with this mystery evocative of Garcia Marquez and Hillerman rolled into one. Choctaw/Cherokee/Irish Vietnam vet Attis McCurtain is murdered; his friend Mundo Morales and his great uncle Luther know it immediately through vision and dreams. His brother Cole and father Hoey must find the body which authorities believe is still a living psycho on the lam.

As with his other novels, Owens tightly weaves many cultures to achieve a beautiful, funny and suspenseful story. If you're familiar with the mythological alter egos of Attis McCurtain and Diana Nemi it will take your breath away in its intricacy. A quick trip to read up on these two in Frazer's The Golden Bough will bring the story full circle, as many Native American stories tend to be presented. This book has the sexiest octogenarian couple readers are ever likely to encounter along with surprise players from across cultures and times

"The Sharpest Sight" reads a little like a murder mystery and a little like a road trip book, though both descriptions fall woefully short of doing this book justice. This is a complex tale of self-discovery and psychic healing set amid a backdrop of Native American and Hispanic culture and history, with Viet Nam flashbacks, fumbling feds and some mildly graphic sex scenes to help keep the action moving forward. While the main characters are vividly drawn, and completely believable and sympathetic, for my money it was some of the secondary characters who made this book worthwhile. The bar owner, Jessard Deal, is particularly entertaining, especially as he disintegrates late in the book. Some of his dialogue is priceless. The same goes for some of the FBI agents, which take on absurd cariciature-like qualities late in the book. Louis Owens has a deft hand with subtle intrigue and the surreal qualities of truth and discovery, and is expert at creating an authentic sense of place and character.

The Sharpest Sight by Louis Owens is a mystery, a police procedural, a thriller, an exploration of identity, and magical realism all rolled up into one excellent novel. Sharpest Sight takes place in a [lightly fictionalized] Salinas Valley, California sometime near the end of the Vietnam War. Attis McCurtain, Vietnam vet and insane killer, has escaped from the state hospital and may or may not be dead. Mundo Morales, who is Mexican-American, Catholic, a Vietnam vet, a sheriff's deputy, and an old friend of Attis', and Cole McCurtain, who is Choctaw-Irish-American, and Attis' younger brother, must each try and unravel the mystery of Attis' disappearance. Mundo is aided by his duty to his buddy, his duty to his position in law enforcement, his love of his wife and child, and the ghost of his grandfather. Cole gets help from his dad Hoey, his Uncle Luther, a Choctaw elder and shaman, Old Lady Blue Wood, another elder and shaman, and his duty to his brother. The local crazed bartender, a twitchy Vietnam vet FBI agent, and the family of the girl Attis killed also play a major role. As the flooded river recedes towards dry river bed, all the characters converge towards a solution to the mystery and in some cases, a greater understanding of self. Potential readers unable to suspend disbelief in order to deal with ghostly grandfathers and magical Choctaw dirty tricks shouldn't even try to wade into this novel. For all others, I recommend that you dive into The Sharpest Sight and see where the flow takes you.

These are the Christmas stories that should be read and taught.

When you're a child, you'll sometimes take a personal treat and hide it away to nibble at in bits and pieces savoring every taste and saving what you can for later hoping to draw out the experience as long as you might. And so it is with "Strike the Harp!" This is a book best hidden away and read in small bits with every word and turn of phrase allowed to work its magic. Hardbitten colonels blink into the falling snow, wiseguy Micks angle for a better life, waitresses acquire orphans, and small boys peer between the ranks of toy soldiers at the hard truths beyond. Once again Parry has produced a quietly moving collection of stories that would melt a heart of ice. A masterful mix of Charles Dickens, O. Henry, and Jean Shepherd in equal measure this is a marvelous piece of work to be treasured and shared for years to come. In case I haven't made it perfectly clear, this is great work. If fine literature is food for the soul, Owen Parry is a master chef and the fortunate reader is in for a literary feast.

Owen Parry has the rare ability to transport his readers from their armchair to the very place about which he is writing. I swear that I could smell the coal furnaces and the oil lamps, feel the wind, and the cold seeping up through my boots as I read his marvelous story of Christmas in the coalfields of Pennsylvania. He has this wonderful capacity to paint word pictures on the page that is unequaled. Read on in this collection, and I'll bet you can hear the voices of an orphans' choir as they sing "O, Tannenbaum" in a garrison town along the Rhine. Get this book for yourself to enjoy -- and several more for your family and friends. It's a wonderful, heartwarming collection.

Two years after his perfect holiday gift of OUR SIMPLE GIFTS, a collection of Civil War Christmas stories, Owen Parry offers up another treasure in STRIKE THE HARP! Venturing beyond the historical period for which he is best known through his series of Civil War novels, with this new collection of Christmas tales Parry proves that he is adept at capturing the heart and soul of any era. Taking us from the late 1800s to the end of World War I, from the eve of the Great Depression and then into the grip of those desperate years, and finally to 1960, each story is a shimmering facet of a perfect gem. A gem that celebrates quiet victories of the heart wherein the strength of sorrow is harnessed to climb back into the light; that shouts with delight over the invincible spirit of the scamp; that gently eases a child along in his understanding of father and family.

Each story is complemented by an original poem and, given the lyricism of Parry's prose, it is no surprise that this superbly gifted writer has a talent for poetry also. STRIKE THE HARP! sings the soul of the Christmas season and is bound to fill you with wonder and joy.

I would strongly recommend this bio to anyone, especially those who are seeking to find the Jesus Christ of the Bible amongst His people in our day. This is a real testimony to the love and compassion of Jesus and the honestly and humility of His servant, Billy Branham. I was so touched by the Holy Ghost while reading this, and every part of me witnessed that this testimony of Christ is true indeed. You will be amazed, surprised, encouraged and richly blessed. I was trying to order more copies to give to friends and am a little disappointed that there is no stock at Amazon. Will keep looking and will find ;-). BTW, a lovely piece of writing Br. Owen.
Frank Naude

God bless you Bro Chris.

So nice of you to have informed me...!?

You're one of kind Brother.

In His' Love,

Brother Shane

Bible Truths For Believers
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bibletruths_forbelievers/

Read how God took a dirt poor boy and used him for a Divine purpose!!

This story is truly AMAZING and will move the reader from joy to tears as well as draw your soul to the Lord!!

Brother Owen did a wonderful job, God bless him for it!!

Do yourself a favor and get this book, it is a MUST read for ANYONE who loves God.

I can not say enough good things about it.

God bless you!

The add says you get all 5 books in the set for this price. It is a great deal. You will not find this bargain and quality anywhere else. I have read them and couldn't put them down till I was finished reading them.

This whole series has been wonderful to read!! They are great mysteries, and I love that they are based in real places. If you've been to the Tahoe area, you can see/remember exactly what Todd Borg is describing. He is a great writer, and I can't wait for the next in the series!!

Having read every one of the Owen Mckenna series, I looked forward to the publication of Tahoe Silence with great anticipation. I honestly think it is Todd Borg's best by far. He has taken the series to a new level of character development while keeping his wonderful plot line and Tahoe area descriptions that were extant in the previous novels. What really blew me away, however, was his depth of understanding of people with autism. He goes beyond just having knowledge and using it to fill gaps. He has a depth of understanding that is remarkable, and he makes the character come alive with this understanding. If you want to really get a feel for autism while reading a truly delightful mystery with action and a surprise ending, get this book!

As luck would have it, I happened to stumble upon a Todd Borg Owen McKenna mystery a few years ago. Once I cracked open the cover, I couldn't put the darn thing down until I read until the end! The following day, I was out purchasing the rest of the books in the series!
I now wait,salivating,for each new release date. I feel as if I've won the reading lottery!
Mr. Borg's writings are so amazingly realistic and beliveable. I find myself THERE helping Owen and Spot figure out who the bad guys are and what to do with them.
Mr Borg is so good, that after being immersed in one of his stories,I really believe-even much later- that there is a PI in Tahoe named Owen McKenna. I almost expect to run into Owen and Spot-the-Great-Dane as I run errands around town!
I admit to laughing out loud when Spot comes to life so vividly on each page with his doggy sighs and drools and other antics.
If you like Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone series, you will fall in love with Todd Borg's Owen McKenna with his trusty sidekick Spot the gorgeous Great Dane! (not to mention his hottie,enigmatic sweetie,Street and his rugged,cop-friend, Diamond Martinez)
The author's descriptions of the picturesque scenery of Tahoe is so clear it's almost like watching a movie.
I have hooked my family and friends on this author as well--ya gotta share a great thing!
My crime-mystery-loving Pop declares Mr Borg writes better than Tony Hillerman.
If you like mysteries,if you like action,if you like crime/cop stories, if you looove animals, if you love a good laugh, if you like books by Sue Grafton (Kinsey Millhone series -as mentioned above)OR Patricia Cornwell (Kay Scarpetta mysteries)OR Jonathan Kellerman(Alex Delaware mysteries)OR James Patterson(Alex Cross series)OR Kathy Reichs (Temperence Breneman series)...you just HAVE to take a chance on Todd Borg!!
He is the absolutely the BEST! You will NOT regret picking up a book by this author, I swear you will be hooked after the first few pages and be back for more Don't just read one, get 'em ALL!
Tahoe Silence is absolutely fantastic! I didn't let my 13 yr old son out of my sight for two weeks after I read this one,(much to his eternal scorn and dismay).
Each book from Mr Borg gets better and better. Descriptions of people and places are so crisp and concise and the characters are ones that endure and get better with each new book.
I appreciate that I can't figure out the plot until it's revealed. It is soo real, it is sooo thrilling!(plus,Owen McKenna is sooo HOT! lol!)
It is so UNLIKE all the cookie-cutter predictable crap that is published today, passing as books. All of the author's books are entertaining without being sappy or blah. You WILL be on the edge of your seat. I am impatiently waiting for the next book due out this summer.. woo-hoo!
So just do it! Buy this book, Tahoe Silence. In fact, buy ALL of the Owen McKenna Mysteries by Todd Borg. They are DEFINITELY worth the money you will spend. (heck,they are worth MUCH more than you will spend!)
You will enjoy an unforgettable adventure,I promise you will enjoy yourself and be back for more. I often reread all the books in the series and they never get stale or blah. Each is just as exciting at the 10th read as they are at the first!
This is some seriously satisfying entertainment of the highest caliber. I hope you find Mr Borg's books as refreshing and shivery-delicious as I have since I found 'em!
Happy reading!!

Todd Borg is the author of four previous mysteries with Owen McKenna (and his Great Dane, Spot). TAHOE DEATHFALL; TAHOE BLOWUP; TAHOE ICE GRAVE; and TAHOE KILLSHOT have garnered several awards and universal praise from the major review organizations in the United States, as well as the Library Journal. Todd Borg and his wife moved from Minnesota to Lake Tahoe after several vacations, where Todd writes his Owen McKenna/Spot mysteries and his wife is an artist. They think Lake Tahoe is sheer heaven.

When a mute, autistic 17-year old artist named Silence Ramirez is kidnaped with her popular brother, Charlie, who has always been her link to the outside world, the entire community of Lake Tahoe is on alert. Her mother, Marlette, enlists the help of Owen and Spot to find Silence, who begins sending artwork to communicate where she is being held. Even Owen's girlfriend, entomologist Street Casey, is called upon to examine Charlie's corpse for telltale signs of the murder. After interviewing almost everyone who ever came into contact with Silence, the top suspects are a motorcycle gang, who call upon Owen to proclaim their innocence. But the Aztec sign left on Charlie's forehead push them to the top of the list of suspects:

"Gomez reached out and handed me a card. It had a phone number printed on it. Nothing more. 'That is my private cell number. When you need help, reinforcements, men for a stake-out or even, possibly, some intimidation services, give me a call. There are no strings attached. My men wish to serve. I wish to serve.'

'And you want me to put in a good word about you to the authorities.'"

To the fan, Owen McKenna and his dog, Spot, and girlfriend, Street, are like good friends. They are high achievers who have their wounds. They do what they do for all the right reasons, and when they flail, the reader flails along with them. Borg's ability to draw the reader in to his stories is amazing. His plots are so seamless that the reader can't put the book down once engaged. His writing is clear and concise, and his characters are poignant and skillfully conceived. TAHOE SILENCE is particularly engaging with his study of autistic children. His experts give the reader a sliver of a view into what it must be like to be autistic, and it is heartbreaking. McKenna's depiction of "bad" bikers is also awesome. Another great read!!

Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was so real and heartfelt. It made me appreciate everyday of life and family.

This book is well written and easy for all ages to read. Very inspiring story to live life to the fullest and to love the special people in your life.

This is a very inspiring story of a young woman who lived a life full of joy and happiness despite a lifetime of serious chronic health problems. This book will be a source of encouragement to anyone facing any type of seemingly impossible or overwhelming situation. Tara is an example of how one can experience joy in their life despite troublesome circumstances, through faith in Jesus Christ.

This book takes you on an amazing tale of a young girls struggle to remain strong and dream big. Her life is a celebration of strength and love.

To the Limit of Endurance: A Battalion of Marines in the Great War by Peter F. Owen was a fascinating look at the tactical level of World War I. The only other book on World War I that I have previously read that focused on the challenges of tactical leadership was Erwin Rommel's Infantry Attacks. (Most books seem to either talk about generals or the actual foot soldiers.) But Field Marshal Rommel's memoir of his exploits in World War I was not a critical analysis of the German Army's doctrines or its ability to execute those doctrines.

LtCol Owen recounts the tale of the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, a unit he would later serve in, from its formation in 1917 through the end of the war. He insists upon using the original unique numerical designations for the rifle companies of the battalion rather than the alphabetical letter designations imposed by the U.S. Army and later permanently adopted by the Marine Corps.

Owen gives the reader thumbnail biographies of many of the key personalities that made 2/6 Marines the unit that it was. He discusses the equipment and organization of the battalion. He also discusses the training and doctrine imposed upon the battalion--and how that training and doctrine measured up to the stress of actual combat. It should be no surprise that the doctrine had to be modified in light of the lessons learned on the field of battle. Owen contends that the battalion probably represented about the best that the U.S. Army or Marines could field at the time that they were committed. And they were found wanting.

It almost goes without saying that the casualties suffered by the battalion were simply appalling. The tidbit about units holding back 20% of their troops before an attack so that it would be easier to rebuild the units was very informative (if grim). In addition to the "normal" hazards of the Western Front battlefield (fortified machine gun nests, gas attacks, etc.), the men of 2/6 Marines were also to suffer from the inexperience of their leaders and their staffs--from the platoon commanders all the way up to the corps command level. What struck me was, as in World War II, the American war machine quickly absorbed lessons and applied them. When you look at the time period of March to November of 1918, the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) learned its craft in a relatively short amount of time. I speak in particular here of the arts of logistics and coordinating tank and artillery support.

What was also striking was how Army and Marine officers were interchanged. This dismayed the Marines of course, but the exigencies of the situation resulted in an intermixing of officer assignments that probably is rare even in our present ground forces--and certainly almost unheard of in the Second World War and Korea.

And the most compelling thing about this book to me was the author's candor. All too often (in my view), the Marines tend to whitewash unsavory parts of their history. And as Harry Truman observed, their propaganda arm is as good at Joe Stalin's. But Owen is not hesitant to expose examples of poor judgment and sometimes outright incompetence on the part of 2/6's leaders. This is after all, a critical assessment of the performance of the battalion in the Great War. And he does not trumpet the battle at Belleau Wood as an unvarnished success.

This book is an imminently readable and informative book about one battalion's part in the Great War. And it hopefully also gives the reader a look into the problems faced by probably every American rifle battalion that fought in that conflict. Any serious student of American involvement in World War One should look to add this work to his or her library.

An exceptional job by Lieutenant Colonel Pete Owen on his research and writing by masterfully piecing together first hand accounts of the Marines of all ranks that fought at Belleau Wood and Soissons. A well organized, simple read - but one that provides any military leader many lessons learned that can be applied to today's global war on terror and the battlefields of Iraq. Any reader who enjoys historical or military writing will enjoy and learn something from this book. LtCol Pete Owen provides interesting facts and military traditions of that era that are probably not known by many current military personnel. This book makes the perfect gift for any newly promoted NCO or recent academy school graduate and has become a definite addition to my PME library. Highly recommended and congratulations to LtCol Pete Owen on a job well done. Semper Fi Mac.

LtCol Peter Owen's book is a must for your PME collection as well as for anyone who likes to read about units of the Great War. Owen's book focuses on the 2/6 Marines which was part of the AEF's 2nd Division during WWI. Owen brilliantly tells the story about how the unit was a mixture of career Marines and men who joined up after the US declared war in 1917. Along with describing the personalities of the 2/6, Owen focuses on the operational effectiveness of the unit from its inception and how loses in combat negatively effected the performance of the unit. Owen also shows how the lack of training and poor doctrine was coupled with poor leadership decisions that led to very costly battles for the battalion. The book is easy to read and the chapters are well structured so the reader clearly understands the story Owen is relating to them. I plan to give this book to my friend who is going to USMC Command and Staff college!

COL Owen(USMC)'s latest effort is a must read for all those interested in the United States in World War I particularly the US Marine Corps readers.

Expanding on his excellent work annotating a previous Marine Corps WW1 effort published by Texas A&M University Press, COL Owen's smooth writing style combined with exhaustive primary and secondary documentation research, makes for an "easy" read detailing the 2nd Battalion's grim and bloody campaigns during WW1 as part of one of the Marine Brigades attached to the U.S. Army's 2nd U.S. Infantry Division 'Indianheads" .."2nd to None!" The officers, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted men of the 2nd Battalion fought in most of the major battles of the last year of the war and its casualty rosters reflect the butcher's toll. Many of the veterans of these battles played major roles in future Marine Corps efforts in Nicauragua(sp?), Haiti, World War 2 storming the beaches of the South Pacific and the Korean War.

The book contains the all-important maps for military history, an extensive bibliography/associated footnotes, and index as well as photographs.

A highly recommended effort worth adding to one's WW1 library and USMC histories.

I really liked this book, how could i not? It's Shakespeare. I liked Twelfth Night also because it doesn't end with happiness and laughter like most comedies, it ends with the fool's sad song. very good.

This is a wonderful adaptation of one of Shakespeare's lighter works... Richly detailed artwork accompanies a brisk, skillful prose adaptation of this broad farce of mistaken identity and misplaced love... An ideal entry point for younger readers, one of several fine adaptations by Bruce Coville.

I love the stories that Bruce Coville writes, and was browsing some other books of his, when I saw that he had retold some of Shakespeare's plays for children. I first bought Romeo and Juliet, and have been buying them all as they come out. What a great way for kids (and adults) to learn about Shakespeare's plays! The illustrations are appropriate to the plays, and beautifully done. Twelfth Night, like the others, is well written and easy to read, and includes quotes from the play. I enjoyed this version of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.

Originally written by William Shakespeare and retold by Bruce Coville, Twelfth Night is a wonderful book. Coville really captures the Shakespearean feel of the original in this delightful picture book. The story revolves around a young woman named Viola. The story begins as Viola finds herself in an unfamiliar land with no means of food or shelter. To survive in this new place she dresses as a man to go and work for the duke of the land, Orsino. It is not long before Viola develops strong feelings for the kind duke. However, Orsino is already infatuated with Lady Olivia. Orsino sends Viola to Lady Olivia to deliver his letters professing his love to her. Upon meeting the gentle messenger Olivia falls in love with her. Little does anyone know that the messenger is indeed a woman! It is all a crazy mess that is both comical and entertaining. Anyone looking for quality entertainment could find it in this great book.

In this book, M. Owen Lee grapples with the issue of whether we can (and should) enjoy Wagner's art, in the knowledge of Wagner's notorious flaws (such as his fiery anti-semitism, etc.) Drawing from classical Greek mythology, Mr. Lee discusses how it is common for great artists to have flawed personal lives, and that the value of the artwork should therefore be judged independently of its creator. Indeed, the artist creates his art as an act of self-healing. He therefore encourages the enjoyment of the music of Richard Wagner. (Yep, the Wagnerholics of the world can now listen without guilt. :-)

A lot of the material is taken from the book, "Aspects of Wagner", which M. Owen Lee acknowledges as a source. Since I had read these books back-to-back, the repetition of material was easy to see.

There is also a discussion of the opera "Tannhauser", which is discussed in about the same level of detail as his commentaries on the Ring.

Although this book consists of merely three lectures, and can be finished off in about 2 or 3 hours without difficulty, it has as much fresh insight as many other titles that take much longer to study. The first lecture exploring the influence of classic Greek mythology and cultural recognition through artistic expression - ie roughly how the Greek society established itself through artistic endeavour - gives the reader a pretty clear idea what Wagner was trying to accomplish for Germany through his music dramas, and also confirms a pretty outlandish level of self-confidence to even make such an attempt. The second lecture has some material which has already been covered in other books - notably Aspects of Wagner by Magee - but is still interesting. The final lecture with a detailed study of Tannhauser is excellent, the most interesting commentary on this opera I have read to date. The choice of Wassily Kandinsky's Die Nacht, inspired by Act II of Tristan und Isolde, for the front cover was very appropriate. Strongly recommended.

Father M. Owen Lee, who is known for his erudite commentaries on Metropolitan Opera broadcasts has recently published another book about the Wagner's Ring Cycle, called "Athena Sings. Wagner and the Greeks." Father Lee is a Classics scholar, so it should be no surprise that the Greeks also inhabit "Wagner: The Terrible Man and His Truthful Art." One of the chief characters that Wagner is compared to in this slender book is Philoctetes, who was given a great gift by the god Apollo, but was also maimed with an incurable wound.

The three essays that make up this book were written to be given during the 1998 Larkin-Stuart lectures at the University of Toronto. These lectures are devoted to religious and ethical concerns, and Father Lee took the opportunity to examine the relationship of the artist, Wagner to his art.

The first lecture, "Wagner and the Wound That Would Not Heal" tells the story of Philoctetes, who was shunned by his fellow soldiers because of his unhealing wound. Finally, they exiled him on an island on their way to conquer Troy. In their tenth year of war, after the death of Achilles, the Greeks heard a prophecy "that the city would never be taken unless the wounded Philoctetes was brought to Troy with his bow (the gift from Apollo)." The Greeks sailed back to the island where they had abandoned Philoctetes and persuade the wounded, bitter man to use his gift to help them.

Father Owen is not a Wagner apologist, but he asks us to recognize our debt to the "hateful, wounded man [we] are in need of"---he whose music can penetrate deeply into our psyche and bring us, if not peace, then at least self-knowledge.

The second lecture, "Wagner's Influence: The First Hundred Years" discusses the effect that Wagner exercised, for good and ill, on music, art, literature, politics, and psychology. The author quotes philosopher Bryan Magee as being able to say: "Wagner has had a greater influence than any other single artist on the culture of our age."

Of course, the worm at the core of this lecture is Wagner's "unquestioned influence on Adolf Hitler." There are still people who won't listen to Wagner's music, and Father Lee acknowledges this artist's blatant anti-Semitism: "He probably wreaked more havoc on himself with his essay 'Judaism in Music' than with anything else he wrote." A hundred years later, Goebbels was able to use it as vicious propaganda.

Can we acknowledge this hateful, wounded man and still be pierced by the beauty of his music? The author goes on to quote Leonard Bernstein's article in the 'New York Times,' entitled "Wagner's Music isn't Racist:"

"...And if Wagner wrote great music, as I think he did, why should we not embrace it fully and be nourished by it?"

The third and last lecture that completes this book is entitled, "You Use Works of Art to See Your Soul." Father Owen Lee concentrates on Wagner's early opera, "Tannhäuser" to prove his point, with help from authors such as Baudelaire and Goethe. He is even tempted to wonder if Wagner had Martin Luther in mind when he created his tormented young hero, "who was gifted in song, clashed with the Pope, sought refuge in the Wartburg, defied the society he knew, and profoundly changed it."

Or perhaps, Wagner was thinking of Wagner.

These essays have convinced this reviewer at least, that a seriously flawed human being can produce indispensable, undying, truthful art.

M. Owen Lee is perhaps best known to opera lovers through his appearances on the Texaco Opera broadcasts, some of which have formed the core of two of his previous books. In his latest book, Father Lee demonstrates the personally committed criticism which is characteristic of his radio lectures. This is no mere apologia for Wagner. The author is painfully aware of Wagner's human failings, not merely the oft-discussed anti-Semitism, and he is troubled by the fact that the music of such a monster could move him so deeply. This book gives us a wonderful insight into the author's soul as he grapples with this question. I especially enjoyed the discussion of "Tannheuser" in the final chapter. (A few years ago I wrote to him about his love of Wagner, and he cared enough to write me a detailed letter in response--another sign of his genuine commitment to the subject). This book tells us not only about Wagner but also about the author himself, who has a unique capability of engaging the reader in a genuine dialogue.

it's an awesome book for everyone; those who are interesting in architecture and for those who don't know they are. after reading that book and looking at the awesome photographs, you will be :) great for your book shelf.

GREATEST BUILDINGS lends itself to both private reflections and public discussion. It appeals to almost anyone interested in the subject of buildings or architecture from a historical, engineering or aesthetic perspective. The color photographs and structural renderings are detailed and wonderfully realized. Each building is covered in two pages with a background of sort along with any unique engineering or structural problem that was involved. The selections are a good cross-section of cultures.

I have yet to see someone pick this up without perusing and making a comment or two. Color, extra long, thick paper.

This book covers 100 great buildings, giving each one two pages and a few images. There are all the obvious choices for great structures--the Great Wall, the Empire State Building, Versaille, etc. What I enjoyed the most was filling in the cultural gaps in my knowledge: 26 of the 100 structures/buildings were unfamiliar to me. I felt much more informed, and several of these places I plan to do a bit of research on, such as Krak des Chevaliers and Van Eetvelde House. I also enjoyed recognizing each of the 74 structures I was familar with and learning a bit more about some of these familar places as well. The book provides a quick list of key facts such as builder, date, style, material, etc. that makes this a handy book to have around for reference. The pictures are beautifully presented, but due to having only two pages, there are so few of them that I kept longing to go and reread other books or material on the great buildings that I loved, such as Fallingwater or the Alhambra. This is a good read that may inspire you to look for more detailed information on the buildings you find especially interesting.

This book is indeed a masterpiece and it is great for someone who is studying to be an engineer or is interested in architecture. It is fantastic and has everything from the Lovely Louvre to the palace at Petra, from the Great Golden Gate to the construction of the Chrysler. It shows fine examples of art deco, modern, classical, Greek, Islamic etc. architectural wonders. It not only explains and shows the construction of these great buildings, but for certain buildings it also shows their plan, it's legends, along with information about who built it, why did they build it, whom did it build it for, when was it built, and where it is. It also has sections showing the greatest styles of architecture ever used along with a series of historic sites in the world. All in all this is a fantastic and very useful guide to the masterpieces of Architecture and Engineering.