Owens Books

Green has done an excellent job with Deathstalker Returns. My only real regret is that I started the Deathstalker series with the second to last book... Oh well - what a way to start! This book has it all, political intrigue, action, adventure, amazing science fiction, a love triangle - and weaving it all together with vivid and intriguing characters struggling through a plot which is as intriguing and entertaining as it is outrageous and outlandish at times.

I definitely would not call this hard science fiction, it's more like fun science fiction. Its been placed in the "space opera" category by some, and I think rightly so. It definitely concerns itself with grand themes and a plot concerning the existence of the human race and the known universe.

I truly did enjoy Green's characters, which were reminiscent of the bands put together in many a fantasy adventure. But they are vivid and fun, and he does an excellent job of revealing the intricacies of who they are, as well as exploring how being banded together and adventuring together changes them.

My only true complaint is the suddenness of the end. There really is not much of a conclusion at all. There is a slight climax, but throughout the book Green has been setting up conflict coming from so many different varied angles that there is no way he could wrap all the strings up in one book - so he settles for about four. Not bad - but the last line is a cliff-hanger. Completely frustrating if you don't have the last book!

I do recommend this book, but I strongly advise anyone interested in reading it to try and start at the beginning of the series and not with this book.

I have read many of Simon R. Green's novels, including Blue Moon Rising, The Hawk and Fisher Novels, the first four or five Deathstalker books, and the Nightside Novels, so as you can see, I love Green's writing as much as the next guy. Usually his characters are awesome and his style is fast-paced and funny. Unfortunately, I was disappointed for the first time with Deathstalker Return- not because of the characters or the style, but because of the boring plot. Yes, I said it, the plot was boring. Now for many of you who have read Green's other books, you might be skeptical about this review, especially considering the other rave reviews on this site. How can Green, who has written so many interesting and fast-paced novels, have written one that's boring? Well, for one, the story never progresses. All of the characters are strong and interesting, but they never DO anything interesting. Most of the novel consists of the five main characters searching planet after planet for information about Owen. They get into a few fights, but nothing extraordinary. And the characters do evolve a bit, but not enough to change the ending. The book is frustrating to say the least. So, all in all, I won't tell you not to read the book. Maybe I'm wrong and everyone (other than me) will like it, but if you get half-way through and are bored of the slow plot and lack of action, don't waste your time by finishing it, because the second half is just as bad as the first.

Simon Green's Deathtalker series gets better with every book. It is never predictable, never boring, and always action packed. It is a fun series and there is no other one like it. I only wish more people would pick this up and read it so Simon never stops writing Deathstalker novels. The universe they take place in is like no other universe in any other books.

It might seem as though I am overhyping this book and this series, and I might be, but I feel like I can't say enough how much I have enjoyed this series.

This latest installment explains things from earlier books that weren't answered (things I had forgotten I once asked because so much is going on) and opens new questions as well (including a major one at the end). The twist at the end I never saw coming. Anyways, if you liked and have read the rest of the series, BUY THIS, it only gets better.

Two hundred years have passed since Owen Deathstalker and his companions overthrew a corrupt Empire and saved humanity from the seemingly insurmountable threat of the Recreated. Owen Deathstalker, Hazel D'Ark, Jack Random, Ruby Journey - they are just legends now, the details of their exploits removed from the historical record because the new king and queen thought that the people would be more inspired by legend than a history that revealed their human weaknesses. Thanks to Owen, the Empire did indeed enter into a Golden Age, the enemies of Humanity either defeated or incorporated as newly established allies. Now that great era of peace and interspecies cooperation is falling apart, eaten away from within by a power-hungry former enforcer of justice and threatened from without by the prophesied arrival of the Terror. Owen Deathstalker warned of the coming danger in his final message, and now everyone in the Empire looks to him to return and save the day once again, for legend decrees that he alone can defeat the apocalyptic menace of the Terror.

Owen Deathstalker's story was told over the course of five incredibly exciting novels. Deathstalker Legacy took up the story two hundred years later, introducing us to a new Deathstalker in Lewis, a noble Paragon who was named King Douglas' Champion and then branded a traitor when he ran off with the king's intended bride Jesamine Flowers. Outlawed just like his famous predecessor, Lewis eventually teamed up with a most unusual team of individuals and set off to find - he hoped - the blessed Owen Deathstalker. The new gang of heroes does not even begin to compare with the legendary heroes of the past. Lewis is yet to prove himself a true Deathstalker in my eyes; his great love Jesamine Flowers is a spoiled and shallow diva who goes on and on about the comforts she has given up for her love of Lewis; Brett Random, who claims to be descended from both Jack Random and Ruby Journey (although no one believes it but him) is an insult to the very name of Random, a sniveling con man and complainer who deals with every danger by running away from it; Rose Constantine is a bloodthirsty killer from the Arenas who keeps trying to be human - usually failing miserably at it; and Saturday is a giant reptiloid alien who comes along just to kill as many people as possible.

Then there's the traitorous, power-hungry villain, Finn Durandal. Empress Lionstone was a worthy opponent, the kind of evil dictator you could at least respect for her calculating inhumanity. Durandal is just a closet sociopath who betrayed everything he used to be as a noble Paragon in order to scheme his way to power, triggered mainly by the jealousy he felt when Lewis Deathstalker was chosen over him as King Douglas' Champion. Durandal is a great schemer, a far-thinking man who manages to exploit both friends and enemies for his own purposes, but he's really just an extremely petty man whose path to power is just ridiculously easy given all of the infamous deeds he goes about doing.

Deathstalker Return is in some ways a return trip down memory lane. Lewis Deathstalker and his ill-sorted allies retrace much of the path followed by the legendary Owen himself, stopping off on Lachrymose Christi and Shandrakor before proceeding to Haden, the home of the Madness Maze which gave Owen Deathstalker and his companions the superhuman powers that helped them become the venerated saviors of humanity. The trip to Haden isn't always that enjoyable; the constant bickering back and forth between our new heroes falls far short of recapturing the sort of give and take that made earlier Deathstalker novels so entertaining. Everything that worked so well for Simon R. Green in the past really rings hollow now. Green seemingly needs Owen Deathstalker to return just as badly as the crumbling Empire does - in Owen mode, Green's story immediately transforms itself into the captivating space opera that made me such a huge Deathstalker fan to begin with.

One thing Green never fails to deliver is a litany of shocking surprises. You have to wait a little longer than usual this time around, but Deathstalker Return has a host of monkey wrenches to throw into the inner workings of the ongoing Deathstalker saga, including a final revelation that will have fans waiting with baited breath for the next installment in this incredible series.

You don't necessarily need to read the first five volumes of the life and times of Owen Deathstalker (Deathstalker, Deathstalker Rebellion, Deathstalker War, Deathstalker Honor, and Deathstalker Destiny) in order to enjoy this novel (although you will miss out on a lot without the background those novels provide), but you will certainly want to read Deathstalker Legacy before immersing yourself in the complex plot of Deathstalker Return. There is just too much going on here for you to jump in unprepared.

this book was definitely one of the best books that Simon R. Green has written - you really begin to sympathize with all the good characters and hate the bad ones. it's really a great read - it took about 3 hours for me to finish it, i was so engrossed. the ending especially, it was the most brilliant ending i have ever read, i can't wait until the next one comes out!

It is one of the most comprehensive and exhaustive IR books a proffesional, academic or student, can have. I recommend it without any doubt.

Not to bad. It's a bit difficult to follow, but goes into pretty good detail.

This book helped me understand my initial international relations module at college. It is concise, informative and provides detailed analysis of key issues, and sets out typologies on how best to understand international issues.

The organization of the work is excellent and many of the chapters (including those written by John Baylis) were clear, concise, and easy for a graduate class to follow. Unfortunately, other selections in the work are diffuse, rambling, or awkwardly-written. Moreover, despite an attempt to provide a balanced perspective on whether globalization is actually occurring, the work tends to support the globalization argument without providing strong evidence. Baylis' brilliant initial chapter actually presents a plausible case against globalization. Finally, despite the importance of nationalist and religious-based ideologies in motivating transnational behavior, these concepts receive less coverage than, for example, feminist theories. I had to construct an entire unit on Christian and Islamic principles of transnational relations from supplementary materials. Although I might assign Baylis' first chapter as required reading, the quality of the writing in the remaining 400+ pages is too inconsistent to be a good text.

Thoughtfully broken down into readable chapters by Baylis & Smith's cohorts at the University in Aberystwyth, this book will provide an excellent introduction to traditional perspectives on International Relations as well as more contemporary issues. It will remain especially useful for Social Science students due to its combination of clear and simple structure including key points, discussion/writing questions at the end of each chapter as well as useful bibligraphic suggestions for further reading. The only shortcoming is that it needs to be revised to include a more thorough analysis of recent events such as the anti-WTO movement and issues surrounding nation-building and failed states; updates that, I presume, are coming in the next edition. Overall, an extremely useful book.

I used this years ago in college and just got it off the shelf as I prepare to take up Homeric Greek again for fun.

This was a great help when I first needed it for both 'Odyssey' and 'Iliad' readings. I can certainly agree with those who want principal parts and more definitions, but that's why you also need Liddell and Scott's or Cunliffe's 'Lexicon...' My sticking point is that nouns could've been given a definite article and a genitive ending, even so supplying them yourself (as I did) is a great exercise.

What is so nice about this book is the great number of words listed for you and especially its portability. Take it every where; use it any time!
What Owen and Goodspeed wanted to do is provide vocabulary as simply as possible. And they succeeded.

If you wish to read any language, vocabulary is necessary. The listing of words by frequency and parts of speech helps one to focus study time where it will bear the most fruit.

This wordlist is of inestimable value to all those few yet thrice-blessed who still learn to read Homer in Greek. By the time you finish it, you will have at least a nodding acquaintance with every word that appears ten times or more in the Iliad and Odyssey. That may indeed leave a trireme of unknown words, but trust me, knowing the most frequent ones makes it much easier to get the gist of a passage before running to the lexicon. If you are learning Homer from Pharr--as nearly everyone does--this is a good reference to consult to see which words in his chapter vocabularies are worth committing to your active memory. (I wish that Pharr had marked the words of infrequent occurrence. Wright should have done this in his "revision" but he didn't really revise Pharr much at all.)

There is only one shortcoming, though I do consider it a serious one: the list of verbs does not include principal parts, and the noun list does not give genders or stems. You could easily write in the article and genitive forms for the nouns, but good luck trying to fit the five remaining principal parts of a verb on the same line as its entry. So no matter how you solve this problem, you will still need to look up nearly every word. That's an onerous task to inflict on a beginner. With a class of students, though, I suppose the teacher could divide up the drudge-work.

The greatest obstacle to reading Homer in Greek is the sheer density of the vocabulary. That is to say, Homer's vocabulary is
enormous. As an attempt to help the student of Homeric Greek acquire a good grasp on Homer's vocabulary, this little book is useful yet not as useful as it could have been.

The book contains word lists covering words that occur up to ten times in the Iliad and Odyssey. Unfortunately, there are serious faults with the word lists. As one reviewer has already mentioned, the verbs give only the present indicative active; with a verb such as audao (to speak, say, utter (something)(to someone)), this is no problem, since the verb only appears in a few tenses in which context and form always guarantee one's recognition of it. However, there are countless verbs which undergo such dramatic changes in form from one tense to the next
that knowing the present indicative active alone is well-nigh useless. Thus, principal parts should have been provided for such words.

Also, there are many words whose meaning changes from one context to the next. The definitions provided for such words in the word lists are almost useless, since they only equip the reader with an understanding of them in certain contexts.

One last criticism: There are a number of words which really do not need to be included in these word lists. Words like kai, de, and alla are so common and so basic that only the most intellectually challenged of Greek students would need to practice them.

So the book is useful for the absolute beginner in Homeric Greek, but its defects become more and more obvious the more
one progresses in one's learning. It's a shame that no one has come up with a better alternative to these word lists. Personally, I would love to see a full vocabulary guide to Homeric Greek such as one can find for the vocabulary of the Greek New Testament, in which principal parts and variant meanings are included, and in which all of Homer's vocabulary is covered down to those pesky hapax legomena (words used only once).

I will disagree with the reviewers that fault Owen & Goodspeed for the lack of principle parts and alternate definitions; for me, the strength of this little volume was the ability to carry it tucked in a pocket and quickly drill vocabulary when I had a few minutes. Anyone reading Homer should have a good lexicon and use that for examining meanings and forms; if you memorize the contents of Owen & Goodspeed, you'll be able to quickly identify words and, if necessary, look them up for other meanings or unusual forms.

when ever i have to draw, i always take this book out. its so helpful its amazing

We purchased this for our daughter who is taking an art class. She liked having a variety of figures and body parts to study.

From a parents' perspective, most of the drawings were done in a manner that wasn't too explicit. There are a few that we would have preferred not having in the book, but generally most of depictions were appropriate for a high school art student.

Clear drawings, well-written, relatively simple text, easy to follow.
Especially good for beginners in anatomy to augment Hale/Richer's Artistic
Anatomy (the text of which is more complex and harder to follow) and,
for ecorche, Goldfinger's Human Anatomy for Artists.

A great book, lots of example and views about adult human.
i used it for 3d work.

I teach figure drawing and this guide has been most helpful. Great visual learning guide to the human body and excellent illustrations including baby, and old guy. I use this book more than any other.

Candace Robb has read and researched medieval history for many years, having studied for a Ph.D. in Medieval and Anglo-Saxon Literature. She divides her time between Seattle and the UK, frequently spending time in Scotland and York to research her books.

York is very close to my own home and many of the places mentioned in the Owen Archer books are still there to be seen and of course Archbishop John Thorseby is mentioned in the records of York Minster. All this adds spice for me and helps me to picture the time and events that took place. This is the second novel in what is proving to be a captivating series.

It is the year of our Lord 1365, Owen Archer is called to the Minster Close by Archbishop Thoresby. The Archbishop is well aware that Owen has many skills to add to his expertise with the long bow. The Welsh archer also has a rare talent for detective work. While the city of York has been celebrating Corpus Christi, a man has been murdered. The man's severed hand has been delivered to Gilbert Ridley, a merchant and Owen is sent to investigate.

I read at least one book a week in many genres - historical fiction, fiction, mystery, thriller, action, fantasy - and I loved this second book in the Owen Archer series.
Lady Chapel is even better than the first! I can't wait to read the next one. Characterization is superb, you grow to know these people and care about them. The story is based on real historical facts, but honestly I couldn't care less because I get so wrapped up in the characters. My only wish in this book was that the author had put her loyalties with the reader in regard to Alice Perrer and let her fall from grace and give us some juicy vengeance. I cannot believe there aren't more reviews of Ms. Robb's Owen Archer series, they should be hugely popular! I will be recommending them to every reader I know.

The Lady Chapel, the second Owen Archer mystery, is an enjoyable read. For me, the best part of the mystery is seeing how Owen puts together all the pieces of the puzzle to solve the crime; for the reader the mystery isn't that difficult to solve. Detective work is still new to Archer, and he is a reluctant sleuth. How he develops the skills to solve the crimes is part of the enjoyment of the series.

Candace Robb does a good job of conveying the atmosphere of medieval York, and she is very good at avoiding psychological anachronisms. Her characters don't psychoanalyze each other, and feelings and motivations are described metaphorically not analytically.

The Lady Chapel continues to develop the working relationship between Owen and Thoresby, Archbishop of York. Owen and Lucie are adapting to married life with some difficulties. This book introduces us to Jasper, a young boy, who witnesses the first murder and then must go into hiding, fending for himself. He is such a sweet, yet tough, kid; I cheered for him throughout the entire book. The Lady Chapel should be read after The Apothecary Rose in order to understand the relationships of the characters. Readers of Rose will enjoy this second installment of the series.

I read (and reviewed) The Apothecary Rose simply because I enjoy the time period (Edward III, HYW, Welsh archers, etc.)and enjoy learning about the intricacies of every-day life. Very fascinating. However, I didn't particularly like the first outing beyond the periodic history lessons - the writing style takes some getting used to because she jumps point of view from 3rd person to 1st person, which she does in The Lady Chapel - I found this to be maddening at times. Her other fault is her tendency to rely on convenience to push the mystery along. The Lady Chapel is definitely a marked improvement over the first, but still Owen is very two dimensional - we just don't know him enough to really care. I can only recommend this book to people with a taste for the period, but not for hard-core mystery fans.

Wow! Candace Robb is a marvel. Many compare her to Ellis Peters (the Brother Cadfael series), but I'd put her well before Ms Peters. Although I thoroughly enjoy Brother Cadfael and feel comfortable with his author's competence, Ms Robb is not only formally trained in historical studies/research, she's also an excellent teller of tales and a wonderful teacher as well.

Ms Robb is apparently just shy by a dissertation of her PhD, and one can see by the quality of the historical detail in the Lady Chapel and her other books, that she probably had gotten well into her paper before abandoning the project. (I've worked through MA level and know exactly how much work goes into completing the coursework, let alone the research for papers.)

She also has, if not formal training in writing, at least a very clearly defined concept of what it takes. In her "Author's Notes" at the back of Lady Chapel, she writes an excellent exposition on what it means to be an author, especially an author of historical fiction. THOSE OF YOU WRITING PAPERS for English lit, journalism, history, etc. or for those writing historical fiction themselves, TAKE NOTE: She makes some eminently quotable statements about these subjects in that chapter. For instance on the subject of character: "Many people think of history as mighty figures, epic events, and statistics. But at their best, historians bring the past to life by suggesting the motivations of the mighty....Historical novelists or dramatists go further by reducing the mighty to human scale. Shakespeare put a human face on Richard III in his fatal battle by using the fact noted by one historian, that the turning point for Richard was when he was unhorsed. The Bard lets us witness Richard's tragic awareness as he cries, 'A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse (p. 283)!'" She notes too, that it is the simple, every day character and his/her believability that brings a story to life (p. 283). Later, on the subject of motive and event, she writes, "A key element in any study in character is motive. Motive traces the trajectory of an action....What fascinates both the historian and the novelist is that any one event seen through the eyes of different participants suggests completely different motives, and it's the sum of the motives that culminates in the epic events. For a mystery writer, there is an additional fascination in how many people have motives for any crime, innocence being at times little more than a lack of opportunity (p 283)."

The engaging tales the author creates by using historical characters and detail are an artful way of encouraging the reader to find out more. Although my area of historical interest has always been the ancient world, particularly the Near East, I found myself browsing lists for books on the age of Edward III and of the so-called Black Prince Edward of Woodstock, his son. I wanted to find out more information about the period. Now that's a teacher!

The Lady Chapel is a very complex tale of murder, court intrigue, passion and deceit in the city of York. The author's descriptions of the environment create a vivid picture of life in the 14th Century. Well worth it.

this is a very basic book, not sure what its purpose is, just get an informed guide

Extremely informative and to the point.Covers the basics+++...A MUST READ for every Medic...imho

This is an Excellant Must Have Book. It presents the most common types of emergencies that medics get called to in a easy to understand way.

New medics in particular should grab up this book. I eagerly await a second edition but I have found no other book that cuts to the chase and explains differential diagnosis of about 40 common EMS conditions as well. I strongly encourage new EMS folks to buy this book as the wealth of information that is in here is amazing. While some of the information is old -- I don't think it has been updated since the ACLS changes of 2000, it still has a great deal of good information throughout and should be added to required text lists of NREMT-P and NREMT-I programs.

Well, I have to say...I'm duly impressed. It's not often that I find a medical reference book that is as clear, concise, and step-by-step as this one. Even though it's geared towards the EMT-P, it could be a very helpful guide to anyone in health-related fields...from trauma nurse to home health aide to first responder. Although the book does assume you have the basic knowledge of the advance EMT, it can contain valuable insight for all. It's also well organized; it's easy to look something up and find your information in a short time.

As the First World War becomes more of an afterthought, its legacy may actually rest in the countless poems it inspired. During one of mankind's worst armed conflicts, Britain saw a poetic flowering with some of the most delicate verses ever written. And these poems are not frozen in time, either; they still have major social relevance today.

Those who are curious about these writers will find satisfaction in another of Dover Thrift Editions' low-cost books. 'World War One British Poets' is a 71-page survey of 16 writers both male and female, with apt editing by Candace Ward. While not an in-depth study of the poets, it gives a strong introduction to some of Britain's greatest literary minds.

'World War One British Poets' is nicely arranged and brings the poems into historical context. There is a short introduction to the war's beginnings and how these poems were a natural response to the chaos that ensued. Each poet is dealt with attentively and a short bio prefaces the selection of his or her work. To Candace Ward's credit, this anthology gives attention to names both major and minor. Besides Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon - considered the titans of First World War poetry - there are easily-forgotten personalities like Charles Hamilton Sorley, Robert Bridges, and Walter de la Mare.

The anthology includes two female poets: Alice Meynell, known as a social activist during the Victorian era, and May Wedderburn Cannan, who was educated at Oxford and served as a Red Cross volunteer in France. Disappointingly, the book omits such poets as Edmund Blunden and Richard Aldington, but there is only so much ground that can be trod in 70 pages. The book will certainly motivate readers into looking for more works by the poets who filled this era.

Located in Mineola, New York, Dover Publications has mastered the 'thrift' edition by printing books at the lowest costs possible while keeping prices super-cheap. 'British World War One Poets' currently retails at $2.50; there are anthologies better detailed than this one, but for the low price, you can't find better value.

This is a good anthology, although somewhat limited in scope. As a research tool, it is barely adequate. As a review of the most famous poetry, Ward gives a good range of poetry, and the reader will get a flavor of WWI poetry.

I'm not a big fan of poetry. When this book was assigned for one of my classes, I was afraid it was going to be a huge chore to get through it. However, I was pleasantly surprised by many of the poems in this book...there were several that I took a strong liking to, including the classic "In Flander's Field," among others. I found many of the poems quite touching.

And an added bonus, they're all pretty short.

I am not a poetry reader. Perhaps due to a lasting revulsion of forced readings in various literature classes during my tenure in public school, poetry used to be a real turn off. Until I picked up this slim book of poems of British World War I poets, that is. After a few pages of some of the excellent poetry in this book, the pulse quickened, the lights came on, and poetry suddenly seemed useful.

World War I (1914-1918) is pretty much a forgotten war today. Occasionally, you'll see a documentary containing grainy footage of men in strange helmets climbing out of trenches, usually moving at a freakishly quick pace due to the inadequacy of the early film process. WWI is further overshadowed by the mega-death body count of WWII. But WWI had its own unique horrors as the nations involved resorted to poison gas, mechanized warfare, and attrition strategies to kill off some 15 million people. The new methods of mechanized warfare failed to stifle the human element of war, and this is where these poems come into play. Some of the soldiers involved in the conflict were poets and writers, and they used these talents to document the battlefield horrors for the folks back home.

There are male and female writers here, and those who were there and those who stayed home. Those who served in the war do the best jobs with their poetry. Even May Wedderburn Cannan, a woman who served as a nurse at Rouen, writes better poetry about the war than such distinguished literary figures Rudyard Kipling and Thomas Hardy (both of whom write from the safety of the home fires).

Keeping in line with the subject matter, most of the poems are grim and violent. Many of the poems focus on the incongruity of nature and violent acts of war. In one stanza, birds are chirping, the sun is shining, men are singing, and all seems right with the world. The next stanza is filled with sudden mutilations, violent death, and the shriek and scream of shells and bullets. Some of the poems deal with the anguish of watching someone die or killing another human being, as Wilfred Owen writes in "The Target" about a possible meeting in the afterlife with an enemy he's killed:

"Well, if they get me, first I'll find
That boy, and tell him all my mind,
And see who felt the bullet worst,
And ask his pardon, if I durst."

A few of the poets speak in favor of the war, seeing it as a call to glory or a defense against barbarism (see Rupert Brooks, John McCrae, and Rudyard Kipling). Others rail against the rulers and the senseless attrition warfare (Siegfried Sassoon, Wilfred Owen, and Isaac Rosenberg best represent this viewpoint).

Regardless of ideological viewpoint or writing style, all of the poems have a beauty that comes from dealing with horrors beyond the comprehension of the individual. The overwhelming power of the poems should make the hardiest soul's eyes mist over with tears of frustration, agony, and profound sadness.

The two cultural features from the First World War that have survived the test of time are its popular music and its poetry. While the music is generally remembered as peppy and cheerful, much of the poetry serves as a dark and grim counterpart. As it is, some of the greatest 20th Century poets derived their inspiration from those tragic years.

This book is an excellent and inexpensive sampler of World War One-era poetry. Most of the major battlefield writers are represented, including Siegfried Sassoon, Wilfred Owen, Robert Graves, Isaac Rosenberg, and John MacCrae. Other important writers who were inspired by the war are also included, such as Rudyard Kipling and Thomas Hardy. Two women, Alice Meynell and May Cannan are also represented. The editor included a balanced number of patriotic works and anti-war poems.

Each writer has a mini-biography, followed by a sampling of his or her works. The quantity varies from a single poem, up to 11 works. The selections are representative of the authors, and many of the best-known titles are here, including Dulce et Decorum Est and In Flanders Fields.

This primer is hardly comprehensive nor is there much critical analysis of the poems or poets. But it is not meant to be. This book combines a well-rounded selection of poetry with an extremely low price to make it an attractive introduction to World War One-era poetry. This is not the best anthology out there, but it is a perfect introduction for those who are curious about First World War poems and don't want to pay a hefty price.

Wow, the title of the book gave me no idea how wonderful it was going to be reading it. The sites and scenery make me want to visit the Outback and do a "drive-about" like the characters did.

The romance part of the book was exceptional. The fact that Jason develops a relationship, and helps a youngster come of age as a gay man was fascinating to read. The absence of tons of "wanton sex" helped build the romance between the characters.

I like a good, warm book to entertain me, and this one fit the bill nicely! Enjoy reading this Chris Owens book.

To do this book justice I decided to write my review outside, sitting in the sun. Why? Because this book is not only a very genuine love story between two adoring characters, but also a detailed and fascinating description of the beauties of Australia. Chris Owen has a way with words that lets you visualize the deserts, the tropical areas, the beaches, the cities, the people and the animals directly in your head. You almost expect that if you look up from the pages of the book, you'll see all of this in front of you. And as I'm living 14400 km (8950 mi) away from Uluru I thought by enjoying the sun and the nature outside I would be a little bit better enabled to describe the feelings this book provoked in me.

So here goes. Jason and Ryan, the two main characters of the book, are both at a turning point in their lives when they meet in the Outback of Australia along the Stuart Highway. For Jason heading out to the Outback was a plan and a dream postponed for five long years, years which have been filled with dark experiences for him. But he finally decided to go on this trip to see the desert, because he knew that otherwise he would never make his dream real and because he needed to leave the past behind him.

Ryan on the other hand is a 18 year-old boy who has lived a sheltered life in a loving family and who went on this trip through Australia to get a break before starting the final stages of his PhD. When Ryan and Jason meet on their trip and decide to become travel companions, this triggers the process of Ryan's coming-out. And Ryan couldn't have found a better man to help him along this process.

They both become lovers, even though they know that their affair can only be a summer love as Ryan has to finish his PhD in Canada and Jason has a life in Sydney. But their affection for each other deepens and as they continue their trip through Australia they come to the point where they can't deny the depth of their love for each other any more.

But then a terrible tragedy befalls Ryan and threatens their love for each other as much as Ryan's looming return to Canada.

Loved this book, loved the way Chris Owen literally made me able to watch the love affair between Jason and Ryan blossom, loved her lush descriptions of Australia's natural wonders. I highly recommend this book as a reading experience that simply leaves you feeling good.

But be careful, this book is really able to cause an aching for the faraway, too. ;-)

It was as while he was still at school that Jason Stuart realised he was gay, but when he announced this to his best friend, and later his mother, it did not go down well with either. At the first opportunity he planed to leave home in Winnipeg, and so it was at the age of twenty one he set off for Australia. He had had a rough time initially in Sidney included a period as a whore, but thanks to Alex, who made a habit of straightening out wayward youngsters, he was now back on track. So it was that at the age of twenty six he set of to go walkabout in the Australian Outback, taking with him his paints and canvases.
As he set of driving he soon picked up a hitch-hiker, Ryan, a very young Canadian student. Although they part company, they soon to meet up again, and eventually Stuart suggests Ryan join him on his travels. When Ryan confesses to Stuart that he thinks he might be gay, Stuart reveals that he is gay and promises to help him, and before long Ryan invites Stuart to seduce him. They spend the next few weeks together, and fall in love, but following a disaster in Brisbane, they are soon on their way back to Sydney and Alex. Can Alex help them overcome their problem?
This is a genuine love story and a sheer pleasure to read. Stuart is an admirable guy, having experienced the ups and downs of life and come through it all, he behaves very responsibly towards Ryan. Ryan is an absolute delight, he is a very intelligent and full of boyish energy, he "bounces" with enthusiasm, and he is cute with it. They become devoted to one another, but of course they must face the fact that Ryan will return to Toronto to complete his PhD. The pleasures they bring to each other are beautifully related, and while the descriptions of their indulgences between the sheets or wherever else to choose to enjoy themselves are not detailed or graphic, they are nonetheless at times quite erotic.
What makes this so enjoyable is that the story avoids the almost clichéd failures and disasters that beset so many lovers in gay literature; here is a truly positive tale with a heart-warming outcome. Highly recommended.

Owen, Chris. "Adagio". Casperian Books, 2006.

Beautifully Writtten

Amos Lassen and Literary Pride

Chris Owens has written a wonderfully readable novel with "Adagio". It is the story of Jason Stuart who arrives in Australia to embark on a "walkabout" in the Outback. His friends think he is crazy or perhaps slow but Jason feels that this adventure will make him fulfill his dreams and come to terms with his past. He imagined that this trip would exorcise his past but instead of facing his past, he is forced to rake a good hard look at his future.
When Jason meets an unexpected travel companion, he realizes that there is no need to deal with the past any longer and that what awaits is more important than what was. As Jason comes of age and finds romance, he gives a beautiful description of Australia and in reading we confront the burgeoning romance between the two men.
The descriptions of Australia are incredible and you almost feel that if you look up from the pages of the book that you are there. Own has created larger than life characters. As you meet the characters, you meet their minds and as you watch the love affair between the two men blossom, you feel as if you are part of the relationship.
The prose is beautiful and Chris Own has a way with the English language. As the tale is spun, the reader is taken into a beautiful story. This is an interesting book that has something for everyone---romance, suspense, comedy. The author runs the gamut of emotions and we are right there enjoying.

This romance starts as two people looking for themselves. Jason had a history of not making the right choices and regretting the consequences. Ryan had yet to admit he was gay. They meet and fall in love, knowing that it can only be a summer romance, both having a different direction in life. However, life can throw you a curve ball, and their love grows, in part to their need of each other, in part to a tradegy that befalls Ryan. One that changes Ryan, but does not consume him (a pleasant surprise). In the end, they cannot be apart.

This well-research, accessible analysis of the legendary "disappearance" of the notoriously shy author is a must-read for every Christie fan, as well as a treasure-trove of informed speculation and fact for students of the pathology of unhappy marriages.

There have been many books written about Agatha Christie since she died 32 years ago and I place this brilliantly researched biography second only to her own autobiography. A number of events, not least the famous disappearance, were completely ignored and left out of her autobiography - either at her own discretion or that of her immediate family's since it was published after her death. Jared Cade's objective and affectionate accounts fills in the missing blanks and unravels what happened when she disappeared. His biography is particularly merit-worthy because it is the only biography to be officially endorsed by Agatha Christie's sister-in-law's side of the family. The same relatives also featured with him in a television documentary based on this book. If you missed it, don't despair. Buy this book instead. A great book that deserves a place on any self-respecting Christie addicts bookshelves.

Fame and wide acclaim came to Agatha Christie in 1926 when "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" was published. In the same year, however, her disappearance and the eleven-day search for her attracted even more attention. Subsequently in interviews and in her own autobiography, Agatha Christie refused to explain or refer to the incident. It was inferred that the breakdown of her first marriage had been one aspect of the mystery, and her reluctance to refer to anything so painful was respected.

Since her death, she has been the subject of several biographies. None that I have read, even that of her second husband, Sir Max Mellowan, provides a satisfactory motivation or time table for the eleven missing days in 1926.

It seems remarkable that a young writer from the smallest state in Australia should be the one to adequately research the subject and to have access to the best informants. Jared Cade knows Agatha Christie's novels, plays, poetry and short sories well, and demonstrates how insights into this major crisis in Agatha Christie's life reside in them. His theories are sound, his rebuttal of false and misleading explanations is strong, and his judgments - even of Dame Agatha herself - are balanced.

Interest in what happened to the world' best-selling author back in 1926 may no longer be strong, but it is good to read something that at last sets the record straight. It is, moreover, a fascinating and focussed biography of someone who tried to keep herself away from public scrutiny. I like the compliment paid to the author by his principal informants, descendants of Agatha Christie's best friend: "This is the only biography that tells Agatha's life as it really was. Your insight into her life and personality is unsurpassed."

I bought this book for my fifteen year old son. He enjoyed it so much that I read it too. I've read many books about the life of Agatha Christie but I've never read one more honest and well researched. Although the book does concentrate on the Agatha Christie disappearance in the 1920's it also covers all of her life. You'll learn about her upbringing, her daughter, her friends and her two frustrating and disappointing marriages. This is a not to be missed book!

On December 3, 1926 Archie Christie told his wife, Agattha, that he was in love with someone else and wanted a divorce. He then left for a weekend party.

Later that evening, Agatha got in her car for a drive. Her car was found off the road with her coat inside but she was no where to be found.

It was 11 days before she was found. The official story was that she was suffering from amnesia.

But now, family members from someone who knows what really happened have cooperated with telling the true story.

It's fascinating, believable and a thoroughly absorbing look into the life of one of our most famous authors.

I really enjoyed this story. The romance was cute and tender, though somewhat unrealized. That might just be due to the time period. Historical M/M romances are always bittersweet to me, since men fall in love but aren't allowed to show it due to society's restrictions.

The sex is spicy hot. I was not expecting this level of steam in a British historical. There's mild kink, threesomes, and a bit of D/s.

The story itself is clever and the dialogue is witty. I love a book that doesn't take itself too seriously.

However, a few things kept me from giving this 5 stars. First, I think this book would have been much better in third-person POV. I enjoy first-person POV in a few contemporaries and urban fantasy but it just doesn't fit in a historical, especially in what was supposedly Regency England. First-person is a very informal POV and Regency England is extremely formal, so they clash. Also, the dialogue felt a bit too contemporary at times, and not in line with the time period. Lastly, I found the D/s theme unrealistic in this particular setting. It was mild and inoffensive and even pretty sexy, but I didn't feel like it felt natural in a Regency piece.

Despite those minor issues, I found AN AGREEMENT AMONG GENTLEMEN to be an entertaining and satisfying read. This book is worth having in any M/M romance collection.

This is a great story,and it's well written. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's romantic and interesting, and it kept me coming back for more.

As all other reviewers I came to this book after reading the beautiful Bareback by the same author.

There could have been no major change: here we are led into Victorian England, among the gentility and the tone is necessarily completely different.

Edward Munrow comes to wealth in an unexpected way and is not entirely happy about it because his new position forces him to take those responsibilities he has carefully avoided until then.
The fact that ignites the plot feels unlikely enough to make it difficult for the reader to suspend disbelief; once suspension is managed somehow, the reader is thrown into a plot who develops consistently giving enough room for the three main characters to shine.

Mr Owen's writing is good as ever, yet I found the characterization rich but unfulfilling. It seems to me that the novel, rather short in fact, is constantly on the verge between the nicely written but light-hearted erotica and the full fledged gay historical novel: sex scenes are many, graphic, well done and take a large number of pages but there are several hints at deeper issues which are never dealt with, leaving me dissatisfied.
The most thorny issue is perhaps the threesome that develops among the three characters: it is nicely done and sexy but I really could not understand how the three come not only to have sex together but even to love one another so much that the expected exclusion of one of them from the "happily ever after" never takes place.
Among the others undealt with issues one could quote the characters of the duke and of the bride to be, not to mention the rather sexy topic of dominance and sexual play in xix century England.

As all these undealt issues are rather interesting and could have led to a very interesting narrative, I found myself rather dissatisfied at the end of the book.

A thing I appreciated is the complete lack of self loathing among the gay characters who only struggle to come away with law and society and are utterly inddifferent to moral constraints.

Four stars, but I think I should appreciate a second, edited edition taking a more clear direction.

Edward "Ned" Munrow is content with his life of no responsibility and all pleasure until his friend unexpectedly gives him an estate and a great deal of money. He's not particularly pleased with the development, especially when a Duke blackmails him into a marriage he definitely doesn't want. The Duke sends his heir, Henri, Viscount Langton, to spend the summer with Munrow, so they can pretend he's seeing if the young man will make a suitable heir. To his surprise, Munrow discovers that he actually likes Langton. Things get even more confusing (and exciting) when an old lover enters the picture.

Don't let the Victorian setting fool you, An Agreement Among Gentleman is an incredibly hot book! Munrow is an unashamedly sensual character and I enjoyed watching him slowly become motivated by more than just temporary pleasure. The supporting characters in An Agreement Among Gentleman added a great deal to the story. They provided comic relief and much more. The relationship between Munrow and his valet was especially amusing. As for the love interests, Langton was sweet, passionate, and eager, and Munrow's old lover Truitt was absolutely delicious! The attraction among these three gentlemen just about burned up my laptop. Chris Owen has written a wonderfully sexy historical which will have a permanent spot on my reread shelf.

Cassie
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

'Gentlemen-ly' is a good (invented) word to describe the tone of this book; the arousing rawness of Owen's earlier novel, "Bareback" it has not. Perhaps it's 'gentlemen-ly' to the point that the following says it best: You just don't as often get the overwhelming "Bb sensation" of being so caught up you feel you're 'going down for the last time'.....yet all the while knowing there's a love there that's gonna pull you back up.

In this newer Owen work, the men of "Aaag" are of their time and place, in many ways being correct and restrained.....nothing wrong with this, it's historically correct (and a harder write). Further, it doesn't mean they never "break loose sexually".......though there's definitely less of a feeling given the reader of building anticipation. The following provides additional clues to this situation. While older lead character, Edward Munrow (too infrequently called a more informal 'Ned'), and much younger protege/lover, Viscount Langton (also infrequently called a more informal 'Henri'), become "vivid" lovers, there's a "formality" thrown up between them (as indicated by near continuous use of their correct names).....a "pulled-backness" in their relationship that's not found between the leads of "Bb." It really boils down to a seeming lack of drive to "commit to one another," a drive most strongly felt in Owen's first(?) novel. This reader gets the feeling that what is happening, on the part of the considerably older man, is a "preparation" of young Langton for a life together with a third party to these proceedings: Christopher Truitt, Munrow's earlier trained "protege" and someone much closer in age to the young Viscount. Realistically I know, of course, that much of this "writing approach" likely relates to the novel's earlier England setting.

Finally, another most important thing yours truly found lacking is a "sense of falling in love.......of being in love and, significantly, a sense of growing love" between the two leads....something that "Bb" has coming out its pores....something that this reader drastically missed here.

Which is best? Unsurprisingly, Chris (and other readers), the one that'll get pulled off my shelf for a re-read every so many months will be none other than your firstborn: the inimitable "Bareback." And that read'll take place out in my ole Arizona bunkhouse, where there's a saying that starts each day: 'Let's saddle up, Pard.'

Fond regards,


A Reading Fan
Living-you-know-where

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