P Books

I always wondered if there were more then 9 volumns, did I understand correctly that there are 3 more volumns which were never translated into English???? Also, is the Rd. to Versaille a book which is not in the series of 1-9? At one point someone reviewd it as book 2? Please email me at quetin@gmail.com

Anyone who reads Angelique will always say it was wonderful. The romance, adventure, history and suspence were one of a kind. I only wish it was available in reprint so we could have the whole set in our library. Please inform us about the book and author.

In the second book of the Angelique series, following the death of her husband Joffrey de Peyrac, Angelique is in the Parsian underworld, at the Court of Miracles. A fascinating glimpse into a sordid world of beggers and thieves, this is a much darker, but maybe even more brilliant book than The Marquise of Angels. Wonderful, fascinating book, more of an on the edge of your seat suspence thriller than the previous book. Alot of great, heartbreaking emotional scenes, and also many happy ones. A fantastic book.

Anyone who reads about Angelique will keep the book always. I've kept my volunes for years. I wish I had them all in hard back. The book is very hard to put down. I've read it over and over. Great..

The Angelique series written by Anne and Serge Golon will rate amongst your favourite books (if you can get hold of these rare books). I started with paperback versions, but have since started collecting the hardcovers and have recently acquired the last hardcover I needed to complete my collection. The last 3 books in the series have not been translated in to English yet and there are stories of people learning French as a language just to read the last 3 books in this series. It is beautifully written and set in the period of the reign of the Sun King in France. The authors have done their research and I have been fascinated at the accuracy of the authors' description of historical characters in their books. Highly recommended if you like historical fiction or if you enjoy any story with REAL heroism!

Adamson does a great job illustrating the importance of branding (which, unfortunately, many do not get), straightforward ways to build your brand and, most critically, how do to that in the digital age.

The book is excellent for both those new to branding as well as those focused on advancing their brand's in this time of new technologies.

I highly recommend Brand Digital, as it gave me new insights and ideas on how to utilize digital tools, online media and communities for building strong brands. The world of marketing is changing, and Allen Adamson provides a terrific overview of the opportunities that have emerged with new technologies. The book presents "best practices" examples from the most innovative companies, including Google, Schwab, GE, HBO, and Nike. It is intelligent and enjoyable to read with practical advice for both branding novices and industry veterans.

Allen Adamson's new book Brand Digital is a valuable addition to help understand and thrive in the digital domain. It is particularly useful that Adamson is schooled in the classic Madison Avenue / P&G / Fortune 1000
ways & means of marketing and brand development. He weaves that knowledge into the discussion about what is different, the same and notable for those that are building and guiding brands right now. My own company,
The Institute of Culinary Education, has just brought on some new marketing and public relations staff, and I am going to be sure to share this book with them.

I have been at this "branding thing" for over 40 years and have learned that we all think we know more than we really do. I have worked with Allen and know firsthand that he succeeds because he does his homework and keeps things simple. Once again that is exactly what he has done. From my experience, partly because it is so new and misunderstood, people think they know more about digital in all forms than they really do. Allen, by resourcing so many knowledgeable people, learning from them and then reporting this knowledge in a simple to read and understandable form has done the marketing community a great service. I learned from his efforts.

Adamson really appears to have done his homework in interviewing as many people as he did (all of whom know their stuff and offer interesting perspectives) and then synthesizing their input into something that's easily digested and applied. I read and liked his Brand Simple a couple of years ago, but given where the world is headed, this book is probably more relevant and important for today's marketeer.

The kids in my son's fifth grade class were all raving about this book, which was a miracle in itself, so I decided to read it for myself. I have to admit, I've been a big fan of Gina Gershon for a long time and it's hard to imagine her writing a kid's book. What a pleasant surprise! The book is well written, the story is clever, and the dialog is hysterical. The main character, Einstein P. Fleet, is a computer geek turned reluctant hero who faces the challenges of a monster theme camp run by aliens with a great sense of purpose and humor. My son has turned me on to a lot of new experiences --- reading Camp Creepy Time was one of them. Looking forward to the sequel.

Einstein P. Fleet has already logged hundreds of hours trying to blow the whistle on baddies. Through his popular blog, The Smoking Peashooter, Einstein manages to spread the word on all sorts of conspiracy theories, and he's even had a lawsuit pending against him since the fourth grade, all thanks to "The Wilson Incident."

Naturally, he questions his parents' motives for sending him to a remote summer camp for eight agonizing weeks, with no Internet access and a limited supply of Twinkies. From the moment he steps on the bus and sees every other camper in a monster costume, Einstein worries that perhaps this particular camp may be much more difficult to deal with than any normal one would be.

Unfortunately for him and his unsuspecting parents, his fears are well-founded...

Chock full of werewolves, vampires, mummies, giant spiders, and greedy mobster aliens, this book provides the same brand of entertainment as a classically cheesy monster film. Highly recommended for reluctant readers.

Reviewed by: Allison Fraclose

I got this book as a present and really had fun reading it. So much so, I ran out and bought 3 books, one for each of my nieces and nephews, ages 8-13. They loved it! We all had fun talking about the adventures of Einstein and his cohort. My 11-year-old niece really loved Roxie and has decided she wants to be an alien spy. I would recommend this book for anyone. We are all looking forward to the movie version to come out.

Every once in a while you come across a book that makes you laugh out loud. Camp Creepy Time is one of them. The main character, Einstein P. Fleet, is a lovable thirteen year old computer geek. You know, the kind of kid that rarely sees the light of day. His parents send him packing off to a monster theme camp smack dab in the middle of the Mojave Desert for the summer ---- which turns out to be merely a stop over on the way to being abducted and sold to an intergalactic monster zoo in another galaxy. The story mixes all types of elements from the science fiction genre and somehow manages to glue them into a cohesive, original plot. It's also funny and very well written, especially for a pair of first time authors. The book ends leaving the door open for a sequel, which I can't wait to read. I highly recommend this book to anyone with a sense of humor. You will be pleasantly surprised.

You simply can't go wrong with this wacky zany summer send-up. Einstein P. Fleet, a loner-nerd trapped at a hellish summer camp in the Mojave Desert, leads us through a wild storyline of escape, with monster costumes, vampires, werewolves and aliens all in the mix.

This fast-paced, well-written farce is a quick, irreverent, hilarious read for kids and adult-kids. Highly recommended. It's no surprise that Dreamworks has this story in script development....Can't wait for the movie!

The text is a wonderful reference for pictures of covered conditions, the only side note being a lack of good coverage for ethnic skin (there is a another book covering just that) and the photographs are in most cases showing advanced or extreme examples. Overall, a great book to have on hand in primary care.

I have owned or used the various editions of Habif's Clinical Dermatology for over ten years in our general internal medicine practice and return to it again and again. I have also used a variety of other Dermatology books brought in by staff - typically the $60 - $80 range books. They are typically o.k. but nothing stands up to Habif and I recommending spending the extra $ for it (in the $125 range). The pictures are big, clear and of typical presentations, the layout logical, the review of basics up front helpful and thoughtfully presented. You will find that this is the one you reach for when you need help.

If you are a medical student doing a derm rotation or plan on entering a primary care residency, this book is THE book to own. I wouldn't have minded having the online edition, but with not knowing when the new edition would come out (and subsequently when the online subscription would run out), it didn't seem to be worth the money.

This text is very comprehensive, and provides in-depth descriptions of skin problems, plus superb photos. Thorough discussions of treatments is included. An excellent text for reference.

We covered this book during our first six weeks in derm residency, and this was an excellent way to start. Just enough info with good pics and tx options. Good for both derm and primary care alike.

Probably one of the most realistic alien invasion books ever and I'll be looking for the next in the series, if any. The aliens are TRULY ALIEN and therefore more scarey. The invasion is told in retrospect, but reads like what would really happen--a few cities wiped off the map, but most retained for "use."

Based on my reading of other books by these authors, the guts of COURSE appear to be by Wentworth. The thoroughly delicious inner monologues of the Jao and the descriptive passages of their physique are in that same supple style as seen in STARS ON STARS.

But the first chapter seems to lack pizzaz and most importantly, it lacks a hook to impell the reader foward to the next chapters. Still, once you get past that, you're in for a ride. So strap yourself in tight. Enjoy.

Excellent attempt at reconciling disjoint culture and thought processes. The main antagonist was displayed early with a bit too much emotional anthropomorphism. As the story evolves, other aliens follow suit. Has some valid earth historical contrast and comparison.

Could have been an earth based war story. Read for fun!

I won't go into details of the plot, since others have done that. Suffice it to say that this story seems so real you could almost believe it really happened in an alternate universe. I'm not one of those New Age groupies that feel all ETs are our space brothers, so I found the idea that our world was invaded by force quite believable. As was the fact that the aliens had different factions that fought amongst themselves. Why should ET be any different than humans?

For a very realistic take on an extraterrestrial intervention check out the Allies of Humanity.

I'm constantly on the prowl for sci-fi portraying convincing scenarios of human/alien contact. "Empire" is one of the best of such. The Jao are a fascinating species who come alive because of the level of imagined detail the authors have devoted to them, and because there is potential for "association" between them and humans. With the other aliens, the Ekhat, no bridge of understanding is possible, and these weirdly "musical" monsters provide a common enemy for humans and their Jao conquerers to unite against. But the question is whether the threat of annihilation will be enough to overcome the rivalries in the complex Jao organizational system and the bitter determination of earth's indigenous peoples to resist their fierce occupiers from the stars....

"Empire" does take its time establishing the main characters and the situation in which they all find themselves. But the investment in that steady build-up rewards the patient reader as the action revs up to a blazing fire fight in the sun. Don't stop there though. Then comes the Jao Naukra (enquiry/trial/calling-to-account) where consequences including death are risked by the leaders who exceeded the usual boundaries of authority. The forwarding of a "third way" at those proceedings reminds the reader that thinking outside the box may solve seemingly insoluble political/social/species conflicts. And although a courageous young Jao male and human female spearhead the push for groundbreaking changes, "Empire" does not forget that great revisions are often planned for by "elders," sometimes very Machiavellian ones.

This novel meets the very highest sci-fi standards. A sequel of some type would be wonderful -- perhaps set forty or fifty years in the future, permitting Aille and Caitlin to mature in wisdom and power in the reality they help create and their offspring to be the radical thinkers and doers....just a suggestion.

This one was intriguing, exciting, maddening and fun right from the beginning. It was also hard to put down.

The venue is Earth, at about our present level of technology. The time is about 20 years after an alien invasion. Humanity was conquered by the alien Jao and now lives a precarious existence. The existence is precarious because humans don't really understand their conqueror and the conquerors don't really understand humans. Any infraction is punished mercilessly but there is no rancor in the punishment. There is no rancor except from the alien who commands earth. He hates humanity. That makes the situation tense.

There is a reason for the conquest beyond mere imperial desires. The Jao are at war with the Ekhat. So is everyone else in the galaxy who is not Ekhat. This is for the simple reason that the Ekhat regard all other life as an abomination and wish to cleanse it from the universe. This is not a healthy situation for anyone who is not Ekhat. Unfortunately, humanity does not understand the extent of the problem and many of them do not even believe in the existence of the Ekhat. Many regard them as some sort of Bogeyman used by the conqueror to keep the subject races in line.

The Jao themselves are not completely unified. They are organized into great clans and political alliances and often let those ties overshadow the common good. So it is that the ruler of earth is of one clan and the Jao sent to serve as one of his top deputies is of the clan most at odds with his. This leads to even more clashes of will and ultimate goals.

Although this book deals with conflicts on many levels, it is mostly about indirect manipulations. Human factions try to manipulate each other to their desired goals. Jao factions do the same thing. Humanity tries to manipulate the Jao and the reverse is also true. When larger, even great schemes are laid on top of this cauldron of scheming, things get really complex. It is said that Byzantine court intrigues maid Prince Machiavelli look like an amateur. The machinations in this book put the Byzantines into the same category. It is all wonderfully intriguing.

I was fascinated by Huxley's use of this story as a way of trying to explain his thoughts on "man's deep-seated urge to self-transcedence, of his very natural reluctance to take the hard, ascending way, and of his search for some bogus liberation either below or to one side of his personality" - as revealed by our dependecies on religion and in joining mass movements like fascism or communism, as well as sexuality and substance use and abuse.
In Chapter Three he focuses on the religious aspects of these tendencies to "desire - and desire, very often, with irresistable violence - the consciousness of being someone else."
In the Epilogue ["In amplification of material in Chapter Three)"], he expands on these ideas by discussing substance use and abuse: "Alcohol is but one of the many drugs employed by human beings as avenues of escape from the insulated self." He adds to this the use of "From poppy to curare, from Andean coca to Indian hemp and Siberian agaric, every plant or bush or fungus capable, when ingested, of stupifying or exciting or evoking visions....seems to prove that, always and everywhere, human beings have felt the radical inadequacy of their personal existence, the misery of being their insulate selves and not something else.."
He then continues with the "crowd delirium" of mass movements:
"The professional moralists who inveigh against drunkeness are strangely silent about the equally disgusting vice of herd-intoxication - of downward transcendence into subhumanity by the process of getting together in a mob." leading to "The final symptom of herd-intoxication is a manical violence. Instances of crowd-delirium culminating in gratuitous destructiveness, in ferocious self-mutilation, in fratracidal savagery without purpose and against the elementary interests of all concerned, are to be met with on almost every page of the anthropologists'textbooks and - a little less frequently, but still with dismal regularity - in the histories of even the most highly civilized peoples."
His concluding sentence: "Every idol, however exalted, turns out, in the long run, to be a Moloch, hungry for human sacrifice."

This book is not merely an historical essay describing the lurid details of the events at Loudun [other books on the subject do that job], Huxley covers far more ground and delves far deeper into the experience of being human than that; it can be disturbing at times, but also illuminating.
Huxley's own later use of psychedelic drugs [mescaline, and, as has been said, LSD while on his death-bed] - which he describes in "The Doors of Perception" [1954] - indicates that he was still trying to reach an understanding of self-transcendence - in a more positive light.

It is the early 17th century in Loudun, France. The local parish priest, Urbain Grandier, has become embattled in various local rivalries with civic magnates and ecclesiastical officials. He makes powerful enemies among them but they are helpless to action against for the moment. Both sides are determined to see victory and religious sanctity takes a back seat to revenge and personal gain. Against this backdrop an altogether remarkable occurrence takes place; the inhabitants of the local covenant experience an extraordinary case of mass possession by demons. The head of the covenant, Saeur Jeanne des Anges, experiences the worst of the possessions and under an exorcism conducted by Jean-Joseph Surin she, or the demon within her, places the blame squarely on the shoulders of Urbain Grandier. The moment his enemies have waited for has arrived.

For those who are fans of Huxley's fictional and non-fictional works this book is not one to be missed. Although it falls into the category of non-fiction as it tells the story of a historical event in 17th century France, Huxley uses his creative powers and imagination to make the tale come alive. Granted historians may have an issue with taking such liberties in writing about a historical event, but Huxley's goal is not `pure' history, a pretty questionable term in itself, but rather to tell the story of a remarkable event with all the drama and suspense that it deserves.

His account of the mass possession in Loudun is backed up by an admirable amount of research. It is clear that Huxley's knowledge of both the time and place extend far beyond the details of the story and serve to enlighten his account. His understanding of human psychology as plays a prominent role in this book. It goes beyond a simple recounting of historical events, which as interesting as they are does not in itself make the book a unique one. It is Huxley's continual fascination with the human mind that really makes this book special. After setting out the basic historical framework for the story, he attempts to reconstruct the psychological factors that played a large role there. After examining the individual characters from the Loudun saga, Huxley takes the time to reflect and draw conclusions about humanity in general and what drives people to believe themselves possessed and the further implications this has.

Whether one agrees with the validity of conducting a sort of psychological analysis of historical figures hundreds of years removed from us and then in turn using those conclusions to draw wider ones about humanity or a time period in general, this book is an immensely interesting read.

Huxley has written a wonderful study of witchcraft,demonic possession and social commentary that is an historical cornerstone.Both religion and psychiatry are carefully intertwined in this lengthy novel.Set in France, it explores the human condition at that time.Greed,jealousy,revenge and theatrical performances are core themata.The inquisitional pressure coupled with political appeasement on the local,state and national level are explored.Mad nuns teased by repressed sexual needs and the subsequent outcomes are discussed. The careful documentation of the interplay between religious fervor and satanic influence are revealed in this exacting book.The twisted motivations of maladjusted individuals and the harm they can cause,the somatic possibilities and manifestations,coverups and intrigue are deftly and intellectually examined and detailed.The horrors of torture,self mutilation and sexual deviation as viewed as deviate for the times, gives one a sense of being voyeuristically one of the crowd.Watching the nuns perform their tricks,allegedly possessed by devils for the benefit of the church is amusing.Sister Jeanne,Father Grandier and Father Surin are all players in the game of gods love,human sexual needs,demonic possession and rather kinky goings on in the nunnery.It's a regular satanically,sexual soap opera with much guilt, regret and tragedy at the end.Any fan of Huxley needs to read this if they haven't already.Fans of the origins of psychopathology will marvel at the many mechanisms of defense used as justifiers for actions that were over the top for a pre-enlightened world.For witchcraft afficionados this is required reading.Again, it is a long read but worth it for purely historical anaylysis of the crypto religious/sexual linkage that to some degree is still present today.A must read for lovers of this subject matter.

HOW does a book this important come to be out of print?!!

No matter. Used copies can be had here for very little. Buy one and read it.

One of the joys of reading is how one subject can lead to a serendipitous find. Having recently come across a brief reference to the early 17th century barking nuns of Loudon I went in search of a more detailed exploration. In Aldous Huxley's book I found all that I sought and much more.

Urbain Grandier, the local parson of Loudon, is a very naughty cleric who partakes much too much of the sensual world. One morsel happens to be the daughter of his best friend. She becomes pregnant with unhappy consequences for many people. Grandier manages in this way of behavior to alienate nearly every important Catholic in Loudon as well as make an enemey of Richelieu.

When Grandier spurns the local prioress, Sister Jeanne, she claims demonic possession at the hand of Grandier as do 2 of her nuns. Grandier may have been guilty of many sins, but demonic possession was not among them. Exorcists are brought in as much too destroy Grandier as to throw out the devils (7 specific ones inhabit Sister Jeanne alone). The exorcists produce devils in 14 more nuns. The public exorcisms provide great entertainment, reviving the local tourist industry, but eventually produce the trial of Grandier, who in due turn is burned at the stake. The story continues when the Jesuit Surin arrives to finally successfully exorcise Sister Jeanne's demons.

Huxley's 1952 work explores the psychological aspects of demonic possession and exorcism, sometimes brilliantly against the backdrop of the madnesses of his own time. Liberal rationalists had "fondly imagined" an end to persecutions of 'heretics'. Instead, as he observes "from our vantage point on the descending road of modern history, we now see that all the evils of religion can flourish without any belief in the supernatural, that convinced materialists are ready to worship their own jerry-built creations as though they were the Absolute, and that self-styled humanists will persecute their adversaries with all the zeal of Inquisitors exterminating the devotees of a personal and transcendant Satan...In order to justify their behavior, they turn their theories into dogmas, their bylaws into First Principles, their political bosses into Gods and all those who disagree with them into incarnate devils. This idolatrous transformation of the relative into the Absolute and the all too human into the Divine, makes it possible for them to indulge their ugliest passions with a clear conscience and in the certainty that they are working for the Highest Good."

In the last third of the book he explores the nature of Sister Jeanne's possession, the possession of her exorcist Surin, and the manner of her recovery. The modern mind has some difficulty here. Clearly Surin and possibly Jeanne believed in the reality of demonic possessions (it is worth noting that many learned men, including those behind Grandier's fall and most Jesuits did not believe in the authenticity of these possessions). At the same, Jeanne is also play-acting at times as she concedes in her own subsequent writings. They believed in the Devil, they believed in possession, but understood that the Devil could not overcome the will of the possessed. Huxley paints a poignant, if oddly amusing, scene when he describes how Surin ordered Jeanne's devils to discipline themselves - in other words to flagellate Jeanne. Two of the devils lay on the whip with gusto, but Balaam and Isacaaron abhorring pain, would barely swing the whip and yet the possessed Jeanne would scream in agonized suffering.

An absolutlely fascinating read by one of the great minds of the 20th century.

As a Dukes fan,I was thrilled when this book came out-it's about as official as you can get for an"unofficial"companion book. If there's anything you've ever wanted to know about the show,the actors,or even the General Lee,you'll find it in this book. I highly recommend it.

I really enjoy this book. It is based on the show. I will enjoy reading it over and over again.

A must have for any fan of the dukes of hazzard! Without a doubt all things behind the scenes are here in this book from john and tom's leaving and there return and a lot more. Buy this book!Every episode plus the first reunion movie[sorry second reunion excluded] is in this book. What more can i say other than this Buy this book!!!!

This is a great read for any Dukes of Hazzard fan. The author gives a detailed history describing Waldron's inspirations for the show, facts on the personal and acting history of each cast member, as well as an episode by episode discussion of all eight seasons! Even guest stars are discussed. I found out many interesting unknown facts about the guest stars which made the show even more fun to watch (for instance, I didn't not know that the lady playing the character of Sherry Tolliver in the episode 'The Rustlers' was the future Mrs. James Best.) The author then ends it all by giving updates on each member of the cast. Hats off to Hofstede for a job well done!

An EXCELLENT synopsis of all 145 episodes, laden with background and backstage gritz'n'grease which kept me awake until 2:30 a.m. checking it all out. The only thing keeping it from 5 starz was, although there are photo-shots galore of the cast, there was little else by way of visual viagra. For instance, no display of Main Street Hazzard County, or the Boar's Nest, Flash, Daisy's jeep Dixie, or even a full-length of the General. We have the partial on the cover in front of (a partial of) the Hazzard Garage, but that's it. Still, this old boy's worth its shillings for its literary content, after all, it IS an "unofficial" companion. Hot pursuit!

Endurance: an Epic of Polar Adventure
By F.A. Worsley
W.W. Norton & Company, 1931
ISBN: 0-393-04684-2

They say that truth is stranger than fiction. Endurance: An Epic of Polar Adventure is a sterling example. This riveting first-person narrative of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914 - 1916 recounts an extraordinary survival story replete with close calls, near misses, imminent disaster, and harrowing escapes. It's a true story "of invincible endurance and irrepressible humor through hardship and danger" in the face of overwhelming odds.

Sir Ernest Shackleton set off to cross Antarctica, a journey of more than 2,000 miles. Although his ship Endurance was wrecked before he set foot on the "most desolate, storm-swept place on earth," Shackleton and his men pulled off the greatest escape in the history of polar expedition. I've read and seen several accounts of this "bottom-of-the world" adventure, but none so detailed or compelling as the account of author Frank Arthur Worsley, commander of the doomed HMS Endurance.

Shackleton and his crew leave South Georgia, an island in the South Atlantic Ocean, in December 1914. While the ship makes good progress initially and pushes her way through thick pack ice off Antarctica, the wind shifts and closes the narrow channels or "leads", packing ice floes around the ship until she's stuck like a fly in honey. During the long winter the pack ice carries the Endurance almost 600 miles north.

In July 1915 Shackleton conferences with Worsley and Frank Wild, Shackleton's second in command. "The Boss" prophesies of the Endurance: "She's pretty near her end." He's right. A "splendid little ship," the plucky Endurance eventually succumbs to the enormous pressure of thousands of tons of ice and hoves onto her side. The crew salvages what supplies and stores they can just before she goes under, along with three life boats. The ship finally shatters and sinks, leaving twenty-eight members of the Expedition shelterless in the one of the harshest, most inhospitable regions imaginable.

At Shackleton's direction, the crew initially camps on drifting ice floes dubbed "Ocean Camp" and "Patience Camp" and allows the current to carry them north to safety. During this time Worsley recounts encounters with sea leopards, Emperor penguins, and deprivation - "we had been living for some weeks principally on seals and penguins" and when these migrated away, the men were reduced to "fourteen ounces of food a day" - which resulted not only in physical weakness but also a significantly reduced ability to fight the intense cold. Worsley recalls the "sad day" when all of the dogs, save one team, "had to be destroyed, to save food." Despite the omnipresent threat of exposure, frostbite, thirst, starvation and other adversities, Worsley dubs "the dreaded monotony" as the expedition's worst enemy. They are saved from starvation by a flock of migrating Adelie penguins.

After five months of drifting and countless dangers on the floes, the crew sights the Antarctic Continent in March 1916. Shackleton has brought them safely through two thousand miles of pack ice (p. 65). Deciding upon a safer but longer route to the nearest island to avoid more deadly pack ice, Shackleton orders the men to prepare to sail for the forbidding Elephant Island.

Worsley narrates the crew's reaction to Shackleton's decision, "... for most of us, I think our former lives had receded to that dim and shadowy vagueness usually associated with drams... I was unable to picture an existence in which a desert of ice and snow, battles with sea leopards, the dread killer whales, and a regard for penguins as almost personal friends did not play a part."
The floe cracks and the crew hurriedly launches the boats and embarks upon a hair-raising journey across the Southern Ocean to Elephant Island. On the stormy crossing the crews of the three boats - the Stancomb Wills, Dudley Docker and the James Caird - fight to stay together against blizzards, contrary currents, starvation, exhaustion and a voracious ocean that constantly threatens to swamp the small boats. Only the thinnest sliver of hope and a huge chunk of confidence in Sir Ernest keep his men going. Worsley describes the journey through "white hills of ice-clad sea, capricious currents, constant, unrelenting cold," sleep deprivation, exhaustion and exposure in an orderly, almost calm narrative without a trace of self-pity, panic, or despair. The men had such faith in their leader that the thought of failure never took hold. (See pages 83, 84, 86 and 88.)

Separated from the two other boats, Worsley and his men endure a hellacious night in the Dudley Docker before finally sighting the forbidding the coast of Elephant Island. Worsley and his crew eventually land on "a low, rocky beach" and are overjoyed to find the two other boats at the same location, which Worsley describes as "a gigantic mass of rock, carrying on its back a vast sheet of ice."

The full weight of responsibility for the safety and well-being of his men falls solely and wholly on Shackleton, whose self-sacrificing devotion to his men was legendary: "He was not only the leader of a great expedition but a true brother and shipmate to each one of us, thinking of us always before himself." In the wild, inhospitable, inaccessible environment of Elephant Island, this responsibility would have crushed a lesser man than the indomitable Shackleton:

- "It was due solely to Shackleton's care of the men in preparing ... hot meals and drinks every four hours day and night, and his general watchfulness in everything concerning the men's comfort, that no one died during the journey (to South Georgia)."

- "Shackleton's popularity among those he led was due to the fact that he was not the sort of man who could do only big and spectacular things. When occasion demanded he would attend personally to the smallest details, and he had unending patience and persistence which he would apply to all matters concerning the well-being of his men."

- "Shackleton had always insisted that the ultimate responsibility for anything that befell us was his and his only. ... My view was that we were all grown men, going of our own free wills on this expedition, and that it was up to us to bear whatever was coming to us. Not so Shackleton. His view was that we had trusted him, that we had placed ourselves in his hands, and that should anything happen to any one of us, he was morally responsible. His attitude was almost patriarchal. True, this may have accounted in some measure for the men's unquestioning devotion to him, and it always seemed to me that they bore toward him the love of sons for a singularly noble father..."


In the chapter entitled On Elephant Island, Worsley describes Shackleton's extraordinary leadership abilities. The Boss quickly discerns that a severe food shortage is imminent on Elephant Island. The consummate commander, Sir Ernest acts swiftly and decisively. He readies a twenty-two foot boot for the "forlorn hope" of sailing across "the most treacherous seas in the world" in the dead of an Antarctic winter to South Georgia Island, some eight hundred miles away. The odds of success are staggeringly slim, but Shackleton and five others remain undaunted and resolute. Reaching South Georgia Island and launching a rescue effort is the expedition's sole hope of survival.

Leaving Frank Wild in charge on Elephant Island, Worsley and Shackleton and five others set out. Worsley describes the scene the night before the leave: "It is a dreadful thing to face your shipmates, men who have been through thick and thin with you, and to realize that in all probability it is for the last time; nor does it add to your serenity of mind to know that if you fail to come back they will starve to death."

Worsley concludes On Elephant Island with thoughts of the men left behind: "...I felt that whatever hardships we might be called upon to face, we were the fortunate ones. Inactivity and uncertainty would come harder to men of the type of my shipmates than the unknown adventure that was before us." He adds pointedly, "We had in fact started on the greatest adventure of our career."

In chapter VI, The Boat Journey Begins, Worsley chronicles some of the challenges facing the determined little crew of the James Caird in their desperate attempt to sail north:

- Finding a way of breaking through the encircling line of pack-ice to north of Elephant Island so they can make for the open water
-Constant risk of being smashed by sea ice
-Being constantly wet for the duration of the journey
- Frozen reindeer skin sleeping bags
- Contaminated fresh water
- Being battered by blizzards and ferocious storms

Deciding upon the best point to make for, Shackleton emphasizes getting north as quickly as possible, "even though the route might be lengthened, so as to avoid all danger of ice and to relieve us from the almost overwhelming cold":

"What do you think of Cape Horn?" he asked, adding, "it's the nearest."
"Yes," I replied, "but we can never reach it. The westerly gales would blow us away. With luck, though, we might fetch the Falkland Islands."
"I am afraid that, although it is the longest run," he remarked, "we shall have to make for South Georgia, as you originally suggested. The gales will drive us leeward." And do they do, but not without incident on what Worsley understates as an"eventful and truly dreadful journey."
They finally land on South Georgia, but on the opposite side of the Norwegian whaling station and help. The boats isn't safe to put to sea again, nor are some members of the crew, who are too weak to continue. So Shackleton, Worsley and Tom Crean "rope up" and set out to cross the uncharted "impassable" interior of South Georgia Island. Worsley later records:

Without sleep, halting only for meals, we had crossed South Georgia in thirty six hours. Incidentally, he continues, "I learnt afterwards that we had crossed the island during the only interval of fine weather that occurred that winter. There was no doubt that Providence had been with us. There was indeed one curious thing about our crossing South Georgia... which I have never been able to explain. Whenever I reviewed the incidents of that march I had the sub-conscious feeling that there were four of us, instead of three. Moreover, this impression was shared by both Shackleton and Crean.

The exhausted trio stumbles into the whaling station on South Georgia on May 20. Three days later Shackleton and Worsley leave the island aboard a whaler bound for Elephant Island, determined to rescue their marooned shipmates. Weather forces them to turn back within sixty miles of Elephant Island. Heroic efforts to secure another vessel and safe passage finally pay off - on their fourth attempt. The strain of Shackleton and concern for his men is recorded by Worsley, who writes: "Lines scored themselves on his face more deeply day by day; his thick, dark, wavy hair was becoming silver. He had not a grey hair when we had started out to rescue our men the first time. Now, on the third return journey, he was grey-headed."

It is August 30, 1916. "One hundred and twenty-eight days since we had left them" writes Worsley, "days covering the worse of the Antarctic winter." One of the most poignant passages in this narrative appears on page 179 as Shackleton, on his fourth attempt at rescue, peers "with almost painful intensity through his binoculars" at the near coast of Elephant Island. He's counting: "There are only two, Skipper!" Then, `No, four!' A short pause followed and he exclaimed, `I see six-eight-` and at last, in a voice ringing with joy he cried, `They are all there! Every one of them! They are all saved!""

A boat is lowered and Shackleton leaps into it. "And as he drew close into the shore I hear him shout: `Are you all well?' Back came their answering yell, `All well!' followed by his wholehearted `Thank God!'

It is an historical fact that not a single man was ever lost in any expedition headed by Ernest Shackleton.

The narrative drops off precipitously following the Elephant Island rescue, but picks up steam on page 251, Southwards Again, when Worsley rejoins his old friend for another assault on the Antarctic. The year is 1922. Sadly, the return expedition isn't meant to be. The author's "best friend" dies of a massive heart attack in his cabin on South Georgia Island on January 5, days before his return to most desolate, storm-swept place on earth" that proved his mettle and made him a hero. Shackleton is buried on South Georgia Island.

Worsley's final chapter, The Death of A Hero, sensitively records the final scene with affection and admiration that shine through in every paragraph. "He had a way of compelling loyalty" writes one who sailed with him. "We would have gone anywhere without question just on his order." Asks Worsley rhetorically, "What more glowing tribute could any man wish for?"

Indeed, Endurance isn't just "a tale of unrelenting high adventure," but a tribute "to one of the most inspiring and courageous leaders of men in the history of exploration." This book is a compelling look into the heart and soul of a man whose extraordinary sagacity, capability, kindliness, courage and "wonderful capacity for self-sacrifice" set a standard for Leadership that still makes the world sit back and wonder. A great read.

I took a copy of this during an overseas military deployment, and in being reminded of the incredible conditions of the Endurance expedition, I found it hard to complain about some of the comparatively minor discomforts of being in the Army. This account by Worsley, the skipper of the Endurance and a lifelong friend of Shackleton, is a useful complement to other writings on the subject. The details of the Antarctic conditions, and particularly the section on the famous open-boat crossing to South Georgia Island, are described in way that no one but a participant could tell the tale. Worsley includes material about his WWI era experiences that doesn't appear in other works about the Endurance expedition. This is a recommended book for not just the Antarctic subject matter, but for its treatment of bravery, resourcefulness, survival, adventure, and leadership. This is a book that I will keep and re-read.

Endurance: An Epic of Polar AdventureI wanted to know something new, beyond the shackleton's book - south, but sometimes I think Worlsley had a great imagination.

Amongst all the books on Shackleton's voyage, this one provides the best insight into Shackleton as a man and as a leader. Due to his sense of humility and perhaps focus on the task at hand, Shackleton's own account of the voyage tends to dwell on the daily details of the group's struggles. Worsley's account on the other hand provides great insight into group dynamics and Shackleton's skill at maintaining unity under trying conditions. Shackleton's story needed someone other than Shackleton himself to tell it, Worsley being the expeditions captain and Shackleton's right-hand man, not to mention a masterful writer, is just the person. This book should be mandatory reading for anyone studying leadership and team building.

Now those were some tough adventurers back then...just solid outdoorsman and really strong willed and strong physically. This was outstanding to read and imagine what the human spirit can endure.

"Lean" with Allen "Pooney" Richards as he jumps into the gang life; struggle with him as he tries to maintain a double life of school and sports as a young man and the gang life as a Crip. You will grow with Mr. Richards as he realizes the life he has chosen may put him and his family in harms way and decides to make a turn on the right path. Rochan's story is unique in the way the content is handled, gangs are often a staple in some novels, but never before has it been explored in this way. The plot and action was steady throughout, the characters were well-developed and distinct, the only thing more I could ask for is maybe a bit of history on some of the characters.

1. What did you like best about this book?
I liked how the author addressed an issue that is very prevalent amongst youth. Although a bad situation the author showed that redemption is possible if you want it.

2. What did you dislike about this book?
There wasn't anything I disliked about the book.

3. How can the author improve this book?
The author could give the reader some more insight into the characters with a little more back information.

Okay so let me tell you this book is about a boy named Allen a.k.a. Pooney he just joined the Deuce-Nine Crips and he's loving it at first. He thought he had it all money,respect,power, and lets not forget about the women, but then one of the highest ranking members starts taking a liking into Pooneys little sister Sheila and let me tell you shes only 13 years old Pooneys love for "the family" starts to crumble and he wants out, but it's much harder to get out of this gang then it is to get in so what is Pooney to do

Regina Richards knows how hard it is being a young adult in such a corrupt world. Her kids father have been locked down for years and he will not see the light of day on the outside again. Regina knows that her young son Pooney will need the structure of a strong man to make it in an increasingly violent world. Hopefully, someone else doesn't decide to take the stand for the father Pooney once had.

Sheila knows that one day her lies of trying to hide Pooney's ways are going to catch up to her. She loves her older brother and fully understands that he is caught up in something that is hard to get out of. If she is trying to watch out for Pooney, who is watching out for her?

Pooney loves the life of money, cars and respect. His fifteen year old mentality ensures him that the "street life" is more important than being a good student, a responsible son and a helpful older brother. After reaching great levels in the notorious street gang, Deuce-Nine Crips, Pooney realizes that it is not all fun and games.

Gangsta Lean takes you from the heart of a young man to the bold streets of Galveston, Texas. There are pages that will make you laugh, cry must mostly understand. You understand how hard it is to raise two children as a single parent and also to raise a teenage son. You also begin to see that peer pressure and the streets are easily something that we call could fall victims to. Great story for all to read.

I loved this book.....I liked how the main character Pookey wasnt like the other street guys that are portraied in other books.....the author didnt try to make him seem like he was a normal street hustler....and was doin the things that he did since he was 9 years old as others are seemed to be in other street novels........it showed how a normal young male got into the wrong things and making the wrong decisions......the author Rochan Morgan made him like a regular teenager.......I liked how he was a virgin in the beggining of the book unlike other books make the teenage guys have sex with every girl that pops up in the book........I loved the relationship between him and Taye and loved how it came about....he didnt step to her she stepped to him......regardless of her dangerous ex Lil Arthur.......this book had me in tears at the end......everybody should read this book.....I cant wait til Rochan Morgan releases his next book

Allen Richards aka "Pooney" was just a 15 year old trying to fit in. A proud new member of the Deuce Nine Crips, Pooney is faced with the seemingly easy street life. As naive as Pooney was he knew it was time to call it quits when his gang leader, Mo is building a relationship with his sister. But how can he just quit? It's Deuce Nine 4 life--right? With a tough predicament at hand how can Allen do whats right?
This book has it all. Action,love,suspense,gangs and murder. It showed all the characteristics of the street life. The book was outstanding. If you haven't read this yet you should jump it up in your to read list. Trust me, you wont be dissappointed.

This is a great book. I thought the writing was superb The ending had a nice little twist, not too predictable.

One knows either a very good book or a very poor book has been found if the reading time is short. This book certainly falls into the former camp.

Harris leads the reader through a winding maze of suspicions and hypotheses. Just when you think you've found the path, one can almost hear Harris' quiet snicker as you have reached a dead end. The chess metaphor between the school and the "mole" is aptly portrayed as each side is consistently trying to guess the other's move.

To summarize, Gentlemen and Players is a novel about a private boys school which quickly becomes overwrought with scandal-with one key player at the helm. One can see the innerworkings of the mind of "the mole" (black) and Straitley, the gruff but well-intentioned seasoned teacher (white).

Harris will keep the reader guessing until the very end. Not since my viewing of "The Sixth Sense" have I left with my jaw agape when all is revealed. Savor this well written work.

"Gentlemen and Players" may not be the best known of Joanne Harris's works, "Chocolat" undoubtedly holds that title, but this novel is a riveting story worthy of praise for its intelligence and ingenuity. Centered around the public (private for those of us in the US) St. Oswald's grammar school for boys where things begin to go terribly wrong - and we are not talking paper airplanes and spit balls disorder, more like school for scandal.

As the school, and surrounding town, attempt to come to grips with the institution's unraveling, Harris weaves a set of plot twists that will have you flipping through the novel's pages trying to understand what you missed. This is a story of strategy and cunning shrouded in mystery and secrecy, which makes up for the fact that several rather repetitive descriptions.

Although satisfying, this novel is also disconcerting not only because of its subject matter, but also because Harris challenges readers to accept that not everything in life works out neatly according to the rules (no matter how badly we desire it). This novel will make you think and feel, which is truly something wonderful. Harris herself dedicated over a decade to teaching in the British school system and her devotion comes through clearly in every chapter, not to mention a lovely essay reflecting on her teaching career in the P.S. edition.

One word of caution to readers before diving unreserved into this novel piece of literature - this is a story involving children and not everything that happens is good. If you are bothered by this type of thing, it might not be the choice for you. Do not let this caution put you off entirely, but it was not something I was prepared for when I began reading.

I enjoyed almost everything about this novel. I was fascinated by, and, for the most part, believed in psychological development of the characters...a plus for any mystery. Set in a semi-tony British Boy's school, always a treat, this fun psychological thriller kept me guessing until the end. As my only previous experience with this writer was the somewhat tiresome movie Chocolat, I was very pleasantly surprised. I look forward to reading her next effort!

St. Oswald's Grammar School for Boys is one of the most prestigious privates schools in England. Having a pristine image is vital, and whatever potential scandal comes up is immediately covered up. Roy Straitley, a sixty-something Classics professor, is going for his Centurion, but will he be able to achieve it when his fellow staff members are taking over his office and classroom? There are also several new teachers this year, one of which is an aspiring author. There will be changes this year, but Straitley had never envisage just how different things would be. Small things occur at first. Pens go missing, pranks are made, porters get into trouble. But then things escalate, and one scandal follows another. Pedophilia, extramarital affairs, a missing child and Internet porn are among those scandals. And, worse still, there is murder. Who could be causing this? Someone who has been invisible to everyone at the school. Someone who has managed to trespass St. Oswald's as a child, becomes obsessed with one of the students, and has come back for revenge after everything was covered up to protect the school's image. St. Oswald's goes out of its way to avoid scandals, and this person will be changing that...

Gentlemen and Players is one of the cleverest written novels out there. Its dark, sinister and disturbing language drew me from the very start. The mysterious narrator -- the one seeking revenge -- made my skin crawl, and the big twist in the last fifty or so pages truly shocked me. The fact that it hadn't even occurred to me is a good indication of how well written this book is. Many things made sense when the person's identity is revealed. But I don't want to spoil it for the reader, and so I won't give further details. One thing is certain though: Joanne Harris is an excellent author. I haven't read Chocolat or her other novels, but Gentlemen and Players is a literary thriller that I will remember for quite a while. I cannot recommend this gem enough. If you've read this book and are looking for something as riveting as this, then I recommend The Keep by Jennifer Egan.