Phillips Books

This is a very well researched and written book. Lots of rare photos that detail the rise and fall of the mighty Empire. I also recommend "Last of the Flying Clippers: The Boeing B-314 Story" which is a book with (unfortunately) a similar sad ending.

The Orestia trilogy is the tragic story of the responsibility of a blood debt and the need for a system of laws and justice that replaces an ending cycle of revenge. In the first play, "Agamemnon," the title character returns victoriously from Troy to be murdered by his wife, Clytemnestra, who having sacrificed their daughter Iphigenia so that a fair wind would blow the Achean army to Troy. In the middle play, "The Choephori" ("The Libation Bearers"), Orestes comes to Argos to avenge his father by killing his mother. After doing the bloody deed, Orestes is afflicted by madness and flees in terror from the Furies, the hideous spirits who hunt down and punish murderers. Thus the stage is set for "The Eumenides," the final play in the trilogy.

"The Eumenides" begins a few days after the end of the previous play, with Orestes seeking refuge at the sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi. In a most unusual move for a Greek tragedy, the action then jumps ahead several years when Orestes, after years of wandering as a tormented outcast, arrives at Athens and throws himself on the mercy of the godess Athena. The Furies arrive, hot upon his heels, and demand he be punished for his act of matricide. However, Orestes insists that since he acted according to the dictates of Apollo, he is guiltless of the crime. This is a shocking declaration, especially for someone from the accursed house of Atreus. Athena convenes a special court to hear the case against Orestes, but they are unable to reach a verdict, leaving it to the goddess to decide his fate. She casts the tie-breaking vote to acqit Orestes and the Furies turn against the city itself, but Athena persuades them to bless the city instead, finding there a home and a cult that will worship them as the Eumenides (the Kindly Ones).

Ultimately, the Orestia is a celebration of the Athenian civilization that had created a democratic government and a system of trial by jury. That such a system could be perverted might be true, as the case of Socrates strongly suggests, but Aeschylus is comparing the system to the past to draw a strong distinction between vengeance and justice. The Orestia has great importance because of this theme, and not simply because it is the only surviving example of a Greek tragic trilogy. The climax of "The Eumenides" is rather strange for a Greek tragedy, since it ends on an exalted note of reconciliation and optimism, but that is why the Orestia is the first great drama in the history of theater.

I made the mistake of beginning this book after 9:00 P.M. I was still reading tenaciously when dawn broke, and I reluctantly had to put it down from sheer exhaustion.

Faster paced than any novel, this gripping story, ripped from the headlines of the 1960s, tells how an affable, gregarious, handsome, and unconventional man, who was both a gifted osteopath and a talented artist, and who had many friends in London society (and one in the Soviet Embassy), became swept up in the tumultuous events of history only to be sucked down into the vortiginous sinkhole of politics.

Knightley and Kennedy not only narrate the tragic life and death of Stephen Ward, but they also relate the history of the rise of tabloid journalism, which--with tales of women wielding whips, naked masked men waiting tables, orgies in Stately Homes and other titillating tidbits of gossip--is ever ready to sustain the public's prurient and seemingly insatiable appetites for such trash. (The combination of sex and politics in this book makes one wonder whether that marvelously wicked British DVD "House of Cards" might not be a forerunner to reality TV!)

"An Affair of State" is also the heartbreaking story of a rather naive man who put his faith in his friends, in his country, and in the British system of jurisprudence. In the end, he was abandoned by all but a few of his friends and betrayed by both country and British justice. In other words, he was made a scapegoat, according to Knightley and Kennedy, to the interests of the Conservative party and the hypocrisy of the establishment after the resignation in disgrace of John Profumo, Britain's dapper and dandy Minister of War.

As one who read those headines and stories avidly in 1963, and could not wait for the next sensational revelation of Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies, I am sufficiently chastened to discover that Stephen Ward's conviction was based upon what proved to be perjured evidence and an outrageous frameup that led to his suicide. Perhaps, at the time, as far as the public was concerned, the scandal represented an antidote to the Cuban missile crisis of 1962 (one of the most frightening times through which I have ever lived, wondering whether there would be a tomorrow), but while the attention of the world was being diverted by the sexual antics of the rich and powerful (the salacious details of which were meticulously reported in a U.K. government report), other more sinister events were unfolding, which came to their climax on November 22, 1963, when President Kennedy was assassinated.

One might draw a parallel with a similar obsession with sex and politics, fueled by the media, that not only produced another lengthy official x-rated report but also occupied the public and diverted the attention of Congress in the months preceding 9/11. Is there, perhaps, a lesson to be learned here?

The Marxist writer Philip Bonosky visited Afghanistan several times in the 1980's while a reporter for the Daily World. Bonosky shows the history of relations between the Soviet Union and Afghanistan showing that the Soviet Union had lived by Afghanistan peacefully for years and had only sent in troops at the request of the Afghan government. Bonosky also shows the efforts of the pro Soviet Afghan government to modernize the country by building schools and improving the status of women. The United States and Pakistan backed the Muhajedeen who commited many acts of terrorism against the Afghan people such as torture, blowing up schools, amd murder. The U.S. support of the Muhajedeen led to Osama Bin Laden and 9-11.

Each chapter is like taking a pleasant walk in an interesting place with a friend who is knowledgable and sharing but never didactic. The clear, clean writing flows smoothly and pleasantly thoughout.

the audio cd is very well done, great for educators and students. the oral timeline gives the listener a real sense of time and history with great music clips,very informative.

I stumbled upon this book when I was in England in 1996. I wasn't reading for pleasure much, but I couldn't put this book down. The story is so good, I think it's the only book I've gone back to time and again.
Supposedly there is going to be a movie done by Ewan Mcgregor's movie company.
I would love to see that. I can't help but imagine how cool it would be done with a soundtrack of My bloody Valentine type music.
Grab this book if you see it. It's well worth a quick entertaining read.

Afer Dark, by Phillip Margolin, is the best mystery/thriller I've ever read (and believe me I've read many). To me the evaluation of how good a book is can be determined in how long it takes one to read it. I read After Dark in less than two days. It is a masterful work of penmanship with a twisted plot that keeps you reading to see whodunit, but the plot is so intricately woven, you never can decide what the resolution will turn out to be. Publishers Weekly called Margolin's style "whiplash plotting", which is an excellent description inasmuch as several characters were under suspicion. This was a complicated story with a great deal of legalese that could only be done through Margolin's background as an attorney. It is so well written, one must wonder if it comes from one of his court cases. If you are a mystery/thriller buff like me, then read this book. I think you will be as pleased as I was with it.

I had a range of reactions to the essays in this book. Some I really liked. Some I thought were alright. Some I didn't particularly care for.

But "Chekhov for Children" is something quite different. The best single essay I have ever read (actually I have read it at least 5 times), it captures (and moves) me every time. If you work with kids, you need to read it. If you wonder if literature if important, you need to read it. If you like neither kids nor literature, you should still read it. Simply extraordinary.

Although listed as Young Adult Reading this a book for all who love a good tale bedded in truth and history. If you have ever shot, handled, or even looked at a Firearm, you will enjoy this well written novel. The Author has taken very few liberties with the actual historical records. He presents the expreiences of a 15 year old Apprentice Smith and his involvement in the introduction of Gun Powder and Firearms to England in the 1300's. The story is well populated with the real participants involved in this time of great change. This is one of the most enjoyable History lessons you will ever experience.