Pitt Books

My review is for those who aren't big poetry buffs. For those of us who think poetry could very well be a dead art or something only intellectuals would enjoy. A friend started sending me poems by Billy Collins and I enjoyed them so much I bought The Art of Drowning. His writing is so accessible to our modern sensibilities and resonate with our day to day lives. Check out "Days". The words he chose and rhythms he created really drew me in. Hope you enjoy all the poems in this book as much as I did.

Reading Collins has given me a greater appreciation for the potential of free verse. He has affected my own writing in what I am currently interpreting as a positive way...
I've forgotten how to rhyme / But that's O.K. / Perhaps was tyme!
These poems evoke recognition in the reader. For the most part, we can participate in them. They deal with simple things we can identify with. Like saxophones, dreams, clouds, writing as a craft, the Blues, a really good cigarette... and meat.
And speaking of meat, I have christened Osso Buco as my favorite Collins poem to date. I think of it as a little hymn to domestic contentment, which is "something you don't hear much about in poetry." But there is a wonderful undertone running through this poem... that the great things in history did not necessarily take place in the atmosphere of satiated bliss here described, and at first glance, seemingly lauded.
This is what I love so much about his stuff. The intelligent playfulness, the game involving what is said, and what is meant. What we see on the page is like the one-sixth of the iceberg above water... there is so much beneath, in and around the words.
There is always something more to think about when you come to the last line of a Collins poem.

There is nothing trite about this collection. I've taken about a month to read through these fifty poems, because each is like a meal in itself. The book is not a party-platter of bite-size hors d'oeuvres. Nothing is measly. And Osso Buco is a feast.
You owe it to yourself to eat... I mean read, The Art Of Drowning.
T. y. L. i. I.

"In a while, one of us will go up to bed
and the other one will follow.
Then we will slip below the surface of the night
into miles of water, drifting down and down
to the dark, soundless bottom
until the weight of dreams pulls us lower still,
below the shale and layered rock"
~Osso Buco

Firstly, I want to say that I love the Pittsburgh Poetry Series. Each book is about 100 pages and you can read one book right before going to bed. Poetry seems to calm my mind and encourages more vivid dreams.

"The Art of Drowning" is an interesting collection. It is not as "cartoon" focused as "Questions about Angels." Although, there is some silliness to be had in "Nightclub" where we are amused by songs no one would sing. It was funnier when my husband read it to me. I'm not sure why. He and I were reading in bed and I asked him to read me some poems. He liked "The Biography of a Cloud," especially the lines: "but early one morning over Arizona it held the distinction of being the only one in the sky." He loves going to Arizona, so he could easily imagine the lonely cloud drifting across an open sky.

You hardly imagine that reading poetry in bed would be anything less than romantic, yet with many of Billy Collins' poems, this is exactly what happens. Apparently I'm not the only one who was highly amused by "Nightclub." My husband was just calmly reading and I was lost in laughter as if there were some private joke only I was acknowledging.

Many of the poems seem quite intimate, like cozy conversations with the reader. There is an inner vision and motion. At times Billy Collins peers into frankness as it looks back starkly and at other times his matter-of-fact observations show irony. Then, suddenly we are drowned in nostalgia, awakened by dread or simply wondering at the sheer imagination it takes to write the last few lines of "Tuesday."

You have to love the "book recommendations" in "Canada," or the story of trees reciting poems in "Fiftieth Birthday Eve." Collins turns poetry into magic. These are not just words dancing before your eyes, they are living creatures jumping off the page into our imagination. His choice of words is like the choice of colors for a painting, yet the painting is occurring in minds. The better your imagination, the better the poem. You must submit the canvas for the artwork. You can remain closed, only seeing the words, or let the words into your mind and allow them to paint vivid images, recollection, connect with past memories or propel you into thinking about the future.

The title of this book refers to a poem called: The Art of Drowning and it deals with the concept of your life flashing before your eyes. Here, Billy Collins takes a rather irreverent look at what happens when you die and why your life might not necessarily "flash" but might take other forms.

Billy Collins' poems amaze me, not only because he can adjust his focus in a variety of amusing and out-of-the-box ways. He amazes due to his ability to make each poem an emotion or a moment in time, representative of his present condition. There are moments of longing, the dreams of travel and other places he'd rather be. There is also a comfort in the present and common life or solitude when observing nature.

Many poems (in general) make me feel that I am on the outside looking in. Billy Collins' poems make me feel that I am on the inside, looking out as Billy Collins observes his world.

He does at times seem to be an observer as words break on the page. There are undercurrents of emotions surging inside him and occasionally they break on the page as sarcasm, irony or a sheer appreciation for being. In "Conversion" he takes us into the past while in "Death Beds" he takes us into the future. Here we think about where we will be when we die. Not something I think about daily, but an interesting concept.

"I would hope for a window,
the usual frame of reference,
a clear sky, or think high clouds,
an abundance of sun, a cool pillow."

"Medium" is stunning because it explains how Collins would love to write on more surfaces than paper and I'm sure he realized that each time he writes a poem, he is writing on our hearts or across our minds and many of his poems are unforgettable and seep into your soul. Some of the poems will even drown you in laughter.

~The Rebecca Review

There is poetry that you perfunctorily get by with in school. Then there is poetry you pick up from second hand stores, thinking "Heck, just 15 cents, couldn't hurt" only to find that it was the price that didn't hurt not necessarily the poetry. And then there is poetry that is, well, not poetry at all but smart, beautiful, delectable ideas expressed more vertically than prose -- a real man's real thoughts about real things that almost any one of us can relate to and savour.

It is this last genre of poetry that I would get myself to review, and Billy Collins is among the best of such contemporary poets-- sharp, witty, satirical, misleadingly simple but frequently flirting with meanings that deeply touch even the most ordinary among us, and without fail, an absolute thrill to read.

What sheer pleasure then to see a master in top form. In this little compendium his words are spare and casual as usual, holding us riveted by the force of what is articulated but not necessarily spoken. His brush runs a wide gamut in this book, I believe Amazon has a "Look Inside" feature that'll give you an idea of the poems to expect (even the titles are interesting! "Sunday Morning with the Sensational Nightangles", "The Biography of a Cloud", "On Turning Ten", "While Eating A Pear") ..but regardless of what subject has his attention, words take on a life of their own under his prying eyes without ever losing a practical, talkative tone --

"You are so beautiful and I am a fool/to be in love with you
is a theme that keeps coming up
in songs and poems.
There seems to be no room for variation.
I have never heard anyone sing
I am so beautiful/and you are a fool to be in love with me,
even though this notion has surely/crossed the minds of women and men alike
You are so beautiful, too bad you are a fool
is another one you don't hear.
Or, you are a fool to consider me beautiful.
That one you will never hear, guaranteed..."

Priceless. For the fascinating thoughts, even more than their expression, this is a sweet little collection to willingly drown in again and again.

I adore Billy Collins and this is one of my favourite collections. His words are honest and simple and his cadence is refreshing. I can't think of a poet to compare Collins to, he writes a unique style that is impossible not to love. If you poetry, buy this book. If you hate poetry, buy this book and it will change your mind. Collins' writing isn't difficult to understand and it is a simplistic treat in such a complex world.

It's 1889 and Inspector Thomas Pitt of the London police, who has become something of a specialist in politically sensitive cases, has been called in on the case of a murdered loan shark -- not his usual sort of case. The man was also a blackmailer, however, with several society gentlemen among his victims -- and also two ranking members of the police force, which makes matters even more touchy. Pitt gradually works through the possibilities, making this one of the better efforts in the series, even though a secret political conspiracy turns out to be responsible. The characterizations are well done, too. Emily's new husband, Jack Radley, is attempting to get himself selected as a candidate for Parliament and because she's pregnant, Charlotte (Emily's sister and Pitt's wife) has to step in for her as political hostess. This allows several parallel sociological and romantic plots, but they're less intrusive than usual. (Secret societies and usury are less controversial than women's rights, I guess.) The author also manages not to telegraph the entirely believable ending this time -- a weakness of which she is sometimes guilty.

I would not typically pick up a mystery novel like this, but needing something to read on the plane returning from a visit to my mother, I decided to borrow this from her. It was quite an enjoyable read. The details of Victorian life, well-developed plot line and believable, sympathetic characters show that Ms. Perry is quite a skilled story teller. Men will find the descriptions of ball gowns and hair-do's a bit tedious, and the ending is overly abrupt, but all-in-all this book is well worth the time invested.

I've read all 23 of the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt books, and this entry has more than any other of what we love Anne Perry for -- the beautifully drawn descriptions of high and low Victorian life; the interweaving of Charlotte's family's goings-on with the main plot; wonderfully realized secondary characters; etc. In Belgrave Square, we learn for the first time of the deadly secret society known as the Inner Circle, which will return to haunt Charlotte, Thomas, and their families in future books. The main police business at issue -- who blew the head off nasty userer William Weems -- is slightly over-the-top, if undeniably dramatic; but it has several rivals for the reader's attention, including the compelling romance of Micah Drummond and Eleanor Byam (very touching and believable) and the love triangle of Fanny Hilliard, Fitz Fitzpatrick, and Odelia Morden. Thomas and Charlotte themselves continue to grow in interesting ways; here, Charlotte is forced out of her happy-married-woman complacency, learning a new sympathy for the travails of others even when they are not particularly likeable people. There's even a fascinating lesson in colonial economics tucked away in all the plotting and subplotting! But the capper of the book for me is the delicious encounter between Lady Vespasia and Lily Langry at an upper-crust garden party. Every time I reread it, I'm impressed anew by Perry's ability to set a vivid scene and draw her readers into the absurd but deadly serious etiquette games of another time and place.

Out of the ten Pitt books I have read so far this is the one I like the least! My main objection is the long tedious sections involving charlotte's social outings. Nothing happens for page after page. This can happen in other Pitt books as well I find, but this one is the worst. Anything in this series from The Whitechapel Conspiracy onwards is very good though, as is Traitor's Gate, Bedford Square and Farrier's Lane. (Everyone else here seemed to like this book except me).

I've read the 11 "Pitt" books prior to this, but I enjoyed this the most.
Some thoughts:
-It's not necessary to have read previous books in the series to find one's way around the characters and setting.
-The book is populated with interesting characters.
-Our friend Micah Drummond also plays a noteworthy expanded role.
-Most important for a mystery like this, the ending needs to be satisfying. And did I love this ending! (No peeking!)

'Silence in Hanover Close' is one of Perry's best Pitt mysteries and I have been an avid reader of all of her books and various characters. Anne Perry is an amazingly gifted author and her ability to relate 19th Century England is a rich and rewarding experience to be enjoyed by all.

Inspector Thomas Pitt of the London Metropolitan Police in the late 1880s faces one of his more grueling cases in this ninth book in the series when he's asked to reopen the investigation into the murder three years before of a high official in the Foreign Office. His death was thought to be the result of a bungled burglary, but maybe not. Now the widow is contemplating remarriage, to another F.O. employee, and the Powers That Be want to make sure there will be no unexpected embarrassment on either side -- or that's what Pitt is led to believe, anyway. Hanover Close is a short cul-de-sac in which the three principal families are interrelated and know each other well, which limits things. Pitt speaks to the servants, all of whom had told their stories before, but one ladies' maid remembers an oddity -- a woman in cerise, flitting about in the middle of the night. And the next day, the maid is dead, too. Charlotte Pitt, who married considerably beneath herself, is familiar with the ins and outs of Society and contributes her own skills, but it's her sister, Emily, bored widow of Lord Ashworth (murdered in a previous book in the series) who risks the most, going undercover as a ladies' maid herself. And then Pitt finds himself in a very serious situation, suspected of murder himself. There's much less of the social commentary that Perry usually lards each of her novels with, except for an interesting and somewhat amusing view of below stairs through the eyes of a relatively high-born lady.

I had been working my way through Anne Perry's William Monk series and had not read one of her Charlotte & Thomas Pitt novels for quite a while. In my effort to learn from other authors and editors, however, and thus become a better novelist myself, I was reading Donald Maass' Writing the Breakout Novel.

Maass, who is Perry's agent, refers to "Silence in Hanover Close" as her "breakout" novel, attributing her increased sales from that point forward to the enlarged premise of this story --- not just crime, but a crime that may also be treason.

The murder of an important employee of the British Foreign Office, and the disappearance of documents which might be relevant to important negotiations with the Germans about dividing up Africa (this in the late 1800s), certainly provides the higher stakes. Perry takes this possibility and develops an exciting detective story.

The unorthodox work of Charlotte and Emily, while Thomas is "otherwise detained," was a pleasure to savor, and of course there are all the period details that make reading Perry's work so much fun.

There's also a major surprise at the end, one that I did not intuit, which brings together all of the unexplained threads that had me properly puzzled. If I have any criticism of the book, it's that the ending comes about a little too quickly. But it's a good one.

If you'd like to see more of my comments about "Silence in Hanover Close," I refer you to my "Education of a Novelist" blog which you can reach by searching the web for "weinstein education of a novelist".

You are of course invited to consider my just-published NYC-based legal thriller A Good Conviction, which tells the heart-wrenching story of a young man wrongly imprisoned in Sing Sing for a murder he did not commit by a Manhattan ADA who may have known he was innocent, and also my historical novel, The Heretic (Library of American Fiction), describing the persecution of a family of secret Jews by the Catholic Church on the eve of the Spanish Inquisition.

LEW WEINSTEIN

Perhaps I have read and heard too many Perry books. This one finally came out in audiobook. Not to be passed up. However, fairly early in the book I knew what the big surprise would be. Knowing Perry's writing goals, it was obvious, despite the major plot distraction. I knew none of the three "detectives", and friends, would stumble to it until the end of the book. (More than half the book passes while they wonder and wonder, not exercising their usually efficient brain power.) But they never did. I can't even belatedly feel pleased about someone's cleverness. So it's really a disappointing effort.

I like Anne Perry in general. Don't read too many in a row because they are all essentially the same... not entirely great mysteries surrounded by extensive social commentary. Excellent social commentary, very interesting, insightful, etc... but it slows down the plot to a snail's pace. Reading one once in a while is nice... but don't indulge in many at a time or you'll be disappointed in the plot and pace and rather bored with the social commentary. (at least, I was... and it was one of the selling points early on in the series...)

Having never seen one of the Camberage Pitt Minion Reference Bibles, I didn't quite know what to expect. The quality of this book is one of the best I've seen. It is small, but not too small. The print is small but easy to read. There are no frills to speak of except the column cross reference, which is adeqate, but not as good as a Thompson xref. The lack of markers over words make the xref a little more challenging to use, but adds to the readability of the main text. The goatskin is really soft and supple. Everyone who sees it recognizes it as a quality piece from the start. I can't imagine a better carry bible to own.

This KJV Pitt Minion in the Brown Goatskin leather is a beautiful Bible. The leather is soft, supple, and wonderful to hold. However, I like the sturdiness of the French Moroccan leather better. The type in this Pitt Minion is very clear and readable, unlike that in the NIV edition. It does not lay flat the way it should, but I understand that it will eventually do so through normal use. One problem, as others have noted, is that the inner margin is too narrow and you have to pull it back more in order to read the text. This problem should correct itself through normal use and time, supposedly.
You should also know that this KJV pitt does not include a concordance, but it does have nice cross references in the text.

Bible is wonderful morrocan leather and nice compact easy to read print. The only thing wrong with this bible is as others have stated, the inner margin is way to small. You definetly have to purposely bend the Bible to see the print in the middle. It is getting a little bit better with use but they definitely need to put some more space in the middle margin. I am able to use this as my main day to day bible though and am all in all very happy with it.

I was looking for a replacement Bible for my current NKJV slimline Bible for daily use. I wanted references (which my current Bible doesn't have), leather binding, slim, and if KJV, I didn't want the pronunciation key in line with the text.

I really like this Bible and it seems to have all the features I wanted. The binding is beautiful. The leather feel is nice and flexible. The font is nice and the red-letter color does not detract from the readability. It has references and is slim and it has a pronunciation table at the beginning of the Bible, so I don't have to try to skip over the symbols that are not part of the English language as I read. The pages of this Bible are a bit thicker (better quality) than my current slimline, so they should be more lasting.

My main problem with the Bible was readability. The size of the Bible itself is a bit smaller than listed on the description, since the dimensions are for the box the Bible comes in. The page dimentions are 6.8" x 4.8" x 0.75", which is smaller than I expected. In order to use slightly thicker paper (a good thing), the text spacing is quite reduced. This would not be bad, except for the fact that the font is also small. The font is readable (I have 20/20), but a bit small for reading in bed at night. As another reviewer mentioned, the inside margin at the binding is too small (it is narrower than the ribbon included with the Bible). It is also narrower than the outside margin. This makes it difficult to read unless I press on the pages to open the binding. One of my pet peeves with reading books is to not press the binding, so this goes against one of my main practices when reading books in general. I would have loved this Bible if it were 1 to 1.5 inches taller and proportionally wider while enlarging the font a bit to keep the current layout. Also, make the inside margin wider! If this were the case, the Bible would be perfect.

Bottom line, I love the Bible, but I won't be able to use it as my daily Bible, so although I am torn about it, I am sending it back.

Recently purchased the KJV Pitt Minion Goatskin in Black.
What I like:
Goatskin is a treat! This fine grained, glove soft leather is exceptionally smooth and supple. Care must be taken when searching for a reference not to bend the cover back along with the pages (as is unfortunately a habit among many Americans). This leather is thin enough that it bubbles and creases if mishandled in this way.
Paper is of the highest quality. Although exceptionally thin, there is very little shadow through from the opposite page's type. This allows this little volume to measure in at just 3/4"
I love the art gilt edging. Those who have pre-1970's Bibles are familiar with the red/gold edging.
The size is just right. This Bible is identical in size to my Day-timer binder, allowing it to slip into a briefcase or handbag. I found the smaller Bibles on the market were much thicker, actually taking up more room. It fits nicely into a desk drawer, too. Of note: There is no Bible cover on the market sized to this Bible. Because of it's soft binding, you will want to keep the box or, as I did, stitch up a small fabric envelope to protect it when travelling.
The type is comfortably sized at 6.5 point. I can read without my glasses (20/60 vision). Because of the font, I find this Bible as easy to read as my larger Life Application Bible.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that each paragraph begins with the first word or two in capitals. Since I often read several chapters at a sitting in this Bible, I find this very helpful.
Except in the very beginning and end of the Bible, this particular edition stays open without being held, BUT...
What I don't like:
The binding is such that the inner column on each page cannot be read easily. It cannot be read at all in most portions of the Bible without forcing the binding open. After corresponding with Baker Books (the U.S. company that handles Cambridge Bibles), I have been assured that the binding will loosen with age and this will not continue to be a problem. I find it notable that the least expensive "gift Bibles" on the market leave a sufficient margin so that words are not caught in the binding. I would be willing to sacrifice the inner "reference" column in order to free up the center copy. I will revise this review if I find that 1) The Bible does indeed loosen after several months use or 2) That I have purchased a volume that is not up to the usual standard. Since I purchased mine over the internet, I have not had the opportunity to compare it to any other. Only one bookstore in another part of my state carries this particular volume, so I will have to wait to see how mine compares until I make it down there.
The two other things that I find odd, though not necessarily a problem are as follows:
There are several pages prior to Genesis 1 with the pronunciations of every difficult name/place in the Bible. This is presumably to aid the reader without cluttering up the text with phonetic markings.
There are a series of alpha-numeric codes in the bottom margin throughout the Bible that I can only assume identify the signatures (smaller "books" sewn together to form the entire volume). Although small, these are a bit perplexing in a book of this quality.
Overall:
This Bible is a joy to use. It is everything my Life Application Study Bible is not -- compact, lightweight, and straightforward. The price is such that only those who have a love for fine books will be willing to invest in this volume, but it is currently marketed in several other far less expensive bindings for those who like the size but not the price! I would not recommend this Bible for those who are looking for a true "travel" Bible as it does not have a zipper or snap flap to protect the pages. Those who treasure older Bibles will love the look and feel of this particular edition, as it retains the feel and quality of the Bibles of bygone times. I will update this review regarding the center margin/binding "problem" as soon as it is resolved.

Just wanted Amazon customers to be carefull. I bought the black Pitt Minion. It's a great bible and top quality.
But when I recieved this item from Amazon, the return shipping address was from "amazon returns department". Also there was no plastic wrapping on my cambridge box. New items from cambridge are alwas wrapped in plastic. The beautiful gold pages were scratched and bent in places.
So I feel this bible was bought by someone else then returned back to amazon, then they sent it to me as a "new" bible.
When I pay this much money for ANYTHING I expect it to be new and UNDAMAGED!
Just be carefull. Better to just order it from cambridge. I will next time.

Cambridge is still constructing excellent Bibles. The small type takes a little time to get used to, but I really like this fine Bible. And, Amazon has the best price.

This little bible ( please note the page size!) is fantastic! I have never owned a leather bible that opens up at Genesis 1 and stays open, laying flat! Usually, you have to hold the leather cover and cover pages open, not with this very soft little beauty! It falls open and stays open- amazing. Strictly speaking, to me for a regular bible, nothing beats the In Touch Ministries calfskin NASB from Lockman- read those reviews- but in the travel bible category- this is king! I may very well buy other's from Cambridge- this was my first, and I am very impressed!

This goatskin covered Pitt Minion Bible is excellent in quality and should withstand years of daily use. It is light, compact, and has a fantastic feel about it. Of all the books I own, it is my second favorite, right behind my 20 year old worn R. L. Allan 26 KJV.

It is also very squarely priced.

However, the font is small enough in size that those aged 40 and over may tire unnecessarily peering at the letters.

Hopefully this helps you a bit!
Daryl J.

The Cambridge NASB Pitt Minion Bible in black goatskin leather is a treasure for any person who is fond of the great old Cambridge traditon. Let's start with the cover. This Bible is bound in genuine goatskin leather. There isn't a better leather out there for the price than goatskin. It is soft and thick, tough and yet very pliable. This Bible just feels great in your hands. When you hold it open in your hands you feel like you are holding a real Bible made in the old tradition. And it smells great!

The binding is sewn and opens flat, which is really outstanding if you like to study at a desk or table. The page edges are art gilt, red under gold, a process that is more expensive for Bible makers but reflects a much higher quality Bible.

The paper is nice. Smooth, opaque, strong, and non-glare, so it doesn't tire the eyes. The print is quite small but readable if you have decent eyesight. This is a reference Bible with center column references and a concordance. This is remarkable for such a small Bible.

If you appreciate traditional Cambridge quality, you will love this Bible. Designed to last a lifetime and pass down to your children or grandchildren, this Bible is worth every penny you spend.

Dr. Mike Kear

To begin, I highly recommend this volume to both Anglicans and all Christians as a living testament to a magisterial approach to the worship of Our Lord.
This edition of the Book of Common Prayer is the standard for worship in the Church of England, and the foundation for the various editions of the prayer book now used in the American branches of the Anglican Church. While controversy continues to surround the current (1979) edition, the heritage represented by this volume is one that is a part of the theology and worship of all sons and daughters of the English Reformation.
This work also represents a true doctrinal structure based on scripture and holy tradition as understood by Cranmer, Hooker, and the English reformers. Contrary to much modern confusion, the goal of the reformers was not mere compromise or a via media, but a return to the sound practice and teachings of the patristic, pre-medieval church; thus the term Reformed Catholicism, as represented by the Protestant reforms to the medieval catholic tradition.
This book also represents the foundation of much of our language and literature. Along with the King James Version of the Bible, most generations of educated Englishman and Americans learned to read and think through reading, praying and reciting from these holy works.
Thus, there is much here for all Christians, and all those who are interested in Christianity and our American heritage. This book will be one of the best purchases you ever make.
Enjoy!

I am of mixed opinion about the "1662 Book of Common Prayer". My chief complaints and comments are:

a. The slipcase incarcerating the book that arrived on my doorstep was of plain brown cardboard, NOT the attractive-looking case shown on the Amazon website.
b. It took me 10 minutes to pry the book loose from this slipcase and after opening and reading the book, it will no longer go back into the case. A nice feature, that.
c. For some inexplicable reason, I expected an exact replica or reprint of the "1662 Book of Common Prayer". Silly me. While an attractive volume arrived, it was NOT what I expected.
d. The frontispiece states, "This edition includes the various amendments to the 1662 Book of Common Prayer..." and then lists them from 1964, 1965, and 1968....which in itself is odd since the tables for calculating the dates for Easter start at 1983. Furthermore, there are references on some pages to King Charles I, and then suddenly, on a subsequent page, to Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
e. I was expecting, from the advertisement, a faithful copy of the "1662 Book of Common Prayer". It is in my mind, a misrepresentation.
f. As a result, for any given text in this volume, one can't be sure which period in history the words actually originate. If you are a scholar of the period, forget this edition, because this book isn't sure what it is trying to be.
g. The paper has a questionable look and feel, suggesting it may not age well. On the other hand, it is attractively bound in burgundy leather and the text is "large" as advertised.

Don't misunderstand me. The Word of God is always a joy to read...no matter the format. It's just that the format of this particular book is not being honestly advertised.

This is a great edition of the current UK BCP 1662. Some reviews misunderstand the 1662 part and think it is a reprint of the first edition. That is not the case. The 1662 book is still in current use and the prayers for the royal family are updated to stay current. There are other changes such as the lectionary for daily prayer dates from the 1800s, with an early 1900s optional lectionary. Some royal services were also dropped.

The current Everyman edition has some of the things removed from the book in the 1800s. However even that edition is not a reprint of the 1662 first edition.

This classic prayerbook is wonderfully printed. I recommend it. If you want the details of the differences from 1662 to the present, do a web search there are detailed listings of the changes on the web.

This is the printed version to use. It is my daily prayerbook. If I were going to be lost on an island with only one book, this is the book I would have!

This review refers to BCP Standard Edition Prayer Book in Black Calfskin Leather by Church of England (ISBN: 0521600960). Not all reviews here are in direct reference to this edition.

I give this item two stars because it is a beautiful edition - black calfskin leather, beautiful box as pictured. However - big HOWEVER - Amazon has done a terrible job in depicting what you'll actually be getting. This is NOT the original 1662 edition. In fact, as another reviewer notes, this book states:

This edition includes the various amendments to the Book of Common Prayer of 1662 that are contained in the following Measures:

Clergy (Ordination and Miscellaneous Provisions)
Measure 1964

Prayer Book (Miscellaneous Provisions)
Measure 1965

Prayer Book (Further Provisions)
Measure 1968

Be aware of this when you purchase this edition. It is beautiful, small and easy-to-use, but you will not be getting what you might expect. I was disappointed, though happy with the appearance and quality of the book itself. Weigh this in your decision, as you might want to choose another edition. Again, this is the Church of England's version. Also noteworthy.

We're keeping it, but I'll be buying another edition in the future. :( Too bad because this one is beautiful. I wish its contents were as described by Amazon. Still, a lovely gift, especially for someone who doesn't mind the alterations.

This Book of Common Prayer (1662) is the 'primary' BCP, used by the Church of England proper, the original branch of the Anglicans. There have been many books that have had the title 'Book of Common Prayer' since the first one appeared in 1549; it has been used continuously in one edition or another in the Anglican tradition since 1559; the 'main' edition remains this 1662 edition. Churches in other nations (Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the United States, Canada) have done revised Books of Common Prayer, but they always use this as the touchstone.

A bishop in the Episcopal church once said to me, 'We don't have a theology that we have to believe -- what we have is the prayerbook.' Please forgive the absence of context for this phrase -- while he would say that this statement in isolation is an exaggeration, and I would agree, nonetheless his statement serves to highlight both the importance of and the strength of the Book of Common Prayer.

To be an Anglican, one does not have to subscribe to any particular systematic theological framework. One does not have to practice a particular brand of liturgical style. One does not have to have an approved politico-theological viewpoint. One can be a conservative, liberal or moderate; one can be high church, low church, or broad; one can be charismatic, evangelical, or mainline traditional -- one can be any number of things in a rich diversity of choices, and the Book of Common Prayer can still be the book upon which spirituality and worship is centred.

The Book of Common Prayer is not, in fact, a book that changed my life. It is a book that changes my life. Even though it is not the primary book of my own church, it continues to provide for spiritual insight and development; it continues to guide my worship and my theology. It continues to help me grow. The words are part of a liturgy now shared by Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian and other liturgical churches, in different combination and priority.

Gerry Janzen, an Anglican professor at my seminary, said to me recently as we were lunching and having a fascinating and wide-ranging conversation (in a unique way that only Gerry Janzen is capable of doing) that he strives for that kind of memory and understanding that is so complete that one forgets what one has learned. He recounted to me his experience of working with his book on Job -- he had done a lot of research, development of ideas, writing, and organisation, and then set it aside for a time. When he picked up the topic later, he decided to begin by writing, and then go back to the research, other notes and writings he had done earlier. He was surprised to see, in comparing the work, that he had in fact duplicated much of the material -- he had internalised the information, incorporated it so well into his thinking and being, that it came forward without effort. It is this kind of relationship I feel I have developed with the Book of Common Prayer.

To be sure, there are pages of information that I don't know. I haven't memorised the historical documents; I still consult the calendars; I haven't learned all of the collects by heart. But it has become a part of me. When was asked to put together a liturgy for a houseblessing for Episcopalian friends, there were rooms that called for collects that had not been written -- I wrote new collects and inserted them into the liturgy.

'Can you do that?' the householder asked, worried about the flow and the approval of the priest doing the blessing.

'I trust Kurt to write collects -- his probably belong in the BCP,' the priest said in response, and I appreciated her vote of confidence. That was perhaps the first confirmation to me of this sense of incorporation of the book into my life.

From his first edition, Cranmer distinguished in his terminology the words minister and priest, and the two should not be viewed as interchangeable. A priest is a minister, but a minister need not be a priest. This become part of the early development of the idea of all people being ministers to each other, which is also a concept that has varying acceptance and fulfillment in actual practice over the history of Anglicanism.

One of my favourite prayers derives from this book, part of the English prayer book from the very first one in 1549:

Almighty God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication unto thee, and hast promised through thy well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his name, thou wilt be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be best for us, granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come, life everlasting. Amen.

This prayer, like many things in the BCP, has moved to a new location from the first edition, but nonetheless the spirit of the BCP shows a circuitous but continuous development from the first English Prayer Book to the current varieties. Likewise, other denominations have gleaned insights, prayers and structures from this and other versions of the BCP.

The Book of Common Prayer, as a single unit and as a greater tradition of which this book is a part, is an Anglican gift to the world.

As Jane F. Garner states in her excellent introduction, Caesar understood that one could not break the Roman Senate's de facto power in the Roman republic by using the sovereign power of the people. `One needed to secure military command, and with it, wealth, patronage and, not least important, armed power.'

This book is in fact the story of the battles for the consolidation of one sole armed power in the Roman republic under one general, which would, indeed, yield sole power (dictator for life) for him.
Of course, it reflects only the author's point of view. Julius Caesar's hagiographic autoportrait is one of a magnanimous, not vindictive or rancourous, but integer, just and generous general and politician.

But his chronicle gives also an in depth picture of the war scene in Caesar's time, not only of long and short term tactics, but also of the (in)human side of it.
The battles were in the first place a fight for water, corn and fodder, before a frontal confrontation could be engaged. The preparations therefore were more a matter of civil engineering than anything else: walls of up to 17 miles, ramparts, dams, river crossings, roadblocks, ditches and fences, towers and ballistic missiles. Animals like elephants, and even scorpions were used.
The wars resulted in `farm-houses being burned down, fields devastated, flocks plundered and killed, towns and forts razed and abandoned, and the leading citizens slain or kept in chains while their children were carried off and enslaved.'
Vae victis: `Soldiers won over by personal prestige of the general, persuaded by money and promises of gain, captured but, as their lives had been spared, they had been anxious to demonstrate their gratitude. These were the men whose bodies, remarkable for size and comeliness, now lay hacked and limp all over the plain.'

The book shows also Caesar's psychological insight: `for we believe what we wish were so, and hope that others feel as we do', `rumour goes beyond the facts' or `friends become enemies in adversity'.

Truly stunning is the end of the story: After securing sole military command, Caesar returned to Rome and was murdered six months later.

With its tens of thousands of deaths, this book doesn't sketch a very positive picture of mankind.
A must read for all historians and lovers of classical texts.

I bought this book as a replacement (lost the original plus many more to Hurricane Katrina). Any fan of the pre-christian world or anyone who would like a work that was written over 2000 years ago by one of history's greatest men, this book is for you!

As a direct source this book is valuable and needed. To the casual reader of history (like myself) it is a bit of a drag. The book has highlights but the authors are writing it to their contemporaries. It is difficult for the modern reader to grasp exactly what is happening. I think a book with maps and further explanations as to motivations and battle tactics (to a layman like me) would have been of greater interest. One thing I can say, however, is that you get a first hand look at what Caesar must have been like. The book clearly shows his side in the most favorable light (not surprising) but not as much as one would think.

I enjoyed the book on the Gallic War and equally enjoyed this book on the Civil War. The method of indicating and referencing notes was easy to work with. Additonally, both books have an excellent amount of introductory material.

It was exactly what I wanted. A good translation of the book.

This is the best and the most advanced book on java rmi PERIOD.IMO this should be your second book on rmi.

I bought this book because of its high rating among RMI developers. I was disappointed, becuase the book doesn't contain a single comprehensive example. I found it hard to learn without example.

This is the best book on RMI that I have come across and I personally own 4 RMI books (about 10 if you count books that aren't solely on RMI). Contrary to a previous reviewer, this is NOT a beginners book. Beginners should get a more verbose RMI tutorial-like book. This is an advanced reference with very few examples, but it covers topics that you just can't find anywhere else, and furthermore, presents the topics in a detailed, to the point, lucid manner.

There is no better RMI book for the advanced RMI developer who is wishing to learn the "under the hood" workings of RMI.

I have several books on RMI and looking for more. This is one in my collection and my least favorite. It is too reference-like, which you can find enough of on the developer's networks. Most notably it lacks continuity; it is basically a huge outline where each paragraph is the most concise definition for that topic. It makes a great reference for the experienced.

When first looking at the book, I was a bit disappointed from its small size. However, after reading just a couple of pages, I immediately realized that this book is excellent.

I had some prior experience with rmi and this book has certainly improved my understanding of it. It also covers the serialization and I gained much knowledge from it.

The only downside is the lack of full code samples.
Thus beginners to rmi might find it a little annoying.

Azuela nos muestra un escenario naturalista de lo que fue la Revolucion Mexicana. No romantiza los hechos ni las hazanas de los campesinos, que se volvieron militares de la revolucion mas por motivos personales que ideologicos. Esta novela es tan rica en matices que podemos ver y casi sentir a estos personajes con sus ambiciones y sus pasiones, con su habla autentica, en su sangriento recorrido por el campo mexicano.

Me gustó mucho este libro. Soy estudiante estadosunidense y lo leí para entender mejor la Revolución del punto de vista del pueblo mexicano. No solamente muestra la vida diaria de los revolucionarios, sino también se escribe con imágenes bonitas y intensas. El único problema que tuve yo fue las palabras del dialecto de los campesinos.

This story about the Mexican Revolution is written in a very creative Spanish style. The theme is centered around the fights of the Revolutionaries as they travel throughout Mexico. It is very bloody, grusome, and brutal, but apparentaly very true to history in that sense. It is medium to advanced Spanish level reading but a very good piece of literature.

Among the earliest editions of this important, objective, journalistic, anti-war novel, which thus speaks much to our brutal and lethal presence in Iraq, is that presented by Englekirk and Kiddle around 1940, again in 1971 (the edition which I have) and again twenty years later.

Englekirk prepares us for understanding the historical context and significance with a forty page biography of the author, Dr. Mariano Azuela, who as well as writer served his long life as a doctor, providing free medical care to the poor in fulfilling his lifelong ideals. Five more pages present the Mexican revolution of 1910, and twenty additional pages are dedicated to discussing the language read in Los de abajo, the dialect of the poor campesinos of the northern and western area of Mexico, a Spanish which is not Castilian. A bibliography of works by the author follows, as well as a listing of critical studies.

An over fifty page glossary completes this very comprehensive volume, which has often and long been used in teaching Spanish as a second language to high school students. We realize of course the better way to teach students a second language would be for them to trace the author's footsteps for a few years in Mexico and thus to hear and to speak only this language for their very survival and comfort, but this text offers a distant substitute which might put too many pupils to sleep but nevertheless tantalizes with the promise of vivid tales of adventure and of ideals.

The two editors note the early phenomenon in second language education of expurgating texts which were deemed "overly realistic" and remark in the preface: "This excessively protective attitude on the part of both editors and publishers amounted to a form of censorship. Such a procedure is highly out of place today. Our present edition of 'Los de abajo' is, therefore, the complete text of Azuela's novel (p. vii)."

We perhaps have returned to an "excessively protective attitude" in our schools, watchful for liability and offending parents, and despite the easy availability to our youth outside of school, in fact in the home, of material far more offensive. Perhaps the earthiness of this novel would find censure by certain school boards, which fortunately do not read, and which do not normally read Spanish. Perhaps this novel could also find accusations of Marxism, accusations which have never been inhibited by the utter lack of any evidence. Nevertheless, it is a great novel for our children to read, and an important novel for us all to read.

Several other editions are easily available, and an early if shortened filming as well (Los de Abajo), but certainly this edition with the certain guidance and assistance from Englekirk and Kiddle renders this great novel most comprehensible to the US reader unfamiliar with the history and language of western Mexico.

Highly recommended not only for the history and language lessons, but above all for the universal lessons of the destructiveness of war, that war cannot create peace and social development, that war only destroys, including its most unfortunate survivors. This is the most important lesson for us now. Read the book.

Just as Los Cipreses Creen en Dios personalizes the Spanish Civil War by presenting it through the daily life of the Alvear family of Gerona, Spain, Los de Abajo intensely captures the feeling of the Mexican Revolution by letting us live it through the experiences of Demetrio Macías and his family. I have lived in Mexico, was raised in New Mexico, am very fluent in Spanish, and am part Cherokee. This helps me evaluate the degree to which Azuela grasps the sentiments of the characters he portrays. In my opinion, he does a masterful job on all levels. Even the relative simplicity with which he describes historical and social factors communicates authenticity, in that intelligent but uneducated peasants such as Demetrio did not comprehend the sociological complexity that underlay the Revolution.

This is a novel that so deeply moved me that I still recall its last sentence even though I last saw it twenty years ago: "Y Demetrio Macías, sus ojos fijos para siempre, sigue apuntando por el cañon de su fusil." This, in sum, is a very memorable novel.

Anyone who likes Dean Young should seek out an opportunity to see him read. He is hysterical.

that thar texin' dont know what he's talkin' 'bout.
barly made a lick of sense.

dean is a marvelous invention. if you read him you will discover pleasant sensations throughout your body.

To not read Dean Young is a serious disease, something like never tasting ice cream. The poems in First Course in Turbulence have helped me in my life and my own writing. If you are a lover, read Dean Young. If you are a poet, read Dean Young. If you are suffering from some vague, psychosomatic illness, read Dean Young. These poems will help you heal. These are poems to read aloud, preferably after a huge meal. Alternately, I suggest reading these poems in bed, with the man or woman you love, or perhaps on the beach, with a few friends and a few beers.

I read my first Dean Young poem on the Poetry Daily website, and fell in love with his wonderfully true yet strange voice. He weaves together timeless themes with current cultural references in a seamless way that will immediately have you thinking, "Yes, that's exactly the way it is." I covet his poems; they are on my refrigerator and my office bulletin board. They should be on billboards and in airports and perhaps even beamed up to the moon. Especially if you love the NY School of Poetry (Koch, Ashbery, Schuyler, and O'Hara), you will love Dean Young, too.

Reading Dean Young for the first time, I felt the way I felt upon discovering William Matthews or James Tate. Young is a major new poet, one who uses language and stream-of-consciousness in consistently interesting ways.