Powell Books

I bought this book (and the others by the same author) for my brother who is a huge Lego fan. He actually read them all and loved them, whereas before it was difficult to get him to read other books with kids' versions of Bible stories.

Do not assume, just because Legos are involved, that this is a book to share with young children. The Holy Ghost is a frightening character, circumcision is accomplished with a knife the size of the infant Jesus, and the illustration of Herod's order to slaughter all male infants less than two years of age is complete with decapitated infants in the background! Both frightening and disappointing!

I bought this for my 8 year old son for Christmas and ended up returning it before I gave it to him. Luckily I looked through it before I wrapped it. I was a little too graphic with the blood and killing of babies and all. Might be OK for teenagers, they like that stuff. It was hard to see the cute little minifigs getting tortured.

Purchased for my husband for Christmas. (He works with lego robotics) My kids keep taking off with it and he hasn't even had a chance to read it yet.
Really cool book.

I'm sorry, but I must disagree with the reviewer below (Joshua C. Ternes "Good Guy")...this is not a waste of talent - it is a full embracing of talent. Not only is this book exceptionally well-photographed, it speaks the wonderful truth of the Bible. It is indeed not for children, any more than ANY visual re-telling of the Gospel would be, because the gospel has tragic events in it. But this book is an excellent tool for spreading the word. One can easily purchase a book for the purpose of handing it to someone who doesn't completely know the Gospel, and it will ensure that they read it.

For those that are not believers, they tend to not WANT to hear anything about the gospel (for numerous reasons), and this humorous - attractive - telling of the gospel breaks that barrier nicely.

I challenge the other Reviewer for Biblical basis against that.
I ask Joshua C. Ternes what he has done that has spread the good news so far?

This is the first Zola novel I have read and I could not put it down. Though in many instances the author gives very lengthy and detailed descriptions that slow the flow of the novel, the plight of the main characters finds a way to captivate the audience and keep them reading. This book, written in the late 19th century, has all the elements that current suspense fiction is famous for. Murder, cover up, suspicion, adultry, jealousy, revenge; the list goes on and on.

Jacques seems like a normal man from the outside, and judged by the standards of his contempraries he is. It's the Second Empire and as Zola has foreseen, the rise of the steam railway has created enormous changes in the fabric of the social order. To analyze this phenomenon more deeply, Zola hit on a lovely idea, to investigate the lives of those who work on the railroad and its linked industries. What he didn't expect was what he came up with, a clear link between sex murder and high speed railways. This link was to give rise within a few years of LA BETE HUMAINE's publication to the so-called "trunk murders." As Jacques realizes, trains make it possible to remove one of the awkward social reasons why men do not kill--because in general it was impossible to remove oneself from one's victim's body fast enough to avert suspicion. You coukd bury the body, but it could still be traced back to you. Now, in the 1880s, really all you had to do was put it on a train and science would steam it away from you at great rates of speed, putting infinite distances between you and your crime.

Agatha Christie took some elements of LA BETE HUMAINE and modernized them a bit in her 1950s thriller THE 4:20 FROM PADDINGTON. Both novels share the same surrealistic image--the murder seen framed in the window of a passing train that you see, so vividly, for one moment only, then it's gone as though it never happened. (Freudians interpret this discomfiture as another version of the so-called "primal scene.") Christie's murderer is a sort of updated Jacques, a man on whom the veneer of civilization is only as thick as his bank account and his convenience.

But, in LA BETE HUMAINE, if you think Jacques is badm wait till you meet up with Severine, the "heroine" of the book, a woman so bad she makes other noir protagonists look like Pollyanna. She is beautiful, selfish, conniving, self-absorbed and yet what makes her tick is her acute understanding of her social position and the way things get done, and undone, by forces we cannot control. The negotiation of such tricky, slippery moral slopes is something that a sociopath can handle with ease. No wonder this novel made such good "noir" movies later on, one by Renoir, one by Fritz Lang.

This is one of the most violent novels ever written. As other novels in the Rougon-Macquart series focused on alcoholism or prostitution or politics or the artworld, this novel focuses on murder. It seems that every character here is some kind of murderer, that the entire human race consists either of murderers or potential murderers needing only the right spark to set off their explosions. The setting for Zola's story is the world of the Paris railroad, the neighborhood around the Gare St.Lazare, a fitting environment in which to place people who often seem more like mechanized murder-machines than well-rounded human beings. The power of this novel comes not from its realism but from its strangeness. It is, in its way, as bizarre as anything concocted by Hoffmann or Poe. This is where Zola's Naturalism comes full-circle and meets the Poe-esque terror of "Therese Raquin", Zola's early 'Naturalistic' ghost story. The conjunction gives this novel more of a Modernist feel than we usually find in Zola's work.
I should also mention the prose. The publisher's choice of a Monet 'Gare St.Lazare' painting for the cover of this edition is fitting because Zola's prose here seems to be influenced by his own experience of Impressionist paintings. It seems that Monet and his cohorts taught Zola how to see and describe the modern world in a new way.

There is something very profound in "La Bete Humaine/The Beast in Man", in spite of the fact that all of its characters have a very superficial mentality. Its scenes recreate very well the atmosphere of the late days of the Second Empire. Jacques Lantier is the main character, but the novel is not at all centered around him or his urge to kill women; only as late as chapter eight he attempts to commit a violent act and it is as late as chapter eleven that he does commit a violent act. The abundance of adultery, police incompetence, two single murders (chapters one and twelve), a multiple murder (chapter ten) both committed purely out of jealousy and an uxoricide committed out of greed all show the living environment and the morale of those days. Definitely, one of the major novels of the Rougon-Macquart series.

In this book, Zola dives headlong into his fascination with "the human beast" by examining the psychology of murder. The novel is also a detailed portrait of the lives of railroad workers. The main character is Jacques Lantier, son of Gervaise Macquart (of L'Assomoir), a railroad engineer who works the line between Paris and Le Havre. Jacques feels a nagging compulsion to kill every woman he's attracted to. Fortunately, up to this point he has been able to control himself, but who knows how long he will be able to restrain the killer inside? Jacques is not the only character with murder on his mind; in fact, everyone in the book seems to be plotting to kill someone. Murder for love, murder for greed, murder for revenge are all represented. Zola has crammed so much violence and suspense into the plot, that on the surface he's written a fabulous piece of pulp fiction. Though the book pushes the boundaries of believability, it's also a fascinating study of human nature. The reader gains a window into the minds of the characters that reminds one of Poe's best tales. Underlying the criminal plot threads is a deeper level of social commentary, scientific inquiry, and philosophical debate. Zola shows how the rise of industrial technology contributes to the moral degeneration and dehumanization of the populace. He portrays Jacques' relationship with his engine as a symbiotic, almost romantic relationship. Meanwhile Jacques' Aunt Phasie and her family operate a crossing/switching station in the middle of nowhere, where their only interaction with the outside world comes in split-second views of nameless passengers being carted off to unknown destinations. While the railroad provides speed and convenience, it also generates social isolation and anonymity. Fans of Zola or readers of classical literature in general will certainly enjoy this book. Even fans of contemporary suspense fiction should find it entertaining and thought-provoking.

Reading the other reviews for this book, the main criticism seems to be its story arc. The book has a complete arc, but it's not the one most fantasy readers expect.

A lot of readers I think, are being miscued by the standard fantasy tropes (a lost King, a faceless evil being) to expect a quest tale, but this isn't Lord of the Rings. It's "The Door in the Wall". Garner gives the reader a few tantalizing glimpses into Elidor. He introduces those elements into our world and grounds them with details that are so specific and realistic, you almost believe it. Then once you've seen it, enough to believe in it and want more of it, he shuts the door and throws away the key.

The reader is not meant to feel closure. You are meant to close the book and feel uneasy and want more. That's the magic of it.

While the four Watson children, Roland, Nicholas, David, and Helen are exploring a bombed out section of London, they are transported to the other dimensional world of Elidor. Upon arriving there, the kids are enlisted by Malebron the King to take back the Four Treasures: a spear, a sword, a stone, and a cauldron, to our world. It seems that the four cities of Elidor were constructed to guard these Treasures, but a darkness has come upon the land, and only one city still stands. The problem is that dark forces might come hunting for them, even in London.

While mildy entertaining and a trifle scary at the outset as the children have to deal with the unknown, the book gradually settles into an unsatisfying first draft of a tale. I say this because nothing is ever revealed. We never have an idea of who or what the darkness is that is threatening Elidor. We have no idea what the Four Treasures true power is. I mean, what was so important about them? We never find out who Malebron really is. I'm so sick of these storylines where the heroes are kept in the dark and some magical figure gives them a quest or task to complete but never tells them exactly how to do it or resorts to talking in riddles. I mean just say what you want these kids to do instead of babbling every time you talk to them! Oh yeah, and a unicorn shows up, having a power and significance that is never explained. There is just too much vagueness working against this novel for it to succeed. The parts in London when shadow figures start haunting the kid's house is pretty good, but that's about all there is here. Sorry book.

This Fantastic book is about 4 children who are brought into elidor. they meet malebron who gives them the four treasures of Elidor But by taking them back into their world, they stir up more trouble than they think!
Thrilling adventure!

This is a very interesting book and my son and I enjoyed reading it together. It was a bit scary at times so I'd recommend an older reading age, perhaps 9 or 10 at the youngest.

The story itself was well put together and, like a lot of things in life, leaves us wondering what was going on in the part of the story we (and the main characters) are not privy to.

There is some sort of closure at the end when the children get a glimpse of Elidor and return the treasures but I would have liked some closure at the end regarding the children and what happens later. However if you are reading this with your children it makes for a great creative exercise in imagining what would happen next.

"Elidor" is best described as a solid little fantasy story -- it's just not spectacular. While suspenseful and intriguing, it doesn't really have a good sense of the epic or the atmospheric. But author Alan Garner definitely gets points for his subtle use of Celtic mythology and managing to create a believable unicorn.

Four kids exploring a wrecked church accidently venture into another world, the mysterious realm of Elidor. There, young Roland encounters a mysterious wounded man who sends him into a castle, claiming that he can save all of Elidor. After Roland frees his siblings from a spell, the man gives them a stone, a spear, a sword, and a cauldron, and they are sent back to their own world to guard these items from evil forces.

But problems arise when the kids go home and hide the items: The power that they emanate is so intense that it disrupts electricity and radio signals, causing problems all over their town. They bury the objects -- but that's only a temporary measure. The strange situation grows stranger when armed warriors appear near the buried objects, and an Ouija board displays the name "Findhorn" and a picture of a unicorn...

One of the wonderful things about Garner's Alderly duology is that when strange people and things were encountered by our heroes, it made our world seem like almost a parallel universe. It made everything seem magic. That quality is somewhat lacking in "Elidor"; the opening chapters have a promising glimpse of Elidor, but unfortunately this is never exploited. The evil force is another problem; unlike in the Alderly books, the evil is never given a face or an identity, and so it seems a little difficult to really get upset about.

Despite this, the opening and final chapters show Garner's lyrical style, and all of it displays his keen sense of plot development. The descriptions of the electrical disruptions are almost surreal, and his descriptions of Elidor are outstanding. So is his usage of Celtic mythology, though to a lesser extent than his other children's books; the dialogue ranges from chirpy British-schoolchild conversation to the formal language of the Elidor inhabitants. And don't be afraid of the portrayal of the unicorn -- Garner shies away from all the cliches.

It's not really a lightweight read, but "Elidor" is a beautifully written little tale that will thrill fantasy readers. Quite nice.

In addition to essential chronology of modern art in all is forms, the author invites you to perceive contemporary art as an expression of the mind, rather than an emotional message.
Very intellectual approach to understanding an abstract medium.
A very clever and inviting work. Highly recommended.

As an abstract painter myself, I am extremely interested and infatuated with the subject of abstract art. All art, really, but abstract art, especially. I frequently comb the shelves of the local used book store to purchase books about art and artists. I typically buy books that biographically deal with the life and work of a single artist, but am also attracted to books that speak of art and the art world in general. This particular book was obtained online, so I did not have an opportunity to scan its contents and read sections of it before I purchased. But it looked like something that would be of high interest to me. "Pictures of Nothing", what a great title for a book about abstract art. Based on subject matter and reader review I made the purchase. When my pachage arrived in the mail I quickly tore open the box and fanned the book. Taking in the multitude of fine color reproductions of work that I recognized and work that I did not (but which looked very interesting) I was in anticipation of spending a good bit of time engaged in reading and expanding my knowledge and understanding of my favorite subject - abstract art. As I began my journey into the pages of my latest acquisition, I realized that the book is a verbatum transcription of a series of six lectures give by the author in the 90's on the subject of abstract art. OK, that's fine, that doesn't mean its bad. Until I continued reading. Maybe I am not enough of a scholar to understand this book. Maybe the fact that I was not at the lectures removes me one generation from the context. Or maybe its that the dialog it completely bloated, way too obscure and simply unreadable. More likely it's the fact that the man who gave the lectures died shortly after they were given and did not have the luxury of time to take those lectures and reinterpret them into a readable book format. As the days went on, I began to think about what my next art book purchase will be. As I only read one book at a time, I has to force myself not to stop at the book store to buy my next art book. I thought "I'm reading a book right now, I have to finish this before I start my next book." It started to become a chore to read this book. There are interesting tidbits here and there, but I found myself wading through a bunch of overwritten text to get to them. This book is 272 pages - on page 255 I had to close the book and declare "no mas". I could not even finish this book. I look forward to my next purchase. At least I can look at the pictures.

This is a very good collection of lectures given about abstract art. It gives some valuable clues as to the genealogy of modern art.

a disappointing book - pretentious and unenlightening - get hilton kramer's "the trium of modernism" instead!

Pictures of Nothing is an important addition to my library. Currently completing my MFA, the lectures in this book have been both challenging and enlightening, broadening my understanding of contemporary abstract art. It is both a "cover to cover" read and a reference dipper. Written in an informed, passionate and sometimes humurous style Varnedoe's lectures are a joy to read. Well illustrated with wide-ranging coverage of art and artists within the field I can give this book 4 1/2 stars and a high recommendation.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, but frankly it's turned out to be one of the best purchases I've made lately. I've been the most happy looking at the huge number of topics it covers. It is true that at times it is much more theory based than how-to, but it covers just about everything a Web designer encounters from usability to technology to project planning issues. For a small designer like me it tied a lot of loose ends together. After having used it for a few months I'd say it tends to be the strongest in site design and usability and the weakest in how to make buttons in Fireworks or more mundane tasks that my boggle a beginner Webmaster. Yet I use it all the time because I can pretty much look up information on any topic a client hits me with like search engines, JavaScript pro-cons, usability, servers, etc. I won't get 100 pages on each subject but I get more than enough to help me answer my questions. I can't say that's why I bought it but its turned out to be probably my most dog eared book. If you are going to buy a Web Design book to have around once you know the ropes and you are beyond the how to stuff, I can't say there is any other choice on the market. In that sense I guess I really have to give it 5 stars. If there were other choices maybe 4 since I will say that I would have liked some color stuff actually in color and some more graphics stuff, but fortunately the Lynda Weinmmen books I had covered that very well.

This book is absolutely wonderful! Anyone truely interested in web design will benefit greatly!

The author is very knowlegable in the web medium and gives extensive detail into some of the most important and least looked at areas of design... the design itself! That's right, this book won't serve as a complete HTML guide. The book does talk a lot about HTML, it's stucture and propoer use and functure as well as gives lots of code examples. Same for javascript. But this book is mostly geared towards design issues. Where do you but the navigation bar on a website? How big to make your buttons? How should you organize the site? What are the steps to creating a web project? What kind of site models could you use? How to best use the web technologies available to create usable content.

The book emphasises a balance between form and function and talks a lot about usabillity, something that is of utmost importance in making interactive media. This book will guide you through the thinking behind interface desing concepts and aesthetic issues as well.

Easy to read and superbly written, this book is great! Some other reviews have displayed a dislike for it's focus on design principles and concepts instead of code the underworkings. While the book will infact give you good examples of use of HTML and Javascript as well as tons of info about these technologies (and brief intros) it was not meant to be a code manual. The name is "web DESIGN: the complete refrence"... if you want a code primer or refrence or beginners guide to making simple web pages get a different book. This book however gets you thinking about the issues of desinging usable websites that you probably never considered and that up until now, many books have been completely ignoring.

I bought this book under the impression that it would be the "Complete reference for web design" and at the length of 901 pages thought it should do the trick. The trouble started when I realized the book was seriously lacking in examples of code. I have found myself on numerous occasions, unable to find simple things in this book.

The author dislikes the use of popup's and talks down to you if you would like to know how to make one. He goes as far as leaving the proper way to make one, completely out of the book.
This in my humble opinion is not the way to make a complete reference to web design. It's big on pages, and small in useful content.

A fundamental knowledge of HTML and familiarity with a web authoring tool such as Dreamweaver or FrontPage will significantly increase the value you derive from studying this book. For the beginning/aspiring Web Designer this book offers essential information for going professional and becoming recognized in the field of web design. Whatever your caliber is as a designer, the book is awesome to have as a desk reference. After you've finished studying this book, I recommend also studying "Professional Web Site Design <from start to finish>" by Anne-Marie Concepcion. This second book shows readers how to effectively manage a web design business!

This book does not lack in details or volume. It is highly recommended for someone that is a beginner to novice in the website world. Don't expect it to teach you HTML or JavaScript. It concerns itself more with information architecture and GUI / design principles. For an experienced webmaster, it is common sense stuff that you already live by.

A patient recently loaned this book to me, having visited St Augustine I was intrigued. I started the book at 12:00 pm and finished at 7:00pm that night. It is one of the greatest books I have read in recent time. I highly reccemmend it to others.

I found this book quite interesting. I read it twice and couldn't put it down the first time. I visited St. Augustine and took photographs of Athalia's home and Alan Stanford's home. It was eerie to see the murder site so close to the 30 year anniversary. I think that the neighbor did it.

Don't read it alone at night before bed....... The authors take you right through the minutes leading up to the murder and the days and months afterwards! The characters are described with meticulous detail. The only thing missing is a few photos, not of the corpse, thank you -- but of beautiful St. George St., the historic church, more photos of Athalia (the only pics are on the front and back cover), the home on Marine Street, Athalia's last husband and the accused. I am not finished with it yet but have recommended it to everyone I know. I live less than two hours away, visit S.A. fairly often and will never see it the same way again! Good read!

I read this book my sophmore year in High School, my english teacher gave me the book and I couldn't put it down. Once I had read this book (being from the same town and all) I began asking my family questions. My grandmother actually knew Mrs. Linsley and said that she wasn't a very liked women...very annoying and snooty. My mother said that she had went to church with the supposed killer and said "I was only a little girl, but I didn't think he would ever do anything like this". I guess I couldn't put this book down because this was something that happened in my hometown...a place where these kind of things don't happen. Once I had read the book I went exploring...I actually followed the map and went to the home of the murder...didn't look like a place something like this could happen.

I was already familiar with this story from an episode of A & E's City Confidential and I was very intriqued. This book filled in alot of the blanks that the show left and would have been an excellent read all on it's own! Do yourself a favor and read this book!

I gave it one star because this site did not offer zero. I have had the "displeasure" of eating at Agnes & Muriels and I would not waste any money on this book. The only thing worse than the food was the service. We had nothing even remotely southern [or good] and if their recipes represent their menu, it is definitely not as advertised.

Two of my favorite dishes include the turkey meatloaf and the crowd favorite Peach Raspberry cobbler. I get requests for the latter all the time. I love southern food!

And note to other reviewers - review the book not the restaurant. Silly folks must be northerners.

Just dined at Agnes & Muriel's Cafe while in Atlanta. Our group of about 15 people RAVED about every single thing on the menu and we all shared each other's so got to try a lot. This is some of the best eating on the PLANET. Had to buy the cookbook while there so I could come home to Dallas and recreate some of that good eating. FYI, the author, Glenn Powell, is the creator of the food, and graciously offered to sign my book. The restaurant has been around about 10 years and you don't stay in the restaurant business in Atlanta that long if the food is mediocre. Agnes and Muriel are actually Glenn Powell's and his business partner's mothers. Please discount the 1 star reviews (duplicated by error). He/she doesn't know good food.

I gave it one star because this site did not offer zero. I have had the "displeasure" of eating at Agnes & Muriels and I would not waste any money on this book. The only thing worse than the food was the service. We had nothing even remotely southern [or good] and if their recipes represent their menu, it is definitely not as advertised.

This cookbook is as retro and kitschy as the restaurant it is named for. The recipes are mostly updates of southern favorites, and they are easy to follow. No daunting list of ingredients and no complicated instructions. Overall a good little cookbook.

...but even funnier than the Reverents books are the reviewers who only rated his books one star. Those sad souls apparantly never read their bible. The funniest side of this whole Brick Testament series is the fact that the text is straight from the bible - no glossing over sex, violence and absurdity. Read it, laugh at it and laugh at yourself for thinking that the Bible is about peace, love and understanding. It is about sex, violence and suppression of women, slaves and anybody who does not belong to your little religious group. No wonder it's been such a bestseller...

I bought this book (and the others by the same author) for my brother who is a huge Lego fan. He actually read them all and loved them, whereas before it was difficult to get him to read other books with kids' versions of Bible stories.

We purchased all three of these books. Great for the Christian lego maniac.

James 2:21-22 "Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac as sacrifice on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did."

Brendan Powell Smith's faith is complete; he has molded his faith into LEGO pageantry and his works will be your pleasure. Pick it up... its his version of marching his child up a mountain in order to slay him on the altar; and unless you are humorless, it'll slay you.

If you do not like this book then you hate Jesus.

Always in the thick of it
James Robertson's biography of General A.P. Hill is superb. Writing in a free and easy style, Mr. Robertson bring to life this courageous long dead Confederate Warrior warts and all. To say "Little Powell " was a complex man and general is a gross understatement. He was a brilliant military tactician, good husband and father, loyal subordinate, fatherly commander, yet fiercely proud, easy to take affront, and very demanding. He rose through the ranks from brigade to division commander quickly impressing General Robert E. Lee with his tenacious fighting prowess, tactical acumen, and innate ability to quickly grasp the nature of the battle and to immediately employ his troops when and where they were needed. On more than one occasion General Powell saved the day for the Army of Northern Virginia. He was eventually rewarded with command of the Third Corps and became Lee favorite "fighting" general. Although brilliant at the division level he did not grasp Corps leadership until the end of the war. As a Corp commander he instinctively had to be "in the action" rather than direct the action. This myopic leadership caused some tactical problems, specifically at Bristoe Station. Regardless, General Hill learned through his mistakes and grew as a Corps commander becoming a close Lee confidant. As the war wound on Hill was always at Lee's side. Jackson would be killed at Chancellorsville, Longstreet would go west for several months and then be injured at The Wilderness, and Ewell would eventually be relieved of command, but Hill was always there-Steadfast and loyal. Whenever Lee need a miracle it was Hill that seemed to provide one. It is very interesting that as both Jackson and Lee lay dying and delirious they both called out for Hill.
General A.P. Hill was a very complex man. He demanded obedience from his subordinates but could be extremely kind and compassionate to enlisted personnel. He could not tolerate cowardice but understood battle fatigue. He could easily take affront if he or his command was demeaned in anyway by a superior, but he never challenged General Lee's leadership or command authority always carrying out his orders to the letter. He could be prickly when ill and ebullient when not. He enjoyed the love of his men and the fear of the Union soldiers. Lee knew he was a gallant, courageous soldiers of the highest order. The Union Commanders knew he was tough, unyielding, and brutal in a battle.
Much has been written about Hill's illnesses during the war and his supposed "missing in action" occurrences. Mr. Robertson covers this in much detail and points out that in most cases Hill was present for duty and carried out his command functions admirably. He attributes Hill's illness to venereal disease he contracted while at West Point that eventually led to prostatitist and uremia . During the War it plagued Hill but rarely incapacitated him.
Mr. Robertson did a good job of filling in the gaps of Hill's early life and his loving marriage to Kitty Morgan. It appears that Powell Hill was a loving father and husband who enjoyed having his family close by. He enjoyed a limited social life but had a close relationship to General Lee and several West Point friends and classmates. All in all General A.P. Hill was a dynamic man and leader of incredible talent and loyalty. He was a warrior of the first order whose fighting ability was second to none. If Jackson and Longstreet were Lee' right hand Hill was his sword.
Excellent Job James Robertson.
Highly recommended and a must read for anyone interested in the "real" Civil War and how it was fought by the commanders. Much written about General Hill is simply inaccurate and marginalizes just how great a combat leader and tactician this superb soldier really was. James Robertson sets the record straight.

Despite his meteoric rise to command troops in nearly every battle of Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, Ambrose Powell Hill was arguable the Confederacy's most underrated general. Rising from a colonel of a Virginia infantry regiment to Major General in command of the new Third Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, A.P. Hill was perhaps best known for leading his Light Division on a forced march from Harper's Ferry to arrive in the nick of time to save Lee from total defeat at the Battle of Antietam/Sharpsburg. James I Robertson Jr. has thoroughly examined the perplexities of a complex man: one who could display the virtues of righteousness and compassion one moment and become impetuous, childish and unforgiving the next. What is more, Robertson's battle narratives are enthralling, placing heavy emphasis on infantry soldiering in the foulest of weather, rugged terrain and the difficulties of communications in an age when battle communiques traveled only as fast as a man could ride a horse. How a man of Hill's temperament, racked by life-long bouts of illness, and wounds handles rapid promotion, and, at which point reaches a level of incompetence, is the theme of Robertson's compelling story. From the age of twelve, young Powell read the exploits of Napoleon Bonaparte and was inspired to become a soldier. Hill entered West Point in 1842 in the infamous class of 1846. His classmates were Thomas J. Jackson, George Pickett and George McClellan, to name a few. Hill formed an immediate dislike for Jackson that would last for the rest of his life, while forming a close friendship with his roommate McClellan. In 1844, while returning to West Point from summer furlough, Hill contracted gonorrhea in New York City. He was forced to take an extended sick leave home, requiring him to repeat a year of studies. Upon graduation, Hill was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the 2nd U.S. Artillery Regiment.                 Robertson paints Hill's military career after West Point was one of sickness and boredom. In Mexico, Hill came down with typhoid fever that left him bedridden for six weeks. In Florida he would battle disease and boredom for six long years, especially repeated prostate problems associated with the untreatable venereal disease. Because of poor health, Hill requested to be transferred to a desk job in Washington.                 Hill's gift for staff work brought him to the attention of Jefferson Davis. After Succession, Hill not only chose loyalty to Virginia but also saw war as a chance for rapid promotion.                 Hill was appointed colonel in the 13th Virginia Infantry. He drove his men hard, and trained his regiment to the peak of proficiency. This leadership style would remain a permanent characteristic of A.P. Hill and would produce substantial benefits in future campaigns. Robertson shows a compassionate side of A.P. Hill during this period. During First Battle of Bull Run/Manassas, Hill would often be seen offering a weary soldier his horse while he walked alongside. He once noticed a sergeant who was obviously sleep deprived, and allowed him to lie down for a couple hours to regain his strength. These acts of kindness did not go unnoticed by his men. Typhoid fever, measles, mumps, diarrhea, dysentery and jaundice soon ran rampant among Hill's regiment. Much to his chagrin, Hill was held in reserve during the actual battle yet, a rapid series of promotions would soon follow. Hill was promoted to Brigadier General for the Peninsula Campaign. Hill soon gained a reputation for leading from the front in battle, distinguishable by the red or calico "battle shirt" he always wore in combat. Soon afterwards, he was promoted to Major General, commanding the infamous Light Division in the Seven Days Battles. In just ninety-days, Hill went from a colonel in charge of one regiment, to major general in charge of a division. Here, the author begins to raise doubt about how well Hill handled the transition, while weaving a compelling battle narrative. Hill's independent nature soon led to clashes with his two immediate superiors. As already mentioned, Hill despised Jackson and he did not care all that much for James Longstreet either. During the Peninsula Campaign, Hill and Longstreet got into a childish squabble that almost had tragic consequences. A war correspondent had been traveling with Hill's headquarters during that campaign. He wrote a series of newspaper articles that drastically inflated Hill's accomplishments at Mechanicsville and Fraser's Farm. According to Robertson, Longstreet felt slighted after he read the articles. Longstreet then wrote a "rebuttal," via his chief of staff, Moxley Sorrel and sent the letter to be published in a rival newspaper. Sorrel routinely acted as official liaison between Hill and Longstreet. After this incident, however, Hill refused to communicate with Sorrel. Consequently, Longstreet placed Hill under arrest. Hill, accosted Lee requesting he be relieved from Longstreet's command. A series of nasty letters passed between Hill and Longstreet until Hill finally challenged Longstreet to a duel. Lee had to quickly intercede to avoid a disaster. Another episode involved Hill's nemesis, Jackson. Lee had devised a plan for Hill's division to cross the Chicahominy River and attack Union forces at Mechanicsville. Hill was to wait until Jackson, enroute from his famed Shenandoah Campaign, arrived to support Hill's attack. On the morning of the scheduled day of the attack; Hill's division was assembled early and ready for battle. Hill's men waited for hours with no sign of Jackson. Finally at 3:00 PM, General Hill crossed the Chicahominy and advanced towards Mechanicsville without "Stonewall." Hill successfully drove the Federals from Mechanicsville; however, they dug in at Beaver Dam Creek and could not be dislodged. As a result, the day ended in stalemate with Hill suffering a high butcher's bill.Naturally, Hill blamed Jackson for failing to arrive at the rendezvous on time. The relationship between Hill and Jackson worsened, until Hill was ultimately placed under arrest for a second time, and, as punishment, Lee sent Hill to act as rear guard of Lee's army. This is how the Light Division, hitherto marching at the van , would find itself in Harper's Ferry while the Battle of Antietam was under way. As we know, Hill would redeem himself by saving Lee from possible defeat, and command a corps at Gettysburg. A federal sharpshooter ended the life of Gen. A.P. Hill on April 2, 1865, killing him while Hill reconnoitered his forward positions at Petersburg. Robertson's analysis of Hill's vulnerable pride, bordering on disrespect, the childish in-fighting within Lee's command, coupled with forceful battle narrative, makes this book difficult to put down. Five-stars and highly recommended!

however I can see how some civil war buffs would feel that this book looks at A.P. Hill through rose colored glasses. A.P. Hill was exactly the kind of general that Longstreet hated, proud, political, overly aggressive...He was passionate about his men and his cause but much like Hood lacked tactical and strategic skills. The corp he commanded at Gettysburg should have gone to D.H. Hill. In 1864 and 1865 he provided steady, reliable service but never distinquished himself.

For those used to Robertson's ponderous and derivitive offerings, this will come as no surprise. His "find" that Hill suffered from V.D. has been readily apparent to anyone who ever read the general's correspondence (and who can recognize a 19th century euphamism). As for the rest, Roberston's factual blunders (like his ridiculous mention of the non-existent shoe factory in Gettysburg) are surpassed only by his uncritical fawning over his subject.

A. P. Hill was a fine soldier. He deserves a better biographer.

General A. P. Hill has been too long ignored by historians despite his pivotal role in the Army of Northern Virginia. Robertson gives us an interesting account of the general's early life and career, including his cadet years at West Point, up until his tragic death just days before Appomattox. A must-read for any serious student of the War and for those interested by the early lives and training of War Between the States heroes.

This is a delightfull and witty book. You can probaly figure who 'dunnit' half way thru, but it's still a fun read.

With friends like Bill Wayne's former army pals, enemies were an unnecessary distraction. Wayne's time in uniform ended with him being shot in the back by one of his so-called friends.

Now back in the U.S., Wayne wants answers. Playing tourist, he signs up on a bus trip that visits each of his former cohorts' home towns, and, to keep him company, he's taking along his trusty .45 automatic . . .

Richard Powell's 1953 story would probably have to be radically overhauled if it were to be set in the modern day. You couldn't really imagine a hero making his way through various action-packed scenarios via a bus in this day and age (Keanu Reeves excepted, perhaps). However, this is one road trip that you want to be on.

As you would expect from top-of-the-range pulp stories, there's colorful prose and snappy dialogue coursing through the pages. Bill Wayne's laconic patter when confronting his former friends is particularly pleasing. He uses a similar technique on the pesky Deputy Sheriff Carson Smith, a man who may put the mockers on Wayne's venture. Blonde bombshell, Holly Clark, the tour's hostess, is also taking a shine to the deputy, Much to Wayne's displeasure.

Hard Case Crime has published some real gems and `Say It With Bullets' is one of the best that I've read so far. I'd also recommend Gil Brewer's superb anti-hero tale, The Vengeful Virgin.

I'm having a difficult time figuring out who the intended audience for this book might be. Fans of good mysteries will be turned off by the gaping holes in the plot. Similarly, aficionados of hardboiled crime will be disappointed in the narrative's lack of grittiness and its careful avoidance of anything truly depraved. And readers who appreciate good, believable writing irrespective of genre will also be unsatisfied since the novel's plentiful dialogue is thoroughly unconvincing.

When all is said and done, Say It With Bullets is a rather far fetched
action-adventure tale with a touch of romance that is equally far fetched. Yes, the book is fast paced and contains a number of mildly amusing quips. But, overall, I would not recommend this pulp fiction relic.

Admittedly, the premise of "Say It With Bullets" is completely absurd and riddled with the kind of coincidences that would spoil other works begging more serious regard. The hilarity of the first chapter coupled with many tongue-in-cheek nuances peppered throughout is a clear signal that the author understands this, if not by all members of his audience. Bill Wayne, searching for the unknown army buddy who has twice shot and left him for dead, has booked a pre-packaged bus tour of the West that just happens to hit each of the cities his friends have settled in. Bill imagines this as the perfect cover for dodging the man who's after him while making his other pals talk, but he hasn't counted on the unwanted romantic attention of the beautiful tour guide who happens to be from his past. Bill is intent on deadly serious business while his fellow pleasure-seeking tourists are left confounded over his anger and intent to be left alone. Once you've laughed through this premise, the action moves breathlessly forward, delivering a unique blend of traditional noir mixed with humor and a grand finale reminiscent of Hitchcock. Though no one, obviously including the author, really aspires for this material to reach the status of a genre classic, "Say It with Bullets" remains satisfying entertainment and is a joyful rediscovery.

The jamoke in the UPS truck screeched to a halt in front of my house. He walked up the sidewalk carrying a box. There was a hint of menace in his saunter. By habit, I checked my shoulder holster to ensure it was in place. Anything could be in that brown box. A severed head. Tickets to the Ice Capades. Wind chimes from Sharper Image. The driver tossed the box at my feet and vamoosed before I had a chance to question him.

I ripped it open only to discover an Amazon shipment of paperback Hard Case Crime books. They looked like they'd been lashed together by Shakey the clown during the last tornado. I grabbed this particular book first. I based that decision on its title alone. In retrospect, it was a bigger mistake than hiring Tony Soprano as a financial advisor. The characters were paper thin, with a plot that was even thinner - aluminum foil, maybe. While the dialogue was snappy with the kind of metaphors that Raymond Chandler would have enjoyed, everything else suffered.

In all seriousness, I'm a huge fan of pulp fiction. But this particular effort was disappointing. Unlike some other veteran authors in the Hard Case series (e.g., Charles Williams), Powell had a better shot of replacing Ethel Merman in Gypsy than getting this book classified as timeless. Apart from some clever phrasing and a decent hook, there isn't much to commend.