Richardson Books

Tim Richardson embarked on a mammoth task to document the story of candy from an international perspective. In many ways, he succeeds -- his chapters on the origins of candy and chocolate in medieval Europe, and his discussion of labor relations in the chocolate factories at Hershey and Cadbury are superb. His writing even has a tinge of anthropology, too, explaining to us why we like sweet things in the first place.

However, towards the end of the book, Richardson tries to get you to believe that modern science has launched a conspiracy against candy by claiming that it will make you fat. Richardson says that sugar, since its a carbohydrate, is not actually so bad for you. I found this to be rather ignorant, since it is an extremely high-calorie carbohydrate and will definitely make you fat if you eat a ton of it! In addition, his final chapter reads like an unimaginative listing of candy from around the world rather than a narrative like the rest of the book, making that section a bit boring to read. Half of the "traditional Jewish" sweets he mentioned I had never heard of, making me wonder if he knew what he was talking about in reference to other cultures.

Still, if you are interested in the topic, it's worth picking it up -- if you can handle the at-times obnoxious British sense of humor!

American candy names have their own sweet, maybe cloying, attractiveness: divinity, Tootsie Roll, Slo Pokes, or Goo Goo Clusters. In _Sweets: A History of Candy_ (Bloomsbury) by Tim Richardson, you will find these, but you can also find Scottish curlie murlies, gundy, and soor plooms (sour plums); Australian Fizzoes, pollywaffles, and Freddo Frog Chocolate Bars; and candy with a more-or-less international appeal, such as Cowpats which are shaped like you-know-what. Tim Richardson has, in researching and writing this book, transformed himself into the world's first international confectionary historian, a designation he frequently, with self-deprecating humor, bestows on himself as he tells us about his efforts on our behalf. It's a wonderful post for him. He begins his book, "My grandfather worked for a toffee company. My father was a dentist. So I have always had strong feelings about sweets. But I have never been confused. I like sweets. I like them a lot." The enthusiasm shows on every page.

This is not a recipe book. Though many of the candies might be made at home, Richardson concentrates on manufactured sweets, and the recipes for them are deeply guarded secrets. Candy is so complicated that it is virtually impossible to copy a sweet exactly without inside information. Not only the recipes are closely guarded, but the machines and processes, too, and often Richardson didn't get a peep. But when he did get admitted to a factory, he was delighted: "...every time I entered one I was delirious with joy, ecstatic that the machines were exactly as I hoped they would be." Comparisons with Willy Wonka's factory are unavoidable. Richardson covers the long association of sweets and medicines; often in the past apothecaries and confectioners had bitter rivalries. It was not simply that "a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down;" sugar preserved medicines and helped bind pills together. Shaping sweets into fanciful statues has a long tradition. The Duke of Albemarle a couple of centuries ago commissioned a tower of sugar eighteen feet high, inhabited by gods and goddesses; it was too tall to get into his banqueting room. These days we have more modest gingerbread houses adorned with candy for the holidays, but marzipan, sugar, and spun sugar used to be carved into ornate sculptures of windmills, temples, and ruins to make table decorations.

There are countless sweet plums pulled out here, amusing details about a universal human interest produced with the sort of good humor that the subject deserves. Richardson's puns are actually worth savoring; in a section on the eighteenth century's low price of sugar and high price for handmade sweets, he tells us "A good confectioner could make a mint." Richardson has informed us of his own favorites here, in a happily personal book of international history, and the boiled sweet known as Rhubarb and Custard is his top choice. "It is said that on his deathbed, the novelist Aldous Huxley called for a dose of mescalin, the hallucinogenic drug. If ever I find myself in a similar situation I will not call for mescalin. No, a quarter of rhubarb and custards will suffice."

Ahhh, what a book. From its scrumptious cover to its last tasty page, I devoured this book, and didn't even worry about what it would do to my teeth. Or my waistline. Tim Richardson's boyish exuberance shines through on every page. I would like to meet him and share some chocolate with him.

On second thought, I'll keep the chocolate to myself.

The only thing I didn't like about this book: it could have used some illustrations. Or perhaps a sampler of some of the candies Richardson describes in loving detail.

Tim Richardson's "Sweets: A History of Candy" is an extraordinary overview of confections from all over the world, and all through recorded history. He covers every continent (with special attention paid to the Brits and the Americans, who both have an enormous national sweet tooth) and every conceivable type of candy, from milk- and cream-based confections to those which have their foundations in nuts and fruits to those commonly enrobed in chocolate and beyond.

There is apparently nothing which cannot be made somehow into a sweet. Richardson reports that in India, "sherbet" is made from ground-up chickpea powder, sugar and baking soda. The Maoris, in the early part of the 19th century, commonly ate fern root "moistened with treacly brown sugar crystals from the pith of the . . . cabbage palm" and the Turks, known throughout the civilized world for the sheer breadth of their confectionary offerings, make pastries and nutmeats with the most fabulous names: lady's navel, glad eyes and sweetheart lips are but among a few.

Along the way, Richardson never fails to fascinate and inform. He tells us that writer Roald Dahl was told in childhood that licorice whips were made from rats' blood, tying this into other candy myths like the 1970s-era one about Bubble Yum being filled with spider eggs. Richardson has even managed to unearth some true-life horrific candies, such as "Kelly-in-a-Coffin," a popular 19th century sweet molded like, well, a baby in a coffin (more acceptable, apparently, when infant mortality was a more everyday part of life).

Despite the occasional unnecessary pomp (Richardson is overly fond of referring to himself in print as "The First International Confectionary Historian"), this sweet book is a special treat for anyone interested in either candy or history--or both!

This is the most complete reference I have seen on the subject, rife with good photographs and superb research. Each chapter is written by a different person (experts I assume) and provides exceptional detail. It has sections on Bronze and Iron Age weapons; western weapons from Rome through WWII; Japanese swords; Indian weapons; and Chinese and Southeast Asian weapons; it even covers African weapons quite well. If you are starting a library of edged weapons, or already have one, this book must be in it!

I own the 2000 reprint of the book. The text copyright is by Coe et.al 1989; compilation copyright is by Prion books 1996. Apparently it is a compilation, and it shows, which is why I call the book schizofrenic. It is very well illustrated, but in the text there are no references at all to the illustrations. Generally you'll find an illustration of the type of weapon discussed in the text nearby, but sometimes you'll have to page back or forth or it cannot be found. So text and images are really separate.

I call the book myopic because of its focus on description of the appearance of the objects. There is almost nothing on metallurgy or materials science, forging, technical advances throughout history, fencing or tactical use, or the military or cultural circumstances why certain types have been preferred in a culture at some period of time (shape, length, straight or curved, one- or two-edged, piercing or cutting, etc.); only the chapter on Japanes swords touches upon some of these topics.

Overall I found the book disappointing.

This is one of the first books I bought when I started collecting arms and armour. The color photographs are detailed and of good quality, and there is a fairly good range of swords from European to Indian/oriental. I have found myself reaching for this book as a resource many times. I highly recommend it.

As a child I took weapons, swords, daggers, Sgian dubhs, dirks hanging on the wall as the norm for decor. My Grandfather's home was covered with this items that looked wonderful. As I grew I came to appreciate the beautiful and craftsmanship in weapons that dominated warfare for millenniums, until the coming of the more clumsy equaliser guns. Anyone can pick up a gun and fire it, but to use a sword with proficiency was something akinned to a ballet. Thrust, parry, block, defence and offence, from claymore to épées were breathtaking to watch, even more so was the feeling of hold these metal wonders in your hands. So it was not surprising I went on to collect swords. And this book satisfies that love of the weapon. With various contributors, they trace the earliest origins from stone area, bronze age and bronze age to the swords of World Wars I and II. It covers swords from the Middle East, the unsurpassed Japanese Samurai blades, Swords used in China and Central Asia, even into India, Africa and Pre-Conquest America.

It is LOADED with colour pictures of the weapons, historical paintings showing them in use, even details spectrograms on the composition of the swords, how they were made, used from the most basic to the most ornamental dress swords. Every page just is simply amazing.

Highly recommended any any sword collection, anyone interested in knowing more about these weapons that forged our history and especially of interest to historical writer and historical romance writers. An Absolute MUST for them.

This book is an excellent book for a Chemical Engineer final year student or Chemical/Process Engineer professional. It outlines the whole spectrum for Process Engineer design, from management skills for a project, preferrable site location, actual design of Process equipment/vessels, etc. This book is definately an execellent buy for a Chemical/Process Engineer.

It's a very complete guide for process design. It considers both standards and directives form US and EU. The main considerations about how to start and carry out the first steps on process design are very complete and helpful.

I found this book be an excellent summary of equipment capacities. There a several tables showing ranges of equipment based on a particular process variable and pro/con tables to aid in your selection. What is in short supply are anything but basic design equations for equipment. This is also true for an old favorite of mine: "Handbook of Separation Techniques for Chemical Engineers" by Philip A. Schweitzer. This textbook is less current, may be more useful for basic design, though more narrow.

My suggestion is to have Schweitzer and Sinnott's book in the design section of your professional library. Be careful with this book because it is paperback.

If this review was helpful, please vote. Thank you.

I haven't attempted any of the recipes yet, but there are several that I know I will for certain occasions. Most of them I probably won't ever try, but I bought it because I am a Lovin' Spoonful fan, I adored Zal, and I also collect cookbooks. I enjoy reading them, even the ones I don't actually use that much. It has a lot of great photos, of people as well as food. I am happy that I have it.

I am a Canadian living out in Spain, and when I went to visit the family, I dropped by a bookstore in Toronto to get a cookbook... when I saw that the "Chez Piggy" cookbook got an award for 1999 canada cuisine. I bought it! Up to now, I have tried many recipes... The deserts are amazingly good. While going thru the book, you somehow become a fan of "chez piggy". I feel sad now, that I didnt get the chance to travel to kingston to try out the restaurant!!

I was at a NATO conference in Kingston,Ontario, (this fact plays in the following text) the last week of June 2000. At everyone's and every guidebook's recommendation, we ate at Chez Piggy in the heart of historic Kingston. I am American. We tried it with some Brit friends, and spent another evening there with French friends. All loved the ambience, the appetizers, and especially the entrees. So I bought the recipe book. I've tried two soups (leek and Stilton; Russian gazpacho) that seemed more summer-themed (the book has terrific sounding navy beans and other winter-time soups). The taste neared the restaurant's, although we had to watch the ingredients (many) carefully.

Next I wanted to compare our "Ly's Grilled Fire Ribs" to the succulent offering at the restaurant. The recipe is straightforward once they share the secrets (e.g., oyster sauce, beer) and the flavor will liven up any barbecue or other meal. A definite keeper for company, you can make them well ahead if you wish and heat them later.

The recipes all seemed more natural and healthy than fatty or greasy---a clean trip all around. next we'll try the pork tourtiere (when it gets cool) and desserts (soon as we can).

The book has numerous great tips and hints, terrific pictures of the former Lovin' Spoonful guitarist (Zal himself!). All in all an excellent job and a wonderful reminder of the fine time we had at Chez Piggy--both the book and restaurant provide many, many warm surprises.

I stayed up until 3AM reading the book - getting page turners disease in the bargain. I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

Although I have been reading novels for nearly 30 years now, I have NEVER read one with such suspence and excitement. This murder mystery is a true a 5 Star winner and is one of the best among our time. Usually when i start a novel i relax with it and take a few days to read it. However, with this novel i finished it the same evening without thinking to put it down. An "On the Edge of your Seat Mystery" ! It is obvious when you read this mystery that the author is a brillant one with many ideas. I happened to meet Mr.Steven Richardson at a book signing and can proudly say that he is both a gentleman and a scholar. I recommend anyone and everyone to go out and buy a copy of this book, or at least take the time to look at the authors summary and make your own decision. I guarantee you WILL NOT be wasting your time.

Great story line! Steve Richardson was a dedicated law enforcement officer who served his community well. His first hand knowledge of police work shines through in his first novel, Crossing the Chalk Line.

With artwork as delicious as one of Aunt Pinky's confections, this sweet picture book about the rewards of persistence and imagination will be gobbled up by young children and their parents, who may just recognize a kindred spirit in the hard-working but playful Pinky.

A cute story, fun to read. Very different look and colors. My kids really enjoyed it.

Gallow's Humor is a dark but amusing piece. Although it involves some issues that might be seen inappropriate, such as prostitution, it also deals with things that the everyday man can relate with. I'd love to see a company produce this daring work.

As beginning collector it was difficult to get an insight in what exactly was produced, when and what varieties exist.
This book fills the gap to a large extend, providing a lot of information. The illustrations/lay out are/is sometimes what eratic, and one example of a factory drawing would be nice, but so many eats up a lot of space, which might have been used for other purposes. However, the provides an excellent overview of all aspects of Dinky, and it is well worth its money.

Mike and Sue Richardson have been toy collectors
for over 40 years and experts on die cast toys.
This book represents the summary of all their knowledge on Dinky Toys, having met with production officers and workers from the factory in Liverpool.
A comprehensive guide to British Dinky Toys from 1933 to 1980.
Contains tables of all models by issue number with color variations and issue and deletion dates; including most photos of all models ever produced. Information is based on official records from the Meccano factory, in Liverpool, England.
It also has a large appendix with definitions and miscellaneous information, such as factory display photos, model plans, catalogs, etc.
The quintessential book for the passionate collector of these precise and beautiful die cast toys.
Very easy to use and helpful to identify any English model.
Has no price estimates as these parameters are irrelevant.
Beautiful printing and photography.
Large heavy volume in hardback printing only.
Highly recommended for research and model identification.

This book is the Bible of Dinky Toys as far as I am concerned.
A must for all Dinky Toys Collectors

The Homeric Hymns represent the pinnacle of Poetic treatment.

They represent the highest apiration of inspirational ideal...And are so relevant and immediate that they could and/or should be used in ritual worship today.

When I read these hymns I know the Gods do exist...that there is divine providence, and I feel close to them...

Perhaps the brilliance of these translations contributes to my feelings, but no other translations have made me more enthusiatic about the Homeric Hymns that these ones!

Every Pagan ought to have some Homeric Hymns just to see how our Gods were venerated in another time and place. Homer is a beautiful poet and a great inspiration for writing our own, modern poems of devotion. Too often we spent time asking for things and not enough time expressing our love and appreciation for the powers we worship. Reading this might help you find a key to opening your own door to such amazement of our Gods and Goddesses that we find inspiration to give back to them. I gave it 4 stars only because I can't relate to many of the Deities as I am Celt based.

This review concerns the Penguin Classics volume of "The Homeric Hymns," translated by Jules Cashford, with an Introduction and Notes by Nicholas Richardson -- just in case this is appearing with another translation, as was the case with two earlier reviews originally posted here, and since removed (at least one of which was of the version translated and annotated by Susan C. Shelmerdine, for the Focus Classical Library).

The Homeric Hymns themselves are a miscellaneous collection of 33 poems, differing in terms of age and likely function; what they have in common are the Greek gods who are their subject, and the epic hexameter. They are assigned to Homer in a manuscript tradition which includes the supposed works of the mythical poet Orpheus, which for starters does not inspire confidence in the attribution, along with literary hymns by the historical figures Callimachus and Proclus. The "Homeric" songs range from the reverential (the Hymn to Demeter) to the humorous (the first Hymn to Hermes) in tone, and the contents are variously lyric and narrative. The long hymns at the opening of the collection are of considerable importance to our knowledge of Greek myth and religion, but the following shorter hymns have a value of their own. The description as "hymns" is in some cases problematic (although it has attracted listings of Christian hymnals to some of the Amazon sites for other translations!). At least some of the shorter works seem to have been intended as introductory invocations to the gods at public performances of other works, including the Homeric epics. In these cases, despite their religious nature, I agree with the Classicists who argue that "proem" is probably the better term.

For some reason, the long-neglected collection has come in for a lot of attention from translators in Britain and America during the last quarter-century or so. Earlier translations, with the exception of Evelyn-White's bilingual volume in the Loeb Classical Library (itself very recently replaced by a new edition by M.L. West) had long since dropped out of print. Now the reader faces an abundance of riches, most with something different to offer. There is an interesting, rather aggressively modern, translation by Boer (1970; second edition, restoring missing text, preferred), and more conventional ones, with various sorts of commentaries, by Athanassakis (1976; second edition, 2004, not seen), Crudden (2001; Oxford World's Classics, 2002), Sargent (1973; very readable, but no commmentary), Shelmerdine (1995), and West (2003; with Greek text), with another, by Diane Rayor, published in 2004. [As of August 2004, I have reviewed the 1976 Athanassakis, West, and Rayor translations.] There have also been a number of treatments of single hymns, including one by Richardson.

The Cashford translation is in verse, but frequently breaks up the long hexameter lines into shorter, more "lyrical" English phrases; marginal numbers indicate five-line intervals in the underlying Greek text. This gives an initial impression of a very free translation, but spot-checking against West's recent Loeb edition shows an admirable fidelity to details of the Greek, even distinguishing epithets others consider synonyms. Boer uses a similar approach to the verse forms, but Cashford's English is more dignified, and generally suited to a very formal type of composition, which is what we seem to be dealing with, after all.

The Richardson annotations (pages 149 to 174) are useful, and usually to the point; they compare well with the different approaches taken by Athanassakis and Crudden, and all three have something to offer.

A glossary/index, like that offered by Crudden, would probably be very welcome to those readers unfamiliar with Greek myth and literature, if they happen to try this book. (Also to those who just want to locate something quickly!) Of course, if it is used as a textbook it will probably accompany one off the many available introductions to Greek mythology. (If not, Shelmerdine's almost chokingly annotated translation is out there, too.)

This is a welcome addition to the Penguin catalogue, and this reader hopes that it stays there for a good long time.

[Note: an interesting, very detailed, review of this translation by a professional classicist, Stephen Evans, has since become available on-line (posted in early 2004), through the "Bryn Mawr Classical Review," and can be located by the author (Cashford) or the reviewer in the site Archive.]

Horse Sense is a book written in order to either bring to life a flicker of love or reignite the passion for horse racing. Once you have read this book, your interest and fascination for this "Sport of Kings" will give you a desire to experience this for yourself, to be at a race, to watch the jockeys, the owners, the crowd. You will want to see and hear the sound of the horses as they sweep down the track.
Bert Sugar's book may contain some factual errors, but he introduces the novice to the charm, glory , dangers and the history of this amazing sport. His ability to reveal life at the track from the point of view of owners, jockeys, trainers and even those who wager at the windows is intriguing.
He gives a striking overview of the tracks, from the glorious tradition of Churchill Downs, to the grand and beautiful Arlington Park to the lesser ranked tracks.
The future of horse racing which took a major hit in attendance due to legal casino's and off track betting is also a subject that is well covered.
Bert Sugar shares the joy and intensity of watching the horses run and the appreciation for what goes into making winning horses, great jockeys, and successful trainers.

The murmur of the crowd, the electricity in the air - "they're off" and the smell or dirt and cigar all permeate this fine book by Bert Sugar- Runyonesque, wheeler dealer, yarn spinner and general sports know-it-all.
You'll love the cast of characters; jock's, trainers, owners and the horses, colorful, and bizzare, a whole stew of odd ducks and delightful stories.

Bert Sugar goes behind the scenes, interviewing owners, breeders, trainers, jockeys and track operators with anecdotes, history and charm only he can do.
Horse Sense follows the money behind the business of racing which was once dominated by eccentric families and strange characters.
A real nice read for any horse enthusiast!

This book is typical of all Rough Guides: It a nice chunk of a book with the best balance between pragmatic information and cultural/historical contexts of all travel guides. Dedicated Rough Guides fans already know that you don't buy these books for their glossy photography. You buy them for density of information.

Three things that stand out about this one are:

1) In additional to a 100-page treatment of the capital, the catalog offers unusually dense coverage of the lovely attractions beyond Budapest. If you leave the country without excursions to Sopron, Tihany and Eger, you've missed the essence of Hungary.

2) The bibliography (you know, the "literature" section) is perhaps a bit thin, and some of the entries there really belong to Romania rather than Hungary.

3) This book is now in its 6th edition, with a 7th on the way. The authors are familiar with the country. The information is up-to-date and sound.

To committed Rough Guide readers: You know what to expect. You won't be disappointed.

To new Rough Guide readers: Come on over if you like words more than images. We prefer to leave the photography to others.

This book was extremely helpful - up to date, easy to navigate for wanted information, and full of interesting tips. The language section provided enough help to get us through some out of the way experiences.

The Rough Guide Hungary is a complete paper guide: both practical as well as good in in-depth knowledge. Arriving in Hungary by plane as I did in the Summer of 2000, you feel you have arrived in a country where a completely strange, vigourous and stimulating language is spoken and little else except goodwill. This book has the capacity to guide you into this really foreign country, offering you several possibilities in the above situation, varying from the safe: 'take a cab but fix the price beforehand', to the more adventurous: 'take bus # 93 (red) to the metro terminal and continue your journey to Budapest by taking the blue metro line to the centre of town'. Whatever your choice, I found this is all excellent advice with no mistakes. The guide continues in this reliable way both in the capital and in the country side, but does more as it also describes Hungary's history and culture in its own words, not copying textbooks. Boxes with extra, spicy information are included.

Because this guide is so good on history, contemporary politics and culture, it doesn't cover every village in Hungary, as other guides in the same category and written for the same public do. This one maintains an enjoyable balance between tourist information, background knowledge and girth. Although its electronic variant as seen on Internet is weaker than its direct competitor, the paper variant is second to none, even superior.