Sheridan Books

When I read the title of this book, I had to purchase it for my girlfriend. She loves boating, and wants to be more "hands on", but sometimes my teaching style is not the best! After reading the book, I was embarrassed to give it to her.


I was hoping for a book that would offer a woman's perspective on navigation, docking, assisting in tricky situations, the use and tying of the correct knot, throwing a line...you know, all of the important stuff that a first mate should know. What I found in this book was a cutely written manual on how to pack for a trip, clean the kitchen and head, stow gear, prepare meals and entertain guests. If your "first mate" prefers these mundane tasks over the enjoyment of actually participating in the thrill of boating, this book is for her (Although, I can't imagine anyone who has lived to adulthood without a maid not already knowing these things). The cover photo shows a woman studying a navigational chart on deck. Don't believe it! This book is straight out of the 1950's.

I brought this book to help me understand how a woman feels about cruising, but found the orientation more towards weekend and holiday sailing.
That said the author offers some real insight into what is important to a woman on a boat.

Congratulations to the author. Thanks to Joy Smith, I can relax more while packing for our cruising vacations. By sharing her experience in boating it has made preparation decisions more efficient and economical for me. I saw myself in some of her situations and I had a good laugh. I was also surprised to know that there is more than one "Captain Myway"!!!!

I have been boating for many years and after reading The Perfect First Mate by Joy Smith, it has made life much easier. Now my husband and I can enjoy cruising as well as boating with Joy's tips, especially on keeping and storing food items. It takes many years to learn what she has to offer and I thank her for it!

The " The Perfect First Mate" is an exceptional written guide that benefits new and existing boaters. It is practical, up-to-date, and has great ideas for making boating life enjoyable and easy! I also appreciate the subdued humor throughout the book. I recommened this book to any boater who wants to spend more time enjoying boating, and less time with worrying about the "grunt work".

Without a doubt - my favorite San Fran Travelers book that goes so far beyond the usual "tourist" finds. This book is for the unknown and "local" treasures. "Savvy in the City: San Francisco - See Jane Go Guide to City Living by Sheridan Becker and Jayne Young is a wonderful little gem that breaks down those hard to find places by neighborhood and category. Each of those contains :

Eats ... (from the best and greatest - to those small little gems)
Treats ... (from massages to tattoo's)
Traumas... (for when you break your Prada heals)
Treasures ... (those really whims)
Twilight... (all the great clubs)
Tripping ... (for those with adventure on their mind)

You'll find great little sections such as best [inexpensive] manicures and diviest pubs. It's all those must haves for young woman in the BIG CITY. San Fran is one of the most amazing places in the world and this guide gives us vistors the best of the best. Great resource and really user friendly. Loved the whole feel and illustration.

Cheers!

This will become your bible if you are taking a trip to San Francisco. The city will become managealbe - and it has everything I was looking for to make my boring business trip become interesting. Thanks for the great information, Jane! P.S. I am going to London over the summer and was wondering if there is a Savvy book for London? Enjoy!

Oh the benefits of the 20 and 30-something lass (never married, no kids) and her collection of recipes to enjoy San Francisco now has a boost! If New York is Sex and the City - San Francisco is Savvy in the City .... and this book tells you how to do it. Spend a day in a spa near Nob Hill, hike in Marin County, dine near the Pacific Ocean, and savor the docks near the Port of San Francisco ... ladies - this is the time of your life!

I moved to San Francisco in 2002. I found this book browsing at the Borders at Union Square on the first weekend I was there, and it was the best introduction I could have had to the city. This book helped to make my year in the San Francisco very memorable and magical. I didn't have many girlfriends in the city when I moved there, and this book filled in the information void very nicely. I found good hair stylists, spa services, activities, restaurants and shops which would have taken a lot longer to find on my own. San Francisco became very comfortable very quickly. The format of listing by neighborhood (with no index) made entries in this book a little hard to keep track of, but I always found what I needed with a little extra time. And, if I knew I would be in a certain neighborhood one day, I would look up shops or restaurants in that area so I would have an idea which ones would be worth trying. The maps in the front of the book were very helpful, too.

If you are well, maybe a little shallow, maybe a little bit dim, maybe a whole lot narcissistic, well then, you can turn a city like SF into a spoiled child's paradise. This book will definitely appeal to some lovely dumbies, but to others, well, there's always the Eyewitness Guides.

A bit disappointing. The Coopers are obviuosly much wealthier than the average cruiser and therefore don't answer the questions on budget cruising. Also I find the book a bit too witty which does'nt help the authors' credibility. Their ability as sailors is also questionable considering their choice of craft which resembles a oversized houseboat the types of which one finds on inland lakes and lagoons.
In spite of this there is a lot of information particularly of the Mediteranian which is useful.

One couple dared to get out of the rat race and embark on a new life at sea: SELL UP AND SAIL: PURSUE THE DREAM was written to reveal this journey, and is now in its fifth updated edition, revised to include changes in navigation, electronics, communications and all the other practical details the would-be world sailor needs to know. Chapters provide all the 'how to' details needed, from handling people and pets to boat maintenance and repairs. It's highly recommended for any who dream of a life on the water.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

I bought this book because it promised to have a lot of practical information gathered among many years of sailing experience.

It does have plenty of good knowledge, however, by the end of the book I was quite tired of the author's British "superiority" of knocking everything American. In fact I cannot name a single chapter that didn't include a disparaging remark about something American. It's unfortunate that the personal touch of the book is spoiled by such musings.

The navigation and electronics sections seem to be quite dated even though I have the latest (2005) edition. Apparently, not much was changed between the 2001 and 2005 editions.

The last thing to be aware of is that for the past 20 odd years the couple has "sailed" on a converted barge, and while this is still sailing, is outside of what most of us would consider the typical cruising sailboat.

With all of that in mind, the authors do convey a good amount of practical knowledge, especially in the first 6 chapters. Much of the information afterwards is anecdotal, common sense, or a bit out of date.

Despite the title, there is very little practical advice in this book about actually selling up and sailing. It is largely paranoid ranting about European bureaucracy, racist opinions towards all who are not British (Italians are thieves, Albanians murderers, Greeks - "despite their failings"- not so bad, and Americans.... well...). In addition to little on planning the big move and living the dream, there is almost nothing on sailing itself. Compared to Hal Roth's writings these are very light indeed. The authors seem to know this and bring up Hal for the purpose of ridicule because he prefers to use sail rather than the engine more often than they. Victualing covers some unique options such as salted horse tongue and pickled pigs feet. I bring up these obscure examples as they are not minor variations in the type of subject coverage and unless this is what you are after, you will not learn too much on feeding yourself. Unless you want to sail on a barge or a one-off custom designed boat, once again you will learn nothing. Production boats are ridiculed and there is no serious coverage on the subject of boat selection.

As another reviewer noted, the coverage on navigation and electronics is close to zero, and on non-electronic navigation limited to mentioning one author is an ex-professional and the the other took a course on the subject.

Finally, the most annoying feature is the author's complete lack of concern for the environment and their active ranting against the 'environmental nuts' that don't let them dump their sewerage in harbors ("fish crap too" is the logic here), use halon based fire suppressant or use toxic bottom paints- there is even an allusion to eco nuts interfering with legitimate sailing pastimes such as carving whale teeth as a hobby. The book is not in front of me at this moment- but I believe my quotes to be accurate. I am unwilling to read it again to make sure.

The authors may have spent a long time living on the sea but purchasing this book will do little other than to help prolong their ability to do so- it will not help the reader prepare or enjoy their own adventures as- in my opinion- such a book should. Mine is for sale if somebody wants it...

Bill and Laurel Cooper's book "Sell Up and Sail" is a source of excellent information and advice if you don't mind a little preaching and British humor. For me, the opinions add to the human element of the book. What I found most useful is the amount of practical information and detail that the authors provide. Too many authors cover subjects in such a broad and abstract manner as to be nearly worthless. The Coopers, however, discuss the experiences they've had, the lessons they've learned, and how to avoid the problems they faced. You might not agree with how they solved some situations, but you'll come away more knowledgeable. The Coopers' sailing was done on some fairly large boats (a 55 foot steel ketch and a 60 ton sailing barge), however, they go out of their way to discuss how their experiences apply/translate to smaller boats. I've no plans to cruise in anything larger than 40+ feet, but I still found this book extremely educational as well as entertaining.

Note that this is a pretty densely written book with a good deal of detail. If you prefer an equally broad treatment, but with less detail and an easier read, I'd recommend Walt Gleckler's "All About Crusing".

"Horrific." "Superb." "Dark." "Masterful." "Gothic." "Brilliant." All these words and more spring to mind when attempting to describe In a Glass Darkly. This volume contains five tales ranging in length from thirty to seventy pages which purport to record a few of the many cases of the learned psychic investigator Doctor Martin Hesselius.
The first tale, "Green Tea," is perhaps the best ever written by LeFanu. It is narrated by the Doctor himself and records the case of a young man who believes he has awakened a demonic creature bent on his destruction. Hesselius urbanely dismisses this and claims to effect a cure with nothing more than a change in diet. It is obvious that he has gravely underestimated the force assaulting his client, as the shocking conclusion shows only too well. The story is brilliantly carried out and is one of the most frightening stories I have ever read. It is widely anthologized and many readers may be familiar with it but ignorant of the majority of the tales in this book. This is a great pity as they were meant to be read together, and although each of the stories can be read on its own with great pleasure, the cumulative effect should not be missed.
After "Green Tea" there appear two traditional ghost stories, "The Familiar" and "Mister Justice Harbottle." They lack the originality of "Green Tea," but both are quite chilling in their own right. Both stories handle the theme of the vengeful ghost with marvelous skill.
The fourth tale to appear is "The Room in the Dragon Volant." I do not wish to prejudice readers against it and so will refrain from discussing this narrative. It need merely be stated that here LeFanu gives in to his weakness of adding humor to his stories. Unfortunately for us, his comedic skill was rather meager.
The last story in the book is "Carmilla," the mother of all vampire stories. The horror of this novella can hardly be overemphasized. The description of Carmilla's nocturnal visits to her victim rank among the most grisly in all literature. There is only one trifling flaw in the entire narrative. This is the bizarre stupidity of the narrator, the young woman preyed upon. But this is more than made up for by the fascinating complexity of Carmilla herself. In this story, unlike most vampire tales of the period, Carmilla becomes a character instead of a mere monster.
In conclusion, it seems fit to remark upon the interesting form in which LeFanu chose to convey his tales. They are novellas, which seem to work particularly well for the kind of story that he told. More detail is given than in regular short stories, but the book is free from the constraints of the novel. The result is a work of genius.

"Horrific." "Superb." "Dark." "Masterful." "Gothic." "Brilliant." All these words and more spring to mind when attempting to describe In a Glass Darkly. This volume contains five tales ranging in length from thirty to seventy pages which purport to record a few of the many cases of the learned psychic investigator Doctor Martin Hesselius.
The first tale, "Green Tea," is perhaps the best ever written by LeFanu. It is narrated by the Doctor himself and records the case of a young man who believes he has awakened a demonic creature bent on his destruction. Hesselius urbanely dismisses this and claims to effect a cure with nothing more than a change in diet. It is obvious that he has gravely underestimated the force assaulting his client, as the shocking conclusion shows only too well. The story is brilliantly carried out and is one of the most frightening stories I have ever read. It is widely anthologized and many readers may be familiar with it but ignorant of the majority of the tales in this book. This is a great pity as they were meant to be read together, and although each of the stories can be read on its own with great pleasure, the cumulative effect should not be missed.
After "Green Tea" there appear two traditional ghost stories, "The Familiar" and "Mister Justice Harbottle." They lack the originality of "Green Tea," but both are quite chilling in their own right. Both stories handle the theme of the vengeful ghost with marvelous skill.
The fourth tale to appear is "The Room in the Dragon Volant." I do not wish to prejudice readers against it and so will refrain from discussing this narrative. It need merely be stated that here LeFanu gives in to his weakness of adding humor to his stories. Unfortunately for us, his comedic skill was rather meager.
The last story in the book is "Carmilla," the mother of all vampire stories. The horror of this novella can hardly be overemphasized. The description of Carmilla's nocturnal visits to her victim rank among the most grisly in all literature. There is only one trifling flaw in the entire narrative. This is the bizarre stupidity of the narrator, the young woman preyed upon. But this is more than made up for by the fascinating complexity of Carmilla herself. In this story, unlike most vampire tales of the period, Carmilla becomes a character instead of a mere monster.
In conclusion, it seems fit to remark upon the interesting form in which LeFanu chose to convey his tales. They are novellas, which seem to work particularly well for the kind of story that he told. More detail is given than in regular short stories, but the book is free from the constraints of the novel. The result is a work of genius.

Perhaps the origin of the 'psychic detective' or ghostbuster genre,
with the use of Doctor Heselius as a framing character for these
stories as being part of his history of cases. Carmilla is a fine, fine
tale, with a disturbing female monster. Le Fanu is well worth
investigating for horror fans that have not done so in the past.

WARNING! My Oxford World's Classics paperback copy had pages of Thoreau's "Walden" inserted after p.158 of the story "The Room in the Dragon Volant." Missing are approx. 50 pages of the LeFanu story, so it's not like it's a bonus. I'm letting Amazon know about it, but check your copy on receipt!! Very disappointing to not know what happens, kind of like watching a thriller on TV and then the power goes out, but the broadcast stays on so you miss the middle.

I do rate LeFanu's stories 4-5 stars though. Really well-written page turners!

During a recent (first) visit to Dublin, my wonderful guide showed me Sheridan LeFanu's lovely Georgian home and turned me on to the creepy classics which the late author wrote and helped to create an entire genre of cliched horror staples we still enjoy today.

This book, however, is a collection of tedious stories...overwritten to satisfy perhaps Le Fanu's contemporary readers, but not those of today. It is unfortunate that we fans of haunted houses and chill-inducing ghost stories have become jaded with the over saturation in the medium. If you can get past comparing it with other examples and want to take your time with this slow (sadly unsuspenseful) read, you may find a few gossebumps along the way.

I fell in love with this story from a clip on Gun Brooke's web page. I could not wait for the book to come out. Sheridan's fate is a great book. The story comes alive from the pages of gun's book.

I always look forward to this author's books.

Interesting tale of a 38 year old San Antonio, Texas tycoon (Sheridan) paralyzed in the opening chapter and the physical therapist (Lark) who may be the cure for her body and soul. A rollercoaster ride that takes you through the family backgrounds and uses the internet for many of the twists and turns. This is a fun and romantic page turner that will have interest for many readers. At over 250 pages a very satisfying read.

Don't miss the author's other books:
Course of Action - It's a KEEPER!
Coffee Sonata
Protector of the Realm
Rebels Quest

After reading all of Gun Brooke's previous books and enjoying them immensely, Sheridan's Fate did not disappoint.
It was a fast paced book dealing with the internal struggles of Professional Conduct and Personal Recovery.
The key message was communication. When the burning desire and attraction is not matched by open communications and is complicated by internalised values, there is always going to be problems. I particularly enjoyed the loyalty of the support characters.
This book is a real page-turner and is another success story for the author.
None of the books published by BSB have ever disappointed.

This was one of the worst books I've read in a while. Or actually, I skipped a large part towards the end because I couldn't bear it. There's not one cliche this book doesn't cover, starting with the characterization of the main characters (so yes, it's über, but there is über out there that is more inventive with the basic characterizations that are a given), and the dreadful part of the storyline that includes deception via online chatting.

It was the first book I read by Gun Brooke and I'm not inclined to read another.

On one hand this book was often full of some weak or clumsy characterization, but on the other also contained a lot of clear moments of honest emotion, expressed and captured with clarity. Despite my impression of weak characterization overall, there were plenty of interesting and inspiring character moments to make the book worth reading. It was usually at its strongest when the two main characters were interacting, well-written, with authentic details about the care Sheridan requires, and the explanations and encouragement Lark would give her (in the best of the "hurt-comfort" traditions).

But from the very beginning of the book I was naggingly annoyed at inconsistency in character motivations, for instance: why Lark accepted the job. She seemed to be convincingly in a state of inactivity and boredom, which explained her acceptance despite previous assertions that she would not engage in this type of work again, but then she was suddenly trying to tell people she was doing it because she knew someone needed her? It seemed like an abrupt switch in thinking, and in fact the characters "suddenly" or "immediately" or "instinctively" realized a lot of things in the beginning, which is a pet peeve of mine for being lazy writing, and makes initial impressions of the characters choppy and necessarily full of assumptions as they could jump any way at any time.

In addition, too many random things were introduced rather jarringly, like they will clearly mean something later, but the introduction is so random that it makes whatever object/situation stand out rather than being a part of the flow of the story (e.g. the self-help book, chat room, a sister in some sort of distress). It's like these are things the characters would have on their minds a lot, but they are never expressed as thinking about them, or they don't actually effect them until some moment when it suddenly consumes all of their attention (chat room, sister's handicap, business worries). But then again, despite the apparent big deal made about them, some things were never referred too again leaving the whole thing rather unfinished (e.g. self-help book).

Other bits bugged me: it seems to be too surprising to the characters that they find one another attractive (and they express that surprise over and over again), particularly when Lark admits early on that Sheridan is a "type" of hers (though she contradicts herself later); Lark gave up too quickly the first time Sheridan tried to excise her from her life (this is a professional?); the most innocuous of statements was the final catalyst to the discovery of the secret chat identities.

Too many characters acted too often in a manner that I had a hard time swallowing that real-life people would act that way. This was too obviously a fiction with literary devices thrown in for story-telling, versus doing the actual work.

But to the author's credit the real emotion was not shied away from in the end, which is something I admire. I'm also glad that the resolution came swiftly, rather than being drawn out. And the ending worked, and likely saved the book for me, and elevated it in my mind from a 2-1/2 star effort to 3 stars.

Not one I'll read over and over. And not having read many of this author's works I'm not sure I'd read any others. But I'll think about it. Perhaps a library book to see if this author's quirks that bugged me persist. If you think I'm being too nit-picky, you'll probably really enjoy this book, but it could have been better.

The book has a lot of advise and while much of it may be known to experienced sailors the starters to sailing will probably appreciate everything in the book. I feel that even experienced sailors will find something new or at least be reminded of something useful.

This is a fun book. The cover does it justice. If you've ever had the misfortune to get wrapped up in the expensive world of boating, this will bring both knowedge and laughter. John Vigor does an excellent job of conveying both his love of this pasttime, and the lessons he's learned over the years.

This book would've been indispensable had it contained simple sketches and photos to illustrate author's point. It would've been nice for a novice to actually see an illustration of different keel designs or pictures of commonly used knots or sail types. As for tips and advice, they are indeed common sense. Will look forward for an updated / revised addition.

This book is such a complete hoot; also it's full of helpful insights into all the things I wanted to know but was too stupid to ask! It's such a fun to read book that I even read the sections about the stuff I (thought) I already knew - and I'll do it again too. Mr Vigor's writing style is just so friendly and understandable, that it's a pleasure to read and learn from.

In short, you won't regret having purchased this book - it's affordable and fun.

This is a great, easy-to-read book of sailors' "lessons learned," written by a man with much more experience at sea than most of us will ever have. It is not a book intended to teach you how to sail, but one with the intent of telling you how to avoid problems, both on and off the water. It is organized alphabetically, by subject, and the end of the book includes many useful tables, formulas, etc., that you might not easily find anywhere else. It covers various preventive techniques, ways to correct problems if they do occur, and things that merchants and repairmen might never tell you unless you know to ask. I also like that this book includes a fair amount of humor, and that the subjects covered are not all purely technical. Vigor goes so far as to address the phenomenon of "hearing voices" at sea, various superstitions, and even how to rename a boat in a way that doesn't cause it to become unlucky. This is a great little book and is well worth the price

If you've read Childer's Riddle of the Sands, this book will interest you. The plot is fairly believable and there's some good sailing passages. What this book really needs though is a couple detailed charts - like those found in the Riddle of the Sands. There are a mind boggling number of Scandinavian and Scottish place names, descriptions of sheltered moorings and details of the effects of wind direction and tides on passages that can't be conceived of unless you are a native of these parts or are supplied with a good charts. This would make tracking the progress of the sailors and the challenges they face much more interesting. The book includes only one, which is insufficient in area and detail.

This book started out strongly with the mystery of who or what is the Celtic Ring, but then it lost momentum and also my interest. The most exciting part was when they sailed across the North Sea in winter. There is very little action, and the excitement or result of discovering the Celtic Ring is pretty tame. I would imagine that sailors may appreciate this a little more than I did, but it didn't compare at all to _The Riddle of the Sands_ or other similar sea stories.

Uniquely quirky book has everything including exotic travel and exotic locales..Somebody should make a movie of this...GREAT

Before making my comments below, I should preface this review by stating that I read this novel while recuperating from oral surgery, and therefore my appreciation of this book may have been influenced by the medications I was taking as well as by lack of sleep and expected interruptions in my attention span. Nonetheless, while engaging in its descriptions of the sea and as an ode to sailing, as well as initially creating and sustaining a sense of suspense and mystery, the conspiracy elements introduced in the novel never became successfully resolved, and at book's end did much to undermine the novel's other strengths, and were I allowed to award half stars, this work, because of this, would have merited only three and a half stars.

The book starts out well enough under dark, threatening skies in the harbor of Dragor, Denmark, the cold, wintry setting and empty, inhospitable sea establishing the perfect milieu for the chance and mysterious encounters that are to propel the main protagonist, Ulf, to undergo a nautical and dangerous journey to Scotland where he will soon find himself involved in murder, secret societies and intrigue. The initial stages of this voyage, undertaken in the midst of winter and involving the potentially deadly crossing of the North Sea, are marvelously detailed and suspenseful in the slow unraveling of the plot, each secret revealed further adding to the evolving mystery, and bringing the protagonist closer and closer, not only to answers but the inherent danger the truth may contain. Between the often gripping perils encountered on the ocean and the increasing and murderous attempts to prevent their quest for answers, suspense builds, the mystery deepens and the reader is compelled toward the final, and what will hopefully be, exciting and climactic conclusion.

However, without giving too much of the narrative away, the resolution of the mystery behind this book is predicated upon the existence of a loose confederation of secret Celtic societies, with hints of ancient rituals and possible magic. While during the bulk of the narrative the potential of a hidden and menacing cult's existence propelling events contributes to both the mystery and suspense building within the novel, the necessary resolution never comes, the identity and motivations of the "cult"---the true nature of the underlying conspiracy---remaining vague and tenuous, hidden within a fog of hints and references as veiled as the mists that physically disguise the setting at book's conclusion. Though it is perhaps unnecessary to entirely unmask the "villains" at book's end, too much is left to conjecture, the conspiracy that has threatened the protagonists throughout, and whose exposure is the purpose behind all their efforts and risks, remaining but for its outline unclear and dissatisfyingly revealed. Despite the book's strengths of characterization, plot and description, the absence of any true resolution to the mystery prevents me from wholeheartedly applauding this novel.

Nonetheless, those who love the sea and sailing, or are intrigued by things Celtic---readers who have admired Erskine Childers to whom this book is an acknowledgment---will find much in this novel to recommend it. The author has deftly drawn his primary characters---Ulf, his friend and sailing companion Torben, MacDuff and the mysterious Mary---creating individual and memorable characters, and the basic foundation of the story and its setting are admirably and often strikingly and beautifully established. There is little question that the author himself is a sailor. And even those who have never sailed or visited the western coast of Scotland will likely wish to re-experience the lochs, the islands and rugged coastline, as well as the slap of the waves on a hull firsthand. Had the author resolved the suspenseful mystery he had created more conclusively, with less plot threads left dangling, this book might have reached the full potential the author had within his grasp. As it is, the sense of mystery is left suspended.

As a final note: when reading this novel I would suggest ignoring the map provided at the book's beginning---it is neither complete nor accurate, and is ultimately more confusing than clarifying. Additionally, be prepared to gloss over some momentary problems, due either to errors in translation or poor editing. They crop up enough to attract notice, but ultimately remain only a minor distraction.

Let me clarify a few things right at the beginning: I am no sailor, I have never been to northern Scandinavia nor to Scotland, and I had never felt a great interest for Europe's Celtic heritage. But this book changed all that! It made me want to live on a boat, it gave me an appetite for a trip to northern Europe, and it aroused my interest in the history of the Celtic civilization. In short, "The Celtic Ring" has it all: an intelligent page-turner, so to speak. But what exactly is the book about?

On a cold January night in the Danish port of Dragor, Ulf - a young Swede living aboard his 31-foot-yacht "Rustica" - gets to know Pekka, an inscrutable Finn who has just arrived in the port utterly exhausted and green with fear. Pekka hands his logbook over to Ulf before disappearing again during the night that follows. After reading the logbook, Ulf decides to sail across the North Sea to Scotland together with his friend Torben in order to find out more about the so-called Celtic Ring, an enigmatic organization dedicated to the obtainment of political autonomy for the former Celtic nations of Scotland, Ireland, Wales and Brittany. Along the way, Ulf and Torben have to battle both with adverse meteorological conditions as well as with shady characters who clearly disapprove of foreigners poking their noses into matters that are none of their own. In the end, the two Swedes succeed in uncovering a vast network of activists fighting for the Celtic cause, although much about the Ring's core organization remains unknown.

"The Celtic Ring" is a gripping novel bristling with nautical detail and historical footnotes that will appeal to experts and laymen alike. The plot is fast-moving and full of unexpected twists. The only part of the book I did not quite like was the end which leaves the reader in considerable doubt about the story's outcome. Also, the map provided in the book is of a too general nature, and I would have greatly appreciated a second, more precise map outlining those parts of the Scottish coastline that are so vividly described in the book.

I have sailed a few times in S.F. Bay being from the Bay area and I truely related to this story and since the Snark was being built by Jack London right before the 1906 quake. It amazed me and invariably he got taken advantage of by the various builders which led to some precarious sailing manuevers since they measured wrong on one side. Which Jack London didn't find out until out at sea. I could picture all the island stops and so enjoyed the old photos that were put into the Snark truly an interesting journey. It was interesting to me hearing of the staph infections were attacking the individuals when the crew would cut themselves and then end up with these sores they knew nothing about and how they had to heal themselves with virtually no medicines on board. This book is a captain's log which he wrote in daily. If your a sailor you'll love it or even if you've been exposed as I have you'll enjoy it, especially if you happen to be from the Bay area. I recommend it as an interesting and enjoyable read though at times I did feel he was just writing to keep his checks coming in to pay for his journey.

Sebastopolian Reader

I have a lot of mixed emotions about this book. I thought his book "Call of the Wild" was one of the best ever works by an American writer. That novel was the peak of the Jack London's career.

Just so we are clear, this is not a novel. It is a collection of related short stories. London wrote everyday for a few hours each morning during a two year sea voyage. He did this to make money to pay for the boat trip. He wrote and sent off a number of different short stories during the trip to different magazines and each chapter was published separately. Then later, he took some of the stories and simply arranged them in chronological order to make the present book.

The book and the trip grew out of London's romance with yachting, and his idea that he wanted to sail around the world in a boat that he made himself. He wanted a large boat - about 50' - that he could sail himself helped by a small crew including his second wife. There is a lot of optimism here, and less practical experience than what one might consider to be wise, and London made a number of errors. London did not actually make the boat. He hired contractors. In any case, we hear how London made the boat and then sailed it across the Pacific, finally stopping near Australia. His motivation was based on dreams from his youth plus the romantic inspiration from prior writers such as Melville, Rudyard Kipling, Frank Norris, and Joseph Conrad, to name a few.

We read what we assume to be is a non-fiction account of how he built the boat, and then the trip itself in pieces along with trips to various islands.

Overall, the writing is good, but some parts are a lot more interesting than others so the book has a slightly uneven feel. I found a few of the chapeters to be boring.

Interesting read, but not as good as I had hoped: 4 stars.

Even though I consider myself a London fan (starting when I read "The Call of the Wild" and "The Cruise of the Dazzler" as a boy), I have never felt the urge to read "The Cruise of the Snark"...until now. I must admit that is one easy, enjoyable read yet there are a couple of chapters which in my opinion seem to be "filler" material, possibly created when Jack was sick and do not seem to fit the adventure billing (Beche De Mer English for example). Regardless, most of this book is very enjoyable and you get a few chuckles when Jack interjects some of his dry, sarcastic humor into the reading (when he mentioned that the Snark was actually shorter than expected and suggested that "the builder was not on speaking terms with the tape-line"). Jack's life was an adventure and this was the culmination of an adventurous soul. It's a wonderful story and a prime example of Murphy's Law.

It has been said that the best story Jack London ever conceived is the one he lived. You need look no further than THE CRUISE OF THE SNARK to confirm that. In this book, all of London's passions come together: action, experience, sailing, foreign travel, writing and reading. It is a "real adventure" tale, a travelogue and above all a well-crafted book full of London's personal voice and vibrant outlook on life. One may say it is also full of his ego, but he earns the self-satisfaction by putting action and hard work behind his beliefs and words. He is fearless. He is the first to get the irony in a situation and the first to laugh, especially at himself.

In 1908, London and six others, including his wife Charmian, sailed out of the San Francisco Bay into the open waters of the Pacific on what was to be a lengthy circumnavigation of the world. They were leaving over a year later than originally planned due to hold-ups in the construction of London's "perfect" boat, "The Snark," which ate $30,000 dollars before they left harbor. It isn't long before leaks, sea-sickness and other banana peels come their way, and it takes 27 days to make Hawaii. In due course, London learns to surf, they visit the top of a volcano, hang out at a leper colony, and then head further south to the land of Melville's "Typee" and the scary Solomon Islands. The various captains hired for the trip all seem to lack the navigation gene, so London teaches himself and gets it down to a science. London, first by necessity and then overtaken by the intoxication of success, becomes a self-taught dentist, and thus his crew's savior and worst nightmare. He and the crew suffer a nasty list of maladies, as well. It is a testimony of the man's indefatigable spirit, that even when his own health puts an end to the "round the world" scheme, that he never characterizes the voyage and anything that did not go as planned as a crushing failure or disappointment. He just heads straight to Plan B.

London's voice is wholly engaging, his profiles of crewmates and people encountered are delightful. One only wishes that some of his perceptions of other cultures were more enlightened, though they were liberal for their time. The Penguin Classics critical edition is an excellent balance of original text, a non-spoiling critical introduction, and a selection of 4 other short pieces, including accounts of the voyage by crewmate Martin Johnson and wife Charmian, and two unrelated maritime essays by London that enrich the overall experience of the book.

I've recently arrived back in the USA from Suva and Nadi in Fiji, one of Jack's stopping points.

However, what he describes about the South Pacific is no more.

London's South Pacific was affected by European trade and commerce. For one thing, disease, in an era when its prevention was primitive, was rife and the inhabitants of the islands he visited were dropping like flies. Today, of course, the very same network has brought modern medicine and the major health threat to natives in the South Pacific is obesity: the only restaurant on Victoria Parade in Suva, allowed Sunday hours, was McDonald's, while Singh's Curry Shop had to close (I recommend the latter, around the corner from McDonald's on Gordon Street: try the goat curry).

London's natives were partly pagan. Today, ordinary people in Oceania are mostly fundamentalist Christian, and, in Suva, there is also a streak of Islam, petering out far to the west of Indonesia but echoing in the afternoon call of the Muezzin in Suva.

The fundamentalism means that the yachtsman is well-advised on shore to dress modestly. Of course, London and his wife did this naturally, long ago. I actually saw an Australian man warn a woman in shorts in Suva to put knickers on lest one of the local Methodists or Moslems be offended.

But any myth of escape has been so commodified in the South Pacific by tavern owners and tourist companies as to be sour and bitter to the taste.

London, while asserting his property rights thoughtlessly at Oakland's wharf, and while assuming he had the right to hire men to work on his boat and judge their hard work in print, also assumed, in the South Pacific, his right to wander at will.

Today, as the Rough Guide to Fiji advises the tourist, 85% of the land in Fiji is owned fee simple by chiefs. Sir Arthur Gordon decided not to repeat America's dispossession of the Indians and covenanted with the lads in Fiji in such a way that today, the natives form a land-owning aristocracy.

Their fair-mindedness (as on display from Steve Rabuka who backed down from being a military dictator) means that other lads from other mobs have rough civic equality.

London was the prototype, however, of the colonialist as rugged individual whose humanity is based on the unconscious deprivation of others' humanity.

London was the prototype of the soured Yank who when a lad thought the best of people, without a dime to his name, who now has everything, and thinks the worst of people.

London with a grin repeats texts from the hundreds of letters he received from individuals who wanted to sign on to the Snark and so escape their own lives of quiet desparation in an America already unbearable for the average city-dweller. Like him they yearned for a clean-limbed life but unlike London they lacked cash.

London essentially uses their texts to pad out a book that was obviously written not from the heart but to raise cash for a silly boat.

Any yachtsman knows in his heart of hearts that if the landlubber wants his experience, he has only to stand in a cold shower tearing up 100 dollar bills. The Snark was an expensive lark and, like modern yachts, unconsciously offensive at both its sharp end (where were the natives, giving London gifts and dying like flies) and its blunt end (where were the American laborers whose work London disrespects because it was not finished on his schedule).

The South Seas are overrun, today, by people who really ought to be paying more taxes back home. I traveled out there to work at global rates and learned much more about the REAL South Seas than any tourist might, and I'm afraid that Joe Conrad, who also worked for a living, in The Heart of Darkness is more reliable on the tropics than old Jack London.

I'm afraid that London saw, what he wanted to see: the Gilded Age struggle of man against man. However, as Hannah Arendt points out in The Origins of Totalitarianism, this defines rather a culture of hatred out of which were form racialist identities. London was for the most part free of any special form of racism but he did believe that Socialism was impossible because Alpha males (like Wolf Larsen) would take what they need.

Well, they might, and they do. Nonetheless, in the South Seas and elsewhere, Beta males and women continue some how to achieve more, and of more lasting value, by working in groups. Sir Arthur Gordon is forgotten save in Suva, because unlike Cecil Rhodes he failed to mind his own press-agentry but it appears he did lasting good with his land-tenure scheme.

London never learned the limits of his world view and his darkest book, Alcoholic Memories, is a testament to London's limitations.

My favorite yachtsman remains good old Tristan Jones, a British sailor who was trained in the Royal Navy and who paid his dues. Tristan would like me arrive back, from the back of beyond, without a dime and go willingly to work while living willingly in a doss-house. Tristan dragged his own boat across the Mato Grosso and talked back to tinpot Fascists in Stroessner's Paraguay.

In my experience it is relatively easy to learn the mechanics of a sailing boat but what is hard is endurance, not only of Nature but the Other. London endured Nature but has a tendency to be impatient in print with others, as shown by his insenstive near-mockery of applicants for service on his boat. Jones, on the other hand, mocks only people who deserve it, like customs agents in Paraguay.

We lack Tristan Jones' spirit in America with the result that the Third World is overrun with the worst of us, whining yachtsmen and CIA agents and their trophy wives. London I fear was despite his genuine greatness of soul a prototype for the worse that came later.

Note: Unfortunately, the author passed away the day before Thanksgiving, 2006 at the age of 58.

This is an unusual perspective and subject for a civil war study. Author John Heatwole extensively recounts the folk stories and family accounts (including his own) of Sheridan's burning of the Shenandoah resources. The author largely leaves it to the reader to determine what to accept and reject in the resulting mix of historical fact and tales. Overall, I think he did a reasonable job avoiding bias or partisanship and endeavored to put the burning in context. However, there are a number of places where his word choice gives an incorrect connotation.

For instance, removing consumables and goods of military value is several times referred to as looting. This is odd because the goods taken are listed afterwards and clearly are not loot. While taking silverware, women's/children's clothes, etc. would definitely constitute looting and did happen--particularly to the more ostentatious plantations/farms which suffered direct wrath--looting like this was not the norm as Heatwole's recounting shows. It is also interesting that Heatwole mentions extortion, but inappropriately in several instances. In fact, in reading the accounts presented, few show soldiers demanding payment to spare property. Instead, the most common thread is of property owners offering bribes. (Curiously, some rather sizeable bribes were refused.) Still, a reader should not let minor bias be of much concern, because the narrative is primarily from the residents' point of view, and a fascinating picture emerges.

In "The Burning" there are examples of deceit and treachery by both sides. There are also numerous examples of compassion and sympathy to be found. Many amusing tales emerge of people's ingenuity at preserving their property. One of the things I did not appreciate before is how systematic and organized the Burning was, and that orders were intended to regulate it rather than the unabashed plunder it is too often characterized as. This was not a matter of petty vengeance (for the most part) or inhumanity, but instead an organized effort to strip the Valley of military significance and the ability to support armies or guerrillas in the future. It was successful in that aim.

How was this accomplished? Homes were to be spared, as was the property of widows. These rules were not always obeyed or strictly observed. The biggest exception was the ordered retaliatory burning of homes in the vicinity where the popular Meigs was killed--yet even this turned out to be quite limited. Interestingly, for the whole campaign the county's own tallies, the number of homes burned was only about 1/15th that of the number of barns, and while some were intentional acts of arson, a number were the result of fire unintentionally spreading from nearby structures (as noted in the stories themselves.) Public and private property of value to the CSA war effort was systematically targeted and destroyed in total. This included food, cattle, grain, and forage of all kinds, plus the barns and warehouses in which they were stored. Industry was targeted wholesale, from flour mills, saw mills, cloth makers, coopers, blacksmiths, iron furnaces, to flat boat makers, and carriage makers. This of course created awful hardships and suffering for the Valley residents, but in theory it spared their homes and lives while accomplishing the strategic objective. The CSA lost this important source of sustenance and material.

The author also notes the activities as well as depredations of various Confederate guerrillas and Partisans as well. Al Lincoln, McNeil, Woodson, etc. are mentioned.

The author recounts many stories from those who rarely receive much attention: the many Unionists and conscientious objectors such as Dunkards and Mennonites who sought to avoid CSA service. In fact, Sheridan gave them transport out of the Valley as well as other refugees who could not subsist after the Burning. In some cases there property was spared, but for strategic considerations many Unionist and pacifist barns and mills also fell under the torch.

Excellent and simple maps illustrate the Valley counties and towns, as well as the progress of the destruction and movement of the forces responsible for it. A number of sketches and photographs of citizens, soldiers, and landscape are included. The forces involved in carrying out the order are detailed in an appendix at the end.

I recommend this work as a way to appreciate the importance of the Shenandoah, and to understand the horror that the residents felt at this destruction, as well as understanding the reasons for it. A quote at the end of the work by Confederate cavalryman and Valley resident Capt. John Opie summarizes the situation best with a question, "Which is the worst in war, to burn a barn, or kill a fellow-man?"

The author and I come from the same Mennonite decendant, buried just outside Harrisonburg, Va. I don't know if he is still a practicing Mennonite or not; I am not. But one should take into account the pacifist back ground of the Annabaptists may explain the underlying tone of the narrative.
I grew up with a lot of anecdotes too. Like my great great grand mother protesting over the taking of her hogs by Union troopers to a grizzled veteran of Sheridan's army who replied, "You should be glad we aren't taking you too..." The implication being obvious. The Edinburg Mill my father's home town, still bears scorch marks from the attempt to burn it. I agree that there was a lot more death and violence in the event, than one would be led to believe, but back then secrets were kept and certain things were kept buried.

Healtwole presents a county-by-county account of Sheridan's movements in the Valley. The "witness" to the destruction is the use of "facts", legends, interviews, family letters, etc. A flaw is the generalized sameness of each chapter - "these" troops, led by "this" guy did "that" to "those" peoples barn, house, etc. While there is certainly many interesting anecdotes and sidebars without, the format becomes repetitive. Indeed, if you read three or four chapters, you get the full gist. The abundance of maps helps.

Heatwole is described as compiler of Shenandoah Valley folk tales and he uses them to try to describe the destruction of the supplies in the Valley by Sheridan's troops in September and October 1864. He is not interested in primary sources other than what he has learned in the Valley and what has been printed during the past 140 years. He makes no attempt to tell the full history of the Vallry's destruction, but rather to see it through remembered folk tales. He does not evaluate these tales, but includes them as he heard them. Among my favorites is the killing of a Union trooper by a woman who smashes a crock of apple butter on his head (surely a likely happening in the Shenandoah Valley apple-rich region) and then who manages to hide the sticky body in tall grass without the rest of the Union troops noticing, and, best of all, the farmer who shoots a Union lieutenant and dumps his body in the burning barn that the officer just lit. It seems the farmer had to get off his porch, go upstairs, grab his rifle, open the window and shoot the lieutenant, while the officer stood by the flaming barn allowing this to happen. Again, no Union troops were nearby to intervene and presumably the fire was so hot that the lieutenant's body was completely reduced to ashes and nobody in his regiment missed him enough to go looking for him.

The two week Burning was actually a lot more violent and deadly to both sides than even Heatwole makes out. Both sides murdered prisoners, but the Burning generally was confined to barns, mills and cribs, not houses. That the people of the Shenandoah Valley suffered is undeniable. So is Lee's surrender six months later. The grandsons of the victims also seem not to have many qualms about dropping fire on Germans and Japanese.

The Burning needs a better book than this, one that includes more sources that those from Virginia. Heatwole could have done much better, but, frankly, he has produced a book of only limited usefulness.

About 15 years ago I traveled to Shenandoah County to learn about my ancestors and what had happened to them during the Civil War. No lover of history or ancestor hunter could have had better fortune than I: I found friendly and helpful relatives and I found structures - including a pre-Civil War mill formerly owned by my ancestors - that helped me gain an understanding about who I am.

Ten years after my first sojourn, author John Heatwole published The Burning and I purchased a signed copy at an antique shop in Mt. Jackson. This book is a chronicle of the two weeks in the Fall of 1864 that thousands of Union soldiers carried out their orders to devastate the Shenandoah Valley, to rid it of its freshly harvested bounty, burning crops and killing or driving away livestock. It was a sad task that left people without food and often without shelter from the coming winter, but it was a strategy to win the war by finally breaking the spirit of the Confederacy. Thousands of barns were burned and, occasionally, fine homes. Some enterprising folks managed to hide their most prized livestock in the hills.

Heatwole conducted dozens of interviews to gather the oral history of Valley families to supplement the stories he found in published and unpublished sources and private collections. He has produced a well-organized chronicle that captures the drama and atmosphere of this period. This is a "people's history" extraordinaire that tells the story of the Union army's orders, the leaders involved, and the farming and milling families and townspeople who were terrified and devastated by the fires that filled the Valley with thick black smoke for days.

By the way, the mill my ancestors owned was saved in October 1864 when the owner, learning that the Union burners were on their way, climbed to the top of the mill and hung the United States flag from the roof.

A pretty good sampling of LeFanu's tales, including Carmilla. 1. "Foreword" by August Derleth 2. "Schalken, the Painter" 3. "Squire Toby's Will" 4. "Green Tea" 5. "Wicked Captain Walshawe, of Wauling" 6. "Carmilla" 7. "The Sexton's Adventure" 8. "Madame Crowl's Ghost" 9. "Sir Dominick's Bargain" 10. "The Vision of Tom Chuff" 11. "Ultor De Lacy" 12. "Dickon the Devil" 13. "The House in Aungier Street" 14. "Mr. Justice Hardbottle" 15. "The Familiar"

These are Victorian tales of horror that would please any horror afficionado. In each of these tales, we hear these tales of woe from skeptic third party who relates the stories with a sense of separation from the events, but with seemingly disinterested air that makes the story more eerie.

Included in this selection are Green Tea, Squire Toby's Will, The Fortunes of Sir Robert Ardagh, and Sir Dominick's Bargain. These are not exclusive to this volume, so many horror readers will be familiar with the story, but given the price of this Dover Thrift Edition, I would recommend picking it up.

I would recommend reading this one when the night is chill and the sky is dark. You should definitely share these tales with others.

This slim text is often (if not always) out of print at Dover, so purchase copies while they're available (especially if you need to order them in bulk for a course). There are, however, several hypertext versions of most of Le Fanu's stories available online, including _Green Tea_. As far as hard copies go, this is definitely your best bet. As the title suggests, the compilation's focal point is _Green Tea_. _Green Tea_ is one of the best yet seemingly least critically studied ghost stories of all time. It folds Victorian anxieties into one contradictory, enigmatic, and, for some, irritating, brew. Why is the kind, unassuming Rev. Jennings haunted by the spectral monkey? Is Darwin on his back? Metaphysical medicine? Schizophrenia? Was Le Fanu making a point about the mystery of suicide? Hard to tell, which is part of the point, I suppose.

Among the remarkable literary creations of the Victorian period are stories of ghosts and other supernatural phenomena. The tales of J. Sheridan LeFanu are highly regarded as among the best early examples of psychological horror stories. LeFanu was born in Dublin in 1814 and died there in in 1873.

LeFanu's style is indeed Victorian. The writing is more leisurely. Careful attention is paid to establishing the mood and atmosphere. Descriptions are more detailed. The sense of supernatural horror builds slowly, much like the tales of Poe.

The four entertaining ghost stories in this inexpensive Dover Thrift edition are a good introduction to the J. Sheridan LeFanu and include Green Tea, Squire Toby's Will, The Fortunes of Sir Robert Ardagh, and Sir Dominick's Bargain. In the Victorian style LeFanu presents his stories as actual facts, narratives found in old diaries, medical writings, or first hand accounts from family friends or loyal servants. His stories remain popular today, due largely to their psychological depth and subtlety.

In Green Tea Dr. Hesselius encounters a cleric suffering from periodic bouts of delusion, believing that he is being stalked by a malignant apparition.

Squire Toby and his two sons, Scroope Marston, the elder, and Charles Marston, his handsome brother, are all three despicable characters whose mutual hatred for each other apparently transcends the grave.

The Fortunes of Sir Robert Ardagh is told as two stories. The first is the legend and local lore of the peasants living near the secluded fortress Ardagh. The other is an eye witness, factual account, possibly even more chilling than the local legend.

Sir Dominick's Bargain is disturbing version of a man's pact with the devil.

Note: Is it LeFanu or Le Fanu? Both variations seemed to be equally common. This Dover edition uses the form J. Sheridan LeFanu. The Merriam Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature prefers Le Fanu with a space. Many computer search algorithms yield quite different results for these two nearly identical spellings.

LeFanu is by many considered the foremost of Victorian ghost story tellers, but (and I may now be incurring in literary sin) although his writing skills are undisputedly of the finest caliber, I did not find his stories as poignant and spine-tingling as Edgar Allen Poe's or his style as graceful and fluent as E. F. Benson's, for example; in fact, I'd say there is something a little bit too elaborate and artful about some of the passages in this book as if LeFanu had thought it worthwhile sacrificing the pleasure of reading to the exquisiteness of his occasionally almost labored literary expression. There are actually instances in which I find it difficult to picture the scenes and characters in the narrative - take the descriptions of the inside and outside of Gylingden Hall (story 2) or of Sir Ardagh's castle (story 4) - though I recognize that such impressions may of course be unjust and ensue not from the text but from the limitations of the reviewer himself.

The first and last of the four stories collected in this Dover edition are definitely the most exciting and convey a feeling of completeness which is rather absent from the second and third tales. A very striking feature of the story "Green Tea", for instance, is the razor-sharp precision with which LeFanu distinguishes between subjective and objective psychic realities, and between suggestion and predisposition. The reverend in the tale has suffered damage to the subtle involucre protecting his physical body against unwanted sensory impressions and the leaking out of vital force, and so has become permanently exposed not to hallucinations but to involuntary contacts with entities or energies pertaining to the lower psychic realms, the intimacy of which most of us are mercifully spared. The problem seems to be mendable by physically occluding the fissures produced in his natural defense and thus restoring his involucre to normality, but the reverend himself sees these deeply disquieting trials as a personal chastisement from God - an interpretation of the facts which is always a valid possibility - and eventually succumbs, not to the charges of the enemy but to his own weaknesses and inclinations. A complex and fine plot, indeed.

The story "Green Tea" should be carefully examined by all whose job it is to treat or otherwise help people who suffer from psychic disorders or claim to be haunted by hallucinations - and by those, of course, who love to spend a couple of hours by the fireplace with a mug of hot chocolate and a good yarn.