Stewart Books

Chasing Ghosts is a gripping, on-the-ground, cold bucket of water in the face view of the Iraq war. It tracks Rieckhoff's path from Manhattan on 9/11 to patrolling the streets of Baghdad to re-adjusting to life at home. His writing is lucid and sophisticated, raw and unbridled. Its a story of true patriotism, the active defense of American ideals through military sacrifice followed by the courage to challenge the mis-management - from flawed foreign policy to equipment shortages to inciting, empty rhetoric by the administration - of that sacrifice, which he experienced firsthand. He captures the sacrifice and heroism of not just his brothers in arms, but also the Iraqis helping the American effort or merely trying to survive the maelstrom. This is a great read.

Paul Rieckhoff is a very dedicated individual. He tells it like he sees it and he continues to help the badly treated American vets through IAVA. He graduated from Amherst, one of the top schools in America, and left a high paying Wall Street career to serve America. He doesn't "sell out" in his honest account of being in Iraq so of course he gets criticized for truthfully telling what he saw. It certainly isn't what we want to learn when we find out how fowled up and mishandled things are over there. I like the book and recommend it.

A fascinating and thought provoking account of an army officer's life at the "Sharp End" in Iraq.

Ever since the invasion of Iraq I've read everything about the occupation that I could get my hands on. Few of the books have been top drawer, and accounts by military vets have often been uniquely unsatisfying.
But this book is superb: snappy, compelling, evocative, informative. And best of all, extraordinarily well written.
It's a shame that this fine book should have fallen out of print.

To begin to understand The War In Iraq, I wanted to read a primary source - someone whose boots were on the ground outside of The Green Zone; someone who dealt with The Iraqi people daily - as civilians, as allies, and as the enemy. In an engaging and direct narrative, Paul Rieckhoff presents his experience as infantry officer. The intricacies of his duties go beyond combat to functions of a non-military nature. The challenges Paul encountered in Iraq because of the destroyed infrastructure often redefined the role of his command.

The book drew me in and held me to the last page. Rieckhoff's attention to detail frames the narrative - e.g. his journal entry on the flight to Iraq; his manner of acquiring & customizing transportation for his platoon; the descriptions of combat and interaction with other units as the infantry does the real work; his homecoming - including a drive with girlfriend that shows the story often untold about heroes returning from combat.

Don't listen to the talking heads on TV. Read the account of someone who was there in service to our nation. Highly recommended.

This is an excellent book, but some may be put off by the cover. The story is great and it is not a "romance" novel as the cover may imply. Very good selection for a book club or just to enjoy on your own.

Fairy tale is the best description for this novel. The drab, old-maidish heroine with the horrible family who blossoms in a new setting and finds the man of her dreams is the most trite of plots. But LM Montgomery has pulled it off by not taking herself or the story too seriously. It's the kind of novel a young girl can adore, and an older, more sophisticated reader can still enjoy. I loved it years ago, and still do!

If you already love The Blue Castle then this is a great addition to your L.M Montgomery collection. However, the introduction contains a couple of errors about the storyline and, most problematically, gives away the ending. Think of it as an academic, analytical essay and read it only after you've read the book.

This book has no chapter which is less delightful than another. Just good reading from start to finish!

I read this book first when I was 14 and loved it. I ordered it recently on Amazon and was amazed at how at age 28 I easily entered the world of Valancy and fell in love with the characters all over again. Excellent writing, excellent imagery, excellent story line. Loved it. I'm so glad I own it now.

"I think I shall be a great poetess or a distinguished novelist."
That is Emily Starr talking, the young blossoming writer, that will touch your heart, with her creative and interesting, ways and ideas.

Within just the first chapter of the book, you'll already be intrigued by Emily's charm, and her topsy-turvy imagination. All through the story, Emily meets new people and friends. Some will help her on her way to becoming a writer, "a painter that uses words". Others will shoot her dreams down, as if they were nothing but mere dust. Just watch her take on all the distressing incidents that she overcomes with an intellect beyond her years.

She's always on a new enchanting romp, that'll keep you guessing. From giving up her beloved cat, to clashing with Miss Brownell (her unjust schoolteacher), to unraveling an age-old puzzle with her whimsical mind, you'll stay right by Emily's side the whole time.

Here's a small excerpt that I especially enjoyed:
"But there is a destiny which shapes the ends of young misses who are born with the itch for writing tingling in their baby fingertips, and in the fullness of time this destiny gave to Emily the desire of her heart---gave it to her, too, on the very day when she most needed it."

Personally, I have to state that this book is very inspirational for anyone endeavoring a priceless dream. I have read the entire set of the "Anne of Green Gables" books (that are written by the same author), but in my opinion, "Emily of New Moon" is much more enthralling! It is at the top of my list of my favorite books.

It is difficult for me to write an objective review about this beloved classic. Emily is like a childhood friend to me. Created by the author of Anne of Green Gables, she is a more complex character than Anne - introspective, determined, and deeply sensitive to life's joys and shadows. Her love for writing, or her need to write, defines her; indeed, much of the story is told through her writing. And yet this first book of the Emily trilogy is mostly lighthearted, though not without its passages of intense experience. Emily is orphaned in the beginning of the book, and moves to the farm of New Moon to live with two estranged aunts and one uncle, their brother. She thrives and flourishes in the beautifully prosaic, quaint world of New Moon and Blair Water on Prince Edward Island. Though she is a private and secretive person, she gives lavishly of herself in her closest friendships.

Montgomery's writing is at times indulgently over-descriptive, but not without vividity, wryness, feeling, and rich character development. Perhaps the most eloquent aspect of Emily of New Moon is its flavorful honesty about life both light and dark. Emily is a complex character, full of both faults and virtues, neither of which are expressed simplistically. The reader's sympathies are always with her. Montgomery's indirect insights into the writing life are also very valuable. Emily has writing in her blood, sees it as something intrinsically personal and sacred but wants to share it, does it with abandon yet later throws it away, and yearns to climb the ladder of fame. In this sense, I feel more kinship with her than with her more popular sister Anne Shirley.

Sheltered by her loving father, 10-year-old Emily Byrd Starr has never minded her isolated life. What child notices poverty and a lack of playmates when her intelligence and imagination make each day special and exciting?

Then one terrible day, Emily finds herself an orphan. A mass of never-before-met aunts and uncles descend upon Emily, criticizing and making plain the fact that whoever takes the child is only doing so out of their sense of duty.

Still reeling from the loss of her father, Emily must also leave her beloved little home and pets for New Moon, her mother's childhood home, where unmarried aunts Elizabeth and Laura currently reside. It is with stern matriarch Elizabeth, gentle, loving Laura and "simple-minded" Cousin Jimmy that Emily must now learn to form a family.

Despite the hardships, Emily's new life is quickly filled with many joys, as she makes friends at the village school and develops her interest for writing. Emily also experiences -- at the most unexpected moments -- "the flash," her word for the brief startling glimpses of other-worldliness, which has the power to change both her life and the lives of others around her.

Ask most people what they associate with L.M. Montgomery, and they'll likely say Anne of Green Gables. Yet despite the fame of Montgomery's "other orphan," the Emily books are quite possibly even more memorable and beautifully written. Like Anne, Emily is thrust into an unfamiliar world, where she must make the best of circumstances; but unlike Anne, Emily is possessed of a strangely adult maturity even at the tender age of ten, a glimpse of darkness which will accompany her through the years. This streak makes readers both more concerned for her well-being and perhaps more able to relate, as she is not nearly as happy-go-lucky and childlike as Anne in her early years.

If you enjoy this book, be sure to read "Emily Climbs" and "Emily's Quest," which follow the girl through her years at high school, through romantic relationships and her writing career as a young woman.

It's a shame that most people like either Anne or Emily; I've avoided the whole question by loving them both. The Emily books give a picture of a girl with lights and darks, reacting naturally (and therefore not always cheerfully) to the events of her life. She is far from perfect, but as L.M. Montgomery says about her, you may like her, you may hate her, but you'll never forget her.

If what you love about Anne is the sparkling, bubbly world she creates around herself, then you probably won't like Emily. But if you like L.M. Montgomery and would like to see her go a different route, the Emily trilogy is a great read!!

From the opening pages the reader is submerged in Emily's world.

In my mind Emily of New Moon is the begining of one of the best book trilogies ever written. A story about the courage it takes to be true to ones self no matter the opposition, the power of real determination and true friendship. One cannot help but be moved by the powerful truths, and innocent loveliness contained in this book. EONM is quite simply a multi faceted masterwork that could hardly be improved upon in any way. A deeply moving and relavent novel who's beauty only grows with time. Mothers, sisters, daughters, aunts, read this book then gift it to someone you love.

This book is something that I have read over and over again. I first read it well over 10 years ago. I came across it again at a garage sale not too long ago and re-read it. It was just as good, I have since passed it along to all of my girlfriends who all loved it as well. Do not hesitate to get this. Just make sure you pass it along!

I read this book and gave it to many people to read, it was wonderful. Everyone that has ever read it loves it. A definite must read! I am just glad that Amazon is carrying it now!

I read this book in hardback when it first came out. It was so good I couldn't put it down. Whenever someone asks me about a good book to read, I would refer them to this one, but I couldn't remember the author. I was sitting on the train one day & lo & behold, I saw a woman reading it. I told her I had been looking for the book for years & she said she had it for years, but never got around to readng it. I told her it was the BEST book I had ever read!!! I am so glad I ran into her. Now I can give this book as a referral with the author's name. As a matter of fact, I enjoyed the book so much I'm going to read it again!

maybe you could classify this as a beach book- but its soooo much more than that! its romance novel meets third wave feminist power- its a tender coming of age story with vinettes about the decisions each woman has to make about love- how will they define what they want and need, and how will they make sure they get it...
I've read this book sooo many times- its a breath of fresh air for a grad student usually stuck in philosophy or economics books- This is a book thats like watching a favorite movie- i promise you'll read it over and over again- never getting sick of it. Finally a well written novel about love and romance that doesn't insult your intelligence or makes you feel like love only happens in fantasies! great sex scenes, fantastic storyline, interesting and engaging charactors... i love it!!!

I read this book 10 to 15 years ago and then picked it up and reread it again and found it was just as good as I remember. Rachel is the most memorable quiet and dignified victim/character as I can think of, as a child raised in poverty and then sexually abused by her father, the homely little girl runs away vowing to find her mother and long lost twin one day. Rachel is picked up by a young man named Danny Mackay who claims to love her but then dumps her in a brothel where he only returns periodically to pick up her paycheck and make sure she stays in line. When Rachel ends up getting pregnant during one of Danny's visits she dreams that he will marry her and things will turn out happy. Instead Danny forces her to have an abortion and then has her thrown out of the brothel. She promises that she will get revenge one day and then starts out to Hollywood,California where she gets a job in a diner. Rachel decides to spice up the bland burgers in the diner with her mother's secret spice recipe and before long, people are lining up outside to eat there and the restaurant becomes a chain. When the owners die they end up leaving their fortune to Rachel who then changes her face and name and proceeds to become an icon. Along the way, she acquires a men's clothing store and above the store a fantasy for women where men meet their every desire. She names this store Butterfly in remembrance of the tatoo Danny had put on her years ago. During all these years, Danny Mackay has managed to become the leader of a religious ministry and is now running for president. He has made his way to the top by destroying people along the way, but he is about to meet his fate at the hands of an older Rachel.

This book was totally awesome. I didn't tell the name that Rachel takes on because that is part of the mystery of the book. Every character in this book was well thought out and interesting. She has a good way of making the detail so that the story has depth along with character

Stewart's fabulous Merlin "trilogy" is actually four novels, the fourth one being "The Wicked Day." I can't see why a publisher would have left this one out of the compilation. This is why the review gets only 4 stars. I also feel like it would be a bit ridiculous to have this compilation on the bookshelf followed by an odd copy of The Wicked Day, so, I suggest you buy each novel individually if you like the way books look on the shelf.

This is a marvelous set of books, quite readable, and it does put you into the story!

This book is easy to handle; combines all three books of the Merlin Trilogy; good quality; more economical than purchasing the books separately.

I didn't know much about Merlin's live or story, and he is by far the figure that most strogly calls my attention in the Arthutian saga, so I went in a search about a book who portrayed this character. I found Mary Stewart's MErlin trilogy and found that it had such great reviews that I could not pass on it. Neither I wanted to, as this book called out to me with its plot.

I began reading it and it stood up to my expectations. The book is wonderful, Merlin comes through as alive and powerful, as a human being as well as an enchanter. I loved the story told int he book, the pace of it, the way in which it all moved forward with no practically stalling. MErlin is a character with wich you can sympatize, for whom you feel awe, admiration and a myriad of other feelings.

The story is strongly told, and it remains with you once you have closed the book.

This one is a recommended read! ;)

I've worn out my second set of these classics, they're so re-readable after only a short recess. I love the historical accuracy combined with fantasy made believable. The thorough basis in research is comparable only to Dorothy Dunnett's great sagas. I also appreciated the larger size of the second generation of paperbacks. One of the things that always amused me about the original paperback series' cover art was that apparently the artist never read the books, with both Merlin and Authur depicted as stereotypical blond heros. Glad to see the second series corrected that.

An old song by Melanie pines "I wish I could find a good book to live in". This trilogy is that for me. I have been reading them at least once a year since they were published, have multiple copies at both my houses, have given many to friends and acquaintances who evinced the slightest interest. Of all the Arthurian books out there, from Mallory on, this rings true to me on so many levels. It is a joy from "I am an old man now" through to her description of Merlin, alone, listening to the music of the stars. Please, read these books.

Having been a long-time Good Eats viewer, I knew that this book would be a fun gift for my foodie geek spouse. And it was so good that he lent it back to me.

If you have little to no previous knowledge of cooking, or are unsure of your techniques, this book will teach you how to cook the correct way from the start. Lots of information, theory, science, and humor make this book easy to read and incredibly informative. For example, if you ever wondered where the Boston Butt came from, there are diagrams (on refrigerator magnets) displaying where each cut comes from on a pig, lamb, chicken or steer.

If you already have been cooking for years, have only previously worked in professional kitchens or are confident with your technique, this book will help you hone your style to the home kitchen. You will likely come away with the book with a better appreciation for ingredients you may never have considered. And you might also finally make peace with certain techniques that may have plagued you in the past.

The recipes vary in difficulty but the comprehensive instructions make the book fantastics for cooks of all levels. It's a great addition to any home kitchen, or perhaps even as an elementary level text on basic cooking technique.

I simply love Alton's book. It was exactly what I was looking for. I wanted much more than a simple cookbook of recipes. Alton goes the extra mile to explain things in simple terms. The book is not as great as his TV show but it is the next best thing. As you are reading it you can easily picture him saying the words to you in that quirky Alton style.

Now to the bad part. My only problem with the whole Amazon "experience" was that my book arrived in a damaged state. It was never properly secured to any cardboard backing and the box looks like someone punted it across the room. It wouldn't be worth the hassle of returning it. I just hope that the book doesn't fall apart in the near future due to the damaged spine and cover.

I highly recommend the book! But watch out, Amazon's shipping department seems to be having issues lately.

Alton Brown is the man. He really is -- his common sense, no frills, easy to understand explanations about food and everything that can impact how you cook make his books and DVDs fun to read/watch. He has to have been a science teacher for elementary and/or middle school kids -- his innate ability to explain the most complex ideas in the most simplistic terms and ideas is uncanny. Love his books -- love the recipes in the books. Highly recommended for the cook in your life!

I love Alton Brown's show and I love this book. I really enjoy learning all the ins and outs of cooking and this book is great for that.

My wife and I always like everything that Alton Brown does, so I may be a little biased, but oh well.

This book is a page-turner right from the beginning. I loved reading in this time period when men spoke to women like this (from page 23):

"See the two meadow flowers, the yellow and the violet? One is as different from the other as day from night. Yet who will say that one is more beautiful? Oh, a fool might. But only a fool... But do you know what may determine the desirability of one over the other?... The fragrance!"

Be still my heart! If you love that kind of subtle romance, you will love this book.

Anna shows such strength despite the overwhelming tragedies (one after the other) she faces in her young life. And even though she is a Countess, she is very down-to-earth and sensitive to those "under her" although it was a no-no for those of such high society. Her tenderness and innocense makes her so very likable.

The book goes back and forth between family life and what's politically going on in Poland during the late 1700s with the underlying romance throughout. You're always wondering about what will finally happen with Jan Stelnicki. At no point was this book boring!!!

I loved it.

I loved this book. There are so few novels on the market about Poland and Polish history (I don't know of any others!). This is indeed a rare find. The characters are well developed, the descriptions of locations and activities are wonderfully detailed and passionately written. The setting and content about the significant historical moments are woven in expertly. It really is a history lesson embedded in a very fast-moving and dramatic story. Yes, sometimes it may be a bit overly dramatic, but I really enjoy that rich, gossipy style. So cool that it is based on REAL journal entries. These characters come alive and will stay with you well after you are done reading. Great ending, too.

Looking forward to reading Chrimson Sky.

I found this historical fiction text to be absolutely enthralling! It has not only provided me with hours of enjoyable, page-turning reading, but has also given me great insight into my Polish ancestry and heritage. The strength, spirit, and heart of the Polish people--MY people--is wonderfully portrayed within the pages of this book. I'm so looking forward to receiving Mr. Martin's sequel, Against a Crimson Sky. I'm sure I'll not be disappointed!

I found the book very engaging. I loved the characters and can't wait to find out what happens next.

This is the best book I've read in a long time. Martin's vivid descriptions and the depth of his characters made this book an incredibly interesting and fulfilling read. I could not put it down. I love "Push Not the River."

I bought this DVD for my boyfriend for a Christmas present with my fingers crossed. It's impossible to describe how movie-centric he is... we've chosen vacation destinations based on movies. It was a HUGE hit! He's watched all of the extras at least once now, and he loved the creative way Criterion made the front insert look like an old newspaper. It's gritty, ahead of it's time, and Kirk Douglas is a true star! Criterion wins again (as if anyone thought it'd be otherwise!).

Ace in the Hole (Billy Wilder, 1951)

Thank heaven (or Criterion) for a release of Billy Wilder's notorious and brilliant Ace in the Hole for the home video market. As topical as it may have been fifty-six years ago, today it has an unprecedented relevance to American society. It's rare that a film's importance grows over time. This is one of those cases.

The story centers around Chuck Tatum (Kirk Douglas in the performance of his career), a disgraced newspaper reporter who finds himself working in the backwoods world of Albuquerque journalism, covering compelling news stories like a rattlesnake contest. While on his way to cover one such story with cub photographer Herbie Cook (Green Grass of Wyoming's Robert Arthur), he stumbles into something much bigger: Leo Minosa (Richard Benedict), who owns a service station/knickknack shop in the dusty little town of Los Barios, has gotten himself trapped in a mine collapse while looking for Indian relics in a cliff dwelling to sell to tourists. Rather than simply helping the guy out, getting one story, and going on with his life, Tatum-- desperate to get back in the good graces of the Eastern papers with a strong series of stories-- concocts a plan with the corrupt local Sheriff (Ray Teal) to keep the story alive for a week. In the process, he manipulates everyone around him, including Leo's cynical yet naïve wife (Jan Sterling).

Wilder takes the idea of the media circus to new heights here (including having an actual circus on the grounds during the latter half of the film). Ace in the Hole is a relentlessly pessimistic film in which no one cares about Leo Minosa the human being, only about Leo Minosa the story and what each person can get out of it. Leo's wife wants a way out of hicksville, as does Tatum (and, to a lesser extent, Herbie); the sheriff wants re-elected; the head engineer of the rescue team wants an exclusive on the fat contracts that come with the sheriff's re-election; even the competing papers' journalists, who are the only people in the film kinda-sorta set up as the good guys, just want the story, and their editors eventually want Tatum. After a while, news stops being news and starts being entertainment. (Note that Wilder has no illusions about this from the get-go; the first story Tatum files has less to do with Leo Minosa than the Indian curse that Minosa believes trapped him in the shaft.) This, of course, is exactly what's been happening to American culture since not long after Watergate.

Topicality, though, is not the only reason to watch Ace in the Hole. Wilder was one of those great directors, now an endangered species, who could do anything (and often did); the melodramatic Ace in the Hole was bookended by Sunset Blvd., the finest piece of film noir of all time, and Stalag 17, the movie that (loosely) formed the basis of the television show Hogan's Heroes. Imagine a modern director filming three so widely differing movies in a row, not to mention having all three of the movies, fifty years later, being known as timeless classics of filmdom. Wilder got the most out of every actor he ever cast in a movie, and knew where to put the cameras and how to film the shots so that all that acting talent could be showcased in the finest possible way. A Billy Wilder movie is filmmaking at its best, and Ace in the Hole, finally available again after languishing in obscurity so long, is ample evidence of that. **** ½

Ace In The Hole (aka The Big Carnival) was directed by my hero, Billy Wilder. He is the genius who gave us Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard and Some Like It Hot - three of my all-time favorite films. Ace In The Hole, however, suffers from the over-the-top performance of Kirk Douglas who manages to play every scene with clenched teeth and boiling-point anger. His early scenes in the small newspaper office in Albuquerque are so over-played that he comes off like a man in need of a straight-jacket rather than a job. I believe it would be a more powerful film if his character were a little more sympatetic initially, thereby shocking us once his dark side is fully revealed. As it stands now, we are not surprised at the depth of his depravity because of Douglas' inability to bring some subtlety to his performance. Having said all that, there is much here to recommend...some solid acting performances and a powerful story of greed and power and how contagious corruption is. Jan Sterling stands out as the cold and indifferent wife of the man trapped in the cave. She delivers the only funny line in the movie, "I don't go to church. Kneeling bags my nylons." She can be seen in Caged and in her Oscar-nominated performance in The High And The Mighty. In closing, I would like to say that I think William Holden would have brought more subtley and dimension to the lead role. However, it is what it is and I my hope is that this review has peaked your curiosity and you will watch the film and decide for yourself.

"Don't worry, Leo. I'm your pal." That's Chuck Tatum speaking. He's a hot-shot big city reporter who has been fired from every top paper he's ever worked for. Now he's hit bottom. He works for the Albuquerque Sun=Bulletin, a small town daily which puts yard sales on its front page. Tatum needs the job, but he's determined to find that one big ticket story that'll put him back in New York. The man he's talking to is going to be that big ticket. His name is Leo Mimosa, owner of the desolate, dusty Mimosa's Indian Curios ("Gas and Oil, Drinks on Ice") in Escudero, in New Mexico's high desert. Leo is currently 300 feet underground, trapped in a cave-in while looking for ancient Indian pots he can sell for a few hundred dollars. In the next 111 minutes, covering five or so days, we're going to experience so much corruption of the soul, misplaced trust and consuming ambition...leavened by so little humanity...that we'll want to take a bath afterwards. This is one of director Billy Wilder's greatest pictures. For me, it's permeated not by Wilder's famously sardonic outlook toward humanity but by the inevitability of commonplace tragedy. That there are only one or two people we might think well of isn't so much a limitation as an element that sharpens the fascination with great story-telling combined with vivid acting.

While Tatum controls his big story, and while Leo becomes increasingly desperate, to the point of believing Tatum is his only friend, we encounter a cast of characters who are either stupid and venal or sly and venal. Top of the list is Tatum, himself. Kirk Douglas gives an utterly believable portrait of a man, excellent at his job, who can taste the big-time again and is determined to do whatever it takes to achieve it. "I'm on my way back to the top," he says, "and if it takes a deal with a crooked sheriff, that's alright with me! And if I have to fancy it up with an Indian curse and a broken hearted wife for Leo, then that's alright too!" Close behind is Jan Sterling as Leo Mimosa's wife. Lorraine Mimosa wants out...out of Escudero, out of New Mexico and out of her marriage with Leo. She's a pouty bleached blonde, callous and discontented. Gus Kretzer, the local sheriff, is corrupt and more than willing to work with Tatum to insure he gets the kind of news coverage he needs for his re-election. And there are all those visitors to the cave where Leo is trapped...gawkers, thrill seekers, whole families out to set up camp and see what happens. Food booths and a carnival keep them contented while a drill pounds away at the rock to reach Leo. It's the slow way which Tatum has maneuvered to insure his exclusive coverage of Leo's predicament can play out over the next few days. Leo literally is Tatum's ace in the hole. The conclusion is as depressing as Wilder's depiction of human character. The movie's whole set-up, in fact, is designed to make us feel uncomfortable at what we're seeing. If we've ever slowed down to get a better view of a traffic accident, if we've ever watched with fascinated revulsion as a snake swallows down a live mouse or a mantis gnaws at a struggling lizard, we have to recognize that in spirit we're also part of the crowd eager to see what happens.

What makes the movie stand apart from so much of Wilder's skilled cynicism in some of his other films, I think, are two elements. First, Wilder plays this story straight. There's no sardonic comedy or witty, misogynistic lines. He serves us up a serious, well-acted drama and then compels us to take it seriously while he makes us squirm a little. Second, he includes two characters that give us some relief from Tatum's ambition and our own unease. First is Herbie Cook, played by Robert Arthur, the young photographer from the newspaper. Herbie is a graduate of a journalism school, a little naive and so innocent-looking you want to protect him from Tatum's manipulations. Second, and most important, is Jacob Boot, played by that fine character actor, Porter Hall. Boot is in some ways our conscience, the serious, realistic publisher and owner of the Sun=Bulletin who has the quaint idea that telling the truth is important. Boot is able, although not by much, to show us that people come in all flavors, and that venality is only one of them, no more or less than trying to do the right thing also is. In Ace in the Hole, however, nothing good happens in time. As Tatum said earlier, "It's a good story today. Tomorrow, they'll wrap a fish in it." Same with people.

Some call Ace in the Hole a noir. I'm not one of them. For me, it's a powerful drama, and it transcends genre classification. We might as well call Macbeth a noir simply because Macbeth has a tragic hero, a femme fatale, death and the inevitability of fate. The two-disc Criterion release features an excellent black-and-white picture transfer and several extras which include interviews with Kirk Douglas, Billy Wilder and screenwriter Walter Newman. There is an audio commentary by Neil Sinyard, identified as a film scholar. Amusingly, the booklet insert which has essays by Molly Haskell and Guy Madden is in the form of an edition of the Albuquerque Sun=Bulletin.

Ignored, unappreciated, even despised by the majority upon its initial release, Ace in the Hole is a bold social critique that pulls no punches. This movie holds up the public mirror and tries to make people see just how much they suck.
Kirk Douglas delivers another fearless performance as Charles Tatum, a shameless big-city reporter that has been exiled from several lucrative jobs. So he retreats to a small town newspaper gig in New Mexico, in order to reestablish his career.
Tatum hates his new job, and desperately searches for the big break that will propel him back into the limelight. That moment eventually comes when a mine collapses, trapping a worker inside. Tatum takes charge of all the relief efforts, not out of concern for the desperate man inside, but for the fame that accompanies this tragedy. A media frenzy ensues.
One moment that illustrates Tatum's arrogance--other reporters try to move in and capture some of the news coverage. One says "We're all in the same boat". Tatum's cynical response was "No, I'm in the boat. You're in the water."
This movie is an excellent display of humanity's overall decline of morality. How vanity supersedes compassion. How humanity has lost touch with one another. I'm not trying to sound judgemental, heck I'm ignoring all company policies and personal job responsibilities by writing this review. Nobody's perfect. But this is a great movie, with powerful but controlled acting and a significant message.
So now, go hug a stranger. No, on second thought you better not. You'll probably get punched.

Rory Stewart (British equivalent of a US FSO) went to Iraq as the war was kicking of and supported the CPA in the province of Basra. Rory does a great job of telling his own accounts of how he attempted to support the local government in the area he was responsible for and the difficulties that he had. A book that may have only occurred during a certain timeframe his lessons and experiences are valuable throughout Iraq and in other countries where a government is trying to vie for control.

This book is an honest, intelligent insight to the messes in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the efforts by many - albeit should be all - to do bring those countries to stability. Everyone should read this - politicians (or so called politicians); servicemen/women; leaders and thinkers alike. This is my second title read of Rory Stewart and I hope to read more of his works.

Rory Stewart, educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford, joined the British Foreign Service after a stint in the British Army. At the age of 30, and with at best limited Arabic, he was chosen to govern an Iraqi province - Meysan and then Nasiriyah - during the time of transition when the Coalition Provisional Authority ruled Iraq before handing power over to the elected Iraqi government. This is Stewart's account of his time in office.

Suffice it to say mistakes were made, and though Stewart spares us any tiresome analyses of what he - as a participant hardly impartial - felt should have been done better, it's clear that there was room for improvement, particularly in the lack of understanding of different cultures, and the expectation that a country that had never known democracy would eagerly - or even willingly - adopt it after the deposal of its tyrannt.

Perhaps the most eye-opening detail in the book is when Stewart, chosen for his many travels through Muslim lands, his knowledge of Farsi and Islamic cultures, and more, repeatedly describes seeings Arabs with their "Rosaries." Praying the Rosary is a devotion limited to Catholics and some Anglo-Catholics; what he saw were "Misbaha", the "prayer beads" on which Muslims count the 99 names of Allah as a devotion of their own. Neither Muslims, who deny the divinity of Christ, nor Catholics, whose list of prophets doesn't coincide with the Muslim one, would be too thrilled by this confusion. Compare this to the anecdote about Sir Anthony Eden, who studied Farsi and Persian literature at Oxford, who, when he sat down for negotiations with the Iranian leadership about their intent to nationalize the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, found that his Farsi and knowledge of Persian literature was better than that of at least some of his counterparts, to the point that he reportedly needed to simplify his speech. O tempora! O mores! O imperia!

Those seeking a sardonic and insightful book into Operation Iraqi Freedom and its aftermath need go no further. Iraqis - and the Anglo-American tax-payer - deserved better.

Shgould be required reading for every member of Congress, the administration and all media pundits. A first hand on the ground account of why there are no simple solutions.

Lance Reynolds
Alameda CA

If you feel it is important to understand what is happening in Iraq today, this book needs to be added to your reading list. The author's perspective, that of largely unempowered administrator of a province in Iraq, is both valuable and unique. Rather than the purely political or military viewpoint, you are given a look into the reality of the daily challenges being faced by those charged with trying to make things work on the ground... the implementers, not the policy makers or military men. The view is not a very pleasant or hopeful one.

The style of writing is sometimes dry and some may find it rather boring to read often repetitive accounts of setting up and administering programs, and dealing with constant political infighting among the factions. It can also be frustrating and tedious to read about hard working, well-intentioned people trying to accomplish things against great odds, only to see everything go for naught (again and again and again). But for me at least, it was the information and insights that were buried within the mundane details of Mr. Stewart's day to day accounts, and the reasons for the many failures that were the most revealing and added most to my understanding of what we are up against in Iraq.

My conclusion after reading the book was that the quote from Milton, "It is better to rule in hell than serve in Heaven," seems to perfectly sum up the attitude of the leaders of the various factions there. Until that attitude changes, the hope for a functioning democracy in Iraq appears to be mostly wishful thinking at best.

After everything else that's been said about this, all I can say is:"WOW!". If this doesn't touch you and pull at your heart, there's something wrong with you. You don't need to be religious or spiritual even to enjoy this. It will awaken something inside you and life might be a little better for it. Watch, liisten and enjoy(you might shed a tear also)!

A PERFECT GIFT. THIS IS PURE MAGIC. VERY MOVING..I GOT CHILLS! IT WILL DO YOUR HEART GOOD!!! WELL DONE ANGI SULLINS AND SILAS TOBALL!!

If you have ever yearned to live in another era and realm... Get this book & dvd set! This was 0riginaly available as a free download only through The Durwaigh Gallery website in 2004. Costumers that viewed this sugested a book version. The art work showcases some works of the best Fantasy Artists out there today.(Mark Potts,ect.)The dvd is actually the download itself recorded on a disk, and accompanied by wonderful music.

I found that this also makes a great children's book. My 4 yearold neice always wants to watch the dvd and read the book over and over again!This is one thing that you would never get sick of, trust me parents! I also had to wrestle this from my Aunt as well.

Needless to say, this book will make a unique gift and is sure to be a favorite for the whoever you have in mind!

This is a MUST HAVE for every coffee table or bookshelf! You have to see it!

When I first saw the video of this wonderful piece of work it gave me goosebumps. It reached into my soul and said things to me I was longing to hear. Over the months to come after that I would often return to the website to watch and hear it again - to bolster myself on bad days, to put a little grin on my face and make my step a little lighter. When I heard they were putting it into a book/dvd set I couldn't have been happier. I was one of the first in line to own such a wonderful piece of artwork. I can't say enough about how great this book/dvd is. The star rating only goes to 5, but it deserves much more!!!