Stewart Books

First things first - I am reviewing this as a book on tape.

I am a big reader of mysteries and police dramas and I appreciate it when someone comes up with a unique twist and this one pulls that off in spades.

This is the 8th in a series of David Handler books about a novelist/crimesolver named Stewart Hoag. You do not need to have read the other books to follow along.

The book gets a 'B' overall - an 'A' for the plot, a 'C' for the fairly lame police characters.

The book on tape is read by Gene Corbin who does an admirable job. The cover says it lasts approximately 3 hours, but in reality it's more like 2 hours and 40 minutes.

I have been a huge fan of David Handler since I read the first "Hoagy" novel. This latest installment is excellent! Witty, sharp, and leaves you guessing till the end.

David Handler continues to amaze me with his wonderfully witty works of the adventures of "Hoagy". His books are always thrilling, exciting, and leave you guessing until the end. "The Man Who Loved Women to Death" is no exception.

I just recently discovered David Handler with "The Girl Who Ran Off with Daddy" and was thrilled to finally find "Loved Women to Death." My only complaint is that it's so hard to find his books (i.e. out of print, etc.). I highly recommend him for anyone with a sense of humor who also loves mystery. He's as clever a writer as I have read.

As one who has read all the Stewart Hoag mysteries by David Handler I feel qualified in saying each one is better than the last! Not only are the books getting thicker, they are getting more rewarding and entertaining. The characters, plots, dialog, humour and Handler's voice improve with age. In this outing, an old Ivy League classmate of Hoag's is accused of murdering women. The suspect clearly fits the bill given his violent and abusive past . . . and present! Though 'King Tut' Tuttle is suspected even by his good friend Hoag of committng these murders, 'Hoagy' owes it to himself, Tuttle and their faded friendship to investigate as only he can. The story is filled with great characters, moments of suspense and enough likely suspects and red herrings to keep the reader entertained and guessing throughout. Readers familiar with this series will be happy to know Lulu, Merilee Nash and even Hoag's beloved vintage Jaguar continue their usual prominent roles.

This is one of the most beautiful combinations of poetry and art. The poem is really quite beautiful. The art is inspirational. I don't knwo that I'd give it to a couple for their wedding though, cause the poem is about a man who is cheating on his wife....So don't take the advice of the other reviewer, the couple might look at you funny!

I was given this book several years ago when I was out book shopping with a teacher I love to be with.

We were both rather caught up that day in the spirit of the art and poem.
Feels almost a decade ago, so it probably was.
I liked Chagall's pictures some of which here I had not seen, will never see (though I've made a good stab at knowing his work)and appreciate this book form and maybe, in my way, felt that the poem was pushing me to consider them from a perspective I might have seen differently sans text. It would be typical that my friend was drawn to the words reading it to me several times, and I think drawing a bit of customer interest, while I was held by the images. Well we were in a children's bookstore in the art books looking for things to use in teaching...so I guess in a way...we were behaving rather like a child might finding the National Geo holding pictures of "naked people" something I recall of my brothers days. I imagine the internet fills that role now.....

This said I would contextualize this...I was raised in another "time" and in the arts and literature. In my era if creating a piece we were asked frankly to shock, disarm, question to engage with literature and art for its ability to speak the human truth that often is hidden or obfuscated. That love contains a side that exists physically ....a kind of accepted truth. Thus you have Cummings poem. Which is a bit..risque. Or these paintings. I don't know why I find reality TV not this or expressions in culture now different but I do. I am aware that changes in outlooks now conclude that a book like this one would be kind of a scandal in school.
Not that I was taking it there, but in my time I think "nobigdeal". I find this odd with what goes on media wise...but enough said.

I would imagine the persons exchanging this as a gift would be talking of love, or like my friend and I feeling silly happy about an aspect of living. If I put it on the coffee table in a stack of art books my kids read it, enjoy the pictures, like the book but I doubt think much one way or another besides its sweet. To me at the time I found it spoke to journeys in our lives, positive aspects of this thing denoted as love functioning in our days....funny...irreverent. Rather a playful relationship to the viewer maintained, nice diversion. I'd give it to someone with a heart.

If you are a Chagall or e.e. cummings lover, this book is not to be missed. It is an absolute treasure and such a beautiful marriage of words and art! The images perfectly complement the text. Highly recommended, even as an introduction to either of these two artists.

Just got this book and I love it. I purchased it based on reviews that I read and they are 100% correct. Beautiful pictures and a touching poem. Great as a wedding gift.

A terrific combination of art appreciation classes and literature for reading outdoors--took me back some 35 years to college days in its content, and then back up to the present in its pervasive wisdom. A joy for the ear and eye, just like its message--lovemaking is for lots of ages and stages and a delight to the senses. Should be on every bookstore's front tables.

My husband and I have been in the Senior Move Management business since 1990. We share this valuable book with out Move Managers and also spread the word of it's value to the many senior seminars we present to. We find it an excellent tool and resource.

Diane Bjorkman
www.gentletransitions.com

If only I could have used this book several years ago when my sister and I had to move my mother out of her home of 40 years! Linda Hetzer and Janet Hulstrand are warm, witty writers who get right to the point in this short, concise, and immensely helpful book. Now I'll save it to use myself when it is time for me to move to smaller or different quarters, and I'll advise my daughter to consider it her handbook. This is a much-needed addition to "how-to" books.

I found this book to be an excellent source of practical information. The organizational tips given by the authors were excellent. I particularly noted the guidelines for preserving familiy documents and papers. I purchased one for myself, my sister, and my daughter!!

Moving On is "a practical guide to downsizing the family home." It is full of practical suggestions as to how to tackle the concrete task of emptying a house, how to categorize the multitude of things that accumulate over the years, what to do with them, how to keep the things one wants to keep and how to dispose of the things one wants to get rid of. But this is a book that is by no means only about things. It is very much a book about people, the first generation of people who collect things, write things, hoard things, love things, and the next generation of people who necessarily have the task of deciding what to do with all these things.
It is a book full of understanding for the agony of closing up a family home - after all, closing up a family home is saying good bye to people who have played a huge part in one's own life and are ceasing or have ceased to do so. As their belongings disappear one by one through the door of the house, so they themselves seem to disappear. This book suggests ways of making this process of saying farewell a dignified one, one without rancor and one without regrets. It deals in practical ways with problems that far exceed the practical. It makes concrete suggestions for coping with issues that are far from concrete.
It is also a book that manages to look in two directions at once, speaking directly to the reader who stands at the crossroads of the aging process, that point in life at which the older generation is moving from the scene and the younger generation is inexorably turning into the older generation. In emptying your parents' house, do you not inevitably begin to think, "And what will happen to my house?" For the first time, perhaps, you return home, and begin in your mind's eye to see the next generation picking up your treasured belongings, and saying: "What shall we do with this?" Moving On speaks to you, suggesting ways that you can look this painful thought in the eye, see it as an opportunity to do things the right way now, so that you will be eased through the ultimate moving-on that will come to all of us.
Moving out of a house is a huge practical job. Moving On is a transforming experience.

I was really glad to discover this book. Several friends in their fifties and sixties are coping with clearing out Mom's stuff so she can move into an assisted living facility. Quite a few also have to clear out a lifetime's accumulation of their own, so they can retire and relocate.
Here's the topics covered in chapter one (Planning Ahead, Remembering Who's in Charge, Preparing for the Day, Agreeing on a Family Plan, Dividing Up the Belongings).
Chapter two covers Sorting It Out, Getting Started, Considering Storage, Making It Work. In chapter three it handles the emotional part of downsizing (Preserving Family Heirlooms, Finding Archival Materials, Preserving the Memories Themselves).
Chapter four tells how to turn some of it into cash (Yard Sales, Estate Sales, Auctions, On-Line Auctions, Secondhand Retailers, Selling Direct). Getting rid of the rest is covered in chapter five (Giving It Away to Friends or Family, Donating and Recycling, Throwing Out the Trash).
The book also lists
*Helpful Books and Websites
*Organizations (Professional, Trade, Consumer, & Support Groups)
*Suppliers of Archival Materials
*Donation and Recycling Directory
*A Checklist of Questions to Ask

As an avid Birder,I get as much enjoyment from books about birds as the birds themselves. With about 1200 bird books in my library,you would wonder if there is any book that could excite me at this point. Not so,this book stands out as much a work of art as does a bird's nest. Maryjo Koch's art shows her great love for art,nature and the fascinating world of birds.It is pure pleasure to turn the pages and enjoy her work.
This is a large coffee table size book,15 by 11 1/2 inches,beautifully constructed with fine paper ,excellent printing and color rendition.To top it off,it has a beautiful cover displaying her work.
It has always amazed me,with all the birds we see in our travels,how relatively few nests we actually see.This usually only happens in the winter after the leaves have fallen.Of course,if one pays attention during nest building and nesting,the birds themselves will lead you to their nests.Whenever I come across one,I try to figure out what species of bird built it.Usually,because one is familiar with the habitat and the birds that nest there,it is quite easy to determine which bird built it.What also amazes me is how each species builds a different nest;and within that species each nest is basically identical.
Anyone who enjoys an artist who puts her heart,soul and skills into her work will be enthralled with this fine book.

I ordered this item on June 13 and still have not received it, two and a half months later. What's going on?

This exquisite book is perfect for those days when one can just lull in a hammock and enjoy nature. Maryjo Koch is a wonderful artist and naturalist. Her drawings are so lifelike you feel you could just reach down and pick up one of the beautiful bird's eggs that are in the book. The poems and quotations are an added plus. Wonderful book to have in a classroom to teach children about birds, their remarkable homes and nature.

This is a gorgeous book, a rare combination of art and information. It's the sort of book that people love but rarely buy for themselves. It makes a wonderful and unusual new-home gift.

The Nest, by Maryjo Koch is a delightful work revealing the spirit of her subject (birds/nests/eggs) with remarkable attention to artistic detail. The text (except publisher notes and the forward) are handwritten or hand-lettered . . . all with charming variety of style and movement.

On some of her drawings, she has left portions without color; thus, revealing the architecture of her black and white line art. At the side of several illustrations, she provides "brush smears" of colors with the name of the base paint colors used in the blends.

The book is a fascinating blend of ornithology and beautifully executed art.

I enjoyed every minute of Orange as Marmalade! I discovered a small town I would love to live in. An out of the way community in the north Georgia mountains. Martinsville is a bit old fashioned in its outlook. Home to characters ranging from lovable eccecntric to some downright stinkers. The plot is filled with tiwsts and turns that kept me up late unable to put this one down. The occasional comments from the orange tabby cat named Marmalade go unheeded by her bright and funny human companion, Biscuit McKee as life, love and mysteries unfold. Don't miss it!

Fran Stewart has created a thoroughly endearing character in Biscuit McKee--fallible enough to be undeniably human and feisty enough to be thoroughly lovable. Biscuit wants nothing more than to live quietly in the small Georgia town of Martinsville with her husband and her Marmalade cat, but fate and family don't always cooperate. Biscuit faces each challenge life throws at her--and there are plenty of those--with determination and a little help from her cat.

Fran Stewart's Biscuit McKee stories are beautifully written, incorporating a blend of down-home wisdom and humor guaranteed to both charm and entertain.

--Lynda Fitzgerald, Author
If Truth Be Told

Fran Stewart's book is delightful and holds your interest using a warm, friendly style. She also uses a unique format for telling her story, weaving the plot to keep you in suspense. Lots of useful information on gardening, natural healing, and, of course, cats! Mystery, fun, and learning - what more can you ask from a book! Her book club discussion questions at the end are quite thought provoking, even for someone who hasn't read the book. Hard to believe this is Ms. Stewart's first book. Kinda leaves you feeling like you've read a mystery from Mitford! Can't wait to read the next Biscuit McKee Mystery.

Marmalade and Biscuit. Kind of like Toast and Jam, but in this case it's a saucy white and orange cat and her extraordinary human who discover a body in the town library. The tiny little town of Martinsville in northeastern Georgia becomes the scene of an intriguing who-done-it murder mystery. So, who killed nature photographer Harlan Schneider? No ones talking in Martinsville, as most of the clues point to someone local. But then again, not the first investigator asked Marmalade.
I was first drawn to this book simply for the "cat factor." Any book that has as one of it's characters a fancy feline has to be on the right track.

Fran Stewart uses flashbacks to weave the details of what transpired before the murder of the young photographer and the current events surrounding Biscuit McKee, the new town librarian, who is getting ready for her upcoming wedding to the town's only police officer. Although the flashbacks took getting use to, it filled in the story just fine.

Stewart's Martinsville has such a richness to it that I'm looking forward to learning more about this "town" and its inhabitants. Orange as Marmalade contains some clues to a mystery that surrounds the 1745 founding of the town. Each book in the Biscuit McKee Mystery Series will add a few more clues, and the 200-year-old puzzle will be finally solved in White as Ice, the eighth book of the series. So, this will definately be a series worth looking forward to.

This is a five star book worthy of a place on the bookshelf of any well read mystery enthusiast. But you don't have to be a connoisseur of mysteries to enjoy this book.

Take a trip to Martinsville, Georgia and spend a little time with Biscuit McKee, Marmalade, and a town full of interesting characters.

Marmalade is a smart and talented white and orange cat who adds intriguing clues to this cozy mystery for the reader. Her human was named Bisque by her potter mother, but her grammar school buddies quickly changed the name to Biscuit and the name stuck. So small town librarian Biscuit McKee finds the body in the library with a knife stuck in it somewhat later than does her smart cat Marmalade. The story is develooped through three time lines, which takes a little attention to chapter titles to keep straight but is more than worth the effort. Delightfully told and cleverly plotted, the story is enriched with gardening tips, three dimensional characters that you want to know more about, and the cozy and delightful setting of a small Georgia town. Characters are further embellished by Marmalade who has her own name for everyone. Biscuit, for example, is Widelap, to Marmalade. So some fortellling goes on with Marmalade's name for characters. In addition, both Marmalade and Biscuit share their "gratitude lists", the five things for which they are most grateful each day. This clever little addition to the story is a joyful reminder to any reader that "Happiness Is A Choice." A wonderful first book in this imaginative series that leaves the reader breathlessly waiting for the sequel.

Not a review here but a note. Readers who enjoy Orlando would appreciate Anthony Powell's witty account of the moon trip in the 12th and last volume of his A Dance to the Music of Time.

I may not have been the only person to have noticed how much the poetry improves in the last half of _Paradiso_ in the Dorothy Sayers translation. This is because Sayers died before completing the last of her translation of the _Divina Commedia_, and her devoted friend and admirer Barbara Reynolds took over. But where Sayers had been technically impressive in matching Dante's terza rima, but pedestrian in the poetry, at the point where (as I guess) Reynolds takes over a new lightness of touch and poetic feel for the language makes itself felt.

This Ariosto translation is Reynolds' great achievement. Moreover it is one of the three or four greatest literary translations in English, an achievement to stand beside Dryden's _Aeniad_ and Fairfax's _Gerusalemma Liberata_. (On Pope's _Illiad_, which I'm currently reading, I tend to agree with the contemporary reviewer who commented, "A very pretty poem, Mr Pope, but you must not call it Homer".)

She captures Ariosto's wit and lightness, occasionally turning in closing couplets for her stanzas that are as sharp as Byron's in _Don Juan_ (who was in turn also using Ariosto - among others - as a model), but also following Ariosto in allowing the sense to flow from stanza to stanza in a quite un-Byronic way. As well, she manages to transmit Ariosto's graver passages in equally dignified verse, for example some of the set pieces imitated (by Ariosto) from Homer. English readers tend to think of Ottava Rima as a vehicle for comic verse, but in Italian it is a model for epic. It's just that the great Italian epic tradition, unlike the English epic tradition before Byron's great anti-epic, includes humour.

As for Ariosto, he is a great poet and story-teller, and (not exactly a literary judgment, this) his authorial "voice" is one whose company you cannot help enjoying. His humour, sometimes sly, is also warmly compassionate; sometimes satirical, sometimes splendidly and deliberately silly. Ariosto knows his flying horses, invisibility rings, sexy sorceresses and the rest are perfectly absurd, but manages to maintain the fantasy elements as wonderful and exciting, without ever undercutting them with mere cynicism or bathos. But most often the humour is warm and character-based.

His story has an astonishing range of characters, the Moorish warriors and their lovers depicted as fairly and favourably as his Christian protegonists, and an astonish sweep, all over Europe and the East, with digressions to the Moon and other enchanted places.

Another feature of Ariosto is his feminism, which shows in his warrior women, who give and take in battle every bit as well as the men. He also tellingly mocks some of the anti-feminist aspects of chivalry, as in the scene where one of Ariosto's heroes is called upon to champion in a trial by combat a woman who has been accused of unchastity. The hero readily agrees to defend the woman's honour, but only after observing that he would as readily defend her if she were unchaste, as in his view (clearly also Ariosto's) women have a right to make love without being condemned for it.

Two last observations. First, I believe that this poem, and not Dante's, is the great Italian epic, superior to Dante for the same reason that Shakespeare is superior to Racine, or Byron's English epic is superior to Milton's or even Spencer's. Dante offers moral allegory (though with a thoroughly repellant worldview), and Ariosto's failure to preach has sometimes been taken as a sign of lack of depth or seriousness. But the great epics are about humanity, not allegory (though I have seen attempts to allegorise Homer, none have done so convincingly); and Ariosto presents one of the widest and greatest human canvases of all epic. It is the most readable long poem since the _Odyssey_. Yes.

Second, Amazon has linked this translation to another, a prose translation. I haven't read the prose translation, but I would observe that _Orlando Furioso_ is a poem. To render it as something else is to lose its structure, its purpose and its very nature. To present a prose translation of this poem as a genuine "version of Ariosto" is a bit like presenting Beethoven's Ninth symphony by playing an arrangement for kazoo: some of Beethoven will come through in a kazoo transcription, but you cannot call it the Ninth. Get the Reynolds; it is a great and easy _read_, and it is one of the glories of English poetic translation.

Cheers!

Laon

This is a wonderful flight of fantasy that is full of magic castles, horses that fly (hippogriffs), and such imagination and humor that you never cease to be entertained by it all. You may wonder like I did that: If this is "Part One", where is part two? I was unable to find any such continuation. You have to just enjoy this marvelous tale for what it is.

I read this book over the course of a summer, and delighted in taking Reynold's translation canto by canto. Ariosto's style is immortalized in her translation, complete with his witty asides and satirical commentary. Amazing.

Ariosto was one of the giants of Renaissance literature, and this was his footprint. Grand, touching, funny, witty, stirring -- as Dryden said of Chaucer, here is the world's plenty. Some of the greatest poets of the next two centuries (Tasso, Spenser, Milton) explicitly attempted to overdo him, and only sometimes succeeded; Byron took as much from Ariosto as he did from Pulci.

But don't read this on that account. Read it because it's a delight from start to finish. War, love, and chivalry are the poet's themes, and they're here in all their forms.

I don't know Italian, but everyone I've asked who would know assures me Reynolds's translation captures not just the essence but the spirit of the original.

(Ignore the reviews that claim that this is a prose translation -- they are from another translation.)

Great book for both photography and natural history reports of the North American pitcher plants. Wonderful photos of these plants in their natural habitats. Detailed reports of the natural history of all species, especially Heliamphora. This book's focus is on these plants in their evnironments and includes detailed range maps for all species.

Finally - a book that introduces the genus Heliamphora in all its glory. This is really the first book to do them justice. It includes dozens of stunning photos, morphology and habitat descriptions, fascinating analysis of trapping mechanisms, speculation about the environmental conditions that lead to the forms and the distribution of present day species, as well as some tentative discussion of the relationship between the three genera. Two minor disappointments - no mention of the new fossil discovery of an ancient member of the Sarracenia family from China (Archaeamphora), and no photos of Heliamphora sarracenioides, which it seems might be one of the more important species discovered in the last decade. I suspect both discoveries occurred too late to be incorporated because the book is otherwise quite thorough (and these new discoveries leave me hoping for a revised edition in the future). "Pitcher Plants of North America" is now by far my favorite carnivorous plant book ever.

Pitcher Plants of the Americas by Stewart McPherson is a very nice addition to any carnivorous plant enthusiast's library. It is very well written and easy to understand. The photography is spectacular. This book will give one a better understanding of the pitcher plants native to North and South America.

British geographer, researcher, and conservationist Stewart McPherson presents Pitcher Plants of the Americas, a lavish overview of the five genera of carnivorous pitcher plants in North, Central, and South America. Featuring stunning color photography of virtually every species, enhanced by the high-quality paper of the text, Pitcher Plants of the Americas describes species, their ranges, and their unique features in clear language that is not excessively technical. A first-rate field guide and welcome contribution to natural history reference shelves, sure to fascinate both general readers and horticulture specialists.

I've been waiting for years to get my hands on a book that covers Heliamphora more than superficially. This was it. Very in depth info on specific habitats for each species, full descriptions, amazing photos. A great mix of science and personal observation/commentary by the author.

Definitely recommend it!

Farley Mowat ,The Dean of the Canadian outdoor Writers, at the top of his form. If you've ever wondered what it was like to work on an Ocean going Tug Boat this is the book for you. Mr. Mowat uses his wartime experience and makes the men and vessels seem to have a life of their own. It's all done in a style that make putting this book down next to impossible. Be sure to have a turtleneck sweater and a steaming mug of Grog available because as you read this account of Maritime Tug's out of Canada you'll be chilled to the bone but kept warm by rapidly turning pages.

Farley Mowat had already written a book titled "The Boat Who Wouldn't Float," so he could very easily have called this volume, "The Ship Who Wouldn't Sink."

"The Serpent's Coil" is a companion book to "Grey Seas Under" and continues the story of ocean-going salvage tug operations in the Atlantic. "Grey Seas Under" chronicled the adventures of the tugboat `Foundation Franklin' before and during World War II. "The Serpent's Coil" takes place after the war and tells the tale of ships battered by the consuming fury of not one but three hurricanes (the "serpent's coil" of the title) in the autumn of 1948.

The author blends mystery, life-and-death adventure, and humor in his tale of rescue and salvage operations on `the Great Western Ocean.' The mystery centers around the disappearance of so many ex-wartime Liberty freighters in mid-ocean. Most of them were in ballast when they vanished, and it was assumed but never proven that shifting ballast caused the freighters to turn turtle and sink so rapidly that no message could be transmitted on the `how' or `why' of their plight.

`Leicester' was an ex-Liberty freighter fitted out in peace-time rig, newly under the command of Captain Hamish Lawson. He met his ship for the first time while she was taking ballast---"a sludge of sand and gravel dredged from the bottom of the [Thames]"---in preparation for a voyage to New York. Lawson had originally been scheduled to take command of another ex-Liberty freighter (called Sam-ships by the sailors, because they were built for the wartime Lend Lease program by `Uncle Sam'), but the `Samkey' had disappeared on route to Cuba. "'Leicester' was the twin sister to `Samkey'; built in the same yards, to the identical design. The only difference was that she was younger by a year..."

Captain Lawson's freighter was halfway between Ireland and Nova Scotia on the Great Circle route to New York when the first storm struck. `Leicester' rolled more than her Master liked, but she weathered the gale easily enough. His main worry was the ship's malfunctioning radio, without which he couldn't receive weather reports or transmit his own position. The Atlantic was not a good place to be in the middle of the hurricane season, without a radio.

Sure enough on the morning of September 14th, the crew of the `Leicester' found themselves sailing under another threatening sky:

"Lawson watched the ominous black arch [of the hurricane bar] for a quarter of an hour, and even during this short interval it seemed to grow, humping up from the horizon, spreading east and west. Above it, and around the hemisphere of sky, the high clouds were thickening, growing more opaque. A light, aimless breeze that seemed to come erratically from every point of the compass had begun to play about the ship. Lawson noticed that there were no gulls or other seabirds anywhere in sight."

The Sam-ship tried to dodge the hurricane, but it was much too late for such maneuvers. Within the hour, `Leicester' found herself enmeshed in the roaring hell of "The Serpent's Coil."

Mowat certainly knows how to tell a suspenseful sea story! The rest of his book describes the travails of `Leicester' as she founders but does not sink amidst the coils of the first hurricane. Her adventures afterward are entwined with those of the salvage and rescue tugs, `Foundation Lillian' and `Foundation Josephine,' plus another, even more savage hurricane that struck while the Sam-ship lay helplessly at what was supposed to be a safe mooring.

"The Serpent's Coil" and its even more exciting companion, "Grey Seas Under" are gripping testaments to the daring and skill of Canada's master seamen. Even the sections of these books that were strictly concerned with salvage operations kept me reading ahead at full steam.

i was given this book in 1964 and started reading it at about 9pm and didn`t finish until 5am. i`ve never forgotten it and thought i would see if it was still in print and wow! they are still printing it. (in 2001) i reread it and it is still one of the most exciting books and timeless..both men and women will like it. read it and enjoy, marti

What a story! The ads on the back state this to be the predecessor of the Perfect Storm. I don't think that is the case but the story is great. The Leicester leaves London, and rides out two hurricanes. At the end of the second hurricane-the ballast shifts and the ship takes on a terrible list. The crew rides out the hurricane on her, and then hails two other freighters and abandons ship. The ship then travels on a southerly direction until spotted by a salvage tug. This and another salvage tug take Leicester to Bermuda where she endures another hurricane and is beached with the salvage tug. The last chapter details the salvage of both the ship and tug. This was indeed the ship that wouldn't sink.
This is a nice little story that will keep the reader's interest.
A Perfect Storm is so much more dramatic that I wouldn't rate this book as highly as that. It is an interesting read.

True account of North Atlantic deep sea salvage.Men and equipment routinely battle impossible odds and harrowing conditions to save stricken ships. Reads like fiction.

I've been entertaining for over 20 years for family and friends and was looking for some new ideas. I tried some of the recipes in this book for my last Christmas party and they were a huge success. I can't wait to try some of the other seasonal ideas in this book.

I like to have people over for dinner but I'm never sure what makes a good menu. This book takes the worry out of entertaining. The tone is accessible and reassuring, the recipes are great and not hard to follow. Now I feel confident enough to mix and match some of the menus and I know everything will come out alright. The photos and design are gorgeous so it's a good gift book, too.

Lovely ideas, encouraging, and full of do-able advice.
And notice on the flap of the book--NO author's face, only a photo of lovely legs. Hmm, little ego and lots of advice--Cheers.

Although I have never done an entire menu from this book, every recipe I've tried from here has been delicious, super-easy and perfect, and I've tried several for my dinner parties. The desserts, especially, are delicious, impressive and simple.

I love how the menus are all arranged seasonally, taking advantage of appropriate ingredients and cooking methods. Stick to the season you're in, and you can't go wrong. The author's suggestions for making a party special are fun to read, too. Admittedly, I am from San Francisco, and so is she, so she mentions foods and places that are near and dear to my heart. Her food sensibilities are right up my alley.

If you're a Saveur reader, a couple of these menus will look familiar, as they are from articles she's written for them (the Gnafrons and the Old Stoves Dinner).

Simple Soirees is my new favorite cookbook. In December I lugged it to New Zealand to bring as gift to our hostess. After she opened it; I snuck it off to my room to read at night. It distinguishes itself by being the first cookbook that I have read cover to cover. It read like a novel. We spent the rest of our stay making many of the dishes. Our favorite was the whole fish wrapped in herbs for Christmas Eve...it was extraordinary. My daughter and I have made several of the sweet things together like the heavenly fragrant geranium ice cream and the lavander and cardamom cookies. Everything we have made has turned out delicious.

I think Peggy Knickerbocker is a genuis. It is not only my favorite cookbook, but it is my favorite gift to give as well.

I purchased this cookbook so I could cook something for a Native American presentation in my sociology college course. This book is great because it has lots of pictures and info about where the recipe came from or something else interesting about it. I haven't cooked anything from it yet, but I look foward to using the recipes for everyday cooking in adition to my presentation.

This is a "must have" cookbook if you'd like to prepare authentic Native American food. The ingredients are easy to find in any well stocked grocery store, and the recipes are not difficult. No "weird" ethnic foods here- just good meals made with what's available. The historical background for the foods of different tribes is an interesting read. The photographs and drawings are absolutely beautiful- those alone are good reasons to purchase this book!

i loved the book it gives you many different ideas to make things out of the ordinary

The photography is unbelievable and the recipes work! The book gives us a palatable way to enjoy the true native american way of cooking. I would highly reccomend this book to everyone that loves to experience the enjoyment of cooking new recepies and the even greater enjoyment of eating what they have re-created. A great book for all ages and ethnic backrounds. Good food and lots of it!

Great recipes...I orignally bought a copy of this book in 1994 and have tried virtually every recipe in the book. I subsequently purchased a copy in 2006 as a gift for a family member. I asked my family to consider a new tradition in 2006; replacing the standard Christmas dinner with a "Native Harvest" the outcome was brilliant. Consequently my entire family agreed to embrace this concept and pass it along to the children. We found inspiration in the recipes from this truly amazing cook book and an opportunity to honor our ancesters and Native American culture as a whole.