Wagner Books

In the original Korean version of this book, there is a very significant final chapter on elitism in Korean society. This chapter is omitted from the translated versions.

This book provides an excellent overview of Korean history. It is neither too skimpy nor too detailed. It also contains a number of useful photographs (black and white) and illustrations (black and white), which helped me read this book through. While many books (either written in English or translated into English) on Korean history deal almost exclusively with Korean War, only a few books are available that describe the history of Korea from its prehistoric beginnings to the modern colonial occupation of Korea by Japan. Although Korea is the most important neighboring country of Japan, the history textbooks used in Japanese schools spare very little space for this topic. I recommend this book to anyone, who is interested in learning Korean history, as a first book to read.

This book is very difficult to read because it is not well-written and also because there are too many details. Furthermore, the author introduces so many characters in each chapter but never talks about them again later in the book. So it is difficult to determine who is important and who is not important.

I find it impossible to believe that one reviewer found this book "neither too skimpy nor too detailed." How else do I know that this book is truly too detailed and inaccessible for most readers? One of the translators, Edward Wagner, concedes in another book ("Korea: Old and New") that this book was, in fact, too detailed.

I read this book to get an understanding of the history of korea in the greater sense, and also as one of a group of books on Korean history. It is very comprehensive, coverinig gthe range of Korean history from a brief synopsis of the prehistory of Korea, through the major part of ancient Korean history to the bulk of more modern history. I enjoyed this book finding it to be an interesting read, with a lot of details, would make a good history text for a class on korean history, which is exactly what I wanted from this book.

"Radical Hollywood" is both fabulously entertaining and enlightening. For movie fans (who isn't) and students of American history, it provides a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the radical politics of the directors, screen writers, and actors who were part of the Hollywood mainstream until McCarthyism drove them out. When you reflect on the greatness of their work, you realize that the witch-hunt was our loss as well as theirs.

The cover photo of "Radical Hollywood" suggests that many of these figures were not ordinarily associated with the left. With James Cagney placing his hand somewhat menacingly on Jean Harlow in "The Public Enemy", you have to wonder what the connection is. As it turns out, the script was written by William Bright, who was one of the first left-wing innovators in Hollywood. Hailing from Chicago, he was part of a group of youngsters around Dr. Ben Reitman, Emma Goldman's longtime lover. During the Great Depression, he worked for a time as a smalltime bootlegger and was inspired by this experience to write about criminal life, emphasizing how social relations are distorted by capitalism.

Cagney threw his support to the burgeoning labor movement in the 1930s on Bright's prompting. He signed on to a support committee for strikers in the San Joaquin Valley in 1934. When the Hearst press began to redbait Cagney, he pulled back from future involvement with the left. If witch-hunting had not been a factor in Hollywood from the beginning, it is not too difficult to imagine much more willingness on the part of movie stars to speak out on social and political questions.

To see how figures such as Ed Asner, Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn are stigmatized in the equivalent of the Hearst press today for having the temerity to speak out about US foreign policy, you can only appreciate the scholarly effort that went into "Radical Hollywood". For in the final analysis its authors demonstrate that radicalism is very much a phenomenon that grew out of the American soil and was not imported by agents of a foreign power.

Radical Hollywood, by Paul Buhle and David Wagner, is an exhaustively (if at times exhaustingly) comprehensive and, as far as I can tell, mostly accurate (if at times chronologically confusing) catalog of the many U.S. motion pictures created during the brief cinematic "Golden Age" from roughly the beginning of the New Deal to the onset of the Cold War by what could loosely be called the Hollywood Left -- or the Left in Hollywood, such as it was.

The fact, though, that Buhle and Wagner had to write a book largely to explain the alleged "radical" subtext in these films by their non-monolithic screenwriters illustrates how the "threat" posed to U.S. society (read: the capitalist class) by such pictures was wildly exaggerated by right-wing anti-communists for political reasons. (Was Lassie Come Home, for example, going to undermine the foundations of capitalism simply because it was adapted for the screen by a Communist?) And yet, maybe that perceived subtlety (where present, enforced perhaps at least as much by studio economics and cultural restraints as by national politics) was the kind of "subversion" the inquisitors found so dangerous to the interests of the social class they actually represented.

Or maybe it was a case of guilt by either membership or association, with the work of any Communist -- or anyone associated however remotely with a Communist or the Communist Party -- being cast under suspicion, whatever the nature of his or her work. But just as Freud is reputed to have said that sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, sometimes, say, an expressly comedic film is just that, and nothing more. And even from a Leftist perspective, that is not necessarily bad. Consider, though, Sullivan's Travels, which oddly political yet intriguing picture instead of self-consciously being "an answer to communism," actually makes a case for it in spite of itself, and which despite its intentions (or perhaps because of them), may be more politically effective than many a more tendentiously political piece of cinema, even when the title character keenly observes that, "There's a lot to be said for making people laugh," it being "all some people have." (Curiously, the opening scene-within-a-scene of this 1941 comedy -- written and directed by Preston Sturges, who, like this film, is not mentioned by Buhle and Wagner nor is he identified by them as being a part of the Hollywood Left community -- anticipated the ending of the 1948 drama Ruthless, co-scripted by one of the Hollywood Ten and discussed by the authors.) Indeed, there is nothing inherently wrong or reactionary with making people laugh, provided one sees that culture can and should be for the edification as well as the entertainment of the public. And this is where skilled and honest Leftist cultural workers are in their element. But just as an artist must elect to fight for freedom or slavery, according to the great Paul Robeson, so, ultimately, must an artist's audience.

However, Buhle and Wagner betray a kind of not so much discernibly anti-communist as anti-Communist (or anti-Communist Party) subtext of their own throughout the book -- typical of that tendency of neo-Left thought developing in the 1960s which, by intent or in effect, sought the very break with the historical continuity of the Communist Left that Buhle and Wagner see as a consequence of the Hollywood blacklist, as when they blame "Party bureaucrats" for the demise of the Hollywood Left (or what passed for it), when were it not for the (albeit imperfect) agency of the Communist Party (often in the midst of internal struggle as well as external attack, the effect of the former evidently not sufficiently and fairly understood or appreciated by the authors), most of those who became the radical screenwriters and filmmakers of Hollywood would likely never have even thought of attempting what they somehow managed in some form to bring to the movie screen.

This is a good look at the often ignored early radicals of hollywood. It gives a good history of the time leading up to and the aftermath of the Blacklist and it's antisemitic tendencies. Paul Buhle, et al seem to have an encyclopedic knowledge of the subject but I found their method of sharing the information a little overwhelming and pedantic. Every page is dotted with references to very obscure films, many with alternative titles, that are impossible to find. It's difficult to envision many of the situations and influential aspects of the films when you can find no more information on them much less see them. Taking all of the authors information on faith is not the usual film studies method. In contrast to many books about hollywood this one dosn't have many salacious details about harlets and moguls. I would recommend this book to serious film/hollywood history buffs only.

It's quite true that the authors' knowledge of Hollywood film history is encyclopedic, and this alone makes the book an indispensable reference to the stories behind the stories of innumerable great and less-than-great films. Described elsewhere as "the Abbott and Costello of film studies," these two spew forth gallons of embarrassingly wrongheaded and outmoded leftie humbug; nevertheless this is exactly what makes their work so useful. Yes, all those "paranoid" right-wingers were right all along about the real motives and agendas in Hollywood "back then." And not much has changed...it's still "Fantasyland" in more ways than one, which ought to be an important clue to the etiology of leftism. My only real objection to this work is that being so thoroughly deluded by their own political fantasies as they are, the authors attempt to claim almost everyone in Hollywood as a real, potential, or lapsed leftie, whether or not there was ever much actual evidence of it...a kind of triple-reverse McCarthyism. One final tip: buy this book second-hand. I'd hate to think I'd given one red cent (no pun intended) to either of these authors or their publisher.

I think this book was a very nice well written book. It is good for cildren of all ages. My daughter is 15 and she really enjoyed it. [Her favourite rugrat is Chuckie.] I think you should get yours today!

Kathi Wagner has a great future. Share this book with a child

This is a silly book that little ones will think is fun, but for a parent trying to introduce potty training it leaves one wondering....... For instance, I did not appreciate the part where Chuckie is supposed to be using the toilet paper to clean himself after using the potty because it shows a chaotic mass of toilet paper all over the place. I'm trying to encourage my child to use a few sheets & not to unravel the entire spool of toilet paper! Also there's not much in the way of a story to read. I've read a half dozen other potty books and they were heads above this one.

Whether you're child loves Chuckie, Tommy, Phil & Lil and Spike or not, the pictures and situation in this book will delight. The only thing missing from this wonderful paperback is Angelica's devious influences. In several short pages, author Kathi Wagner and illustrator Ron Zalme capture the babies' individual personalities and send Chuckie on the quest of a toddler's lifetime. Pure fun, whether you're potty-trained or not!

this book is utterly useless. the author makes good points, but he would have been better off just writing a short essay. the book drones on and on, every paragraph feels exactly like the one before it. saying something over and over again, hammering it in like that works sometimes but this authorly surely cant. go to borders, read the introduction and the last chapter, and then move onto something better.

dont waste your money on this.

"Wagner's concise and vivid chronicle of the rise of paternalistic American charity is a valuable handbook for anyone who wants to challenge the duplicitous nostrums that the vapid stars of both political parties have lately offered up on everything from welfare to the widening class gap to the impoverishment of public education to the more and more degraded public-health system"

"Wagner's book will be interesting reading for donors, policymakers and advocates for the poor...with charities' influence growing, the time is right to raise red flags -- and Wagner's (criticisms) are largely on target....His book attempts principally to raise questions in an unquestioning age."

David Wagner's book What's Love Got to Do With It, provides the reader to an insightful perspective on American charity. Penetrating the veneer of "do-gooderism," Wagner exposes the abuses, distortions and deliberate social control mechaisms that have been a part of the American charitable entrprise since its inception. This book is a must read for anyone involved in philanthopy, social welfare service provision, or social work education.

Francis Kelly, a typical teenager at the wrong place at the wrong time was blamed for a crime he did not commit. Although this kids world was turned upside down, he learns that in life sometimes what appears to be is not always what it seems to be.

Adra Young/Ardannyl
Author of: The Everyday Living of Children & Teens Monologues

I read "All Rise," loved it to death and could not put it down. What a great story for all ages. I passed it oo to my Teenage Granddaughter and she loved it. I was surprised when she told me she read it in two days and passed it on to her girl friend. This is the kind of stuff we used to love when we were teens so I guess things haven't changed as much as we thought.

I couldn't put this book down! It is a fast-moving story of a teenager who is falsely accused of a crime. I felt like I got to know the characters in the story, especially, the hero. It has a twist at the end that I didn't expect. I also liked the book because it supports causes that are important to me, such as anti-racism and the importance of being loyal to your friends.

This text is more of a chapter by chapter commentary on the confessions than an introduction to Augustine's thought in general. There is very little mention of his other great works. Cooper pretty much tells Augustine's personal story rather than produce an accessible intro to his works. But reviewing the book for what it is rather than what I thought it would be: This is an accessible commentary on the confessions that does a very good job highlighting the major themes and unpacking how Augustine theological assertions emerge from the telling of his story. He is obviously very familiar with the text and selects numerous and appropriate, poetically translated excerpts that convey a sense of Augustine's accessible and conversational style.

As for the illustrations: I found them to be well done, humorous, and have used a couple of them in presentations on Augustine. This distinguishes the `Armchair Theologian' series from the `For Beginner's' series, whose illustrations are almost always disappointing. I do have one critique. The illustrator had no qualms about portraying God in flippant, somewhat irreverent cartoon form which I think Augustine (along with much of the Judea-Islamic-Christian tradition with their great discomfort regarding images of God) would be pretty uncomfortable with. I found them just a little disconcerting myself.

Stephen Cooper, associate professor of religious studies at Franklin and Marshall College in Pennsylvania, has produced a very readable and practical guide to Augustine in this text, 'Augustine for the Armchair Theologians'. At first glance, one might think that the text is not a serious text (not always a bad thing to assume, mind you), as there are line-art drawing of a cartoon-ish nature throughout, but this is no book for dummies (although it is very accessible). Cooper does not dishonour the text of Augustine's 'Confessions', instead following very closely the autobiographical portion of the 'Confessions', deviating only to bring in outside material (from Augustine or from other sources) to further enlighten the reader.

Augustine remains a pivotal figure, both in church history, and history of the world generally. A man of great passion and great intellect, he combined these in fascinating ways, producing what many call the first real autobiography (in his 'Confessions') and putting together a mammoth collection of practical and philosophical theological writings, such that the scholar Isidore of Seville wrote that 'he who claims to have mastered all of Augustine is a liar'.

Augustine lived at the time of the fall of Rome and the initial breakdown of Roman society, a time when the primary surviving institution was the church, and the world longed for stability of 'the good old days'. Augustine himself was a man of great passion who had in his youth no problem of acting out of that passion; he had deep, powerful relationships and a keen intellect and personality that attracted people to him. It is perhaps this social aspect, Cooper states, that is the primary aspect of Augustine, both in his relationship in the world and his desiring a relationship with a God who also desires to be in relationship.

Cooper follows the first nine books (chapters) of 'Confessions' closely, and gives a brief overview of the rest of the 'Confessions', to some extent doing in some regard what he criticises others for doing - Cooper mentions that often when 'Confessions' are assigned as reading in college, only the first nine books are required. The tenth book is a remarkable piece of psychological self-study (centuries before psychological study was born), and the rest give insights into the way Augustine read scripture (a vitally important piece in understanding Augustine's overall thought development) as well as the kinds of unanswered questions that followed Augustine throughout the rest of his career.

Cooper's concludes with an overview of Augustine's life as a bishop (after the death of his mother, his best friend, and his son) and some of his actions, particularly with regard to controversial issues such as the dealing with the Donatists (an officially heretical group still in vogue in northern Africa). Cooper gives some discussion of major issues and writings in Augustine's life post-'Confessions', but given the massive amount of work Augustine produced, this could be in Cooper's book little more than a sampler and outline.

One might wish for a few more chapters to give depth to the issues in Augustine's later works, including some of his sermons, biblical studies, and his work in the massive 'City of God'. Hopefully the easy and energetic writing of this text will inspire readers to further study in Augustine's works, and to that end, Cooper provides suggestions for further reading, which includes brief pieces (Chadwick's 'Augustine: A Very Short Introduction') and magisterial works (Fitzgerald's 'Augustine through the Ages'), as well as the scholarly standards (Brown's 'Augustine of Hippo: A Biography'). There is a brief index as well.

The illustrations by Ron Hill give to a certain extent the same kind of comedic pause in the drama that a short scene by a fool would give in a Shakespearean play - never detracting from the text, they highlight certain points while relieving the reader in key spots of any monotony of text-on-page that might be developing. Hill has also illustrated other 'Armchair Theologian' volumes.

I was disappointed in this book...not because I found it inaccurate or a painful read. Rather I was hoping that this book would serve as an introduction to Augustine AND his theology. Instead, this book essentially just goes though Augustine's early life, following the outline in Augustine's Confessions.

The other books in this series spend most of their time focusing on the theological ideas of their subject, and while it is impossible to divorce theology from a person's biography, Augustine's ideas take a back seat to the narrative of his life. Because this book focuses so heavily on his life as described in Confessions it fails to really wrestle with any of the issues that Augustine was so influential on later in his life (for example, the problem of grace and free will).

If you have the time, I would strongly suggest passing by this book and reading Peter Brown's Augustine of Hippo...an exceedingly accessible and thorough theological biography of a great Christian.

This was a great book in every aspect, it had many photos and was very imformitive. The one thing that i didn't like about the book was that it didn't have very many photos of the interior of the 777. That's a small detail though. Overall it was great book.

The title of this book couldn't be more appropriate. The Boeing 777 is truly a technological marvel, and the authors have done a wonderful job describing it. Where this book differs from most is that piece-by-piece, component-by-component the aircraft, it's design, it's testing, it's entry into service, and it's future are discussed in great detail, all the while keeping the reader entertained and wanting to learn more. The photography is outstanding as well - the only thing that would make it better is if there were a way to order copies of the photos. Norris and Wagner have written some of the best aviation books available, and this seems to be the crown jewel in their collection. It certainly is in my aviation collection.

OK, I will admit it up front. I'm a (computer) techie, so I am always sitting there watching television wondering how they accomplished some effect, wondering "how" something happens, or how something works. I am not, though, very knowledgeable about aviation, but I do fly a *lot* for business, and was very interested in the 777. (They look really cool taxiing around O'Hare, for instance.)

The pictures in the book are outstanding, and the description of the details of this airplane are just incredible. I did notice, though, that after about every other page, I had questions that were raised by the statements made on that page. And maybe none of the questions I had were worth asking - I really don't know! It just seemed like a good deal of the "story" about the development of the 777 wasn't there.

I did enjoy learning that the 777 was developed because Boeing and United came to an agreement which they wrote on a cocktail napkin. Or the testing of the wings (bent upward 24 feet for several days, and snapping in two within 20 seconds of when the engineers predicted it). But the claim that "everything changed, from the way Boeing design and built the aircraft, to the way the systems were integrated and tested" wasn't backed up with much real depth about how a huge monolithic company like Boeing actually created - and lived through - changes of that magnitude. Or, for instance, I would be reading along, and it said that "plans to build a mockup of Section 43 were scrapped", but who knows that Section 43 really meant? Plus, I guess I thought the book would be a little larger.

For the diagrams, details, pictures, and the details that are there, I certainly recommend the book. I wish it were slightly larger and had a little more detail.

Again, Keith Dillon has taken my words out of my mouth before they could be said! I second all he says about this opera unreservedly. The only reason I can't give this excellent reprint of Schott's first edition a full 5 stars is the same as for the equivalent reproductions of the scores of Siegfried (though there I compromised) and Götterdämmerung

Wagner's ring is a remarkable achievement. Among other things, it offers filmmakers, such as George Lucas, a model of how to create an epic drama involving multiple generations of characters, which nonetheless holds together on stage (or, for Lucas' purposes, on film). To my taste, some of the Ring's most memorable moments, both musically and dramatically, are found in Das Rheingold. Dover reprinted the B. Schott's Sohne edition from the late 19th century. Schott's was Wagner's original publisher, ergo, this edition was subject to approval by Wagner himself. It's a large book, and it might well be possible to conduct from it. The book is, as always with Dover, well crafted, easy to read, and printed on acid-free, fade-resistant paper. There are English translations of the frontismatter, but no German glossary of musical terms. In many of my recent Dover reviews, I have failed to mention that the score is reasonably priced. The reason I haven't is because with Dover, that simply goes without saying.

Wagner's ring is a remarkable achievement. Among other things, it offers filmmakers, such as George Lucas, a model of how to create an epic drama involving multiple generations of characters, which nonetheless holds together on stage (or, for Lucas' purposes, on film). To my taste, some of the Ring's most memorable moments, both musically and dramatically, are found in Das Rheingold. Dover reprinted the B. Schott's Sohne edition from the late 19th century. Schott's was Wagner's original publisher, ergo, this edition was subject to approval by Wagner himself. It's a large book, and it might well be possible to conduct from it. The book is, as always with Dover, well crafted, easy to read, and printed on acid-free, fade-resistant paper. There are English translations of the frontismatter, but no German glossary of musical terms. In many of my recent Dover reviews, I have failed to mention that the score is reasonably priced. The reason I haven't is because with Dover, that simply goes without saying.

Laurie's poetry moves me more than any I have ever read. Her story of the canyon illustrates the complex dynamics of strangers and friends in an environment unlike any other. I have spent much time on the Colorado and as brilliant as Laurie's prose descriptions are, nothing can do justice to the River. It changes the lives of all that ride her. Her beauty, volatility and indifference is beyond description and any attempt at such description can only be fully apprehended by the writer. Poetic abstractions are the more effective vehicle for expressing the impact She has on those that experience Her.

The interpersonal dynamics of the women were a source of both amazement and bewilderment to me. The confrontation between Lana and Laurie was beyond the ken of most normal males. Perhaps the unisexed versions of the 90s and beyond might understand it, but the rest of us look at Lana and say "give it a rest for crying out loud."

If you have not experienced Laurie's poetry you are missing one of the most amazing literary experiences available. She writes from the heart and has had a life filled with promise and pain. Her gift is to share the promises and pain in a way that makes us look into the mirrors of our own souls.

Four women enjoy a new-found friendship and the beginning of an adventure. But a man enters the picture, and the majestic surroundings lose their significance for some of the participants, as Laurie learns first hand when her innocent friendly gesture is misinterpreted and the harmony of female camaraderie crumbles. Astounded, Laurie finds herself accused in rivalry that she has no part of. For me, the complex and emotional relationships and the vivid images of the canyon made "Side Canyons" a delightful reading.

In their mid forties, the two college friends Angie and Laurie agree to go rafting on the Colorado through the Grand Canyon. Angie is the catalyst behind the trip as Laurie, although unhappy, has doubts about the venture. She does not want to hurt her taciturn rancher spouse John by going off after just returning from a trip. Also joining them on the trip are Ava, Helen, and Gina.

At the Grand Canyon, Robb is the guide that will take the women on their voyage down the rapids. Shockingly, Laurie freed from matrimony bonds even temporarily, flirts outrageously with the younger handsome hunk while the others take in the adventures of a fabulous nine day escapade.

SIDE CANYONS is based on a real account of a woman who made the trek. The descriptions of the rafting bring out the beauty of nature while also forging a tight sisterly relationship between the women. Though the inclusion of poetry and other asides add to the feel of a journal, those entries also seems intrusive as it slows down the trip on the Colorado River. It is when the individuals ponder life in front of the grand scale of nature that fans will appreciate a fine expedition.

Harriet Klausner

It's quite deceiving that the title says "christmas remembered" because when I opened it up it had nothing to do with Christmas at all.... at least it was not something that I could see. But I was still pleased with what I have because the book contains cross stitches of mainly roses and some other flowers as well. So if you like flowers this is quite a good buy. I also found in useful in that I didn't have to use the whole design. I could pick out small parts of it and use it in a different way. (Like I took the butterfly design out of one page and stitched it next to someone's initials, with the butterfly perching on top.) Hope this helps, feel free to e-mail me if you would like to know more. I always find it hard to buy a book without knowing what's inside. Happy book hunting!

Gorgeously photographed; beautifully printed; clear, concise patterns and directions. A lovely book even for those who do not stitch. Currently priced at 24.95 that is a little steep. Under 15.00 would probably make this a run-a-way best seller.

This is a book of a Victorian flower garden,it has absolutely nothing to do with x-mas.Most of the designs are of roses and cherubic children, there are also some violets and butterflies and a couple of fairy flowers. The layout of the book is very good, the charts are in color and very well defined; but I personally found the designs too old- fashioned and I did not like the colors used in the patterns very much.