Wagner Books

In "Goethe, Nietzsche, and Wagner: Their Spinozian Epics of Love and Power," T. K. Seung develops his novel theory of Spinozian epics as first presented in his book "Nietzsche's Epic of the Soul" (2006), which contains an ingenious reading of "Thus spoke Zarathustra" as a Faustian and Spinozian epic of the soul. In a comparative examination of the thematic content of Goethe's "Faust," Nietzsche's "Zarathustra," and Wagner's "Ring," Seung elucidates how the understanding of Spinoza's pantheistic naturalism, its inspirational background and influences on European philosophy and literature, is indispensable for the understanding of the development and conditions of modern times. The book is the culmination of a life long study of the Faustian roots of Western culture. The first step was taken in his study of Dante's "Divine Comedy" as an epic of the Trinity as presented in "The Fragile Leaves of the Sibyl: Dante's Master Plan" (1962). In "Cultural Thematics: The Formation of the Faustian Ethos" (1976), he showed how the 13th and 14th centuries, in European philosophy and literature, constitute the formative period in the transition of the medieval outlook of Dante's epic to the Faustian view of the Renaissance. The theory was further substantiated in "Semiotics and Thematics in Hermeneutics" (1982) and "Intuition and Construction: The Foundation Normative Theory" (1993). Now, with his latest books on the Spinozian epics, Seung brings further clearness to the complex development and conditions of modern times.

My special interest in Dr. T. K. Seung's contribution to our knowledge of Nietzsche's intellectual debt to Wagner, "Goethe, Nietzsche, and Wagner: Their Spinozan Epics of Love and Power", follows from my own extensive research into Wagner's intellectual debt to the atheist German philosopher, Ludwig Feuerbach, whose works have much in common with Nietzche's mature philosophic writings, and anticipated them by decades. I am currently completing a book entitled "The Wound That Will Never Heal" which will consider Wagner's debt to Feuerbach in great depth. My special interest in Dr. Seung's remarkable and intriguing study follows also from the fact that Dr. Seung discusses my original research in the concluding chapter of his book, which traces the influence of Wagner's "The Ring of the Nibelung" upon Nietzche's "Thus Spake Zarathustra".

From the earliest days of my research I recognized that Wagner had had a considerable influence on Nietzsche's philosophic writings, and I recorded my observations casually in the margins of my various books by Nietzsche, but I have not yet systematically examined this influence. Furthermore, of all Nietzsche's works I have always found "Thus Spake Zarathustra" the least useful for my purposes, not because it lacks value, but because it is the most ambiguous of Nietzsche's works. Since it it difficult to ascertain with certainty what any given passage from this allegorical work means, it is therefore exceedingly difficult to say anything definitive about the degree of Wagner's influence.

Dr. Seung's book has been a huge boost to this endeavor. He has so extensively cross-referenced conceptually related passages in Nietzsche's text, and so thoroughly cross-referenced these passages in turn with related passages from Nietzsche's other books, that he is able to grasp the allegorical logic at work in what Seung describes as Nietzsche's "parody" of Wagner's "Ring". And this of course has only been possible because Dr. Seung, unlike most Nietzsche scholars, has also studied Wagner's "Ring" text in depth, and with the respect which alone can bring its secrets into view. Dr. Seung has discovered numerous links between the two works which I had not anticipated. His study is a major contribution to our knowledge of Nietzsche's intellectual dependence on Wagner.

A key reason that Wagner's influence on Nietzsche's writings has been so little examined by scholars in the past, is that Nietzscheans as a whole have tended to denigrate Wagner's status as a thinker, thanks among other things to Wagner's very turgid prose style, and to his anti-Semitism. They have often drawn the conclusion, without adequate ground, that because of these disadvantages Wagner's writings (and even his artworks) lack sufficient philosophic coherence and integrity to be worthy of Nietzsche's (and therefore our) respect. However, contemporary research is demonstrating that Wagner, (particularly in his "Ring", understood of course as an allegory, not literally), has produced artworks of astonishing philosophic unity and force.

A key reason for this is that, at the time Wagner wrote the libretto for his "Ring" (roughly 1848-1852), he was hugely under the influence of the German atheist philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach. Since Feuerbach in turn looked to the Jewish philosopher Spinoza as his mentor, Wagner fell heir to the Spinozan outlook through Feuerbach's influence. Having extensively researched Feuerbach's, Nietzsche's, and Wagner's key writings, it is clear to me that Nietzsche was hugely influenced by Feuerbach directly (and not merely as transmitted by Wagner to Nietzsche), yet an examination of Nietzsche's texts has so far not turned up any tribute to Feuerbach's influence. This is fruitful ground for another book.

Dr. Seung's book is also a momentous contribution to a renaissance in Wagner studies predicated on our growing consciousness of the philsosophic sophistication of his opera and music-drama librettos, which grants Wagner the respect due a serious thinker, a respect denied him by most scholars up until the present day. My own research into Wagner's "Ring" libretto provides what I believe is persuasive evidence, extensive in scope and intensive in depth, that it is a far more elaborate and sophisticated sublimation of Feuerbach's philosophy into poetic allegory than has previously been suspected. To this extent I believe my own work will complement Dr. Seung's contribution.

I therefore strongly recommend Dr. Seung's original study to anybody wishing to examine, in depth, the remarkably fruitful intellectual exchange between Friedrich Nietzsche and his onetime mentor (and subsequent nemesis), Richard Wagner.

This book offers a fascinating reading of three of the most important works of modern literature. The suggestion that their heroes are all attempting the same spiritual feat is stunning and should be of interest to anyone concerned with modern intellectual history and philosophy.

Seung argues that Goethe's Faust, Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra, and Wagner's Ring of the Niebelung are all epics cast within a Spinozan worldview, which takes the entire world to be a single substance. In each case, the conflict on which each epic are two modern desires: that of the modern individual for power and self-sufficiency and the desire to overcome alienation from nature. These desires are antithetical, and in each case, the epic presents the resolution of the conflict as arising only from love. In other words, the resolution is consistent with Spinoza's worldview, which recognizes that the individual is real only as a part of a larger whole.

Among the striking features of Seung's reading are the following claims:

1. Thus Spoke Zarathustra and Ring of the Niebelung are both parodies of Faust. All three portray the transformation from a striving individualistic hero to a higher self that recognizes his oneness with the entirety of nature.

2. The idea of the superman is important not only in Nietzsche's Zarathustra, but also in Faust and the Ring cycle.

3. Faust can be understood entirely naturalistically. Faust's redemption is a projection of a psychodrama; it does not occur in the afterlife, but just before his death. The eternal feminine is the communal self, or higher self, not a transcendent force. Redemption involves the unification of the communal self with the individual self (the striving self that has motivated Faust throughout the play).

4. The Spinozan epics respond to the modern historical situation, in which the medieval Christian worldview is dead, but Renaissance individualism has led to an untenable situation.

5. Thus Spoke Zarathustra is a parody of Wagner's Ring, with the four books of Zarathustra corresponding to the four operas of the Ring cycle. The connections are shown in considerable detail.

Thomas Seung has argued that we can study key works of philosophy and art in terms of recurring cultural themes that these works try to navigate. In this fascinating book, he ties together three key thinkers-- Goethe, Nietzsche, and Wagner-- in terms of the ideas of a fourth-- Benedict Spinoza. Each of the three, Seung argues, tries to explain the puzzles of human existence in terms of Spinoza's pantheistic naturalism, the notion that we are all part of a larger, living Nature that transcends human optimism and pessimism, and is beyond human conceptions of good or evil. To prove his thesis, Seung offers close and often surprising readings of these three thinkers, and he takes us on a whirlwind tour of Greek, Mediaeval Christian, and German Romantic ideas, with the ideas and arguments flying so quickly there is barely time to catch one's breath. In the process he produces new interpretations of Faust, Thus Spoke Zarathustra and The Ring Cycle that are as illuminating as they are daring. This is a truly amazing synthesis of a vast array of literatures and ideas. Anyone interested in these thinkers will find this book a stimulating read.

A historical tale (from the factory workmans' point of view) explaining the deco-design of the first 61 cu.in. Knucklehead motor. If you own an original, or you're building a V-Twin (Tedd Cycle,Inc.) Replica Knuckle, you'll appreciate this book for stoke. A chronicle of club-life in Wisconsin before the 2nd World War, there are family names repeated in this text (i.e; Kokesh; Knuth; Deckert; Ulicki; Beguhl; and Matheus) connected with Harley-Davidson, that you still hear about today. An insight as to the working conditions at the factory (in the best of times) can be read in this excerpt: "The founders had divided their responsibilities early and stuck with them. They demanded top quality work and usually got it. They desired to build things correctly - they only accepted what they knew was right. For that reason, there weren't many surprises around Harley-Davidson. The atmosphere was predictable, calm, and relaxed. So many guys had worked there all of their lives, that some referred to the company as the "Old Soldiers' Home". It was the last place you'd expect a crisis... -
If you were known around the factory, like Frank Matheus was, they didn't care much where you went or what you saw. That's how Frank saw the prototype Sixty-one Overhead two years before the rest of the world".
As this book illustrates, Wisconsin had their own scene. They didn't need California. This is a darn-good read and once you start building a machine, a re-reader.
- Plumber ~ Mechanics & Owners Guide 1941-1959 Harley-Davidson OHV Big Twins - Vol. 2 ~

The book gives a refreshing view of incredible machines and what they were truly designed for. The author describes, in depth, how the machines were used for everything from the sublime to the rediculous on a daily basis. He walks the reader into a time that is long gone, dwells there with him (or her) in the legendary Visitors' Room, then races the reader onward to the swamps and backlands that earned the cycles' reputation. He illudes to a peaceful, contented feeling that can only be shared, alone, on a quiet hidden roadway that only the rider knows exists. He shows just how a cycle was meant to be ridden by the men who refined the machine, not the men who designed it. I can't say enough about this book. NOTE: If you believe that a motorcycle is a work of art and should be kept spotless and under glass, don't purchase this book. You'll be sorely disappointed.

JB#52

Historical account of the men and machines of yesteryear. This book is not layed out as a technical or motorcycle repair manual. It's straight forward and addresses the evolution of the Harley Davidson flathead design from it's inception to the end of production. Chronologically laid out it glides you through the changes in attitude and design. A must read for the true enthisiust. A fine job by the author of keeping the subject readable and understandable.

This books first hand accounts of this pivotal era of harley davidson history make it a must read for any harley nostagia buff. The photos alone are worth the purchase price. Mr Wagner has done a fine job of bringing a bygone era to life.I have enjoyed this volume many times.

As its name suggests, this is an introductory text to statistics. It covers a wide variety of topics up to and including linear regression and some basic nonparametric tests, but does not deal with more advanced techniques such as logistic regression.

It is superbly written! This is undoubtedly the clearest, easiset to undestand, and easiest to remember statistics book I've ever read, by a big margin. It is one of those all-too-rare books that allows you not just to learn the facts, and learn when to apply them, but to actually get a deeper understanding of how the different concepts in statistics fit together. If you're new to statistics and want a clear and easy-to-follow introduction, or even if you're a seasoned user of statistics who nevertheless feel that you would like to get a more intuitive grasp of some of the underlying concepts, this is the book for you. Very highly recommended.

This is a very well written book. The author leads readers from concept to practice in step-by-step approach. All exercises are completely worked out to help readers review a topic just read.
This is the best of all "Introduction To Statistics" that I have. For engineers, this book provides procedures to daily statistical problem solving and data analysis. There are other areas of Statistics that are not within the scope of "Introduction", a reader can always read other books, but this "Introduction To Statistics" by Dr. Wagner would help readers acquire advanced statistic concepts and practice.

This book is an excellent mind-jogger for those of you that have forgotten some of the basics. It is written in plain english, not statistical-ese, and covers the following subjects: review of mathematics for statistics, organizing data, measures of central tendency and dispersion, probability and probability distributions, sampling theory, large-sample and small-sample inferential statistics, binomial proportion, analysis of variance, chi-square tests, linear regression, and some nonparametric tests. While it does not go into advanced techniques such as multiple regression, logistic regression, survival analysese, and others, it does comprehensively review the basic statistical tests needed to understand the higher order methods. A good reference guide.

Even though I am not the student in field of mathematics, especilly statistics, "INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS" was very useful to me who am a student in computer engineering and especaily whoes first language is not English.

We got a copy of this book in the early '90's, and it has some excellent, tasty, easy-to-prepare recipes. I'm buying another copy to replace the original, because we've literally worn it out from use. An excellent resource.

First, Thank You Amazon for your speedy delivery. I had this book in 3 days.
I purchased this book not to become a vegetarian but to learn to cook healthier foods. I must say that after reading and trying the recipes Lyndsay and Ariane did a wonderful job. This book actually informs the reader on the health benefits of a more natural diet using whole grains and more fruits and vegetables. They do not say you have to be a vegetarian they just give you information and guidelines for a healthier lifestyle.
If anyone has tried Vegetarian cookbooks before (as I have), and thrown them out because they were complicated with ingredients you can't find, try this book, I had almost everything in my kitchen already, there are no funky things to go out and find, and my sons (9 and 11) have decided they like soy milk better than regular milk. Best book I have ever purchase. Thanks goes to Lyndsay and Ariane.

I was pleasantly surprised at how the information was presented in this cookbook. The authors expressed their desire to create a cookbook that contained not only great recipes but also useful information presented in an interesting manner. They have succeeded. Although I am not a strict vegetarian, I can say that I am not much of a meat eater. This book has helped me with ideas on how to use meat substitutes in a way that is tempting even for my meat-eater husband. All I can say is Bon Appetit!

I have tried many of the recipes in this book and have enjoyed almost all of them. The writers seem as thou they enjoy cooking and eating the food they create, which makes it easy to follow. I have started using this recipe book more and more....wish all cookbooks were this easy for those of us who are terrible in the kitchen.

Andrea Wagner tells you everything you need to know to get your first paralegal job. Everything. This honest and to-the-point book offers examples of everything you'll need for your job search and detailed information about how to use each piece of paper and each opportunity. The practical advice on where to look for jobs, who to talk to when you find them and how to dress for the big day are critical. The list of probable interview questions along with potential responses to difficult or inappropriate questions will give you confidence, and the advice on how to negotiate better compensation will enable you to get what you're worth. Wagner also provides an impressive list of legal buzzwords that will help you sound like an old-timer once you are on the job. If you're serious about getting your first paralegal job, do yourself a favor. Buy this book.

I loaned this book to a friend who had trouble finding decent paralegal employment. Within 7 days, she had 2 quality offers. I referred her to the chapters on networking, job searches, the interview, and salary negotiation strategies. I also included a separate salary survey. So the book paid immediate dividends for my friend. I also refer to the book frequently. I just completed paralegal school and still use the book for the resume and cover letter information. This book reads easily, cover all of the pertinent subjects, and is useful from the time a paralegal career and education are being considered, untilyour first year in your new job. Experienced paralegals should find all of the chapters relating to job hunting very useful and updated. However, I do have a problem, that is I don't have enough copies to loan to my friends. The book is only helpful when used, though. If you choose to let it collect dust, you will not receive the full benefits of all of the tested tips and advice.

Jeff Sparks Paralegal Tomorrow

In my job as Career Development Coordinator for a major ABA-approved paralegal school, I frequently recommend this book to current students and graduates alike. I recommend it to new paralegals as a step-by-step guide to finding a job, and to experienced paralegals as a great tool for making sure that your job-search skills are as sharp as your legal skills.

This is the best book for those of you looking into the paralegal profession. It helped me land my first paralegal job. A must buy!

It's easy to see why Karl Edward Wagner is a cult favorite whose books fetch top dollar in the hardest to find editions. These stories are kind of like the stories you wish Lovecraft had written. Wagner improves on the horror tradition started by Lovecraft. He was a much better writer than Lovecraft, and I hope that Wagner's books get reprinted for a new generation. Some publisher really ought to collect and reprint his horror fiction.

For me, theres not much to say about Wagner, except I wish he was still with us, writing. He really had a way of getting inside my head with his work

Karl Edward Wagner's intelligent, clearly written tales of terror are among the genre's best, and it is sad that this book is out of print. The story "Sticks," which I first read nearly ten years ago, is still as haunting to me today as it was the day I read it. This story seem like an inspiration (or at least a precursor) for the use of stick bundles in the (far inferior) movie "The Blair Witch Project." "The River of Nights Dreaming," a pull-out-all-the-stops tale of a desperate female prison escapee who stumbles into the midst of some extremely strange and kinky goings-on, is also hard to forget. In fact, there is not a boring or forgettable story in this collection. Most of Wagner's stories aren't excessively subtle, but they are well-crafted, satisfying horror yarns. If you are interested in short horror fiction, you cannot do better than to read Karl Edward Wagner, in my opinion.

This excellent volume of short stories will repay any reader with dividends! Contains not just the classic "Sticks"
but also one of my all-time favorites, ".222 Swift." Find, buy,
and read this book. And won't some publisher reprint it?

I had been looking for something like this for years. A brilliant compendium of information, attractively laid out. Parts of it are well-written enough to read as narratives; other parts are mostly useful as references (similar to encyclopedia entries). Not aimed solely at the hard-core Civil War buff, but useful in the library of anyone interested in American history who wants a solid and user-friendly overview of virtually every facet of the Civil War.

If one wishes to have a single volume of the civil war in all its various aspects, one would be hard pressed to find a better treatise than the nearly 1,000 page Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference.

It does not deal with the battles in depth as do so many other volumes on this epic struggle between North and South. Nevertheless, the battles on land and water are described and accompanied by many well executed maps. Descriptions of the armies and their weaponry are treated in detail, as is the treatment of prisoners of war. There are time lines on politics, slavery, naval encounters, and reconstruction.

The chapters that are most significant, from my point of view, are those that deal with nonmilitary aspects of the war: the economic differences of the north and south, the importance of religion in the lives of Americans, a brief account of slavery in the United states, a history of the beginning and development of the rift that led to the conflict. An excellent chapter of nearly one hundred pages deals with the politics the war. A rather grim, but enlightening, chapter discusses the treatment of the wounded (many amputations), the fight to control disease, and people important in establishing policy and organizing hospitals and field teams of doctors and nurses. A part of wartime history often relegated to the sidelines is the home front. A separate chapter on this subject corrects that neglected topic. A lengthy chapter considers the reconstruction following the end of hostilities. And where else but in this considerable tome would one find not only an account of the armies and battles but also one of the civil war in literature and the arts. After wading through this book, if your curiosity is stimulated to pursue a topic in greater depth then browse the final two chapters, where you will find lists and descriptions of civil war novels, poets and poetry, music, cinema, stage plays, and television movies and documentaries -- all dealing with the civil war. Also a list of organizations that promote the preservation of battlefields, others that document the civil war veterans and their descendants, reenactments of the war, a listing by state of major artifact and archival collections, and important publications on the civil war.

There is no single volume that is more wide ranging in its treatment of the civil war. The editors and the contributors are to be congratulated for putting into one highly readable volume almost anything one might want to learn about the civil war.

Even considering James McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom, I really think this book is the best single volume on the entire war. It has been exhaustively researched, but it is written very well and is a true page turner, even at nearly 1000 pages. If you wanted to get at least a closer look at topics regarding the war, this is the place to start. Chapters are devoted to antebellum America, wartime politics, battles, the armies, weaponry, the naval war, prisons and POWs, medicine, the home front, reconstruction, and even a chapter on preservation issues. And inside every chapter there are great looks at the personalities on both sides and major issues, whether military or political or personal. Because it is both entertaining reading and so thoroughly researched, this book is truly a must have for a Civil War buff or someone just starting out. As a history buff, I highly recommend it.

The Desk Reference contains more than 100 photographs, maps and numerous tables that provide interesting facts and information about the Civil War. It is well organized and contains an easy to use list of Contents. It covers all aspects of the war, from major armies and key battles to prisons, medical care and events occuring on the home front. It doesn't read as a novel because it's purpose is to become a good reference source. James MacPherson wrote in the Preface to the book, " You will soon be impressed. and you will soon be hooked. Your knowledge and understanding of this greatest of American wars will expand and deepen more than you thought possible from a single volume."

This book is just to funny. I bought a couple of them and used them as gifts for friends who like me are no longer as young as we once were. They couldn't say enough good things about how much they enjoyed the book. Maxine is one of my favorites and they loved her too. Thanks for the excellent service. Prime is super and my family uses it alot.

I think Maxine is the greatest woman alive. She is an inspiration to all women out there to think outside the box and don't limit yourself and definitely do not rely on men.

I picked this book up off of the grocery store shelf and started reading it. I was laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. I looked up to see I was entertaining other shoppers. I am buying this book for my cousin who has just started chemo therapy. I believe laughter is the Best Medicine and Maxine sure Yells out the laughs.

My review is that this book is funny and so truthful you laugh your socks off when reading it. This is one book that can instantly get you from a down mood to one happy person. The pictures in the book add just the right touch to the wording stated. A must book for someone with a great sense of humor.

...Does this "review" have anything at all to do with the book in question? My dear sir, save your musings for the street corner.

Medieval Sword and Shield has been well received, but it is not the final word on medieval swordsmanship or on the I.33 system. Research into historical martial arts is like any other historical research. It is an ongoing process, which calls for open minded honesty, and a willingness to update your findings, even if that means admitting that you got some things wrong.

Since writing Medieval Sword and Shield, I have continued my research on this system. This has led to a number of changes in my interpretation and to some new insights into how the artwork, which lacks any perspective or sense of depth, should best be translated into physical movement. My latest thoughts on the system have been presented in a paper in the anthology Spada II, also published by Chivalry Bookshelf. Students of the I.33 system will find this paper a valuable addition to the book.

In closing, I must disagree with the comment by another reviewer that the use of Di Grassi's 16th century Italian footwork terminology was inappropriate. Di Grassi's footwork is not particularly distinctive. The basic forwards, backwards, angled and circular steps of Di Grassi are used in many other arts and in fact it would be difficult to imagine any sort of fencing system without most of these types of movement. The body mechanics of Di Grassi and the I.33 system are not identical, but that does not change a step forward into something other than a step forward. Di Grassi was unique in the detailed terminology he included to describe footwork, and that is why his terminology has become widely used in the historical fencing community.

Stephen Hand

People interested in European Medieval martial arts have to realize that these systems were kept secret at the time. Medieval manuscripts on fencing were written for a very select audience and are brief, deliberately obscure, and cryptic. It requires a great deal of effort and dedicated study to try to reconstruct personal combat techniques from period sources with any hope of success. Paul Wagner & Stephen Hand have done an excellent job in that regard with their book. Royal Armouries MS I.33 is the oldest illustrated fencing manual in existence and is devoted exclusively to a single weapon system: the arming sword and buckler. Wagner & Hand have studied all the available period sources on this weapon system and combined that with a lot of hands-on trial and error to come up with a complete and plausible interpretation of the system.

The strength of the book from a scholar's view point is the clarity with which they explain what is not being said in the original manuscript. For example, MS I.33 contains no references to footwork. I appreciate authors who do not blurr the line between their own inventions and those techniques clearly grounded in the source. (Readers interested in the source will want Dr. Jeffrey Forgeng's translation and facsimile of the original manuscript titled: The Medieval Art of Swordsmanship.)

The strength of the book from a practitioner's view point is the clarity of the text and photographs. It is a simple matter to work your way through the material following their explanations and illustrations. Given the limited source material, it is only natural that there will be disagreements on interpretation. Mine comes from Wagner & Hand's reliance on 16th-century Italian rapier and dagger sources for their footwork. Admittedly, MS I.33 provides no guidance in this area, but I find 16th-century Italian footwork so distinctive, even compared to other 16th-century styles, that I have reservations about its applicability here.

MS I.33 is an historically important fencing manual and Wagner & Hand have done the European Medieval martial arts community a service by providing a complete and rigorous interpretation. The quality of the presentation reflects their effort and dedication. This book deserves a place on any bookshelf devoted to the subject.

Wagner & Hand's interpretation is spot-on in a number of very unexpected ways and although its becoming a bit dated now, its still clearly the best companion book for understanding the I.33 manuscript.

The flaws in the book centre around the interpretation of the footwork. Even they admit that they didn't get the footwork right and published an addendum in SPADA II to correct this. The problem with interpreting the footwork lies in the lack of direction given by the manuscript and the tendency of whoever reads the manuscript to connect it to their own martial arts backgrounds.

I thought that they missed the mark with the footwork because in nearly all their pictures Hand and Wagner have upright stances which lock them into stepping instead of springing - like one does in Olympic Fencing. The typically low stance of Olympic Fencing gives one a lot of spring, and I found that adopting a nearly linear, forward learning stance - as is found in the I.33 illustrations also gives the same thing (a lot of spring). Which is curious because this stance can also be found in the sword & buckler illustrations in the much later fechtbuch by Jorg Wilhalm (whose work they point to on pages 25 & 100 of their book). The fact that two fechtbuch so seperated in time and yet have the same stance should have attracted more of their attention, I feel. If anything, Talhoffer's stance for sword and buckler is more in keeping with what they eventually adopted.

The book also seemed to lack a chapter on "counter-timing" - surely one of the most important principles underlying the art - in particular the "stepping through" and the "shield knock" maneuvers.

But here I am demonstrating my own prejudices. My own perception stems from an assumption that the initial engagement range of a fight is two steps apart - as both fencers agree to negotiate the intervening distance through feint and maneuver in the game of zufechten. Such a style naturally develops the process of feint and counter-time. But Hand & Wagner's interpretation seems to be in keeping with another style. The "wait and see" style of fencer, who perceives fighting distance as one step away by either party. So you stay where you are, allow your opponent to approach, parry his first attack and only then maneuver to take advantage of their newly exposed openings in his defence.

So the question is, what kind of fencer are you? Is this a book which suits your style, or will you have to re-examine their footwork?

This is a great book. Very nice articles/histories. The photos are nice, but there are only a hand full of interior shots. I received this book as a gift three years ago. My two year old loves it for the photos (he calls it his Engine Book). I purchased another copy for my father (a flight instructor). From 2 years to 72 years, all can appreciate this book.

Excellent photography, interesting text, this book has it all. From the 717 to 777, it gives you a good idea about Boeing's latest products. As a Boeing pilot, I recommend it!

This book was great, It tells soooooo much info about 717's, 737's, 747's, 757's, 767's, 777's, and a lot of upcoming planes. It is soooooooooooooo good.

I recently bought this book because i am a plane lover and hope to one day be a comercial airline pilot. With the full color pictures and articles on the "7 series" of boeing jetliners, this is a great book for all modern jet lovers alike.