Wagner Books

This book is the last of a series of 4 books chronicling modern conflict.

Vol 1. The Arab Israeli Conflicts 1973-1989.

Vol 2. The Iran-Iraq war.

Vol 3. The Falklands and Afghanistan.

Vol 4. The Gulf war.

These books provide an in depth analysis of the various forces engaged in the conflicts and the losses sustained by both sides. The authors have studied the weapons systems employed and the tactics used, and from these have drawn their conclusions on what was the route cause of success or failure in these modern military conflicts.

The authors conclusions are hardly mind shattering but they are sensible. Based on what happened and without an agenda.

Aside from errors concerning the Blowpipe missile (which manages to make an appearance in nearly all the wars) and its vulnerability to flares, (it isn't vulnerable at all) and the failure of this type of missile against crossing targets. (The operator's not the system itself) The books are quite accurate and thoroughly researched.

These series of books are a valuable tool for any student of modern conflict.

This book is the third of a series of four books chronicling modern conflict.

Vol 1. The Arab Israeli Conflicts 1973-1989. Vol 2. The Iran-Iraq war. Vol 3. The Falklands and Afghanistan. Vol 4. The Gulf war.

These books provide an in depth analysis of the various forces engaged in the conflicts and the losses sustained by both sides. The authors have studied the weapons systems employed and the tactics used, and from these have drawn their conclusions on what was the route cause of success or failure in these modern military conflicts.

The authors conclusions are hardly mind shattering but they are sensible. Based on what happened and without an agenda.

Aside from errors concerning the Blowpipe missile (which manages to make an appearance in nearly all the wars) and its vulnerability to flares, (it isn't vulnerable at all) and the failure of this type of missile against crossing targets. (The operator's not the system itself) The books are quite accurate and thoroughly researched.

These series of books are a valuable tool for any student of modern conflict.

Launcelot Greaves, Tobias Smollett's quixotic character, takes you on a hilarious journey filled with wonderfully funny scenes and characters. The book moves at the leisurely pace Smollett and Fielding made such excellent use of in their novels. Not only does Smollet amuse and surprise in this novel, but he also provides a insightful commentary on class, primogeniture and the state of the nobility in 18th-century England. This book you finish with a grin and a wistful sigh, because you don't want the story to end, a novel both funny and thoughtful in the best of senses.

This updated text contains many of the standard processes that are applied by financial experts. Moreover, it also contains updates on more recent case law and their applications to various topics. This book contains a wide variety of topics - which could be a good thing or a bad thing. On the bright side, you get a feel for a bunch of things. However, it doesn't cover some topics adequately because, maybe, of the fear of coming up with a 3000 page book.

There are certain things that I found helpful. I found the appendix to the regression chapter extremely useful, where the authors list out the types of regression issues and how courts have ruled on them. The section on securities litigation is also well-written, but I feel it could be expanded on more.

If much of so-called experimental poetry seems like a lie, try Catherine Wagner. She speaks truths. Rather than abandoning meaning, she squeezes all the juices she can out of simple English words. "Pie," for instance, becomes a verb. "I was trying to pie myself," Wagner writes. Why is Wagner trying to pie? Pie suggests comfort, care-giving, apples, abundance. It also suggests housework, apron-wearing, self-denial, shells. Not that there's anything wrong with pieing, but perhaps the woman is trying to be less than she is.

There is darkness here as well as lightness. A child's thigh bruise is made up to look pink. What is going on there? In another instance, a pregnant Wagner is suspended in a hammock looking at her toes. She has a painter's or an architect's eye for lines, spaces, shadows, reflections. Her phrases can be musical and memorizable, as in: "A day like a thing on a fork it arrives."

I liked Wagner's earlier book Miss America as well, but Macular Hole has more dimension, perhaps as a result of childbirth and motherhood. The writing in this book is less social commentary, more experience. Here is the baby:

"Tyrant. Asleep and saying huu,
fantastic waxen kicking
figurine, like a kick in the head, little
fat bag, a good drug
I see more of the
him in."

Lordy. She speaks to me.

Judging from Wagner's online prose, she is steeped in the feminist and power politics paradigm of the academic left. Even if you're not interested in that, you can enjoy and learn from these turns of phrase. Here's my favorite. One poem ends:

"Give the woman a pedestal
bouncy pedestal bingbong
my ring rang on"

Ring rang. Have two words ever been more perfectly placed? My heart pounds.

I'd give this five stars except for the reliance on bad words, which seems more shocking than useful.

I can't wait to get my hands on the anthology on motherhood that Wagner is co-editing.

Plot SPOILERS all over the place! And, definitely, do NOT read this if you haven't yet gone thru MAGE: THE HERO DISCOVERED.

To start off, I dig King Arthur stories. As far as novels featuring him go, I've a personal short list (Tim Power's The Drawing of the Dark (Del Rey Impact), Molly Cochran and Warren Murphy's The Forever King, Stephen R. Lawhead's Avalon The Return of King Arthur, and Jane Lindskold's Changer, even if, in this last one, Arthur's only a supporting character). And, then, in the realm of comic books, there's Camelot 3000 (DC Comics Series), which isn't all that. And Matt Wagner's MAGE, which is. It's no coincidence that the series protagonist, Kevin Matchstick, closely resembles his creator Matt Wagner. MAGE has always been the project closest to Matt's heart. In a way, MAGE is an autobiographical work, as much of Kevin's journey is an allegory to some of the things Matt had gone thru, personally, professionally, and artistically.

Apologies, but I feel the need to go into MAGE: THE HERO DISCOVERED a bit. THE HERO DISCOVERED, coming out in 1984 and comprised of 15 issues, is the first arc of a projected three series (THE HERO DISCOVERED, THE HERO DEFINED, and, someday, THE HERO DENIED), and it's a damn fabulous read. Admittedly, it starts out kind of rough but it does keep on getting better as the series progresses. Writer/illustrator Matt Wagner imagines a magical, menacing world lurking just beneath our humdrum reality. Given, Wagner draws quite a bit from global myths and folklore, but the end product still comes out fresh and enchanting and relatable. Yes, there's a lot of exposition (as tons of soul searching go on), but it's all relevant to the story. The story's nicely paced. And the action sequences, when they do crop up, are big time, gnarly stuff. Then there's the richness of the characterization, the fact that you become drawn to the characters. Who hasn't felt alienated, lost, and unsure? That's Kevin Matchstick at the start of this series. As MAGE: THE HERO DISCOVERED went on, it memorably marked not only the development of Kevin as a hero, but also of Matt Wagner as a storyteller. Loss, acceptance, and growth are felt and seen here. Not to mention, a reluctant hero, an offbeat magical mentor, a big bad evil with nasty lackeys, Edsel and Sean Knight, and a very cool magic bat. MAGE: THE HERO DISCOVERED is a very fine urban fantasy, and needs to be read before cracking open the pages to this one.

Moving on now, to MAGE: THE HERO DEFINED.

It's been some years now since the events of MAGE: THE HERO DISCOVERED, when the stubborn and directionless Kevin Matchstick learned, to his shock, that he's King Arthur reborn. Nowadays Kevin travels the world, heeding the "call" and slaying supernatural monsters with his magic baseball bat, Excalibur. In his wanderings, he's bumped into others like himself, fellow avatars of mythological characters (the Dragonslayer, the Presbyter, the Monkey King, etc.). In the "Second Interlude" story, which kicks off this particular trade collection, Kevin meets an avatar who would become his close friend and ally. Kevin, while tracking a manitou in the Grand Canyon, encounters Joe Phat, the reincarnation of the Coyote, of Native American fables. Not only is Joe Phat a superspeedster, but, given time, he can seal or repair most physical damages. Joe also has a keen sense of smell which can unerringly detect mystical tomfoolery. Kevin and Joe decide to roll together.

(By the way, the first Interlude story was collected in Mage: The Hero Discovered, Vol. 3 and briefly tells of Kevin's little adventure in France.)

It's not too long before Kevin and Joe runs into the easy-going Kirby Hero (a.k.a. the Olympian, the avatar of Hercules). Kirby's been mandated by his father to complete 12 laborious tasks, but Kirby still finds some time to hang out with Kevin and Joe.

Quick plot segue: Years ago, before Mirth the World Mage vanished, he told Kevin that a second Mage will appear to instruct him further. Now, in comes Wally Ut, an old, loony transient who proclaims himself that second Mage. Kevin doesn't buy it and rebuffs him. But Wally Ut is undaunted and persists in pestering Kevin.

In a world seemingly suffering a drought of supernatural nasties, even the heroes have begun squabbling amongst each other, even over who gets dibs on slaying a monster. But Kevin doesn't believe that the monsters are dying out. He thinks there's a malevolent entity behind this scarcity, and aims to find out who. Earlier, Kevin, Kirby, and Joe happened to have shared a vision, in which a shadowy titan perches on top of a mountain. Kevin thinks this vision is somehow related to whatever the hell's going on. Who would've guessed that Canada has the answers Kevin's looking for? And that the Land of the Maple Leaf boasts a gateway to the Nether Realms?

Time has changed Kevin Matchstick. Years of having accepted his destiny and of wielding his power have made him confident and maybe even a bit too arrogant. Oh, he's still mule-headed, and he's definitely gotten more bossy. In fact, Kevin's gotten so comfortable in his hero role that he's built up a reputation for always needing to be in control. So, no, he isn't the same rudderless, unsure dude we knew in THE HERO DISCOVERED. Here, he's actually not as likable (Joe Phat and Kirby Hero come off as more engaging characters). In fact, part of the storyline deals with how Kevin's cocksure sense of destiny eventually costs him, but big. Turns out, he still has many more lessons to learn.

But, on the plus side, dude falls in love.

Plenty of carnage served up here, as the avatars stomp on various magical nasties, including harpies and spriggin-flints. As ever, I enjoy seeing the bat in action. The new big bad is introduced as the Pale Incanter (who actually seems pretty impressive until we find out his identity). I enjoy the sense of camaraderie Wagner writes for his three heroes. Kevin, Joe, and Kirby seem to be more like three regular buddies who like to hang out together (even with the frequent bickerings between Kevin and Kirby), rather than three embodiments of myth heroes. I also dug the friendly giant and his commanding wife, the witch. Oh, and as with the final issue of THE HERO DISCOVERED, the final issue of THE HERO DEFINED presents a gatefold page.

While being pretty good, MAGE: THE HERO DEFINED isn't as great a read as THE HERO DISCOVERED, doesn't connect as deeply with the reader. Maybe it's because, in the original arc, Kevin was a wounded soul and you felt for and identified with him as he suffered his losses. Here, he's a jerk at times and kind of deserved what he got (Basically, much of the story arc centers on Kevin re-discovering humility). Ultimately, THE HERO DEFINED leaves us with a sense of unfulfillment, as the story ends with things left up in the air, with the final battle yet to be engaged. Even though its last page unveils a fairly joyous event. I guess the middle section of a trilogy will always come off as the worst. But you shouldn't pass this up. Yes, the story takes its sweet time to develop, but there's the reward of some nice reveals all along the way. And, again, plenty of monster bashing. I don't know how, but Wagner somehow juggles all the various inserted myths and manages to come out with a cohesive and integrated epic. Wagner's still very much an expert storyteller, and he's worth the cost of this trade paperback. His art, deceptively simple-looking, effortlessly conveys the narrative, even if he does sometimes tend to go cartoony (mostly with the characters' eyes).

This trade, at a thick 436 pages, collects the 15 issues making up the MAGE: THE HERO DEFINED arc (and also includes the "Second Interlude" story, remember?). Wagner also throws in some extra stuff in the back, such as the cover art to the single issues and the four earlier trade editions (which had originally reprinted the 15 issues, before this mammoth version came out). There are also a few pages of Wagner's character designs and a sample page of artwork, first rendered in pencil, then in ink.

MAGE: THE HERO DEFINED came out in 1997, so it's been some time now. So, here I am, tapping my fingers and frequently glancing at my watch. Waiting on MAGE: THE HERO DENIED. And waiting.

As it turns out, magic isn't just green, after all.

Being new to the area of WBT, I found this book to be extremely helpful in providing tips, tools and considerations for the development, and management of web-based training (WBT). I believe the authors present a very realistic view of WBT. They do not present it as a panacea for all training needs and acknowledge the tricky balance between effectively utilizing technology and paying attention to fundamental learning theory. In addition to providing valuable information to help guide the development and management of WBT, the authors incorporate effective and interactive training methods throughout the book including case study examples, interviews with people currently involved in WBT, exercises and various scenarios that together make the book extremely interesting, engaging and easy to read. I believe the book is a "must read" book for anyone new to the field of WBT.

I was blessed by a friend with this book... It was such a delight to read and understand a Woman's role in the Kingdom of God. This book dispels a lot of "mis-interpretation" about women in the Bible. If you want a new level of self-esteem and new identity as a Woman or God... PLEASE READ THIS BOOK! You will begin to see yourself as God sees you and will be pleasantly suprised!

Lily

I have both of the Marvelous Mercer books and my daughters loves them.
We read them almost everynight! We love reading about what Mercer can do and I enjoy the story behind this series - we were watching the Today show and saw her and her Mom on the show. I immediately went online and purchased her book - What an inspiration. Great addition to any child's library. Highly reccomend!

Mallgrave and the Getty have done it again, bridging the gap between modernity and 18th century classic culture. This beautiful edition, supported on the vast culture of its editors, gives us the image of Wagner as a master, more than a simple architect.
In this sense his observations on style, life, architecture, drafting, etc., all melt together, and become general, powerful ideas.