Walpole Books

These volumes are the place to start to get a good view of Wapole, the emergence of the Hanovarian-Whig governance during the early 18th Century. Though written about 40 years ago, the story is told in a lively, non-fussy style. There is little about Walpoles upbringing, and the second volume ends in 1734, prior to Walpoles fall from power (and elevation to the Lords), so the story is more focused on power in the House of Commons and the Court than I would expect in a biography. I was very curious about Walpoles later life - and still am having finished these books. However this is not to take away from the story as told, marked as it is by excellent research and clear analysis, told with a direct, accessible style.

Walpole's drive for power (and patronage), his accumulation of more and more power and influence - destructive of both his enemies and some of this friends (especially Lord Townshend) is well illustrated. His limits, and those of his times, are unsparingly laid out - he benefited personally from holding office, indeed he indicated this with all the pride of a self-made man, he doled out political patronage and secured influence with all the diligence of a early version of Tammany Hall. He was ruthless with his enemies (although it was the first era in which political enemies were not executed), and attempted to lock up editors and publishers who lampooned him. The book clearly shows the developments of the body politic of the day, how the struggles for power did - eventually- conform to what are now seen as civilised standards, and how missteps were avoided not necessarily by design but by evolution, discourse and compromise.

The first volume shows Walpole's rise to power - he was always identified with the Whig element and opposed the influence of Oxford and Bolinbroke, however he was malleable enough to move away from the Junto position in order to achieve power. Plumb is very clear on the tentative nature of power and influence upon the accession of George I, who did not make clear his preferences for the Whigs initially. Walpoles rise and maintenance of political power over the period is shown as being the result of his unparalleled abilities to wring victories from the unruly House of Commons and his ability to gain influence with both George I and II (despite the fact that both father and son hated one another).

The one major issue I have with the book is that it sets Walpole up as being a champion of the small, landed squires, who hated paying the land taxes which funded England's wars at the time, hence his policy to pursue peace at all costs. Plumb notes that Walpoles controversial proposals on excise taxes (and anti smuggling measures) were principally a reaction to a view of society which felt that land was being too heavily taxed and that traders and speculators were gaining wealth without paying a fair share. This is a valid view, however later books - Dickinson' Bolinbroke, and Linda Colley's Britons - ascribe this view to the Tories and class the Whigs as being in favour of business and banking. In particular Plumb claims Bolinbroke instigated protests from the traders of London etc. Having read on this subject it now appears that ever major leader in (and out of) the Commons at the time was a champion of the country squire and that both, antagonistic, parties were had the same objective. I cannot resolve this issue.

A minor criticism would be the rather superficial treatment of European politics in the second volume. As Walpole gained power he overruled his kinsman Townshend in the pursuit of European alliances. Townshend favoured continuing alliances to keep France isolated in Europe, Walpole put a greater priority on preserving peace (or more specifically keeping England out of Continental Wars) and persuaded the Hanovarian George II to pursue alliances with France or Austria to this end - indeed there was a period when Britain pursued alliances with both France and Austria simultaneously, despite the fact that both were enemies of the other.

Overall a fantastic read, a clear grounding in the national and international politics of the period.

I wish Frank Muir had written more books like this. I found it a delight to read and I can only describe it as a warm and humorous story to sink into. The only fault I found with The Walpole Orange was that it ended, as all good things do. It delves into the crux of how the Lords and Old Boys of a gentlemens club really want to celebrate the clubs 250th anniversary. Plans keep falling flat and the club secratary is frantic that the whole thing will be leaked to the press. Secrecy is paramount! The Belly dancers aren't what they seem and there could be more to the alternative act than what has been promised. The characters in The Walpole Orange make the whole story come alive. If you enjoy good old british comedy then be prepared for a good laugh and a good read.

Like many reviewers here, I also read this book a LONG time ago. Yet there is one idea from this book that has stuck with me all these years. As a creative person, it has sustained me, encouraged me, and got me going again whenever doubt crept in: "If you are a maker, you will know that somewhere the thing you would do has already been done, and you will set about quietly to do it." That said, file my latest effort,Shake That Brain: How to Create Winning Solutions and Have Fun While You're At It,under "books on creativity."

Borrowing a copy of this book from a friend, i read in awe. This book has changed my way of thinking, living, and my entire belief system. It must be read by anyone seeking the answers of some of life's toughest questions.

Recently came across a copy of Albion's Journal, signed and dated by his wife Miriam. So this made the re-reading more personal, somehow. I work as a bookpricer for a Friends of the Library group; someone donated the book to us.
I'd read Albion Moonlight once or twice before, never in its entirety (an intriguing impossibility -- unless you are fond of lists, and outlines of possible books, and marginalia to the max).
The journal as a journal pretty much disappears as a structure after about 50 pages -- but then later comes back -- and goes away -- and the dates proceed for a while, then sort of recycle. May to June and on, but you never get past August. And then you're back, somehow, to May again.
Taken as a whole, the work seems more an artifact, or art object -- even a stunning one -- but also then something to look at and admire for its conception, rather than read. That's true of the last half or possibly as much as two-thirds of the work.

Yet, all in all, I enjoyed meeting again with Albion and his rag-tag gang. The book is probably more over-hyped than any other "literary" title I've ever come across -- nonetheless, it remains engaging.
I've read plenty of other "odd" novels, not always with pleasure. (OK, I'll confess, I seek them out.) I didn't care much for Nabokov's "Pale Fire" -- but loved many of Julio Cortazar's parables and novels, including "Hopscotch." Gunter Grass' "Dog Years" remains an all-time favorite. Neither of those have much to do with traditional, progressive narrative time-lines. Yet that's very much part of what makes each one, in very different ways, effective.
However, Patchen's rejection of narrative, or distaste for it, a love and hate affair working through the journal -- for me, this got very wearying.
Moonlight is hilarious, did I say that? It has parts which are uproarious, and at places it is shockingly funny -- disturbingly so. These often very brief sections may be where it's most effective.
But there's plenty of vile stuff, too. And and and ... is he preaching against murder or advocating it? Again and again he explains how he seeks to murder "murder." Then he says he lied. Or that God (Roivas) made him lie when he said that. And so on.
Patchen plays with making as many contradictory statements as possible, then makes contradictory statements about contradiction itself. This same sort of perverse persistence goes on with other themes and literary tropes. Often what makes the work live is the wild inventiveness present, but the invention then dies away with this tedious repetitiveness.
So -- read with caution, but do read.

This "novel" is more of a primitive, surreal, hallucinatory, dream-like rage against WW2 & mankind's hatred in general than a standard book. Form gets tossed out the window, and this does make the book a bit of a struggle at times, but that's just the point. It shouldn't be easy to understand another man's feelings & it isn't easy getting Patchen's. This book is definately not for everyone, and I'd almost say "read the last half of the book first if you wanna get it from the get-go." It took me a few weeks to read this, reading several other things while mulling over parts of this "journal", but I'm glad I stuck with it & kept thinking about it. It's a very powerful work that crackles like a thundercloud. Just don't expect a straightforward novel. That ain't what this is...

If all of the other books in the world were to disappear one night, this would suffice to entertain and to educate for the rest of time.

I wholly recommend this to anyone considering a veterinary career - or a client who takes their vet for granted! Good reading - Dr Shaw is great.

There are plenty of cute, endearing animals in Chuck Shaw's Walpole, NH, veterinary practice. Hobbs, for instance, the clinic cat, an obese fellow who gorges on junk food, perhaps in memory of his feral days, and reverts to wild ferocity whenever the whim strikes him. But these animals afford mostly comic relief in Whynott's behind-the-scenes portrait: a serious tale of human drama; of passion, ethics and personalities.

Chuck Shaw is a focused man who chose his work after serious deliberation and before going to Vietnam as a bomber pilot. He wanted a well-lived life in a profession that involved physical activity, outdoor work, and the prospect of working with people and helping others. He also wanted to be independent and own his own business. Veterinary medicine fit the bill and after two years in practices that didn't quite fit him, he bought a "mixed practice" in bucolic, beautiful Walpole.

A mixed practice is unusual these days and growing more so, involving both large animals and small. Chuck might spend the morning checking a dairy herd for pregnancies, the afternoon treating cats and dogs at the clinic and be called out at midnight for an emergency lambing or an "HBC" (dog hit by car). Over the years Chuck had gone through eight associate vets who stayed from a few months to four years.

Roger Osinchuk, the best fit, is beginning his fifth year in the practice as the book ends. Osinchuk, a Canadian from Alberta, grew up wanting to be a veterinarian. His experience with horses is extensive and he quickly builds an equine practice and embarks on a side business breeding and training horses of his own.

Roger, exhausted by the long hours and the on-call weekends, convinces Chuck to hire a third associate - not an easy task for a mixed practice in a rural community. Erika Bruner, a new graduate from a suburban, academic background, wants to work with cows. She likes getting mud and manure on her boots, enjoys the placid, wise look of the cow, and doesn't flinch at being shoulder deep in the animal's anal tract. Enthusiastic and determined, she lifts everyone's spirits. At first.

Whynott spends long days with each of these people, getting them to talk while they work. They talk about the work, and Whynott describes it in details that range from fascinating to gross, often at the same time. They save animals and lose them and Whynott shows us their jubilation and sadness - and sometimes their self-doubt. Inexperienced Erika has a lot of that, but no one is immune.

The patients can't talk, and, not owning their own bodies, have no say in their treatment or even their death. From cows who don't produce enough milk to dogs that bite, death is sometimes the only treatment the owner wants and this is a critical issue in the practice, particularly with pets. Though Chuck early on makes it a rule not to kill healthy pets, it's a rule he sometimes has to break. During Erika's first months a healthy dog is brought in to be put down. The owner refuses to have it adopted by someone else and so Chuck orders it done. Erika is shocked and furious, but Chuck explains that the owner would only have abandoned the dog or had a neighbor kill it. At least he had the power to end the animal's life humanely.

Ethical dilemmas are frequent in a practice where the doctors are surgeons, cancer specialists, emergency doctors, radiologists, dermatologists, obstetricians, etc., and the patients are property. Overwork and underpay (beginning associates with $100,000-plus in debts earn $45,000 a year) also fuel frustration.

Whynott's ("Giant Bluefin," "Following the Bloom) portrayals are moving and involving. He is a mostly invisible observer. Though it's clear people are talking to him, he makes no judgments and offers no personal comments. Traveling with the veterinarians through the beautiful Connecticut River countryside, he shows us the working farms, which each have their own owner-imposed personalities, and the hobby farms with their horses and pet pigs and sheep (which are generally cheerier places, even if the owners are sometimes clueless). He gives us the drama of daily life in the practice, and shows how the underlying dynamics change with the entry of a newcomer.

This is an absorbing inside look at a changing profession and the interplay of personalities between a veteran owner, an experienced young man with ambitions of his own, and a neophyte struggling to find her place. A book to be enjoyed by anyone who likes animals and a must for aspiring veterinarians.

If you are looking for a book like All Creatures Great and Small, this book isn't for you. James Herriot is the ultimate writer in this category, and it is hard to find any authors that compare to him. As far as this book goes, I found the writing style hard to read and somewhat disjointed, since it is being written by an outside observer. It isn't a smooth read. Also, most of the book is about the trials of being a vet and owning your own vet practice. If you are a vet student or another vet, you might find it interesting. But for the average reader there aren't a lot of animal stories in it. The only reason I found it OK was that I am a dairy farmer and was interested in the types of problems this vet encountered in the dairy herds he visited. Also, I live in Vermont, close to this vet's location, and I knew some of the dairy farmers he had as customers. However, if you are looking for more animal stories like James Herriot's, I can't recommend this book. Instead, I would recommend books by Dr. John McCormack or books by Dr. David Perrin.

Dedicated in memory of Bob Zeidler, an Amazon reviewer.

Hobbs the current clinic cat was a survivor. He had once been a feral cat and somehow found himself in the Walpole, New Hampshire Veterinary Clinic. Fat and sassy and beloved by all.

The author, Douglas Whynott followed Chuck Shaw, Vet practice owner, and Roger Osinchuk, his associate for a year learning the ins and outs of a veterinary clinic that saw a mixed practice. Mixed practice in this sense means large and small animals. That is quite an ark full, so to speak. This kind of practice can run a man into the ground, particularly when you are on call every other night and every other weekend. The stories of the owners and their animals and the struggles of daily life become real and vivid in this engaging novel.

As the practice grows, Chuck and Roger decide they need to take on a third associate. Erika Bruner, a fresh graduate from Tufts Vet School, an intelligent, articulate woman answers the call. Thus begins her first year of a grueling, grinding profession. Erika allows us into her life, her emotions, her ups and downs, her insecurities and the struggles she encounters as she starts her job. The cows, yes, always the cows, the joys of examining cows by first removing all of the feces in the anus, and then examining the cows with a long sleeve on the arm and the "feel" of the insides of the cow. This is how one goes about finding out if a cow is pregnant or ready for pregnancy. Vermont and New Hampshire are farm country and cows are a specialty. We get inside the farmer's minds and how they practice their craft- how they care for their animals. A fascinating study of farm life and the people involved.

Chuck Shaw the Vet in charge is an honest, silent man. Straight forward and truthful, he is a Vietnam vet. Ready for anything, but getting tired of the life of a vet. Roger Osinchuk, the associate has a love of horses and with his skill he develops the practice of horses and in his own life grooms the champion of horses, Shawne. Chuck is married and he and his wife try to have a normal life, sometime having dinner at 11pm after a harried night call. Roger is in love and during this year proposes and gets married to a girl he met in Alberta. He is five years into his practice with Chuck. The other staff in the Vet practice tells a tale of a dedicated staff who love animals and give much, too much at times.

"Country Practice" is a tale of the love of animals. The profession of caring for and loving those animals is a big part of this story. The lives of those involved tell the intimate stories of life in rural New Hampshire. I have much more gratitude and understanding of a veterinarian's life. The life and death of our animals, a big part of our families, is in good hands in the Walpole Vet Clinic . Highly recommended. prisrob

I purchased this as the required text for a Master's level course in differentiated instruction. A good balance of the theory and practice.

This is THE book to buy. The format is explicit and prescriptive. You know the problem? Well, here's the solution...here is what you need to do. It's that simple. This is the best book on the market TODAY that helps you know how to teach those students who are dependent, struggling readers. A must buy for any teacher, not just a K-3 teacher. High school teachers could benefit from reading this book. Once you own this text, you will not trade it, or loan it....it's a keeper!
Deb, National Board Certified Teacher
Virginia Beach, VA

This book is a fabulous resource. It is user friendly. It offers many useful suggestions at a basic level. It is my "pleasure" reading at the end of long work day. I am using it to help me coach the teachers I work with. Love it...

Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto offers a delightfully gothic story of a man's lust for power. Manfred, the prince of Otranto, spends the course of the novella attempting to continue his bloodline. His son Conrad is a sickly adolescent who is mortally injured by the supernatural in the first pages of the story; the incident prohibits him from marrying the lovely princess Isabella. Manfred resolves to divorce his barren wife Hippolita and marry Isabella to produce the heir he needs. Theodore, a young peasant recently accused (unreasonably) of Conrad's death, aids Isabella in her escape from the castle. As Isabella escapes, Theodore is rediscovered by the king and promptly imprisoned. The stage is set for a wide array of strange occurrences.
The rest of the story yields many discoveries, such as Theodore's birthright, Manfred's motives for choosing Isabella, the identity of the silent knight, and the true meaning of the prophesy, "That the castle and lordship of Otranto should pass from the present family, whenever the real owner should be grown too large to inhabit it." (176)
The story does a marvelous job of keeping the keen reader astonished and engaged. Though the language complicates the dialogue at times, the back and forth provides for a fast-paced and enjoyable tale of self-destruction. While many of Walpole's uses of the supernatural are antiquated, the story's effect is not lost. Anything it loses in suspense it compensates for with its plot, providing a complex yet plausible web of relationships. Piety, greed, integrity, vengeance, cruelty, and the other themes of the novella keep the reader thinking throughout the text, while not being overwhelming. A short and pleasant read, The Castle of Otranto offers an insight into human nature, as well as into gothic literature.

The Castle of Otranto was an unbelievable, but, nonetheless, interesting novel. Throughout the story, ghosts emerge, mythical curses become reality, and other "weird" things happen. However, the weirdness of the story makes the plot more interesting for the reader. The story's outlandish events that also starkly contrast the scholarship of the writing.

The plot, although fairly developed, was at times startling and unexpected. Many times in the novel, various events occurred that the reader never thought would take place. As the story unravels, the plot becomes the major source for much of the character development. Therefore, the reader begins to understand the characters mainly through their interactions with one another.

In my opinion, the character who was almost fully developed was Manfred. Through observing his interactions with other people, the reader sees Manfred as being manipulative and ruthless when it comes to getting his way. Manfred will destroy virtually anyone who defies his will. He becomes even more tyrannical as the story progresses, and Manfred doesn't admit to his own faults until the very end, when much is already in devastation.

Most of the women in the book are passive and submissive. Look at Hippolitha! Too many times, Hippolitha tolerates the insolence and negligence of her "beloved" husband. Likewise, Matilda is very obedient towards her father. For most of the novel, Matilda is reluctant to defy her father's will. Although there were instances in which Matilda displayed hints of rebellion, these moments were fleeting.

Overall, I would say that this book was a good novel. Once you get used to the Old English language, the sophistication of the plot and the Gothic eeriness of the setting will make The Castle of Otranto an intellectually stimulating read.

This book is the essence, and one of the first pieces of Gothic literature. It set the standards of cursed families, haunted castles, and other supernatural events in the genre.
A cursed and selfish king tries to continue his lineage against all odds. In each terrible plan of his, he only digs himself deeper in trouble with the supernatural.
This book is not a quick thriller because the plot is very complex and the language sometimes difficult to understand. The reader may have to reread again and again just to understand what is progressing in the story.
Most characters are characterized very well, both directly and indirectly, and seem to fit a certain stereotype. There is a hero, a tyrant, an obedient wife, and a couple women to be won. This furthers shows why this book set the standard for the Gothic genre. I would definitely recommend this book but it should not be taken lightly.

This volume is an excellent introduction to four
works of the Gothic mindset, which hit England at
the end of the 1700s and lasted on into the early
Romantic period, all the way up to the late decadence
of the 1890s, winding up in Robert Louis Stevenson's
THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1886),
Oscar Wilde's THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY (1891), and
Bram Stoker's DRACULA (1897).
These are four of the earliest of this Gothic genre.
The volume includes Horace Walpole's THE CASTLE OF
OTRANTO (Christmas Eve, 1764); William Beckford's
VATHEK (1786); John Polidori's VAMPYRE (1819); and
a Vampire Fragment by Lord Byron (1819), "which was
published at the end of MAZEPPA in 1819."
The list of Gothic NOVELS (rather than stories)
in chronological order which make the grade are:
Horace Walpole's CASTLE OF OTRANTO (1764), Clara
Reeve's THE CHAMPION OF VIRTUE (1777), William
Beckford's VATHEK (1786), Ann Radcliffe's THE
MYSTERIES OF UDOLPHO (1794), Matthew Gregory Lewis's
THE MONK (1795), Mary Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN (1818),
John Polidori's VAMPYRE (1819), Charles R. Maturin's
MELMOTH THE WANDERER (1820).
There are excellent introductions to each of the
writers and their works at the beginning of the book.
In speaking of THE CASTLE OF OTRANTO, Bleiler says:
"This novel has been called one of the half-dozen
historically most important novels in English. The
founder of a school of fiction, the so-called Gothic
novel, it served as the direct model for an enormous
quantity of novels written up through the first
quarter of the 19th century.... It was probably
the most important source for enthusiasm for the
Middle Ages that suddenly swept Europe in the later
18th century, and many of the trappings of the early
19th century Romantic movement have been traced to
it. It embodied the spirit of an age."
There is included a series of impressive "Notes"
to the novel VATHEK: An Arabian Tale. The novel
begins in an interesting fashion: "Vathek, ninth
caliph of the race of the Abassides, was the son
of Motassem, and the grandson of Haroun al Raschid.
From an early accession to the throne, and the talents
he possessed to adorn it, his subjects were induced to
expect that his reign would be long and happy. His
figure was pleasing and majestic: but when he was
angry, one of his eyes became so terrible, that no
person could bear to behold it; and the wretch upon
whom it was fixed instantly fell backward, and
sometimes expired. For fear, however, of depopulating
his dominions and making his palace desolate, he but
rarely gave way to his anger."
And here is a sample bite from John Polidori's
VAMPYRE: "There was no colour upon her cheek, not
even upon her lip; yet there was a stillness about
her face that seemed almost as attaching as the life
that once dwelt there: --upon her neck and breast
was blood, and upon her throat were the marks of teeth
having opened the vein: -- to this the men pointed,
crying, simultaneously struck with horror, "A
Vampyre! a Vampyre!"

This is a fabulous collection representing the beginning of Gothic fiction. Otronto is the very first such work, and is a perfect illustration of the basic themes and plotlines predominant in Gothic. Although not the most polished work of fiction, it's often so bad it's funny, and definitely worth reading. The other stories are much more professional, albeit a bit drier reading. I'm especially fond of Vathek, as it more clearly represents fear fiction as it was to become. Dr. Polidori's piece is particularly intersting as he was a physician and present at the famous ghost-story-telling session(s) of Byron and the Shelley couple.

On the whole, this collection is the ideal glimpse into the genre at its rudimentary level.

I was new to the Gothic genre when I first encountered this Dover publication some years ago. At that time I considered the plot for The Castle of Otranto (1764) by Horace Walpole to be farfetched, almost ludicrous. The mystical Oriental tale, Vathek (1782), by William Beckford seemed endless. Only the short story titled The Vampyre (1819, by John Polidori) met my expectations.

My opinion today is quite different. I have gradually become familiar with Gothic literature, and I now appreciate just how innovative these three stories were, and to how great an extent these tales influenced later writers. I give four stars to this collection.

The eighteenth century was clearly a period of philosophical and scientific progress. And yet, many readers were immediately intrigued and entertained by the supernatural, bizarre elements in The Castle of Otranto. Hundreds of authors subsequently imitated Walpole's Gothic style. Although many of these later stories had little literary merit, the Gothic novel remained immensely popular for the following century.

Today, it is true that the supernatural aspects in The Castle of Otranto may be overworked, the dialogue is often stilted, and the plot relies too much on coincidences. Nonetheless, The Castle of Otranto remains quite entertaining and suspenseful. The lengthy introduction by Sir Walter Scott (included in the 1811 edition) illustrates the remarkable impact of "this new species of literary composition".

William Beckford's Vathek is so original that it hardly fits even the Gothic genre. Beckford, a noted scholar of early Arabian literature, provided more than fifty pages of explanatory end notes. For some reason he first published Vathek in French. Later it was translated and published in English without his approval. I still find Vathek to be overly long, but this time I was intrigued with its mystical Arabian Nights motif, its chilling characters, and its vivid portrayal of evil.

In an introduction to The Vampyre the author John Polidori claimed (possibly to increase sales) that Lord Byron had created the plot at the same literary soiree in Geneva in which Mary Shelley produced Frankenstein. Lord Byron disputed Polidori's claim and produced his own notes from that famous gathering. Regardless, The Vampyre is fascinating short story.

E. F. Bleiler edited this collection and provided a lengthy, interesting introduction to three authors that were instrumental in developing the Gothic novel.

This is the first volume in a series of four tracing the fictional Herries family over the period of time between the 18th and the 20th centuries. Francis Herries, called Rogue because of his wild behavior, brings his son David, his wife Margaret, and his mistress Alice Press (who is actually the family's governess) from London to the long-abandoned family estate in Cumberland County, England. Having married out of pity more than love and now growing tired of the demanding Alice, Herries lives a life of dissipation. Margaret dies, his children grow up and marry, and then he is introduced to Mirabell Starr, a beautiful woman who is living with gypsy thieves. They marry, but she is, ironically, as wild as the young Rogue Herries was, and she leaves him. He spends years searching Europe for her, and finally finds her and convinces her to return with him. She becomes pregnant and both she and Francis die on the day she delivers their newborn daughter. Walpole's high Romance is handsomely developed and he writes with great energy and imagination. The opening chapter captures the reader's interest completely, and the scene in which Herries is brought to Mirabell by the thieves is very good. It's the best of the Herries novels, and one of Walpole's most solid creations.

The Herries clan is covered by Walpole, focusing on Francis Herries, who has mood swings which one would treat with drugs today, but was let loose on the Lake District in the late 1700's. His estate, family, trials and tribulations make for an interesting novel.

This was the first Walpole book I read, mostly because "Rogue Herries" was mentioned in Monty Python's Cheese Shop sketch. I was very happy with my decision to pick up the novel, however, as it made for an interesting period study of a desolate region of England. This is one of Walpole's series of novels featuring the Herries family.

Two recce Voodoos raced toward the heavily defended Than Hoa Bridge -- Five Thuds had already been lost trying to take it out.

As they put the Bay of Tonkin behind them, worsening weather had driven the pair of RF-101s down from 500 to 200 ft. "Then all hell broke loose, the North Vietnamese opening up with all they had as the Voodoos scythed their way through the weeds at more than 500 knots."

Somehow, both Voodoos escaped without damage and returned to base with photos showing the bridge was still intact.

McDonnell Aircraft Corporation had indeed designed a strong, versatile jet, for the Voodoo had been originally conceived 21 years earlier as a SAC multi-role long-range bomber escort fighter.

The long-lived Voodoo was cast in three distinct missions over its operational life. In 1955, the Air Force recognized that the adaptable Voodoo was perfect for tactical recon. Gun and ammunition boxes were removed and a lengthened nose housing cameras installed -- the RF-101 was born.

The same year, the two-seat F-101 bomber interceptor was conceived. By 1957, the ADC and RCAF F-101Bs, armed with 2 Genie air-to-air rockets and 2 Falcon air-to-air mssiles were defending North America. Incredibly, each Genie rocket had a 1.5 kiloton atomic warhead!

Based in Suffolk County, England, beginning in 1957, the F-101, using its great acceleration, speed, and range, was cast in the tactical low-level nuclear bomber role.

Group Captain Nigel J.R. Walpole, RAF, is the author of "Voodoo Warriors." A jet fighter pilot himself, he took part in the 1960 USAF/RAF exchange tour, flying RF-101s out of Shaw Air Force Base.

Mr. Walpole covers lifestyles, personalities, training, innovations, deployments, evolving tactics and important operations, informing and entertaining the reader in an anecdotal style. The book contains a multitude of photographs, flying stories, interesting characters, funny episodes and humorous predicaments.

Flight Lieutenant Walpole successfully completed his first high level photo mission over the Nevada Test Range. After checking his photos, the intelligence staff ordered a round of beers to celebrate the coming end of Walpole's succssful visit. "In fact it ended almost immediately when a senior person from Nellis, invited to view the results of the mission, was aghast to see that it had been flown by a 'foreigner' without the necessary clearances to fly over a most secret area." Flight Lieutenant Walpole was "ordered back to Shaw forthwith..."

On the more serious side, the author relates how many good men were lost flying the Voodoo.

Part One, "Cold War Contingencies," beginning with the 1958 deployment of cold war Voodoos, covers overseas operations in North Africa, Europe, Taiwan, and Japan. These chapters follow the refining of the Voodoos' mission, joint training of crews, and building NATO experience by executing overseas deployments with other air forces.

Later, in Part Two, "Conflict," the battle-ready Voodoo squadrons take part in the tense RF-101 photo reconnaissance operations during the Cuban missile crisis.

The "mother lode" of the book are the eight chapters dedicated to all aspects of the escalating and evolving Voodoo operations in South East Asia during the Vietnam War, including special coverage of the "Hanoi Hilton" prison camp.

In Part Three, "Commitment," the author salutes the valuable support crews of recce squadrons stationed in South East Asia that tirelessly processed the film, and maintained the aircraft.

Mr. Walpole pays tribute to the veteran Voodoo crews by sharing photos of various unit reunions as well as pictures of retired Voodoo aircraft on public display, in Part Four, "Commemoration."

It is fortunate that Nigel Walpole overcame his initial reluctance to write Voodoo Warriors because he thought himself unqualified, for he has written a great story about a fascinating airplane.

This is not a book about an airplane in the sense of a technical treatise like Aerofax or Crowood would do. But it tells the story of the F-101 beautifully, and with great detail, through the experiences of its pilots, one of whom is the author himself.

The story moves around the world, going to the various operational areas where the F-101 was based. I got a greater knowledge of the role Voodoo nuclear armed fighters would have played in the event of a war in Europe than I ever had before. Their mission would have been most probably a "one-way ticket to hell", and the bravery of their pilots is not difficult to appreciate.

Less space is devoted to the F-101B two-seat interceptor, which is the version that I saw here in the US at various times. Properly, the greater part of the book deals with the photo reconnaissance versions and operations in Southeast Asia, where the Voodoo gained its greatest fame, but at a great cost in good pilot's lives.

The F-101 has been a lesser known "Century" series US fighter, somewhat overshadowed by the F-100, F-104, F-105, and perhaps less so by the F-106. After reading this book, one gets a different perspective on this very interesting aircraft, it really is the "One-O-Wonder"!

I'm looking forward to reading more by Nigel Walpole.

I very much enjoyed reading this book. The author brought me right into the prison world with him. Not only did I get a first hand look at prisoners, but of the prison system and the impact both of these have on prison guards. I never took into account before the risks prison guards take both physically and mentally. Not only is the book informative but also a very interesting story.

Screw is a fantastic book that details life inside one of the country's toughest prisons. The perspective of prison life by someone who is inside the system is both intriguing and revealing. It is especially significant where so much public discussion of the country's prison system is dominated by politicians, lawyers, and others who do not have first hand experience.

although the events described in the book are very real author mclaughlin portrays himself as the hero that is far from the truth.he exagerates his role.

One of the most exciting stories of prison life I have ever read. McLaughlin brought me into the cell blocks and corridors with him. Several times I thought he was going to be killed or injured; and I rooted for him while he fought for safety for the officers and inmates. Considering how many were injured during that period, it is a miracle that he survived. This is a movie waiting to happen or will the establishment keep it a secret. A must read.