Windsor Books

And that ain't no blarney! Hey, I couldn't resist. A delightful subject with talented writers!!

This anthology delves into the past to tell the story of different generations of a family, going back into the 900s. A very interesting and well written book by these four authors. All four of the stories reaches for your heart.

A Legend of Love: Linda Windsor
Ballymara, Present Day: Moyra Rose O'Cullen has her work cut out for her when a cynical American journalist arrives in Ballymara, Ireland, determined to debunk the legend of the pledging stone. Ballymara's tourism depends on the romance of the local legend, and Moyra meets this threatening challenge by digging deep into the past to uncover the roots of the legend. Not only does she have to prove the legend is authentic, but Moyra finds herself praying that the pledging stone can work its magic one more time-for her.

A Legend of Peace: Vickie McDonough
Ballymara, 1895: Jilted and hurt by an American cowboy, Keely O'Cullen has her defenses up when yet another one comes into her life. Touring Ireland as part of a Wild West sow, Nick Dalton is injured when Keely's carelessness causes his horse to throw him. He ends up in her home being cared for by Keely's doctor father. Keely tries to keep her walls up, but Nick is just as determined to tear them down.

A Legend of Mercy: Pamela Griffin
Ballymara, 1359: Breanda and orphaned Ardghal have loved each other since they were children when the injured Ardghal was taken into Ballymara castle. Yet English law may prevent them marrying because Breanda is Anglo, and Ardghal is pure Gaelic-an association forbidden by the Statutes of Killkenny. Then, Breanda is kidnapped and all evidence points to Ardghal and his clan. To rescue her could result in capture and death for him.

A Legend of Light: Tamela Hancock Murray
Ballymara, AD 500: Conn, a Christian, has arrived in the glen to find rest and quiet. Instead, he discovers he's landed in the midst of a druid society and ends up teaching them the word of God and about Jesus, and becomes known as the Holy Man. Word of the healing of one of their clan women piques the curiosity of Sorcha and she goes to hear him speak. Conn is very handsome and Sorcha is captivated. She determines to have him for her own, even if she has to resort to trapping him through lies and pretense to force a union between them.

This Barbour four-in-one is a bit different. We start out in contemporary Ireland with the O'Cullen clan and start the journey into the past to discover the roots of the legend of the pledging stone. Instead of starting at the earliest time, we go backwards each time. At the end of each period, we come back to today and learn more of how Moyra and her American journalist are faring.

This is fun reading, a unique blend of "now" and "then" that will keep you turning the pages to learn how the pledging stone influences each of the O'Cullens as their story unfolds. Get your copy now.

Peggy Phifer ©2005

This is a fun collection of stories-within-a-story, all centering around the fictional Irish town of Ballymara and its romantic local legend, spanning several generations from 500 AD, when Christianity first found the Irish people, to the present.

To be honest, I am not a huge fan of novellas and was most interested in this set because of Linda Windsor, a favorite Christian historical novelist. The three other stories, however, provided a wonderful surprise: well-written, engaging characters and the charm that makes me love nearly anything Irish. By the time I finished reading this volume--straight through, I might add, putting real life on hold as one should with a good book--I felt I'd truly visited the Emerald Isle myself, in four different time periods.

If you have not had the pleasure of reading a historical christian romance before you are in for a treat. This book takes place in Ireland in the present time of now. Moyra, lives and works in Ireland. She is involved with tourism and advertising. Jack comes to Ireland to write an article for a travel magazine. But right from the start he intends to write a negative article so he can save his job. Moyra has to show Jack around, she immediately doesn't like him and knows he could take away her job and livelihood, as well as a lot of other townspeople, with his article. She grows to dislike him even more when he challenges there sacred "Pledging stone" which means any promise made there has never been broken. Well on film Jack promised to love Moyra over the pledging stone. She was furious with him! Does the pledging stone work? Does Moyra and Jack fall in love?

Through the story there are flashbacks into the past. Which is great if you like history, like me! (1850, 1350, and 500) Jack and Moyra learn all about Moyra's family trhough three more fabulous romances! I couldn't put this book down. I recommend it for anybody who wants to read about Ireland, Faith, and Love. It was such a great and inspirational read.

I found this book and others by this author while searching for horse mysteries. I have read all the Francis books and have always enjoyed them and wished there were more books like them and now there are! An added bonus is that Stacey writes about various equestrian disciplines - this one covers show jumping - and I think would it be enjoyable for people without a horse backround as well as very entertaining for those of us that do know about equestrian pursuits. This book keeps you interested throughout and I was truly thrilled to discover this author's books.

I have devored every Dick Francis book ever written...and while glad to have him publishing again with his son...this author makes me ready to pass the torch. As well as a fast paced mystery this author has a feel for horses, similar to Bolt and Break-in. It's nice to read about industry horsemen who still actually love the animal. I highly recomend this author to anyone who enjoyed Dick Francis.

One of the best books I've ever read. I've been around horses since I was four years old, she knew the attitude, the people, the lingo. It was great. I never once got bored with the story line. The characters were real. The descriptions were great. I LOVED IT!!! You know it's a good book when you finish it and you're still thinking about it, and you want there to be more.

If you like Dick Francis, you'll love Cut Throat. Though Stacey's books are certainly different than Francis, her villans are very bad, her heroes are not without flaws and her plots are well thought out and well told. This one kept me guessing until the end. An added bonus is Stacey's obvious knowledge of horses and "horse people". A great read.

She's a good writer, knows horses (sadly lacking in so many horse topic writers) and keeps up suspense. She has very good bad guys and uses them well.

Find all 3 of her released mystery books, a great read!

Fiesta Moon takes you to a colorful Mexico where haciendas are haunted and superstitions abound. Corinne is an American with Mexican roots who is trying to help a local orphanage and find her biological family. Mark is an American businessman who doesn't put forth much effort to help anyone but himself. Linda Windsor develops these wonderful characters in such a way that you can imagine their pasts unfolding to motivate their current behavior. She weaves the romance throughout the story line - which is easy to do with such a romantic setting - in such a way that it warms the heart. I appreciate that her writing style is "hopeful romance" that avoids leading the reader to experience the disappointment of massive conflict between the romantic leads.

This is a sweet, suspenseful love story that will leave you wanting more of these characters and this author.

This is book two in Linda Windsor's Moonstruck Series and my favorite. I enjoy reading about the rogues. That's reading about them, not living with them. I like my men a little more steady in real life.
Mark Madison is the renegade of the Madison family. He's been sent to a remote Mexican village as a last chance to prove himself. Or as Mark puts it, his 'get out of jail card.'He's supposed to get the hacienda ready to open as an orphanage. But before he even gets to the hacienda he is adopted by a pig. Yep that's right, a pig falls in love with Mark. And if that isn't enough, he has a run-in with Corinne Diaz, who remembers him all too well. She's a volunteer at the orphanage and she isn't impressed by Mark Madison. But never underestimate the power of the Mexicalli Moon.
Add a hidden treasure, a ghost, and a really bad villain and you have all the necessary ingredients for a fun filled, romantic, suspenseful book. Put Fiesta Moon on your want list. It's a good one.

This was a very romantic book. Cute storyline, some good solid points about our relationship with God. Otherwise, was definetly a cute love story.

After his third DUI, Mark Madison is overjoyed when his older, more responsible brother Blaine pulls some strings and offers him a Get-out-of-Jail-Free card by sending him to a minute Mexican village to oversee a building project for orphans. Mark, a 32-year-old single man who is permanently enjoying a life of fiesta, plans to make the most of this respite. But even the best-laid schemes can be and often are hijacked by circumstances, people, and most importantly, God. Even before arriving in Mexicalli, Mark has another car accident, and thus he enters this smallish town aback a truck of pigs smelling of swine and trying to shake off one that had become attached to his very person.

Corinne Diaz, a 27-year-old with a heart for people --- especially those without family, since she was once orphaned and then adopted --- looks upon the newcomer with the pig in both confusion and amusement. Then, as the swine runs wild, such commotion and near disaster ensues that Corinne is momentarily distracted as she races to the rescue of an elderly woman on a runaway burro-bound cart. Mark, seeing impending catastrophe, rushes forward and brings the cart to a halt. It is after this heroic act that Corinne gets her first up close and personal look at him --- and her response is one of contempt. "We danced at your brother's wedding...just before you became sick on my shoes." With a sigh, Mark asks himself if his day could get any worse.

Seemingly, Mark's reputation for living the high life cannot escape him. And yet, as the days pass --- those long, hot, never-getting-much-accomplished-South-of-the-border days --- Corinne and Mark find common ground in the oddities of the Mexican village. Their living conditions, the food, the help, even the social customs and the superstitions combine to make their conversations and humiliations more conducive to geniality and humor. While Mark attempts (often futilely) to get the orphanage into sound working order, Corinne's business savvy in working with the villagers helps the couple find further common ground --- but not without some injurious, cutting remarks, wounded emotions, and lots of inner reflecting. It seems that both are on a mission to erect a building and to tear down whatever ails the soul.

Author Linda Windsor offers a humorous yet lightly romantic tale that gratefully is profuse in its subtle comedic style. Windsor's characters are likable because they're so real, and as their foibles are so honestly portrayed, readers will smile when they commiserate with their frequently self-inflicted emotional pain. With easy conversation, the author provides not simply a story to amuse and entertain, but also slips in some biblical principles on offering forgiveness, not judgment; grace instead of condemnation. Above all, female fans will embrace Windsor's message not to become wallowed in yesterday's failures, whether they be poor choices, wrong attitudes, or faulty preconceptions. Today is a new day to embrace hope and life and start again.


--- Reviewed by Michele Howe

At Madison Engineering, CEO Blaine Madison lectures his brother Mark for his third DUI offense. Tired of his sibling's shenanigans Blaine offers Mark a deal; if he brings in the hacienda contract on time and sober, he can take over the on-site management of their projects. Mark readily agrees as he wants to travel anyway while wondering why Blaine prefers to stay home with his wife and children.

Corinne Diaz came to Mexicalli, seeking information on her biological mother at the last known place she lived. She works at the Hoger de los Ninos orphanage at the local orphanage when Mark arrives to take charge of the renovation project. Corinne thinks very little of the alcoholic hedonist though she is attracted to him. He wants her too, but hates the scorn in her eyes. Matchmaking them is a haunted piglet who adopted Mark as her pet. However, what begins to bring the two outsiders together besides a deep attraction is someone, perhaps a voodoo practitioner, who wants the project stopped and them out of town.

Mark is an interesting character who all his compared unfavorably to his successful siblings, using charm with no substance to compete. However, Corinne, who initially write him off as a playboy with no core, begins to see little things in him based on his interactions with the children and his piglet; she encourages him and the underachiever begins to accomplish the mission. That Pygmalion Effect transition is the key to the inspirational romance FIESTA MOON; a fine Moonstruck tale filled with humor and a serious undercurrent that the locals believe is a voodoo curse on Mark while he deems that he is simply doing God's work.

Harriet Klausner

I highly recommend this book for any owning or purchasing a powersports dealership. The information is awesome.

Great book with alot of common sense! Especially when common sense seems to be on back order!

If John Wyckoff's words were any more clear and easy to understand, they'd have to be injected by IV. The last thing a Powersports Dealer or his employees need, after a hard day in the showroom / shop, is to try and decipher text written for Harvard professors.

Wyckoff presents instruction on marketing, advertising, image, sales, team building, supplier relations, service departments, websites and much more in bite size chapters. There is no need to rush through this book. Take some time and let the author's forty-years of Powersport's marketing and merchandising experience soak in.

Because Wyckoff's book is so well organized and written, he puts the ball right back into your lap. Do you have what it takes? Do you have the desire to improve your career or business? If so, kick it out of neutral and get going!

I highly recommend this book for anyone managing a motorcycle, powersports, marine or even bicycle dealership. It's also helpful for any small retail business.

A lot of the time retailers and dealerships mess up on the little things. Things like how listen to the customer. You have to learn what to react to from the customer and when not to say too much. The book tells you how to read people. It helps you understand how to create a good relationship that keeps the customer coming back to the dealership for new helmets, jackets, pipes and other add-ons.

MYOB2 is perfect for dealer principals. Maybe the biggest benefit will be for dealership staff, such as service managers, parts managers and general managers looking for career advancement -- maybe even hoping to own a dealership some day.

As with all books, there are some great nuggets of wisdom in Wyckoff's guide to PROFITABLE powersports dealerships. I took away several ideas that are worth many times the price of admission.

Wyckoff even used one of my favorite lines, that common sense is not all that common! Consider this a great book of ckecklists. Lists of basics that every dealership needs to review. Stuff that one might just forget when they get busy.

Don't get so busy that you fail to check this book out.

An early 87 that no fan of the series should miss. McBain had the touch from the very beginning.

The third book in the 87th Precinct series is a more standard entry into the police procedural genre. But at the same time, it manages to reach an emotional depth somewhat unusual for the time period.

The plot is pretty straight forward. A pair of patrolmen stumble upon a apparent junkie suicide. But sometimes things aren't as easy as they seem, and the suicide squeal quickly turns into a multiple homicide investigation that threatens to become blackmail when Lt. Byrnes son becomes linked to the drug scene. The bulls at the 87th are relegated mainly to the footwork, as most of the behind the scenes action involves Byrnes as he struggles with his son's involvement. Byrnes goes as far as to fill Carella in on the situation, a decision that almost proves to be fatal.

Apart from some of the dated aspects one would expect from a well-reserched police drama from the fifties, the bulk of the novel is your typical expose on the brutal world of the street level drug trade. But as usual, McBain delves into the emotional causes and ramifications of the Heroin users and dealers. The most revealing of these is the personal and professional termoil faced by Lt. Byrnes with the revelation that his son is a Heroin addict. Adding to the emotional doubt of where he has gone wrong with his son, and the constant battle between anger and compassion, is the dilemma of whether or not to cover up his son's possible involvement in a crime, especially when a mysterious third party with knowledge of his son's connection attempts to blackmail him for police protection.

McBain doesn't just focus on the 87th detectives. Glimpses into the lives of low key players in the drug scene shows the many facets of human frailty and desperation and prevents the broad generalizations that many crime dramas easily fall into. Even the closer look at Carella's relationship with stoolie Danny the Gimp is both touching and revealing. But to McBain's credit, none of this detailed attention to the human element detracts from the gritty realism that is typical of this series.

Another great book by Ed McBain. Have just started reading this series and have a long way to go, but I am really looking forward to it if they are all like this one. Steve Carella and Bert Kling are back. They make a great team. They are trying to find who killed a young man, then others are killed to cover up the first killing. I don't want to name names as would take away from the book. The ending is good. McBain can make you feel like you are there. You can nearly feel the the thoughts and actions as they take place. A fairly short book that is quick to read. A very good mystery.

Of McBain's 70 to 80 books, this is without a doubt his best. This is what storytelling is all about. Simple characters, doing simple things and making it impossible to put the book down . I'm curious to know whether Evan Hunter is still alive or just retired from writing.

Published in 1956, "Pusher" by Ed McBain, one of the author's famed 87th Precinct mysteries,
may be a bit dated, but the sheer power of writing and the abilitiy of the author makes this one a
worthy read. McBain's legions of fans (most of whom have, no doubt, already read this one)
certainly found this to be a choice selection.

This time we find Steve Carella and Lieutenant Peter Byrnes again up to their precinct necks in
crime. As the title suggests, they're investigating the death of a drug dealer. The autopsy had said
suicide, but Carella and Byrnes know better.

And with the speed of some sound writing style and
excellent plot development, Mc Bain carries his readers full tilt. There's no resting; the pace is
terrific! Aided by first-class dialogue development "Pusher" is quick and easy to read. One doesn't
have to be totally dedicated to McBain to enjoy this one. Remember: it's quick and easy. And good.
(Billyjhobbs@tyler.net)

Shadow over Babylon was given to me by a friend, he said that the book was impossible to put down. I thought that this might be a bit of an exageration, so i decided to read it. I ended up reading the book in 4 days while during my summer holidays. I can honestly say that this is the best book that i have ever read. My favourite author may be Wilbur Smith but this book eclipses anything that he has ever written. David Mason's second book Little Brother is also worth reading.

Mason's work in Shadow is an excellent beginning to an author that possesses such a deep understanding of military manuvers, lingo, etc. The details are what captured me in this book, particularly the story of the team's sniper. I felt a little lost towards the middle of the book, but I suppose most book are that way. Overall, he is NO Clancy, however, his next book is still something I would like to take a look at.

GOOD JOB!

-Sunil James

"Shadow Over Babylon" is the first book by David Mason and it's a gripping read very much in the style of Frederick Forsythe or Tom Clancy. The story revolves around a group of British ex-Special Forces men who are hired to assassinate Saddam Hussein and the planning and organisation involved to infiltrate Iraq, shoot Hussein and then escape. They draft in a sniper, Danny MacDonald, who is a deer stalker and we are introduced to Danny at the beginning of the book as he explains about shooting to a deer hunter. This aspect of the book - the technical detail of the sniper's craft - is fascinating and not something I've read elsewhere.

As the book progresses we learn more about the characters and the plans that they are making to carry out this difficult task, although we don't know the full plot at any time - as it unfolds we understand why they organised things as they did. There is a parallel story taking place in the American NRO (National Reconnaisance Office) as they find themselves tracking the team and trying to work out who they are and what they are doing. Big brother was definitely watching them!

The book has some technical detail but perhaps less than a Tom Clancy book - which isn't a bad thing. There is also more characterisation of the men involved in the mission - why they are doing it, how they handle the stress and violence - and even a couple of little romantic storylines for three of the main people involved.

And do they succeed in killing Saddam Hussein? Well, you'll have to read it to find out, but it's a really great read and there's a little twist in the tail which I wasn't expecting and was fun. Enjoy the story and the plot and the characters - this is an excellent debut novel by someone who clearly knows an awful lot about what he's describing and it's great fun to read a book with British special forces, rather than American ones, with the humour and amusing conversation of the Brits.

Mason was good at making this premise work, even though he was working with the handicap that came with setting this a few years back. We know the history of the Gulf War aftermath, so where's the suspense in reading about this crack team headed to take Mr. Hussein down? It's there all right. Obviously this is the work of a sharp intelligence. If Mr. Mason were to write another novel, I'd be sure to at least take a look at it.

An interesting and plausible plot. The author writes with authority, and tells an exciting story. The technical details of a Clancy novel and the twists of a Forsyth spy thriller. I hope Mason writes more.

This is one of three books written by Aline Griffith Romanos about her adventures as a undercover spy during WW II in Spain. It is excellent! I first read the book 25 years ago, have read them all more than once, recommended all three books to many, and have heard only high praise for the series. They are fun, well written, and real page turners!

I have purchased 4 books by Aline Romanos. I absolutely love them. The fact that there is truth behind the story and that she really was an upper-class lady as well as a spy excites me. I find myself wishing I lived an adventurous life. She has a talent when it comes to recreating her life and exploits. I could not put it down!

Fascinating. My daughter is reading "The Spy Who Wore Red" and finds it fascinating as well.

I can only echo the words of the previous reviewers! Countess Aline's books (...Wore Red, ...Went Dancing - so far!) are compelling, and I was truly absorbed from beginning to end! When I finished the first, I couldn't wait to start the second - and now I'm impatient to get the third - "...Wore Silk" - from my sister! I had to keep reminding myself that she would NOT be killed, as she was alive to write these books! And her ability to manage the pertepual romantic current with no "smut" is impressive! Her description of "masculine hands," the brush of lips on her ear, or the mention of leg-to-leg contact during the tango says it all! But beyond that, she teaches so much about Spanish customs and culture, from the attraction of bull fighting to how on earth they manage the high combs and mantillas, to daily routine, meal times, siesta - she never stops. How can this remarkable strong female hero be of the same generation as my mother?

My mom first gave me this book to read back when I was in high school. I recently picked it up again at the library to take with me on vacation - and was once again drawn into this amazing - and real life - mystery. In fact, I enjoyed the book so much I almost didn't want to leave my hotel room until I finished it (which didn't make my brothers too happy)! Aline weaves mystery and international intrigue with a jet-setting lifestyle as she hob-nobs with the likes of Liz Taylor and Audrey Hepburn while trying to solve a mystery that's haunted her for 20 years! I'm just starting her next book, "The Spy Wore Silk" and reccommend that anyone who loves a good mystery (and don't we all?) should check out Aline's books. They're absolutely addictive, and, in this case, that's a good thing.

I first read this book in seventh grade and I fell in love with it. I recommend this book to all readers.

This book is my fav, and it'll be youre's too if you read it.Its simply the best.And, you'll love it even better if you can relate to it.Such beautiful work can hardly be overlooked.Its so brilliant that ive read it two times,that may not be much, but it is, if your'e trying to memorize the book.This book has also helped get through the tough times ive had.It puts things in prespective.READ IT ! This book has changed me and the life i have ahead of me.

The Summer Before is simply one of the best books ever written. With its poetry, beautiful imagery, and descriptions of a once in a lifetime love, it is sure to become one of the most memorable books you will ever read. This book deals with loss and youth and coming of age in a way that is sincere and hard hitting. The characters of this tale will stay with you forever.

This is a novel I return to on a regular basis, both for its beauty and its tender wisdom. The portrayal of long friendship ripening into love is quietly and movingly convincing. Sandy's journey from heartbreaking loss to hard-won renewal gains more with every reading; its clear prose, sometimes sharply witty, always lyrical and poignant, is a model of exquisite writing. I had the distinct pleasure of meeting the author several years ago, and it was plain to see the source of this fine novel's emotional depth, insight, and refreshingly sly humor. I only hope that it is reprinted - it is a superb work deserving of rediscovery by a new generation of readers.

This is a novel I return to on a regular basis, both for its beauty and its tender wisdom. The portrayal of long friendship ripening into love is quietly and movingly convincing. Sandy's journey from heartbreaking loss to hard-won renewal gains more with every reading; its clear prose, sometimes sharply witty, always lyrical and poignant, is a model of exquisite writing. I had the distinct pleasure of meeting the author several years ago, and it was plain to see the source of this fine novel's emotional depth, insight, and refreshingly sly humor. I only hope that it is reprinted - it is a superb work deserving of rediscovery by a new generation of readers.

This is a great story and I enjoyed reading it. This book has left a standing impression. I will remember this story and encourage anyone to read it. Its not the best in the world but it is very enjoyable.

I first read this book when I was about ten, & re-read the whole series over the years. To this day it is still with me. The portrayal of the character's, the places they inhabit & the way their stories as individuals are related, is very real & very moving.
Even now, though it has been years since I last read the series (I'm now in my thirties)- I find that this book, its characters, & the history portrayed within its covers has never left me.

What a lovely book to read! The dialogue is touching, hilariously funny, fascinating and rings with honesty. The characters have depth and personality. An excellent choice.

Apple Tree Lean Down is the foundation book of all of MaryPearce's writings. If you can find it,count yourself as one of thelucky ones! Mary Pearce writes about english farm life like no one else on the planet.Her characters have such depth, that you feel they are old friends. Her historical knowledge of the way farm life was in the 1800's is phenomenal.All of her books are unforgettable, and you find yourself reading them over and over again.Jack Mercybright is a living breathing person you wish you could meet.And there is excitement,suspense,drama and death as well as beauty of the English Countryside. I can't say enough good things about this remarkable author. Lynda Blair

Superior!!! I read this book years ago after the birth of my son. It filled me with such depth of emotion (no book since has made me feel like I was part of it) If you have never read it, read it. The characters and countryside will remain with you for life!

What's to say? The greatest cartoon ever is out of print and can't be seen by anyone. Thankfully his animated work is available on DVD through Amazon and it's a humbling experience. Those were the first animated cartoons and in some respects they've seldom been equalled. His first one--THE first one--is a shocker, like some amateur building the Taj Mahal on the first try. In terms of raw, fantastic, dizzying, imagination coupled with stunning craftsmanship McCay may have no equal.

If this material is not made available pressure should be exerted somewhere, maybe with the Smithsonian, to release new editions. The lack of availability is almost criminal: like finding out that Don Quixote's gone out of print or something. Really, I'm not being hyperbolic. For all the interest there is in comic art these days, all the Manga, Fantastic Fours and graphic novels, this has to be accepted as the medium's Shakespeare.

Although originally published as a weekly comic strip at the turn of the century, time has hardly diminished the charm or imaginative experiences of Little Nemo. As an unscripted character in his episodic dreams, a little boy named Nemo endeavors to keep up with the developments in "Slumberland" as they rapidly unfold. Recurrent characters show up to join in on the adventures, usually already in progress, and to clue Nemo in on where he is expected to go. As in dreams, the logic is usually skewed, and the storylines quickly gain momentum till they peak in a cataclysmic event that ultimately awakens Little Nemo. The wonderfully illogical development of the dreams are still as fresh today as they were a century ago. The only reminder of the era they came from is the quaint clothing and manner of the characters. The innovative story developments, though, are still uniquely fresh, having come from the visionary mind of Winsor McCay, who is credited with being the father of modern animation.

Long before a little boy and his tiger explored the imagination with wry social commentary and surrealism, Winsor McCay did the same with this amazing series of full page newspaper comics. This is a veritable treasure trove of comics history.

Admittedly, the jokes are not the same as Calvin and Hobbes so do not expect the same feelings. I find that Nemo evokes more feelings of wonder and delight while C and H brings about the hearty "guffaw". Also, the ending of every episode is exactly the same in that Nemo awakes to find the night's adventures were all within his head.

On the other hand, this book gives wonderful background of McCay and his world as well as beautiful reprints of the original prints.

I would heartily recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy, childhood, comics, or the dreams of past days.

Winsor McCay has been forgotten by the mainstream Nostalgia R' US spoon-fed media circus that we are all tapped into. Winsor McCay was a pioneering creative genius. He may not have been the very first motion picture animator but created some of the first animated shorts which featured CHARACTERS. His first was Gertie the Dinosaur. McCay would actually tour with his short and interact with the dinosaur on the screen, making it roll over and other tricks. McCay's Little Nemo is a feast

for the eyes. His eye for detail gives us a window to the early days of the 20th Century. The characters are completly fantastic. He was decades ahead of his time.

Winsor McCay's "Little Nemo in Slumberland" is a rare combination of artistry and imagination that deserves to be considered the first classic comic strip. "The Yellow Kid" came first, but it never demonstrated the superb craftsmanship of McCay's work, which is done in a distinctive "art nouveau" style that presages the coming of surrealism. Within the frames of his story McCay was able to create illusions of vast size and space, showing a word that was remarkably futuristic. Each of Little Nemo's weekly adventures told of a dream of the tousle-haired boy (of about six?) and concluded with him falling out of bed or waking up. McCay's son Robert served as the model for Nemo. Before working on the Slumberland strips McCay had experimented with other comics including "Little Sammy Sneeze," "Hungry Henriette," "Poor Jake," "Tales of Jungle Imps," and "Dream of the Rarebit Fiend" (the last one under the pseudonym Silas), but none of them even hinted at the splendor of "Little Nemo." In 1909 McCay would go on to create "Gertie the Dinosaur," the first commercially successful animated cartoon, which is probably how most people know of McCay's work. But that can only be because they have yet to be exposed to this comic strip.

The "Little Nemo in Slumberland" comics in this book originally appeared in the "New York Herald" Sunday color supplement from October 15, 1905 to March 31, 1907 and are faithfully reproduced in their original colors from rare, vintage file-copy pages in the hands of a few choice collectors. There is even a special strip that appeared in the European edition of the "Herald" that was never printed in the U.S. The strip continued until 1911 and those strips are published in the other volumes in this series. In these early adventures Little Nemo first enters Slumberland and learns to cope with his unpredictable flying bed, pursues the beautiful Princess of Slumber, searches for the castle of King Morpheus, and endures the ministrations of Dr. Pill. Nemo also meets up with the devilish Flip, a green-faced clown in a plug hat and ermine collared jacket, who starts off always trying to summon the Dawn and wake Nemo from his dreams but then becomes our little heroes boon companion in his Slumberland adventures which involved an impressive array of strange giants, beautiful mermaids, humongous elephants, mysterious space creatures, exotic parades, fantastic dirigible rides, a jolly green dragon, and anything else McCay could imagine.

By both artistic and historical standards "Little Nemo in Slumberland" is the first truly great comic strip. When you look at the great strips that followed, such as George Herriman's "Krazy Kat," George McManus' "Bringing Up Father," Bud Fisher's "Mutt and Jeff," and Frank King's "Gasoline Alley," they are all decidedly different from what McCay was doing, although the use of "art nouveau" interiors and zany byplay by McManus is clearly an homage to "Little Nemo" as far as I am concerned. There is a sense in which those who see nothing similar appearing on the funny pages until Bill Watterson's "Calvin and Hobbes" have a point, although I would acknowledge Snoopy's imaginative life in "Peanuts" as well.

This volume includes "Perchance to Dream," an essay by Richard Marschall, who I think was the single biggest contributor of the strips reprinted in this volume. The essay provides a concise summary of McCay's life and career, with examples of some of his earlier work, "Little Nemo" postcards, and an incredibly detailed editorial cartoon. But the most important thing is that Marschall's efforts have preserved the premier American comic strip for the enjoyment of posterity. There has never been a more magical comic strip. Never.