Europe Books

Leonard Gross's well-researched and well-documented book about a few of the Jewish 'U-Boats' who survived in hiding in Hitler's 'Juden-Frei' Berlin is truly magnificent.
It reads like a thriller but every bit of it is true. I found it informative, well-written and very accessable, unlike similar works, (Such as 'Stella' by Peter Wyden) which, while also well-reseached and well-informed, were dry and hard to follow.
Less than 1% of the Jews that lived in Berlin before Hitler came into power were there after the fall of Berlin (some having escaped, most having been banished to the death camps), and the fact that Gross was able to get several of these survivor's stories is just incredible.
The characters were truly alive and I acutely felt every joy, every danger, every near capture and had to stop reading several times because it was all too real and terrifying, especially the horrifying concept that some turncoat Jews, thier own people, were hunting for them.
This is an unbelievably compelling piece of work that deserves to be read by everyone and I cannot recommend it strongly enough.

I bought this book a short time ago, and I started to read it the day I found it in my post box. It is a very captivating book about how 18 Jews survived in the very heart of Nazi Germany during World War. Some managed to keep their families somewhat intact, while others were the only survivor among their entire family.

They survived in different ways, but all had at least one person helping them. One of the things I liked the most with this book; was the very fact that it tells the stories of brave and good Germans who risked their lives in order to help fellow citizens. Despite the fact that they had had to live with Hitler's propaganda and terror for more than a decade, they still aimed to do their best. Even though many survivors and rescuers often were lucky, I was amazed about how clever they were and how they managed to stay alive.

On the front cover of the book Los Angeles Times is quoted to have written: "[Reads] like an Alfred Hitchcock thriller", and I agree with them. The book was very well written, and it was very hard to put it down. I found myself reading until I went to sleep, and next morning I managed to read another chapter before I went to work. I read the book in no time, and I was only sorry I had finished it. I wanted to keep on reading.
The big difference between this book and a Hitchcock thriller is of course that: "The Last Jews in Berlin" is not fiction.

The only thing that I missed was photos of the people I read about. Still, the book is so good I find it really deserves five stars

Gross is an exemplary writer, letting this story unfold through a spare, unembroidered narration of the harrowing events that affected the lives of a half-dozen different Jews. In this case, reality doesn't need any authorial florishes to create suspense and terror, and Gross's restraint as a writer highlights his subjects and lets them tell their stories in a very personal way. More than just a war history, this is an examination of the human spirit under seige.

This is one of my favorite books, not only because of the wonderful narrative, compelling characters, and inspiring stories, but because of the variety of circumstances these Jews found themselves in. Some went into hiding, some passed themselves off as Gentiles, some collaborated with the resistance, and all managed to survive. Some had no help and were separated from loved ones, some managed to keep their families somewhat intact. Their struggles, defeats, and victories are inspiring and a testament to the nature of the human spirit.
A small note: the stories are not told sequentially, and it may be easier the first time to skip chapters and read each person's tale completely, otherwise it becomes a tad overwhelming to keep track of so many characters.

Very worthwhile book. It was fascinating because it dealt with ordinary people in probably the most extraordinary circumstances. These multiple tales of survival explore what it took for persons who could easily be our friends, our neighbors, our familiy, to heroically survive in the midst of their hometown enemies while undergoing the privations of war. Substantively an excellent book.

I would caution you, however, that the tales are presented in a disjointed fashion, and I would recommend taking notes at the beginning on who's who in order to keep up with the players.

This is not a travel guide with notes on best restaurants, cheapest hotels, and favorite tourist sites. Proper wrote about a Portugal he knew and loved well, providing nice mental images of friends, customs, food, and fishing. A really nice read.

First things first. I am a big fan of Portugal. I've been there three times. I have a reasonable, if sometimes rusty, command of the language. I do like fado music and innumerable Portuguese dishes. And, like the author of this very pleasant book, I admire the Portuguese people for their lack of pretension, their down-to-earth lifestyle, and their belief in hard work, family, and a bit of cynicism for the many phonies of this world. When he tries, Datus Proper can bring alive any episode from history, for example, the crucial battle of Aljubarrota in 1385. Cultural comparisons between Portugal and the USA are his forte; I really liked the way he handled them. Then too, Lisboa is one of my favorite cities in the whole world. So, with all this, how could I not like THE LAST OLD PLACE and its wry humor and insightful comments on Portugal, Portuguese history, and Portuguese people ? In fact I liked it a lot, was even sorry to reach the end and I suspect, if you give it a try, you will feel the same.

However. I don't feel like excusing Portuguese deeds overseas by saying that, well, that was long ago, and we all had different standards then. Of course, that is true, but still, Portuguese colonialism in Asia and Africa was ugly, even if it was less ugly than that of some other, nameless countries. A minor quibble, I mean, the book isn't about colonial deeds or misdeeds. The main point for most readers is the following....how interested in trout fishing are you ? Alas, I am not the slightest interested in it, so I was kind of "floundering" there, if you'll pardon me. The author travels around Portugal with a local friend-a kind of human equivalent of Steinbeck's Charley---a man we don't really get to know much about, but one who perhaps represents some old, now-vanishing Portuguese qualities, but more importantly, shares Proper's addiction to fly fishing in remote streams. So, to reach my conclusion rapidly, I would have liked a lot more of the author's clever, humorous, apt observations on Portugal and a lot less clambering around the rocks looking for the perfect trout hole.

This is the most affectionate writing on Portugal I've encountered in English. Pure pleasure from beginning to end. Note the incisive comparison between Spaniards and the Portuguese. I can tell you it's right on the money. There are things in this book that would escape the notice of a native, so it's a particular treat for Portuguese-Americans.

I initially read this book because of the author's great bird hunting book, Pheasants of the Mind. I have read 100's of books and it is one of the best explorations of a place and its culture I have seen. I wish I could find others like it.

I can't believe this book is out of print! Proper combines three aspects of Portugal to create his richly evocative book: his relationship to the land through trout fishing, his relationships to old and new Portuguese friends, and his sensitive portrayal of the way the past informs modern life in Portugal. You'll smell the fresh bread, frolic with Camoes's nymphs, and feel the sun in the Algarve. A terrific book.

There are two reasons to read this book. First, a marvellous account of life at sea in the 18th century, written beautifully and yet spontaneously by a simple sailor. Second, a moving human microstory of genuine love, adventure and lost hope. The two intertwine magnificently and I could not help identifying with the writer's plight.

This is gripping history as seen by the average participant in it. It's not about Admirals or Generals or World Leaders, it's about everyman and every woman. I first learned about John Nicol from another excellent history book "The Floating Brothel: The Extraordinary True Story of an Eighteenth-Century Ship and its Cargo of Female Convicts" by Sian Rees. John Nicol was on that extraordinary voyage and his memoir done when he was in his 60's was the only first-hand account of those voyages. I decided to seek out his memoir. After reading either of these two books, the readers will probably no longer yern for a romatic voyage on an ancient sailing vessel. Life wasn't pleasant on those sea voyages for anybody on board. The story of how John Nicol's story was eventually dictated to John Howell, an Edinburgh book binder who found him wandering the streets is also amazing. Howell is another average guy who made a great contribution to history through small acts of charity and publishing.

This is the life of an ordinary seaman at the time of the beginning of scientific exploration. John Nicol a seaman on the voyages of discovery and later trade to Australia, the Americas and to Africa. He observed life of the captains, the ordinary men at sea and the people of the lands he visited. He went to sea at an early age was imprisoned, married and lived to 94 and died in England. The diarys are a remarkable work of an eyewitness to history. It is written and edited in an easly readable style and brings history to life.

I love nautical fiction set during the age of sail (O'Brian, Pope, Kent, etc.) and so I enjoyed this memoir of a real-life sailor from this period. There are two disappointing things about this book though; it's very short (only about 160 pages if you exclude the introduction) and Nicol doesn't spend very much time relating events from the voyages themselves or his day-to-day life in the Royal Navy. Nicol mostly describes the places he visited and the cultures of the people who lived in those places. He does do a wonderful job describing these people and places, and he does it without being long-winded. He also relates a few humorous stories and gives us some details of his personal life, such as his ill-fated romance with a convict during their journey to Australia. Animal rights advocates and environmentalists would be horrified by one of his voyages in which he claims that he and his crew clubbed about thirty thousand seals plus many sea-lions. The way I look at it though, it was just a very different, more primative age. In any case, I enjoyed this book, and only wish that it had been longer and more detailed.

This account was first published in 1822, and has been republished with a forward and added footnotes by the editor. Unlike most seamen in the Royal Navy, John Nicol enlisted for the adventure, first serving at the age of 21 as a ship's cooper during the American Revolution, mostly in Canada and the West Indies. For the next 25 years he served on a large number of Royal Navy and merchant ships. He was present at some well known battles including the victories by Admiral Jervis at Cape St. Vincent and Admiral Nelson at Aboukir Bay. In the merchant service, he went to China 3 times, to Australia, Hawaii, the west coast of the Americas from Cape Horn to Alaska, Brazil and Portugal, and to the West Indies. He served aboard whalers and sealers that took him to Greenland and the Falkland Islands.

As noted by the editor, mortality rates among seamen at that time could average 15 percent per year from disease, shipwrecks, accidents aboard ship, or armed conflicts. John Nicol was one of the minority who survived to old age. He had saved his money and would have been reasonably well off ashore, but he married a cousin, and then abandoned a well paid trade as a cooper to escape the Royal Navy press gangs after 1801 and stay with his wife. He was a widower living in poverty when offered the opportunity to publish his story.

This is a well written account by a man who had only a basic formal education. I would highly recommend it as a "must read" book for readers interested in naval and merchant marine service of that time period. The book contains many tidbits of information not available elsewhere, including his recollections of female convicts in the second fleet to sail for New South Wales.

This book has frequently been thought of as a juvenile or children's book, but as an adult, it is still one of my favorites. Professor Davis had a way of discussing the day-to-day life in historic times in a way that was both comprehensible and interesting.
There are many books that purport to discuss the daily life of other civilizations, but they are often so dry and academic that they are not even a trifle entertaining. Davis has shown that it is possible to write amusingly while pouring a great deal of information into the reader's mind.
The book is about the fictional Barony of St. Aliquis--Latin for "Saint Anybody"--in the Duchy of Quelqueparte--French for "Anywhere"--and the politics, wars, religion, marriages, and other aspects of life in what is arguably the cultural flower of Medieval France.
I highly recommend this book for readers of all ages.

I want to leave positive feedback for Keith at chaplinkt, the seller for my book. He was friendly and courteous. The book is in great condition; and it is hardback, which I wasn't sure of when I ordered, and which I much prefer. thanks

That's definitely an excellent book about medieval life. If you like medieval history, buy it.

This book is written in a conversational style and tells the story of a year in the life of a family in France. The information is detailed and written very clearly. The chronological ordering of the events makes it easy to select the information most applicable to your research. The book covers deaths, weddings, harvest, travelling to visit other nobles, Christmas and other holidays and daily life of all levels of society on the barony. I have done a lot of research in this area and this is my favourite resource and the one I keep rereading.

Life on a Mediaeval Barony: A Picture of a Typical Feudal Community in the Thirteenth Century by William Stearns Davis; Harper & Brothers, 1923

Dr. Davis first had his work published in 1923 while still a Professor of History at the University of Minnesota. The book presents a very interesting and insightful view into the life of a northern French medieval community (certain seigneury of St. Aliquis). This work is 418 pages in length and consists of twenty-four chapters. The book is centered around the time of A. D. 1220. Although depicting French customs, one could assume that many were also indicative of England and Germany.

Topics such as hospitality, women's lives, clothing, cooking, falconry and hunting, literature, education and much more are covered in great detail. This is one of the first texts I used when teaching an introductory course to medieval history. I have found the work clearly written and one of the best books ever written on medieval daily life.

The Preface states, "Northern France was par excellence the homeland of Feudalism and hardly less so of Chivalry, while by general consent the years around 1220 mark one of the great turning epochs of the Middle Ages. We are at the time of the development of French kingship under Philip Augustus, of the climax and the beginning of the waning of the crusading spirit, of the highest development of Gothic architecture, of the full blossoming of the popular Romance literature, and of the beginning of the entirely dissimilar, but even more important, Friar movement."

The work was re-printed in 1990 by Biblo & Tannen Booksellers & Publishers. However, the new edition remains true to the excellent quality of the Harper & Brothers text. The text is a much needed reference work for any medieval historian.

Dr. Carl Edwin Lindgren
Professor of Medieval and Military History

Rosenstock's classic black and white images evoke the spirit and power of the Irish landscape. The photographs are exquisitely reproduced, elegantly presented and then, wisely, left to speak for themselves. Rosenstock's artistic vision and his love of Ireland are clearly reflected in this beautifully designed volume. A must have for connoisseurs of landscape photography and lovers of Eire.

A beautiful art book containing 25 black and white photographs of Ireland. Anyone who loves landscapes, photography, or the rugged beauty of Ireland will appreciate the images and artistry shown in this volume. The photographic reproductions are of the highest quality and reveal the subtle details and tonal gradations present in the photographs. Mr. Rosenstock's statement at the beginning of the book is a wonderful introduction to the power and mystery of the light of Ireland. In short, it is illuminating. The Light of Ireland is a lovely book that invites the viewer to look at it again and again.

Iam thrilled to own this fabulous book; it is a work of art. I feel such a connection to these spectacular images. The reproductions of the photographs are wonderful. The simplicity of the silvery gray book jacket enhances the volume. I just love having this book. The Light of Ireland is a complete treasure!

This book is a MUST for the serious collector of photography. The 25 finely crafted images on the highest quality paper focus on Mr. Rosenstock's unique perspective of Ireland's mysterious landscape. Each page is a calming meditation. The people of Ireland ,among them notables, are already singing the praises of this book.

The Light of Ireland is a portfolio of twenty-five black and white photographs made in the west of Ireland over a period of nearly thirty years. Rosenstock's stunning images, rich in detail and range of tones, are exquisitely reproduced in a handsome volume in which the binding and typography contribute to its overall artistry. The few words of introduction are also carefully chosen; permitting the eloquent voice of the visual to command the attention of the reader.

On the one hand, this oversized-but-not-quite-coffee-table book isn't really a guidebook, certainly not in the mold of Fodor's or Frommer's. There is no list of hotels and restaurants, no star-ratings, no chapter on "where to take the kids," no advice on where to get your money changed. On the other hand, this is the best all-round travel book about London I have ever had the pleasure of losing myself in. Reading this book, especially if you have at least a superficial familiarity with London, is like strolling through the city with an urbane, witty, and very knowledgeable uncle, someone who knows everybody and every place in it. For example: On a rainy day, you can go to the Sloane Square station of the Underground and listen to the remnants of the River Westbourne sloshing through a conduit overhead. You can visit Leadenhall Market and know who designed the roof. You can read the "Cockney Alphabet," or discover what happened to the Crystal Palace, or learn the ins and outs of the Chelsea Flower Show. You can find out why Brixton smells different than other neighborhoods, where the psychological division between north and south London originated, and how the Thames Barrier works. Or what happened at the first-ever FA Cup Final at Wembly in 1923. Or where Princess Diana bought her shoes. Or why you mustn't miss the engine room at Tower Bridge. Or why Old Billingsgate was more glamourous -- and much more fun -- than New Billingsgate. Because it was published six years ago now, some things have changed; Jack Straw's Castle, an inn and pub Yapp recommends for a visit, has now been sold and carved up into condos. But Hampstead Heath hasn't changed, and neither has Portobello Road. The eclectic topics covered are gathered into eight sections, either geographical (The Thames, The City, Westminster) or by subject, and each topic neatly fills a two-page spread, so you can really open the volume anywhere and just read. And every one of the 350 pages has at least one photo and often more -- most of them shot specifically for this book by Rupert Tenison. Yapp, a Londoner-born, also is obviously an afficionado of pubs. No matter what corner of the metropolis he's escorting you through, you can bet he'll point out the best watering-holes along the way, with something of their histories and unique personalities and notable regulars of the past -- nor does he hesitate to note those chains and themed houses that aren't worth spending your coin in. This is a truly marvelous book, nicely conceived, beautifully written, gorgeously illustrated. My attention actually was brought to it by an American friend, an historian, who has lived and worked in London for more than twenty years -- and who had discovered in it a great many things he didn't know and places he wasn't familiar with. It's out of print, unfortunately, but buy it used or get it through Inter-Library Loan -- but read it.

London: The Secrets and the Splendor is a wonderful book. It is the book for anyone who has ever loved the city of London. This book is a must, and anyone can read it.

London: The Secrets and the Splendor is a wonderful book. It is the book for anyone who has ever loved the city of London. This book is a must, and anyone can read it.

I wanted to buy a really good book about London after returning from a recent visit there. I was a little wary buying a book such as this over the 'net, but I have to say I was not disappointed with this gem.

It is a classy, beautiful book, packed with slighlty off-beat information that is more than just a summary of what you read in your travel guides. The pictures are just gorgeous, not only capturing what I discovered of London during my all-too-brief trip, but also uncovering so much more.

If you want a great book about London, then this is the one for you.

This book is excellent - the perfect gift for anyone who has visited or ever wanted to visit London. It covers all of the usual tourist attractions in the city, but it also covers the areas and sights that make London unique. The photographs are high-quality and Yapp offers bits of interesting history and stories that the average visitor would not know. It covers all aspects of the city...pubs, museums, literary and military history, shopping markets like Covent Garden and sites found just outside the city, such as Hampstead, Kew Gardens, and Greenwhich.

It is not a travel guide by any means, as the author notes in the preface, but it allows you to check out areas and historical notes about London that even a frequent visitor may not know.

A wonderful way to relax over a rainy weekend. If you've been to London, it will take you back. If you haven't, the tape will prepare you for when you do go. Powell livens up the tour with interesting, amusing, and startling facts and anecdotes. The contemporary and historical information, the accents, the readers, the mood - all make for a quick trip to the U.K. in one little box. Very much enjoyed it.

Great book. Tours are easy to follow and take you into some really great parts of London that even locals don't know. I got to school our host on Aldephi.

Having read London by Rutherfurd made the tours even better.

The huge and bustling metropolis of London does not reveal itself to the casual visitor. To discover its hidden wonders, you must investigate streets and alleyways on foot. Now with the LONDONWALKS auido guide, visitors to London can put on earphones and slip a LONDONWALKS tape into their portable cassette recorder and start walking, while they listen to the history, scandal, and intrigue of one of the most magnificent cities of Europe. Each of the four audio walking tours in this two-cassette package takes about two hours, or as long as a morning or aternoon. They are narrated by the English actress Jean Marsh.

Self-directed (and very explicit in terms of getting you around) this book is a wonderful find. If I want to re-think all the great times my friend and I had trekking through districts/neighborhoods, I don't go look at my photos... I grab this book. The gentleman who wrote it (at the time we visited) also led guided tours of the areas described in the book ..20 pounds! Do it yourself for the price of the book. Funny, informative, and definitely worth the bucks.

We also bought the New York Walks (Manhattan) and found it equally informative, although written by a bunch of people from the NY "Y". Hester Street, Lower East Side, Upper East Side, etc., etc. GREAT.

LONDONWALKS Audio tours was the high point of our quick trip to London last month. We did two of the four walks and now we must return to do the rest. We will be looking for more Sound Travel Audio Guides. What a great idea!

My husband and I have just recently returned from a two week trip to Mauritius. Although we booked our trip through a well known travel agent and stayed in a hotel, the Lonely Planet Guide was invaluable. If you are considering a trip to Mauritius and are toying with the idea of a self catering option (which I actually would recommend), you need this book. If you are going for the hotel option but are interested in seeing the island and sampling the local cuisine outside the hotel, you need this book. Don't go without it. Everything that there is to see and do on the island of Mauritius, is in the book.

Two summers ago we went into Seychelles, and Mauritius,Reunion& Seychelles LP travel guide was essential for us. Thanks to it, we could discover Seychelles was not just a diving and incredible beaches paradise, but its interiors landscapes were the best of our journey. We recomend it,because its fantastic information about Mahe,Praslin and La Digue islands, their national parks (such as Sainte Anne or Vallee de Mai). Prices were as high as the author wrote! and all information about public buses, rent-a-car and restaurants was right. Just one thing, we couldn't find where La Gogue Reservoir was! If anybody can strength the lake exists, please let us know!!

I spent 4 weeks living with a family on Mauritius this past summer, and this book was invaluable. I had many days to myself, and this book made it very easy to get around, with tips on restaurants that were up to date, good info about getting places on the bus and what things to see. The maps were probably the most helpful, especially in places like Port Louis and Grand Baie. I would recommend this book to anyone traveling to Mauritius, whether on a package tour, or on their own.

I used an earlier edition of this book on a trip in 1996, in which I visited the Seychelles, Mauritius, and Reunion. I was travelling independently (not as part of a package tour) and the book helped in many ways to make my trip a great one. It provides a wealth of information about hotels and restaurants, island culture, and places and things to see on the islands. If you can only visit one of these three islands, I would recommend the Seychelles, which offer some of the finest tropical scenery I have ever seen. One advantage of Mauritius for the budget-minded traveler is that it is considerably less expensive than the Seychelles.

This guide was my Bible while I traveled through Mahe and Praslin islands in 1999. The Seychelles are full of kind, open-hearted locals who are generous and more than willing to show Westerners around. My trusty LP guide helped me find several reasonable b&b's, Michael Adams' studio (wonderful local artist) and the most perfect beaches in the Indian Ocean. What I love about LP guides, and this one in particular, is the extensive history of the area the book is covering, as well as the locals' interests. Those intending to visit this incredible area should take this guide book - the photography alone will tempt anyone.

Fine text & phenomenal photographs.

Wonderful photographs and narrative; this book captures the life and spirit of Berlin during its heyday. The final few pages address the emergence of the Nazi influence; other books thus are left to relate the ensuing horror that befell Berlin. One of my favourite Berlin books. Also worth a read are "Before the Deluge" and "Faust's Metropolis", two excellent books which cover Berlin in the 20's and 30's.

This book is a picture book. Most of the pictures are of a Berlin that disappeared under allied bombing. Other pictures are of the picture takers, artists, and movies of that Ziet. The time period covered is the 1920's and 1930's. There are several pictures of the Freicorps, and images from films such as "The cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
The table of contents reads:
1. BERLINERLUFT 6
2. BAUHAUSSTADT 34
3. CABARET AND FILMSTADT 66
4. MUSIKSTADT 108
5. STADT MAHAGONNY 140
INDEX 204

ACKNOLEDGMENTS 208

This book of Pre-World War II Berlin is eloquently told in a series of photographs the have an undeniable melancholy effect on the reader for days of tranquility and simplicity long gone. If you can get your hands on a copy it is well worth it.

This book is a picture book. Most of the pictures are of a Berlin that disappeared under allied bombing. Other pictures are of the picture takers, artists, and movies of that Ziet. The time period covered is the 1920's and 1930's. There are several pictures of the Freicorps, and images from films such as "The cabinet of Dr. Caligari.

The table of contents reads:

1. BERLINERLUFT 6

2. BAUHAUSSTADT 34

3. CABARET AND FILMSTADT 66

4. MUSIKSTADT 108

5. STADT MAHAGONNY 140

INDEX 204

ACKNOLEDGMENTS 208

These are comments from my students...

"Lucha Libre: The Man in the Silver Mask is a book about fighting or wrestling. 'Lucha Libre...'is a good book for Spanish people that don't know how to read or speak in English. It's also good for people who don't know how to speak or read in Spanish because on each page it has an English part and a Spanish part, too. My opinion about the book is that it is a good book and it has good pictures. Also, on each page there are pictures that are colorful." --Duaa



"I like this book because it's a good book and it's interesting, especially the part about El Vampiro. I like when he stretches and his stomach pops out and his muscles get stronger. You should read this book because is has Spanish and English. It's fun. You should read it!" --Feras



"My opinion about 'Lucha Libre: The Man in the Silver Mask' is that it is good because it's bilingual and people who speak Spanish can understand the two different languages, Spanish and English, and learn them a little better. The good thing about this book is that it has two boxes, one in English and one in Spanish. It is a good book, and you should read it. The books was interesting through the whole thing. As I read it, it was getting more and more interesting. You should read this book because it will be a nice book for you!" --Kiara



"I like this book, 'Lucha Libre: The Man in the Silver Mask', because it has English and Spanish. However, it has too many pictures. My favorite part is when the Man in the Silver Mask jumps on El Vampiro, and he lands on the ground. That's when the Tecnicos won. " --Daniel

"My opinion of the book 'Lucha Libre: The Man in the Silver Mask' is tha this book is a good book to read because this book helps people that speak no Spanish learn to speak some Spanish. Also for people that speak no English, they can learn to speak some English. This is also a good book for little kids because it has a lot of pictures. Another thing I liked about this book is that most of it is understandable, but it does have some hard words to read. This is why I think this is a good book to read." --Victor

"My opinion of the book 'Lucha Libre: The Man in the Silver Mask' is that it is a great book to read. I liked reading this book because it is interesting. You read one page, and you want to keep on going. One thing that I don't like about this book is it looks hard to read. I love the pictures because they have action, and they are so creative, the colors and all. One thing I really like is that it is in Spanish and English. I liked the end of the book; it is wonderfully interesting. This book is awesome, very great. You need to read this book. " --Diana

"My opinion about 'Lucha Libre: The Man in the Silver Mask' is that it was a really good book. I liked this book because it was really interesting. I was interested to know what would happen at the end of the book. I liked this book because in the beginning it started in an exciting way and ended in an exciting way, too. So, I would like to tell youi to check out this book; it is really interesting. It really has great illustrations and a great story." --Gisela

My opinion of 'Lucha Libre: The Man in the Silver Mask' is that I like it because it has pictures and it has Spanish and English words. It is about a man in a silver mask (that's the book title), and they have fun. They have other luchadores, like El Cucuy, El Vampiro, El Carvenicola and more, but the best one is the Man in the Silver Mask. He's the best luchadore, and that's what the boy (Carlitos) said, but he doesn't know if the Man in the Silver Mask is his uncle." --Alondra

The young narrator has the opportunity of a lifetime; not only does attend the Lucha Libre matches with his grandfather, but a chance to purchase a mask of his favorite luchadore, the Man in the Silver Mask, and the opportunity to meet the legend before he does battle inside the squard-circle.

Though the book is written for ages 9-12, the wonderful artwork - in a classic, graphic-novel style - and endnote on the history of Lucha Libre makes this a collectible for any fan of professional wrestling.

The mask may be silver, but this luchadore is pure gold to the young fan; with the story evoking memories - for those sharing it with children - on real past heroes in the ring.

"The Man in the Silver Mask" is an overt tribute to "El Santo, El Enmascarada de Plata" but its also a beautiful story of familial love...

The story reminded me of the fascination lucha libre and pro-wrestling held for me in my youth. The story can be compared to the youthful feelings a child experiences during Christmas and the stories of "Santa Claus".

I took great pleasure and pride reading this story to my two year old daughter, who I believe really experienced the feelings of joy the artist provided within the pages. The pictures were bold, the emotions were strong.

A beautiful story for all ages.

This is a charming story, beautifully illustrated (for the record, I am a collector of Xavier's artworks, including some wonderful "portraits" of Lucha Libre masked men and women). The historical background at the back of the book is like dessert....Xavier's telling of the real story of Lucha Libre makes this book a real treasure. We have a copy in our library, and have bought copies for the "older" grandsons (10 & 12) and the younger grandson (6). We are all going to enjoy the book for a very long time.

Just like the little boy in the book I now too love Lucha Libre and its masked heroes and villains! This book was great, kids will just love it.