United Kingdom Books

I brought this book because of the title and the cost, plus it's Malcolm, but when I began to read it, it was more than what I expected to be. Best 80 cents I ever spent

A new expanded edition of this book has been available since November 2002!
This new edition includes 43 more pages than the previous edition, with the complete text of Malcolm's Speech at Oxford and a more complete text of his speech at the London School of Economics. The expanded introduction together with Jack Barnes' "He spoke the truth to our generation of revolutionists," a memorial speech for Malcolm given in March 5, 1965, provides an excellent short introduction to Malcolm's life and ideas.

There is a six-page index, eight pages of notes, as well as an expanded photo display of 17 pages including Malcolm X with students and young people from Tanzania to Alabama, including a picture of Fidel Castro and Malcolm X smiling together in Harlem in 1960 when they were both still young!

This edition of Malcolm X Speaks to Young People is being produced together with a first-ever Spanish-language edition, entitled Malcolm X habla a la juventud, which is being released simultaneously by Pathfinder Press and by Casa Editora Abril, the publishing house of the Union of Young Communists in Cuba.


While this book may not be directly available from Amazon at times, they are available from the booksfrompathfinder on Amazon that you can find by clicking on the new and used books on this page.

Malcolm X Talks to Young People is an immensely relevant and instructive book for the young and the young at heart. His words, spoken to university students in Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States in 1964-65, ring as true today as they did then.

"I just try to face the fact as it actually is and come to this meeting as one of the victims of America, one of the victims of Americanism, one of the victims of democracy, one of the victims of a very hypocritical system that is going all over this earth today representing itself as being qualified to tell other people how to run their country when they can't get the dirty things that are going on in their own country straightened out," he told students at the University of Ghana, May 13, 1964.

Originally issued as the first Gulf War began,in these pages Malcolm explains how in the Congo the US govt bombed women,men,children, and babies and called THEM terrorists,as he points out,the same as in Vietnam.He shows how it was the U.S. and U.S.-flunky ( "anti-Castro Cubans pilots" ) who were the terrorists in the Congo in the early to mid 1960s. At a time when the word "hero" is twisted so obscenely, it is a breath of fresh clean air to read Malcom's descriptions of the herois Simba fighters of the Congo who tried, and failed to liberate their country from U.S. neocolonial domination after kicking out the Belgian colonizers, and to hear him describe the equally heroic fighters who defeated the Empire in China and Cuba and Vietnam in the same terms.He exposes the use of UN cover for the Yanqui Empire's wars and drive for profits.He explains that these crimes are the doings of a system, the imperialist system ,as he calls it himself.He points out they use the cops to do the same at home :brutalize working people. Malcolm further points out that both the Republican AND the Democratic parties are the twin parties of racism and imperial exploitation. Oh yes, both parties ! He explains how he came to the conclusion that " capitalism is like a vulture...it used to be able to suck anybody's blood...but now it can only suck the blood of the helpless. It's only a matter of time , in my opinion, before it will collapse completely " and how he became prosocialist. He points to the Chinese, Vietnamese, and Cuban revolutions as examples for Blacks - today he would add and we can add, all working people -- to emulate in this country, in our time.And, he makes his stand to fight alongside anyone, any color, who fights to better condtiions for humans on this earth. As the 2nd Gulf War begins, again under UN cover and "inspections" just as the liberals pleaded, as more working people's blood, Iraq and American, for the sake of the oil profits of a tiny few, it is good to be reminded that as, Malcolm says in these pages, " The young generation of whites, Blacks, browns-you're living at a time of revolution." He was right then and he is still right.If you seek serious fundamental social change, you owe it to yourself to buy and STUDY this book.

I think the best way to describe this wonderful book is a few excerpts (from the 2002 expanded edition).

"The young generation of whites, Blacks, browns, whatever else there is -- you're living at ... a time of revolution, a time when there's got to be a change.... And I for one will join in with anyone, I don't care what color you are, as long as you want to change this miserable condition that exists on this earth."

"It is the teenagers ... all over the world, who are actually involving themselves in the struggle to eliminate oppression and exploitation.... The young people are the ones who most quickly identify with the struggle and the necessity to eliminate the evil conditions that exist."

"In America the Black community in which we live is not owned by us. The landlord is white. The merchant is white. . . . And these are the people who suck the economic blood of our community."

"We are not for violence in any shape or form, but believe that the people who have violence committed against them should be able to defend themselves.... I have never said that the Negroes should initiate acts of aggression against whites, but where the government fails to protect the Negro he is entitled to do it himself."

[In Africa] "I'm from America but I'm not an American. I didn't go there of my own free choice.... [I am] one of the victims of Americanism, ... one of the victims of a very hypocritical system that is going all over this earth today representing itself as being qualified to tell other people how to run their country when they can't get the dirty things that are going on in their own country straightened out."

[In Africa] "When we find a Black man who's always receiving the praise of the Americans, we become suspicious of him.... Because it has been our experience that the Americans don't praise any Black man who is really working for the benefit of the Black man."

"It is impossible for capitalism to survive, primarily because the system of capitalism needs some blood to suck. Capitalism used to be like an eagle, but now it's more like a vulture. It used to be strong enough to go and suck anybody's blood whether they were strong or not. But now it has become more cowardly, like the vulture, and it can only suck the blood of the helpless."

I recommend the ads in the back of the book. Pathfinder Press is defined by a political goal, not commercial success. It aims to provide a platform for revolutionary leaders speaking in their own words. If you like one book, you will probably like others.

This excellent volume combines 2 books by the highly readable Viscount Norwich. His history of the Normans in south Italy and Sicily in the 10th and 11th centuries fills a gap in our knowledge of these fascinating mercenaries who-would-be-kings and rings true even today with the impact of Europeans on the Arab world and vice-versa. Remember, the Normans (of Norman Conquest of England fame) were the descendants of Viking raiders who settled in France and their military prowess against the Byzantine Empire and conquests in Italy were just as important as their better known invasion and conquest of England and Ireland in the same centuries.

Norwich is a storyteller as much as he is a historian. He resembles Barbara Tuchman -- you might not base a doctoral thesis on his work, but he certaily provides a great read. In many ways, this work is superior to his Byzantium trilogy. This may be because he has bitten off a more managable slice of history. This allows Norwich to go deeper on the main personalities and events he is covering. You really come a way with a feeling for this remarkable adventure of the Normans in Southern Italy and the advanced and powerful state they were able to create. It also highlights thier impact on the crusades, Byzantium, and the broader struggle between the Pope and secular power. I really enjoyed this book -- so much so that I travelled to Sicily to visit some of the many amazing artifacts left behind by this underdocumented "other conquest" of the Normans.

Dull and daunting as this title might seem for the general reader, this is actually a facinating and important episode in European history. For the more cynical it could serve as a primer for any group seeking to achieve political power by taking advantage of the inherent problems of a weak and divided polity. Diplomatically, it proves a brilliant example of a weaker party playing off stronger powers to its considerable advantage. For the more hopeful, it provides one of the regrettably few examples of Christians (Roman and Orthodox) and Muslims not only coexisting, but mutually prospering and profiting, under a pragmatic but culturally informed leadership. Lord Norwich's writing style and sense of what is actually important creates a lively, entertaining and informative look at the period.

The prospect of reading a 750-page tome on the history of Sicily between 1016 and 1194 would probably seem inviting only to the most masochistic of history buffs. That Norwich's book (originally published as two works, "The Normans in the South" and "The Kingdom in the Sun") has enjoyed its well-deserved longevity and such an admiring audience is a testament both to the thoroughness of his investigation and to the enthusiasm of his prose.

By necessity, Norwich populates his history on a crowded and expansive stage. This is less a chronicle of Sicily than the story of Europe during the Middle Ages, with the Normans in Sicily playing a starring role. Popes from Urban II to Alexander III, kings from Henry II of England to Louis VII of France, emperors from Frederick Barbarossa to Manuel Comnenus--they all warily circled the arenas in southern Italy and Sicily, with the Normans of Sicily at the center of nearly every major confrontation of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, from the investiture controversy to the Crusades.

But the real heroes of Norwich's masterpiece are the Sicilian rulers themselves, along with several of their often-insubordinate underlings. We are introduced to a sequence of memorable dukes and duchesses and kings and queens: Robert Guiscard and Sichelgaita, the fearsome husband-and-wife team who led the conquest of southern Italy and the campaign against Byzantium; Roger II, the first king of Sicily and a brilliant warrior, diplomat, and administrator; William the Bad, William the Good, and the final William III, who ruled over the island and its fragile government in its glory days; and Queen Constance, whose marriage to Henry VI, of the Hohenstaufen dynasty, brought Sicily into the Holy Roman Empire.

As the above dramatis personae suggests, "The Normans in Sicily" is largely a history of military campaigns, political intrigue, and diplomatic schemes. Norwich supplements his story, which was purportedly written with the tourist in mind, with doses of cultural history (particularly art and architecture) and with descriptions of the palaces, churches, monasteries, and other sites that have survived eight centuries of upheaval and restoration. He also examines the unusual melding of the three religious traditions (Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Islamic) and how their occasional harmony and ultimate conflict affected the society and culture of Sicily in ways not coincidentally reminiscent of Spain during the same period.

Especially notable is his resuscitation of the reputation of William the Bad (or Wicked): "The epithet rings false. There was nothing evil about him. . . . [His] reluctance to face up to so many of his political responsibilities was due not only to his natural indolence but to a genuine conviction that there were others around him better qualified for the task. . . . Perhaps William the Sad might have been a more accurate description."

Of social and economic history, there is (not surprisingly) very little. The sources for such an investigation are limited, and these concerns were barely beginning to blossom among English-speaking historians in the 1960s--and Norwich admits he is not a scholar, though he writes far better than many of them. He was, however, conspicuously ahead of his time both in his assessment of the role of women in the expansion of the kingdom of Sicily and in his even-handed presentation of various religious customs.

"The Normans in Sicily" is, then, a traditional history, but one whose scope and whose value cannot be overestimated. And it doesn't hurt that it's exciting to read.

This is one of the best layman's books about any conquest. Norwich is unputownable history at its best. Witty, wise and taking rather a different view of the Norman Conquest of Sicily and South Italy than Norman Lewis, his is above all a kind of adventure story. It is also a look at a dynasty that makes the Colby family look pathetic. The humour that sparkles throughout the book helps make the whole experience more enlightening. A masterpiece of popular history at its best, it may be unfashionably concerned with the doings of the mighty, but who can resist the corrupt Popes, the machiavellian intrigues of the Byzantines, the gormless Germans and of course the Italians themselves, and the city-states and vassal-states endlessly changing sides, like an Italian football supporter when his own team isn't playing.

This is one of the best books ever written on the subject of Elizabethan Costuming. It mainly contains all of the details of Queen Elizabeth I wardrobe but it has unique points in the society that surrounded the dresses. This book helps to explain the Gloriana image that became so popular and it helps us to understand all the little details that went into the dress of the period. Detailing costumes using portraits and explaining how the fashion progressed makes this book a must for anyone interested in Renaissance Faires and the nobility. The only drawback is that very very few of the portraits and pictures are in color. I think a total of about 7 are in color the rest is in black and white. The only way to make this book more appealing and usable would be to put all of the portraits and pictures in color, but that would make the book even more expensive. After this must have book the 2nd on the shelf should be a J. Hunniset book (the lady who did all the costuming for Elizabeth R and The Six Wives of Henry the VIII produced by BBC). Next, any Janet Arnold book. Last, would be the Norris book: Tudor Costuming and Fashion (although most of this book is very outdated it is nice to look at). All of these are must haves and will make a well rounded library. Dispite the high price of the book it is worth posessing. Enjoy.

This book is amazing. Huge, and packed full of information. An essential refernce work if you are seriously considering doing anything with elizabethan fashion. The author has poured years of scholarship into this work and it shows. It's not really a coffee table picture book. Instead it is full of carefully culled facts for the serious student or anybody curious about 'real' English Tudor costume.

For the historical costumer focused on 16th century clothing, this is the "bible" hands down. Big, expensive, and filled with the usual detail that is the hallmark of Janet Arnold, this is one very worthwhile investment for the serious costumer. This book has one tiny drawback, in that it focuses entirely on women's fashion in the 16th century as viewed through the wardrobe accounts of Queen Elizabeth I and some of her contemporaries. Therefore, it has nothing to say on the topic of men's clothing, which is an unfortunately neglected aspect of 16th century research.

Much of Janet Arnold's most important contributions to the costuming community are addressed in this book, making it extremely valuable. She presents each section with satisfying detail, raising very few questions that remain unanswered. The photographs accompanying the text are also invaluable, as many of them are not available in other books or to the general public for viewing. If only there were more color images...

If you can afford the book, you won't regret buying it.

For years I heard how this was _the_ book to buy if you were into Elizabethan costuming and wanted authentic items that could be documented. The book is good for that, and I enjoyed the style that Ms.Arnold wrote it in.

But I have two major gripes with the book-both regarding the quality of graphics and images in it.

First off-in the whole book there are only about 5 pages in color. The rest of it-including hundreds of portraits, examples of extant clothing pieces and pieces of embroidery were all in black and white. I complain about that because, with so many of the portraits quoted as examples it would help if they could be seen clearly. (Many of them are too dark to have reproduced well, and a few are quite horrible.) And the photographs....

If they could reprint this book and possibly include more color plates it would be a much much more valuable resource. As it stands now, it is a good source, but not all that I could have hoped for. Instead I have begun a search for color reproductions of the portraits cited in the book. A long tedious job but one that I think over all will make it a much more solid resource for my needs.

I bought this as a gift for a friend who helped a great deal with my wedding, advising me of dress styles, hair styles, fashion from this era, dances, music, food, and everything in between, as well as arranging all the flowers for the wedding! She was a godsend! When I gave her the book, her jaw dropped and she was so excited to get it... she said she had been wanting it forever. As I consider her quite knowledgeable about the subject matter of this book, and as it came highly recommended by her, I would say that it's a great book to have if this is something you are interested in as a serious hobby or more.

This is among my top 5 audio books, out of the perhaps 50 that I've listened to over the years. The author's wry sense of humor combines with a gift for suspense to make for an excellent spy novel. But there is also a sensitivity to human emotion that is touching at points. Highly recommended.

I have been a book reader my entire life. This Author (who passed away a few years ago) shall be deeply missed. Written with intelligence and in a manner that the characters (and their souls) become alive on the paper in my hands.

It is very likely you have never heard of this author, nor his Quiller series.

Warning :) Know up front that if you order one of them, you shall (over time) order all of them.

Run do not walk and gather up many enjoyable evenings with all of the Quiller novels.

A deep thank you Elleston Trevor, aka Adam Hall for providing me with your words.

...this author did to the spy thriller--don't be put off by the number of pages, each is fast-paced and the writing style is both accessible as well as being completely original--with all the hoopla over Brosnan quitting the Bond series, Broccoli and co. could do no wrong using this character and series as a template--HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

There is a lot more info on the Quiller series at www.quiller.net, a fan site.

In New Zealand, where I live, haere ra is a Maori term meaning more than goodbye. It expresses sorrow at the departure, regret at the necessity for parting, hope for a reuniting in the future.
Adam Hall, creator of Quiller, is no more. Quiller has performed his last service with his usual stoicism, his acknowledged courage, his down-at-heel humanity.
I've enjoyed meeting with Quiller on a regular basis; I regret that he shall tell me no new tales.
However, I have his old tales to refresh my mind as to what an extraordinary character he was.
Haere ra, Quiller.

This is an excellent "study guide" before going to the UK. I would definitely recommend it from cover to cover. The author is very thorough to the point of giving lists of American words vs. British words with their respective meanings.

I read through the entire book the first day I got it, and am sure I will reference it again and again before (and probably after) I relocate to London for six months. It's extremely informative, witty and well-written. Many topics are addressed that I hadn't even thought about. It covers do's and don't's for nearly every situation imagineable. The pronunciations and "glossary" sections the end of each chapter are most helpful.

Very funny, easy pick up and put down...and then pick up again. I read parts aloud to my ten year old and she laughed too. Good variety of topics and the website additions helpful. I liked best when she wrote about her American born husband and her children's reactions. The potty talk section really got me laughing.

Whilst scanning my local bookstore's shelves for a quick read I came across "Rules, Britannia" by Toni Summers Hargis. After finishing it (in one sitting) I know not to say "it was 'quite' good", for that would indicate something less than extreme pleasure on my part. "Rules, Britannia" is VERY good, informative and funny and while our language differences deserve credit for the book's inspiration the author has earned all of the rest.

Having grown up on the other side of the pond, Ms. Hargis has spent sixteen years in the States and has a perspective that is most welcome from an American point of view. For those of us who have spent a good amount of time in England, reading "Rules, Britannia" tells one more of the things one doesn't know but probably should. This is not merely a collective glossary of word translations (although at the end of each chapter there is one, relating to that particular chapter) but a look at what every American needs to know upon visiting the mother country. From transportation and food to shopping and partying, the author is a gentle teacher, or perhaps more of a cultural ambassador.

What Toni Hargis does so well is relate things from an English viewpoint. I was surprised to see that the Brits find it very rude if you refer to another person in your midst as "he" or "she", or that if you cannot attend a dinner party it is essential (almost to a comical fault) that you let your host know exactly the reasons WHY you won't be there. I laughed out loud after reading about the fact that Brits never park their car leaving it in gear when the author then goes on to say, "if you borrow someone's car, for heaven's sake don't leave it in gear when you return it, or the owner will kangaroo straight through the garden wall next time the engine's turned on." Who can resist such advice?!

Occasionally, you'll find some repetitions in the book....what you're reading you just read a few pages ago. A couple of additions would be good also... (unless I missed them) when stepping off the pavement make sure to look right before crossing the street (there are reminders on London streets) and if trying to book passage on BritRail on Christmas Day or Boxing Day, forget about it. I suppose this is a way of saying there is probably enough material for another book by author Hargis.....one I would stand hours in a queue to purchase!

I highly recommend "Rules, Brittania". It's practical, down-to-earth and immensely enjoyable.

I've now read this book front to back twice and I have found it to be so incredibly helpful as I prepare for my move to the UK in July. I would highly recommend this book to anyone moving from the US to the UK, or the UK to the US...or just anyone interested in British culture, as it is highly entertaining as well as informative.

This book is a continuation of the first autobiography by Gelsey Kirkland. It tells about her starting back up in dancing and winning her final aclaim for her career before finding out what she has to give to the new young generations of dancers. This book is full of Gelsey's wonderful insights and methods of working on ballets, and I am sorry that it is out of print. I recommend it to dancers and autobiography readers. It is rare that you see a star find true happiness in the course of their life.

As good as her first but more about her creative process and the value of ballet. Has a beautiful section on how she created her memorial roles.

"Dancing on My Grave" was riveting, taking you down the spiral into addiction and then back up again--barely. This sequel autobiography fulfills all your hopes for Ms. Kirkland and much, much more! The world is fortunate that she met her co-author and life partner, Greg Lawrence, who has so skillfully guided them both through these books that immortalize the special passion and intensity she brought into her work as a dancer! I'm not a ballerina (although I dance whenever I can and always dreamed of being one) but her presentation of her working methods crosses over and can be applied to just about any life or form of creative expression! I could not put this book down, the story is so well-told, with one event after another drawing you on. Who needs gossip and scandal? This is MUCH, much more enriching and fulfilling, healing and inspiring! Don't miss it! I, for one, am so grateful that her special inspiration has been preserved and I agree--it should never fall out of print. Generations in the future need her perspective.

Kirkland's moving and in depth sequel to "Dancing on my Grave" is wonderful. She uses her experiences and struggles to find meaning and life in her dancing. From one who has been classically trained in ballet, but never been taught to feel emotion or a character, I am forever grateful to Ms. Kirkland for opening her life and sharing it with me. Please, if you dance, read this book!

This book goes beyond "Dancing On My Grave" and extends the "happy ending." Gelsey describes her experiences with teaching. The best part was when she takes you through the rehearsals and performances of Romeo and Juliet. She describes how she develops the character, and makes the character come alive. I loved this book!

Fabulous book in its research and real life adventures. Amazing that some of these places where various events took place, I've actually been there, 450 years later. Awesome. P. Almeidinha

I got this book because of my interest in stories about people surviving shipwrecks. The Padre, the subject of the book, survived THREE shipwrecks -- that alone makes the book worth reading. But the book is about a lot more than that.
Through it I learned about the beginnings of the world economy, monetary systems and even the development of Western political/ governing systems. All of that is provided as background to why things happened as they did during this remarkable saga. But even without that breadth of view, the story is astonishing and gripping. The primary source for the story is the diaries of the Padre and the author does such a great job, I really felt like I was reading a book BY the Padre.
I read the book a couple years ago and have read others because of the interests it ignited. But nothing has come close to being as interesting, as gripping or as broad in world view. Even after three or four years, it's still vivid and I actively recommend it to friends. To me, it is an unheralded masterpiece.

Set in Virginia, Florida, Ecuador and the Bahamas, there are no clear winners in this story, and Horner aptly entitles one of his chapters "Treasure is Trouble", something befitting the 17th-century Spaniards who met a tragic fate on the waters of Ecuador and the Bahamas, as well as the modern-day treasure hunters whose greed has brought them nothing but "trouble". The exception remains Dave Horner whose goal was clearly the quest for historical truth and the dissemination of valuable historical and archaeological data, something he achieved with eloquence. A captivating book and a lesson to be learned... again

Mr Horner does a good job of describing the attempts of a Spanish monk to get back to his homeland and the ememy attacks that he is forced to endure on his voyage. The descriptions that he gives of his modern day salvage adventures is also very interesting. A good read.

Immaculate research and superb translations from Spanish archive material turn this into both a scholarly research vehicle and a concise history of the Spanish colonies and the Treasure Fleets.
A good part of the narrative is in the words of a Spanish Padre sent out to Chile to minister to the colonists; this tells us first-hand of the vast mountains of silver that were being exported from South America, and of the nepotism, greed, dishonesty and cowardice that seems to be the product of any get-rich-quick scheme - and Spain had more than its fair share in the 16th & 17th Centuries. The rest of the story is supported by quotes from sailors and court officials, while Mr.Horner fleshes out the story with historical facts and some surmise - the many notes are detailed as appendix and are not intrusive, while there is other useful information contained in other appendices.

Our Padre seems unusually unlucky in being shipwrecked twice, and on the way home the fleet is ambushed in sight of Cadiz and he, along with two ships and 4 million pesos (38 cartloads!) are captured in a brilliantly described battle that Hornblower would be proud of.

However, he lives to tell the tale; his memoirs are so detailed that we have a better idea of the actual wealth contained in the treasure fleet than the manifests admit - also the position of the wrecks is so well decribed that Mr.Horner was able to locate the sites and recover valuable artifacts (and of course, silver).

As a bonus, we are treated to a superb description of the daringly successful 1657 British attack on the treasure fleet holed-up in Santa Cruz, in which the whole Spanish fleet was destroyed, with the loss of no ships and only 60 men on the British side. This effectively crippled Spanish hopes of sea-rule and bankrupted Seville.

The final chapter warns us of the perils of dealing with the red-tape and gung-ho journalism that inevitably accompanies any salvage, not to mention the thievery when there is treasure involved.

A very worthwhile read. ****

Definitive hardly does this book justice. Authoritative, doesn't do it. The sheer amount of research author Hjort did on this labor of love really is mind boggling. He probably knows what each of these guys had for breakfast, lunch and dinner each day from '67 to '70. Being a Mick Taylor fanatic with my love for Peter Green running just shy of that, I was so delighted to find a book devoted to them and Clapton it was days before I realized what you learn reading this book. There's tech stuff for us players, lists of gigs, record sessions and tv appearances for the completists and a bit of gossip here and there for all of us. But his finest feat is making the reader feel he is there at the beginning of a blues scene made up of skinny white Brit kids that 3 years later was the basis for much of the most vital rock music ever made. This time telling the story as it went through Mayall's Bluesbreakers and those 3 incredible guitar players he hired in a row. I'm not sure who came after these 3 but I'm glad it wasn't me. I still consider Taylor and Green to be deities, way too overlooked and underappreciated, but Taylor especially enhances every project he's been a part of and I can listen to him play slide all day long. This is an incredible look at what it must be like to be a child prodigy, playing world class blues at 15, in arguably the best blues band in England at 17 and asked to join the Stones at 20. And there's just as much or more on Clapton and Green; looking back it seems incredible that these 3 virtuoso musicians emerged in a country with no blues tradition or players to look up to or learn from in their early guitar years. If you're a fan of blues, guitar,the 60s, London or any of the 4 principles of this story, I urge you to treat yourself to this book. You won't be sorry.

This book has an amazing amount of information but I find it hard to read straight through and instead wind up jumping from artist to artist and such.What I do love is the photos of my heroes in action,my favorites being a complete picture of Peter Green with the Orange amps behind him(a cropped version is used for Gary Moores "Blues For Greeny" cd),the Cafe Au Go Go shot of BB King,Clapton and Elvin Bishop jamming(a cropped version leaving out Elvin was used for "Riding With The King") and an alternate angle shot of Cream at Madison Square Garden(this date is used for the cover of "Live Cream") with a nice view of Cream's weaponry behind them(man,I love gear).That all being said its hard to imagine a more complete source of information on what is probably my favorite style of music,British Blues.

Full disclosure: I am a guitar geek. I was the guy at sock hops who'd sit by the record player, not dancing, reading the liner notes (remember those?), and dreaming of stardom.
What Christopher Hjort has accomplished with this volume is nothing less than amazing - a day-by-day accounting of concerts, club gigs, recording sessions, photo sessions, BBC broadcasts and even informal rehearsals by the movers and shakers of the blossoming British Blues scene. For the five years covered in this book, the careers of John Mayall, Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Taylor (and pretty much anyone who came within five feet of an amplifier or microphone stand) are tracked in exquisite detail. The painstaking research is rewarding to anyone interested in the early days of groups like Fleetwood Mac, Cream and The Rolling Stones, and the cameos by Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix are the icing on the cake.
Great rare photos, detailed equipment lists, and Mr. Hjort's own recommendations for those wishing to hear the music described therein, this book is a keeper. I may have to get another one for lending out.

This is a great collection of tour dates and band interviews of all the bands that were emerging in London during the early sixties. The author does a great job of weaving it all together and this is a great edition to anyone's library of this period. Some great photos of the Bluesbreakers and all London players and club scene.

"Strange Brew: Eric Clapton & The British Blues Bloom" by rock historian Christopher Hjort is a history of the 1960s British blues music boom in general, and Eric Clapton's stellar music career from 1965 to 1970 in particular. "Strange Brew covers hundreds of gigs, radio and television appearances, recording sessions, discographical information, trivia, contemporary reviews, and first-hand accounts and recollections from ex-band members and fans. Some of the stories will be new information for even the most dedicated Clapton fan, such as the comprehensive account of Clapton's Greek odyssey in 1965 (including the true story of The Glands and Greek band The Juniors, as well as fresh information about John Mayall's recording with Bob Dylan). Here presented in a day-by-day format laced with photographs and memorabilia, the way the musicians behind the British Blues worked together, influenced each other, and helped each other to ever greater musical accomplishments. "Strange Brew" is essential reading for Clapton fans, British Blues music enthusiasts, and academic library 20th Century Music History reference collections.

One of the best David Hockney books.
A must have if you are interested in his photo montage method aka joiner method.

i had read it before and i just had to have it, its an amazing book even if you dont know david hockneys work, the book will make you fall in love with him and his art

This is an interesting book because it explains the discovery of ways of seeing, and in the process of explaining alters the way the reader sees art.

The challenge of pop art or abstract art is that to the uninitiated it seems gimmicky, and one often goes 'you've got to be kidding?' But with this wonderful exploration of the different ways that art and photography are ways of capturing a point of view, not a reproduction of a point of view. And more importantly, how Mr. Hockney comes to these expressions of point of view you get a glimpse of not only an interpretation of art, but the process of art. I love words and the essays are as magnificent as his art in their clarity and honesty. The section on his photo montages are amazing.

Fortunately for us, Chronicle Books continues to grace the art bookstores with superb and affordable monographs on art that make a difference. In this completely enchanting, richly illustrated book David Hockney conducts a conversation with us, the reader, sharing his unique and genteel ideas on how he sees and hence composes the paintings and drawings and photographic montages and sets of operas that have so enriched the art world since he first began his long career.

Hockney's writing style is quietly warm, honest, clever, whimsical and very informed. In this truly magnificent volume he is sharing not only his forays into experimental art (his influences from Picasso, Bacon, and the many MANY illustrious friends who fill his life), he also allows us to understand why he experiments with photography (his explosive yet intimate collages of Polaroid rooms of conversing friends are unique to Hockney), his manner of viewing huge spaces and then parceling them onto paper or canvas in a manner that allows us to see vistas not available to the isolated glance, his still lifes, his sketches and portraits of studio visitors - the volume of work is staggering.

Another fine discussion revolves around is spectacular sets for opera (Tristan und Isolde, Turandot, The Magic Flute, A Rake's Progress, Die Frau Ohne Schatten) - these coming from an artist who is almost completely without hearing making music visual!

For all lovers of Hockney's work as well as for those who want to understand why he so very popular, this is one of the best introductions available about the man and his work! Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, July 06

I have been a fan of David Hockney's for many many years and was delighted to find this book. He writes in an understated, easy way about his art and about modern art in general.

Two of the sections were particularly interesting: "Art versus the Art World" and "The Power of Art".

In the book, Hockney explained how places and his personal experiences have influenced his art over the years. He talks about how he is incorporating photography into his work and feels that it is an artist's responsibility to be open to new forms of expression. He says he is an "artist who is always working". I think he is always experimenting too, with different methods of expressing his artistic vision.

He said he asssumes that if he is interested in painting something, others will be interested as well. I loved this viewpoint....in other words, he creates for himself.

This was a lovely book---especially all of the GORGEOUS color reproductions which traced the Hockney's evolution and his journeys.

The author has provided an insightful and concise portrait of Amis and his work. I can't imagine that Amis himself could have done better. Diedrick really knows his subject.

Okay, so it's not enough that I maintain, repair, resurrect, and manage this board, where I'm subjected to your abuse on a regular basis; it's not enough that I fulsomely praise you for your insights about the Larkin-Amis nexus of text-checking (and direct readers to the pages and pages on the Amis web where you have your uncensored say); no, I needed to interweave your pet theory about the additional metaphorical weight Nicola carries around with her. May the ghost of Orson fall from your bedroom ceiling tonight, just as you are hatching a theory about the metaphorical significance of CigAir 101--and become incarnate just before his redoubtable rear crashes into your face.

If you are doing research on Martin Amis, this is a book you will have to consider. Terrifically written.

James Diedrick is described in the Introduction to Amis's 'The War Against Cliché' as an 'assiduous' editor. Amis, with one eye constantly on his place in history, already has many good reasons to thank Prof Diedrick, and this update of the definitive guide to Amis's work is another one.

Critical appraisals of other writers are always a balancing act: between subjective opinion and bland objectivity; between an appreciation of the subject's skills and the desire to demonstrate one's own; between academic assiduousness and an accessible message. Understanding Martin Amis gets the balance right in all areas. Any fan (or adversary) of Amis will get a great deal from the book: apercus they hadn't spotted before, confirmation of their pet theories, (relevant) biographical background, and a shared sense of the fun to be had from Amis's fiction at its peerless best. When the Amis backlash has finished its tedious course (when wasn't there one?), this book will serve as a useful reminder of why he was, and will be, so lionised as a novelist.

A contemporary review of Ian MacDonald's superb 'Revolution In The Head: The Beatles Records and the Sixties' stated that the acid test of any work of criticism is whether it makes you want to revisit the work filled with greater insight and enjoyment. I can give no higher praise than to state that Understanding Martin Amis achieves this objective every bit as successfully as MacDonald's book.

Diedrick has written an extremely helpful guide to the work of Martin Amis that should satisfy both academics and casual readers who are looking to deepen their understanding of Amis' often highly allusive fiction. Diedrick's writing is crisp and insightful, and the many strands of Amis' thought are followed with a thoroughness that captures the complexity of his novels without oversimplifying them. So deftly written are Diedrick's discussions of each novel that just about any of the paragraphs could easily warrant a book-length treatment on its own. Students will have much to plunder.

As a longtime reader of Amis', I enjoyed the thoughtful discussions of complex novels like "Money", "London Fields" and "The Information". The attention to the structure of these novels is a great help in unraveling their mysteries, as are the passages outlining Amis' dialogue with nineteenth century luminaries like Dickens and the Romantics. The early books are not overlooked; "The Rachel Papers", one of my favorites, turned out to be a little trickier than I'd thought, while "Other People"-- undoubtedly the most maddeningly convoluted of all the novels-- was made less obscure. (Alas, even Diedrick cannot make me a believer in the insipid "Dead Babies".)

Of special interest is the running examination of Amis' view of masculinity. Amis is often carelessly dismissed by many critics as the father of "lad lit", a smirking mysoginist beyond reconstruction, and I was pleased to see that Diedrick cut through the "bad boy controversy" to illuminate Amis' multivalenced depiction of the modern male (particularly in the new fine new chapter on "Yellow Dog"). This is one of Amis' primary subjects, and almost all of his books deal with the problem of masculinity in some form or another. Diedrick shows that on this topic Amis is hardly as simple as he seems, and certainly less risible.

Importantly, Diedrick's studies also draw on Amis' other writing, such as his journalism and criticism, which is often the best starting point for deciphering the novels, as artistic and philosophic themes move freely between his fiction and non-fiction. The comprehensive use of secondary writing to explain the novels is unsurprising, as Diedrick edited Amis' volume of criticism, the excellent but rather unfortunately titled collection "The War Against Cliche".

If Amis is truly trying to "cover the world in fiction", as one of his book jackets proclaims, Diedrick has provided a learned, engaging and, indeed, indispensible road map.