History Books

So many reviewers have described in such elegant terms this book I can only concur. I read this book in 1997 in French first (As far as I know Amin Maalouf writes all his books in both Arabic and French) and then I reread it in English. The translation is excellent. Like any poetry it is very difficult to translate Omar Khayyam's.
There is a rupture between the first part and the second. I do prefer the first half but the second half's end is remarkably incredible and full of hope.
Amin Maalouf is a master of "time travel" and takes you to exotic places like 15th century southern Spain during the Reconquista with Leo Africanus or the second century Persia with The Gardens of Light or the 19th century in the Otoman empire with The Rock of Tanios

Samarkand tells the story of Omar Khayyam and the writing of his Rubaiyaat. It crosses that biographical story with the story of an American scholar who discovers the real book later, in the midst of a journey to the Middle East.

Samarkand breaks nearly every rule that I have for myself about what kind of historical fiction I dislike. It name-drops famous people (characters sail on the Titanic. Khayyam is close to Hassan-i-Sabah and their stories intertwine, etc.). It makes historical characters modern. It indulges in fancy dress and exotic places. But still, that didn't really bother me. Perhaps that is because in the character of the student it seems Maalouf turns the camera back on himself. By giving a young, well-intentioned but ultimately callow character the role to interpret not only the past but the culture of the present, the reader is reminded that such things can not be so easily understood. Maalouf seems to remind us that their is no such thing as an omniscient narrative. And then somehow, just like that, I forgive him the rest of the devices in his book.

Samarkand is not perfect. The latter half, in particular is a little bit clunky. There is something not quite right about the structure. It may be the translation, but I am not completely sure. Still, a worthwhile read. A good use of time. (And now I have to run out and re-read the Rubaiyaat, which I will confess I did not take as seriously as I ought.)

This is the second book that I have read by Maalouf, the first being the magnificent Crusade Through Arab Eyes. I'm definitely going to keep reading in his body of work.

I only picked up the book because of FitzGerald's Rubaiyat and was happily surprised. The only two observations I would add to other reviews here are, first, that the novel was translated from French into English and so may lose some elegance and effect. Perhaps that's the origin of someone's remark, "surprisingly dry"? Second, I enjoyed the way the fictionalized characters were drawn from actual history, Medieval and modern, and how characters in the early history had thought provoking parallels in the modern story. So, I came away moved by the question of how different types of people influence history, or art, or the people around them. And the story opens a door into Persian history, including Islam, for those of us in the West who had little or no idea of it before.

This is easily Maaloufs best work. Totally different from all other writers, Maalouf never polarises. He writes with fine balance and invokes a deep respect for every culture and creed he writes of. No one , having read this, will finish it without having a deep understanding and respect for Iran and its people, its brutal history , its identity ,which it has had very little chance in creating due to constant invasions-Turks to Mongols- or tutelege-Britain and Tsarist Russia.
Using the verses of Omar Kayyams Samarkand Manuscript and the turn of the century constitutional and democratic revolts and its failure due to British and Russian interference (what would we give for the democratic Iranian state today-free of religious and political tyranny?!) Maalouf weaves a wonderful tale of -appropriately-Arabian Nights proportions and educates the reader on all the historical upheavals desires and missed opportunities of the region. The book divides into two main parts; 11th century Persia and the life of Kayyam, and the late 19th and early 20th century Persia; a nation trying to establish itself in the world.
A deep lesson lies here, of the importance of democracy freedom and justice to all people, and how fragile it is against vested interests.
This is a truly great novel. A wonderfully unifying novel that lifts the prejudices and fears between the east and west, and misconceptions of Iran and islamic cultures.
A masterpiece in humanitarian understanding.

Other reviewers have highlighted the charm of the book, with its evocation of Khayyam, the Rubiyyat and the fabled cities of the Silk Route. I would like to point out that it holds a frightening parallel to our present times. The book was published in 1988, so Maalouf could have had no idea how closely his book would mirror the early part of the twenty first century.

The book deals partly with the confict between the hidden leader of a violent sect and powerful empire. The second part of the book deals with the citizens of a country (ironically, today's Iran) striving for democracy and freedom from the oppressive rule of theocrats, but opposed by two great world powers of the time (Britain and Russia!) who wish to maintain the status quo for their economic benefit.

The book is written with great charm and makes the reader feel (s)he is there. Like a previous reviewer, I do not know enough to separate fact from fiction, but at the end of the book, one wishes with all one's heart that there IS such a book, written in Omar Khayyam's own hand, and that it is NOT at the bottom of the Atlantic.

An amazing and uplifting book.

OK. Here's the deal. Author B.H.Liddell Hart was writing in 1925, just after the carnage of the first world war. His comparisons, in themselves, are very interesting as he is familiar with Wellington, Marlbourogh, and yes Napolean as he compares their skills to Scipio Africanus. This is a great history and a great read. For those of us middlebrow armchair Roman history buffs this telling of the Spanish and African campaign really hits the spot. Author Hart is not afraid to give his opinion and he has an extremely high opinion of Scipio. I never found the book to drag, from the opening chapters where the 20 year old Scipio heads to Spain to avenge the death of his uncle and his father to the final push at Zuma. There is even the bonus of the polictical shunning by the Roman senate and then the last campaign in the far reaches of 'Asia' (Syria).... Scipio Africanus is probably the true father of Rome as an empire and this book is a home run winner in style, content, and enjoyment, even if it is nearly 100 years old

First off, this book has a bias.

Hart is making a case that Scipio Africanus is, perhaps, the greatest general in history. He states this up front and makes no apologies for it. His reason for this is that (modern) history up until now has been considerably biased towards Hannibal (and that there was no current book about Scipio at all). Where Hart deviates from standard history or tries to explain the motivation for his point of view he gives a reason for his difference and explains the consensus point of view.

If you read Dodge (biography about Hannibal) or many of the other sources (such as Wikipedia pages on Hannibal, Scipio or the battle of Zama), you would wonder how Scipio was able to get out of his own way to win the battle. Basically, they are biased and pose as neutral.

For instance, you hear often how the forces were nearly equal (in strength) in the battle of Zama or how Scipio had the advantage as he had better cavalry. Scipio was considerably outnumbered in infantry in all the history books (Livy and Polybius) AND you never heard the cavalry excuse used in every other battle where Hannibal had the vast advantage in that. They discount the value of the war elephants completely stating they are only North African elephants and not very big. Well, until that time they had been spectacularly effective. They were specifically forbidden in the treaty after Zama so if they had no value they would not have been expressly put in the treaty. Also, you hear Scipio's Spanish victories are worthless as all the other Carthaginian generals (Mago, Hasdrubal, etc.) opposing him were incompetent. Or read the description of when Scipio asks Hannibal about the 3 greatest generals here (or in Livy) and then read it in Hannibal's wikipedia (from a bio of Hannibal). The story seems totally different. Finally, you hear a lot of complaints about his action (sneak attack) that took Syphax out of the battle as unethical. But when Hannibal uses an ambush himself, it is brilliant strategy.

The point being, yes, this book is biased towards Scipio. But, if you read the book, Hart does explain his reasoning and the opposing point(s) of view and unlike the other books does not pretend neutrality. Until I read this book (which led to reading other books on the Punic wars) I had not been cognizant of the bias. Where it (the bias) is from I'm not sure. Because Carthage is an underdog vs. Rome? Because of the romantic factor with taking the elepants over the Alps?

Hannibal was certainly on the most gifted generals ever to live and Hart does give him his due. For whatever reason, others tend to denigrate Scipio's accomplishments to burnish Hannibal's reputation. This just makes me curious what the movie of Hannibal (starring Vin Diesel) is going to show about Scipio.

Whatever anyone says, in the end, Scipio won every battle where he was the commander. Really, that is all anyone could have done.

First, the authors initial premise that the victor does not always get the credit is sadly true. Which dispells many myths revisionists have been spewing for decades. Aspiring leaders could learn much from this and the authors other books. Here he has created a great story outlining the exploits of one of the worlds most underated generals. Dare I say hardly known?

Chapters 10 and 11 is where the true nature of the subject comes to life. In three dynamic years he crushed Carthaginian Spain, then launched his daring attack on Carthage. He details how Scipio's depth of thinking was far beyond most one-dimensional doctrines of his day. Without him Rome and the European Civilization that we so often take for granted, may have ended as part of a huge North African Empire. We owe the subject and the author a debt of gratitude.

The author starts off with an interesting premise - that the victor doesn't always get the credit due his achievements. He mentions Hannibal's fame over his superior on the battlefield - Scipio. Other examples are Wellington over Napoleon and Grant over Lee.
A very interesting biography overall with a concentration on his wartime accomplishments, this book is a good read for those interested in military history and the politic intrigue that plague successful military leaders. Recommended reading!

We've all heard of Hannibal and of the man who finally defeated the invader of Rome (on his own turf). But who does history remember? It certainly isn't the victorious general who *NEVER* lost a battle. While Hannibal might not have lost a battle until Zama, he simply wasn't able to finish the Romans off. This was simply due to the fact he wasn't equal to Scipio when it came to siege warfare. The author finally gives Scipio a book worthy to his name. What struck me the most about Scipio was the way he was treated by politicians back in Rome. One would think that the Senate would have done everything possible to ensure that Scipio was victorious and save Rome. However petty rivalries and jealousy were yet other obstacles to be overcome. History repeating itself. The man himself was not only a brilliant general but a very humble man who always put the republic needs above his own. Even though in the end he died in exile, on charges of bribery bought about by his enemies. Rome later cleared his name but the man who saved them from Hannibal, brought Spain, Carthage, Numidia, Sicily and Greece into the empire was treated no better than a common thief. History does indeed repeat itself.

What an unrelentingly gripping series of stories -- life, death, animals, boys, girls, men, women, horses, snakes, water, wind, earth, blood, fire and sky. Mark Spragg's style is a bit like David Hockney doing his photograph collages. He doesn't show you everything, just bits and pieces to make the whole. He lets you put some of the pieces in place. What a style. It's shot through with his own strong character and some compelling scenes of raw Wyoming life. The stories follow an amazing arc that you don't see coming until the last chapter and then you just kind of want to start all over again, and meet the boy that became the man. Beautiful stuff. Look, I'm not really out here trying to sell my book at every corner but the people who told me about Mark Spragg are readers of my book, "Antler Dust." I had three recommendations from "Antler Dust" readers to check out Mark Spragg, mostly because, I believe, of the detailed outdoors action and the fact that my book takes place in a neighboring state, Colorado. I am going to read more Mark Spragg but for others who like him, please also consider Antler Dust.

Mark Spragg writes beautifully, even poetically, of teenage life in a Wyoming family struggling to make ends meet by catering to "dudes" come West for the seasonal fishing and hunting. His collection of stories is varied, but all are tied to the splendor of unshod love for the land and for the horses he rides through a journey that will steal your heart.

These are two feelings I got from reading this memoir. Life in NW Wyoming is not easy. Days are spent with horses and one's life is taken by horses. In fact, if you love horses this is a great book.

One thing that kept creeping into this book is the distance the author had toward his parents, especially his father. Little but dialogue is written about the father, but he comes across as callous and more worried of turning the boy into a real man. The boy, in turn, writes about his concerns about the man he will become. At times that dragged on too much.

Still, it's wonderful prose written in a manly tone. For rugged cowboys and ranchers it's a perfect read.

I'd worry about peope who don't hurt themselves laughing while reading Wapiti School. My goodness, these stories are terrific, sometimes tough and bitter, sometimes perfect poetry. Just wonderful.

The author writes excellent prose with innumerable well turned phrases and descriptions. The subject matter is primarily his adolescence on a Wyoming dude ranch and hunting guide service that his family, Pennsylvania expatriates, operated in the 1960s, some vignettes from his adult life and descriptions of friends and conditions in windswept Wyoming. The chapters are actually a series of essays rather than a progressive narrative with the ones about life and work on and around his father's ranch, where he essentially lived as a hired hand in the bunkhouse with hardened wranglers from about the age of fourteen, being the most interesting.

I enjoyed the book principally due to the excellent writing and colorful recounting of the author's experiences as a real "cowboy" in an era when most of us male baby boomers only experienced the same thing through ubiquitous western TV shows and movies of the 50s and 60s. It was a life in another era when so many of us grew up in boring suburbia. I recommend it for these reasons.

But maybe I missed something because I never came across any explanation for the author's seeming sense of hurt, isolation, melancholy and general unhappiness that begins, for unstated reasons, during his college years.

I originally borrowed this book from the library after my cat was diagnosed with diabetes. I was in search of information on how to help him and discovered this wonderful book. I had to buy it.

I started the diabetes protocol feeding him only meat based food without fillers like grains, glutens, and vegetables, and it turned him around completely! He's never had any insulin injections, and despite the vet's diagnoses that he may never walk normally again, he regained normal walking completely from walking on his forelegs in pain due to the diabetes.

Without Dr. Hodgkins book, we would have never known that feline diabetes is a man-made disease that comes from a poor diet. The book was well written and very easy to read. I think every cat parent should have a copy of this book. It was a true life saver for us!

Your Cat: Simple New Secrets to a Longer, Stronger Life is an excellent book outlining all aspects of cat care from proper diet to the vaccine debate. She debunks the common misconceptions about "prescription" diets and other dry food. It contains concise up-to-date advice and information on many of the common feline ailments, such as diabetes and hyperthroidism. A must have for every one who has a cat or is thinking of getting one. Also a great gift idea for the cat lover in your life.

I only gave the book four stars rather than five because it's pretty repetitive and does not exactly read well. The message is presented on almost every page: "If this is what's wrong with your cat, feed it meat." But I suppose if the book is used as a reference book rather than something to be read in one sitting, it's an excellent resource.

A few years ago I adopted a street kitty who must have starved for much of his life because his "hungry button" was broken. He could not get enough of the crunchies. He gained a bunch of weight and then we noticed that he had become a water-drinking maniac: he would drink for 15 minutes in a row. His vet suggested that he was pre-diabetic and that I switch him to diabetic cat food. He didn't like it. I stopped the crunchies thinking that he could do without the carbs and switched to non-grocery hippie dippie canned food, the stuff with the cranberries, etc.

It didn't take very long for the weight to drop and for his coat to become very silky and smooth. And he hardly ever drank water again. I mean never! It was amazing. His good health was obvious.

About a year after I changed his diet, the pet food contaminations occurred and we all started to learn what's really in those crunchies: sawdust and other non-nutritious dust pressed into shapes then sprayed with rancid aerolized grease. Gross.

And now I think I will switch to frozen raw stuff only and cut out the cranberries altogether. When left on their own, cats won't touch cranberries!

This book contains great information that's based on a careful look at how and what cats really are and that questions the "facts" forced upon us by Big Pet Food, Incorporated. I recommend it to anyone, especially to anyone who has a cat that drinks a lot of water or has chronic health problems.

This book represents a step-change in the cat care paradigm for me and I wish that I had encountered sooner. Despite huge investments in expensive premium dry cat food bought at my vet over the years, one cat developed diabetes and another was unable to keep his food down. Reading this book provided me with the knowledge to consider an informed (Dr Hodgkins is not alone in her views) alternative to what I was being told. I considered this a valuable second opinion and so I chose to follow this alternative as the conventional advice was so blatant in its failure to address the issues I faced with my cats. The diabetic cat reached remission after a 7 week treatment on Dr Hodgkins' protocol and the vomiting stopped almost immediately when I stopped feeding dry food. The general condition of the cats is impressive: even my new vet (who also advocates raw feeding) is impressed at their condition, their dental condition and their muscle tone. The knowledge about diet that I have gained from this book far outweighs the price I paid for it. Two human and four feline thumbs up.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone that wants the best for their cat. The pet food philosphy that Dr. Hodgkins writes about makes total sense. It is my new 'cat bible' and I refer to it often.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A new twist on the classic superhero story it raises some interesting questions about power.[...] The author does a good job of describing the setting and the characters a very well fleshed out.

Just ordered this book yesterday but am a HUGE fan of the podcast version. This is the type of book you could only dream of finding on your local bookstore shelf. Superheroes, teenage angst, and a smidgen of morality, you can't beat this mixup. Mr. Selznick, thank you for adding this tome of brilliance to our posterity.

Did you like the X-Men movie? Did you like The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, etc.? Then you will love these two great tastes mixed together. The protagonist, Nate, is a gangly misfit in the hateful-of-the-strange world of high school. And yet, the things that make him strange makes him fascinating. Makes me nostalgic and I am cheering Nate along the whole time.

This is the first experience I've had with Matthew Wayne Selznick's work and I must say that it was a pleasant one. I didn't really know how the book would be when I picked it up. I really loved the characterization and felt that the characters and the story were really well written. If I were to relate this to the X-Men as so many people do, I think this is the story of mutants who are just discovering that they have special abilities. Even though the story is set in the 80s, I don't think that the elements of the story are limited to any one decade. What would the world be like if all of a sudden we found out that there were superhumans among us? I did feel that it took a bit too long to get to the tension in the story (the story really takes a turn about halfway through), and it was much too short. I wish it had been about another 100 pages longer. Hopefully this will just be the beginning of a much longer storyline.(Please! Please!) There are just so many directions Selznick could take it.

I listened to the audio version of this book and absolutely loved it. It begins with a perfect sense of time and place, set in a small high school during the 1980's, then adds well-developed, compelling characters, and a genuine mystery. From there it develops into a fascinating alternate history, a remix of superheroes, an adventure story, and a emotionally honest coming of age story with some real surprises. I loved it.

I recommend this Narrated Bible Book to every one. All of the Books of the Bible are in order, in accordance of the beginning to end. It is just a FANTASTIC BOOK! I bought myself one and my daughter, and I think I am going to buy more for Christmas. What a Wonderful Gift to give....

I use this Bible for daily devotions and study. I have purchased and given a copy to ten others. Enough said.

You haven't read your Bible until you've read it chronologically! When I began to do this, it began to give me a better understanding of the story line that we so easily miss...

I love reading this Bible, especially the gospels, it puts them into one story of Jesus.

The Narrated Bible puts the Bible in chronological order making it much easier to follow and understand. For example, the Gospels are intertwined to tell the story of Jesus' life. As you read the book of Acts, each epistle is included at the time it was written. This is wonderful to help anyone understand the Bible story.

I purchased the sandwich spreader and metal spatula. I paid twice what I would have paid anywhere else. They turned out to be junk. Both plastic handles separated from the metal parts within 9 months of the purchase.

I absolutely loved this book. Doris Christopher's ideas and humble beginnings are absolutely inspiring! She has built an amazing company and shares it for everyone to realize their own potential. Her basic no nonsense attitude towards life and her company are shared in this incredible story. I do not sell Pamperd Chef, but if I was not trying to build another direct sales business I know I would after reading this book!

I have been purchasing Pampered Chef products for over 16 years and my husband and I have always been huge fans. After many years of buying from someone else, I decided to give it a try and then so did my husband. . . yes, we are both consultants because we believe so much in the products.

I signed up as a consultant a few days after the book was released and read it in one night! After reading the book I was more of a fan than ever. The story is very inspiring to anyone who wants to take the leap of faith in themselves and try to start their own business.

Doris' vision of having a business to earn extra money and still have time to raise her family is very much alive today as it was 25 years ago. The book takes you through the 25 years of her dream from where she started the business in her basement with $3,000 to being the founder a of multi-million dollar company with thousands of women and men who work with The Pampered Chef as hobbyist, part- and full-time consultants.

A must read for anyone who wants to be inspired to start their own business.

An interview with the author and her daughter, who grew up in the culinary business, supplements The Pampered Chef, a story of Doris Christopher, a former teacher and home economist who returns to the work world with a vision of making cooking more convenient for families. Selling high-quality kitchen tools through demo groups and growing her business, The Pampered Chef, from a basement enterprise to a successful franchise. A story of personal success comes alive in audio.

In 1980 author Doris Christopher, former home economist and teacher, wanted to return to the workforce after raising her children: she began selling high-quality kitchen tools through cooking demonstrations and began her company, The Pampered Chef, from her basement. Twenty-five years later it's a corporation specializing in kitchen shows - and The Pampered Chef: The Story Of One Of America's Most Beloved Companies tells of how she became a culinary industry success. Insights on how the company expanded and handled its challenges provide entrepreneurs and cooks alike with much inspiration.

the book has extensive info on each fish species; great photos and a graphical representation for the distinguishing markings.
I needed to learn a lot of the species from the book in a short time and the book was really helpfull

It is an amazing book. When I get money I will buy the other book from this collection.

As book reader and Diver, I just love this book, It gives me all the pictures and characteristics for an accurate evaluation of the creatures I found under water. Great pictures, and outstanding charcterization of fishes.

At one time I was the head of a volunteer organization in WPB, Florida that assisted Palm Beach County with their artifical reef program. Part of the qualification was to get training in a variety of related subjects (like fish identification) sponsored by the Florida Oceanographic Society. This book served as our fish identification "bible." I no longer live in FL, but when I go diving in the Caribbean I stil take this book with me. If you need to (or just want to) know the fish of the Caribbean, buy this book.

This is a reef fish identification book. This sounds obvious, but that really is the focus here. It's not a book to teach you about fish behavior, biogeography, community ecology, or population trends. Author, diver, captain, photographer, and attorney (!) Paul Humann took most of the 670 photographs in this book, a real accomplishment for any diver, since the result of a blurred or indistinct photograph of a fish is to... go get another.

The organization of this ID book is by fish shape. He's got 12 "identification groups":

- disks and ovals (colorful)
- silvery
- sloping head and tapered body
- small ovals
- heavy body and large lips
- swim with pectoral fins, and with obvious scales
- reddish and big eyes
- small, elongated bottom-dwellers
- old-shaped bottom dwellers
- odd-shaped swimmers
- eels
- sharks and rays

Any fish watcher would see the "logic" of this organization, although it could make some ichthyologists squirm with these sets of artificial groupings.

The book is spiral-bound so that the pages, when opened, stay open. And the clay content in the paper makes it more resistant to water dripping from your wetsuit or your hair. Just make sure you wipe it off, pronto.

Now the photos... They are very high quality, and Humann is to be commended for taking, or selecting from other photographers, pictures that really pull out the details of the various fish . For example, the Sergeant Major has the delicate yellow along the base of its dorsal fin, and those frogfish must be viewed in both a camouflaged condition and in a setting where they are contrasted with the background.

Any amateur photographer will soon discover the difficulty in getting a full, close-up and lateral view of a fish. They tend to swim away from you as you get close, giving you a great view of the tail sweeping away. These photos are the result of a truly amazing amount of patience.

In an appendix, he throws in some sea turtles and dolphins or good measure, as well as a checklist for keeping track of the reader's sightings.

My ocean diving has all been in the Pacific, and it was interesting seeing species related to my own "friends." If I get the opportunity to dive in Florida, the Caribbean, or the Bahamas, this will be the book I throw in my dive bag... in a zip-lock bag, of course.

I could not put this book down. After I finished I went on to read about white slavery just so that I had a well rounded idea of what was going on during this time. The only small complaint I have is that when authors talk about chattel slavery they all tend to group African Americans together as in "when African Americans got the right to vote" etc. This needs to be more specific if we are ever to really have a grasp of that history. African American men got the "right to vote" in 1850, Women as a group in 1920. I had to pen in "men" and "male" throughout my copy of this book for the next reader to remember white/black male/female all have specific histories in this country. But other than that, I could not put it down.

Every time I order books directly from Amazon it arrives within three days, and I love that.

Thanks Amazon!

Karyn

Interesting and very informational. As the holy scriptures states, "There is nothing new under the sun". What went on then continues to this very day. So-called African Americans have NEVER been Free!
This is a book that every A.M. should read, especially young males. The revolving prison doors mainly houses them!

I am pleased that the book came in a reasonable amount of time.

All the abuses discussed in this book are accurate, and the author does a fine job in bringing them to life. But the books leaves the reader with the impression that all black workers in the South were virtual slaves, who were forced to stay with the same employer year after year. This is simply not true. Many African Americans switched jobs year after year, to the frustration of planters. Others migrated, sometimes alone, sometimes en masse (e.g., the Kansas Exodus, the Edgefield Exodus) to other parts of the South. Labor agent Peg-Leg Williams moved over 80,000 people from the Carolina southwest all by himself. And so on. The real history is bad enough, no need to exaggerate it. For the relevant sources, see the footnotes to David E. Bernstein, Only One Place of Redress ch. 1 (Duke U. Press 2001), which discusses one way planters tried to limit black mobility, through laws banning labor recruitment.

This is probably one of the few books you are going to find about Badfinger, who are another very essential but overlooked rock band. Sure they had hits, but they got screwed over. The book arrived in great shape and very quickly, so I was completely happy with everything.

I ordered this for my brother's birthday and he loved it! The book arrived in perfect shape. This is one of my brother's favorite bands from 'back in the day'!!! He was very happy with it. Thanks

A wonderful book. I knew very little about this band other than a couple of great songs I heard on the radio in the early 70's. By the time I finished the book I felt like I'd known them all my life. I couldn't help but get emotionally involved in their plight...Highly recommend

The most engrossing band bio I've ever read, and also one of the saddest stories in music. I find it funny that the two biggest debunkers of the author of this book are also two people who haven't read it! The story spans the very beggining, when they were known as the Iveys, to the ASCAP debacle in which Pete Ham and Tom Evans were utterly disrespected in front of an audience for their wonderful accomplishment of having written Without You. No stone is left unturned and unfortuntely some of the people involved should crawl back under theirs but haven't.

Dear Joey and Kathie: You can fool some of the people, but you haven't fooled me. At least Pete doesn't have a grave, or else I'm sure you would have been dancing on it quite happily. Why did you have to be part of the problem?

The "tragic" story of Badfinger couldn't be a better title for this book or this band. So much talent and ability and such bad management and naivete' destroyed not just a band but many lives in the process. I believe every young musician should read this book and learn from their mistakes.