England Books

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England Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

The Shakespearean Stage 1574-1662

Published in Hardcover by Cambridge University Press (1970-11-02)

Author: Gurr

List price: $36.00

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Average review score:

Well done, but. . .

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-04-14

This is a thoroughly researched piece of work by Gurr, but it's not for the casual or general reader, methinks. It is detailed, readable, and. . . pedantic. Only the specialist would be interested in every bit of this book, but if one has selected interests, he will get probably the best information here. My interests were in the staging of the plays, the architecture of the amphitheaters and halls, and the chronological evolution of the playhouses and methods of staging. I'm not so interested in which players and playwrights performed and wrote for which companies. This part of the book I found fairly tedious.

The illustrations are mostly familiar ones (if you've done much reading on the subject), with some truly interesting photos and building footprint sketches of the latest "digs" in London. There is a note in this edition (the third) that the list of plays, playhouses, authors, and dates for the period (in the appendix) have been revised from the format of the previous edition and placed in alphabetical order of the play titles. This must suit the needs of some readers, but it frustrated me because I most wanted a chronological listing. Ah, well.

The author makes very clear at the beginning what period he means by "Shakespearean": latter half of Elizabeth's reign (1570s to 1603); whole of the reign of James I (1603-1625) and the rule of Charles I (1625 up until he lost control of things in 1642). He gives cogent reasons for this particular nomenclature.

An emphasis on fact

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-09-04

This is simply a definitive book. Rich in scholarship it is free from much of the dogma, masquerading as fact, that attaches itself to theatrical "scholarship"of this period. Gurr has an astonsihing array of knowledge that encompases all the major authors, players, companies and audiences of this fascinating era. Quite simply he makes it come alive. He also answers so many of the questions that puzzle the reader about this time. Of particular interest is his attempt to investigate the acting "style" in the playhouse and the growing schism between the "personative" school of acting and the "rhetoriticians". Please buy, it will reward your purchase many times over!

A learned and accessible background guide

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2000-05-21

This book gives an engaging breakdown of how Shakespearean plays were performed in early modern London. Gurr gives an idea of the range of players' companies, playhouses, and different playing practices, as well as a sense of how the companies and their plays changed throughout the period. I refer to this book all the time and plan to order it for my students to read as a companion to Shakespeare's plays.

The best survey of its kind

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2001-04-07

It is very easy, and very pleasant, to write in praise of this book, for it is hard to envisage that the task accomplished by Gurr - an absolute expert in the area under discussion - could have been carried out yet better. For several years now, this guide has very justifiably been accepted as the best of its kind, and it is an essential possession for all of us who want, within one handy volume, a comprehensive account of what the theatres of Shakespeare's time were like, and what is likely to have happened within them. The author's detailed, well-informed and specific work is based not only on his own formidable research into the matters at issue, but also on close acquaintance with what others have done. Everything is presented with impeccable, sensible and perceptive judgement. The book can certainly be read through with benefit and enjoyment, but repays frequent visiting whenever one wants to consult a particular chapter or to find out more about a specific issue or fact (there is a very good index to help one in this). All in all, therefore, this book is not only very informative to read, but surpasses a great many books on Shakespeare and his time by being also an excellent reference tool for frequent use. Unhesitatingly recommended. - Joost Daalder, Professor of English, Flinders University, South Australia

Shards of Memory

Published in Hardcover by Doubleday (1995-08-01)

Author: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala

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Good portrayal of subservience to a "Master"

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-03

An insightful novel that shows family relationships across generations. Jhabvala also does a superb job of portraying the extreme and at times ridiculous subservience of some of the family members to the words of a so-called spiritual "Master." The resemblance of the "Master" to Gurdjieff is quite striking, in my opinion.

Shards Of Memory

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1998-02-24

This book was amazing I enjoyed it emensly I am 16 and Female I got the book on my birth day in september I read it and some things I could relate back to my life I enjoyed the book and would like to thank Ruth for her skills I recomend that all who shall come across to read it its amazing seriously I enjoyed it!

Imperfect memories

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 1999-05-20

This is a really lovely book. Ruth writes very lightly and speaks eloquently through her character. As with all memories, you feel the story is imperfect. Sections are missed and then recalled in a very beautiful manner which imitates our own flawed memories. More than anything else, the book shows the unity of the generations and expresses the passions within families.

A Terrific Little Novel

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2002-08-23

I've read a number of Jhabvala's novels and short stories and this is by far my favorite. It's the story of a family's relationship with an Indian guru. Whether this spiritual advisor is a charlatan or a true holy man is never completely clear, but his impact on the family reverberates over four generations.

My only complaint about the book is that it suddenly shifts narrative tone about a third of the way through, from the grandmother's first-person account to a third-person tale focussing primarily on her grandson. Other than that, a wonderful, engrossing story about family, spirituality and memory.

Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles (Curley Large Print Books)

Published in Hardcover by John Curley & Assoc (1988-07)

Author: Arthur Conan, Sir Doyle

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Average review score:

A 7th Grade Review

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2004-03-26

A 7th Grade review on
"Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles"

I enjoyed this book. The only problem I found was that the beginning doesn't do a good job of reeling you in. However, the farther into the book you get, the more exciting the plot becomes. Sometimes, the only reason I kept on reading the book was because I knew what was coming next. The story does make up for what it lacks in the beginning in the end.
The case starts out when Dr. James Mortimer brings a case to Sherlock Holmes. The detective dubs it; "Very suspicious indeed." It concerns the mysterious death of a very rich and respected man, Sir Charles Baskerville. He apparently went out for his nightly walk the day before he left for London, afraid of the family curse. Later that night, Sir Charles was found dead with no harm at all to his body. Now the new heir, Sir Henry Baskerville, has been warned to leave Baskerville Hall - or else.
With Sherlock in London, and Watson left alone to deal with the case, there doesn't appear to be much hope to stop the villan. However, the great detective may be up against more than just human forces. The curse of the Baskervilles, started by the evil Sir Hugo in the early 17th century, has been haunting the Baskervilles ever since. Sir Hugo fell in love with a yeoman's daughter and swore he would marry her. He kidnapped her and held her prisoner in Baskerville hall. Shortly after, she escaped. Hugo chased her down the moor on horseback until she died of exhaustion. When Sir Hugo's companions finally caught up with him, he was dead. Standing over his body was an enormous black hound plucking at his throat. Now the hound has returned, can Sherlock and Watson defeat their greatest enemy yet?
I give
"Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles":4 stars.

CBC Version of the Hounds

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2001-11-28

Originally Broadcast On the CBC during 1968
Sherlock Holmes- Henry Comor, Dr. Watson- Gerard Parkes, Barrymore-Gillie Fenwick,
Heed the Baskerville family legend of the Hound: avoid the moors in those hours of the night when the powers of evil are exalted. Every Baskerville that has lived in the family home since the Legend began has met with a violent death. Dr. Mortimer writes to the one man that can help him, Sherlock Holmes, to exorcise the "Legend of the Hound" that plagues the Baskervilles. This radio adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's masterpiece traces Sherlock Holmes' adventure of superstition and revenge on the barren, gloomy moors in this thrilling mystery.

Enhanced with music and sound effects

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2001-11-12

The first in Scenario Productions' "The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes" series and taken from the Archives of CBC Radio, this superbly presented radio adventure theater production of The Hound Of The Baskervilles is a multicast presentation of a classic Sherlock Holmes story. This two audio cassette audio book has a two hour running time and is enhanced with music and sound effects for the perfect "theater of the mind" listening experience. This radio theater production of The Hound Of The Baskervilles is enthusiastically recommended for all Sherlock Holmes fans and would make a very popular addition to school and community library audio book collections.

The Sleuth of Secrecy and Sensationalism

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2000-07-15

"The Hound of the Baskervilles" ranks as the most famous and also the best of the four Sherlock Holmes novels. It is the first Holmes novel I read as a child, and the combination of ancient curse, foreboding moor, and modern danger kept me turning the pages.

The BBC has once again done a masterful job of adapting the novel to the format of radio drama. When I first stumbled on to the BBC Holmes series, I thought Clive Merrison to be a scandalous over-actor, but going back and rereading some of the Holmes stories for the first time in decades shows that Merrison, of all the portrayers of Holmes, just might have gotten the oddball genius most nearly right. Holmes had a histrionic streak which caused him to keep his deductions secret until he could reveal them in the most sensational fashion possible, and Merrison captures this quirk of Holmes' character perfectly.

"The Hound" is unique among the Holmes novels because for a large part of the mystery, Holmes' character is offstage, appearing only at the last moment to bring events to a hair-raising denouement. Holmes' joint penchants for secrecy and sensation almost bring his client to grief, but all's well that ends well. This radio play begins, continues, and ends very well.

The shuttle

Published in Unknown Binding by Grosset & Dunlap (1907)

Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett

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Used price: $19.99
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The Shuttle

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-03

This was a fantastic book and a long one (I like that). I took it on a ski vacation and was tempted to take it to the slopes with me. I finally realized that was not a great idea but I could hardly wait to get back to my room, get comfortable, and begin reading again.

Rousingly Modern Topic

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-13

"The Shuttle* was written in the early 1900's, but it shows the brutality of spousal abuse--mental and physical--with no holds barred. Gentle Rosalie undergoes years of cruel emotional battering which is described with absolute psychological accuracy. It turns out that her sister Bettina is strong and determined enough to save both of them. Sir Nigel's end is satisfying, although it might have been even better if he'd fallen into the pigpen and been devoured by swine. This is a very early and powerful feminist novel as well as a skillfully written, entertaining page-turner.

An old-fashioned page turner

Helpful Votes: 15 out of 16 total.
Review Date: 2001-09-10

The book is set in the 19th century, but the heroine, Bettina Vanderpoel of the filthy rich New York Vanderpoels, is no shrinking violet. That role is left to her older sister, sweet and not overly bright Rosalie. The story starts out with Rosalie being courted by and married to Sir Nigel Anstruthers, an impoverished English aristocrat on the make for a rich wife. Although she is only eight at the time, Betty hates Sir Nigel. Her instincts are on the money. Sir Nigel is a rotter, a blackguard, a cad, and a bounder. He is utterly infuriated that he did not automatically gain control of Rosalie's money when he married her. He and his equally appalling mother start a loathsome campaign of emotional abuse that gentle Rosalie is not equal to. Luckily, by chapter five it is 12 years later and Bettina has grown into a fine, strong-minded woman who has all the business sense that made the Vanderpoel fortune. The rest of the book tells us how she rescues her sister, her nephew, and the Anstruthers estate from Sir Nigel. The hero of the book is another impoverished aristocrat, but cut from genuinely noble cloth, even if most of his ancestors were of the Sir Nigel type.
Before the book is over, Bettina will be trapped, injured, and at the mercy of Sir Nigel, who has Perfectly Awful plans for the lovely lady. Will Bettina wring her hands helplessly and beg?
Don't be silly. Read and see how love, virtue, and justice triumph and Sir Nigel gets his.

A Wonderful ArtfullyTold Story!

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2005-02-08

I have a 1907 edition of this book that I love.. I've read it several times and each time I savour the language and the world that Frances Hodgeson Burnett described before the First World War: a world of English village streets with sound of carts clattering past hawthorn hedges and brash young American boys bicyling in buttonup boots and celluloid collars up the pleached alleys of country estates.
I think that the previous reviewer has unfortunetely missed much of the subtlety of the story, painting it in almost comicbook colours. It's "comfort reading" for adults who grew up making friends with Little Lord Fauntleroy and a Secret Garden. This is a novel that celebrates the goodness of people and cultures on both sides of the Atlantic in tender and funny ways that remind me of Lousia May Alcott's books and in the end, metes out justice in very satisfying ways. You might also want to see if you can find F H Burnett's "T. Tembarom" --which is, as her characters themselves might put it, a "bang-up" book as well.

The Silent Pool

Published in Library Binding by Amereon Limited (1976-06)

Author: Patricia Wentworth

List price: $22.95

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Average review score:

Fatal Mistaken Identity

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2000-04-07

A retired famous film star has a house full of deceitful relatives eager to sponge off her and would be very happy if she die so they could have her fortune with no strings attached. When she suspects that someone is trying to poison her, she goes to the author's famed governess turned private detective Miss Silver for advice. But in the beginning, she ignores Miss Silver's warning to be careful and instead plans for merriment by hosting a party at her lovely estate. Things take a bad turn when one of the guests turns up dead, her head smashed in, her lifeless body floating in the pool...As Miss Silver uses her ingenious investigative skills to find out who's the murderer among the many house occupants and guests, she suspects that perhaps it was a case of deadly mistaken identity, with the film star the real targeted victim...intensified suspense occurs with Miss Silver trying to find the murderer while avoiding any more murders from happening again.

The book has a great combination of mystery and romance, that makes it both exciting yet sweet. I recommend it highly, it's very entertaining. This is in a similar genre/style to Agatha Christie, also another of my favorite authors.

A Star Is Threatened

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2004-08-10

Adriana Ford, a famous stage actress, has retired to the country with her family in tow. Her family is a dangerous mix. Her nephew who cheats on his wife. Her nephews' wife who is silently resentful of his phillandering but blames the women who "throw themselves" at him. There is an adopted child whose origins are unknown but who tries desperately and unsuccessfully to be Adriana. There is Star who is acting on stage and her daughter Stella who screams when she is thwarted. Adriana's maid who hates the country and wants to go to London. Adriana begins to think someone wants to kill her and consults Miss Silver. When a fellow actress is killed because she is wearing Adriana's coat, Miss Silver comes to the country and solves the mystery. I find that I like the Wentworth books if I like the characters in the book. The only problem I had with this one was Adriana was not a very sympathetic character and most of the others weren't much better. But the mystery is top notch and it's definitely worth owning.

Fatal Mistaken Identify

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2000-04-07

Miss Silver investigates

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2000-04-07

A retired famous film star has a house full of deceitful relatives eager to sponge off her. When she suspects that someone is trying to poison her, she goes to the famed governess turned private detective Miss Silver for advice. But she ignores Miss Silver's warning to be careful and instead plans a party at her lovely estate. Then disaster strikes.

The book is not only a good mystery full of suspense, but also has a sweet romantic storyline to it. I recommend it highly, it's very entertaining. This is in a similar genre/style to Agatha Christie, another great mystery writer.

Silver Blaze

Published in Audio CD by One Voice (2002-01)

Author: Arthur Conan, Sir Doyle

List price: $15.00

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Average review score:

Great listening

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2002-05-21

If you enjoy the intrigue of Sherlock Holmes, you are in for a real treat listening to David Davies vibrant and incredible rendition. Looking forward to future "readings" by D. Davies. You will too, once you've experience this exciting reading.

Silver Balze

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2002-05-07

Dave Davies dramatic rendition of this Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes classic tale is well worth a listen. Dave's obvious talent for dramatic reading comes through beautifully and the production quality is excellent. Hopefully David will not stop with just this one but will continue right through the entire cannon. If you like listening to "a good read" Silver Blaze is highly recommended.

A Horse of a Different Color

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-27

SILVER BLAZE is a great story by Arthur Conan Doyle and may have been considered one of his favorites. A brilliant horse which was a favorite with the racing public goes missing and the worse is feared. Where was the first favorite for the Wessex cup? Coupled with the beloved horse's unknown whereabouts was evidence of a drugged stable boy and a murdered trainer. What happened to the horse, how did the stable boy get drugged and who killed the trainer?

This is a great story and is delivered admirably. Holmes even shows humility in this story which is certainly not a quality that he was well known for. He says to Watson: "Because I made a blunder, my dear Watson - which is, I am afraid, a more common occurrence than anyone would think who only knew me through your memoirs."

This story also shows Holmes to have his own moral compass and has him playing a "Robin Hood" of sorts in determining who should be exonerated and given amnesty. We see Holmes has his own unique sense of right from wrong!

As Kyle Freeman wrote in his Introduction to Volume I of the Sherlock Holmes anthology, " The first in the series, "Silver Blaze," pleased Conan Doyle so much that he bet his wife a shilling she couldn't solve the mystery. The story has some of the most brilliant writing in the Holmes Canon, particularly what is probably
the most famous of all Holmes's deductions: "the curious incident of the dog in the night-time", which has come to be known by the prosaic phrase "the dog that didn't bark." In polls of various Holmes Societies around the world, it regularly rates as one of the top ten stories."

I recommend this story highly.

Rating: B+

Bentley/2008
Silver Blaze and Other Stories (Macmillan Reader)Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (Large Print Edition): includes Silver Blaze The yellow face The stock-broker's clerk The "Gloria Scott" The Musgrave ritual ... The naval treaty The final problemCases Of Sherlock Holmes No. 12 Mar "The Adventure of Silver Blaze"Stories of Sherlock Holmes Silver Blaze (Swc 1240)Silver Blazes and Other Stories: Elementary Level (Heinemann Guided Readers)Sherlock Holmes : The Norwood Builder / Disappearance of Silver BlazeSherlock Holmes: Silver BlazeThe Return of Sherlock Holmes, Vol. 4 - The Devil's Foot / Silver Blaze / The Bruce Partington PlansSign of the Four & Silver Blaze; Sherlock Holmes Double FeatureThe Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

Fresh and Approachable

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2002-06-20

"To call this CD only a 'reading' of the classic Sherlock Holmes story of 'Silver Blaze' would be to devalue the beauty of this performance. Although you may have heard recordings of the Sherlock Holmes work read before with distance and haughty affectation, none of that is present in Mr. Davies storytelling performance. This CD features one man, many voices and a hefty portion of talent. This performance is fresh, approachable and inviting." -Storyteller.net Reviews

Silvermeadow: A Kathy and Brock Mystery

Published in Hardcover by Arcade Publishing (2002-08-09)

Author: Barry Maitland

List price: $24.95

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Average review score:

Couldn't put it down!

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2004-12-29

Having read a few of Maitland's book, I finally made it to this one. The first two I read were good reads but nothing compared to Silvermeadow. This is a riveting read that uses a large mall, Silvermeadow, as the locus of the action. Brock and his crew, including DS Kathy Kolla use the search for a 14 year old employee at the mall as a pretext to hunt for Brock's nemesis, North. North has been spotted in the mall. The 14 year-old is discovered, murdered in a pile of garbage that has been compacted at the premises of the mall. The story takes off from there at breakneck speed with red herrings, twists and a hair rising ending.

The mall comes to life vividly as do the various characters in the novel. An excellent procedural mystery and I highly recommend it. I look forward to reading more from this author.

One of the best crime authors you'll ever read

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2004-10-31

This is my favourite book from the Brock + Kolla series. I would recommend that anyone interested in crime novels to give this a try, you will not be disappointed.

Intricate and well-written

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2002-08-16

Barry Maitland has never failed to impress this reader, as each of his four books has proven to be page-turners, complex and logical and safisfying. The police procedural is in clever hands here, as clues keep popping up and sending both the reader and Kathy and Brock in new directions. While each of these characters has some private life, the main emphasis is on the tenacity and instincts of very smart investigators who know their jobs. The author is a splendid writer, a careful plotter and has a sharp understanding of human nature. I regret that we must wait till next summer for Kathy and Brock number four!

absolutely riveting

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2002-09-17

"Silvermeadow" is a must read, esp for anyone who's ever been stuck at or who works at a shopping center/mall.

It looks as if DCI Brock is finally going to be able to nab his bête noire, the amphetamine juiced killer, 'Upper' North (whom readers may remember from "The Marx Sisters"), who has been recently sighted at the Silvermeadow shopping center in Essex. Eager to finally close the chapter on this violent but elusive criminal, Brock and his team (which also includes DS Kathy Kolla) use the investigation into the murder of a young girl as a cover for their being in Essex.

Everyone had more or less assumed that teenage school girl Kerri Vlasich (who also happened to work part-time at the food court at Silvermeadow) had runaway from home to be with her father (Mr. Vlasich works in Germany) -- that is until her compacted body is found at a waste disposal site. Who wanted Kerri dead, and why? And when the preliminary investigations seem to suggest that she had been abducted from (and was probably murdered at) Silvermeadow, the local superintendent suggests that Brock and his team take on the investigation into Kerri's murder while they keep an eye out for North. And even though they are committed to discovering who Kerri's murderer is, both Brock and Kathy cannot help but hope for a quick resolution to Kerri's case -- they're main objective for being in Essex is to collar 'Upper' North after all! But there are certain aspects about this case that are rather troubling, esp to Kathy. To begin with there is the whole issue of exactly what sort of crime it is they are investigating. Was Kerri's murder a one off? Or is there a predator at work at Silvermeadow? And is there any truth to the rumours that there have been other mysterious disappearances? Or are they just rumours? Both the local police and the people who manage Silvermeadow shy away from the notion that there is a predator at work, but Kathy cannot shake the uneasy feeling that there is something completely creepy about Silvermeadow. With time decidedly against them (the shopping center people are pressuring for a quick resolution) and the machinations of an overly ambitious local DS, Brock and Kathy will have to pull out all the stops in order to resolve Kerri's murder, even as they keep an eye on the main prize -- 'Upper' North...

Barry Maitland can congratulate himself for writing another exciting and riveting Brock and Kathy mystery novel. What a truly engrossing and compelling read "Silvermeadow" turned out to be! The plot was an intriguing and chilling one; and there were some really clever plot twists and enough red herring suspects to keep most mystery buffs happy. And Brock and Kathy are such and engaging team. I like the manner in which they complement each other (work wise and personality wise). The Brock and Kathy mystery series is probably one of the best in police procedural genre, and I'm always on the look out for the latest Brock & Kathy installation. "Silvermeadow" fulfilled all my expectations. A truly brilliant read.

The Sky on Fire: The First Battle of Britain, 1917-1918 (Smithsonian History of Aviation and Spaceflight Series)

Published in Paperback by Smithsonian (1991-04-17)

Author: Raymond H. Fredette

List price: $17.95

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Average review score:

Very relevant to today's conflicts

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2003-03-20

As I sit here watching the early missle/air war against Baghdad in March, 2003, I want to contact the news broadcasters to give them information that I learned from this book.

I read this book 20 years ago from the library and have wanted to re-read it ever since. (I'm going to order a copy today.)

Well written. Very informative. Highly recommended.

Excellent historical volume on WW1 heavy bombing

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 1999-10-02

I have the original hardback edition of this book, and found it to be very well researched and written. Besides the history of the great German biplane bombers, it explains the frustration of England in developing a defense against this new type of warfare. Also, the fight in the English government to establish an independant Air Force is also discussed. An interesting read for history students or aviation enthusiasts.

Career fighter pilot loved it.

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 1998-03-17

As an air defense pilot 1954-1970 with a hobby of military history I thought the book well researched and detailed and instills in the reader what it was like back then in a hostile sky. I have read the book several times and still find it fascinating. Walt (BJ) Bjorneby Lt/Col, USAF, (Ret), pilot F86/F102/F104/F4

Perfectly detailed and written book on a forgotten subject.

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 1999-12-21

Have you ever bought a book because you were interested in the subject matter, only to realize upon reading the first chapter that the writer does not know how to entertain? If you have, then brace yourself, because this book is NOT like that. The author filled each chapter with relevant insights into the characters that make up the events. Not once was I overpowered by facts alone. I have read highly praised novels that lacked the emotion, suspense, etc, that this book displays. To top it off, the author writes with unbelievable knoweldge of a subject that is too often overlooked: the implications of the First Battle of Britian.

The Sleepers of Erin

Published in Hardcover by E. P. Dutton, Inc. (1983-04-22)

Author: Jonathan Gash

List price: $13.95

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Average review score:

Stuck with me for 20 years

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-13

I read this book maybe 20 years ago, and it was good enough to have stuck in my mind all that time. Just recently I was remembering it fondly, and so I've ordered it from Amazon and am going to read it again. Any book that creates images in your mind that stick around for 20 years is worth another read, right?

Ireland like you've never seen it before!

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2004-11-19

Lovejoy goes to Ireland in order to avenge a friend's death, and to take part in the ultimate "sleeper" scheme. As Lovejoy said - "Times are hard in the antiques industry and it's not the dealers' fault if antiques have to be salted away and redisovered. It's also not his fault if such antiques are not really antiques at all." Welcome to the sleazy world of Lovejoy and his unique look on crime. Who'd have thought there could be so many grey areas? Anyway, this is another good one in the Lovejoy series, and Gash handles his double con job with a deft hand indeed. Can't wait to read more.

Lovejoy discovers Ireland

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2000-03-09

One of my favorites in the Lovejoy series. As one of the series' earlier books, it lacks the frantic pace the author employs in the last five or six--much more care is taken with the details. There's a bit of everything here--a few harrowing escapes; a qurky thin and tall Irishmen with an equally quirky vehicle; his beautiful cousin who makes all the right moves; the usual scam by money-hungry pursuers and producers of false antiquities; and in the middle-of-it-all, the wise, and contradictorally naive but worldly Lovejoy, the man who understands what's important and oblivious to what is not.

Buried treasure

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-25

The sleepers in the title refer to faked antiques which are made by expert forgers and then stored away until an appropriate time for "discovering" them. In this story, Lovejoy, an antiques dealer who is also a "divvy", a person who can tell a genuine antique from a fake, merely by a certain vibration given out, in much the same way as a water diviner finds water, is taken to Ireland by a pair of crooked collectors and forced into planting fake gold torques in an old, Celtic burial site. The plan is that the fakes will be "accidentally" discovered during a well witnessed walk in the countryside, but Lovejoy discovers, to his horror, that the plan also covers his death in an earth fall-in. I enjoyed this Lovejoy tale although there are others that I enjoyed more.

The Soul of Vermont

Published in Hardcover by Countryman Press (2001-08)

Author: Richard W. Brown

List price: $39.95

Used price: $212.75

Average review score:

Soul of Vermont and more

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-21

I am so moved not only by the wonderful images in this work,but also by the brief texts and by the way it all flows together through the seasons.The book bears witness not only to the soul of Vermont, but also to the soul of the man who wrote and photographed it.

Magnificent

Helpful Votes: 13 out of 16 total.
Review Date: 2001-11-05

I was born and raised in Vermont, have lived out of the state for years, visiting annually. This book really did bring me home to the Soul of Vermont. The photographs are wonderful. They just take you in. If you want to spend some time in Vermont and can't make the trip, this is THE book for you.

Richard W. Brown Gives Us the Treasure Of New England!

Helpful Votes: 14 out of 15 total.
Review Date: 2003-07-31

I first remember seeing one of Richard Brown's spectacular photographs on he cover of Country Journal, a magazine devoted to celebrating rural life styles that ran a span of several years in the early to late 1980s. Brown's stunning photographic style showcased the day-to-day confluence of ordinary Vermonters living their lives in the rural splendor of the Northeast Kingdom in the far reaches of the lovely "People's Republic Of Vermont". Often Country Journal would feature a number of his photos inside each issue, so one subscribing the magazine began to look for them both on the cover and inside, as well. Indeed, his work was what made me search for the latest issue at the beginning of each month.

Here he stuns us with the majesty of Vermont as it transpires through its incredibly beautiful cycle of seasons in a way that only a photographer of such obvious abilities could. Herein he shares many of his favorites, and several of these I have seen before in other venues. The problem with a book filled with such gorgeously shot, developed and produced rural photographs is that one is tempted to carefully extract them for framing on the wall. They are really that terrific! Photographs range from shots of landscapes to silhouettes of a farmhouse steaming against the winter cold, from children walking down a dirt-covered tree lined country road exploding into autumn's extravagance to an elderly gentleman leaning against a barn with his favorite cat. One sits transfixed by the sheer variety of scenes and colors so native to the rural landscapes and personal portraits. This is a wonderful travelogue into the heart of New England.

Brown shows us all of the changes that transpire in the North country, a place where the changes are so frequent and so momentous that they comprise six seasons, adding both the dreaded mud season of early springtime on the one hand, and the so-called `off-season' after the autumn glory has been swept away, leaving cold bare trees and a hauntingly spare and vacant atmosphere to settle over the region on the other. Listen a few times to folksinger Tom Rush's rendition of "Urge For Going" a few times on the CD player and you will get the idea. Brown's imaginative hand is lovingly apparent in this book, displaying both the soulful visages of local inhabitants and the unique flavor of the haunting ever-changing scenery so typically Vermont. This is a distinctive and memorable recreation of what we love so much about being native new Englanders! Enjoy!

Sometimes Words Are Wholly Inadequate....

Helpful Votes: 8 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2003-02-26

Reviewing a book such as this again supports the truth of that old bromide, "a picture is worth a thousand words." At least no words of mine can do full justice to Brown's talent as a photographer. He settled in Whitingham in 1968 and began to teach in a small rural school. During the years since then, he has taken thousands of photographs of Vermont in search of what is, to his own eye, that state's unique character. As he explains in the Introduction, over time he shifted his attention from Vermont's natural beauty to what he calls "the cultivated landscape." A preponderance of the photographs in this volume (many of which not previously published) were taken in the "Northeast Kingdom." He organizes his work according to the seasons which include the "Off-Season" from late-October until Thanksgiving. For at least a few of those who read this review, my comments about Brown may be of some interest but, I realize, merely suggest a context for the creation of works of art which I lack the talent to describe. If you cannot visit Vermont in person, do so by seeing it through Brown's eyes. If you cherish his book as much as I do, you will also want to have a copy of The Beauty of Vermont, edited by Tom Slayton. As both books clearly indicate, the soul of Vermont is its beauty...and beauty its soul.