New Zealand Books

An excellent biography of Lucy, the author put much time, effort, and research into it including conducting interviews with people who knew and had contact with Lucy. It is particularly excellent in covering Lucy's early years, Her trip to Europe and Australia and experiences there, and Her early acting career days to the early days of Xena. There is ample information not found elsewhere easily about Lucy from Her high school years to the time She began the Xena series. Marc stresses how everybody knew Lucy was so incredibly beautiful and gorgeous, that She was very determined, capable, and courageous, and that She and Garth were tempting the fates by having incredible Hot Sexxx in Australia (if not earlier). Great descriptions of Lucy especially Her younger years before Xena. Very lovely and sexy pics including of Lucy showing off Her famed Delicious Perfect Feet and Toes and one on the cover with Her Amazing Incomparable Breath-taking Mouth-watering Erotic Arousing Luscious Voluptuous Mesmerizing Heavenly Sexxxy Perfect Cleavage :) and Awesome Arousing Erotic natural Orgasmic and Sexual look Oh My God Yes Lucy! :) The book helps us know and understand Lucy better and also Her difficult times before being very successful as Xena. It also describes Her early relations and later marriage with Rob Tapert. There is some information in the book I have not found anywhere else. It also helps interest and arouse readers about Lucy. Overall I very highly recommend this book to all Lucy and Xena fans, and everyone else as well. Oh my God Yes Lucy! :) Oh God I Love Love Love and Desire Lucy So Much Forever Everywhere Always! :) Oh God I Love You Lucy! :)

Forever Devoted :) to the Sweet Sweet Sweetest Erotic Angelic Barefoot Heavenly Sexxxy Perfect Goddess Lucy, :)

David Kashfi Who Loves and Desires Lucy :) So Much Forever Everywhere Always :)

Shapiro's incessant corny joking really jars the reader from enjoying the interesting biographical facts about Lucy Lawless' rise to fame. Reminded me of Milan Kundera, the way this writer just could not keep himself out of the limelight and let his character/s shine forth.

This book showed me the real person behind, Xena, the warrior princess. I love the way, it started telling about her from the begining of her life to the present, and the way it capture, the experiences and advantures of her life. I especially love the way she,never gave up on her dreams to become a actress. Also the way she never let the new found fame go over her head. I admire that, she stays down to earth. This is a book well worth reading.

THE LESSONS IN THE SERIES REALLY TOUCHES MY HEART, I EVEN CONVINCED MY FAMILY TO WATCH XENA. SHE IS VERY FLEXIBLE IN THE ROLES AND THE WAY SHE ACT IS VERY INSPIRING AND IMITATING.

Most of the pictures in the book werent colored and the colored one were the worst pics of Lucy Lawless I've ever seen. The picture on the cover isn't clear and isn't a picture worth putting on the cover. He should use better pictures. The writing style was a little boring, but it contained good info, except it doesnt explore the friendship between Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor even though in the back it said it does.

Margaret Mahy's charaters think in unusual and compelling ways. Johnny, Bonny, and Sophie are no exceptions. This is a beautiful book that will touch anyone who has ever been haunted by her or his past.

The text of Molly's (she is 13) review follows: "I don't know why the boy was always drunk. It really bothered me that he drank constantly. How could Sophie survive on moldy crackers and rotten milk for two years? I think that would kill her.."

On the fifth anniversary of his sister's death, 19-year-old Jonny Dart is looking for someone. He is drunk and beat up and searching for someone he has not talked to in five years but with whom he shares a moment he cannot forget. He is searching for Bonny, the only other witness to his sister's death. He manages to stumble through the streets to the house where her parents live.

Drunk and bruised and bloody is not the best way to show up at someone's house asking for their daughter's address, so instead they have a friend take him to the nearest main road where he can catch a taxi home. But Jonny never makes it to the taxi. He wakes up the next morning on the traffic island where he was dropped. Sick and disoriented and with little memory of the night before, he begins to wander.

"Suddenly, with childish horror, he saw another movement in the [storefront] glass...Something rippled towards him... another inhabitant...A stunted person in a long coat was pushing a supermarket cart along the diagonal opposite to the one he was taking. A moment later he made out a short, thin old woman wearing a hat like a crimson chamber pot without a handle. Strands of grey hair hung around her ears... He hesitated and stood completely still so that the old lady could walk past him, but instead she cam right up to him, staring at him, smiling, as if she were waiting for him to begin a conversation. Jonny remained silent. In the end she was the one who spoke first. `Are you the one?' she asked."

And so the first of many small events of fate or destiny or some strange supernatural power occur to pull Jonny Dart into Sophie's surreal world of missing memories, mistaken identities, misplaced people and a world out of time.

Jonny thinks he will just follow Sophie to her home, to make sure she gets there safe, but when she invites him in for a cup of tea (which she never remembers to put the tea in) he is sucked into a world which to Jonny is both repulsive, fascinating, and strangely comforting in its disorder. He is immediately assaulted by the smell, the possible sources of which are too many to sort out: Sophies many, many cats that share her house, unwashed dishes, wet bedsheets, perhaps the dead bird in the pie plate which has occupied the refrigerator for who knows how long or maybe it was just Sophie herself. Nothing is as it should be in Sophie's house. Cheese is in the soap dish. The pigeonholes of the desk are occupied by an assortment of eggshells, orange peels, an old toothpaste tube, a crochet-covered coat hanger, and hair curlers. The only food to be found is the tea-less tea and several opened bags of cookies. But the "as it should be" world is something Jonny longs to escape, or maybe it's that he's never felt a part of it, and he feels a strange kind of comfort and safety in the unnatural order of Sophie's house.

More than once, Jonny decides to leave, and more than once something prompts him to return. He becomes Sophie's reluctant yet self-appointed protector, and the forces that pulled him into Sophie's world of lost memories lead him at last to Bonny and through his own haunting memories.

I love this book. I bought it for myself this spring and I'm giving it for a Christmas present. Mahy always writes with a powerful emotional impact. It's true her stories have some hints of real life sadness in them. But those touches are the reason why the efforts and triumphs of the hero or heroine are so satisfying and triumphant. Mahy's books aren't just for young adults. I'm no young adult, nor is the person I'm giving the book to for Christmas. This story is one a mother could enjoy reading with her daughter. There is so much to dicuss in this story of a kid on a drunk who shows compassion to a stranger. When we realize the stranger has Altzheimer's we know the woman could have been our own grandmother. The terrific story has more impact that a hundred lectures on kindness.

This is an amazing portrayal of the relationship between a ninteen year old "loser" and an old woman suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Margaret Mahy's young adult books are all wonderful, but "Memory" stays with you long after you have read it. Mahy manages to put magic into her novels even when not dealing with magic. When she does deal with magic, it seems natural and everyday. Try her novel "Changeover" if you want to see this in action. This is a book that you can read as a young adult and reread as an adult and it hasn't lost anything.

Shadbolt is the consummate storyteller without erring from historical facts. The beauty is that he finds a way to weave the oral hisotry of New Zealand into a narrative that encourages an imaginative and emotional engagement with the past. The newly touched landscape of the time drips with water on ferns and mud underfoot for any reader who wants to pace through a period of significant change with a master.

This is the story of an American sailor who got caught up in the Maori wars in the mid 1800's. This is based on a true story, and is appealing as a genuine insight into the Taranki wars as well as a really good exciting read.

the plural of Maori is Maori. (ie. not Maoris). Please

Maurice Shadbolt, a New Zealander, has written a stirring novel of the mid-19th century wars there between the indigenous Maori and the British army and colonists who were determined to deprive them of their land and heritage. In fast-paced prose and thoroughly involving scenes of both warfare and domestic life among the Maori, Shadbolt recreates the tragic and bloody battles which took the lives of thousands of British and countless numbers of outgunned and outmanned Maori.

Shadbolt is terrific in recreating scenes in which the war strategies and ensuing battles of the real Maori leader Titokowaru come horrifically to life. Through the eyes of Kimball Bent, also a real person, we see the body count rise, feel the privations and hardships of the Maori, understand the ferocity of the British officers, long for the safety of innocent wives and children, and sympathize with the Maori fight for self-preservation. Bent, an American from Maine, was dragooned by the British and defected both to help the Maori and to wreak his vengeance against sadistic British officers.

What seems so strange to me (especially after just completing Potiki by the Maori writer Patricia Grace) is that, except when they are warring, the Maori here feel like caricatures. I almost gave up on the book in the first 50 pages or so because it seemed so Monty Pythonesque--Maori wearing black suits and bowler hats, carrying walking sticks, and using British slang and obscenities, all the while muttering wry and sardonic comments on history, religion, and the current state of affairs a la John Cleese. While there probably were some Maori who did become acculturated by the British, the satirical attitude with which they are depicted as a group just doesn't seem to jibe with the respect one feels for them in the face of their desperation and the years-long dedication with which they faced their foes in warfare. Mary Whipple

This is a fictional account of the real-life events of the second Taranaki conflict during the NZ Land Wars of the 1860's.
Funny? i wept ! I loved this book.
I recently read "The NZ Wars" by James Belich and found myself flicking backwards and forwards from Belich to Shadbolt to see what they said about the same events.
The only other NZ-war based adventure stories i've read were Errol Braithwaite's but they show their 1960s vintage - this is much better.
Mr Shadbolt's sequels on the Land Wars dealt with the Te Urewera and NgaPuhi wars (skipping around a bit chronologically), they're great but i think i enjoyed "Mondays Warriors" the best.

Although not required for understanding New Zealanders, this dictionary is great for getting acquainted the local slang. It is written in a way that talks to you. I found some of the definitions to be very funny!!

This book is dated (c.1975) sexist, racist and vulgar. Be warned if you are a woman, a person of color or have anything approaching a 21st century sensibility.
Sample quote: "bum - is what you sit on. Les femmes in New Zealand appear to have an unusually high proportion of broad ones and sturdy legs to match. Pioneer heritage?"
Not my idea of amusing.
If you want to find out about New Zealand, there are many websites that will give you a clearer idea of the place and the people than this book.

Even if you don't plan a trip to New Zealand in the near future, you can read this book and spice up your vocabulary. I've rated it four stars instead of five merely because it's now eleven years old.

NZ slang evolves quite quickly, partly due to the prevalence of what's known as the Big OE--the big overseas experience, where young Kiwis take off for England and the Continent for a period of years, some never to return. This foreign immersion results in the inclusion of English slang expressions into the NZ idiom.

As a 30-year expatriate Kiwi, I found myself enjoying again the colorful language I heard and used in my youth. A new edition would be greatly appreciated, and a must for every traveler planning on spending more than a couple of weeks in NZ.

This is too much fun. To be able to learn a language for travelthat is only a slang slant to your own. Already the little guide hashelped to acclimate me to telephone and chat line conversation for the lands down under. The book is fun and informative and easy. To be informed makes the trip so much more fun for me from start to finish. And as usual I have found this guide nowhere else in the major local bookstores. But on line its here at my door to have read before I leave on my vacation. This book is quite entertaining just to read if you just want to be familiar with the culture of a very unique and friendly land. If I had not seen it for sale at Amazon . Com I would never have imagined such a special guide was available for purchase.

By defining English words and phrases unique to New Zealand, author Leland effectively describes at least a bit about New Zealanders and New Zealand culture also--and his affection for them, and for language, comes across well. Provides a look at the country and people through examination of their use of language. Humorous, good-natured, informative, and very enjoyable, I was given this book by a friend and just wish it were longer and updated to include any recent additions.

Really enjoyed this read. Grabbed me on page one. Which is always nice. I wanted it to be longer and go into more detail which I take as a good sign. It kept the characters pretty two dimensional. I had wanted to read more communicating between our leading lovers but all in all very enjoyable. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Swann.

Her banking father's death leaves Caroline Clemens and her younger siblings in monstrous debt. Her only hope to keep her and her brothers and sisters out of the workhouse is her pending marriage to Captain Bellamy. However instead of her fiancé meeting her, he is courting a different female as the Clemens brood is no longer worthy of his social climbing ambitions. Dominic Savage introduces himself to Caroline and offers her a deal to pay off the debts of her late father Isaac and insure the future of her siblings outside of the workhouse in exchange for her fulfilling his every male desire. Reluctantly seeing no options she agrees to a deal with the handsome devil.

Caroline refuses to wallow in pity or shame as she becomes Savage's mistress. He, in turn, teaches her the pleasure of sex including tough love. As she fulfills his desires with passion and he takes what she offers and much more, she falls in love with her "owner", but knows that soon he will discard her just like Bellamy did as a mistress has short bed cycle. Unbeknownst to Caroline, Dominic fell in love with her from the moment he recognized the beating of her courageous heart.

This Victorian era (it may actually be Regency) erotic romance showcases the choices a poor person had as Caroline must choose between becoming a kept woman or along with her younger siblings go to the workhouse where the destitute work for room and board (think Oliver Twist). The relationship between the lead couple seems realistic for the nineteenth century (some will say today too) though some readers will be turned off as he bought her, pleasure trained her; and forced her to do things she did not want to do. Still sub-genre fans will appreciate THE PRICE OF DESIRE as Caroline's courage and sacrifice make a fine tale.

Harriet Klausner

In the aftermath of her father's suicide and the bankrupt state he left her family in, it is up to Caroline Clemens to see to the care of her younger siblings. Destitute and abandoned by her betrothed in her time of need, she agrees to an unorthodox yet advantageous arrangement with the mysterious Dominic Savage. As his mistress, she and her family will want for nothing, Dominic will see to their comfort and education. In return, Caroline must be available to him at all times, without question or hesitation.

Caroline agrees to give him her body readily - indeed, it is no hardship to surrender to his masterful seduction. She balks, however, at releasing her heart to him, even though it grows harder to protect by the day.

The Price of Desire is the first story I have read yet by Leda Swann. The author's writing skill is without question - the plot was consistent, the writing fluid and descriptive. The characters were well-developed and real to me within the very first chapter.

My problem with this story came early in the story with one of the actions by the `heroine', Caroline. She did something so abhorrent to me early in the tale that she was never able to earn my respect or empathy again. To be perfectly honest, I would have respected the story much more if Dominic had walked away from her with a "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" type parting shot when he discovered what she had done. The only other way I could see myself coming to terms with this character were if she were suffering from mental illness and subsequently treated. I do understand she was under tremendous stress at the time, but her actions were just not redeemable in my opinion.

There were some other plot points later in the story that just didn't sit well with me, but none quite as big as this early flub by the leading lady. Tying it all up was an ending that was, to me, pretty unsatisfying in its brevity. I really think another chapter should have been devoted to tying up the loose ends and making me believe why this couple could end up together after everything that had transpired.

After reading The Price of Desire, I won't automatically shy away from another Leda Swann book, but it won't be the first on my buy list.

Caroline Clemons is the daughter of a bankrupt banker who not only left his family without means to support themselves, but who also killed himself and left Caroline to pick up the pieces. Betrothed to Captain Bellamy, Caroline attends a party with the hopes of convincing her fiancé to marry her sooner rather than later. However, the captain has other plans, plans that do not include a penniless wife and her four brothers and sisters. Terribly frantic and out of options, Caroline accepts a scandalous offer from the notorious Dominic Savage. She will enjoy a night of sensual delights with the compelling man before succumbing to a fatalistic end the next day.

Dominic Savage's enigmatic gaze lights upon Caroline Clemons during a lavish party. Knowing that the young widow of a dead banker might be inclined for some company, he begins his blazing seduction only to be told she is engaged and to whom. Letting her know that he will be there for her when she is jilted, Dominic sits back and patiently waits. When he finds her crying quietly, he applies a few touches and fleeting kisses - Caroline is his. Too late, however, Dominic realizes that the widow was in fact a maiden. When she appears to have vanished into thin air the next morning, Dominic will stop at nothing to find her.

THE PRICE OF DESIRE took me on an emotional roller coaster. My feelings for Dominic fluctuated from moment to moment - I was alternately mad at him for bargaining with Caroline, then giddy about his prominent feelings of respect and love. His love for Caroline made their relationship complete. While I didn't always like his methods of bringing Caroline into his life - bargaining and setting a price for her to be his mistress - I couldn't help but be in awe of his ability to love Caroline completely and unconditionally. I expected her feelings to be no less and was not disappointed.

THE PRICE OF DESIRE is a tie-in with the novel SUGAR AND SPICE, also released by Leda Swann. I was treated to another look at characters first introduced in SUGAR AND SPICE and found myself wanting to go back and re-read both books once more for good measure!

***Natasha Smith for Romance Junkies***

The desire to have someone body and soul turns into love in this erotic historical romance tale of the beautiful young and innocent virgin Caroline Clemons who suddenly finds herself and her siblings penniless after the suicide of her prominent society banker father. She is depending on the honor of Captain Bellamy to hold to their engagement agreement. When he breaks the engagement and offers her the position of mistress instead of wife, Caroline is devastated. She sees her father's way as the easy way out. As she sits in the conservatory at a society gathering and plans the taking of her siblings life and herself, the handsome and wealthy Dominic Savage approaches her. He is under the misconception that she is the widow of the now deceased banker. He has desired her for his mistress from the moment he saw her across the room. Thinking this is to be her last evening alive, she gives up her innocence to Dominic with such passion that he wants her body and soul. Later that night, Caroline discovers she cannot go through with her plan and the following morning she and her siblings enter the local workhouse. Once again the evil Captain Bellamy tries to manipulate her to becoming his mistress and arranges it so that she is removed from the workhouse. As she and her siblings are being removed to the streets once again, Dominic steps in to rescue her. Now that she has no other alternative and he appears to be more honest and upfront in his offer, and mostly because she cannot forget the passion and pleasure she experienced when he took her virginity, she takes him up on his offer. He takes her and her family in and provides a home, education and dowries. She in turn is to provide him with every desire and pleasure and he will teach her everything he has learned about pleasure in India. At first Caroline is shy and uncomfortable, but soon learns to make the best of the arrangement. When Dominic takes her on a trip to spend time at a house of pleasure called Sugar and Spice, he comes to realize that he does not want to share Caroline with any other man. He discovers that he not only wants her to belong to him body and soul - he now wants to win her heart. He then begins to court her, but when a strange twist of fate causes him to lose his fortune, he can no longer keep her and she moves to the small estate given to her by Dominic in their original agreement. Caroline is then pursued by numerous gentlemen desiring her pleasures, but it is only Dominic that fills her thoughts and desires. When she finally has no choice but to offer herself up for auction in order to continuing supporting herself and her siblings, one bidder offers "...my love for you, because that is all I have to offer." The Price of Desire is a passionate, moving story of hardship, desire, passion and love that is not only a good sensual story, but well-written with substance. An excellent erotic read.

Comprehensive and detailed book that covers it all. Drawings of the greek temples of Agrigento, Selinute and Segesta. Maps of what the sites would have looked like. Explanations of the dozens of layers of history and conquest that is Sicily's legacy. 319 pages of well layed out information in a region by region basis. Good overview of transporation options and how to get to the more remote sites. Minimal hotel information. Good color map section in the back. Did not need to buy the local english guides with this one along on the trip.

Yes, as other reviewers write, Ellen Grady's book is full of rich and detailed history of the places you'll visit, but it lacks essential practical information. We used it only for Taormina (beautiful town, highly recommended) and Catania (Sicily's second largest city, which you could skip), so the book may be more helpful elsewhere on the island. As for these two destinations, the book lacked essential information (like the frequency and cost of various public transportation options between towns). Also, it had virtually no narrative description of restaurants, just a mere listing. If I wanted history, I would have bought a history book. I wanted practical information to get the best out of our short time on the island, this book didn't have it.

And wonderfully described and brought forward in an uncanny, friendly and witty manner. Nothing is left to question, only see, explore and enjoy for yourself! Wonderful Hotel, B&B, Restaurant, Beach listing!! Siteseeing tour needs no other guide book!!

Comprehensive and detailed this 319 page book covers it all. Sicily is a gold mine of history and with this book you can follow along at the most involved historic site. We used it during all 14 days we spent in Sicily and found that we did not need to buy the english site guides while there. A lot of drawings that show how the greek sites would have been layed out and the structure of the temples. Of great use in Segesta, Selinute and Agrigento historic sites. Highly recommend for the traveler that likes detail!

This new edition of the classic Blue Guide Sicily is packed with information, not only about cities and places to see, how to get there and so on, but also lots of hotels, B&Bs, farm accommodation, and the best places to eat! (Which doesn't mean the most expensive). Sicily is so different compared with any other place in the world that it can seem intimidating at first; everybody seems to shout instead of talk, traffic whizzes around, yet Ellen Grady takes you by the hand and helps you relax and enjoy, appreciating all the wonderful things about Sicily that make this island unique, a true earthly paradise. I love Sicily thanks to her, and I just can't wait for her next book!

This is the first of two books written about this couple. The second book is called Crossing Divides: A Couples Story of Cancer, Hope, and Hiking Montana's Continental Divide. You might enjoy reading about what happened to them after their marriage and their encounter with cancer and hiking the Continental Divide.

This book packs in a lot as Scott and his partner, Kate, cover several thousand km of NZ bike touring, racing storms, pedaling up grueling roads, meeting all sorts of locals and travelers alike, and exploring natural and beautiful New Zealand.

Parts flew by too quickly for me, but other parts were described in fun, insightful detail. I feel I gained some good knowledge and insight into NZ after reading this book, especially in the areas of NZ weather (lots of rain, wind, and sun), how NZ treats foreigners (mostly good), and what bike-touring is like (tough and rewarding but mostly tough). Oh, and as a bonus, it really perked my interest in fly-fishing!

The book won't knock you out of your chair, but I doubt that is it's intention. A great read if you are planning a trip to New Zealand or planning a bike-touring trip; especially with a significant other! I hope to report soon as to how accurate this account is. The trip occurred in the late 1980s so I imagine NZ might have changed a lot since then, but maybe not.

Cover describes book as a "light hearted adventure story", should have been "a travel ordeal". Showed how lack of training and improper equipment can turn what should have been fun into drudgery. Choose biking as a cheap mode of transport rather than doing it for the pleasure of cycling which effected narrative. Constant whining and complaining made it hard to enjoy. Use of local NZ slang got old and author trying to force his personal views on locals seemed inappropriate. I have biked in NZ and it was nothing like the book described.

This was a great read - especially if you are interested in biking as an adventure. I just returned from New Zealand and agree with most of what he wrote!

AUSTRALIAN CYCLIST--"Here is an engrossing tale...Scott writes entertainingly and perceptively of the idiosyncrasies of the population and areas he and Katie passed through...If you have ever wanted to go cycling in New Zealand, you could do far worse than to read this book first. If you never want to go there, don't read it-it will probably change your mind!"

KLCC PUBLIC RADIO, Eugene, Oregon--" Today I have the pleasure of reviewing a marvelous book for you...The avid bike rider will be thrilled with the detailed and fascinating descriptions...TWO WHEELS AROUND NEW ZEALAND reads as if you were sharing travel yarns with old friends. Scott Bischke has a very informal tone, and he really brought me into his confidences as he shared his moods, fears, and hopes before and during this incredible year...Wouldn't this book make a great film!"

BACKROADS CYCLING-- "I did enjoy the book....the tone was nice, there were good illustrations, the descriptions of the difficulties encountered added to the story without resorting to the whining all too common in literature these days."

BOOKLIST--" ...Bischke offers insights into the pleasures of biking, fly-fishing, and just living."

BILLINGS GAZETTE--"Bischke has a fluid, chatty style..."

As the author of TWO WHEELS, I'm more than a little shocked at the first review posted. That I did not connect with that reader is apparent, though I have never heard the book described as anything but light-hearted and enjoyable (if the first review engendered a rating of 2, I'd hate to see his or her 1!). Wishing you happy pedaling, Scott Bischke

Judging from the two customer reviews, you either love it or hate it. I have a tweener view of Lambourne's tome. Having a keen interest in the Pre-Raphaelites, I wanted to learn more about Victorian art. I admit I chose this book because of it's size. However, I was pleasantly surprise by its content. I enjoyed his organization, for instead of going from artist to artist, he covered their subject matter and their important artists. It was a good review of the British art world of the Victorian era and some European/American artists who were influenced by the British. Lambourne was both academic and insightful. He seem knowledgeable of aspects of the artists' lives that are not usually in an academic work. The reproductions were great but I was disappointed that some were so small. However, I can understand the design trade off vs. cost of the book. So if you're looking for an extensive survey of Victoria period art at an affordable price, this is your book.

I'M AN ARTIST, AND I IDENTIFIED MYSELF A LOT WITH VICTORIAN PAINTING, I GUESS PART OF MY SOUL STILL LIVED IN THAT PERIOD. TO ME, THIS IS MY "BOOK OF LIFE", IT'S VERY COMPLETE, EXCELLENT INTRODUCTION, MARVELOUS COLOUR ILLUSTRATIONS, AND MOST OF ALL, YOU GET TO KNOW OTHER VICTORIAN ARTISTS WORK. **TRUST ME YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED**

Trust me - if you know anything about Victorian Painting you WILL be disappointed. Nice reproductions, though predictable choices for the most part. Platitudinous text.

Two of the best books about general Victorian paintings are Lionel Lambourne's and Christopher Woods'. Although both book discuss the same broad subject of Victorian art, they do not seem to overlap each other but instead seem to reinforce each other, filling in gaps where one left off. Don't be afraid to own both books. Both books are packed with beautiful images and interesting notes about so many Victorian painters. Lambourne's book is almost twice as heavy as Wood's but the image resolution is smaller but he seems to give a better account of the events surrounding the paintings. The topics of both books are very well ordered (historical events, animals, nudes, outdoor etc)

In an environment over-saturated with the mediocrity of Modern Art, Victorian art is ever increasing in importance, and no serious lover of paintings should ever be without both books.

Although it has been much maligned by critics and art historians, the Victorian period was actually a rich and dynamic era in the arts. Modern art historians have been brought up with the notion that the concept of a narrative in a painting - essentially a painting that tells a story - is either mere illustration or "kitsch." Once this view of painting became the conventional wisdom early in the last century, Victorian Art, so much of which was narrative, was relegated to the basements of museums and even became an object of ridicule. In art history classes around the world, paintings of the Victorian era, whether by Leighton in England or Bouguereau in France, were used as a foil for the Impressionists and early Modern movements. The Victorian era was a sentimental time and there is a fine line between a romantic sentimentality and being overly sweet or saccharine and there were many times when Victorian painters vaulted over that line. However, like any other art form, you only become an effective and intelligent critic of a genre or period when you know it well. And, if your art history courses have taught you to dismiss it out of hand, you will simply be pathologically unable to make intelligent distinctions or draw proper conclusions.
Lionel Lambourne's book is a comprehensive survey of Victorian Art. It is a massive volume that is beautifully illustrated with exceptionally good plates. All too many art books suffer from poor color, clearly drawn from poor transparencies or scans, but this book doesn't stint on the number or quality of the illustrations, so it will be popular with those who simply want to enjoy the images as well as those who have the time to read the text. The author, who is the head of the paintings department at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, clearly knows his subject well and he has broken the long Victorian era down into logical chapters, beginning with a survey of the "Victorian Art Establishment" and then diving the Victorian period by subject and movement rather than simple chronology. He covers all the major movements such as "The Frailer Sex and the Fallen Woman," "The Pre-Raphaelites," "Aesthetes and Symbolists," and "Childhood and Sentiment."
The book is not devoted solely to the artists who lived in Great Britain but also includes painters from the British colonies and former colonies in order to show the connections between their art and that of England. Without descending into the jargon that is too frequently relied upon by art historians, Lambourne is scholarly, providing insight into the influences and motivations of the Victorian artists and then explaining why Whsitler and the Aesthetes rebelled against the prevailing style. Victorian painting has remained popular with artists and a segment of the public precisely because of some of the qualities that repell many art historians - the high level of craftsmanship, sentimentality, the narrative drive so common to the era and the moral element that is part of many paintings from the epoch - but in recent years, more and more exhibitions have been mounted and new books seem to come out each fortnight. Now that Victorian Art has regained some of its lost luster and popularity, it deserves to have an elegant book like Lionel Lambourne's "Victorian Painting" that gives readers an overview of a rich artistic epoch.

Eyed this book at a friend's home in New Bedford & had to read it. You can't get a better story of risk & adventure than this. The fact that it all began in New England makes it even more engaging. Good gift for any Irishman.

The Voyage of the Catalpa tells the true story of an American whale boat captain who is recruited to help rescue six Irish political prisoners from an Australia prison in 1875. It starts off slowly, but this quickly becomes a riveting tale. The mission is so daring and unlikely that you wouldn't believe it was true if you hadn't read the book. The climax is very suspenseful- I couldn't put it down.

I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to others who have an interest in history and the forced migration of the Irish to Australia.

While I am not personally of a Fremantle Irish heritage (was raised among it), I am writing this review in part due to being born and raised in Perth-Fremantle and now having the privilege now to live and work in New York! Coincidently, I was requested to write this on my first "St Patrick's Day" in New York while I'm still capable to write...

I feel that this book explained that the Irish cause was not only Irish but belonged to every freedom loving person. Captain George Anthony saw that it was a right thing to do for the 'Fremantle six' to get out of prison and be brought to New York as free men. And, he left his family to do just that. I believe that British imperialism was wrong and people throughout the world were tiring from it.

It is a complex issue the Fenians both military and civilian faced, but it was good to see that the Darragh character who was not a Catholic, still saw that Irish people were capable to rule themselves even when being of other religious beliefs. His struggle can be seen in the present Irish Republic as a secular state which is run by Irish people of all types of backgrounds.

But for me, any Perth-Fremantle or other located Western Australian person that ever came to be in New York or the US New England region and experience its warmth can now see one of the historical reasons for this close bond that we in Perth-Fremantle share with this part of the US. A connection in part heightened from Irish suffering of the late 1800's.

To those who have passed including the 'Fremantle six' and Captain Anthony thank you for giving me, a West Australian, another deep connection to the United States. A connection that I knew about from Primary School, but needed to comprehend further as an adult.

Peter Stevens has done a good job.

This unknown history at it's finest. The reseach was outstanding done by Stevens. It's the perfect match adventure and history this did really occur as hard as it is to believe. If your interested in Irish/Australian/American History it is a must read.

I have read this book with a mixture of interest and annoyance. I was interested in a part of Irish history that I had not read about previously. The author has managed to compile a quantity of factual documentation on this subject.

My annoyance arises from two main areas;

1. His �factional� way of writing. Interspersing historical documents with the attributed thoughts and actions of his subjects. While I agree that it is the authors choice how he tells the story, his stereotypical approach of �Cruel Britannia� versus the �Noble Irish� gets a little tiresome after a while. Irish history (like most history) varies considerably depending on who does the telling. The �Irish Question� is seldom black or white, a fact that has been discovered by several generations of US presidents. (I say this as an Irishman and a Nationalist).

2. An area where I am more qualified to comment is in his writing about the seagoing element of the story. If Mr. Stevens has a nautical proof reader he/she should be keelhauled. Some of the howlers are as follows;

Sailors raced up the ratlines to sheaf the ship�s sails (p. 52) �Sailors reef sails.

From the quarterdeck, a sailor called out �twelve bells� (p.71). � No, NO, NOOO, bells are rung (on a bell � duh), and the highest number is EIGHT. 12 midnight is 8 BELLS.

� asked if he might see the ship�s chronometer and learn how one used its winding key to arrive at the ships position. (p. 199)

AND

, took out his new chronometer, wound the key, and read --- ninety miles away (p. 232). � �Mother of the Devine!!!!!!!!!�� Mr. Stevens is mixing a Sextant with a Chronometer � A chronometer is a CLOCK. A sextant is used to measure angles � e.g. stars, sun, mountains etc. By combining an accurate CLOCK and a sextant angle of a heavenly body, using tables you can plot a ships position.

The first cry of �Ah!Blows!� rang out (p.220) � If a whaler cried out this he would be harpooned. The cry is �Thar she blows�

"greasy luck" was the standard whalers cry, not �greasy voyage�

This is only a small sample of the errors in the nautical side of this book. I can only assume similar carelessness in other areas. As a result Mr. Stevens gets a 2 star rating.

Congratulations, Mr Carey, on producing the only boring book on Sydney I have ever read. The stories you relate are, apart from the climbers dying in the Blue Mountains, mainly boring. You do not capture, in my opinion, the essence of Sydney. Your book is essentially about a group of your closest friends, who, frankly, could be living in any city in the world. I am not interested in what your mate thinks of Parramatta bleedin road? It may have had some historical significance in the 19th Century, but its just a road now, which leads through some pretty decrepit suburbs. I expected some really penetrating anecdotes about Sydney and Sydneysiders (I was one of them, having grown up on the North Shore). As for your politics - why oh why oh why do you liberals think that ordinary folk in the street should apologise for atrocities committed against the Aborigines? You are just another one of the `sorry' brigade, which gets a kick out of seeing young white children paint the word `sorry' on their foreheads. Disgusting. Mr Carey (and please stay in New York), there is no such thing as Inherited Guilt. You should never apologise, or force other people to apologise, for something you haven't done. If you want Inherited Guilt then I suggest you go live in North Korea.

I will, however, give you plaudits for reciting the story of Mr Eternity. But Mr Eternity was a quintessentially Australian character, Mr Carey; you are not.

Enjoy the Big Apple!

Any attempt to girdle a city within literature is doomed by the complexity and expanse of the topic. Carey delays this admission until the end, although by then his feelings are clear. Living and writing in New York City, only a deep inland residence could give him greater setting for contrast. His comparison with his current home is limited to the cramped quarters he endures there. Yet this limited contrast imparts the theme and import of this personal summary. Little of this book is about Australia's key city. Instead, the majority of Carey's essays here describe the Harbour, the Blue Mountains, the Pacific Coast, the Bridge and rivers. The characters are a melange of his personal friends and historical figures. There is a mystical episode on the Harbour Bridge and a passing critique of the CBD [Central Business District] and the values of those working there. The theme remains that the City is but one location in a region of contrasts. No other city is placed so uniquely. Perhaps no-one is better suited to attempt this unique task.

Many cities rejoice in their history, but in this, too, Sydney is special. Founded as a convict colony, it grew into a major Pacific port. Survival was a struggle with poor soil, vagaries of rain and wind and the presence of the Aborigine population - issues that urbanisation hides but cannot eliminate. Sensing its importance early, Sydney girted the Harbour with forts, something Carey lightly applauds when old forts become new parks. Carey conveys the sense of struggle, but time has transformed equal starving of convicts and guards to ideals of social equality - so long as that society is white, he reminds us. His "distorted view" imparts his dissenting view on relations with displaced Aborigines, among other topics.

However booksellers classify this work, it's not a travel advisory. Tourists will be unlikely to join the Sydney to Hobart race. Even more unlikely when they read Carey's account of the disaster of 1998. Nor will the casual visitor find themselves in a capsized racing skiff in the teeth of ten metre waves and forty knot winds. If you do visit, be careful hiking in mountains. If your visit occurs in the Southern Hemispheric summer, be extra cautious with matches or campfires. What can happen if you aren't Carey imparts with stunning clarity. Having lost his own house to fire, a telephone dialogue with a friend fighting to save one is a gripping read.

Carey's many awards are well deserved. His descriptive writing skills and characterisation are well demonstrated in this book. It's no matter if these are real people, mixtures of many into one or wholly invented. Their own stories are from real life and deserve attention. Carey snags your attention from the first page and you give it willingly to the rest of the book. An essay string that may be enjoyed by anyone, this book provides entertainment, education and excitement. Try it and see. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Peter Carey spent 30 days in Sydney in 2000 and we readers are the lucky recipients of his account. He clearly loves Sydney and demonstrates this love in every page of this little volume. His love is contagious. For example, on viewing what he calls "the great Pacific Ocean," he writes: "It is one of a hundred places you will find in Sydney which take your breath away, and I, familiar but disoriented, was in a state of constant amazement that any metropolis could be so blesssed." He also obviously cares deeply for his friends who still live there. About his friend Jack Ledoux he says: "I have lived in more than one house Jack has designed and would be a happy man if I could wake up in one tomorrow morning and live in it all my life. Every time I walk into one of his constructions, it makes me happy." What an extraordinary way to describe a friend!

Mr. Carey sets out to describe this great city in terms of earth, air, fire and water. He does this by having several zany friends of his-- some of them friends of thirty years-- tell their stories. Any one of these characters ought to be found in a novel, at least one of Mr. Carey's. In his hands they become flesh and blood and as interesting as the city they describe. Good stuff jumps out on every page. Mr. Carey admits that he cannot drive over Sydney's famous bridge without having a panic attack, a fact that is particularly significant to me since I suffer from the same problem with high bridges. Then there is the delicious account of the word "Eternity" and the little man responsible for writing the word everywhere or anywhere he felt his God called him to write it. Carey's handling of the "Aborigine problem" is particularly poignant in his discussion of Vicki, who was taken from her parents and raised by a white family.

Carey, now living in New York, did not move to Sydney, the city his mother said was just like Liberace, until he was almost forty-- ". . . even then I carried in my baggage a typical Melbournian distrust of that vulgar crooked convict town." I for one would love to see him write similar books about both Melbourne and New York.

So much good writing-- so many marvelous stories in 248 pages. A great read!

This is a good read for Aussie expats, not least because the author is one of Australia�s more prominent contemporary literary figures, staging a return visit to Sydney from his current home in New York. Aussies living in America will probably be tuned into the way observations of one country are used to shed light on the other, the extra explanations he is obliged to include for either culture, as well was the exercise of reacquainting oneself with one�s place of origin and trying to come to grips with its history and character. On occasion the author�s own brand of cronyism (men relive their exploits or otherwise act out their mid life crises) is a bit irksome, but then he is well aware of such potential gripes and fends them off within the book (�Mate, you�re making a big mistake talking to all these men. You�re ignoring the women��). In all, he spins a good yarn, and the final pages will have you heaving on the open seas at the mouth of the Hawkesbury River.