H Books

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.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it is very informative, and accurate. we just started to apply these principals to our diets, and we have been eating healthy and feeling great.

Dr. Russell writes in a way that, to be consistent, one would have to become a 7th Day Adventist. He takes extinct Old Testament references regarding what Jews were supposed to eat and what they weren't supposed to eat, and acts as if they compose God's universal, timeless law. Poor exegesis. If he stuck to the scientific pros and cons of food I would have received him better (even though much of his data is controversial/speculative). There have to be better written books out there (I know Richard Foster does a much more thorough analysis of health and fasting).

The title of the book really says it all. God created us and gave us specific instructions on what to eat. We would be wise to follow them. I've given copies of this book to my whole family.

I have found this book to be very insightful about my eating habits. Putting biblical boundaries around my eating choices actually gives me the freedom I've been needing to say no to all types of junk food. It has also helped me learn to trust God's guideance in other areas of life. God knows His creation and wants the best for us.

This is the best book I have read with clear, easy to follow advice that will show you Bible references for all of it's tips. It has a page of foods with Bible verses to look up where the food is eaten. There are references for the unhealthy foods, too. If you want a straight forward book without a lot of the authors own "reasons why", you will be very happy. You will come away with the answers you were seeking.

H.P. Lovecraft is one of the favorite authors of The Fall's Mark E. Smith. He is also one of Smith's greatest lyrical influences. This is enough to recommend the book to me!Grotesque (After the Gramme)

HP Lovecraft possessed a twisted imagination, no doubt about it. I took the book out of curiosity mixed with the knowledge that any Library of America book I had ever read was an outstanding choice no matter what the subject; and I wasn't disappointed in this one either.

Macrbre isn't a word I use very often since I haven't focused my reading attention on tales in the category of Lovecraft's particular talent, even though I did read most of Poe; but it fits. It's a collection of short novels, each more gruesome than the last. They are also extremely well written, fascinating, spellbinding.

"The Outsider" starts off the reader's chilling journey which teams you up with something no longer alive - if it ever was - in it's tortured trip back up to the outside world; and in "Herbert West, Reanimator", the tale of two medical students grisly adventures in the obsessed quest to restore life to cadavers will bring perspiration to your brow if nothing else will.

It goes on from there - each and every one different yet borrowing from a theme of madness; as you read, the marvel at how anyone could continue to think up fresh material for something like this becomes a quest in itself.

If you're looking for something wayyyyyy out of the ordinary, and can stand being shocked witless, this is the author and the book for you. I thoroughly enjoyed it as a romp far off my own beaten literary path and thus am recommending it to others who have a wish to experience a similar hair-raising journey past the edge.

If you were to own only one volume of Lovecraft's works, then this is it. It is perfect for those new to Lovecraft. It has the most famous and essential tales including all of the "Arkham Cycle". Most other editions split his best stuff across several volumes with his lesser works as filler. Not only that, they are printed out of chronological order, revealing semi spoilers in the Arkham Cycle Mythos from one story to the next. Not so here. And it's a sleek durable volume printed on acid-free paper, a real treat for those who had to suffer through shoddy paperbacks over the years. Alot of talk has been made of Lovecraft's influence in horror but little has been stated how influential his works were to science fiction as well. Lovecraft pioneered sci-fi concepts as alien abduction, the ancient astronaut theory, and secret "aliens among us" conspiracies. He discarded many of the old terrors from gothic horror and gave us brand new ones. Lovecraft was to pulp horror what Chandler was to Hard-boiled fiction.

The Library of America has produced a handsome and affordable edition of a selection of H.P. Lovecraft's Tales chosen, edited and with notes by author Peter Straub. The twenty-two selections are from the years 1919 to 1935 and encompass the best of Lovecraft's extensive writings. In addition there is a chronology of the significant incidents of his life. The notes by Straub are detailed and are very helpful in both setting the context of the stories and explaining the sometimes obscure references that the very intellectual Lovecraft incorporated into his writings. This is an excellent collection and the beautifully bound hardcover will last for many years.

Daniel Phelan, Kingston, Ontario Canada

This collection of 22 of Lovecraft's most essential works is an must for anyone considering themselves a fan of science fiction, fantasy, horror, or just plain "weird tales". Beautifully bound and presented, this volume displays Lovecraft at his most imaginative and eloquent. Peter Straub has selected the most revered of Lovecraft's tales, and does as much justice as a one volume can do to so prolific an imagination. Truly, imagination lies at the very center of Lovecraft's best tales. A master at granting fleeting glimpses into the unknown and terrifying vistas of reality, Lovecraft has an uncanny ability to conjure terrifying alternate universes and realities, the full realizations of which are often enough to drive his protagonists to madness, or worse. Subject to some poorly conceived film adaptations over the years, Lovecraft's works continue to gain the attentions of Hollywood. The sheer imaginative power of Lovecraft, however, seemingly defies a visual representation capable of holding a candle to the images conjured by the imagination of his reader's minds. For a summary of the works of an essential American author, look no further than this volume.

I think this book is probably the most thorough Spanish grammar book I've ever seen. It's quite detailed. I keep it on my bookshelf at home and use it as a reference. This is a grammar book that no Spanish student should be without. A must have!

This book is exactly what I have been searching for! It covers everything the english speaking spanish student could want. It is detailed and gives excellent usage examples. It can be somewhat tidious on certain points. Despite this, it immediately became an indespensible part of my library. It is very thorough. I love it.

Here is a standout presentation of the ins and outs of contemporary Spanish. Examples of idiomatic usage are generously supplied, but fine points do not get in the way of the basics. Altogether an exemplary text--well-orgnized, lucid, and thorough.

Even as a beginner in spanish, studying mostly at home with books and digital files (Learning Spanish Like Crazy and Rocket Spanish) and occasional visits to a local spanish tutor -- I have found this book to be my best source for grammar clarification.

I purchased about 5 grammar books. My other favorites were actually workbooks rather than reference sources -- likely to diminish in usefulness as I progress. While they seemed easier at first, I would be tripped up by inconsistencies here and there and gaps when I tried to extend beyond them to reading spanish texts. In some cases my tutor could not explain what I needed about a particular grammar rule or common usage pattern.

After about 3 months of using other references, I finally became more comfortable with finding my answers in this reference. So far every topic I have explored was included, usually with pretty good thoroughness. When a rule seems to deviate from the expected, or no consistent rule applies -- it is acknowledged. When there are regional trends -- these have also been documented better than in any other reference I have seen.

It took me awhile to have enough Spanish exposure to understand some of the details, but with time it has been well worth the money and effort. Now I've come to rely on it almost exclusively.

It clearly outshines the others on my shelf. I expect it will remain a classic reference as my language skills continue to develop. I wish I could find the equivalent book for English -- because while working with my spanish tutor I realized that I couldn't easily explain some of the grammar rules of my native language either!!! Like her, I sometimes had to just say that I just knew what sounded right. This comprehensive reference gives much more satisfying answers.

When a Spanish teacher reccommended this book to me, I was reluctant to purchase yet another grammar book. However, this book is extremely detailed and is great for the advanced student. It is more than any college textbook. Keep in mind it is a book of explanations and not a book of exercises, but it does answer a lot of questions that an advanced undergraduate, or first-year grad student has.

Team Yankee is quite an interesting book. Harold Coyle describes a war between the Warsaw Pact and NATO in 1985 in great detail. But don't expect this to be like Red Storm Rising, this book focuses entirely on small unit tactics with zero politics. The action starts immediately at the beginning of the second chapter, and it never stops.

The battles are realistic and the tactics are described in great detail in the text as well as the maps that are in the book. The maps really help you figure what's going on and what platoons are moving where, etc.

The story focuses on Captain Sean Bannon of Team Yankee, a military unit deployed in Germany during the Cold War. When war breaks out in 1985, he must lead his unit to victory. There are several other main characters including several other tankers, and an infantry sergeant. This is definetly a book you don't want to miss.

This book is, IMHO, the finest of the cold-war era military novels, and one of the finest military novels ever written, includng the writing of Patrick O'Brian and C.S. Forester.

The only book that can compare is Clancy's "Hunt for Red October", and it does not give as good a feeling as being there as does Team Yankee.

If you like military novels, or just good writing, read this book.

This was the second Coyle book I read (the first being "God's Children") and once again I was compelled by his gripping battle scenes and poignant view of today's combat environment. The story flows well and was generally enjoyable and engaging.

However, by the end of the book I became disappointed because of the constant, repeated stupidity of the opposing forces. I felt cheated because it never seemed that the U.S. forces won due to good strategy & tactics as much as because the enemy used tactics a learned high school student would shun. Don't get me wrong, the book is a good read. I only wish Coyle would create an antagonist with some brains to serve as a challenging foil for our heroes.

Setting aside all the geo-political baggage of the day, Coyle finds his real strength with one tank platoons story in WW III. It's a shame he never went back to this style. A real shame, as this is terrific, exciting stuff you wont find else where.

Harold Coyle's Team Yankee: A Novel of World War III (Presidio Press, 1987) was published a year after Red Storm Rising's triumphant debut in hardcover, and although it is thematically similar (Soviet forces invade West Germany after a series of crises escalate into an all out conventional war), Coyle's approach is very different from Clancy's. Instead of creating his own possible scenario for a NATO vs. Warsaw Pact confrontation, he asked for, and received, permission from British author (and retired General) Sir John Hackett to set Team Yankee within the scenario created in Hackett's two
"speculative fiction" books The Third World War: August 1985 and The Third World War: The Untold Story.

Team Yankee takes place within a two-week period in an August in the late 1980s. Since late July, a series of crises precipitated by the Iran-Iraq war has morphed into a clash between U.S. and Soviet naval forces in the Persian Gulf region. By August 1, word comes that NATO is mobilizing and ordering their armed forces, including Bannon and Team Yankee, to their wartime positions. Soon, the Soviets and their Warsaw Pact "allies" cross the Inner German Border in force. Team Yankee and the rest of NATO's forces in West Germany must then fight the invaders and stop them before the Red Army reaches the Rhine River. After that, assuming the Soviet attack bogs down, the mission will change from merely defending territory to taking offensive operations and pushing the invaders back. The question Coyle poses is, can American soldiers, using their weapons and tactics against superior numbers of Soviet and Warsaw Pact soldiers, defeat Russian weapons and tactics?

Readers familiar with Hackett's macrocosmic World War III will know the big picture, but first-time readers will be turning the pages to see who wins, who loses, who dies...and who survives in this outstanding first novel by a true master of the military fiction genre.

The only flaw, and this is not Coyle's fault, is that reality -- in the shape of the fall of communism and the end of the Cold War -- has made the novel's setting extremely outdated. Some of the then-modern weapons, such as the M1 main battle tank, have been since updated to M1-A2 standard, older weapons have been retired, and obviously there's no more Warsaw Pact.


All in all, it's an entertaining read.

An extremely helpful short book on the important concepts and specific details of Robert's Rules. Authoritative, yet easy to understand. Points you in the direction of the 600 plus full edition if you need more info. We've bought it for all our committee chairs.

Concise and clear which is the purpose of Robert's Rules of Order. Meetings conducted in this format are much more productive with less turmoil and emotional distraction.

Perfect brief overview for anyone running meetings or participating in them. Unlike the reputation they sometimes have, Robert's rules are designed to facilitate discussion and decision-making, not to tie the group down to a set of rules. Give this a read, and you will see how cleverly and comprehensibly it sets out the entire process. Perfect for any organization, large or small. Highly recommended.

This brief is a great introduction to Robert' Rules. Easy reading. Many nuggets that I did not even find in the full edition. I recommend it to all those who are on boards and commissions and associations.

Well written summary -- this is the abbreviated version and it is very useful. Helps to have the full-up version as well, for details, but this one is a super guide.

I love western novels but I have never read a western novel to beat those of the Sudden series. I started reading those novels from my early teans and to this day I never stopped for I have read those that I have over and over again. I used to have the whole series but over the years with friends borrowing I am reduced to eight - Marshal of lawless, Rides again, The law of the Lariat, Plays a hand, Takes the Trail, The Range Robbers, outlawed and Makes war. I wish I could lay my hands on the others especially Sudden, Goldseeker, Strikes back, Goldseeker, Deal or Alive, Apache Fighter. If anyone has those and to sell please contact me for I would love to own them again.

I've read all of the Sudden Books as a pre-teen and teenager back on my island in the Caribbean. Simply the best. I looked beyond some of the controversial words and focused on the storyline. Not to make light of some of the language used.
I had all of the books and loaned them to friends, never to be returned.
I am now trying to start my collection all over again and it's costing me a fortune. No Sudden novel is a bad novel.

The entire series "Sudden", by Oliver Strange is undoubtedly the best Western series I have ever encountered in any form. Its been at least 20 years since I've read a copy, but i still feel that high level of excitement that I felt back in high school when I was addicted to the series.
Unfortunately I no longer have any copies of this great novel and I would like to purchase the whole series from anyone out there who would like to sell their copies. Please email me at harveylevers@hotmail.com if you are able to help me !

I loved the Sudden series when I was a boy - and, aged 45, I still have hung on to all 15 of them. They have survived wave after wave of book culls - so they must have something special about them. I too wish some publisher would reissue them all with quality covers. I have the Corgi edition with Sudden in bold and really good cover illustrations - some of the later editions were'nt as attractive.

I have 'spare' copies for sale of Sudden Makes War (Corgi, 1963 -good condition); Sudden Marshal of Lawless (Corgi 1963 - fair condition - slightly torn pages); Sudden Rides Again (Corgi 1975 edition, good condition); and Sudden Takes the Trail (Corgi 1969 - half front cover misssing).

My biggest hero-"SUDDEN"- since i was just a kid,devouring all 15 'sudden' books from o.strange/f.christian.Funny thing ,since i left them all back home in Guyana when i migrated to New York some 27 years ago, i thought i'd be able to accquire all of them here -big mistake- didn't realize these precious books were actually published in the UK and sadly they are no longer available anywhere.In these troubled times the world need someone like Jim Green alias "SUDDEN" with his quiet cool,sobering demeanor,cocky confidence and deadly accuracy with his two tied down six-guns,shooting from the hips and one by one' slowly but surely eradicating all the varmints and sidewiners thus giving back towns/cities to the righteous, law-abiding and god fearing folks rightfully what are theirs: freedom,peace and happiness and a bright future for our kids . Any one of u "SUDDENITES" who has some extra copies of sudden, a sho' am glad to do business with u and am mighty oblige .I still don;t see the big deal with the hero 's horse name n---er ,aw shucks well lets' rename him TRIGGER or somthin . Seems like all around me i hear the n word being used so loosely by the same people who is making a big stink about a silly horse name whose storied episodes were written in a time when there was no political correctness .Lets' start a "SUDDEN" society and see if we all can be a hero and try to save these really great books from going to 'PURGURATORY ' so lovers of sudden can once more feel and re-live those glorious moments in days of old of the wild west. Methinks mebbe some publishers who've seen all these glowing reviews can find a way to get these golden oldies back in circulation if only for a limited tme so i can get me the entire collection once more and treasure them for what they really are ,just plain ole fun reading that helped build character and discipline in me .. S'long partner...

"Once upon a time, in a gloomy castle on a lonely hill, where there were thirteen clocks that wouldn't go, there lived a cold, aggressive Duke, and his neice, the Princess Saralinda."

Well. that first line has just about everything you need to start off a fairy tale, doesn't it? And it only gets better from there.

The New York Review has just reissued Thurber's classic, paired with the illustrations by Marc Simont, with a new introduction by Neil Gaiman.
The 13 Clocks is as full of fairy tale as you can get, with a Princess, the evil Duke, and, of course, a Prince. But there's also a Golux, who seems wise, but who sometimes makes things up and is extremely forgetful, the 13 clocks, an old woman who cries jewels, and the Todal ("The Todal looks like a blop of glup. , , , It makes a sound like rabbits screaming, and smells of old, unopened rooms.")

The story, although it's exciting and scary and thrilling, isn't even the best part. No the best part, as far as I'm concerned is the words that make up the story itself and the poetical way Thurber weaves them together. It's not really poetry, yet, at the same time, it is. This story, like poems, uses those glittery, evocative, slippery wonderful words -- like "brambles and thorns and "bonged the gongs of a throng of frogs, all green and vivid on their lily pads." Words like "gleep" and "made of lip" and "impudence" and "savage clash of swords." -- that together imbue the tale with feeling and delight.
+

This is truly a wonderful story and one that simply begs to be read aloud.

Quirky, bizarre, creative, and thoroughly loveable. This is how I describe one of the strangest little fairy tales I've ever read. This is a story that is truly creative and original even as it borrows from classic fairy tale/horror themes.

I was astonished to receive the summer list from The New York Review Children Collection and to find this extraordinary book by James Thurber. It begins:

"Once upon a time, in a gloomy castle on a lonely hill, where there were thirteen clocks that wouldn't go, there lived a cold, aggressive Duke, and his niece, the Princess Saralinda. She was warm in every wind and weather, but he was always cold. His hands were as cold as his smile, and almost as cold as his heart. He wore gloves when he was asleep, and he wore gloves when he was awake, which made it difficult for him to pick up pins or coins or the kernels of nuts, or to tear the wings from nightingales."

Neil Gaiman's Introduction was so good and so loving I had to read more, and I found this entry from November 2001 on his blog:

"So I'm reading James Thurber's "The 13 Clocks" to my daughter right now.

"I mentioned the fun I was having reading the book to American friends, expecting a chorus of "yes, it was our favourite book as children" and got nothing but blank looks and people shifting uncomfortably in their chairs. [I would have shifted just as uncomfortably three weeks ago.] ...

"To my surprise, and to my dismay, I discovered that it's more or less out of print (there's a hardback that may be in print, but Amazon have it listed as unavailable and won't let you order it), and even the rare bookfinder services don't have any Ronald Searle illustrated copies. Which leaves me perfectly gobsmacked. I mean, it's one of the great kids' books of the last century. It may be the best thing Thurber ever wrote. It's certainly the most fun that anybody can have reading anything aloud (I'm doing the Duke as Peter Sellers doing Olivier doing Richard III, and the Golux as Marty Feldman). If I ever wrote something half as good I'd be over the moon. And it's out of print."

I suppose Gaiman's love letter must have led to this wonderful new edition and to his being chosen to write the Introduction. Whatever the facts, my deepest gratitude to NYRB and to Gaiman and to Marc Simont for the wonderful illustrations. This is a treasure for kids and for adults.

Robert C. Ross 2008

PS: M. Williams suggests in the Comments that The Thirteen Clocks on CD recited by Edward Woodward is superior to the versions recited by Lauren Bacall or Peter Ustinov. Thanks for the suggestion. B.

I had not heard of James Thurber (I'm not from Northern America :)) until one of my friends on a study abroad program brought this book to our apartment and we started reading it out loud to each other. I loved it so much that I've read it three times already. Thurber's playing with the language is so amazing, cute and fascinating that it makes you speak "his way" after you read the book. :) And all his ideas are wonderful! This all makes the book one of a kind, really.

James Thurber went to Bermuda to finish a book, and wrote The Thirteen Clocks instead. He says it was escapism and self-indulgence. If so, the world needs more self-indulgence, because this book is pure fun. It's a simple fairy tale, a book to be shared with a child. The water-color illustrations by Mark Simont are a perfect enhancement to the mood of the story.

The tale opens with an evil Duke in a gloomy castle--a Duke who is always cold. "We all have flaws," he says, "and mine is being wicked." (p. 114) The castle has thirteen clocks, all frozen at ten minutes to five. The lovely Princess Saralinda, "warm in every wind and weather," is the only warm thing in the castle and the Duke (her so-called uncle, though actually her kidnapper) purposefully thwarts all her suitors with tasks impossible to perform. When they have failed, he slits them from guggle to zatch and feeds them to the geese.

The Thirteen Clocks is built of standard fairy tale elements. A wandering minstrel who is really the youngest son of a king falls in love with Princess Saralinda and accepts a seemingly impossible test to win her hand. Assisted by a magical creature called Golux, he sets off to fulfill the test. Their progress is threatened by a number of unsavory characters; the Todal, for example, an agent of the devil sent to punish evil-doers for having done less evil than they should. Needless to say, all turns out well in the end.

The story itself may be standard, but the telling of it is typical Thurber wordplay. The Thirteen Clocks is not exactly poetry, but it begs to be read aloud for the rhythm, rhyme and alliteration. A particularly hectic passage from page 73 illustrates:

"The brambles and the thorns grew thick and thicker in a ticking thicket of bickering crickets. Farther along and stronger, bonged the gongs of a throng of frogs, green and vivid on their lily pads."

The quest complete, time unfrozen and the Princess won, the ecstatic couple ride toward the harbor. "The Princess Saralinda thought she saw, as people often think they see, on clear and windless days, the distant shining shores of Ever After. Your guess is quite as good as mine (there are a lot of things that shine) but I have always thought she did, and I will always think so."

I think so too, and if it takes a charming little book to remind me, then count me in.

Linda Bulger, 2008

This book clearly demonstrates that Christ not only provided for salvation but also for healing through His completed work while here on earth. It shows that healing and salvation are closely linked together in many ways, though often we seperate the two in modern thinking.

A great book to pass on to others. Every library should have it. Mandatory reading for everyone who calls himself a "believer".

Like so many others here, I find this an essential book for Christians. I've given it to friends for years, and many of us have received healings more than once, relying on the book for encouragement. This black-covered edition is the one I like best, as others have said. It is Bro. Bosworth's own writing, or not so edited as some other editions, and the addition by his son of details of Bosworth's death is very inspiring. Bro. Bosworth, apparently, learned from the Lord that his time on earth was over, went home and had family and friends meet with him, and 2-3 weeks later he died, not having become sick. I love knowing that he lived and died by what he preached to others and it worked well for him.

This book has awesome revelations about healing. We bought a number of them so we can share them with people who are seeking truth about healing from the Lord. I'd recommend this highly!!

Healing is still happening today. This book will explain what Jesus meant for us to have in our health.

I purchased one book and my boys (three at the time) loved it. I purchased another in the series and then finally the last two. We've got a lot of bible story books my kids had no or little interest in. These are so engaging--the writing, the pictures, the selection of stories. These stories inspire them to pretend and re-tell the stories themselves. They are also easy to use as a lesson--the story, acting it out, doing a craft. I only wish there were more in the series!

I bought the first two books of the series over a dozen years ago when my youngest son was little. I was a preschool teacher of four year olds for many years and used these stories. I have also have used them with two-year-olds in Sunday School and the children like them.They get to the essence of the story with simple words and explanations. I love the simple and clear artwork with watercolor drawings. I think the simple story and artwork allows the feeling of the story to come through. I had looked for these books in stores over the years with no luck. Now with a grandson, I was delighted to find them to complete my collection. I can't wait to read the stories to him.

We used this book for our children from the time they were born until they were three years old. They loved it! The illustrations are fantastic and beautiful. Any time I give a baby gift I always include this book. Highly recommended!

When my son was in preschool, this was hands down one of his favorite books, along with Vol. 1. The stories are simply written yet remain true to the spirit of the Word. We highly recommend these books!

PERFECT FOR TODDLERS! This book offers short bible stories in language that is perfect for preschoolers!