Dread Empire's Fall : The Praxis

Book Description

All will must bend to the perfect truth of The Praxis

For millennia, the Shaa have subjugated the universe, forcing the myriad sentient races to bow to their joyless tyranny. But the Shaa will soon be no more. The dread empire is in its rapidly fading twilight, and with its impending fall comes the promise of a new galactic order . . . and bloody chaos.

A young Terran naval officer marked by his lowly birth, Lt. Gareth Martinez is the first to recognize the insidious plot of the Naxid -- the powerful, warlike insectoid society that was enslaved before all others -- to replace the masters' despotic rule with their own. Barely escaping a swarming surprise attack, Martinez and Caroline Sula, a pilot whose beautiful face conceals a deadly secret, are now the last hope for freedom for every being who ever languished in Shaa chains -- as the interstellar battle begins against a merciless foe whose only perfect truth is annihilation.

Customer Reviews:

i really liked the series.......2007-04-18

I took my a while to get into the pace of this book, but once I did, I found it to be great entertainment.
Jon Williams speaks in a very cynical voice and I am quite sure he is settling scores with people he used to work with (or maybe school teachers?).
In any case, I am happy to recommend this book and the two that followed in the Trilogy.

Slow To Start, But Some Promise.......2007-02-17

Walter Jon Williams, having previously knocked out a couple of cyberpunk novels, here turns his hand to the venerable space opera genre with mixed results. It's roughly 300 pages of slow-building character development, focused exclusively on two protagonists, before anything major happens in the last quarter of the book. And as for the rebellion that the cover copy promises...well, the actions of the bad guys are predicated on mutual stupidity and gross ignorance on the part of the entire population of the galactic empire, including the rebels themselves. Another drawback is that the villains are villains because...uh...they're villainous or something. It's in their nature. Inevitable, really. We can't exactly say since we get virtually no clue whatsoever what makes them tick, and not a single one of their race stands out in any way at all.

Another quibble is that if you gave, say, David Brin or David Weber the same 300-page buildup, the one would have completely immersed you in the particular galactic milieu with its myriad cultural intricacies and nuances, and the other would've taught you all about shipbuilding, crew command, and fleet maneuvers. Here, Williams more or less settles for "Space is big. I mean, really big."

BUT. With all that said, at least our two heroes are relatively interesting, not to mention interestingly flawed. The male lead, Gareth Martinez, is in fact a bit of a social-climbing yutz who is primarily concerned about advancing his career and family interests, which is a refreshing change from your usual omni-competent destined-for-greatness born leader featured in many other series.

This is not the kind of thing you'll want if you need to see things blowing up from Page 1, or if you revel in layer upon layer of details, but if you like your space opera old-fashioned and with comparatively uncomplicated heroes and evildoers, you'll find yourself pleased.

Good start. Let's see where it goes........2006-12-30

I picked up this book based solely on the intriguing synopsis on the back cover and I wasn't disappointed. The story follows the military careers and personal lives of Gareth Martinez and Caroline Sula as they fight to recapture their empire from a rebellious alian faction. The first book of this well written space opera left me eagerly anticipating the second volume. The best parts were often the slow character developmental segments wedged between the fast paced interstellar battles. This is certainly not a hard science fiction book, no extravagant futuristic technological concepts here. No extrapolations of current scientific thought or conjecture. No artificial intelligence, virtual reality, clones, robots or supercomputers. Just worm holes transporting interstellar battleships from one solar system to another. The story solely rests on the strength of the various characters that we meet and their "every man" struggles for career advancement and romantic fulfillment. The story could easily have been written as a 20eth century Naval war epic that just substituted starships for battle ships and planetary ring stations for harbors. I hope that the second and third books delve deeper into the history of the empire and add new twists and turns to the story. For those that love a good space opera, The Praxis will fit the bill.

Sci-fi with some basic misunderstanding of physics.......2006-09-24

I'm a big fan of space opera, and usually find no difficulty suspending my disbelief to enjoy a good story. Faster than light travel? No problem. Transporter beams? I'm all there. Space suits that clean your bottom automatically? I want one! What bothered me about this book was some very basic problems with physics.

Some of the reviewers mention the rescue of a space yacht tumbling through space. The method of rescue involves the rescue ship matching the 3-dimensional tumble of the craft in trouble and then latching on to it. Sorry, no. Matching the tumble does not mean the two craft are stationary relative to each other. A student of basic kinetics will tell you this won't work.

Similarly, I love the "dog-fight" style space battles inside the various solar systems. But these battles take place with the space craft traveling at 70% of the speed of light! No mention of time stretching, relativity, or any number of other weirdnesses that would take place in such a battle. The author knows enough to not allow these ships to make quick turns at 0.7c and allows them "months" to reach such speeds, but still it's just hard to swallow.

All in all, good writing, good story, but dude, learn some physics!

Good start to an even better series.......2006-08-28

WJW's has developed a fascinating space-faring future world with deep and compellingly flawed main characters. Unlike more utopian futures, such as Jack McDevitt's Polaris/Seeker universe, the future in Dread Empire's Fall is built around a rigid caste structure, and a prohibition on AI that makes the world much like our own.

This opening book in the trilogy develops the two main perspectives through which the reader will experience Dread Empire's Fall, an ambitious lieutenant, Lord Gareth Martinez, and Lady Caroline Sula, who, as a "pinnace pilot" must guide batteries of missiles toward their enemies in the vacuum of space. The story spends more time with Martinez, though Sula's back story is more detailed, and relevant in that it both haunts and drives Sula. The oppressive and class-driven social structure makes for interesting observations from characters that have grown used to it, yet do not view it naively.

The action starts to pick up, and the pages turn quickly, when Martinez catches an early wind of a planned revolution by one of the other races that populate the wormhole-connected cosmos along with humans (known here as "Terrans"). The world is interesting, the space-battles invigorating, and the growing and complex relationship between Sula and Martinez captivating.

The first half of the first book is on average slower than the rest of the series, but well worth the investment. This is hard military-sf with characters worth knowing.

Average customer rating:

A Painless History Lesson
The Praxis (Dread Empires Fall)

The Praxis (Dread Empire's Fall)
Walter Jon Williams
Manufacturer: Earthlight
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ASIN: 0743428978

Customer Reviews:

A Painless History Lesson.......2003-12-01

Like most of Walter Jon Williams' books, The Praxis (Dread Empire's Fall) is a beautifully written story of the beginning of the final demise of the Shaa empire, set in far future. Don't let the wormholes, anti-matter bombs and aliens fool you though, if you understand the politics and relationships of the characters in this fine tale, you understand the Roman Empire and how it worked, looked and felt to the upper classes who exploited it for their personal benefit. All in all, the most painless introduction to the politics and life of the Empire which is the most immediate predecessor to modern Western Civilization a fan of space opera is ever likely to encounter.

The Praxis (Dread Empires Fall).......2003-06-10

I'm sorry I'm not somebody for writing great reviews, I'd rather spend my time reading. However, I have to make an exception for this fine piece of space opera.
If you are feeling bored, because there is no new book by Peter F Hamilton to read, the old classics feel a bit too dusty, Weber and Banks haven't produced anything original recently, please, please pick up this book.
It has everything, story telling on a grander scale with a fascinating backdrop of a future universe, to the intimate details of the individual personae and how they come together. I won't give anything of the plot away, you have to read it for yourselves and find out.

Customer Reviews:

Enter the Handsome Stranger........2006-08-27

Ms. Dailey has created her own family empire in print. The Calder family are irresistable. Throughout the years, she has written any episodes about Jessy, Tara, Laura, Cat (the indominable Calder women), and now Chase and his grandson Quint. He's actually Cat's son with Logan, but that's another story in itself. Most of the family have lived in Montana but had the means to enjoyed forays to Europe and such places. Chase Benteen Calden had been part Indian (Sioux) with the prominent cheekbones (like Bill Ross) and the lovely smooth black silky hair which Quint Echohawk has inherited.

In Fort Worth, Texas, the empire, Calder Cattle Company, has expanded to owning the ranch called Cee Bar Ranch, which is where One Calder Star takes place. "A lonely star, a Texas sky, A Calder learns that trouble is nigh." Cold and windy in Texas, while the plains of Eastern Montana (big and empty land which has once been the domain of the mighty Sioux tribe) are in the mid-sixties. In this episode, Quint is sent to clear up a problem, not with woman as the good-looking Calder men have their prime choices, but with an ill-natured, rich rancher named Max Rutledge who is bound and determined to buy up all the land around the Cee Bar boundaries.

Quint's latest flame, a flirtatious waitress, Dallas Gardner, poses a different kind of problem. Marriage doesn't come first with the Calders, sometimes later if all goes well. For now Quint must keep his interest in young Dallas a secret -- not because he is ashamed of her. On the contrary, he reveled in the way she made him feel. Rutledge is a man with few scruples and would use any means, especially a pretty woman, to have something to hold over him. He was one of the conscienceless, like Joe and Karl, and Dallas (the woman) could be used as a pawn.

From Chase to Quinton in this 9th account of the Calders' expanding empire out West, to Trey, the heritage continues back where it started in the lone star state of Texas. "A single star, A Texas brand; there's no doubt he's on Calder land." Janet Dailey now lives in Branson, Missouri, the place Deana Martin also calls her new hometown.

First-time Janet Daily Reader.......2006-03-17

As stated, this was the first novel of hers I've read. I have the paperback version. I had a book I hated, took it to my bookstore and got this one instead (it was the same price, not the best way to pick a book).

I sat on it for a few months before I finally picked it up. I found I should have picked it up much earlier. I enjoyed the novel. I do agree with one of the reviews that some of the characters were a bit "unwritten" but I still liked it and not having read any of the other Calder novels, it was still easy to follow.

The one thing I liked about it, well sometimes in novels you can just sit there and think, yeah ok, that's never going to happen. I really think that this type of situation exists and she wrote it as it may have happened anywhere. I really enjoyed the way the characters talked. No one really talks like that anymore and I miss it. Big business doesn't care about who and what they take over either and I thought Daily wrote truthfully about that as well, but didn't throw it in my face.

So, all in all, it was a good book. I hated putting it down. :)

A-

Ho hum!.......2005-08-28

Cliche-ridden, wordy addition to the Calder cycle features cardboard characters and overly-familiar situations.

Pledger Family Review.......2005-08-14

I have read all of the Calder Series and throughly enjoyed them.
My husband read the original books and when I finished the latest, Lone Calder Star, he decided to read this book. He
enjoyed it so much that I gave him the other 4 hard back Calder Books to read. Janet writes easy to read books that is spell binding and I do not want to put them down until I finish them. I would definitely recommend Lone Calder Star to anyone that enjoys a good book.

CALDER FANS WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!.......2005-07-20

In this latest installment of the Calder saga, Janet Dailey displays the hallmarks that made the earlier Calder books such a critical and commercial success. The story takes us to Texas and the Cee Bar Ranch, home of the first Calder ancestor, Seth. Lawman Clint Echohawk, still mourning the loss of his father, travels from Montana to the ranch in Texas to manage the ranch and investigate the suspicious ongoings there. Sparks fly between Quint and Dallas, a waitress/student who eventually, along with her endearing grandfather Empty, move into the ranch as hired hands. Whether fighting the corrupt schemes of neighbouring rancher Max Rutledge, or feelings for his new love Dallas, Quint Echohawk reminds us why we love the Calder men...they're strength, pride, and tenderness. All in all, this is a very welcome addition to the Calder Saga. No Calders are killed of in this book (thank you Ms. Dailey...I was running out of kleenex) but the plot is nonetheless well-paced and keeps you hooked! If you are a fan of the earlier books in the Calder saga, this book will take you back home!

Average customer rating:

Lone Calder Star

Manufacturer: Zebra Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GRO2U6

Average customer rating:

A Good of Fantasy

A Great Read!

Imagination Unbounded

A right well-rounded and well-told

The Symphony of Rai: A Fantasy Novel in Three Movements
William Brunskill
Manufacturer: Writers Club Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0595163033

Book Description

A young army clerk is keeping records while his unit is on training maneuvers when an accidental explosion, or so it appears at the time, mangle his legs. Although his medical needs are met, he is informed he will never walk again. An elderly psychiatrist convinces him to try music as a therapy, and the young man is introduced to classical music. The music, along with a monumental temper, aids in recovery, and the soldier learns to accept his physical disability. March arrives and the featured selection is Wagner. Upon playing the record, the soldier is transported to the world of Rai where he is welcomed as a great warrior, even though he wants nothing to do with war and considers himself in no way a leader of men. A combination of the musical world of Rai and his temper, which causes strange things to happen, lead him into reluctant adventures against a fierce enemy--The Lord of Silence.

The book, The Symphony of Rai, is structured in three movements, and each chapter is indicated by musical notation--how to read the chapter. The book is an exciting and very readable novel filled with magical characters, adventure, romance, and surprises.

Customer Reviews:

A Good of Fantasy.......2001-06-11

As a genre, fantasy offers two basics options. At its most simple, it gives the reader an opportunity to escape the everyday, to leave behind the reality of his life and go "elsewhere." to a world where the rules are different and things are, by definition better. In its more complex form, it offers the reader the opportunity to re-evaluate his or her convictions and ideas. Williams Brunskill's "Symphony of Rai" does both well. Following a well established pattern of such works, Brunskill's protagonist is whisked from the difficult and painful real world to the land of Rai, where everything, except himself, is better. There he is burdened with task seemingly beyond his ability and must struggle to overcome obstacles to win the day, and, of course, the lovely lady. That part of the story is eminently satisfying for the escape reader, who seeks nothing more than a few hours away from his own humdrum existence. Brunskill, however, adds more. His protagonist is physically lamed, which is a manifestation of his emotional and mental wounds that must be healed to make him whole. The struggle to overcome his physical shortcomings, or course, prepare him for the emotional confrontation with the fantasy enemy, who is a part of himself. His victory here, however, is much more than a simple defeat of both an outer and inner enemy. It is also a self-empowerment that allows the final victory that gives a surprise ending that implies that we can make our fantasies our realities if we have the strength of will. The story is told as though to a musical score, with vivid descriptions to delight the mind's eye. All in all, it is a good read, whatever your fantasy tastes.

A Great Read!.......2001-06-04

The Symphony of Rai by Dr. Brunskill is an interesting and spellbinding novel. Its unique storyline and the twists and turns of its plot will hold the reader's interest throughout. The application of musical movements to the tempo of the story is particularly creative. Although a fantasy, there are lessons for life that can be gleaned from its pages. I recommend this book to those who enjoy adventurous fantasies and encourage Dr. Brunskill to continue his writing career.

Imagination Unbounded.......2001-05-21

Bill Brunskill's first attempt at writing fiction is a startling trip through the land of Rai as seen through his mind's eye. The first page introduction of Angus Johnson, the book's principal character, as a recently disabled U.S. Army veteran, offers but a peek at Brunskill's interesting but otherwise un-discussable exploits as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces. As the plot develops, the reader becomes increasingly aware of this military simile.

The musical framework of "Rai" is scored with endless imaginative notes. The names of the characters--Loran,Hruda,Nayli, the Kolan, Vayko--are examples of pure creativity. From whence did Brunskill pluck them ? The orchestration of the plot from "Andante Effetuoso", through "Animosissimo" to the stirring climax of "Ardente" offers delight to any music lover. The vivid description of how people lived their daily lives in the day of, and time of "Rai", is a master's touch. The reader can almost feel the velvety coat of Angus' irasible equine savior, Tiik that noble and daring steed.In the current age which depicts "adult" love making as public sport, the author, so refreshingly, gently and entrancingly presents the relationship between Angus and the beautiful Nayli as love which, in its very essence, is truly adult.

The raison d'etre of Bill Brunskill's book is that "war is hell". Whether in the imaginary land of "Rai" or in any of the countless war areas of the real world of 2001, he has made a memorable argument for the much cliched "make peace, not war".

A right well-rounded and well-told.......2001-05-17

In the grand tradition of the inspiring teacher, Dr. Brunskill submits an example of first-class storytelling. The provided synopsis provides a good plot summary, so I'll leave you to read that, as this is only intended to be a quick note of hearty endorsement. I read Symphony of Rai on a sunny afternoon in the Western New York Southtowns, and wound up with a rosy sunburned glow because I found myself so thoroughly immersed in the novel that I forgot the effect of ultraviolet radiation on my pasty winter-white complexion. I believe, however, that the most appropriate place to enjoy the story would actually be in front of a campfire with your closest pals and war buddies, preferably read aloud and in turns, and if possible, with a nice Celtic-traditional music album on in the background for ambiance. It even has a happy ending, and though I usually object to those, it serves the story well and leaves the reader full of warm fuzzies and a belief in the fundamental abiding goodness of humanity.

Enjoy! -Kate

PS A couple of end notes: it is semi-autobiographical-- the protagonist has red hair and blue eyes for a reason. And Dr. Brunskill is planning a sequel, full of new and wonderful creatures and characters, as foreshadowed.

Average customer rating:
The Sermon on the Mount - Reissue: The Key to Success in Life
Emmet Fox
Manufacturer: HarperSanFrancisco
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Fox, Emmet | ( F ) | Authors, A-Z | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000OEZCQ4

Average customer rating:

Has Everything

Perfect for the Novice Cook

Excellent adjunct to vague recipes

One of those must haves...

information reference book

Timing Is Everything: The Complete Timing Guide to Cooking
Jack Piccolo
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Culinary Arts & Techniques | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Reference | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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Brilliant Food Tips and Cooking Tricks: 5,000 Ingenious Kitchen Hints, Secrets, Shortcuts, and Solutions

How To Break An Egg : 1,453 Kitchen Tips, Food Fixes, Emergency Substitutions and Handy Techniques

Culinary Artistry

Passionate Vegetarian

The Food Substitutions Bible: More than 5,000 Substitutions for Ingredients, Equipment and Techniques

ASIN: 0609802070
Release Date: 2000-03-07

Amazon.com

Jack Piccolo's Timing Is Everything, a guide to food timing and storage, sets out to dispel the when-is-it-done doubts. In chart after chart, Piccolo provides shorthand preparation information and cooking times for most fruits and vegetables, grains, meat, poultry, fish, sausages, and more. Additional chapters on microwaving, pressure cooking, and food storage supply similarly useful data. If dish success is based on a number of variables in addition to (and as important as) cooking time, Piccolo is, nonetheless, on the right track. Most cooks will welcome a "fingertips" source for better-than-ballpark dish and storage timing plus the kind of succinct preparation advice he offers. How long will the roast beef take? Find the book's beef section and consult the comprehensive charts. Choose your cut, then learn, for example, that a seven- to eight-pound rib roast, started in a 550-degree oven, is cooked to rare--an internal temperature of 115 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit--in one-and-a-half to one-and-three-fourths hours. Piccolo also includes explicit data on defrosting and heating in the microwave and on shelf, refrigerator, and freezer storage. Whether used to resolve timing quandaries or as a cookbook adjunct, Timing Is Everything should help cooks become more confident as well as knowledgeable. --Arthur Boehm

Book Description

Cooking shouldn't be a research project, forcing you to read through recipes to find answers to the simplest of questions: How long? Now, Timing Is Everything, the ultimate guide to timing and storage, provides easy answers at a glance.

Author Jack Piccolo has assembled chart after chart offering invaluable, at-your-fingertips cooking times for grains, fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, sausage, even nuts! Taking into consideration size, weight, and thickness, each food's cooking time is listed alongside brief, easy-to-follow instructions on each particular cooking method. In an instant, you can find, for example, how long to broil a piece of salmon, toast pine nuts, or boil fettuccine (fresh or dried). In addition, general directions on cooking methods--from baking to deep-frying to stir-frying--and sections on storing and freezing foods are included for quick reference.

Separate chapters on microwaving, pressure cooking, and storing foods supply important information in the same easy chart format. Who hasn't wondered about defrosting and reheating in the microwave, or relying on frozen meats and vegetables? By definitively answering these questions, Timing Is Everything takes the guesswork out of cooking so home cooks can be more confident in the kitchen and concentrate on making the most out of their ingredients and preparing a delicious meal.

Never overcook another steak, serve pasta that is too al dente, or worry about food safety again. Once you get your hands on this book, you'll be amazed you ever cooked without it.

Customer Reviews:

Has Everything.......2007-06-08

This book is great! It shows you how to cook products in every different method.

Perfect for the Novice Cook.......2007-01-26

I LOVE this book. I am a trained chef and cooking instructor and constantly was having friends and family asking questions like "how long do I cook this? do I marinate it first?what if I want to grill it?" This straight forward format lets you experiment with your own flavors without worrying about time or technique. I have given about 12 copies of this book away and am close to needing a new one for myself. We all benefit from the years Mr. Piccolo spent researching this book. A perfect gift for a young person going out on their own.

Excellent adjunct to vague recipes.......2005-12-07

If you have a collection of family recipes or old cookbooks that tell you to "roast a haunch of venison in the usual way" before proceeding with the delicious sauce, this is the book that will actually tell you how long and how hot to cook the meat (or fish, or vegetables). It's reliable and reassuring: I've been much more willing to adapt recipes to different cuts of meat or try new cuts because I know I can refer to this book to get the cooking times right.

One of those must haves..........2005-09-27

This isn't a cook book as much as a "prep book". This book lets you know the time and temp. for preparing literally hundreds of food items. Need to know how long a leg of lamb will take if roasted vs. grilled? It's in there. It's not just lamb; it's beef, poultry, pork, beans,vegetables and others. This book gives you the time and temp. for cooking things when they are grilled, microwaved, roasted, steamed, baked, etc. I've given this book to family and friends to positive reviews from all. Every kitchen should have this book and the "Joy of Cooking".

information reference book.......2001-11-02

Extremely useful as a reference book, and is not cluttered with recipes. Really does have an enormous amount of useful information very easily accessed. Both my daughters-in-law have swiped my copies, so I'm on my third!

Product Description

"Just think - we'll be on the island and we won't have a worry in the world." When her parents are forced to cut short the family's visit to their summer cottage on a Maine island, eleven-year-old Allegra Sloane and her sisters - thirteen-year-old Alice and seven-year-old Edith (aka Minnow) - decide they'd much rather spend a week alone on the island than languish in steamy Boston. So the ever resourceful Allegra concocts a plan for herself and her sisters to surreptitiously remain behind.

At first everything proceeds according to plan; the girls slip away from their parents (and avoid a visit to stuffy Aunt Edna) and the promise of freedom beckons brightly. Unfortunately, their plan has a few holes in it; when the girls return to the cottage they find it emptied of food. Allegra realizes it's up to her to provide for her impractical sisters. The bookish Alice is more interested in reading Nancy Drew stories and declaiming Shakespeare and Minnow is preoccupied with gluing seashells to every canister in the house.

Forced to fend for themselves, the girls learn to live off the land, gathering berries and chanterelles in the woods and mussels from the shore. Allegra learns perhaps the most important lesson: how stressful parenting can be. But the girls' adventures in survival are only half the story; for years rumors have suggested that their house contains a hidden treasure and this is enough to send the sisters off on a treasure hunt. The treasure they find is not buried gold but a trove that binds them closer to their family's history and to New England's literary heritage.

Anne Lindbergh's timeless seaside story is suffused with the carefree pleasures of childhood. Full of summer sun and mischief, set on her own summer home of North Haven, it confirms her place among the best storytellers the region has produced.

Customer Reviews:

Fun and enthralling.......2005-12-18

A great book that explores a childhood fantasy of being on your own and getting by in the wilderness - no parents allowed! I recently reread this book that I enjoyed as a kid and it is still pretty great. It would make a fun movie.

A breezy, entertaining read.......2000-07-07

This is a great book to read when you're on vacation or at the beach. It's the story of 3 sisters Alice, Allegra, and Edith (aka Minnow) who are reluctant to leave their summer house when their parents vacation plans are suddenly changed. Rather than spend a week with their boring and strict aunt, they concoct a plan which will allow them to stay behind without their parents. As Allegra puts it "We'll be on the island and we won't have a worry in the world!" But their plan goes awry and they find themselves facing dilemma after dilemma: sprained ankles, sunburns, murdering thieves (not really) and NO food. Some parents may worry about the ideas sent by of three young girls living for a week without adult supervision. Not to mention there's a lot of skinny dipping. But if you're going to oppose the book on those grounds, you may as well tell people to burn copies of "Pippi Longstocking". The book is well written with a definitively humorous tone. The characters are very real and well portrayed. Overall the story is charming and witty and exciting. If you like it you may want to read Lindbergh's 'Pinapple Place' books, though I think this book outshines them.

Hilarious!.......2000-02-26

Anne Lindbergh shines! A great book

Average customer rating:

A book for people who love adventure
Some interesting information Poor writing
Paid for my metal detector in one afternoon

The Buried Treasures of Maine
C. J. Stevens
Manufacturer: John Wade Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 188242509X

Book Description

This book beckons to the adventurer in each of us. To the single-minded searcher for coins, minerals, artifacts, gold, pirate treasures or bottles; to the wistfully curious person who murmurs: I wonder, is there something in this for me? Stevens, who has been called the Pied Piper of treasure hunters, has brought countless individuals and families to that moment of glory when the first flake of gold glows in the gold pan, or that rainbow chip of a mineral quivers between thumb and finger. And now the canvas has been enlarged to include a tantalizing array of other pursuits. Tugging at the leash of that fantastic electronic bloodhound, the metal detector, we find inventive people with new techniques, tips and visions. A few dive underwater, some stalk their prey, like Sherlock Holmes, with the powers of perception, and others just happily follow their hunches. We delve into the past with passionate and dedicated people as they gently lift from the ground an Indian arrowhead untouched by hands for thousands of years. We learn what to do, what not to do. We find snippets of history coming alive along the Arnold Trail, and we search for those many- colored artistic fragilities that the uninitiated call "old bottles."

Customer Reviews:

A book for people who love adventure.......2007-05-01

This book is a delight for all who love to search for treasures, and indeed, there is so much to be found in Maine. Gold, minerals, Indian artifacts, coins - to name but a few. Also, many inventive treasure-hunters tell their stories. I highly recommend The Buried Treasures of Maine.

Some interesting information Poor writing.......1999-07-15

While this book has some interesting information, the organization of the book is haphazard and the writers interviewing style is poor and rather amatuerish with too many self-referential asides which distract from the account he is trying to present.

Paid for my metal detector in one afternoon.......1999-02-24

This book has many interesting short stories in Maine and gives valuable locations to look.This is a must read for anyone that is treasure hunting. Thanks

Average customer rating:

Storm treasure
Robert M Packie
Manufacturer: Down East Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Summer On Kidd's Creek (Books Boys Want To Read)

Average customer rating:

Best book ever

Summer On Kidd's Creek (Books Boys Want To Read)
Robert Holland , and Robert J. Benson
Manufacturer: Frost Hollow Pubns
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0965852326

Book Description

Asa and Ike live on Kidd's Creek, less than a mile apart. Those are the only two houses on the creek which stretches for miles through wide salt water marshes. Their plan is to dig enough quahogs to buy dirt bikes. But for anyone living near Kidd's Creek, there is always the question of whether Captain Kidd, as legend has it, buried the remains of his pirated gold somewhere in the marshes. No sooner do they start to llok than they discover a strange albino camped out on The High Ground, digging holes everywhere. They begin their search in earnest; a search that takes them into the marshes, into a cave full of surprises, and pits them against the albino and his partner, Fishbone Watson, in the rush to find the lost gold of Captain William Kidd.

Customer Reviews:

Best book ever.......1999-09-28

This is without a doubt the best book I have ever read. It was a wonderful blend of adventure and fantasy. It was the first book I ever read that I sincerely enjoyed.

YOUNG INDIANA JONES & THE PIRA (Young Indiana Jones Books)

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YOUNG INDIANA JONES & THE PIRA (Young Indiana Jones Books)
J.N. Fox
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0679864334
Release Date: 1994-11-01

Buried treasure of Casco Bay: A guide for the modern hunter

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Buried treasure of Casco Bay: A guide for the modern hunter
Ben F Kennedy
Manufacturer: Vantage Press
ProductGroup: Book
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North America | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0533008212

Six Little Bunkers: Four complete books for children in one big volume ([Six Little Bunkers series])

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Six Little Bunkers: Four complete books for children in one big volume ([Six Little Bunkers series])
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more content, less passion, please!

A Passion for Ribbonry

Wonderful feast for the eyes.

beautiful photographs and very interesting

Gorgeous book and easy directions!

A Passion for Ribbonry
Camela Nitschke
Manufacturer: Landauer Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Decorating | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Embroidery | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Ribbons | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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The Secrets of Fashioning Ribbon Flowers: Heirlooms for the Next Generation

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ASIN: 189062117X

Book Description

A Passion for Ribbonry by Signature Artist: Camela Nitschke

144 pages 8 1/4" x 10 7/8", softcover Learn Camela's secrets for using ribbon to create stunning lifelike wildflowers such as the day lily, showy lady's slipper; black-eyed Susan, coreopsis, and lupine as well as garden favorites - sunflower, pansies, and roses. All are brought to you in magnificent full color photos and illlustrated instructions, and enhanced by 80 project ideas shown in glorious full color. 32 flowers with easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions photographed in full color.

80 project ideas with inspiring color photos.

A resource guide to specialty ribbons.

A fascinating brief history of ribbonry.

A main selection of the Crafter's Choice Book-of-the-Month Club.

Customer Reviews:

more content, less passion, please!.......2001-03-27

I like this book. Or, rather, I *really* like everything thatcomes after page 68. The first 68 pages, however, gives us anot-so-brief overview on the history of ribbonry in fashion ....We're also treated to beautiful photos of the author's work, whereI've discovered her love for the combination of pink and green.... but as the title of this book states _A PASSION for Ribbonry_,perhaps the purpose of this book was to talk about the author'sdevotion to ribbons and ribbonwork.

The rest of the book dealsmostly with flowers, and I find the instructions to be very clear,with clear photos illustrating each step. I like Ms. Nitschke'sinstructions; I first encountered her in Threads Magazine, in herarticle on cockades. There is also a quilt featuring the flowers onthe quilt blocks. There are also brief instructions on other ribbontreatments, specifically gathering and pleating.

Would I buy anotherbook by this author? Probably. Would I refer to this book often?Again, probably. I really like the creative possibilities she showsutilizing the ribbon flowers, and the instructions are clear andsimple.

A Passion for Ribbonry.......2000-04-23

I think this is a wonderful book. I have most of the books on ribbon flowers and each one has something to offer that the other doesn't have. The instructions are very good and easy to follow. Camela gets into ribbon folding techniques that are not in the other books and I find that very interesting and useful in decorating. She gives directions for more unusual flowers and these are very nice to use in mixed floral bouquets. This beautiful book is a must for any one that loves to do ribbon flowers.

Wonderful feast for the eyes........1999-11-06

This is a wonderful book, I do not care if all history is correct, I have received many hours of enjoyment just looking at the wonderful pictures and the flowers I made went together quickly and the directions were easy to follow. That is why I buy this type of book.

beautiful photographs and very interesting.......1999-07-16

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. Of all the ribbon books I own this one is the one I love to make flowers from. I will buy the other books by Ms.Nitschke.

Gorgeous book and easy directions!.......1998-11-06

Ribbon flowers are just fascinating to me. I have seen quite a few books on the subject, but my favorite is "A Passion for Ribbonry". Camela has included beautiful flowers and concise directions. I have completed several of the flowers (starting with the cabochon rose) and have found the directions complete and easy to follow. I am very pleased with the natural look of all the flowers. Some of the other ribbon books produce flowers which look crushed and old, but not this one! Plus, she doesn't confuse you with formulas. I would highly recommend "A Passion for Ribbonry" for a beginner or a more experienced sewer. Way to go Camela! Great job!

Customer Reviews:

A fine book........2000-04-12

Alistair Duncan presents us 85 of Paris's Art Deco furniture designers from the period 1910 - 1935, including Eileen Gray, Dufréne, Leleu and Ruhlmann. This fine book contains a 7 pages informative introduction with e.g. the history and material of Art Deco furniture. But also 160 pages of biographies of designers, including 244 black and white illustrations & 68 in colour of interiors and furniture, each with a description. Each designer is presented in a concise half a page review. It makes this book an indispensable guide and frame of reference to french Art Deco furniture and a nice book to have on the bookshelf.

ART DECO FURNITURE: The French Designers

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ART DECO FURNITURE: The French Designers
Alastair Duncan
Manufacturer: Henry Holt & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OA3X6E

Book Description

Designers help companies choose how they want to be represented in their business collateral-do they want bright orange, splashy stationery to express their energetic business practices? Do they want a conservative typeface to show they are an established, credible corporate presence? Letterhead systems are integral to how companies express their identity, and designers are faced with the challenge of constantly finding new approaches to this common identity dilemma.

Designed to "jump start" designer's creative juices, this collection of the latest, hottest letterhead, business card and logo design from 96 design firms provides them with a bounty of inspiring visuals, plus industry-tested advice on creating identity systems that work. They'll find solutions and advice that will enable them to satisfy their clients while designing powerful, effective new identity systems.

Cheryl Dangel Cullen is a writer and public relations consultant specializing in the graphic arts industry. She is author of The Art of Design and more than 10 other titles from Rockport Publishers, Inc. Cullen has contributed articles to HOW magazine, Step- By-Step Graphics, Graphic Arts Monthly, American Printer, Printing Impressions, and Package Printing & Converting, among others. Her PR firm, Cullen Communications, provides public relations programs for clients in the graphic arts, printing and paper industries. She lives in Frankfort, Illinois. Amy Schell is an Associate Editor with HOW Design Books. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Book Description

`The time has arrived, so it would seem, when woman must take her place beside man in the majority of arts and professions in the business world. In women of the caliber of Madame Alice Blaché it has also been demonstrated that there is a possibility of their doing so without being shorn of that most desirable of womanly qualities, femininity.'

The Moving Picture News, 1912

`It has long been a source of wonder to me that many women have not seized upon the wonderful opportunities offered to them by the motion-picture art to make their way to fame and fortune as producers of photodramas. Of all the arts there is probably none in which they can make such a splendid use of talents so much more natural to a woman than to a man and so necessary to its perfection.'

Alice Guy Blaché, 1914

Over a hundred years after she started making films (which was considerably earlier than D.W. Griffith, Mabel Normand, and Lillian Gish began their careers), the life and work of Alice Guy Blaché is still shrouded in myth and controversy.

Only a fraction (111) of the approximately one thousand films that she directed still exist, and almost half of these have been found very recently. The films are spread out in archives all over the world. Not all of them are available for viewing, even to scholars, and many of them are in desperate need of conservation and preservation.

It is widely agreed that she was the first woman filmmaker but there is considerable debate as to whether she made the first ever fiction film. She played a key role in early sound film production, and yet this part of her career is almost always ignored. She is, to this day, the only woman ever to have owned and run her own film studio. And yet she made her final film in 1920, at the age of 47, and died in New Jersey in 1968 - unacknowledged, unheralded, almost totally forgotten.

Ten years of painstaking research has enabled Alison McMahan to piece together the career of this extraordinary woman. What results is the first full-length treatment of Alice Guy Blaché's work, the debunking of several long-standing myths about her and, ultimately, the emergence of a feminist figurehead of the filmmaking industry.

Customer Reviews:

FIRST FICTION FILMMAKER HAPPENED TO BE A WOMAN!.......2006-01-24

This book will satisfy anyone wishing to learn two things: 1) How did the motion picture industry get started and its business develop; and 2) How was it possible for a woman to become a leader in pionering narrative film production in a FOR MEN ONLY world?

For starters, my recommendation is to purchase in addition to Ms. McMahan's book "The Memoirs of Alice Guy Blache" (a fairly brief but absolutely fascinating account of Alice Guy's life and adventures in her own words).

McMahan's book is scholarly -- but certainly not dry. This is a labor of love that had come out of the author's doctoral dissertation. During ten years of researech for her book, McMahan first followed the trail of Alice Guy in America, and then back to France (where Guy had been born), Germany and other regions of Europe where the pioneering filmmaker had worked. As a matter of fact, McMahan took a job teaching at a university in Holland for three years to complete her pursuit of Alice Guy life's story. The result is the reconstruction of the adventures of Alice Guy, a courageous young woman who dared to show a male dominated world how to write screen plays, and then use actors, sets and a motion picture camera to create an exciting story for the screen.

Most of what today we take for granted had been first done by Alice Guy Blache: narrative film (three reels long), colored film, sound synchronized film, special effects, animation. But life was never easy for Alice. She had married an Englishman, Herbert Blache (a cameraman), and then three days later the couple was ordered by their employer Lois Gaumont to travel to America for selling his motion picture equipment. At first, Alice didn't speak a word of English -- her new husband had to do all the talking. But soon she learned the language, and several years later she had raised $100,000 (the equivalent today of $25- to $50-million!!) for build the then largest film studio in America in Fort Lee, New Jersey that Alice named Solax.

In 1910, Fort Lee had been the early home of American filmmaking. Several years later, in 1914 Alice's husband, who had begun to have affairs with actresses, sold her out by secretly selling a film "The Lure" (a story about the "White Slave" trade of prostitution) that she had produced for another studio to the studio head for $10,000. But within a month the film had made $300,000. Alice never got over it. This bit of chicanery illustrates how even the most creative and hard driving woman had very little control over her own property in those days. Eventually, Alice divorced the creep. But that made her life even more difficult. Divorced men could pick themsleves up and get back to work for earning a living. What about a woman having to care for her two young children in 1922?

The reason McMahan calls her heroin a "Lost Visionary" is that Alice Guy had been all but forgotten, until relatively recently. Prior to the arrival of this book, Anthony Slide -- the prominent film historian -- had chronicled the films of Alice Guy Blache. And indeed, by 1996 Alice's daughter Simone Blache had translated, and Anthony Slide edited, her mother's memoirs. So then why do we need another book? In fact, McMahan ties it all together and fills in the missing pieces of the Alice Guy puzzle not included in Slide's monograph and Alice's memoir.

This is an excellent read for anyone interested in how a turn of the century woman managed to cope with all kinds of obstacles put in her way by men who either envied and resented her talent, or simply wished to steal what she had created: more than 1,000 story films.

Discover the lost visionary of the cinema in Alison McMahan's well written and fascinating book.

Pioneering Woman director in France and the USA.......2005-10-20

Alice Guy Blaché was the first woman who directed a film. She directed hundreds, maybe 2000 films. Of course most were very, very short, since she started about 1896 or 1897. She was also the first woman to run a studio, which she did for Solax in Ft. Lee, New Jersey from 1910-1914.

Blaché also directed many synchronized sound films in 1906 and 1907! They were actually like music videos of today. A singer or dancer would have their performance recorded on a disc (much like the Vitaphone disks twenty years later). Then Guy (pronounced "Giy") would film the performance, while the singer lip-synced their performance, or the dancers tried to keep up with the music. Of course the synchronization was not that great, but these films were screened in France, Germany, and the USA at the time.

After Guy and writer/director Herbert Blaché got married, she temporarily retired from Gaumont (France). But Herbert was not successful making films in the US for Gaumont, so she began working again writing, directing and producing films in New Jersey. By the way, Herbert was much younger than Alice!

After a couple of successful years directing films in Fort Lee, New Jersey, her studio closed. Other authors have always claimed that it was because Herbert Blaché was reckless with money, as well as unfaithful to his wife Alice, but the author can pretty much prove that theory wrong.

Like any book on early cinema, the author has to cover the filmmaker's struggle to figure out film language. It difficult to write about film theory, but luckily the focus of this book is historical. I only saw the word "diegesis" a few times, so don't let that scare you away. The book also explains how the early French filmmakers Méliès, Gaumont, and Pathé, plus the American Edison studio copied each other's films -- either by re-filming them or copying them in the lab -- in the days before copyright laws had any teeth.

Ms. McMahan has done an incredible research job on her subject. The filmography alone is worth the price of the book. It lists all of Ms. Guy's films, and which archive holds the existing films. Unfortunately, many of her films are lost forever.

The book is a little disappointing in that more of her personal life is not covered, especially since Ms. Guy's daughter assisted with the book. However, until her forced retirement, it appears that Ms. Guy's work was her life. This book is highly recommended for the serious silent film fan.

Blache Is Not Blase.......2004-06-29

This hugely expansive book receives five stars for content, thoroughness of research, and plumbing of the depths of extant examples of Miss Guy Blache's memoirs and works ~ but not for reader-friendliness. The tone the author takes is most academic, which is understandable once you know that this ten-years-in-the-making, authorative benchmark biography began as a doctoral dissertation. Alison McMahan covers every square inch of Alice Guy Blache's life and her contributions to silent cinema, plus tosses in some fascinating asides regarding the origins of photography, film, and moving pictures. I found the chapter detailing the early mechanical photographic devises most absorbing, losing myself in such obscurities as the phenakitiscope, zoetrope, and praxinoscope. Miss Guy had the great good fortune to be French, living in France, the birthplace of photography, during the era of the embryonic beginnings of film. She got in on the ground floor, starting her career as secretary to Leon Gaumont, founder of the legendary Gaumont Laboratories, which co-liasoned with the also-famed Lumiere brothers, and held association with Melies. Guy, in her position with Gaumont, was allowed permission to dabble with cameras and film, which, very early on, led to the production of her own films, years before the turn of the 20th century. Guy is assumed, with some few facts to dispute this, to have produced the first fiction film and the first close up within a fiction film. Miss Guy was a prodigious director, churning out hundreds of films in all genres, first in France and then in the US at her Fort Lee Solax Studio. Her husband, Herbert Blache, devised a sound system known as the chronophone which could be rigged to synchronise a sound track with a projected film. Together they made productions to fit with this chronophone, a notoriously unreliable instrument, which more than anything else proved the eventual ruin of them. I recommend this book in conjunction with the biography of Lois Weber: The Director Who Lost Her Way in History. Read both of these books for a wonderful introduction to a sadly passed-over aspect of silent cinema, that of the era of the flourishing woman director, studio owner, and visionary. As such, both books succeed exceedingly.

Fascinating, remarkable research.......2002-09-07

This book is an amazing labor of love. I should admit that before reading it, I knew very little about the book's subject, Alice Guy. The same can clearly not be said of the author, Alison McMahan, who shows an extreme devotion to the work of her subject - not merely in picking through it, analysing it, explaining it, and bringing it to life, but in hunting it down in the first place.

Note that I referred to the author's devotion to the WORK of her subject. This is not a biography - more a loving excavation of the career of an extraordinary woman, with many personal details and anecdotes thrown in for good measure. But in the light of the recent survey I read which showed that only 5% of Hollywood films are directed by women (forgive me if I've got that figure wrong, but it was tiny, anyway), the career of Alice Guy seems utterly remarkable. The fact that this woman achieved so much in such a short space of time, in the very earliest days of the film industry, will truly make you stop and think.

I would willingly have given this book 5 stars, except for two reasons. First, there are a handful of typographical errors - for which I cannot blame the author, but they did irritate me; secondly, (and I'm being selfish here) I wanted to read more - and yet the end of the book is taken up with an enormous list of Alice Guy's films, which I am sure will be of great use to scholars, but left me feeling a tiny bit short-changed. But I'd hate to end on a negative note, so I'll say this: Alison McMahan has written a highly original and inspiring book, and I hope that many more people get to read it.

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Alice Guy Blache: Lost Visionary of the Cinema.(Book Review): An article from: Cineaste
Amelie Hastie
Manufacturer: Cineaste Publishers, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0008IQXFA
Release Date: 2005-07-31

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Cineaste, published by Cineaste Publishers, Inc. on December 22, 2003. The length of the article is 2017 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Alice Guy Blache: Lost Visionary of the Cinema.(Book Review)
Author: Amelie Hastie
Publication: Cineaste (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 22, 2003
Publisher: Cineaste Publishers, Inc.
Volume: 29 Issue: 1 Page: 81(3)

Article Type: Book Review

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