Dressed to Die: A Lindsay Chamberlain Novel

Book Description

Some skeletons just won't stay hidden.

No one knows that better than University of Georgia archaeologist Lindsay Chamberlain. Still, she is shocked when a skeleton dressed in its Sunday best falls out of a packing crate that had been stored in a kudzu-covered shed on her grandfather's farm for more than sixty years. When other crates are discovered, each containing a stash of valuable artifacts, Lindsay begins to wonder. Could her beloved grandfather, a prominent archaeologist, have been a thief, a looter-even a murderer?

As Lindsay struggles with these troubling questions, she helps a local private investigator locate the wooded grave of Shirley Foster, a missing faculty member. Lindsay is sucked into the investigation, which leads to more questions that answers. Why did Shirley Foster lie to the world about her life? Who wanted her dead?

Secrets and lies loom large in Lindsay's life, both professional and personal, as she struggles to find solutions to the mysteries. When artifacts disappear from the university and she and her students are threatened, the stakes are raised. With her job, her reputation, and her life on the line, Lindsay must find a thief and a killer before the police assume she is ultimately responsible.

Customer Reviews:

Lindsay Chamerlain great detective.......2007-03-13

I honestly only started reading the Lindsay Chamberlain series because I had read all the Kathy Reichs, Patrica Cornwell etc books. Never did I think that any writer could be as good as thiers. But I am hooked after the first book I had to get the rest. I love the character Lindsay and her interactions with others. How she gets herself in trouble so much cause she cant say no to a good mystery.

Wonderful read and have already recommended this series to other people. Cant wait for her new one Kill Site to come out. waiting in anticipation.

thrilling suspense.......2005-03-29

3rd in the Lindsay Chamberlain series, the story begins with Lindsay sniffing through a field looking for a missing art teacher from the university where Lindsay works. Finding the woman is one of Lindsay's few pieces of luck, though, as various household expenses keep adding stress to her finances. On top of that, she's worried about the possible upcoming merger of departments at the university; as a non-tenured faculty member, she could be job hunting soon. In the midst of all this, Lindsay's brother shows up unexpectedly with a truck load of her grandfather's leftover property - crates from a shed in his backyard, a shed of which no one was aware. If Lindsay didn't have enough on her plate, they find a skeleton in one of the crates, and then artifacts are discovered to be missing...and Lindsay seems to be the main suspect.

A little Indiana Jones, a little Sherlock Holmes.......2004-03-27

Look out Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs. Beverly Connor's books are as good as anything written by the two reining queens of forensic science. Connor's heroine is a combination of Sherlock Holmes and Indiana Jones. Her books are fast paced and extremely entertaining. If you like archaeology or forensics, or if you just plain like a good mystery, give Beverly Connor's books a read. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

The best!!!.......2001-09-19

Beverly Connor is a jewel of an author who has yet to be discovered by the masses. But she will be. No mystery writer this good can go long without topping the bestseller list. In this installment of her Lindsay Chamberlain series, Beverly does it again with clever twists and turns and sharp writing. She's a smart writer for an intelligent reader. I never read a Connor book without learning something and, quite frankly, that's the kind of fiction I like to read. Buy this book and I promise you won't be disappointed.

Another triumph for Lindsay.......2000-10-11

Lindsay Chamberlain never invites danger into her life; it just happens upon her frequently like an unwanted guest. In this tale Lindsay is in danger...this time of losing her job at the University of Georgia's Archaeology Department due to a merger with another department. If that were not enough to worry her, a cache of priceless artifacts delivered to her by her father is stolen, and all eyes are on Lindsay. Lindsay also becomes involved in the murder case of a long-missing UGA professor whose skeleton is recently found? Friends and strangers linked to Lindsay are either injured or killed trying to help, and Lindsay must put together all of the strewn puzzle pieces before she is next on the hit list.

I have enjoyed Beverly Connor's series for many years; Lindsay Chamberlain is one of the most original and dynamic sleuths to have been created in recent years, and Dressed to Die is well worth the cover price.

Book Description

Twenty-five years ago, Piers Anthony fascinated us with the creation of Xanth–a wondrous land where magic rules supreme. Since then, the dazzling world of Xanth has delighted millions of readers. Now, here are the first three novels of this classic series to enthrall a whole new generation. . . .

A SPELL FOR CHAMELEON
Winner of the British Fantasy Award for Best Novel of the Year
Though every citizen of Xanth has a special spell only he or she can cast, Bink of North Village has no magic. But the Good Magician Humphrey and Beauregard the genie insist that Bink indeed is capable of enchantment– magic more powerful than the King himself, or even the evil magician Trent. Now if only Bink can find his magic . . . before he is forced into exile.

THE SOURCE OF MAGIC
Curious about the source of Xanth’s magic, the King sends Bink on a daring quest for truth. From the beginning, Bink and his companions are harried by an unseen creature determined to thwart them. But when some allies become enemies, it will take all Bink’s ingenuity and luck to prevail on his mission, which takes an unexpectedly defiant turn.

CASTLE ROOGNA
Millie had been a ghost for eight hundred years. But now, restored by the magic of Xanth, she is again a beautiful living woman. She can have any man she desires . . . except one: Jonathan the zombie. To help Millie, young Magician Dor embarks on a journey for the elixir that will restore Jonathan to full life–an adventure that will take him to the past, where his intentions are thwarted by a surprising encounter.

Discover a magical world of dazzling imagination!

Customer Reviews:

A Great Trilogy to Begin With........2003-05-15

This book is a compilation of the first three books of the Xanth series. It is great for people who want to get started on a series, but don't have the patience to stop the story long enough to buy the next book. With the first three in hand, you can easily immerse yourself in this magical world without setting foot in a bookstore.

Xanth is a land where everyone has a magical talent. The first book tells of a quest where a young man named Bink searches for his talent before he is exiled to Mundania, where magic does not exist. Clever puns and witty dialogue make up for the slightly sexist themes. A great read.

Average customer rating:
9 Books: 1 Apprentice Adept: Unicorn Point / 3 XANTH: The Source of Magic, Question Quest, Dragon on a Pedestal / 1 CLUSTER: Viscious Circle / 4 INCARNATIONS OF IMMORTALITY: With a Tangled Skein, For Love of Evil, Wielding a Red Sword, And Eternity (Unboxed Set of Fantasy / Sci-Fi Novels from Various Series)
Piers Anthony
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000VOHVSO

Product Description

9 Piers Anthony Books: 1 Apprentice Adept: Unicorn Point / 3 XANTH: The Source of Magic, Question Quest, Dragon on a Pedestal / 1 CLUSTER: Viscious Circle / 4 INCARNATIONS OF IMMORTALITY: With a Tangled Skein, For Love of Evil, Wielding a Red Sword, And Eternity, (Unboxed Set of Fantasy / Sci-Fi Novels from several series) , Shipped in one package to save on shipping costs.

Average customer rating:

Great Introductory book
A good overview
A tome of history
Odd Book
History of Xanth

Question Quest (Xanth Novels)
Piers Anthony
Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books

Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0833581988

Book Description

Youth is Wasted on the Young

Being grown up is a drag . . . or so thinks Lacuna, one of the michievous Castle Zombie twins. So she makes the Good Magician Grey an an offer he can't refuse. Thirsty for a taste of the Elixir of Youth, she'll help him outwit the evil Com-Pewter if he'll send her to Hell (in a handbasket, no less) to find Humphrey, the missing sorcerer. And while there, she'll learn the True History of Xanth (simplified) and help rescue a blushing Rose from the demon X(A/N) . . . with the help of a gorgon or two.

Customer Reviews:

Great Introductory book.......2003-08-12

Never read a Xanth book before? This might be a good place to start. This book give a good history for all the major characters leading up to this book. Although it does give away the ends of previous books, it doesn't reveal the plots (and puns) in the other books. And, let's be honest, the puns themselves are the great reason for reading about Xanth.

A good overview.......2002-09-27

I love the Xanth Series, though to begin with I read several of them out of order. While each one is a fine stand alone novel, the more you know the better, and this book helped until I got all caught up. Again, lots of puns and fun stuff, but the best part of this book for regular Xanth readers is the Answer of who the Good Magician is and where he came from. Appearing in every book (i think) he is the director of quests, the all-knowing Oz to whom everyone turns for Answers, and this book give you the when, who and how of his life. Why does he charge a years' service, what's with the challenges, where did the Big Book come from - these are all answered in this fun book, as Humfrey recounts where he's been in order to get where he is going. A great Xanth novel!

A tome of history.......2001-10-29

At last, "Question Quest" is the long-untold life story of Good Magician Humfrey- and his five-and-a-half wives. "What?" say Xanth fans. "I thought he only had one wife." You'll have to read the book to find out...

Intriguing as this might sound, "Question Quest" is not among my top-rated Xanth novels. The Good Magician's story is of some interest, and (since he is ancient in the extreme) provides an alternate perspective on several aspects of Xanth history. The Xanth timeline included in the book will also be an invaluable resource for die-hard Xanth scholars. However, the story meanders along from one point to another with a disappointing lack of drive. One gets the feeling that this was a story that merely needed to be written for the sake of biographical detail (as so many biographies are).

Piers Anthony's writing makes for easy reading as usual, but this book didn't inspire me to the same level as others in the series. One for the Xanth enthusiasts only.

5.5 stars out of 10

Odd Book.......2001-01-01

I read this book because I'm a die-hard fan of Piers Anthony's, and he's right when he says not to write to him. In the author's note he said he had an especially hard time writing this book because of all the letters he recieved...And it shows. This book reviews the life of the Magician Humphrey and moves over the entire history of Xanth adding tidbits of information to the past stories. The reason it had problems was it's inconsistancy... The chapters were tedious and drawn out at times.

History of Xanth.......2000-06-30

The book is good. Of course I love reading history as well. And that is what is covered here. A detailed history of the never-before revealed story of Magician Humphrey. His recounting of his life will remind you about all the books before this one. A timeline of the history of Xanth is also provided. A good read.

Average customer rating:

More conflicting and confusing than helpful

view of another nutrition writer

How many revolutionary diet books can a culture digest in a given year?

This Book is Ahead of its Time!

informative and easy to read

The Inflammation-Free Diet Plan
Monica Reinagel
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Healthy | Special Diet | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Natural Foods | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Diets | Diets & Weight Loss | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Weight Loss | Diets | Diets & Weight Loss | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Nutrition | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Anti-Inflammation Diet and Recipe Book: Protect Yourself and Your Family from Heart Disease, Arthritis, Diabetes, Allergies - and More

The Inflammation Syndrome: The Complete Nutritional Program to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, Arthritis, Diabetes, Allergies, and Asthma

The Anti-Inflammation Zone: Reversing the Silent Epidemic That's Destroying Our Health (Zone (Regan))

Inflammation Nation: The First Clinically Proven Eating Plan to End Our Nation's Secret Epidemic

The Inflammation Cure

ASIN: 0071464719

Book Description

A revolutionary diet to help you lose weight and control disease-causing inflammation

The Inflammation-Free Diet Plan will help you achieve your ideal weight--without fad dieting--while also reducing pain and allergies, slowing the aging process, and dramatically reducing your risk for dozens of medical problems. This flexible, easy-to-follow program is the ideal nutritional solution for every member of the family.

At the heart of the program is the revolutionary IF Rating system that, for the first time, tells you the inflammatory or anti-inflammatory effects of all of the foods you eat. The IF Rating integrates more than twenty different nutritional factors, including essential fatty acids, glycemic index, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds into a single rating which guides your food choices for the day.

You no longer have to worry about choosing the right types of carbs or fats, or even counting calories--the IF Rating combines all those factors into a simple, holistic system for healthy eating! And unlike other programs that focus only on carbohydrates or fats, the IF Rating system also shows you which proteins are healthy and which provoke inflammation.

It all adds up to a uniquely healthful, easy to follow diet plan that fights illness and promotes weight loss! The Inflammation-Free Diet Plan gives you:

IF Ratings for more than 1,500 common foods, listed both alphabetically and by categories, such as “Breakfast Cereals” and “Meats”
Self-assessments for measuring your level of systemic inflammation
A choice of three customizable eating plans: Preventative/Maintenance, Therapeutic, and Accelerated Weight-Loss
Three weeks worth of daily meal plans and dozens of delicious anti-inflammatory recipes

With The Inflammation-Free Diet Plan, you'll learn how to stop the silent enemy in its tracks and get started on the road to a longer, healthier, more vibrant life--today.

Customer Reviews:

More conflicting and confusing than helpful.......2007-05-25

You're probably investigating this book because like me, you're already interested in the concept of "inflammatory foods" but you've spent a lot of time on the Internet trying to ascertain exactly which foods are inflammatory and which are not. You're found a lot of conflicting advice from the usual Oprah Gurus: Weil says avoid chicken, Perricone says chicken is great. Both say avoid pasta and sugar, and eat whole grains, but their fruit, veggie and legume lists vary. What to do?

Reinagel has attempted to clear the air by creating the "Inflammation Rating" (I.R.) system which weighs many factors such as glycemic load and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals. Unfortunately, you're going to come away even more confused. Not only does she contradict nearly everything the other Oprah Gurus say (for example, with an I.R. of -135, a serving of the sainted whole grain millet is twice as inflammatory as a serving of pasta) but she contradicts HERSELF repeatedly.

For example, she writes "Certain foods...such as pineapple...have potent - almost druglike - anti-inflammatory actions...They can be used to great advantage in an inflammation-reducing diet." So then why does a cup of fresh pineapple appear in the Rating Chart at -37, a cup of canned -108? That's worse than a frozen waffle (-85)!

To her credit, she also repeatedly says you're supposed to use the rating chart to balance inflammatory foods with anti-inflammatory ones...you're NOT intended to avoid foods with negative ratings. For example, add onions or tumeric to those beans. And she warns against the monotonous consumption of so-called "super foods" and urges us instead to eat a varied, wholesome and colorful diet. Which includes most of those beans, grains, fruits and nuts on the negative end of the scale, so what's the point of even having a scale?

She does suggest that you have your doctor do a blood test for C-reactive protein (CRP) which will tell you whether you have inflammation or not. I'd say first find out whether you even have a problem before you expend too much energy trying to fix it.

I kept flashing back to Frances Moore Lappe's DIET FOR A SMALL PLANET which taught us to tediously combine various foods with the goal of "protein complementarity." That concept has long since been debunked...I'm guessing that eventually, the I.R. diet plan will end up in the same dust heap of failed promises.

view of another nutrition writer.......2007-04-12

Inflammation is a very important topic that writers are eager to exploit. This one has some good information, but leaves out much that is vital to understanding inflammation. Rating foods for inflammation gives a false sense of good and bad foods, becaus inflammation is only one of several factors to judge the value of a food. For better treatment of the subject try THE INFLAMMATION SYNDROME and HONEST NUTRITION.

How many revolutionary diet books can a culture digest in a given year?.......2007-02-21

These books are all so dubious, and so enrapture folks who don't recognize the necessity of double blind studies, that it makes one think that one should require more science classes in high school.

This Book is Ahead of its Time!.......2007-01-23

It is only a matter of time before all of the immunological research out there finally makes it into the mainstream and folks will realize how big this book really is. Having taken (and barely survived) a college level immunology class, I can tell you with some certainty that the role inflammation plays in our overall health and longevity is a complex topic to tackle in a book like this. The author should be given great credit for doing something that the scientific community has yet to do and that is to communicate how and why it is vital to reduce inflammation in our bodies to help allow our immune system to work most optimally. Even better is that the recipes in this book (unlike some of the cookbooks and health books I own) actually work! And, many of them are low salt or salt free and they still actually taste good.

informative and easy to read.......2007-01-18

good, to-the-point information presented in an easily read form plus lots of good recipes.

Average customer rating:

The Inflammation-Free Diet Plan
Monica Reinagel
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OG1BMQ

Average customer rating:

Inflammation-free Diet Plan
Monica Reinagel
Manufacturer: MCGRAW-HILL BOOK COM
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K7563O

Average customer rating:

Lacks variety

Better than nothing, but not the best

nice selection of recipes

Great cookbook even for people without foode allergies!

Not for corn allergics

The Food Allergy News Cookbook: A Collection of Recipes from Food Allergy News and Members of the Food Allergy Network

Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Reference | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Healthy | Special Diet | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Food Allergies | Nutrition | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

What's to Eat? The Milk-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free Food Allergy Cookbook

The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook: Two Hundred Gourmet & Homestyle Recipes for the Food Allergic Family

The Kid-Friendly Food Allergy Cookbook: More Than 150 Recipes That Are Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, Egg-Free, and Low in Sugar

Bakin' Without Eggs: Delicious Egg-Free Dessert Recipes from the Heart and Kitchen of a Food-Allergic Family

The Parent's Guide to Food Allergies : Clear and Complete Advice from the Experts on Raising Your Food-Allergic Child

ASIN: 0471346926

Book Description

If the only cure for food allergies is to avoid the food completely… What is left to eat? How do you feed a child when favorite foods are no longer safe? How can you be sure you are avoiding the food? How can you maintain flavor and diversity in your diet? Allergy-free cooking can be challenging, stimulating, and fun. The Food Allergy News Cookbook is your comprehensive guide to understanding food allergies and learning how to eat properly. Getting started is easy with the support of:

Basic shopping tips
Easy-to-understand cooking tips
Straightforward label reading guidelines
Comprehensive listings of scientific and technical names for common allergens
Detailed ingredient substitution guides

Enjoy cooking and creating tasty foods with:

Over 300 easy-to-follow recipes
Adaptations of all-time favorite recipes
A full range of menu ideas from breads, pies, and cakes to pizza, soup, and spaghetti

The possibilities are endless when you understand your options. Explore the vast selection of choices and recipes provided in this book and start enjoying a diversity of tastes and flavors again.

Customer Reviews:

Lacks variety.......2007-02-04

I was looking for a real cookbook with a VARIETY of ideas including NEW meal ideas. The back of the book states "A full range of menu ideas . . ." Not true. Of the 300 recipes in the book, about 250 are for cookies, cakes, pies, sweet breads, muffins and other dessert type items. There are only 50 recipes in the "Main Meals" chapter and it looks like they were stretching to fill the chapter. About 10 of the recipes in "Main Meals" are made of potatoes such as "Potato Fans": slice a potato, sprinkle with salt and bake. Wow. I can barely contain myself. Four of the recipes were for more breads like corn bread and then the all-to-creative Chicken & Rice and Pizza --which is what I'm trying to get away from. I wanted was some NEW creative ideas for meals or side dishes. I will keep looking for a better book.

Better than nothing, but not the best.......2005-12-20

When we first found out our daughter had multiple food allergies we bought this book after getting tons of great info from FAAN. (FAAN is a wonderful resource, everyone dealing with food allergies should join.)

Unfortunately, I think that this cookbook leaves a lot to be desired. We found ourselves disappointed by many of the recipes we tried in here; particularly, the wheat-free recipes often came out with very poor texture.

For baked goods and especially desserts, I'd recommend Cindy Moseley's "Great Foods Without Worry" over this one. We also routinely use some of the recipes from the "Gluten Free Gourmet". This might be a good third or fourth book if you're looking for more ideas.

nice selection of recipes.......2005-10-19

Easy to make recipes and a wide selection. So far, every recipe I've tried has been good. As with any allergy cook book, there will be recipes using an item you may have an allergy to. In some cases they give substitutions for various ingredients to a particular recipe.

Great cookbook even for people without foode allergies!.......2003-08-22

This cookbook has very imaginative, easy recipes that are better tasting than what you find in many standard cookbooks. While I agree with the reader who calls it a "dessert cookbook", preparing main courses for someone with food allergies is much easier, ie I don't cook fish dishes because my daughter has a fish allergy. However finding baking recipes without eggs or nuts is much more difficult. This book does an excellent job and you never feel as though you are compromising.

Not for corn allergics.......2003-06-10

This book has many good recipes, but it does not include any info about corn allergy. And, many of the recipes contain ingredients that are sources of hidden corn. This would not be a good cookbook for anyone that has been recently diagnosed with corn allergy. But recipes can be adapted to be corn-free, by people who know how to do it. Some recipes call for ingredients that contain sulfites. So people who are sulfite sensitive should use caution, too.

Customer Reviews:

Great info on the history of the Chiuaua breed........1999-09-16

This book gives a good history of the breed, standards, and general info specific to the Chiuaua's care. It has tons of cute pictures, as well. Just be sure to purchase an additional book on puppy care and training, as these sections were not complete in this book.

Book Description

Miskwabik, Metal of Ritual examines the thousands of beautiful and intricate ritual works of art—from ceremonial weaponry to delicate copper pendants and ear ornaments—created in eastern North America before the arrival of Europeans. The first comprehensive examination of this 3,000-year-old metallurgical tradition, the book provides unique insight into the motivation of the artisans and the significance of these objects, and highlights the brilliance and sophistication of the early civilizations of the Americas. Comparing the ritual architecture and metallurgy of the original Americans with the ethnological record, Amelia M. Trevelyan begins to unravel the mystery of the significance of the objects as well as their special functions within the societies that created them. The book includes dozens of striking color and black and white photographs.

Average customer rating:

Fun

Wonderful

No Place Like Home in Plastic Canvas (There's No Place Like Home, Vol. 12)
Oxmoor House
Manufacturer: Oxmoor House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Cross-Stitch | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Needlework | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Best of Dick Martin Fun for Everyone in Plastic Canvas

Gifts Galore in Plastic Canvas (Leisure Arts Craft Leaflets, Bk. 4)

Ultimate Plastic Canvas Collection

How to Decorate Your Home With Plastic Canvas (Plastic Canvas Library)

Quick-To-Stitch Holiday Plastic Canvas

ASIN: 157486145X

Customer Reviews:

Fun.......2002-07-11

I have really enjoyed the projects in this book. I am a beginner and I have had a hard time finding a book that I actually want to do the projects in. Either they are too simple or too hard. This one is just right.

Wonderful.......1999-06-06

A great book for Plastic Canvas lover

No place like home in plastic canvas (Plastic canvas library)

Average customer rating:

No place like home in plastic canvas (Plastic canvas library)

Manufacturer: Oxmoor House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Textile Arts | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1574861395

Book Description

By the 1960s, Andy Warhol was already famous for turning the world of advertising and commercial art on its head with his new presentational style using silk-screened images. Less known is that during those heady times, Warhol began boxing up personal items, art, letters, bills, photographs, postcards, found objects, illustrated vinyl LPs, newspaper clippings, and diaristic notes into what he called "Time Capsules." This book displays for the first time all 32 capsules featuring 300 color photos, spread out and shot in a montage format so that the viewer can better understand the obsessive inclusiveness of these records of Warhol/Factory content.

Book Description

PROLOGUE

The present text, Africans of the Diaspora, is a sequel to the author's earlier work, The Making of the African Diaspora in the America's 1441- 1900 (Longman Group England/Longman Inc., New York, 1987 and seven subsequent reprints). The current book examines the evolution of leadership in the same Diaspora in the Americas. The focus here, of course, is on leadership in North America, where that kind of leadership that could be identified among Africans of the Diaspora has been persistent. It does explore the other regions into which Africans were taken, the Caribbean and South America, but the latter two areas have not displayed this African consciousness with the same consistency as in North America. "African" leadership in the Caribbean and South America has been overshadowed by the policies pursued in those theaters of operation by the ruling slavocracy and their successors, which have dampened, curtailed, minimized, and almost destroyed an African consciousness, despite an African presence. It was policy in these societies to destroy all memory of Africa, to eliminate it entirely, so that it did not interfere with the workings of the plantation systems which were the mainstay of those societies in the early times. In some sense, it could be insisted that they all still are plantation societies.

Afrocentric leadership in these regions was perfunctory or non- existent until recently, with few exceptions. There was, for instance, Brazil, where enslaved Africans provided leadership by the creation of the phenomenon of marronage known variously as Quilombos, Mocambos, and ladeiras, and a notable one which constituted itself into an African State in Brazil in the province of Alagoas in Pernambuco. (Kent 1965). They were to be celebrated by some writers as "The Famous Negroes of Palmares" (or the palm forests) (Pierson 1946; Diggs 1953) while to others they were the "Quilombos Dos Palmares" (Bastide 1971). There was also the phenomenon of African Muslim revolts which were led at various times and especially in the first part of the nineteenth century by the Hausas, Yoruba, and Malians (including Senegambia and Male Muslims, in Bahia). These latter leaders used counter-violence against the system of violence inaugurated by the plantation system, conceiving of their struggles in jihadist (Holy War of Islam) terms which gave it a moralistic tone, thus creating a leadership that was an amalgam of physical force, moral suasion, and activism all at once. For, as has been observed elsewhere in the text, sometimes one type of leadership (e.g., physical force) combined these attributes with those of moral suasion or activism or all of them. The leaders of the Maroon communities as well as leaders of slave revolts, including the Muslim rebels in Brazil, provided that form of leadership quite early [with the establishment of the plantation system throughout most of the Americas] and persisted until the final abrogation of slavery in all the territories, Brazil and Cuba (1880s) being the last two theaters to abandon slavery.

In the other parts of the Americas, currently less well-studied in terms of the evolution of an African-oriented leadership [or a leadership conscious of its African origins and emphasizing this] much of their efforts were directed early in the nineteenth century to the struggles for independence from Spain and Spanish control. Thus, many of them were in the army of Simon Bolivar in his bid for the liberation of South America and he received assistance from the Haitian leader, Alexander Petion, in his independence struggles. But the end of the independence struggles tended to eliminate the African orientation in political and societal matters, as the various successor states had recourse to varying expedients for minimizing, controlling and undermining the African presence (Rout Jr. 1976). But despite these, there continued to be African-descended populations in various parts of South America having had their voices muted or their consciousness of their Africaness eroded. But assimilation devices, as Brazil has tried to promote, have not prevented the growth of an African consciousness in more recent times - even in Brazil. A more recent development is the emergence of this consciousness in the celebration of the exploits of the men and women of Palmares - an African hegemony which survived for about a century and was destroyed about three hundred years ago by the Portuguese whose authority it had challenged. It was a movement that had the potential for creating an African rather than a Portuguese Brazil - at least in the northeast part of the country.

Palmares has now been installed by the government of Brazil as a public holiday to be celebrated in the month of November. Whether or not the government understands its significance is immaterial. It is a concession to the African presence in Brazil and an acknowledgment long overdue. It is clear, however, that the African-descended people have taken it to heart and in the future more manifestations of the gravity of that famous republic will emerge in diverse media such as studies, art, language, history, poetry, folk-tale, and legend. Some awareness of Palmares has surfaced in orature, and songs are emerging about Palmares, an image that has lain in obscurity for a long time but will not soon be laid to rest.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books