Horses' Health Simplified (Practical Horse Guides)

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Horses' Health Simplified (Practical Horse Guides)
Peter D. Rossdale
Manufacturer: Macmillan Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Animals | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0668064412

Book Description

Peter Capstick's earliest books have firmly established him as the modern-day master of African adventure writing. Now, for all his readers who want to put their taste for adventure into practice, Capstick has written the first modern authoritative, comprehensive guide to African safari. Drawing on his years of experience as a professional hunter, Capstick explains everything a bwana needs to know: how to select and book a safari; where and when to go; fees and licenses; the guns, ammo, and personal equipment needed. Chapters on each of the Big Five (lion, Cape buffalo, elephant, leopard, and rhino-- the trophies most hunters want to take) describe the techniques, thrills, and dangers of hunting these clever and cunning animals. The other memorable delights of safari, like camp life, bird shooting, fishing, photography, and game viewing in wildlife parks, are also celebrated. A list of safari agencies, hunting companies and professional hunters, suggested equipment for a 21-day safari, and a trophy price list round out the most exhaustive guide to safari ever written.Packed with solid advice and nuggets of campfire lore and hunting yarns, illustrated with thirty-four black and white photographs and six line drawings, Safari: The Last Adventure is sure to become a classic work in its field, essential equipment for anyone going on safari or just dreaming of one....

Customer Reviews:

Now I've *really* got the bug to go to Africa........2005-08-23

I became a hunter later in life, not having a father or other family members to introduce me to the wonderful traditions of hunting. For a few years, I've had an interest in going to Africa, but didn't know what it would be like. My best friend gave me "Death in the Long Grass", also by Capstick. This classic gave me an interest in going to Africa, but also gave me trepidation, as a lot of the book deals with close calls and situations that didn't end well for the participants.
"Safari: The Last Adventure" has fixed that problem for me. It gives (in addition to some of the stories only Capstick can tell) the nuts and bolts of going on Safari. It describes everything from how to properly take each different kind of game animal, what caliber rifle and what types of rounds to use, down to how many pair of socks you should bring. It is a bit dated (which is the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars), but is still quite useful. I'm looking forward to Africa in the summer of 2007.

Safari The Last Adventure.......2000-03-23

Though a little dated, this book is an outstanding primer for your first safari to Africa. There is no better way to prepare than to read Capstick's book unless you have a friend or consultant who has "been there, done that"... This will truly enrich your first experience and prevent you from missing out on some of the richest moments of the trip.

A must read for anyone going on safari!.......1999-09-08

This book provides the reader with virtually everything you need to know and ever wanted to know about going on safari. Everything from what one should expect from the guide and hunting concession, to what the guide and hunting concession expects from you! Lists of taxidermy prices, while it may be somewhat outdated, will give the reader an idea of what to expect. This book doesn't contain an much heart pounding excitment as Capstick's other books, but it is interesting nonetheless. Anyone going on safari or considering it will benenfit from reading this book.

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The last safari
Gerald Hanley
Manufacturer: Fawcett
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

True At First Light: A Fictional Memoir Of His Last African Safari

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Good brothers are difficult to find
Disappointing Posthumous Finale
Not his best work
second rate?
True at First Light

True At First Light: A Fictional Memoir Of His Last African Safari
Ernest Hemingway
Manufacturer: Audioworks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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ASIN: 0671044486
Release Date: 1999-07-06

Amazon.com

Ernest Hemingway's final posthumous work bears the rather awkward designation "a fictional memoir" and arrives under a cloud of controversial editing and patching--but all of that ends up being beside the point. Though this account of a 1953 safari in Kenya lacks the resolution and clarity of the best Hemingway (The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms) it is "real" Hemingway nonetheless. Let scholars work out where memoir leaves off and fiction begins: for the common reader, the prose alone casts an irresistible spell.

In True at First Light the glory days of the "great white hunters" are over and the Mau Mau rebellion is violently dislodging European farmers from Kenya's arable lands. But to the African gun bearers, drivers, and game scouts who run his safari in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro, Hemingway remains a lordly figure--almost a god. Two parallel quests propel the narrative: Mary, Hemingway's fourth and last wife, doggedly stalks an enormous black-maned lion that she is determined to kill by Christmas, while Hemingway becomes increasingly obsessed with Debba, a beautiful young African woman. What makes the novel especially strange and compelling is that Mary knows all about Debba and accepts her as a "supplementary wife," even as she loses no opportunity to rake her husband over the coals for his drinking, lack of discipline in camp, and condescending protectiveness.

As usual with Hemingway, atmosphere and attitude are far more important than plot. Mary at one point berates her husband as a "conscience-ridden murderer," but this is precisely the moral stance that gives the hunting scenes their tension and beauty. "I was happy that before he died he had lain on the high yellow rounded mound with his tail down," Hemingway writes of "Mary's lion," "and his great paws comfortable before him and looked off across his country to the blue forest and the high white snows of the big Mountain."

Passages like these--and there are many of them--redeem the book's rambling structure and occasional lapses into self-indulgent posturing. Joan Didion dismissed True at First Light in The New Yorker as "words set down but not yet written," but this fails to acknowledge the power of these words. The value of True at First Light lies in its candor, its nakedness: it provides a rare opportunity to watch a master working his way toward art. --David Laskin

Book Description

A blend of autobiography and fiction, the audiobook opens on the day his close friend Pop, a celebrated hunter, leaves Ernest in charge of the safari camp and news arrives of a potential attack from a hostile tribe. Drama continues to build as his wife, Mary, pursues the great black-maned lion that has become her obsession. Spicing his depictions of human longings with sharp humor, Hemingway captures the excitement of big-game hunting and the unparalleled beauty of the scenery -- the green plains covered with gray mist, zebra and gazelle traversing the horizon, cool dark nights broken by the sounds of the hyena's cry.

As the group at camp helps Mary track her prize, she and Ernest suffer the "incalculable casualties of marriage," and their attempts to love each other well are marred by cruelty, competition, and infidelity. Ernest has become involved with Debba, an African girl whom he supposedly plans to take as a second bride. Increasingly enchanted by the local African community, he struggles between the attraction of these two women and the wildly different cultures they represent.

Equally adept at evoking the singular textures of the landscape, the thrill of the hunt and the complexities of married life, Hemingway weaves a tale that is rich in laughter, beauty, and profound insight. True At First Light is an extraordinary publishing event -- a breathtaking final work from one of this nation's most beloved and important writers.

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Both revealing self-portrait and dramatic fictional chronicle of his final African safari, Ernest Hemingway's last unpublished work was written when he returned from Kenya in 1953. Edited by his son Patrick, who accompanied his father on the safari, True at First Light offers rare insights into the legendary American writer in the year of the hundredth anniversary of his birth. A blend of autobiography and fiction, the book opens on the day his close friend Pop, a celebrated hunter, leaves Ernest in charge of the safari camp and news arrives of a potential attack from a hostile tribe. Drama continues to build as his wife, Mary, pursues the great black-maned lion that has become her obsession. Spicing his depictions of human longings with sharp humor, Hemingway captures the excitement of big-game hunting and the unparalleled beauty of the scenery - the green plains covered with gray mist, zebra and gazelle traversing the horizon, cool dark nights broken by the sounds of the hyena's cry. As the group at camp help Mary track her prize, she and Ernest suffer the "incalculable casualties of marriage," and their attempts to love each other well are marred by cruelty, competition and infidelity. Ernest has become involved with Debba, an African girl whom he supposedly plans to take as a second bride. Increasingly enchanted by the local African community, he struggles between the attraction of these two women and the wildly different cultures they represent. In True at First Light, Hemingway also chronicles his exploits - sometimes hilarious and sometimes poignant - among the African men with whom he has become very close, reminisces about encounters with other writers and his days in Paris and Spain and satirizes, among other things, the role of organized religion in Africa. What is fact and what is fiction? This is a question that was posed by Hemingway's readers throughout his career and is one of his principal subjects here.

Customer Reviews:

Good brothers are difficult to find .......2004-12-05

..but you can encounter a bad brother in any town. This is one statement in this story which is not a real memoir and not a real novel but just writings that Patrick Hemingway put together. I read it through and was sorry that Cast of Characters and Swahili Glossary were at the end of book instead of in first pages. His wife Miss Mary asked "the liars write books and how can you compete with a liar?".Hemingway answered,."I am a writer of fiction and so I am a liar, too and invent from what I know and what I've heard.".Then he made a interesting comment about DH Lawrence as they discussed his affair with the young native, Debba. Is it any wonder that they had nightmares and "Papa" had to reach through the netting into the rainsoaked ground and find his bottle of gin to put them back to sleep..This is a well told story of a most gifted writer who chose to have it his way always..

Disappointing Posthumous Finale.......2004-01-21

This book was published to coincide with what would have been Hemingway's 100th birthday. Unfortunately, it's not much of a tribute. Fortunately, it is supposed to be the final Hemingway work, so maybe the "picking at Papa's bones" has finally come to an end.

Posthumous publications always raise the question of what would the author have wanted. Would Hemingway have wanted this book to see publication, particularly given the fact that it is need of heavy editing? I have my doubts that he ever intended for this book to see publication. He had shelved this project himself prior to his death and nothing I've read indicates he had any desire to see it to completion.

The book is characterized as "A Fictional Memoir," and, rather than seeming to have been intended as a complete novel in and of itself, the book appears to be more of a collection of material out of which a novel might have been constructed. Hemingway began work on it in 1954, and it essentially describes Hemingway's trip to Kenya with his fourth wife, Mary Welsh. The line between what is fiction and what is memoir is fairly ambiguous throughout.

Fans of Hemingway, such as myself, will be disappointed. There is no real plot or dramatic structure and what suspense there is, e.g., will Miss Mary kill her lion?, is disposed of before the book is half over. The book, which is reputed to have been edited down from over 800 pages, is in severe need of additional editing. Hemingway, who was famous for his self-editing, probably would have sheared off at least another quarter of the book.

Still, there is enough of the old master present here to make it worth reading if you are a fan.

Not his best work.......2003-10-29

This blend of autobiography and fiction, written when Hemingway returned from Kenyan safari in 1953, was edited into shape by the author's son years later. It focuses on Hemingway living in Kenya spending most of his time hunting, when not developing his burgeoning self-developed religion and talking with 'the natives'. He balances his personal life between Mary his wife, a petulant woman who highlights her insecurities whenever she denies them; and Debba, his native girlfriend.

There is some glorious prose in this book, and some genuinely entertaining episodes, especially when Hemingway develops his own religion incorporating the Baby Jesus, animism and the Happy Hunting Grounds for a heavenly afterlife.

But it is hard to feel for any of the characters - the whites come across as arrogant and mocking, the black Africans as comical and childlike. Much is made of Mary's 'need' to shoot a lion before Christmas, but even when it happens, she still complains. It is hard to believe the supposed respect of animals with the amount of killing included in the story.

Isak Dinesen's published letters give a much more vivid and thought provoking portrait of Kenya, with a much less sentimental and condescending veneer. If it is vintage Hemingway you are after, try `The Sun Also Rises' (also known as `Fiesta') to read a great writer at his best.

second rate?.......2003-10-07

So OK, this is NOT Hemingway's best book. Right, it needed editing (by the author himself of course); it's an incomplete work. For Hemingway it is maybe second rate. However, keep this in mind: second rate Hemingway is still better than 90% of all the other books out there.

True at First Light.......2003-05-01

I can always trust Hemingay to be a good read as well as Baronesbooks to send me a quality book at an even better price, and within a reasonable shipping time frame. I no longer have to worry whether my book will come before or after my vacation--I can count on Baronesbooks to send it to me in plenty of time to relax and read on the beach! Baronesbooks lives up to the rating of 5 stars and is a dependable, trustworthy seller. Thanks Barones!

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Safari - The Last Adventure
Peter Capstick
Manufacturer: The Buckingham Mint, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000VAEF8W

Trouble Is Where You Find It Safari Press Limited Edtion (The 7th and last volume in the Russell Annabel Adventure Series)

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Trouble Is Where You Find It Safari Press Limited Edtion (The 7th and last volume in the Russell Annabel Adventure Series)
Russell Annabel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 1571572279

Product Description

The 7th volume in the Russell Annabel Adventure Series.Includes two never before published stories.

Book Description

Album covers are recognized as a testing ground for creative visual expression, inspired by and amplifying our enjoyment of the music itself. The book features the best graphics from cutting-edge covers around the world. It includes the work of leading graphic designers such as Non-Format, Trevor Jackson (Play Group), Rudy VanderLans, Alorenz, Fehler, and Designers Republic, as well as showcasing some of the most groundbreaking designs for small underground labels. In addition, the book includes the favorite album covers of key figures from the worlds of design and music.

Sampler 2: Art, Pop and Contemporary Music Graphics

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Sampler 2: Art, Pop and Contemporary Music Graphics
Intro
Manufacturer: Laurence King Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1856692248

Sampler II: Art, Pop and Contemporary Music Graphics

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contemporary grafik-bites

Sampler II: Art, Pop and Contemporary Music Graphics
Intro
Manufacturer: Universe Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

History & Criticism | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0789305224
Release Date: 2000-12-01

Book Description

Sampler 2 is far more than just a remix. Like its predecessors, it captures and celebrates some of the most innovative and challenging graphic design work from the contemporary music scene, yet offers an even more penetrating and comprehensive examination of radical music packaging. Traditionally occupying the margins of graphic design practice, the record cover is increasingly recognized as a testing ground for innovative visual expression, inspired by, and amplifying our enjoyment of, the music itself. Sampler 2 features the best graphics from cutting edge designers who boldly reject the notion of the record sleeve as ephemeral packaging in favor of creating memorable works of art.

The book includes work by leading graphic designers such as Stefan Sagmeister, Designers Republic, Farrow Design, Peter Saville, and Rudy Vanderlands, as well as showcasing some of the most groundbreaking designs for small underground labels from around the world. In an introductory essay, Intro co-founder and Creative Director Adrian Shaughnessy identifies and evaluates recent trends in music graphics, examining the position of small labels in relation to the commercial imperatives of large, monolithic record companies. He explores the idea of 'authenticity', revealing how sleeve designers are departing from mainstream imagery and digital technology, in a return to the 'real'. Issues also addressed include the convergence of graphic design and contemporary art practice, and the role of the musician in the sleeve design process.

Sampler 2 is an inspirational resource for graphic designers and those working in visual communication, as well as appealing to anyone within the record industry and to music fans worldwide.

Customer Reviews:

contemporary grafik-bites.......2001-01-23

This is the latest book in the Sampler series and it presents a contemporary collection of the style of graphics used in music design in the past year. It's an excellent resource book for designers, and the collation of the original styles from designers worldwide in this book makes it the best book on music graphics out in 2001 so far.

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Nicely Done Overview of Current Trends
Get this book!

Sampler: Contemporary Music Graphics
Adrian Shaughnessy
Manufacturer: Universe Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Sampler is the definitive statement on innovative sleeve graphic design from the contemporary music scene-one of the most dynamic arenas of experimental graphic design. This colorful book showcases the cover designs that make the recordings of Primal Scream, Stereolab, tortoise, Massive Attack, and other music groups stand out in stores worldwide.Sampler features the world's top graphic designers working in the U.S. and Europe, including Peter Saville, Stefan Sagemeister, Carlos Segura, Tomato, Mark Farrow, Vaughan Oliver, and Designers Republic. In addition, this book includes designs from minor visionaries that are actively formulating new visual languages-including French designers working on the Parisian underground and hip-hop scenes and German techno designers.

Customer Reviews:

Nicely Done Overview of Current Trends.......2001-03-30

This well-designed paperback provides an overview of the latest in CD design and packaging, with an emphasis on work on English labels. Shaughnessy's introduction provides a brief, but cogent overview of the history of record sleeve design and its various influences. He views music packaging as the only area where graphic arts can flourish and be highly visible, while retaining their artistic integrity (ie. not being subject to the dictates of the product). Similarly, he finds sleeve design to be one of the few areas where graphic designers have traditionally had great freedom of expression--although he notes this is increasingly less the case, with the emergence of multinational media conglomerates and their slavish devotion to the bottom line. Unsurprisingly, he locates the best contemporary work in the realm of independent record labels. Indeed, only the most music-obsessive (think Dick in High Fidelity) will recognize 90% of the pieces collected for display. Personally, the style reflected in the CD sleeve selections is not generally to my liking (with a few big exceptions, such as the Massive Attack items on page 95). The packaging tends to be far more innovative, for example, the Pan-Sonic Arctic Rangers "Self-Assembly Soundscape Set" (pp. 75-76) is a work of genius. All in all, it's definitely worth a look, and the bibliography is especially useful.

Get this book!.......2000-06-10

I am an Art Director and a DJ.I Like Techno art and stuff very much.If you are into this kind of art you gotto buy this one.And if you like Designers Republic, Tomato and other English Design houses and dig for their designs GET THIS BABE!

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Sampler: Contemporary Music Graphics
Universe Pub.
Manufacturer: Universe Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KWHUXI

Product Description

Most box turtle varieties are poor swimmers, and prefer both natural and terrarium environments where waters are shallow. Here's is detailed advice on all aspects of their care and maintenance. Books in this series give hobbyists basic information on reptiles' anatomy, life cycles, and traits, as well as specific instructions on care and breeding. There is expert information on selecting good specimens, determining sex, providing proper caging, nutritious feeding, and health care. All books are heavily illustrated with full-color photos. Paperback / 48 Pages / 5 5/8" x 8 3/16" / 2001

Customer Reviews:

Great book ! ! ! !.......2003-01-15

This book is great if you have JUST received a box turtle ,but really only gives general information on them. It has LOTS of great pictures..... Was very happy with the book and the wonderful pictures it contained. Great for a beginner box turtle keeper.

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AYRES

A superbly presented treatise

The Eclectic Odyssey of Atlee B. Ayres, Architect (Sara and John Lindsey Series in the Arts and Humanities, 8)
Robert James Coote
Manufacturer: Texas A&M University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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San Antonio's Monte Vista: Architecture and Society in a Gilded Age

The Architectural Legacy of Alfred Giles: Selected Restorations

San Antonio Uncovered, 2nd Edition

ASIN: 1585441228

Customer Reviews:

AYRES.......2007-04-24

Ayres is very argueably the foremost residental architect in the storied history of San Antonio. Ayles is to San Antonio what John Staub was to Houston and John William was to Los Angeles, the choice of the elite to design their dreams. This book is well crafted by Robert Coote, the text is urbane and enlightening and the images are crisp and well presented. I did not find it Valhalla, like the review below and not being an architect, I have no idea if it's a great source for study, but as a person whom architecture resonates, I enjoyed it..not the end all be all, but a nice book, I recommend it..I really wonder how the review below would gush about a really great book..hummmmm...

A superbly presented treatise.......2002-01-08

In The Eclectic Odyssey Of Atlee B. Ayres, Architect, Robert Coote (professor emeritus of architecture at the University of Texas, Austin) informatively surveys thirty years of the architectural career of Atlee Ayres, focusing on Ayres' residential architecture in the San Antonio suburbs of Monte Vista, Olmos Park, and Terrell-Hills. It is in these architectural designs that Ayres' eclecticism is most apparent. Coote studies twenty-five of Ayres' houses in detail including their plans, spaces, exteriors, materials, and structure. Additionally, Coote describes Ayres' architectural education, travels, and career highlights. Highly recommended for professional and academic architectural reference collections, The Eclectic Odyssey Of Atlee B. Ayres, Architect is a superbly presented treatise on the work and career of a most remarkable American architect.

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OK garden book

A Great Reference Book

Wonderful collection of pointers....

Excellent Guide for DC-Area Gardening

If you garden in the D.C. area, you must have this book!

The Washington Post Garden Book: The Ultimate Guide to Gardening in Greater Washington and the Mid-Atlantic Region
Adrian Higgins
Manufacturer: Washington Post Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Month-by-Month Gardening in the Mid-Atlantic : What To Do Each Month To Have a Beautiful Garden All Year (Month-By-Month Gardening (Cool Springs Press))

Mid-Atlantic Home Landscaping

Home Landscaping: Mid-Atlantic Region (Home Landscaping) (Home Landscaping)

Trees and Shrubs of Virginia

Virginia Gardener's Guide

ASIN: 0962597155

Book Description

Which plants do best - and worst - in Greater Washignton and the Mid-Atlantic region? How do you transform a neglected yard into a wondrous garden while minimizing the need for check-writing, maintenance and toxic chemicals? How can you create a flowing landscape with breathtaking colors and forms that will enchant you year round, not just seperate flower beds that bloom briefly in spring or summer?

You'll find the answers to these questions - and many more - in this extraordinary guide, which is as masterfully written and beautifully illustrated as it is useful. Whether you have an urban backyard, a suburban landscape, a rural spread or an apartment balcony, this is your essential reference for gardening in Washington, Virginia, Maryland, and beyond. In addition to all the basics on soil composition, tools, drainage, pruning and the like, the guide provides what you need on an exceptional array of subjects.

Customer Reviews:

OK garden book.......2007-09-24

I bought this book thinking it would give some practical advice for a beginner in gardening in the Washington DC metropolitan area. To my disappointment this book wasn't that useful for me. I didn't care much for the writing style, too much talk but little useful information. When it comes to specific plants, often there's just one paragraph of each. And there's no pictures just paintings throughout the whole book. This is definitely a huge drawback to me.

A Great Reference Book.......2003-09-17

I bought this book three years ago when my gardening abilities were still beginner. It turned out to be a great, and helpful read back then, and a book I still pick up now and then to get Mr. Higgins opinion on plant choice.
I read Mr. Higgins column and online chats for the Post and find him to be informative and amusing.

Wonderful collection of pointers...........2001-07-16

Adrian Higgins writes a weekly column for the Washington Post, and I have come to appreciate his warm and entertaining essays over the past few years. Higgins follows in Henry Mitchell's footsteps (one of the greatest gardening writers ever!!) and therefore has very large gardening shoes to fill. I don't think Higgins has the gardening acumen of his predecessor, nor does he have the wit, and he does seem to spend a great deal of time hobnobing with rich and famous gardeners whereas Henry was more down to earth--most of his columns were about his weekly efforts in his own patch. Nevertheless, I look forward to reading Higgins pieces.

Higgins shares current knowledge about new plants (plants that once could not be grown successfully in the Washington area that now can be grown here thanks to genetic engineering), as well as creative ideas about older plants--some never used in local gardens. For example, regarding the latter, this past he wrote a piece on the Hyssop, which some of us have in herb beds, and he recommends for the perennial bed because it can stand up to the heat and humidity of DC (greatly exaggerated by old thinking -- DC actually has a relatively nice climate, just loss of oxygen thanks to car/SUV engines). Unfortunately, his gardening ideas mostly extend to those with five acres to spare.

The essays in Higgins book are good but I would hesitate to describe it as the "ultimate" guide. The Mid-Atlantic area is comprised of a diverse range of growing conditions and it is difficult to generalize gardening tactics let alone ultimate techniques. Higgins is aware of the growing conditions, but the novice may find it difficult to keep the "facts" straight.

The altitude in the mid-Atlantic ranges from the mountains to the sea level, and from above and below the Mason-Dixon line. DC itself is located in the upper range of many plants that do well in zone 8 to the south (Crepe Myrtle) and in the lower range of plants that do well in zone 6 to the north (Peonies). However, if you go east you move into Zone 8 again and if you go west you enter Zone 6.

The soil composition of the area ranges from limestone (water in DC is very alkaline thanks to the Shenandoah Valley) to clay (Piedmont) to coastal sand. I've worked gardens in all these areas and found the combination of soil, water PH and weather patterns/temperture does not allow one to grow anything anywhere. In fact, if you live east of the fall line (approximately Route 1) and between Fredericksburg and mid-Jersey you'd be better off to read Allen Lacy's books.

Still, I don't want to discourage readers from using Higgin's book. Many of his ideas will work--the key is to buy the types of plants that like your growing conditions. Blueberries for example come in different varieties--some do well in cooler mountain areas and others along the sandy shore. You won't know if Higgins methods work until you try them. That's the key to gardening anyway--try-al and error.

Excellent Guide for DC-Area Gardening.......2000-07-12

If you live in the DC area, this is the gardening book to own--it is a practical, no nonsense guide. This book lists which specific varieties of plants thrive or do poorly in the DC Metro area. Most of my other gardening books gather dust while I take this one to the garden center.

The book does not have color illustrations, so if you do not know what a plant looks like, you will need look it up in another book or investigate it at the store.

If you garden in the D.C. area, you must have this book!.......2000-04-03

I bought this book 2 years ago and I have been using it constantly ever since. It contains a wealth of information about all aspects of gardening in the Washington, D.C. area -- everything from lawns to flowers to bulbs to shrubs. It is written very clearly and is a comprehensive discussion, including planting tips, diseases, best plants for different locations, etc. Further, it is entertaining! I am ordering another copy because I gave mine to a friend who is a professional gardener -- he said it was the best book he has ever seen specific to this area.

The Washington Post Garden Book: The Ultimate Guide to Gardening in Greater Washington and the Mid-Atlantic Region

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The Washington Post Garden Book: The Ultimate Guide to Gardening in Greater Washington and the Mid-Atlantic Region
Adrian Higgins
Manufacturer: Washington Post Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MBZ57A

Book Description

Virtually forgotten until now, his life is the stuff of legend. Born in 1739 in Guadeloupe to a slave mother and a French noble father, he became the finest swordsman of his age, an insider at the doomed court of Louis XVI, and, most of all, a virtuosic musician. A violinist, he directed the Olympic Society of Concerts, which was considered the finest in Europe in an age of great musicians, including Haydn, from whom he commissioned a symphony, and Mozart, to whom he was often compared. He also became the first Freemason of color, embracing the French Revolution with the belief that it would end the racism against which-despite his illustrious achievements-he struggled his whole life. This is the life of Joseph Bologne, known variously as Monsieur de Saint-George, the 'Black Mozart,' and, because of his origins, 'the American.' Alain Gud offers a fascinating account of this extra-ordinary individual, whose musical compositions are at long last being revived and whose story will never again be forgotten.

Customer Reviews:

Great info.......2007-04-02

I've seen this book priced for much more and in much worse shape than I've received. It's a great historical source on the Black french slave trade. The book itself was practically brand new and arrived very quickly.

a forgotten Renaissance man..........2005-05-10

This was an excellent bio of a remarkable polymath.
Thank you Alain Guede for your fine curriculum vitae
on Monsieur Saint-George.
For those of us who enjoys a insightful,entertaining
and yes even inspiring non-fiction read.
Here is a Man whose story truly deserves to be widely read.
NOT TO BE MISSED!

A Great Tale Spoiled in the Retelling.......2005-04-30

I purchased this book after seeing a television documentary on Monsieur de Saint-George, and was fascinated by his life and achievements (and eager to hear more of his music).

Unfortunately, though the his life is fascinating and takes many turns, the quality of the storytelling here is not up to the task. As anyone who has read academic research will know, a remarkable topic can quickly be drowned out by droning prose.

Having said that, I felt at every point eager to hear the next twist or turn of this man's life. Perhaps someone will do him better service.

PS - Suggest if you decide to proceed with this book, that you purchase the music to listen to as you read. Perhaps it will improve the whole experience, and will definitely give you better insight into his achievements.

An enthralling life story.......2004-04-05

Monsieur De Saint-George: Virtuoso, Swordsman, Revolutionary is the amazing biography of Joseph Boulogne de Saint-George, the son of a slave mother and a gentleman father and the trail he blazed through eighteenth-century aristocratic circles to become one of the greatest of the French composers. Also known for his talented violin playing, his superb swordsmanship, and his passionate hope for a future that would promote equal rights for human beings regardless of color. An enthralling life story which was definitely researched and superbly written by biographer Alain Guede, Monsieur De Saint-George is a quite significant contribution to Black Studies and Music History collections.

This is not a Biography.......2004-02-15

Mr. Guede's book is about a wonderful charactor, but the scholarship is poor. He uses footnotes, but they are to other works of fiction. He spends much time talking about the family of St.-Georges' father, without checking the very clear and obtainable documents that prove he is another man entirely. This is important because St.-Georges made his way in Parisian society on his own, not as son of a wealthy minister. Gede says he was called "Chevalier" by his father, when his apointment by Louis XV to the Gendarme du Roi made him a Chevalier automatically. It was an honor he earned.
It takes nerve to write a biography of a musician without even an elemental knowledge of music. For example the author writes: "Gossec named him (St.-Georges) first violin and time keeper. " The author then goes on to say the first violin (concertmaster) stands up in performances, and that as timekeeper he uses his baton to set the tempo in rehearsals, being preferred to a metronome. What is the conductor suposed to be doing?
Finally, the author inserts gratuitous racial remarks such as: "the thick layers of powder he used to hide the color of his skin", or Plato, his (fictional) violin teacher saying "Follow the score or you will always play like a Negro", or "Voltaire would not defend a Negro unless he was attacked by a Jew"
St.-Georges deserves a better writer.

The Classical Heritage in France (Brill's Studies in Intellectual History)

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The Classical Heritage in France (Brill's Studies in Intellectual History)

Manufacturer: Brill Academic Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 9004119167

Book Description

In this generously illustrated book, world-renowned Yale art historian Robert Farris Thompson gives us the definitive account of tango, "the fabulous dance of the past hundred years–and the most beautiful, in the opinion of Martha Graham.”

Thompson traces tango’s evolution in the nineteenth century under European, Andalusian-Gaucho, and African influences through its representations by Hollywood and dramatizations in dance halls throughout the world. He shows us tango not only as brilliant choreography but also as text, music, art, and philosophy of life. Passionately argued and unparalleled in its research, its synthesis, and its depth of understanding, Tango: The Art History of Love is a monumental achievement.

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Intellectually Dishonest, Factually Inaccurate.......2007-07-05

Although Thompson's book has a veneer of academic research, it is merely an attempt to promote the position advocated in his other books: Thompson alleges that much, if not most, of the elements of culture for which (mostly European) white societies are credited was "stolen" (that is, copied without credit) from black (in most cases, African) societies.

In "Tango", Thompson, a professor of African art (he has no qualifications either in dance or in Latin American culture) makes two arguments: a general, deductive one and a specific, inductive one.

His deductive argument is essentially "white men can't jump". That is, he reasons from effect and concludes that tango must have been stolen from blacks because it is improvised, and everyone knows that white people can't improvise. White people must have structure. That's why, Thompson says, just as classical music is "white" music and jazz is "black" music, ballroom and ballet are "white" dances, and tango is a "black" dance.

Thompson's inductive argument is based, in large part, on a list of people he has compiled, and who he claims are variously the world's greatest tango dancers, singers, composers and musicians. All of the people on Thompson's list are black. Thus, he alleges, he has "proved" that tango was co-opted from blacks.

Assuming that Thompson's list of the "greatest" has some validity, that would not prove that white people stole the tango from the individuals he selected, much less from any other blacks who didn't make his list.

If Thompson's argument were correct, that would also mean that golf was stolen by the Scottish from African-Americans, because Tiger Woods is black. (I suppose that's his next book.)

In addition to numerous factual inaccuracies, Thompson credits various performers with originating something, and then charges the famous Argentines who introduced and developed the moves with having merely copied them. There is no evidence supporting his allegations other than Thompson's argument by fiat. His proof consists of "because I said so".

Finally, some of Thompson's arguments are just plain fatuous. In interviews, he's stated that there is something called the "break" in tango. And, Thompson says, everybody knows who invented break dancing! In addition to the patent obtuseness of this remark, Thompson also misses the point that, since tango predates break dancing, he's really putting forth an argument that blacks stole break dancing from tango dancers.

Similarly, Thompson points out that tango dancers move counterclockwise around the dance floor. And everybody knows that in African culture, moving around counterclockwise is a way of obtaining a long life! Thompson ignores the fact that all ballroom dances move counterclockwise, including those he has labeled "white" (e.g., waltz and foxtrot).

Those of Thompson's arguments that aren't completely backwards or based on false statements are non sequiturs. As an example, he mentions that some Argentines tie red ribbons to the harnesses of their horses. Lo and behold, red is a color considered to have mystical properties in Africa. Therefore, there is an unacknowledged connection between African superstition and Argentine culture. And - here it comes - this is somehow taken as evidence that the tango was also stolen from Africa. Quod Erat Demonstrandum.

The fact that the Chinese consider red to have special powers, as do Jewish cabbalists, is ignored, as is the fact that, even if some aspect of African superstition had made its way to Argentina, this does not provide any evidence that any other aspect of Argentine culture, such as the tango, also came from Africa.

Unfortunately, Thompson's Yale affiliation has afforded him a soapbox and an unmerited presumption of accuracy in his work. If you want an accurate history of tango, you would do better to refer to one of the so-called "coffee table" books, such as the one by Collier. They may be glossy, but at least they tell the truth.

Respectful effort.......2007-06-11

I was so excited about reading the book... But even the first few pages brought nothing but disappointment... Writing manner is very heavy, in addition to overwhelming, almost encyclopedic compendium of facts. As the result - reading very quickly becomes boring. It seems the author is more concerned about telling the reader everything he knows on the subject, instead of creating an engaging narrative. I respect and admire Mr. Thompson's knowledge, but I can't bring myself to finish reading his book. Not such a great choice for a tango enthusiast, rather a specialist.

This book seems very impressive, but at the in is totally not.......2007-03-25

The book starts off by claiming that many aspects of Tango come from African roots. However, looking into all of the claims he made in this book and finding out much of the author says is incorrect you quickly start to judge the his creditabilty. That and the Author is a well known to be bias about everything African. I would not reccomend this book because all it will do is cause more confusion of the History of Tango.

Great book.......2007-02-12

I found the book wonderful. It is especially good on the influences of other cultures on the development of tango in Argentina -- Spain, Africa, Cuba -- all nicely fleshed out. A terrific read.

Tango the Art History of Love.......2006-07-20

A must read for anyone serious about Tango and the history of the dance.

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Tango : The Art History of Love
Robert Farris Thompson
Manufacturer: Vintage Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MAW2PY

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