Flowering plants of the Southern Cape

Customer Reviews:

Back to the Basics, What Let's Go and Lonely Planet Used to Be.......2005-12-25

As the nineties ended Lonely Planet, Let's Go and the others forgot the market which created them and with greed in their eyes and discontent for the backpackers who had put food on the tables of their families and employees dramatically cut down on the destinations listed so that you had to buy more specific guides such as Ireland, Scotland etc. They replaced all but a few hostel listings (leaving ones who probably paid to be listed) with hotels, fine dining and other useless information backpackers had no use for in an attempt to sell more guides to luggage wheeling, cab catching short stay tour company travellers as well. They ignored cries of put back destinations and hostel listings from backpackers who wrote reviews on this and other sites such as Seethisplanet or sent letters to these companies and now they have paid the price. A great competitor has been able to enter the market (if the former guides had done their job there is no way there would have been market share for BUG) who just lists what we backpackers want, hotels listings and basic information on what there is to see at each destination.

The BUG guides are simple to read, a lot thinner, less bulky and heavy than their competitors (which makes a lot of difference when you have to lug the thing around an entire continent, or even just the UK and Ireland in your backpack) and much better value. They give a description and rating on each hostel (they claim they do not accept free nights or money but who knows), as well as maps and travel company information.

You obviously won't agree with all their reviews of the accommodation but that's the backpacking scene. You can have a terrible experience at somewhere where someone else had one of the best stays of their life. Don't rely on this guide alone, ask other backpackers who have been to the destinations you are going where they stayed and what it was like. The more opinions you get the more likely you are to get a clearer picture.

Definitely get this over Lonely Planet and Let's Go, at least until they clean up their acts.

Average customer rating:

Ireland (Travel Bug Travel Guides)
Wendy Moore
Manufacturer: Macmillan General Reference
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0671882775

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Recollections and Private Memoirs of George Washington
George Washington Parke Custic
Manufacturer: American Foundation Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 1928596037

Book Description

WASHINGTON firsthand, through the eyes of his adopted son (But this monumental volume, first published in 1859, offers you much, much more)

Here's the history book that belongs in the library of every family. Why? First, because its author, the youth who called General (and afterward President) Washington his father, the youth who was the grandson of First Lady Martha Washington, knew intimately the Great Patriot s family and life:

"Concerning [Washington s] domestic habits and manners; the routine of his methodical life; what he said and did, when he retired from public cares and duties, in the evening of his glorious day, I ought to know much. Taken from my orphaned cradle to his paternal arms, nourished at his board, cherished in his bosom, from childhood to manhood, I ought to know something of the First President of the United States, and the illustrious Farmer of Mount Vernon.

So, over the years, George Washington Parke Custis wrote it all down, everything he could remember about his father, the Father of our Country. What Mr. Custis couldn't remember himself, he got directly from family and friends, all former associates of Washington. Mr. Custis tells us of two:

"Bishop, [Washington s] military servant and humble friend in the war of '55-56, who helped him to his last horse on the field of Braddock, when death gathered so many sheaves to the garner --- the veteran Bishop died at Mount Vernon at a very advanced age. It was while sitting upon his knee, in the days of my childhood, that I often heard the old man relate the events of the Indian wars, and have seen him raise his withered arm, while his faded eye lighted up, when describing the memorable and heroic achievements of his patron and commander."

Dr. James Craik, also. He and Washington were comrades and fellow-captives at the affair of the Meadows, in '55; were associated in the War of the Revolution, and bosom friends.

When Mr. Custis died in 1857, his daughter collected and arranged for publishing the Recollections and Private Memoirs of George Washington, careful not to alter her father s text.

It s truly a history bonanza. A mere sliver of the contents explains why:

Washington at Mount Vernon • Observer of the Sabbath • Tour of his Farms • Washington s Evenings • His Habit in Winter • Washington at the Battle of Princeton • Composition of the American Army • Washington Undismayed by Defeat • Battle of Germantown • Anecdote of Pulaski • The Undisciplined Americans • March to Valley Forge • Privations at Valley Forge • Washington s Compassion • Washington on the Night of the Battle of Monmouth • Exposure in Battle • Anecdote of Colonel Hamilton • Incidents of the Siege of Yorktown • Cornwallis s Attempt to Escape • A Chosen Guest at Washington s Table • Mysteries of the Revolution • Headquarters at Morristown • Washington s Life-Guard (select corps) • Depreciation of Continental Money • Celebration of Washington s Birthday • Washington a Sportsman • First Year of the Presidency • Aversion to Show and Pomp • Martha Washington

The indispensable Washington:

MORE reasons to purchase this great book: • Explanatory footnotes throughout from the original publisher, with many additional eyewitness accounts. These incredible anecdotes and histories make a book all their own • Correspondence between Washington and his adopted son while the latter was at Princeton and then Annapolis. Full of practical wisdom for today s young men • Correspondence between General Washington and John Parke Custis (the author s father) during the Revolution. Reveals Washington s great presence of mind • Memoir of Mr. Custis by his daughter; which introduces a "very curious matter" about the earlier history of the family • A sketch, by Mr. Custis, of Washington s mother; acknowledged by Washington himself as the foundation of his fame • Background on all the original portraits of Washington • Presentation of a ring to General Lafayette by Mr. Custis at the tomb of Washington, 1826 • The famous oration on the death of Washington delivered by Henry Lee before Congress • Washington s directions for the management of his farms, 1789 • Beautifully designed cover; stamped in gold with the famous painting of Washington praying at Valley Forge • Hefty 644 pages • Teens to adult, but even parents of younger children will want this classic on hand

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Recollections and Private Memoirs of Washington
George Washington Parke Custis
Manufacturer: Book Jungle
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Washington, George | ( W ) | People, A-Z | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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AN IMPERFECT GOD: George Washington, His Slaves, and the Creation of America

ASIN: 1594625182

Book Description

1860. Written by his adopted son, with a memoir of the author by his daughter; and illustrative and explanatory notes. A fabulous history of George Washington which takes the reader from discussion regarding his mother, through the various battles in which he was a part, to his last hours. Chapters relate stories relative to Martha Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Daniel Morgan, Robert Morris, Thomas Nelson and Henry Lee. Appendices include original correspondence between the author and Washington and orations delivered by the author. Illustrated.

RECOLLECTIONS AND PRIVATE MEMOIRS OF WASHINGTON

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RECOLLECTIONS AND PRIVATE MEMOIRS OF WASHINGTON
Benson Lossing
Manufacturer: Derby & Jackson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PYNKIU

Recollections and Private Memoirs of Washington by G. W. Parke Custis, of Arlington. Compiled from Files of the National Intelligencer, etc.

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Recollections and Private Memoirs of Washington by G. W. Parke Custis, of Arlington. Compiled from Files of the National Intelligencer, etc.
G.W. Parke Custis
Manufacturer: Washington: William H. Moore
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000ITPZ4Y

Average customer rating:

Recollections and private memoirs of Washington, by his adopted son

Average customer rating:

Recollections and private memoirs of Washington, by his adopted son
George Washington Parke Custis
Manufacturer: Derby & Jackson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00086YV3I

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RECOLLECTIONS AND PRIVATE MEMOIRS OF WASHINGTON
George Washington Parke Bustis
Manufacturer: Derby and Jackson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MJC27S

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Recollections and Private Memoirs of Washington
George Washington Parke Custis Curtis
Manufacturer: Derby & Jackson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000GQWPZG

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Amazing Courage

Weep For The Living

A Powerful And Prevailing Woman

Attempted murder of a Southern Angel

Weep For The Living
Anne Butler , and Anne Butler Hamilton
Manufacturer: Pelican Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Murder & Mayhem | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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What Came Before He Shot Her

ASIN: 1589803167

Book Description

A respected retired criminologist picks up a pistol and shoots his wife five times as she rocks on her plantation home's gallery. WHY?? In this riveting book, the wife who miraculously survived provides some answers with remarkable candor, compassion, even humor. This is not fiction--it's stranger!

Customer Reviews:

Amazing Courage.......2001-12-13

My daughter who is a very big fan of "Court TV", as am I (this is where she heard about "Weep For The Living")-told me about their review and couldn't wait to read it. It was everything they said and more. How this woman survived the brutal torture at the hands of her husband is difficult to understand. She evidently has a very strong will and desire for life. She is definitely to be admired. Neither one of us could put the book down. We highly recommend it. The title is perfect. Society all to often forgets their is a victim and all attention is put on the defendant, maybe this will help turn this kind of thinking around. Our only regret is that it took a long time to locate this book, couldn't find anywhere ...It definitely should receive more publicity. ...

Weep For The Living.......2001-06-24

A psychological thriller and at the same a true story of both a heinous crime and emotional and physical survival. The story is beautifully told of a married couple, each individually well respected, and why the marriage went wrong. Anne Butler asked herself this question many, many times during her amazing recovery from five 38-caliber bullets fired at point blank range. The book delves in depth her answers and also shows remarkable aspects of her community -- the friends she never knew she had and the success of the Louisiana criminal justice system in putting here estranged husband in prison for good.

Follow the steps leading up to the shooting, the recovery (as it is to date), all aspects of the trial which was a perilous trip for Anne Butler as well as for everyone touched by the bizarre crime and finally her forgiveness of her assailant. Anne's prose reads as though she is talking directly to the reader, explaining in detail her pain, her anxiety over her children, her conclusions, and her own realization of how wonderful life can be when you are in the bosom of friends.

A Powerful And Prevailing Woman.......2001-06-11

Anne Butler's horrific but astounding account of a near death experience at the hands of a tormented and twisted cold blooded and clearly calculated killer, is truly more stranger than fiction could ever be, particularly when it is her own husband, that pulls the trigger, not once, but over and over again. From the moment I began to read this amazing piece of literary prozac truth, I knew that there would be no stopping until I had devoured it, sifting the underbelly of it, carefully, weeping and laughing with her as each moment of her life leading up to that ghastly moment and each step thereafter, unfurled. I couldn't stop until I had finished it--all in one setting.

The book shocks you, saddens you, but it also somehow speaks to the heart of us all; how one can find strength in the midst of literally death and dying; how one can keep her priorities straight and think on, in her case, her two brave yet fainthearted children. I admire how this true-to-life protagonist fought back. Not in a physical way at first, but with the inward will and drive to beat it all and to beat him at his game, a game he had by all accounts mapped out, hoping to win. But he didn't get his wish. This woman fought with the stuff that warriors are made of. She got through surgery after surgery, and from all accounts, it appears she still has more to endure. The need to be around for her children, for her family, and for her friends, surely were the driving pathos, not to mention the love of her stately home and her thriving buisness.

All I have left to say is kudos to a woman who's made from lion's cloth, to woman who's got grit in her craw. Anne Butler, was in deed carried in the arms of angels, but to me she is an angel. To have lived to tell the story is victorious. I am so grateful to have read her book. And now when I am going through my dark tunnels, and I think that I can't make it, I just think on Miss Butler, and quietly and thankfully I go on.

Attempted murder of a Southern Angel.......2001-02-04

A book to read that will keep you captivated from beginning to end. The author tells her story as an experience that nearlly cost her her life. A true Southern Belle in the heart of Louisiana's plantation country running her familys plantation as a B&B. She tells her gripping events as she looked down the barrell a foot away of the 38 special that put 6 bullets in her body. Her courage to assume death to survie her attacker as he stood over her reloading. She talks of the unbelievable pain she has just been rendered, then feeling how serene her body felt as she was carried in the "arms of Angels" for survial. A mother of two children with their thoughts in her mind as she is shot. Who will take care of my children? If you like reading mysteries, this true mystery will keep you on edge as you turn each new page of her account and candid revelations. Knowing the author personally, her near death, and the people surrounding her makes this a more compelling book to read.

Average customer rating:

Very Thought-provoking
humbling, encouraging, and thought provoking
This book saved my life.
Excellent resource
True Comfort for the Afflicted...

When God Weeps Participant's Guide
Joni Eareckson Tada , and Rev. Steve Estes
Manufacturer: Zondervan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Inspirational | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0310241944

Book Description

This moving Groupware product examines human suffering through the eyes and experiences of Joni Eareckson Tada, a remarkable Christian woman who's turned her own life experience into a powerful testimony to God's sovereignty and plan for all of us.

In six moving sessions, Joni explains her own outlook and experiences, from the tragic accident that left her paralyzed over thirty years ago to her brilliant ministry that touches people worldwide. The production follows Joni through her own everyday interactions with others, including her extraordinary "Family Retreats" that minister both to other disabled people and to anyone suffering and asking what God means by allowing it.

The life and everyday actions of Joni Eareckson Tada are inspirational in their own right. The combination of documentary-style video, individual stories of suffering and grace, and stimulating Leader's and Participants Guides make this a powerful stimulus for group discussion and individual reflection.

Customer Reviews:

Very Thought-provoking.......2007-05-16

This book answers the difficult questions that many ask, but not many can answer. Joni is uniquely qualified to explain why there is suffering in the world. I've read it through twice, and have purchased it for others who have also benefitted greatly from her insight. I recommend this book to others often as it has been so helpful to me personally.

humbling, encouraging, and thought provoking.......2007-03-31

Everyday life sometimes tarnishes our faith in ourselves and others as well as our joy in simple things and the whole idea of "life" in general. But then every once in a while something, somebody, or some situation comes along that jolts us out of our stupor enough so that we see clearly the beauty in our lives and give us perspective as to what REALLY matters (as opposed to all the other relatively trivial nonsense we allow to consume our everyday lives). For me, WGW provided one of these jolts. I don't see how a person could NOT be moved by Joni's story, regardless of your spiritual views. Can you imagine being paralyzed by an accident in the prime of youth? Think about it. No, THINK about it. Her story absolutely breaks your heart. And yet, it instills such hope and humility and reenergizes your faith in other people and the potential in yourself. This book precipitated a defining point in my life by playing a prominant role in causing a true spiritual awakening.

The book addresses not only Joni's personal story but also deals with one of the most difficult and hindersome questions about our existence, namely, "If an all-powerful God exists and He is so good and gracious, why does such suffering and pain exist?" Ever wonder, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" Joni helps provide some answers. Joni explores God's role in and relationship and attitude toward the tremendous suffereing humanity endures; and she does so with poise, intelligence, and compassion. She has sort of earned the "right" to speak. I don't mean to diminsh others' input at all, but when a person who can't even move (i.e. seemingly has every reason to scoff at any notion of God or His compassion or caring) tells you about all the beauty and joy in life, it has a way of putting your own "problems" into perspective. The issues raised by WGW will prompt some very uncomfortable but invaluable and necessary soul-searching.

As you can tell, I have a particular affinity for this book - and with good reason: It's a wonderful story/discussion written by a wonderful person that effectively addresses extremely difficult philosophical questions in an well-reasoned and compassionate way.

This book saved my life........2006-07-19

Less than a month ago, I had a miscarriage. After the Dr's appointment when we found out the baby had died, The father drove me home, kissed me goodbye and told me he would be back after work to be with me. It is the last time I ever saw or heard from him. Within a week of that horrible day, my very best friend in the world abandoned me without explanation, ignoring my calls and emails to this day. At my very lowest, contemplating suicide, I went home to visit my parents, and picked up this book next to my mother's chair. I hate to read, but God had other plans for me that day. I could not put this book down, and thank goodness I couldn't. This book made evrything so clear to me. My whole sky opened back up. Life seemed worth living again, so that I could serve God. This book truly saved my life, and I would recommend, no, insist that anyone struggling through a hopeless situation read this. Joni is a true messenger of God and His word.

Excellent resource.......2006-06-30

When God Weeps is one of the best books I have read that addresses the meaning of suffering. Along the way, you are challenged to consider the biggest issues in life -- the sovereignty of God, God's goodness and character, why is there suffering? I have given or referred this book to several people -- those who have lost loved ones or have a terminal illness... Written by one who has truly grappled with these issues and heard God's answer, it's not pie-in-the sky theology, but truth that has been sought out and found like a precious treasure.

True Comfort for the Afflicted..........2006-05-10

'When God Weeps' mines scripture for explanations for the problem of suffering, and finds God's sovereignty (overruling control) to be the promise and the answer that makes sense of it all and provides true and lasting comfort, not wishful, pop psychology whose temporary help fades. Co-author Joni Eareckson Tada, a quadriplegic after an accident has "been there" when it comes to the seeking of healing and understanding, and writes in an empathetic, anecdotal style interspersed with scripture in a way that's natural, not pedantic. The appendices list verses that proclaim God's sovereign control over trials, and helpfully categorizes them by type of suffering. The scriptural case presented in this book is so solid, that one is left firmly convinced that there is meaning to be found in the hard times, that God is present, that good will prevail.

Average customer rating:

where is it?

scroll saw skill building

Great Beginner Book

A beginers best option.

Scroll Saw Workbook

Scroll Saw Workbook: Learn to Use Your Scroll Saw in 25 Skill-Building Chapters
John A. Nelson
Manufacturer: Fox Chapel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Projects | Woodworking | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1565232070

Book Description

This woodworking guide compares the 15 scroll saw models available in today's market and offers 25 exercises-with patterns and step-by-step cutting instructions-that will turn a novice into a pro. Beginning with the basics such as cutting straight, curved, and jagged lines, the book details progressively more advanced techniques including stack cutting; cutting metal, plastic, and paper; relief cutting; inlay; segmentation; and puzzle making. Project patterns include die-cut stationery, a fish silhouette, a butterfly with interior cuts, a hummingbird ornament, and a collapsible wooden basket. The content has been updated to include information on new scroll saw manufacturers.

Customer Reviews:

where is it?.......2007-06-09

i am still waiting for the book to arrive. where is it?

scroll saw skill building.......2007-03-26

This is a good introductory book for scroll sawing. Each chapter is a
skill building exercise.

Great Beginner Book.......2007-01-27

I really love this little book. Excellent for beginner Scroll Saw users.
Very easy to understand with lots of helpful illustrations and photographs.
I would definately recommend this book for anyone who wants to get into Scroll Saw crafts.

A beginers best option........2007-01-10

If one does not have a friend or relative who is expert at Scrollsawing then this book "Scroll saw workshop" should become that friend.
Easy to read and follow, it will guide you theough the steps needed to make you proficient at using this tool.From choosing the scrollsaw and the blades use to completing challenging projects, it is all laid out in those 25 chapters so that one can learn at their own pace. A well worth addition to any woodworkers library.

Scroll Saw Workbook.......2006-01-30

This is an EXCELLECT book!!! It tells you all different ways to use the scroll saw, like Fret Work, Intarsia, Compound, Stackables and many others. It gives step by step instructions, Very easy to follow and do. If you're not sure what kind of scroll sawing you want to do this book will help you choose that one. Or maybe you're like me and you'll end up liking them all. A definte or any one who enjoys the SCOLL SAW!!!!

Book Description

The most unassuming of garden vegetables from your garden- corn, beans, peppers, greens, and onions- are transformed into traditional and contemporary Mexican dishes and delicacies to awaken the palate and entice the eye.

Book Description

From America's #1 family magazine, a guide to your five- and six-year-old's emotional and cognitive milestones.Sending your child off to a full day of school means enormous and exciting changes for you and your kindergartner.In Your Five- and Six-Year-Old,the expert editors of Parents magazine prepare you for your child's staggering intellectual leaps and deepening social skills over these transformative years.Each chapter focuses on a unique developmental milestone-from separating from mom to learning to read and write to understanding values such as empathy and honesty. By giving you insights into what your child is going through- relating to a classroom of peers; being away from home more than ever-this book shows you the best ways to build her self-esteem without pushing too hard, to give her the space she needs without making her feel abandoned. You will also discover how to handle common misbehaviors from fibbing to fits as your child transitions to a more grownup, complex world. In addition to discovering what to expect in the kindergarten and first grade classroom, Your Five- and Six-Year-Old will help you to provide a supportive, creative, and healthy environment for your child to learn and grow in.Each chapter highlights four main areas: * Developmental Milestone (what you can expect) * Conflict (changes in behavior that result from this milestone) * You and Your Child (how this stage of development affects you as a parent) * Helping Your Child Grow (strategies, games, and activities that enhance development) Informative, recurring features include: * How It Feels to Be Me (common scenarios explained from a child's perspective) * Do Say/Don't Say (scripts of appropriate responses to various situations) * Is there a Problem? (signs of possible developmental delays)

Customer Reviews:

This book saved my sanity.......2005-03-29

I was so glad to find this book-- my daughter's new behaviors were driving me crazy, and I absolutely could not get a handle on it. This book is simple and easy to read. It gave me some insights on how all of these wonderful new skills that she has - reading, writing, empathy, to name a few - are also changing how she sees herself and our family.

Great support for parents who need it.......2003-02-26

This book is very helpful in understanding what our five year old is going through. I definitely plan to keep using this series of books as our son gets older.

Book Description

When ancient notebooks turn up in a Long Island garage, Peter Van Overloop, a Columbia graduate student, sets to translating them, and finds himself immersed in the life and times of the Dutch painter Frans Hals. for the notebooks seem to be Hal's diaries, and they contain a fascinating portrait of a man living in the age of Rembrandt and Descartes, and bursting with a lust for the world that surrounds him. Emerging as a thoroughly funny, charming man, Hals reaches out from centuries past to touch and change Peter's life forever.
A seamless merging of literary invention and historic fact, The Lost Diaries of Frans Hals is a remarkable, unforgettable novel.

Customer Reviews:

A Very Enjoyable Novel.......2007-05-24

An excellent premise for a novel. A package is found in a barn on Long Island, addressed to an Art Gallery that has been out of business for over 100 years. Inside are four notebooks, written in Dutch. The front flap attributes ownership to Franz Hals, the famous 17th Century portrait artist - considered one of The Dutch Masters. Is it real or is it a hoax? A present day Gallery is given the job of finding out. Peter Van Overloop, a grad student forever stalled on his dissertation, is given the task of translating them and asked to correlate what he finds with the known history of Holland and of Hals and to tell of anything that might prove it to be false. Everyone is so careful and reference is made to the fake Hitler diaries and how many careers that hoax ruined. No one wants to go out on a limb here. Our story wanders back and forth between Peter, his lack of acedemic interest and lack of employability, his blah relationship with his girlfriend and his tenuous living situation and Haarlem, Holland in the mid 1600s and the life of an underappreciated portrait painter. Hals' work is always in demand but he's very bad with money. Everytime you think he'd get a break, like the great ability to invest in tulips when the world is clamouring for them, just goes bad for Hals (everyone lost money in the crazy tulip speculation of the late 1630s.) The diary is extremely authentic sounding (from my diaristic perspective) and a joy to read. Hals is an engaging diarist in the spirit of Samuel Pepys (Pepys is possibly the world's most famous diarist. He wrote in the 1660s.) and the detail is enough to be interesting, but not so much as to seem contrived. There are some major issues that keep the diary's authenticity in question, and ... And that's where my review stops. I wouldn't want to spoil the plot for any future readers. This turned out to be a very enjoyable book. And I learned a lot about the real Franz Hals along the way.

YOU'LL LOVE GETTING LOST IN THESE DIARIES...........2006-05-08

I purchased this wonderful novel at a local library book sale. What a lucky day that was for me. From the first chapter, I fell under the spell of this marvelous storyteller, Michael Kernan.

He draws us into the story of an impoverished 20th century New York grad student hired to translate and document the validity of a set of diaries found in a barn that were purportedly written by Frans Hals, a contemporary of Vermeer. As he translates the documents the young student becomes captivated by the humor and insight with which Hals tells his story .... ..and honestly so did I.

Kernans writing is so alluring that upon finishing the story, I had an urge to book a flight to Amsterdam to view Hals paintings in person.

If you are an art history buff or just like a well written, engrossing tale......add this book to your list of "Books I Must Read".

This book is a black hole.......2004-12-20

I am not a huge fan of historical fiction, but this was a whole lot of fun! Frans Hals was a XVII century Dutch painter, a contemporary of Rembrandt and Vermeer. His alleged diaries are discovered buried in a farm in upstate NY. Peter, a perpetual and therefore somewhat flaky graduate student, fluent in Dutch, is hired to translate them. The book alternates from Hals' crazy life to Peter's crazy life.

I loved Hals, and throughout the book Peter falls for him too and takes a very personal and emotional interest on the authenticity of the diaries. The book can almost be categorized as a "thriller" because there is definitively a sense of mystery and urgency in it.

One thing I did not understand: whenever the focus was on Hals, the writing was superb:

* who would have thought of using the word `escutcheon' in that context?! (Read the book and you will understand!)

* Same thing for `retiring', as in `Corwin being extremely retiring and unable simply to state the problem and get an answer [...]'

* `I am not sure I can bring myself to love a God who limits our intelligence but not our stupidity'.

* `Besides, like most children, they are a hard lot when it comes to aged parents. The cruelty of good sense'.

But when Peter was on, the writing became somewhat amateurish. The language was simplistic, and there was very little depth given to certain aspects of Peter's life. For example, when he escaped to see his brother for the weekend, the entire episode is described in a mere couple of paragraphs. It felt almost like the author had used all his best juices for Hals' parts, and then for Peter's parts there was nothing left.

The ending was slightly abrupt for my taste, but all is well that ends well, so I was left a happy camper. I am very thankful for all the photos of the paintings. It really helped understand Hals.

For the record, this book was published in 1994, way before Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier. I haven't read it, but I saw the movie, and got the impression that life in Holland in the XVII century could not have been that steamy. Well, after reading The Lost Diaries of Frans Hals, I think my impression was wrong.

Completely engaging, original, pull-you-along fiction........2000-09-04

I can't believe I let this book sit in my "to be read" pile for two years. I was sucked into the story right away. I don't know anything about painting or the Dutch, but this book is fantastic! Very funny and wonderfully detailed. I am SO intrigued by the author's mixing of fact and fiction. Time to do some sleuthing of my own on the internet...

Interesting, seductive novel.......1999-08-15

This book slowly seduces you into rooting for the diaries, the writer and the translator. Are the diaries by Frans Hals or not? You want them to be...but how could they be -- there is a separation of over 300 years! The author weaves an intricate pattern of present and past lives with the characters of Hals(?) and the translator. I read this in a week and just got SUCKED in. Buy and read if you like books with inserts from the past intermingled with the present.

Average customer rating:

Frans Hals (Library of Great Painters)
H. P. Baard
Manufacturer: Harry N Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Renaissance | Schools, Periods & Styles | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Painting | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0810910551

Average customer rating:

Frans Hals

Manufacturer: Alan Wofsy Fine Arts
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Artists, A-Z | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Artists, Architects & Photographers | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1556602413

Masterpieces from the great Dutch museums: Rijksmuseum, Mauritshuis, Boymans-Van Beuningen, Frans Hals Museum

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Masterpieces from the great Dutch museums: Rijksmuseum, Mauritshuis, Boymans-Van Beuningen, Frans Hals Museum
Remmet van Luttervelt
Manufacturer: H.N. Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Painting | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007DWY04

Frans Hals Museum Haarlem (Little art book)

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Frans Hals Museum Haarlem (Little art book)
H. P Baard
Manufacturer: Knorr & Hirth
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007K428O

Calendar sheets 1985, about 50 Dutch painters

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Calendar sheets 1985, about 50 Dutch painters
Pakhoed corporation
Manufacturer: Leonart publicity BV, Holland
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000MGP0I4

Product Description

calendar, printed in Netherland, very good, 50 photos of Dutch painters

Catalogue De La Collection Goldstikker D'amsterdam Exposee Dans Les Locaux Du Schilderkundig Genootschap, Pulchri Studio - La Haye, the Netherlands - Novembre 1924 - Catalogue No. 28 ( N. Maes; Frans Hals; Rembrandt; & Others)

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Catalogue De La Collection Goldstikker D'amsterdam Exposee Dans Les Locaux Du Schilderkundig Genootschap, Pulchri Studio - La Haye, the Netherlands - Novembre 1924 - Catalogue No. 28 ( N. Maes; Frans Hals; Rembrandt; & Others)

Manufacturer: J. Goudstikker / Pulchri Studio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000E5RBZS

Product Description

-- IN STOCK AND AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY--Light discoloration to back cover; tear with loss to one tissue; else mint. Text in French. 132 works catalogued with many b/w illustrations.

Catalogue of the Pictures and Drawings in the Frans Hals Museum at Haarlem

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Catalogue of the Pictures and Drawings in the Frans Hals Museum at Haarlem
(no author)
Manufacturer: Frans Hals Museum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KY9XO0

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De Kunst Van Frans Hals
Jero De Vries
Manufacturer: H D TJEENK WILLINK & ZOON
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000TSLQUG

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De Kunst Van Frans Hals
Jero De Vries
Manufacturer: H D TJEENK WILLINK & ZOON
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Pamphlet
ASIN: B000Q5YVR2

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