Pension Policy in an Integrating Europe

Book Description

This book focuses on pension policies in Europe and interestingly includes comparisons both within the EU and between EU countries and the US. The authors show how different countries are confronted with similar problems and that comparison of national experiences may be of great help for the `open method of coordination' now adopted in the EU.

The papers deal mainly with the effects of the huge payroll tax differentials between countries on individual retirement choices and the labor market, with taxation of contributions and pensions, and with the portability of occupational pensions. The main impact on labor supply is shown to be early retirement due to actuarially unfair pension formulae. The authors also argue that the US experience shows that taxation of contributions and savings for old-age may not generate the hoped for incentive effects, while an example of inconsistent taxation of pensions is offered by Germany. Finally, it is shown that limited portability of defined benefit plans does not appear to be a strong impediment to labor mobility in Europe.

Pension Policy in an Integrating Europe will be valued by scholars of both public policy, public finance and European studies, and those practitioners and policymakers involved in insurance in the EU.

Book Description

“The Army was much embarrassed by the absence of the cavalry,” Robert E. Lee wrote of the Gettysburg campaign, stirring a controversy that has never died. Lee’s statement was an indirect indictment of General James Ewell Brown (“Jeb”) Stuart, who was the cavalry. This book reexamines the questions that have shadowed the legendary Confederate hero and offers a fresh, informed interpretation of his role at Gettysburg.

Avoiding the partisan pros and cons characterizing previous accounts, Warren C. Robinson reassesses the historical record to come to a clearer view of Stuart’s orders for the crucial battle (as well as what was expected of him), of his actual performance, and of the impact his late arrival had on the outcome of the campaign. Though Stuart may not have disobeyed Lee’s orders, Robinson argues, he did abuse the general’s discretion by raiding Washington rather than scouting for the army at Gettysburg—a move that profoundly affected the Confederate fortunes and perhaps the war itself.

Customer Reviews:

Jeb Stuart and the Confederate Defeat at Gettysburg.......2007-08-11

Professor Robinson has contributed a refreshing new look to a much confused aspect of the Battle of Gettysburg. Jeb Stuart was, and remains, a controversial figure--a love `em or hate `em sort of guy. And that's the rub. Over the past 140 years much has been written about his role in the Battle of Gettysburg, and unfortunately it has been written with an emotional pen. The facts have been buried and lost under mountains of hyperbole and replaced by contorted logic and strained reasoning.

Is Jeb Stuart to blame for the Confederate loss at Gettysburg? Did he follow Robert E. Lee's orders or was he the innocent victim of vague and flawed command direction?

Professor Robinson's book recalibrates the past through an objective analysis that's steeped in a clear and easy to follow writing style. He has meticulously combed the record, presented the unvarnished facts, and drawn the common sense conclusions that inevitably follow.

Gettysburg was a defining chapter in American history, and it continues to capture the passions of many. Serious students and casual tourists will greatly benefit from this well written book. It is more than a new look at much written cavalry subject; it is a framework to better understand this pivotal battle of the Civil War.

With Pen and Saber: The Letters and Diaries of J.E.B. Stuart's Staff Officers

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JEB through the eyes of his staff...

With Pen and Saber: The Letters and Diaries of J.E.B. Stuart's Staff Officers
Robert J. Trout
Manufacturer: Stackpole Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0811719308

Customer Reviews:

JEB through the eyes of his staff..........2002-07-09

An excellent compilation of observations of various members of James Ewell Brown's staff officers. Insights of the war and of their commander give the reader a true "you are there" approach.
Trout's framing sequences offer a nice chronology, along with many helpful maps. I read this after having first read some general biographies of Genl Stuart. Well done, indeed.

Clashes of Cavalry: The Civil War Careers of George Armstrong Custer and Jeb Stuart

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He Was One of the Greatest Americans on this Continent.
A brilliant book!
Whoa! Author is mixing apples with oranges

Clashes of Cavalry: The Civil War Careers of George Armstrong Custer and Jeb Stuart
Thom Hatch
Manufacturer: Stackpole Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Protecting the Flanks: The Battles for Brinkerhoff's Ridge and East Cavalry Field, Battle of Gettysburg, July 2-3, 1863 (Discovering Civil War America)

ASIN: 0811703568

Customer Reviews:

He Was One of the Greatest Americans on this Continent........2007-01-28

If you've seen the movies, "custer of the West" and "Custer's Last Stand," it is evident that there is no fiercer fighter than the American Indian. Jeffrey Hunter was Jesus and also Custer who was almost holy, It was George Armstrong Custer who received the white flag of truce from Robert E. Lee at Aooinattix, Virginia, after making a splash as Abraham Lincoln called him the general who goes into a charge with a "whoop and a shout." The Indians of the Great Plains showed that they could out-whoop him.

The only fault one from the South could find with him was that he was a yankee; Jeb Stuart was the opposite and my son Zach had a JEB Stuart doll to go with his G.I. Joe in his performances presented to his family. Poor soul, Custer, you'd almost feel that he got what was coming to him, and yet... George was a non-drinker of alcohol (except perhaps for one lapse at the theatre) and he'd been a good general during the Civil War, serving his country well.

Custer's primary purpose was to protect the men building the Pacific railroads as Notherners moved west. He was duped into going out West to clear those dreaded Indians out of the way, as the Indians had already killed all of the buffalo for their hides. After George Custer led the way, the population of Native Americans dwindled from seven and a half million in 1700 to 250,000 by 1900 after being pushed west onto marginal lands in the Great Plains. For half my life I've felt guilty about President Andrew Jackson's forcing the Cherokees to relocate to Oklahoma. It didn't seem fair to make them leave the Great Smoky Mountains. After all, they'd lived peaceably with the Europeans who came to North Carolina and Tennesseee, and there was not scalping as in the Northeast which was settled first in America. At least, that's what I though until Fall, 2006, when finally after waiting 35 yeasrs I was going to see 'The Trail of Tears,' a drama about their trek and the handships and deaths along the way. Newly revised, the photos of the new costumes showed their true colors, fierce, bitter, savage. The night I waited impatiently, they called off the performance. Not enough paying customers? Fear that the all-white audience might take theier threats and war dances the wrong way -- maybe one of the white faces had a gun? I call it cowardice of the worst kind. No refunds; I paid $20 for a nickel pen, and useless playbill.

At Fort Abraham Lincoln, near Bismarck, when his wife Elizabeth arrived, the band played "Home Sweet Home" and Custer's favorite song, "Garryowen." The soldiers always marched to such music. At the Theatre, Custer watch a Union music presentation ("you can't fight for Tennessee") compllete with the Union flag. On a Soundprint program (NPR) in which I relived earlier days in my hometown more than giving my opinions about John Wilkes Booth, I mentioned Custer out West. Interviewd by Eric Schaffer of Laurel Lata, Maryland, at the studio of WUOT, I sweated through a tough decision-making, on the spot account of my life and why I revered John Wilkes Book instead of a President, any president. Elizabeth, Custer's wife, channel her loss and grief after his untimely death into a writing career. In every way, he was her hero and she never questioned anything he did or the reasons for his actions. In 1885, she wrote and published her diary, "Boots and Saddles," as one woman's "recollections," just as I was led into my soul-searching as to why I think as I do.

The Black Hills were a sacred place to the Plains Indians. It was a part of the Sioux Reservation and whites were forbidden to enter the magical pine forests and mountains with waterfalls and gold in the creeks (a virtual paradise in America). In 1874, Custer, with is Seventh Calvary was in violation of the treaty of 1868 and Crazy Horse retaliated. He was taunted into making the biggest mistake of his life from which he refused to run. Like a captain of a sinking ship, he chose to go down with his crew. He gave a war whoop aand his life was taken from him in a blaze of glory. President U. S. Grant provoked the inevitable showdown. It took three or four tribes to take George Armstrong Custer down, as he showed no fear.

Invented by Morse, the first telegraph system was the first technology to use electricity for communications. How far we have come to computers, email, telephone lines for long distance conversations and business negotiations. Both of these men were heros on their separate sides. I will discuss Stuart (for which my son Geoffrey Stuart was named) at another time.

A brilliant book!.......2004-04-21

How could anyone call this book anything but brilliant? Wow! What a tremendous read! The author has masterfully intertwined the lives of these two famous cavalrymen to offer the reader a swashbuckling, breathtaking ride through the Civil War. Fascinating episodes in Custer's early career - that are not found in Gregory Urwin's book - shed new light on how he came to be a general at age 23, and the portrayal of his battles are spine-chilling reading. Stuart also enjoys the benefits of the author's in-depth research, with speculation and opinion that fill in blanks found in the unsatisfying Emory Thomas biography. The final chapter compares the two cavalrymen in a most unqiue and creative manner. Although this book is two biographies in one, anyone who wants to KNOW these two men - with myths and legends debunked - will find no better volume than this, for nothing has been left out and the only drawback is that you will want the story to continue once the author has written "The End."

Whoa! Author is mixing apples with oranges.......2004-04-15

It is strange for this book to compare the career of Jeb Stuart, Lee's chief-of-cavalry until 1864, with George Custer. Phil Sheridan was Grant's cavalry chief and Custer's commander. Therefore, comparing Stuart to Sheridan is more correct. It then follows that, although Sheridan did favor Custer among his lieutenants, it is monstrously wrong to state 1 man (Custer), and not his commander (Sheridan), drove the Confederates out of the Shenandoah Valley and stopped Lee at Appommatox. (In fact, it is almost legend how Sheridan, by personally leading a counter-charge at the last Valley battle at Cedar Creek, was himself most responsible for ending the Valley campaign.) It is incredible that the book reviews above repeat such inaccuracies. There are much better books of both generals.

They Followed the Plume: The Story of J.E.B. Stuart and His Staff

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They Followed the Plume

They Followed the Plume: The Story of J.E.B. Stuart and His Staff
Robert J. Trout
Manufacturer: Stackpole Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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With Pen and Saber: The Letters and Diaries of J.E.B. Stuart's Staff Officers

ASIN: 0811717607

Customer Reviews:

They Followed the Plume.......2002-08-19

This is a very useful book for those who need this book, which isn't going to be a majority of people. I found it quite helpful.

They Followed the Plume is primarily composed of a series of brief biographies of Stuart's aides, adjutants, scouts and other staff members, including famous individuals such as Farley the Scout, Esten Cooke, McClellan, and Pelham (who wasn't staff, but is included). Also included is information on what exact tasks these men performed, which I haven't found elsewhere and which was useful.

Little overall synthesis, and only limited discussion of Stuart himself, is included. I did find it fascinating to see how Stuart cared for the careers of his staffers, who in most cases clearly were also friends. Many of the biographies quote letters of recommendation and show the general's efforts to help his staff, even when that meant helping them to promotion away from their duties with him.

Customer Reviews:

enjoyable book for any age.......2001-06-29

Even though this book is geared towards the younger reader I think any reader would enjoy it. It gives a full account of Staurt's life and career in the confederate army but doesn't bore the younger reader with too many details regarding battles, names, events, but tells the story of Stuart's moments, thoughts and belief that the confederacy was right without being pro-confederate.Nice black and white photo's but none of Staurt's wife and children.

James Ewell Brown Stuart: Confederate General (Famous Figures of the Civil War Era)

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James Ewell Brown Stuart: Confederate General (Famous Figures of the Civil War Era)
Meg Greene
Manufacturer: Chelsea House Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The life and campaigns of Major-General J.E.B. Stuart, commander of the cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia

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The life and campaigns of Major-General J.E.B. Stuart, commander of the cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia
H. B McClellan
Manufacturer: Eagle Press of Little Rock
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Book Description

Although his presidency lasted only 200 days, Garfield's full public life intersected much of American history--from the Ohio state legislature, to Civil War battlefields, to the halls of Congress, to the White House. In recent years, as historians have come to place greater importance on the Gilded Age, acknowledging that this age of transformation was more complex, diverse, and significant than previous stereotypes allowed, Garfield has also increased in importance. Although he was shot 120 days after his inauguration, Garfield was one of the most politically experienced presidents in decades, and his life provides a valuable perspective on a pivotal time of transition. This bibliography provides a useful guide to the Garfield literature. Arranged chronologically, the book contains sections on Garfield's childhood and education, his military career, including the Civil War battles of Sandy Creek and Chickamauga, and his political career. Special sections are devoted to the dramatic 1880 Republican convention and the close presidential election that followed. The volume also covers sources on his short administration and the outpouring of grief upon his death.

The Civil War and Reconstruction - Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged Bibliography

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The Civil War and Reconstruction - Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged Bibliography
James Garfield & David Herbert Donald Randall
Manufacturer: D C Heath & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000UTYM8C

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James A Garfield: A Bibliography
Robert O. Rupp
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTNVIU

James A. Garfield (Meckler Publishing's Bibliographies of the Presidents of the United States, 1789-1989, No 20)

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James A. Garfield (Meckler Publishing's Bibliographies of the Presidents of the United States, 1789-1989, No 20)
Eric John Cardinal
Manufacturer: Mecklermedia
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

James Garfield Randall,: 1881-1953. Bibliography

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James Garfield Randall,: 1881-1953. Bibliography
Harry E Pratt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards Revised Edition (Book One of the BoardSource Governance Series)
Richard T. Ingram
Manufacturer: BoardSource
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Leadership | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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Nonprofit Boards: Roles, Responsibilities, and Performance (Nonprofit Law, Finance, and Management Series)

Boards That Make a Difference: A New Design for Leadership in Nonprofit and Public Organizations (J-B Carver Board Governance Series)

Good to Great and the Social Sectors: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great

ASIN: 1586860542

Book Description

Such blatant honesty here. This open diary of events into the purchase of a house, and great endeavours to make it into a home, leaves us breathless. Yet it shouldn't, as we have all been there sometime in our lives. We have suffered the disasters, disappointments and sheer helplessness, but Alan Neale seems to have excelled in his quest to allow us into his own private misery. Told with extremely hilarious off-side comments, he is an obvious master of wit and deep scepticism. This brilliant diary allows us into his personal life - his love of family life is so simplistic as is his endeavour to provide a dream home, but disasters plague him and he shares them with excellent frankness. One moment he has us laughing hysterically at some of the almost unbelievable faux pas and then brings tears to our eyes, as we witness the deep and obvious love of the family to whom he is trying so desperately to give his all. This author obviously doesn't suffer fools gladly; anyone buying a house could learn a lot from this book, especially what NOT to do.

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Customer Reviews:

A UNIQUE SENSE OF HUMOR . . . TO BE SURE!.......2006-04-01

Bricks & Torture
Alan Neale
Authors Online Ltd
40 Castle Street, Hertford SG14 1HR, England
www.authorsonline.co.uk
Genre: Autobiographical/Humor
ISBN: 0755201205, $16.50, 232 pp, 2004

To start, I just love the cover design by Sandra Davis and the expression on the father's face. The art work is cartoonish and captures the essence of this journal-like account of Alan and his family's day-to-day living in a house which was being remodelled around them. It was a six-month project begun at the onset of winter in October, continued through the coldest and wettest months, and finished in the spring.

I can empathize with Alan, maybe more so than others, because I have personally built a house with a partner--doing all the work ourselves--which took us eight years to complete, two of which were drywalling--talk about mess.

It's sort of an unusual subject to write a book about, and I don't really know what the market is for such a book. Possibly the author just used this journal-like technique and particular situation in time to tickle us with his wit and sarcastic humor. He asks if you've ever had one of those Wiley Coyote moments? His life during this six-month period was one, very large, long Wiley Coyote moment.

But, allow me to quote from page 130 . . . a key to Alan's sanity.

All in all, this was not a pleasant day and once again tempers frayed rather badly, always signified by shouting at the children for the smallest of indiscretions, all punctuatedby long, tense periods of total silence between all. By the end of the day, virtually no-one is speaking to anyone else, save Cara, who has not yet developed the prejudice, resentment and all round antipathy of adults, and in these circumstances rather perversely acts more like an adult than the adults, who are being far too childish to notice. Just before bed, she sends me back into the land of the living, and makes me feel desperatley ashamed, by giving me a big, warm soft hug, the type that only your children can give you, and generally only up until the age of about ten.

"You're the best daddy that anyone could ever have!" she says with genuine feeling.

I am unable to say anything, but hug her back, gently stroke her hair, kiss her on the forehead, and bid her good night.

There is a reason to live after all.

This excerpt, from page 109, gave some local insight, at least from Alan's perspective, into Christmas in England. And I thought we Americans had the corner on avaricious consumerism.

It is difficult not to reach the conclusion that Christmas is the most enormous monument to avaricious consumerism. This is not the scene portrayed by so many films, TV dramas and sitcoms, of people pleasantly ambling around from shop to shop, all jolly and smiling, brass bands playing to an attentive gathering, snow falling gently, general joy and wellbeing gushing forth from the screen. The reality is, there is nothing joyous about this at all, there is not the merest shred of joy and contentment on people's faces, no feeling of happiness and ambience, and bugger all goodwill-to-all-men, women, children and dogs. There is not a smile on a single face, no social interaction, no acknowledgement and no manners. While shopping is never necessarily the most warming experience, I can't help feeling that the level of selfish, single-minded pursuit of something is perversely increased at the time of year when it is meant to be eased. It is actually pretty depressing to see people in a severe state of angst, rushing around with ever increasing burdens of shopping, hell bent in purchasing, rather than thinking and giving.

Alan Neale does not give us much information about his background or occupation; however, it is very clear by the quality and complexity of his writing, that he is a well-informed man and an accomplished writer. He definitely has a strong foundation in the English language and an interesting, colorful vocabulary. Of course, the heart of the book is Alan's sharp wit and sarcastic humor.

In closing he asks . . . "would I do it all again?" To which he answers, "Not on your life!" And I say, ditto! Glad you made it through and stilll have your marriage and family.

Reviewed by Kaye Trout - March 30, 2006 - Copyright

Chinese water torture: Subversion through development (The Heritage lectures)

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Chinese water torture: Subversion through development (The Heritage lectures)
Andrew B Brick
Manufacturer: Heritage Foundation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B0006EZWO4

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walinja

autobiography

The Best Errol Flynn life story

What a life!

A Star, A Legend, A Man

My Wicked Wicked Ways: The Autobiography of Errol Flynn
Errol Flynn
Manufacturer: Cooper Square Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Errol Flynn - Portrait of a Swashbuckler

Beam Ends

The Errol Flynn Signature Collection, Vol. 1 (Captain Blood / The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex / The Sea Hawk / They Died with Their Boots On / Dodge City / The Adventures of Errol Flynn)

Errol Flynn: The Life and Career

Errol Flynn: Satan's Angel

ASIN: 0815412509

Book Description

Scandalous film star Errol Flynn tells all in this autobiography, detailing his pre-Hollywood career as a mercenary, and his trial for rape in 1943.

Customer Reviews:

walinja.......2007-05-15

Great book! Didn't realize the remarkable lifestyle he lead before his acting career. It's a book where you take your time to read. WJR

autobiography.......2007-03-09

Most of this book is accurate, but some of it still leaves you wondering how much was fabricated to enhance the stars notoriety. Errol Flynn's private life was as glamorized as on the screen. What he lived didn't need to be embellished because the whole world followed his escapades almost daily in the newspapers and trade sheets. This is a fun read, full of humor and a look at the world before progress stepped in.

The Best Errol Flynn life story.......2007-03-06

This autobiography is a real page turner. I really didn't realize Errol's life was so diverse.
I happen to be watching the TCM channel during Errol Flynn month.
I didn't know he made so many films (wearing pants, I'd only seen him in tights).

I became more interested when I heard this beautiful man (I assumed Errol had been a privileged Hollywood brat) lived in New Guinea for years before he made it in Hollywood.
I couldn't believe it.

I worked in Port Moresby (the capital of New Guinea) for about a month in 1999. I'd worked at many regions overseas; this was the worst hands down. On my first day our host explained the locals may be the ugliest people you've ever seen but they are the sweetest. I was offended by the comment until I got to the hotel (the only hotel in Port Moresby at the time). Wow, all I can say is the biggest feature on many of the locals was there heads.

By the end of the week our host mentioned there was a sort of club during the weekend. My colleagues asked if the locals were wearing shoes. I had different plans, like putting a chair up against my hotel room door. I watched the only two channels on TV. One channel displayed mostly Australians selling livestock the other was a kind of local channel showing severe rain storms destroying huts throughout New Guinea.

I'd ordered pancakes at the hotel once. They were served with the syrup poured on already. I don't expect the locals to know about IHOP but there were large bugs swimming around on the plate too.

Another time I ordered a pot of tea with lemon.
The sliced fruit appeared to have been sucked on prior to being delivered. For the remainder of the trip I ate nothing but Australian mini-bar food which consisted of chips and chocolate.

When we left work in the evening we regularly observed the locals lighting fires in the middle of the road. At the end of our visit one colleague had severe bed bug bites all over his legs and another had a nasty cough.

In addition to the thick green algae in the pool, having to skip over backed up sewer run off in front of the hotel, the strong urine odor in the business center and our hotel room showers and our missing clothing. I was trying my best to get out of there without contracting malaria.

So I definitely had to find out more about this excellent actor. This book is great. I read it twice. Errol describes New Guinea almost the same as it is today. New Guinea still has 100 or more different dialects and languages and most locals are culturally still light years away from the 20th century.

I definitely believe instead of contracting malaria in New Guinea Errol may have died there.
For Wicked Wicked Ways, Mr. Flynn actually dictated his life story to a ghost writer and approved its final manuscript. Unfortunately he died before its release. It was a number one best seller then and it holds up well today. Errol's life story goes from his birth to the end of his Warner Brothers career, to his life in Jamaica.

It's also one of the better novels about Mr. Flynn. Believe it or not there are many novels about him that are poorly written with nonfactual, improbable information.
Everyone wants to make a buck.

What a life!.......2007-02-28

It's too bad they didn't allow Errol Flynn to entitle his autobiography, "In Like Me", as he reportedly intended. That would have perfectly captured the wit, humor and unapologetic joie de vivre of this book and of the man himself.

This is an engrossing and very funny book, about a man who drank life to the lees and had a heck of a great time doing so. Although his Hollywood experiences are fascinating, they almost pale next to the other chapters of his life, from being a colonial nabob in New Guinea, to bumming and conning his way acrosss Asia and the South Seas, to the Spanish Civil War, his battles with his parents and ex-wives, his sailing, deep-sea diving, flying and his myriad amorous pursuits. The man was a true adventurer, in the pattern of some of his most famous swashbuckling roles, which is perhaps what made him such a great fit for those parts. However, several notes of bitterness run through his narrative. Flynn considered himself typecast in unchallenging action-movie roles, while he really wanted parts in which he could exhibit his acting skills. He was also resentful about the fact that his inveterate womanizing had rendered him a phallic symbol in the eyes of the public, when he was actually a well-read man with intellectual interests and literary ambitions. His regrets are understandable, although self-inflicted, but in the final tally life was very good to him.

On a side note, as a fan of the Flashman series of historical novels, it was interesting to me how their author- George MacDonald Fraser- has said that Errol Flynn would have made the perfect big screen Flashman. He said that Flynn fit the part like a glove, from the looks and style to the "shifty quality". In reading this autobiography, I was struck by the uncanny resemblance; in very many ways, Errol Flynn_was_Harry Flashman- in his charm and personality, from the exotic adventures to the hijinks and skirt-chasing. The man bought and sold slaves in New Guinea for crying out loud- how much more Flashie can one get? It made me wonder how much influence this book had on the later series of novels, because even in the literary voice of the books, Flashman seems to be an avatar of Flynn, from the saucy turn of phrase to the devious little asides giving advice to "young fellows" about women and BS-ing one's way through the world. Just an observation.

Flynn was a complex man, to be sure. His father was a world-renowned scientist, his mother a descendant of a Bounty mutineer. It somewhat seemed as if those two impulses were at the basis of a lifelong inner conflict. There was a contemplative, intellectual side of him that was at war with the call of the blood to seek out frontiers and cross them, to discover new experiences and embrace them. The man of adventure came out on top at an early age, but the other side of him never died. This is a first rate, extremely entertaining autobiography, which I highly recommend.

A Star, A Legend, A Man.......2006-03-17

Here in the Rocky Mountain region, we used to call them "rounders" which meant men who were a little wild on the inside. Flynn was a rounder. No, I didn't care if the book was entirely, 100% true. Yes, I think 90% of what he said was true, and the embellishments are easily forgiven.

Flynn was the real deal, regardless of what anyone says.

People who criticize him for recounting his exploits overseas say less about Flynn and say more about their own, sheltered, inexperience of the real world.

If I had to make a judgment call, I would say that this is a book for men. If you are a young man in your 20's or 30's, still lusting for adventure on the inside, but forced to conform to the corporate world on the outside, you will discover a kindred spirit in dear Brother Errol.

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Still my favorite
Song Sung Blue
It doesn't get any better than this!
Wonderful read.
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!!!

My Wicked Wicked Ways
Sandra Cisneros
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0679418210
Release Date: 1992-11-17

Book Description

Hailed as "not only a gifted writer, but an absolutely essential one" (The New York Times Book Review), Sandra Cisneros has firmly established herself as an author of electrifying talent. Here are verses, comic and sad, radiantly pure and plainspoken, that reveal why her stories have been praised for their precision and musicality of language.

Customer Reviews:

Still my favorite.......2005-09-10

Out of all the books that Sandra Cisneros has written, this one has effected me the most and is my favorite. Her poems strike you deep in the heart, and there is still a veil of humor to each one. Inspiring, bold, and beautiful, I recommend this collection to any lover of poetry.

Song Sung Blue.......2002-09-29

The tragic are those figures who face devestation with a certain unblinking acceptance- not stoicism, not heroism- but the ability to look at themselves clearly.

Sandra Cisneros, in her first collection of poems "My Wicked Wicked Ways" was able to evoke this sense of drama repeatedly in her monologues of fictional characters and in songs which seemed to be sung by the poet herself about her life. My personal favourite "Something Crazy" illustrates the necessary conditions of the form:

The man with the blue hat
doesn't come back anymore.
He stopped a long time ago.

Before I got married. Before the kids came.
Nobody looks at me like that anymore.
...
I was young then, understand?
Nobody ever looked at me before.
I even dreamed that he might take me
to my highschool dance, imagine.
Waitresses have come and gone,
I've stayed on.

The speaker is stationary, in the restaurant where she works- the man in the blue hat is already a thing of the past when the poem opens. She loves him because he is the ONLY thing that ever came along that loved her or that she could love. In its tone and perfection this poem reminds one of the torch-song as perfected by Billy Holiday. As in that genre the speaker stands alone and sings of a love, an overwhelming passion, almost always in the past. What is present is the pain- and the understatement of the pain and the ability through an embrace of the nostalgia of love to transcend it for a moment in a reach for remembered happiness, and recalled warmth despite the present cold. This is the tension of the genre. The speaker is pinned, unable to leave their grief, but attempts to transcend it in a song.

It is the formula, arguably, of any powerful dramatic song or poem- the speaker in pain. But the formula always depends upon the absence of a choice- these people are dramatic because fate has placed them where they are and they could not, whether they wish to or not, be anywhere else.

The title poem of "My Wicked Wicked Ways" picks up on the author's Don Juan Dad, tags him with the mixed mockery (not least self-mockery) and affection of Errol Flynn's autobiography title- and makes the best of a painful reality by recycling this family condition- as best she can- into her own bravura stance. In the poem's photo of a young married couple the father's coming affairs are not yet seen, and neither is the nature of the baby in her mother's arms:

She does not know yet
I will turn out bad.

The stance which will emerge is that of the "bad" girl, the "Loose Woman", the one who loves 'em and leaves 'em when fate or, crucially, a pose of independence, requires. I say that this stance is a pose or theatrical attitude because I find the poems of heartache and loneliness much more convincing.

In "Loose Woman", the follow up collection, the stance overwhelms the tragedy, in this book the song is sung blue and pure. Very few weak poems here. A selection that stings your throat like a shot of tequila. An album you'll put on your turn table again and again.

It doesn't get any better than this!.......2000-04-25

Sandra Cisneros is undoubtedly my favorite poet of all time. Her writing is honest, beautiful, simple, humorous, poignant and sad, all at the same time. "My Wicked Wicked Ways" is Cisneros at her best - fresh and sassy, biting and funny, thoughtful and independent. I sooooo highly recommend this book to all - whether you are an avid poetry-enthusiast or are just starting to have interest in the subject. She's wonderful!

Wonderful read........1999-04-30

Sandra Cisneros is one of my favorite female authors. I was first introduced to her work in a women's studies class. We read "Women Hollering Creek" and after that I read all of her other stuff. This paricular collection of poems is fantastic. My favorite is One Last Poem For Richard.

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!!!.......1999-02-20

These are poems that will make you smile, cry, and take your breath away. A good friend reccomended Sandra Cisneros to me several years ago, and I am so thankful. I have read much of her work, and have never been disappointed. This volume of poetry is one of my favorites.

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My Wicked, Wicked Ways
Errol Flynn
Manufacturer: Putnam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: B000H0Q3EA

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MY WICKED, WICKED WAYS

Manufacturer: Berkley Publishing Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GRAL2O

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My Wicked, Wicked Ways
Errol Flynn
Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B0000CL3DQ

Product Description

Here, in his own words, Flynn reveals his incredible romp through fifty fantastic years, in which he brashly traded in slaves, stood trial for rape and murder, tricked South Seas natives and loved their women... clawed, brawled and strutted his way from Down Under to the top of Hollywood and London stardom

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My Wicked Ways
Unknown
Manufacturer: Visualbooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UEKI8K

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My Wicked Wicked Ways
Errol Flynn
Manufacturer: DELL PUBL CO
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WTMOLC

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My Wicked Wicked Ways
Sandra Cisneros
Manufacturer: Turtle Bay Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OP73XI

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My Wicked, Wicked Ways

Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GZAMZC

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My Wicked, Wicked Ways
Errol Flynn
Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000L2DYGO

Book Description

Warriors, statesmen, prophets and scholars,--the firmest of friends and most formidable of foes--there are heroes and heroines of many kinds in the often tragic yet inspiring saga of North American Indians. Many of the Indian personalities whose lives are briefly described here were Chiefs--some of them have become famous around the world. All were leaders in a great struggle to preserve treasured lands and lifeways. With their tribesmen, they are inseparably linked to our country's history from its earliest beginnings through generations of growth. Biographies (most including portraits or photographs) include Powhatan, Pocohantas, Massasoit, King Philip, Pope, Joseph Brant, Pontiac, Sacajawea, Tecumseh, Sequoyah, John Ross, Black Hawk, Osceola, Cochise, Seattle, Red Cloud, Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, Wovoka, Joseph, Quanah Parker, and Geronimo.

FAMOUS INDIANS A Collection of Short Biographies

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FAMOUS INDIANS A Collection of Short Biographies
Various
Manufacturer: BiA, Dept. Of the Interior
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000VCS5YU

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