Pirateology: The Pirate Hunter's Companion (Ologies)

Book Description

Aar! Hoist the sails for a lavish new discovery filled with treasures — a magnificent resource for pirate lovers everywhere. The eagerly awaited new title in the best-selling ’Ology series — more than 5 million sold worldwide!

Step lively, pirate foes and fanciers! Mysterious booty found inside a long-lost sea chest, hidden for hundreds of years off the coast of Newfoundland, has just been uncovered for your enjoyment. Within these covers is the fascinating eighteenth-century journal of Captain William Lubber, an earnest soul who sailed the seas in search of the vicious female pirate Arabella Drummond. Prepare for a mesmerizing tale of the golden age of piracy — from storm-tossed sailing ships to tantalizing treasure islands, from pirates’ flags and fashions to their wily weapons and wicked ways. An extraordinary find for pirateologists, here is a true and complete companion for the dedicated pirate hunter.

Pirateology’s special treasures include:
— a stunning cover bearing a working compass and glittering gems—treasure map with a missing piece — for the canny reader to find
— multiple flaps, maps, charts, and booklets harboring codes and clues
— intricate drawings of ships’ interiors
— a packet of gold dust — a pocket sundial
— a cache of pirate letters, pieces of eight— and a jewel as a final reward

Customer Reviews:

Great Gift Idea.......2007-07-18

I bought this as a birthday gift for my six year old son. He couldn't have been happier. Just to show you how interesting it is, I kept it in my office at work so he wouldn't find it before his birthday. I can't tell you the number of people who stopped to read the book and told me how interesting it was. I even had people who asked me for ordering information on the book so they could get it for their children. This book is inexpensive and a great read for all ages. All the little pockets, fold outs, letters and maps are a great touch. The compass on the front is a great eye catcher.

Trim the Sails and Engage Imagination Drive.......2007-06-25

Technically, this is a fictional work; however, I feel more comfortable lumping it in with the family of pre-teen picture books that cover the history of pirates during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, a period more commonly referred to as the Golden Age of Piracy. The author uses the story of a fictional pirate hunter chasing an equally fictional female pirate to provide a framework on which to hang tidbits of pirate history.

Like the Eyewitness, Discovery and Kingfisher family of youth picture books, this one is crowded with illustrations and brief passages of historical prose that provide a basic background on piracy suitable for children and those with limited attention spans. There the comparison stops, Pirateology goes well beyond by providing an interactive element with the numerous foldouts, mock notebooks, sealed envelopes with inserted maps and notes, and variety of other interactive items sure to keep the reader engaged.

The prose is not difficult, but does include enough vocabulary to stretch young minds. The artwork varies from a vintage sepia look to colorful original artwork. The overall presentation is excellent and looks reasonably durable. I would recommend that use of the book by those under 9 years of age be supervised to preserve the various ties and foldouts as well as to prevent misplacing the inserts and notes. Bottom line is that this is a fun introduction to the history of piracy during the Golden Age. For those beyond the level of such a children's book I might suggest the various Osprey books on buccaneers and pirates by Angus Konstam.
P-)

VERY GOOD BOOK FOR YOUNG TEENS.......2007-06-13

Bought it for my 12yr old son and he loved it.He also has the Dragonology, the Egyptianology and Wizardology.He cant wait to get them as soon as they come out.

BEAUTIFUL.......2007-06-08

This book is WONDERFUL. Im collecting the rest of the ologies series. I love the little additions that it has to the book- maps, envelopes with goodies, etc.

The coolest book ever for kids.......2007-05-09

I got this for my 7 year old nephew for Christmas last year...and it was really hard for me to wrap it and not open it to play with all of the neat things on each page. There are pirate maps, gold, "old letters" to untie and unravel. What fun for a pirate loving child!!! (or grown up for that matter). by the way...he loved it :)

Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down: Three Tales of Erotic Romance: Captivated by You / Promise Me Forever / Hunter's Right

Average customer rating:

Jaid Black's contribution is the best, but the others are worth a read
4 Stars for Jaid and Jaid Alone
Almost a Loser, Saved by Jaid Black
Don't Bother
Couldn't put it down...

Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down: Three Tales of Erotic Romance: Captivated by You / Promise Me Forever / Hunter's Right
Sherrilyn Kenyon , Melanie George , and Jaid Black
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Erotica | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Erotica | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Romance | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1416501592

Book Description

In this sexy erotica anthology, three hot authors reel you in with sizzling novellas about alpha heroes who will do anything to get the women they want -- even kidnap them!

Bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon presents "'Captivated' by You," the second sexy story in her series featuring the Bureau of American Defense. Rhea Stevenson is a "BAD" agent who has just been handed her most challenging assignment. She must go undercover as a dominatrix to bring in a deadly terrorist. The only upside is that her fellow agent, "Ace" Krux, whom she has long desired, is her training partner. Almost immediately the roles of master and slave are wonderfully blurred and Rhea and Ace unleash a wealth of hidden desire.

From bestselling romance author Melanie George comes "Promise Me Forever," the story of Savannah Harper, who has finally put her breakup with pro-football player Donovan Jerricho behind her. But when Tristan comes home to Mississippi on the eve of Savannah's wedding, he still wants her. And when he carries her off and holds her hostage, Savannah's surprised to find that the desire's deliciously mutual....

From Jaid Black comes "Hunter's Right," the fantastical story of Corporal Ronda Tipton of the U.S. Army, whose chopper goes down in the Arctic Circle. The only survivor of the crash, Ronda happens upon a hidden civilization of Vikings -- where she must face the bridal auction block. Only Nikolas Ericsson, the man who found Ronda, can save her by claiming her as his own according to sacred rights. But will she and this primitive brute give in to the sparks made when their worlds collide?

Sensual and playful, these three novellas will carry you away!

Download Description

"In this sexy erotica anthology, three hot authors reel you in with sizzling novellas about alpha heroes who will do anything to get the women they want -- even kidnap them! Bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon presents ""'Captivated' by You,"" the second sexy story in her series featuring the Bureau of American Defense. Rhea Stevenson is a ""BAD"" agent who has just been handed her most challenging assignment. She must go undercover as a dominatrix to bring in a deadly terrorist. The only upside is that her fellow agent, ""Ace"" Krux, whom she has long desired, is her training partner. Almost immediately the roles of master and slave are wonderfully blurred and Rhea and Ace unleash a wealth of hidden desire. From bestselling romance author Melanie George comes ""Promise Me Forever,"" the story of Savannah Harper, who has finally put her breakup with pro-football player Donovan Jerricho behind her. But when Tristan comes home to Mississippi on the eve of Savannah's wedding, he still wants her. And when he carries her off and holds her hostage, Savannah's surprised to find that the desire's deliciously mutual.... From Jaid Black comes ""Hunter's Right,"" the fantastical story of Corporal Ronda Tipton of the U.S. Army, whose chopper goes down in the Arctic Circle. The only survivor of the crash, Ronda happens upon a hidden civilization of Vikings -- where she must face the bridal auction block. Only Nikolas Ericsson, the man who found Ronda, can save her by claiming her as his own according to sacred rights. But will she and this primitive brute give in to the sparks made when their worlds collide? Sensual and playful, these three novellas will carry you away!"

Customer Reviews:

Jaid Black's contribution is the best, but the others are worth a read .......2007-08-13

Captivated By You - Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon

Rhea Stevenson is pretty hot, but she's also a by the book girl, and a little uptight. She's secretly crazy about Ace, one of her fellow Bureau of American Defense (B.A.D.) agents. Since he's a womanizer and she's set on following the "no office romance" rule, she acts as if she hates him and gives him the cold shoulder/evil eye every chance she gets. Unfortunately she's been assigned to work a case with him that has her posing as a dominatrix at an exclusive club to catch a terrorist.

Ace Krux has got it bad for Rhea, but she hates him and he doesn't know why. Fortunately he's maneuvered her into working a case with him that will involve her in skimpy outfits practicing her dominatrix skills on him. He's hoping that his charm and their near nudity will result in a little action. His prayers are answered and things heat up pretty quickly between them after she ties him down. Only now Ace isn't so sure he likes the idea of sending her into a room alone with a terrorist.

The characters weren't terribly well developed, but we did catch small glimpses into what made them who they are, and that made the romance more believable. I like the lengths that Ace was willing to go to in order to keep Rhea safe.

Promise Me Forever - Author: Melanie George

Ten years ago Savannah Harper and Donovan Jerricho were crazy in love, but with his pro-football career taking off there was a lot of strain on their relationship and when a misunderstanding causes Donovan to believe that Savannah has slept with one of his friend, they break up and Donovan leaves town without looking back. Savannah is pregnant, a fact that Donovan knows nothing about, and never will if she has anything to say about it. Now Savannah, a single mom to a precocious little girl, has finally agreed to marry Jake, her boyfriend of two years. Only, a few days before her wedding, Donovan Jerricho blows back into town stirring up feelings she thought were dead. They are both angry and bitter about the past, but can't help feeling that pull towards each other. Donovan learns the truth about that old misunderstanding and realizes that he made a big mistake and threw away the only woman he ever loved, but can he convince her of that before she ties the knot? He just might if she gave him half a chance, but since she won't he resorts to drastic measures and kidnaps her and plans to hold her hostage in their old love nest until she hears him out. And when will she tell him that Reese is his daughter?

I'm not sure how I felt about this story. He resorted to kidnapping, which was kind of creepy, but he couldn't find it in him to hold her. It bothered me that Savannah was willing to marry Jake after she realized that she still loved Donovan and that she loved him more than Jake. It bothers me that such a sweet stand up sort of guy would marry someone who didn't love him wholeheartedly and slept with her ex shortly before the wedding. Seriously, doc, have a little self-respect! Nice is one thing, doormat is something else all together! I hated that Savannah didn't have the guts to let Donovan know that he had a child and that she didn't tell her kid who her father was.

Hunter's Right - Author: Jaid Black

Corporal Ronda Tipton, U.S Army, is excited about her new assignment. She's going to be stationed at a research base in the Arctic. Unfortunately, her helicopter crashes somewhere in the Arctic Circle and she is the only survivor. Hoping that she was somewhere near the base when the chopper crashed, she heads out on foot. When she finds what appears to be a door in the side of a mountain, she thinks her prayers have been answered. She soon finds that she was mistaken as she stumbles upon the hidden Viking civilization of New Sweden that has thrived underground for hundreds of years. She is discovered and chased by giant Viking men. She nearly escapes, but is caught by Lord Nikolas Ericsson, a cousin to the King and a revolutionary. He believes she is a military spy and questions her about how she came to New Sweden. When he learns she is telling the truth about the accident, she is sent off the bride auctions. The auctions were once a respected tradition, but the Kings corruption has turned it into something of a sex slave auction where the men fondle the women who are brought before them naked and shackled. When it's Ronda's turn up on the block she takes serious offense to being manhandled and uses her martial skills to smack down the offenders and get free. Just as all hell is breaking loose Nikolas claims Hunter's Right, the law that says a man may keep a woman he has captured. Nikolas did not intend to marry until after the revolution, but not only did Ronda make him hot, she was a fighter and he hated to see her punished or handed over to one of the Kings vile friends. Ronda believes she must escape and find the base so that she can inform the military of what is going in this secret world, but she soon finds herself drawn to Nikolas. Will she choose freedom or love?

The sexual stuff is hot ... really hot, though this whole chains and aphrodisiacs stuff kind of squicks me. I really enjoyed the characters and though the whole women as property thing doesn't appeal to me overly much, I found myself very intrigues by their world and most especially that prophecy of theirs. I've read one other novella and Deep, Dark & Dangerous which were both set in New Sweden and I have to say, I'm looking forward to more.

4 Stars for Jaid and Jaid Alone.......2007-04-14

First of all, I've never been a big fan of Sherrilyn Kenyon's BAD series. I think the stories are unrealistic, the heroes are arrogant alpha males with no redeeming qualities, and the women are too fast-mouthed and sassy for my tastes. Also, I'd already read the collection Born to Be BAD and had read the short story in this collection. I wasn't impressed the first time, and I was equally underwhelmed this time.

As for the Melanie George story, it was such a snooze, I skipped to the next story after reading the first 5 pages. Boring!

Thank God for Jaid Black, who might be the only reason this collection even sold. Hunter's Right is erotic, passionate, and entertaining--almost enough to make up for the clear misses by Kenyon and George. I read another story about Black's underground Vikings in the novella collection Playing Easy to Get, so if you liked Hunter's Right, I'd suggest you check that one out. It has another equally bad BAD story by Sherrilyn Kenyon, but also includes the first story in Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series, which is a real treat if you like paranormal romance. I have that collection to thank for leading me to Jaid Black, and while Hunter's Right was great, it's not enough to make Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down worth purchasing. I'd buy it used or check it out from the library instead.

Almost a Loser, Saved by Jaid Black.......2007-02-13

Anthologies either tend to be really good or really bad. With authors Sherrilyn Kenyon, Melanie George and Jaid Black, I was expecting great stories and only Jaid Black delivered. If not for her story Hunter's Right, this book would have rated a quick trip to the garbage can.

The first story in the series is Sherrilyn Kenyon's Captivated by You. Secret Agents Rhea and Ace are assigned to a terrorist case whose leader prefers S&M. Rhea and Ace must learn the ins and outs (no pun intended)to successfully convince their quarry that they are legitimate S&M artists so they can gain his confidence and get the information to crack the case. The problem with this story is all the cheesy one liners and predictable interlog and jokes. It was actually rather boring.

The second story "Promise me Forever" by Melanie George was the worst of the three. I only thought the first one was boring until I read this story. If you want to be dumped by your longtime boyfriend after he becomes a famous football player only to take him back after he is down and out (and by the way dump your good as gold fiance for him) go ahead, but don't expect readers to buy it. There was no passion and no warm fuzzies with this story.

The last story by Jaid Black "Hunter's Right" was by far the best of the three stories. Ronda is a military official on a secret mission in the Artic Circle. When the helicopter she is on crashes, Ronda is the only survivor. Knowing there is a secret military headquarters nearby, Ronda goes searching for help only to stumble across a hidden underground civilization of an ancient race of Vikings. Believing the prophecy that their forefathers warned of where women would become near extinct because of genetic tampering with births, these Vikings venture above ground from time to time and steal unattached females to put on the "Bridal Auction Block". An injured Ronda stumbles onto an auction in progress and is horrified to see these women striped naked and inspected like livestock by men looking for wives. She attempts to flee, but is captured by gorgeous Nikolas Ericsson. Nikolas covets Ronda but believes she wouldn't want him, however when he sees her taken away in chains after beating [...] out of the auctioneers, he claims hunters rights to keep her safe. Nikolas is building his weapons supply and army to overthrow the current leader of the underground nation. He wants to restore more dignity to the bridal auction and make civilization better for all the citizens. When Ronda realizes she can never return to her old life, she decides to make the best of her marriage. Ronda and Nikolas end up falling in love. The sexual scenes definitely are not boring, however some people may be turned off by the crude language and descriptions both Ronda and Nikolas use. However, I think this story saved the series. I kind of wish it had been a longer more in depth story as these characters deserved development, but it was still good.

Don't Bother.......2007-02-04

I like all of these authors, but this book had very little to offer in the way of erotic romance. Don't bother

Couldn't put it down..........2006-11-02

I thought the stories in this book were good for the length of each one. I have to say that "Captivated by You" was the best of all three. If you like short, steamy, predictable stories you'll like this book!

Cravings (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Novella) (Queen Betsy Novella) (The World of the Lupi Novella) (Moon Series Novella)

Average customer rating:

Cravings
Incubus Dreams
Summer reading
Cravings is great
Three All-Stars and one Bench Warmer

Cravings (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Novella) (Queen Betsy Novella) (The World of the Lupi Novella) (Moon Series Novella)
Laurell K. Hamilton , MaryJanice Davidson , Eileen Wilks , and Rebecca York
Manufacturer: Jove
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

United States | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0515138150

Book Description

Four favorite authors present their favorite characters in all-new tales of bloodlust, appetites that must be sated again and again, and the passion that feeds them.

Download Description

"All-new sensuous stories from four of today's most provocative authors. Laurell K. Hamilton MaryJanice Davidson Eileen Wilks Rebecca York Four favorite authors present their favorite characters in all-new tales of bloodlust, appetites that must be sated again and again, and the passion that feeds them."

Customer Reviews:

Cravings.......2007-09-05

I really enjoyed this book. I"ve read all of Laurell Hamiltons books and am now starting on MaryJanice Davidson. I was disappointed to find that there was no continuation of the other two writers characters as I found them to be very interesting and would have liked to read more about them.

Incubus Dreams.......2007-08-22

The Laurell K. Hamilton contribution to this collection is taken directly from her book Incubus Dreams. What a rip off for Anita Blake fans.

Summer reading.......2007-06-10

Great little collection of short stories to read whilst enjoying a relaxing summer day. No great earth-shaking revelations or deep philosophy - just a fun read.

Cravings is great.......2007-01-28

I loved the book. The stories were well writtin. I have the complete set of Anita Blake series by Ms. Hamilton, so I knew her story would be great. The other 3 stories were great as well.

Three All-Stars and one Bench Warmer.......2006-10-16

Great read! Three wonderful authors: MaryJanice Davidson, Eileen Wilks and Rebecca York. Also, the late great Laurell K. Hamilton whose name alone used to make us want to pick up the book. Alas, that is so not the case anymore.

In "Dead Girls Don't Dance" (MaryJanice Davidson) you have a young vampire who has just run into the man of her teenage dreams. It's cute, funny, you fall in love with the folks in this story. I want to see more of Ms. Andrea Mercer. I hope she writes another story about her.

"Originally Human" (Eileen Wilks) is a bit different. Once again we have characters we can identify with and like. A very likeable Molly finds an injured man and tries to help. Not much of a hook but I don't want to give away the surprises in this very good story.

"Burning Moon" (Rebecca York) has a werewolf tracking his wife's killer and finding a lot more than he bargained for. Some good (new) werewolf family information. This is another one I hope with be continued.

Oh, let's face it: all three of these stories (especially the first two) are just so darn good you don't want them to end. I truly hope the authors read this review some day and it encourages them to write more on the characters. I just loved 'em all.

Guess I should say something about Hamilton's "Blood Upon My Lips". Let's see, it's the new and extremely UNimproved Anita Blake wanting to have sex. (Yawn) Oh wait. When DOESN'T the new and UNimproved Anita Blake want to have sex? With anybody. Or anything. Lordy, the family pets won't be safe if this keeps up. "Hide the collie, maw, that freak Blake is hanging around outside again." If Hamilton insists on Blake screwing ANYthing available I wish she'd be a little quieter about it. The constant screaming has got to be getting on everyone's nerves. It's certainly getting on mine. Oh, and if there are any of the OLD Blake fans out there -- you remember Anita Blake VAMPIRE HUNTER? Well, that Blake died a couple of books ago and some unattractive, whiney, Valley girl from Hell has taken her place.

Please God. Let "Edward" show up fully armed and take us all out of our misery. Also, make sure he shoots first and asks questions later. If not, the Valley Girl will certainly attempt to molest him and anyone he has with him. Where the heck is Otto when you need him?

Finally, yes buy or borrow the book. It is well worth it. Just skip the first story and enjoy yourself with the remaining three.

The Great Shark Hunt: Strange Tales from a Strange Time

Average customer rating:

The Essential Hunter Thompson
Hilarious and very perceptive
Should be required reading for all classes of journalism
Glorious Madness
Thompson's Best. Period.

The Great Shark Hunt: Strange Tales from a Strange Time
Hunter S. Thompson
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Practical Politics | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0743250451

Amazon.com

In addition to being a testament to the undeniably beatifying properties of American excess--literary, political, chemical, you name it--Hunter Thompson is the high priest of the ad hominem attack. Anyone unlucky enough to get in the way of his satirical sledgehammer will end up with soup for brains. Still, even Thompson needs a good villain to get properly lathered up; that's why he peaked simultaneously with America's 37th president, Richard Milhous Nixon. Tricky Dick was Thompson's dark-jowled, pale-calved Muse, and with his departure Thompson seemed to lose his place a bit. Swatting flies with a baseball bat.

You need look no further for this writer's best: this collection of pieces, first published in 1979, spans all of Thompson's primo era, including short pieces and selections from longer works. The Great Shark Hunt sports a few articles filed by a pre-Gonzo Hunter S. Thompson, which show flickers of passion but no real fire; the first experiments with the author's drug-fueled brand of journalism at the Kentucky Derby; and finally the gigs that made him an American institution, in Las Vegas and on the 1972 campaign trail.

Thompson's style is so unique that a reader is tempted to think that he leapt, fully formed, into Gonzohood. However, along with the crazy, careening prose itself, one of the auxiliary pleasures of The Great Shark Hunt is the map that it gives of Thompson's ascent (or descent, if you prefer) from the workaday hyperbole of sports writing to the hell-blast vigor of his later work. The drugs are, by and large, a distraction--lifestyle points that get in the way of the genuinely perceptive journalism that Thompson created. (But they are there, always, and in quantity.) If you're looking for insight into the underbelly of America, Hunter S. Thompson is your best and only guide, and The Great Shark Hunt is an excellent place to begin the grim safari. --Michael Gerber

Book Description

Originally published in 1979, the first volume of the bestselling "Gonzo Papers" is now back in print. The Great Shark Hunt is Dr. Hunter S. Thompson's largest and, arguably, most important work, covering Nixon to napalm, Las Vegas to Watergate, Carter to cocaine. These essays offer brilliant commentary and outrageous humor, in signature Thompson style.

Ranging in date from the National Observer days to the era of Rolling Stone, The Great Shark Hunt offers myriad, highly charged entries, including the first Hunter S. Thompson piece to be dubbed "gonzo" -- "The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved," which appeared in Scanlan's Monthly in 1970. From this essay a new journalistic movement sprang which would change the shape of American letters. Thompson's razor-sharp insight and crystal clarity capture the crazy, hypocritical, degenerate, and redeeming aspects of the explosive and colorful '60s and '70s.

Customer Reviews:

The Essential Hunter Thompson.......2007-01-04

Much like Sony's "The Essential" series, which collected the greatest songs from the greatest musicians of the past century, "The Great Shark Hunt" is an anthology of the greatest of the Good Doctor's work from his peak period of the 60's and 70's.

Perhaps no other American writer captured the essence of that tumultous era better than Hunter S. Thompson. He was simultaneously of his time and above his time, and invented a new kind of journalism, dubbed "Gonzo." All objectivity was thrown out the window as the author thrust himself into the action of the stories he was reporting. Whether it was dropping acid at a police convention in Las Vegas, sabotaging the presidential bid of Ed Muskie, or running for sheriff of Aspen, Thompson's antics are legendary, and "The Great Shark Hunt" is a great way to get acquainted with the man and the writing for which he is best remembered.

Hilarious and very perceptive.......2006-12-27

It is a pretty rare experience for me to find an author who can make me feel as though I actually understand the culture the author is describing. Many authors are perfectly capable of explaining a culture or a period in time, but I don't find many who do it simply by describing their experiences, but Hunter S. Thompson does so in this book.

This book covers a lot of American culture in the 20th century. Now, I am not a US citizen, nor have I read much US history, but I found Thompson's stories very perceptive and entertaining. Even his coverage of something that sounds as dull as Richard Nixon's presidential campaign and fall are just brilliant. This is one of those few books that has made me laugh out loud.

What I fundamentally love about this book is that it really makes me feel like I'm standing beside the author, in his stories as he tells them. Thompson has a wicked sense of mischief, which goes very well with his "Gonzo" style of journalism. I think that "Gonzo" journalism helps his stories become so vivid because Thompson makes sure that he is not separated from what's going on. In fact, Thompson is often central to the story and yet that doesn't result in the kind of ego-centric story telling one might expect.

If you have any interest in US culture, from 1960 onward, and a love for very perceptive, though often drug addled lunatics as protagonists, then I imagine that you will love this book.

Should be required reading for all classes of journalism.......2006-11-21

The Great Shark Hunt: Gonzo Papers vol. 1 is a hysterical and brilliant piece of his mordant wit, this great heir to Mark Twain, Ambrose Bierce and H. L. Mencken, the Great Dr. Hunter S. Thompson.

The book covers the exciting and gut laugh-filled evolution of Gonzo from about 1963 to 1976; including his infamous article from 1970 in which Gonzo arose from his open shell and, soaring aloft, emitted the primal and insane roar; The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved.

This is a very facinating era of Thompson's life and career as he slowly makes a beast of himself and his writing, probably the best social commentary since Voltaire.

Glorious Madness.......2006-10-05

This is great stuff from a fearless freak. Thompson never fails to both entertain me as a reader and educate me as a writer. He was unhinged and did not hold back. This is a great collection of dazed vignettes, crazed events, and hazed intents. The guy was out there, but it never drowned his talent. A must-read for those who want a deeper sense of the madness of our times, or who simply want a good read.

Thompson's Best. Period........2006-05-23

I've read all of Thompson's books, and nothing approaches Shark Hunt for sheer ferocity of intelligence, perception, and the gleefully lunatic Gonzo outlook. He put himself fearlessly and hilariously in the middle of his stories and thus changed both modern journalism and history itself as he rocked through some of the wildest times this country will ever see.
These are HST's finest magazine pieces from the 60s and 70s, chosen and edited by the author. His takes on Nixon and Ali and Vietnam are startlingly prescient, so dead-on in the hindsight of three decades that one begins to wonder why Thompson isn't ranked with Mailer and Capote and Vidal as one of modern America's most trenchant essayists.
He's certainly funnier than all of them put together, with a uniquely skewed stance full of outrage and insanity. Sure, F&L In Vegas gets all the attention, but that book is mainly full-on Gonzo, and, while truly classic, hardly touches this collection for depth of insight and understanding of one of
the most vital and transformative periods in American history.
The essay on Haight-Ashbury alone is worth the price of this tome; he lived there before the lunacy started and stayed through to its peak, and presents the tale as only one
who tripped through the flaked-out soul of that time could.
There are sentences in that piece that are pure poetry, some of the finest dissection the 60s ever saw...and that's just the tip of this glorious literary iceberg that melts happily from the hand into the mind.
Thompson had a style that is oft-imitated but never approached, and here we see him crafting that style as the years go by, emerging as one of the most unique essayists this country has ever produced. Indeed, I would go so far as to say that HST is the most hilariously readable of modern American non-fiction writers...and this is
his magnum opus.
If you like to laugh while you think about what really matters, this is your baby.
Not to be missed.

Average customer rating:

The African Frontier
Exciting adventure, and a great gift!
Mind-blowing
Unexpected pleasures
Wonderful Adventure

Tales of the African Frontier
John A. Hunter
Manufacturer: Safari Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Africa | History | Subjects | Books

East Africa | Africa | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Hunting | Hunting & Fishing | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1571572422

Book Description

The colorful characters of East Africa's early colonial period walk across the pages of this powerful book by John Hunter and Dan Mannix. Meet Tippu Tib, the greatest of all slave traders and the man who owned the slave responsible for killing the elephant with the biggest tusks ever recorded. Read how Ewart Grogan walked from the Cape to Cairo and how Joseph Thompson faced not only the ferocious Masai but also incredible hardships during his explorations into the interior of East Africa. Find out how John Boyes, elephant poacher extraordinaire, declared himself king of the Wa-Kikuyu and how Robert Foran, the notorious Lado Enclave ivory poacher, cheated Belgian and British authorities alike.

Customer Reviews:

The African Frontier.......2007-04-15

J.A. Hunter was one of a rare breed of men who moved to Africa in the late 1800's. He made the place his home, married, and raised a family whilst becoming one of the most sought-after big-game hunting guides in the world, in places like Kenya, Zaire, and Tanganyika.[be sure to read about clearing the railroad tracks of wild game] His style of writing is terse, but the first hand narrative is crisp and fresh, as if it happened yesterday.
The chapters are neatly tied into characters and events, which makes for a great book to take-along. There were many pretenders, like Ernest Hemingway and Robert Ruark who wanted to be in the same league as Mr. Hunter....but this is from the man himself. He is never self-promoting, and is quick to praise other hunters, a modesty that is very becoming.
I found the description of that world and it's realities irresistable: you can read all you like about the socioeconomic evolution of the Dark Continent, but this recounting has the immediacy of eyewitness truth, and from a man who made Africa his home the hard way. It is writing like this that brings history to life, and it has become too rare, in my humble opinion.
It's exciting reading, and well worth the price. Don't forget to check out his other book, Hunter, which has excellent stories and makes a good Part One to this book, which could be read as Part Two.
--->For those of you who have read Karen Blixen/Isak Dinesen's books, Out of Africa and Shadows in the Grass, you will recognize some of the people mentioned. The time framework is similar (Mr. Hunter was in Africa before the Baroness, and remained long after she'd gone) --so in all a good read to 'round out a mental picture of the region at the turn of the century.

Exciting adventure, and a great gift!.......2007-02-23

If there are any men who wouldn't enjoy this superb book, I wouldn't want to know them. The early days of East Africa as told in many instances by the men who lived them and in others, by the men who knew the men.

The story of the man who ran the crew that laid the first railroad across Africa(the "lunatic line"). The opening of Kenya. The British East African Police.The early missionaries, pioneers, white hunters. Story after story of well-written excitement will keep you reading, and bring you back for repeat readings for years to come.

Buy this book for yourself,and another for a friend. And if your friend doesn't like it...well, is he really the right kind of guy?

Mind-blowing.......2004-08-23

I have never read a book quite like this before. It is completely devoid of political correctness so often associated with revisionist history. The narrative is sharp and cuts like a knife. This book was copyright in 1954 which affords it two advantages: 1) it pre-dates political correctness and 2) The stories are told as first hand accounts told by the old timers when they were still alive. I can't begin to tell you how exciting it is to read African history when it's told by those who were actually there when the history was the present and not the past. Whew! What a ride!

Unexpected pleasures.......2001-03-26

This book goes well beyond Mr. Hunter's usual white hunter/safari fair. It is about a collection of characters, Arab, African, European and others who were around at the turn of the 20th century and on into the late '40's. It would probably NOT be considered politically correct, but Mr. Hunter and his co-author Daniel Mannix try their best to be unbiased in telling their tales. It begins with the story of Arab slaver Tippu Tib who had many adventures, including helping Stanley find Livingstone! A nice sketch of John Boyes (who was for a time, the king of the Kikuyu) is included for those who haven't read his own book. It finishes with Dr. L. S. B. Leakey who was as much Kikuyu as white man. I was unaware of his role in the Mau Mau troubles. In all, there are 15 tales of individuals and families who were part of the opening of Africa. As the authors say in the end: "Some were cruel, some prideful; probably a number of these pioneers were unwise, as all humans are. Many were heroes in the best sense of the word. But they all shared in a quality of courage which is the essential ingredient-at any frontier, on any continent, and at any time."

Finally, there is a nice bibliography at the end. I hope to read many of those tomes listed, if I can find them!

Wonderful Adventure.......2000-08-04

A terrific read, and one of my favorite books of adventure. Includes a fascinating account of the Tsavo Lions, and great tales of heroism and hardship. I'm extremely happy to see this classic back in print. Inspiring history, unbelievable accounts of courage, greed, and patriotism. True stories of Lewis Leakey, missionaries, eccentric noblemen, safari hunters, and the founders of Hills coffee! New insight into the Victorian age of adventure. Delightfully written, funny and touching. The best written series of historical stories I've seen.

Generation of Swine: Tales of Shame and Degradation in the '80's

Average customer rating:

The more things change, the more they stay the same
History Redux
His Worst Collection of Tripe
Take this in small doses
Hunter rants on 80s Sports, Gambling and Politics

Generation of Swine: Tales of Shame and Degradation in the '80's
Hunter S. Thompson
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0743250443

Book Description

Generation of Swine, the second volume of the legendary Dr. Hunter S. Thompson's bestselling "Gonzo Papers," was first published in 1988 and is now back in print.

Here, against a backdrop of late-night tattoo sessions and soldier-of-fortune trade shows, Dr. Thompson is at his apocalyptic best -- covering emblematic events such as the 1987-88 presidential campaign, with Vice President George Bush, Sr., fighting for his life against Republican competitors like Alexander Haig, Pat Buchanan, and Pat Robertson; detailing the GOP's obsession with drugs and drug abuse; while at the same time capturing momentous social phenomena as they occurred, like the rise of cable, satellite TV, and CNN -- 24 hours of mainline news. Showcasing his inimitable talent for social and political analysis, Generation of Swine is vintage Thompson -- eerily prescient, incisive, and enduring.

Customer Reviews:

The more things change, the more they stay the same.......2006-05-10

This is another in a series of collections of Hunter's columns. The other compilations are:

The Great Shark Hunt (Gonzo Papers Vol. 1) about the 70's, mostly post Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail,

Better than Sex (Volumen 3) about the 90's, and his final release before his untimely death,

Hey Rube (about the early 00's).

I should mention here that I'm only in my 20's, and the first administration I ever really paid attention to was the second Clinton term.

Reading this book and the other Gonzo Papers books, along with Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, gives you a perspective on the past 30 years that is hard to find elsewhere in this context. Since these columns were written as critiques on current events, you get a feel for what was going on in the 70's, late 80's and early 90's. You find that for everything that has changed over the past 30 years, that politics is quite static. Corrupt presidents, sex-scandal plagued politicians, and more.

There's not too much to dislike about this book, assuming you enjoy Hunter's writing style. And it is valuable to those who can't get enough of Hunter's style.

History Redux.......2006-03-20

This review was originally used to comment on Hunter Thompson's Songs of the Doomed. Since most of the points I made in my review of that book apply here I will let that review stand in here. Obviously each book is formatted differently but whether Thompson was skewering the Nixon era, the Reagan era or the Bush eras the song is the same. And it aint pretty.

Generally the most the trenchant social criticism, commentary and analysis complete with a prescriptive social program ripe for implementation has been done by thinkers and writers who work outside the realm of bourgeois society, notably socialists and other progressive thinkers. Bourgeois society rarely allows itself, in self defense, to be skewered by trenchant criticism from within. This is particularly true when it comes from a known dope fiend, gun freak and all-around lifestyle addict like the late, lamented Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. Nevertheless, although he was far from any thought of a socialist solution and would reject such a designation we could travel part of the way with him. We saw him as a kindred spirit. He was not one of us- but he was one of us. All honor to him for pushing the envelope of journalism in new directions and for his pinpricks at the hypocrisy of bourgeois society. Such men are dangerous.

I am not sure whether at the end of the day Hunter Thompson saw himself or wanted to been seen as a voice, or the voice, of his generation but in any case he would not be an unworthy candidate. In any case, his was not the voice of the generation of 1968 being just enough older to have been formed by an earlier, less forgiving milieu. His earlier writings show that effect. Nevertheless, only a few, and with time it seems fewer in each generation, allow themselves to search for some kind of truth even if they cannot go the whole distance. This compilation under review is a hodgepodge of articles over the best part of Thompson's career. As with all journalists, as indeed with all writers especially those who are writing under the pressure of timelines and for mass circulation media these works show an uneven quality. However the total effect is to blast old bourgeois society almost to its foundations. Others will have to push on further.

One should note that `gonzo' journalism is quite compatible with socialist materialism. That is, the writer is not precluded from interpreting the events described within himself/herself as an actor in the story. The worst swindle in journalism, fostered by the formal journalism schools, as well as in other disciplines like history and political science is that somehow one must be `objective'. Reality is better served if the writer puts his/her analysis correctly and then gets out of the way. In his best work that was Hunter's way.

As a member of the generation of 1968 I would note that this was a period of particular importance which won Hunter his spurs as a journalist. Hunter, like many of us, cut his political teeth on one Richard Milhous Nixon, at one time President of the United States and all- around political chameleon. Thompson went way out of his way, and with pleasure, skewering that man when he was riding high. Thompson was moreover just as happy to kick him when he was down, just for good measure. Nixon represented the `dark side' of the American spirit- the side that appears today as the bully boy of the world and as craven brute. If for nothing else Brother Thompson deserves a place in the pantheon of journalistic heroes for this exercise in elementary hygiene. Anyone who wants to rehabilitate THAT man before history please consult Thompson's work. Hunter, I hope you find the Brown Buffalo wherever you are. Read this book. Read all his books.

His Worst Collection of Tripe.......2005-08-29

This collection of 100 or so newspaper columns is probably the worst material I have read of Thompson's. First of all, it starts OK, but then turns into a liberal rant for the last half of the book. In almost all cases, Thompson's wild and repeated predictions about the fall of Republicans never come to pass. In fact, not one of them came true.

It is a shame that a man with such insidious ability to write from the gut would allow himself to slide into the dark, slimy Left side of politics, all the while failing to report-much less admit-that the Left was as much if not more corrupt than the Right.

I would pass this tome of incoherent bloviating. His other works are far superior to this wasted cache of paper.

Take this in small doses.......2005-08-02

What we have here are over 100 op-ed pieces (about 2 1/2 book pages each) that ran in the San Francisco Examiner over a three-year period, December 1985 thru November 1988 and are now compiled in Gonzo Papers Volume 2 (Volume 1 was The Great Shark Hunt). These were originally meant to be read at the rate of one a week, but of course you can increase your speed on this compilation. However, I read them in a handful of sittings and suffered from severe overload. First of all, at this fast rate you get a good deal of duplication that waters down the overall affect Thompson was trying to create in his weekly column. Thompson reminds me of the famous Groucho Marx line: "Whatever it is, he's against it!" Just picked at random: "Any baboon with a healthy heart and good diction... could do Neil Frank's job (director of the National Hurricane Center). President Reagan: "...seems to be dumber than three mules." Frank Sinatra: "...is said to be smart, but he was fired and cut off from every casino in New Jersey when he tried to play blackjack by rules he learned in Nevada...They chased him out like a wino. It was an ugly thing to see." And these quotes all come from just one article. Pick a name or event from the headlines of these three years and you'll find a bombastic opinion from Thompson aimed directly at it. It is a fun and funny read. You'll find yourself thinking and speaking in the Thompson style. It's addictive. But, too much at one time can put you over the top. For more reasons than one, this would make for good bathroom reading material.

Hunter rants on 80s Sports, Gambling and Politics.......2005-05-01

The 80s must have been a tough decade for Hunter S. Thompson, and the writing shows it. Easy access to drugs, as well as a rising tide of Republicanism and Conservatism to rail again. On the the surface, this would make for great writing. In reality, this is not his strongest work. Great columns, as well as some of his legendary lucid lines, are interspersed with nominally coherent rants against the political powers that be. Perhaps that is to be expected from him in an anthology of his newspaper writings.

This is an important read for those very in tune to his genre. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a better start if you haven't read anything of his before. It will also provide better context to his mindset in the 80s.

Vampire Hunter D Volume 4: Tale Of The Dead Town (Vampire Hunter D)

Average customer rating:

Moody and thoughtful
Vampires rule the night...
Yet Again Wonderful Book
Would make a great movie
progress is being made

Vampire Hunter D Volume 4: Tale Of The Dead Town (Vampire Hunter D)
Hideyuki Kikuchi , and Yoshitaka Amano
Manufacturer: Dark Horse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1595820930

Book Description

Eons in the future in a toxic, terror-stricken world, The City is a veritable paradise. A tiny hamlet of a few hundred sheltered citizens, it floats serenely just a few feet above the ground on a seemingly random course, safe from the predation of marauding monsters. But paradise is shattered when a vampire invasion threatens the peaceful haven. While the Vampire Hunter known only as “D” struggles to exterminate the lethal scourge, the gorgeous Raleigh Knight and the brash John M. Brassalli Pluto VIII seize control of The City, launching it on a new and deadly course. D’s travails are just beginning.

The heart-stopping thrills and nightmarish plot twists that fans of series have come to expect are on full display in Vampire Hunter D, Volume 4. Six stunning illustrations by the renowned Yoshitaka Amano underscore Hideyuki Kikuchi’s hellish vision of the future.

Customer Reviews:

Moody and thoughtful.......2007-09-22

Raiser of Gales is an interesting, and I think introspective and thoughtful adventure. It more firmly establishes the what and why of D's world. Also, the wording in this novel is well written, far less "All your base-" than ended up getting through in the first translation.

My favorite is that an enemy uses a type of trap that was later incorporated into the second D movie, but I've risked spoiling it enough here.

Vampires rule the night..........2007-08-21

...but when they're victims start moving about and killing people during the day time hours that can be a problem. The people of the village of Tepes are starting to become paranoid, seeing evil in everybody and everything. And they weren't too pure to begin with. Now they have the tall, dark, and handsome Vampire Hunter D in their town. And he is not too sure it is a vampire that is the problem.
Can D solve the mystery before too many people die at the hands of the new type of vampire? Can he solve the mystery before too many people die at the hands of their own protectors?
Great story, great illustrations, great second book to the ongoing Japanese horror series. I will be collecting as many as I can. Get it used or new!

Yet Again Wonderful Book.......2007-07-16

I liked this book as much as I love the first one. This time D finds himself a world he just can't get out of. It keep repeating itself over and over again. The girl in this book as quit a charcter and did not annoyed me as much as Doris Lang. She keeps following D where ever he goes. And he always tell her to "Go Home" Which always made me laugh. The girl he meets is very interested in Vampires and D in the novel finds her strange. WOW that something coming from D. The book was fantasic as always. But it's little sad at the end though.

Would make a great movie.......2007-01-24

This book would definitely make a great anime movie. The story is action-packed and full of unexpected twists and turns. However for me it was not as exciting as the second and third novel, may be because of the fact that it was all action and no feelings. I personally like to see a softer side of D. As much as I love reading all Kikuchi's novels I still don't understand why D enjoys hunting Nobles and protecting humans despite of the fact that humans are always trying to kill him one way or the other. Maybe we'll find out by the end of 17th novel...

progress is being made.......2007-01-14

Many have already commented on the translation, so I will just take a moment to note that it has certainly progressed a bit beyond that of the previous novel. Action sequences in particular seem to have taken on a smoother pace, though the rather spartan and abrupt nature of the original text still causes the occasional coltish wobble.

As with all VHD novels there is a haunting quality to the prose that shines moon bright: D is still more or less at war with his soul, and our plucky coquette-du-livre is enjoyable. The odd coyness about Left-hand (the wise cracking sidekick/parasite) remains; though, since the novels are not particularly linear, this may be less noticeable to those who do not read the books in order or back to back.

Average customer rating:

Once Underestimated, Now Overestimated?
The hobo Philosopher
One of two best editions -- the 1818 text
Gothic at its best
Excellent Extras

Frankenstein (Norton Critical Editions)
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

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ASIN: 0393964582

Customer Reviews:

Once Underestimated, Now Overestimated?.......2007-09-25

It is a classic and, therefore, deserves a close reading. Norton editions are great. The text size is good, the print tends to be first-rate, and the critical essays usually include classic essays and major critics. This doesn't strike me as being worthy of the "A" list of literature, but that is a prejudice. I can't really accept any genre lit on the list, including detective, gothic, or science fiction. It is an interesting sample of this period, but I didn't get a lot out the the book itself. For one thing, the atmosphere of doom and gloom doesn't work for me. Everyone is sick and morbidly depressed and sad. This is not explained and I don't think one can easily guess. The writing works, sure, but I don't find the prose style uplifting or thrilling, as writing. The story is very familiar. As a child of the 60s, I remember well watching reruns of the classic film on TV. It is hard to divorce the brilliant film from the wordy novel. The film has some brilliant set-pieces. The novel has a lot in it and it certainly can and should be read at multiple levels, but in the end it is Victorian intellectual thought of the low order. There are other, better thinkers and novelists of far greater talent.

The hobo Philosopher.......2007-09-19

This is a classic and that is the reason that I read it. I liked the movie but the book is a whole other experience. I liked the format; I like the style; I liked the prose; I liked the intellectuality. I really didn't analyze it. I just read it for the fun of it. It was good. It was fun.

One of two best editions -- the 1818 text.......2007-05-02

Frankenstein is a great work, though one that has consistently been underrated
and misrepresented. Frankenstein is, in the words of Donald H. Reiman, "the
most seminal literary work of the Romantic period". It is a work of profound
and radical ideas, written in poetically powerful prose. Frankenstein is not
really a gothic novel, although its author sometimes employs gothic
conventions and language, and even spoofs them. Rather, Frankenstein is an
enduring myth, a novel of ideas, and above all, a moral allegory about the
evil effects of intolerance and prejudice, ostracism and alienation, both to
the victims of intolerance and to society at large.
Since there are some good reviews here, I'll concentrate on this
particular edition -- the Norton Critical Edition, edited by J. Paul Hunter.
This is one of the two best editions of Frankenstein available (the other
being the Chicago edition edited by James Rieger). Most importantly, this is
the original 1818 edition, rather than the inferior, bowdlerized 1831
edition -- which is the most common, and the only one that was available for
well over a century. Hunter's introduction is not bad. Some of the reviews
and essays in the back are good, and some are not, but this is par for the
course. The main text is intelligently annotated.
Please check out my own book, The Man Who Wrote Frankenstein, which
makes the case that Frankenstein was really written by Percy Bysshe Shelley,
one of the greatest poets in the English language. I also argue that male
love, both idealized and demonized, is a central theme of Frankenstein.

Gothic at its best.......2006-12-16

Mary Shelley was the daughter of the famous feminist and author, Mary Wollstonecraft, who is best known for her work The Vindication of the Rights of Women. In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, a young university student, Victor Frankenstein, obsesses with wanting to know the secret to life. He studies chemistry and natural philosophy with the goal of being able to create a human out of spare body parts. After months of constant work in his laboratory, Frankenstein attains his goal and brings his creation to life. Frankenstein is immediately overwrought by fear and remorse at the sight of his creation, a "monster." The next morning, he decides to destroy his creation but finds that the monster has escaped. The monster, unlike other humans, has no social preparation or education; thus, it is unequipped to take care of itself either physically or emotionally. The monster lives in the forest like an animal without knowledge of "self" or understanding of its surroundings. The monster happens upon a hut inhabited by a poor family and is able to find shelter in a shed adjacent to the hut. For several months, the monster starts to gain knowledge of human life by observing the daily life of the hut's inhabitants through a crack in the wall. The monster's education of language and letters begins when he listens to one of them learning the French language. During this period, the monster also learns of human society and comes to the realization that he is grotesque and alone in the world. Armed with his newfound ability to read, he reads three books that he found in a leather satchel in the woods. Goethe's Sorrows of Young Werther, Milton's Paradise Lost, and a volume of Plutarch's Lives. The monster, not knowing any better, read these books thinking them to be facts about human history. From Plutarch's works, he learns of humankind's virtues. However, it is Paradise Lost that has a most interesting effect on the monster's understanding of self. The monster at first identifies with Adam, "I was apparently united by no link to any other being in existence." The monster, armed only with his limited education, thought that he would introduce himself to the cottagers and depend on their virtue and benevolence; traits he believed from his readings that all humans possessed. However, soon after his first encounter with the cottagers, he is beaten and chased off because his ugliness frightens people. The monster is overwrought by a feeling of perplexity by this reaction, since he thought he would gain their trust and love, which he observed them generously give to each other on so many occasions. He receives further confirmation of how his ugliness repels people when, sometime later, he saves a young girl from drowning and the girl's father shoots at him because he is frightful to look at. The monster quickly realizes that the books really lied to him. He found no benevolence or virtue among humans, even from his creator. At every turn in his life, humans are judging him solely based on his looks. The monster soon realizes that it is not Adam, the perfect being enjoying the world, which he is most alike. Instead, he comes to realize that he most represents Satan. The monster is jealous of the happiness he sees humans enjoy that he has never attained for himself. The monster tells Frankenstein that he found his lab journal in his coat pocket and read it with increasing hate and despair as he came to understand what Frankenstein's intent was in creating him. The monster curses Frankenstein for making a creature so hideous that even his creator turned from him in disgust.

Shelley's intent here is plain to see. "The fate of the monster suggests that proficiency in `the art of language' as he calls it, may not ensure one's position as a member of the `human kingdom." In a sense, she is showing that both her parents were mistaken when they advocated greater education reform for people. They thought education would make people better, which in turn would improve society for all. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein contradicts this belief.

Starting with the full title of Mary Shelley's book, Frankenstein: or The Modern Prometheus one can instantly see that mythology was integral to her book. Lord Byron, poet and friend of the Shelley's was writing a poem entitled Prometheus, and Mary was reading the Prometheus legend in Aeschylus' works when she had a dream, which was the impetus for her book. The Greek god Prometheus, is known for two important tasks that he performed, he created man from clay, and he stole fire from the gods and gave it to man. The stealing of fire really angered Zeus because the giving of fire began an era of enlightenment for humankind. Zeus punished Prometheus by having him carried to a mountain, where an eagle would pick at his liver; it would grow back each day and the eagle would eat it again.

The presence of fire and light in this gothic story helps to point to the similarities to Prometheus and Victor Frankenstein, the creator of the monster, in Shelley's book. The book uses light as a symbol of discovery, knowledge, and enlightenment. The natural world is full of hidden passages, and dark unknown scientific secrets; Victor's goal as a scientist is to grasp towards the light. Light is a by-product of fire that the monster learned quickly when he is living on his own. The monster experienced fires' duality when he first encountered it in an unattended fire in the woods. He is mesmerized by the fact that fire produces light in the darkness in the woods, but is shocked at the sensation of pain it gives him when he touches it. Victor is defiant of god in the same way that Prometheus was defiant of Zeus. Victor steals the secret of life from god and creates a human out of spare body parts. He does this out of an altruistic wish to spare humankind from the pain and suffering of death. Thus, Victor Frankenstein embodies both aspects of the Promethean myth creation and fire. Victor in a sense has the same experience with the fire of enlightenment similar to his monster; he is "burned" by the fire of enlightenment. Victor also suffers from the classic Greek tragic condition of hubris for his transgression against god and nature.

The book also adopts two other great mythic legends. One is Adam from the Bible. Victor Frankenstein bears striking resemblance to Adam and his fall from grace for eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. The other is Satan, a mythic figure that Shelley admired from her readings in Milton's book Paradise Lost. In an interesting juxtaposition of booth myths, she expands on the motif of the fall from grace in her book when she portrays the monster comparing himself to Adam; after he read, Milton's book Paradise Lost. The monster tells Victor, that he at first identifies with Adam God's first creation. "I was apparently united by no link to any other being in existence." However, after several incidents of mistreatment that he suffered from the humans he encountered in his travels; the monster soon realized that it is not Adam, the perfect being enjoying the world, which he was most alike. Instead, he came to realize that he most represented Satan. The monster's feelings of hatred and despair stem from the fact that humans found him grotesque to look at and would not accept him as a member of human society. The monster cursed Victor for making a creature so hideous that even his creator turned from him in disgust. Thus, it is obvious for all to see that Shelley's Frankenstein is replete with mythological references and they are central to the plot.

This was required reading for a graduate course in the Humanities. Recommended reading for anyone interested in history, psychology, philosophy, and literature.

Excellent Extras.......2006-03-03

The chronological table in the back of the book helped me situate Mary Shelley within the time of the writing of Frankenstein. Percy B. Shelley's critique of the book, published after he died, was interesting. I liked the Criticisms in the back of the book. Most of all, I loved the Being Frankenstein created. This is the saddest, most thought provoking, book I've read in recent times (even though it's old).

Rabbit Ears Treasury of Fables and Other Stories: The Three Little Pigs/The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Rumpelstiltskin, The Tiger and the Brahmin, The Ugly Duckling (Rabbit Ears)

Average customer rating:

too much music
Great for a long family trip

Rabbit Ears Treasury of Fables and Other Stories: The Three Little Pigs/The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Rumpelstiltskin, The Tiger and the Brahmin, The Ugly Duckling (Rabbit Ears)
Rabbit Ears
Manufacturer: Listening Library (Audio)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0739336525
Release Date: 2006-08-22

Book Description

The Rabbit Ears Treasury of Fables and Other Stories entertains and enlightens with these classic animal stories--read by your favorite stars and featuring original music by some of today's greatest artists.

The Three Billy Goats Gruff / The Three Little Pigs
Read by Holly Hunter
Original Music by Art Lande
Three billy goats encounter a greedy troll--and turn the tables on him--when they try to cross a bridge in the popular Norwegian classic The Three Billy Goats Gruff.
The big bad wolf huffs and puffs his way through the tale of the brave pig who outsmarts his fellow oinkers by simply working harder in the all-time favorite The Three Little Pigs.

Rumpelstiltskin
Read by Kathleen Turner
Original Music by Tangerine Dream
When the king orders a young woman to spin a room full of straw into gold, she turns to a mysterious elfin man for help . . . but will the price of his aid be her first-born child?

The Tiger and the Brahmin
Read by Ben Kingsley
Original Music by Ravi Shankar
"I shan't eat you if you let me out of the cage," the tiger tells the Brahmin before the holy man discovers that the tiger intended to eat him all along. Only the intervention of a clever jackal can save the Brahmin from his fate.

The Ugly Duckling
Read by Cher
Original Music by Patrick Ball
Rediscover the inner beauty in all of us with this beloved Hans Christian Andersen story of the outcast duckling who finds himself transformed into a beautiful swan.

Customer Reviews:

too much music.......2007-06-19

I was disappointed for two reasons: first too much background music made it difficult to hear the reader; secondly, the writers changed the story. Why try to "improve" upon a classic like the Three Little Pigs??

Great for a long family trip.......2007-03-30

Our family (5-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son) has enjoyed several of these Rabbit Ears collections while on the road. The stories are long enough, but not so long that attention wanders, and the music is lovely, too.

Tales of the Bounty Hunters (Star Wars )

Average customer rating:

Who needs their kind?
Bounty Hunter News
Bad, bad, bad
Dengar's love life, IG-88 as the galaxy's ultimate superweapon, and more!
Good Book

Tales of the Bounty Hunters (Star Wars )

Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0553568167
Release Date: 1996-11-01

Book Description

In a wild and battle-scarred galaxy, assassins, pirates, smugglers, and cutthroats of every description roam at will, fearing only the professional bounty hunters-amoral adventurers who track down the scum of the universe...for a fee. When Darth Vader seeks to strike at the heart of the Rebellion by targeting Han Solo and the Millennium Falcon, he calls upon six of the most successful-and feared-hunters, including the merciless Boba Fett. They all have two things in common: lust for profit and contempt for life... Featuring original stories by Kevin J. Anderson, M. Shayne Bell, Daniel Keys Moran, Kathy Tyers and Dave Wolverton.

Customer Reviews:

Who needs their kind?.......2007-10-04

Star Wars Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (Full Screen) In/famous scene on the bridge where Lord Darth Vader is interviewing the bounty hunters. Book is about the bounty hunters Darth Vader enlisted in The Empire Strikes back. There are stories about IG-88, Dengar, Bossk, Zuckuss and 4-LOM (who share a single story), and Boba Fett. Explains why Vader says "and NO disintegrations!"

Bounty Hunter News.......2007-08-19

Tales of the Bounty Hunters is a collection of five stories by different authors concerning bounty hunters who captured our attention in Star Wars - IG-88, Dengar, Bossk. Zuckuss and 4-LOM, and, last but certainly not least, Boba Fett. The stories are well written and generally very entertaining. The common ground for the tales is that all of the bounty hunters have been given the opportunity by Lord Vader to find Han Solo and bring him in. Their approaches vary widely. Of course, we know already which of the hunters actually gets Solo and what happens after that, but that advance knowledge does not spoil the stories.

The first story is about IG-88 and his plan to claim the galaxy as his own domain. As a sideline to his more important goals, he also participates in the search for Han Solo under the orders of Darth Vader. I found the story to be completely absorbing. It shows a side to IG-88 that I had never expected. He is designed and built as an assassin droid and appears to be virtually unstoppable, especially when he develops three exact clones of himself. Basically, his plan is to deal no longer with the frailties of biological beings and simply to have droids take over the entire universe. He even snickers to himself at some of the efforts of Emperor Palpatine. (Question to readers: Can droids snicker?) Eventually he runs into serious problems when trying to deal with Boba Fett and even more serious problems when he inserts his intelligence into the second Death Star shortly before the Rebels take care of it. Never underestimate the power of the Rebel Alliance.

The second story stars Dengar and was the weakest tale in the book to me. Dengar is a cybernetically enhanced Imperial assassin who has been surgically stripped of all superfluous emotion. This makes him a highly effective bounty hunter, but also means that he experiences almost none of the normal emotions that humans take for granted. So the main plotline for the story is Dengar's reacquisition of emotions and his surprising realization that he can fall in love. A bounty hunter's love story was just not what I was expecting with these tales.

Bossk is the main character in Tale #3. He is a lizardlike Trandoshan hunter who has been slaughtering Wookies for their pelts. He agrees to a joint venture with two competitors in the search for Solo. His unlikely companions are Chenlambec, a silvertip Wookie, and Tinian L'att, a small human female. The partnership does not go smoothly as double crosses are frequent, plus Chenlambec's sole motive in joining forces was to stop Boskk's career and obtain a measure of revenge for the Wookie slaughtering that had happened in the past. Things do not go well for Bossk.

The fourth tale is that of Zuckuss and 4-LOM, a Gand intuitive and his logic-driven droid partner. Their hopes for being the ones to nab Solo are based primarily on the intuitive powers of Zuckuss who always seems to be able to discern whatever they need to know. 4-LOM is great fun to listen to as he has a quick statistical analysis for any question that arises.

The last tale in the book lets us travel through the years with Boba Fett. As we all know, he is the one who succeeds in grabbing Han Solo, albeit with a major assist from Darth Vader and the Imperial forces. As many of us did not know, he survived his fall into the Great Pit of Carkoon and the digestive system of the Sarlacc. This tale focuses on Fett in his later years as he is hampered by injuries suffered from years of bounty hunting and as he comes to grips with the realization that his best days are behind him. He does manage to collect a huge bounty offered for the capture of the Butcher of Montellian Serat. That is followed by a chance that he never expected to have again, i.e., another shot at killing Han Solo. This chance is primarily the result of Han's boredom at living on Coruscant and not being involved in smuggling and fighting bad guys any more. He takes off in the Millennium Falcon in search of adventure and finds it the form of a face-to-face encounter with Boba Fett at the end of the tale. Good stuff.

Bad, bad, bad.......2007-07-18

I bought this book as a break from continuity books, and that was my first mistake. This book is completely inconsistent with facts from the Star Wars Saga.
I'm not going to go into detail of all the errors in the books, but I will name off a few.
-How can Bespin have mountains when it is a gas giant? Woops
-Boba Fett was retreived by Jawas, not Dengar.
Dengar's story is just bad writing period. IG-88's story about hacking into the Death Star's super computer is completely inconsistent with the Star Wars saga. If I had to choose which was best, I'd choose Dave Wolverton's story about Dengar--Not because it made the most sense, but because it was good writing. I was dissapointed in the lack of writing some authors displayed in this book.
Overal opinion--BAD

Dengar's love life, IG-88 as the galaxy's ultimate superweapon, and more!.......2007-06-05

The Empire Strikes Back has several noticeable deviations from what could be considered the stereotypical Star Wars film. There is no major space or land-based battle at the climax of the movie. Aliens are few and far between, with Yoda and Chewbacca being the only ones given more than a few seconds time on screen. The film spends less time with the "flashy" side of the franchise and more on a tightly-plotted, unforgettable storyline. Arguably the only scene in the film comparable to the Mos Eisley cantina or Jabba's Palace in terms of briefly introducing us to fantastical-looking characters is the gathering of the bounty hunters on Darth Vader's flagship Executor. Their appearance is quite brief, but nonetheless this meeting of six intimidating mercenaries has won a special place in both fans' and collectors' hearts.

This notoriety led Bantam to publish Tales of the Bounty Hunters, a collection of five short stories fleshing out subjects such as Dengar's history with Han Solo and the symbiotic relationship of 4-LOM and Zuckuss. Since there are fewer characters than those featured in the other short story collections, each is given a longer story, allowing for more depth and, in the case of Fett's tale, a large amount of time to be covered. Each story uses the gathering of the bounty hunters and the quest for Han Solo as a linchpin and common plot point.

The book gets underway with "Therefore I Am: The Tale of IG-88" written by Kevin J. Anderson, who also pulls double-duty as the book's overall editor. How does a droid elect a career as a bounty hunter and assassin? Anderson details the creation of five IG-88 models, the circuitous route they follow to their takeover of the droid planet Mechis III, and how one of them eventually becomes the "consciousness" of the second Death Star. The tale does a good job of explaining IG-88's motivations and certainly inflates his relative importance in the galaxy far, far away. I give this story full marks for creativity but the Death Star II bit didn't sit well with me.

"Payback: The Tale of Dengar," by Dave Wolverton, tells us of Dengar's obsession with avenging himself on Han Solo and of Dengar's reconstruction into a cold, machine-like bounty hunter by the Empire. Always the bounty hunter who seemed like "the fifth wheel," (his action figure lurked at the bottom of the toy box in my house), Dengar gets a surprising amount of depth from this story. He falls in love, discovers new ways to feel emotions, and forms a promising new partnership at the end.

The midpoint of the book features the Trandoshan bounty hunter Bossk in "The Prize Pelt: The Tale of Bossk" by Kathy Tyers. Two bounty hunters, a Wookiee named Chenlambec and his apprentice Tinian, seek revenge on Bossk for the hundreds of Wookiees he has hunted/slaughtered over the years. They put a plan in motion to be invited along with Bossk on the hunt for Han Solo as a means to exact their revenge. This story was dramatically over-plotted; I found trying to decipher the three different plans Chen and Tinian had laid to be tedious and never really cared much if they succeeded or not.

"Of Possible Futures: The Tale of Zuckuss and 4-LOM" by M. Shayne Bell is the star of the collection. Along with Dengar, these characters seem to form the second tier of the six bounty hunters in fan popularity, but here, they are the three characters best served by their stories. Zuckuss is a Gand fighting severe medical problems; 4-LOM is his droid partner hoping to learn the skill of intuition from observation of Zuckuss' abilities. The two are on shaky ground with Darth Vader and hope that the hunt for Han Solo will help smooth over their relations with the feared Dark Lord of the Sith. However, events do not transpire as they have planned, and the two are forced to carefully evaluate exactly what they stand for and which side of the Galactic Civil War they wish to be on.

The book wraps up with "The Last One Standing: The Tale of Boba Fett" by Daniel Keys Moran. This story has a high aim; it encompasses several decades of Fett's life, from his origins as Journeyman Protector Jaster Mereel to fifteen years after Return of the Jedi. Of course, the prequel films and recent books have largely overwritten this history, but I don't ever hold that against older stories. What I didn't like about this one is it lacked focus. We moved from vignette to vignette in Fett's life without much of a story thread, and the ending was perhaps artistic but I found it jarringly abrupt and almost comical. This version of Fett bursts into moralizing about women and spice at several points, a direction for the character that I didn't care for. He should be a hardened bounty hunter and killer, not a monk who happens to occasionally take an unpleasant assignment!

So, overall Tales of the Bounty Hunters is a mixed bag, with two strong stories (Dengar, 4-LOM/Zuckuss), one somewhere in the middle (IG-88), and two that were less than impressive (Bossk, Boba Fett). I do really enjoy the concept of the Tales collections and as I mentioned in my review of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina, I would like to see Del Rey pick up this concept and run further with it.

Good Book.......2006-01-10

I loved this book, eccspecially "Therefore I Am". I hate to say it, but it made me like IG-88, who is not one of my favorable characters. Boba Fett's story was intriguing and well written, but I loved Bossk's the best. "The Prize Pelt" was a great story that flushed out the semi-hidden Bossk, who is my favorite star wars character. Buy this book if you like Star Wars' bounty hunters.

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