Book Description
A feat of historical detection--the most significant, andcertainly the most enthralling, book on American prehistory to appear indecades.The greatest "unsolved mystery" of the American Southwest relates to theAnasazi, the native peoples who by the 11th century converged on ChacoCanyon (now New Mexico) and built a flourishing cultural center thatattracted pilgrims from far and wide, a vital crossroads of the prehistoricworld. The Anasazis' accomplishments--in agriculture, in art, in commerce,in architecture and engineering--were astounding, rivaling those of theMayans in distant Central America. By the 13th century, however, the Anasazi were gone from Chaco. Vanished.What was it--drought? pestilence? war? forced migration? mass murder orsuicide? Craig Childs draws on scholarly research and a lifetime ofadventure and exploration in the American Southwest to pursue the mysteryof their disappearance. Considering many possibilities, he points the wayto a new understanding of how a vibrant civilization collapsed.
Customer Reviews:
Childs has done it with this book..........2007-09-11
It's been a long time since I was thoroughly captivated by a book but House Of Rain has managed to do just that. Craig Childs is arguably one of the finest non-fiction writers today. For those of us who live and breathe the Great Southwest, Child's descriptions will bring back vivid memories of Sleeping Ute mountain in the distance and standing where the Ancients stood at Mesa Verde, Hovenweep, and Chaco. For those reviewers who felt like they needed maps and an answer, you can get maps at the visitor centers all bound up in glossy little books with equally glossy descriptions of people and places. This is not one of those books - it's so much deeper. This book is not a souvenier, it's a vehicle that takes you to places that a relative few will ever see and even less will understand. Sometimes, there is no final answer - there's just the lingering questions. That's part of what makes it so interesting.
Excellent Read With Interesting Personal Point of Views.......2007-09-06
This is the first book by Craig Childs that I've read. I will say it is an excellent book on the Anasazi. Craig has spent his whole life in the desert Southwest and appears to be quite knowledgeable about his subject. If you are the least bit interested in knowing a bit more about the Anasazi but don't want to read a "dry" scientific book about the subject, this is "the book" for you. Craig has travelled, worked and talked with many southwest Archaeologists who study the Anasazi. His discussions on the Anasazi are not boring and dry and his writing style is superb. I have a passing interest in the subject matter and this is one of the newest books on the subject and based on reviews of his other books, bought this one. I'm glad I did. Craig covers some controversial areas in regards to the Anasazi and where they went. They didn't disappear, their ancestors are still here, spread out over the southwest. He hits on a few quite creditabal possibilities and presents material to support them. I not being an expert on the subject but none the less interested and with some of my own ideas, I think Craig is on to something in regards to some of the reasons for the abandonment of the ancient sites across the entire southwest not just the Four Corners area commonly attributed to the Anasazi. Craig's descriptions of his backcountry travels are excellent and gives the sense that you are there with him which makes it even more enjoyable to read. This one is a keeper which I know I will read over and over again.
House of Rain, A Great Read.......2007-08-16
If you'd like to take a journey into the SW United States looking for the "missing" Anasazi, you should crack open this book, and delve into Craig Child's riveting journey. Child's style of writing puts you there with him, and he's very skilled at creating images that draw you into the adventure.
House of Rain .......2007-07-07
Craig Childs and "House of Rain" took me to places I've been and most importantly, to places I've been unable to experience. As I was reading this descriptive narrative of the Southwest that I love so much, I felt I was walking right beside him...excellent!
Exception read for the non-archeologist interested in the Anasazi.......2007-07-06
I already own several of Craig Childs books which I enjoy reading so that I can vicariously explore the canyons with him. This book is Exceptional. I bought it just last week at the Anasazi Heritage Center near Mesa Verde and Canyons of the Ancients while vacationing there with my wife and granddaughter. Living in Utah, we make yearly trips to the Moab area and southeastern canyons of Utah always hopeing to find a ruin to explore and photograph. This book is great for the non-scientist but those interested in the cultures of the Southwest like me!
Book Description
In a world troubled by religious strife and division, Chris Lowney's vividly written new book offers a hopeful historical reminder: Muslims, Christians, and Jews once lived together in Spain, creating a centuries-long flowering of commerce, culture, art, and architecture. Written with a narrative drive reminiscent of Barbara Tuchman's A Distant Mirror, this new work takes us back to a medieval Iberia that prefigured the Renaissance.
In 711, a ragtag army of Muslim North Africans conquered Christian Spain and launched Western Europe's first (and to date only) Islamic state. In 1492, Ferdinand and Isabella vanquished Spain's last Muslim kingdom, forced Jews to convert or emigrate, and dispatched Christopher Columbus to the New World. In the years between, Spain's Muslims, Christians, and Jews forged a golden age for each faith and distanced Spain from a Europe mired in the Dark Ages.
Medieval Spain's pioneering innovations touched every dimension of Western life: Spaniards introduced Europeans to paper manufacture and to the Hindu-Arabic numerals that supplanted the Roman numeral system. Spanish scholars translated what stood for centuries as Europe's standard medical handbook. Spain's farmers adopted irrigation technology from the Near East to nurture Europe's first crops of citrus and cotton. Spanish artisans graced luxurious homes with the fountains, gardens, and decorative tile that remain hallmarks of southern Spain's distinctive decor. Spain's religious scholars authored works that still profoundly influence their respective faiths, from the masterpiece of the Jewish kabbalah to the meditations of Sufism's "greatest master" to the eloquent arguments of Maimonides that humans can successfully marry religious faith and reasoned philosophical inquiry. No less astonishing than medieval Spain's wide-ranging accomplishments was the simple fact its Muslims, Christians, and Jews often managed to live and work side by side, bestowing tolerance and freedom of worship on the religious minorities in their midst.
A Vanished World chronicles this impossibly panoramic sweep of human history and achievement, encompassing both the agony of jihad, Crusades, and Inquisition, and the glory of a multireligious, multicultural civilization that forever changed the West. One gnarled root of today's religious animosities stretches back to medieval Spain, but so does a more nourishing root of much modern religious wisdom. In a world torn by religious antagonism, Chris Lowney offers enduring lessons learned from medieval Spanish villages where Muslims, Christians, and Jews rubbed shoulders on a daily basis.
Customer Reviews:
'No single tradition has monopolised every human expression of truth..'.......2007-05-11
This book is a great starting point in terms of understanding medieval Spain and appreciating the Iberian contribution to broader European enlightenment. Aptly subtitled 'Medieval Spain's Golden Age of Enlightenment', Chris Lowney draws us into the accomplishments of Muslims, Christians and Jews over seven centuries.
Whether you choose to read this book as an historical statement of past accomplishments, or as a sign of hope for a more co-operative future, it provides a wonderful view of the golden age of the Iberian peninsula.
The book has a wealth of notes and suggested readings for those who would like to obtain more information about specific events or achievements.
Highly recommended to those interested in learning more about medieval Spain as well as those looking for instances of shared learning.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Somewhat interesting, but it delivers less than what it promises.......2007-03-16
The history of Spain between 711 (the date of the Muslim invasion of the Iberian peninsula) and 1492 (when the moors were finally vanquished and the spanish crown got back total control of what is today Spain; coincidentally this was the same year Columbus reached the Americas and Jews were expelled from Spain) is fascinating in itself. This book is kind of interesting, but it delivers less than what it promises. If you know some of the history before reading this book, you will not learn a lot from it. Moreover, it is sometimes overly credulous with its sources. One of the problems appears when you see that all the bibliography is in English; Lowney clearly doesn't speak either Spanish or Arabic, so the book is essentially second hand retelling of previous books. There is no original material here. Lowney is identified in the book as a former Jesuit priest, but he seems prejudiced against Christians, always comparing their supposed backwardness with the Muslims' supposed tolerance and brilliance. Look, if Christians were able to reconquer Spain after almost eight centuries, they must have done something right. Still, the book is not totally without interest, especially as an introduction to the subject.
Religious Tolerance: 21st Century Pipedream? .......2006-10-21
Chris Lowney resurrects with much brio the fascinating history of Medieval Spain, which became the only Islamic state that ever prospered in mainland Europe for more than seven centuries. After a "blitzkrieg" military campaign, Muslim conquerors hailing from North Africa rolled back Christian rule on most of the Iberian Peninsula in 711 C.E. Christian rulers, who were understandably resentful of this occupation, launched their Reconquista from the north of the peninsula after infighting started weakening al-Andalus (the Arabic name for the Muslim-ruled part of Spain) in the eleventh century C.E. Al-Andalus disintegrated itself into more than two dozen rivaling small kingdoms by the 1030s C.E that over time became easy picks for united Christian conquerors. This rivalry among these kingdoms was also a blessing in disguise.
To his credit, Lowney acknowledges and emphasizes the significant contributions of al-Andalus to transition the rest of Europe out of the Dark Ages and into the Renaissance. Without Islam, much western wisdom from the Antiquity would have been lost forever following the disintegration of the Roman Empire in the West. Furthermore, Medieval Spain became the conduit for bringing the best that the Islamic world had to offer to mostly backward Europeans. Cosmopolis such as Seville, Cordoba, Toledo, and Granada were the cities on the hill economically, culturally, scientifically, and religiously. The architecture of the older parts of these urban centers still reflects this past greatness.
Despite their differences, Medieval Spaniards showed for a time a tolerance for each other's religious and cultural background that remains a marvel to a world plagued by intolerance and obscurantism. Outstanding twelfth-century theologians such as the Jewish Moses Maimonides and the Muslim Ibn Rushd Averroes went as far as to subject their respective religions to rationality. Shias and Sunnis in Modern Iraq, especially in Baghdad, have much to learn from this peaceful religious coexistence. Obscurantism and intolerance were the perfect ingredients for the disastrous recipe that Medieval Spain itself ended up swallowing after the completion of the Reconquista.
With the fall of the Kingdom of Granada in 1491 C.E., the sole remaining Muslim territory in the peninsula, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella completed the Reconquista of Medieval Spain. They did not waste much time to impose Christianity on all their subjects. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella gave their Jewish and Muslim subjects little time to either convert to Christianity or leave most of their possessions behind them and leave Spain forever. The discovery of the New World and its riches bought Spain some time. After Catholic Spain passed by its zenith, it could no longer count on the genius of its former Jewish and Muslim subjects who along Christians had contributed to the greatness of Medieval Spain. Unsurprisingly, Catholic Spain became an increasingly troubled and weak state that only rebounded from its backwardness in the second half of the 20th century C.E.
The richness that was Medieval Spain.......2006-06-28
A first class read for any history buff. Right up there with 'The Ornament of the World' by Maria Rosa Menocal.
Time to move on?.......2006-03-11
This is the third book I've read recently about the Iberian peninsula from the 700s to 1500s during the coexistence of the three Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. I first read Reston's "Dogs of God" (see my review) mostly about the 1400s' Christian reconquest of Spain, and their abuse and expulsion of Jews and Muslims. I then read Menocal's "Ornament of the World" mostly about the flowering of al-Andalus beginning in the 700s under generally tolerant and progressive Muslims.
Lowney's "A Vanished World: Medieval Spain's Golden Age of Enlightenment" is also about the same period as Menocal's book but initially more from the Christians' perspective. And initially I found his writing style somewhat tedious but farther along either it improved or I accommodated to it. Yet Lowney reveals aspects not covered by either Reston or Menocal so it's well worth the read if you want a balanced perspective of the period. And he provides extensive endnotes and annotated further readings.
Lowney concludes by lamenting the squandered opportunities resulting from religious bigotry and greed, and suggests lessons that could be learned by today's Christians, Jews and Muslims. But even here in the US, with our constitutional guaranteed religious freedoms, we still see contending for domination by some religious factions. Perhaps it's time we move beyond obsolescent religious teachings toward a New Enlightenment, as explored in my book "Concepts: A ProtoTheist Quest for Science-Minded Skeptics."
Book Description
Mornings on Horseback is the brilliant biography of the young Theodore Roosevelt. Hailed as "a masterpiece" (John A. Gable, Newsday), it is the winner of the Los Angeles Times 1981 Book Prize for Biography and the National Book Award for Biography. Written by David McCullough, the author of Truman, this is the story of a remarkable little boy, seriously handicapped by recurrent and almost fatal asthma attacks, and his struggle to manhood: an amazing metamorphosis seen in the context of the very uncommon household in which he was raised.
The father is the first Theodore Roosevelt, a figure of unbounded energy, enormously attractive and selfless, a god in the eyes of his small, frail namesake. The mother, Mittie Bulloch Roosevelt, is a Southerner and a celebrated beauty, but also considerably more, which the book makes clear as never before. There are sisters Anna and Corinne, brother Elliott (who becomes the father of Eleanor Roosevelt), and the lovely, tragic Alice Lee, TR's first love. All are brought to life to make "a beautifully told story, filled with fresh detail", wrote The New York Times Book Review.
A book to be read on many levels, it is at once an enthralling story, a brilliant social history and a work of important scholarship which does away with several old myths and breaks entirely new ground. It is a book about life intensely lived, about family love and loyalty, about grief and courage, about "blessed" mornings on horseback beneath the wide blue skies of the Badlands.
Customer Reviews:
American Aristocrat.......2007-09-11
I commend the author for forging a career as a non-academic historian. Few of our tenured scholars write this well, few could get tenure in this day and age expressing affection and admiration for this great republican President and his family of Dutch aristocrats. McCullough is thorough and critical, but never hesitates to show his warm-hearted respect for this extraordinary man who devoted his life to conservation and social advocacy, two fields of life-endeavor totally abandoned by the modern Republicans. Founder of both the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Natural History Museum, TD was the product of that strange era in American life when the rich identified with America but were not duped into celebrating mediocrity and such popular institutions as the public schools. TD was tutored at home and kept away from the "coarsening" influences of the general public. He then set about to enrich the masses by supporting great institutions. Interesting, TD's arch-rival, John D. Rockefeller, dedicated his life to the same goals. In the 19th century, the rich held the public in contempt for their "commonness" but also felt obliged to "give." This is a charming study of this most charmed family.
TR Fan.......2007-09-06
Excellent, well written book! One of the better biography's of the late, great TR. A must read for all TR fan's.
Bully for This Book!.......2007-09-01
This has to be one of the best biographies I have ever read. David Mccullough's storytelling draws you in, and gives you an intimate look at Teddy's pre-presidential days. The only negative is that it isn't long enough!
How the last "renaissance man" president was created.......2007-07-15
I'll admit up front that I believe Teddy Roosevelt is my favorite president and certainly one of our greatest. He was probably one of the last "renaissance men" of our time; a successful politician, reformer, war hero, historian, naturalist, and rancher (ok, not too successful as a rancher).
But the beauty of Mornings On Horseback is that it adds another dimension to Roosevelt. Unlike many other books on the man, which focus on his accomplishments as a politician and leader, McCullough has used diaries and letters to paint a picture of the family side of TR. Not just a more developed picture of TR himself, but also of his family and the impact of their relationships on each other and on the future president himself.
If you're looking for a book about TR's accomplishments, this is not the book. However, if you're looking for a book that provides insights into how the great man was created Mornings on Horseback fills that need. McCullough notes that he ended his story after TR came back from the "badlands" and ran for mayor of New York. Although the TR story goes beyond that time, the author feels that the essential TR had been created by then, and McCullough's focus is on that story.
Typical McCollough Masterpiece.......2007-06-15
With completion of this biography, I've read all of McCollough's works and am somewhat saddened that there are no more to enjoy. He is quite simply the greatest biographer I've ever read.
In this work, McCollough explores the formative years of Theodore Roosevelt, perhaps the most American U.S. President in our nation's history. In doing so, he tries to identify the upbringing and experiences that resulted in this fascinating individual. As always, McCollough's writing is riveting, his research is rigorous and his analysis is flawless. Typical McCollough. Enjoy.
Average customer rating:
- Deaver hits another homerun!
- Tedious and not so magical a storyline
- This guy doesn't know how to write a bad book
- I tried to figure out the twists in this book before they happened, but as usual, I couldn't and neither will you.
- avid deaver fan
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The Vanished Man (A Lincoln Rhyme Novel)
Jeffery Deaver
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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The Bone Collector (A Lincoln Rhyme Novel)
ASIN: 0743437810
Release Date: 2004-06-29 |
Amazon.com
Presto! With a conjuror's flourish, the reliable Jeffery Deaver has pulled another winner out of his hat. The Vanished Man brings back Lincoln Rhyme, forensic investigator, and his sidekick Amelia Sachs, ex-model and beat cop, a team featured in four previous books. Their case begins with a murder in which the culprit, cornered in a locked room, seemingly vanishes into thin air. Rhyme soon realizes he's up against a master illusionist--and then acquires a conjuror of his own, a spunky apprentice magician, to advise him. The book is chock-a-block with magic lore and with details of the craft of illusion, which provide a fine complement to the engrossing forensic-science puzzles.
The characters, as usual with Deaver, are little more than cardboard cutouts. Even Rhyme himself, a brilliant quadriplegic and former head of NYPD forensics, seems more a collection of characteristics than a man. But Deaver's cutouts are sturdy and well-constructed, and the book's plotting and pacing--featuring twist upon twist and reversal upon reversal--are nothing short of dazzling, reminiscent of Agatha Christie at her best. Deaver proves himself an accomplished illusionist, misdirecting your attention with one hand while slipping a firecracker down your pants with the other. --Nicholas H. Allison
Book Description
Forensic expert Lincoln Rhyme and his protégée Amelia Sachs are called in to work the high-profile investigation of a killer who seemingly disappeared into thin air just as the police closed in. As the homicidal illusionist baits them with grisly murders that grow more diabolical with each victim, Rhyme and Sachs must go behind the smoke and mirrors to prevent a horrific act of vengeance that could become the greatest vanishing act of all....
Download Description
It begins at a prestigious music school in New York City. A killer flees the scene of a homicide and locks himself in a classroom. Within minutes, the police have him surrounded. When a scream rings out, followed by a gunshot, they break down the door. The room is empty. Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are brought in to help with the high-profile investigation. For the ambitious Sachs, solving the case could earn her a promotion. For the quadriplegic Rhyme, it means relying on his protegee to ferret out a master illusionist they've dubbed "the conjurer," who baits them with gruesome murders that become more diabolical with each fresh crime. As the fatalities rise and the minutes tick down, Rhyme and Sachs must move beyond the smoke and mirrors to prevent a terrifying act of vengeance that could become the greatest vanishing act of all.
Customer Reviews:
Deaver hits another homerun!.......2007-09-01
I am continually amazed by how knowledgable Deaver is about the main themes of his novels. Not just about criminology, but in this novel, illusion. The amount of research that goes into this book only enhances the enjoyment of the story.
The reader continually has the rug pulled out from him/her, which makes this a top notch thriller. This book is highly recommended.
Tedious and not so magical a storyline.......2007-08-05
I really do like Lincoln Rhyme stories by Jeffery Deaver. This one just went on too long and was hard to get into. Magic was at the heart of the storyline and sometimes descriptions were vivid and sometimes just clouded by confusion. I never really got into the story, I didn't care for the main character and then find that he wasn't the pivotal villain after all. I can't put my finger on why I didn't care for this novel, but, I know something isn't right when I don't want to add the book to my collection. I cherish books I have read, and even if I don't re-read them, I know that I can. This book will go to Goodwill and I hope the next book I read will get me back on the Lincoln Rhyme track of enthusiasm.
This guy doesn't know how to write a bad book.......2007-06-01
We already knew that Lincoln Rhyme, despite his physical disabilities, has an IQ of at least 300 and, well, he always gets his man - but in this case he really does seem to have found his match. The initial opening sequence - when our 'vanished man' does just that under seemingly impossible circumstances - sets the standard for the rest of the tale, one in which visual deception is the key trick in much the same way that a magician manipulates his audience into thinking that (for example) he has been sawn in half. We know it can't be possible, yet our eyes defy us to prove otherwise.
As with every other Deaver novel I have read (about 10 so far), the writing is consistently intelligent, there's barely a flaw in the descriptive text or the spoken word, the author always flatters his readers with just enough clues so as to leave us to work things out for ourselves and never makes the mistake (as many writers do) of adding condescending pulp to the main lines. He makes us think, he makes us work with Rhyme to work out the puzzles, as if we're one of his foot-soldiers (chief among these being Amelia Sachs of course). If there's a criticism to be made of The Vanished Man, it's that there could be at least one ending too many, and I wondered if Deaver was showing off his creative skills for the sake of out-doing others in his peer group.
I've read several Rhyme novels now, they're all good or very good, and, importantly, always unique in their own way (by comparison I'm finding Ian Rankin's 'Rebus' story lines slightly one-dimensional) and I'd say that for the moment, The Vanished Man is Deaver's best yet.
I tried to figure out the twists in this book before they happened, but as usual, I couldn't and neither will you........2007-04-02
No spoilers
As usual with Deaver's novels (especially the Rhyme series), I could not figure out or anticipate the plot twists he was about to spring on me, even though I tried to look for them. Although I'm one of the readers who considers Bone Collector the best of the series up to this point, all of the others haven't been too far behind that, and this one isn't either. The Vanished Man centers on an antagonist who uses magic and illusions to commit murders and then escape from those pursuing him. If you've like any of the previous Rhyme books then this one won't be different and you'll tear it up in no time, just like the rest of the books. This book is so different in terms of main subject than the previous books, yet it is similar in that it'll keep you glued to it. It's another solid Rhyme addition.
avid deaver fan.......2007-01-10
I love every jeffery deaver book i have read. I love the rhyme series. If you saw and enjoyed the movie "The Bone Collector" you will enjoy these books.
Average customer rating:
- Theatre Teachers: This Is What You Need
- A Great Resource
- Clear and Helpful
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Stories on Stage: Children's Plays for Reader's Theater (or Readers Theatre), With 15 Play Scripts From 15 Authors, Including Roald Dahl's The Twits and Louis Sachar's Sideways Stories from Wayside School
Aaron Shepard
Manufacturer: Shepard Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Readers on Stage: Resources for Reader's Theater (or Readers Theatre), With Tips, Play Scripts, and Worksheets, or How to Do Simple Children's Plays That Build Reading Fluency and Love of Literature
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12 Fabulously Funny Fairy Tale Plays
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Readers Theater for Building Fluency: Strategies and Scripts for Making the Most of This Highly Effective, Motivating, and Research-Based Approach to Oral Reading
ASIN: 0938497227 |
Book Description
Stories on Stage is a collection of reader's theater scripts for young readers, adapted from stories by fifteen different authors, including Louis Sachar, Nancy Farmer, and Roald Dahl. Coming from such genres as humor, fantasy, and multicultural folktales, stories were selected for their dramatic quality, literary value, and appeal to young people. The scripts may be freely copied, shared, and performed for noncommercial purposes. With a focus on ages 8 to 15, the collection features a wide range of reading levels. The scripts in this collection are -- "Three Sideways Stories From Wayside School," by Louis Sachar -- "Mr. Twit's Revenge," by Roald Dahl -- "Millions of Cats," by Wanda Gag -- "Tapiwa's Uncle," by Nancy Farmer -- "How Tom Beat Captain Najork," by Russell Hoban -- "Harriet," by Florence Parry Heide -- "Mr. Bim's Bamboo," by Carol Farley -- "Talk," by Harold Courlander -- "The Jade Stone," by Caryn Yacowitz -- "The Bean Boy," by Monica Shannon -- "The Kid from the Commercial," by Stephen Manes -- "The Fools of Chelm," by Steve Sanfield -- "Mouse Woman and the Snails," by Christie Harris -- "Westwoods," by Eleanor Farjeon -- "The Legend of Lightning Larry," by Aaron Shepard.
Customer Reviews:
Theatre Teachers: This Is What You Need.......2006-11-10
This book is formatted so easily, it took me MUCH less time than I thought it would to prepare a unit on reader's theatre for my class. I used it for my high school theatre class so they wouldn't have to concentrate on large vocabularies, but rather to deliver the story in a simple, easy way. It was a HUGE success of a project and this book made it possible. It tells you how long each story is, what cast you'll need, and what reading level it is!! Yay!!!
The stories themselves are entertaining (even for high school!!!), compelling, and really fun to work with. I am SO grateful I ordered this!
A Great Resource.......2006-01-11
Aaron Shepard is a generous contributor to the field of Reader's Theatre. This book is no exception. It's well-laid out and chock-full of interesting scripts. I've recommended to several folks interested in RT.
Clear and Helpful.......2006-01-11
This book was written in clear language. It was helpful to me as a novice.
Average customer rating:
- Very weak novel written by great authors
- Awesome conclusion to the series
- In the land of twists...
- Rest In Peace, War Of Souls.
- I offer my applause, but I am finished with this tale now.
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Dragons of a Vanished Moon (Dragonlance: War of Souls, Book 3)
Margaret Weis , and
Tracy Hickman
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Amber and Ashes (Dragonlance: The Dark Disciple, Vol. 1)
ASIN: 0786929502
Release Date: 2003-03-01 |
Amazon.com
The legendary team of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman take to the sky on dragonback again with the final dispatch from their latest voyage to the land of Krynn in the War of Souls trilogy. In volume two, Dragons of a Lost Star, the mysterious "One God" behind the irrepressible Mina's miraculous rise to power is revealed. Yes, Dark Queen Takhisis is up to her old tricks. This time, however, she has stolen the entire planet of Krynn and hidden it away from her fellow deities. Now, she is seeking to bring the entire populace (both the living and the dead) under her fickle sway through Mina's zealous proselytizing. Who will stop her dark quest? Who else? The troublemaking and time-traveling kender--Tasslehoff Burrfoot.
Unfortunately, with the mystery of the "One God" revealed, much of the narrative impetus that made the first two books page-turners is lost. However, while there isn't much left to write about in Dragons of a Vanished Moon, the scenery is beautiful. There is an Elven exodus across the "plains of dust," stubborn Solamnic knights, cunning dragons, plotting wizards, and a full helping of Kender antics as Tasselhoff assumes the role of fly in the dark queen's ointment. The conclusion is a textbook deus ex machina but fans should enjoy this book for what it is--another chance to return to the wonderful world of Krynn with its two most competent guides at the helm. --Jeremy Pugh
Book Description
The flames of war devour Ansalon. The army of dead souls marches toward conquest, led by the mystical warrior Mina, who serves the powerful One God.
A small band of heroes, driven to desperate measures, leads the fight against overwhelming odds.
Two unlikely protagonists emerge. One is a dragon overlord who will not easily relinquish her rule. The other is an irrepressible kender who has been on a strange and remarkable journey that will end in startling and unforeseen fashion.
The stirring climax of the War of Souls.
Customer Reviews:
Very weak novel written by great authors.......2007-07-05
I have been a fan on Weiss and Hickman's writing for several years now, reading all of their DragonLance novels as well as other works. And I've never been disappointed. Until now.
Dragons of a Fallen Sun, the first book of the trilogy was highly entertaining, and gripping. It was up to the par of Weiss and Hickman's work. Most of book two was good as well. And then when the identity of the "One God" became revealed, the series took a dramatic turn for the worse. Melodramatic, cheesy, and overwraught.
A further complaint I had with this novel was the reappearance of Raistlin. It's painfully obvious that the authors love this character, and I don't really understand why. He was interesting enough for the original six books. But I've had enough of it--even when his character isn't physically present, some character or other is obsessing over Raistlin.
I do give them credit for the characters of Mina and Galdar. They are compelling, and provide a freshness to the Dragon Lance saga. I trust that the next books Weiss and Hickman put out will be better.
Awesome conclusion to the series.......2007-04-16
Well, this is the last in the War of Souls Trilogy. Interestingly, some could say this is the last book of a 11 book series (although Margaret Weis continues further with Amber and Ashes whick I'm reading now).
The character development is excellent. For example, I found that I did not like Gerald's character in the earlier books, but this book changed my mind about him. GAlder also is a very interesting character who seems to be in a tough situation with the one god.
Questions that often linger reading this book are, can the people overcome the one god? Will the other gods find the world in time to help? Where are the dragons? Does Tas really have to go back and be stepped on by Chaos or is there a better way? What is the ultamate fate of Palin and Dalamar?
BEsides Tas...another hero of the lance mysteriously appears, but I'm not telling who. You must read and find out.
It seems like any book my Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickmen is good. They are just plain good writers. Althought I don't believe this trilogy as a whole tops the almighty Dragonlance chronicles, it comes quite close. I would recommend reading these Dragonlance books in this order before reading this one:
Dragons of the Autumn Twilight
Dragons of the Winter Night
Dragons of the Spring Dawning
Time of the Twins
War of the Twins
Test of the Twins
Second Generation
Dragons of the Summer Flame
Dragons of the Fallen Sun
Dragons of the Lost Star
Dragons of the Vanished Moon
In the land of twists..........2007-03-02
I am thrilled with this series, and certainly, with this book. I love the different twists and the loose ends that get tied up. I had been missing Lord Soth and it was excellent to sit in his commanding presence again. The appearance of the minotaurs in this book has to be among my favorite scenes in the book. Any of you who have read this story know the scene I mean!
And I was especially intrigued by the treatise written by Valthonis at the end, describing what had actually happened to the world, what Takhisis actually did and how Tasslehoff actually fits into all of it. I'd always enjoyed the afterwords that Weis and Hickman had put into the Death Gate novels and I was glad to see one here.
So, as always, I eagerly await their next book (Dragons of the Highlord Skies) and I say, keep on writing!
Rest In Peace, War Of Souls........2006-08-21
The first time I read this book was before I read the other two (Dragons of a Fallen Sun, Dragons of a Lost Star) so i'll admit I didn't really understand it. However after the other two books arrived, I read it again and all I could do was gape at the beauty and genius of the book. So, to start with the real review: this book is flawlessly built with no problems that I could see. The characters were perfect! they behaved like they should after what happened in the first two books. Tasslehoff is shown to be truly mature at the end with a full understanding of what a hero must do after behaving like an irresponsible kender for the pther two books. Dalamar behaves once again like the power hungry wizard who'll do anything do get the magic, Palin acts like a hero once again, fighting the One God to save Ansalon though it may cost him his life. Odila's not that much better but thts okay with me, as all she needed to do was stop laughing about everything and she does that in the book. I especially liked the change that came over Gerard. He learns to stop being so cynical and mean to people and becomes a true knight. I liked how an older character returned and had a major role in the book. I loved Lord Soth's return and repent, which shows he is human. The gods doing stuff in the book was also nice and contributed a lot to the plot. I liked the change that came over Gilthas in the end and how he also became a sort of a hero. The suprise ending was a great part. I loved it.
To conclude: this book is great, a must read for any Dragonlance fan.
I offer my applause, but I am finished with this tale now........2006-06-20
I have to give it to Weis and Hickman: they are willing to develop their world in ways that the average fan mightn't like. I know I basically started giving up on the DragonLance saga after the War of the Twins because slowly, all the heroes I knew and enjoyed began to die. At this, generations later, I find it difficult to care about this new pantheon of heroes and enemies.
However, I have to admit that that's purely selfish, and also that these heroes and enemies are a whole heck of a lot more varied than the Heroes of the War of the Lance. Straight-up good and evil is starting slowly to disappear in this plane, and worst of all the goodguys we feel attached to most are making terrible mistakes. It certainly keeps one reading the seven hundred or so pages to make sure everything turns out all right in the end.
Now all of that might change with the denouement of this volume, which took me several years to get around to because the previous book depressed me so much. However, I must say that this world is now removed enough from the world I invested in during a completely different time of my life that I'm not really interested in it anymore. For those first getting into DragonLance, it's probably quite a magnificent work, and to them I eagerly suggest they go in backward order, ending with the War of the Lance. I did something somewhat to that effect myself and ended up enjoying how the tales changed within the setting as subsequent generations slowly forgot intricacies and exaggerated others.
--PolarisDiB
Product Description
Books one through ten of the popular Roswell High series written by Melinda Metz.
Book Description
Ten years ago, Sarah Mason's six-year-old daughter vanished during an outing at a local park in Beaufort, South Carolina. Despite a furious search, little Lexie was never found, and Sarah was left to pick up the pieces of her shattered life and go on as best she could.
Then, on one hot July night, she returns home from work to hear the phone ringing. When she picks it up, a child's terrified voice whispers, "Mommy, help, come and get me . . ." The call is cut off, but not before Sarah's heart goes into overdrive: the voice belongs to Lexie. Six-year-old Lexie. Though ten years have passed, she sounds exactly the same.
Frantic, Sarah turns to the police, the FBI, family, and friends, none of whom can help. Out of desperation, she approaches Jake Hogan, once a detective assigned to Lexie's case. Jake is now a P.I., and though he is skeptical, the attraction he feels for Sarah pushes him to help her. Ben is convinced someone is deliberately tormenting the grief-stricken mother, and the continued tension of sketchy and unpredictable clues forces them to rely only on each other. Together they're caught in a nightmare search for Lexie, who might just still be alive-if only Jake and Sarah can hang on.
Customer Reviews:
Tickled pink.......2007-10-10
The book arrived in perfect time. My wife wanted something to read on our trip, and she loved it.
Incredibly Dull.......2007-06-27
This book was the dullest read I've ever had the misfortune to read. It was a complete waste of money and time. The first chapter started of semi-ok and then detioriated. For a romantic suspense. . .there was very little suspense or romance. 10 chapters into the book. . .nothing happened. There had been maybe 5 pages spent on the mystery of her daughter and about 5 pages on the so called romance. There was a lot of monotonous dialogue. Also, Ms. Robards needs to research her knowledge of the law a lot better. There was one scene where she said "dismissed without prejudice" could not be retried. The reason that it is without prejudice is so that it can be retried.All of the characters were one dimensional and stereotypical. It didn't help that neither of the main characters were particularly likable. The hero was a 39 year old man who liked to date young blonde bimbos. The heroine was an anorexic whinger. Then there was a bunch of boring cases that preposterously tied together at the end. ****spoiler**** The convenience store robbery was also part of the twist. That was ridiculous! What two young thugs just waited until the heroine made a late night run to a convenience store so that they could make it seem like a "bungled robbery." That was asinine! Ms. Robards should go back to writing Historical Romances because her suspense books are terrible.
Not up to her usual standards.......2007-06-13
This was a good story, with good suspense and much of the typical Robards' humor sprinkled throughout, mostly thanks to Sweetie Pie, but it's not her best. It almost reads like the story was too short so she (or her editor) went back and added a bunch of unnecessary details to fill it out. One example - when Sarah wakes up in the hospital after being shot, I counted at least 9 references to the fact that frowning hurt her head. That's a little ridiculous. And much later, the part where she realized Jake must have put the towel in the hamper because he went into the bathroom with it and came out empty handed. Was all of that information really necessary? Robards could have achieved the same result by simply saying Jake went into the bathroom to dump the towel, or something similar. I also agree with others that the ending was unrealistic. I hope her next book is much better than this, or, like many other favorite authors who have gone downhill, I'll have to relegate Robards to library-only reading instead of wasting any more money.
Vanished.......2007-01-08
Sarah Mason witnesses a robbery and she barely escapes alive. She fled the scene dragging a little girl to safety who had been hiding under a table in the store. After being shot at, Sarah is taken to the hospital but the little girl has disappeared.
Jake Hogan is a private investigator and Sarah's best friend. He is concerned about Sarah's safety and becomes her bodyguard while he investigates what happened the night of the robbery. Jake has been attracted to Sarah for a long time but Sarah relies on him as a friend and he won't let his lust destroy the bond they share. She needs him to much. Jake is all the family Sarah has left since her daughter Lexi vanished seven years ago.
Sarah is an Assistant District Attorney. Prosecuting a police officer in a recent case has made her some enemies in the precinct so when someone starts using Lexi to play mind games with her, Sarah wonders if she is going crazy or is someone doing this to her on purpose.
As the mysterious and unnerving events unfold, Sarah is caught up in a deadly and perverse game that may provide her the answers she has been searching for since Lexi's disappearance. Jake's constant support keeps Sarah on her feet. With his help, Sarah hopes to find the closure she so desperate seeks. What she discovers is worse than anything she had imagined.
Vanished is a powerfully emotional story. It is gripping and intense. I could feel Sarah's angst and sadness throughout the story. I was mildly disappointed by Sarah's initial regrets with Jake because she is not one to take her emotions lightly so her rejection is uncharacteristic. The events that unfold are very dark and disturbing in Vanished. It is every parents nightmare. Although it is upsetting to read at times, Vanished is also poignant, moving, and very well written.
Nannette
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed
Good ride, predictable ending........2006-10-08
Sarah Mason may have become a workaholic since the disappearance of her five year old seven years ago but she still has a dog to feed. That late night run down to the local shop for dog food places the assistant district attorney smack in the middle of a hold up. As the tacky little drama plays itself out, Sarah is stricken by the sight of a young girl hiding out underneath a table, unseen to the robbers. In her efforts to save the girl from being shot along with the cashier, Sarah takes a bullet herself.
When Sarah comes to in the safe arms of paramedics it's chilling to find out that the girl has gone and no one knows who it is she is talking about. It becomes Sarah's mission to find this little girl, once again taking on local authorities and with the help of her best friend, private investigator Jake Hogan, re-visiting some very dark places. When the call comes from her presumed dead little daughter in the middle of the night, Sarah goes from determined to full out panic in a heartbeat.
If romantic suspense is your bag, you've already heard of Karen Robards. A good balance of the mystery and the romantic relationship that will occur somewhere in her novels is employed successfully once again. It's predictable, but the romantic inclusion is just enough and not too distracting as to the reason why our heroine is in jeopardy in the first place.
With the mix of plot types it is somewhat of a tightrope effort from authors in this genre to get it right without sacrificing too much to either camp. Too much of the slush and we're annoyed with the heroine; too much action, the romantics feel they aren't getting to know their characters well enough.
Remember the endings with romantic novels? They're pretty much all the same. With crime and mystery you don't always need the happies and this is where VANISHED falls down in its efforts not to horrify its readers too much at the conclusion of the read. Ms Robards offers a very good story here and there's more than one giant tug at your heartstrings with the thought of your child going missing in any way close as to what happens with daughter in this novel.
This genre took its successful spin away from mainstream romantic fiction (paperback) novels a long time ago and Ms Robards with her latest novel, VANISHED, is doing very nicely right along with it.
Book Description
FROM THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF JOHN ADAMS
Winner of the 1982 National Book Award for Biography, Mornings on Horseback is the brilliant biography of the young Theodore Roosevelt. Hailed as a masterpiece by Newsday, it is the story of a remarkable little boy -- seriously handicapped by recurrent and nearly fatal attacks of asthma -- and his struggle to manhood.
His father -- the first Theodore Roosevelt, "Greatheart," -- is a figure of unbounded energy, enormously attractive and selfless, a god in the eyes of his small, frail namesake. His mother -- Mittie Bulloch Roosevelt -- is a Southerner and celebrated beauty.
Mornings on Horseback spans seventeen years -- from 1869 when little "Teedie" is ten, to 1886 when he returns from the West a "real life cowboy" to pick up the pieces of a shattered life and begin anew, a grown man, whole in body and spirit.
This is a tale about family love and family loyalty...about courtship, childbirth and death, fathers and sons...about gutter politics and the tumultuous Republican Convention of 1884...about grizzly bears, grief and courage, and "blessed" mornings on horseback at Oyster Bay or beneath the limitless skies of the Badlands.
Customer Reviews:
Expecting more..........2007-05-14
I was really expecting more TR info in this book... a little more than I needed to know about his family and acquaintances and not enough about the man himself.
Excellent writing about Theodore R. and his family.......2007-04-03
David McCullough's writing is superb. I have to admit I liked Thedore Roosevelt better as a person in Theodore Rex. His personal correspondence in this book reveals too much about his apparent enjoyment in killing animals for my taste. IMO his image as a conservationist is tarnished by the joy he took in killing. I was especially offended by his shooting the neighbor's dog when riding his horse. If I had lived back then and he shot my dog, I can safely say it would have been the last dog he ever shot and his departure from life would have been made slow and painful...
But that dislike of his joy of killing aside, he and his family were extraordinary. One cannot change history, so I go with the flow to learn more about it and the people in it...
Review on Mornings on Horseback.......2007-03-25
This book is an excellent history material. For those who are studying or are just interested in American history, this a great secondary source that brings Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. to life. The style Mr. David McCullough uses is very easy to understand, and it is also very descriptive in nature which makes readers feel they were present at the scene. The only weakness is that the book limits T.R.'s life to a 19 year period, which happens before his greatest achievements. Basically, the author leaves you wanting more...
Great choice of biography, great author, and accessable price!
F.C, GA
Excellent Audio Version.......2007-01-08
The two readers for this meticulously researched biography of Theodore Roosevelt add appeal, especially when reading the parts with the southern lady or Irish accents. Well done!
Amazon.com
"Murder is the greatest aberration of human nature, it brings out some ingenious subterfuges," remarks Inspector Jefe Javier Falcón, as he ponders a series of ambiguously motivated and ostensibly unconnected suicides in The Vanished Hands, British author Robert Wilson's sequel to his haunting 2003 novel, The Blind Man of Seville.
It's the summer of 2002, more than a year after the shattering events recounted in Blind Man, and Falcón, the chief homicide cop in Seville, Spain, has finally regained his confidence and powers of concentration. Still, he cannot fathom why Rafael Vega, a construction company honcho (and recreational butcher), should have smothered his younger, unstable wife in bed, then chugged a fatal draught of drain cleaner. Is there any connection between this tragedy and the disappearance of the Vegas's Ukranian gardener, or money laundering by the local Russian mafia? Can Rafael Vega's demise be related to his distrust of the U.S. government or to a note found in his hand, with its seeming allusion to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks? As Falcón questions the Vegas's suburban neighbors, he discovers one couple linked to the slaying of an Iranian carpet-dealer in New York, and another nearby resident, renowned actor Pablo Ortega, whose grown son is in prison for kidnapping and abusing an 8-year-old boy. Yet these scandals aren't obviously helpful to Falcón in solving the Vega case. Nor do they explain why those first deaths are soon followed by Ortega's drowning in a cesspool, the suicidal leap of an aging child-crimes investigator, and Russian mafia threats against Falcón.
Wilson doesn't exploit Seville's exotic setting so well here as he did in Blind Man, and it can be challenging to follow this sequel's political backstory. However, the author more than makes up for these weaknesses with the depth of his psychological explorations, the ways in which he taunts his police with justice slightly beyond their reach, and a patient storytelling pace that enhances investigative revelations. Falcón remains a potent and pivotal figure, his traumas in the last book being replaced in these pages by personal dramas (three different women tug at the inspector jefe's heart, feeding his hope without depleting his loneliness). Founded in mendacity, fraught with betrayals, The Vanished Hands maintains a firm grip on the reader from its start. --J. Kingston Pierce
Book Description
A suspicious suicide calls Javier Falcón to a wealthy neighborhood on the outskirts of Seville in this sensational follow-up to Robert Wilson's thriller The Blind Man of Seville. Falcón begins to investigate a case with no solid evidence when suddenly, in quick succession, two more suicides occur-one of them a fellow police officer in the sex crimes unit. Left to discover what made life so unbearable for these victims, Falcón must find the connection among the suicides. As his investigation deepens, so too does suspicion that perhaps these deaths aren't suicides after all, and the mystery takes a shocking, explosive turn.
Customer Reviews:
again a novel about paedophilia.......2007-08-17
the start is very promising, and I couldn't let the book down. Great police work. But towards the end, it was found the bad guys were in a paedophile ring with political connections, and nobody could touch them. So overly used in detective novels, so boring, it seems that the author didn't know what to use as a mobile for all those deaths. The end was like a wet cracker. But overall, a good detective novel.
Worthy second in the Falcon series.......2007-05-08
Robert Wilson is a wizard at balancing strong, complicated plot lines with strong characters in most of his thrillers. "The Vanished Hands" is no exception. What I particularly like about the Falcon series is the evocative descriptions of Seville and the context it provides for Wilson's characters and story lines--elements certainly a part of this novel. The plot of "The Vanished Hands" has already been well described by previous reviewers so I'm just joining the appreciative chorus of the book's admirers here, but if you get this title and enjoy it, consider the third of the Falcon series, "The Hidden Assassins." It's first rate.
Vanished Hands, Maybe, But No Vanished Stars!.......2007-02-27
This is my first book by Wilson and I am very impressed. He is one of those few thriller writers who relies on good old fashioned WRITING. No cheap tricks, no serendipitous coincidences, no whiz-bang save-the-world with only seconds to go. No, Robert Wilson takes his time, develops his characters, unravels his complicated plot, leavens each page with great wordsmithing and, in so doing, presents the reader with a treasure. This book, however, is not perfect. There are so many characters that he thoughtfully provides a cast of characters at the end of the book. And the pacing of the novel bogs down right at the outset, but like a big train engine, the novel rolls down the tracks, gaining momentum that, by the end of the book, seems unstoppable. I liked this book because it was a good read and it didn't insult my intelligence.
An intriguing story.......2006-06-26
After having been very disappointed with Robert Wilson's "A Small Death in Lisbon," I really enjoyed reading "The Vanished Hands." It is a psychological murder mystery, set in a sizzling hot Summer in Seville, Spain. The book is well written, with intriguing, mostly believable characters. Once you get into it, it is hard to put down. I highly recommend it.
Another Satisfying Thriller from Robert Wilson.......2005-09-27
I picked up "The Vanished Hands" because I had loved "The Company of Strangers" and "A Small Death in Lisbon." At first I didn't enjoy "The Vanished Hands" as much. I hadn't read "The Blind Man of Seville" and I found the references to it distracting. Also, I prefer historical settings for thrillers and this one is set in July 2002. I couldn't even get much of a feel for Seville. Of course, the barrio where the book is set is described as more like California than Spain, so maybe that was the problem. However, I soon found myself unable to put the book down. Javier Falcon is fascinating, flawed and following his intuition about coincidences and contradictions -- correctly, as it turn out.
Other reviewers commented on Wilson's character development and I agree that is one of his strengths. The murder victim Rafael Vega is dead when the book opens but he becomes one of the most intriguing characters in the book. Falcon's therapist is a blind woman. I loved how she held his wrist during their sessions so she could feel his pulse. But the most riveting character is Falcon himself. He's so thoughtful and subtle. I plan to go back and read "The Blind Man of Seville," even though I pretty much know what happens from having read "The Vanished Hands." I want to know more about Falcon. "A Small Death in Lisbon" is still my favorite, but "The Vanished Hands" is an excellent book.
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- Hunter's Moon
- If on a winter's night a traveler
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- In the Belly of the Bloodhound: Being an Account of a Particularly Peculiar Adventure in the Life of Jacky Faber (Bloody Jack Adventures)
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- Inside the Minds: Selling Million Dollar Homes--Industry Leaders on Becoming a Tier 1 Real Estate Agent (Inside the Minds)
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Books Index
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