The Citadel

Book Description

This thrilling novel of a doctor's life has been the subject of a Mobil Masterpiece Theatre dramatic series on PBS. "Cronin's distinguished achievement. . . . No one could have written as fine, honest, and moving a study of a young doctor as "The Citadel" without possessing great literary taste and skill".--"The Atlantic Monthly".

Customer Reviews:

Fine novelistic treatment of British medicine during the 1930s.......2007-04-23

This nicely written novel by A.J. Cronin (1896-1981) is an excellent entrée into the world of British medicine in the 1920s and `30s, a world in which a character in his 50s can be described as "elderly," and in which doctors specializing in lung diseases are regularly portrayed cigarette in hand. Cronin was himself a Scottish doctor who practiced in South Wales after World War I and who, like his protagonist Andrew Mason, investigated lung diseases of miners. Much of the impressive characterization and physical description in this book has the ring of personal observation.

With considerable narrative skill, Cronin tells the familiar story of gaining the world but losing one's soul. The characters and development are mostly believable, although Mason's sudden reconversion from materialism to idealism takes a bit more willing suspension of disbelief than I'm used to providing novelists. Cronin, although not profound, introduces a number of clever touches, such as having Mason, at his materialistic nadir, excoriate his wife for reading the Gospel of Luke--St. Paul's "beloved physician."

Why should good men suffer while evil men prosper?.......2006-05-23

I am a premedical student completeing my 3rd year of college. I read this book because it was recommended to me as one of those books that aspiring doctors should read before entering the profession.

The story is a chronological account of Manson's life from his graduation from college, through his professional life as a physician in 1920's-1930's England. The book sketches Manson's change from his schoolboy idealism to cynical medical profiteer and his final return to the high ethical and medical standards with which he begun his medical career.

Throughout the book, the reader will consistently encounter two major themes. First is the resistance of the highly conservative medical establishment of the 1920's England to any sort of change illuminated by the advancement of science. Manson again and again butts heads with his fellow doctors, patients and medical societies when he uses "unorthodox" treatments that actually deliver clinical results as oppose to the cod liver oil and patented concoctions that deliver no results except to line the wallets of greedy doctors.

The second theme is the dishonesty of many in the medical establishment. By pandering to rich patients, by telling people what they want to hear, by sucking up to social elites while ignoring those in actual plight, a dishonest doctor stands to profit immensely. On the other hand, an honest doctor who delivers the sad, untolerable, but ultimately true diagnosis is shunned as a quack. Witness the rich middle class wives who are nothing but hypochondriacs mooning over charlatans promising them cures with their patented cures that are nothing but colored water. Then compare that to their shock and abhorence at Dr. Manson's abrasive but true diagnosis that the only thing wrong with them is their fat, lazy, sedamentary lives.

Being a reader or a patient it might be easy to to criticize Dr. Manson for his fall into the ranks of such evil men. However, unless one has suffered through the insanely long, difficult and expensive process of being a doctor, one cannot truly understand the frustration that Manson felt seeing less qualified colleagues who pander to patients drive in luxury automobils while he himself have barely bread to eat.

Although much has changed for the better since this book was written by A.J. Cronin in the 1930's, the reader is reminded that the same evils that existed back then exist now today. Flashy, expensive treatments pander to those diseases like aging skin and sagging [...] will ultimately have their patrons. Yet if the reader has learned anything from this book, its that the gruffy advice he gets from his physician who recommends nothing but an asprin and a good nights rest may be the least thing he wanted to hear, but will be the best and most honest advice.

the Citadel.......2006-02-11

When I first picked up the Citadel, I wasn't sure how much I would like it. The version I own is old, crumbly, with the gold of the title scuffed and faded. Looking at the book in my hands, I couldn't imagine that the exploits of the hero, Andrew, would resonate with me.

To the contrary, as a person about to go into clinic for the first time, I sympathized with and came to a profound understanding of his character. Perhaps what was most surprising to me was that the issues he faces in his medical practice are truly the same as the issues a new doctor would face today, from the uncaring five-minute sessions with patients, to prescriptions for no reason, to the paucity of the medical system in impovershed areas, to the tendency of the profession to pander to pharmaceutical companies. In the end, the dark underbelly of the medical profession presented in Cronin's novel is literally identical to that of the medical profession today.

At the same time, we see examples of caring, skilled and thoughtful medical professionals in Andrew and his best friend.

Although the medical details weren't the main point of the novel, I found them to be the most involving and interesting. If you can stand lots of 'darling's and old-fashioned and slightly cloying manners of address, the relationship between Andrew and Christine is really one of the highlights of the novel; their courtship is perfectly awkward and uncomfortable, their early marriage suitably serene, and their slow trip down as Andrew slowly becomes everything he hated about the medical profession is understandable, from the character's point of view.

I must say that the ending, which I won't spoil here, was considerably dramatic - maybe too much so - but overall, the story was enchanting, incredibly involving and exciting at points (blowing up the sewer system!), and filled with enough romance that never quite stepped over the line in terms of its sweetness. Andrew was a perfectly well-balanced character, noble and intelligent yet prone to fits of temper or arrogance. Overall, I was startled to find out just how much I could relate to the character and his situation. Definitely worth a read on a rainy afternoon. :)

Interesting and informing.......2006-01-23

I find this book as being pretty interesting. i have read it in my class and i actually used to read ahead. it really kept me excited and anxious to see how the events would turn out to be. i just criticize the uncomprehensive ending of the novel. but overall, i think A.J. cronin did a great job on this one

Bringing him back to Blaenelly Standrds.......2004-12-26

Set in the 20's and 30's of Britain, this fascinating novel
recounts the evolution of a young Scottish doctor embarking upon his career. We follow his struggles from the mines of Wales to posh London and beyond. Committed to helping mankind, hard working though of modest means, Andrew Manson arrives fresh out of medical school--with all the enthusiasm and idealism of youth. Eager to dedicate himself to improving the lives of his rustic patients, Andrew dedicates many hours to private study in his chosen field of lung disease.

But young Andrew is buffeted by fate for many years; although lucky in his choice of a life partner (school teacher Christine Barlow), he encounters opposition at every turn--from his employers, institutions, quacks and busybodies. Each move promises to be an upgrade, but he is rarely permitted to enjoy the change for long. He does meet a few decent young men in his travels, but he gradually chafes under the system which perpetuates greed and ignorance-the medical establishment in general, to which Cronin refers as the Citadel. Only a fool-hardy person would seek to attack such a mighty establishment, for the GMC can always strike a doctor off for misconduct-real or perceived.

Cronin's style is highly readable, with much dialogue and interesting plotting. In fact he offers teaser sentences of woe as unexpected foreshadowing in the last paragraph of chapters which seem to end well. We witness the erosion of Andrew's ideals as he falls victim to the wealthy lifestyle of London's West End milieu. But the more he gains in the eyes of the world, the less he cherishes his faithful, patient wife. Chris struggles in her own private torment, desperately seeking to ally him with old and true friends, who might bring him back to the standards of their early marriage, when they were poor but very happy. Which path will the would-be medical reformer ultimately choose? Will the Citadel shut him out or crush his humanity at the end? A wonderful, timeless classic.

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Average customer rating:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers
Pants on fire?
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
Very Interesting
History as Science Fiction

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Chinese | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Irish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Japanese | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Doctors & Medicine | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Lawyers & Criminals | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Love, Sex & Marriage | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Assyria, Babylonia & Sumer | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Early Civilization | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Historiography | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

French | Erotica | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Victorian | Erotica | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Epic | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

German | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Russian | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Chinese | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Conspiracy Theories | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

War on Drugs | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

English (All) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

Science | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

Online Research | Genealogy | Reference | Subjects | Books

Native American | Earth-Based Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

History of Science | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

Magic & Wizards | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Sailor Moon | Popular Characters | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Pilates | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

History | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 2913621058

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Operation "Citadel", A Text and Photo Album, Volume 1: The South

Average customer rating:

Amazing pictures!
Wonderful Picture Book
Operation Citadel
Indispensable; brings Citadel to life
Exploding the Myth

Operation "Citadel", A Text and Photo Album, Volume 1: The South
J. Restayn , and N. Moller
Manufacturer: J.J. Fedorowicz Publishing Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0921991703

Book Description

The first volume of the long awaited 2 volume photo study of the Battle of Kursk which promises something for everyone, whether serious historian, WW II enthusiast or hobbyist. This first volume covers the Southern sector of the attack culminating in the tank battle at Prokhorovka. The SS Panzer Korps, with the 1., 2. and 3.SS Panzer-Grenadier-Divisions, the Grossdeutchland Pazergrenadier Division and the 503 Heavy Tank Battalion all fought in this sector. The book includes hundreds of photos, most previously unpublished or miscaptioned in the past by less careful authors, which tell the story of this crucial German gamble in the summer of 1943. The color profiles included are to the Author's usual very high standards and the included maps succinctly describe the unit positions of both sides during various phases of the onslaught. Not just a photo album, the book includes a discussion of the operational concepts that led to the fighting, force comparisons and a! description of the objectives of the opposing forces. A detailed day-by-day description of the actions of all German units involved in the attack in this sector is also included. Finally, the authors lay to rest several misconceptions and legends surrounding this epic battle and provide irrefutable evidence that German losses were not nearly so great as Soviet and other sources have long claimed. Includes 702 photos, 48 pages of color vehicle, equipment and aircraft illustrations, 4 color maps and 3 pages of color tactical insignia.

Customer Reviews:

Amazing pictures!.......2006-10-23

At just over $60, this book provides some brilliant photos of the battle. Do not hesitate, buy this book. I will be buying volume 2 when it is released.

Wonderful Picture Book.......2006-08-03

A very interesting Picture book with never seen photos of best quality before. Ideal for modellers.

Operation Citadel.......2006-03-02

If you are a fan of these Fedorowicz photo albums then this is another one that will be of interest.This volume concentrates on the conflict in the Southern sector of the Kursk/Orel area.
The book has the usual JJF mix of crisp clear photos as well as 'in action' pictures that while of lesser quality,are of no lesser interest.The 700 photos in the book are mainly of the German forces involved,although the Russian side is represented as well. Understandably the Armored units predominate,but there are also many images of the crews and Infantry that took part in the battle.
Add to this over 90 vehicles are represented in color plates as well as a concise overview of the day to day operations.An added touch is the individual recollections of some of the combatants involved.
All in all a first rate book.

Indispensable; brings Citadel to life.......2005-06-10

This is an outstanding book. The authors have developed an excellent account of the southern half of the Kursk battle. That said, potential readers should be aware that this book is not an exhaustive text-based description of the battle. Rather, the main purpose of the book is to use an extensive collection of photographs to provide a visual account of the fighting.

A brief overview of the battle is included to orient readers to the general outline of the battle. Sprinkled through this account are some incredible first person combat narratives. These accounts vary in length from half a page to eight pages. All of them are gripping and amazing to read. One passage, told from to point of view of a tank driver of the 7./SS-Panzer Regiment 1 describes being ordered into the middle of a chaotic smoke-filled battlefield to rescue a wounded officer. In the process of the rescue attempt, the drivers tank is hit numerous times and most of the crew are killed. The diver only barely escapes death/capture himself.

The heart of the book are the photographs and they are excellent and well captioned. The quality of the photographs range from fuzzy to crystal clear. In general most are of very good quality and are crisper than the photographs found in many other world war two books. Those that are poor quality are included because they show unique events, such as a two photo sequence showing German tank fire engaging lend-lease Churchill tanks. There are lots of photographs. It took me six evenings to make it though a first pass of the book - and that was without really studying the photos, just looking at them and reading the captions.

I strongly recommend this book. The photographs are diverse enough to appeal to a causal reader, but dedicated east front and world war two enthusiasts will be overwhelmed with the quality of this work. A combination of this book and Glantz & House's "The Battle of Kursk" would make an excellent gift.

Exploding the Myth.......2005-06-05

Although largely a photo album, this book also explodes the myth surrounding the Battle of Kursk. The 1st 70 odd pages provides the main narrative to the book that looks at the overall situation on the Eastern front, the German and Soviet plans, the build up of equipment and order of battle (including tank inventory tables). Also included is a day by day blow analysis of the battle in the southern sector along with first hand accounts from tank commanders, drivers, grenadiers that vividly relive the battle. The book shows that history has perhaps taken Soviet reports at face value, but German losses were not as great as were claimed and in fact if the German attack may have succeeded if launched earlier or at least until Soviet reserves had been dealt a blow. Strangely the culminating clash of armour at Prochorowka has gone down in history as a great Soviet victory, although the Russian attack was effectively halted with the Russians losing 180 tanks with few German losses in comparison. However, further losses were incurred by the Germans when the operation was called off by Hitler, and equipment that was undergoing repair had to be abandoned once the Russians launched their counter offensive. The authors also try to stress the battle was not just a tank battle but included all arms including infantry, artillery and anti tank weaponary and the Luftwaffe and Red airforce.

The photo section is huge (covering over 350 pages) and great pains have been made to correctly label the photgraphs. Also included is a colour profile section of the vehicles used at Kursk and 3 operational maps.

All in all this is a fine book that questions recorded history that would please the keen historian, while the photo and profile section would keep the keen modeller equally happy. Recommended

Sword & Citadel: The Second Half of 'The Book of the New Sun' (New Sun)

Average customer rating:

A triumphant accomplishment
Truly Surreal
Thought-provoking
The Epic Continues
I fell in love...

Sword & Citadel: The Second Half of 'The Book of the New Sun' (New Sun)
Gene Wolfe
Manufacturer: Orb Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0312890184

Book Description

The Book of the New Sun is unanimously acclaimed as Gene Wolfe's most remarkable work, hailed as "a masterpiece of science fantasy comparable in importance to the major works of Tolkien and Lewis" by Publishers Weekly, and "one of the most ambitious works of speculative fiction in the twentieth century" by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Sword amp; Citadel brings together the final two books of the tetralogy in one volume:The Sword of the Lictor is the third volume in Wolfe's remarkable epic, chronicling the odyssey of the wandering pilgrim called Severian, driven by a powerful and unfathomable destiny, as he carries out a dark mission far from his home.The Citadel of the Autarch brings The Book of the New Sun to its harrowing conclusion, as Severian clashes in a final reckoning with the dread Autarch, fulfilling an ancient prophecy that will forever alter the realm known as Urth."Brilliant . . . terrific . . . a fantasy so epic it beggars the mind. An extraordinary work of art!"Philadelphia Inquirer"The Book of the New Sun establishes [Wolfe's] preeminence, pure and simple. . . . The Book of the New Sun contains elements of Spenserian allegory, Swiftian satire, Dickensian social consciousness and Wagnerian mythology. Wolfe creates a truly alien social order that the reader comes to experience from within . . . once into it, there is no stopping."-The New York Times Book Review

Customer Reviews:

A triumphant accomplishment.......2007-06-10

Sword and the Citadel and the last two books of the Book of the New sun Quartet. The story picks up after the Shadow and Claw, with Severian, the torturer continuing his Odysseian journey across the southern continent, on an Earth a millenia in the future as our Sun is dying. Severian intends to return The Claw of the Concilliator, a magic relic which seems to give him, at times, the power over death, the the Religious order from whom he accidentally took the claw from. Severian soon finds himself at the heart of events that can literally change the destiny of humanity.

This second and third book are an even greater accomplishment than the first two of the series were. As I wrote in the first novels' review, the language utilized throughout this series serves as a plot device in and of itself, not only serving to enhance the foreignness of the reading experience, but adding to the mystery which are part and parcel of its charm.

Severian finds himself evolving quite a bit through these last two novels he is coming to term with his own humanity and the nature of the brutality that is part of everyday. Severian finds himself even more deeply embroiled in the intrique that is the conflict between the rebel leader Vodalus, and the leader of the commonwealth The Autarch.

The brilliance in this novel it is so deeply imagined and so stunningly written that it is hard to imagine this was produced by an author of our time. There is a reason that this novel gets so much praised on it. It draws you in, and then it forces you to constantly cope with it's eccentric characterizations, which is akin to decoding a foreign lanquage that you are only semi fluent in. This is actually extremely satisying, but that is not in and of itself the biggest strength of the narrative. In many "fantasy/sci fi" books merely reads about extraordinary worlds, but in this series, the reader resides as an insider in this world. Ultimately the Sword and Citadel resolve a number of plot lines and mysteries, and of course this makes it greater than the first two.

The Sword and Citadel, and specifically the Book of the New Sun are indeed one of the greatest fantasy books written of all time. These books should be a part of any serious fan of fantasy, but really any one who enjoys high literature.

Truly Surreal.......2007-04-25

An excellent entry in the Dying Earth genre. Wolfe elaborates on his already fascinating and baroque Urth. His protoganists journey ends in full circle, but another one begins.

Wolfe's writing style is intense and interesting and the memoir style the book is written in works great. Highly recommended.

Thought-provoking.......2007-02-15

I like to read a well-written story. I like epic tales. This and the sequels fill the bill, quite nicely. You may need a dictionary handy when reading, due to the choice of terminology the author uses. It's worth it, if you like expanding your vocabulary like I do! This book is one of those books where you won't always assimilate everything there is the first time you read it. Unlike some novels, this one may provide new insights once you've allowed it to sit on the bookshelf for a few months then attack it with a (hopefully) new perspective.

The Epic Continues.......2007-02-09

Continuing with Severian, the narrator of Gene Wolfe's magnum opus, is a journey of academic wonder.

Sword & Citadel: The Second Half of 'The Book of the New Sun' (New Sun) wasn't as enjoyable for me as the first collection in the tetralogy. I think it's because the author's grand designs came to fruition. We find that the sun is indeed dying, but this was prophesied and the narrator is the realization of civilization itself, the savior come again. His esoteric exegesis of modern theology is too ambitious for my taste and I found myself working too hard at it and wanting too many breaks. I suppose my craving for knowledge met it's match in the effort required.

While Severian is accidentally fulfilling his preordained destiny, we as the reader are being challenged for our own beliefs and shown that faith, belief and higher powers are really part of our evolution, a dependency of our genetic makeup . . . that's where he lost me. The allegory aside as a New Sun/Son becomes the savior of all, this is a call to faith, or at least that's what I comprehended in the reading.

While all this is going on, we find that the narrator, our Messiah, is an untrustworthy source. He's been withholding information and twisting it in the telling. This is a trait of Wolfe who has claimed that narration is a reflection of humanity and humans are essentially untrustworthy creatures. While a clever devise, it takes away from the power of the story where readers have no other knowledge to depend on other than what the narrator relates.

It's good, but has flaws.

CV Rick

I fell in love..........2006-08-08

The predecessor to this book had me falling in love with Dorcas, one of the female characters. This one left me feeling a grave loss at her absence.

Wolfe has produced an excellently rich world and we accompany a rather unconventional character through it. Severian, a torturers' apprentice, guides us through our own planet- here spelled "Urth"- billions of years in the future as the sun is dying and humanity has advanced, as best I can put it, 'beyond technology.'

In his world, humans on Urth live in a ignorant barbarism while the technologies of today and of the future lie around them running their world. Severian is our guide through this world, and the journey is well worth taking- if you can put up with Severian's character.

The important thing to keep in mind is that these two books, and their predecessors, are written *by* Severian- Wolfe created Severian as a character, and then that character, in Wolfe's mind, wrote his own memoirs. The record is filled with the quirks of Severian's personality; it is disconnected, as so many lives are. Novels often present us with an unlikely series of events in which the hero continually gets lucky, saves the day just right, and then goes on to keep saving the day in a coherent fashion. Wolfe is well aware that things don't work that way in real life, and they don't work that way when people write memoirs, as Severian is doing. The entire Book of the New Sun is written as an account of Severian's life; he tells us the things that were important to him, and we watch as they happen. This story isn't "How Luke Became a Jedi and None of the Adventures that Occurred Along the Way" but rather "The Life of Severian, A Journeyman of the Order of the Seekers for Truth and Penitence."

Severian has adventures. They happen in such an order as to bring him to his final destination. Throughout it, there are side-adventures, needless digressions, unexpected meetings, stories told and stories heard, and unimportant characters encountered. Because that is how life goes.

So if you're looking for a true story, a Hero's Journey in the sense that we are used to seeing in our pop literature and movies, this isn't the place to find it. You might have noticed the rambling story in the first two books and assumed it would get more coherent. Not so. This series lacks narrative momentum entirely- you will find yourself engaged while reading it, but might not have much reason to pick it back up once you've put it down.

However, if you want to read a fictional memoir about a most interesting person who has some amazing adventures with some fairly good philosophical insights, I think you'll be very pleased. In this series, it is not the destination, but rather the journey, which dominates the mind of the reader. It is not important to make the decisions as to understand them- all of this exposition can get very Buddhist about it, but in the end these books do not center on continuity of adventures but rather the adventures themselves and how they shape Severian. They are truly a different kind of literature- new, fresh, and exciting for their experimentation and their creativity. At times, however, the freshness does work against the story. But I still feel it's well worth it.

Wizard: The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla : Biography of a Genius (Citadel Press Book)

Average customer rating:

Do not waste your Money
Worst book on Tesla ever!
The Best on Nikola Tesla
A great biography of Nikola Tesla
The Best Biography of Nikola Tesla

Wizard: The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla : Biography of a Genius (Citadel Press Book)
Marc Seifer
Manufacturer: Citadel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Scientists | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0806519606

Customer Reviews:

Do not waste your Money.......2007-03-16

If you want to read a good biography of Nikola Tesla I would recommend you two books: Man out of Time or Nikola Tesla: A spark of genius...

Worst book on Tesla ever!.......2007-01-27

This is by all means the worst book on Nikola Tesla ever! This book portrays Tesla in a way that he never was, a confused lunatic with confused visions and a hard line nationalist attitude. It is no wonder that one reader nicknamed huh concluded that Tesla was stupid and was not able to finish most of his inventions (by the way, this guy sounds like someone from Edison's camp). Tesla was born in an environment of constant clashes between Croats and Serbs, and Ottoman empire (not "Asian barbarians" as this author constantly portrays this great Empire) had nothing to do with Tesla's departure to US. Teslas's father was orthodox priest (a hardliner) who wanted to see his son in the Serbian army (it is the same army who completely escaped into Greece which is unknown example of cowardice in the history and whose king also escaped to England leaving his nation to German mercy, thus Tesla did not see anything great in this "great army"). Tesla refused going to Serbian army and he refused being hard-line nationalist. Tesla once said:" I am proud of my country Croatia and my Serbian nationality". This indicates best that he was not hard-line nationalist (keep in mind that Serbian nationalist even today claim that Croatia is occupied Serbian territory and that it will be wiped off the map). This author actually invented many stories of Tesla's life and even more of them are from second or third hand, totally untrue.
On the technical aspect of this book it is not even worth any comments. Someone who does not know anything about electrical tech must be wondering, what the heck did this guy Tesla invent anyway (hence huh reader again)? I would describe the technical portion of this book as a good joke; even Mr. Bean would do it better. Author just could not sustain a certain hatred for Ottoman empire, which by the way was not much different then eg. Roman empire. Stay away from this book, you will not learn anything from it and could be infected with serious hate.
This book is a zero mark!

The Best on Nikola Tesla.......2006-11-06

Without a doubt the most comprehensive book I have read on Mr. Tesla's life. This edition is meant for that reader who wants very detailed events and accomplishments about the scientist life. Mr. Seifer's research about Nikola Tesla's early life, his early school years, formal education and subsequent acquaintances establishes an overall base on which the reader can reference easily as the book progresses into Mr. Tesla's later years. The author brings to the reader's mind the fact that Nikola Tesla called his "close friends" the most amazing scientists at the turn of the 19th century who themselves became icons in the scientific community. However, Mr.Seifer, illustrates as well the human side of Nikola Tesla thereby keeping in focus the frail aspect of this incredible scientist and those devils his amazing intellect had to fight. I strongly recommend this book to those who wish to literaly know about Nikola Tesla's life. It is truly a manificent tome.

A great biography of Nikola Tesla.......2006-06-15

As you'd expect from a psychology professor, this biography is an extremely good biography of Tesla as a person, and a very good biography of his life and times. As with most scientific prodigies, the biographers are not equal to their subjects' scientific accomplishments, which leads to a certain amount of benign neglect. The book would not suffer under a few more historical mises en scène. All in all though, it is an extremely good book.

The Best Biography of Nikola Tesla.......2005-04-27

I value this book highly because of its even-handedness in its treatment of Nikola Tesla. Virtually every thing stated by Mr. Seifer is documented. After all, this book is the result of his doctoral dissertation.

The subject of the book is treated as a believeable human being. Assuredly, he was a genius; but the author fairly points out when Tesla may have missed the mark. The author neither blindly worships nor blindly condemns Nikola Tesla.

Because this is a biography, it does not go into depth about Nikola Tesla's inventions; Enough information is presented as is necessary to the story.

I am thankful that I have encountered this book because it is based upon truth.

The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead (Citadel Underground)

Average customer rating:

I Want to Take You Higher...
Leary's Confusion
Just a small correction
LIFE
A Few Corrections

The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead (Citadel Underground)
Timothy Leary
Manufacturer: Citadel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Book of the Dead (Tibetan) | Bible & Other Sacred Texts | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Mysticism | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Comparative Religion | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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

Medicine | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Professional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Religion & Spirituality | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0806516526
Release Date: 1995-01-01

Customer Reviews:

I Want to Take You Higher..........2007-03-16

This is Leary at his most prolific, this is an awe-inspiring book that will change the way you think about Life, Death, and LSD. This book is cleverly used to ease the apprehension of one of life's most fearful moments, the moment of death. Comparing an LSD trip to Tibetan death rituals, Leary shows us how enlightenment can be gained at all stages of life, even the final.

Leary's Confusion.......2006-07-15

The so-called Tibetan Book of the Dead (which is literally translated "Liberation Through Hearing In-Between" - apparently first given the Book of the Dead nickname to associate it with the Egyptian Book of the Dead) is said to give 3 opportunities to gain liberation at death - if it doesn't occur with awareness of the Clear Light, then hopefully with the appearence of the 100 wrathful & peaceful deities, or finally at the very least pulling off a decent human rebirth.

Leary correctly saw the correlation of this root text with acid's stages - but linked the acid trip with the process of dying without liberation - i.e. the dead listener in the root text was not supposed to go through all 3 stages if possible. This is only Leary's first confusion in suggesting acid and the liberation mentioned in the root text are similar, as has been critiqued much later by teachers like Chogyam Trungpa.

Just a small correction.......2006-06-20

"The Void" WAS the original working title for what became "Tomorrow Never Knows" - and was in fact the first song recorded during the Revolver sessions

LIFE.......2006-01-01

First, to -oo0(GoldTrader)0oo-, I'd like to make a few corrections; The Beatles never did a song called 'The Void', the one you're talking about is 'Tomorrow Never Knows'. And The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, especially, were pretty big stars even before they were introduced to this (a ton of US #1 singles, fx....)

Anyway, this is a great book, & a must-have for anyone interested in the concept of LIFE (and I still don't get people who aren't). sometimes it's a bit too 'technical' (do this, do that), and Huxley's 'The Doors Of Perception' is far better in any way. But this book is still essential, and I would recommend anybody that they buy it...

A Few Corrections.......2005-10-05

First a few corrections to ooo(Gold Trader)ooo's review just so people don't get confused with misinformation.

first-- the Beatles' song Gold Trader refers to is "Tomorrow Never Knows" on Revolver, and yes, it was obviously inspired by this book. Lennon claimed it was his only song which was actually about LSD. (Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds was about his son Julian's school drawing, according to Lennon)

second-- the Beatles were HUGE before they were ever exposed to LSD or Leary's manual, The book was written in 1964, the year Beatlemania swept the USA after being huge in Britain for over a year. That year they tried marijuana with Bob Dylan, but Lennon, who wrote "tomorrow never knows" didn't try LSD until 1965, (by accident) and sometime between then and when he wrote the song in 1966 (tomorrow never knows) is when he god clued into this book.

Another complete error already mentioned by other reviewers is about "Be Here Now" which was published in 1971, seven years after "the Psychedelic Experience." In fact, in "Be Here Now" Ram Dass talks about when Leary was writing "The Psychedelic Experience."

The internet has so many factual errors all over it, might as well correct these ones for a start.

As far as the book itself, it is quite interesting and may be of use in guiding one's experience with psychedelics. You should remember the context of this book and the times, though-- at the other pole, reacting against this extremely prescribed method of tripping was Ken Kesey with the Acid Tests, which you can read all about in Tom Wolfe's "Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test"

However, Leary's "manual" as this was, for tripping, did have a huge influence. I'd say, read this and the "Acid Test", and Ram Dass's "Be Here Now" which will let you know about some of the pros and cons of psychedelics from a very experienced tripper, then allow them all to influence your experience.

One last thing you can't forget with this "guide" is that it was written before LSD was illegal and by psychologists usuing pharmaceutical grade drugs-- not by people getting illegal drugs which they didn't know the quality or strength of. As Leary later says in the preface to "Politics of Ecstasy", the "Psychedelic Experience" and the "Psychedelic Reader" were written for a mature audience of intellectuals, not the masses of kids who would eventually try to use it.

Average customer rating:

Grand Teton: Citadels of Stone
Jeremy Schmidt , and Thomas Schmidt
Manufacturer: Thunder Bay Press (CA)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Nature & Wildlife | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Photo Essays | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Mountains | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Pictorial | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Yellowstone: Land of Fire and Ice (Genesis)

ASIN: 1571457860

The Sunless Citadel (Dungeons & Dragons Adventure, 3rd Edition)

Average customer rating:

Nice adventure but not without its flaws.
Great adventure for beginning players
Happy Adventuring
Dungeons and Dragons- 5
A Very Good Introduction

The Sunless Citadel (Dungeons & Dragons Adventure, 3rd Edition)
Bruce R. Cordell
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0786916400
Release Date: 2000-08-01

Book Description

Evil grows beneath the earth

Why should anyone travel the cracked cobblestones of the Old Road? The fortress that once cast its shadow across the road does so no longer -- some whisper that the earth swallowed the fortress whole in an age long past. Four brave adventurers resolved to discover the truth and set off down the Old Road, but they never returned.

The Sunless Citadel is the first in a series of eight stand-alone adventures for the Dungeons & Dragons game. This carefully crafted adventure, designed to challenge 1st-level D&D heroes, follows a path to a mysterious dungeon where evil has taken root, and a terrible tree and its dark shepherd plot in darkness.

To use this adventure, a Dungeon Master also needs the Player's Handbook, the Dungeon Master's Guide, and the Monster Manual.

Customer Reviews:

Nice adventure but not without its flaws........2007-03-05

Note that this review will contains a few tidbits that might be considered spoilers, but if you're a DM who's contemplating this purchase that shouldn't be a major problem.

I'm new to Dungeons & Dragons and DMing, so I decided that buying a module for our first adventure would be advisable, until I have enough experience and confidence to create my own campaign.

Although it is slightly outdated (being based on 3.0 rules rather than 3.5) it does not seem to conflict with the revised rules in any serious way, as far as I can tell.

As a site-based adventure (the site being the titular Sunless Citadel) most of the content in the module is devoted to the subterranean structure itself and almost no attention is given to the nearby town of Oakhurst and the surrounding environs. A little more detail in this area would be very nice, but it isn't missed too much.

The citadel itself doesn't fail to please. It's got a little of everything that you'd want in a good low-level dungeon, a cool little backstory involving a dragon cult (unfortunately relatively little of this backstory is directly available to your PCs, so you may want find wants to drop more hints and clues about its history if you think that is something they'd enjoy), a war between goblinoids (making diplomacy with one faction an option) and your obligatory sinister antagonist. There's traps, puzzles and secret passages ways. Your players will contend with a variety of threats including the aforementioned goblinoids, as well as the local vermin, the odd minor demon or two and even a dragon wyrmling.

One thing I'll note is that the adventure does seem a bit light on treasure for the players. I ran through the module and totaled all of the items and coinage up (including hidden treasures, enemy gear -- most of which isn't worth bothering with, potions and magic items) and the ballpark estimate I came up for if the PCs scraped the dungeon clean ends up at about 1/2 to 2/3 of what the Dungeon Master's Guide (3.5) recommends for a party to get from encounters in the course of achieving their 3rd level (which is how far this module will take the PCs), if that.

Perhaps the worst thing about the loot allocation (in my opinion) is that a large percentage (almost half) of the value of total loot is tied up with two particular items that make up the whole dungeon's hoard. This is the sort of thing that the DMG also advises against, as it makes fair loot splits between the players somewhat difficult. For a low level adventure in particular, I would prefer a more even loot spread.

The light treasure isn't a completely bad thing though. It gives you liberty to drop in a few items that you think you characters will like without necessarily overdoing it on loot -- just be careful and reference the pertinent sections of the DMG.

There are a few errors and inconsistencies. The goblin chief should have a higher CR and his encounter should have a higher EL. A few monsters should have higher or lower attack bonuses, save DCs, etc. Mostly minor stuff, but there is no good errata available online that I've been able to find.

My group is only about 1/3 of the way through the module so far but I think everyone is enjoying it. I'll probably get the "sequel" to this module (the Forge of Fury, which one of the treasures in this module vaguely hints at, though it isn't documented as such for the DM) while I work on writing my own adventure.

A good buy for a beginner DM.

Great adventure for beginning players.......2006-08-25

I used to play D&D many moons ago (and, no, I'm not going to tell you just how many, but it was a lot). I now have teenagers who wanted to try it. This adventure was a GREAT teaching module for my kids and their friends. It has pit traps, trapped doors, ambushes, riddles, more than one way through the dungeon, bits of treasure all over, and many different types of monsters. Beginning players CAN get through with hack 'n' slash, but they will be healthier (and richer) with a little thought and planning (and, duh, using Listen and Search, before and after entering a room and fighting a battle).

I found this adventure very well crafted (and I enjoyed the little bits of humor included for the DM). I think players of any experience level would enjoy it and new players would find it a very good way to start.

Happy Adventuring.......2004-11-13

This was a great module to introduce myself (as the DM) to 3rd edition gaming rules.
The adventure can fit well into most campaign settings and was interesting to play with my group.
I had to make some modifications to make the adventure a little more difficult at points (upping the hit points and AC of some key monsters), but it was easy and made the adventure more fun to play!
The side bars were also very helpful for the DM. I also purchased The Forge of Fury and my group is still engrossed in completing the mission.

Dungeons and Dragons- 5.......2004-08-11

This adventure is a great way to learn how to first play an RPG and get the feeling of DND. It has great adventures and was well thought out. The rules kind of slip off the train track for a second, but they get right back on. The game is fun and exciting. It will definately help you get out of your shell if you are a shy person.

A Very Good Introduction.......2003-03-08

My group and I are all in our 30's. We're gamers from the old days who decided to give 3e a try. As the DM, I was very pleased with this module. My players were, too.

First, I was pressed for time before our first sitting and knew there was no chance I'd have time to read two new rulebooks *and* compose my first dungeon in 15+ years, so buying a ready-made adventure was a necessity, not a luxury.

Second, even if I'd had time, I wouldn't have wanted to start off with a module of my own creation the first time out of the gate with the new rules. The odds were too high I'd make it just about any degree of difficulty other than the right one. So, again, a pre-made module seemed a good idea to get used to the new rules and give me an idea what to do to make my own later without making them either too easy or impossibly hard.

Third, I needed to be able to have a fairly easy time running a game with a new set of rules unfamilair to us all *and* running the adventure at the same time. This module was very nicely balanced, giving my players ample oportunitys to try out their various skills and included an abundance of rules tips and assistance for me.

In short, this module met all of my needs very nicely. It gave the characters a couple of decent hooks and some mysteries to solve, gave each of them several ways to be involved throughout, and allowed them to use a number of different gameplay approaches (rather than just hacking-and-slashing) so that it stayed interesting. Meanwhile it gave *me* lots of help and several interesting NPCs to play for them while still allowing me to do some creative DMing as I went. I was entirely satisfied and my players had a great time without ever feeling like they were being led by the nose or were on rails.

Also, because it's nicely ambiguous about the larger questions and gameworld, I am able to integrate it seamlessly into the ideas I have for where I want to take their campaign. My only complaint would be that Oakhurst, as other have noted, seems like an afterthought. More detail there - especially the same kind of attention to NPC characterization that the dungeon itself has - would have been appreciated.

All I really hoped for when I bought this - the one option available for a brand-new set of characters - was an adequate starter module that would get my players and I back in the groove after all these years. What I got was considerably more. The gameplay (some fighting, some puzzle-solving, some diplomacy, some sleuthing) provided a nearly perfect start to my campaign and matched the tone I wanted to set exceptionally well. I would not hesitate to recommend it for others just starting with the new rules, whether they're brand-new to gaming or old-timers coming back after a long hiatus.

Average customer rating:

Good book, but a little disappointing
The Citadel
Robert Doherty
Manufacturer: Harper
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
War | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
War | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
General | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Section 8

Lost Girls

Bodyguard of Lies

The Rock

WWIII: Darpa Alpha: A Novel (WWIII)

ASIN: 0060735856
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Book Description

At the start of the Cold War, the greatest threat to America wasn't the Russians and the looming Communist threat. Rather, it was an elite organization bent on world domination, a group so powerful only nuclear weapons could safeguard against them. The CIA knew what these men were capable of, and in a last ditch attempt to protect America against them, they built two high–security arsenals deep within the earth––one declassified in the Nevada desert, and one heavily under wraps in Antarctica. For over 50 years, no one spoke of The Citadel, the fortress deep under the ice in Antarctica that held the most powerful weapon known to man––until the Organization returned, hellbent on destruction.

Captain Jim Vaughn is a government agent known for performing missions no one else wants. So when an old colleague approaches him with an assignment, he can't refuse––even if the mission has been set in motion by a dead man's letter, found in Antarctica and dated 1949. The Citadel has been cracked, and the only man who can safeguard it is Vaughn. Nothing short of the fate of mankind rests on his shoulders.

Customer Reviews:

Good book, but a little disappointing.......2007-06-20

The Citadel is a pretty well done book, but I am a little disappointed because I had expected something new from Robert Doherty (Bob Mayer), but instead just got a copy and paste of one of his earlier books (writing as Bob Mayer entitled Eternity Base). A good portion of The Citadel is taken straight from Eternity Base (in many instances word for word, just with different character names).

For those who've never read Eternity Base then this will be new to you and worth reading, but if you've read Eternity Base then the only real new stuff is the little bit that pertains to the "Organization" from the Section 8 book.

I would have preferred an entirely new book instead of a basic re-hash of Eternity Base with a little added to it, but oh well. Hopefully his next books will not be like The Citadel and just take one of Bob Mayer's older books and just basically change the character names.

Average customer rating:

A Great Life Lesson Learned!
Stop the whining!!
A Fantastic Memoir
Disappointing, overrated
Another 3 Pointer For Pat

My Losing Season
Pat Conroy
Manufacturer: Nan A. Talese
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Authors | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Basketball | Biographies | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books

Book Description

PAT CONROY— AMERICA’S MOST BELOVED STORYTELLER— IS BACK!

“I was born to be a point guard, but not a very good one. . . .There was a time in my life when I walked through the world known to myself and others as an athlete. It was part of my own definition of who I was and certainly the part I most respected. When I was a young man, I was well-built and agile and ready for the rough and tumble of games, and athletics provided the single outlet for a repressed and preternaturally shy boy to express himself in public....I lost myself in the beauty of sport and made my family proud while passing through the silent eye of the storm that was my childhood.”

So begins Pat Conroy’s journey back to 1967 and his startling realization “that this season had been seminal and easily the most consequential of my life.” The place is the Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, that now famous military college, and in memory Conroy gathers around him his team to relive their few triumphs and humiliating defeats. In a narrative that moves seamlessly between the action of the season and flashbacks into his childhood, we see the author’s love of basketball and how crucial the role of athlete is to all these young men who are struggling to find their own identity and their place in the world.

In fast-paced exhilarating games, readers will laugh in delight and cry in disappointment. But as the story continues, we gradually see the self-professed “mediocre” athlete merge into the point guard whose spirit drives the team. He rallies them to play their best while closing off the shouts of “Don’t shoot, Conroy” that come from the coach on the sidelines. For Coach Mel Thompson is to Conroy the undermining presence that his father had been throughout his childhood. And in these pages finally, heartbreakingly, we learn the truth about the Great Santini.

In My Losing Season Pat Conroy has written an American classic about young men and the bonds they form, about losing and the lessons it imparts, about finding one’s voice and one’s self in the midst of defeat. And in his trademark language, we see the young Conroy walk from his life as an athlete to the writer the world knows him to be.

Customer Reviews:

A Great Life Lesson Learned!.......2007-01-12

My Losing Season is the story of The Citadel's '66-'67 season. Pat Conroy begins the book with a little background as to how he got into basketball and fell in love with the game, as a child in a military family moving from town to town every year. He takes the reader through his journey up until he arrives at The Citadel for college. While Conroy does give tremendous details about his experience at The Citadel, the majority of the book deals with the '66-'67 basketball season. Conroy takes the reader game for game through the ups and mostly downs of the season - their crazy coach Mel Thompson, the Green Weenies, the loss of confidence of the starting 5, and all the teams they play in the Southern conference.

As a reader you'll get to know these guys - DeBrosse, Cauthen, Kennedy, Zinsky, Tee Hooper, etc - you truly feel for them especially because they're real people and these games really happened! It's a great lesson on what one can learn from losing. Are those lessons more important that having a winning season? My only complaint was that since every chapter was really a different basketball game it got tedious at times. You definitely have to be a sports enthusiast to enjoy this book!

Stop the whining!!.......2006-12-25

I have a message for Pat Conroy: STOP YOUR WHINING. I read the book on a recommendation from a friend - however, I wish had not wasted my time on it. Mr Conroy did a masterful job of weaving the story of his life into his expereinces at the Citadel. But, personally, I could not take his whining attitude - the tough plebe system at the Citadel, his "Great Santini" father, his demeaning basketball coach, the reaction from Citadel alumnists over his bashing of their school. This book seemed to infer that he was suffering some inhumane, life-long injustice. Give me a break!! I regret that Mr Conroy's reputation as a great writer and the publisher's willingness to support this project allowed the book to be published in the first place. For anyone paying attention to the rest of the world, this book is a crock...one word of advice for Pat Conroy: suck it up!! Alas, I think it's too late for Mr Conroy. One other note: You would never, ever see wrestler write a book like this!!

A Fantastic Memoir.......2005-03-10

Conroy's fiction has always been a biography of sorts (Great Santini in particular) but I think his choice to chronicle his life through his final basketball season at the Citadel was brilliant. It brings together all the elements of his fictional life that we have come to love and respect: His overbearing father, the south in the 1950s and 1960s, and the one character common to all his books: Sports.

I think that Pat Conroy is the kind of person who most would envy the life he's had, it's ups and downs, and this book only solidifies that belief for me.

Disappointing, overrated.......2005-03-06

As a memoir of a relatively prolific and popular author, this book is a very disappointing. Ardent fans of Pat Conroy obviously love this book, but then again, they love everything with his name on it irrespective of content (a cook book?) Conroy revisits his early experiences that provided the repetivive themes in his fiction as psuedo-non-fiction. (The dialogue in the book reads more like fiction, and it is simply not credible that he could recount exact conversations from childhood to college.) He gives the reader minimal insight into his experience as a writer. Rather, the book reads like an exercise in self-therapy that does explore his well known issues rather deeply (although losing is not one of them.) Conroy may have provided all that he can in terms of describing his process and how he approaches his craft. If that is the case, then this book should serve as inspiration for aspiring writers. Publishing fiction is not necessarily about literary excellence. It's a business.

His treatment of losing is also quite disappointing, and I'm not convinced that his experience on an NCAA division I basketball team can provide enough material to speak to the subject as an adult. The book is more about mediocrity and unfulfilled expectations than it is about losing. His experience on a losing team is completely uninteresting and there are far more storied losing organizations that touch sports culture in many ways, all of them more significant than what Conroy has to offer.

Another 3 Pointer For Pat.......2004-12-31

Pat Conroy is a national tresure. His writing is sublime, he is one of the few writers who can capably place the reader into almost any situation and paint such a realistic portrait that the reader feels he is actually there.

"My Losing Season" is incredibly detailed, beautifully layered and provides the type of rich texture that anyone who has been curious about what a college basketball player goes through on and off the court will find virtually everything he needs to know here.

Anyone who has read Conroy's work knows of the destructive relationship with his father, but never has it been more fully nor magnificently analyzed than here. That Conroy could finally skip the veneer of fiction to re-tell his story with his father is a magnificent accomplishment. That final assessment when he reveals how his father literally changed his personality just to spite his son and prove him a liar was one of ther most jaw dropping passages I have ever read.

This book is Conroy's labor of love, and reading it is no different. Conroy's insights into the game of basketball, his teammates, coaches, and the bizarre situation of playing for the Citadel have been majestically re-told here. I have loved most of Conroy's work (Beach Music was the exception), and this one goes on the top shelf as one of the best books I have ever read.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books