Book Description
So what's it like to be a travel writer? Best job in the world? How do you become one? Does it answer the question of what we are all doing on this planet anyway?
"Turkey: Bright Sun, Strong Tea" is the story of a US Peace Corps Volunteer who went to Turkey as an English teacher and ended up being one of the world's most prominent travel writers. Along the way, Brosnahan starred in a movie, sipped champagne with 'fat capitalists' in the sultan's gilded palace, fell in love at a circumcision party, almost got eaten by wolves on the Iranian border, drank endless glasses of strong tea...and discovered the meaning of life.
Customer Reviews:
Praise for Bright Sun, Strong Tea.......2005-12-13
While planning a trip to Turkey, I ran across Tom Brosnahan's website, www.TurkeyTravelPlanner.com. I discovered Bright Sun, Strong Tea and purchased the book, not really expecting too much, but I am an avid reader when it comes to a subject I am interested in. Was I surprised, first with Mr. Brosnahan's writing style and secondly with the wealth of information he gives the reader through his experiences and expertise, all with great wit and humor. This is a wonderfully, entertaining and well written book of Mr. Brosnahan's experiences with the Peace Corps in Turkey, fresh out of college, and how that experience develops into his career as one of the best travel writers the business has ever known, particularly Frommer's and Lonely Planet. The author brings Turkey to life through his descriptions and characters. His expertise on where to go, what to do, and thouhtful insight on the Tukish people and their customs are invaluable. I'm ready to hop on the plane today and regret I only have a fraction of time to spend exploring this rich and wonderful country. A must read if you are planning a trip to Turkey, a great read for any reason.
Treasures of Turkey .......2005-10-12
The sights, sounds and smells of this exotic country come through every page of Tom Brosnahan's adventures in Turkey:
Bright Sun, Strong Tea is a book that takes you back to a time when Peace Corps Volunteers discovered a country steeped in history and hospitality, and a country that continues to offer a rich tapestry of cultural history, awesome geograpy, gastronomic delights and untold treasures to discover.
Tom's book combines biography, travel and love into an engaging story that puts you smack in the middle of Anatolia and invites you to go see for yourself.
And it's all true: I know. I was a Peace Corps Volunteer there myself.
A Great Book by a Great Travel Writer!!.......2005-08-23
Reading travel books is always interesting and leaves you wanting (or not) to go to that country of travel. Tom Brosnahan has taken his passion of writing Guide books to writing his experience in a country still somewhat foreign to many North Americans. He places Turkey in the well deserved position it has tried so hard to be noticed for, it's People, Culture and a land of History. The stories take place in the late 60's at a time things were changing.I think this book will make you want to get on the next flight out (maybe even to stay awhile and teach english). If your thinking of going to Turkey have a read through this book first. It is a great book and goes well with Tom's Brosnahan past Turkey guide book from Lonely Planet.
Bright Sun, Bright Author and Strong Tea Too.......2005-08-19
I picked up this wonderful read for preparation for my year teaching in Istanbul. This book is much more than I expected. I loved following Tom's journey as a Peace Corp volunteer in Turkey, beginning in the 1970's. This story contains humor, candor, tons of useful information for travel in Turkey and even a love story! Even if you never plan to travel to the only city in Asia and Europe (Istanbul) it is an intelligent, fantasically
written account on one man's experience and worth the purchase for sure. Oh.....the tea is really strong.
Bright indeed!.......2005-07-28
My response to "Bright Sun, Strong Tea is from the viewpoint of another Peace Corps Volunteer who served in Turkey around the same time as Tom Brosnahan did. His observations about the people and places of Turkey do reflect what many of us experienced, and which he expresses with real affection and good humor. This is a fun book to read and one with truth behind it, for the armchair traveler as well as others, and certainly a look into the the life of one young American Peace Corps Volunteer.
C. Kocan
Average customer rating:
- Good to see Art Adams Art
- Tom, Tom and Jonni in a Racier Title
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Tom Strong's Terrific Tales: Book One (Tom Strong)
Alan Moore ,
Leah Moore , and
Steve Moore
Manufacturer: Wildstorm
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
Science Fiction | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
Superheroes | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
Moore, Alan | ( M ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 140120029X |
Customer Reviews:
Good to see Art Adams Art.......2006-11-12
Overall this book is enjoyable if you are a Tom Strong fan. The 'Terrific Tales' venue allows for different stories than in the regular title, so these stories do a have different flavor to them. Personally, I purchased this book for the Jonni Future stories because of the Art Adams art and the silly pulp feel to them.
Tom, Tom and Jonni in a Racier Title.......2006-01-29
This book collects the first six issues of the title comic. Each issue has stories about Tom Strong (and supporting cast), Young Tom Strong (while he is still a boy), and the time traveling hero Jonni Future (heir to the mantle of Johnny Future).
These stories are racier and more risque that those usually found in the Tom Strong books. For instance, in one story, Tesla Strong sneaks out to party and have sex with an alien. Jonni Future is always in situations that include very buxom women (including herself) and various states of undress.
Overall I found the stories to be entertaining and especially like the classic pulp feel of the Jonni Future stories. Clean art is used in most of the stories and you will probably recognize the work of some of the guest artists. But while humor and action are prevalent readers should be aware of the more adult nature of these stories.
Customer Reviews:
Only Worth it for the Finale by Alan Moore.......2007-03-05
As the review by Flagg correctly implies, the majority of stories in this book are by other writers. Being an old fan of Michael Moorcock's "Elric of Melnibone" and "Eternal Champion" series, I was looking forward to the first pirate-themed Tom Strong story written by Moorcock. Unfortunately I found it to be less than captivating. While MM writes fine novels and short stories, I think his foray into graphic novel territory highlights his inability to condense an interesting story using only a few hundred words and graphics, making it very difficult to follow the narrative. Not only does it dwell too long on the wrong things and not long enough on the right things, but it's shamelessly recycled: Strong's antagonist in the story is one "Captain Zodiac" who, name aside, is a red-eyed, white-haired, albino doppelganger of Elric. Not only that, but his quest is to recover none other than the "Black Cutless," an ebony blade engraved with runes which "drinks" souls exactly like Elric's own sword, Stormbringer. I was tired of it after two pages of the athletic contrivances to get Tom Strong into the past. OK, enough about the bad. I only go on so long because I expected better from someone of Moorcock's abilities.
Writers Steve Moore (no relation), Joe Casey and Peter Hogan put together relatively entertaining fare: one has Tom finding and helping destroy a fictional, nightmarish city; another provides closure for Tom's old (frozen) love and an old-time enemy; and the other focuses on Pneuman who displays some uncharacteristic behavior that Tom has to get to the bottom of. My emphasis is on "relatively" entertaining, like the warm-up bands for the main event of Alan Moore's Tom Strong finale.
Alan's story saves the book. Having said that, he has written better single stories, but the confluence of bringing this great storyline to a close as well as it's tie-in with the mind-blowing Promethea finale make this a must-have for any Tom Strong/Promethea/Alan Moore fan. Secrets are revealed concerning Tom's relation with his arch-foe, Paul Saveen, it takes sufficient pains to satisfy my itch for proper continuity, it deals with no less of a subject than the "end" of the world (those who have read the Promethea series know why I put the word "end" in quotes), and it's appropriately witty throughout. And, doggone it, it made me feel good!
My four star rating is solely on the strength of Alan Moore's story, despite the best effort of the Moorcock story to drag it down.
Customer Reviews:
Not the quality of earlier books.......2006-07-31
Ok... Alan Moore is THE BEST comic book writer ever. In fact Alan Moore is one of the all time great writers in any genre, period. His works have inspired three major motion pictures and a fourth may be in the works. Unfortunately everyone has their limits and Mr. Moore may have reached his. I was astounded by the fact that Alan Moore appeared to be writing every issue of every comic for his own new comic line-up, America's Best Comics. This seemed like a daunting workload even for someone as talented as Mr. Moore and I think that the overall quality of his work has suffered. The first two collections of Tom Strong were absolutely stellar. The third, not as much and the forth is the weakest yet.
The first story arc contains an alternate history story where Tom Strong is re-imagined as a mixed race African/Caucasian named Tom Stone. Tom Stone ends up being significantly more successful in his crime fighting career than Tom Strong and ends up rehabilitating most of Strong's science villains including the Modular Man, Pangaea and even Paul Saveen who becomes Tom Stone's partner in crime fighting. It was interesting to see the Tom Strong characters jumbled around and more of a presence by a character hinted at in earlier issues, Fingel Parallax. Unfortunately the ending telegraphs itself from a mile away and the near total lack of Tom Strong ultimately left the story unsatisfying. The story also felt less tight and coherent than Mr. Moore's usual writing. It's not bad; in fact it's quite good. It's just not up to Alan Moore's usual level of writing.
About half way through the book Mr. Moore passes the writing baton onto Peter Hogan and let me tell you Peter Hogan is no Alan Moore. Since it appears that Tom Strong 5 has no stories written by Alan Moore I'm going to pass on it. I strongly recommend getting the first two books in the Tom Strong series and maybe the third but beyond that things definitely get a little iffy.
BTW: The stars I give are for the Alan Moore material, not Peter Hogan.
Meet Tom Stone.......2006-06-07
The first three issues of this collection (collecting issues ggg thru hhh) concern an alternate reality where a moments delay results in the Death of Sinclair Strong so Tom Strong is never born. Instead, a new hero named Tom Stone is created. But although Stone's world is a utopia, it has its problems and a visitor comes to Tom Strong for help.
The remaining issues contain a variety of adventures. First Tom visits the Moon on a rescue mission only to discover a hidden piece of his past. Secondly, Tom's first love KKK is still alive and out of a cryogenic prison. Finally Tom must confront the chaos created by his greatest fan.
I miss the old format of multiple stories per issue but these stories are good. The almost-Elseworlds tale of Tom Stone was very well done brining in much of Tom Strong's history. The lost love story was interesting in that it is set up to continue at a later date (somewhere after volume 5). These adventures are pretty much stand-alones without the clever interweaving of Moore's earlier tales.
Average customer rating:
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Strong Hearts, Wounded Souls: Native American Veterans of the Vietnam War
Tom Holm
Manufacturer: Univ of Texas Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
Vietnam War | Military | History | Subjects | Books
General | Vietnam | Asia | History | Subjects | Books
Native American Studies | Special Groups | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0292730950 |
Book Description
"This is the first major study of American Indians in Vietnam. . . . Dr. Tom Holm, a Cherokee-Creek himself and a Vietnam veteran, provides the unheard 'Indian Voice,' and he shares an insightful perspective on that controversial war."
-Donald L. Fixico, Professor of History, Western Michigan University
At least 43,000 Native Americans fought in the Vietnam War, yet both the American public and the United States government have been slow to acknowledge their presence and sacrifices in that conflict. In this first-of-its-kind study, Tom Holm draws on extensive interviews with Native American veterans to tell the story of their experiences in Vietnam and their readjustment to civilian life.
Holm describes how Native American motives for going to war, experiences of combat, and readjustment to civilian ways differ from those of other ethnic groups. He explores Native American traditions of warfare and the role of the warrior to explain why many young Indian men chose to fight in Vietnam. He shows how Native Americans drew on tribal customs and religion to sustain them during combat. And he describes the rituals and ceremonies practiced by families and tribes to help heal veterans of the trauma of war and return them to the "white path of peace."
This information, largely unknown outside the Native American community, adds important new perspectives to our national memory of the Vietnam war and its aftermath.
Book Description
Tom Thurston has written the first biography of one of Canada's athletic legends, Doug Hepburn. Born in Vancouver with a club foot and a severe alternating squint, Doug decided as a boy to surmount his disabilities by training with weights, setting his sights on becoming the world's strongest man. And this he achieved. Doug is now known as the grandfather of modern power weightlifting. He was World Weightlifting Champion in Stockholm in 1953, and he won the gold medal in the British Empire Games in Vancouver in 1954. In addition, Doug went on to become an eloquent advocate for drug-free sport, and he made a reputation as an inventor. For those interested in building a super-strong body that will last well into old age, Doug's complete, drug-free training secrets are revealed in a way that are easy to understand and employ. For those looking for the inspiration to tackle some of their own goals, Doug Hepburn presents a splendid role model. Thurston's biography does justice to every aspect of Doug's life, illuminating the fortitude with which he met his many challenges. Includes many black and white photographs.
Customer Reviews:
strongman.......2006-08-14
One of the most depressing, sad books I have ever read. Hepburn was to be admired for his feats of strength,but saddened at his personal life. He was waiting for someone or something to either show him what to do with his life,or actually provide for him. What a waste.
A great mental strength resulted in physical strength.......2005-07-31
STRONGMAN, THE DOUG HEPBURN STORY was a book I could not put down once I started reading it.
I was aware of world champion strongman Doug Hepburn and was excited upon noticing his name and freight-train physique upon the attractive book cover. What was fascinating about Hepburn was that while the world was aware of his physical strength, it was his mental strength and determination that was even more paramount. What could fuel such an obsession? A deformed leg was an insecurity he fought to overcome.
When Doug first traveled to New York City to display his power to the American strength community I found myself visualizing that I was riding in the train with him. In New York it was one thing to witness the poundage this massive man could lift, but even better watching the look of awe on the faces of the strength crowd watching as they realized this man had no match. This trip to New York City was a necessary confidence step in Hepburn's climb to winning the World Championship in Sweden in 1953.
The insecurities to succeed to the top of the weight-lifting world continued to enigma Hepburn as his life continued. I thank Doug for his illumination as he explained how his LSD therapy in the early sixties made him aware of how negatives from childhood stay embedded in a person's conscience and it is up to each of us to attempt to eliminate these adversities as best as possible.
I found STRONGMAN, THE DOUG HEPBURN STORY both entertaining and motivational, a great read.
Doug Hepburn: one of a kind.......2005-07-07
You don't get to read about athletes like Doug Hepburn much these days. I'm talking about the kind of athlete who makes it to the top of his sport with no motivation other than the pure love of the sport, and the outright desire to just do it. In Strongman, Tom Thurston has captured the essence of Doug and I found the book to be a great read.
This book is a 'must read' for anyone trying to uncover the secrets of success in sports, or in life itself. I knew Doug personally, and I recall a conversation I had with him regarding the mental barriers that can prevent regular gains in weightlifting. I asked him specifically what to do about that. Doug put it simply, "it depends how badly you want to lift the weight".
That succinct statement eludes many athletes. They get so caught up in tactics and theory, they forget about the human spirit and the power of the mind itself. Doug wasn't advocating anything silly, like pushing through serious pain. He was referring to the little tricks the mind can play to set up a barrier to improvement. We're talking about sucking it up in order to get to the next level. Doug was a master of that and Tom Thurston captures that indominatible spirit in his book.
I thought I knew a lot about Doug until I read Strongman. Through Tom Thurston's painstaking research I now realize there was a lot more to the man. Doug was a humourous, self-effacing, likeable character and the last thing you'd see in him was a man who destroyed world records and won Olympic Gold Medals. What I had not realized was the incredible struggle behind his success.
That makes Doug all the more amazing in my mind and I strongly recommend this book.
Strongman - the Doug Hepburn Story.......2004-08-15
Strongman - the Doug Hepburn Story
by Tom Thurston
Tom Thurston's aptly titled biography of Doug Hepburn, Strongman, is a telling tale of one man's aspirations to greatness, while struggling with the material world. For me, this book represents a very humanizing portrait of an inspiring boyhood hero from the fifties. Doug wrestled with the temptations of being exploited into the image of a larger than life, plastic fantastic, comic book like action figure. It is the story of one very human being. Combining insightful sensitivity with brutal reality, Tom delivers a penetrating study into Doug's indomitable spirit.
This book is a must read, from those casually interested in fitness to the competing athlete. This is the story about one man who actually did live by the creed: no tricks, not gear, not drugs.
Bill Owens
Comox, BC
Canada
Excellent Read!!!!.......2004-05-25
Hello! I'm a 26 year old weightlifter, and had heard the name Doug Hepburn a few times in strength and bodybuilding magazines. However, I really didnt know much about the man until I purchased this book. I can honestly say, this man's story was inspiring and yet sad at times. It's one of the best reads I've had in a while, and those who are involved in weight training will want to pick up a copy of this book.
I really came away feeling inspired and grateful. With all the hogwash out there written by juiced-up "athletes," it's good to know people like Mr. Hepburn were truly the strongest of the strong naturally and that it IS possible to become strong without chemicals. Had I known of him years ago before his passing, he truly would have been someone I'd want to meet in person.
Also, many thanks to the book's author, Mr. Tom Thurston, who took the time to respond to my letter and answer my questions.
Book Description
Whether investigating paranormal activities in the outermost atmosphere or entering a dream realm through a young girl who is also a living black hole, Tom Strong is the ever vigilant defender of Millennium City!
Book Description
Alan Moore strikes again with Americas Best Comics, an entire line of comics created and written by him. A physical and mental super-human, Tom Strong was orphaned by his scientist parents, raised by a steam-powered robot, and fights evil alongside his beautiful wife and headstrong daughter. Tom quickly heads into battle against the Nazi super-woman Ingrid Weiss and a prehuman monster in this new volume.
Customer Reviews:
Great intro to Alan Moore's fascinating characters.......2007-09-22
After reading "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," I wanted to read as much of Alan Moore' work as I could. These tales of Tom Strong would not have been my first choice, but they was available and I grabbed them. I'm not sorry I did.
"America's Best Comics" is a collection of 6 separate comics that provide the beginning of the Tom Strong character. The series starts with the story of Tom's parents, around the year 1900, getting shipwrecked on Attabar Teru, an uninhabited volcanic West Indian island. Here, they hope to raise a child in a pre-Skinnerian controlled environment maintained at 5 Earth gravities. Tom, the child, is raised in an atmosphere of "pure reason, away from society's influence" and is accompanied by Pneumann, a wood-fed, steam driven automaton. The first story deals with Tom's birth and childhood, his relationship with the island's natives (no surprise, the place was inhabited after all!), his first meeting with Dhalua, his future wife, his eventual departure from the island and his founding of Millenium City, "on the eastern seaboard of America." Other adventures deal with various threats to Millennium city from an Aztec computer priesthood whose snake-god is on a computer screen, a metal-eating computer virus called Modular Man, some shape-shifting hyper-intelligent primordial ooze and a passel of scantily clad female Nazi air pilots.
The artwork is terrific. A few sections of the comic purport to be reintroductions of earlier strips, and are rendered in a different style. Alan Moore's writing is intelligent, subtle (for the genre), serious, mostly engaging, with few hints of irony or self-mockery. The stories themselves are fairly interesting, though they share the typical comic book dilemma of delivering a trenchant story in a limited space. The central plot device--that Tom's strength derives from his upbringing in a 5G environment--is the strip's only issue. As with any comic about the super-enhanced, is Tom's near invulnerability (he survives explosive detonations and bone-breaking stunts) sometimes results in a lack of suspense. Tom's successes are quick, easy and all but inevitable, taking away some of the punch of the plotlines. What can you say about a guy who can weather a bomb blast but gets knocked down by a single punch from a teenager?
I had to push my way through the last few stories, as the seemingly endless tale of bodacious, half-clad Nazi girls got tiring after a while. One's eyebrows could raise a bit too at the author's intentions behind this Anglo superman's marriage to a West Indian black woman, however royal. Dhalua was always portrayed as a strong woman, physically and psychologically, and Moopre has to be credited with dealing with an issues as delicate as race. Readers of color may not like his choices, but hey seem to have been made with a good heart and clear conscience.
In the end, I enjoyed Tom Strong and his varied cast of supporting characters. He stands for goodness, purity of heart, tolerance and family. You can do worse than that.
Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-04
Tom Strong is somewhat of a Doc Savage homage.
His parents take him to an island when born, and isolate him in a 5G environment on a special diet to build a superman. A volcano polishes them off and he ends up in Millenium City after making a superape and marrying a princess.
His adventures tend towards a touch more of the Planetary type weirdness than Doc's though, with alternate universes, long lived nazi superwomen etc., the latter is the main storyline of this trade.
Definitely fun stuff.
Just plain great stuff. .......2007-08-24
First off - Alan Moore writes great stuff. Period.
Tom Strong is some his best work. From the very first page I was sucked into an alternate dimension where Tom Strong books have been in print since before I was born....which was a quite awhile. The setting and characters have the richness of a long-running series.
If I may use an analogy. One night my son and I were talking about 'That '70s Show" and he made the comment that it sounded like the show was written by someone who grew up in the seventies rather than a twenty-year old making a guess as to what the decade it like. Tom Strong does the same thing with comics - it doesn't feel contrived at all - it feels real.
Alan Moore's answer to Doc Savage.......2007-06-19
This was an enjoyable collection of Tom Strong tales that introduces readers to the titular character (a super-strong, super-intelligent adventurer raised in a 'gravity chamber') and his family, which consist of uberbabe/wife Dhalua, his daughter Tesla, the robotic butler Pneuman and the intelligent ape King Solomon. The first issue starts out (predictably) with Strong's origin and then focuses briefly on one of his battles with arch-nemesis Paul Saveen. Subsequent issues have Tom fighting and defeating a host of colorful and original villains, including The Modular Man, a being whose entire body and consciousness consist of robotic spider-modules, the plans of which may be downloaded off the internet. Tom also battles a prehistoric entity called the Pangaean, advanced Aztects from another dimension, a Nazi Superwoman and finally his own misguided son seduced by fascism. Alan Moore's writing is intelligent and it quickly becomes obvious when reading these tales that he is probably the most erudite comics writer ever. I also enjoyed the dialogue, especially the slang-rhymes of gorilla Augustus in 2050 (though his counterpart King Solomon sounds a bit like an annoying prude in the storylines set in 1999 - I guess he is meant to get on the reader's nerves from time to time). Moore is subtle in his storytelling and succeeds in making Tom Strong an enjoyable read that I could recommend to anyone liking good old-fashioned adventure comics with a sci-fi twist. It is not completely original, and therefore I have only given it four stars, but Alan Moore's way with words and plots is more than enough reason to give this collection a try.
Disappointing.......2006-11-28
Solid, but not inspiring. Good art and an OK set of stories, but something is missing.
Customer Reviews:
Good But Missing Something.......2006-04-30
This latest collection of Millennium City's greatest hero may be fun but it is missing something that the previous collections had. Each of the five issues collected within contain only a single story each. While the stories do manage to be fine adventure comics on their own, they do not have the cleverness of the earlier stories. It may be because the name Alan Moore is missing from the cover. But whatever the reason, while it is good reading, it could be about any hero and comic world.
In this volume, Tom Strong must discover what is behind the sudden failure of flight. Then imaginary dimensions begin to plague the city. In the third Issue Pneuman must reconcile his role with a promise made long ago. Next Tom tackles an old foe's partner. Finally Tom must face the dull reality that is his real life. In the end the reader has been entertained but not to the degree as with the earlier adventures. I hope that this will not be a continuing trend with the series.
Books:
- Valley of Silence (The Circle Trilogy, Book 3)
- Waking Up: Climbing Through the Darkness
- Walking from East to West: God in the Shadows
- Way of the Turtle: The Secret Methods that Turned Ordinary People into Legendary Traders
- We All Fall Down: Goldratt's Theory of Constraints for Healthcare Systems
- Winding Machines: Mechanics and Measurement
- Wings of Fire (An Ian Rutledge Mystery)
- Wings to the Kingdom
- Winter Tidings (Prairie River, Book 3)
- 100 magic miles of the Great Barrier Reef : the Whitsunday Islands
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