The Adventures of Tintin: Tintin in America / Cigars of the Pharaoh / The Blue Lotus (3 Complete Adventures in One Volume, Vol. 1)

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Three in one all time classics

Amazing Adventures Of TINTIN

reliable

A rich part of this bilingual Canadian's heritage

The Adventures of Tintin: Tintin in America / Cigars of the Pharaoh / The Blue Lotus (3 Complete Adventures in One Volume, Vol.

The Adventures of Tintin: Tintin in America / Cigars of the Pharaoh / The Blue Lotus (3 Complete Adventures in One Volume, Vol. 1)
Herge
Manufacturer: Little, Brown Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Adventures of Tintin: The Broken Ear / The Black Island / King Ottokar's Sceptre (3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume, Vol. 2)

The Adventures of Tintin: The Crab With the Golden Claws / The Shooting Star / The Secret of the Unicorn (3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume, Vol. 3)

The Adventures of Tintin - Red Rackham's Treasure / The Seven Crystal Balls / Prisoners of the Sun (3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume, Vol. 4)

The Adventures of Tintin: The Calculus Affair / The Red Sea Sharks / Tintin in Tibet (3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume, Vol. 6)

Adventures of Tintin: Land of Black Gold / Destination Moon / Explorers on the Moon (3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume, Vol. 5)

ASIN: 0316359408

Customer Reviews:

Three in one all time classics.......2007-10-10

Many of us grew up on Tintin and love them for their great nostalgia value, and reminisces of childhood, as well as the brave values of a simpler, more clarified world of yesteryear.
This volume brings together three of the best loved Tintin classics in one handy volume- and for not much more than the price of one.
They are:
Tintin in America
1931 , and gangsters rule the streets of Chicago. It is up to intrepid European journalist Tintin and his dog Snowy to tackle Al Capone , Mr Smiles and other gangsters, taking him from Chicago to the Wild West where he dodges Indians and Cowboys , and back again.

Cigars of the Pharoah

First published in Le Petit Vingtième between 8/12 1932 and 8/2 1934. The book appeared in 1934 . Redrawn in 1955. It was first published in English in 1971.

A colourful and detailed adventure , Tintin and his dog Snowy meet up with an eccentric Egyptologist on a cruise , taking Tintin on a danger-filled adventure from Egypt to Arabia to India , in a hunt for whoever is behind the mystery of the Cigars of the Pharaoh , he is framed for heroin possesion , caught up in an Arabian war and sentenced to be executed , lost in the desert , locked up in a mental assylum in India , before being led to an international ring of drug trafficers. It is amazing the amount of detail Herge worked into these adventure comics.

Many of us grew up on them and love them for the nostalgia value.
I loved the animation in the underground Pharaoh's tomb.
Written in 1936 , The Blue Lotus is the sequel to the colourful Cigars of the Pharaoh. In the Cigars of the Pharaoh , Tintin has almost succeeded in smashing an international gang of drug traffickers , managing to capture all of them except the leader who mysteriously crashes over a ravine.
His further investigations lead him to China , then under threat from Japanese agression.
Tintin comes up against a madman infected with a dart that sends the recipient insane , enraged British colonists out for revenge after having been humiliated by Tintin and the Japanese army , with the chief villain of the piece being Japanese businessman Mitsuhirato.
This album drew protest form the Japanese government of the time , and was praised by Chiang Kai Shek , President of the Republic of China.
However, it was banned by China's Communist regime until 1984 , due to some of their own insane Maoist reasoning-and even then was still chopped up and heavily edited.
Other albums having been banned by the Communist dictatorship in China where Tintin in tibet (for recognizing tibetan culture) , Tintin in the Land of the Soviets (for exposing Communism)and Tintin in the Congo ('Colonialist').

Amazing Adventures Of TINTIN.......2007-08-24

Since I was a little boy I liked to read TINTIN's adventures. Years later, that habbit hasn't changed at all.

reliable .......2007-03-11

I am satisfied first-time buyer. my seller agreed to mail my books to an alternative address. Kept in touch with me and kept me informed until I provided the address. mailed the books on time, and i am happy, so is my 13 year old. Thanks again, those books are not available in Trinidad and Tobago, they are great for reading.

A rich part of this bilingual Canadian's heritage.......2006-09-09

Among my very early memories is as one of several children sitting on the sloped lawn between two of my neighbour's houses, each of us reading a different story - and so, in no particular order - from "Les Aventures de Tintin." This was my introduction to the most extraordinary comics world ever created, a part of my French-language heritage, though the series has been translated into many languages including English. My goal with these reviews (one for each volume) is to explain to an American audience why Tintin is such a phenomenon in the rest of the world.

I'll be skimpy as to plot details so as not to give any spoilers. I won't even give the gist of the adventures. For those who don't mind spoilers, further details are abundantly available in other reviews or by simply Googling "Tintin." Any value judgements I give are, of course, subjective.

Volume 1: Tintin in America (1932), The Cigars of the Pharaoh (1934), The Blue Lotus (1936). This is the first instalment of my reviews of each of the seven volumes.

The seven-volume series contains 21 of the 24 adventures, omitting the first two -Tintin in the Land of the Soviets and Tintin in the Congo - and the last, incomplete one - Tintin and Alph-Art.

There is a leap forward from the Congo adventure with Tintin in America, further maturity with Cigars, and the series is in full bloom with The Blue Lotus. The first of the three is still amateurish and quite childish, but fun nonetheless; we see Chicago, Al Capone (the only appearance of a real-life character in the entire series, though Hergé does draw himself and some real-world people into the occasional panel, without giving them any identities), the plight of the Indians, and a ticker tape parade.

The Cigars of the Pharaoh introduces the recurring characters Rastapopoulos and the buffoonish Thom(p)son twins, gives us the first of the many mind-bending dream sequences in the series, and takes us to Egypt and to the India under the Raj (the story predates Indian independence) with a mystery that segues into the superb The Blue Lotus, which takes place in China under Japanese occupation. Already, after three adventures, children are enthralled by the exotic locations and adults are amazed by author Hergé's painstaking research and attention to detail.

The Adventures of Tintin: Tintin in America / Cigars of the Pharaoh / The Blue Lotus (3 Complete Adventures in One Volume, Vol. .......2006-08-31

Very good story for children and aldult as well

The Adventures of Tintin: The Broken Ear / The Black Island / King Ottokar's Sceptre (3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume, Vol. 2)

Average customer rating:

Little disappointing
San Theodoros, Britain, Syldavia
Immature Mother
A rich part of this bilingual Canadian's heritage
A trio of solid Tintin adventures from the late 1930s

The Adventures of Tintin: The Broken Ear / The Black Island / King Ottokar's Sceptre (3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume, Vol. 2)
Herge
Manufacturer: Little, Brown Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0316359424

Customer Reviews:

Little disappointing.......2007-02-07

The quality of the printing is far from perfect. It smooches on several pages.Also, I read the French version first and the English one is, in my opinion, rather lame. A lot of work would need to be done to improve it.

San Theodoros, Britain, Syldavia.......2006-11-17

"The Adventures of Tintin: Volume 2" contains three more adventure comics by Herge, in a handy sized hardcover book. Here, we get "The Broken Ear" (1937), an adventure in a civil-war torn part of South America, "The Black Island" (1938) a chase through Britain, and "King Ottokar's Sceptre" (1939), featuring a plot against a "Syldavian" king. A few well known Tintin characters first appear in these stories. General Alcazar first appears in "The Broken Ear", Dr Muller appears in "The Black Island" and Bianca Castifiore sings her first song to Tintin in "King Ottokar's Sceptere". They're all exciting, intriguing adventures, my favorite in this bunch being "The Black Island", mainly for the chase sequences and the island's "beast".

The text and pictures are a little smaller, but it's easy enough to read, and the detail of the pictures is maintained. It's really great value too. Here on amazon you could buy two or three of these for one normal sized hardcover Tintin. That's 5-8 more adventures for the same price!

Definitely worth picking up if you're interested.

Immature Mother.......2006-11-10

I've always enjoyed reading the Adventures of Tintin. The 3-in-1 hardcover books are good on the budget but the dimensions are smaller than the individual paperback books. Some of the storylines are a little dated and the jokes do get somewhat repetative. The later stories tend to get "silly" with characters falling down and running into things more often than the older stories but I think that's what made my 9 year old daughter enjoy them since she doesn't really follow the stories very well. If you like Tintin, you'll want to buy all of the books and you will reread them.

A rich part of this bilingual Canadian's heritage.......2006-09-09

Volume 2: The Broken Ear (1937), The Black Island (1938), King Ottokar's Sceptre (1942). This is the second instalment of my reviews of each of the seven volumes.

The famous slogan, "for young readers 7 to 77", already validated by the previous three adventures, is further endorsed by what follows.

The Broken Ear takes us to the Amazon, in South America of course, where we meet the Arumbaya Indians, General Alcazar, and, well, just read it. I don't want to give spoilers. This adventure is another outstanding one, and very well translated. In the English version, the Indians' talk, apparently in some mysterious language, is understandable if read out loud. Already five continents visited in four stories!

The Black Island, which takes place in England and especially Scotland, is not up to the usual Tintin standards (one central theme is revisited and far better handled in a later adventure), but a Tintinophile would certainly not want to miss it.

King Ottokar's Sceptre, however, is a magnificent creation. We meet the Castafiore (= "chaste flower") for the first time, a soprano with an ego that would make Callas suffocate, the only major female character in the entire series, and a truly amazing personage. But the real achievement is the creation of an entire fictional kingdom (Syldavia, and a rival neighbouring nation, Borduria, also fictional) with a `reproduction' of a tapestry giving its history, and an adventure that would be meaningless without it. This is a huge achievement for a 62-page children's comic book.

A trio of solid Tintin adventures from the late 1930s.......2005-09-09

Volume 2 of "The Adventures of Tintin" brings together a trio of stories by Hergé from the late 1930s, right before World War II. This is noteworthy because at this point Hergé is refining his attention to cultural detail in these stories, but also starting to get more fanciful and away from what is happening in the real world. You will still find allegorical elements in these stories, but none of the events ripped from the headlines that you saw in previous tales such as "The Blue Lotus."

"The Broken Ear" is from 1937 as our hero and his faithful companion Snowy go it alone through a series of perilous episodes, although there are brief appearances by the Thom(p)sons and Professor Calculus. The title defect belongs to an Arumbaya Fetish at the Museum of Ethnography which is stolen and then mysteriously returned. When Tintin notices the sacred tribal object now has two perfect ears and our hero is quickly in full Sherlock Holmes mode. However, Tintin is not the only one in search of the real fetish as his path starts crossing that of a pair of mysterious figures. After a series of incidents involving the search for a talking parrot, everyone finds themselves on a ship bound South American way for the Republic of San Theodoros, which happens to be where the Arumbaya tribe lives along the banks of the River Coliflor. There Tintin becomes involved in the political turmoil of San Theodoros and eventually gets around to traveling up the jungle river to find the Arumbayas. Meanwhile, poor Snowy finds that his tail becomes a sore point time and time again. In "The Broken Ear" the mystery takes something of a back seat to the repeated perils faced by Tintin. I went back and counted them up and on average Tintin faces death or severe physical harm once every three pages in this 64-page story, which might be a record for our intrepid reporter.

For the most part I do not like the early Tintin adventures where there is a lot of slapstick and every other page our intrepid reporter hero is either holding a gun or having somebody hold a gun on him as much as the latter adventures. However, "The Black Island" is certainly the epitome of this type of Tintin adventure and Hergé really pours it on pretty much from start to finish. This might be slapstick but it is nonstop slapstick from Tintin trying to stop the Thom(p)sons from arresting him to Snowy getting the better of a gorilla (but not a spider). Tintin might end up unconscious more often in this story than all of his other adventures combined. The beginning is simple enough as Tintin sees a plane land with engine trouble. Noticing it is an unregistered plane he offers to help and is immediately shot (do not worry, the bullet only grazes his ribs). Of course Tintin wants to get to the bottom of this mystery but it is hard to collect clues when people are trying to kill you and you have no clue why. Besides, in this one Tintin gets to wear a kilt, not to mention a bonnie bonnet as the titular piece of property happens to be in Scotland. All things considered "The Black Island" has got to be the funniest of Hergé stories.

In contrast "King Ottokar's Sceptre" is an adventure in which our intrepid hero gets to do a lot of deductive reasoning. Certainly there are more actual clues than Hergé usually includes in his mysteries, which means you really have to pay attention as you play along this time. Tintin encounters Professor Alembik, who studies seals (no, silly, not the friendly little animals but the things you stamp into wax on official papers). This seems a harmless career choice but Tintin finds that both he and the good professor are embroiled with secret agents and a plot against the King of Syldavia. It turns out there is a major loophole in the laws of the monarchy, for if H.M. King Muskar XII, the present ruler of Syldavia, were to lose possession of King Ottokar's sceptre, he would lose the right to rule and have to abdicate. This would work to the advantage of the bad guys across the border in Borduria, where everybody seems decided Eastern European and probably pro-Communist or at least very much into Socialism, so it is up to Tintin and Snowy to save the day. They are aided in this endeavor by Thomson and Thompson of the C.I.D.; to be precise, they endeavor to aid. There is also Tintin's first meeting with Bianca Castafiore in this very solid offering from Hergé. This is an actual mystery, where clues need to be solved and mysterious developments need to be explained.

Some of these early adventures of Tintin have engendered criticism because of the way Hergé draws a Negro in caricature and I certainly do not want to suggest that a white male European was not representative of the inherent racism of his culture, but I would point out that Hergé, like Edgar Rice Burroughs writing at roughly the same time, relied heavily on stereotypes for many of his characters and that you will find "good" and "bad" types for every race and ethnicity Tintin encounters. Certainly the South Americans Tintin encounters in San Theodoros, with their heavy accents, fiery tempers and tendency towards extreme violence, are central to any such critique. But Herge also displays some sensitivity towards the native tribes of the area that is rather enlightened. If Tintin engaged in slurs or derogatory comments towards anyone, that would be something different, but our hero only thinks in terms of "good" and "bad," not "white" and "black". Anyhow, you can read these stories and decide for yourself where you stand on this issue.

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Does not quite live up to the sum of its parts-but I think I'll finish the cycle
The Foundation Series for the new millenium
The best book(s) I have ever read
Neal knows how to do it
A missed opportunity

Quicksilver (The Baroque Cycle, Vol. 1)
Neal Stephenson
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060593083
Release Date: 2004-09-21

Amazon.com

In Quicksilver, the first volume of the "Baroque Cycle," Neal Stephenson launches his most ambitious work to date. The novel, divided into three books, opens in 1713 with the ageless Enoch Root seeking Daniel Waterhouse on the campus of what passes for MIT in eighteenth-century Massachusetts. Daniel, Enoch's message conveys, is key to resolving an explosive scientific battle of preeminence between Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz over the development of calculus. As Daniel returns to London aboard the Minerva, readers are catapulted back half a century to recall his years at Cambridge with young Isaac. Daniel is a perfect historical witness. Privy to Robert Hooke's early drawings of microscope images and with associates among the English nobility, religious radicals, and the Royal Society, he also befriends Samuel Pepys, risks a cup of coffee, and enjoys a lecture on Belgian waffles and cleavage-—all before the year 1700.

In the second book, Stephenson introduces Jack Shaftoe and Eliza. "Half-Cocked" Jack (also know as the "King of the Vagabonds") recovers the English Eliza from a Turkish harem. Fleeing the siege of Vienna, the two journey across Europe driven by Eliza's lust for fame, fortune, and nobility. Gradually, their circle intertwines with that of Daniel in the third book of the novel.

The book courses with Stephenson's scholarship but is rarely bogged down in its historical detail. Stephenson is especially impressive in his ability to represent dialogue over the evolving worldview of seventeenth-century scientists and enliven the most abstruse explanation of theory. Though replete with science, the novel is as much about the complex struggles for political ascendancy and the workings of financial markets. Further, the novel's literary ambitions match its physical size. Stephenson narrates through epistolary chapters, fragments of plays and poems, journal entries, maps, drawings, genealogic tables, and copious contemporary epigrams. But, caught in this richness, the prose is occasionally neglected and wants editing. Further, anticipating a cycle, the book does not provide a satisfying conclusion to its 900 pages. These are minor quibbles, though. Stephenson has matched ambition to execution, and his faithful, durable readers will be both entertained and richly rewarded with a practicum in Baroque science, cypher, culture, and politics. --Patrick O'Kelley

Book Description

Quicksilver is the story of Daniel Waterhouse, fearless thinker and conflicted Puritan, pursuing knowledge in the company of the greatest minds of Baroque-era Europe, in a chaotic world where reason wars with the bloody ambitions of the mighty, and where catastrophe, natural or otherwise, can alter the political landscape overnight.

It is a chronicle of the breathtaking exploits of "Half-Cocked Jack" Shaftoe -- London street urchin turned swashbuckling adventurer and legendary King of the Vagabonds -- risking life and limb for fortune and love while slowly maddening from the pox.

And it is the tale of Eliza, rescued by Jack from a Turkish harem to become spy, confidante, and pawn of royals in order to reinvent Europe through the newborn power of finance.

A gloriously rich, entertaining, and endlessly inventive novel that brings a remarkable age and its momentous events to vivid life, Quicksilver is an extraordinary achievement from one of the most original and important literary talents of our time.

And it's just the beginning ...

Download Description

"A plethora of e-book extras, not found in any print edition, including: 1) INTERVIEW: Neal Stephenson shares intimate details and insight behind the making of Quicksilver; 2) QUICKSILVER METAWEB INTRODUCTION: Stephenson's take on his creation of a web-based network that may someday rival the internet; 3) QUICKSILVER DRAMATIS PERSONAE BY TYPE: a complete and concise list of characters grouped by character type

The long-awaited first volume of The Baroque Cycle comes to e-book at last (with loads of extras to boot)! Set against the backdrop of the late 17th and early 18th centuries, Quicksilver tells the intertwining tales of 3 unforgettable main characters (descendants of characters from Cryptonomicon) as they traverse a landscape populated by mad alchemists, Barbary pirates, and bawdy courtiers, as well as historical figures including Ben Franklin, William of Orange, Louis XIV, and many others. This breathtaking story ranges from the American colonies to the Tower of London to the glittering palace at Versailles, and all manner of places in between - and plays out during a singular nexus point in history, when rationality triumphed over mysticism, monarchy was overthrown, markets become free, and religious tolerance gained ground over harsh oppression.

Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver is here. A monumental literary feat that follows the author's critically acclaimed New York Times bestseller Cryptonomicon, it is history, adventure, science, truth, invention, sex, absurdity, piracy, madness, death, and alchemy. It sweeps across continents and decades with the power of a roaring tornado, upending kings, armies, religious beliefs, and all expectations.

Customer Reviews:

Does not quite live up to the sum of its parts-but I think I'll finish the cycle.......2007-10-08

As an undertaking, Quicksilver is an intriguing work. Book one is an examination of the life and times of such luminaries as Newton, Hooke, and Liebniz, I found it to be fascinating. The quest for understanding as seen through the eyes of the fictional Daniel Waterhouse takes the reader through an era of optics, physics, biology (and the ugliness of vivisection) with a gusto and verve that carries the reader quickly through the section. The insight into these great thinkers shows Stephenson as a master of incorporating, history, science, and drama into a fine mix.
Things bog down a bit when the picaresque of the next book, starring Jack with the "oh, so accurate" nickname, and Eliza, who Jack has saved from enslavement in Turkey, who will be the prime mover of the third section, and follows them across Europe. Both characters are pleasant and likeable but as they move from adventure to adventure it started to become a bit predictable and made me long for the philosophical arguments of the first book. This all leads to an inevitable end which is at least intriguing in the originality of how Jack's travels finally end.
It's the third section with its political intrigue between William of Orange and Louis the XIV that really lowered the rating for me. Its interminable slowness of letters with secret codes and court intrigues wore me out, and I found I really didn't care what was going to happen to Eliza; a condition no lead character should ever be in.
Still there is enough here to make me want to see what happens next, so I'll muddle through and hope the other books are the equal to the first section of this one.

The Foundation Series for the new millenium.......2007-09-04

Isaac Asimov's Foundation Trilogy/Series is considered one of the great science-fiction collections ever written, forming the basis of countless derivative and inspired works over the past fifty years. The Baroque Cycle will not, unfortunately, inspire fifty years of copycats, for a unique reason: it would be far too difficult to undertake with even moderate effort. This is a nine-book/ three-volume masterpiece of historical fiction that really has no peer in my experience (and please comment if you find any!)

As an aside, I could, at length, review each of the nine books and prattle on endlessly about this or that, but that's far too many reviews for what I intend to say about the Cycle as a whole. My comments apply to all books equally.

The cycle begins in the mid 17th century and spans the adulthood of one Daniel Waterhouse, a fictional contemporary of Isaac Newton. Of course, it also traces the life of one Jack Shaftoe, a fictional hero with his roots in every pirate story ever written or filmed. And then there's the mysterious Enoch Root, popping up again from the Cryptonomicon to move things along as the deux ex machina of certain story elements.

The number of interleaved story lines would be an impressive enough feat of writing, but the historical references were simply amazing. The sheer amount of research Mr. Stephenson invested for the Cycle must have been enormous. In short, Mr. Stephenson describes London before, during, and after the Great Fire of 1666 politically, sociologically, geographically, architecturally, and economically; he performs the same rigor of place-setting with Hanover and present-day Germany, Paris and present-day France, diverse parts of Egypt, Algeria, India, Mexico, South America, and Boston. This is the kind of book series that would inspire high-school students to PAY ATTENTION. For, if the students really do their homework and have a teacher partnered with them to put the book details into their proper context, you could quite possible craft an entire school year around the nine books, such is the depth and breadth of scholastic research involved in putting together such a series. It's no small achievement or idle boast: Mr. Stephenson has in some way taken his education and put it to its greatest use, as an inspiration to students.

All of this would be for naught if the stories weren't truly excellent at their core, and they are. You could boil down the Shaftoe story line to "pirate story" but that sells it short after the first book -- and there are eight more to go. What starts as a pirate story quickly become something of a precursor to spycraft and terrorism/counter-terrorism in the 17th and 18th centuries: currency manipulation, political scandals, and assassinations. I haven't even mentioned Isaac Newton versus Gottfried Leibniz in the battle for Calculus, or Isaac Newton's Alchemy, the reconstruction of London post-fire, the gold trade, the silver trade, piracy in the Atlantic and Pacific, the timber economy, the commodities exchange of northern Europe, the court at Versailles, and so on. I'm astonished as I write this.

This is well-worth the time invested to read, as a Cycle. If Mr. Stephenson ever posted his complete bibliography, or if some doctoral student ever decided to craft that two-semester, eight-course class tracing the book's scholarship, I would be among the first to delve deeply into it and re-learn my forgotten history, mathematics, and economics. Simply, this is one of the finest fiction series ever written.

-Fred

The best book(s) I have ever read.......2007-08-02

Even though it took six months to read through Quicksilver, Confusion and The System of the World, it was a joyous and enlightening six monthes. I am now almost finished with Cryptonomicon, which is really like a sequel to the Baroque Cycle.

Quicksilver is really just as good as the others. It is so great that I am probably going to re read the entire cycle and just make it a Neal Stephenson year.

I think these books are better than Cryptonomicon, I think they are genius. I think it is related to the fact he wrote the books in long hand and perhaps that makes the work better.

Who knows? But I just wanted to put it down how much I loved all of these books

Neal knows how to do it.......2007-06-06

I read the reviews before I started this one since I wanted to see if it would be worth the time. I was a little worried by some of the reviews, but actually found that it exceeded my expectations. Stephenson keeps it interesting, despite what people have said about the letter-writing and political intrigue going on in the second half of the book.

I have started reading The Confusion (The Baroque Cycle, Vol. 2), and actually had to put it down. From the reviews, it sounded like most people liked The Confusion better, but so far, I have to say I like Quicksilver better (I'm only about half way through The Confusion, though).

As with all of Stephenson's books, this one is exceptionally well written, with an epic storyline and the great descriptions I got used to in Cryptonomicon. I can't believe that Stephenson wrote the whole thing by hand before typing it up (or having someone type it for him).

A missed opportunity.......2007-06-02

One can understand the wish of the author to provide the framework showing the primitive circumstances within which the great minds of western civilisation had to live and work. The book suffers however from an overabundance of superfluous detail ( some of which as far my country is concerned is factually incorrect)and in parts almost becomes a tourist guide to 17th century Europe. In other parts it falls into "best-sellerish" plots, and thereby misses the opportunity to demonstrate how these great minds actually arrived at the discovereis that in many instances changed history.I will certainly not puchase volumes two and three. For those interested in Leibniz I can recommend "the courtier and the Heretic" by Matthew Steward (Norton)

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Kingdom Hearts Boxed Set
Fun books for the child who likes Kingdom Hearts
my child loves this!
No Bookmark or Poster?
Kingdom Hearts ... what more do you want?

Kingdom Hearts Boxed Set--vols 1-4
Shiro Amano
Manufacturer: TokyoPop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1598168088
Release Date: 2006-10-03

Book Description

It's the Kingdom Hearts boxed set! The first four volumes of the bestselling manga series is packaged with a collectible bookmark and poster, all for one great price!

Customer Reviews:

Kingdom Hearts Boxed Set.......2007-05-21

This is a great set! I think anyone who likes disney or played the Kingdom Hearts game would enjoy these books. I definately recommend it to anyone who is thinking about buying it! I bought these for my [...] daughter who doesn't normally like to read but these she actually asks to keep reading! I think that's the best review I can think of!

Fun books for the child who likes Kingdom Hearts.......2007-05-13

My kids were already big fans of Kingdom Hearts so these easy to read books were right up their alley. The books are comic book style so there are plenty of pictures for them to look at and keep them entertained.

my child loves this!.......2007-04-19

my child loves kingdom hearts and always want this. we already order =D

No Bookmark or Poster?.......2007-03-21

My son was very excited to get this set of books. However, the bookmark and poster that were promised in the ad didn't come with it. Very disappointing - Amazon is usually great about this stuff. I'm not returning it because I'd have to pry them from my son's hands...but sad, sad that they ripped off a child.

Kingdom Hearts ... what more do you want?.......2007-02-13

Ok firstly this comic book is based on the popular PS2 video game Kingdom Hearts, now that we got that out of the way, that's what it is. KINGDOM HEARTS, no more no less. I personally didn't find any extra cookies conserning the which I must admit is one of the reasons that I bought this comic. All in here can be found in Kingdom Hearts or in Kingdom Hearts II, from slightly more insight on the Ansem's Report is all I got out of this, but none the less a great experience once again. If you love the game and become an aficionado like myself a recomentdation is all I can give you get this manga.

Secondly this manga is preety childish, even excluding the fact that it is partly based on Disney stories, still pretty kiddy. Nicely said by the rating A for all ages. so if you are an aficionado of Kindom Hearts and didn't think that you are too manly for the game then you are not too manly for the manga trust me. KINGDOM HEARTS COMPACT TO FOR READING PLEASURE

The Adventures of Tintin: The Calculus Affair / The Red Sea Sharks / Tintin in Tibet (3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume, Vol. 6)

Average customer rating:

Great fun!
Disappointment
great stories
1956-1960
Glad to See Tintin again

The Adventures of Tintin: The Calculus Affair / The Red Sea Sharks / Tintin in Tibet (3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume, Vol. 6)
Herge
Manufacturer: Little, Brown Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0316357243

Customer Reviews:

Great fun!.......2007-10-10

This series of Tintin anthologies is a great buy--the durable hardback cover and the high-quality paper means these books will last a long, long time.

Disappointment.......2007-07-15

I've always been a Tintin fan, and wanted to buy a book for my son. However the format of this book was disappointing, as the original (single) story books were more like A4. The book (with three stories in one) is just too small. It's not the fact that there are three stories all in one volume, it's simply the size of the book. Why was it changed? If you're thinking of buying one of these ... check the measurements! The're not the same size as the originals.

great stories.......2007-03-10

As usual, my 7 years old loved to read Tintin, and I loved to rediscover the stories too ! It is a great book to transport you and your little ones into new adventures. Calculus and Captain Haddock are hilarious. Tintin is adventurous, smart and a good example to my kid.

1956-1960.......2007-02-07

Comic #6 of "The Adventures of Tintin" 3-in-1s has "The Calculus Affair" (1956), "The Red Sea Sharks" (1958) and "Tintin and Tibet" (1960). There's some fine stuff here, but it's not my favorite time in the series. Tough times for Herge too.

"The Calculus Affair" features a new invention and a kidnapping, set in Switzerland and "Borduria". From me, 3 stars.

"Red Sea Sharks" is set in the Middle East, and features Abdullah. From me, 4 stars.

"Tintin in Tibet" is pretty famous in the series, and sees Tintin go out to find his old friend Chang, stranded in the Himalayas. From me, 5 stars.

Kind of like his later stuff a bit better. Worth a look for fans though.

Glad to See Tintin again.......2007-01-19

I grew up reading The Adventures of Tintin and recently purchased this volume for a young cousin in an effort to turn him on to these great stories. I like the new hard cover 3 story format as my old paperback copies have begun to come apart, from repeated reading of course. One thing that I noticed is that unlike the original versions which each had exactly 62 pages, the new format has not preserved this... now I know that's a little nerotic but that's something I always remembered from reading them as a young boy, the fact that each was exactly 62 pages. Herge is a very talented artist and story teller, I would recommend the complete collection to anyone who is looking for a quality adventure story!

The Adventures of Tintin: The Castafiore Emerald, Flight 714, Tintin and the Picaros (3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume, Vol. 7)

Average customer rating:

Great
There is a reason they put these three together
Great stories, well executed
Herge the Elder
A rich part of this bilingual Canadian's heritage

The Adventures of Tintin: The Castafiore Emerald, Flight 714, Tintin and the Picaros (3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume, Vol. 7)
Herge
Manufacturer: Little, Brown Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0316357278

Customer Reviews:

Great.......2007-09-09

What amazed me was the delivery. It came 3 days after I ordered it online. Is it a great product? If you're a tintin fan and don't have all the collections, this is a good one. I bought the all 7 volumes at once. My childhood memories live on.

There is a reason they put these three together.......2007-05-15

It's funny how you can see Herge's style changes over time and yet stays the same. The Picaros is a long way from The Blue Lotus. While there three are not my favorites, they round out the TinTin collection. My [...] has enjoyed Flight 714 more than the other two. I give this 3 stars because his later work just seems like a weaker outing than his earlier work...Red Rackham's Treasure...Destination Moon.

Great stories, well executed.......2007-01-14

I grew up with Tintin books, and my kids are now at an age where they are beyond "See Spot Run" but don't always have the patience for a full-length book. The stories are always great, and the research is meticulous. Most of the story subjects were highly topical at the time, and reading the books regularly provide history refresher.

"The Castafiore Emerald", though it is probably the least "adventurous" of the Tintin books, in my view has the most complex story structure, with a number of plots weaving into each other. A timeless classic.

Herge is no stranger to the esoteric story, but "Flight 714" is clearly the most extreme in this respect. Still, a good story, and an opportunity to deal with a perennial nemesis.

"Tintin and the Picaros" again revisits old territory and old friends like General Alcazar and his Latin American banana republic. This book prompted a long discussion on guerillas and insurgencies with my 8-year-old.

Herge the Elder.......2006-12-18

Volume 7 of the "three in one" Tintin books has the last three completed adventures "The Castafiore Emerald" (1963), "Flight 714" (1968) and "Tintin and the Picaros" (1976). Herge was in his late fifties and sixties when he wrote them, and at times they do have that elder perspective about them. For instance, the elder Captain Haddock's thoughts and feelings seem to be the focus of these stories, while Tintin is more of a side character, investigating. As a kid, I liked "Flight 714", but I didn't find the other two as interesting. They're not like the older stories, but they are fine adventures in their own way.

"The Castafiore Emerald" is completely set on the grounds of Captain Haddock's Marlinspike Hall, and sees the poor Captain swamped by stress and frustrations as the opera singer Bianca Castafiore comes to stay...

"Flight 714" starts off like a standard Tintin action-adventure comic, but then goes all strange in the middle when criminals hijack Tintin's plane and takes him and his friends to a mysterious island...

"Tintin and the Picaros" is like a sequel of sorts to 1937's "The Broken Ear", and sees much of Tintin's investigative past catch up with him in the war torn South American country of "San Theodoros"...

Not the first ones to read for a newcomer (being the last three) but they're worth picking up, and these three in ones are sturdy, a convenient size and great value.

A rich part of this bilingual Canadian's heritage.......2006-09-09

Volume 7: The Castafiore Emerald (1963), Flight 714 for Sydney (1968), Tintin and the Picaros (1976). This is the last instalment of my reviews of each of the seven volumes.

"Hergé influenced my work as much as Disney," said Andy Warhol. Tintin, hardly known in the USA, nevertheless makes his influence felt here, with Spielberg (in one episode, Haddock risks his life for his captain's cap) and Lichtenstein among his admirers. Among the reasons Tintin is not well-known in the USA is that certain minority sensibilities risk being offended. Some will argue that it's because Tintin is too sexless, though I doubt that's it. Tintin's somewhat bland, unassuming sense of duty propels him and the stories, while the cast of supporting characters give the series its wonderful colour, liveliness and effervescence. It is, thankfully, not a superhero comic, these reserving their appeal to male adolescents and collectors, and not graduating into durable art until efforts such as Alan Moore's superlative Watchmen burst onto the scene in 1986-87. It is also not a comic strip like the great Peanuts or Calvin and Hobbes: it is an adventure series. We would have to revisit Terry and the Pirates for something comparable, but even so, Tintin has acceded to the summit of its art form, its worldwide appeal unabated, while Terry and the Pirates and the other great adventure strips this side of the pond are all but forgotten.

Volume 7 begins with The Castafiore Emerald, where the artwork is almost psychotically draftsman-like, some would say even antiseptically so. But for me, it's the quintessence of Hergé's clean line style and the panels are glowingly beautiful. The wheelchair crash into the doctor's car is a great slapstick panel. There are a couple of departures from the Tintin adventure mode, the more obvious being that it is all set at the home base, Marlinspike. The other departure, a tour de force, is left to the reader who, if s/he doesn't get it then s/he doesn't get the story. Bianca Castafiore's domineering personality is shown in all its glory, with paparazzi infestations, colour television developments, gypsy settlements, prejudice, tabloids, roses, birds and of course, the Emerald.

Flight 714 for Sydney is a departure from the quintessentially clean line style and the artwork is a little more cluttered, but again, for me it works, for example by giving more detail to Haddock's rich store of expressions. The book came out the same year as Von Daniken's Chariots of Fire, but the story came out in serial form a couple of years earlier. Again, I don't want to give away the story, but we are treated to another great adventure involving Calculus' savate kick, a superbly detailed aircraft, a memorable scene blurring the lines between the good and the bad, a Pacific island, ancient sculptures, and what it all means - by the end of the story, you know and I know, but it remains a secret in Tintin's world.

The final complete volume (Hergé died before completing its successor, Tintin and Alph-Art, which is available in its uncompleted form) is Tintin and the Picaros, which brings us back to the Amazon, with Alcazar, the Arumbaya, and the clean line which has, however, thickened a tad too much for my tastes. In my opinion a weaker effort than the previous five, a bit of a let down. There is a sense that Hergé felt that this might be his final album and gave the Thom(p)sons a little too much dignity, maybe to make amends for the countless indignities they suffered in the past. Some panels and dialogue are stilted and the story isn't as tight and fluid as in its predecessors. There are still some ironies, such as the first and last panels. And we get to learn Haddock's first name.

Adventures of Tintin: Land of Black Gold / Destination Moon / Explorers on the Moon (3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume, Vol. 5)

Average customer rating:

Another fantastic three in one classic
Fantastic little collection.
Love them
A rich part of this bilingual Canadian's heritage
Land of Black Gold / Destination Moon / Explorers on the Moon (3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume, Vol. 5)

Adventures of Tintin: Land of Black Gold / Destination Moon / Explorers on the Moon (3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume, Vol. 5)
Herge
Manufacturer: Little, Brown Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0316358169

Customer Reviews:

Another fantastic three in one classic.......2007-10-11

Many of us grew up on Tintin and love them for their great nostalgia value, and reminisces of childhood, as well as the brave values of a simpler, more clarified world of yesteryear.
This volume brings together three of the best loved Tintin classics in one handy volume- and for not much more than the price of one.
They are:
Land of Black Gold

An oil crisis breaks out, leading Tintin to the Arab Emirate of Khemed. There he works his way through a series of escapades in the desert and the cities of Kemekhal and Wadesdah where Tintin must deal with the thuggery of the local Arabs . Tintin meets with Emir Ben Kalish Ezab and agress to rescue his kidnapped son Prince Abdullah leadfing him to confront his old enemy Dr Muller, as well as the impossibility of dealing with his charge, the young Abdullah. Quite fast moving and without the flow of some of the Tintin books, this adventure is nonetheless jam-packed with action. We discover that behind all the troubles are agents of a foreign power (Most likely the Soviet Union, whose menace had finally been recognized by the West when this book was first written, in French, 1950. As usual the rest of the gang such as the fiery Captain Haddock and the disastrous Thompson and Thomson add to the brew!

Destination Moon

First written in 1953, 15 years before the first real moon landing in 1969!
I like these books because of their nostalgia value, good old-fashioned values of heroism, adventure good vs. evil. . I first got hold of copies of 'Destination Moon ' and 'Explorers on the Moon' when I was ten, and I was fascinated by the world which they opened up.
Tintin and Captain Haddock fly to the uranium-rich Balkan State of Syldavia, to work with Professor Calculus on his project to send a rocket to the moon, using the mountains of Syldavia as a base. You learn a lot about the fantasyland of Syldavia, and about the unusual perception of the world of his time, by the author, Herge.
This work is amazing in its futuristic scope. The super-modern (for when it was written in1953) Sprodj Atomic Research Center, and the details of the rocket where quite an amazing concept when the book was first published, 16 years before the first real moon landing by Neil Armstrong in 1969.

It is full of adventure, such as when Tintin is wounded while surprising villains at the ventilator grid in the picturesque Syldavian Mountains; and much humour such as escapades with Captain
Haddock's pipe and Professor Calculus' hearing aid , and the famous scene of an enraged Professor Calculus `acting the goat'.

It is a great adventure for all ages, a wonderful album to have.

Explorers on the Moon

This science fictional comic , written in 1954 , 14 years before the first actual moon landing , fails to disappoint , after the precedent set by its prequel , 'Destination Moon'.
This adventure sees Tintin and friends successfully go to the moon and back , defeating such problems as a rapidly depleting oxygen source and villains who have followed them into space .
I read it when I was ten and it led me to become interested in space.
I remember sitting on top of the roof of my home , reading it , and seeing a shooting star fly by. There is something intriguing about these comics.

Fantastic little collection........2007-06-27

Don't be fooled by the size of this little book. Other readers have stated how the pictures seem much to small in this more compact version of the comics we loved as children. These are just as visually stunning as the original size comics. Best of all, it is hardcover and will not get damaged (a problem I had with the originals) and they are compact enough to take on a car ride. My son is now as much of an addict as I was at his age. Happy reading!

Love them.......2007-03-09

If you are a Tintin freak, this one is for you. Just buy them

A rich part of this bilingual Canadian's heritage.......2006-09-09

Volume 5: Land of Black Gold (1951), Destination Moon (1953), Explorers on the Moon (1954). This is the fifth instalment of my reviews of each of the seven volumes.

Land of Black Gold makes little use of Captain Haddock (it actually took form before The Crab With the Golden Claws) and is, subjectively of course, the weakest of all the Tintin adventures created after Tintin in America.

The third of the three double adventures, Destination Moon and Explorers on the Moon show an amazingly detailed lunar effort, 15 years before the real moon landing, using Syldavia vs. its communist-style rival Borduria (see King Ottokar's Sceptre) as the backdrop. We see a side of Calculus that we had not suspected, a great deal of slapstick from Haddock, highly convincing moonscapes, somewhat drab colours however, but an effective layout; the moonscapes are outstanding. Tintin's friendship with Haddock requires a little tough love. Great stories, and yet exceeded by the last two in the preceding volume and the three in Volume 6.

Land of Black Gold / Destination Moon / Explorers on the Moon (3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume, Vol. 5).......2006-08-31

Very good story for children and aldult as well

The Adventures of Tintin: The Crab With the Golden Claws / The Shooting Star / The Secret of the Unicorn (3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume, Vol. 3)

Average customer rating:

Haddock is introduced in the Golden Claws
A little disappointing
Tintin on his adventures!
A rich part of this bilingual Canadian's heritage
The Adventures of Tintin: The Crab With the Golden Claws / The Shooting Star / The Secret of the Unicorn (3 Complete Adventures

The Adventures of Tintin: The Crab With the Golden Claws / The Shooting Star / The Secret of the Unicorn (3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume, Vol. 3)
Herge
Manufacturer: Little, Brown Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0316359440

Customer Reviews:

Haddock is introduced in the Golden Claws.......2007-08-23

Thundering Typhoons!! Had been trying to get my hands on this issue as it introduces my fave. character!! It compliments the package well because the issues are in a sequence and one ends up getting more of blistering barnacles! I would recommend this to Haddock's admiration club and otherwise as well!

A little disappointing.......2007-02-07

Tintin on his adventures!.......2007-01-21

I have read many Tintin adventures and love them all. Herge can make very funny adventure stories.
In the book, The Crab with the Golden Claws, Tintin meets Captain Haddock. Captain Haddok loves whisky. Professor Calculus is not here. He comes in Red Rackham's treasure.
Reviewed by my child, C.B. Patras

A rich part of this bilingual Canadian's heritage.......2006-09-09

Volume 3: The Crab With the Golden Claws (1942), The Shooting Star (1942), The Secret of the Unicorn (1943). This is the third instalment of my reviews of each of the seven volumes.

As I mentioned in my review for Volume 1, as a child I read these stories in no particular order. So, when reading The Crab With the Golden Claws, I was surprised to see Captain Haddock in such a pitiable state, having made his acquaintance in later adventures...

But this is where he is introduced, and the friendship that develops between Haddock and Tintin not only allows the alcoholic captain to bloom, it lifts the curtain on one of the most entertaining, impulsive (Haddock = ad hoc, get it? In French, the pronunciation of the two is exactly the same...), flawed, and in essence loyal, good hearted and lovable characters in all comicdom. His irascible nature will be abundantly prodded with insufferable foils (Wagg, Abdullah, Castafiore, the Thom(p)sons, and sundry villains) throughout the series. We also meet the sinister Allan for the first time. The story takes place in Morocco, and the child sees yet more of our planet's vistas, while the adult continues to revel in Hergé's textured adventures and detailed settings, as well as a terrifying dream sequence.

Michael Farr's "Tintin: The Complete Companion" (highly recommended), gives a glimpse at why Tintin did not take in the USA as it did in the rest of the world, and that has to do with a couple of panels from The Shooting Star. Though with some brilliant sequences, such as the cinematic seasickness scene, it is not as captivating as the usual Tintin standard, but again, one does not want to miss a single adventure.

The Secret of the Unicorn has a number of threads, one of which develops into the sequel, Red Rackham's Treasure.

The Adventures of Tintin: The Crab With the Golden Claws / The Shooting Star / The Secret of the Unicorn (3 Complete Adventures .......2006-08-31

Good book for kids and aldult as well

Dragons of the Dwarven Depths (Dragonlance: The Lost Chronicles, Vol. 1)

Average customer rating:

Good book
a trulely great book
Good read, but definitely a little off
You can never go Home again...
Welcome Back!

Dragons of the Dwarven Depths (Dragonlance: The Lost Chronicles, Vol. 1)
Margaret Weis , and Tracy Hickman
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0786940999
Release Date: 2006-07-11

Book Description

The Companions are back!
In an untold story from the War of the Lance, the companions have saved the refugees of Pax Tharkas and led them to a hidden valley. For a time, they are safe, but the forces of the Dragon Army are in pursuit.
As Tanis and Flint seek out a haven in the dwarven kingdom of Thorbardin, the rest of the companions face their own challenges. Raistlin is strangely drawn to the haunted fortress known as Skullcap. Sturm seeks the legendary Hammer of Kharas, the forging tool of the fabled dragonlances, while Tika Waylan must make a perilous journey to rescue those she loves from certain death.

Customer Reviews:

Good book.......2007-09-10

I have been a Weis and Hickman fan for many years now. I was very excited to find out that these books finally got written to fill in all the missing pieces of stories spoke of in other books. First off I will agree with a few of the other reviewers. There are a handful of type-o's in this book. Missing quotes, misspelled words, missing words etc. HOWEVER, none of which are so bad that it makes the book not worth reading. I have found about 10 or 11. It could be worse, none the less, the book is still worth reading. I also have to disagree when people say the characters don't act like they did in other books. I think this is no where near correct. All of the characters are just like they were years ago when I first read of them. NOTE* This book has little to no character development it is NOT meant for that. It is a continuation of books previously written. If you are thinking of reading this and have not at the very least read Dragons of Autumn Twilight, hold of and read that first. Having said what I have, this is a great book and I highly recommend it, granted you read it in the correct order according to the other related books. Enjoy.

a trulely great book.......2007-09-07

i just finished this book and i got so caught in the excitement that i couldent take my eyes off the pages anyway this book is mostly aboat refugees trying to escape the dragon highlord vermeneered or something i forgot how to spell his name as i was saying they are trying to escape from him with 800 slaves that he forced to mine and make weapons. the plot is, is for these refugee's to find thorbidden a city under the mountain named cloudseeker [a dwarven city]. they try to get the refugees of 800 males females and children into the safety of the city but as little as they know theres a war undergroun to find the sacred hammer of khares. tas raistlin sturm and tanis also flint [main charcters]. they try to agree with the dwarven thanes [rulers of thobidden] to let the refugee's in thorbidden.they find out that the sacred hammer of khares the one they have to get to get the refugees in thorbiddin is also the only one that can forge the dragonlance's [a magical sword]to defeat the dragons and draconins [half lizird half man beast's]. so now u got the main idea i hope u enjoy the series like i can :) :) :).

Good read, but definitely a little off.......2007-06-07

Dragons of Dwarven Depths takes place in the period between Dragons of Autumn Twilight and Dragons of Winter Night.

Pros:
Like many have said, it's visiting with old friends
It is a well written book, as you would expect of Weis and Hickman
It's almost 600 pages, so you get your moneys worth!
Fills in some gaps in the original Chronicles trilogy

Cons:
For the first half of the book, the characters are written nearly exactly the same as they were in the original trilogy, however, in the second half, some, particularly Sturm and Caramon, seem different than the characters we know and love. While the characters do grow and change through the original trilogy in a fairly smooth manner, if you add this novel in, it would seem that they jump all over the place.

The story follows a similar path. While the first half seamlessly picks up right where it left off in Autumn Twilight, in the second half I found myself saying "That doesn't make sense" when I thought about the beginning of Winter Night. Without giving anything away (if you have read the original trilogy), the second half of the story deals with the companions acquiring the legendary Hammer of Kharas. In Winter Night, Sturm points out that they had recovered it, and the Dwarven essentially wouldn't agree to house the refugees without the companions turning it over. He's ticked, and Tanis isn't much happier about it. While that storyline is somewhat followed, the way it is written, it doesn't seem like any of the companions should be that upset that the Dwarves ended up with it. Also, it doesn't make sense why Elistan is then presenting it in the beginning of Winter Night.

By the end, I really felt like I was reading a novel written by one of the countless authors that have contributed to the series. Those authors tend to go off on their own tangents, or ignore various statements/facts presented in the original trilogies to make their stories work, which I find highly annoying.

That being said, it was still an enjoyable read, and far better than most of the non-Weis/Hickman novels in the series. I look forward to the second installment.

You can never go Home again..........2007-05-06

Or so the old saying goes...The dynamic writing duo of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, proclaim otherwise, however, in their 'new' trilogy chronicling the 'lost'adventures of the Heroes of the Lance. Dragons of the Dwarven Depths is a great corollary off the original Chronicles storyline. The plot revolves around Flint's recovery of the Hammer of Kharas and Riverwind's evacuation of the Pax Tharkas slaves. Despite including the beloved Heroes, this book is really carried by the villians. The brilliant Draconian mage is exceptional in his role as primary villian in the story and I found myself reading on to see his reaction to certain situations despite the fact that I knew what the overall outcome was of the tale.
Weis and Hickman have done it again, they have created a great story populated with memorable characters!

Welcome Back!.......2007-04-27

Another great story in the world of Dragonlance!

I was so sad at the end of the War of Souls trilogy, as I thought it meant the end of the world of Krynn for me... I was wrong, and I celebrated the day I found out that Margaret and Tracy were writing prequels. However, after the Star Wars debacle, I was slightly concerned that this was going to be a "Phantom Menace". I am glad to say it is not.

This book takes place between Autumn Twilight and Winters Night, and revolves around Riverwind's evacuation of the Slave of Pax Tharkas after the rebellion, and Tanis, Raistlin, Sturm Caramon, Flint, and Tas's search for the Hammer of Kharas - used to make the Dragonlances. This book focuses largely on Flint, which awesome considering that he played a much diminished role for the majority of the series. Flint leads the companions in the search and has to deal with the dwarven bureaucracy and xenophobia in Thorbardin. Compounding the difficulty is an especially clever and ambitious draconian who has fooled the world into thinking Lord Verminard still lives. I swear, fans of Tas will love this book - as always he has some of the best lines and gets himself into the strangest situations.

My only criticism, [which is not aimed at the authors] and one shared by many reviewers, is the abysmal editing. There were missing words, spelling errors, type-o's and so forth. While this does not detract from the well-conceived plot, it does slow the natural flow of the read. Hopefully the publishers will take an extra week for editing on the next instalment.

Anyhow, this was a great read for fans of the series!

Relic113

The Adventures of Tintin - Red Rackham's Treasure / The Seven Crystal Balls / Prisoners of the Sun (3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume, Vol. 4)

Average customer rating:

Fun Read
Awsome book
Fantastic little collection.
Always a favorite
A rich part of this bilingual Canadian's heritage

The Adventures of Tintin - Red Rackham's Treasure / The Seven Crystal Balls / Prisoners of the Sun (3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume, Vol. 4)
Herge
Manufacturer: Little, Brown Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0316358142

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Volume 4 of the 3-in-1 Tintin series begins in the middle of an adventure, concluding the story begun in The Secret of the Unicorn. (Keeping all the two-part stories together was not possible in the 3-in-1 format because chronologically, the Unicorn/Rackham and Crystal/Prisoners two-parters are back to back.) Red Rackham's Treasure follows Tintin and friends as they search for the pirate booty procured by Captain Haddock's ancestor, Sir Francis Haddock, in the West Indies. They receive some unexpected help in the form of a hard-of-hearing inventor named Professor Calculus, who would go on to become one of the most endearing characters of the series. (Herge admitted that the character was one "whom I never suspected would take on such importance.") It's a lot of fun, with some submarine and diving adventures, humor from the Thompsons, and an unexpected (but satisfying) ending. The Seven Crystal Balls begins on a light note, as Captain Haddock tries to adjust to his new life as a gentleman following the events of Red Rackham's Treasure. He wears a monocle and frequents the music hall, where in a not-unusual coincidence he and Tintin happen to find General Alcazar (The Broken Ear) and the dreaded diva Bianca Castafiore. However, it's the act of fakir Ragdalam with Madame Yamilah, the amazing clairvoyante, that reveals the central adventure: the scientists excavating the tomb of Racar Capac have incurred the curse of the Inca. Despite the efforts of bungling detectives Thompson ("With a P, as in Philadelphia") and Thomson ("Without a P, as in Venezuela"), the explorers are stricken, and one of Tintin's closest friends disappears mysteriously, leading to a trip to Peru in the second part, Prisoners of the Sun. After The Seven Crystal Balls set the eerie stage, Tintin and his friends continue their adventures in Peru. There Tintin rescues an orange-seller named Zorrino from being bullied, and the young man becomes their guide in their quest to find the Temple of the Sun. But they find more than they bargained for and end up in a hot spot. The perils of this engaging two-part adventure are especially harrowing in their combination of the supernatural and the real, although the resolution is a little too deus ex machina. Calculus and the Thompsons provide their usual comic relief.

The 3-in-1 format provides excellent value, but the small size (about 40% smaller than the single-story paperbacks) makes it harder to enjoy the detail in Herge's layouts. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Fun Read.......2007-09-04

A very good book for those who enjoy the adventures of Tintin. It was in great condition.

Awsome book.......2007-08-04

We grew up reading these books. And I wanted to buy these for my son too. So as soon as he started reading some big books I ordered them and bought them for him.He loves it. He loves Captain Heddock,Thompson and Thomson. Wow what great stories and what great characters. Must read!!!!

Fantastic little collection........2007-06-27

Always a favorite.......2006-09-16

Tintin comic books have always been a favorite. And I like the fact that now you get three stories in one volume - helps to complete the series quickly. Great for kids and for adults.

A rich part of this bilingual Canadian's heritage.......2006-09-09

Volume 4: Red Rackham's Treasure (1944), The Seven Crystal Balls (1948), Prisoners of the Sun (1949). This is fourth instalment of my reviews of each of the seven volumes.

By now, the core members of the Tintin series have been assembled, though further secondary additions will be made. Tintin, the volatile Haddock and the deaf, distracted Calculus, and of course Snowy, Tintin's dog, will be inseparable friends throughout the rest of the series. There are some parallels between Haddock and Snowy, such as a love of booze and vulnerability to temptation, and Haddock's appearance has taken some of the spotlight off Snowy, but the dog still has its day - or days - as the series matures. The Thom(p)sons and the Castafiore adorn the circle of friends, while Dawson, Mueller, Allan and not least, Rastapopoulos, come back at times as foes.

Red Rackham's Treasure rounds out the adventure commenced with the Secret of the Unicorn (see my review for the previous volume). Professor Calculus, who enriches the series no end, makes his inaugural appearance, in which he is the inventor of a mini-submarine. A great adventure with pirates, treasure, submarines, and scaphanders. Oh yeah, and Nestor, too. Wouldn't want to omit him...

The Seven Crystal Balls begins another two-parter, with American Indian mysticism pitted against soulless European rationalism, and the most terrifying sequence I have ever seen in a comic book. Good god, I couldn't sleep after reading that one. After reading this adventure and its sequel, and not before, check out the official Tintin site for a striking analysis of a single panel, so that you can understand the pure richness of Hergé's creation. The sequel, Prisoners of the Sun is a pinnacle in the series, with the heroes' labyrinthine course into and out of trouble, culminating in a magnificent twist on the mysticism vs. rationalism theme set out in the prequel.

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