Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Seems Like People Are Reviewing The Movie, Not The Book
  • oddly anti-climactic
  • Awesome Sci Fi Novel!!
  • Outstanding Book
  • Entertaining Sci-Fi Adventure Story
Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000
L. Ron Hubbard
Manufacturer: Galaxy Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Hubbard, L. RonHubbard, L. Ron | ( H ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1592120539

Book Description

The 20th Anniversary Edition.

A towering masterwork of science fiction adventure and one of the best-selling science fiction novels of all time, L. Ron Hubbard's "Battlefield Earth" opens with breathtaking scope on an Earth dominated for a thousand years by an alien invader -- and man is an endangered species. From the handful of surviving humans a courageous leader emerges -- Jonnie Goodboy Tyler -- who challenges the invincible might of the alien Psychlo empire in a battle of epic scale, danger and intrigue, with the fate of Earth and the universe in the balance.

A breakaway New York Times and perennial international bestseller, "Battlefield Earth" has been voted among the top three of the best one hundred English language novels of the twentieth century by the Random House Modern Library Readers Poll, and has won worldwide critical acclaim, including the U.S. Golden Scroll and Saturn Awards, Italy's prestigious Tetradramma d'Oro (for the story's inherent message of peace), and France's Gutenberg Award for the novel's exceptional contribution to the genre.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Seems Like People Are Reviewing The Movie, Not The Book.......2007-10-07

There are people on here who are reviewing the movie. There are many more that are reviewing the actual book, and there are some who are reviewing something entirely different. Well, we won't bother with those guys reviewing something entirely different, but we will review Battlefield Earth today. I promise.

Starting from a base of 3 stars (average)...

The Good:
This audio book is unabridged, which means every single last snippet of text from the book is repeated, including introductions, chapter breaks, and the "about the author" section from the end of the book. There are instructions regarding turning the tape over, and the reader's voice is very clear.

+1/2 star (unabridged), +1/2 star (tape instructions), +1/2 star (clear voice)

The Bad:
This book is long, requiring 45 hours listening time to get through it. Since it is a word for word reading, the weaknesses of the book show up in here as well. While I am a fan of the book, the book slows down tremendously after the attack on the Denver mine site (located in nearby Colorado Springs by the way) and doesn't really pick up again until the other aliens come calling, demanding Earth for themselves.

There is an audio dramatization of this book read by Roddy McDowall that thanks to judicious editing and a surprising array of different voices ends up being even better than the book. This difficult feat was achieved by having an editor who actually understood that the worst part of the book, the actions of our heroes in Africa (which begins after the capture of the Denver compound and ends when the other aliens arrive) could be excised without affecting the story any. This audio version I would consider the definitive version, and the movie should have used the audio drama as its script, because it's just that good.

One of the cassettes in my copy had a defect where the leader tape stuck to itself. Easily fixed thanks to having cassettes held together using screws, I shouldn't have to take the cassette shell apart to fix it.

-1/2 star (LONG), -1/4 star (defective tape)

The Ugly:
It has the Battlefield Earth movie poster on the front of it just to remind everyone that a good book was turned into a horrid piece of dog doo doo.

-1/2 star (bad cover)

The Verdict:
3 1/4 stars (rounded down to 3 stars since Amazon does not rate by quarter stars).

Final comments:
The Roddy McDowall eight hour version of Battlefield Earth is a lot easier on the ears and the wallet, and is more entertaining than the unabridged audio or the book in my opinion. This thirty cassette monster is really only for completists.

4 out of 5 stars oddly anti-climactic.......2007-09-22

OMG what a long book. Its worth reading just for the fact Hubbard wrote it. It reflects his scientology (Psychlos run by evil Psychlologists- my word, not his, mental health shysters). Felt inconsistent at times. Johnnie Goodboy Tyler's rise from illiterate hunter to super genius was Unbelievable even with the conveniently lying around hundreds year old Chinko teaching machine. The whole population of the Scots, Russians, etc. to competent engineers, doctors using modern equipment, etc. even less so. Oh yeah, Psychlos made of virus? The bits of metal enclosing nerves that make Psychlo females go comatose when they think math? but its sci-fi so you suspend disbelief and its interestingly enough written. No well written female characters though. Not really that many female characters at all. Basically afterthoughts.
So your building up to a climax, the overthrow of the Psychlos. You achieve it. But the story plods on with the pounding invasion by other aliens and then the repossession of earth by the bank! And then backwoods hero wows jewel encrusted sophisticated galactic ambassadors with a black suit and shiny buttons? Hmmm, wearing that dress made of aluminum foil to a $$$ restaurant is looking better and better. Lots of lucky coincidences in the last third of the 'victory'. An amabassador wearing dirty boots (huh?), Terl signing over ownership of earth...
that being said, it was still an enjoyable read. The Selachees, shark like species, as bankers. Nifty little aside: the 11 based Psychlo number system and writing it being an allegory, empty mouth, mining ore, leads to power and prosperity.

5 out of 5 stars Awesome Sci Fi Novel!!.......2007-09-12

Okay, I read a few reviews and I can tell you that I don't know what Scientology is nor do I care to. This book is a sci-fi novel and don't interpret it as anything other. Okay, so the "science" isn't realistic. Like a death star destroying a planet is? C'mon give me a break.

Bottom line: If you enjoy reading science fiction novels, then you will like this book.

5 out of 5 stars Outstanding Book.......2007-09-04

I read this book the first time about 25 years ago and have read it again several more times since...

5 out of 5 stars Entertaining Sci-Fi Adventure Story.......2007-09-03

This is a long, highly entertaining, engrossing story. Fortunately it has virtually nothing to do with Scientology and all the crazy things that L. Ron Hubbard did. After I read this novel, I then read about L. Ron Hubbard. Knowing psychology, I recognized that he had a severe case of narcissistic personality disorder! Then I realized that the character Terl is pretty much the same as L Ron Hubbard! That is why Terl is so well-defined: because Hubbard based that character on himself. Also, the character Johnnie Tyler is often portrayed in a narcissitic fashion as well, in that he becomes the all-conquering, all-knowing, all-powerful hero of all the planets in 16 universes! That is the kind of delusion of unlimited brilliance and grandeur that narcissists love fantasizing about.

Lastly, many people think that the Catrists organization in Battlefield Earth is an attack on psychiatrists. But I have a different take on it. I think L. Ron Hubbard was actually projecting the sinister qualities of Scientologists onto the Catrists. When you think about it, the Catrists are a lot more like Scientologists than psychiatrists.
The Genius of China: 3000 Years of Science, Discovery and Invention
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • How the Chinese invented it all!
The Genius of China: 3000 Years of Science, Discovery and Invention
Robert Temple
Manufacturer: Touchstone Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

GeneralGeneral | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Science | Subjects | Books
History of TechnologyHistory of Technology | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | China | Asia | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0671674072

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars How the Chinese invented it all!.......1997-12-09

Printing, Compasses, and Gunpowder were the key inventions that enabled the renaissance. The Chinese invented these and much more. This book is a distillation of Professor Joseph Needham's massive 13 volume "Science and Civilisation in China." It is a fascinating science history.
The Anchor Book of Chinese Poetry: From Ancient to Contemporary, The Full 3000-Year Tradition
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Great Chinese Masters
  • Barnstorming Barnstone
The Anchor Book of Chinese Poetry: From Ancient to Contemporary, The Full 3000-Year Tradition

Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ChinaChina | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books
AnthologiesAnthologies | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ChineseChinese | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ChineseChinese | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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  2. Li Po and Tu Fu: Poems Selected and Translated with an Introduction and Notes (Penguin Classics) Li Po and Tu Fu: Poems Selected and Translated with an Introduction and Notes (Penguin Classics)
  3. Poems of the Masters: China's Classic Anthology of T'Ang and Sung Dynasty Verse Poems of the Masters: China's Classic Anthology of T'Ang and Sung Dynasty Verse
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ASIN: 0385721986
Release Date: 2005-02-08

Book Description

Unmatched in scope and literary quality, The Anchor Book of Chinese Poetry spans three thousand years, bringing together more than six hundred poems by more than one hundred thirty poets, in translations–many new and exclusive to the book–by an array of distinguished translators.

Here is the grand sweep of Chinese poetry, from the Book of Songs–ancient folk songs said to have been collected by Confucius himself–and Laozi’s Dao De Jing to the vividly pictorial verse of Wang Wei, the romanticism of Li Po, the technical brilliance of Tu Fu, and all the way up to the twentieth-century poetry of Mao Zedong and the post—Cultural Revolution verse of the Misty poets. Encompassing the spiritual, philosophical, political, mystical, and erotic strains that have emerged over millennia, this broadly representative selection also includes a preface on the art of translation, a general introduction to Chinese poetic form, biographical headnotes for each of the poets, and concise essays on the dynasties that structure the book. A landmark anthology, The Anchor Book of Chinese Poetry captures with impressive range and depth the essence of China’s illustrious poetic tradition.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Great Chinese Masters.......2007-06-19

These poems touch upon a variety of thoughts and emotions: some reflect the beauty of nature; many explore the process of aging; love, sorrow and death are all spoken to in a distinct way that feels thoroughly Chinese. Some of my favorites touch upon womanhood: "To Be A Woman" by Fu Xuan, "lament" by Princess Lu Xijun. The great masters, Tu Fu, Li Po and Wang Wei are also quite inspiring. My only criticism is the inclusion of the poems of Mao Zedong. While it may have some cultural and historical relavance, Mao's poetry didn't say much to me aside from stale patriotic/idealistic propaganda.

The other peoms of love and death were all quite memorable.

Comparisons: Translations by Kenneth Rexroth, Xu Yuan Zhong, Greg Wincup

4 out of 5 stars Barnstorming Barnstone.......2006-03-14

All lovers of Chinese literature will know how central a contribution the Barnstones, father and son, have made to the gradual Anglicization (or Americanization) of at least a small part of the poetic treasures now pouring out of the Middle Kingdom for the world to wake up to at last. This Anchor collection is a noble enterprise and a huge achievement, comparable in scope to earlier anthologies such as those compiled so magisterially by Cyril Birch, Burton Watson, Jonathan Chaves, Victor Mair and Stephen Owen. It is worth buying for the introduction alone, but the originality of the enterprise consists largely in the novelty of so many of the poems chosen. Of course any anthology that claims to include 'the Full 3000-Year Tradition' is guilty of massive over-exaggeration, since it is the nature of anthologies to be highly selective. And if, in your pursuit of the new and the unexpected you choose to leave out a lot of the 'old familiar faces', as Barnstone does, then perhaps the danger is that you may inadvertently give readers who are themselves new to Chinese poetry a slightly false picture of its most salient geographical features. He is a good enough translator at his best to do ample justice to many of those anthology 'plums' that most other anthologists consider indispensable. On the other hand, one can have too much of a good thing, and he may well be right to have sometimes wandered away from the well-trodden highway. A good guide is one who makes the tour idiosyncratic and personal, and Barnstone is certainly that. The overall quality of the poetry, considered as poetry IN ENGLISH, is pretty consistently high: perhaps not quite in the same class as Kenneth Rexroth, Sam Hamill, David Hinton or David Young, but still often bright, fresh and bubbling with energy. No library of Chinese literature in translation should be without this cornucopia of delights.
Journal of an Overland Expedition in Australia: from Moreton Bay to Port Essington, a distance of upwards of 3000 miles, during the years 1844-1845
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Journal of an Overland Expedition in Australia: from Moreton Bay to Port Essington, a distance of upwards of 3000 miles, during the years 1844-1845
    Ludwig Leichhardt
    Manufacturer: BiblioBazaar
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    Essays & TraveloguesEssays & Travelogues | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Australia | Australia & South Pacific | Travel | Subjects | Books
    ASIN: 142641174X
    Release Date: 2006-07-12

    Book Description

    FROM MORETON BAY TO PORT ESSINGTON, A DISTANCE OF UPWARDS OF 3000 MILES, DURING THE YEARS 1844-1845
    The " Times" Atlas of European History: 3000 Years of History in Maps
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      The " Times" Atlas of European History: 3000 Years of History in Maps
      Thomas Cussans , and Mark Almond
      Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Hardcover

      Atlases & MapsAtlases & Maps | Reference | Subjects | Books | Atlases | Canada | Historical | Maps | United States | World
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      ASIN: 0723006016
      The Complete Greek Cookbook The Best From 3000 Years OF Greek Cooking
      Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
      • It's Greek to me!
      • The complete Greek Cookbook
      • Absolutely the best
      • plagiarized and dumbed down
      • My favorite Greek cookbook
      The Complete Greek Cookbook The Best From 3000 Years OF Greek Cooking
      Theresa Karas Yianilos
      Manufacturer: BookSurge Publishing
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

      GeneralGeneral | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
      GreekGreek | European | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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      5. The Food and Wine of Greece: More Than 300 Classic and Modern Dishes from the Mainland and Islands The Food and Wine of Greece: More Than 300 Classic and Modern Dishes from the Mainland and Islands

      ASIN: 1419643827
      Release Date: 2006-07-25

      Book Description

      The Complete Greek Cookbook contains the most comprehensive collection of Greek recipes ever published in this country with over one thousand variations of three hundred authentic recipes. They reflect a simplified modern approach to Greek cooking, step by step instructions, modified proportions of sugars, fats and oil, the use of instant foods and spices, tested short-cut methods and the use of appliances. Anecdotes and myths about the origins of these recipes makes this book fun to read and a treasure to have in the kitchen. This is a new edition of an Amazon five star classic which was revised in August 2000 that has sold over two hundred thousand copies.

      Customer Reviews:

      4 out of 5 stars It's Greek to me!.......2007-01-17

      Just got the book; I bought it used. Hardcover. Seems like a good, basic Greek cookbook. There are a few pencilled-in notes from a previous owner which I actually appreciate. The book has the favorites: baklavah, roast leg of lamb, moussaka, and of course that delicious lemon sauce the Greeks often use. I'm more of an eater than a cooker, so I like this book. The recipes seem easy and that's perfect for me; all I need is a bit of a direction for spices and so forth, and hoopla - it's dinner!

      1 out of 5 stars The complete Greek Cookbook.......2006-03-22

      Boring recipes, but the history of cooking in Greece makes the book a worthwhile purchase.

      5 out of 5 stars Absolutely the best.......2005-02-22

      I found this book 25 years ago in a library. It was out of print then, so I photo-copied the entire book. I have been using it since, and every recipe is wonderful. I am glad the book is once again in print, so I can buy a copy. (Actually, I will buy several. This will make a great gift for someone.) Enjoy.

      2 out of 5 stars plagiarized and dumbed down.......2004-11-22

      The recipes are mostly plagiarized and cleverly edited by this author (unfortunately this happens frequently with cookbook authors).

      Many of the dishes bear no relationship to the reality of the dish...with ingredients left out and often in the wrong proportions. Non Greek cooks may think that this book beats all, but it is clearly a mediocre presentation of Greek cooking at best.

      For an excellent and truly knowledgable Greek cookbook try
      The Ultimate Greek Cookbook, by Vangelis Driskas (Patakis Publishers)

      5 out of 5 stars My favorite Greek cookbook.......2003-03-31

      I have cooked from Ms. Yianilos' book for thirty years, and continue to use it as a trusted friend for cooking for buffets, and small dinner parties, as well as for family dinners. The recipes are inventive, complex, and tasty. They do make more than the author suggests: if she says something serves four, it probably serves eight. But I would never give up my copy for anything!
      In the Name of Heaven: 3000 Years of Religious Persecution
      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
      • A focus perfect for any collection strong in general religious history.
      In the Name of Heaven: 3000 Years of Religious Persecution
      Mary Jane Engh , and M. J. Engh
      Manufacturer: Prometheus Books
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Hardcover

      GeneralGeneral | Church History | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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      ASIN: 1591024544

      Book Description

      Religion—the source of inspiration, hope, and basic values for most of humanity throughout history—has also been the motive for atrocious persecutions from antiquity to the present. In the Name of Heaven is a wide-ranging historical survey of religious persecution encompassing three millennia and a great diversity of cultures worldwide.

      Defining religious persecution as "repressive actions initiated or condoned by authorities against their own people on religious grounds," author Mary Jane Engh begins with ancient Egypt, followed by the biblical history of Israel with its accounts of divinely ordered genocides and capital punishment for worshipers of other deities.

      Chapters are devoted to ancient Greece (Socrates, Alcibiades, and Aristotle, among others, clashed with the religious establishment); the Roman Empire (persecutions of Jews, Christians, and Manichaeans, and the later persecution of pagans and heretics by a Christianized Rome); the Islamic Empire (persecutions of polytheists and dissident Muslims); and medieval and Reformation Europe (where Protestants and Catholics persecuted each other and both persecuted heretics).

      The twenty-two chapters also cover Asia, Africa, the Americas, and the Pacific area. In an epilogue Engh reviews the new forms of religious persecution from the 20th century to the present—from major genocides and militant forms of polytheism to persecution of all religion by atheistic governments.

      Complete with references to further reading, this sobering but factually indisputable survey of religion's dark side enlightens while serving as a warning for the future.

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars A focus perfect for any collection strong in general religious history........2007-03-05

      IN THE NAME OF HEAVEN: 3,000 YEARS OF RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION defines repressive actions used by authorities on their own people on religious grounds, and provides a history of ancient civilizations right up to modern times, moving around the world to cover Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the Pacific. Varying methods, purposes, and objectives are contrasted in a focus perfect for any collection strong in general religious history.
      The 3000-Year-Old Hat: New Connections with Old Europe: The Thraco-Phrygian World
      Average customer rating: 1 out of 5 stars
      • Look elsewhere
      The 3000-Year-Old Hat: New Connections with Old Europe: The Thraco-Phrygian World
      Irina Florov , and Nicholas Florov
      Manufacturer: Golden Vine Publishers
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

      BulgariaBulgaria | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
      ASIN: 0968848702

      Book Description

      This is the first book published in North America which examines some aspects of the ancient history of Thrace and Phrygia (today's territories of Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Macedonia and Western Turkey), as well as the seventy known tribes and tribal groups that inhabited those lands. It is divided into eight chapters and supported by thirty black and white illustrations and two maps. It provides rare insights into the Orphic and other ancient traditions and their influence on Western European culture. Bibliography and index.

      Customer Reviews:

      1 out of 5 stars Look elsewhere.......2006-09-13

      I was very disappointed in this book. I guess the definitive, popular overview of the Thracians and kindred peoples remains to be written.

      Here are some of the specific problems I had with this book:

      1. Lack of a standard in the spelling of Hellenized or Latinized names: Mouseios, Sparadokos, etc, but Sitalces for Sitalkes.

      2. Non-standard spellings of proper names: Kotis for Kotys, Kotito for Kottyto, Celimbria for Selymbria, Getti for Getae, Odryssian for Odrysian, Remetalces for Rhoemetalkes/Rhoimetalkes, Halcidice for Chalcidice, Ebriselmus for Hebrizelmis/Gebrizelmis, Bithynni for Bithyni, Edonni for Edoni, Kickones for Kikones/Cicones, Ateas for Atheas, Agatocles for Agathocles, Suza for Susa, Tissa for Tisza, Iphycrates for Iphicrates, Bythinia for Bithynia, Everget for Euergetes, Oziris for Osiris. Some of these misspellings might be attributed to the fact that the authors are Bulgarian, and that their spelling reflects Bulgarian conventions, but that's what editors are for. Some of the most glaring errors are due to an unwarranted doubling of consonants, to a haphazardly inconsistent replacement of "y" with "i", and to a replacement of "th" with "t".

      3. Innovative and unsubstantiated ethno-cultural groupings: Phrygo-Hittite, Thraco-Hittite, Thraco-Pelasgian, Thraco-Mycenaean, Thraco-Macedonian, Carians and Lydians as part of Thraco-Phrygians, Arcadians as Thracian people, etc. Even the grouping Thraco-Phrygian, part of the book's title, is somewhat antiquated and should be treated with caution. Some of these links are fascinating and worthy of study. But I think the authors play fast and loose with these terms in order to overemphasize the influence and range of Thracian culture. This exaggeration is unnecessary: the Thracians are fascinating as they are, and need no embellishment. The authors also claim for a greater Thracian ethnos peoples whose ethnic designation is controversial at best. The Dardani or Agrianes are best described as a "Mischvolk", containing Illyrian, Thracian, and Macedonian or Hellenic elements (also worthy of note is the fact that the authors barely mention the Illyrians, the other major Paleo-Balkan group of peoples)

      4. Bibliography: relies heavily on Bulgarian pseudo-historians (noticeably absent: Georgiev and Dechev). Lacks many of the standard references on the subject (lists Hoddindott, but does not mention Casson, Archibald, Wiesner, Papazoglu).

      5. The authors uncritically treat myth as history. One example which comes to mind is the story that Cadmus of Phoenicia came to Boeotia and founded Thebes. Another is the story that Egyptians were freely wandering in mainland Greece prior to the Persian War.

      6. The authors' linguistic conclusions are laughable. They treat any chance similarity between terms as evidence of a correspondence. Examples of questionable links: Bistones/Byzantium, Perke/Berga/Bryges/Phrygians/Pergamum, Galai (Thracian tribe (?))/Galati (Celts). They also assert the existence of an ancient Thracian god Perkos/Perkonis, wishful thinking on their part as it would provide a link to Baltic Perkunas/Slavic Perun, the god of thunder and lightning. In another place they claim "some contemporary linguists" link the Thracian tribal name Dersai (sic) to the name of a Thracian god (no reference is given for this spurious claim).

      Anyway, I hope you get the idea. The level of scholarship is low. On a positive note, I found the discussions of the influence of pre-Christian Thracian belief on the Arian heresy and on its persistance in the Balkan region, as well as the influence of the Thracian horseman Heros on the iconography of St. George to be quite interesting and convincing.

      If you want a good starting point for study of the Thracians, try Christopher Webber's book. Its primary focus is Thracian military history and weaponry, but the historical chronology is very sound, the level of scholarship is quite high (after a visit to Webber's website, one shouldn't expect anything less), and the list of books for further reading at the end is excellent.
      Next Year in Jerusalem: 3000 Years of Jewish Stories
      Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
      • A lovely children's book
      Next Year in Jerusalem: 3000 Years of Jewish Stories
      Howard Schwartz
      Manufacturer: Viking Juvenile
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Hardcover

      MulticulturalMulticultural | Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
      JudaismJudaism | Religions | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
      ASIN: 0670861103

      Book Description

      Jerusalem is a city that captures the imagination. This beautifully-illustrated collection of eleven timeless stories, folktales and legends celebrates the unique spirit of the city in which everything is holy, even the dust under one's feet. Share these stories with someone special, as the state of Israel reaches it's 50th anniversary on May 14th, 1998. This beautiful collection of Jewish stories is true to its heritage....[The] paintings, in soft sunset watercolors, reflect the dreamy, hopefilled tone of the stories. -- Kirkus Reviews Howard Schwartz is a top anthologist and collector of Jewish folktales. He lives in St. Louis, Missouri. Neil Waldman also illustrated The Passover Journey (Viking and Puffin) and many other children's books. He lives in Dobbs Ferry, New York.

      Customer Reviews:

      4 out of 5 stars A lovely children's book.......2000-05-03

      This is a lovely collection of stories from around the world all with a common theme: Jerusalem. They are gathered by an excellent story teller, Howard Schwartz, and retold as a group. I had been familiar with his adult books, particularly the ones that tell tales of mysticism which can be rather complex for children, and was pleased that this book really hit the mark for youngish kids. The illustrations are lovely and add to the pleasure of the book.
      The Lavender Locker Room: 3000 Years of Great Athletes Whose Sexual Orientation Was Different
      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
      • Intriguing, Provocative, and Extremely Entertaining
      The Lavender Locker Room: 3000 Years of Great Athletes Whose Sexual Orientation Was Different
      Patricia Nell Warren
      Manufacturer: Wildcat Press
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

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      ASIN: 1889135070

      Product Description

      Winner of 2007 Independent Publisher Gold Award for Gay/Lesbian literature. Some are legendary such as pilot Amelia Earhart and golf champion Babe Didrikson. Others are less familiar balloonist Alberto Santos-Dumont and javelin thrower Ana Maria Sagi. Some went public NFL running back David Kopay and downhill skier Erik Schinegger. Others, such as Wilhelm von Homburg, were known only to sport insiders. Some, like jockey John Damien, figured in milestone court cases. Some, like jouster Joan of Arc and racehorse breeder George Villiers, were historical figures. Others, like tennis player Martina Navratilova and figure skater John Curry, competed in modern Olympics. But they have something in common: they were gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered. And they stood out extraordinarily in their chosen sport. Their stories, carefully researched and movingly written by landmark author Patricia Nell Warren for Outsports.com, create a sweeping panorama and a heart-pounding literary experience.

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars Intriguing, Provocative, and Extremely Entertaining.......2006-11-05

      Best known as the author of THE FRONT RUNNER, Patricia Nell Warren's work as a novelist has a distinctly muscular quality; THE LAVENDER LOCKER ROOM, however, shows her at her informal best and is more akin to sitting across the table from the lady as she ruminates on what it means to be both athlete and homosexual, contemplating past and present, shifting easily between mythology, rumor, and hard fact.

      The result is as entertaining as it is informative--and, like most of Warren's writings, will no doubt light a fire under the backside of those who have never examined gender stereotypes. Warren opens with reflections on The Iliad's ancient tale of Achilles and Patroclus, indicating the nature of male sexuality in the ancient world (and taking a few swipes at such films as TROY, which go into over-drive to avoid the homo-eroticism involved.) More particularly, however, Warren offers the story to make a very interesting point: sports as we now think of them arose from the military.

      Warren elaborates the thought in a series of reflections on such figures as the mysterious Joan of Arc, Roman gladiators, the legendary Amazons, and the equally legendary Sir Lancelot--and then introduces the first person in the text that we know beyond doubt was both real and really gay: Richard Coeur de Leon, who was not only a great swordsman but also rather notorious in his choice of bedmates. Having set the stage, she then runs the gamut from George Villers, lover of King James I and the man who helped lay the foundations of modern equestrian sport, to David Kopay, NFL running back, whose admission of homosexuality created a tremendous scandal in the mid-1970s.

      Some of Warren's subjects remain widely celebrated to this day: "Big Bill" Tilden is still generally regarded as the single finest male tennis player to grace the game. Some are extremely obscure: Ana Maria Martinex Sagi was famous in pre-Franco Spain but is scarcely recalled today. Some, like boxer Norbert Grupe, largely concealed their sexuality; others, like tennis star Martina Navratilova, have been relatively frank. And then there is the inevitable "hot spot:" figures such as Amelia Earhart, who so successfully concealed their private lives that it is difficult to know their disposition in any hard-fact sense. But whether open, closeted, or simply rumored, the subjects share a common theme: each of them displaced the gender stereotypes of the sporting world and all of them emerge as fascinating figures in Warren's hands.

      Throughout the text Warren frequently references the Olympics, and as the book progresses she takes a very hard look at the IOC's folly of genetic gender-typing, a process that would seem simple enough but which under IOC policies evolved into a comedy of errors that was far from funny to those involved. She also gives considerable thought to the perception of certain sports--most specifically figure skating--as "sissy" and, in the wake of BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, reflects on cowboys and rodeo. To my mind, however, the single most memorable portion of THE LAVENDER LOCKER ROOM occurs when Warren discusses legendary athlete Babe Didrikson Zaharias, whose memorable career fell within the scope of Warren's early memory: her descriptions of seeing Zaharias in news reels and on television broadcasts is both touching and powerful and no doubt reflects the hidden thoughts, dreams, and hungers of an entire generation of lesbians.

      THE LAVENDER LOCKER ROOM makes no pretense of being a comprehensive survey of gay athletes and the additional challenges they face in the arena; it is instead a collage of insights on the figures and issues that swirl around sexuality, gender identity, gender stereotyping, and public perception as they pertain to sports, most particularly in the United States of America but also rising on occasion to a global level. Often provocative, never less than entertaining, and as much a window on the author herself as it is upon the complex subject she addresses. Recommended.

      GFT, Amazon Reviewer

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