New Edge of the Anvil: A Resource Book for the Blacksmith

Book Description

The tenet of this book is provide a tool for artists/blacksmiths and metalworkers. It tells how to work metal: heating it, cutting it, upsetting it, drawing it out, twisting it, forge welding it and shaping and assembling it. It tells about metallurgy and tool making, metal finishes and corrosion, sources of information and supplies, charts and guidelines for many tasks. It explains the process of design, how to use the computer in metal design, how to set up a business and how to manage it. Providing an inspiration for all blacksmiths are portfolios of the wrought iron work of Martin Rose and Samuel Yellin, two of America's premier metalworkers of the past. To further inspire and to show the new focus of blacksmithing in the metal arts, six contemporary metalworkers show a series of demonstration pieces of their iron work. This 256 page book is bound with an improved binding system (Otabind) that allows the pages to lay flat.

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant.......2006-12-27

This is a great book to learn beginning blackmisthing.. I've bought or found a dozen or so books and this is the best.

Good for Beginners.......2006-08-08

This is my 1st year to pursue blacksmithing. I have read a number of books on the subject, but I am not a seasoned smith.

I have seen recommendations for this book several places on-line, so I had high hopes. The book starts by identifying the tools, then covers a few basic projects, adds some metallurgy information, then we get a portfolio of beautiful works by Master Craftsmen. The section on performing a spark test using a grinder could have used some color photos. I would have liked a few more projects, and maybe a few more drawings.

The book was good as far as it went, although the edition that I received in 2006 had several awkwardly phrased sentences. It was almost as if the writer was interrupted in mid sentence, or went back to edit a sentence and left extra words in.

For my own library, I will keep this book, but I am still looking ...

Great book for the self-starter.......2005-12-06

Jack Andrews' "New Edge of the Anvil" is a great book for getting started in blacksmithing. It has clear text, detailed pictures, and inspiring blacksmith's profiles. I find myself referencing it often. Highly recommended.

One of the best for beginning blacksmithing.......2005-08-06

I am a beginning blacksmither and have been getting books from our library. This is one that is so good, I wanted to own a copy.

Very clear and good descriptions of technique, tests for tempering, pros and cons of various forge designs and some gorgeous examples of the blacksmiths art to drool over.

This is an excellent book.......2005-05-01

I got this book in a box of foundry, and forging manuals. I started reading it, and it reaaly breaks down how to do the projects in it. I will, and have recomended this book for any new smith, or student of metal works. As well as any kid wet behind the ears who wants to learn the ways of the smith.

Patterns and Palette Sourcebook: A Complete Guide to Choosing the Perfect Color and Pattern in Design

Average customer rating:

Wasted Purchase
Junk
Georgeous patterns you can change color and printout
unhelpful book...

Patterns and Palette Sourcebook: A Complete Guide to Choosing the Perfect Color and Pattern in Design
Anvil
Manufacturer: Rockport Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Pattern and Palette Sourcebook 2: A Complete Guide to Choosing the Perfect Color and Pattern in Design
Complete Pattern Library: With a CD Containing 100 Classic Patterns You Can Color, Alter, Scale and Print
Fabulous Fabrics of the 50s: And Other Terrific Textiles of the 20s, 30s and 40s (And Other Terrific Textiles of the 20s, 30s, and 40s)
Textile Designs: Two Hundred Years of European and American Patterns Organized by Motif, Style, Color, Layout, and Period
361 Full-Color Allover Patterns for Artists and Craftspeople (Dover Pictorial Archive Series)

ASIN: 159253161X

Book Description

This hardworking reference book is an invaluable tool for art directors, designers, and students working in the fashion, product, and graphic design fields, as well as anyone in the business of visual communication.

The Pattern and Palette Sourcebook is a desktop library of colors and patterns that addresses the professional's real-world needs in working with harmonies and contrasts. Divided into six unique style sections, the book provides readers with 15 appropriate colors for each section, which are then incorporated into 25 different patterns shown in six or eight color variations each. This enables readers to see the dramatic effect colors have in design and helps them better understand how to use color effectively. The book also demonstrates ways of creating designs that are distinctly unique from one another yet hold together in a group. This book is a must have for designers of all disciplines and experience levels.

Customer Reviews:

Wasted Purchase.......2006-04-26

I have to share the same sentiments with a few of the other reviewers. Typically, when a CD-ROM comes with a book of this nature, one would expect the visual content (in this case the patterns displayed in this book) to be available on the disc itself. Not the case here, which I thought was a bit deceiving. It would have been much smarter (and more practical for the end user) for the book author to have provided the patterns as EPS files for use in a vector based software application such as Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw. Otherwise what good is it to look at these patterns when you can't easily recreate them?

Junk.......2005-11-13

First of all the content on the CD is not resuable in anyway. It comes with a semi-functional interactive CD that will allow you to print patterns but they are all locked Flash files so you can not use them in illustrator or in any other program.

The book itself is page after page of repeated patterns with slight color adjustment. The patterns are uninspired and dated. I would not recommend this book to anyone if I could give it negative stars i would.

Georgeous patterns you can change color and printout.......2005-11-10

This book is filled with beautiful and diverse patters, some really modern and clean, others more ornate and traditional. The best part is the CD lets you change the colors in the patterns and then print them out for you to use. It's great for everything from professional design jobs to scrapbooking and personal projects.

unhelpful book..........2005-09-24

I bought this book because i thought i can use the pattern in the cd provided, but unfortunately you cant use any of them, they saved it as flash animation format. Unlike the other book I have purchased "the complete pattern library" where you can use any pattern in the book and even change the colors of them.

USS Charles Carroll APA28: An Amphibious History of World War II

Average customer rating:

USS Charles Carroll APA28: An Amphibious History of World War II
Kenneth H. Goldman
Manufacturer: Trafford Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

20th Century | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1412021146
Release Date: 2006-07-06

Book Description

It was one thing to demand vengeance after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii plunged the United States into World War II, it was quite another to have the wherewithal to carry the fight to the Axis powers' front door. The same two oceans that had previously protected the United States from foreign enemies now provided a like obstacle to projecting American military force in the other direction. Battleships, aircraft carriers and submarines could not do the job alone. It was up to the ordinary soldier to occupy and hold the enemy's real estate, and the Navy needed to commission vast numbers of transports to get them there.

The attack transport USS Charles Carroll was originally laid down to be a combi-liner, carrying passengers and cargo on the Gulf of Mexico trade routes. Most of her wartime crew had never seen the ocean let alone manned a vessel of her size or even handled the small boats that were the ship's main offensive weapon. Yet, together they would evolve into the fighting machine that earned six battle stars in the invasions of North Africa, Sicily, Salerno, Normandy, Southern France and Okinawa.

Lt. Robert W. Goldman, USNR (ret), joined the ship after Operation Torch and participated in her five subsequent invasions. I grew up listening to his stories, which, with the invasion maps, documents, photographs, issues of the Plan of the Day, etc. that he saved, form the backbone of this narrative. I have also met many of his old shipmates and have incorporated their recollections and, whenever possible, entries from the weathered diaries in which some of them set down their first-hand experiences, their fears while in combat and the capers they cut to blow off steam. As much as possible, the book evokes the feel of the times and the perspective of those who were there. The generals and heads of state set policy and strategy but it is the individuals in the field and on the seas who must translate the best laid plans into actions which spell victory or defeat. This is their story.

Practical Blacksmithing and Metalworking

Average customer rating:

Pretty good
Excellent book
Percy W BLANDFORD: Practical Blacksmithing and Metalworking
General Introduction...Worth Owning

Practical Blacksmithing and Metalworking
Percy W. Blandford
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Professional
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Metal Work | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Pottery & Ceramics | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General & Reference | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books

All Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Engineering | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Home & Garden | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Professional & Technical | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Science | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Complete Modern Blacksmith
The Backyard Blacksmith: Traditional Techniques for the Modern Smith (Back Yard)
Blacksmithing Primer: A Course in Basic and Intermediate Blacksmithing
The Art of Blacksmithing
New Edge of the Anvil: A Resource Book for the Blacksmith

ASIN: 0830628940

Book Description

Blacksmithing and metalworking can be easier than you would imagine. This book shows you how - with some patience and a working knowledge of metals, tools, and techniques - blacksmithing can be a rewarding, inexpensive hobby. Using simple instructions and first-rate, detailed illustrations Blandford makes it easy for the novice to learn this craft, while offering project variations complex enough to challenge even the experienced blacksmith or metalworker.

Customer Reviews:

Pretty good.......2007-09-19

But still not as good as Sims "Backyard Blacksmith" A few more pictures would have made this book a five star.

Excellent book.......2005-05-01

Mr. Blanford Writes of experience. He makes you feel welcome in the world of the blacksmith. Is on my must read book list for my students.

Percy W BLANDFORD: Practical Blacksmithing and Metalworking.......2002-01-07

As a beginner blacksmith with a professional engineering background I bought previously Alexander G Weygers: "The Complete Modern Blacksmith" largely because it had many "excellent" reviews. However, Blandford wins on most points. I have found Blandford very helpful on specific details, on leading me through principles and methods, with much clearer illustations properly referenced in the text, and with a wider scope of nedded information. In contrast Blandford has much better information on welding, and detail on forges and on aprons and is far better indexed. I have learned a lot from both books, but if I had to choose one it would be Blandford.

General Introduction...Worth Owning.......2000-01-14

Percy Blandford writes on a lot of shop craft topics and has clearly thought about them a lot. He writes well. This is a general introduction to metalwork primarily from a smithing perspective...that is, carbon steel work. It touches on other areas but really isn't suitable to the beginning welder, sheetmetal worker, or tool and die hobbiest. It would be best for the person who wants to make historic replica items from a forge who one who wishes to supplement historical replica woodworking with some basic metal work in brass or iron/steel.

Average customer rating:

The Trouble with Aliens
Christopher Anvil
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Adventure | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

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

Space Opera | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Trouble with Humans (Complete Christopher Anvil)
Interstellar Patrol II: The Federation of Humanity
Interstellar Patrol (The Interstellar Patrol Series)
Off Armageddon Reef
Vorpal Blade (Looking Glass)

ASIN: 1416520775

Book Description

Humans on the space frontiers may have enough problems with befuddled bureaucrats, rules that don't fit the realities of very dangerous situations, and general rear-echelon incompetence without bringing in unfriendly aliens, but it's that kind of universe. On the other hand, as master satirist Christopher Anvil makes clear, the aliens are anything but omnipotent and have plenty of problems of their own. * Here for the first time the stories and short novels of the war with the Outs are collected into a novel-length chronicle. The Outs had mental powers they could use to make humans see illusions and convince them to change sides. Obviously, they were unbeatable-until some troublesome humans found their Achille's heel. * Another set of aliens arrive to conquer the Earth with the promise of eternal youth and healthfulness, and might have won, if some humans weren't too plain ornery not to be suspicious. * Who's the best human envoy to deal with aliens who can read minds and learn anything their opponents know-the man who knows little or nothing, of course, including why he was sent there. * When an investigator was hired to find out the reason for the strange events in a palatial mansion, he quickly solves the case-until he wakes up and finds that his solution was only a dream and the case is still unsolved. And the same thing happens again every night. * These and other stories of human/alien conflict fill this large volume by the master of wryly sardonic science fiction adventure.

That Anvil of Our Souls: A Novel of the Monitor and the Merrimack

Average customer rating:

Fascinating, if a bit uneven
Interesting, but not all that I had expected.
Fragile History Could Go Either Way

That Anvil of Our Souls: A Novel of the Monitor and the Merrimack
David Poyer
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

War | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Sea Adventures | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

A Country of Our Own: A Novel of the Confederate Raiders
Fire on the Waters : A Novel of the Civil War at Sea
Thieves of Mercy : A Novel of the Civil War at Sea
The Threat: A Novel (Dan Lenson Novels)
The Command: A Novel (Dan Lenson Novels)

ASIN: 0671046829

Book Description

In the third volume of David Poyer's monumental Civil War at Sea cycle, North meets South in the momentous first battle between ironclads.

In Fire on the Waters America split in two and the characters in David Poyer's Civil War at Sea series had to choose sides. Then, in A Country of Our Own, Ker Claiborne took the war north, aboard the Confederacy's most formidable commerce raider.

Now, in That Anvil of Our Souls, David Poyer takes us into the turrets and casemates of the most historic sea engagement of the Civil War. In New York, Theo Hubbard is the engineer for a revolutionary new "fighting machine," the Monitor, and is eager to become a man of means . . . even if it compromises his integrity. In Norfolk, Catherine Claiborne faces her husband's impending hanging for piracy, their baby daughter's death, and the realities of occupation.

In Richmond, Lieutenant Lomax Minter must find a spy who threatens the South's ultimate weapon: a tremendous ironclad, rebuilt from a sunken wreck; aging Dr. Steele witnesses the horrors that are the aftermath of glory; and gun captain Hanks, escaped slave, struggles with the twin snakes of "freedom."

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating, if a bit uneven.......2007-05-01

David Poyer is a naval writer of some distinction. Some years ago, I read one of his books and wasn't impressed with it. I returned to him to try again when I bought Fire on the Water, and then its two sequels, A Country of Our Own and the current book, The Anvil of Our Souls. Frankly, I think I'm glad I gave him another try, and I'm considering going back and trying his other stuff again.

The three books mentioned above are part of a series of novels that deal with the American Civil War, focusing on the naval aspects of the campaign. The first book recounts the experiences of the crew of a United States warship, most of the officers of which are Southerners. The second book follows the executive officer of that ship as he becomes a Confederate raider on the high seas. This third book instead focuses on most of the rest of the characters from the first book, following the black escaped slave who was a gunner, the doctor (a Southerner), an engineer who understands steam engines, and so forth. One of the main characters of this third volume is the ardent Southerner from the second book, Minter, who's portrayed rather negatively in spite of the fact he's a rebel.

The central portion of the plot of this book surrounds the battle between the Monitor and the Merrimac. The author is obviously a sailor himself, and he's apparently done a prodigious amount of research, so everything is very authentic, right down to Worden's Elmer-Fudd-like accent and the method of pointing the guns in the Monitor's turret away from the enemy when reloading. The battle is recounted in considerable detail, and occupies what must be the middle 200 pages of the book. Even though you know how things come out, it's still suspenseful and interesting.

I enjoyed this book a great deal, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

Interesting, but not all that I had expected........2007-04-12

In reading this novel it comes across as more about the Merrimack and some about the Monitor. It seemed that the author was sympathetic to the South and anti North. Even more so, it seemed to be anti Lincoln in that over and over again Lincoln was referred to in various deragatory manners by people of the south as presented by the author. I came away with the feeling that the author was presenting the South as noble and in a favorable light while the North in a less than favorable light in that they were usurping the free men of the South the right to keep people in slavery. Furthermore, the wife on one Southern naval officer being held by the North is raped by another Southern naval officer and totally gets away with this. Maybe there is another book that will follow that will redress this incident, but I do not think I will waste my time.

Fragile History Could Go Either Way.......2005-08-17

Don't miss this book. Once more Poyer weaves his tale masterfully, but this time he's telling a story about an internationally famous and widely studied event. Many pitfalls no matter how he presents it. So he has taken us inside the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia, and shows us how it was to those on the scene. They have no clue to the outcome, and they know how many times in the battle a close call could go either way. Tragedy or victory, ending the war, seems within fingertips througout the epoch shaking confrontation. Technology makes a difference and individual personalities makes a difference, but no one could have predicted the end result of a standoff, the most tenuous of all possibilities. Rarely has historical fiction portrayed so well the context surrounding a famous event, showing that "nothing had to happen the way it happened when it happened", as David McCullough reminds us.

Interstellar Patrol (The Interstellar Patrol Series)

Average customer rating:

Better than before
Think Sidestage Lensman
A GREAT sci-fi yarn!
Murphy's Law in Action
Irregular Patrol

Interstellar Patrol (The Interstellar Patrol Series)
Christopher Anvil
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Adventure | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

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

Space Opera | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Interstellar Patrol II: The Federation of Humanity
The Trouble with Aliens
The Trouble with Humans (Complete Christopher Anvil)
Fearless (The Lost Fleet, Book 2)
Off Armageddon Reef

ASIN: 0743488482

Book Description

The crew of the ship were marooned on a planet with no ship repair facilities, where the well-meaning schemes of social engineers had created a nightmare of battling gangs. They had their own invention with them-an emotional amplifier, which could cause anyone to feel a heightened emotion, but this wasn't useful at first. If they heightened the locals' sense of pride, they took pride in becoming better criminals. So they pretended to be the Royal Legions, sent by a distant star kingdom in pursuit of an all-powerful villain who was hiding on the planet. Things were going better than they could have hoped, and the planet was rapidly becoming civilized . . . and then the real Royal flagship showed up. They thought they were doomed-but instead they were told they had shown just the type of initiative and intelligence that the new arrivals were looking for. So they were inducted into the Interstellar Patrol. And that was just the beginning. . . .

Customer Reviews:

Better than before.......2004-11-21

I remember reading most of the stories in Interstellar Patrol, which collects and reissues a series of stories by Christopher Anvil which first appeared (mostly)in Astounding/Analog between 1958 and 69. I remember them fondly, and find on re-reading that they are better than ever.

The science is good, the adventure is fun, but what is most delightful is the interaction between personnel from the Interstellar Patrol, the Stellar Scouts, the Space Navy, and the (civilian and governmental) Planetary Development Authority.

What makes these stories better than before is that when I first read them I was young and, naturally, idealistic. Being much older now and (I hope) more experienced and wiser, I have a better appreciation of the ways in which various branches of government can foul each other up (with some totally civilian entities thrown in for fun) even though they all believe they are working toward the same end. What is fun is to read how one or two intelligent people who keep their eyes on the donut and not the hole can figure out how to overcome the multitude of roadblocks that government agencies (and their devout personnel) can throw in each other's way, given their different views of the end goal. What wins in the end is the ability to think outside the box, which for me is the ultimate joy of science fiction.

I recommend this book (and its promised successors) without reservation - more than worth the money.

Think Sidestage Lensman.......2004-11-10

This book is a collection of stories that have been published before in one form or another. The introduction by David Weber makes that very clear.

What is not clear is that this is space opera of the old style. If you liked (loved?) E.E. Doc Smith's Lensmen series, then you are going to enjoy this. It is simple story telling, without any of the pscyhobabble claptrap that seems to encumber most SF today.

The characters are gruff, they smoke cigarettes(?), they carouse and they shoot first and sometimes ask questions later. In short, Lensman type space opera.

Reccommended without reservation.

A GREAT sci-fi yarn!.......2004-09-21

Some old sci-fi ages badly, but this collection is like wine and just gets better with age. This book isn't just a page tuner, it funny, insightful, and shows you what makes old sci-fi a totally different 'animal' then what is written today. There is no hand wringing, or rules, or feeling sorry for people who are disadabanged in these stories. These stories are about men solving MAN SIZED issues, but not with pure violence. More often then not the characters create the solutions by being smarter rather then just the end of a gun. Yes, its heavy handed and simpistic, but this book is one that every sci-fi fan should read.

Murphy's Law in Action.......2004-02-21

Interstellar Patrol is a collection of stories in the Colonization universe, including the early tales of Roberts, Hammell and Morrisey. This volume also includes several other tales related to Federation agencies other than the IP.

The Paradise tales describe how the captain and crew of the Orion, an Interstellar Rapid Transport ship, found themselves stranded off the planet Boschock III, misnamed Paradise. The Captain Vaughn Roberts, the cargomaster Hammell, and the comtech Morrissey brought the worst injured down to the planet in their tender, but crashed in the jungle outside the only city. Nearby settlers took the injured back to their village for treatment in return for some weapons and ammo, but the city officials, under the overall command of the central computer, were less than helpful.

After escaping from the city, Roberts and Hammel returned to the tender to discover that Morrissey, having time on his hands, had stumbled across an unusual application of their communications system; it generated a field that induced various emotions in anyone within range of the equipment. Experimenting with the effect, they learned how to project and overlap several fields as desired. Using this want-generator to control the emotions of the various factions on the planet, they created sufficient chaos that the central computer of the city decided to provide repairs to their ship and equipment just to get them offworld.

In subsequent visits to the planet, the trio found themselves somehow becoming responsible for the whole planet under the guise of Dukes of the Empire. Then they found that the Interstellar Patrol had been observing their progress with interest and was offering them a chance to become recruits in that organization.

The Boot Camp tales introduce Dan Bergen, another IP recruit, as well as Colonel Valentine Sanders, who becomes their commanding officer. In these stories, the IP submits the recruits to various tests, both to evaluate their capabilities and to induce the proper attitudes. Some of the tests are live and others are simulated, although it is hard to tell the difference. However, it is better to be eaten alive by carnivorous fish in a simulation than in the real world, although the sensations are much the same.

The Others tales present a broader view of the Federation and various unaligned worlds. A major theme in all these stories is interservice rivalry, particularly between the PDA and the Space Force. Another ongoing theme in some of these stories, particularly the Stellar Scouts tales, is the failure of new and improved equipment under field conditions; while some improved devices work as expected, others display quirky and sometimes harmful behavior in the real world.

All these stories say something about the foolishness of human beings. The author has specialized in writing Murphy's Law yarns, where things go wrong in ways none had realized were possible. The author has a rare insight and ability to illustrate the SNAFUs and FUBARs that haunt all human activities, particular in bureaucratic environments. Although such stories are probably not as popular today, there are still enough readers with military, or corporate, experience to relate to these situations.

Only the first three stories have been previously published in book form, so this is a rare opportunity for those who don't have the original magazine versions. However, there are many more out there slowly rotting in attics and basements. The editor has promised that some of those will be appearing in the sequel volume(s).

Highly recommended for Anvil fans and for anyone else who enjoys seeing other people make foolish mistakes much like the ones we ourselves have made.

Irregular Patrol.......2003-08-02

Marooned space sailors are to expect hardships, but not in a planet designed to be an Utopia! Savage beasts, robot policemen, social experiments out of control and an experimental machine that could solve all the troubles of Utopia...if it didn't get everybody killed. And then there is the ultimate solution space captain Robert Vaungh came up with to deal with the warring factions of Utopia: unite them under his rulership against a wizard that did not exist.
Now it is a toss who will get him; the factions, the hostile planet, Space Fleet(which loves to hunt pirates), real pirates, the machine or the Interstellar Patrol drafting ship! Because people who survive mad situations like these are just the kind of people Interstellar Patrol needs.

A collection of the best of Christopher Anvil, Interstellar Patrol is a lengthy book composed of a large main story and a dozen small ones, all set in the futuristic universe of the Interstellar Patrol.

The Anvil (The Raj Whitehall Series: The General, Book 3)
Average customer rating:

Excellent 5 Book Series

Excellent 5 Book Series

david drake / stirling write another winner about Raj

The Anvil (The Raj Whitehall Series: The General, Book 3)
S.M. Stirling , and David Drake
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Drake, David | ( D ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Stirling, S.M. | ( S ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books | Alternate History | Anthologies | Arthurian | Contemporary | Epic | General | Historical | History & Criticism | Magic & Wizards | Series
General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Steel (The Raj Whitehall Series: The General, Book 4)

The Hammer (The Raj Whitehall Series: The General, Book 2)

The Sword (The Raj Whitehall Series: The General, Book 5)

The Forge (The Raj Whitehall Series: The General, Book 1)

The Reformer (The Raj Whitehall Series, Book 7)

ASIN: 0671721712

Customer Reviews:

Excellent 5 Book Series.......2000-09-27

This is the standard by which I judge all military fiction. I have never found another that was it's equal. Even when the same author's got together again for books 6 and 7 (which I have reviewed separately) they couldn't recreate the magic of this series.

THE GENERAL series is about a fallen interstellar society which has climbed it's way back up to the technological level of the American Civil War. The hero, Raj Whitehall, has to reunite the planet in order to reach the stars again some day. This involves a lot of fighting and empire building. What gives Raj his edge is the pre-fall computer he has linked with that can see through his eyes.

This series has outstanding character development, a solid and well thought out overall plot line, and good story resolution in each book. The two things that really make the series the top of its genre are the interaction between the computer and the hero, and the realism of the situation. The interaction is a delicate balance that the authors perform magically. If the computer (Center) contributes too much, then the hero has too much of an edge, he doesn't have to try, and the story becomes boring. Without the computer, the hero is just this god like superhuman character that can do no wrong. The computer assistance makes Raj identifiable to the reader, even after he overcomes overwhelming odds to defeat the enemy. The realism comes from the fact that Raj is based on the life of a real person. The whole story is very similar to the story of Byzantine General Belisarius who conquered most of the Mediterranean world for His Emperor after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. That makes it very believable. The characters are very real. Their actions really happened a millenium and a half ago.

This is a must read for any fan of military fiction or empire building.

Excellent 5 Book Series.......2000-09-12

This is the standard by which I judge all military fiction. I have never found another that was it's equal. Even when the same authors got together again for books 6 and 7 (which I have reviewed separately) they couldn't recreate the magic of this series.

This series has outstanding character development, a solid and well thought out overall plot line, and good story resolution in each book. The two things that really make the series the top of its genre are the interaction between the computer and the hero, and the realism of the situation. The interaction is a delicate balance that the authors perform magically. If the computer (Center) contributes too much, then the hero has too much of an edge, he doesn't have to try, and the story becomes boring. Without the computer, the hero is just this god like superhuman character that can do no wrong. The computer assistance makes Raj identifiable to the reader, even after he overcomes overwhelming odds to defeat the enemy. The realism comes from the fact that Raj is based on the life of a real person. The whole story is very similar to the story of Byzantine General Belisarius who conquered most of the Mediterranean world for his Emperor after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. That makes it very believable. The characters are very real. Their actions really happened a millenium and a half ago.

This is a must read for any fan of military fiction or empire building.

david drake / stirling write another winner about Raj.......1998-05-31

Book 3 in the most excellent General series. Raj and his companions take on another foe of the Civil Government, the Brigade. Most excellent sci-fi

Average customer rating:

On The Anvil
Many Good Insights, A Few Great Ones
Inspirational blueprint
A book about becoming more like God's kind of person
excellent

On the Anvil
Max Lucado
Manufacturer: Tyndale House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Inspirational | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Devotionals | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

In The Eye Of The Storm
Give It All to Him
God Came Near (Lucado, Max)
When Christ Comes
The Applause Of Heaven

ASIN: 084234568X

Book Description

Lucado's keen observations on finding fulfillment in everyday life are beautifully presented in this gift edition, interspersed with full-page calligraphic renderings of Scripture by artist Timothy Botts. Through inspirational anecdotes and observations of life, Lucado compares the lives of Christians to blacksmith's tools in various stages of usefulness.

Download Description

Non-Fiction: Through inspirational anecdotes and observations of life, Lucado compares the lives of Christians to blacksmith's tools in various stages of usefulness.

Customer Reviews:

On The Anvil.......2007-10-07

This is the first book Max Lucado wrote and I believe it to be one of his best! I have purchased just about every book he has written since On The Anvil but this first book really speaks to me. I have probably given away 50+ copies of this book to friends over the last 10 years or so. If you, or someone you know, is having difficulty understanding WHY you must endure tough times in your life then THIS is the book for you! Powerful, short chapters that will enable you to look at your difficulties in a new way!

Many Good Insights, A Few Great Ones.......2007-04-26

'On The Anvil' is a short, inspirational book with some very good observations. It is composed of many very short chapters. They are really 'bite size' musings. Most are 2-3 pages long.

Although most of it is fairly average, it has some great stories and two really superb chapters. 'The Movement That Was Doomed To Fail', Chapter 37, contains some very insightful, thought provoking remarks about the totally flawed plan (from a human perspective) for the spread of Christianity.

Another really excellent section is chapter 39 about unconditional love. It is one that should be read by everyone in this world of superficial relationships.

These two chapters alone are worth the price of the book. My only disappointment is that the book is so short. I recommend it.

Inspirational blueprint.......2002-01-26

As usual, Max Lucado has done fellow Christians a service. "On the Anvil" has provided me with an inspirational blueprint for life. I have read and re-read the entire book and specific chapters as a reminder that our lives are worth living when we follow Christ's teachings. Give this book to any friend or family member as a token of your love for them. Amen, Amen, Amen!!

A book about becoming more like God's kind of person.......1999-04-11

This book is about being more Christ like. You are one of the three categories in this book- in the broken tool pile (unwilling or unusable), on the anvil (have a heart for God no matter what the pain or the consequence), an instrument for noble purposes (being used for God's glory). all through out this book there are poems and Bible verses relating to what the next chapter will talk about. This book has done a great deal to my heart and is definitely worth it's money!

excellent.......1999-01-17

This book will move you and give you a realization of what God is doing in your life and teach you how to wait until your deliverance comes!

Stone and Anvil (Star Trek: New Frontier)

Average customer rating:

Excellent sound effects as well as a good story
One of the best New Frontier books
A Hero Born
Best of the series so far.
Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Stone and Anvil (Star Trek: New Frontier)
Peter David
Manufacturer: Star Trek
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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

Space Opera | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

After the Fall :Star Trek New Frontier
Gods Above (Star Trek New Frontier)
No Limits (Star Trek New Frontier)
Missing in Action (Star Trek: New Frontier)
Restoration (Star Trek New Frontier: Excalibur, Book 3)

ASIN: 0743496183

Book Description

A crewman has been murdered aboard the U.S.S. Trident, and all evidence points to Ensign Janos of the Excalibur. Captain Mackenzie Calhoun is reluctant to accept that Janos, a powerful non-humanoid whom the captain has known and trusted for years, could be a killer, and immediately launches an investigation into the crime. But this troubling murder mystery soon escalates into a full-fledged diplomatic crisis that threatens to pit Calhoun and Captain Elizabeth Shelby against the entire United Federation of Planets -- and the Starship Enterprise™.

Meanwhile, the turmoil involving Ensign Janos forces Calhoun to recall his own tempestuous past, his rocky relationship with a young Elizabeth Shelby -- and a long-ago exploit that may have everything to do with the deadly emergency that now confronts them all!

Customer Reviews:

Excellent sound effects as well as a good story.......2006-10-31

Mackenzie Calhoun and Elizabeth Shelby are now married as the saga of the "New Frontier" continues in this audio book. It is told in a series of "looks" into the past and then back to the present time and the problem at-hand.

Both captain's Starships are in the same space and they have a murder on their hands. Ensign Janos is the one accused but Mac has a hard time believing this. In his usual fashion, he disregards orders to find the truth. The Enterprise is sent to bring Mac to his senses and thankfully each ship has a "non-human" crew member that helps to "save the day". Of course, it couldn't be just a simple murder but has to have diplomatic overtones.

This is a well written and an exceptionally well recorded audio book. Someone has finally gotten smart and went back to using the sound effects that "old-time radio" used to use to spark our imaginations and give us a visual image in our mind's eye. With each sound effect, I felt as though I was actually watching it on a big screen.

Then add Joe Morton, the reader, to the mix! WOW! Mr. Morton's voices of each of the characters are outstanding. He uses growls and guttural sounds to increase the visualization of the characters. In just reading Star Trek books, I never gave it a thought that Mac was from a world other than Earth. I knew he was but never thought about the fact that his speech patterns would not be like ours. It was very easy to follow which character was speaking and the inflections for each gave me insight into what the character looked like if seen on the screen.

Don't miss out on this wonderful audio book. I hope future books will contain the sound effects whether they are Star Trek or other reading material.

One of the best New Frontier books.......2006-01-21

This was a great conclusion to the events that transpired at the end of Gods Above. This was probably one of the most enjoyable New Frontier books I've ever read. Peter David really allows the reader to discover most about Calhoun's past. The book alternates chapters from present timeline to past timelines. The present is the problem at hand, Calhoun and the Excalibur must investigate the death of an officer on the Trident, Captain Shelby's ship. The accused murderer is Ensign Janos, a security officer on board Excalibur. Zak Kebron, who is thankfully much more chatty now that he has matured, investigates the death of Gleau and why Janos would want to kill him. Meanwhile, the chapters that tell the story in the past deal with Calhoun's days at Starfleet Academy; from the time where Jean-Luc Picard recruits him from Xenex, all the way to his graduation at the end of his fourth year. We also learn a great deal about Calhoun's interest in Shelby and her Academy days as well. I zipped through this book rather quickly, as old characters like Ambassador Spock, Jean-Luc Picard, and Admiral Jellico appear throughout, our favorite New Frontier characters are also there. Most notably though, Si Cwan and Kalinda are not in this story at all, but it doesn't distract from the storyline one bit. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. There is no cliffhanger at the end of the book either, it's a simple ending to the series. The next book, After the Fall, is supposed to re-launch the series, so to speak, so this was a great ending to the existing story.

A Hero Born.......2005-08-10

Mackenzie Calhoun isn't Starfleet's typical captain, nor did he spring from a pampered background. On his homeworld, he was a warlord at age 20, a man who led an almost conquered people to rebellion and eventual victory with cunning and courage. In STONE AND ANVIL, Peter David takes the readers on a whirlwind trip that exposes Calhoun's beginnings, his four years at Starfleet Academy, and his captaincy. After a crewman aboard his wife's ship is killed by another crewman, Calhoun shoulders the harsh burden of finding out what truly happened. That trail leads back to secrets about his homeworld, his own past, and a change in his present and future. Janos, an incredible creature and now one with a human intelligence and Starfleet training, hangs in the balance, his life forfeit if he truly is the murderer everyone believes him to be.

Peter David writes in the Star Trek universe, several product lines as well as the New Frontier line he created, fantasy novels, and hundreds of comic books for DC and Marvel. His Sir Apropos fantasy novels are well-received, his run on HULK and SUPERGIRL unsurpassed, and movie novelizations of FANTASTIC FOUR and other lead new fans to him all the time.

STONE AND ANVIL is a lightning-paced read with a lot of backstory and deep characterization. Told on two time tracks, the present involving the murder and Mackenzie Calhoun's Starfleet Academy days, the novel ties both up in a blistering climax that proves one can't have been told without the other. For sheer phaser-in-your-face, can't-put-it-down-till-you've-finished-it, the novel is a guilty pleasure. Maybe your life won't be changed as a result, but you'll be glad you spent the few hours it takes to read it.

Although the book is a great read on its own, chances are that only true Star Trek fans and space opera buffs will want to pick it up. There's no cutting-edge SF here or introduction of scientific thinking, but it's a good one to blast through over a weekend or on a plane flight.

Best of the series so far........2005-08-10

There were flaws, to be sure. I never have cared for the character of Shelby, and I still don't (although there was a scene in which she was absolutely marvellous, an indication that David's actually allowing the character to grow) and the ending was more of a downer than I expect out of Peter David. But in general, the "main" plot was interesting enough, though by itself might not have quite made it to four stars. But the flashback scenes to Calhoun's days at Starfleet Academy were marvellous, even if I still don't understand what he's EVER seen in Shelby, or what she sees in him, given how little she respects everything that he's about. That relationship has always struck me as just too artificial, something OBVIOUSLY forced by the author for cheap plot conflict, rather than something that grew out of the characters naturally.

I think this may actually be the first book in this series that can actually stand on its own; granted, we had a bit of a teaser for the beginning at the end of the last book, but that's rehashed at the beginning of this one, and it actually has a full story (TWO full stories, from one way of looking at it) complete with ending. David should do this more often.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place.......2005-06-09

Beyond the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle and the secrets of the Pyramids, the other great mystery of the universe is why exactly I keep reading New Frontier novels. I recently realized though that I enjoy the stories and the idea of the characters, but I just don't like the execution of either. So I guess I found what it was that kept me coming back, but Stone and Anvil was standard New Frontier: pretty average. There's good. And there's bad.

The good: seeing Mackenzie Calhoun's days at Starfleet Academy was quite interesting. I especially loved how he handled the dreaded Kobayashi Maru test and his reasoning behind it. His growth from outsider to someone slightly more civilized was fun to read about, even if it was really skimmed over. Frankly, despite its relevance coming in later, this should have been a whole book on its own. Might have even been able to spin off a couple of Harry Potter-esque novels about Calhoun at the Academy. You even had a Hermoine character in Shelby and a Ronald character in Wexler. Why even Dean Jellico was sort of a Professor Snape-like character. Lordy, are Calhoun and Jellico going to be attached at the hip their whole lives?

The book at first looks to be like one of those mediocre Voyager episodes where the A-plot and the B-plot seemed to have absolutely nothing to do with each other. Thankfully, the two do eventually come together thanks to the rather bland cliché of the mad scientist and his pet, though the whole thing ends in probably the stupidest twist I've seen in a Trek book. Seriously, I don't use the word "stupid" much when writing about something, but that's fits the bill for that ending. It was quite groan inducing. Luckily, the very end managed to salvage it a bit with a surprise bittersweet ending.

The present day story about investigating the murder of Gleau was interesting, but could honestly have been more so if we had more of a sense of the Selelvians. They make a brief appearance at the end, but despite all the talk of their abilities, I never really felt like it was any kind of serious threat. Again, there's the fascinating idea of a memberworld working in their own interest possibly to even to subvert the Federation eventually, but again it felt glazed over.

The bad: I think I'm actually growing to hate Elizabeth Shelby. Am I the only one who feels like she's almost regularly being portrayed in a negative light anymore? Both her and Robin Lefler have been taken from their admittedly brief appearances on the show as strong and intelligent women and reduced to shrill, whiny children. Perhaps that's too harsh when it comes to Shelby, but definitely not in the case of Lefler, who for the last many books including Stone and Anvil has been almost defined solely by her constant over-reaction to pretty much anything having to do with her mother. It stopped being interesting a long time ago.

For Shelby, it's become more the constant portrayal as the one trying to think rationally when Peter David likes to make so much of New Frontier about instincts this and instincts that. I really can't put more of a finger on it than that right now, but it's just this feeling I get myself. Everyone else stays the same, with some characters like Si Cwan not even appearing in the book this time around. Calhoun has always been David's strength since he's the center of the whole series and it's really no different here, though I almost get the sense that the writer is "really" fond of his main character.

With the news that the next several New Frontier books will all be hardcovers (why exactly I don't know), I find that that doesn't really bother me. New Frontier has become the harlequin romance trash of Trek and as I keep saying, that doesn't exactly make them bad. But it sure doesn't make them all that great either.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books