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Tamora Pierce has been creating strong, appealing heroines for teen fantasy fans for years, creating 2 main universes to house her multiple series. With Terrier, Pierce returns to the Tortall universe (home to her Song of the Lioness, Immortals, Protector of the Small, and Daughter of the Lioness series). Want to learn more? Read an exclusive essay from Tamora Pierce below. --Daphne Durham
An Essay from Tamora Pierce
Sixteen-year-old Beka Cooper lives far removed from knights, palaces, and the nobility. Her world revolves around thieves, beggars, taverns, and the lowest of the low. She's a trainee for the Provost's Guard—a rookie cop, in a world where a cop makes her own name based on her personality, her attitude toward money, and her love of the law. Beka means to prove that she is out to make her mark in this hard and physical world.
She does face a large obstacle. She's shy. Painfully shy. Left to her own devices, she would have no friends. It's hard for her to talk to people she doesn't know. It's a problem for the Guards who train her, a real problem for Beka—unless she can figure out that a uniform is a kind of costume, one she can hide behind. One that will make her a more outspoken person. It will help a lot if people come to realize that under her shyness is a clever, determined young woman. It will help even more if she can make friends who can give her good advice. Luckily, she has one such friend living with her in her slum apartment: a purple-eyed black cat named Pounce. He can make himself understood in human speech if he wishes to. He's capable of doing weirdly intelligent things to help his young companion Beka. With Pounce to assist her, Beka cannot have an ordinary career.
Beka tells her own story in a journal that she keeps from her very first day as a Puppy. The Guards are dubbed "Dogs" in her time and their trainees are called "Puppies." In its pages she writes of her days with her training Dogs, the pair who are to teach her what they know of survival on the streets in the city's toughest slum. Both are veterans. Tunstall is an easygoing, funny man who can be a little crazy in a fight. Goodwin is a small, tough woman who is opposed to Beka's presence at the beginning, a hard Dog and a smart one. They take charge when Beka brings them word of two vicious sets of crimes. Like everyone else in Beka's life, her partners find out that once Beka gets a case in her teeth, she hangs onto it like a terrier until it's been solved.
I have all kinds of reasons why I went to the past of the Alanna books. In part I wanted to show how present-day Tortall came to be. I also knew George's fans would welcome any kind of return to the Lower City, even if it wasn't the Lower City of his time. I wanted to get away from the courts and nobility, the setting for so many of the Tortall books thus far. Since I didn't want to show any of the characters I've come to love as being old or even dead, I couldn't write books in the future of the current Tortall. I turned to the past, and I'm pretty sure my readers will be glad I did! --Tamora Pierce
Book Description
Tamora Pierce begins a new Tortall trilogy introducing Beka Cooper, an amazing young woman who lived 200 years before Pierce's popular Alanna character. For the first time, Pierce employs first-person narration in a novel, bringing readers even closer to a character that they will love for her unusual talents and tough personality.
Beka Cooper is a rookie with the law-enforcing Provost's Guard, and she's been assigned to the Lower City. It's a tough beat that's about to get tougher, as Beka's limited ability to communicate with the dead clues her in to an underworld conspiracy. Someone close to Beka is using dark magic to profit from the Lower City's criminal enterprises--and the result is a crime wave the likes of which the Provost's Guard has never seen before.
Customer Reviews:
Pups and Robbers.......2007-08-12
A fantasy detective novel set in Tamora Pierce's Tortall universe. What's not to love?
Once Beka Cooper grasps a problem she won't let it out of her teeth until she solves it, a trait that earns her the nickname "Terrier" from the other "puppies" in her training group. Still a trainee in the Provost's Guard (commonly known as the Provost's Dogs), she is learning the lower district of Corus with the help of her senior Dogs, Goodwin and Tunstall. When odd gems seem to be making an appearance within the city and nine diggers go missing, Beka begins to investigate the coincidences and trails that seem connected in corpses. With the help of her fellow "Puppies" (fellow trainees) and a few "Rats"(Those of the court of the Rouge), not to mention her cat Pounce, she will protect her citizens from the mysterious Shadow Snake and the corrupt landlord, Crookshanks.
There are a number of different elements that made this novel excellent. Tamora Pierce is well known for creating detailed worlds that come alive, and this book is no exception. While it falls with-in the already established Kingdom of Tortall , the capital city of Corus takes on a life of its own as the center place for this mystery. Unlike her previous books that dealt with problems on a more kingdom spanning stage, this book is solely set in one city, primarily one district, and therefore the city becomes its own character.
Many creative elements abound in the book from the use of animal analogies (which could have been annoying, but instead just give more colloquial charm to the book) and the use of Beka's first person voice. Beka can "hear" the ghosts of the dead through her Gift (magic) and these voices travel on pigeons, servants of the Black God. She can also use her gift to talk to spinners, something like mini-tornados, which catch near-by voices and sounds and keep them whirling inside until someone like Beka can alleviate the spinners of their burden. That element puzzled me a little more, because these spinners are on multiple street corners and seem to be a part of city life. I would have liked a little more explanation as to where they came from.
While the book is a thrilling read for anyone who has read the other Tortall books, which start with the Alanna books (Lioness Quartet), this book also stands on its own. In fact it has less connection than the other series had, because it takes place two hundred years before the events in Alanna . Little names and references will be familiar to readers of the other books, but this one, more than any, other stands on its own. And I personally think that this is the tightest and most interesting of her books so far.
One thing that readers of the Alanna books will rejoice at though, is the character of Pounce, a small black cat with purple eyes. Yep, you guessed right. Our old friend Faithful is back and just as snarky as ever. Maybe we'll even find out his story this time around, and what exactly he is.
Despite my praise, there were a few things that bothered me. Primarily, I'm bothered by the female knight that shows up. Now, maybe it's just been a while since I read Alanna , but it seems like 200 years is a somewhat short period of time for the view of women knights to have changed that much. Maybe in the Alanna books she does mention that there were female knights in the past in Tortall, but this knight is not particularly treated like an oddity. It's not enough to really bother me, but I was always conscious of it. I suppose it will depend on how the rest of the trilogy plays out. The other thing that bothered me, or at least made me wonder, I put at the very end of the review, since it might contain what you consider spoilers for this book or the Alanna books.
My other problem with the book was purely design and style problems. While I normally love a shiny cover, I think the use of gold on this one really detracts from the image of Beka. I keep feeling like she's a modern girl thrown back into a medieval society, because she looks out of place on the cover. Another design choice that puzzled me was the use of dragonflies in the interior of Beka's journal. Now, there are just no dragonflies in the book at all. The use of dogs, cats, rats, or pigeons would have all made sense, or the artist could have just gone for a pretty scroll work. But no, someone specifically chose dragonflies, and I would love to know why.
The last thing that bothered me was a sense of "why"-as in, why are we able to read this story? Now, first in the book, we have Eleni Cooper's journal, and she is the mother of one of the characters in the Alanna books. Fine, that make sense, and she could certainly have her ancestor's journal. But then the next two entries are from Beka's mother's journal and from Guardsman Tunstall's journal. It seemed like the author was a bit lazy, wanting to give back-story, and set-up things before Beka's journal might logically include the details.
Just great.......2007-08-09
Even though I usually don't like journalform written books, this one is just great. You have to get used to some of the words and expressions, but once there it adds to the feeling of a genuine environment and you get caught up with it until the last page is turned.
start of a great new series.......2007-08-06
Terrier is a delightful new addition to the bestselling Tortall books by Tamora Pierce. A mix between fantasy and thriller, Terrier follows the story of sixteen-year-old Beka Cooper, a girl who fights crime in a world of magic. A trainee in the Provost's Guard (the law-enforcement agency commonly referred to as the Provost's "Dogs"), Beka is assigned to the Lower City. The Lower City is the worst slum of Corus, overrun with thieves, prostitutes, murderers, and gangs. With place names like "Cesspool" and "Market of Sorrows", it's not a happy district to be in. In fact, many trainee "Puppies" don't survive their first month in the Lower City.
Beka is no ordinary Puppy. Born and raised in the Lower City, she's tough, capable, and ruthless towards criminals. She has the unusual talent of listening to the dead- they're her special informants. Assigned to a famous pair of veteran Dogs, Beka quickly discovers rumors of a savage gang that ransoms children. Though many of her friends try to dissuade her from pursuing this case, citing that hundreds disappear in the Lower City in any given month, Beka is a true Terrier who won't give up the chase.
"The Lower City is mine, its people are mine. If I find them that's doing all this kidnapping and murdering, they'd best pray for mercy, because once I get my teeth in `em, I will never let them go."
Beka makes many friends during the course of the novel, friends from both sides of the law. They help her investigate the kidnappings and another series of murders in the Lower City. They trace all the murders back to a well-known, well-hated swindler called Crookshank.
Once again, Pierce presents the reader with a world as gritty and imaginative as it is believable. Terrier differs from all of her other books in that it's written in a first person narrative form, which can sometimes be confusing. Also, the other Tortall books deal with nobility, knights, and mages, while Terrier is about the filth and squalor of lower-class life. And while Terrier is primarily a sort of medieval cop story, it's also a coming-of-age story for Beka. Within this book, Beka learns about what kind of Dog she wants to be, what kind of woman she is, and also learns to overcome her shyness.
excellent read.......2007-07-28
I have previously read many books by this author and can honestly say I've enjoyed them all. With this book she creates an inner voice that is successfully differant from all her previous characters. You could read only a small paragraph and know your instantly dealing with Beka and not Alanna or any of her other well known characters. Not many writers can accomplish that. Highly recommended.
couldn't put it down.......2007-07-15
I'm a big fan of Tamora Pierce, so I liked it even though it's different from the other books about Tortall. It left me wanting to know more about Beka's life and what happens in between where the story ends and the other stories begin.
Average customer rating:
- Love and life can be found in Keturah and Lord Death.
- An original, if predictable fantasy/romance
- A Great Story
- Keturah and Lord Death
- Beauty and the Beast
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Keturah And Lord Death
Martine Leavitt
Manufacturer: Front Street
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1932425292 |
Customer Reviews:
Love and life can be found in Keturah and Lord Death........2007-10-07
Just like the stories that her character Keturah tells, Martine Leavitt tells a beautiful story of love, but most importantly, of life. Through Keturah's experiences with Lord Death, she starts seeing the world through a different set of eyes. It's a beautiful lesson that I think old and young alike can appreciate and learn along with Keturah. The love story and Keturah's passion to find her true love are the driving force throughout the novel and just as in real life; you sometimes find love in the strangest of places. Overall, Ms. Leavitt's words create a beautiful fairy tale that is lovely through its simplicity. I would recommend this book for anyone who is looking for a simple tale of love and life.
An original, if predictable fantasy/romance.......2007-08-06
The writing is superb, the characters are well-developed, and the romance is spellbinding. Keturah and Lord Death is a fantasy book good enough for all but the most discriminating fantasy lover. Additionally, the predictable but heart wrenching conclusion will give readers warm goosebumps. This book is ideal for any middle-school girl.
Sixteen-year-old Keturah Reeve, a beautiful and talented storyteller, lives with her grandmother in a small, poor village just outside an immense forest. She is inspired by her grandparents' loving marriage and is determined to not settle for anything less than her `own true love' to wed. One day, though, she gets lost in the forest. After wandering desperately for three days without food or water, she resigns herself to death. At once, the shadowy figure of Death appears on his night-black stallion. He is young and handsome, but unyielding. However, Keturah is not ready to give up on her dreams of true love, and manages to "cheat death" out of her life. She weaves a wonderful story while Lord Death listens spellbound, but then refuses to tell him the ending. Bemused and annoyed, Lord Death grants her a deal: if, in one day, she can find her true love, she will not die until she is old and ready. If she still cannot find him, Lord Death will pay her another visit and hear the rest of the story. Keturah accepts this reprieve and returns to her village. Helped by her friends Gretta and Beatrice, she overcomes many obstacles (she visits a witch, buys a disturbing magical charm, delivers a baby, bakes a lemon pie, accosts a hermit, plays matchmaker, petitions her lord, and charms the lord's handsome son) all in the name of true love. As she continues on her quest, she learns surprising truths about fate, life, and her own capabilities. The ending of this book is predictable to any reader who has read romance before, but it's sweet and satisfying.
If Keturah and Lord Death were a food, it would be a chocolate éclair- not filling or substantial, but delicious all the same. Small flaws permeate the book; minor characters are overly generalized, the male protagonist is transparent, the plot sometimes meanders, and Keturah is the epitome of the `perfect, generous, lovely, selfless, brave' maiden. It's kind of annoying, especially if you're like me, and you like your heroines to be human. However, the wonderful language and the dark, intense mood of the book make these flaws insignificant. A beautiful, lyrical read.
A Great Story.......2007-07-10
I happened to pick up this book as an audio book. The "performer" on the CD, Alyssa Bresnahan, is truly outstanding! She really captured the essence of Keturah and the other characters! I recommend the CD version highly, even though it takes 6.5 hours its well worth it.
Keturah and Lord Death.......2007-06-17
Keturah and Lord Death centers around Keturah Reeve, and her story begins the day she follows the hart into the woods and finds herself lost for three days. She then encounters Death in the woods and they make a bargain after she tells him a story that will possibly serve in saving her life. The bargain: if she can find her true love in twenty-four hours, Death will spare her. If not, Death will take her as his bride.
While reading this I was reminded of the story of Persephone and Hades, and also, Shahrazad. Martine Leavitt has a very nice, quick writing style that makes reading on an easy task that isn't regretted. But I did find that some things passed on too quickly. I really believe that if she had lengthened the story and possibly given more depth, it would have been powerful and much more compelling. As it is, Keturah and Lord Death is a very simple read for younger age groups.
I do like that Keturah and Lord Death, original in its own right, feels like a new form of fairy tale, a mix between a Persephone/Hades and a Shahrazad type of story. Keturah is kind and beautiful and your typical maiden, with hardly any flaws. Lord Death is brooding and melancholy, and as expected, lonely. Every other character is very one-sided. They are never really driven in to or explored.
One of the problems I do have with this story, although I did enjoy reading it, was that Keturah tells death the story of her possible true love that she has never met which ends up saving her another day. She basically states that she would live for her one true love and that was her main purpose. Then, she goes off and attempts to force herself to love people when she knows that she doesn't. I thought that this was dwelled on way too much. I just kept wanting her to follow her own words, and I wish Martine Leavitt had given her greater turmoil and possibly more men (I don't really know how to put that) so that her choice, talked of nearly one hundred pages, would not seem so ridiculous. And the ending is very predictable. While I was pleased with it, I wish there had been more surprises. Along with this, I felt that Martine Leavitt shorted herself with her own story. There were so many opportunities to make this something amazing or like an odyssey for Keturah or some kind of journey. (Which it kind of was, but I really think it wasn't, in a way. It was just too simple to be anything so serious.) Basically, after finishing the last page I wished the author had drawn out the story, made Keturah change and grow with every chapter and for her adventure send her to all over the world. Maybe it would have been better if she had a year, and in that time, became completely transformed. Martine Leavitt didn't take her chance, and the book, therefore, was less than it might have been.
Overall: I did enjoy Martine Leavitt's book. It is a very good story for young girls and serves as an original, simple storyline to be read and enjoyed; but I wish so badly that it had turned out to be more than it was.
Beauty and the Beast.......2007-05-20
The Beast in Beauty and the Beast seems like the ultimate reject when it comes to potential boyfriends, but then, who could possibly fall in love with Death? Keturah nearly dies in the forest, and Lord Death only agrees to spare her life temporarily, in a manner reminiscent of Scheherazade's experience in The Arabian Nights. This is a gem of a book for fairy tale enthusiasts. It should also make a refreshing change for teen readers who are tired of predictable books about girls with vampire/werewolf boyfriends. The romance in this story actually makes you think about romance in a new way--which is pretty hard to do these days.
Book Description
Stairway to Heaven: The Final Resting Places of Rocks Legends commemorates the rock n roll greats who have gone on to that big backstage party in the sky. With artful photos of graves and memorials, and text offering in-depth and never-before-published information about the rock stars lives and deaths, Stairway is an elegant, informative, and soulful tribute to musics greatest stars, from Elvis and the Lizard King to the Ramones and Left Eye Lopes. The best gift you can give a die-hard music fan this holiday season, Stairway can best be summed up by the words on the headstone of Blues Brother John Belushi: I may be gone, but Rock Roll lives on.
Customer Reviews:
Best book ever!!!.......2007-05-28
I have 2 main interests. Rock and ghosts.Not just ghost but i think graveyards are cool. So this book was perfect for me. This book taught me so much and i love reading it. It's awesome for anyone who is interested in music!!!!1
Stairway to Heaven.......2007-03-10
This made an excellant gift for a rock fan and someone that is somewhat of a historian and likes things like this...
A masterpiece....for any music fan........2006-01-25
Have you ever gone to see your favorite artist in concert only to go home somewhat upset because they didn't play this song or that song? Well,I thought I would be thinking that way when I purchased this book,thinking that it would not have the gravesite(s) of this artist or that artist or so on. WAS I WRONG!!! This is like a who's who of dead people of the music world. The book in no way caters to just one genre of music. It practically contains every dead artist from all genres of music. From country (Johnny Cash,Hank Williams) to rap (Jam master Jay,Eazy E) to classic rock (Brian Jones,Jimi Hendrix) to blues (Muddy Waters,John Lee Hooker) to punk (Sid Vicious,Johnny Thunders) to even Tejano (Selena),this book has it all. From members of the beatles to members of MC5 and from members of Lynyrd Skynyrd to members of The Ramones and The New York Dolls,no band is left out. There are roughly 100 artists in this 160 page book which includes artist and gravesite photos as well as the stories behind their deaths. No music fan is left out. It is a masterpiece worth buying. Although it contains no directions to getting to the sites,it still can also be used as the perfect travel guide for the rock n roll historian. Rock on!!!!!
Stairway to heaven.......2005-11-05
interesting and fascinating all at the same time. The photos were
wonderful and the text was clear. Highly recommend for both the browser and the reader
Rock's Legendary Book.......2005-10-17
This book is a great synopsis of well-known and some little known musical artists who have influenced our present and past music world.
It is well written and the photos are an added plus to this book.
Average customer rating:
- The conqueror of Napoleon was conquered by his conscience
- Serious
- Imperial Legend: The Disappearence of Czar Alexander I
- Tsar Alexander I: Sinner, Saint or both?
- The Disappearing Tsar
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Imperial Legend : The Disappearance of Czar Alexander I
Alexis S Troubetzkoy
Manufacturer: Arcade Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1559706082 |
Book Description
One of Russia's greatest emperors, beloved of his subjects for his many liberalizing works domestically and for his victory over the great Napoleon Bonaparte, Alexander I presumably died in 1825, at the age of 48. Ever since then, rumors have swirled that the young and vigorous Czar, who carried within him a terrible secret, really staged his death to expiate that sin, and spent the next forty years as a starets, one of those holy men who in the nineteenth century wandered through Russia doing good works. The starets, brilliant and uncommonly erudite, was one Feodor Kuzmich. The author, who has spent over 20 years researching the legend, makes a compelling case that the great Alexander and the humble starets were one and the same.
Customer Reviews:
The conqueror of Napoleon was conquered by his conscience.......2003-11-27
In "Imperial Legend", the reader is introduced to the mystery surrounding the death of Alexander I in a tiny backwater town of southern Russia in 1825. Troubetzkoy argues that Alexander I, who was continually wracked by guilt for his involvement in the death of his father, staged his own death so that he could renounce the crown and retire to a place where he could come to terms with his conscience. The author presents evidence that a starets (wandering holy man) by the name of Feodor Kuzmich, who mysteriously appeared in Siberia in 1836, was none other than Alexander himself. As Troubetzkoy tells us, this alleged connection between Alexander and Kuzmich has come to be known as the Imperial Legend.
The first part of the book is devoted to a brief biography of Alexander I and touches upon his relationship with his father Paul I and his grandmother Catherine the Great, both of whom exerted a profound influence on the young man's personality. Equally important, Troubetzkoy provides a detailed account of the night when his father was forced to abdicate in favor of his son Alexander and was murdered in the process. Although Alexander apparently did not have any direct involvement in this coup, he was forever traumatized by what he considered to be a patricide. The second part of the book considers the scant information that is known about the starets Feodor Kuzmich as well as all of the mysterious circumstances and coincidences that add fuel to the Imperial Legend.
The book is written in a clear and engaging style that gave me an enjoyable reading experience from start to finish. Although a number of editing errors were found in the text, these did not detract from the continuity of the story. Since Alexander's guilt over his father's death is the major assumption underlying the Imperial Legend, I felt that Troubetzkoy could have done a better job in emphasizing the relationship between father and son. As Troubetzkoy describes it, Alexander's father was a boorish neurotic who did not spend much time with his son and who harbored feelings of resentment against him. Now what kind of son would feel guilt over the loss of a father like that?
I felt that most of the evidence linking Alexander and Feodor Kuzmich cited in this book was circumstantial and of a speculatory nature. The reader is presented with a variety of first- and second-hand accounts that can no longer be substantiated today. According to the book, only scant material evidence still exists that can show the two men were one in the same, with the rest of the evidence having mysteriously disappeared over the course of time (if in fact they existed at all).
Nevertheless, popular belief and all of the mysterious circumstances that were reported to have happened serve to make the Imperial Legend an intriguing bit of history. Troubetzkoy stated that one of his major motivations in writing this book was to generate interest in the Imperial Legend in the hopes of raising funds needed to open the crypt of Alexander I in St. Petersburg. I truly hope that Mr. Troubetzkoy succeeds in his task, because regardless of what is found in the crypt, his findings will be a significant addition to Russian history.
Serious.......2003-07-11
Yes, this is a very serious work, with more detail than average
readers will be able to absorb, but the author puts those
details together to make an interesting story.
The story is that one of the czars of Russia, Alexanader I, who
ruled in the early 19th century, did not really die at age 48,
while staying in southern Russia for the health of his wife.
The "Legend," which according to the author is wide-spread in
Russia to this day, and was widely accepted through the 1800s,
is that the Czar was so unhappy and depressed, he wanted to withdraw from his ruling position and live the simple life of
a peasant.
He asserts that the legend is true, and that the Czar disappeared, with the knowledge and connivance of his family
and its highest advisors, and that he appeared many years later
as a lone spiritualist, devoted to the church and "ordinary"
people.
The author, who descends from a princely royal family himself,
says he heard the legend from childhood, and that one of his
ancestors was part of Russian history in that period, has done
a lot of thinking, and much work, on this subject. He says the
basis for the legend, and the actual disappearance of the czar,
is that Alexander participated in a palace coup that displaced
his father, Czar Paul I, and that as part of the coup, the
rebels killed Alexander's father, and that Alexander suffered
from guilt thereafter, which led to his depression and unhappiness with his life.
That part of the story seems to be factual, and it is well-
documented, as is much of the story.
However, the conclusions, about the voluntary disappearance
of Czar Alexander, and his reappearance years later as a religious figure, is, at bottom, based on conjecture. And this
is where "scholarship" fails the author. However much he
speculates, he is still left with speculation, and no quantity
of rumor and theory, over however many years, changes that one
fact: there is no fact available to support the theory propounded here.
So, in a sense, it is an interesting story, with much fact,
but the reader has to accept that much of the conclusion is
not based on fact at all. The author does not try to disguise
his methods and theories, and he honestly presents his conclusions for what they are: speculation, with the hope and
expectation that he will be proven correct.
The writer hopes proper authorities in Russia will permit scientific testing, through DNA analysis, of the remains of
the body in the tomb of Alexander I, the body of the lowly
religious figure presumed to be the real czar, and that of a
known member of the royal family whose linage can be traced to
the family of the czars of Russia.
The author, for example, puts considerable emphasis on the
fact that there are inconsistencies in the reports of the condition of the body following the death in 1825, and doctors
present at the autopsy made different notes on some aspects of
that work, and the fact that the royal family at the time did
not permit public viewing of the body, etc., but considering
the time, when medical science was still comparatively primitive, and the fact that the death occured in a very distant, out-of-the-way area of rural Russia, and none of the doctors available were experienced in autopsy procedures, the
inconsistencies cited are not very formitable. Many of the
author's conclusions in favor of his theory are based on similar
thin facts, such as the fact that there are writings of the time
based on theory and legend. The fact that someone wrote something down in 1825, or shortly thereafter, doesn't make that
writing true; writing down a rumor doesn't make it true, whatever the time frame.
As noted above, the author is not trying to cover up his methods, so we appreciate his honesty and earnestness in presenting his theories, but we have to realize, as stated,
his conclusions are based on theory and conjecture, not fact.
But there is a mystery here, and the author suggests it can
be solved once and for all by Russian authorities by testing
and analysis, so he makes a good case for those further procedures.
The results of those tests would be very interesting, indeed.
Interesting reading for the serious student of that part of
history, as long as the distinction between fact and theory
is properly maintained at all times.
Imperial Legend: The Disappearence of Czar Alexander I.......2003-01-23
This book has haunted me ever since I first read it last year.
I have wanted to write something of the "legend" and how, of
all things, there is a tie to George Armstrong Custer, who died
at the Battle of the Little Big Horn in 1876. Read this book, you'll find your imagination running wild!
I have a BA in History--so it takes a lot to impress me!
Tsar Alexander I: Sinner, Saint or both?.......2002-07-21
Why should an American reader care about Tsar Alexander I (1777-1825)? If you are of Polish descent, you might want to learn more about why in 1818 Alexander gave a constitution and some autonomy to Poland. If history is your thing, you cannot but notice the man whose generals and whose frozen land drove Napoleon Bonaparte out of Moscow and back across the Niemen river, ultimately to Waterloo. Members of the Russian Orthodox religion will want to know about a man who (in another identity) became a canonized saint.
A Romanov tsar a saint? It is a stretch, but there is a long tradition ("the Legend") that the Tsar was driven by guilt to run away from his responsibilities. According to the Legend, Alexander I felt guilt for complicity in his father's 1801 assassination which had made him the Autocrat of all the Russias, He did not die in 1825. Nor did he abdicate. He just "disappeared." Perhaps he fled to Palestine on the yacht of a British aristocrat. Perhaps he reappeared in Siberia eleven years later as one Feodor Kuzmich. Perhaps the Tsar lived on in the new identity until 1864 when he died in the odor of sanctity. But not precisely "orthodox "sanctity. For he was not known to attend liturgies or to make regular confessions of sin.
Alexis Troubetzkoy's IMPERIAL LEGEND:THE MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE OF TSAR ALEXANDER I is a good read. As soothing and smooth as a lullaby, the book introduces important aspects of 19th century Russian history and tells the story of two men: Alexander Romanov and Feodor Kuzmich. It is clear that generations of Russians and some international scholars believe that there is probable evidence that the two men were one. But what of those eleven blank years between the official death of the Tsar near the Caucasus and the appearance of the mysterious Kuzmich in Siberia? Troubetzkoy might want to make those missing years the subject of a follow-on book.
The book has arresting photographs or portraits of the principals and a compact bibliography. Future editions might usefully include a map of the areas discussed.
IMPERIAL LEGEND amply rewards a leisurely read.
The Disappearing Tsar.......2002-07-07
Author Alexis Troubetzkoy's "Imperial Legened" explores the possibility that Russian Tsar Alexander I faked his own death in 1825 in order to shed the burden of the crown after twenty-five years of rule. There is plenty of evidence suggesting that this is more than historical speculation, even though all of it is circumstantial. The first half of the book is dedicated to a retelling of Alexander's reign, which featured spectacular successes (the defeat of Napolean) and personal torment (guilt over his own complicity in his father's murder). The picture that emerges is of a (relatively) enlightened Russian monarch who would very much have preferred not to be the king.
The book goes on to recount the life of the mysterious Siberian vagabond that many Russians, including descendents of the Romanov dynasty, have come to believe WAS Alexander. If so, he shed the Imperial life about as completely as anyone ever could. Once again, the evidence is far from conclusive, but still compelling. Troubetzkoy is a good storyteller, and his narrative is highly readable.
Overall, "Imperial Legend" is a good historical mystery that should be enjoyed by history buffs with an interest in Imperial Russia.
Average customer rating:
- The evidence? The Truth?
- 100% in personal evidence, 0% in archive evidence
- Packed with information, the real story.
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The Last Days of Hitler: The Legends, the Evidence, the Truth
Anton Joachimsthaler
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Customer Reviews:
The evidence? The Truth?.......2000-06-13
If you are looking for something new and interesting on this subject, this is not the book for you. The author has cobbled together a great deal of previously published material from which he endeavors to garner the 'Truth' by the simple process of the vote system. Ergo, if two witnesses say one thing and a third says otherwise, then the two witness statement must be right! Always assuming that the two witnesses are in accordance with his ;feeling; on the subject.
The author spends many pages on the subject of the exact thickness of the bunker roof which, whilst mildly interesting, is of no great historical import.
Perhaps the only 'new' material which he introduces in the closing chapter is his hypothesis on the subject the love affair between Eva Braun-Hitler and Hermann Fegelein. Any credence which might be given to this is somewhat marred by the fact that his 'evidence' is mainly attributed to statements by Hitler's youngest secretary Frau Junge. Throughout the main body of his book the author has discounted all statements by Frau Jung as being 'unreliable'. Yet, suddenly, the reader is being asked to accept statements by the same witness as gospel.
There is nothing new here. Buy O'Donnell's The Bunker or Trevor Ropers The Last Days of Adolf Hitler. The former for entertainment and a host of fact. The latter for pure fact written very shortly after the events.
100% in personal evidence, 0% in archive evidence.......1998-03-11
With many details in Hitler's life and death, there are scores of myths, half-truths, and surmises. His death has its share of all three. Joachimsthaler does the best job I've seen in presenting and analyzing the evidence of personal testimonies of those involved with Hitler in his last days. However, he totally writes off the archival evidence from Moscow. To discover the full truth about Hitler's death, one must, at the very least, compare this book and the one by Ada Petrova and Peter Watson.
Packed with information, the real story........1997-10-22
Anton Joachimsthaler is clearly one of the most knowlegeable authors on this subject! The depth of his research is evident in his foot notes. All of his information and facts are backed- up by documentation. This is just one of his many books on WWII Germany.
Book Description
Keith Moon was the bad boy of rock & roll, the most manic member of an aggressive and fabulously successful band, a full-throttle hedonist who lived at the center of an unending party. He was also a musical genius who inspired whole generations of artists, a generous friend to nearly everyone who crossed his path, a guileless man of immense personal charm to whom the sweetest sound on earth was surf music.A generation after his death, Moon is still revered as the greatest drummer in rock history and the single wildest personality in an age of pop excess. Here is the truth behind the legend, the result of more than three years of research in which music journalist Tony Fletcher interviewed dozens of Moon's friends, colleagues, and associates. The result is an instant classic that brilliantly illuminates both the tender and self-destructive sides of this singular personality. This is the story of one of the most outrageous rock stars ever born -- and Moon is one of the greatest rock biographies ever written.
Customer Reviews:
terrible intrusion .......2005-12-09
I've read this book and I have to say not only is it a bunch of garbage but I would like to know who gave the author his degree in clinical pyschology?! I would also like to know where the author gets off giving out personal addresses?! The author is a rock'n'roll wannabe. This is his claim to "fame" and a poor one at that. Anyone knows an author should be objective and not try to interject his own personal, misguided views into a biography. Avoid this trash like the plague.
Rock is dead!.......2005-08-29
For me that's a true statement! I first heard of THE WHO when I saw them on the ABC show Shindig, and I thought this is the band I've been looking for! It was a shame that at that point in time American AM radio were not playing their records. That didn't stop me from getting my local TSS record department manager from ordering songs "I Can't Explain", "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere", "My Generation", and "Substitute" for me. He automatically ordered a copy of "I'm A Boy" for me when it was released. He knew I'd want it. The next release was "Happy Jack" and it became a hit in the states. I watched their massive hits success in the U.K. from the beginning. But what made these four guys so special to me was not Pete Townshend's outrageous guitar playing though I thought he was better than the rest. It was not John Entwhistle's masterful bass playing. He too was by far the best I had ever heard. It certainly was not Roger Daltrey's singing though when he sang lead on songs such as "The Kids Are Alright" or "So Sad About Us" (why that song was never released as a single, I'll never know)I thought he had a better voice than McCartney. No, what set this band apart from all the rest was Keith Moon's drumming! He was and remains the greatest rock and roll drummer in the world, dead or alive! This book, his biography is fantastic! Yeah there's a dark side to him, and it is well exposed throughout! But when I read about him and the locomotive records with the speakers hidden in the hedge to scare the little old women in his neighborhood as they walked by, I broke out in uncontrollable laughter! It's the type of thing my friends and I would have done as kids. His drug problem and drinking problem no doubt contributed to the horrible way he treated his wife. Such is the behavior of so many of the so called celebrities that we place on pedestals in our minds! The Who were never the same after "Who's Next"! It was not too long after that that Keith moved to California. There might be a half a dozen good songs in "Quadrophenia". But really, the energy was gone! When Keith died, for me rock and roll died. The Who have never been the same band! (Sorry Kenney Jones, you know it and I know it)! True, for some years I enjoyed the occasional rock song, from Van Halen, Madness, or more recently Smashmouth. But there will never be another Keith Moon. I saw The Who twice. In 1968 at the Westbury Music Fair where I met Roger Daltrey. The group had me out of my seatand on my feet from the first chord of their classic song "Substitute". Wow what a show! I saw them again at Forest Hills in 1971 when they opened their "Who's Next" tour. That album remains the best album ever done, and "Live At Leeds" remains the best live album ever done, especially with all the songs now included with the CD that weren't with the original album. This book is terrific! Everyone should own a copy! Because of it I feel as though I actually knew Keith Moon! And I am thankful for the "Live At The Isle Of Wight" DVD that I have seen over and over with great enjoyment! If you have never seen Keith Moon, rent it or buy it! Check out also "The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus" and see The Who performing "A Quick One (While He's Away)"! Wow what a performance! They stole the show, thanks in great part to Keith's playing. They performed that when I saw them at the Westbury Music Fair! I Love You Keith!
Dear Boy..........2005-03-14
...as the book was entitled in Europe is a thick one, but this is the definitive biography of one of rock's greatest drummers, and one of its most outrageous personalities.
There have been books written about the Who, and about Moon. "Full Moon," written by his longtime personal assistant Dougal Butler leans heavily on the more salacious aspects of his time with Moon the Loon, but has its moments.
This is deeper; Fletcher examines Moon's early life, his influences, both musically and comedically, and the events that brought him together with the three iconoclasts that would make up one of rock and roll's pioneer bands.
Moon's drumming technique, mostly his own is well-examined here, along with those of his contemporaries, and the bands of that era, both famous and unknown are stacked up well against the Who in their various incarnations.
Fletcher gets a good insight into the Mod movement, which has been look at elsewhere, but also the many things that interested and drove Moon himself...he was an early Carnaby Street regular, whose appearance and style would have put Austin Powers to shame!
Moon's health problems are also examined, especially the mental ones: Keith was obviously a hyperactive child, but growing up in post-war Britian, that kind of affliction was considered something you grew out of. Some of us did, like myself, but with Moon is stayed, and I think it can now be said he suffered from some form of manic depression.
This made for great energy, whether playing a powerful, improvisational style of drumming or coming up with bizarre ideas and practical jokes. It also made for great publicity, something his Who mates now seem to regret a great deal.
Moon is such a fascinating figure--one of the nicest people one minute, a complete jerk the next. The way he treated his wife Kim, and later Annette Walter-Lax would have him in jail today. How they both dealt with him I have no idea.
But it's obvious he is troubled; unable to get offstage and just be himself, the self-blame he takes for the accident that causes the death of a close friend, and the loss of his marriage. He sometimes becomes a pathetic figure, alone and terribly lonely amidst fame and fortune, the latter of which he blew in huge quantities.
Townshend once said he believed that Moon was never truly happy, and never had one true close friend. That may be. At least at the end Moon was trying to clean up, get off the booze, etc. But sadly, an overdose of a drug he should never have had his hands on ended his life.
Whatever the case, this book tells the story and tells it without pulling any punches about one of the greatest drummers in rock history, one who should not be remembered just for his lunacy.
Well done bio.......2005-01-13
When I was 14, 30 years ago, I discovered the Who. Not long thereafter, I started fiddling about with the drums. Keith Moon was my inspiration, because listening to him made it seem the drums were important, that they were as an intregal part of the music as any other element of the ensemble. That serves as testamment, everso redundantly, what he meant to music. First and foremost it should be made needlessly apparent that Keith Moon was an incredible musician. This book would lead me to believe that drumming came as naturally to Keith as walking.
This book paints a portrait of someone that was so many things to so many people. It's a disappointment that Keith could be such an arse, yet it's as if he always redeemed himself by being his jovial, generous way, and of course what he made for our listening enjoyment.
This book is excellently researched. Having been someone that thought they knew much about the legend of Keith Moon, there was much in this book I'd never heard and/or read. It was revealing, and disturbing to see how much Moon actually made his self destruciton a full time job. I sympathize with Kim, Mandy and Annette. It's sad to realize how badly he treated some people, disspelling this idea of such a jolly fellow, always the loon and funmonger. Fletcher does an admirable task of breaking down who this guy was, that I empathize with him, where in reading this, he like I, must have had difficulty coming to grips with that as much we loved Keith, that sadly he was the orchestater of his demise. Yet at the same time I can't help but to feel more than ever for Keith Moon because certainly he needed help that no one seemed able to give him, and was perhaps destined to die before he got old.
God bless you Keith Moon. God bless the Who.
The tragic life of a rock legend.......2005-01-08
My enjoyment of the Who's music, curiosity about the legend of Keith Moon, and my interest in drummers and drumming in general led me to check out this rather massive book. By the time I reached the final chapter I was both sad that the story was over and completely emotionally drained, and not exactly sure I was glad to have learned all I had about Moon. Having grown up with an alcoholic/drug-dependant family member, far too much of what Fletcher described of Moon's problems was painfully familiar to me. The way he treated those who cared for him, particularly the women in his life, was quite terrible and sometimes difficult to read about.
Fletcher pulls no punches and presents both Moon's greatnesses and his weaknesses. He illustrates where and how Moon was a genius on the drums yet also where, when and how is performance was sub-par. He does not sugar-coat anything. Still, the end result is not as tawdry and cheap as some celebrity biographies I've read, for the reader gets the impression that Fletcher respects the subject matter instead of simply looking to provide cheap thrills and sensationalism. He also works hard to disprove some of the wilder stories and legends of Moon's behavior and stick with the facts, which may disappoint some who hate to see the legends shattered, but there is still much madness and mayhem that is apparently quite true.
If you are a Who fan and/or interested in the story of one of the most legendary drummers of rock music, you owe it to yourself to check out this book. Just be forewarned that you may find it difficult to look at Keith Moon in the same light ever again.
Book Description
As the lead singer of the Doors, Jim Morrison's searing poetic vision and voracious appetite for sexual, spiritual, and psychedelic experience inflamed the spirit and psyche of a generation. Since his mysterious death in 1971, millions more fans from a new generation have embraced his legacy, as layers of myth have gathered to enshroud the life, career, and true character of the man who was James Douglas Morrison.
In Jim Morrison, critically acclaimed journalist Stephen Davis, author of Hammer of the Gods, unmasks Morrison's constructed personas of the Lizard King and Mr. Mojo Risin' to reveal a man of fierce intelligence whose own destructive tendencies both fueled his creative ambitions and brought about his downfall. Gathered from dozens of original interviews and investigations of Morrison's personal journals, Davis has assembled a vivid portrait of a misunderstood genius, tracing the arc of Morrison's life from his troubled youth to his international stardom, when his drug and alcohol binges, tumultuous sexual affairs, and fractious personal relationships reached a frenzied peak. For the first time, Davis is able to reconstruct Morrison's last days in Paris to solve one of the greatest mysteries in music history in a shocking final chapter.
Compelling and harrowing, intimate and revelatory, Jim Morrison is the definitive biography of the rock idol in snakeskin and leather who defined the 1960s.
Customer Reviews:
pretty good, but..........2007-09-10
I couldn;'t put this book down. I read it in two days, which is fast for me.
I got this book because I've realized that the doors are the reason why I'm interested in literature, philosophy, hallucinogens, music, Bukowski, etc.
I'm very unoriginal.
Just for the record, I liked Ollie Stone's The Doors when it came out, but hey, I was 20 years old then. Now I think the movie plain sucks, except for Val Kilmer's resurrecting performance.
Davis's book is good in parts, but for someone who studied history and philosophy in college, I'd like to see some footnotes. It has none, giving me the impression he took some liberties like Stone did. At least Stephen Davis tells you when he's speculating.
The newest thing for me in this book is that Morrison was bisexual. It kind of fits.
Well-written. I found myself reading it with a dictionary close at hand. DAavis's vocab is stellar.
A lot of what others said in their reviews is dead-on, not a lot of new info. The part about his death is total speculation. No way anyone can know of the things that Davis wrote.
Worth the money, however.
And for the reviewer who said the Doors were "less pychedelic" that person needs some acid bad. I've always thought the Doors were the most pyschedelic band ever. Morrison's lyrics are so trippy, even for me who has not done an hallucinogen in 10 years.
One thing that Davis did do for me is he kind of, without intending to do so, showed me that Morrison's death and the death of Kurt Cobain are awfully similar. they both had crazy, heroin addicted girlfriends, and murder or suicide could have been the cause.
'til the music's over....
A legend from the 1960's!!!.......2007-07-08
This is the best book I had read about Jim Morrison,is very interesting,it talks about his entire life,and the most sad his death,but anyways if you are a Jim Morrison fan,buy it; you will like it,it takes you inside the book like if you are there with the singer by his side,I own a mini collection about The Doors,and this is a good book to add to your collection if you don't have one,start with this book!!!
A Psychedelic Experiance Through The Eyes Of Jimmy.......2007-05-29
all my life i have been facinated with the life and death of jim morrison, reading this book has given me great detials about alot of situations in his life that could have influenced the way he acted. i defenetly suggest that you read this though with a warning, do not let this book influence your life. its a great read though quite thick, but once you get started you defenetly cant stop. Thanks guys
Tawdry Cut-and-Paste Cheap-o RIPOFF.......2006-10-31
Interior-the author's head-night
Uhh...I write rock bios for a living..I need to do another one,let's see--I think I'll write a Jim Morrison book next.Yeah,Jim Morrison-he's dead,he qualifys.
Forget doing research and interviews--ahh,maybe one or two to make it look legit..but I'll just get whatever Jim Morrison books have been written already,jot down some notes--sensationalize it by amping up any potential negative angles and presto! I've written a new book about Jim Morrison that everyone will want to read.Jesus,I'm so clever!!
(fade out)
Aside from two or three photos-this depressing book is about 90% rehashed MUST TO AVOID BS--DO NOT read it,borrow it or even THINK about it.It is unfair to Morrison's memory and puts one more nail in the coffin of the Doors' legacy,standing in line right behind Oliver Stone's disgraceful 1990 theatrical assasination-THANKS GUYS
Overall a good and enlightening book.......2006-03-19
While I have to agree that Stephen Davis does seem to focus on the negative side of Jim I would have to say that Jim's negative side is what comes out the strongest when looking back into history. This book did a VERY good job explaining his childhood and how that developed him into the amazing man he would become. I am especially interested in that because I am 15 years old. I disagree with those who say this book wasn't researched, because the author gives a long list of books used while writing it. This book really clears up most of the mystery surrounding Jim and his tragic death so that now there is not very much doubt in my mind as to how Jim died. He wasnt murdered, it wasn't suicide. Overall this is a good book about Jim's amazing life and how he lived it.
Product Description
1st print edition
Book Description
Because they are so often told as news, contemporary legends force us to reevaluate life as we know it. They confront us with macabre, fantastic, horrific, or hilarious characters and events that seem to come straight out of myths and folktales, but are presented as present day events. The difficulty is that it is not at all easy to decide whether these often disturbing stories should be treated as reliable or dismissed as fantasy.
The legends explored in this book are some of the most bizarre, gruesome, and politically sensitive stories in the contemporary legend canon. If we believe them we must conclude that our bodies are in constant danger of destruction or defilement. At any moment our corpus may be invaded by noxious creatures, or deliberately infected with deadly disease, or raided to provide donor organs for sick foreigners. Even children's bodies are not safe from predators, and those we love most may seek to destroy us. These are "winter's tales," the stuff of nightmares. But they are potent and important.
In this book Gillian Bennett traces the cultural history of six well-known legends that have been current in Europe and America from medieval times to the present day and have appeared in broadsides, ballads, myths, ancient and modern legends, novels, plays, films, television shows, and in stories told in the oral tradition. The book shows that contemporary legends are not just silly tales which can be dismissed as trivial and "untrue." Good stories though they are and embellished with fantastic details, they reveal much about the concerns and fears of everyday life and demonstrate the limits of knowledge and power in the modern world.
Product Description
Histortic Edition
Books:
- The Battle Of Leyte Gulf: The Last Fleet Action (Twentieth-Century Battles)
- The Berenstain Bears and the In-Crowd (First Time Books(R))
- The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother
- The Deep: The Extraordinary Creatures of the Abyss
- The Dragon Can't Dance (Karen and Michael Braziller Books)
- The Easy Way to Stop Smoking: Join the Millions Who Have Become Nonsmokers Using the Easyway Method
- The Great Hunt (The Wheel of Time, Book 2)
- The Hunters (A Presidential Agent Novel)
- The Intention Experiment: Using Your Thoughts to Change Your Life and the World
- The Last Dance: Encountering Death and Dying
Books Index
Books Home
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- Nature's Metropolis: Chicago and the Great West
- Faraday as a Discoverer
- How to Make It When You're Cash Poor
- Economic Systems & Comparative Economics I: Harwood Fundamentals of Applied Economics
Will Of The Empress
Fairest
The Mislaid Magician or Ten Years After
The Realms of the Gods (Immortals, Book)
Trickster's Queen (Aliane)
