The Unexpected George Washington: His Private Life

Book Description

Advance Praise for The Unexpected George Washington

"This is a biography that unquestionably lives up to its title. Readers will discover numerous, often touching traits that they never knew about the Father of the Country. Harlow Unger has written a one-of-a-kind book that will please and fascinate everyone."
—Thomas Fleming, author Washington's Secret War: The Hidden History of Valley Forge

"It's hard to imagine George Washington as playful, tender, or funny. But Harlow Unger searches to find these seldom-seen aspects of the private man, and the result is a far more complete and believable founding father."
— James C. Rees, Executive Director, Historic Mount Vernon

Acclaim for Lafayette

"Harlow Unger has cornered the market on muses to emerge as America's most readable historian. His new biography of the Marquis de Lafayette combines a thoroughgoing account of the age of revolution, a probing psychological study of a complex man, and a literary style that goes down like cream."
—Florence King, contributing editor, National Review

"To American readers Unger's biography will provide a stark reminder of just how near run a thing was our War of Independence and the degree to which our forefathers' victory hinged on the help of our French allies, marshalled for George Washington by his 'adopted' son, Lafayette."
—Larry Collins, coauthor, Is Paris Burning? and O Jerusalem!

Amazon.com

Jayne Anne Krentz is an impresario for creating characters that are both quirky and original. Eugenia Swift is the Director of a world renowned glass museum, Cyrus Chandler Colfax is a private detective who is as rough hewn as Eugenia is slick. When the two get together, readers know that sparks will fly and glass will shatter--especially since the two are posing as a couple to investigate the mysterious death of a famous glass collector. Since this is a romantic suspense, passion flames and ignites molten love despite the ulterior motives of the two leading characters. One of the very best things about reading a Jayne Ann Krentz romance is that her heroines are always intelligent! --Kate Ryan

Book Description

Eugenia Swift is a young woman of singular sensibilities, a connoisseur of beauty...and naturally inclined to tackle even the most difficult tasks on her own. As the director of the Leabrook Glass Museum, she's been asked to travel to Frog Cove Island an artistic haven near Seattle to catalog an important collection of art glass belonging to the late Adams Daventry. But thanks to unsavory rumors surrounding Daventry's death, the museum insists that Eugenia take along Cyrus Chandler Colfax a rough-hewn private investigator whose taste in glass runs to icy cold bottles filled with beer.

When Colfax declares they must pose as a couple, Eugenia protests in terms as loud as his Hawaiian shirts. She's loath to disclose the secret purpose of her trip: investigating the disappearance of her good friend Nellie Grant...the late Adam Daventry's lover. Meanwhile, the green-eyed calm of Colfax's gaze shields his own hidden agenda locating a priceless Daventry treasure that will help him avenge an old wrong.

While Eugenia has always kept her heart on a shelf, their very lives soon depend on making an utterly convincing couple. Because among the chic galleries of Frog Cove Island lurks a killer, and their only chance for survival is the boldest, most artful collaboration they can dare to imagine.

At once a fascinating look at today's avant-garde art world and a scintillating adventure, Sharp Edges hums with the energy of a couple who bring to mind a thoroughly modern Bogart and Bacall. Add deft displays of wit and a wicked twist, and you've got another winner from Jayne Ann Krentz!

Customer Reviews:

A good book, but not really my type of romance novel.......2006-07-08

Another random library pick up.

Sharp Edges is about a museum director named Eugenia who is about to travel to a small island off the coast of Washington to inventory a collection of glass art of a man who recently died. She also wants to do some digging into the supposed accidental death of her friend, and the collector's lover, who died in a boating accident the day after the collector died. The lawyer's for the collector's estate want to make sure their client's death was really an accident so they enlist a PI, Cyrus, to check into it. In order to discretely investigate, Cyrus asks the museum to let him use them as a cover, and requests to travel with Eugenia. What Cyrus doesn't tell them is that he has an ulterior motive in that he wants to find an ancient glass artifact that changed his life three years earlier. Once on the island, things get a lot more complicated than they expected, not just with the case, but also with the sexual chemistry that arises between them.

One of the things I generally haven't liked about Krentz's books is that the suspense is a much bigger factor than the romance. Not that there isn't romance, but it tends to be more of a background issue. I like the romance to be more in the forefront. So though I've liked the books of hers I've read, I've always wished the romance got more attention. The same is true for Sharp Edges. I just did not feel a connection between Eugenia and Cyrus. They made an interesting couple, but I didn't have an emotional bond with them. They were just kind of there.

I think part of the problem with this book was that I didn't exactly like Eugenia. She was your very typical snob who sees anything below her standards as crass. I have a hard time associating with that mind set. There was one line in the book where she refuses to go to a cafe because it probably served greasy hamburgers. It just made me shake my head. I tend to like characters who are more average.

As for the story itself, I did enjoy that. The plot was interesting, with enough twists and suspense to keep you in the story. I didn't have any trouble finishing the book, but as has happened with other Krentz books for me, it just did not tweak any of my emotional strings. It was pretty much only the plot that kept my head in the book.

Rating: 3 / 5

If you like JAK mysteries, you will enjoy this mystery with a twist!.......2006-01-09

The story starts with a prologue 3 years earlier as Colfax & March Security need to deliver a 4th century glass art cup to their client. Cyrus Chandler Colfax hooked up with his partner of 6 months, Damien March, as Damien had high-powered corporate and individual contacts but he is not sure he trusts him. Cyrus wants his wife Katy to be happy. As Cyrus and his partner Damien are transporting the "Hades cup", suddenly Cyrus is shot from behind. While in the hospital he finds that his partner has taken all of their company's assets including the Hades cup and that his wife Katy is dead, victim of a carjacking.
In the present day we are at the Leabrook Glass Museum where the elderly owner, Tabitha, is trying to convince the museum director, Eugenia Swift to take along Cyrus Colfax on her trip to Frog Cove Island to inventory and catalogue the art collection of the recently deceased art patron, Adam Daventry. Cyrus, a tall well-built man in a bright aloha shirt, does not impress the very classy and elegant Eugenia. Eugenia finally realizes she is not going to get to go on her working vacation without him and gives in especially as on her agenda is finding out what happened to her friend and former employee Nellie Grant who she had introduced to Adam Daventry.
The Glass House where Adam Daventry lived and housed his collection is a very strange place with almost all glass walls and the very first night Eugenia chases a intruder down to the basement where Cyrus finds her and they both find the caretaker of the place dead in the wine cellar of an apparent heart attack.
From this point on more and more clues and suspects enter the picture and make for an intriguing read right to the final denouement!! The romance is also nicely done and as always JAK has plenty of humor as well. This story is a fun read and very interesting for the information on glass art as well.

mildly entertaining.......2005-08-24

My only real complaint with this story was that only a few characters had normal names. An officer with the first name Peaceful, his wife the doctor named meditation, and other bizarre names that are even strange for a soap opera. Even in the art world these names are out there and they came from the townspeople not the artists. It made for annoying reading whenever those names were mentioned, as if the author was poking fun at them or the reader.
Other than that, the story line was simple and easy to follow. I felt the author changing her style of writing during it and experimenting a little with her abilities to try and make the read more suspenseful. It worked out fine, but JAK should have either used it throughout the book, or not at all. It was near the end and frankly, most of the suspense was already over. It seemed like a weak attempt to make something out of nothing.
The characters were likable, but I never really felt the pull or attraction between Eugenia and Cyrus. Clearly they had the sex, but why the relationship grows into more is a little on the weak side. This author definitely has the ability to keep the story moving, and with a little more fine tuning and emotion, she could turn out some good works. Sadly, this book is only a mediocre read and nothing to rant and rave about to your friends.

Not one of my favorites.......2004-02-23

This book could have been better, tighter, but it wasn't. The ending was especially disappointing.The main characters, Eugenia and Cyrus were too different and I never believed their relationship was more than sexual companionship and a limited business partnership. For a director, she seemed way too impulsive and irrational. For an owner of a multi-office investigation company Cyrus seemed too much on a one-man unit. I liked the idea of them living together in the end, giving themselves more time, but I did not need a marriage to tie up the story. I wanted the relationship to simmer a bit longer before they made a lifelong commitment.
I love art and antiquities which is one of the reasons I like Krentz as she often uses art and antiquities in her plots. I have seen ancient Roman glass. I was very upset that Krentz did not share Eugenia's reaction when she saw the actual Hades cup. Where was that moment of excitement when she saw the real thing and knew what Cyrus has said about its beauty was true? What about the sparks when Eugenia and Cyrus looked at the cup together? We do not even know how the cup got from the condo to the museum? And what was Tabitha's initial reaction when she learned of the cup? When she learned of their romance? And who was Damien really? Honestly, Krentz could have cut out Rhonda and Joshua (who cares about them anyway?) and spent more time developing Eugenia and Cyrus. This book seemed to be rushed at the end, I agree with another reviewer who suggested Ms. Krentz slow down and give us a complete and satisfying story.

Sharp Edges.......2003-09-15

For the first quarter of the book, I thought Eugenia was (to be polite) a witch. She slowly became likeable. All of poor Cyrus's choices in clothing were so tacky. The story had a good blend of romance and mystery. After reading this book and all the talk of glass, I have a serious interest in collecting glass art.

Average customer rating:

good, but...
A Privilege To Read
suspenceful
GREAT MURDER MYSTERY FULL OF NAVY COVER UP
A great Navy-murder mystery-suspense novel? Believe It!!

Official Privilege
Peter T. Deutermann
Manufacturer: St Martins Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0312119968

Customer Reviews:

good, but..........2001-06-28

As others have posted, the plot is very interesting, kept my interest almost to the end, and the portrayals of the Navy at the Pentagon seemed very realistic. Only two quibbles:

Firstly, the "plot twist" was a real yawner. I knew about halfway through who the Villain was, just seemed too obvious.

Secondly, almost every African-American character, even the educated ones, typically speak in some sort of Jive ("she be easy to look at", that sort of thing). Please. left a bad taste in my mouth.

A Privilege To Read.......2000-09-19

This story contained all the necessary components.. Mystery, suspense, romance and action. It was similar to Nelson DeMille's General's Daughter in some regards. Good book.

suspenceful.......2000-07-29

deuterman , built an excellant story by devoloping each charter masterfully , intertwined the story with expert knowledge of the inside of the pentagon as well as the workings of the pentagon and the people who work there. he started with introducing us to his charters and where they worked , tieing in their personal history and what had brought to this point in their life and professional careers.this allowed us to know the charters so that we were intrested in where they were going and how they were going to handle the mystery of the murder. the ending was predictable , except for who done it , and that he kept away from us masterfully. once into the book , it was difficult to put it down

GREAT MURDER MYSTERY FULL OF NAVY COVER UP.......2000-03-10

This book kept me on the edge of my seat right until the very end with a very suprising twist. Full of Navy acronyms, military and civilian both will find very entertaining. The detailed descriptions of Washington DC were amusing and gave me a feel for the what the city and surronding area is really like. I have enjoyed many of Peter Deutermann's books and this one is surely one of the best.

A great Navy-murder mystery-suspense novel? Believe It!!.......1998-10-14

CAPT Deutermann may be one of the best kept secrets on the book shelves today. This is a great story that will snatch your attention and hold it until after the "one you would never expect" is found out. The story is 100% believeable especially if you've ever had anything to do with a military investigation or, more to the point, the NIS.

Average customer rating:

Way too predictable
A thrilling and exciting novel with a ring of truth!
Private Sector
Private Sector for Weekends Only! Wanted to read instead of Work!
Great Read

Private Sector
Brian Haig
Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Police Procedurals | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0446531782

Book Description

The bestselling author of Secret Sanction returns-and this time, Army lawyer Sean Drummond is loaned out to a law firm whose #1 client may have ties to a vicious serial killer and a massive international crime ring. Wherever Sean Drummond goes, it seems that the JAG officer leaves a trail of political fallout in his wake. So when his superiors get an opportunity to loan him to a prestigious law firm, they jump on it, hoping he'll soak up the nuances of civilian lawyering. But almost immediately, dark clouds appear when Sean's predecessor in the loan-out program is murdered. Then Sean begins to sense something amiss with the firm's biggest client, a telecom behemoth with large defense contracts. Now, he must survive in D.C.'s buttoned-down lawyer culture long enough to stop the killer, and long enough to discover why his firm and its top client are willing to kill anyone who gets

Customer Reviews:

Way too predictable.......2007-07-31

I really didn't care much for Major Drummond and - although I personally find sacarsim appealing - his went "flat". The beginning premise of a psychotic serial killer was in fact more interesting than what actually ensued. Duh - we have a mega billionaire who is "bent" on owning everything he can get his hands on (could he possibly be a "bad" guy?)- A "new" concept here! We then have a bunch of moronic lawyers - one of whom is a philandering "former" politician (Now - that IS something NEW). Oh and don't forget the idiots at the FBI (my oh my how DO they EVER accomplish anything?) Then just when you think all the sterotypes were covered - along comes the the Director (the director no less) of the CIA and two of his "operatives" giving away the details of a "secret" operation to an assistant DA from Boston and a JAG Major. Yeah - it makes for a believable read!!!! NOT! I know this is a work of fiction - and one does take "some" creative license - BUT - generally with an "air" of believability. With all that said I believe the VERY worst was that it IS predictable. "Hint" - corporate greed!!!

A thrilling and exciting novel with a ring of truth!.......2007-05-08

Col. Brian Haig puts Maj. Sean Drummond in another suspenceful and super exciting situation
that keeps you on edge for the whole book!

Private Sector.......2007-05-07

I enjoyed this book and the character of Sean Drummond. I most certainly read all of Mr. Haig's books.

Private Sector for Weekends Only! Wanted to read instead of Work!.......2007-01-09

Private Sector is a great continuation of the Sean Drummond story that also stands on it's own. Enough reality mixed in to make it appear "ripped from the headlines". I had trouble putting it down to go to work or go to sleep. Don't start it before Friday Evening or you'll call in sick!

Great Read.......2007-01-04

He does it again - this is an excellent book. Very entertaining.

Average customer rating:

Quiet and beautiful

The Sketchbooks of Hiroshige
Hiroshige Ando
Manufacturer: George Braziller
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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

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

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Painting | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Artists, A-Z | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Japan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0807611050

Book Description

An exquisite presentation of unique sketchbooks by the great Japanese master Hiroshige Ando (1797-1858). While Hiroshige's splendid woodblock prints, in particular his Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido Road, are among the most widely reproduced and best-loved prints in Japanese history, his sketches have rarely been circulated or seen. The sketchbooks date from around 1840 and were created as Hiroshige traveled around Japan. They contain subject matter that ranges from serene landscape and rural scenes to delightful renderings of interiors, historical figures, and animals. The colors are fresh, the renderings fluid, and the use of space astonishing, allowing a sort of fantasy not always possible in the harder lines of woodblock printing. Most importantly, these drawings are of enormous charm to the eye; even those unacquainted with Japanese art will find them an enchanting example of Japanese color, design and subject matter. This one-volume edition has been printed in Japan to ensure the highest quality in reproducing the nuances of Hiroshige's masterpieces, which are reproduced to size and in their original order. 100 pages of color illustrations, 50 black-and-white illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

Quiet and beautiful.......2007-09-13

Once you've been captivated by the beauty of Japanese prints, you will surely want to know more about the people and times that created them. This book offers a unique glimpse at the creative process, in the form of fifty watercolor and ink sketches.

The authors have chosen an unusual but comfortable format: sections of the book are printed alternately on white and buff paper. The first section, in white, introduces the collection - a donation to the U.S. Library of Congress. Next, fifty two-page spreads on buff paper present the sketches themselves. If you can't lay hands on Hiroshige's original sketchbooks, this is the next best thing. Toned paper imitates the aging of Hiroshige's sketchpad, now well past 150 years old. It also creates a correct impression of how the ink and colors actually appear, set against that background color. Since the original drawings each spanned the fold of a two-page spread, the reproductions do too - with the book's actual fold in the same place as the original's. Another section of white paper with black printing follows. Each page reproduces one of the drawings, reduced and without color, to remind the reader of what that page's discussion refers to. A second sketchbook follows, on buff paper, and its commentary, in black and white. As you may guess, these high production values carry over into the printing itself - beautiful, delicate, and detailed, so that every nuance of line and shading exposes itself to study.

Although helpful, the book's commentary does little more than state the location of a scene or the myth from which an image is drawn. I don't mind that minimalism. The picture draw my eye so forcefuly that it's hard to pay attention to the text. This has my highest recommendation to anyone who loves Japanese prints, or Japanese art in general.

-- wiredweird

Queer Street (Jake Rossiter and Miss Jenkins Mystery)

Average customer rating:

A Fine Detective Series
Queer is good!

Queer Street (Jake Rossiter and Miss Jenkins Mystery)
Curt Colbert
Manufacturer: Uglytown Productions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Gay | Mystery & Thrillers | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books

Hard-Boiled | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0972441298

Book Description

On the night of his birthday, Seattle P.I. Jake Rossiter gets a call from the Garden of Allah, the city's most exclusive gay nightclub. Female impersonator Trixie has been murdered. Never one to refuse a rich client, Jake figures he and junior partner Miss Jenkins will pop into the club before the birthday bash. What he didn't figure on was the cops busting the joint and arresting everyone there - including Jake and Miss Jenkins. Now faced with a night in jail, a disappearing client, conflicting alibis, and an army of suspects, Jake knows he has no choice but to pursue a case that leads him through an eccentric cast of characters and urban noir tableaux, from high-society moguls to unctuous crime bosses, from smoky back-rooms to plush judges' chambers. In Queer Street, the third entry in the Jake Rossiter and Miss Jenkins Mystery series, Curt Colbert revisits - and revives - the hard-boiled school of Hammett, Spillane, and Jim Thompson to bracing effect.

Customer Reviews:

A Fine Detective Series.......2005-03-26

Queer Street is the 3rd book in the series by Curt Colbert and, like the earlier books Rat City and Sayonaraville, it is set in Seattle in the 1950s and is written in the tough hardboiled style that was common to the pulp novels around the time in which it is set. Jake Rossiter and his partner, the lovely Miss Jenkins are back fighting crime, talking tough and living large.

Queer Street starts off as a murder case, but a risque complication is added to the case, with the setting among the wild world of homosexuals and female impersonators, a side of life that was far from accepted in the 1950s. The case progresses to the exposure of blackmail, protection rackets and some goings on in the more seamy parts of Seattle, parts that Jake would have preferred not to have learned about.

Great effort has been made by Curt Colbert to recreate the feel of a 1950's pulp detective story with the dialogue so authentic it could be mistaken as coming out of the mouth of Mike Hammer. Jake Rossiter's narrative is droll with a heavy tough-guy attitude indicating that he's proud of the fact that he can take a punch and down his fair share of Cutty Sark. Sure, at times it comes across as cliched, but as a lover of the old-style pulps I found that this is one of the endearing aspects of the story.

Although this is most certainly a hardboiled private investigator story as told by a hardened gumshoe, there is a consistent humorous tone to the book as Jake seems to find himself in numerous compromising situations. Queer Street and indeed the entire series, is ideal for people who love reading no-nonsense detective novels, the pulpier the better.

Queer is good!.......2005-01-12

Love Rossiter and Miss Jenkins! This is the most convoluted and interesting of the series yet!! And the twist at the end will knock your socks off. Rossiter will never be the same!!!

The George Washington Collection: Fine and Decorative Arts at Mount Vernon

Average customer rating:

George Washington Collection

The George Washington Collection: Fine and Decorative Arts at Mount Vernon
Carol Cadou
Manufacturer: Hudson Hills Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Museums & Collections | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1555952682

Book Description

Mount Vernon boasts the largest collection of Washington material in the United States. This new book highlights the outstanding fine and decorative art collection found at our nation's first president's longtime home.

Customer Reviews:

George Washington Collection.......2007-01-09

The book is presented in a scholarly fashion; I thought there would more items which were shown and written about...the collection runs into thousands of pieces and I was looking for more items to be shown and discussed...it was, however, well done. W. B. Goetz

Average customer rating:

Not His Best
Might Be The Best Book By Pelecanos
drugs, music, crime .. and reflections of wasted youth
A good place to jump on the Pelecanos bandwagon with me
Not Your Average P.I.

Nick's Trip
George P. Pelecanos
Manufacturer: St Martins Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0312088620

Customer Reviews:

Not His Best.......2006-06-25

I am a fan of Pelecanos' novels. He is one of the best mystery writers around. His stories are character driven, well written, and full of atmosphere. So what's wrong with Nick's Trip? There's too much trip. We spend too much time driving around and drinking and slumming in sleazy bars. Now in real life that's fun, but in the novel it eventually gets boring. One scene reminds us of another, one bar smells like another, one morning-after feels like another, and eventually we beg Pelecanos to stop the car and let us out. Nick's Trip is a good novel, better than a lot of other mystery novels out there, but it's not Pelecanos' best.

Might Be The Best Book By Pelecanos.......2004-06-27

This was the first Pelecanos book I ever read, and it had me snared from the very beginning. This guy is so talented, so funny, and so adept at capturing the raw feel of average daily life for a simple bartender who occasionally plays private detective. I found myself in awe of the writing in this book; so original, so humorous...with characters so real that you can't help rooting for them. Pelecanos has now gone on to write books which are far more serious and not nearly as good, in my opinion. His first three books, featuring PI Nick Stefanos, are really fantastic and to me, this is the best of the three. A far cry from the usual tale of the down-and-out PI who drinks too much and cries in his beer all day. This book is truly original, a real gem, and fans of PI fiction (and blue-collar literature) will love it.

drugs, music, crime .. and reflections of wasted youth.......2003-09-22

George Pelecanos is certainly a writer worthy of better notice. He writes in a very literate yet street-wise manner. His reflections of youth (in his home town of Washington) are poignant, and he throws in a fine crime story for good measure. "Nick's Trip" is no exception. Not classic Pelecanos but certainly a fun ride.

"Nick's Trip" is not a "road book". I think the title is somewhat metaphorical, describing the journey in life by a young private detective named Nick Stephanos. He reflects on past friendships, boozing and life when he bumps into an old friend with a problem (missing wife, big money involved, etc). He becomes more reflective when he calls for the aid from an old family acquaintance, someone well connected into local organized crime. Then the adventure takes off. A fast read, great characterizations. And a real treat for 1970s music buffs.

Bottom line: one of several jewels by Pelecanos. Recommended.

A good place to jump on the Pelecanos bandwagon with me.......2002-07-31

Another fine effort by Pelecanos. I had run across Nick in some of the author's other work, but I didn't really appreciate him until I read Nick's Trip. Nick Stefanos is a strong character in his own right - witty, versatile and resourceful. He handles a pretty tough situation in this well crafted story.

Better than any other crime mystery writer I'm familiar with, Pelecanos knows how to develop characters, paint interesting word pictures of what's going on and produce a fine story. If he writes it, I'm reading it and I'd recommend you check him out. This book is as good a place as any to start.

Not Your Average P.I........2001-06-15

Nick Stefanos is a private eye who helps make ends meet by working behind the bar at a place called the Spot. An old buddy from school tracks him down and asks him to find his wife. While working the case we are continually taken back to Nick's youth as he remembers old friends and family. The storyline lurches from chapter to chapter. One minute he's working on the case in search of a missing woman, the next he's running down leads about a murdered friend leaving us to make the necessary mental adjustments.

Book Description

In the late 1880s, two supreme talentsarchitect Richard Morris Hunt and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstedwere brought together by the Vanderbilt fortune. The result was the magnificent Biltmore Estate, explored here in archival and new color photography, sketches, and construction photos that document the entire design, development, and construction.

Customer Reviews:

Biltmore Estate.......2007-01-24

While excellent new quality at reasonable discount from new at Biltmore gift shop, this book had a little too much construction detail which somewhat redundant of what covered during Biltmore tour and less general information on the Biltmore Estate which would have been more appealing.

America's Castle.......2005-10-23

Biltmore is like some grand Loire Chateaux, that was transplanted in the Smokey Mountains, it is an unusual juxisposition. This book does a nice job getting at the history of this grandest of the Gilded Age Estates and the photographs are vivid, but somehow I felt slightly unsatisfied, maybe it was the lack of exterior photographs of the mansion or maybe it was that the book felt incomplete somehow. I will say that as far as I can tell this is the best book out there at the moment on Biltmore, and it is a nice book, it just somehow does not do this amazing estate justice. I would have like to have seen a more thorough book with more pictures and more comprehensive text, but as it is I still recommend it if you have an interest in this mansion or just Gilded Age splendor in general, but just be aware that this is not the definitive book, that has, alas, yet to be written.

Good book but not when compared to...........2005-08-12

This book is a very nice book on the background of the Biltmore Estate, however, I think it should have went a little further and included more photos and information of the other rooms. It was interesting to see shots of the blueprint details, such as the front and back elevation, a shot of the first floor plan (albeit very blurry and almost impossible to read without some knowledge of what rooms exist in the space), and details of the exterior. To be honest I found the same information and more surfing the net. The best book I have found is "A Guide to Biltmore Estate" (1994) by Rachel Carley. Beautiful shots of many interior rooms, floorplans of all 4 levels with many of the rooms included (similar to the brochure given to visitors of Biltmore Estate). Overall this book is good (but fast) reading and I would recommend it to Biltmore fans.

The Magic of Biltmore!.......2001-10-14

I found this book on George Washington Vanderbilt's Biltmore Estate in Ashville, North Carolina, to be extremelly through. This book includes sketchs of many of the considered facades for the home, and what their floorplans would have been.

Pictures of all of the beautiful rooms in the house are included in this publication. Also included are sketchs of the many details of the home, included are the east facade, the Gate House, the gates that set next to the house, the Biltmore Village Church, and sketchs of many of the statues from Biltmore's gardens.

Also included in this book is the histories of many of the principal players in Biltmore's creation, including Fredrick Law Olmsted the landscape designer, Richard Morris Hunt the arcitect, and of course George Vanderbilt the home's owner.
Included is many of the landscape designs of Biltmore's gardens, and beautiful pictures of many of them. Pictures of Biltmore's Conservatory are included which sits in Biltmore's Walled Garden, to the north of Biltmore House.

All in all, this book is great, and a great companion to a day long visit to Biltmore! If you loved Biltmore Estate, you'll love this book, I garentee it!

Too much black and white?.......2001-09-30

I enjoyed the story, don't get me wrong, but as for the pictures, yes it had numerous colors, but mainly black and white. I was surprised. Even pictures that weren't historic were in black and white.

When I purchased this book, I had hoped for a good floorplan of the home, instead I got a little sketch that could hardly be read with a magnifying glass.

Book Description

In the wild days of Leo Waterman's youth, Henry "Heck" Sundstrom was a god. But things haven't been going great lately for the p.i.'s burly ex-hero. First came the honeymoon boating accident that killed Heck's son and new daughter-in-law, Allison. And now the big man himself is dying--struck down by a runaway truck at an ungodly hour in a section of Seattle where no decent citizen should be caught dead.

But Waterman's not so sure Allison went down with the ship. And if his motley, aging legmen, "the Boys," can gather the facts, perhaps he can prove it--following the lead to the Midwest and a missing million dollars. . .and maybe to a "black widow" who may be less "late" and more lethal than anyone ever suspected.

Customer Reviews:

A Private Eye Gem.......2006-10-09

Having read, (and enjoyed), this author's later Frank Corso books, I'm now reading the earlier Leo Waterman series. This is the second in the series tracking the adventures of a Seattle based PI and what a pleasant surprise. The story centers around the mysterious death at sea of a young man and his new wife, (Leo's good friend's son and daughter-in-law), and Leo's investigation to get to the bottom of what happened. The twists and turns of this tale are expertly handled with a unique, (and endearing), cast of characters. The story never flags and Leo's off beat sense of humor kept this reader turning the pages as fast as I could with a healthy number of chuckles and smirks. This is a great book.

A Wonderful Suspense-Full Witty Private Eye Novel.......2002-01-22

This is as good or better than the old Travis McGee stories by John MacDonald. Great plot, wonderful characters, crackling dialogue...author Ford is a superior talent. When someone this good writes a novel, their work almost defies description because the result is like magic. You are transported, informed, entranced, amused, and entertained. Try Ford's series of Leo Waterman, Private Eye, novels. You'll be glad you did. Also... please ignore the luke warm endorsements on the back covers of his books. They don't do the author justice; he is BETTER than they say.

A return to Travis McGee territory.......2000-05-24

I stumbled across this book while browsing in search of a good read to enjoy over lunch. This was my first journey into Ford country and I found it delightful and surprising. For me the plot line and characters carried me back to Travis McGee days. In many ways it was a retread of several of John McDonald's McGee mysteries. A mysterious death and suspicions of foul play. The P.I. slowly unraveling the tapestry of the suspect's personality and discovering a long, dark thread that leads backward into a web of deceit and darkness. If you've read McDonald you know the tale already, but this does not prevent the story being well received. The setting in the Northwest is well-placed and described. The supporting characters are enjoyable. The bad guys are appropriately bad and even if you realize where the plot is going there are a couple of surprises along the way that bring delight. A good read and I will now be hunting for other books of the series.

A rare delight.......2000-05-06

I really enjoyed this book. The plot reminded me of some John D. McDonald books where Travis McGee backtracks an evil killer. Plus Leo Waterman has a hilarious sidekick--a foul mouthed New York phototgrapher--that helps him Some of the scenes with the photographer are laugh out loud funny. One negative is Ford's characterization of the minister which showed some anti-Christian bigotry on the part of the author.

Good character development and a great story line!.......1998-12-08

I've just read all 4 Leo Waterman books by this author. I loved them all. I will buy the next one when it comes out. He has created very real characters that you come to adore and worry about. The stories just keep getting better. I hope this turns into a long running series.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books