the writing style is a bit stilted and strained at times, but the content is worth the worse than average writing style. Both the novice and the experienced will benefit from this book - it has a little bit for everyone. Especially enjoyed the "couples" aspect of it.

This is one of those introductory books that I highly recommend to people who think they may be interested in BDSM -- the other is "Sensuous Magic" by Pat Califia which I see is being reprinted this year. Race Bannon, you have to wonder if he chose this as a penname or if its his real name, has done a great job on be concise and yet clear in describing a type of sexuality and initmacy that some people enjoy. It also does a good job of being realistic, not making SM too romantic or simple so that everyone wants to run out and try it because frankly BDSM is not for everyone and should not be attempted by everyone. Publishers out there, I think it is time to reprint this book and make it more widely available. In an age of increasing media attention on the kinky, it would be a great way to make people's sex lives and relationships a bit safer and a bit more rewarding.

"How To Do SM" books seem to come in three sizes, small booklets, mid-sized books and large textbooks.

"Learning The Ropes" is an excellent small booklet on SM. You can read the whole thing in about an hour and it will get you on the right track. The author is a very experienced leatherman who is well known in his community and knows what he is talking about. There are also a number of examples of SM play that are good to read and they involved various genders and roles.

All in all, this book puts an accurate and human face on SM. I highly recommend it.

Other small booklets on SM include "The Sexually Dominant Woman" and "Consensual Sadomasochism". Good mid-sized books are "The Loving Dominant" and "The Master's Manual". For textbook-sized books, read "Screw The Roses Send Me The Thorns" and "SM 101".

Baldwin IV, king of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem is largely - and unfairly - unknown in the west today. But, as Bernard Hamilton details in The Leper King and his Heirs, he deserves so much better. For a start, he accomplished so much more than his famous Crusading near contemporary Richard the Lionheart, and under infinitely more trying conditions.

Not only was his childhood troubled - his father Amalric had been forced to disown his mother Agnes when Baldwin was two years old before the aristocracy would accept him as king, and Baldwin was only 13 when Amalric died and he took the throne - he contracted leprosy at a young age (Baldwin's symptoms are discussed in a useful appendix by Piers Mitchell).

The disease could not be hidden; "It grew more serious each day, specially injuring his hands and feet and his face, so that his subjects were distressed whenever they looked at him," William of Tyre, chief contemporary chronicler of the day, relates.

A lesser person would have quickly broken under such circumstances. But Baldwin was animated by both a bold spirit and a tremendous sense of duty, of his obligation to his people. One of the most human touches is William of Tyre's depiction of Baldwin as "a good looking child for his age" who grew up "full of hope" and "more skilled than men who were older than himself in controlling horses and in riding them at a gallop," (p 43). Baldwin had taught himself this skill, vital to a knight, despite already losing feeling in his right hand. And he continued to ride at the head of his men into battle when there was no way he could have remounted had he been unhorsed. Determination and courage were to be the hallmarks of his all too brief career.

For Baldwin was by any measure a successful king - considering his circumstances and limited resources, a great one. Though his people were massively outnumbered and surrounded on three sides, this boy, who took the throne in 1164 and died aged not quite 24 in 1185, for 11 years frustrated the ambition of Saladin, the greatest warrior of the age, to forge unity among the Arab people and drive the Christians from the Holy Places.

Despite being significantly outnumbered, he defeated Saladin in two major battles, Mont Gisard in 1177 and Le Forbelet in 1182, and forced him to raise the siege of Beirut in 1182 and the major fortress of Kerak twice, in 1183 and 1184. On the latter occasions he was blind and so debilitated he had to be slung in a litter between two horses.

Hamilton also helps untangle the intricate web of domestic and international relations in which Jerusalem, the center of the world for three faiths, was ensnared. Baldwin had to balance the conflicting jealousies and agendas of his own nobility, always maneuvering to secure their positions first in the event of a regency, then at the succession; the knightly orders that were within his kingdom but not of it; the neighboring Crusader states; the attitude of the Papacy; the interests of Byzantium; and the distant and fickle responses of the western European powers. And overshadowing all this was ever-present menace of the Islamic counterattack that could come anytime, anyplace. Given this ever-precarious situation, Baldwin perhaps emerges with even greater credit for his diplomacy than for his skills with the sword. Certainly, he made no fatal mistakes and left the kingdom in no weaker condition than he found it.

Hamilton makes no great departures in his work, but goes some way towards rehabilitating Reynald of Chatillon from his characteristic depiction as loose cannon psychopath. Following Michael Lyons and David Jackson's Saladin: The Politics of Holy War, he also demythologizes the Crusader's nemesis, emphasizing the traditional argument that the Christian state unnecessarily provoked Saladin into war is flawed: The great leader of the Muslim world had been working towards the cleansing Jihad his entire career.

This is a book as much about an era as an individual, and at times, Baldwin as a personality tends to disappear inside it. Even considering the limitations of the sources, one wishes there was more representing his perspective in his voice. But we are limited to a heartfelt letter he wrote to Louis VII of France, humbly recognizing his limitations and offering to hand the kingdom over to a candidate as noble, and more healthy, than he: "To be deprived of one's limbs is of little help to one in carrying out the work of government... It is not fitting that a hand so weak as mine should hold power when fear of Arab aggression daily presses upon the Holy City and when my sickness increases the enemy's daring." (p 140).

It was fortunate for the Kingdom of Jerusalem that this offer was refused. It is significant that just two years after Baldwin's death Saladin won his great victory at Hattin, fatally wounding the Crusader presence in the Middle East and setting in motion the chain of events that would culminate in their expulsion in 1291.

"Few rulers have remained executive heads of state when handicapped by such severe physical disabilities or sacrificed themselves more totally to the needs of their people," (p 210) Hamilton concludes. Baldwin's accomplishments would seem to be the stuff of myth, but he was quite real, a testament to human courage and endurance, and Hamilton does a fine job of putting his life and times in perspective.

I greatly enjoyed this book! The reign of Baldwin IV, the Leper King has been long, long overdue for a good, historical revision! The usual story: Saladin/Raymond of Tripoli good guys, everybody-else bad guys (particularly Agnes de Courtenay, the king's mother, portrayed as a cross between "Vampirella" and Marilyn Monroe), with the poor Leper King in the middle (usually portrayed as a cross between The Little Lame Prince and Count Dracula) has always been too simplistic---I thought so, even before reading this book. Hamilton gives you all the details, all the facts, and even an appendix discussing Baldwin's illness from a medical point of view. Get this book!

Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, who came to the throne as a teenager and was afflicted with leprosy, is traditionally thought of as a weak monarch -- some even claiming that the loss of Jerusalem in 1187 was an end result of his mediocre reign.

Bernard Hamilton sets the record straight in this eminently readable reassessment of the reign of "Leper king", demonstrating that Baldwin, in spite of his leprosy, was actually a resilient monarch who twice defeated the forces of the famed Saladin. Only in the last stages of his life did his gruesome ailment impede his otherwise vibrant rule. Perhaps Baldwin's only failure was his inability to provide the realm with an offspring to succeed him, which propelled the kingdom into a messy political power-struggle. This internal disunity paved the way for Saladin's victories in 1187.

While the work does address some historiographical debates, casual readers and amateur historians will appreciate the book as well. Hamilton's engaging style makes for a lively read, detailing the life of the underrated Baldwin IV, how leprosy was viewed & treated in the medieval period, the tenuous dynamics of the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem, and the events which led to the downfall the chief crusader state. Hopefully CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS will issue a paperback edition of the work, so the interested reader can afford this informative, enjoyable book.

Hanson Baldwin's military history of WW2 is an excellent analysis of eleven individual battles ranging from the invasion of Poland through the battle of Okinawa. Instead of giving a complete history of the war, he focuses on individual battles: what happened; mistakes made by allies and axis powers, etc. It is written in a quick paced, journalistic style. This is attributable to Baldwin's many years as a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist. In addition to an excellent read, it is expertly footnoted. The footnotes add fascinating insight to these events touching upon small, but but vital and interesting aspects of the battles covered. All in all, an excellent read.

Hanson Baldwin wrote a well-researched history of eleven major battles which can serve as touchstones to trace the chronology of the Second World War. Endnoted with references and in-depth background analysis, this book penetrates deeply into facts and judgements about the war and those in charge. The endnotes cover over one-third of the book. After reading the excellent body of this book I couldn't stop, so read on into the endnotes - something I used to think was only for academics.

Mr. Baldwin's easy style makes this book readable even to those without much foundation in matters of history. As the eleven key battles discussed form a series of touchstones to walk the reader through the war, weaving chronologically between the European and Pacific theaters, it offers an excellent framework for the beginner to construct a mental outline of the war's progression.

For those more grounded in military history, Mr. Baldwin's readable narrative contains innumerable insightful passages dealing with matters political and strategic. The cogent analysis, references, and evidence presented should by now have earned this work much affirmation by professional military thinkers. With a book like "Battles Lost and Won" to read and ponder, the fog of war dissipates and one can view man's most destructive activity with clarity and understanding.

I bought this for my husband 2 years ago and he has made all the large feeders. He really enjoyed building them and I enjoy showing them off. I'm currently looking for another book with different designs but so far this is the best one.

An excellent book that illustrates how to make some very nice birdhouses that vary from the easy to the complex like the one on the cover. I'm building the one on the cover and am having a lot of fun! The best birdfeeder book I've seen so far.

With so many things going through your head during the time of divorce it may be hard to focus, but if you can remain focused, the information and legal papers included in this book will save lots of money, thereby alleviating the added stress brought on by financial pressures (legal costs).

If you are seeking a divorce you will save thousands of dollars on expensive litigation and wrangling. All the forms and instructions are clear and easy to understand. This is one of the best investments you can make if a low conflict/low cost divorce is what you seek. I recommend this book!!!...

Excellent book! As a law student, I spend a good portion of my waking hours reading. I get to read casebooks, statutes, and treatises - and the last thing I want to do with my sparse amound of free time after reading all of that is read a book about a lawyer in my spare time. That is, until I met Jake McCarthy. Mr. Baldwin has put together a legal mystery thriller that is simple, fun, and fast to read. The plot speeds along and kept me interested. The characters were sophisticated, but not so sophisticated that I had to spend a lot of time keeping them straight. I was able to finish the book inbetween reading for class over a week. Most legal thrillers are too long, and too complicated to keep straight while keeping my legal studies straight.

Mr. Baldwin has managed to pack action, debauchery, legal prowess, and international intrigue into a concise, fun book. The plot is tight and well thought out, and the descriptions of the setting are excellent. In addition, the weaving of the Souteast Asian and Midwest Indian cultures is creative and well-done. Mr. Baldwin seems to have thought it all through in creating this piece. I would recommend this book to anybody who wants to read a Tom Clancy-esque thriller but doesn't think they have the time.

Recently I read a book by Jerry Baldwin titled Jake McCarthy, Ironwood. Jerry Baldwin is the non-de plume of Jeff Page. Jeff is a practicing attorney in Bloomfield Hills, is married and is a retired Colonel, USAF Reserve.

This is a great book and you should read it The book is interesting and enjoyable and I am presenting below a critique on this novel.

The entire novel flowed smoothly item one to two to three.

I loved the description of the lawyer's life, his work, his problems of matching work time and family time. Somewhat of a page out of John Grissoms' The Client.

The plot started small, the head lawyer wanted Jake McCarthy to go to Ironwood and help out his friend. Not to significant a start (not a blast for sure) but interesting.

I loved the interplay between Jake and his wife Maggie. You could imagine that such a situation could happen to you. The description of sex with Maggie could be your life or mine. Busy office workers and not too exciting sex by the 'lets just do it' couple.

At Ironwood the introduction of the daughter Michelle and the description of her could be the beginning of a cute sex plot. But no. Our hero does not do the deed with her. Instead, he does do the Judge's clerk Sarah, an FBI agent in disguise. I had trouble with that, because I felt FBI agents don't do the deed in a work situation and the likely candidate for the deed was Michelle. So there.

There were a lot of great descriptions of Ironwood, areas of the UP, Hurley, and the Trading Post to mention a few. Great local color. Jeffrey Baldwin might be the new Elmer Dutch Leonard and the author of the Rosary Murders who I believe is Francis X McKenzie.

We did get a lot of descriptions of the paper, writ, documents, etc on how the lawyer got his client out of jail. Interesting although to me rather technical.

Jake's disputes with the local police, especially Capt Dent were interesting. The book certainly had a lot of local color.

Then there was the situation of Michelle and the hot tub, and the Asian woman preparing a man for the bath. Interesting.

Then we were treated to descriptions of Hurley and Silver Street. One would have to accept that such towns and districts of vice do exist. Certainly an eye opener, in fact possibly the description of the Silver Street district was an effort to present a sell on the advantageous of a regulated organized vice district.

An interesting sub plot, the wife flew off to Boston with the kids to be with her parents. Appears a bit of domestic strife but just a hint. Just a hint, nothing heavy. To beef up the action, could have a heavy sub-plot on the domestic strife issue.

Later on in the book, we are exposed to the issue of the FBI setting up an undercover operation in the UP based on the item that a report of an Asian agent is in the area. Hmmm. I felt that that item needed more beef before one could accept the establishment of an undercover operation.

Now, on the first indication that Norton's house had been entered and the alarm deactivated, one might suspect that Norton might inform his buddy, the Indian Chief, and the Indians would establish a guard perimeter.

The descriptions of the baddies in Vietnam and the bad agents and the torture were very good. Its like you were there. How could the wife Angela resist the torture?

Then there was a great description of the hooker Gloria, her life and how she operated. Very realistic.

The entire plot flows 1 to 2 to 3 etc. The novel is easy and comfortable to read.

The ending was good. Realistic.

Some of the modern authors, for instance Mario Puzo who wrote The Fourth K issued around 1990 which I am now reading as I have access to a Senior Center free library has a different motif than Ironwood. The book starts off with a bang section/chapter, and then throughout there are plots here and there. The starting bang and the here and there plots (I even think the author invents plots just to keep you guessing and reading as to how they fit in) are calculated to stimulate reader interest...

Mr. Baldwin is by far the most knowledgable authority when it comes to Blood Chits and Escape and Evasion kits.

More than just a great reference "Last Hope" is a must have for collectors of Blood Chits and other WWII CBI militaria.

Wish there were more books out about this subject.

Lost Hope is an excellent account of the history, development and vagrancies of the different aviation survival chits used by the allied air forces during World War Two. The book is exceptionally well written and jammed full of factual information, aviation accounts, chit construction materials, chit styles, stamps and issue numbers. The colour photographs are superb with very high detail. There is a lot of information as well as photographs. If you are a collector of chits, or are interested in their development and history, then this book is a definitive account. I highly recommend this book.

Baldwin's slim lexicon is an excellent addition to the library of anyone interested in the history of photography. The 122 headwords are well defined and are amply illustrated with color and monochrome images. The vocabulary covers photographic processes from the early 19th century through the early/middle of the 20th. The lack of terms from the 1940s to the present is the one significant flaw in this book.

Unlike some dictionaries, one can easily sit down and read this from cover to cover, flipping around for definitions as necessary (terms elsewhere defined are printed in small-caps). Synonymous entries are cross-referenced to the primary entry.

Coverage of digital photography is minimal, but given the time it was written (1991) this is understandable. Also missing are terms like Kodachrome or Ektachrome (though mentioned in the entry for "Chromogenic Print"). Other terms I had hoped to see included 'Colorama', 'Land', 'Polaroid' (though this is alluded to in the entry for 'Dye Diffusion Print'), Giclees/Iris Prints, Lightjet Prints, Image Transfer, Emulsion Transfer, SX-70 manipulation, and no doubt many others I'm not thinking of right now.

The typography, layout, and printing of the book is outstanding. Heavy glossy pages do the reproduced images justice. Examples are well chosen and represent a range of photographer's and genres.

So you think you know it all? This slim, artfully produced, thorough glossary of terms is beautifully illustrated, has clear descriptions of all those mysterious processes on museum labels, including a few even you might not have known, and is as useful in a collector's library as in a contemporary practitioner's.

One thousand persons a day are passing the boundary of 50 years of age in the U.S. Unfortunately from the past we have an image of "old" as sick and decrepit and rather useless, and certainly powerless. This book dispels that image with strong stories of women who are proactive about their lives, even into their 90's! Each story is inspiring in its own, and the whole gave me a great boost in personal power. I have already given copies to my friends, and they have loved it too! Put this one on your Christmas list for your women friends of all ages.

It's about time for a book like Our Turn, Our Time! I loved this book! Go Goddess go! Twenty five women are redefining the difference between growing better and growing old. I especially loved the chapter,"Sexy at Seventy" in which the author describes the kind of sex life I'd love to experience at 40. I'll have what she's having.

How I would have loved knowing Mrs. Whaley beyond the pages of her books. She has the most deliciously charming perspective on a world gone by and presents her recollections with a spirit right at home in today. She's observes with pithy candor and humor and reading her nuggets of advice is a real treat. Besides, the recipes look marvellous--and very Southern.

I enjoyed "visiting with" Mrs. Whaley again, although perhaps not as much as in her gardening book. When reading, you feel as if you are sitting in front of her, engaged in listening to stories about Charleston, her past, and her family, and about making guests feel at home. I don't think the recipes will take the world by storm--most are variations on old favorites. But you pick up tidbits about entertaining and the relaxed southern style. This book and/or her gardening book would make wonderful gifts, and would be perfect to tuck into a gift basket along with some other items. It is the kind of book you want to pick up when you've had a hard day or have a rainy afternoon to enjoy!

This book made me want to revisit Charleston again. I loved the stories (I have not read this author's gardening book) and the recipes sound not only delicious but easy to make as well.

Oh to grow up in a time where there are servants everywhere and the family stays close together. It made me yearn for a time that is no more.