This small monograph is an early "inside" view of the Ku Klux Klan in Tennessee, where it was first born, written some twenty years after the events of Reconstruction, augmented by an introductory essay written in 1905 by noted historian Walter L. Fleming. Ostensibly written by D. L. Wilson in collaboration with Captain J.C. Lester, one of the six founders of the Klan, it is predictably a decidedly pro-Klan document. Written in 1884, it serves as the first published "inside" story of the Klan. The authors refrain from the use of names, and there is no documentation. The book is essentially a story of the Klan, with which Lester attempts to gain popular acceptance for his description of events. The attempt at moderation serves to trivialize the Klan's deeds and to cast doubt on the degree of central organization of the Klan movement. The Klan is described as being founded for amusement, never shaped by political motivations or thirsts for violence. The society only took on foreboding characteristics as dictated by social forces of the time. The Klan sought to enforce law and order, but members soon found themselves compelled to combat violence with violence in kind, thus rendering impotent the more admirable aspirations of Klan leadership. Illustrative of the inherent dangers of counter-violence was the admission of reckless terrorism being inflicted by rebellious Klansmen following the disbanding of the true Klan in 1869. In closing, Lester and Wilson ask men to judge the Klan's actions on the basis of the conditions of Southern life, but they clearly seek to glorify the Klan for the good it accomplished, namely a stabilization of social order. In essence, the book is an apologist document, but it does provide for an illuminating, fairly contemporary look inside the Reconstruction Klan by men closely connected to the movement. As such, it is of great historical significance.

Reprint of a book published in 1905 which includes the original privately published 1884 edition of this history of the Klan from inside sources. The introduction to the 1905 edition identifies some of the Klan's leadership and briefly discusses its relationship to other secret socieies of the era. The Klan's chief judicial officer, Albert Pike, 'stood high in the Masonic order'.

Written with a pro-Klan spin, the book is a terrific resource for understanding the first incarnation of the KKK from the perspective of those who were in it. Worth looking at whether you love them or hate them.

Yike! Sure hope I'm the only one at the Old Fogies Senior Center with this book.I'll be the champ in no time.

The 370 puzzles in this book will keep you occupied for some time and will greatly improve your play. Do yourself a favor and work through each one carefully, resorting to the solutions only if you are absolutely desperate. Most of these can be solved mentally, but in some cases the use of board and pieces will make the concepts more clear. The small pocket size format of the book makes it very good to take along and use during down-time such as waiting for doctors appointments and the like. The serious student of checkers really ought to have this book.

This is a beautifully illustrated book about the fish, tackle and tactics for catching the fish. I would recommend this book for the person wanting to start hunting these monsters. I gives the beginner musky hunter good insight into the tackle needed, proven presentations, and behaviours of the fish. Although there are more detailed references available, I believe this is an excellent starting point for the person serious about (or seriously considering) fishing for musky.

This book is an excellent book full of valueable information that is helpful both to beginners and veteran fisherman. The pictures are great and the presentation is excellent.

Charlie Hoching just moved to Pike River with ihs father. His cousin Rachel is running for The Sunbonnet Queen contest. She doesn't know something about the contest, a dark secret. Charlie and his father, John Hoching, had moved to Pike River to start over. Charlie lived with his aunt until his father got taken out of prison. Charlie is ashamed to be the son of John Hoching, and wishes to run away to California. Charlie was selling candy bars for his cousin's band. He decides to go to a deserted looking house, where a strange woman answers the door. She takes a candy bar without paying. Charlie gets scared and doesn't want to go back, ever. The old woman turns out to be a ghost, or phantom. And she would do anything to be the Pike River Sunbonnet Queen. Once Rachel wins, she finds out how badly this phantom wanted to win when she was younger.

The Pike River Phantom is an extraordinary novel. I think this book will inspire anyone's mind from any age. I liked how the author kept me going, and she set my mind inside of the story. The author is Betty Ren Wright. She is the best author I've ever read novels by. The Pike River Phantom is about two cousins, Charlie Hocking and Rachel Hocking, who discover that there is a haunted house up in the woods near Pike River, while selling candy bars for the marching band to go to Madison next fall. Nobody believes Rachel and Charlie when they see a phantom. Every Fourth of July, Pike River selects a Sunbonnet Queen. About fifty years ago, something happened at Pike River's parade that involved Rachel and Charlie's grandmother. You'll have to find the rest out when you read The Pike River Phantom. If you like mysteries, try to solve this one!

I enjoyed this book a lot although I wouldn't call it the best spooksville i've read yet. I think it needed to be more unpredictable and thrilling. It's a good short read.

Just like the wicked cat this one is a pretty old and used subject. This time it's not evil cats it's monsters in closets. I've heard that a million times not only form many books but for my babysitting jobs.Good short read for old fashioned people.

the storyline of this book is really good, the book started off really well and kept me page turning but I got sooooooo bored when mr.Pike dedicated a whole chapter to scuba diving. although scuba diving is basically what it's all about, there were too many details. also the killer was obvious right after some chapters (to me anyway). I did suspect a better ending to this book. It was a nice story though, but probably one of the best books Pike has ever written is Whisper of death. This one gets to you like no other book does.

"Bury Me Deep" is an exciting book about a normal California girl who takes a vacation with her friend to Hawaii. On the plane over she meets a handsome boy, but she doesn't know that he is actually dead! There is a lot more to the book than that, I can assure you! The part that most impressed me was the suspense! I loved it. It is also one of Pike's "psycho bad guy novels." The bad guy really is crazy, but I think it makes for a good character. The characters are all strong, but the book itself isn't very well written. That doesn't mean it isn't good, oh no! It has an ingenius plot, and is overall a thrilling page- turner.

This is a pretty typical Christopher Pike book. In this book a girl, Jane, is going to Hawaii with some of her girlfriends. On the plane ride she sits next to a boy, Mike, and it turns out he is going to stay at the same hotel as her. He ends up choking and dying on the plane. When the girl, Jane, arrives she can't stop thinking about Mike on the plane. She gets to really like diving and meets Johnny who is the diving instructor at the hotel. Every thing starts turning around just when she thought her vacation was wrecked from her plane experience. Then one of the two girlfriends she is with dies.....she fell off the balcony, or was she pushed??? Jane starts figuring out things she didn't know about but should have been told about. Then she finds out interesting things about Mike and has a hunch that he didn't just die on the plane from choking.....maybe he didn't even die on the plane! With all this new information she almost gets herself killed but in the end things turn out the way they are supposed to. The only thing I didn't like about this book is it's really hard not to know whats going to happen.

I started reading this book and thought it was one of the best Chirstopher Pike books around. I never read about a pryromaniac before and thought it was an interesting topic. Then around page 100, the story starts to take a nose-dive from which is only barely recovers from. The alien plot in the book seemed to unrealistic for this book and the story isn't all that plausible to begin with. Still, no one has a track record like Mr. Pike. This is the only book of his that I haven't liked. And when is he coming out with a new book? I hope "The Grave" isn't his last book...

Pike often mixes the themes of sci-fi and horror. 'Magic Fire' is not what you would expect by reading the back cover. The story progresses rapdily a few chapters into the book and takes on a very strong sci-fi twist. It does, at times, feel like the caracter development has suffered because of this. But at the same time, the elements of horror and suspense that Pike is famous for are still there and as effective as ever. 'Magic Fire' isn't one of his best books, but still a great read nonetheless. The ending will really get you thinking!

Yes, this book was a bit confusing. But I find it nice to be challenged a little, even by a young adult novel. I thought Mr. Pike did a wonderful job of keeping his readers on their toes. I suggest this to anyone who enjoys being twisted about a bit.

As I have seen written here, I am also upset by other reviewers' condemning the readers who enjoyed this book. Enjoying this type of fiction doesn't make one illiterate. I happen to like this genre because it is fast and relatively light, a good escape from the everyday. And my literacy and comprehension are at a doctoral level, according to the last test. Yes, I am an adult and also enjoy adult fiction, nonfiction, etcetera; but having read Mr. Pike since I was a child, for 12 years now, I am still a fan. I will continue to read what he produces with interest - whatever it may be.

I have been reading Pike books since age 11 (I am now 24) and still I head to the Young Adult section to see what is in store for the next release. As I get older, I can see more and more of the person who is writting the book appear in the story line. I will admit that I have gotten so use to the way Pike wrties I can skim over a few pages....but I always look forward to the end. This is an excellent book with a very deep message....but may seem confusing if the people who read it are not open to knowing of the "outer limits" or possibility for the things Pike writes about to be true.

Completely understand what Carrie Nutter is talking about. Am 18 and have been reading Pike since I was 10 - still head for Young Adult section to look for any new Pike books. With each new novel, a little bit more of the author becomes clear. Fans will notice that he interweaves parts of previous novels into each book, such as character names etc. Although I myself am not religous, I have become used to the relgious/spiritual undertones in his more recent novels. My favourite novels are the beautiful SATI and Midnight Club and his classic Monster. Also brillant are the Last Vampire series (first is best)/The Wicked Heart and Die Softly. Try to read a variety of his novels, particularly his earlier ones if you are just starting on Pike, as they cover widely different subjects, from Sci-Fi to murder mystery to romance to life and death. Pike is a truly magnificent author, who genuinly understands his readers. Will happily still be browsing Young Adult section come my 30th b/d!

I am sick and tired of pike's fans disliking his latest books. After a decade or more of writing stories we can't blame him from changing his writing style. The grave was a great book. He wrote about something that's not been written before. This is a wonderful thing for an author. Besides, if you rate this book in comparison to other YA novels, this one should get 10 stars. It has an intelligent plot and a great twist at the end.

I have read many reviews of this book, many of which were by fans of Pike on this site. Many of these reviews find fault in the "Blind Mirror" because it does not necessarily show a move forward in Pike's talents as an author. While this may very well be true, it was the fact that this novel was such classic Pike that had me turning the pages.

I've read all of Pike's books, and I have constantly been engaged and entertained by him. Pike has a way of weaving a tale that is both intriguing and surprising. Reaching the end of a Pike novel is always an exciting moment, as almost anything can happen and nine times out of ten the reader has not seen it coming. A master at twisting his plots to keep his readers hooked, Pike consistently writes exhilarating page turners. Many times novels classified as "mysteries" or "horror" have endings that are less then satisfying because the reader has remained one step ahead of the author, thus guessing the outcome before it is revealed. Rarely does this happen with Pike.

"The Blind Mirror" is no different. Yes, the prose is at times juvenile and the twists often come out of nowhere, but the overall effect is one I have come to expect from Pike, and I for one was not disappointed to find that he has stuck with what he does best - write exciting, spine-tingling, fun novels with plenty of outlandish twists and turns. As we follow our hero (or is he?) in his quest for the truth, we find that the truth is never what it seems to be and often not even what we think it might be. The ride is wild, fun, and often frivolous, and I would have it no other way. Always enjoyable, always entertaining, neither Pike nor "The Blind Mirror" disappoints.

I was drawn into this book immediately and had a difficult time putting it down, and must say that it is definitely unique in terms of the plot twists and ultimate resolution. Usually, that is enough to make for a very satisfying read. There are, however, just a few flaws that should be mentioned for anyone thinking about reading this book:
1. Not everything in this book appears to make sense, even at the conclusion. Once you find out "what's going on," you will still wonder why some things happened the way they did.
2. Sometimes the actions of the characters, particularly the main character, do not seem realistic, or things that someone would do if the events were really unfolding. The motivations for the actions are weak: "...He decided without actually exercising his own will. He was a puppet, he thought, his strings were silver wire, so sharp they were capable of severing his very reason. And what was worse was that no one was pulling his strings." So the characters are just wandering around "stumbling" upon clues.
3. The writing is weak at times. Sometimes Pike is surprising with a sharp and on-target metaphor, and other times he writes with such simplicity it causes the plot to wear thin.
Don't get me wrong, I liked this book. The ending will blow you away, and the way Pike lays it out throughout the book shows he has talent. It actually took me a few days to get the ending out of my head. I couldn't decide whether I liked it or not; Pike broke one of the cardinal rules of book-writing and character survival, and I think I have come to appreciate that more as time goes by.

I was so happy to have a Christopher Pike in my hands again. I am hoping that his hiatus is over and we can start looking forward to more frequent publications.
Pike is a master of the horror/fantasy genre and this book lives up to my high expectations. Although still not my favorite book (Season of Passage is just too amazing to surpass I'm afraid) this is certainly an excellent trip into the mind of David Lennon. Happily, the mind of Pike is still a great, dark mystery to me. I would put the quality of this book equal to that of The Cold One, which will leave horror fans deliciously scared and wanting more.
Please don't make us wait so long for another, Mr. Pike!

I found the book enjoyable. Best parts are stories of the old days, and some good chunks of code. Bad things: 1. Apparently written to "cash-in" on trendy lore-of-programming books ("Code Complete" etc.). 2. Chapters end with exercises that *aren't answered*. Even on their web page; some are obviously speculative but some clearly have correct answers which I thought I was paying-for when I bought the book. 3. So I'm stupid: the Markov chain chapters left me confused about the algorithm itself. 4. The C++ Java "interface" etc. stuff seems tacked-on to a basically C-language orientation (see #1 above). There is virtually *no* treatment of GUIs. This could be a plus of course.

But I still enjoyed the book....

addison-wesley's computing series never fails me. and this book is not an exception. just as the author advocates, Simplicit, Clarity, and Generality are very important in our practice of everyday programming. but regrettably, most of us don't pay much attention to these 'minor' aspects. i find a lot of tips in this book are very useful. and to raise a good programming habit is invaluable. in short, this book is one of my favorite in computer books. (nearly all my favorites come from Addison-Wesley). but i got a little confused about the markov algorithm described in chapter 3. can any experienced programmer discuss it with me? your help is much appreciated.

This book is basically all the "common sense" stuff that you learn after programming for years and years.. most proffessional programmers already know this stuff--or should! This is a perfect book for a college graduate who is good, but needs some pointers in the real world, or for those who just want to freshen up their skills, etc. Beware though, this book is not "Programming for Dummies" you must already be well familiar with C/C++ and some algorithms and data structures to fully understand what the author is trying to convey, at times. But even if you don't, it's still a great book... it is (or will be) one of those classics like The C Programming Language, which every programmer has on their bookshelf. Pretty much any book written by Kernighan or published by A-W (Professional series) is a worthwhile read...

In a nutshell, as they say in the book: this is what most people should have learned in college, but couldn't or didn't. Get it if only to read the first chapter on style... I for one hate rewriting or reading people's code who didn't know how to write it well/clear, or comment it well.