The Great White Shark is by far the best investment I have made to date. I picked up the book while working on a Co-op work term from school and could not put the book down. Every aspect of the oceans most respected predator is covered with many dynamic pictures and illustrations (done by Ellis). From learning about it's biology to investigating why we can't keep white pointers in captivity, this book is a must for anyone interested in reading about the king of the sea.

I found GREAT WHITE SHARK by RICHARD ELLIS to be one of the best books about GREAT WHITES ever written. I can see why STEVE ALTEN the author of MEG recommendeds it. It talks about the GREAT WHITE'S hunting instincts, swimming instincts and breeding instincts with more information about GREAT WHITE'S, like no other book before it. I admit that when I started reading it I thought I would be bored with it quickly, how wrong I was. The book was fascinating and informative, I felt that the author had really done a lot of research about GREAT WHITE SHARKS before writing it. He even goes into the remote possibility of the GREAT WHITE SHARK'S ancestor. The CHARCHRADON MEGLADON"S existence in the modern era. I felt he also researched those sharks greatly as well. All in all this book gives you a greater appreciation of these maginificent creatures and the importance of thier continued survival. If you love sharks this book is definitley a must read.

Richard Ellis does a wonderful job treating his subject with respect, revealing the Great White Shark as a predator whose reputation is largely undeserved. The book reveals many facets to a powerful animal that can be extremely dangerous to people who intrude upon its domain. But there is no malice toward humans on the shark's behalf, and the book tells it like it is with text that is comprehensive and fun to read. Great White Shark biology is featured in detail, and shark attacks and the reasons behind them (they aren't what most people would think!) are researched with great attention to detail.

The photographs and paintings (done by the author) are superb. Two of the most fascinating sections of the book feature the study of the extinct Charcaradon Megalodon (a massive relative to the Great White whose only earthly remains are fossilized teeth) and the thus-far unsuccessful attempts to keep Great Whites in captivity. The story of "Sandy," a female Great White who was released following an ill-fated tenure in a public aquarium, is actually very touching. It shows how many in the public wished to see the shark's best interests served, while others spoke out against it, seeing only an evil monster.

A wonderful volume on one of nature's most beautiful and infamous creatures.

P.S. I've Taken a Lover was truly delightful to read. I started reading it on a Saturday morning and finished on Sunday evening! I got nothing else done the whole weekend. White's story is about a meek housewife, Elizabeth; I would consider her a doormat, milk toast, wallflower kind of woman. Her life is spent in service to her husband and "his" house. But Elizabeth has a dream to become a writer that she buried long ago. Her controlling husband doesn't think she is capable of doing anything beyond taking care of him, his house, and his needs. I think any woman who has even a mildly controlling husband can identify with Elizabeth. And that is the real attraction to this story; the reader can identify with the characters and feel their pain, joy, hope, and laughter. Elizabeth writes a steamy novel under the alias Lolly Horn and her husband and his predatory secretary have her committed as a mad woman. This is the story of a woman reaching for her dreams regardless of the consequences and obstacles. It is truly inspiring, humorous and enjoyable.

I was a fan of Patricia White's long before reading PS, I've Taken a Lover, but this book just blew me away. Not only can this woman write, she can definitely write MY demographic! There's not a 50 year old woman anywhere who won't find something to laugh or cry about between these pages. It should be required reading for all women, no matter what their ages, and it wouldn't hurt a few of the men to read it either. What a hoot! This is an absolutely wonderful story.

P.S. I've Taken a Lover kept me sleepless most of one night--until I finished it at 4 a.m.

White's inventive story is about Elizabeth, a beaten-down, menopausal housewife whose husband has incarcerated her (and her alter ego, Lolly) in a mental institution. Lolly is a sexy writer of steamy romances, and everything that Elizabeth herself is not. Or is she? Elizabeth wonders if she is indeed going mad and Lolly is just a figment of her imagination. Unrepentant Lolly seizes the opportunity to finish her next sizzler. Besides Elizabeth/Lolly and her nasty husband, the story also features his predatory secretary and the mysterious man who becomes Lolly's secret lover.

This finely woven story masquerades as a comic romance but contains an allegorical tale of woman, reaching out for her dream. This is a great read. Kathryn North, author of Proud Mari

What a comical novel this is! I love the humor as much as I love the 2 truly unique main characters, the new lovers who find out what a great thing they're in for. The writer handles the material brilliantly, you never know what's coming next.I love the focus on their thoughts. Everything is about how they are checking each other out and you get a sort of play by play thing on their emotions as they start falling in love, for the first time with someone their own sex. What an adventure! It says it's a road book and it really is. I am going to read this again! There's so much here, you really have to read between the lines a lot. Recommended highly.

Just when I thought I knew a lot about how novels are put together, i.e., turning my hand to write one myself, along comes a book that, you get completely engrossed like it's a page-turner, and it hasn't got any of the aspects you think a novel has to have. There are two central characters but lots of minor characters, most of who, you never even actually see, they're background stories. But it's all such a vivid novel; you get so caught up in the plain sheer energy and power of the author's voice, which is amazingly unique. It gives me so much inspiration for what you can do with novels. I LOVE this book. I want to read the author's other works. Tara Barlow, the main character is unlike anyone I ever met in a book before, and so is Guida, her new girlfriend. Great!

Cooney's new book, The White Palazzo, is a gem. It is so rare these days to find such a fresh and original novel. It's funny too - I found myself chuckling all the way through. I loved both of the main characters. They were both fascinating in very different ways. They are so very different but, when they meet, something very special happens between them. The "kiss" is hysterical yet electric at the same time. What a pleasure to read!

I have the 1989 edition of this book, and find that it's one of the best intermediate level books for learning astrology. It is also organized as a detailed, intelligent, and subtle reference source for professionals. This book details basic meanings of signs and planets, as well as planets in signs and houses, angles, and rulerships. You will need your own charts or chart data.

This book is the corner stone of astrology. It is easily understood by serious students of astology. It gets five stars not because it is the best written book on the subject, but because it is a must have for your astrology library.

Popular astrology, as most people think of it, deals exclusively with sun signs -- the astrological sign in which the sun was located at your date of birth. But the moon and each of the planets were also in a sign when you were born -- and each might be in a different sign. Serious astrology takes into consideration your moon sign and the signs in which each planet was located at your birth time, as well as your sun sign. This collection of the positions of the "lights" (sun and moon) and planets in the zodiac of signs makes up your personal horoscope. Also important are the angles (called "aspects") which the lights and planets make with respect to each other. All of these factors -- plus the astrological "houses" -- are explained both simply and clearly in this excellent introduction to serious astrology. If you want to go beyond "newspaper astrology" this is the best book to start with.

I have twin 2-year-olds and a new baby. Needless to say, I find my patience, parenting skills and sanity being tested daily! Sibling rivalry (including occasional hitting and biting), anger towards the new baby, not listening, whining, separation anxiety, bad words, tantrums in public...what's a mother (or father) to do when you've simply had it? "The Pocket Parent" has become a part of the essential "stuff" that I carry around with me. Because of it's size and A-Z arrangement of topics, I can look up some ideas to try on the spot. The humor and empathy throughout the book help comfort me in the thought that I am not alone and that I am a good mother in the midst of a very important and sometimes very challenging job. I have noticed that since I have been using this book that I often try to take a few moments to think before I speak. I am proud of that, because I find my communication with my children to be more respectful as well as more effective in gaining their cooperation. "The Pocket Parent" lifts my spirits-especially on one of those days when everything that can go wrong,does. I also appreciate the fact that there are many "Daddy" anecdotes included in the book. My husband and I found it very helpful to read suggestions together, followed by discussion for a few minutes before we go to sleep when we have a specific problem. I highly recommend "The Pocket Parent" for every parent that has questions about their preschooler.

As a parent of a strong-willed preschooler, The Pocket Parent is THE place to go for all the answers! The A to Z format allows me to pinpoint an issue I'm having with my child, whether it's anger, mealtime issues, tantrums etc., then I flip to the right page for some very positive and easy-to-follow advice with a touch of humor. The book is filled with personal anecdotes...some made me laugh, some touched me profoundly..all were very insightful.
This is the best parenting resource book I've found. It's easy and enjoyable to read. Best of all, it's so warmly-written and supportive, it's like getting a big reassuring hug with every turn of the page.
Thanks to Gail Reichlin and Caroline Winkler for a terrific book filled with practical, sanity-saving wisdom. It's perfect for any parent or caregiver of young children!

I have twin 2-year-olds and a new baby. Needless to say, I find my patience, parenting skills and sanity being tested daily! Sibling rivalry (including occasional hitting and biting), anger towards the new baby, not listening, whining, separation anxiety, bad words, tantrums in public...what's a mother (or father) to do when you've simply had it? "The Pocket Parent" has become a part of the essential "stuff" that I carry around with me. Because of it's size and A-Z arrangement of topics, I can look up some ideas to try on the spot. The humor and empathy throughout the book help comfort me in the thought that I am not alone and that I am a good mother in the midst of a very important and sometimes very challenging job. I have noticed that since I have been using this book that I often try to take a few moments to think before I speak. I am proud of that, because I find my communication with my children to be more respectful as well as more effective in gaining their cooperation. "The Pocket Parent" lifts my spirits-especially on one of those days when everything that can go wrong,does. I also appreciate the fact that there are many "Daddy" anecdotes included in the book. My husband and I found it very helpful to read suggestions together, followed by discussion for a few minutes before we go to sleep when we have a specific problem. I highly recommend "The Pocket Parent" for every parent that has questions about their preschooler.

I couldn't agree with the above review more, except for the last statement. Actually, this is the second-best collection of American essays. The best is E.B. White's "One Man's Meat". White is a devastatingly good writer, regardless of subject or tone, and his essays can be read, re-read and pored over with nothing but greater appreciation at each subsequent read. Virtually anything written by him is bound to be entertaining, informative, enriching and subtle. You owe it to yourself to get to know this man.

Most folks will know E.B. White as the author of Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little, or as the eminently practical voice of reason in The Elements of Style. However, White was also an accomplished essayist, turning out pieces for The New Yorker and Harpers on a regular basis for many years.

What I like about White's essays is that they can be counted on to be insightful, amusing and well-written. White approaches an essay like a pleasant conversation. He's been thinking about New York and its inhabitants, he will tell you, and this what he's come up with. On another occasion it may be the personality quirks of his old dachshund Fred, or the controversy over white versus brown eggs. Anything and everything is food for thought, although you can be sure that White will broaden the scope of his topics to include the world at large. New York, he concludes, is a concentrated version of many worlds, "...bringing to a single arena the gladiator, the evangelist, the promoter, the actor, the trader, and the merchant." Fred, the dachshund, was "...the Cecil B. deMille of dogs. He was a zealot, and I have just been reminded of him by a quote from one of the Democrats..." And the white versus brown egg debate, White concludes, is simply a matter of what you're used to. Personally he prefers brown, and can recommend the egg of the Silver Cross, whose egg is "...so richly brown, so wondrously beautiful as to defy description."

Best of all, White's insightful commentary does not require intense concentration or endless analysis to get the gist of what he is trying to say. You can sit back and relax when you pick up a book of his essays, knowing you won't have to grapple with unfamiliar or awkward language. This is not to imply that you won't find yourself thinking about what he has to say. It's just that his approach is so matter-of- fact, easy going and accessible that you feel you've been invited to tea or are taking a leisurely stroll as the essay unfolds. I read White's essays the way some people read mysteries or romance novels. They are entertaining without being too demanding, and are a great way to set day-to-day concerns aside. Treat yourself to a good read.

I never read E.B. White as a child although all of my friends were very much into "Charlotte's Web" and "The Trumpet of the Swan." Perhaps it was because the only other Stuart I'd ever heard of was White's mouse/hero with the last name Little...a fact that my schoolmates teased me with throughout grade school.

....

White has got to be one of the finest writers I've ever read, expressing in 5 graceful words what it takes others paragraphs to do. His descriptions of life in Maine are priceless for anyone, like me, who has longed to let the country boy deep down inside sit back and "smell the roses." And,of course, Maine is still one of the few places in the U.S. that is relatively city poison-free.

Read White's opening sentence in his brilliant "Here Is New York" which is, arguably, the best appreciation of this all-too-crazy city: "On any person who desires such queer prizes, New York will bestow the gift of loneliness and the gift of privacy." Where did he write those words? "...in a stifling hotel room in 90-degree heat, halfway down an air shaft, in midtown." At the end of this wonderful, wonderful essay (which, by the way has been re-printed, all by itself, in a beautifully illustrated paperback) White contemplates an old Willow tree in the Turtle Bay area and he writes, "This must be saved,this particular thing, this very tree. If it were to go, all would go--this city, this mischievous and marvelous monument which not to look upon would be like death."

What other essayist expresses his thoughts and ours so unself-consciously, so economically and, yes, so magnificently? None that I have come across. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

i have read big bucks the benoit way at least a dozen times.the best deer hunting book i have ever read.i live and hunt in north dakota no matter where you live and hunt you can learn from this book.as far as i am concerned larry and his family are the best deer hunters in the country they hunt in the toughest whitetail country there is out there tracking no matter what the weather is doing. HUNTING HARD EVERY DAY .taking home the biggest 200+ bucks they can find. bryce towsly and the benoits done a great job putting this book together. im hoping there will be more from the first family of deerhunting thankyou and keep bringing home those big bucks.

It is one thing to shoot a trophy buck. It's even more amazing to shoot them year after year. This is just what the Benoits do and keep in mind it is being done in Maine. This makes it an even bigger accomplishment. If you have hunted Maine like myself, you know what I'm talking about. The big bucks up there are far and few, yet the Benoits are able to "read" the area and thus find moss backs every year. Even if you are an experienced hunter, you can be humbled quite quickly when hunting in Maine. This book details hunts in which bucks were tracked for many miles, offers many tips on how to read tracks, and when and where the bucks are going. If you want to learn more about big woods bucks, this book is for you.

This book is one of the best true hunting books I ever read! The Benoits are the True first family in deer hunting and as a north woods hunter myself I have learned lots from reading this book. This book is not about sitting in a tree stand all day or electronic trail timers or other high tech deer hunting ambush aids its about true hunting...tracking the most wise buck in the world..the northwoods buck !

How a young girl of 7 years can survive on her own on the battlefields of war-torn Okinawa, 1945, is absolutely astonishing. As a history teacher in Okinawa, Japan, I have run accross a wide array of materials concerning the Battle of Okinawa, but no other book so vividly details the human side of the struggle from the viewpoint of civilian Okinawans. This is a heart-warming story of triumph in the midst of great tragedy. I often encourage my students to place themselves in the "shoes" of those whom we are studying, to go beyond just facts and figures and identify with the real people who experienced history. Tomiko Higa takes the reader directly to the Battle of Okinawa through the eyes of a child.

I read this book when I was about 11 years old, and the thought of a young child surviving on her own was baffling. If I were her, I'd have probably given up already. I lived in Okinawa for half of my life, and it's a beautiful island. The book, describes it and her life in very good detail, as a child. But, yes, it should be rated a PG-13 because if you are reading it, you could imagine graphic details on the dead soldiers, falling off the cliff.. and so on. It's a very touching story in the eyes of a child. If you just love reading books, or love true stories that will touch you deeply then this is a must for you. Buy this book, you won't regret it! It's a keepsake.

This is an incredible memoir of Mrs. Tomiko Higa's experience as a 7 year-old during the Battle of Okinawa in the spring of 1944. At the end of the battle, after emerging from a cave with a piece of white loincloth attached to a stick, she was photographed by an American soldier. Roughly 40 years later, she accidentally spotted the photo in a bookstore. Reluctant to come forward and identify herself at first, she finally did so after reading several false accounts about the identity of the little girl. The book is short, only 127 pages, and a fast read. It is also poignant--the prose is clean, the descriptions frank and insightful, the story inspiring. Mrs. Higa begins by telling of her life in Shuri, the ancient capital of the Ryukyu Kingdom known today as Okinawa. She progresses to the landing of the American forces at Kadena, her consequent hiding in air-raid shelters, and then her moving from cave to cave with her siblings to escape the fighting. She eventually becomes separated from them and has to survive the battle on her own. Where a child of 7 gains such strength and smarts is really beyond one's imagination and the manner in which Mrs. Higa describes her experience is what makes this book so worth reading.

This is truly an astounding book. Now, years later, we finally know the truth: Lyndon B. Johnson was not merely a tragic president who stuck to his guns and fought a war he mistakenly believed he could win (with various political restrictions on the military).
He was, this book proves beyond a shadow of a doubt in its lively transcripts of his secretly taped phone conversations, a tragic president who stuck to his guns and fought a war he firmly believed would be LOST no matter WHAT.
He didn't want to lose, but he didn't want to be the one to pull out, so he got in deeper and deeper, losing sleep and agonizing all the way -- and the consequences to his administration and the country were catastrophic.
There are a slew of reasons why you should read (or gift) this amazing book.
The main one: true, it does give you perhaps more than you wanted to know about LBJ (but I don't care WHAT some reviewers have said: I LOVE the sections where he is flirting with Jackie Kennedy)...but if you read it you get a clear idea of how a president operated -- and many parts of this book are so dramatic and gripping, they read like a movie script. In fact, I can see the Oliver Stone movie now..
Historian Michael Beschloss makes it seem easy when you read it, but transcribing and annotating (so you know through footnotes what LBJ is referring to when he talks and get some historical context..and know when LBJ is spinning) these conversations taped between 1974 and 1965 could not have been easy. Yet, he gives you the meat and you get to "know" how LBJ thinks and, politically, works.
It shows Johnson, warts and all, as a man who could have been one of the very best presidents because of his skills, will and sincere desire to serve. But it shows a highly conflicted, contradictory, at times paranoid and highly depressed man. On the night of his monster landslide 1964 election he is angry and "down," steaming over Bobby Kennedy's influence and possible future machinations. As he presses and manipulates to get his Great Society legislation passed, he's leaking info on election opponent Barry Goldwater, keeping the lid on information regarding his number one aide's role in a sex scandal. He talks of victory in Vietnam, but repeatedly tells politicos and his wife that there is absolutely no way the U.S. can ever win, and he is tormented by his terrible choice and unwanted role. He wants to help the poor and the blacks, but will talk a little more "southern" if he has to while talking to someone who doesn't quite agree with him to make them think he's on their wavelength.
The famous Gulf of Tonkin resolution? Even Johnson believed it may not have happened. But he took the resolution in Congress and ran with it -- using it to justify the war he knew he the U.S. could not win.
In Feb. 1965 he told a Senator "a man can fight if he can see daylight down the road somewhere. But there ain't no daylight in Vietnam. Not a bit."
If you went back and contrasted his public pronouncements with what he was saying privately, it would be shocking indeed: pep talks to the country (and troops) to the contrary, he never felt we could win. Meanwhile, he kissed J. Edgar Hoover's you-know-what to keep hoover on his side (actually, they had been neighbors in Washington and Johnson had carefully kept Hoover on his side for years) in his battle against Goldwater, Kennedy and others.
Not all of the book is about the sad, deceitful slide into Vietnam. Many of the transcripts deal with his election campaign, domestic legislation...but by the end of the volume Vietnam is devouring LBJ alive as it did the country and the innocence and joy of the early 60s.
I read this book rather quickly. It was an INCREDIBLE experience. Read it and you're a fly on the wall in the White House.

This is truly an astounding, superbly compiled, book. Now, years later, we finally know the truth: Lyndon B. Johnson was not merely a tragic president who stuck to his guns and fought a war he mistakenly believed he could win (with various political restrictions on the military).

He was, this book proves beyond a shadow of a doubt in its lively transcripts of his secretly taped phone conversations, a tragic president who stuck to his guns and fought a war he firmly believed would be LOST no matter WHAT.

He didn't want to lose, but he didn't want to be the one to pull out, so he got in deeper and deeper, losing sleep and agonizing all the way -- and the consequences to his administration and the country were catastrophic.

There are a slew of reasons why you should read (or gift) this amazing book.

The main one: true, it does give you perhaps more than you wanted to know about LBJ (but I don't care WHAT some reviewers have said: I LOVE the many sections where he is flirting with and flattering Jackie Kennedy!)...but if you read it you get a clear idea of how a president operated -- and many parts of this book are so dramatic and gripping, they read like a movie script. In fact, I can see the Oliver Stone movie now.....

Historian Michael Beschloss makes it seem easy when you read it, but transcribing and annotating (so you know through footnotes what LBJ is referring to when he talks and get some historical context..and know when LBJ is spinning) these conversations taped between 1964 and 1965 could not have been easy. Yet, he gives you the meat and you get to "know" how LBJ thinks and, politically, works.

It shows Johnson, warts and all, as a man who could have been one of the top presidents because of his skills, will and sincere desire to serve. But it also shows a highly conflicted, contradictory, at times paranoid and highly depressed man. On the night of his monster landslide 1964 election he is angry and "down," steaming over Bobby Kennedy's influence, lack of political deference and possible future machinations. As he presses and manipulates to get his Great Society legislation passed, he's secretly leaking negative info on election opponent Barry Goldwater, keeping the lid on information regarding his number one aide's role in a sex scandal. He talks of victory in Vietnam, but repeatedly tells politicos and his wife that there is absolutely no way the U.S. can ever win, and he is tormented by his terrible choice and unwanted role. He wants to help the poor and the blacks, but will talk a little more "southern" if he has to while talking to someone who doesn't quite agree with him to make them think he's on their wavelength.

The famous Gulf of Tonkin resolution? Even Johnson believed it may not have happened. But he took the resolution in Congress and ran with it -- using it to justify the war he knew he the U.S. could not win.

In Feb. 1965 he told a Senator "a man can fight if he can see daylight down the road somewhere. But there ain't no daylight in Vietnam. Not a bit."

If you went back and contrasted his public pronouncements with what he was saying privately, it would be shocking: pep talks to the country (and troops) to the contrary, he never felt we could win. Meanwhile, he kissed J. Edgar Hoover's you-know-what to keep Hoover on his side (actually, they had been neighbors in Washington and Johnson had carefully wooed Hoover for years) in his battle against Goldwater, Kennedy and others.

Not all of the book is about the sad, deceitful slide into Vietnam. Many of the transcripts deal with his election campaign, domestic legislation etc....but by the end of this fast-moving volume Vietnam is devouring LBJ alive as it did the country -- and the innocence and joy of the early 1960s.

I read this book rather quickly. It was an INCREDIBLE experience. Read it and you'll be a very sad fly on the wall in the White House.

Reaching for Glory is a terrific book, Lyndon Johnson and his times in his own words. The book has two things going for it. First, it gives the reader the ultimate behind the scenes look at the Presidency - and don't forget the critical time portrayed, the aftermath of the assasination of a President, the struggle for civil rights, and the descent into Vietnam. Second, it has been expertly edited by crack Presidential historian Michael Beschloss. Beschloss has done a masterful job of giving helpful information and context is footnotes that never distract the reader. The big revelation in this book is the inner conflict that Johnson felt about escalating U.S. involvement in Vietnam. He knew the U.S. couldn't win; but he couldn't find a way to leave Vietnam while our troop levels still were low, without leaving himself exposed on the domestic political right. Think what you like about LBJ, and even discount what's on the tapes in case you think he was preening for posterity, the fact of the matter is that he was the victim of a cruel and ironic tragedy. I can't recommend this book enough to anyone who is interested in history.

Of all of Gemmell's extraordinary world's none have been quite as captivating as the Drenai saga. The protagonists in these books allow us glimpses of the history making events that occur in this epic, themselves usually being a catalyst of some sort, but after reading nearly a dozen of the novels, I had only theories about how these glimpses and tatters truly fit together. From everyone's favorite anti-hero Dakyras to the epitome of a hero that is Druss we had but a fog with a few clear spots.

After reading White Wolf it was as if I had fog lights. The fog is still there but I can see my way through the history I have constructed and can see glimpses of what lies ahead. Gemmell brings us both new and familiar in this novel with druss recounting some of his history and skilgannon reliving his. At the same time David teases you with a girl carrying the Prince of Assassins crossbow and body parts of slain hero's being preserved which proved enough to make me salivate about the possibilities.
While perhaps not individually as awe in-spiring as Legend and Hero in the Shadows, it is a masterful piece that lends cohesion to this world that I so love. If that is not enough for you... our troubled protagonist fights with two katanas... how cool is that.

Every time I read a David Gemmell novel I really become an extra character , he is that good . I have read avidly every offering and still eagerly anticipate Gemmells' next . His heroes are flawed , if old craggy Druss is new to you its' time to be acquainted , his return in White Wolf is wonderful . Read this , there is no better .

David Gemmell's new novel 'White Wolf' is a great read. Although marketed as a Druss novel, Druss is a secondary character in this morality play. Skilgannon is the real star of this novel; a deadly young warrior with a twisted past. As in all of the David Gemmell novels, Skilgannon is a damaged and in many ways morally corrupt individual reminiscent of the early Clint Eastwood, 'Man with No Name' characters.

As is all of Gemmell's work, the writing is sharp and the dialogue clean and clear. Gemmell's real gift however, lies in his utterly human, 3-dimensional characters. Interestingly, the author explains (via his characters dialogue) how a warrior must think in black and white terms; wrong and a right; good and evil. Gemmell's characters are none of those things. They are all wonderfully filled with shades of gray, just like all of us.

'White Wolf' and all of it's new characters are a wonderful addition to the continuing Drenai saga. I for one would like to see more of Skilgannon. Although complete in and of itself, this novel begs to be followed with more stories of Skilgannon.