If you've read Le Grand Meaulnes and liked it, then I can highly recommend Robert Gibsons superb biography of Alain Fournier (alas out of print) called "The Land Without a Name". As haunting and evocative as the novel itself, Gibsons chronicle of Fourniers life gets as close to the heart of his obsession with the Lost Domain as anything I have read. The best literary analysis of the novel (in English at least) is Stephen Gurney's book length study simply titled "Alain Fournier" (also out of print!). Many critics consign Le Grand Meaulnes to the "minor masterpeice" category, however Gurney provides a compelling argument for regarding it as one of the great novels of the 20th century. For another novel on a similair theme, I can also recommend "Picnic at Hanging Rock" by the Australian writer Joan Lindsay. This is a book which bears an uncanny resemblance to Le Grand Meaunles, both in its plot, and in the effect it has on the reader (similairly the brilliant film based on it directed by Peter Weir).

I was interested in reading "Le Grand Meaulnes" after seeing that the English novelist John Fowles cited it as a major influence on his masterpiece "The Magus." I'm not disappointed, to say the least. This is a rare gem of a novel that weaves mystery, adventure, intrigue, romanticism, and realism into a unique package that must have been way ahead of its time and still puts many modern "suspense" novels to shame with its superb prose and sheer elegance.

The novel takes place in a rural French village in the 1890's. The narrator, Francois, is a young teenager who lives and studies at the village school, where his father is the headmaster. One day a boy named Augustin Meaulnes, a couple of years older than Francois, enrolls as a new student and boarder. Meaulnes is somewhat quiet and aloof, but he soon becomes popular with the other boys in the school.

One day Meaulnes expropriates a carriage to go to a nearby town on an errand and mysteriously disappears without explanation. He returns to the school a few days later, but he admits that he doesn't know where he's been. All he knows is that somehow he found himself in a strange, vague place -- a surreal, dreamlike realm that seemed to exist outside of the real world -- where he met a beautiful girl named Yvonne. He pores over maps and searches for clues about this place -- the "mysterious domain" -- so that he can see Yvonne again, while Francois, fascinated by the story of his adventure, is determined to help him.

I would be doing a disservice to the potential reader by revealing any details of the nature of the "mysterious domain" or any more of the plot; so I will only say that every aspect of this novel is nothing short of brilliant, not only in its invention and unpredictability, but in the way it transforms itself by highlighting the contrast between the carefree dream-world of adolescence and the harsh realities of adulthood, and how our childish pastimes and fantasies inevitably give way to our sense of responsibility as we grow and mature. In this manner, the plot actually "matures" with its characters, so that by the end, we see how "grand" a person Meaulnes really is.

This is one of those little remembered novels whose remaining fans firmly believe it to be one of the unacknowledged masterpieces of the 20th Century. Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast Trilogy and Halldor Laxness's Independent People inspire similarly fanatical devotion in small groups of faithful adherents. In this case though, one of the devoted fans just happens to be the great novelist John Fowles who proselytizes relentlessly for it, including writing the afterword to the edition I read, and crediting it as the inspiration for his first novel, The Magus (itself a Modern Library Top 100 entry). I don't know that I'm willing to join them yet, but all three of these cults may have a point. At any rate, The Wanderer, or, Le Grande Meaulnes, to give it the original French title, is certainly a unique and wonderful book.

The Wanderer of the title is Augustin Meaulnes, a charismatic, restless, youth who transfers to Sainte Agathe school in Sologne and befriends Francois Seurel, whose parents are teachers at the school. Meaulnes quickly earns the nickname Le Grand, or The Great, both because of his height and because he is the kind of natural leader who other boys flock to and emulate. The author portrays the school as an island, cut off from the rest of the world, and Meaulnes as the castaway who is most anxious to get off. He runs away several times and on one occasion has a mystical experience which will shape the course rest of the rest of the boys' lives.

When Francois's grandparents come to visit, another boy is chosen to accompany the cart to town to get them, but Meaulnes sneaks off in the carriage. Irretrievably lost, he stumbles upon a pair of young actors who take him to a dreamlike masquerade ball at a sumptuous estate. There he meets Yvonne de Galais, a beautiful young blonde, with whom he becomes hopelessly infatuated. They spend only a few moments together and do little more than exchange names, but this fairy tale adventure becomes the pivotal experience of his life, one which he, with the help of Francois, will spend the rest of his life trying to recapture, with tragic consequences.

Alain-Fournier was the pen name of Henri-Alban Fournier (there was another, already popular, writer of the day named Henri Fournier.) The novel is apparently very autobiographical : his parents were teachers; the boys supposedly incorporate aspects of his own character; and, most importantly, he had an experience on June 5, 1905, wherein he, age 18, encountered a beautiful young woman named Yvonne in the streets of Paris. This event became a central moment in his life. He imagined a parallel reality, or Domain, which we only come in contact with during such transcendent moments and he became obsessed with recapturing his. This imbues his writing with a profound nostalgia, a melancholic sense that those moments of epiphany that we experience can never be retrieved, that the best parts of life lie behind us, not ahead.

Fournier was killed in battle on September 22, 1914, fighting on the Meuse. Dead before his twenty-eighth birthday, this was his only finished novel, though Fowles suggests that his letters are also worth reading. In a sense, this is a novel that we would have expected from someone who survived WWI (see Rebecca West's Return of the Soldier), harkening back as it does to departed days of youth. His obsession with one event in his life suggests that Fournier might never have done much more than rewrite this story in subsequent years, but it's useless to speculate. What we do know is that he left behind one poignant and haunting novel which, rightly or wrongly, captures the inchoate sense of lost innocence and opportunity missed that we all feel at one time or another. Masterpiece or not, it is certainly unforgettable.

GRADE : A

I've long been fascinated with early exploration of the Colorado plateau area of the U.S. This book is fascinating particularly because the author wove together information from many sources rather than rely on just a single journal. By comparing what different men wrote about the same events on the same day, you feel like you've gotten a realistic view of what happened, toning down on Powell's indefatigable optimism and some of his companion's discovery of dire consequences behind every rock.

The one annoying part is that there are a few too many long deviations from the story to explore other threads. I think these were intended to provide background, especially to Powell's character. But too many times they just went on too long, into too much detail, particularly Powell's Civil War experiences. I certainly didn't expect to read quite so much about blood and gore in a story about Grand Canyon exploration during which no one died on the river or even seriously injured.

Nevertheless, this is a very good, can't-put-it-down read.

If you enjoy adventure and American history you are in for a treat. My knowledge of John Wesley Powell and his cohorts 1869 trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon was nonexistent so anything I read was new to me. In addition to literally riding the rapids with Powell's group through their three months trip we are also given a history lesson on Powell and the Battle of Shiloh during the Civil War in which a number of interesting facts are given to illustrate the horror of the Civil War. Powell was extremely interested in geology and he was thrilled with what he was experiencing on the trip through the Grand Canyon and oblivious to the fact that his mates were experiencing frustration at his leisure pace while starvation loomed due to inadequate provisions. One individual of the ten men crew left the group after the first narrow escape and three others left only one day before exiting the canyon and were eventually murdered under mysterious circumstances. Powell made a second trip a few years later but aborted the trip when halfway through the canyon. What became of the remaining six members of the ten man group who made the 1869 trip is also provided in addition to interesting facts about the Grand Canyon that will most likely be new to you. You shouldn't hesitate to give this book a try. I'm sure you will not be disappointed.

(...) There was a cast of ten which made up the Colorado River Exploring Expedition . Led by John Wesley Powell. None of them had ‘white water' experience. Many were barely 20 and 7 were Union Army veterans. There was no record of persons having gone down the thousand miles of this journey so they were floating blind. It lasted 111 days.

They were to use wooden boats made in Chicago Illinois. They would put in at Green River Station, Wyoming at the point where the recently completed transcontinental railroad had been celebrated. It was chosen because the [4] boats could easily be delivered by rail freight to Green River Station from Chicago. (...) This is a history and Edward Dolnick has done his best to use the notes and writings of Powell, Summer, Bradley and other of the expedition. Powell's book was written some years later but the crew wrote more personal and soon after the trip. They reveal some pain and misery that Powell in his enthusiasm for the mission - geology exploration of the earth including flora and fawna - avoids.

Dolnick has also told the tales of others who ventured on the Colorado River and who were reported in the press of that day. But, none had done what this mission did; namely go the distance without any real briefing and not any knowledge of these tales. On the river they were out of touch with all - alone. A person of ill repute reported after the first month that the party had been destroyed by the river and only he had survived. He was widely published in the press including his tale of how he got on the expedition. But, like story tellers he had dates wrong and Emma Powell, John Wesley's young wife read the stuff and informed the press that he couldn't be believed. They did more research and began retracting the articles. The good effect of this was that the Expedition got more press than they had had before they left. Of course the voyagers did not learn of this until many months later.

Dolnick has a couple of chapters about Powell's military service as an artillery officer in the Grants army at Shiloh. Here Powell lost an arm which comes in for some interesting comments during the voyage down the rivers. Emma is a heroic and fascinating wife of great personal support to Powell. One of the boats is named after her; Emma Dean.

Dolnick seeks to tell it as it went along, not to sum things in advance. So there is an air of adventure - what will happen next?
Sumner was of great value to Powell and all the men seem to have followed the decisions - there Army training is reference as an aid in this respect. But, some of the trappers didn't cotton to the order giving; still they did their part.

There is detail about the boats and equipment - built in Chicago - the best for the lakes - but not properly designed for the river. But sturdy. Still they lose one to the rapid while still in the three hundred mile stretch of the Green River. And, 1/3rd of the food and other supplies went down with that crash.

Powell is the focal person. He had the crazy idea and he had the energy to make it happen with little money and little backing and many persons of repute advising against the venture. It is a crazy thing to do given the level of experience and knowledge that was the foundation of this expedition effort.
BUT - the beauty and grandeur does grab your imagination and it did theirs too.
They often stopped to look, if they could stop, or linger if camped at a place of special interest to Powell. They took side walking trips. And the number of times they climbed to get a better view of the prospects of the river ahead were legion. YOU are presented with their wonderment and deep appreciation for the trip - that seems to have been its saving grace. For they were called upon to live with privation and the rain. I couldn't believe the number of times they had severe rain storms especially in Arizona. (...)

The author has placed a little map of the segment of the river they were about to enter at the beginning of each chapter. It helps keep you oriented. There is also a photo section which provides enrichment of the principals and some locations.

Now, the story itself builds to a natural climax that will begin to grab you midway through the venture. You will sense the feeling of eternal repetition of the river and its mad behavior. It becomes a kind of tormenter. When will they be through with the trip? The men become restive and short tempered. They do not all like each other all the time by any means. And, although Dolnick doesn't stress this he has to report what they write in their notes. And, there reflections of the trip. They are caught up in the reality that they volunteered and they are responsible for their own fate; yet they are in a very intimate situation which requires them to note the flaws of others - especially the leader. It is hard work and Powell expect them to do their job. Because he has only one arm there are many tasks he cannot perform, this becomes an aggravation too, but they all knew this in the beginning. Yet there is, as Dolnick tells the story, a need to be loyal to the mission and the needs of others; and so they have their experiences where great joy and satisfaction is express by the group after some tough experience. (...)

Because it is a history, not a novel, the author tells of the future lives of the men. He tells what he can based on

This a a difficult book to review, because it is so very complete and thorough, and the author's style is very engaging and entertaining. The problem is that there is SO much information, the reader can't help to get bogged down on boring sections, and at times, choke on Elting's purple prose.

I highly recommend this for those who already have firm background on the period, particularly the battles and campaigns. If you are keenly interested in what the grand armee ate for breakfast the morning of Austerlitz, you won't be disappointed. It is also an excellent topical reference.

The downturn for me was about page 300. Elting only occassionally translates French phrases (very disconcerting for a Germanophile) and it was hard for me to get excited about the uniform piping of every single transportation, supply, service, and administrative battalion. But read on! It does get better.

If you want to know about Napoleonic warfare in general, I would steer you to Rothenberg and Chandler. If you want to eat, sleep, march, breathe, and fight with one of the greatest armies in western history, it is worth the time.

Thoroughly enjoyable, funniest army history ever written. Mr Elting shows a remarkable command of the subject, which is crisply presented and brought to life in chapters covering every aspect of army life - from general to private, from uniforms and organization to medals and pay - including information on the Grand Armee's allies and enemies. Napoleon once remarked that, in order to understand soldiers, you first had to love them. Mr Elting, an old soldier himself, totally proves this assertion. If you are a Napoleonic buff, this is your book. If you are not a Napoleonic fan, read it anyway, because it is one of the best histories about common people I know of.
(NOTE: if you read "Swords around the throne" while leafing through the four-volume "Napoleonic uniforms" by the same author, the experience will be truly unforgettable.)

I must confess that prior to reading this book I did not know much about Napoleon, his armies or his campaigns. However since reading this book I've purchased many books on the subject and have become totally enthralled by the Napoleonic Wars. This is all due to the superb book written by Elting. His manner of writing is captivating...I could not put it down. His description of all the various facets of the Grand Army, its way of life, the different personalities, its uniforms, weapons and just about everything else one can think of is desribed in minute detail. Elting writes with much wit and apt sarcasm, which had me in stitches quite a few times. This book is a definite must for students of the era and even for people wanting an introduction to Napoleon's army. The book also left me in awe of the man himself...Napoleon. I am about to start reading it for a second time!

This is based on a true story about the adventures of a special donkey who lives in the Grand Canyon during the time of the building of the first bridge. The story has very real-life qualites. The geographical description of Grand Canyon and involvement with President Theodore Roosevelt are a pleasant addition! This book makes a good read aloud for intermediates and leaves you with an endearing feeling for the characters. I recommend this for intermediate ages. It may be too graphic for young children. Happy reading!

I too read this book when I was about 9 and really enjoyed it. Then I discovered, by reading an article in Arizona Highways magazine, that a movie had been made of "Brighty". I saw the movie, and read the book to my daughter when she was 9.

(First, let's remember Brighty was a burro, not a donkey or a mule.There is a difference--) And yes, the burros were hard on the environment, but thanks to Cleveland Amory, a lot of them were airlifted out of the GC to be adopted--not shot on sight as the National Park Service was doing to remove them.

Teddy Roosevelt was a great president and instrumental in protecting our wild spaces, but he and Uncle Jimmy Owens had a skewed view of mountain lions. Because of the "sportkilling" of these animals--dozens of them, by Jim and Teddy, along with others-- the mule deer population of the North Rim of the Canyon exploded, and many deer starved to death lacking sufficient forage to go around.

I know, I know, it was a different time. However, if you are going to address the environmental impact of burros, you better mention the environmental impact of the killing of masses of mountain lions for trophy and sport, Teddy Roosevelt included. It does disturb me that the book portrayed the lion as a horrible, scary and aggressive animal, when in reality (like most predators) they are shy and retiring, unless you corner them or threaten their young.

If teachers continue to read this book to their classes (and they should) I hope they allow for student discussion about how ideas on the environment and wild animals have changed since the book was written, as well as the historical time it was placed in. Reality checks are incredibly important for true understanding.

I'm an early childhood educator and have a particular interest in children's literature. While wandering through an abandoned parochial school library, Brighty of the Grand Canyon caught my eye. I brought it home and read it cover to cover. Brighty is a sweet, loving, and endearing character. Kids as well as adults will get caught up in Brighty's world. I'm sad to find out that burros were such a destructive force in the Grand Canyon. But after reading the book, I am hoping to take a vacation out to the Grand Canyon to see Brighty's statue. Check out the Grand Canyon's website for more information on Brighty.

It's official-I've lost my mind! I'm in love with a man who's been dead for 60 years. Michael Romanov was everything, apparently, a high-born nobelman was born to be; handsome, loyal, intelligent and completely besotted and in love with his bride. Unfortunately, she was a twice-divorced commoner. Therein the problems lay.

This wonderful and tragic story is so intriguing and meticulously researched that it reads like a novel rather than a biography. Donald and Rosemary Crawford play off each other's experience in journalism writing (she wrote about society, he is a hard-nosed newspaper man) to bring about an intriguing story of love and politics that takes us back to this gilded age where the rich, beautiful and tragic central figures play at being the second Russian court in exile. They have so much material (personal letters, telegrams, pictures, etc.) to use that you feel like you're a part of Michael and Natasha's lives. It's a pleasure to read and will definately be read again by me.

Rosemary and Donald Crawford present a little known adenda to the story of the Romanov Tsars. Their research and sympathetic presentation offers entrance for the reader into the great love story of Michael and Natasha. It quickly catches you up in a pace, all too fast, racing to a tragic finalle. The reader is plundged into the confusion and multiple currants of the Russian experience of the First World War and then, the following Revolution. You shout helplessly at the book, "flee for your lives!" during the short window that they had that opportunity. You pour over and over the wonderful pictures as you become more and more familiar with the characters. I was supprised at a new and revealing discription of Nicholas and Alexandra, showing them with all their weaknesses, bumps and warts. It was interesting that the brothers, Nicholas and Michael shared the trait of complete love and devotion to one woman. One wonders about the family dynamics that produced such a shared commitment. The book is another opportunity to examine the Russian capacity for ineptitude that still goes on today. In the sum, it is the account of a great love story, doomed by it's time.

As an avid fan of Russian history and letters, I was delighted by the publication of Michael and Natasha: The Life and Love of Michael II, the Last of the Romanov Tsars, by Rosemary and Donald Crawford. I was first intrigued by Michael Romanov and Natasha Wulfert through Kyril FitzLyon and Tatiana Browning's superb pictorial volume, Before the Revolution: Russia and Its People Under the Czar, where the couple appears photographed together on the occasion of Natasha's birthday. Somehow, and despite the grandeur of their surroundings and attire -- the epitome of that majestic and romantic age -- they came across as very appealing and almost modern individuals. Their story is the moving saga of a love that was doomed, not merely due to differences in pedigree and status, but because of historic forces they (particularly Michael, with his unswerving belief in human kindness) unfortunately underestimated. Throughout this engaging work, the quality that most vividly comes across is the couple's deep and abiding love for one another -- a love that survived ostracism, political cataclysms, and, one is convinced, even the alleged finality of death. The lifestyle they exemplified, spent amid the grandeur of vast country estates, brilliant St. Petersburg salons, and the intrigues of the Romanov court, has been faithfully preserved by Russia's leading authors in enduring works of fiction, and, in fact, striking parallels exist between Natasha and Tolstoi's immortal Anna Karenina. That Natasha herself may have examined the similarities, with perhaps a mixture of dread and amusement, is a clear possibility, as she was a cultivated woman who, moreoever, moved in artistic circles. Status, rank, and privileged position notwithstanding, both Michael and Natasha reveal themselves, through letters and contemporary testimonies, as thoroughly decent human beings who found themselves (proverbially) at the wrong place and time in history, and whose love, courage, and integrity alone were no match against a harsh age. Foreknowledge of the events that conspired and ultimately triumphed over their hopes for happiness and, indeed, their very existence, is not a damper to the reader's obstinate hope that, despite history's well known verdict, they and their private world will endure. Natasha, noted for the beauty of her "sad eyes," perhaps always sensed that tragedy would one day overtake her, even when tangible evidence of that fact was still far in the future. Michael, an avid photographer, left behind a rich pictorial record of their brief time together, so as to capture and preserve moments that, in their poignancy, he perhaps sensed were too lovely and fragile to endure. Reading this excellent work of biography, one is again moved to sorrow by the fate of the Romanovs who, despite their political blindness, did not deserve the cruel and bloody end which, with rare exceptions, befell most of their lineage. If there is a flaw to the biography at all, it is that a story that was so consistently rich in intimate detail for nearly 400 pages is abruptly cut off with Natasha's acceptance of Michael's tragic fate six years after his disappearance in 1918. Her own later life, which encompassed nearly three decades, is quickly summarized in a few terse paragraphs that leave the curious reader somewhat disoriented. Though her own ending in poverty, loneliness, and illness is almost too disturbing to absorb after all she has had to endure, I believe Natasha (and those interested in her fate) deserved a more gradual and gentle farewell.

Award winning authoress Jayne Ann Krentz, who also is known by Amanda Quick for her historical romance novels, gives us exactly what this title indicates--grand passion. Flavoring her settings with descriptive tones of wealth and art add to Cleopatra Robbins (the central character)sensual and suspenseful predicament with handsome yet snobbish Max Fortune.

I especially enjoyed scenes involving "The Mirror"--a book which Cleo is writing that unmasks her hidden desires of erotica. And, you just know Max will buy into that, along with attempting to discover hidden art treasures.

A fun, well written book which even authoress Sandra Brown commented, "Grand Passion is Krentz at her best...with the snappy dialouge that has become her trademark and a cast of characters you want to know personally."

Thanks for your interest & comment votes--CDS

This is my favorite book --- i must have read it 5-6 times & listened to the audio just as much! I love Max & Cleo & the whole Robins Nest Inn family !!

I totally enjoyed this book. Cleopatra Robbins is a very normal, but very unusual woman, and a great heroine. I loved the quirky supporting cast-Andromeda, Daystar, the private detective who wears very loud, obnoxious clothing! Max Fortune (unFORTUNEate choice of a name, but) is a good hero for this story. Honest and human people, who have standards and care about what they do. Buy it, it is a great read and a very winning story.

I bought this book based on the reviews I read and all I can say is, are they reading the same book as I am? This book has the basic information about the trails and other interesting information like who was the first to climb each of the formations. There are no actual illustrations of the trails in the book, only textual descriptions. It tells you how long you will live without water based on the temperature. Seems to me you should know that before you head out. It is a compact size which makes it easy to lug around all that useless information. It does have some interesting history about the Grand Canyon and contact information for hotels and rafting. Again, information that is not very useful once you are on the trail. It has a listing of water sources but any serious hiker will check with the back country office before hitting the trail, which for the records the book does recommend. It also came with a useless map which is suitable for coloring. If you are planning on hiking into the canyon, I would recommend the book by Adkison over this one.

In the last 19 years at least seven general interest Grand Canyon hiking guides have been published and this is great for those folks who want to hike not only the popular trails but other trails and routes as well. Included are excellent descriptions of all the popular trails but many less visited trails and routes are also included (ie, Apache, Tuckup, Whitmore). Of all the in-print guides his trail descriptions are the most up-to-date and his trail mileages are the most accurate. The "introductory" sections on natural history, Native American cultures, etc. are added bonuses. Other important features include lists of water sources and temple and butte climbing history. The book's small compact size lends itself to be carried easily in one's day or backpack. The only negative notes I would add are that some of his trail descriptions need updating and the bibliographies could also use updating. The index has been improved since the last edition. For those folks wanting to hike only the most popular trails consider "Hiking Grand Canyon National Park" by Adkisson or "Official Guide to Hiking Grand Canyon" by Thybony. Both of these are excellent guides. Annerino's book includes a fold-out trail map but one venturing off the heavily travelled trails should consider the National Geographic Trails Illustrated Grand Canyon Topo Map. (Note: I have lived at the Grand Canyon for over 13 years, have hiked below the rim over 6,000 miles and have hiked most of the routes in the book.)

In the last 19 years at least seven general interest Grand Canyon hiking guides have been published and so far this is the best for those folks who want to hike not only the popular trails but other trails and routes as well. Included are excellent descriptions of all the popular trails but many less visited trails and routes are also included (ie, Apache, Tuckup, Whitmore). Of all the in-print guides his trail descriptions are the most up-to-date and his trail mileages are the most accurate. The "introductory" sections on natural history, Native American cultures, etc. are added bonuses. Other important features include lists of water sources and temple and butte climbing history. The book's small compact size lends itself to be carried easily in one's day or backpack. The only negative notes I would add are that some of his trail descriptions need minor updating and the bibliographies could also use updating. The index has been improved since the last edition. For those folks wanting to hike only the most popular trails consider "Hiking Grand Canyon National Park" by Adkisson or "Official Guide to Hiking Grand Canyon" by Thybony. (I have been told a 2001 edition is planned for the Thybony book.) Both of these are excellent guides. Annerino's book includes a fold-out trail map but one venturing off the heavily travelled trails should consider the National Geographic Trails Illustrated Grand Canyon Topo Map. (Note: I have lived at the Grand Canyon for over 11 years, have hiked below the rim over 5,000 miles and have hiked most of the routes in the book.)

I bought this book after seeing the lady chablis in Midnight and the Garden of Good and Evil. If you've seen the movie, the books reads just like she's talking to you. It follows from her beginnings, discovering herself, meeting up with her first drag queens, all the way through to the black people's ball, and hormones. If you're looking for a light, fun read, about a very interesting real-life person, this definately fits the bill. Don't expect perfect grammar, because that's not how she talks, so this is "from the horse's mouth" so to speak.

as a side note, the lady chablis actually does appear in the movie version of the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. the dynamic that she and john cusak have is incredible, and her comments about two tears in a bucket, nearly made me wet my pants from laughing so hard :) the people i went with to see the movie actually didn't even realize that she was a transgender person until half way through the movie....
if there is any one character that "makes" the movie, it's her.

This book is a plain good read on several levels.

First, The Lady Chablis herself, with the help of a co-author, has managed to convey her highly entertaining stage persona on paper--no mean feat. I suspect, though I have not listened to it, that the audio version of the book is a scream.

Second, the bare facts of her autobiography as she tells them are riveting. One has to respect the desire to be true to an authentic self that is different from the norm when it drives an African-American biological male in the South to dress as a female during adolescence. The Lady could easily have been killed on her way to stardom!

Third, as a "fish" (biological female) myself, I always learn a thing or two about the nature of Glamour-with-a-capital-G from the writings of persons whose femininity comes primarily from their minds. As Blanche DuBois said, fifty percent of a woman's charm is illusion (or something like that). The illusion The Lady creates is uniquely her own.

Finally, The Lady's discussion of why she has not had gender reassignment surgery adds a serious note that is easy to ignore. The Lady Chablis has played well the hand she was dealt in life with more complicated cards than most receive.

I was of course introduced to Chablis by the book MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL. I loved the book but disliked the movie, all except for "The Lady." She/he seemed like a wonderful person in book and movie, and after reading her book my theory is confirmed. The book was great fun and surprisingly well written. It's now one of my favorites, right up there with BARK OF THE DOGWOOD and CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES. Thanks Chablis!

Even if you don't agree with Luttwak's point of view, you'd have to agree that he makes a good argument. Many people feel that the Roman army of the glory years (i.e. 100-300AD) was a front line frontier garrison force that ended up being too thinly spaced to defend so huge a territory. Luttwak argues that what it was, in fact, was a set of frontier picket forces set up to warn the REAL army units, which were set up as "rapid deployment forces" in rear staging areas to react to danger from any direction. As a result, the Roman empire was able to defend itself with a ridiculously small standing force.

While the book is very thin and very readable, I think it would help if the reader learned a bit about the basics of the Roman army and empire first. Graham Webster's excellent volume, 'The Roman Imperial Army,' comes to mind. Still, it is a good read on its own, and from a broader standpoint, a good illustration of how the academic mind works to prove and illustrate an idea. I know I certainly felt a little smarter after reading it!

Luttwack's thesis, that late Republican and early Imperial Rome had a deliberate long-range grand strategy that dictated the siting of its frontier defenses, was challenged in 1991 by Israeli classicist Benjamin Isaac's The Limits of Empire. Isaac, in essence, claimed that Roman frontier defenses were not set in accordance with a phased plan of conquest, but in order to control ambivalent populations along the fringe areas and to ensure non-interference from the outlanders. The debate, unusually heated for classicists, has on the whole tended to bolster Luttwack somewhat in arguing for a rational "forward defense" policy. Luttwack's original thesis (1976) was written with contemporary US defense planning in mind; how to spread sparse post-Vietnam American assets so as to most efficiently check Soviet agressive designs. Although Luttwack has generally declined to revisit his Roman tour de force, (he is currently working on a strategical analysis of the Byzantine Empire), it is still a thought-provoking handy review of how Rome pursued a containment policy in the teeth of severe budgetary restraints.

In a field that still remains open...and, in fact, in many ways, depends on the contributions of knowledgeable and dedicated amatures, Luttwak's work stands out as truly original contribution in the field of Roman military history. His thesis, that there was, in fact, a coherent, centrally controlled and over-arching and outwardly directed, military strategy that was actualised through an evolving empire-wide frontier policy that is both traceable in and understandable through, the archaeological record is a singularly original contribution that has potentialy major implications for our approach to and understanding of, roman socio-political, military, economic, and governance mechanisms. Luttwak has implicitly reinterpreted the conventional understanding of the roman world and in so doing he has opened the door to a broader, more coherent and,ultimately, more satisfying understanding of the functioning of the empire.

It is the kind of contribution that perhaps only someone with the background and ability to apply a strategic vision and strategic frame of reference, could possibly make. As far as I know, it has never been done before in this field.

Its now 25 years since Luttwak published Grand Strategy and the work continues to resonate in the field. Judging from the rate of continuing citations, it would appear to be virtually impossible to write on the subject of roman military history, frontier policy, or even imperial governance without dealing,in some way, with Luttwak. His contribution simply won't go away.

Much time has passed since Luttwak wrote and, in the interim, Isaac has published his exhaustive, excessively detailed and, ultimately, convincing, refutation of Luttwak based on his review and analysis of the roman southeast frontier. But I don't think it matters...and besides, Isaac himself may be wrong...because what Luttwak has really achieved is to force a decisive shift in the frame of reference that we use to think about, analyse, and understand the Empire. Luttwak has reminded us, emphaticaly, that not withstanding the absence of a coherent body of written source material,we can and should think about the forest once in a while instead of endlessly pursuing counting and identifying only the trees that make it up. He shows us that such an approach can be highly rewarding.

In my opinion this is NOT a dry work and, more than anything, it simply requires an interest in the roman empire and its functioning in order to be read and understood. Luttwak does not take the relentlessly scholarly approach that Isaac does but he does do his homework and he is familiar with his topic. Because he's not Isaac, he's infinitely more readable...and my copy, which I bought in soft cover about 5 years ago, had virtually all of its pages out of order...and I still got thru it!

I

like the strategy guide for GTA III, the guide sometimes doesn't tell you the best way to complete a mission. Remember there are all kinds of ways to approach each mission in the game -- the guide only gives one option, and sometimes that isn't the easiest way to go. I'm about half way through Vice City so can't point to specifics, but one example from GTA III guide, the final mission, its much easier to finish the mission (and the game) if you just go to your hideout to get weapons first.

Worth the money for good pointers, but don't forget to use your imagination with these games -- that's what makes them so great.

This book has perfect strategies for every mission...The maps are very detailed, and locations for hidden packages are included, as well as side missions and complete lists of rewards you can get in the game. The only problem I had with this guide was that it does not contain cheat codes. Cheats can usually be located somewhere online, but I was still a little disappointed as the main reason I bought the book was for the cheat codes that they said were in there. However, don't let that stop you from getting the guide, it still help get you through the game really well and it has cool pictures too! Not to mention the full weapons and vehicles section, character profiles, and spoilers if you want them. Another success by BradyGames!

Vice City is such a great game that you have to wonder if any strategy guide could live up to it. Plus it is a fairly simple game to understand and play. Some games, like Metal Gear, require the guide, others, like Grand Theft Auto, don't really need it. Now, I've only skimmed through it. I love this game so much that I don't want to spoil it by giving away the upcoming missions and actions. It has a nice intro to the game, the characters, the weapons, and the cars. I find that after you finish a few missions, it is good to go back and look at what the guide says, just in case you missed something. I haven't. What it does have that I like a lot is maps to where all the weapons can be found, where the hidden packages are, where the rampages are, and where you can find body armor, police bribes, and life. (Call it cheating, but that is what I primarily use the guide for, plus this game is so much fun, even reading about it is fun) Those maps alone make the guide a valuable addition to your vice (you wouldn't believe where some of that stuff is hidden). Vice City is so great, you should buy this guide--just to have it.