Illustrated on almost every page with period photography, drawings, schematics, advertising flyers, etc., John Campbell provides collectors and gun enthusiasts with a wealth of new information on one of the most popular American rifles ever made: The Winchester Single-Shot. Together with its companion title, The Winchester Single-Shot: Volume I, this newest volume by John Campbell provides the definitive reference work that will be an enduring, core reference for generations to come. The Winchester Single-Shot: Volume II provides authoritative, invaluable information and insights that includes the human side of the Winchester through detailed biographies of the men who made this rifle the legend it has become.

I bought this book, along with Volume 2, a couple of years ago. I have found it to be a thorough reference for the models of rifles discussed. The photography is very good and the author has discussed just about every conceiveable aspect of these old guns. The book is very readable and is brimming with useful information. I credit this book with launching me in a very enjoyable hobby! Anyone who is interested in becoming familiar with the intimate details of these guns will do theirself a favor by acquiring this book.

This is one of the very best "gun" books ever. In a word it is SUPERB. The detail on gun and the cartridge it made so popular is complete and so is an excellent reference work. Well written, it is engrossing and a darn good read. The history of the Winchester Model 1894 which touches on the other cartridges for which it was chambered is more than adequate to answer all practical questions. The information on the .30-30 cartridge and its derivatives is likewise complete and detailed.

this book is a valuable addition to those who want to know the dates of manufacture on winchester firearms. a no-nonsense book priced right.

This is a fantastic book for the logophile! It contains plenty of odd, unusual, rare, and otherwise interesting words, along with their definition. A pleasant layout and humorous illustrations keep the book on the lighter side. While there are a number of such books available, this stands out with supplementary materials such as "How to create you own weird and wonderful words," "A Webliography of Weird and Wonderful Word Sites," and "The Logophile's Bibliography."

My only complaint is that there is no pronunciation included with each entry. This is a relatively small issue, and the only thing keeping the book from a 5-star rating.

Word lovers should find this book highly entertaining. The selected words include some of my personal favorites, and a great many words completely new to me, some of which are new favorites. The illustrations are ho-hum and may lead many readers to wish the space had been used for more words. Luckily, the compiler plans a collection of weirder and wonderfuller words, which will be given some prosaic title by the publisher.

One caveat: there are some racy entries, not enough to spur sales, but enough to give the book an X rating in some households and a PG-13 in many. Too bad, as the book would otherwise be an excellent inspiration for many a young wordsmith. Perhaps the compiler can be persuaded to gather a similar collection of words, like "googol", of interest to children and adults alike. If only this collection had been just a shade more verecund!

I'll let you buy the book if you want to know the precise meanings of logodaedaly and verecund.

I saw this book in the New York Times Language column and thought it would make a great gift for my dad, who loves words and crossword puzzles. I started flipping thru it and got hooked. The words aren't boring or stuffy at all, even though a lot of them are long (my favorite was zedonk, the chlid of a donkey and a zebra) and the cartoons are really funny, too.

I only wish there were more words in it. Maybe they'll do a Weird Words 2. I'm going to keep this one and order another one for my dad.

Together with his and his brother's "The King's English," Fowler's "Modern English Usage" is the classic guide to writing good English. Those that say that Fowler is overly prescriptive are wrong; on the contrary, Fowler thinks less ill of split infinitives and prepositions-at-end than many more "modern" usage know-it-alls. I think that Fowler approaches writing in the English language as an engineer approaches designing a machine. The idea is "get the job done"---"how can I say this in the fewest words with the least ambiguity?" And that is what he teaches. Split infinitives aren't bad because they don't introduce ambiguity. The fused participle, on the other hand, introduces ambiguity, and should be avoided. "Good" Fowler English isn't just "proper" English, but English that is unambiguous and to the point.

Everyone that writes should have a copy of Fowler. But please, don't buy the "Third Edition," which isn't really Fowler. The second edition (edited by Gowers) is OK, but the first is really the nonpareil. The first edition is still in print (Wordsworth or a special Oxford reprint?) or you can buy it used---there are
lots of original Oxford University Press hardbacks floating around used here on Amazon[.com] that were pulled off high school shelves years ago.

Excuse the superfluous capitals. Fowler/Gowers 2nd Ed. is quite brilliant; learned and full of humour. It successfully walks the line between descriptive and prescriptive grammar (with perhaps a tendency to over-emphasise prescriptive). The 1st Ed. was too stuffy; the new 3rd Ed. does not come close; indeed it is far too tolerant of the monstrosities so frequently heard today.

My favourite bedside book by a long way.

It isn't often that "fun" describes grammar and usage books, but Fowler's Modern English Usage has been at the top of its class since its first edition. Perhaps the best way to give you the flavor of its writing is with an example: "Split infinitive. The English-speaking world may be divided into (1) those who neither know nor care what a split infinitive is; (2) those who do not know, but care very much; (3) those who know and condemn; (4) those who know and distinguish. 1. those who neither know nor care are the vast majority, and are a happy folk, to be envied by most of the minority classes ...." He then goes on to say why it might be a good idea to know, and what that would mean. Sprightly, gentle, fun, a little pedantic, a little old fashioned: here is the English composition teacher you wish you had.

This book is a well arranged view over war in the east 1941-45, a recommended reading for those who are interested in the subject, but I could find some mistakes , for example, Gen. Walther von Seydlitz-Kurzbach was not the commander in the Demyansk pocket,who led the breakout, he was the commander of the relief force.

This is the clearest book I've read on WW2 ever. Period. Absolutely absent is the author ego and non-historical hype so prevalent in the field today. Absent also is the strange Cold War hangover which takes the credit for defeating Germany away from the Soviets and makes it seem WW2 was won on the shores of northern France. The facts which become clear to an impartial student of WW2 are presented perfectly in this work: the Soviets bore the brunt of the land war in WW2 and the main contribution of the Western Allies was their destruction of the Luftwaffe and their strategic bombing campaign. The overwhelming scale of the war on the Eastern Front and its horrible consequences are sketched out clearly with both words and pictures. This book was a pleasant surprise.

This text is an excellent overview of the war in the east. It really drives home the vastness and overwhelming scope of the eastern front...the front where WWII was won and lost. This book provides you with a platform for which to read further into the many areas of interest on the eastern front. I found myself intrigued with several relatively unknown areas of conflict such as Sevastapol and the bagration. Very interesting and highly recommended.

The tales of King Arthur and of the knights of the Round Table are well-known and have been the subject of many books, poems (Tennyson), at least two musical works (Purcell's "King Arthur", and the famous Broadway musical, "Camelot"), and films ("Camelot", based on the musical, and "Excalibur"). The most famous English-language book version of these tales is this version by Sir Thomas Malory, yet this is not easily readable, even in modern prose. The modern English rendition by Keith Baines is excellent, for it allows those of us who do not have Ph.D's in English literature to get an idea of what the original was like, but the book itself is tedious in its very nature.

What you should expect with this book is a very good beginning and ending, and a "will it ever end ?" middle. Arthur himself cannot be called the central character, for he is virtually absent, except in the first tale of the book, which deals with his coming to power, and the last one, about his death. The rest of this book is concerned with jousting and tournaments, so much that in the end one gets bored with this never-ending succession of fights with knights whose names you'll only read once and which have no consequence on what is supposed to be the larger plot (such as the quest for the Holy Grail, or the famous Tristram and Iseult tale). Of course, the better-known knights of the Round Table, such as Launcelot, Tristram, and Percivale, are present, but only from time to time, and narration often shifts from one to the other for no reason.

What this book lacks most is continuity. Apart from the first and last tales, everything in between is not in chronological order, which gets confusing. In one tale one character is dead and another is well-known; in the next tale the first character is living and the second one is unknown (just take the example of King Pellinore and Sir Percivale). All tales were obviously separate ones, and the reader, at some point, will simply stop trying to understand how Malory ever came up with such an order for his tales. If Malory (or his original publishers) had any idea in mind when they chose this setup of the tales, it will appear unclear to most readers.

One of the few good points of this book is that, since it was written in the late Middle Ages, it avoids to a certain extent the over-romanticization of the Middle Ages, which is what later authors, such as Sir Walter Scott, did to such an extent that even today we cannot think of the Middle Ages without having in mind the picture-perfect version of it (which I will not delve into -- I'm sure you know what I have in mind). Even though chivalry as described in the book has some romantic elements attached to it, it is never fully exploited, and "Le Morte d'Arthur" certainly does not fit the requirements to be classified into the romantic genre (which was not fully described until the nineteenth century). This book therefore does not use romanticism as we now know it. But this good point may also be one of the book's weaknesses, because the topic is a legend, and not fact. Because this subject is not historically accurate (and some parts of the book are hilariously improbable), Malory could not use realism to replace romanticism, and I believe that if he had used more romanticism in his book it would only have made it better. In the end, Malory used neither style, and this makes his writing style very dry. His characters are mere fighting machines with no emotional depth, his narration is action, action, and action: no description, either of his own characters or of the scenery (a castle is a castle, nothing more). The scenes he depicts cannot be located, for the setting is never described. Malory, above all, was an awful storyteller. He could only describe his characters jousting and fighting, and since this had nothing to do with the larger plot, this only lengthens the book for no reason. (If you want a modern comparison, just think of a public orator who just tells personal anecdotes that are not related to his topic.)

Furthermore, anyone interested in the Middle Ages has nothing to gain from reading this book. It holds no historical interest (apart from a study of the English language, but then I would not go for this modern rendition) for the reason that its subject is not based on fact and its description of society in the early Middle Ages is simplistic. This book is certainly no "Canterbury Tales", in which a lot can be learned about what was life during the Middle Ages. So if you are mainly interested in history I'd skip "Le Morte d'Arthur" and I'd go for "The Canterbury Tales" instead.

In conclusion, "Le Morte d'Arthur" is worth reading only if you have the patience to go through it, for this book is overlong and repetitive. Keith Baines's rendition makes this task easier, and his appendix on the main characters is very helpful if you intend to skip parts (which you should not do because the whole is chronologically inaccurate).

I don't read a lot. In fact, the only time I do read is when I am required to do so by a class. Such is the case with The Tales of King Arthur. But although I would never have read the book were it not for my fascinating English teacher, I must say that I have never read anything as intriguing as the Tales of King Arthur.

Getting used to the language isn't as difficult as some other reviewers are saying... At least it wasn't for me (and I'm an eighteen year-old high school student). You'll struggle through the first few pages but once you've got an ear for it the language comes natural (somewhat like reading Shakespeare - it takes time to adjust). I found nothing tedious about the book other than the somewhat unfocussed book of the Sangrail.

The characters are awesome, the language is awesome, the plots and emotions are awesome. If you read this from beginning to end you'll walk away with a sincere compassion for the characters and the inevitable death of the times.

I can't imagine bothering with a modernized version - the classic text is just so sweet.

This review applies to the abridged audiocassette version. I have not read the book, but I will, after hearing this wonderful reading by Derek Jacobi. His immaculate British accent truly brings to life this epic tale of King Arthur and his knights' adventures. I highly recommend this version and also: 'Excalibur' the movie, T. H. Whites' 'The Once and Future King', and also Carl Orffs' 'Carmina Burana - Empress of the World' - music which was featured in 'Excalibur'. These four put together can give you a truly grand starting experience of the Arthurian Legends.

My review of From Brothel to Ballot Box starts with a newspaper article which appeared in the Las Vegas Review-Journal several years ago. The gist of the article was that a woman named Jessi Winchester, Mrs. Virginia City, would be competing in Las Vegas for the title of Mrs. Nevada. What made this non-story newsworthy was that Ms. Winchester was a working brothel prostitute. The article headline trumpeted Mrs. Virginia City's occupation, and even ran a picture.

Competing in this pageant was one of the bravest things I had ever seen a woman do. I said to my wife, "This lady deserves some encouragement. She's going to need it." She agreed, and we sent a small check to Jessi Winchester, Mrs. Virginia City, Virginia City, Nevada to help defray the costs of competing in the contest. She wrote back a nice thank you note and described the 1880's gowns she had made for the event, enclosed a picture, and invited us to the pageant, which we couldn't attend. But we asked her to call to tell us the outcome as soon as it was over. She did, at the edge of tears, desperately hurt at the shoddy treatment she had received at the hands of her fellow contestants and of the contest organizers. I was and am ashamed of my fellow Las Vegans for their cruelty and bad manners.

A review of From Brothel to Ballot Box, unlike most book reviews, must start not with what it is but with what it isn't. This is not a polished piece of literature from the pen of a master wordsmith. It is not carefully crafted. Neither is it a puff piece designed to curry favorable reviews and achieve some ulterior purpose. Nor is it cautious and politically correct. The book, like the author, is intense, funny, insightful, sad, happy, hopeful, despairing, angry, thoughtful. But not in any particular order. It is written like a conversation one would have with a raconteur friend at the dinner table and over drinks by the fire. It is a book written from the gut. It is an "I am." It is "Credo."

Jessi Winchester is a romantic midwest farm kid who believes, truly believes the Fourth of July rhetoric that we used to hear from the bandshell in the city park after the parade. She believes that the promises of the Declaration of Independence apply to her personally, and to her countrymen individually and that the Constitution is the instrument to guarantee that they do. She believes in the notion that the most capable people should fill the toughest jobs. She believes in family and friends and loyalty and honesty and fair play. She is willing to take risks for what she believes in. And she believes in testing herself against the world.

She marries a cop, starts a family, goes through a divorce, takes up motorcycles and movie stunt work, and becomes a movie executive. And falls in love. Her new husband, Michael, is severely injured in a accident, and the family, now in Nevada, must have an income. So Jessi, after discussing the move at length with Michael and the kids, goes to work in a Nevada brothel. And thus begins the odyssey.

By the time the book ends, Jessi has taken us from the Mustang Ranch through two statewide contests for public office. The names of the Nevada politicians and party figures, some of whom I know personally, will mean nothing to most readers. They aren't necessary to the story, and their actions are undeserving of any ink from me. This is a book about an American willing to attempt great things and to overcome disillusionment by the hypocrisy of "the system." This is a book you will want to give to your sons and daughters and say, "Here is a woman to be proud of. Here is a woman who rises above petty labels and phony respectability to pursue worthy goals. Here is the kind of person an American should strive to be."

Jessi Winchester's book, FROM BORDELLO TO BALLOT BOX, shows the side of American politics we all knew about but hoped wouldn't happen (until shortly after it was published).

The book is remarkably endearing in discussing the author's life, from the stated date of her birth (you'd never think it) up to the writers' strike of 1988 which prompted her to leave an exeuctive job in Hollywood. A lot of autobiographies, even by and about "nice" people, don't show warmth or a range of emotion.

The part everybody wants to read, of course, is about the author's life as a courtesan. It is thankfully tame, with the most hair-raising parts detailing her relationships with other women of the brothels. There is also a separate section about Joe Conforte, a brothel-chain owner, which probably should have been moved to the discussion of brothel life. Conforte sounds and acts like a mobster, and appears to have had much to do in influencing hostile attitudes toward brothels.

Once Ms. Winchester gets into the political arena, the best parts are the friction between Northern Nevada (which is 99% of the state's area but barely half its population) and Las Vegas, which confirmed its reputation as Sin City in quite a new way. A parade of political figures, some of them difficult to follow, court votes in Vegas and ignore Reno, Carson City and other locations in the rest of the big state. No wonder, because Vegas seems to have billions of dollars to siphon off in corruption, making the rest of the state look like a quarter slot machine.

The book ends with an impassioned plea for third parties to combat the "annointment" system for candidates by Republicans and Democrats. This was written before the Reform Party disintegrated under Pat Buchanam's Presidential campaign, and also before Jesse Ventura (whom the author likes) began plans to announce for the Extreme Football League. It will undoubtedly leave a bad taste in the mouths of many supporters of the two major political parties, and require much careful planning and support of specific issues before independent candidates win many offices.

As an expose' of politics as usual, this book offers little hope. As an autobiography, it is a charm and is well worth reading as a story of setting up The American Dream and working toward it. And, whatever she might say, you know she is still working toward it.

Several books are on the market about Nevada's brothels. I have read three. One was by a madam and was quite interesting from her point of view. One was by a person who wasn't even part of the sex business and was doing a condom study instead at a brothel. Her book was not very good. From Bordello to Ballot Box was written by an actual working girl, which makes a huge difference. Not only does Ms. Winchester show the human side of sex workers, she battled the evil world of politics and made people see her as a human being. Her book is very compelling and brings a lot of emotions to the surface. I couldn't put it down.

If there is an interest in all manner of Winchester products, "Standard Catalog of Winchester" is an okay black and white price catalog of all sorts of items sold under the Winchester name. Even if you are not a Winchester collector, the contents are interesting to thumb through.

The firearms section is approximately 120 pages, which are virtually the same Winchester pages that appear in other Krause Publications such as "The Standard Catalog of Firearms" and "Fladerman's...", only expanded though the use of larger versions of the same pictures and illustrations. I only mention this duplication of content because, if you already have any of these other Krause publications, this book does not offer expanded or new information relating to firearms.

An excelent book for any Winchester fan! I found stuff I had no idea Winchester had manufactured. Highly Recomended.

This brand new, year 2000, 752 page softbound reference work contains everything you'll need and want to know about Winchester products. There are more than 90 very arge, sharp, full color photos and more than 2,500 great black and white photos. 2,500 major products are included and current values for more than 10,000 items. This is more than a picture-price guide. It's loaded with useful information for the Winchester enthusiast. Topics range from Winchester History, Firearms, Engraving, Cartridge Boxes, Shotshells to Reloading Tools and Supplies, Junior Rifle Corps, Pocket Knives, Fishing Equipment, Sports Items, Farm and Garden Tools, Axes, Carpentry Tools, Mechanic Tools, Kitchen and Household Appliances, Padlocks, Flashlights, and more and more. Wow !! There are even sections on Calendars, Posters, and Advertising and Trench Art. A Winchester enthusiast's dream come true. Items are easily located. I don't know what else could have been included in this book. Get it and enjoy, enjoy . . .