Barry Windsor-Smith's second volume of his metaphysical autobiography is much better designed than the first and features some rather nice comicbook-style drawings, but it feels less "meaty" than Opus 1, despite being slightly longer. There is simply not enough works included that represent why he's deserving of a pricey second art book. Regardless of his goals, Barry Windsor-Smith is a comic artist best known for being the first to handle Marvel's adaptation of Conan. That's pretty much his legacy. His subsequent poster business and ultimate return to comics all hinged on the impact of his Conan comics nearly 30 years ago. The samples included in Opus 2 that illustrate his significance to comics and fantasy art in general are welcome--there's just not enough of it. Instead the book leans heavily toward Smith's stiff and pale Rossetti and Burne-Jones imitations. Perhaps they are meant to compliment his meandering text as he tries to explain his supposed paranormal experiences in 1973, but they become tiresome quickly. For all his pronouncements and posturing, Smith seems to have reached a plateau early in his career and simply stopped challenging himself. He has very little to say artistically and appears to be trying to make up for it with New Age babble about his precognitive links to Roger Waters. I don't think I'll return for Opus 3.

The reviews of OPUS 1 and 2 are pretty much divided between people who either think OPUS was the worst artbook they ever bought or people who thought it was the best. I personally belong to the last category. And I think the reason is that I didn't buy it with the expectations of this being 'just another artbook'. I dunno how this book has been promoted, but I think it is very clear from the backcover and inner covers that this is as much an autobiography as it is an artbook. But if you do have high expectations about this being mostly an artbook you're going to be disappointed (maybe), because there simply isn't enough of all the beautiful art!! Aside from that: if you think you have had paranormal xps you will obviously appreciate the book very much. But even if you are 'just' an openminded person who would like to know more about the man behind the art, you will still appreciate Barry's descriptions of his extraordinary xps and his honesty about all the doubt, confusion and fear of ridicule (and of alienation from friends and family) associated with such xps. It doesn't matter if these experiences point to an objective reality or if it was just a wee bit too hot that summer in NY. What does matter is that he had the guts to do it: To show what moves him. And his art. If people don't like it or understand it, well ... That's their loss, I guess. On a final note: I find it baffling that some reviews (for OPUS 1) actually claimed Barry couldn't draw very well, due to 'problems with proportions' and so on. Yeah, well Michelangelo isn't very good, either ... or Boticelli for that matter. All crap, really. Just like Barry Windsor-Smith ... :)

The murder of Sir Harry Oakes and the subsequent investigation, together with a supreme cast of characters, cries out for some actual literary talent to come to bear on the subject. Unfortunately, very little in the way of ability is evident here. Sir Harry Oakes was one of the early land merchants of Nassau and a friend and cohort of various British social luminaries of the post-WWII-era, including the Duke and Dutchess of Windsor. What could be a compelling account of his mysterious murder, which has never been solved to satisfaction to this day, is instead a clumsily written attempt at conspiracy grasping and groundless guessing on Marigny's part. The actual writing was no doubt done by Mickey Herskowitz, who has been paid to ghost-write numerous books. For those who have spent enough time on the island to be acquainted with its history and legends, this is the only source I'm aware of for any treatment of the story. That's a shame.

I found A Conspiracy of Crowns very good. As far as I know there are 3 books written concerning this offically unsolved mystery. Only Alfred de Marigny gives a first hand account of the events surrounding it. I lived in Nassau 14 years after the occurrence, and rumours and stories continued to abound even then. The conclusions that Mr. de Marigny came to regarding the perpetrators of this crime are very logical and feasible.
Following Alfred de Marigny's acquittal of the false accusations against him, of the murder of Sir Harry Oakes; a publisher asked him to write his account of the events. He agreed, but after his life was twice threatened, he did not have the book published until decades later.

I am not by temperament a royalist and certainly not a Tory (350 years ago I would have been found - *given the circumstances of the time* - on the side of the Commonwealth, though nearer John Lilburne than Cromwell). So I'm open to persuasion that it might sometimes be worthwhile uprooting old constitutional arrangements in favour of shiny new ones. The French did it at least eight times in the past couple of centuries; still, there might be something to be said for it.

Prof. Haseler starts by observing - I paraphrase - that Monarchy is bad (this applies in particular to the supposedly house-trained British variety, alleged to have been responsible for the decline of the nation to a point where we have only the fourth largest economy in the world and a derisory international presence); on the other hand a Republic is good. This he repeats in different keys, pointing out inter alia that there is no such thing as Englishness, let alone Britishness, but that will be no problem once we come into the EU apotheosis (what would God's Englishman or even Freeborn John have thought of that?). He goes on repeating it for 200 pages.

Am I persuaded by any of this? No. To be blunt, things have changed in the ten years since the book was written, and some of the Prof's strictures now look quaint. The British polity has its problems, but the monarchy is the least of them (the exact opposite of 350 years ago). The moral is: if it ain't broke, don't write a book on how to fix it. Sorry if I sound flippant, but the republican movement will have to do better than this if it wants my vote.

Ignore the picture on the cover. This is NOT a "Diana" book and it was written years before she died.

This is an extremely well-written critique of the institution of the British monarchy and it's survival to the present day at the heart of a supposedly democratic system of government. It's author is a Professor of Government Studies and also chair-person of Republic (the UK Republican Society).

The book systematically demolishes traditional arguments put forward by royalist constitutional experts, and clearly puts forward the case for a smooth transition to republican government under a written constitution when the present Queen's reign comes to an end. It attempts to explain the failure of the short-lived republic which followed Britain's 17th century revolution, and exposes the negative influence of the monarchy on the nation's social, political and economic well-being.

Although it is now several years old, it is still a very important book for anyone in Britian interested in constitutional reform. It is also good reading for Americans who come to Britain as tourists and think that the monarchy is cute, quaint and entertaining. The monarchy is none of those things. It's power, although cloaked in the language of democracy is still real and threatening.

I bought this book to learn how to Swap a EFI 5.0 in my old '67 Mustang, because it has a whole chapter devoted to it. It told me nothing more than what I already learned before from the Windsor-Fox. I looked over the rest of the book at its information about engine rebuilding, and found it just as worthless. If you want to learn how to Swap an EFI 5.0, you'll just be wasting your money on this book, and if you are looking to rebuild your engine, this book is a waste of your time. There are so many better books that cover performance engine rebuilding out there.

This was a pretty good book as far as showing you how much power certain combinations make. Nothing in this book is terribly enlightening though if you're a regular reader of Hot Rod, Car Craft and other high-performance magazines. But it's fairly comprehensive. It does not get into engine theory much or the process of engine building/assembly at all.

Almost as good as the Mathis book. It covers a lot of performance companies, including Saleen and Vortech. The only thing I didn't like was the retrofitting chapter where the author tells you how to retro fit a 302 into an old muscle car. It should've been spent on fitting a 351W into a SN95 V6 engine bay; now that would've help me more.

Every book must be judged on its own terms. Having just read Ms. Kelley's book, I accept it for what the author obviously intended it to be - tabloid gossip (which has its place in our society) wrapped it the aura of solid historical research. The book succeeds well as an exhaustive collection of passed down whispers and carefully extracted negative opinions and mean-spirited, flip comments from dozens of interview subjects. However, it fails very seriously as any kind of reliable or astute presentation of historical facts - let alone a fair or reliable interpretation of these events. It's rather distressing to read so many comments here on Amazon from people who think they have received an education in historical fact from Ms. Kelley's book.

My name is Michael John Sullivan and I am a scholar of royal history. My latest book, "A FATAL PASSION - The Story of the Uncrowned Last Empress of Russia", covers much the same territory as Kelley's. But it doesn't take a specialist to find the many factual errors Kelley has made. A trip to the history department of any local community college could have set matters correct on a number of issues. It's really astonishing that with all the resourses Ms. Kelley had at her disposal and all the assistance and money she received that a simple check of facts could not have been conducted.

To detail everything incorrect would take far too much space here, but let's just take the first page of her beginning chapter (2) after the introduction - and the very first point that she attempts to make in the book. Kelley writes on page 5 that until l9l7 "many English kings never spoke the King's English. They spoke only German . . .

This is utterly absurd! George I spoke German when the House of Hanover was imported to England at the beginning of the l8th Century, but his son learned English, and his grandson George III by the time of the American Revolution was a thorough Englishman. The monarchs of England may have kept marrying German spouses, but the children were brought up intensely British and spoke English as their first and foremost tongue. George IV was as English as Nigel Bruce, and Queen Victoria was obviously not a German-speaking monarch, nor her son, the very British Edward VII.

How on earth Kelley can begin her book with such a ludicrous and false premise is beyond credibility. She obviously wants to impress the importance of the changing of the Royal Family's name from a German one in l9l7 to a created English one - but in so doing she totally fabricates and distorts and starts the reader off with a completely false sense of English Royal history. Her tendency to dispense with facts continues throughout the book as gossip is championed at the expense of simple, logical explanation - should the proper facts not be ignored. Dates, names, and relationships time and again are incorrectly stated.

What a shame. When a small press tightly budgets a minor book, such oversights can be explained away. But what is the excuse of a multi-million dollar project such as this that had everyone from the CEO of Time-Warner on down being credited by Kelley in her introduction as having been deeply involved. History can be both fascinating AND correct, and it was sad that Kelley couldn't achieve both.

What a fun book and that's all it is. There is nothing new in this book, well maybe a few things, but nothing that is going to make you drop open your mouth in shock. I've read other reviews here, and I'm finding people are taking this book much too seriously. It's just fun, Everyone loves a little gossip and that's all this is. Read it and have fun with it, don't start harping on what is real and what isn't. Just read, laugh and enjoy. Nothing in here is really nasty...to anyone. The only reason it was banned in the UK is because it would be real easy for the ROYALS to sue Ms. Kelly. I have to give this book five stars, it's just too rich...and really some fun reading. By the way the cover is GREAT! Pick it up, have a cup of tea, and enjoy. It's worth it!!! Trust me.

"The Royals" is a book every monarchist and republican should read. If the monarchy is to survive, this is the book that clearly states what its faults are and how the monarchy can become more human. Republicans will find plenty of arguments for their point of view as well. The book's most important aspect, I think, is that it makes the Windsors appear remarkably human. Here is King Edward VIII, whose love cost him the throne; the unsure George VI; the cold and aloof Elizabeth II; the brave and tragic Princess Diana; and many other people. The reason why Kitty Kelley is so reviled in some circles is because she paints people as they are, not the way the official version makes it out to be. I think that the book's biggest argument is that the old ceremonies and etiquette need to be updated before they bring down the monarchy. The book is very detailed, giving a good look at the humans behind the glamour.

Unless you have NEVER read a SINGLE book on Diana and Charles, you will not find a scrap of new information here. I did not find a sentence that I have not read at least 10 times before. Additionally, it left out too much important information to be be a good, all-inclusive read.

As the Camilla PR campaign continues in the UK, it's helpful to remember her role picking out the "perfect mouse" for her lover to marry. As Diana herself expressed the dilemma: "there were three of us in the marriage so it was a bit crowded".

Camilla selected the girl she thought would be too timid to object to the longrunning Charles/Camilla affair; slept with her lover days before the royal wedding, gave him trinkets and pictures to take with him on his honeymoon... no wonder Diana grew to hate both her husband and the "Rottweiler". One also wonders if Princes William and Harry will ever learn of the role Camilla (Queen Camilla) played in making their late mother so unhappy. The saga continues and I hope Christopher Wilson is there to cover it in his next book.

Cold Fusion starts off well. A young Neurosurgeon Mhairi Magnusson is contracted by Zygote technologies to examine recently awakened coma patient John Cope. John remembers little from his past and as she starts to piece together his memory she learns of the lies and manipulation of Zygote. THe rest of the story follows their hectic escape from the lab. I won't spoil the ending, weird as it is for you.

"The Duchess of Windsor: The Secret Life" purports to shed scandalous light on the life and times of Wallis Warfield Spencer Simpson Windsor. Higham paints the Duchess as a sometime spy, a Nazi-sympathizing party girl, and the dominating figure in the life of her weak, dim husband. At the same time, he touts her vaunted personal charm, fashionable elegance, and supposed genuine affection for the man who surrendered his throne to marry her.

Unfortunately, the author's slapdash writing (replete with repetitive facts and anecdotes and endlessly laced with self-congratulatory details of his mostly unrevealing research) mean that "The Secret Life" doesn't even read well as mindless escapism. Higham's great revelations -- that the Duchess faked some details of her life as a military wife in China, and that the Windsors' contacts with various Fascist sympathizers were more substantial than they themselves were willing to reveal -- are hardly surprising in the context of a life devoted almost entirely to self-gratification and hedonistic consumption.

"The Secret Life" fails to convince the reader of anything except the almost overwhelming mediocrity of its subject, and by extension her hapless consort. Nothing fades faster than news of yesterday's parties; much the same is true of the once glittering and romantic legend of the Duchess of Windsor.

I have read the Hornblower series twice and the Aubrey/Maturin series three times and I looked forward to reading another Britanic Naval series when I began Kent's Bolitho series. The series began strong but towards the end (somewhere around "Success to the Brave") the series started running out of gas. It appeared to me that the publishers requested Kent to pad the books with inane story lines (or they themselves committed the sin) in order to extend the series (at nearly US$15/book) to increase their profit. I got to the point that when I read the one of many over used phrases, such as "blood ran from the scuppers as if the ship itself was mortally wounded", I put the book down in disgust. Futhermore, I would occasionally read a few pages that reminded me of the better written books that began the series, affirming my belief that a much less talented individual had a hand in the completion of the series. I suggest to anyone looking for another Aubrey/Maturin series to pick up O'Brian's "Master and Commander" and reread that series. However, if you do pick up the Bolitho series stop investing in the books when it becomes obvious to you that the publishers are padding the stories.

I read the first 16 or 17 Bolitho books in a hurry, 4 or 5 years ago, and enjoyed them quite a bit. Recently I picked up this one and was very disappointed. Rather than a good story of action and history, that I had come to expect from the author, this recent edition was dedicated almost entirely to Bolitho and Catherine mooning about each other and lamenting their separations.

This is by far the longest book in Kent's Bolitho series. Unlike most books earlier in the series Bolitho spends considerable time on shore iintimately nvolved with his illicit love, Catherine, and then when he is at sea again passionately longing for her. The brave stories of a scared little midshipman who eventually finds his courage, or the lieutenant who excels despite having lost half his face are nearly lost behind Bolitho's obsessive anxieties over his separation from the bold Catherine. Bolitho, now half blinded, is showing signs of tiring and retiring. The series has become a study in the accumulated effects of endless time at sea and in fighting sharp and desperate actions. Bolitho, always deeply concerned with his men, has progressively lost the closest colleagues on whom he had depended, "we happy few," an' that's no error. Still there are flashes of the old outer heroics while fighting the Dutch for Cape Town, on a secret mission to Copenhagen, and coming to the rescue of his troubled friend Herrick at sea.

I hated it and if it was possible to give this book lower than a one, trust me I would! The plot is also slow moving and the description is horrid!
The relationship between the young girl and the man who's over thirty is appalling and the characters have almost no personality. The mood is darker and depressing but the plot is simply stupid- sorry to say. My thoughts: Read this book if you wish but don't be too dissapointed if it's nothing spectacular... It will keep you busy at least.

(PLOT: A young girl who's mother places no trust in her sends her off to help out an old friend with her children in England. While in England weird things begin to happen, the woman sufferes from a mysterious illness and Maris- the main character keeps hearing people come in and out at around 3am and hears someone being sick and finds blood in the bathroom.
To make a long story short Maris ends up trying to find out this family's secrets and falls in love with the father who is like 20 years older than her and gets entangled in a swirl of dark secrets, family fueds, death, and werewolves.)

I liked "The Blooding" as it was a bit more subtle and creepier then "Blood and Chocolate" which it sometimes gets compared to. It is not a very fast paced book but it still a good read. I suppose the bottom line is what sort of werewolf story you prefer.

I enjoyed reading the book and it was very interesting how everything came out in the end. I gave the book four stars because it was probably one of the best books that I have ever read.I liked how Maris dealt with everything and how determined she was not to leave England. I couldn't put this book down because I wanted to see what else was going to happen. The suspense never stopped and that's one of the things that made me more interested in the book. I hope to see a second part to this story because it interested me very much.