This book was painful to read. I got hooked on Jo Beverley's books back in the early 1990s when she was writing the small regencies. There, she focused on bringing light romance to a good story. Then, she moved into the heavier material.

This book is the perfect example why Jo Beverley's "Sensual" romances are only the genteel ladies' substitute for a porn movie. It was quite obvious that Beverley was not focusing on the plot of this book and putting romance into it. It seems that she simply wrote a few skanky sex scenes and put them in a book with a sketchy plot (with every contrived plot twist imaginable to let the characters have pre-marital sex, and lots of it). The characters here are harsh, bitter, and unlikable, especially the heroine. They deliberately hurt each, when they are not making vulgar and over-the-top suggestive remarks to each other. This is supposed to be romance?!?

However, this is Beverley and not as bad as many other similar books in the genre, thus saving the book from only one star. However, this is a very skippable book, even if one wants to read the Rogues and George series. Just check the book out at the library, read the back, read the first and last chapters, and move on to the next books of the series (that at least have some plot wrapped around the sex scenes).

Jo Beverley has always been an author who can make what seems to be a hackneyed plot seem fresh and new, and THE DRAGON'S BRIDE is no exception. In this tale, we meet Susan Kerslake and Con Somerford, reunited 11 years after an adolescent affair that ended very badly.

Con has come to Crag Wyvern to claim the inheritance he never wanted and never expected to get, but for the death of his older brother. The first person on his mind -- and the last person he wants to meet -- is Susan. Fate, naturally, is against our hero. He arrives to find a smuggling operation in place on the coast, and Susan in the thick of it. Not only that, but she is his housekeeper! Worse yet, he discovers that underneath all the anger, pain, and rejection of 11 years ago, he still wants her.

For her part, Susan expected to be gone by the time Con came to inspect his new holdings. But with her younger brother involved in the ages-old smuggling operation, and said operation being threatened by the government representatives and rival smuggling gangs, she can't leave. She is terrified when Con shows up so unexpectedly, for now she has to worry about his silence with regard to the smuggling. In addition, she is horrified to discover that she never stopped loving Con, that she had just boxed her feelings up inside, and all the love and regret from when they were 15 comes rushing back.

What makes this plot so unique is that there is no "big misunderstanding" to frustrate the reader: Susan and Con are very human and there is genuine blame in their brief affair, not the usual lack of trust that leads to ridiculous assumptions and partings. Nor is there is a huge mystery and terrifying villain to threaten our erstwhile protagonists, although the intrigue is still very present. Instead, this story provides stripped-down emotions, a visceral relationship between two very realistic and fallible people that is almost as wrenching to read as it would be to live. Another element that makes this story so beautiful is that without the "big misunderstanding" there is no "I hate you; no, I love you" nonsense going on. Con and Susan acknowledge their past and try to deal with it, but they work with each other, rather than against each other, in both their own relationship and in digging for secrets in the deeper past.

Some authors get sloppier or less appealing in their writing as they get more popular and publish more, but I have been delighted to discover that Ms. Beverley is certainly not among them. If anything, the writing in THE DRAGON'S BRIDE is better than in some of her previous works: a wonderful backdrop, witty and amusing secondary characters (including visitors from past works), and finally, fantastically strong and appealing protagonists. THE DRAGON'S BRIDE is on my keeper shelf, and highly recommended.

At the age of 15, Susan Kerslake mistakenly thought her new friend and first love, Con Somerford, was heir to a title. Learning the truth destroyed her dreams of the future with Con, and in her pain she cruelly hurt him. Now, a returning soldier after Waterloo, Con is a reluctant earl, and Susan his housekeeper. An unusual role for a gentlewoman, but she took the job to aid the Dragon's Horde, smugglers with ties to her family. Still attracted to each other, Con and Susan question each other's motives for acting on their desire. Once Con dreamed of being St. George. Now at Crag Wyvern, he is surrounded by dragons and believes himself more dragon than hero. Jo Beverley brings the story to life with complex, well motivated characters and a forbidding house. The intricate story has exactly the right touch of wit. For those who enjoy a Regency setting and an intelligent, sensual plot, The Dragon's Bride is a must read

Community Playhouse in Long Beach did the show this August. As it played, the plot didn't come through, but the wit of Shaw did. The playhouse didn't have the costumes of the military men, nor the actors to carry-off the pomp and bravado of these would-be heroes. In a time when G.W. Bush is fighting his own phantasmic enemies this play should have lapooned the whole spectre of military madness. George Bernard Shaw gave us the theme it will take some imagination and talent to make it contemporary and equal to the madness of our times. Anon

George Bernard Shaw takes the title for this play from the opening life of Virgil's epic poem the "Aeneid," which begins "Of arms and the man I sing." Virgil glorified war and the heroic feats of Aeneas on the battlefield. However, Shaw's purpose in this play is to attack the romantic notion of war by presenting a more realistic depiction of war, devoid of the idea that such death and destruction speaks to nobility. Still, "Arms and the Man" is not an anti-war drama, but rather a satirical assault on those who would glorify the horrors or war.

Shaw develops an ironic contrast between two central characters. The play begins with accounts of the glorious exploits of Major Sergius Saranoff, a handsome young Bulgarian officer, in a daring cavalry raid, which turned the war in favor of the Bulgarians over the Serbs. In contrast, Captain Bluntschil, a professional soldier from Switzerland, acts like a coward. He climbs up to a balcony to escape capture, he threatens a woman with a gun, and he carries chocolates rather than cartridges because he claims the sweets are more useful on the battlefield.

In the eyes of Raina Petkoff, the young romantic idealist who has bought into the stories of battlefield heroism, Saranoff is her ideal hero. However, as the play proceeds, we learn more about this raid and that despite its success, it was a suicidal gesture that should have failed. Eventually Saranoff is going to end up dead if he continues to engage in such ridiculous heroics. Meanwhile, we realize that Bluntshcil has no misconceptions about the stupidity of war and that his actions have kept him alive.

"Arms and the Man" is an early play by Shaw, first performed in 1894, the same year he wrote "Mrs. Warren's Profession." The ending is rather tradition for comedies of the time, with all the confusion between the lovers finally getting cleared up and everybody paired up to live happily ever after. The choice of a young woman as the main character, who ultimately rejects her romantic ideals to live in the real world, is perhaps significant because serving in the army and going to war is not going to happen. Consequently, her views are not going to be colored by questions of courage in terms of going to war herself. I also find it interesting that this play understands the horrors of war given that it was the horrors of World War I that generally killed the romantic notion of war in Britain.

A starving, exhausted soldier running for his life bursts into a young woman's room, finds outrage, criticism, solace, chocolate creams, and unexpected love -and that's just the opening scene. This clever, witty, subtle, and surprising treat from the author of Pygmalion still holds up well more than 100 years after its writing. Shaw fashions the subjects of false ideals, heroism, romanticism, and the fake glories of war into a well-constructed farce which sustains through the very last line. Can't wait to see a new production of the play, and a great read meanwhile....

I'm sorry, but this book is much too full of description and symbolism. If you juxtapose it to other short stories, I'm sure you will notice the negative difference. My advice is: Do not buy this book!! Find another one - you will enjoy it more! When you unpack the story, you'll find that the first paragraph is full of description about an empty ocean, all mysterious and strnage. Other settings are a ship deck and an L-shaped cabin. I think I need not say any more - this book is dreadful!

Conrad knew how to pack a punch in a small number of pages. He knew how to evoke dread. And he knew how to tell a story of the sea. It's not as involved or incredible as Heart of Darkness (but few things written in the English language have ever been)-- this little story about a stowaway is tightly told. Still, it will leave you with an appreciation of the abilities of a master.

Excellent book. Had to read it for class and loved it. Would recommend to anyone.

Perhaps best known for writing the Black National Anthem, Lift Every Voice and Sing , James Weldon Johnson wrote one of the first novels to probe the ambiguities of race, the novel The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man. As a boy, the fictional title character is sent North with his Mother to be raised in Connecticut. He does extremely well in school and is even something of a musical prodigy.

But, he is stunned when one day in school a teacher asks the white students to stand, and scolds him when he joins them. He confronts his fair skinned mother and she reveals that she is indeed black and his father is a white Southern gentleman. His father later comes to visit, and even buys him a piano, but the child is unable to approach and deal with him.

As a young man, the death of his mother & sale of their house leaves him with a small stake & he determines to attend college. Though qualified, he rules out Harvard for financial reasons & heads back down South to attend Atlanta University. However, his stake is stolen from his boarding house room before he can register & he ends up with a job in a cigar factory.

When the factory closes, he heads North again, this time to New York City and discovers Ragtime music and shooting craps, excelling at the one & nearing ruin in the other. A white gentleman who has heard him play enters into an exclusive agreement to have him play at parties & subsequently takes him along on a tour of Europe.

Inevitably, he is drawn back to America and to music. He tours the South collecting musical knowledge so that he will be able to compose a uniquely American and Black music. But his idyll is shattered when he sees a white lynch mob burn a black man. In the wake of this experience, he decides to "pass" for white--not due to fear or discouragement, but due to "Shame at being identified with a people that could with impunity be treated worse than animals."

Abandoning his musical ambitions, he takes a job as a clerk, does well investing in real estate & meets a white woman who he wishes to marry. After examining his conscience he decides to tell her that he is black. After taking some time to confront this fact, she consents to marriage.

As the novel closes, the "ex-colored man" tells us: "My love for my children makes me glad that I am what I am, and keeps me from desiring to be otherwise; and yet, when I sometimes open a little box in which I still keep my fast yellowing manuscripts, the only tangible remnants of a vanished dream, a dead ambition, a sacrificed talent, I cannot repress the thought, that, after all, I have chosen the lesser part, that I have sold my birthright for a mess of pottage."

And the reader can't help but feel profoundly ashamed of a system of racial oppression that forced a man to make these choices--a wonderful novel.

GRADE: B+

This is a tragic book in a lot of ways. It is a reminder that America has not fullfilled her promise to all of her children. It would be great to read a book like this as an object lesson in the bigotry of the past. We have made some progress but there is still much to be done. James Weldon Johnson produced a wrenching tale. That it is somewhat autobiographical adds to the ambivalent narration. First the narrator feels shame in his heritage but then grows to accept himself and feel pride in who he is. This tells a tale that America is often loathe to hear but it is important nonetheless. The aspect of a mulatto man passing for white is sad. One should be allowed to feel pride in multiethnicity. This is a horrible stain on our culture that so many people had to live in denial of who they really were. This book is a valuable document of America's dark side. I would hope that it experiences a much deserved revival now that evidence of Jefferson's relationship with Sally Hemmings has reopened the discussion on this sad piece of our history. Read this book and weep but most of all read this book and learn.

For a book which was first published in 1912, this is an amazingly relevant work for today. Johnson's novel (hidden in the form of an autobiography) graphically looks at relations between the races in American. The nameless main character is born in the South to an African-American mother and a white Southern aristocrat. He and his mother move to Connecticut when he is very young, allowing Johnson to show us the benevolent face of pervasive racism of the United States. Johnson avoids the easy "good" vs. "evil" view of the oppressed vs. the oppressors. Instead, the narrator becomes a permanent outcast, returning to the South upon the death of his mother and then to the ragtime era New York City. The style of the novel is clear and extremely readable--and very current. The end of the novel dives deep into the issue of racism, causing both black and white readers to question their long-held assumptions about who they are and who they appear to be to others.

Some modern Scottish thriller writers are contrasted (not always favourably) with two perceived greats of Scottish fiction - Robert Louis Stevenson and John Bucahn. I love Stevenson, the fast pace of his stories, and his characterisation. This was the first Buchan I read. While it will not be the last I felt a little disappointed.

The Thirty Nine steps is said to be one of the most important novels in the thriller genre. Featuring Richard Hannay a former South African miner, who is caught in a spy story, the effects of which may lead to war in western Europe.

The story is fast moving. Hannay is placed in predicament after predicament (like the Perils of Pauline) following the discovery of a body in his London flat. He escapes to Galloway, then Dumfriesshire (rural south west Scotland). Pursued by both police and foreign agents Hannay's life is at risk - and we witness his use of a number of disguises, and his experience as a mining engineer, in escaping each predicament.

At times the novel feels like a loosely related series of escapades, but the final chapters (as in Childers' The riddle of the sands) pull the disparate strands together satisfyingly. Fast paced with an appealing central character, the novel is recommended as a quick and easy entertainment. However, there are some flaws readers ought to be aware of.

In the Scottish sections of the novel Buchan writes the dialogue of the locals in dialect, contrasting this with the the "received pronunication" of the other characters. As a technique it appears to belittle the validity of the dialect spoken, and appears to patronise the locals. Although, Buchan's sleight here is countered by his portrayal of the locals. They share a certain cunning and deviousness. Additionally, the use of dialect (and a particular type of lowland Scots dialect) renders parts of the text difficult to follow.

Most concerning about the book is the inherent anti-semitism. Analgoies and metaphors rely on negative imagery of jews; and one of the characters (scudder) is overtly anti-semitic in his comments. While this was a prevalent attitude in a certain strata of British writing pre- World War Two, it jars today - and rendered parts of the novel, for this reader, offensive.

Buchan is certainly readable, but his work has dated. His influence is apparent in the work of Greene, and inherent in his work are the influences of American thriller writers of the early twentieth century, and Conan Doyle's Holmes, Challenger, and Brigadier Gerard stories.

If you enjoyed this novel you might want to try Graham Greene's Gun for sale; The Confidential Agent; Stamboul Train; and The Ministry of fear.

This 1915 espionage thriller will delight fans of Conon Doyle with a chain of "adventures" involving a chase, disguises, roll playing, an impossible escape, secret code, warplans, sudden promotion to the inner circle of Britain's defense establishment, mistaken identity, a trap, and clues galore. The vignettes are connected one to the next by miraculous coincidences, as in a dream, but the style is charming enough and the story short enough that you're willing to suspend disbelief long enough to see the end.

The main appeal is a Wordsworthian ramble through a rural scene populated by deep and knowing pastoral types, such as the roadman and the fly fisherman, though no Lucy, nor any available women at all to signify the potential future of a British race. All the characters are either aristocrats or peasants, befitting the narrator's acknowledged anti-middle class sentiments. Curiously, the hero himself is middle class, a mining engineer, though retired at 37 years old, idle but restless, and by nature the best picture of an English sport. He is Sherlock enhanced with amazing physical prowess.

Readers will notice disrespect towards police. Our hero throws a good punch right in a cop's face, and police are everywhere ineffectual. In today's prosecutorial climate, our hero would be in for a 10-year felony.

Anti-semitism: It's there, it reflects the times, of course. However, I must say it's far worse than charmless. It's insistent, each time sudden, and gratuitous, violent, and associated with images of extermination. Towards the end of the book, our hero expresses mild condescension towards anti-semitism, not a satisfactory rebuke.

This book offers a minimum of political background to WWI. Don't pick it up for a slice of life. It' for people who just can't get enough of Sherlock.

A great espionage thriller, involving danger, murder, and the future of England, set just before World War I. The pace is fast, and it makes for a quick but enthralling read. It was the basis for the very popular film by Alfred Hitchcock, made in 1935, starring Robert Donat.

Better than mediocre, but not quite as good as four stars, this book is worth reading, if for no other reason than to give one a feel for the origins of the science-fiction genre. Granted, Wells is not the originator or the genre; that title probably belongs to Jules Verne, but Wells is one of the earliest contributors to the development of science fiction. "The War Of The Worlds", "The Time Machine", and "The Invisible Man" are all among the earliest treatments of seminal concepts that later become standards of the genre, and are all reasonably interesting treatments of basic ideas, treatments which are later surpassed as subsequent writers build upon the basic idea and try novel variations upon them.

As a story in its own right, this book is interesting, but has a few flaws: the explanation offered for why the main character chose NOT to use theatrical makeup to "pass" when he needed to seem normal was unconvincing (it would take too long to remove if he needed to suddenly be invisible; not nearly a sufficiently compelling consideration to offset the obvious advantages of being able to pass in normal society). Further, since he mentions that his earliest test of his procedure turned a piece of cloth invisible, it seems silly that he didn't make himself invisible clothes to avoid the rather obvious disadvantage of needing to be naked in order to be properly invisible, during an English winter (which is when he made his experiment.) Nor does it make any sense that he would become visible once dead; if his flesh was invisible, it should have remained so.

Still, in spite of all these quibbles, it is a very interesting book, and well worth the reading.

When a strange man, wearing bandages and dark glasses comes into town, the city of Iping, tongues begin to wag. But, when strange things begin to happen, the town soon finds itself facing a nightmare in the form of an invisible man. Mr. Griffin was never filled with the milk of human kindness, and when a scientific experiment leaves him invisible, he decides that the mores of the common people no longer apply to him. And now, now that he feels threatened by the entire world, he decides that the entire world will feel his wrath.

This book is one of the crowning examples of nineteenth century fantastic fiction. It is an early work of science fiction, but it is much more than that. Mr. Wells wrote this story as something of a lesson about scientists playing God, and placing themselves above normal people. So, if you are interested in early science fiction, or in a rousing good story with a thoughtful lesson, then I highly recommend this book to you!

I have read most of the popular works of H.G. Wells (The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, The First Men in the Moon, and The Island of Dr. Moreau) and this was my favorite. The Invisible Man is an entertaining book, but what it really makes you think about is WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU COULD GET AWAY WITH ANYTHING? Is man inherently EVIL, and simply obeys the constraints of society because he is afraid of getting caught, or is man inherently good? This is the question that Wells tries to answer in this book, and you'll find the book well worth the time. I recommend this book to all lovers of good science fiction; enjoy!

I was disappointed in Microsoft Reader's inability to print. I like the concept of near instant availability for e-books, but prefer to read from the printed page instead of staring at a computer screen. Funny, too, how I found out I couldn't print my document until after I had purchased this e-book and installed the Microsoft Reader software (with the additional step of having to "activate" a pc for it). In fact, Microsoft Reader's Help section doesn't make mention of the fact that one can't print its documents. A search in the help topics only produces the result that the word "print" can't be found.

I'll avoid the Microsoft Reader e-book format in the future.

Really Really boring, don't think anyone should waste their time reading this garbage. Horrible!

I have read many versions of Uncle Vanya, but this edition is an up-beat, funny, and, ultimately wonderful version of the excellent story by one of Russias beloved writers. I was looking for the right edition to use in my school for the school play, and this edition the kids could connect to. It dosen't have a lot of that Shakespere mumbo-jumbo that you have to read 50 times. This is accesible and very good. rock on David Mamet.

OF COURSE you will want to read Little Men, which is the sequel to Little Women. Little Men is in no way as good as Little Women, though it is a good sturdy children's classic.

In Jo's Boys, the story is finished out. The boys mature and we learn what happens to them. Some fare well, others don't prosper. This is what makes Jo's Boy's somewhat somber in nature. Alcott notes the passing of Marmee, and others depart as well. A sadder tale, and a bittersweet end to the saga of the March family. A funny tidbit is the appearance of fans to bother Mother Bhaer (Jo). Alcott afflicts her alter-ego with the same annoyances that the fans created for her after Little Women. One uninvited admirer even cadges a postage stamp from her desk. A bit of real-life levity in an otherwise subdued book.

Even if not up to Little Women's literary heights, Jo's Boys is a must-read if you want to know how it all turned out. (And who can resist that!)

This is a story of how the 'Little Men' turned out. Will Tom be able to get Nan to marry him? Or will Nan turn him down? What about Dan? Does he ever marry? And what about the 'Princess'? Will Mrs. Meg Brooke ever let Nat marry Daisy? Read the book to find out the rest of the story!

This book is a sequel to Little Men and is about the same characters. The childish bond between both the boys and girls has been replaced with a stronger bond of affection. Little Josie has finally grown and wants to be an actor, little Ted has his friend, but will Nat truly be able to marry Daisy? The childish affection has turned into real love, but will it always remain? Will Dan get out of jail? If not, what will happen to him? All these questions will be answered. This book takes the lives of all the characters in Little Men and goes until the end of their youth. BUT BEWARE, THIS BOOK CANNOT BE READ WITHOUT FIRST READING LITTLE MEN. This will be appropriate for children, but I recommend it more around the age of 10 and 11. I myself read it when I was 8 or 9, but I understand it better when I read it now. Enjoy!! Cheers!!!!! : )

This is the first book in Trollope's 6 part Barchester series. While the subject matter, the intrigues surrounding clerical life in a fictional English cathedral town, might put you off, don't let it. Trollope wrote fantastic characters. While it's sequel, Barchester Towers, is even better, this is an excellent short introduction both to the series and to Trollope's writing as a whole. (Incidentally, the BBC TV series `Barchester Chronicles' is a really good adaptation of both `The Warden' and `Barchester Towers'.)

This is a simple, short novel dealing with the ethical dilemma of a virtuous man. The Reverend Harding is the warden of a small home providing quarters for 12 retired, indigent workers. The facility is provided for by a trust set up by its founder over two hundred years ago. Income off the land provides revenue for the maintenance of the home and a living for the warden.. The warden has traditionally been the benefactor of this income which has increased over the years. The Rev. Harding is a gentle, honest man who has never given thought to his 800 pound annual revenue until a young reformer files suit, claiming the intent of the will is being violated. Harding thinks about the matter and is inclined to resign. The Bishop and Archdeacon argue that he is entitled to the income.

This book certainly would be a good one for a book club read and discussion. The reformer, the lawyers, the church hierarchy and Reverend Harding all have their views on the matter. Author Trollope does not really pass final judgment on his characters; none of them are cast in black and white terms. In fact Trollope makes the unusual move of bringing a criticism of both the press and Charles Dickens into the novel. The press makes strident value judgments about issues without bothering itself with all the facts or considering the effect their articles will have on the people involved; Charles Dickens treats people as being all good or all bad. Indeed, I found myself arguing with myself for several days after reading The Warden. What should the Rev. Harding done? Was the issue shrouded in shades of gray, or was it clear cut one way or the other?

Many critics consider this to be one of Trollope's lesser works, yet to me it is a very interesting, valuable presentation of an ethical dilemma. And for readers who are reluctant to pick up Victorian novels because of their common 700+ page lengths, this is a little gem at less than 300 pages. Criticism? Well I did a bit of eye-rolling during some of the melodramatic passages. All and all, though, this is an excellent read. From an historical standpoint there was considerable attention being paid to clergy income during this period in England. Trollope's tale was very timely in this regard.

One final note. There are many outstanding Victorian novels that I would give a five star rating to. This book doesn't quite fit into that hall of fame so I have given it just 4 stars, which shouldn't be interpreted as a slight to Mr. Trollope or The Warden.

I first read Anthony Trollope's book "The Warden" in 1995 at the age of 54; three years later I had finished all forty-seven Trollope novels, his autobiography, and most of his short stories. "The Warden" provides a necessary introduction to the Barsetshire Novels, which, in turn, provide a marvelous introduction to rural Victorian society, and its religious, political, and social underpinnings. However, "The Warden" is a small literary masterpiece of its own, even though the more popular "Barchester Towers" tends to obscure it. "The Warden" moves slowly, of course, but so did Victorian England; soon the reader is enveloped in a rich world of brilliantly created characters: in the moral dilemma of a charming and innocent man, Reverend Septimus Harding, who is probably the most beloved of all Trollope's characters; in the connivings of Archdeacon Grantly, who will become a significant force in the later Barsetshire novels; in Eleanor, an example of the perfect Victorian woman, a type that appears in many of Trollope's subsequent novels; and in the sanctimonious meddling of John Bold, whose crusade for fairness throws the town into turmoil. In modern terminology, "The Warden" is a "good read" for those readers with patience, a love of 19th century England, and an appreciation of literary style. Trollope's sentences have a truly musical cadence. "The Warden" was Trollope's fourth novel and his first truly successful one. It provides a strong introduction to the other five novels of the Barsetshire series, where the reader will meet a group of fascinating characters, including the Mrs. Proudie (one of Trollope's finest creations), the Reverend Obadiah Slope, and the Grantly family. The reader will soon find that Trollope's well-developed characters soon become "friends," and that the small cathedral town of Barchester becomes a very familiar and fascinating world in itself. It is a wonderful trip through these six novels. (I read all six in about three weeks.) But one must begin with "The Warden." Brew a cup of tea, toast a scone on a quiet evening, and begin the wonderful voyage through Trollope's charming Barchester. When you have finished the six novels, you may, like me, want to commence reading the Palliser series (another six novels) and follow Plantagenet and Glencora Palliser through their triumphs and travails! However, that remains another story.

This review has nothing to do with how the book treats Wicca or witchcraft. The only question I want to answer here is how good a collection of illustrations on this historical/mythological subject it is, and the answer is: not very good at all. The quality of the illustrations is terrible for the most part. While there are some decent reproductions, most look like someone put a sheet of onion-skin paper up to a wall in some medieval church and hastily traced the picture underneath, all the while looking over his shoulder to make sure the caretaker wasn't approaching. And if you are looking for some good explanatory text, don't hold your breath. Aside from captions below each illustration identifying artist and source, there are no more than two or three introductory sentences PER CHAPTER. Better quality reproductions and some good research and interpretive text could have made this a scholarly tome. As it stands, it seems more like an attempt to make money off a collection of old tracings that were lying around in someone's grandmother's attic.

Its great to see history about witchcraft and deamons and so on. Some of the pictures are somewhat disturbing and yet understandable where and how the ignorance of the 16th century began. Please remember, that this book barely has words; its just pictures and nothing else, so, buy it if your a history buff in witchcraft and the occult.

I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting but when I got the book and viewed the pictures I only found a little more than a dozen that were useful or interesting for my purpose. However, if you are an art student or just interested in the occult or demonology then this book will provide some unique and intriguing pictures.