Olivia Holmes's book, originally a variation on her Doctoral thesis, traces the evolution of the phenomenon of the single-authored collection of poetry, in the light of the transition from oral tradition to vernacular writing in the Middle Ages. It starts from a consideration of the ramifications of the shift from the case of multi-authored anthologies of poetry to that of the single-authored collection, which expresses the writer's individual ideas and beliefs in poetry and writing.

The prose is lucid, and hard to fault for its immense clarity. In the book itself, Holmes shows a consideration of the text(s) she studies as products not only of an intimate engagement with historical-literary phenomena, but also as expressions of the authors' capabilities in writing and their self-reflexive dimensions of thought as poets writing either against or in line with inherited literary models of the Middle Ages(or both).

The book was indispensable to my work as a Honours student, because of the groundbreaking work it offered in relation to Dante's Vita Nuova, and the the study of Italian poetry's development as a whole during the Middle Ages. Culminating as part of a recent latent insurgence against the traditional opposition between medieval conformity and renaissance individualism within literary circles, Olivia Holmes's scholarly will prove rewarding, for its ability to prove medieval Italian poetry as a ground for laying down the foundations to both the expression and the psychological phenomenon of individualism itself.

Let me get my one negative comment, if that is what it is, out of the way at the beginning: Charles Viney's THE AUTHENTIC WORLD OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (the item currently for sale through Amazon.com) is an exact, page-by-page reproduction of SHERLOCK HOLMES IN LONDON, an earlier edition of the same material, now out of print. (The only differences are the title and dustjacket.) The book for sale here is well worth having, but you probably won't need both for your own collection, unless you're possessed of a "collecting mania" rivaling that of Baron Gruner's - Sherlockians will understand the reference. Therefore, be forewarned.

That caveat made, let me strongly recommend this excellent collection of period photographs, offered here at a very modest price. Viney has hit upon the wonderful idea of linking the images of the imperial city with Holmes's cases, accompanied by relevant extracts from the stories. He includes, as an appendix, a period ordnance map of London (c. 1888), where you can locate every major building, street, circus, alley and mew.

Now for Sherlockians the opportunity to spend more time with Mr. Holmes, which this lovely book provides, is self-recommending. Yet for a more general reader, whose interests might include history, Victorian culture and London, this book also has much to offer.

For in addition to creating Mr. Holmes, a figure who would become, as the OXFORD COMPANION TO ENGLISH LITERATURE notes, the most famous character in the literature of the world, another of Conan Doyle's great achievements was to deal through each case with an issue then current in contemporary British society. Bicycles are becoming the object of a fad, particularly giving women, literally, greater mobility, and you have THE ADVENTURE OF THE SOLITARY CYCLIST. Impoverished English nobles given to marrying wealthy American young ladies: THE NOBLE BACHELOR. The espionage that surrounds international power politics: THE NAVAL TREATY and THE BRUCE PARTINGTON PLANS. But even secondary details, only dealt with in passing - Londoner's love of Turkish Baths, for example, are displayed within the Holmesian canon, as in THE ILLUSTRIOUS CLIENT. All can be found as one spends time with the world's first consulting detective. Viney's book gives pictorial evidence of that London culture, physical clues as to how they lived then; how the great metropolis looked to the great sleuth who wished to know it with precision.

May I make one more suggestion? For those who love London as I do, whether you are a Sherlockian or someone with an interest in the capital city of Victorian culture, please check out Felix Barker's book LONDON IN OLD PHOTOGRAPHS. (Currently available through Amazon.com.) This too shows the great town through period photographs. As Mr. Barker has arranged them, these images will lead you on walking tours through London from the Strand to Saint Paul's; from the corner of Baker and Oxford Streets to the Bank of England. This too, is a book to treasure.

David Holmes is a visionary who has created, perhaps, the most comprehensive program anywhere of lifespan services for the autistic from early childhood through the adult years. This book is a must for educators and other professionals dealing with autism.

Mitchelson's study of the life of Sherlock Holmes is no work of fantasy; based fair and square on the facts, as related by Dr Watson and other Holmes critics and commentators, the result is a cracking good yarn that pulls up the accepted beliefs about Holmes and takes a good look at the roots. Holmes' unhappy childhood, dependence on drugs, and criminal activities are examined in depth, leaving the reader in no doubt that our preconceptions of Holmes, and his portrayal in the media, are very wide of the mark. To read this book is to challenge one's faith in the great detective's ability... but it is an important document, too, since it exonnerates several "crime lords" and "criminal masterminds" of the late Victorian period. I thoroughly recommend this book to any serious Sherlock Holmes fan. Chapter seven, especially, is breathtaking.

This is an excellent selection of classic BSI (Baker Street Irregulars) and other criticism on the Sherlock Holmes stories, with entries by such famous Sherlockians as Rex Stout, Vincent Starrett, Christopher Morley, etc. Most of the individual articles are available elsewhere, but as a compiliation of essential writings about Holmes this is hard to beat. Mr. Shreffler does a fine job of sorting the wheat from the chaff -- I have dozens of books on this subject, and if you are only going to purchase one Sherlockian book in your life (but who in their right mind would ever do that?), this book would be a fair choice.

Two potential caveats for newcomers: 1) I am not sure why this book is so expensive; perhaps the number of remaining copies is limited. When I acquired my copy a few years ago, it was substantially cheaper. If you're on a tight budget, you can probably get more Sherlockian bang for your buck elsewhere. 2) Keep in mind that this is almost entirely a compilation of SHERLOCKIAN criticism, as opposed to the more conventional brand. In other words, the articles proceed under the tongue-in-cheek assumption that Holmes & Watson were real people -- thus, this book will probably not help you very much if you are looking for sources for an academic, literary study of Doyle's work. If you are reading for personal enjoyment, though, and have the cash, it's great fun, and **highly** recommended.

A fine addition to this volume would be Shreffler's "Sherlock Holmes by Gas-Lamp", which includes highlights of the first 40 years of the Baker Street Journal.

This book is the perfect companion volume to Charter's biography of Kerouac, or to any other account of the Beat era. It is filled with over 100 of her best photographs. It is practically a photographic catalog of all the people you've read about but may never have put a face to: William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Gary Snyder, Gregory Corso, Robert Creeley, Diana di Prima, Lawence Ferlinghetti, John Clellon Holmes, Herbert Huncke, Philip Lamantia, Michael McClure, Peter Orlovsky, Kenneth Rexroth, Anne Waldman, Phil Whalen, and so many others. And these photographes are taken for the most part in their own homes and haunts- without that posed sense. Not only that, but the book's introduction, accompanying biographical sketches, and poems are a good introduction to the Beats in it's own right.

My only criticism lies, ironically, in the photos of Kerouac. The best Kerouac related photographs are of the funeral and gravesite. The rest are from the last days back in the late sixties when he was living at home with his mother and waiting for death. I'm not saying that these photos don't tell a story, but I wish they were more balanced. Of course, this also demonstrates that Charter's didn't actually meet Jack until well after the _On the Road_ years were gone.

Of yes, there is also a sizable section devoted to Ken Kesey, and the legendary bus, though I've never really seen him and his Merry Pranksters as Beats. Still, it's nice to see Kesey, his farm, and what remains of the bus....

Very informative, and a lot of fun to read. For new readers, a great introduction to Holmes and his world; for old-timers like me, a fun refresher course! Highly Recommended!

The Beginner's French Dictionary is designed for the true novice. If you are just starting out or getting a refresher course, then this book is excellent tool to increase your knowledge. It is the perfect size to carry on the bus or read at your desk at work (so you'll have no excuses for using it). Primarily it is a dictionary for reference, but it also serves as a great vocabulary builder. The use of whimsical illustrations add humour ensuring you'll memorise the correct language in the correct context. Overall I recommend this as a great resource for teaching yourself the basics of French.

This was an excelent book for my theme of weather for my second grade bilingual students. Carlitos is a bunny who dresses a scarecrow according to how the weather is. My students loved the book especially because of the adorable drawings.I loved it because it was it flowed so beautifully between both languages.

Holmes gives great insight into the military organization of the Roman army in Caesar's time, including great depth into siege techniques and legion formations. Holmes also reveals an abundance of information of Gallic History, so that the reader can recieve a well-rounded account Caesar's campaign