This masterpiece by Doctor Victor of Hamilton High School is the primary example of what makes modern literature so great. Replete with exciting sequences, surprise twists and turns, rich diction, and tone changes, this mystery book has had a gigantic impact on me. Its eloquent account of the adventures of Holmes and Watson, with their searing downfalls and courageous successes, proves once again that Hamilton High School is the greatest school ever and that Doctor Victor is the best teacher ever. No, I don't need an A (I graduated in 1998); all I want is to pay homage to the great author of the suspensful thriller. Doctor Victor, We remember you and love you. I think this goes for everyone.

I'm in Dr. Victor A.P. class and although I haven't read the book the plot and story line sound interesting. I will soon buy the book and add it to my collestion of books which will be a pleasure to have. Get one of the best books of the 20th century. Hey all in the class and to you Dr. Victor! This should be an "A" in the class,don't you think Dr.Victor. Per.3 "01"

Dr. Daniel Victor is one of the greatest authors of the 20th century. His use of diction and syntax in all the right place makes The Seventh Bullet enjoyable to read. Also I am in his AP English class and could really use a good grade in that class. Whatever my fellow classmate Mike said is all true. Casey Per. 3 '01

I first read Baring-Gould's biography back in 1975, and it was my first REAL exposure to The Game -- the treatment of Sherlock Holmes as a living person and the art of speculating about The Master's life from the clues dropped by Watson in the original stories. I'm delighted that this book is still available.

Baring-Gould presents as good a chronology of the Doyle tales as anyone, and he "fills in the blanks" delightfully. (Imagine Holmes fighting a prehistoric bird in hand-to-talon combat on the deck of a freighter! It's true!!)

Baring-Gould obviously had a damn good time writing this extraordinary, and definitive, biography of Sherlock. And if you've already devoured the original 60 stories, dive into this book. Then set it alongside your copies of the Doyle books. It deserves a place there.

Baring-Gould is the greatest chronicler of the Holmesian canon. His annotated version is a must for every enthusiast. Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street is the biography of the man, put together from the many stories. "It was the year in which Henry David Thoreau wrote Walden...."."Unaccountably, the Almanac fails to list perhaps the most memorable event of that same memorable year. It was the birth, in the early hours of the morning of Friday, January 6, of a third and last son to Siger and Violet Holmes, at the farmstead of Mycroft in the North Riding of Yorkshire, England, a district famous for its horse-breeding stables and its wind-swept--"wuthering" - heights." You will read about the birth of the man, his family, his brother, etc. You will enter with him into his friendship with Watson (also Watson's youth) and their adventures. Please bring this book back in print. It is a must.

W.S. Baring-Gould's classic biography of Holmes is brilliant from start to finish. Arguably the greatest Sherlockian scholar ever, Baring-Gould assembles the details of Holmes's life from isolated references in the canonical stories and indulges himself in some inferential reasoning as to some of the missing information: he contends, for example, that a certain well-known U.S. consulting detective is actually the child of Holmes and Irene Adler. (Some of his speculations on other matters have been borne out by the discovery of a lost manuscript published by Nicholas Meyer under the title _The Seven Per Cent Solution_.)

Readers of this work will also want to find a copy of Baring-Gould's masterly _The Annotated Sherlock Holmes_ if possible. These kids writing Holmes pastiches today just don't know what the hell they're doing :-).

I was lucky enough to study abnormal psychology with the author, Dr. Holmes, at the University of Kansas. Like his classes, his textbook is fascinating, easy to follow, and to the point. Every principle is backed up with evidence and examples. This is one college textbook I intend to keep.

This book is incredibly informative and also fun to read. The presentation of the material is very clear and concise, and the case studies are fascinating. I enjoyed reading the textbook so much that I actually read ahead, which I can't say happens in very many of my other classes! This is a terrific book and well worth the price.

I am a psychology student (in Greece) & I bought this book to help me with an abnormal psychology course that I'm taking this year. I searched in Amazon for the best textbook on the subject, & read that this one is probably the best one. I was very happy to find out, after using it this semester, that that's probably true. Of course I haven't read all the other textbooks on the same subject, still I can easily recommend this book.

I appreciated D.Holmes conversational style, I found his numerous examples very helpful. I also appreciated the fact that his book is very up-to-date with current findings, & covers all different aspects & opinions about each disorder. Photographs, charts, case-studies have all been extremely helpful, & make this textbook accessible & pleasant to read for all psychology students. Possibly one of the best books to intoduce you to the fascinating subject of abnormal psychology.

The only small complaint I have is that there's probably a slight bias towards cognitive explanations for the disorders, & a lot less about psychodynamic explanations.. I would be interested to read an abnormal psychology textbook, written from a psychodynamic point of view. Other than that, "Abnormal Psychology" by David Holmes is a great textbook.

This is an important book. It's no longer in publication, but well worth the time to find. This was Bruce Holmes first novel (I assume it's the only one he's written). 'Anvil of the Heart' is one of those rare novels that is entertaining and really ABOUT something. It was written some time ago, but delves into the idea of creating super children and people that are 'perfect' . Holmes suggests (and I believe him) that our flaws are what makes us human, and only by embracing those flaws do we realize our magnificence.

This book is about what it means to be human. Read and enjoy this one, it's well worth your time.

I read this book when I was 15 and I still love it to this day. It is very well written and has very realistic and well developed charicters. The examples of martial arts are very insperational to those who wish to take them. And I reccomend this book for every one.

This is one of my favourite books.It created my interest in the martial art Aikido and is a good tale of someone who spent their life accepting the societal norm reaching a point of self question for the first time. Very inspiring....

I enjoyed reading this book by David L. Holmes. He goes into great detail about the Episcopal religion, and its history from the Anglican Reformation to the present. He not only tells when some Anglican traditions started but what other religions were doing during the same time frame. This book has given me a real hunger for doing more research on the Episcopal Faith

Dr. David Holmes's Brief History is important reading for anyone interested in the Episcopal Church, being engaging in its style and tone, comprehensive in its coverage, and useful in its bibliography. Dr. Holmes helped me, an Episcopalian of 30 years, make fair and caring sense of the many currents of religious thought that I first learned about in the late 1960s, and to place them into their historical and theological contexts both within and outside the Episcopal Church. Those currents too often divide and discourage rather than unite and uplift us, and we Episcopalians could argue a lot less (even about liturgy and music!), or at least argue with more community, if we learned the historical facts and the gently suggested lessons that this book can teach us. We also might come away feeling more kinship, not only with other Episcopalians whose views we may not share, but also with other denominations, with whom we share more than many of us (including this reviewer) probably know.

Good history pairs accurate facts with clear analysis. Great history adds fresh ideas, compelling personal accounts, and a genuine passion for the subject matter. In this engaging book on the Episcopal church, David Holmes has written history of the best kind.

As a professor at the College of William and Mary, Holmes commands knowledge of both church development and European and American history. Yet his simple, direct language makes complex topics clear to readers unfamiliar with church history or religious studies in general. His research also makes Episcopal history relevant to a wide range of audiences.

In a chapter entitled "The Growth of the Episcopal Church," Holmes chronicles the church's post-Colonial development. The diversity in this section shines. With fascinating detail, the author describes Anglican attempts to evangelize Native Americans, touches on foreign missions, and writes about the effect of immigration on the church.

Holmes also deals deftly with the role of African-Americans in the church, beginning with the baptism of an African-American family at Jamestown in 1623. He objectively describes the church's response to slavery and the Civil War, and explains the subsequent disaffection of many African-Americans from the denomination.

Finally, Holmes brilliantly chronicles the little-known role of women in areas such as missionary work and the social gospel movement. The book tells the stories of several women affected by the national debate over women's ordination in the 1960's and 1970's.

Even without the detailed and lively history that comprises its six main chapters, Holmes's book would be worth reading for its fascinating appendix, which chronicles Henry VIII's quest for an annulment from Catherine of Aragon. In an exceedingly well-researched account, Holmes balances historical detail with human interest drama that will captivate readers of all levels.

With lively prose and compelling analysis, this "brief history" will be a delight for scholars, laity, and history buffs alike.

Being a Sherlock Holmes fanatic induced me into purchasing this for my collection in the hopes of obtaining some new images of Rathbone, Richardson, and other Holmes actors. I also had an interest in learning the up-to-date status of each Holmes film ever produced. In that, this is a wonderful book, filled with pages upon pages of information, cast listing, and comments, as well as some rare images of aforementioned actors.

The personal bias of the writer is the only thing that dampens a wonderful experience... namely because I tend to disagree with his assessments of certain Holmes films, particularly those of Basil Rathbone in his later career. I wished there were more images of Ian Richardson and Nicholas Rowe, but all together it's a wonderul purchase to add to any true Sherlockian collection.

If you are a fan of more than the Basil Rathbone and Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes episodes, this is a great item for your bookshelf. Barnes has written the most comprehensive guide to Holmes in film and on television. The amount of information is amazing. Boookend this with David Stuart Davies' graphically gorgeous Starring Sherlock Holmes and you'll have a fantastic reference library on Holmes on screen.

Bob Byrne
Sherlock Holmes on Oxford Lane

This book has yet to leave my bedside table since I purchased it a few months ago. It's not only an extremely well researched book but a very entertaining read as well, packed with information that is revealing (eg, how Jeremy Brett's personal problems impacted upon the Granada tv series) and sometimes surprising (eg, Peter O'Toole and Peter Sellers were the original choices for Holmes and Watson for Billy Wilder's 'The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes').

Alan Barnes and his fellow contributors go into great detail about the films and television shows they cover, and give their personal opinions about each entry. You may not agree with all of the views expressed, but they are well written and certainly give the reader food for thought.

The book is well illustrated with black and white photographs. This is important as it's likely that many people will never get to see the films they are taken from, particularly some of the early silent films that are lost or older and more obscure films and television shows that have yet to get a video or DVD release.

This book has proven invaluable to me as it has introduced me to tv series and films that I previously knew little or nothing about like the Arthur Wontner films and the Douglas Wilmer and Peter Cushing BBC tv series. I also gained an insight into the little known Ronald Howard tv series from the 1950s. It was also great to read of the BBC 4-part presentation of The Hound Of The Baskervilles starring former Doctor Who star Tom Baker as Sherlock Holmes. I saw this when it was first shown on tv in Australia and it hasn't been screened again, so it was quite nostalgic to read about it and see a photo of Baker in his Holmes costume.

This book is an essential addition to the library of any Sherlock Holmes fan or film buff. You won't find another book that covers Sherlock Holmes history in film and television so thoroughly.

This book was given to us as a gift, and has accompanied us on many hunting, fishing, and camping ventures. During times of sharing the great outdoors with our friends and families, we have had many chuckles along with Uncle Handsome and his Redneck Gang. A must buy-- even as far as the Great White North!!!

This book is truly a concise repesentation of the life of a Redneck. Grate poetry. And usefull pages at the end of the book. If you ever wondered about the Redneck life, buy this book. Brent is a great storyteller. Also, get his tape called Cow Tunes For Kids.

I work for the Hazard Mitigation Division for the State of Kentucky and personally traveled with the author, Brent, throughout the state. Our job was to help flood disaster victims relocate to safe locations following the 1997 March flood in Kentucky. In those countless hours we spent traveling the highways and by-ways of my home state, Brent's kind and compassionate nature uplifted many flooded victims. I think Brent does not poke fun at anyone but sees the humor in every day life. He also has written and recorded songs for kids, mostly about cows. Well, I guess that's all I have to say for now because I feel a slight warmth on the posterior of my neck.

I'll admit it, I didn't expect to learn too many new ideas from reading this book, but I was pleasantly surprised. Unlike other books I've read on web usability, Web Usability & Navigation: A Beginner's Guide actively encourages you to develop an eye for usability through the use of various projects designed to give you the opportunity to practice what you've just learnt.

As you might expect, the usual topic of web site navigation and usability are covered... but before reading, I never really considered the problems surrounding the actual use of the web. I knew about the problems of browser compatibility and I am always curious as to how my site looks on other operating systems. Until now however, the difficulties and information overload experienced by the novice Internet user were long forgotten, and I'd never even considered how I could build my site to accommodate for different learning styles.

Like other usability books, Web Usability & Navigation: A Beginner's Guide does not go into the detail of exactly how you should implement what you've just learnt, rather it gives ideas on what to look for. So if you are expecting examples of code, there aren't any. One nice addition to the book is the case studies. Sure, other books have case studies, but rather than tell you from the outset what problems there are, you are encouraged to list any usability problems for yourself.

I particularly enjoyed the module on getting traffic to a site, it provided me with some fresh insight into just how closely linked web site usability and promotion usually are. After all, part of the experience of using a site is getting to it as quickly as possible, whether you type a name in the browser or search for it in the search engines.

Overall, this is a good introduction to web usability that is very easy to read, but as with other usability books, the nature of the information makes it difficult to use as a quick reference. For those who aren't new to the topic, there are quite a few things you could learn from reading this book, although perhaps the only way you'll find gaps in your knowledge is to read the book from cover to cover.

Many high profile commercial sites, let alone those not informed by "professional" designers, would benefit from the clarity of purpose and practical methods presented in this book. In fact, the fundamentals of user-centered design put forward so clearly here are pertinent in many other fields, too. To top it off I found the writing style clear, informative and enjoyable.
I recommend it for individual designers as well as for schools, libraries and design shops.

Finally! Someone has translated the tangled World Wide Web into something even I can understand!

Ms. Holmes has created a book that is useful, well organized, pertinent, well written, and even pleasurable to read! So many of the internet books on the market today -- even those allegedly designed for beginners -- are of little use to anyone
but the seasoned professional. The Internet is a tool everyone can use and Web Usability & Navigation gives its readers the background they need to make the most of the Web.

I loved all of the examples -- I'm the type of person who learns best by seeing others' experiences. A good story will go a lot further with me than a bunch of technical jargon and Ms. Holmes has mastered the art of telling a good story with a purpose.

When I started reading Web Usability & Navigation, I had several
preconceived ideas about what I wanted in a web page. Ms. Holmes gently guided me through a variety of other options. This book is really useful for beginners and more advanced Web site creators as well.

Caroline Thomas-Jenson, CFRE
President / CEO
United Charity Services

I thoroughly enjoyed re-reading "The Apostolic Fathers," and was surprised how much I learned from the exercise. It had been over 30 years since I read these texts, so,understandably, I entered the venture in a doubtful mood. What did I learn? The texts contain numerous references to unknown scriptures not contained in the official canon, e.g., "I am only steam from a pot," (First Clement). Each of the writings reflects the dramatic differences that characterized christian congregations. This is critical to appreciate the wide variances of christian beliefs, practices, and organization in the first century and a half. From Ignatius of Antioch's letters one can see a bishop struggle to unify the obvious conflicting tensions that enlivened his own faith and that of the early churh. One looks in vain in these documents, some of which preceeded the canonical gospels, for structures and dogmas commonly accepted in today's versions of christianity. If fact, if anything, these texts reveal the early christians as what today we would call "fundamentalists." I found the Greek, presented across the page from the English translation, of especial value, since they contain words and phrases repeated in later historical contexts with obvious different applications. While some of the writings may be tedious to the modern reader, perseverance is rewarded with a deeper understanding of the use of language and rhetoric by the leaders of the nascent church.

Michael Holmes has updated the brilliant J.B. Lightfoot/J.R. Harmer translation of the Apostolic Fathers for the 21st century scholar and interested reader. The works which are included are: 1 Clement, II Clement (correctly labeled here as "An Ancient Christian Sermon"), the Letters of Ignatius (the seven genuine letters in the so-called middle recension), the Shepherd of Hermas, the Letter of Polycarp, the Martyrdom of Polycarp, the Didache, The Epistle to Diognetus, The Epistle of Barnabas, and the numerous fragments of Papias. The critical Greek text is of course also included (with textual variants) in this edition, and so is the Latin when the text only survives as such.

For each book there are helpful footnotes, textual variants, introductory material, and a bibliography. There is a subject/author index, a scripture and non-canonical literature quotation section, and a few maps for those who wish to know, for instance, where exactly Ignatius' letter to the Trallians would have been read. Michael Holmes has also updated the translation and Greek texts based on recent findings and textual discoveries.

Overall, "The Apostolic Fathers" is a fine resource for the Patristic scholar. However the works are also useful for the non-scholar who wants to read about the infant, developing, and persecuted Church. As the title suggests, these writers lived close to the Apostolic Age; some (Clement, Ignatius, and Polycarp) even probably knew an apostle or two. Their writings, theology, and ethics are important clues into developing Christian Orthodoxy. The affordable one-volume price, the modern translation, and updated Greek text render this book superior to the other translations of the Apostolic Fathers available, including Staniforth's, Lake's, and volume one of the Ante-Nicene Fathers (however the other editions certainly still have great value; the ANF set has the longer recension of Ignatius' letters, which the Holmes edition lacks). If you wish to begin a study of Christianity and Christian history, after reading the New Testament, start with these texts.

If you have a serious interest in early church literature, this book must be part of your library. Holmes builds nicely on his earlier work in the field and, at the same time, makes an invaluable contribution to the church by making such accurate translations of these ancient documents available to us today. Well done!

This is a very short but good novella which consciously imitates the Maltese Falcon. The situations and characters over time have become well-known noir archetypes, if not quite cliches. The plot is set up from its opening paragraphs for calamity, yet a surprising amount of irony squeezed from a story barreling toward a foregone conclusion. And this is how the novel functions best- like a Greek tragedy; everything seems ideal between the protagonist and his beloved, but a dark misdeed in his past provides the undercurrent of wrong.

Jeff Bailey, former PI, tries to escape that past but cannot. The man he wronged finds him and forces him to perform one last task for him. Jeff cannot escape, because he is blackmailed. It is all a crooked plan to pin a murder on him, and he is sucked deeper into a labyrinth of illegality and betrayal. He is neither completely innocent nor completely guilty. He is just a flawed man in an elaborate, shadowy trap. The cops and crooks pursue him from all sides as he desperately tries to find a way out of his mess, all the while just wanting to go away and sit on the beach with his best gal...

As stated before, this is a very short book- there is not much description. People just do things because they do them, seldom with any emotive insight or explanation. This style works because the characters are who they are: a loyal friend is a loyal friend and a dirty double-crossing dame is a dirty double-crossing dame. Only one character really changes or acts in a surprising way. The aloof approach and moral complexity means relatively few characters garner too much sympathy from the reader; however, there is still some legitimate suspense developed, as we generally just want to see things end happily. But remember, Homes was shooting for a Maltese Falcon feel...

The already fast-moving book was streamlined for the movie "Out of the Past." And almost none of the great dialogue present in the film came from the novel, which surprised me, since they were both written by Homes. Perhaps an uncredited Frank Fenton (His Kind of Woman) had more to do with the witty and sardonic repartee in the screenplay than Homes. The prose of the book is like Hammett written by Cain- it's hard-boiled all right, but laconic; a lot goes unsaid. It has a poet's heart and a mug's voice. Which is fine, just not quite what I expected.

Overall, a good but not altogether satisfying read. Add Build My Gallows High to the short list (see also: Cape Fear, Big Clock, Strangers on a Train) where the movie eclipses the literary source.

I read this book many, many years ago and then saw the movie "Out of the Past," when it first came out. Robert Mitchum appeared in person with his film and he sang a few songs (yes he had a good voice) and then talked about making the movie and urged everyone to read the book. When I met him after the performance he said he thought the book was 'too old' for me and teased me about reading books suitable for a fifteen year old. He also urged me to stay in school and get a good education so I wouldn't have to earn my living making stupid movies (though as he said NOT THIS ONE). He was very proud of this film. So, if your in the mood for a good Noir mystery, then this is the one for you, see the movie again after reading the book to see how much of the flavor of the book is retained in the film.

Geoffrey Homes was the pseudonym of Daniel Mainwaring, who was born and raised in the Central California city of Fresno, began working as a journalist after college, then moved to Hollywood to launch a highly successful screenwriting career. "Build My Gallows High" later became the fantastic film noir classic "Out of the Past," with the original name being preserved in Great Britain.

As a strong devotee of "Out of the Past," and having conversed many times with the film's beautiful star, the recently deceased Jane Greer, I was anxious to supplement my appreciation for the film by reading the novel that was then adapted by Homes to the screen with some uncredited assistance from established Hollywood pro Frank Fenton. The novel contains the biting edge of the best hard-boiled detective fiction of the forties' period when the book was written. Red Bailey from the book becomes Jeff Bailey in the film, with Robert Mitchum perfectly cast as the tough, laconic, shrewd loner whose common sense deserts him when confronted by the combustible noir brunette charms of femme fatale Jane Greer. The book hits on the same cylinders, unremarkable in that Homes adapted it to the screen. Bailey does everything he can to forge a new life away from Greer, including finding a sweet, homespun girlfriend who is the diammetrical opposite of the ruthless femme fatale, but to no avail. He can never reject Kathie's enticements, despite his awareness of her treachery. The book is strong on hard-bitten narrative and those who like the work of Chandler and Hammett should appreciate "Build My Gallows High."

The British newspaper The Guardian strikes the correct note concerning the book, "Intermingling obsessive love, crime and betrayal ... the film's razor-sharp dialogue is mostly already there in the novel and an even more tortuous plot." Curl up on a dark, spooky evening, begin reading, and enjoy.