In ancient Greece, a hymn was a song of praise to a god--but it could also tell a rousing story, like the infant Hermes stealing his brother Apollo's cattle, or Aphrodite seducing the Trojan prince Anchises on Mt. Ida.

Professor Susan Shelmerdine's translation of the Homeric Hymns is an ideal introduction to these 33 hymns dedicated to the various Olympian gods. In clear, lively prose, she explains the hymns' literary tradition, myth sources, and forms. In easy-to-access on-the-page footnotes, she explains the relevant background that makes the hymns clear and easy to understand. But what makes her translation first-rate is that the poems are written in a clear, engaging voice that is both true to ancient Greek stylistics and yet sounds as contemporary as today. For example, this description of the abduction of Persephone by Hades:

"But the wide-pathed ground gaped open
along the Plain of Nysa, where the lord who receives many [Hades} sprang out
with his immortal horses, the son of Kronos, worshipped under many names.
He seized her against her will and on his golden chariot
carried her off wailing. And she cried aloud with a shrill voice,
But no one either of the gods or mortal men
heard her cry, not even the olives with their splendid fruit."

In addition, the book provides pictures of the gods taken from ancient Greek art, genealogy charts, and relevant maps. If you are taking a mythology class or just want an authentic introduction to stories of the ancient Greek gods, Susan Shelmerdine's Homeric Hymns is an excellent place to start.

Wow, is my one word to describe this remarkable book. Homer Circle with more than 50 years of bass fishing experience, and 30 plus years as an editor with Sports Afield, truly knows every fishing tip, trick and tactic worth mentioning. Bass Wisdom is a very smooth free flowing piece of literature never incomprehensible.

Uncle Homer writes a brief introduction, which expresses his early obsession with bass. Once this bit of history is mentioned. The adventurous journey of bass fishing plunges into the world of bass. Uncle Homer states there is six species of bass and four subspecies. However this text focuses on the three more sought after species largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted or Kentucky bass. The book goes on to discuss where monster bass live, seasonal tactics, favorite plastic worms, bass secrets revealed (account of underwater video), what sounds make bass bite, cold weather bass, fly rodding for bass, and numerous other topics.

This book should be on every serious bass fisherman bookshelf. I give this book five stars and highly recommend it for anyone, novice or a 20-year veteran. I have been bass fishing "consistently as a hobby" for about ten years. After the first reading of Mr. Circle's book, I realized how much an individual can ascertain while on the water if exploring the appropriate methods

This is THE book on bass fishing. Homer Circle is brilliant and practical. Written for all levels of fisherman, the information and advice is clear, concise and full of common sense. The "hands-on" knowledge he has gained over many years of fishing flows effortlessly as he covers topics such as, bass anatomy & physiology (from a fisherman's perspective), rods & reels , lures & tackle, and a broad range of bass fishing related information. If I were limited to one book only on bass fishing - this would be the one.

Used editions of Pope's translation of the ODYSSEY are usually fairly easy to come across. The translation is very much worth the effort of a search. It can even be said that you havn't experienced all of Homer in English until you've read Pope's inspired verse translations. That's not to say that Pope's translations have all aspects of Homer in the original, but with a good, literal prose translation coupled with Pope's verse translations you get a fuller sense of what is in the poems. You may read or hear that Pope actually only translated twelve of the books of the Odyssey and had helpers (Broom and Fenton) translate the other twelve, but this is often overstated because Pope supervised the translation of all the books - though solely working on twelve - and they all passed his final judgement and revision and have his inspired imprint on them. One thing that stands out in Pope's Odyssey is you get a very visual sense of the verticalness, or, hierarchy of the levels of being (man, woman, semi-divine, divine...) that are represented. Also, architecture and natural description are portrayed more brilliantly. Pope also is in tune with the underlying higher psychological currents running through the poem and brings that out in his verse. Finally, reading the Odyssey in Pope's verse is like receiving each idea and description, etc. in clear-cut units just because that is the nature of his verse, and what usually gets blended together or lost in a prose translation (or less inspired verse translation) stands out. I havn't mentioned Pope's poetic vocabulary and rhetoric, but all that needs to be experienced first hand. If you're already fairly familiar with the Odyssey from modern translations read Pope and see (and feel) what lesser translators aren't capable of bringing to light.

Rose's _Handbook_ is written in narrative chapters, more or less chronological and thematic, rather than in encyclopedic form. This makes it great for a newcomer to Greek literature who needs someone to explain the background and principal players.

The literary figures discussed are described in terms of their biography and also summaries of their work, in accessible and delightfully opinionated prose (Xenophon has "a mind which it would be flattery to call second-rate and a character hide-bound with convention"). Major issues (the "Homeric Question") are touched upon, and lost works are also described and named, to the extent possible.

A good index means that the book can also comfortably be used as a reference work, to be consulted for information on a particular writer.

This book is a must have for all people interested in the county history and people of the county. Mr. Fansler gives in depths details of the pioneer's lives and happenings. The genealogical content is unbelieveable. He outlines families, their histories in events of the county and brings you closer to how it all began.

"We are Freeman" is a book that reminds us that the names impressed on our court cases were people with professions, families and all of the messy problems of ordinary life. The author draws on original documentation to illustrate the pains of the free and newly free Black populace as they watched their liberties curtailed or removed entirely. It was interesting to read the precise legal choices of the Comite des Citoyens as they moved to ensure that the charges against Plessy be properly drawn (This was reminiscent of Taylor Branch's "Parting the Waters"). The text is clear and dramatic. It could easily serve both as a warning of how freedom is lost and as encouragement for anyone seeking a roadmap for change.

We as Freemen captures the imagination of the reader from its wonderfully illustrated cover to the very end; and it just won't let go. Keith Medley reveals a great deal about the people, organizations,strategies and tactics behind Plessy vs.
Ferguson.

Well-written. Well-documented. Well done!

Every so often a book comes along that restores your belief just a little. This book is one of them.

It chronicles the childhood of Homer Hickam, NASA engineer who grew up in the West Virginia town of Coalwood. Coalwood was a company town, centered around the Coalwood coal mine. In one shape or form everyone who worked in Coalwood worked for or in the mine. Sons were expected to follow in their father's footsteps. However Mr. Hickam and his group of friends are galvanized by the Russian's successful Sputnik launch. They are determined to become rocket scientists and help Werner Von Braun compete with the Russians.

This is a book of determination and courage. For instance, Mr Hickam, who couldn't pass basic Algebra taught himself Calculus so he could understand how to build better rockets. But it is also a story of boys growing up during the '50s with all of the normal teen-age angst. Most of all it is a warm book as we watch the Rocket Boys touch every member of the small coal mining community with their striving to reach the stars. I gave this book five stars, a rating I don't give out lightly. I loved this book and I think you will too.

I admit, I didn't pick up this book until after I had seen the fabulous movie about Homer Hickam's life. The film struck me in a way that left me in awe of this man's childhood, and the book astounded me! I had never been a fan of biographies until I was compelled to buy the book, and I didn't put it down once the whole time I was reading it. I was captivated by the life and motivation one boy had, and how he grew into a man who could face his challenges and follow his dreams.

This inspirational story is about a young man, Homer Hickam, or Sonny, as he is called by his parents and closest friends, who grew up in a small coal mining town in West Virginia. When he first heard about Sputnik, the Russian satellite, he was motivated to create his own model rockets along with his 4 best friends; Sherman, O'Dell, Roy Lee, and Quentin, forming their own Rocket Boys society, setting off their model rockets under the eyes of the towns people, and the strict figure of his father, a hardy coal foreman in the mine. He is pressure from both sides on his future career until he goes to Indianapolis (my home city) to the national science fair, and...I won't spoil it for those that don't know, and finally going on to become an employee with NASA, his dream acheived.

This book opened me up to a new world I had never seen. A person who acheived his final goals, with little help from the adults most kids rely on. This really is an inspiration, and I suggest you read it, to see what an amzing story I'm talking about!

My favorite things about this book:

· The author is very honest about his shortcomings, doubts, failures... How many times in the book is he ready to throw everything away?

· He writes truthfully not just about the rocket project, but about his feelings for his dad, his brother, his friends, the girl of his dreams, his teacher...

· The excellent portrayal of life in a mining town in WV in the late 50's. The community is slowly disintegrating due to the failing economics of coal, yet they find cohesion by rooting for the rocket project in unison. This is why the entire town would attend rockets launches and cheer and clap.

· The wonderful side characters, like the machinist who helps the guys by building special pieces, the dad, torn between his own stubbornness and the love for his son...

BEWARE! The movie is a triumphant Hollywood view of a successful, starry-eyed, brave and determined young man with a cuasi-perfect life. If we listen to the book, though, Homer was bullied, scared, intimidated, ready to quit, and had to overcome lots of opposition to achieve his dream. You might want to rent the movie to check out the last 3 minutes or so, because there is actual footage of many of the characters in the book, plus rocket launches! Other than that, the movie is a terrible adaptation of the book and doesn't do it any justice.

The Coalwood Way is a wonderfully written, engaging book. I am a bona fide Homer (Sonny) Hickam "groupie," I'll confess. I eagerly look forward to all his books but especially his memoirs about Coalwood. This book is simply wonderful entertainment written in such beautifully flowing prose that it's easy to forget you're reading a book. Instead, you find yourself lost in the magnificent little town of Coalwood and its colorful and engaging citizenry. If all you know of this story is the movie October Sky, forget it. The movie is a surface treatment of a magnificent and deep story of life and love in Coalwood in the 1950's and early 1960's. The movie was a Hollywood treatment that left out the better parts of Homer's books. Homer is called Sonny in these books and, of course, his dad is Homer (Senior). It's just one place the movie got it all wrong. There is a Christmas aspect to The Coalwood Way that is exciting and strangely satisfying (I'm Jewish). For one of the few times in my life, I was able to understand the Christmas spirit. Sonny Hickam taught me that in his delightful way. This book made me laugh and it made me cry. What else could possibly be wanted from a book than that? Highly, highly, highly recommended.

It is the fall of 1959 in the small coal mining town of Coalwood, WV. Sonny Hickam, the author, is a senior at Big Creek High School, and in the last year of his life as a full time Coalwoodian. He paints a picture of life in a community dependent on what has been called the most dangerous occupation. Through the fall, we meet some vividly portrayed residents including a pair of junior engineers, a poor girl from Gary, and Sonny's heart throb(s). We get to know Sonny's parents in more detail than offered in Rocket Boys and they do seem as the heart of Coalwood. And you will learn some WV lingo- I swan. It is a wonderful, warm and at times exciting story, quite different from Rocket Boys. Sonny has an insightful mind and a writing skill that is unique. It is an inspirational story that will make you feel good, and make you want to visit Coalwood. Take the book with you and find most of the memorable sites. Coalwood is alive and well, but still small and hidden 40 years after the events of Coalwood Way.

If you enjoyed Homer Hickam's Rocket Boys or the movie October Sky, this book is for you. Homer doesn't so much pick up where he left off at the end of Rocket Boys, but rather returns to the fullness of his senior high school year. He weaves a tapestry that provides detail in breadth and depth that keeps the pages turning. You'll suddenly discover it's well past bedtime and you are content to keep reading.

Homer discovers truths about himself and others, even as he's about to move away from home. There is always more to learn from one's parents. There are many emotional highs and lows in Coalwood, but lessons learned from both will leave you feeling hopeful for the human spirit. The people of Coalwood continue to display a dogged determination to get though the difficulties, even if they stumble along the way. Not one to cry easily, I found my eyes welling up with tears during the last chapter. It is possible to find great joy and beauty in hard times.

Homer doesn't miss on emotion. There's anger, joy, fear, excited anticipation, sorrow, laughter, and contentment. You may very well learn something about yourself while reading The Coalwood Way. I highly recommend it!

My book review is about a boy named Homer Price. He lives in a small town two miles out of Centerburg with his friends and relatives. The story starts with Homer discovering a skunk in his kitchen drinking his Tabby cat's milk. When Homer decides to keep him as a pet, they start to go on great adventures to solve the case of the stolen case of money and shaving acessories. The two also run into Homer and his best friend Freddy's comic hero, the Super Duper. When the boys are in enough mess already, their doughnut machine goes bonkers and makes millions of doughnuts. At the same month an annual yarn tournament was held with people from all over the town with yarn balls as tall as houses. This book is great because it goes on and on with other hilarious stories. Like the mouse man and the area with all identical houses.
In my opinion I really enjoy this book because it's very humorous and I've read it before when I was 10. This book also brings a lot of memories and cracks me up just thinking about it. This book is so entertaining that I wish my city was just like Homer's. I also admire the entertaining mysteries Homer and his friends solve with the friendly aid of Homer's skunk Aroma. Homer Price is truly one of the best books I've read and still is. I can't wait to recommend it to a friend.
In this book, it was hard to choose a favorite part, butI have to say when the doughnut machine didn't turn off. Thats because everybody started to eat then panic with a million more doughnuts left. Then They started to sell two doughnuts for 5 cents.Until a wealthy woman claims that her bracelet is in one of the doughnuts, so they make a $100 reward for it. When the word went out the doughnuts started to sell, there was no luck. Until, a poor hoboe boy found the bracelet.

I read this book when I was about 8 years old. I borrowed it from my old grade school library. I was so captured by the fun, simple, but adventursome stories, that I had to go out and buy the book as an adult. Reading it brought back a flood of happy memories from my childhood. The stories of Homer Price and his small town neighbors, friends and family are a happy, refreshing look at what America is and should be all about. I'm looking forward to the day that I can read it to kids of my own!

This book should be at the top of your purchase list for every child in the 7 to 10 age group. Homer is an all-American boy in the all-American small town of Centerburg, somewhere in the all-American midwest, and in six hilarious escapades he keeps the kids (and grownup readers, too) enthralled. The stories are funny, engaging and original, and the illustrations, by the author, are priceless. Everyone will have their favorite chapter in this book; my own favorite was "The Doughnuts"; decades after I first read it as a child, it's still as fresh and funny as it was way back when. I bought this book for my son when he was seven and he was in stitches from the first page to the last. "Homer" is one of the all-time champs.

It's tempting to cast Homer Hickam as a rags-to-riches, self-made man. The son of a coal mine supervisor, he was raised in a rural West Virginia town with limited access to public education's most up-to-date resources. When, as a child, he experimented with designing and launching rockets (well before man had walked on the moon), he went up against the traditions of a community that had little use for original behavior. Inauspicious beginnings perhaps, but as an adult, Homer Hickam became an engineer for NASA and a best-selling writer.

So it would have been easy for him to paint himself as an undiscovered diamond in an unforgiving coal town. But that's not the tenor of Sky of Stone, in which Hickam re-creates the events of a long-ago summer spent in his hometown of Coalwood following his freshman year in college.

Sky of Stone is a follow-up to Hickam's two previous memoirs, Rocket Boys (which was made into the movie October Sky) and The Coalwood Way. In all three books, the author commemorates his hometown and its citizens with loving admiration. Homer's parents, though imperfect, are remembered for their humor, dedication and ingenuity. The author gives them full credit for insisting that he go to college and pursue his dreams.

More surprisingly, Hickam portrays Coalwood not as a soul- and lung-destroying wasteland, but as the embodiment of the American dream. Coalwood's fine schools, decent houses and well-nourished families are sustained by the production of coal. That's what the town's mining families believed, and Hickam honors their strong sense of self-determination.

The dark side to the coal industry -- black lung, union quarrels, unequal opportunity for women -- rears its head in Hickam's reminiscences, as they did in Coalwood in 1961. But they are not the subject of Sky of Stone. Hickam focuses on three young people -- Bobby Likens, Rita Walicki and himself -- for whom Coalwood's resistance to change acted as a bracing stimulant, calling forth all of the trio's shrewdness and creativity. They were made by Coalwood, not in spite of it.

The book's various plot strands -- the estrangement of Hickam's parents; the charges brought against his father involving the death of a mining foreman -- occasionally seem unconnected. But the author brings them all together in a final courtroom drama. Hickam's skill with plot, his wit and his capacity for summing up a character in a couple of good quotes all make Sky of Stone an admirable entry in the chronicles of his life.

Homer Hickam's memoir of his life is an open look at his life in the summer after his freshman year in college. After a not too brilliant start at college he ends up going home for the summer to Coalwood, West Virginia a small coal mining town. The way of life in a "company" town is difficult to properly present, yet Homer Hickam does it with ease. The lessons he learns about his father, his mother,and life itself are so openly expressed and wonderfully written, that sometimes it is hard to remember that this is not a fiction novel. The author learns a great many important "life lessons", usually not the easy way. The hard work in the coal mines is vividly detailed, you can feel the aching muscles and exhaustion. His love of an "older" woman is a heartfelt part of this book. It is like a good friend sitting down and remembering a summer, honest, open and introspective, thankful that in the end some tough lessons were learned. There is never a moment of arrogance about what he has achieved in his life,despite the odds. You don't have to read OCTOBER SKY or THE COALWOOD WAY in order to understand and enjoy this book, but why you wouldn't want to read them anyway would be hard to understand. SKY OF STONE is a wonderful memoir, and a heartfelt tribute to his family, to life in a hardworking small town and the people that help him weave the strong fabric of his life.

And that's it, plain and true. Homer Hickam writes wonderfully rich books filled with prose worthy of Harper Lee or Mark Twain. He's the new Mark Twain in my opinion. They'll be studying him the college a hundred years from now. I'm just glad we have him with us in these days. Sky of Stone kept me awake until I finished it. I love his characters. I love especially his honorable and amazing father. You can tell Mr. Hickam still loves him so much. And Johnny Basso, Jake Mosby, Rita Walicki... these are characters that people will talk about for a very long time. Proud to know you, Homer, if only through your books.