Colonel Paul de Saint-Martin has been sent to Bath to capture and return Captain Fitzroy to France for punishment for the rape and assault of his distant cousin. Paul also hopes to renew the acquaintance of the charming and clever Anne Cartier, who has been in England for seven months. When he learns that Anne Cartier is teaching in the household where Captain Fitzroy has taken refuge, he is delighted to see her but worried about her safety. Anne has replaced a teacher who died under mysterious circumstances and is struggling to protect her young deaf student from the danger that surrounds him. Trying to discover a blackmailer, murderer and thief take all of Anne and Paul's skill. Colonel Paul de Saint-Martin must also balance his desire for revenge against his need for justice in this complex novel.

When I started this novel I was a bit disconcerted. The description on the back cover stated that this was a mystery but the first few chapters had the feel of a thriller. If you hang in there, the mystery evolves, becoming more and more complex as the novel progresses. Bath in the late 18th century is well researched and there are some interesting social issues that are not often addressed in novels of this time period. The romantic elements felt a bit awkward to me but overall this was an entertaining and engrossing novel. The first title in this series is Mute Witness which received very good reviews.

I loved "Black Gold." The storyline was an engrossing and interesting one, and the pacing was excellent. And best of all, the novel took place in late 18th century Bath -- one of my favourite cities!

There were many apsects of this novel that I really liked. For example, even though we know from the very beginning who the villain(s) of the piece is, Captain Fritzroy (wanted for the assault and rape of Paul's cousin, Sophie), the authour tells the story in such a way that really keeps you guessing about how things will pan out. And the manner in which the authour paced things was truly brilliant -- the tension just never let up. Events unfolded at a swift and breathneck pace -- from the very moment Anne enters the Rogers's home, and we come to realise (almost at once) that there's something terribly wrong going on at the Rogers's home, through all the twists and turns in the plot, to the very denouncement -- I was so engrossed with what was going on that I stayed up all night to finish the book!

The development of the characters -- from the seemingly bluff and hearty Sir Harry Rogers to his beautiful and cunning wife (who also happens to be full of secrets) to the kindly and much used black servant, Jeff -- was very well done too. And they really came to life (with all their foibles and strengths) before my eyes. And I also rather liked the authour's depiction of 18th century Bath, from its architecture to its many social conventions. These descriptions served as a wonderful backdrop to the unfolding story at hand. And while I did think that Charles O' Brien had done a rather good job of painting both the inequities and the inhumanity of the slave trade, as well as giving us a thumbnail idea of what the people of 18th century England/Bath felt about the slave trade, the efforts of the Quakers to put a stop to this trade (or at best thwart the schemes of the slave owners), as well as going a little into the hopes as desires of the black people concerned (Jeff and his lady friend, Sarah), I did wish that he had gone into this matter a little more. This was a rather painful and important bit of history, not much discussed in English history, and it would have been nice if there had been more exposition. Central to all this, of course, is the developing romance between Paul and Anne. Both characters are evenly matched in courage, intelligence and inner strength and are perfect foils for each other. And you can just tell that theirs will be a relationship that will stand the tests of time and events.

All in all, "Black Gold" is a wonderfully engrossing and exciting read that should not be missed.

As the mother of a 3-year-old who lives for trains and pretends to be a dinosaur all day long; I feel this book was written just for him. The rhyme doesn't quite flow, but the illustrations are spectacular and the story is great. If only I can find a copy for him; it's out of print!

Brother Billy hops right off the page and into your imagination! The pictures are colorful, the story memorable (my son could recite it to me!) and this book is fun to read. The opprotunity to play with the sounds and to assume a southern accent make it ideal for grown-ups that like to act out characters. Not to mention children that revel in fun, exciting reading. I highly recomend this book for all ages.

Courting Claire is Linda O'Brien's second book under this name, although she had two other titles under her own name of Linda Eberhardt. Courting Claire is an American historical, set in late-nineteenth century Indiana, along the banks of the Ohio River. This story flows as smoothly as the river that is central to its plot and is a thoroughly enjoyable read that I can highly recommend.

Claire Cavanaugh is about to graduate from college when she learns her step-father has died. She quickly retrieves her sister Emily from the special school for the blind that she attends and they book passage on a river boat known as the Lady Luck to take them back home to Fortune. That boat happens to be owned by Tyler McCane who, after saving Emily's life and seeing the sisters safely home, goes into partnership with Claire's archenemy in an attempt to steal her home out from under her and turn it into an inn catering to the river boat business they plan to build.

Of course, Tyler is intrigued by Claire from the beginning. She has the strength and intelligence to beat the bank trying to foreclose on her home and starts taking in boarders to pay the bills. An interesting cast of secondary characters, including Emily, Tyler's friend Jonas, and the new housekeeper Lulu, add great dimension and depth to the plot. These are likable people that I grew to care about and, for whom Linda was able to create interesting and believable twists and turns.

The evil-doer, Reginald Boothe, has enough history with Claire and her family to make his drive for revenge believable. I am never entirely sure why he has such overwhelming and far-reaching power in this town, other than the fact that it was a small town, he was the president of the bank, and a really conniving, bad dude. But, he is certainly bad and does it well.

The internal struggles that cause Claire and Tyler to doubt each other and the love that develops between them adds to the external struggles they face to save her home. The similarity of their wounded souls gives them a base for understanding, but also allows each to teach the other to trust and love. This is a strong story with good characters that I believe you will find enchanting - don't miss it!

I have read (and kept) all Ms. O'Brien's books (including those written as Linda Eberhardt) and find each is totally enchanting. She sets scenes with such finesse, you feel as if you are right there. She is a master at dialogue and characterization. Absolutely first rate. And her dashes of humor are the icing on the cake of a great love story. While I'd pick "Courting Claire" as my favorite so far, I have never been disappointed in any of her books, so it's difficult to pick one over the other. Linda O'Brien is a rising star due to her talent and I'm confident that readers who loves romance will love her books.

The eight immortals of Chinese myth are detailed here. There are several group tales along with some folktales focusing on each of the individual immortals. The eight immortals are of special appeal to modern audiences as they embody diverse aspects of society, then and now. There is a warrior immortal, a student immortal, a crippled immortal and an androgynous immortal ("sometimes male, sometimes female)who seems to me to be a little gay! There is also a woman immortal, and while only one woman out of eight, it was still a statement at the time to have her included in the group. There are a lot of stories of the eight included here that you are unlikely to find elsewhere, and Martin Palmer provides some background for the setting of the stores in his introduction that helps the reader better understand them in context. My only complaint is I would have liked more about their evolution as a group over the centuries. Overall a good read for people interested in Chinese folklore and positive representations of diversity in legends.

If you're interested in information on the eight immortals, you'll have to look long and hard to find more information than packed into this slim volume. Think of the immortals as being cultural figures as well known and diverse as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy (or, for Thomas the Tank engine fans, as different as Thomas, Gordon and Henry), and you'll have a sense of the role the eight immortals play in Chinese culture.

Also, the introduction has the best discussion I've seen of the difference between philisophical taoism (which is the form best known in the West) and religious or mystical taoism.

Highly recommended if you're interested in the eight immortals and/or learning more about mystical taoism.

The base of Plotinus' philosophical system begins with what he calls The One, which is all things and no things... absolute unity, completely indivisible and set beyond existence. From The One emanates the less perfect universal Intellect from which the universal Soul emanates also less perfect, from which individual souls emanate. Plotinus postulates that every man is conflicted between a desire for individuality and a stronger, but poorly guided, yearning to return to the absolute unity of the one. He outlines that all beautiful things are more or less reflections of the Unity that all souls seek, but we are easily distracted by the reflections, blinded by the bodily, and led astray. he offers a cosmological view of the universe as it extends from the One and a partial guide to returning oneself to the One, although it is a journey he himself has not been able to complete.
Partially philosophic and partially a beautiful spiritual account, The Enneads are essential reading for anyone wanting to fully understand western philosophy; to see a crucial development on Platonic ideas and to see his influence in later philosophy/theology such as the works of Thomas Acquinas. It is so valuable its own right as a well written and thoughtful attempt to express something very familiar but unwordable that runs through the human psyche.
The Elmer O'Brien translation is a good introductory text for anyone wishing to become acquinted with, but not deeply familiar with the works of Plotinus. He presents a sort of "best of the treatises" arranged in a way that he finds most accesible to the reader. For the more devoted scholar, the multitude of Loeb copies will both be more accurate, more complete, more comprehensive and offer the oppurtunity to read the greek text directly, which offers many insights that can't be conveyed into a perspicacious english text. As an introductory read, however, the O'Brien far outweighs the McKenna translation in accuracy and conveys a tone somewhat more akin to the actual writings of Plotinus.

Few people today read Plotinus whose work ranked with Plato's and Aristotle's in Antiquity. Indeed a knowledge of this difficult and esoteric philosopher's thought is a must for understanding western philosophy through Spinoza. Unfortunately, MacKenna's edition-- the standard in English-- is lacking for many reasons (looseness and excessive liberty in translation for one). O'Brien avoids these pitfalls. This is a beautiful translation of a well-chosen representation of texts. Start with "On Beauty" for an easy introduction to a mystic tradition now largely forgotten. Make no mistake about it, however, Plotinus is difficult, albeit rewarding, to read under any circumstances (I almost suspect it is a proof of insanity to claim to comprehend fully "The Three Primal Hypostasis"). Luckily O'Brien has done several things to help the reader. Aside from a beautiful translation ably annotated, he supplies a useful introduction and an appendix of texts from Plato, Aristotle and the Stoics that Plotinus creatively appropriated and reinterpreted in a highly original way. O'Brien thoughtfully directs the reader's attention to the appropriate passage[s] in Plotinus. Read this book and you will begin to understand how the teaching of this esoteric Neo-Platonist was once a serious rival to Christianity. I highly recommend this book.

I'm reading this book in Chinese,I love it! Our teachers never told me about it, they just teached us what is 'right'.

Excellent intro to politics text. I highly recommend it for a classroom or for anyone really who wants to sit down with a plain-spoken piece to get you to understand our government. Whether it is for someone with little knowledge as to who this vast bureaucracy works, or for someone with a fairly good knowledge of it all - I don't think it will disappoint.
I think what I appreciated the most was the honesty that the text was written. The authors also included a good amount of humor to emphasize the point (in cartoon, comic, Top 10 List, etc), in order to keep a reader interested.
I think this text is also a good reference as well, as there are numerous court cases and explicit examples of gov't at work - that if you are ever at a loss for "what was it that happened?" or "what does that term mean?" Things are extremely easy to find and be referred to.
Good works.

These books are very good for Ideas, and they give you colors, which will help you pick out the perfect colors for your quilt.

Although this book is currently out of print, I highly recommend searching for a used copy. These books are a true treasure and capture quilt making history and the individuals behind each quilt. I own this book and too many times to count, get it down to enjoy the beauty of the quilts, the stories behind the quilters, and to be inspired. I own Great American Quilts books from 1987 to 1993 and now own the various Great American Quilts books 1 to 8. Please read my reviews on the Great American Quilts books currently in stock. I think you, too, will want to have the full collection.

This book has great pictures to keep the interest of young readers. My son did not know this story was true and he really wanted me to help him read this book NOW so he could find out what happened to all the people. The size of the airship amazed him and he learned a lot!

Kirkus Reviews said of this book: "Compellingly well told, beautifully illustrated, and skillfully designed, this is a work that will find a wide audience."

This book had many interesting stories, but repeatedly covered material previously mentioned.

This collection of essays is a masterful representation of the Irish Brigade in the American Civil War. The volume was intended to strip away all of the glorified mistruths that have been fostered by historians and present the Irish Brigade to us only in pure fact. It reads easily, is immeasurably interesting and has a special place in my Irish book collection. Also contains many black and white photographs, maps and illustrations that complement each essay very well. I don't think you'll be disappointed with this one :)

Kansas Bootleggers presents a criminological view of Kansas during prohibition. It is written in that, "good ol'e boy style," only a history buff could appreciate. The author writes about a time and subject which is not unfamiliar to him. I reccomend this book to anybody interested in criminal justice, Kansas, prohibition, or drinking grain alcohol.

Being a resident of Southeast Kansas, I really enjoyed this book. It told tales that were very interesting and fun to read. This book should be mandatory for all Southeast Kansans!!