Reading "Call To Glory" must be done slowly and deliberately to feel the full impact of the story. I read the story slowly so that I could absorb and truly feel the emotions felt by the main characters in the story.

There are no punches pulled. It is very graphic in the description of the cruelness in fighting a war or Indians, and how men are reduced to the level of animal cunning in an effort to survive.

The sadness and loneliness felt by the women left behind compounded the problems for the men who left for war or Ranger duty. The women were struggling to operate a farm and care for a family while the men struggled to survive the daily challenges with the constant worry of the welfare of the family back home.

The authors brought out the qualities and strong fibers of the main characters which helped them endure the calamities of life and setting a gauge for others to follow.

"Call To Glory" should be made into a movie as it ranks in quality with "Gone With The Wind" and "Lonesome Dove."

Ramiro "Ray" Martinez
Retired Sergeant Texas Rangers Co. "D"

This is one of the best action adventure books I have ever read. The story takes off from page one and the action never stops. I think the Texas Rangers are great.

Call To Glory: The Life And Times Of A Texas Ranger collaborative written by Michael and Marilyn Gilhuly is an emphatic, gripping historical fiction novel of bravery, heroism, sacrifice, and a proud way of life. Three brothers must fight, first in the civil war and later putting on the silver badge of a Ranger to protect the innocent against the perils of the frontier. Call To Glory is an exciting Texas western from first page to last!

If you've ever kept a scrapbook of old photographs, you'll understand the fascination of this collection. Instead of grandmothers, aged aunts or toddler cousins, this book reveals life from the dimmest past. With photographs and drawings, Briggs and his colleagues have restored to view rare animals that lived in ancient seas. These are our earliest forebears, and for that reason alone, this book is worth repeated scrutiny. The images, with their stories of discovery and restoration, are offered in a spirit of shared discovery. These are very special creatures and it behooves us all to understand their value.

Although the book is targeted for professional paleontologists, the authors give us text nearly as illustrative as the images. They are part of the team who personally enticed many of these fossils from their lithic prison. Beginning with an account of Charles Woolcott's trek into the mountains of British Columbia, they go on to describe the environment in which these creatures lived. The significance of the Burgess Shale fossils, of course, is that they are images of soft body parts, usually lost as fossilization proceeds. At the time of the original find in 1909, such artifacts, especially ones of such ancient deposition were pricelessly rare. Woolcott himself understood their value to science, but never dedicated the necessary time to tease out their full secrets. It took Briggs and others, particularly Simon Conway Morris to apply the painstaking effort to recreate the body forms locked in the shale. In so doing, they overthrew a number of blithe assumptions made by a number of commentators, in particular Stephen J. Gould who had popularized the Shale finds, but sadly misinterpreted what they represent.

As you slowly turn over the pages of this book, reflect on the vast ages separating you from these creatures. The sea has always kept some bizarre secrets, but few can match the multi-spined Hallucegenia or mud-burrowing Ottoia. Haplophrentis might be mistaken for a Roman dagger lost in the sea until you read that its maximum length was but 30 millimetres long. A more formidable denizen of these waters is the Anomalocaris, with its hooked feelers and rasping mouth. Swimming in a sea with this half-meter long predator might not have been dangerous, but observing it might best be done from the beach.

This book is a clearly valuable contribution to our understanding of life's history and the process of evolution. It belongs on the shelf next to the other albums of family history. Take it down from time to time and simply open it at random. With half-closed eyes it isn't difficult to see these creatures in their daily lives, clutching rocks, swimming through the water, or burrowing into the bottom. They are your forebears, and deserve as much of your respect as does Aunt Matilda.

This is a wonderful book. It is chock-full of photographs of Burgess shale fossils. The photographs are full page photographs and are accompanied by drawings that illustrate what the plant or animal probably looked like. The text is informative and easy to follow for a layperson.

"The Fossils of the Burgess Shale," the non-geologist will find this book fascinating and understandable - yet the author did not "water down" the facts for those of us who have the technical background in the fields of geology and paleontology. The only drawback of the book was that some of the species listed in the back were not included in the pictorial portion of the book. I do understand that if Briggs had placed them all in the book the volume would have been over a 1,000 pages in length; however, several of the species not included are equally spectacular!

The first third of the book provides a brief history of the site and it's significance within Cambrian paleontology; the remaining two-third portion of the book provides clear photographs and line drawings of the animals entombed in this special location. I have used this book in teaching about the Cambrian explosion. Students were awed by the content of the book. If you are interested in invertebrate paleontology; this book is a must!

This book is the bible of BBQ. I read several books and checked the internet sites and this is far and away the best. Mr. Hale not only teaches you proper technique for cooking he teaches you WHY the techniques work. I recently did my very first brisket in a high quality offset style cooker using Mr. Hale's recipes and instructions and it was one of the most tender, juicy and flavorful briskets I've ever had. If you only buy one BBQ book - this is the one to get!

Far from being faint praise, saying that this is a "pretty darned good bbq book" is the greatest compliment one bbq'er could make to another. As a life long (ex-Kansas City) proponent of the slow, lazy method of cooking ribs and other treats, this is undoubtedly the most dead-on manual for anybody who wants greater insight into cooking outdoors. For the novice, it is a definitive introduction to serious grilling and bbq. For those of us who have spent as much time trying to figure out WHY we try to coax any goodness out of a nasty cut of meat like the brisket as we do actually doing it, it is a great resource. The book is filled with information that will improve the efforts of bbq'ers of any level. This is the one bbq book every cook should own.

I have subscribed to the Barbecue'n On the Internet newsletter ... for about 3 years and that is where I first 'met' Smoky Hale, who has a column there. His 'aw shucks' self-deprecating style is both humorous and very informative. His many inside tips and experience with the art of 'Q' made me an instant fan. When his book was released in 2000, I eagerly purchased it and to no surprise, I use it regularly. The book is really a conversation with the reader. Smoky shares his years of experience, some good, some bad and you get the feeling that making some really bad food is part of the learning process. And he does discuss every aspect of the grilling and barbeque process. Barbequing, broiling, roasting and smoking procedures are thoroughly covered in detail. He also talks about seasonings, rubs and marinades....what to use and why. I really appreciated Smoky's discussions about choosing the right grill, cooking with a variety of heat sources: wood, charcoal, gas and electricity, meat selection, storage and safety and the chapter on building your own grill. These chapters were not only informative, but were replete with many humorous anecdotes and quotations. Whether you are a novice to barbeque and grilling or a self-styled pitmaster, you will enjoy this book. I have over fifty books on the subject and this is without question one of my top choices. It will demystify a sometimes confusing cooking genre and will give you answers to most, if not all of your questions.

"Dr. Peck...has assembled an engrossing account of the illnesses and injuries as gleaned from the journals of the captains and enlisted men...The best known medical compilation in book form is the widely cited "Only One Man Died:The Medical Aspects of the Lewis and Clark Expedition" by orthopedic surgeon E.G. Chuinard. "r Perish in the Attempt" is a major improvement in that it provides detailed differential diagnosis and critical commentary on treatments that Chuinard did not include...The strength of Peck's book is its delightful readability..."Or Perish in the Attempt" is an excellent contribution to the Lewis and Clark medical canon and a must for medical Clarkies. It is also a delightful and satisfying account of the journey."
JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) July 2, 2003

Just finished this book and found it fascinating. Being from and living in the Pacific Northwest puts another perspective on the Lewis & Clark journey. It was particularly interesting that the author shed light on early 19th century medicine through the Lewis & Clark journey. Peck made both subjects very interesting, and I felt used a unique and humanistic style of writing in doing so. In reading the book, you feel like you can really identify with those that made the journey, almost as if you're traveling on the journey with them. I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in U.S. History, Adventure and/or Medicine.

The debut writing of Dr. Peck reveals the Lewis and Clark expedition in a new light. Not only do we learn about the route taken and what was discovered of the flora and fauna and landscape, we are taken into the Corps of Discovery. Having been given the omnipotent view of the trials and tribulations that went with this adventure, we learn about primitive wilderness medicine versus modern medicine. To read this is to become enriched about how far North Americans have come from the treatment of blood-letting! This book of high adventure in the untamed West will keep you enthralled until the last page is turned.

Tony Clark's BAT MASTERSON'S CREEDE takes us behind the scenes at this rough Colorado town as the days of the Old West are winding down. The characters we meet in the play are real, but they are anachronistic in that they are still living in a wild time that is passing. We meet Bat Masterson, of course, but the most interesting of the characters is Robert Ford, the man who shot Jesse James in the back--he is remembered in song as "That dirty little coward that shot Mr. Howard and laid pore Jesse in his grave." (James was using the pseudonym "Mr. Howard" when Ford killed him.) Ford lives out his life in this play and in the book as "the dirty little coward." Clark, who knows modern Creede and Creede in days of your makes the town live in this play.

Bat Masterson's Creede

By Tony Clark.

What happens to murderers in a lawless land?

"Fact is .....back shooting was considered a logical exploitation of a fortuitous opportunity."

Readers will be well entertained in this rollicking, thoughtful and well-crafted play. Full of colorful characters and authentic depiction of the gambling life in an Old West mining town, Tony Clark's historically accurate account of Bob Ford's death, the man who shot Jesse James in the back, is a worthwhile read for anyone interested the characters, literature and myths of the American West.

This lively play reveals the inner stories of several of the West's more flamboyant personages such as the infamous gambler Soapy Smith, and Dot Evans the manager of dancehall girls who loved Bob Ford. Bat Materson narrates and tells this tale set in the closing days of reckless time. Clark's archetypical western characters become real people with dreams, fortunes and misfortunes spent in the saloons of Creede, Colorado.

Tony Clark's imaginative recreation of Creed at the turn of the twentieth century is required reading for anyone interested in a vivid picture of the Old West and along with that self-determination and plain survival in hard times. Clark's blend of the characters, both men and women, and their places and concerns is centered in dramatic conflict and resolution. I read this play during an afternoon in the Big Bend National Park, a fitting atmosphere for the rugged world of Masterson and Ford. Tony Clark's skillful writing transported me from one mountain range to another. Once you start reading, Bat Masterson's Creed is hard to put down, a must for those interested in a realistic and dramatic portrayal of the life and times of the man who shot Jesse James.

I met Millie once when I was a youngster, this book was of immense interest to me.
This is a very good story and it is hilarious at times.
Other times it is heart wrenching. Kind of like life.
My only criticism is that the biographer was weak in the delivery of the story.
Nevertheless, I express thanks to Mr. Evans his perseverance in writing this book. I am certain it was not an effortless undertaking.

This book is one that I will save as a gem between gems on my bookshelf.

Absolutely great book if you want to read about one of the truly fantastic madams of the recent period, read this! She crowded more 'living' into her life than most people do in 6 lifetimes. She had friends in all the right places, and knew everyone. On her own from the age of 14, she was a quick learner and knew all the 'tricks'. In fact, as she put it, "We turned a good trick". Had houses from Alaska to the bottom of New Mexico. Top notch- 5 stars.

Ignore the book's subtitle, cover and back cover copy. Madam Millie is not about bordellos or lurid sex detail. It's about a tough, wise, loveable woman. There are a few funny incidents -- as when a cat attacks a delicate portion of a bishop's anatomy -- but today they seem rather tame.
Millie's long life was never ordinary. Orphaned at a young age, she was saved from juvenile justice by Harry S. Truman, then a Kansas City judge. When her sister Florence was diagnosed with tuberculosis, Millie accompanied her to Deming, New Mexico, where she worked as a Harvey Girl at the train station.
Millie entered her new profession to pay her sister's medical bills. And the rest is, literally, history.
Readers will appreciate Madam Millie on two levels: as the biography of a legend and as a social history of women, work and early life in the southwest. Millie entered the business to pay medical bills for her sister. In one night, she would earn more -- and have a pleasanter life -- than she would in the other occupations open to women at the time.
Millie was first and foremost a businesswoman. She built her success not on her looks but on her charisma, executive skills and ability to read people. It was no accident that her houses attracted high-powered clients. She was their equal.
Millie managed bordellos but she also bought and sold real estate. If she had been born forty years later, she would be a player in business or politics -- a very different but equally challenging game.
Readers can debate the morality -- and inevitabilty -- of Millie's "business." Millie herself believed there would always be a need, whether legally met or not. As Millie acknowledged, in the end what she had to sell soon became available for free, thanks to birth control and a changing society.
Millie ran clean houses, with no drugs and no disease, and her contributions to the community must have set a record. There were no rescue agencies back then. She *was* the Red Cross. Her last houses on Hudson Street -- site of the current Silver City post offices -- closed in 1968.
Madam Millie is fast-paced and easy to read. We get a sense of her wit and style, though not a great deal of her thought processes. Then again, Madam Millie does not come across as an introspective gal. She's all action. The pictures help us see history: the "girls" come across as more humorous than provocative.
Give this book to your favorite Silver City newcomer. Buying stamps and mailing a letter will take on a whole new meaning after they read Madam Millie.

I've read the book and taken Elaine's classes. She is one of the top people in the field and got me started living the life I love, doing Voice Over's.

Great simple tips with easy to understand samples and techniques that push you in the right direction. The message of the title speaks to that if you try hard and study the book you can ultimately make it! When I win my awards she will be one of the people I thank!

A fabulous introduction to the art and business of voice-overs. As one of her students, I can say this: Elaine knows what she's talking about. She'll show you the techniques you need in the business and even provide a wide variety of "copy" to practice your skills.

I'll let the book speak for itself. Pick up a copy. Read it. Study it.

And don't forget to practice.

Whooaaaa! What a SOLID book! Don't let the fact that it's a paperback fool you. In some 204 pages Elaine Clark, a voice-over performer, casting director and coach, covers all bases -- and there is no padding. It's solid, useful, info that can be applied immediately. And if you read the book and follow her advice I suspect it'll shave YEARS off the typical hit-and-miss process that most of us (including me) go through in entertainment (I'm a ventriloquist, a lower form of voice life). There are many books on virtually every aspect of show biz and we're seeing more on voice-overs, an increasingly lucrative industry due to the explosion in cartoons, commercials, etc. Clark takes you through voice techniques, getting started, copy basics, looking for an agent and The Absolutely Crucial Step: doing a demo (just as most mere mortals are judged by how they present themselves on paper, entertainers are judged by what they choose to present in their demos). It even includes a section on staying on top. Nothing is left out; the writing style is to-the-point...no cutesy stuff that attempts to mask weak content. Each page is tightly-packed with detailed information. It's as if she is having her own private session with you -- and, actually, she is -- except it costs a lot less in book form. Need THE BOOK on voice-overs? This is IT.

A simply outstanding historical novel set in the age of ancient Rome's legendary conflict with the city of Carthage, The Young Carthaginian by G.A. Henty is a totally thrilling historical action/adventure tale that will rivet the listener's attention from beginning to end. Superbly and dramatically narrated by William Sutherland, The Young Carthaginian is written with detailed attention to historical accuracy and truly brings to life a long-lost time of Hannibal, the legions of Rome, and the absolute destruction of a great maritime empire. A confidently recommended addition to any personal, school, or community library audiobook collection, The Young Carthaginian is complete and unabridged on eleven compact discs, offering 12 hours, 30 minutes of an impressive, "theater of the mind" quality entertainment experience.

Who would have thought that a book written in the 1800s could be so appealing today? Doing a little internet research, I have found that G.A. Henty lived from 1832-1902, and the books he wrote were historical fiction "for boys". He was called "The Prince of Story-Tellers" and "The Boy's Own Historian", which certainly may have been true, but I'm an adult female who loved this tale! The style of writing sounds a little formal and old-fashioned, but it actually helps create a feeling of antiquity, appropriate for its ancient setting during the Punic Wars.

The fictional and lovable hero, Marchus, a relative of the famous Hannibal, accompanies him on the Carthaginian campaign against Rome. I learned so much about Hannibal through this book, yet the majority of the plot involves other adventures that Marchus gets into. He has near escapes from bears, wolves, lions, treacherous tribesmen. In two instances, he escapes with the help of an elephant, and a raft in the subterranean reservoir of Carthage. This was fun stuff, and I am so impressed that this book I found, that is so old it doesn't even have a publication date in it, could be so delightful. Someone could make a great movie out of this!

Everyone, it seems, has heard of Hannibal bringing his army,including the elephants,through the Alps, right to the doorstep of Rome. However, a readable account of Carthage vs. Rome is not easy to find. I've been very happy to find this fascinating historical novel as the best way to teach my two sons, ages 11 and 14, about this time in history. There are some valuable lessons for us all in the book--valor, honor, and how corruption destroys great nations.

This is a book everyone should read. It is a factual account of deeds ordinary human beings would not even dream of doing to one another. But these people were evidently no more than animals. Their thoughts and actions proved beyond doubt that our society has elements within it that should not be free to prey on others under any circumstances. In fact, in my mind, these kinds of people should not even be allowed to live. I cannot imagine that the media never reported these atrocities as racist crimes -- yet they certainly were. Of course this would have been politically incorrect then as it is today. The entire thing is almost impossible to imagine taking place, but it did. How many of these killers were executed for their beastly murders? How many did the taxpayers have to continue feeding in prison cells? How many are back on the streets today? How many more like thinking Blacks are roaming the streets looking for a chump to kill. This book will certainly make the reader ask such questions. It should open the eyes of many.

Howard Clark's book Zebra is hauntingly truthful. My family member was a murdered victim of the "Death Angels" horrific crimes. The cult was an off shoot of the Muslim religion and to achieve the highest status and a possible trip to Mecca, they were to murder and maim as many white victims as they could. Points were "earned", the highest amount being white children, then white women and the least white men. When you read this book it can be shocking and unbelievable that such crimes do actually happen. San Francisco was terrified during the 70's when these crimes were being committed and Mr.Clark's book invokes that same terror in you as you read the book. This book even includes actual photos.

A terrifying true story of brutality, mutilation and mass murder. It is the story of a fanatical cult whose religious initiation consisted of hacking to death nine white men,or five women, or four children in order to attain the exalted rank of "Death Angel" No one knows how many members actually attained their "Death Angel" wings, but ZEBRA is the true account of five who tried. A haunting look inside the twisted minds of men who convinced themselves that their bloody cause was a noble one.

This module is intended as an introduction to AD&D for new players and DMs. I have not yet played or DMed it, and there will be spoilers below:

The production quality is uneven. Nice glossy, colorful cover and back which you can see above. The maps are amateurish in look, and the text is easy to read with good use of whitespace.

There's a lot of fleshing out the adventure and the area surrounding the adventure. What I really like is that there are areas that will likely [terminate] a low level party if they go exploring, but most of those offer a way out or a way to solve the problem (even if it's just to run, a healthy thing to learn to do for players). No coddling of the players here.. I like it. Though there is one way for the DM to help out the players, but it's through a natural part of the module, not fudging a die roll because the players are in over their heads. The village and NPCs are well fleshed out, with good characters having some not so good qualities at times, and at times the PCs and the NPCs will conflict even if on the same side. Because the players can give in to the NPC wishes or do what they think is best, it gives the illusion of choice to the players in an otherwise simple adventure. The actual encounters mostly involve one monster (humanoid actually) race, unless the party explores where it shouldn't, and as such it can be fairly repetitive. There's a secret area in the module that they can find, with a surprising twist if a fight doesn't actually occur, which shows that there isn't always a happy ending. There's little in the way of puzzles, and no 'usual' dungeon. The players can greatly affect the difficulty of one of the main battle depending on what they do...

>Overall, this is a good first adventure with plenty of opportunity for roleplay, conflict and battle. Almost every possibility is spelled out for the DM, and there are numerous ways to continue on from the end of the adventure. Recommended.

This module is quite well done. It is somewhat better than the modules that WotC has been putting out. Also, the downloadable mini-adventure is pretty good.

One strength of this module is in its notes to the DM. The hints provided about how to run an encounter are the kind that are normally hard to express, but when expressed properly are valuable pearls of wisdom. There are also good descriptions of where xp are derived, suggestions of a bonus, additional story ideas,... I recommended the module to a friend of mine who wanted to learn to be DM and she was immensely pleased.

The module is a little bit difficult for beginning players, however. Some of the encounters could easily destroy a party if the DM wants them to. Therefore, this module is especially suited to a beginner DM in a group of experienced players. Experienced players often are not happy sitting around while the DM reads a long-winded block of text describing a room. In this module, text that is to be read to players is mercifully short. It is also clearly set out from the other text in "scrolls" so that you can access it quickly. Very nice layout.

There is a problem associated with the module that almost prevents me from giving it a 5 star rating. The authors of the module made mistakes with the 3e rules. For example, a sorcerer wears armor and has the spell mage armor. The authors erroneously believe that mage armor and armor stack. That is not the case, according to the DMG. (I decided it was unfair to dock a star since the character was downloaded rather than printed in the module.)

The Crucible of Freya (and it's online introductory module, The Wizard's Amulet) are both excellent products. They are geared toward new DM's and take the time to explain the new 3rd edition rules and proper ways these rules should be used. This is a very refreshing way to read a module for new and old players alike as it reinforces what you know (or just think you know).
Highlights: A simple but well planned adventure centered around the retrieval of a holy relic. The villians are nasty, more than a challenge for the 1st and 2nd level characters the module is designed for, but the website has free advice on how to tailor the adventure for more powerful characters.
Numerous NPC's are introduced with quirky backgrounds and personalities that the players may or may not meet. I have adapted the entire module to my Forgotten Realms campaign and plopped it in the north, a few hundred miles from Waterdeep.
The writers stress that although the module is very difficult for low level characters, they did this on purpose as the best memories often derive from the most demanding challenges. And a resourceful DM can still save the PC's butts from the fire without them knowing.
Definitely worth giving a try, and the best thing is, the more popularity Necromancy Games gets, the more money they acquire, and the better their products will be in the future.