My interest is the history of golf. I found the author's account of its early development in Massachusetts both informative and readable. The book also contains much of interest about the early history of tennis and especially its early social context in the United States. I strongly recommend this book for anyone interested in these topics.

I had to work with this book in my studies in Italian language and it was a great pleasure for me to know this author. He describes brillantly the relations in the big family, where nobody owes to say a word about the big bosses and the crimes, which have happened. This silence, omertá, causes the power of the mafia. Regarding this system the officer gets frustrated, because there's no chance for him to arrest the big boss, which is evidently not innocent. My comment about this book is very positive and I could tell everybody to read it, too.

E un capolavoro - an excellent study written by an insightful, intelligent mind who's comprehensive understanding of Italy's history during this era makes it a truely worthwhile read.

An anthology of stories in the original Italian, including those by Cialente, Ginzburg, Ortese, Morante, romano, Maraini and Duranti. The thirteen stories offer a range of style and content indicative of the wealth and and diversity by women, and their reading is supported by critical notes (in English) an extensive glossary. An excellent edition for intermediate and advanced students of Italian.

at the same time. Churchill was already regarded as one of the greatest men of his time. This was due in no small part to his great sucess as a writer. Yet he was out of step, the times being what they were: a nation being led by craven, small brained men concerned only with the bottom line. I found myself talking back to the tape (in essence, talking to myself) at the fools running H.M.G. & the Foreign Office in the 1930's. It is as if Churchill is the only person of stature who knew Hitler & what his intentions were.But he is on the outside looking in. This was the "peace at ANY price decade" & not one for which England can be proud. Every country in Europe was sold out as the Greater Reich swallowed The Rhineland, Austria, The Sudetenland & Czechslovakia & threatened the rest including France. His fall from grace was in part in own fault. His obstinacy on India's Status & his support of Edward VIII, the future Duke of Windsor past the point of reason did not help him at all. His honor, honesty & vast output of writing in books & articles kept him in the public eye, until as we know, he was called to his finest hour.

This work is a brilliant examination of the politics, etc. of c. 7th century Merovingian Gaul. It is a must-have for any serious student of the "Dark Ages"!

This is one of the best year reviews of Manchester United. It gives a lot of information on players, coaches and competitions. Manchester Utd's performance in Premiership, FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League are in the book. It reveals some helpful information about the club, the players and the stadium. If you are a Reds fan, this is a must for YOU!

O. R. Cummings has long been noted for his encyclopedic knowledge of New Hampshire traction lines, and nowhere does he show this better than in Manchester Streetcars.

If you want to see a prime example of how to write a definitive, concise history of a traction line, this is the book for you.

Why? Its 128 pages cover a definitive pictorial roster, including those from the horsecar era. Renumberings (often neglected) are noted, as are disposition dates of equipment not making it to abandonment. The system is covered geographically, with important street names, intersections, and landmarks always noted. Branch lines are not neglected and covered in separate chapters. The downtown Manchester area containing carbarns, important junctions, and the B&M, gets special treatment. The history of the system is interspersed throughout the captions and in narrative, always at the right point.

The photographs used are first rate - there isn't a dud among them. Directions being travelled (oft times overlooked by others) are included, so you know where you are and where you are looking.

My only quibble - and it's a minor one considering all that has been included - is a wish for more detailed maps. The ones given are not faulty, incomplete or erroneous. I'm just a map freak.

O. R. Cummings has done us all a great service in this volume. I recommend it without reservation.

I bought this book after watching the British television movie, "Queer as Folk," which is set in Manchester, England. The bars, restaurants, public relations offices, apartment buildings (old and new), provided an exciting backdrop to the club-hopping, trend-setting characters in that movie. The combination of modern architecture and the thoughtful repurposing of nineteenth century factories and warehouses struck me as exciting and playful.

Although I have been unable to identify any of the buildings from the movie in David Hands and Sarah Parker's "little guide to [Manchester's] recent architecture," the book did confirm my sense that the people of Manchester have worked hard to be neither pure preservationists nor reckless redevelopers. Each of the 65 structures covered is represented by one or two photographs and receives, at the most, a page and a half of descriptive text. The photographs are beautiful black and white images, though sometimes it is difficult to tie the image (often a detail, such as an entryway) to any particular description within the text. The writing is delicious and beautiful in its own right, even when you're not quite sure what the authors are talking about. (For instance, this of Malmaison: "To avoid pastiche the new facade is grey-granite aggregate and concrete block. Designed to be behind the Hoyles building, sliding into a former lightwell in its V-shaped plan. This juxtaposition has informally bonded the two volumes, creating a large hard-landscaped piazza, clearly identifying the hotel's presence and purpose.") There's a lot in these descriptions to unpack, but I feel the authors have made astute observations and assessments (usually positive, though they are not afraid to deliver a well-earned jab here and there as well).

As a guide, I felt it suffered from the lack of a good, comprehensive introduction (for instance, I would like to have learned more about Manchester's industrial past and to have gotten an analysis of how the city responded to the 1996 IRA bombing that was responsible for much of the city's recent rebuilding). I would also have liked to have had a map or two, suggested walking tours, and more context photos. But for it's price and size (a very compact 4 X 4 inches), I was quite satisfied with what I got.

I LOVE THIS BOOK IT IS SO COOOL