If you can finish reading "Eye-Deep in Hell" and believe that WWI was not so tough to fight in, you're a stronger person than I am.

Ellis presents a graphics-heavy book that focuses on the daily life of the soldier in WWI and only discusses the political reasons and strategies of the Great War if they make a point about the way the average soldier lived.

Each two-page spread holds at least one graphic: a photo, a diagram, or a reproduced label or sign. Most of the photos and graphics are very well chosen and enhance the reader's perception of the text. Unfortunately, the reproduction quality of some of the photographs is less than stellar, and the reader is left struggling to figure out what exactly the point of the picture is.

Read this book to understand what "The Average Soldier" (Ellis attempts to include facts about the soldiers fighting on both sides) had to deal with in World War I (I think re-enactors would find this book particularly useful), but select another for the facts of the war or any particular battle.

EYE-DEEP IN HELL: TRENCH WARFARE IN WORLD WAR I is a history of the soldier's life on the Western Front of World War I. Thoroughly researched, and written in a clear, straightforward documentary style, Ellis' survey puts the reader in the soggy, disintegrating boots of the British, Canadian, Australian, American, French or German soldier as he sat in the muddy trenches with the rats and lice and corpses and the sound of a thousand shells bursting over his head, waiting for his chance to be involved in another futile charge on the enemy trenches.

Ellis makes use of plenty of photographs, period illustrations and poetry, first-hand accounts and letters as he describes in detail the soldier's life. As can be expected, there are descriptions that will turn the reader's stomach (the wounds encountered by field doctors), but more surprisingly, there is also some grim humor to be found (the jam issued to British soldiers was almost always plum and apple, and in one account, "an issue of strawberry or raspberry jam was an historic occasion").

The insanity and short-sightedness of the generals and politicians of World War I is not entirely missing from this book, but it's not the point. This is not an overview of the war (like John Keegan's THE FIRST WORLD WAR), nor an in-depth history of one battle or campaign (like Alistair Horne's saga of Verdun THE PRICE OF GLORY). Ellis writes not about the madness of World War I, but about the madness of war itself: the "all hell" faced by the grunt paying the price for the failures of diplomats, presidents and kings. Although the British soldier (for obvious reasons) receives the most attention, all sides are taken into account, from the reasons they fought, to their daily realities on the front lines, to the confusion of battle, to the care they received in the hospital, to the disorientation they felt upon their return home.

Although this book could have benefited from a more careful proofreader (I've not seen this many typographical errors in any major university publication of comparable length), its writing is nearly flawless. It may not be the best jumping off place for an understanding of the war, but as a means of bringing history to life by living it through the eyes of the everyman, this is a great book for an understanding of World War I.

Oh dear, oh dear! We can all thank our lucky stars we will never be called to fight in a war like this. Here is an account that vividly & shockingly brings the reader face to face with all the horrors that WW1 soldiers (usually) stoicly accepted as part of their daily existence. This was a war of attrition. The majority of the combatants died whilst never coming face to face with the enemy. The grinding trench warfare routine became the principle enemy. Cloying mud, freezing weather, disease carrying rats, incessant sniping & constant bombardments brought death, wounds & incapacity in a cruel, unforgiving & random manner. The book, whilst brilliantly revealing the day to day soldier's lot, hardly touches the strategic development of the war & it's campaigns. This is not really such an important omission as it would have been in other wartime histories since financial considerations, rather than the static trench warfare, ultimately decided the outcome of this sad conflict. Excellent mix between author's narrative & eye witness reports. Most of the book is devoted to an in-depth insight into all the despair of the physical consequences of the war, particularly moving to me were the soldiers' accounts at the end, that reveal poignantly the lasting & laudable attitudes to comradeship & love for fellow sufferers, that blossomed from such awful, dire circumstances. Highly recommended!

An excellent book, easy to comprehend. Materials coverved were well presented. Read the book in 2 days cram and it did help passing the test. Make sure to use other reading resources too as this book will only provide basic information. Strongly recommended for those taking the written exams.

This book helped me study and pass the CCIE written on my FIRST try. This gives great instruction on some of the grey areas that I know aspiring CCIE's have trouble with (all bridging, and in depth routing protocols). The questions included with it give you a great feel for the knowledge you must know in order to pass the test. I would recommend this book to anyone going after this test.

Team,
I just got NLI's Study Guide.......wow, what a book, well written, all needed information for the Written test, this book is a must have for any serious person who is into Cisco networking. It is a book that you would not like to put it down.....Well job Networking Learning, Dennis Laganiere and Brad Ellis..... This book is a must have beside all information from Cisco Web site (That should be the first source). This is book that can be used as reference after taking the test....

JB

MCSE,CCNA,CCNP,CCDA,CCDP......(one day CCIE)

The Envy of the World: On being a Black man in America is a well done book that gives the reader a view on what it's like to be black or if you are black helps you to understand some of the issues that you're facing. At the end of the book in "The twelve things you must know" he gives some important points that I think Blacks should pay close attention to. He also makes great points in the "Too cool for School" chapter. He brings out important points in the book, like the fact that the quality of education that Blacks receive is far lower than that of whites. Also, the important distinction of the inner city school and the rich suburban school. There are two different types of education going on here and if some people expect the inner city school kid to compete with what the rich suburban kid has, you're really living in a fantasy world. Sadly, the people who would most benefit from this book, probably won't even read it or probably won't even hear of this book. I tend to agree with most of what Ellis Cose has to say in this book and I think it is a book that every person should read to view the struggles of the Black man. A lot of people say that in essence, you're blaming society. However, if the evidence is supporting the claim, who can deny the facts?

I just finished reading Ellis Cose's "The Envy of the World." I would give it 5 stars, but I think that Ellison's "Invisible Man" is the only book that I would give 5 stars. Cose's book is a present that every African American father should give to his son. I don't think that Cose tried to re-invent the wheel with this book. He eloquently lays out those things that African American men must do in order to prosper. If I am fortunate enough to have a son, I will make sure that I pass the book on to him. Mr. Cose has written a valuable and must read book for African American men. Even though I think that Ellison's book is in a class of its own, I think that Cose's book provides the same armor that "Invisible Man" does. Bravo Bro!

Ellis Cose, a Newsweek Columnist, penned a provocative if not intrusive book on why Black men are feared, admired, shunned, and despised in a perceived racist society...and how they can overcome maladies that have allowed views of inferiority to proliferate. The Envy Of The World: On Being A Black Man In America is a superb book! Well written and full of insight, its significance should be appreciated within the style that is was written. It explains with clarity the challenges facing black men in twenty-first century America and offer ways out of the defeatist-type attitudes and despair that wreak havoc in the black community. It's my feeling, and the author concurs, that black men have never had more opportunity for success than they do today. But are the resources and said opportunities being adequately utilized to the fullest? Are the adversities, misconceptions, and stereotypical assessments that White America typically view blacks enough to warrant change? What steps need to be initiated to uplift the black man in this society?

These questions not only are answered, but show progressively some of the experiences that are faced by others trying to find solutions to the aforementioned, acknowledging various systemic obstacles that tend to stifle change. Sequenced in six chapters in his classic interview style, Mr Cose offers and supports his theory with reductive reasoning why they ARE the envy of the world. This is done by garnering the experiences of a broad range of black men, which culminates with 'Twelve Things You Must Know To Survive and Thrive In America'. He concludes by offering this gem: "There is more leeway than there has ever been in history for you to become whatever you would be; for you to accomplish whatever you dread; for you to escape the prisons of stereotypes and caricatures that our forefathers could not avoid" This in itself should be the impetus and reason to want to read such a book that seem to be the perfect anecdote for the future of a race.

I've tried a lot of different address books in the past and by far, "The Celebrity Address Handbook & Autograph Guide 2000" provides the most complete and up-to-date celebrity directory. I collect all types of autographs and do some fund raising for charitable organizations. This book has the widest selection of celebnrities today. It has excellent references to the internet movie database and lists the accomplishments of the celebrities. This book belongs on anyone's bookshelf who wants celebrity addresses.

I'm amazed. "The Celebrity Address Handbook & Autograph Guide 2000" is GREAT. I was looking for sports names and this book is loaded. What surprised me is that the book lists the NFL summer training camps and I plan to get in-person autographs of 3 training camps in my area. Good job on "The Celebrity Address Handbook & Autograph Guide 2000."

Do you want to see a excellent blend of entertainment names and addresses with the backing of the Internet's power to research movies and TV programs? Well, it is hear. "The Celebrity Address Handbook & Autograph Guide 2000" lists tons of entertainment names and addresses. And, if you want to get extra data on cast members, crew members or just about anyone in the entertainment industry, you've got to view the Internet Movie Database.(the website is listed in this book) It is operated by Amazon.com and the data is excellent. Searches can be made by actor, director, name of movie or variety of other searches. It is great for the person who wants to know more about there favorite star. "The Celebrity Address Handbook & Autograph Guide 2000" has the addresses, The IMDb has the backup facts. This is a winning combination, I highly recommend this book.

This book is about a woman, Naomi Ash, who happened to start life in New Orleans, but her mother, a spiritualist, moves them up to Train Line, NY, a home to a community of spiritualists. And ten years ago, Naomi killed her boyfriend. The day before Labor Day, a construction crew found him.

I ordered this book after I read a review of it in the local paper that included the first line of the book, "First I had to get his body into the boat." I thought, "That's it- I've gotta get this book." I'm not a big mystery reader kinda person, but this was obviously a psychological mystery- Whose body? Why a boat? Did YOU kill him? How'd he die? You slowly learn all the answers to those questions, with the "WHY did he die?" question being answered last. I can't really recall ever reading a book with this approach and it very much intrigued me.

The title "After Life" is really great- Naomi can truly (or maybe truly- she doesn't ever seem to be totally confident) see the spirits of those who have passed on, and even the spirit belonging to the body headed to the boat eventually comes to her. She is dealing with Life After death and not just any death- the death of her boyfriend, a death that we suspect she is responsible for, and she is coping with the responsibility and fear that is associated with the potential of his being discovered (and then, maybe, HER being discovered for his death) and it is a very interesting struggle.

Ellis' ways of describing the world around you is also unique- The mother of the main character Naomi says, "Two people never love each other at the same time. One loves, and the other is in love with being loved. The fun is in guessing which one's you." Or another example- Naomi's first experience with snow, described as follows: "The air smelled different, like water in a tin bucket, and crows flapped in circles over our heads. When I spoke, my voice fell straight out of my mouth, completely swallowed up by snow."

The community of spiritualists is unique, but to me they just seemed like any small town with their own culture and rhythms- only instead of being poultry farmers (like my hometown), they happen to speak to the dead. This is not a criticism- I liked the fact that these people were so real and not romanticized and so matter-of-fact.

The reason for the death at first was (to me) a little disappointing- I thought, "that's IT? " However, the more I think about it, the more I get WHY that's what HAD to happen, and frankly, it just makes Naomi more and more realistic and understandable, and the more of a message there is in the book- again, particularly with regard to the title. You keep seeing how something like that COULD happen.

This is a good book, but it is not a beach book- you will get into it and really think about what you are reading(although I guess you could fly through it, but I think you'd maybe miss the thoughts that it provokes). If you want to read a book to vege out to and be brainless, this ain't it. I definitely recommend this book for it's unique approach to language and to a mystery plot.

'First I had to get his body into the boat.' Not the usual beginning for any sort of mystery novel, but this is not your run-of-the-mill mystery novel. Rhian Ellis' tale of a rather reluctant spiritualist, Naomi Ash, is set in rural upstate New York in a town founded by and populated by an amazing array of mediums, fortune tellers, seers, sages, fakirs and charlatans -- some of whom, doubtless, are sincere and possessed of real talent in their chosen field.

The story is skillfully told in both the present and in a series of well-constructed and smoothly integrated flashbacks. The author is talented enough that her techniques do not induce any degree of 'reader whiplash' -- and it's a relief to see this method used to such good advantage. It enhances the mystery -- allowing it to unfold slightly out of order keeps the reader in an additional degree of suspense.

One of the strongest aspects of Ms. Ellis' story is her central character, Naomi. She is believable, and whatever she may or may not have done -- no spoilers here -- we feel a great deal of empathy for her. She is not drawn as some hauntingly beautiful heroine, willowy, sexy and seductive, so perfect that she couldn't be real. She is very human, with a less-than-ideal self-image. Her life is filled with unfulfilled expectations, loneliness and little hope of improving her situation -- but there is also happiness, and the joy she finds in seemingly small things is very much alive to us.

The author also very ably brings some of the history of spiritualism in America into her novel -- not in a preachy way, as if she's trying to convince the reader of anything, but by way of information that gives her characters' beliefs a living past. I found this book to be very entertaining and well-written -- and refreshingly off the beaten path.

As a long-time avid reader, I have read many books but this is the first time I have felt compelled to comment. Ms. Ellis' book is totally captivating. Her main character, Naomi Ash, is so likeable that even though you know from the beginning "whodunit" you keep hoping that the "why" she did it will still enable her to live happily ever after. But as with real life, there isn't always a happily-ever-after for everyone...not during life; maybe not After Life. Ms. Ellis created a setting so picturesque that it made me want to find "Trainline", NY. Surprisingly, I found she did not draw the town from imagination, but from memory. It exists, still, in 2000 and is as amazing as she describes. The town in the novel and the town in Western NY are both places that once visited will never be forgotten.

"The Winter Solstice" starts with the Scottish rituals that were meant to ensure a good harvest the following year and ends with an adaptation of a Cherokee tale of creation as a Solstice story. In between students will learn about how the ancient Romans changed places during a week of celebrating the solstice, Scandinavians celebrated the return of the sun with the feast of Yuletide, as well as Peruvian and Hopi Indian sun rituals. The book draws some connections between the holiday practices of Christmas and Hanukkah with the winter solstice rituals of long ago. There is even an explanation for why the days grow shorter in winter that can be turned in a very simple science experiment for students. This book by Ellen Jackson, with illustrations by Jan Davey Ellis, obviously does not touch on all of the things people around the world have done to celebrate "The Winter Solstice," it does provide enough information for young elementary school children to handle.

This lovely picture book is a great over-view of Winter Solstice history, tradition, science and celebration. The illustrations are satisfyingly detailed and brightly colored, many of them double page spreads. The book covers an ancient Scottish family's Winter Solstice experience, shows us an ancient viewpoint featuring Stonehenge, explores anicent Roman, Scandinavian, Celtic, Peruvian, and Native American celebrations. It shares some of the features of modern day Winter Solstice celebrations. It ties in the celebrations of Christmas and Hanukkah and traces where some of those holiday traditions originated. It includes a brief and easily understood scientific explanation for the Winter Solstice. The book is nicely rounded off with a solstice story from a Cherokee tale of creation. The illustrations feature yew and mistletoe, blazing bonfires, antlered ancients encouraging the return of the Sun, changing seasons, and children celebrating. It is a lively and entertaining book that will enrich anyone's understanding of this special night of the year and will be especially useful to Wiccan and other pagan parents.

Finally! A book which touches upon our winter holiday! Perfect for reading to your younger child (or as a starting place for religious discussions with slightly older children). The celebration of the winter solstice is covered from a variety of cultural viewpoints, with lovely illustrations and accurate information (the scientific explanation is also given). A beautiful story about the Solstice is provided at the end of the book, which can be used as a separate tale for family gatherings. The only caveat is that, although the author mentions that some people still mark the Solstice, that is the extent of the detail given to modern Earth-centered faiths. All in all, a book which will enrich your child's religious education.

When I first read AUTHORITY, I was blown away but just......how darn cool everything in it seemed. Its a masterpiece of style and force. And Frank Quietly is a suberp artist.

I dunno, its not for everybody. It really could be, this book is so close to be a masterpiece it hurts. But it really doesn't seem to want to dig beneath the surface. Its just about action and truly incredible violence. But thats really about it. We dont get much of an idea of the characters, or really that the Authority does much else than wreack havoc on anyone that steps out of line.

But jeez, if the story would just slow down, add some more details, really let us into its world, you'd be hard pressed to do better. Seriously, this book is ready to explode, there is so much there. It just feels like its content to burn out quickly.

The first half of this book finishes up Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch's run on the book and in their final storyarc we can really see why they made the Authority great. After this the new team of Millar (also a good writer but not as good as Ellis) and Quitely take over. Quitely is a good artist, I just feels that he draws his people too chunky. Overall still a great read and though I was sad to see Ellis and Hitch leave the book, Millar and Quitely do an excellent job.

This volume is made up of two stories, "the Outer Dark" representing the end of the Warren Ellis/Bryan Hitch first year run of the book, and "the Nativity" the start of the controversial Mark Millar/Frank Quitely run on the title.

While it isn't quite the breathless trip that the first two Authority story arcs were (collected in the see "the Authority: Relentless" trade paperback), it represents a fine ending to the Ellis/Hitch run and features the last bow of a memorable character, one after my own ex-leftie heart. (By the way, they take on God, but not the diety you're thinking of,...)

"The Nativity" starts off with the Authority lashing out against the government of Indonesia, which had hired "irregulars" to brutalize East Timorese into sanctioning their abusive regime in an upcoming election, and sending a message to the governments of the world: "we will not tolerate the human rights abuses by anyone, be they invaders from other worlds, "supervillains" or even, soveriegn states",... and this triggers the first of a series of counter strikes, this one launched by the ultimate cold warrior, a creative genius with his own plans for humanity. Both a satire of the conventions of the comic book superhero genre; the culture of celebrity in the this country; and an indirect indictment of abusive governments everywhere; "The Nativity" made both Mark Millar and Frank Quitely's careers in the US, and both rapidly moved onward and upward to far more lucrative assignments; but to date this remains some of thier finest work for American publishers, and its well worth a read.

Content Studio would be a good book if it went into more depth on the topics detailed inside. Dynamic Studio tries to do too much. You will find that the book will give you a general understanding of a topic but this will then need to be followed up with some more detailed research (which to me defeats the purpose of buying the book in the first place!).

I have also noticed that all the 'Friends of Ed' publications are rather repetitive of each other. If you buy the whole set of books you will see recurring examples, explanations and ideas frequently, especially in regards to the Action Scripting Topics. Again, as detailed in my review on 'Foundation Actionscripting' by Sham Bhangal in the same series, I would suspect they are selling more on appearance rather than content.

Do not even attempt to buy Dynamic Studio if you think it will help you design a fully functional dynamic Flash site. All the book will do will introduce technologies that you could use to build such a site and give brief examples on their use.

While the idea behind the Friends of Ed series is admirable and useful - that is, to cover the broad and expansive areas of Flash development that are not so well documented elsewhere - the books so far have been spoiled by the inconsistent quality of their ActionScript.

Too often, I get the feeling that authors that have been invited to contribute have simply re-worked a pre-existing project - and this all too often includes (the usual) hacks and workarounds which all of us use when faced with deadlines. Bits and pieces of Flash4 ActionScript creep in every now and again - and occassionally the authors seem to be entirely unaware of new methods introduced in Flash5 that make their workarounds obsolete (the onClipEvent for loaded data is one example - see Chapt 9 of this book to learn how to do it the *old* way).

Furthermore, the tutorials often lack focus - as though the editors can't decide where to pitch the level of instruction: so that some hard-core ActionScript is often mixed-in with superfluous detail about how to build the interface for the tutorial example.

Anyway, my advice if you really want to *learn* ActionScript for yourself - and also avoid the mistakes, hacks and workarounds that plague the Friends of Ed books - put Phillip Kerman's excellent "ActionScripting in Flash" together with Colin Moock's "ActionScript: The Definitive Guide" on your desk - you'll never look back.

I am a graphic/web designer by design. Programming of any type is a struggle for me. Just as I started getting Flash 4 ActionScripting down pat they went and changed the syntax on me. Ive been through the whole collection of "Friends Of Ed" books yet none have been as clear and easy to understand as Dynamic Content Studio. This book covers all the important topics in a way that makes it easy for the logically challenged, such as myself, to understand. The examples are, for the most part, simple but offer a lot in the way of showing you what can be done and how to do it.

I have been using ASP to create dynamic Flash content for about a year now, and have struggled the whole way. This book makes everything a little clearer and offers you logical solutions for common procedures to help streamline your code, making life a little easier.

Great book, I highly recommend it!

One of Sword and Sorcery Studios' first publications, and what an attractive and useful tome it is. This hardcover publication features over 200 creatures, and I have already used a couple in my new third edition D&D campaign.

The Creature Collection is similar to the Monster Manual, giving all the stats you need for game play. All the creatures have well written descriptions, detailing their natural habitat and special abilities. Very impressive interior art. The artists include Jeff Holt, Steve Ellis, Guy Davis, Jeff Rebner and others. The authors Geoff Grabowski and Stephan and Stewart Wieck -- among others.

All in all, Creature Collection with many fascinating monsters is a nice book to add to your D&D collection.

Sword & Sorcery Studios; www.swordsorcery.com ; has made the most impressive start as a company and use of the d20 Open Gaming Liscense to-date with their Creature Collection.

This sourcebook, for the yet to be released 'Scarred Lands' setting, is an excellent resource for any creative DM wishing to spice up his own world, or any world his game is set in.

Interesting twists to known races, as well as the addition of several others.

The Slitheren, Ratmen spawned from the flesh and ichor of slain Titans; the beings who ruled Scarn some century and a half ago, slain by their children - the Gods; who hide, sneak, and walk as two legged, sentient vermin - Brown Gorgers, Foamers, the Diseased, and Red Witches are names to be feared by your players.

Wrack Dragons, rare and dangerous creations of the fallen Titans.

New Golems, including the Mithral Golem, grace the book with ingenious and interesting twists to their nature.

Overall if this is an inkling of what Sword & Sorcery Studios, as well as Necromancer Games; www.necromancergames.com ; can do, then it's all good on the horizon.

This book is great, it gives a DM over 200 more creatures to use in D&D 3rd edition, or any fantasy game that uses the D20 system. The creatures themselves are well thought out and would make a welcome addition to any DM's collection of monsters. The artwork is a little primitive sometimes, so if you are a person who considers this aspect of a rule book very important, this might not be for you. But, if you value the quality of the content of a rule book, and want a few hundred more creatures to throw at your PC's....you need this book!

For the first time a realistic biography has finally been written concentrating on and revealing in part THE DARK TRUTH ABOUT THE BEAT GENERATION. Ellis Amburn's biography is one of the first to ADMIT in any "official" capacity, and show through the biographical medium of Jack Kerouac, the simple undeniable fact that the Beat Generation is, like most rebellious movements comprised of the young, the unaccepted, the lost, misplaced, unacknowledged, leaderless, angry, artistic, philosophical, experimental, et.al---largely consumed by dark, forbidden ( by society) impulses and passions too powerful to deny and are often obsessed and fascinated by them too much NOT to explore.... It is Kerouac's dream that people want, not the truth of his life; even the numerous biographies have but scratched "the beat surface", somehow writing their way around the truth as if it were a reality whose skirts they were too terrified to lift, as a veil guarding from sore eyes what is not a handsome leg! Not so with Ellis Amburn's subterranean Kerouac! Amburn was Kerouac's editor the last decade of Kerouac's life.... He came into Kerouac's career, fittingly, about the time of "Big Sur", in which K, admits for the first time on record to his Angel that he is going absolutely crazy in the horrific manner of narcotica... K.'s literary skills of graphic description here do not tantalize, but horrify! This is the book that alienated Kerouac's own audience, and Amburn coming on the scene from here onwards is qualified to paint the portrait of Kerouac in a realistic manner worthy of Soviet Realist Literature, who is writing from personal memoir as well as from biographical investigation. Of course all Amburn writes is verified, one can investigate matters thoroughly for oneself thanks to concise bibliographical notated sources, including Kerouac's own "sex-lists", and the information it contains is valid only because, unlike the multitude of biographies out there, it's sources ARE cited.... Kerouac struggled all his life, and the fact that he eulogizes his youth in way that produced the most Romantic literature of his generation cannot ever completely exorcise his roots in the black soil of a poor French-Canadian family of working class origins, replete with all the stigmata of the hell it is to be poor, with an alcoholic, unemployed gambler for a father and repressed, clinging, religious old-world peasant for a mother, and a dutiful son of deep inborn sorrows, "Ti Jean", who loves them at the same time they all lovingly murder one another with smiles on their faces...you know the story, writ in high Romanticism, if you've read his works, which of no writer can I recommend more than Kerouac that you read his own works first before consulting ANY biograpical tomes as Kerouac wrote his own autobiography the way Twain said "noone is more prepared to write about your life than you are" and if you want to learn about Kerouac's spirit written straight from the heart consult his works! If you want the gut-level truth about his exterior life I recommend this one. Out of them all, however, if you don't want to be enlightened as to the truth of Kerouac's life,and believe me many do NOT, then do NOT read Amburn's biography. Even though much of what Amburn writes is mentioned in the previous what?-20?-biographies,it is yet glossed over in a deceptive manner allowing the delusion and the propoganda to continue flourishing and sellsellselling everything from romantic pants to cigarettes. On a deeper level, Amburn is championing Kerouac by writing the TRUTH of his exterior life as it can only raise Kerouac's spirit that much higher exposing as it does the true grit and stamina NOT to suicide himself the easy way, but to create immortal literature in which people will find the Solace and COMPANIONSHIP Kerouac wrote for! Amburn's Subterranean Kerouac is beyond the petty bickerings of what exactly went on at some party in the village 50 years ago, who ahhumped who so immensely they had to be resuscitated...that stuff is all fine-n-dandy but it does NOT get to the heart of the matter that is Kerouacs'! I suspected such a biography as this would upset the lies people want so much to believe, myself included, and they are anybody but Kerouac's lies; but true romanticism is not a flight from reason but a journey towards the ultimate self, and if such a book can upset so many innumerable critics, it's a sign beckoning: "There is something this book did to me that is really troubling to me!" and people rarely get upset by lies if they truly have no significant connotation, let those who admonish and want to kill the messenger bearing bad news go back to their idle worshipping of a false idol, and believe me, it is NOT Kerouac that is false in any way, it is largely the media who has so warped the true vision these writers had, but also those who would not find out the truth for themselves, even when they drink from the very source, that metaphysical horror of existence that Kerouac with sheer courage stands under the gaze of and stares back, constantly driving himself onwards "on the road" to get to the very heart of the matter, as if it were a very definitely real place somewhere within the confines of an "America!". Like any good biography, and there are thruths in each one not to be gleaned from any other, there is rarely any who don't break-down and cry their hearts out at the end of the life of Jack Kerouac. Many, rightly-so have said that to American Artists as well as the average reader, it is akin to the death of JFK for those who hold him close to their heart, a national tragedy. Disarming however is the real tragedy concerning Kerouac was the wretched manner in which he was treated while alive. The brutality of the establishment and the cruelty of mean spirited closed-minded people Kerouac fought against by using beautiful words, in the business of healing words...in the way he is used and marketed today still makes him very much so a 20th century American martyr. Amburn's biography is a portrait of Kerouac's inner-life in the tortured yet beautiful stylizations of German Expressionism. Kerouac fans are lucky, and some doomed, to have it. Regardless, the truth is now definately out there.

I opened this book as a prejudiced reader, ready to dislike what I was sure would be Amburn's narrow-minded take on the writer, one more reduction of the artist through a filter of one more specialty school. Kerouac dissected by the scalpels of queer theory. I was delighted to find Amburn's immensely readable life of Ti Jean written with open mind and full heart. Satisfying in a way that few of the previous biographies have been, Amburn gives an authentic sense of a very complicated man across a busy and confused lifetime. No easy feat. The bonus is that Amburn also offers up tidbits from the archives unknown until now. (I was unaware that Kerouac once thought of merging Dr. Sax with On the Road and making the first novel the story of Sal Paradise's childhood). Clearly, the biographer cares about his subject even when he delineates Kerouac's failings in a clear-eyed, stinging fashion. There are fine insights into all the supporting cast of characters and its ever-shifting relationships (Burroughs, we learn, thought Cassady a low class con man. John Clellon Holmes suffered with his own alcoholic demons). The whole book is written in a pleasing, non-obtrusive style. Until Douglas Brinkley's official biography arrives, Amburn's book will do nicely to help sate the ever-expanding hunger for Kerouac studies.

This is pure, addictive reading pleasure as it leaves no stone unturned in its investigation of Kerouac the author and Kerouac the man. Not only that, but it also sheds light on a whole generation of bohemians and contemporaries of Kerouac whilst providing valuable background and insight into the literary masterpieces produced by this generation that included William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Paul Bowles, Neal Cassady and many others. Their lives prove that the path of excess often leads to the most sublime literature. This book has stimulated my interest in the Beat writers all over again and I shall reread their classics once more, this time with a clearer understanding of the interpersonal relationships and mutual influences underlying the text. I believe Amburn's excellent book is indispensable for a thorough understanding of the Beats and is a brilliant reference work with its copious notes, extensive bibliography and thorough index. The text is enlivened by black and white photographs all the important people, places and documents that played a part in Kerouac's life. Impeccable scholarship and an engaging writing style combine to ensure a riveting read and a valuable reference source that I certainly will return to again and again.