This book makes fascinating reading for anyone interested in 19th century Africa. Above all, it gives a clear insight into how Africa and, in particular, the Nile was viewed by European adventurers and hunters at the time. Samuel Baker was a very able writer and his fluid style and keen eye for scientific detail make this book a pleasure to read. Perhaps the only negative aspect of the book is that it goes into too much detail on Baker's hunting expeditions and the modern reader may find some of these episodes quite savage and cruel. Apart from that, it is a book which is well worth reading and which gives the reader a much better understanding of how life really was in these remote areas in the late 19th century.

You've got to like the sometimes tedious, journal-style approach of early explorers, or at least be willing to put up with it, to appreciate this book. However, it holds some remarkable writing, insight and yes adventure. Baker was a contemporary of Richard Burton, John Henning Speke, Henry Morton Stanley and David Livingstone, all famous for their searches for the source of the Nile River in Africa. If you know anything about this time in history and about Africa itself, then you know that Africa was almost always fatal. Few who went into the interior returned, and those who did usually paid with their health. Not a pretty picture. Into this scene walks Samuel Baker, a wealthy, larger than life British aristocrat with a passion for exploration and excitement.

Baker was a man who tackled rather than simply lived life. A fine linguist, writer, artist and sportsman who hunted with a knife because it was too easy to kill with a gun, he was also extremely practical with a "let's get on with it" attitude towards his travels. Nothing but determined, he presses forward when others would have said, "enough." Are you surprised that he succeeds where others have failed? I wasn't.

What I like about Baker's writing is that he knows how to tell a story. He is as interested in the people as he is in the facts of what happened. It also helps that Baker himself edited this book, picking and choosing the entries from his longer journal. If Baker is pompous and full of his own superiority at times, he can be forgiven. All in all this is a good read. It helps, however to have read his first book "The Albert N'yanza Great Basic of the Nile" first.

This book confirms and repeats, over and over again, that bilingualism is a good thing, that there are no disadvantages to bilingualism, and that young children are, for the most part, good at learning languages. This should allay any unfounded fears parents may have that bilingualism might not be a good idea. The poor side of the book is that it can essentially be condensed into the above review. There is little or no practical advice on how parents can best bring up a baby to be bilingual short of those methods obvious to most people (e.g. "talk to your child"). The second half of the book covers different approaches in different schools. The message is good (if obvious), the content shallow.

This is a great book that is exactly as the title says, a parent and teachers guide to bilingualism. It is set up in a Q&A format where every question you had about bilingualism answered from "My child refuses to use one of his/her languages. What should I do?" to "My child stutters. Is this caused by bilingualism." I work with a lot of bilingual families and I will be recommending this book a lot as it is fact- and research-based, yet written for lay people.

This fascinating little book tells the life of Valentine Baker, once British General but exiled into the service of the Turkish and Egyptian governments. The story of Baker's family (his brother Samual was a famous African explorer) and his own personal travails is told against a backdrop of life in the British Army from the Crimea to Khartoum. Readers of other works on the individual battles will the find the whole story told here with a unique sense of continuity. The various adventures of British forces in the Crimea, Turkey and Egypt were not unrelated events but part of a foreign policy as complex and tortured as our own today.
Baker's own personal story is also fascinating, and his interaction with other famous figures of the time (the Prince of Wales, General Wolseley, Gordon, Gladstone, etc.) shows them in a very revealing light. Their relationship with Baker reveals their personal side, something lacking in most history books.
The only unfortunate thing about the book is that the author does not identify her relationship with the Baker family. One assumes she is somehow related to the subject of the book, based on it's dedication to her husband "Valentine Edward Baker". It would help to put the tale in perspective if we knew a bit more about her point of view.

the authour appears to be a distant relative of the subject of this book. I gave the book four stars, not because of any real "depth" to the biography, but solely because of the relative dearth of biographies of this ill-served man, Valentine Baker. for a general outline of valentine baker's life, this is a good read. however, one hopes that someone will do some serious research into the man's life and write the definitive biography of a sad, unsung hero of the late 1800s.

It is one of the best book about the history of the press I ever read. And very good book about the French Revolution. I read this non-Marxist, modern and elegantly written text with greatest pleasure. The portraits of Marat and Heber are innovative and objective at once. It's a pity, that Mr. Popkin doesn't analyze the works of Desmoulins as well.

In 1837, historian Thomas Carlyle, in regards to journalism during the French Revolution, wrote: One Sansculottic bough that cannot fail to flourish is Journalism. The voice of the people being the voice of God, shall not such divine voice make itself heard? Is not every Able Editor a Ruler of the World . . .? They made the walls of Paris didactic, suasive [sic], with an ever-fresh periodical literature. . .To-day swallowing Yesterday, and then being in its turn swallowed of Tomorrow. . . . [periodical literature] circulate on street and highway, universally; with results! A Fourth Estate, of Able Editors, springs up; increases and multiplies; irrepressible and incalculable. In this energetic summation of the Revolutionary periodical press, Carlyle touches upon many of the issues which present-day historians of the period, in a wave of publications coinciding with the Bicentennial celebration, have addressed. The reasons for the upsurge in print studies of this age are many: new structural and discursive theories, an emphasis on politics and culture, the use of literary genre for historical insight, and the shift away from the classical Marxist interpretation of the French Revolution. Nineteenth-century historians relied heavily upon newspapers as source materials in their chronological narrative of events. Recent studies of the revolutionary-era press, however, surpass the use of newsprint as a methodological tool, and instead, make the tool the object of investigation. For Jeremy Popkin, author of Revolutionary News, newspapers serve not "as simple reflections of politics, [but] rather as one of the forces shaping the course of the Revolution."(10) Popkin thus assigns a central role to the press, and validates newspapers and journals as indispensable to scholars rather than of interest only to those who Carlyle described as "bibliomaniac pearl divers." Popkin's work stands amongst an interpretation of the revolution which stresses the importance of discourse. In focusing on the medium (the press) for transmitting the new political culture to the people, Popkin arrives at the same interpretation as Lynn Hunt, albeit by a different path. Popkin describes the journalists, editors, and readers, the operations and technology of the press, and the differences and similarities of the Old Regime and Revolutionary-era presses. The author demonstrates that only a medium as pervasive and persuasive, could capture the frenetic spirit of events and make them intelligible for its readers. Popkin claims that newspapers functioned as the heart of representative democratic politics not only by relaying the speeches in the Assembly, but in making them public.(2) The press served as a vital link or virtual representative for the people, ensuring the openness of proceedings and in the process sanctifying the sovereignty of the government. The press presumed to represent public opinion for citizens lacking an operable public sphere.(4) Thus the press, as a commercial enterprise at the nexus of government and the citizenry, "molded the dispersed and fragmentary events . . . into intelligible form, labeled them, and validated their results by presenting them as public manifestations of the public's will."(5) However, Popkin also reveals that "politics and calculations of marketability were rarely separated in the revolutionary press."(8) Though the Revolutionaries called for freedom of the press, a lack of a definitive program meant that "the new press for the new era dawning in France . . .would be shaped by the initiatives of journalists, publishers and politicians," rather than the citizen readers.(27) This reality stands in sharp contrast to the "utopian vision of a press . . .as a modern version of the agora of Athens"-the classical public space of political communion.(28) Popkin takes the reader into the press shops, where men worked late into the night to supply an expanding readership albeit in an increasingly competitive market. On the whole the industry was characterized by "cut-throat competition" as noted by Popkin, which parallels the political struggles in the Assembly upon which the papers reported.(71) However, the lack of technological improvements restricted the number of copies, and prevented the press from attaining the level of mass-medium which could reach the sum of adult readers.(85) The focus of the author's insights into the industry, the journalists, and the readers, converge to support the thesis of an emerging political culture. The papers did not merely reflect political ideology, they were affirmations of political choices. Newspapers facilitated the goals of the Revolution-collectivity and simultaneity. The author writes that "newspapers organized their readers into a cohesive collectivity, capable of reacting to the same events at the same time."(94-95) The speeches of the day were not for the most part relayed without commentary. Instead writers cast speakers in the familiar roles of heroes and villains according to the corresponding political script.(114) This act amplified the rhetoric and helped to define the parties. Popkin valorizes the journalists, publishers, and editors, as "pioneers" in constructing a "democratic political culture" by involving the lower classes in debates and providing both a language and a forum for the debates.(146) While the author's work is suggestive of new areas of inquiry,to his credit, Popkin always reigns in his passion for the subject and does not assign a role of strict determinism to the press-an admirable position and nod towards objectivity quite uncharacteristic of the field of French Revolution history. Perhaps his greatest ability comes in interpreting and relating the polemics of the press without adopting its intoxicating language of advocacy. The only discernible (and quite trivial flaw) is the use of publisher terms such as "octavo" and "quarto" whose meaning may escape the general reader. As an enterprise, both commercial and political, at the convergence of the government and the public wills, the press represents "a collective creation of a society searching for new ways to govern itself."(39) As Popkin demonstrates, in the course of this political search for identity (in an age with a manic tendency for the new, the novel, the deconstruction of the past in favor of a utopian future), politics was revolutionized, but news was revolutionized as well. San Jose State University

I leave it to critics and novelists to comment on the merits or shortcomings of a first novel? I can only say that I was attracted to "Schopenhauer's Telescope" by its title. Written by a poet, this first novel is presented in beautifully cadenced poetry like prose, though burdened at times by wearied transitions. Drafted in short chapters, the work resembles the form of Schopenhauer's, "Essays and Aphorisms."
At the precise center, marked by a curious screenplay on the Great Kahn, Mr. Donovan reveals the theme of his novel - strength through indifference. Focusing his inverted telescope on the past, Donovan comments on historical atrocities, interpreted like modern events, thus suggesting that nothing has changed. The result is a pessimistic (or for some) perhaps realistic view of history. There are possibly many metaphors and symbols to be mined by astute reviewers, but references to philosophers such as Hume, Locke, to me seemed more contrived and artificial than substantive. In terms of the title, the prevailing mood of pessimism, often associated with Schopenhauer is appropriate.
Surprisingly, the novel ends with the protagonist, an "indifferent" survivor placing a "love" letter on a table next to his bed, before he simply disappears. Like the announcement of a coming attraction, this ending suggests that a more differentiated view of life resides in the soul of this thought provoking and creative poet/novelist. I look forward to his next work.

Donovan's first novel easily lives up to the promise of his three award-winning books of poetry. The novel is supremely intelligent, funny, surreal, and a first-rate page-turner. It's not full of huge action set-pieces, but the mystery at the heart of the story is so fraught with tension and dread that I couldn't wait to find out what happens. The constant philosophical banterings between the two main charcters are cleverly presented and never wear out their welcome. This book reminded me of a more readable, meanly humorous Umberto Eco. Donovan is a brainy writer, no doubt, but he knows just when to pull back and let the story flow. Entertaining and thought-provoking, this book deserves to be on anyone's summer reading list.

To find a book that was written in 1994 and having only one other review on Amazon.com is, indeed, a surprise. Particularly since it was a well-received novel. I’ll not stoop to repeat what my fellow reviewer (June 17 1999) has said, since he sums up well the strengths of Shadow Hunter, and you’ve plenty of time to read just two reviews!

Will Baker broke the mould with this book – a mixture of political comment and science fiction. His images are deep and lasting, though at times his narrative and introversion is a little too long and tortuous. Nevertheless, Shadow Hunter is a great read for those who like something out of the ordinary. It’s well worthy of four stars which, unfortunately, is more than can be said for the sequel, ‘Star Beast’. If you can get hold of a copy of Shadow Hunter, you should do so before it completely disappears. You’ll find it well worth the effort.

I'm surprised to be the first person reviewing this book because it's been out for five years and was quite well-received when it was released, both in the sci-fi and environmental communities. The politics and "atomsphere" do occasionally outweigh characterization in this novel, but they don't detract from the author's purpose, which is to get the reader to think about the ways in which humans live in community with each other and with the larger world. Clearly influenced by the ideologies and thinking of the Deep Ecology movement, Baker imagines a blasted, divided world in which all of "nature" has joined together in a last desperate attempt to bring human civilization into equilibrium with the rest of the natural world. A very engaging read, and one that will leave you thinking about real ideas and humanity's place in the natural order of things. This book is ideal for the sci-fi reader looking for something to read on his or her next hiking or biking trip, or anyone else with an interest in futurology and the outdoors.

John Gielgud as Holmes! Orson Welles as Moriarty! How could a Holmes lover resist buying this collection? I spent six pleasant hours reliving the Holmes saga. I went with Holmes and Watson from the foggy streets of London to the English countryside to the Reichenbach Falls where Holmes and Moriarty fought their last battle. Radio plays stimulate the mind to a a degree that television never can, and these stories served up mental stimulation of the first order. As good as "A Baker's Street Dozen" is, though, it doesn't quite measure up to the quality of the BBC series starring Clive Merrison as Holmes. Gielgud is undoubtedly the better actor, but Merrison is the better Holmes.

Despite the fact that Gielgud doesn't capture Holmes' energy as well as Merrison, "A Baker's Street Dozen" is superb listening. It would make an excellent addition to any mystery lover's audio library.

One minor quibble: I can't understand why they renamed three of the stories. "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton" became "The Blackmailer;" "The Adventure of the Golden Pince Nez" became "The Yoxley Case;" and "The Adventure of the Dying Detective" became "Rare Disease." In each case, Conan Doyle's choice of titles was superior.

I am very pleased with "A Baker's Street Dozen." It is so wonderful to listen to these stories and let the power of your imagination create the scenes described by the many wonderful tales. The only flaw I would like to see the publishers correct is that the stories do not seem to follow a chronological order. The fifth tale, "The Final Problem," is an account of Sherlock Holmes' final adventure. However, you still have 7 more tales to go through! Place these stories in chronological order and you will have a flawless product.

'The Thundering Underground' is the fourth in a series entitled 'The Baker Street Mysteries' (the others being 'The Mystery of the Yellow Hands', 'The Giant Rat of Sumatra', and 'The Jewelled Peacock of Persia'). The intended audience is young adults, and the books concentrate on the adventures of the Baker Street Brigade (or Irregulars), working for Sherlock Holmes.

I'm not in the intended audience group, so I should say up front that the writing style of the book isn't exactly what I'm normally looking for, but I suspect that it would be good for the juvenile audience it is aimed at. The writing style is very clean and clear but, for me, lacking in character. In this particular volume, the three members of the brigade (Danny, Peachy and Duff) are drawn into the events surrounding mysterious deaths and possible sabotage during the construction of the Central and South London Underground Line.

In the first three books, the brigade become part of an investigation. In this one, some odd events come to their attention, and they commence investigation. It is only later that Sherlock Holmes becomes involved. While this is preferable, giving the lead characters more control over events, the initial items do seem pretty trivial, making them seem exceedingly nosy.

Probably well suited to the "Young Adult" market that it is targeted at.

This book is aboslutely incredible. It is one of the Baker Street Mysteries, Written By Jake & Luke Thoene.

The story of The Thundering Underground is set around a mystery which is unfolding at the construction sight of London's Northern Line, underground rail line in 1888.

The tale follows the young heros, Danny, Peachy, Duff and Clair as they track the case, first discovering what the mystery is and next trying to foil the crime before it can begin.

I don't want to say too much, the plot is so twisted, I wouldn't want to give away a thing, but it is a must read, for sure! And if you haven't checked out any of the other books by these young authors, I really recomend it. The two guys, Jake and Luke are actually really young, 23 & 20, I think. They will be interesting to follow.END

Be well aware that this is a "Tiny Tome" (I was glad I'd gotten my new bifocals). Content is about the length of a serious magazine article. It is, however, charmingly presented and an amusing fifteen-minute read. (The only thing Mr. Lipari is mistaken about is naming Basil Rathbone the ultimate screen Sherlock, when it's clearly Jeremy Brett. But, de gustibus ...)

I bought this book for my sister, who loves mysteries. It is great because you can take it anywhere with you and you'll read it over and over again.

My husband and I love this book -- fortunately our son (age 4 yrs) is finally able to listen to the whole story. He has shown great interest in the story and how it relates to his obsession with the transcon railway. (We call our son Train Brain).

He has been moved to draw after we have shared the book and we think that is wonderful, since it doesn't involve trains.

Seriously, it is a wonderful story and very well illustrated. We will probably donate this book to our son's classroom library later this year. We are grateful to have recieved it as gift from the artist in our family.

This book for children is about a young plains Indian boy who hears a folk tale about how buffaloes are formed at the bottom of a lake far to the south of the boy's village. He goes in search of the lake and, in so doing, saves his village from an attack by an enemy tribe. The book was illustrated by Stephen Gammell and it was a 1982 Caldecott Honor book (i.e., a runner-up to the Medal winner) for best illustration in a book for children. Any child will love to have the story read to them.