Unlike a lot of Indian cook books this delivers restaurant style recipes and techniques as opposed to traditional home cooking. It contains a very tasty basic balti spice mix and a selection of variations on the main balti theme. Not only does it have all this but also a good introduction to the basic Indian techniques such as bargar, bhuna and the like. An excellent introduction to Indian cooking, which includes a lot of revealing history of UK Indian restaurant cuisine. However some of the recipes tend to be a bit "samey" as they use the basic balti masala. This is a minor criticism of an excellent book. I also recommend the other Curry Club titles, especially the "Curry Bible".

One of the best children's adventures written, period. Ten year-old Tommy Bassumtyte is sent across the Atlantic to live with his older British cousin, an old gentry family living in an Elizabethan manor house. Tommy is in possession of an old family rhyme which he thinks may lead to hidden treasure, a treasure his cousin doubts exists. Nevertheless, the undeniable existence of a secret room in the house, coupled with memories of a shadowy incident in the house's distant past, puts Tommy on the seach. But Tommy quickly realizes that the treasure hunt has become a desperate race against time, as the family becomes threatened with loss of the old house due to financial pressure. His older cousin also hopes against hope for treasure, to save the house, but also to solve a gigantic historical mystery. A rather ordinary country home may reveal the secrets of a 16th century conspiracy that altered history. And the house has a ghost......... Curry's book excels on every level. Delightful, caring characters, the romance of buried treasure and secret rooms, the tension of a family's crisis, the sophisticated treatment of actual historical events, and an utterly satisfying conclusion will have bright, thoughtful children ages 9-12 riveted

Loved this book for its ease in readability and its absorbing power. The story moved fast, was exciting, griping, well thought out and convincing in its fantasy. The research efforts of the author were also apparent encouraging one to delve into the Welsh folklore and Arthurian traditions, as well as into natural remedies for healing the body.

Featuring a cowboy bootmaker "so poor that even his shadow had holes in it", this country western adaptation of "The Shoemaker and the Elves" spoons out colorful and humorous similes that are highly engaging for the under ten set.

I teach writing to children this age and could see the work of the elves in the eyes of my young writers. The story not only "hornswoggled" the children, but provided invaluable assistance in teaching them about similes and metaphores.

Written so anyone can speak the 'cowpoke' dialect, the elfin magic transforms grown-up readers into professional storytellers.

Tom Curry's dreamy but detailed artwork adds the crowning piece of elfian magic that will leave you pining for more.

Osprey's Essential History Volume 43, Caesar's Gallic Wars 58-50 BC, covers the series of wars in wars in Western Europe that made Julius Caesar a household name in ancient Rome. Kate Gilliver, a British academic who took in PhD in Roman military theory, uses Caesar's own commentaries as the basis for her synopsis, but tempers that biased account with input from other sources to provide greater balance. Indeed, military readers will be pleased with the sound use of military analysis in order to add value to this account; unlike many other historians who attempt to detail ancient campaigns, Gilliver remains focused on the primary elements of the conflict and does not become distracted with archaeological minutiae. The campaign maps provided in this volume also add greatly to the narrative, since most translations of Caesar's commentaries lack effective maps to demonstrate Roman operations. Overall, Gilliver's account should be pleasing to academics and military professionals, for shedding greater insight into how, why and what Caesar accomplished in Gaul.

Caesar's Gallic Wars begins with a short introduction, a chronology, and a section on the background to the war. The section on the warring sides is 12 pages long and notes that, "the Gallic warriors fought as individuals, " but "the might of the Roman army lay in the strength of its formations, and that was based on unit morale, discipline and training." The heart of Gilliver's narrative - the sections on the outbreak of the war and the main campaigns of 58-50 BC, spans some 35 pages. The narrative is greatly aided by seven maps: the campaigns of 58 and 57 BC, the battle against the Helvetii in 58 BC, the battle against the Nervii in 57 BC, the campaigns of 56 and 55 BC, the campaigns of 54 and 53 BC, the campaigns of 52 and 51 BC, and the siege of Alesia. The final sections include portrait of a soldier (Caesar's centurions), the impact of the conflict (loss of life, slavery, destruction, food supplies, religious and social changes), portrait of a civilian (Roman merchants), how the war ended (Roman triumphs), and conclusions. The section of further reading is overly-brief, and considering the author's academic background, should have included pertinent journal articles from relevant historical and archaeological texts.

Gilliver makes a number of interesting and often understated points about the military aspects of the Gallic Wars. First, the Romans had a technological edge in field artillery and siege warfare techniques that hurt the morale of Gallic opponents. In particular, the scorpion was a very effective anti-personnel weapon for which the Gauls had no equivalent. The Gaullic oppidum, or hill forts, had seemed resilient to attack in tribal warfare but they were easily reduced by efficient Roman siege methods. Second, the Gauls were accustomed to tribal warfare where rival armies disbanded during the winter months, but the professional Roman armies were capable of staying together year after year. Rome's ability to conduct a sustained military presence in conquered Gaullic territory undermined the Gaul's hopes that they could ride out an invasion. Third, the Roman army was virtually unbeatable in conventional battles and the only effective means of resistance was guerrilla warfare. Gilliver notes that other than the heavy losses inflicted on Sabinus' legions during the revolt of 53 BC and the repulse at Gergovia in 52 BC, the Roman army generally dominated combat operations throughout the wars. Although Caesar's campaigns may not seem like Blitzkrieg-style operations to the modern mind, Gilliver notes, "for the Gauls, the intensity of Roman campaigning and particularly the speed with which their lands were reduced to provincial status must have been a terrible shock." A fourth military point that Gilliver makes concerns the inability of the Gauls to form a common defense against the Romans; indeed, Caesar was particularly adept at playing upon tribal rivalries to divide and conquer his foes.

Gilliver also makes the interesting conclusion that Caesar used the wars in Gaul to build himself a fortune (from the sale of slaves) and a military reputation, both of which were necessary to further his political ambitions. Caesar's campaigns succeeded in neutralizing all effective resistance to Roman occupation, but it took several more generations to pacify the entire countryside. Operationally, Caesar was also quite brutal - even by Roman standards - and he strove to inflict (or claim) maximum losses upon the enemy. Gilliver notes that a Roman general had to kill at least 5,000 enemies in order to gain a triumph in the capital. Furthermore, Caesar used cruelty to weaken the will to resistance in his foes. In 52 BC, Caesar's troops stormed the oppidum of Avaricum and massacred all 40,000 inhabitants. In 51 BC, Caesar eliminated one of the final Gaullic holdouts at Uxellodunum but, "instead of massacring the defenders, Caesar cut off their hands and set them free, to serve as an example of the punishment meted out to those who resisted Rome." Caesar was also capable of military "stunts" like bridging the Rhine River and brief expeditions to Britain, both of which captured the Roman imagination but provided no tangible strategic benefits. Gilliver's account of the Gallic Wars is excellent in every regard and is a model synthesis, particularly given the restraints of limited ancient sources.

Have you ever found yourself saying something in a worship service and suddenly have those old familiar words speak to you in a new way? This book will do that time and again. Winn opens up these ancient words of the Christian faith (Lord's Prayer, Apostles' Creed, Ten Commandments) phrase by phrase and shows how they are relevant to living today. Many people have memorized these "Big Three", but this author helps us see them in new ways using simple language and insightful stories. If you want to grow in your faith and be challenged to live it out, this is a book for you to read and give to others.

I first read this book in my American Constitutional Law course in college, and I must say it was a very interesting book to read. The authors did an excellent job of displaying the text material in a clear, concise and easy-to-read format. The book takes you from the early ideological theory of constitutionalism and its history, to an in-depth analysis of the subsequent amendments that affect our individual rights and our government institutions. This book is great for the novice student learning American Constitutional Law, and perfect for anyone who is interested in constitutional government.

With this little gem of a cookbook, you will establish your reputation as an outstanding curry chef. The quick-to-execute, gheeless recipes are virtually foolproof. (Go easy on the chilis and the cayenne, however.) I have tried for years to make Indian food and always failed. Now I'm so proud of myself I want to show off my beautiful meals at every opportunity. And I don't particularly like to cook. The mushroom curry and the chicken Dahnsak are to die for!

If you want a book on Indian cuisine that is unlike any other, do not hesitate to get this book. It is a treasure. It earned an IACP award in 1990. Fascinating to read from cover to cover for its stories on the British Raj and full of receipes that are intriguing and delightful. These are not the same receipes that you will find in Madhur Jaffrey's books since they are derived from British influences on the traditional indian dishes, such as tea-time and weddings and club dinners. A must have for anyone who is fascinated with India and Indian cuisine.

M/s Basu is a rare find. I laughed, salivated and became informed too. A must for ALL lovers of the various cuisines from the Indian Sub-Continent, Pakistan & Bangladesh.