This is certainly a pretty good book. However, it also certainly has some problems. Personally, I feel that the book is basically completely pointless. The plot is interesting, to a point (...) The last part of the book is basically completely linear and boring, (...)

Anyways, now that I am done dissecting the plot, it is time for the theme. I find that the theme of the book is more like 'agression vs. pacifism'. However, if the book was supposed to be an arguement for pacifism, it did not work very well. If it was supposed to be an arguement for agression, it did even worse. It did not seem like it was an argument for anything, however.

The characters were kind of piddly-ish. Burne especially was flat and kind of lame (although he was the coolest character). He was also the least believable. I mean, come on, he is archaelogist! Who does he think he is, Indiana Jones? :D

To sum it all up, this is book without any sort of external motives for being written or read. It is purely a story, although it (is bad) (somewhat). In short, do not expect anything amazing. I wouldn't pay more than 5 bucks for this - and I doubt you could get it for that much. Just borrow it.

Morrow has a gift for an unforgettable image. In Towing Jehovah, we have God's 2 mile long rotting corpse being towed by a supertanker, and here we have a river of liquefied hate. If you think the book is totally unrealistic (even by sfnal standards), you're right. But that's not the point-- read the cover: it's "A Science Fiction Fable." In between the satire runs the very serious question of how far we should bow before the altar of expedience. This book is deeper than it seems.

The writing is what saves this book from mediocrity. Morrow is very sly and his humor is mostly satirical. Some people like satire and some people don't. So if you enjoy books like Gregory Maguire's "Wicked" you might also like "The Wine of Violence". Both set up artificial worlds in order to poke fun at society. It's true that the characterization isn't very good and the plot is only mildly interesting, but the description of the moral dilemma in this story is great. What would happen if cannibals got loose in a pacifistic society? At what point is it permissable to kill? The story is entertaining to read because it examines a deep concept in a generally non-threatening way, giving food for thought without being too dark and depressing.

I'm only 1/3 the way through this book and I have a hard time believing this story. Robert's brushes with danger read too much like a bad script to a "007" film, from motorcycle and car chases to his harrowing flight into Cuba with David Ferrie. In another chapter Robert is tortured by Cuban intelligence in his hotel room. This of course, only after he satisfies another one of his lovers. Many of those cast in the book are familiar characters, but Robert's interaction and dialogue with these people often comes across as quirky.

This book comes across as an exercise in self-indulgence and delusion and I doubt I will finish it.

Although this book is very interesting, I found it very hard to read. I got very sick very quick of the author talking about how he had an affair on his wife, how smart he was and what he did to hold all these very important government deals together.

I think that if even a part of this is true however, that this is very scary. There is a lot of information about the underhandedness of the CIA and other government officials and how much of this led to JFK's death.

If you can concentrate on the story and get past the self bragging, this book is very interesting and disturbing. However, for me, the constant self importance of this author got old fast.

The main complaint the people below seem to have against Morrow is his arrogance and so-called encounters with women (this is a normal trait for many in that line of work anyways). If you get past that, the book has much infomation and details of the political and intelligence perspective/views of that time. Morrow's dealings with the underworld is quite interesting, and his chapters on the Kennedy brothers is very revealing. If Morrow threw in a few "007-ish" parts to beef up the story a little, just take it in stride. But the information he shares about the D.C community and main figures of that era is quite fascinating. I definitely recommend this book if you have any interest in JFK assassination history.

I can only concur with the previous reviewer. A cultural history of reggae album covers would be a wonderful idea, but this one is not it unfortunately. The text is patronising and only serves to further exoticise Jamaican artists, the choice of sleeves displays a fondness for lions but very little knowledge of the subject. Nothing on Studio One silk screen covers, no mention of Orville 'Bagga' Case, no discussion of the 'Zippo' lighter sleeve to Catch A Fire... I could go on and on, as Buju Banton would say.

Here's a rich topic to investigate! But the treatment here is sketchy and only skims on the surface. A sociologist or cultural anthropologist who knows the terrain should have a good go at the whole idea.

"Stir It Up: Reggae Album Cover Art" is a fascinating collection of images. The art is accompanied by text written by Chris Morrow; Neville Garrick wrote the foreword.

The vibrant, full color illustrations reproduce reggae album cover art of the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. The cover art ranges from straightforward photographs of the Jamaican landscape and people to ambitious graphic designs. Many iconic images are featured: Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie (many times), the lion, the Star of David, marijuana plants, Che Guevera, and--of course--lots of dreadlocks. There are occasionally touches of satire and humor, such as a 1982 Prince Jammy cover spoofing the "Space Invaders" video game.

Artists whose covers are featured include Peter Tosh, Judy Mowatt, Black Uhuru, and the legendary Bob Marley and the Wailers. In his foreword, Neville Garrick pays tribute to Marley, noting that he "is now regarded as the voice of the oppressed, regardless of their race, religion, or language."

I myself know fairly little about Reggae music, but I was captivated by the striking images contained in this book. "Stir It Up" is a noteworthy achievement.

This book has some beautiful photographs of some very fine Italian guns but lacks consistency in the text describing the manufacturers. For instance, the piece on Renato Gamba tells us what he USED to do but not really what he's doing now except to say that he makes fewer guns and sells a line of clothing. Nor does he explain why Gambas are in the "best" catagory. Likewise, the section on V. Bernardelli basically gives us slightly more than a list of the guns produced by that company (now out of business) but not anything about what makes those guns "Best" either. No photographs of Gambas, or Bernardellis and no illustrations or diagrams that explain or show the features of the F.illi. Rizzini triggers and actions even though the text describes them as being innovative.. The Beretta section has a good section on the 470 Silverhawk but no mention at all of the earlier Beretta Silverhawk produced in the 1960's or why Beretta chose the same name for their new release which closely resembles the earlier model.

I appreciated the attempt to bring some of the more human-personal elements of the people who manufacture these great guns into the topic with anecdotes and even a recipe. However, the Authors' credibility in recognizing the highest level of quality becomes questionable when they included the receipe for raviolli which calles for "canned" pumpkin.

I'll keep the book, it will sit on my shelf and I will refer to it on occasion but it could have been much, much more.

the book contained too many generalities ie. gunpowder development, gun fit ,. and not enough specfics concerning serial numbers and their dates of manufactuer .Very little information concerning Bertta high grade guns ie what were the predessors to the So, 5,6, and 9 when were they manufactured, and why were they discontiniued ,what were the changes? the same for other manufacturers. A great deal of the book was nothing more than a catolog available at most gun stores. the section on engraving was excellent as were the photographs. I don!t belive the book was worth the effort to assemble ,or worth the money .

This has to be one of the best books on fine firearms I have ever read. Reading this book is a sheer pleasure. The photographs are about the best I have ever seen. It has been said the Italians make the best shotguns. This book explains why and how. Not only are they mechanically perfected, but they are works of art. To see Bulino style engraving is to think you have been transported to another world, where art, form, and function have come together. For those who enjoy firearms, own an Italian shotgun, or desire to this is a book you must possess. Sadly, one of the manufacturers listed in the book, Vincenzo Bernardelli, is no longer in business. They went belly up awhile back. Pity, as they made very nice shotguns for those who couldn't afford to buy something like a Piotti. A very well written book.

This book helps to perpetuate the myth that Abner Doubleday had something, anything, to do with the invention of baseball. Any serious baseball fan knows Alexander Cartwright codified the rules of baseball and Doubleday was at West Point in military school when he supposed to be inventing baseball around Cooperstown in 1839. I'm disappointed books like this are still being written.

The previous reviewer apparently did not read the book. There is no claim that Abner Doubleday INVENTED baseball, but rather that he was one of the first boys to play the game,as is evident in the title Young Baseball Pioneer. No one would be more surprised than Abner, himself, that he is known for inventing baseball!

The information was carefully researched, including reading the original newspapers published by Abner's father, during Abner's childhood. Abner Doubleday was an exciting man, a courageous and brilliant general in the Union Army, as well as a very interesting boy.

Although I found this book to be quite informative about the Morrow & Lindbergh families, I couldn't help wondering if Anne Morrow Lindbergh got lost somewhere in the shuffle.

While I know that it is often hard to separate a person from their family, I believe that the author could have concentrated more on Ms. Morrow Lindbergh and less on the dynasty that she was born or married into. Ms. Morrow Linbergh's family did not make her great. Her quiet determination and creativity did.

If you are not interested in History, then you will probably never make it to the end of the book. However if you adore 19th Century History or are doing a project about Bismarck, you will find this book very useful and interesting. Bismarck, by Ian F. D. Morrow is an informative biography, which takes the reader to late 19th Century and to the life of Bismarck. Bismarck was an ambitious diplomat and statesman whom had many successes and failures to make of Prussia (his place of birth) an "empire". This great Chancellor dedicated many years of life to achieve what he achieved, and although he had many obstacles, he never gave up. Bismarck was a political genius. This book makes the reader understand who Bismarck was, his political life and his achievements throughout his life, but also the condition of Germany and Europe in the late 19th Century. Ian F. D. Morrow did a fair job, he wrote a detailed biography of a man who his mother knew. Although, I think that in some parts of the book he praised Bismarck too much, so it was a little bit hard for me to believe in every word the author wrote. I quite enjoyed this book because I admire European History (and I am curious about the people who over the years helped in the make Europe) and I like to learn about the History of my continent. The bad side of this book is that it doesn't make you want to know the end of the story, so it becomes a bit too unexciting sometimes. For anyone interested in late 19th century European politics this book is worth reading.

This is an anthology about black gay men. Unfortunately, the tales inside are not as fierce or defiant as the title would suggest. In many of the pieces, issues of race and sexuality take the back seat to "l'art pour l'art", typical literature. The pieces near the back are better than the introductory ones. The piece by James Earl Hardy (who almost never writes short stories) is great. Jaime Manrique has a piece here and I've never seen him write about black issues (he writes almost exclusively of latino ones). I am glad I have a copy of this book, but I liked "Brother to Brother" and other books on the topic much better.

I find it hard to believe that whoever gave this book five stars has actually read it and gone through the problems. The solutions in the back are often wrong. At first, I thought I was making mistakes in solving the systems, but after I approached my instructor and solved them together, we found that a lot of the author's solutions are incorrect. The text also lacks continuity and quality examples. After going through my statics and strengths class, I have a sneaking suspicion that the author had an undergrad formulate the problems. One star is too generous.

Although many of the examples in the book were sufficient, there were so many mistakes that it was easy to lose confidence in the material (especially the first time through it). There were problems in some of the chapters that included concepts not covered until later chapters, and there is no student solutions manual available. Overall, I'd say thanks but no thanks.

The solved problems are terrific and classic examples encountered.The text is well written and understandble.

The Queen Mother is indeed a "splendid old bird," worthy of the love and affection of her people but this book is too cloying in the beginning to be a good biography. The book does get better after the first 100 pages but there is no depth to this biography; no examination of the flawed side of this remarkable woman. She does have her flaws and these should be in a well-balanced biography. She is, after all, a human being and not a goddess.