This was a wonderful overview of many of the different aspects of the American Revolution. It deposes many widely held myths, but is never cynical. It presented many interesting ideas and opens up many new avenues of study. It is perfect for anyone who would just like to know more about why the American Revolution took place than the surface skimming that most of us got in High School and College.

Edmund Morgan is America's most readable colonial historian, author of the ground-breaking "American Freedom, American Slavery" and the seminal "The Puritan Family" among other classics. This collection of loosely organized essays about the American Revolution is not meant as an introduction to the subject (for which see Morgan's "Birth of the Republic"), but a conversation for those who already know something of the subject. These essays range from a discussion of the sources of the revolution (legal, traditional rights, intellectual, religious) to the conflicts between the calls to freedom and the existence of slavery. First-rate reading for anybody interested in the subject area, but especially for AP history teachers like me.

I found the book to be quite informative from a preliminary point of view. The book covers the main areas of yacht design and construction in a condensed way. I say that only because if you are looking for a deeper understanding of the some of the fundemental principles (math and science stuff) at work in a yacht you won't find it in this book. You do get a great summation though. It was a great introduction into the boat design process. I would highly recommend the book if you need to get a grip on the basic issues at work in the design and construction of craft in the 30 - 100 foot class.

This is the first (recent) design book I have found that truely covers all aspects of boat design and construction for all building materials, boat types and boat sizes. It's easy to understand but the reader must be sharp in math to properly use the information.

One suggestion to readers. Read the book the first time through without even glancing at the math portions (formulas). Then read it again including the math. This book has so much information that it is impossible to comprehend both portions the first time through.

I highly recommend this book to novices, naval arch. and naval eng. alike.

For anyone who enjoys reading about knights, legends, and heroic deeds, this book is a must. In a fantasy world, created by Edmund Spencer, the young and inexperienced Redcross Knight must save Lady Una's kingdom from a fierce dragon. The annotations and definitions are a valuable contribution to this work originally written in the 1500's.

I have never had much patience with poetry; I prefer a good story to sentimentalism and obscure imagery. Nevertheless, I read this book when I learned that St. George and the Dragon, one of my favorite stories, is in The Faerie Queen. What a pleasure! I could hardly put the book down. The imagery is so vivid and the language so beautiful. Mr. Maynard's notes are very helpful without being distracting or interrupting the flow of the poetry.

In his foreword to the student, Landau writes, "Please forget everything you learned in school; you haven't learned it." In the rest of the book he goes on to derive the properties of the natural, rational, real, and complex numbers from a set of five axioms. His treatment of the material is altogether rigorous. He makes no appeals to "common sense", but instead deduces theorem after theorem in a well-ordered, comprehensive system. The reader therefore comes to a good understanding of topics ignored in most math classes and hence builds mathematical confidence. This book is good for the student of math who hates to hear, "It just is that way; it doesn't matter why," and for the student of philosophy who wants a deeper understanding of mathematical reasoning as described by authors such as Betrand Russell. The only drawback is that the rigorous method is overwhelming at first. But once you trudge through the first few pages, everything else should come more easily.

Dover, please put this classic back into print!!
This does for numbers what Suppes (1960) did for ZF set theory.

Gervase Fen is a Professor of English Language and Literature at Oxford and an amateur detective who is advising a film company about a movie being made in Long Fulton, near London. Inspector Humbleby of New Scotland Yard visits the movie location while investigating the suicide of a young actress, Gloria Scott, who has jumped off Waterloo Bridge. Although her stage name is known, Gloria's real identity is a mystery and someone removes all identity marks from the personal belongings in her room.

Humbleby and Fen fall again into the easy working relationship they had begun during a previous case in 1947. FREQUENT HEARSES is an entertaining detective novel.

If I had to rank my favorite British mystery authors who produced their best work in the 1930s through the 1950s, my list would look like this:

(1) Edmund Crispin a.k.a. Bruce Montgomery (2) Michael Innes a.k.a. John Innes Mackintosh Stewart (3) Dorothy Sayers (4) Margery Allingham (5) Michael Innes a.k.a. John Innes Mackintosh Stewart (with a drop in rank for his mysteries that went off the surreal deep-end).

Out of my Fab Four Brits, Michael Innes and Edmund Crispin have the most in common. They were both of Scots-Irish background, both wrote their mysteries under pseudonyms while teaching at college, and both were educated at Oxford -- Oriel College and St. John's College, respectively. They both wrote highly literate mysteries with frequent allusions to the classics (nine out of ten of which go zooming right over my head). Michael Innes has his detective, Sir John Appleby poke fun at this high-brow type of murder fiction in "Death at the Chase":

"That's why detective stories are of no interest to policemen. Their villains remain far too consistently cerebral."

Expect that even the most vicious murderer in an Edmund Crispin mystery will quote Dryden or Shakespeare at the drop of a garrote. "Frequent Hearses" is a fertile setting for this type of classical badinage, since its plot involves the making of a film based on the biography of Alexander Pope. Gervase Fen, Oxford don of English Language and Literature, and amateur detective extraordinaire is hired by the film company as a story consultant, and he is plagued throughout the book by a Scotland Yard detective who is an amateur classics scholar. Fen wants to discuss the murder. Chief Inspector Humbleby wants to talk about the Brontes and Dr. Johnson. Neither man will admit to a less than perfect understanding of either his profession or his hobby, and both despise amateurs. Their encounters keep "Frequent Hearses" sparkling along right up until its final page. ...All of Crispin's characters are carefully (one might say 'crisply') developed, and distinguished for the reader by a quirk or eccentric manner of speech (sometimes Crispin overplays the eccentricity at the expense of realism, especially with his main protagonist-- I do wish Fen would stop expostulating, "Oh, my fur and whiskers!"). Physical description is sketchy. If one of Crispin's characters walked past you in the street, you probably wouldn't recognize him. However, if you were to overhear his conversation with the postman---

And I don't mean to imply that "Frequent Hearses" is all dialogue and no action...

The mystery surrounding the murderer's identity and motivation is as cleverly convoluted as the maze, and it is equally as hard to get to its heart. The author's red herrings are logically constructed and I always go snapping after them, even after a second or third reading... Crispin himself wrote and published at least one film script and composed music for several films, so "Frequent Hearses" is told with the knowledge of a movie industry insider...

If you like vintage British mysteries with a 'classical education' and haven't yet discovered the 'Professor Fen' novels, then you're in for a treat... Here are all eleven of the Fen mysteries, in case you jump into 'Frequent Hearses' and want to keep going:

The Case of the Gilded Fly (1944), Holy Disorder (1945), The Moving Toyshop (1946), Swan Song (1947), Love Lies Bleeding (1948), Buried for Pleasure (1948), Frequent Hearses (1950), The Long Divorce (1952), Beware of the Trains (1953), Glimpses of the Moon (1978), Fen Country (1979) - short stories

"The Glimpses of the Moon" (1978) was published twenty-six years after Crispin's penultimate Fen novel, "The Long Divorce" (1952). It is sandwiched between two collections of short stories: "Beware of the Trains" (1953) and "Fen Country" (1979- published posthumously.)

In this novel, Professor Fen is on sabbatical in the Devon countryside. He is house-sitting for a couple of friends, writing a book that critiques the post-modern novel (this is funnier than it sounds), and pre-masticating pansy petals for his friends' finicky, gourmand tortoise. Since this is another of Crispin's fine pastorals, there are also a variety of pigs (living and dead), cows, a sex-crazed tomcat, a narcoleptic horse, and a cocker spaniel that plays a minor role in the murder mystery.

In fact the mystery of who killed whom is almost buried under the goings-on of the livestock, the rural electric board, and the church fete. Fen concerns himself not so much with the identity of the murderer, as he does with the identity of the person who kept sneaking into a tent at the rector's annual fete and cutting bits off of the concealed corpse.

One might even classify "The Glimpses of the Moon" as a 'locked tent' mystery.

Fen seems to have lost a great deal of energy since "The Long Divorce," twenty-six years past. He does not detect so much as get detected upon by his friends, the Rector, the Major, and the Horror-film Composer. There are huge digressions that are interesting, but have nothing to do with the plot. For instance, the bumblings of the South Western Electricity Board (Sweb) and the fox-hunt protesters get more page time than the murders. There is also a great deal of satirical commentary on the "over-developed sensibilities of under-developed nations" by a foreign correspondent who is rusticating in Devon, after getting kicked out of yet another African country (some readers might find this offensive).

However, a Fen is a Fen and this is his last novel. First-time readers might want to begin at the beginning of the series with "The Case of the Gilded Fly." My own favorite Fen is "Love Lies Bleeding," followed very closely by "The Long Divorce." "The Moving Toyshop" is the most-published of Crispin's mysteries, and probably the easiest to locate. And don't neglect "Frequent Hearses," which features a maze scene that is frighteningly reminiscent of M.R. James (in fact the woman who is lost in the maze quotes M.R. James at length---a very Crispian characteristic.)

Crispin's short stories featuring his remarkable detective-professor were originally published in a newspaper, to be read (and solved) on the train home from work. They are fiendishly clever intellectual exercises but lack the depth of characterization and the sparkling, erudite conversation of his novels.

My favorite mystery ever. At times, the author's sense of humor and cynicism just makes me laugh out loud. Gervase Fen is surely one of the more noxious, but lovable, detectives in the literature, and Crispin writes with a sure, erudite hand.

This book is not for the casual astrology student, but is an intriguing peripheral study for those wanting to delve into the subject.
Mr. Jones has classified how the planets that are spread into the 360* circle of the horoscope form into 7 "types", in what he calls a "purely psychological screening", and he warns that a horoscope must be viewed as an entire entity "before any intelligent idea of its parts is possible".
Mr. Jones uses only the 10 planets in his analysis, without adding Part of Fortune, etc., and usually gives each planet equal importance. The patterns are not an indication of success or failure, but of potential, and each of the 7 types are illustrated with 4 fully drawn charts, and 3 smaller charts, of famous people from many eras and professions.
Reading the chapter that describes my planetary type for instance, the "Bowl", I found the descriptions of this "self-contained" personality quite accurate. The famous "Bowl" charts he analyzes are Cromwell, Chopin, Disraeli, Lincoln, Abdul Baha, Helen Keller, and E.A. Poe.

Included in this book is "How to Organize Pattern Details", which is: The Line of Vitality (Sun/Moon aspects), The Line of Personality (Jupiter/Saturn aspects), The Line of Efficiency (Mars/Venus), and The Line of Culture (Uranus/Neptune/Pluto). There are also several appendices with astrological data.
This book is not an easy read, and perhaps would have been better if written in a simpler style, but does provide an interesting theory, and an additional perspective to the complex study of astrology; to quote part of a poem in the book, "---the sky is the limit, not the limitation of human capacity".

Marc Edmund Jones splices and dices planetary patterns into seven recognizable types. Of these there are the: Splash, Bundle, Bowl, Locomotive, Bucket, Seesaw and Splay. This is one of the many tools necessary to dissect a chart. And, M. E. Jones has done it with brilliance!

A very informative and readable book. The author provides a thoughtful and moving account of the Sherpas and how their community is being transformed by the forces of modernization. The book is well-researched, thorough, and balanced. The author's personal accounts and anecdotes that cover a quarter of a century, complemented by excellent photographs, are particular strengths. Excellent reading for anyone with an interest in the Sherpas of Nepal.

A very informative and readable book. The author provides a thoughtful and moving account of the Sherpas and how their community is being transformed by the forces of modernization. The book is well-researched, thorough, and balanced. The author's personal accounts and anecdotes that cover a quarter of a century, complemented by excellent photographs, are particular strengths. Excellent reading for anyone with an interest in the Sherpas of Nepal.

James Fisher worked with Edmund Hillary in the early 1960's to establish the early Sherpa schools in Khumjung and Jung Gompa (Junbesi) as well as the medical supplies landing strips at Lukla and Phaplu. Thus he learned first hand the basics of Sherpa culture and economy; he had a good working understanding of Sherpa moral values, too.

Returning to USA for PhD in Anthropology, Prof. Fisher developed a theoretical understanding of human society. He then coupled theory with his practical knowledge of Sherpa life, and did several outstanding studies of Sherpa culture which ask the right questions of the appropriate spokespeople resulting in culturally accurate answers.

Sherpa Friendship Association always recommends Sherpas: Reflections on Change as the first book anyone should read to answer the vital questions: what is happening to Sherpa society now? Is Sherpa religion dead? Have Sherpa values collapsed into generic materialism? Many folks recently returned from Himalayan trekking or those studying vajrayana buddhism, as well as Sherpa leaders, are very concerned to find these answers. You will find Prof. Fisher's answers accurate and positive, because he does not ask random informants (or informants with mischievious motivation) like many other anthroplogists who go on to write books on Sherpas.

Essentially, Fisher's interviews show that Sherpa culture remains vibrant, moral, and strongly religious. Great book, highly recommended!

There's no question that this is a lot of book for the money, and it's an essential volume for the serious student. The introductory matter is a disappointment, though; instead of guiding us into this massive work with a view to our gaining pleasure from it (and above all else, Spenser is _fun_ to read), Hamilton gives us a dense and barely readable collection of quotations from other critics and cross-references to scholarly papers. Many of the footnotes in the text suffer from the same kind of high-priestly scholarship, mixed with a tendency to ferret out sexual symbolism wherever it can be found. There is plenty of information in the notes to clear up the inevitable confusion modern readers must experience, but at times one wishes a giant could wield a club without the accompaniment of chattering from a tribe of commentators about phalluses and biblical parallels. In short, this volume contains all that is good and all that is bad about "literary criticism".

This second edition of "The Faerie Queene," with A.C. Hamilton as the editor, again sets the standard for critical editions of Edmund Spenser's classic poem. This volume replaces Hamilton's first edition of the poem as the standard academic text. Anyone who is serious about studying the poem should purchase this particular edition. In addition to featuring a much clearer typeface than that of the first edition, the second edition contains critical commentary about the poem that is as current as one could expect (i.e., through the '90s). The footnotes are conveniently and unobtrusively placed at the bottom of the text, so one can easily ignore them, if they prefer. However, the labyrinth of cross-references are highly informative, provocative, and illustrate the poem's incredible richness. I find myself so engaged in the contemporary criticism of the poem that I'm constantly going to the library to read the articles to which the notes refer.

If you already have the first edition that was edited by Hamilton (or if you were lukewarm about reading Spenser in the first place), you may not need this updated edition, unless you would like to read the updated essays and commentary. However, if you love "The Faerie Queene," this particular volume will provide you with many hours (and possibly years) of enjoyment. It is well known that the poem is one of the greatest ever to be penned in the English language. In the second edition, Hamilton helps us all understand why this poem speaks so powerfully to us over four hundred years later. This is truly a marvelous poem and a great academic text.

Fortunately, in reviewing this book I am not faced with the usual difficulty of separating the quality of the work itself from the quality of its presentation; both are exquisite.

Edmund Spenser's _The Faerie Qveene_ is rightly considered one of the timeless masterpieces of English literature. Collectively, it is an embodiment of and a response to both medieval and Renaissance themes and devices. The medieval romantic and Arthurian genres are blended with Petrarchan techniques and Neoplatonic philosophy. Nevertheless, Spenser maintains a distinct style all his own; the nine-line stanza is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful conventions in poetic verse. Oh yeah, and it's a darn good story too.

This edition of the "booke" far outshines any other I've encountered. The text itself is annotated with copious footnotes which explain unclear passages, point out allusions to classical, medieval and contemporary events, and provide criticism. All of the peripheral material associated with _The Faerie Qveene_ is also provided, including the dedication to Raleigh and introductory sonnets. Other value-adding perks include a comprehensive bibliography, a chart showing minor changes made between the poem's three publications, and a character guide.

Though this thick volume may seem daunting, it is in fact quite enjoyable. The notes are fairly unintrusive, so the casual reader can skim or read through the poem at his or her own pace, with the option to delve deeper if he or she desires.

I strongly advise anyone with an interest in Renaissance literature, Shakespeare, poetry, or English literature as a whole, to purchase this book, and to dish out the bit of extra money for this particular edition.

While filled with interesting details of the interplay between Abwehr, Gestapo, and SD, I personally found it difficult to follow in spots. It could be a much better book with good editing. Nonetheless, you get the flavor of the brutal ruthlessness of many Nazi personalities who flourished in a criminal regime.

The SS intelligence service was a Nazi spy organization created by Reinhard Heydrich. Under Heydrich's dedicated, methodical, ruthless, and intelligent guidance it grey into one of the most professional and lethal espionage services in the world at that time. In Ss Intelligence, Edmund Blandford reveals its earliest beginnings, its struggle with a lack of funds, rival operations, and its espionage triumphs across Europe (including successful spies in Allied countries. SS Intelligence reveals a wealth of new facts and insights that is "must" reading for all World War II military and espionage history buffs and students of Adolph's Third Reich.

'SS-Intellingence' is a penetrating look at the Nazi Secret Service. Blandford traces the rise of the Abwehr and SD from their earliest appearence on the German stage to the Reich's final collapse. In addition to providing detailed portraits of Whilhelm Canaris and Reinhard Heydrich, Blanford also gives us wonderful looks at such Nazi adventurers as Heydrich's 'James Bond'- Alred Naujocks, and the cunning Walter Schellenberg. Particularly interesting are the early escapades these men. From Naujocks' mission to assassinate a 'Black Front' broadcaster in Czechoslovakia and his masterminding of the Gleiwitz radio 'incident,' to Schellenberg's kidnapping of two British agents on the Dutch border in 1939, Blandford's book is compelling from start to finish. Anyone interested in German intelligence in the Second World War should check this one out!