This exploration of a doomed and destructive relationship owes much to both the Marquise de Sade and Baron von Masoch as Dali narrates the tale of his two main characters' descent into the darkest recesses of emotional dependancy and desire. Many of the elements that inspired Dali's art are here and so this book is a must for any fans of surrealism in general and Dali in particular.

This book reveals that in addition to being one of the century's greatest visual artists, he was also a tallented and entertaining writer. Dali's personality is all here-- the brilliance, the cruelty, the humor, and the megalomania.

If you compare this with other sources you'll find that the chronology for his youth is off, and (not surprisingly) some incidents are creatively embellished. Still, anyone interested in the artist should read this book first-- it's a great self portrait by a brilliant eccentric artist.

This book, without a doubt, is the most hysterically funny thing I have ever read. Dali is some kind of weird comic genius, and I am not exaggerating when I say that I laughed out loud on every page. Whatever you think of Dali's art--and I've never thought much of it myself--this book is a guaranteed laugh riot.

Salvador Dali is a genius, and even though I really do think that it is redundant to say genius and Salvador Dali in the same sentence, it serves it's purpose. This book, so intimitely perverse yet, cunningly understandable sets an example for man kind at it's best. Who has ever dreamed of conducting their own experiments based off of their wildest dreams? Or plunged off of a stair case to give the example of anti-limitation? How about searching their entire life for their one true love, ignoring all possibilities of just a fling or a relationship without meaning. Everything has meaning to Dali, and he brings that meaning to real life. I know that I have always wanted to explore my wildest dreams in actuality, and this book gives me the power to overcome what other people think. Salvador realises that what others think is important, but he knows that their thoughts and actions, when based upon his own unpredictablity makes a hell of a show for the audience within. Through this book you will learn to think outside the box and everything for one instant will make sense in your mind. Or you could read it without knowing what you are getting into exactly and become the most disgusted person on Earth. That doesn't matter though... all that you have to do is comprehend, and he will help you with that.

This book is beautifully illustrated and the language developmentally appropriate for children as young as four, but my six-year old niece was horrified when Queen Inga goes through the "Trial of Irons" (carrying red hot iron bars from one end of the church to the other). Also, we are not a Christian family, and I found the continual references to the Church and God and miracles overbearing and preachy, even if they are in keeping with the original saga. I would suggest parents use caution before ordering this book, as gorgeously done as it is.

This is a gorgeous book with illustrations that are breathtaking in their beauty. As for the content, it is a fascinating story. The Christian content of the book is not as inappropriate as a previous review made it seem. No more so than any of the other well-done books centered on other religions. The violence is not troublesome , either, unless one expects their children to be in a position to carry red hot irons at home or school! I would hope that when exposing children to the many facets and experiences the world has to offer, we don't deprive them of wonderful books such as these simply to conform to a contemporary politically correct outlook.

The Birkebeiners were peasants and fierce warriors in the Middle Ages whose King sat on the throne of Norway. Their rivals, the Baglers, were rich noblemen who wanted to claim the throne for themselves. In 1206, the King had died and left behind an infant son, Prince Hakon. His Queen, Inge, hid her baby for over a year to keep him safe, but as the Baglers became stronger, and threatened the life of the prince, she realized it was time to travel north to Nidaros where the Birkebeiners would protect them, and the prince could take his rightful place on the throne. She asked the priest, Sira Trond, for help, and he gathered the best and bravest men of his small village. To outwit the Baglers, this small band of Birkebeiners decided to ski over the mountains at the darkest, coldest, most dangerous time of the year, braving fierce storms to bring their Queen and baby Prince to safety..... Take a slice of engaging medieval history, add beautiful and evocative artwork, and you have The Race Of The Birkebeiners. Based on Sturla Tordsson's account of the escape and rescue of Norway's future King Hakon, written in 1264, Lise Lunge-Larsen has authored a compelling picture book that's sure to mesmerize youngsters with its powerful story. Her dramatic text is full of atmosphere and suspense, and begs to be read aloud. Mary Azarian's rich, bold and colorful woodcut illustrations transport the reader back to Medieval times, and on this long ago journey over mountains, through snowstorms, and darkness to safety. With an afterword detailing King Hakon's reign, Norway's Golden Years, and how the Birkebeiners are still honored today for their bravery and heroism, this is an exceptional and captivating story children 5-9 shouldn't miss.

I am not a fan of sci-fi, or even paranormal, but I have become a fan of Haakon Jones, intrepid adventurer and knight errant extraordinaire. Though he piously insists he "ain't lookin' for no trouble," trouble with a capital T seems to follow his every footstep. Aaron Larson's blend of humor, myth and derring-do is irresistable and I was pinned to the pages as Mr. Jones rescues maidens in distress, discovers cities of gold, conquers dragons and generally covers himself with glory in one breathtaking escapade after another.

A terrific read for summer under a shady tree--or in front of a cracking fire in the winter.

If you took the type of stories written by H. P. Lovecraft, August Derleth and Robert E. Howard, and set them in the landscape of the Old West, then you would have THE WEIRD WESTERN ADVENTURES OF HAAKON JONES by Aaron B. Larson. While roaming the western half of the continent, with a few detours to exotic locations, our protagonist, Haakon Jones, crosses the path of aliens, ancient gods, the dead, the undead, tribal legends and those things that slaver in the darkest shadows.

By combining the genres of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror and Western, it appears that a new genre may have begun.

Aaron B. Larson, in this magnificent series of stories, has combined several of the most popular genres of the fantastic pulp fiction of the first half of the twentieth century. These include but are not limited to western, heroic fantasy, Lovecraftian horror, mystery, and science fiction. And he has also created a memorable protagonist in the Byronic Haakan Jones, a Norweigan cowboy with all the qualities of the classic western vagabond hero. The writing, narrated in first-person as by Jones, is also superior. Not only are the tales action-packed, several of them are emotionally moving as well. The incredible exploits of Jones in the thirty-six adventures collected in this volume earn him a place among the hallowed heros of adventure fiction. Fans of the old Weird Tales magazine stories will be delighted by this book. What a great TV series Haakan Jones would make!

The book I read is called North of Danger. North of Danger is about a boy named Arne. He used to live in Oslo but then the 2nd World War started and he had to leave. He and the rest of the city took a boat to Svalbard, which is an island owned by Norway. The boy's dad is a man that studies the Arctic. He was in northern Svalbard when the British came for an evacuation. The evacuation was for the Nazis coming to attack the island because that island was the main source of resources for the British at that time. Arnes father had no way of finding out about the evacuation. Arne had to make a decision and decided to stay back and ski up north to find his dad and warn him.
He started skiing after he saw the Nazis arrive. He was off he only had ten days to find and warn his dad. He ran in to a lot of things in his way. He had a map showing the houses of people along the way up north. He went on the fjord hopping that he wouldn't fall in. He just got to the other side and found this man with a big Siberian Husky. This man cared for him and decided to come along and help with the finding of his father. Arne agreed, thinking about the shortcuts that the man might have known.
They left with their dog. They traveled for two days and then stopped at one of the abandoned houses. The man started to feel sick and asked Arne to help him heal. Arne knew that this would slow him down so he left without the man. He soon realized what he had done was a big mistake. Will he turn back or not? You will have to read the book North of Danger to find out.
This book is a great book that I would recommend to anyone. It is especially good for people who like adventure. You should try this book its great. It really showed me courage and gave me some spirit to not give up. I didn't want to put it down for a minute.

North of Danger is about a kid who is trying to find his dad because he doesn't won't him to come home to a war.It is a realy good adventure book.

I am a native French speaker and a professor of French Literature. I love this novel and have a real bone to pick with this 1932 British translation, which refers to the hero-revolutionaries as "terrorists," a word which has come to mean something quite horrendous in America. Malraux's writing style is anything but stiff. It's the translator who chose stiff and stuffy words. Where there seems to be a tone of condescention from the translator, there is none whatsoever in the French. If anything, this is a very fluid novel, based on what Malraux considered an American style of novel writing. Fluid, fast-paced, character-driven. Why is this the only translation available to us in the US? Because the publisher probably didn't have to pay a copywright fee to publish this translation. It's a sin of greed -- how ironic when this novel is basically about that very thing.

Andre Malraux became France's Minister of Culture but before that he wrote this and everything about his prose style and characters are so very civilized. Thats what makes the events described here all the more shocking. From Old Man Gisors, the opium smoking oracle, to the young Chinese student revolutionaries to the French gambler to the assassin everything is told in so controlled a manner as to make these things seem impossible to happen. But they do. This is China on the eve of the Communist Revolution. The French have been busily at work doing business in the ancient land when suddenly the political climate changes. Each character is affected by these events in very personal ways. Malraux gets to the very core of each. His end to tell each persons story without prejudice to which side one is on. A very interesting technique. We understand all sides of the equation at once. Arresting, breathtaking fiction. Every character is real. Malraux did not rise to this level of performance again. Read this for the history and for the level eye which Malraux brings to it.

Andre Malraux, is in most book stores found with the philosophers,"The Fate of Man" however shows that he is also a novelist and a scolar of the first order. I don't know how many of the people whom I know that have read this book who consider it one of the best they ever read. One needn't agree with him to appreciate his skill as a thinker and a story teller.

Though I find his anticolonialist views a bit over-vitriolic at times, there's a very interesting piece entitled "This is the Voice of Algeria." It details how the radio went, in Algeria, from being a social embarassment (for Western integrated views on sexual morality and culture, as integrated into the programming were not appreciated) to being the life-giving source of information in just a few years. It also details the French government's attempts to curtail this cultural association by banning the sale of radios and even spare batteries. Moreover, a cautionary tale; though we think we are past censorial press licensing and such, the current restrictive policies on encryption software seem a similar attempt to prevent dissemination of the tools of speech and association.

To Frantz Fanon, scientist, revolutionary, hero, belongs the most eloquent voice of the era of decolonization. What is striking about the writing of Fanon is its beauty even in translation. Its compassionate humanism shines through even when he calls for armed struggle against the torturers and executioners of French imperialism.

This book was originally published, I believe, as "Year Five of the Algerian Revolution." This revolution, which beganon Nov. 1, 1954 and ended in 1962, became the archetype of anti-colonial revolt purely as a result of Fanon's record of it.

Unfortunately, the Algerian, who had suffered under French domination for 130 years, was outmatched --- but not hopelessly outmatched --- by the French occupying forces. Over 1 million Algerians died in the struggle to give birth to a free Algeria, but only 15000 French soldiers. Fanon writes about the cultural transformations that occurred --- that HAD to occur --- to give fighting Algeria a fighting chance.

Westerners often criticize the Arab world for its allegedly sexist treatment of women. Critics often use the veil as a metaphor for this "oppression." French colonizers, whose goal was the complete destruction of Algerian culture, often used the veil to create a rift in Algerian society. They did so by trying to Europeanize Algerian women --- getting them to cast away the veil and wear make-up and immodest dress --- and by forcing Algerian men bring their wives with them to social functions, taboo in Algerian society.

Fanon shows how the revolution not only healed the rift between the traditional Algerian patriarch and the "modern" woman, but created a new culture with new, non-sexist, values.

For instance, the traditionalist Algerian woman, in the course of the revolution, learned to leave the home, alone, even to doff the hajib, in order to pose as a "modern" woman who could fool the French into thinking she was not a spy for the mujahidin. The "modern" woman, conversely, could come back into the fold by wearing the hajib. The French, thinking her harmless, would not realize that, under her garments, she carried supplies for the rebels.

Fanon also talks about how the Algerian's attitude toward modern medicine and modern technology, seemingly backward to the French, changed completely when these instances of modernity ceased to represent French colonialism, but became instruments of Algerian self-determination.

"A Dying Colonialism" is not as gripping as Fanon's other three books, but is nonetheless a classic.

Salvadore Dali of art fame has written this novel in a attempt to explain modern art, the nuevo and contemporary look we see through his "Persistence of Memory Piece". The book explains the concepts of modern art and paiting in a way that is informative and exciting. Dali makes the reading interesting,

Haakon VII was born Prince Carl of Denmark in 1870. He was the son of the future King Frederick VIII of Denmark. One of his aunts married the future Edward VII of Great Britain, and another married the future Tsar Alexander III of Russia. When Norway gained its independence from Sweden in 1905, the Norwegians chose Carl as their new King, and he was crowned as Haakon VII. He reigned from 1905 all the way until 1957.

I found this biography to be just the right mix (for me) of politics and personal life -- not so many details of government that I lost sight of the man, and not so much focus on personalities that the interesting tale of how (and why) a newly-independent nation chose its king is obscured. In short, this is a far better biography than most of the 'People Magazine'-style royal reportage one gets these days.

So far as I know, this is the only significant English-language biography of this monarch (though I'm certainly willing to be corrected). I would encourage any student of monarchy to read it, both as a study of an interesting and historically-significant person and as a study of how a monarch can play a critical role in a young nation looking to define itself on the world stage.