L.M. Montgomery is most likely the only author whose every book I relish. She can weave sentences together and ideas to make the most delicious plots. Being a VERY avid Montgomery reader, I read all her works. After Many Days has wonderful stories and does not lose that Avonlea-like feeling of the Anne Shirley books. You won't be disappointed if you ever read this book.

"After Many Days" is one of my favourite thematic volumes of LMM's short stories. These stories deal with people who set things "right" after years of misunderstanding or absence. "In the Old Valley" and "Between the Hill and the Valley", both stories of love which survives time and separation, are among my favourite LMM stories out of any collection. There are no surprises in this book - if you are familiar with LMM's work you will find more of the same here. This collection stands out from the others for its honest poignancy, which strikes me anew every time I read it.

After Many Days is an awesome book! If you liked the Anne series, you will probably love this book. It is full of short stories about events and times that have passed by. They are all extremely touching, and have an advantage over some of her other books, because you can read a whole story in a matter of a few minutes.

The photographs in this book are wonderful. A complete history of the life of the Queen Mother told through the pictures that appeared in The Daily Telegraph, this is a great buy.

This is a lavish guide to the practically indistructable mother of the British Sovereign. She was Elizabeth Bowes-Lyons to her fellow debs in 1919, she was Queen as George VI's wife, but to all of us she is just the Queen Mum, bless her; the plucky lady with the common touch, who shrugged off gunshot wounds after a quarrel about gambling debts in an East End boozer, the massive-armed matriarchal powerhouse who has no time for nonces or liberty-takers. A marvelous book.

Many of the photographs in this book are not new. They have been seen before in other publications. Athough there are some good new selections of photos used. In all cases however, the photographic reproductions in this book are excellent. A very nice, personal gift copy that I would be pleased to give to a friend.

This selection of short stories by Les Montgomery is like going to a family reunion and hearing a potpourri of rememberances and misadventures. He weaves the history of his family with the history of Idaho and the northwest US. His style of writing is very animated, even though somewhat opiniated, which adds interest and entertainment to his story telling. Very enjoyable book!

This book is great! The author has combined great wit, keen observation, and humor to write a book that is funny at times, serious at other times, and interesting all of the time. From early medicine and the harh realities of early western life to the advancements we have today, Les Montgomery takes the reader on one fascinating tour through time. Wether you like fishing, hiking, history, or reminiscing of a bygone era, Idaho Anthem is a must have!

Whether you live in Idaho or outside this great state you will love the sense of humor and insight Les Montgomery shares with his readers. You will find yourself smiling and many times laughing out loud. Montgomery has the gift of telling and writing stories that few have. Picture a man who has lived with a notebook in his pocket, a camera on his shoulder and a tobacco pipe in his pocket observing life in his medical practice, traveling the world and sitting on his deck at his lakeside cabin. Idaho Anthem should be read at leisure and enjoyed at a slow pace so not to miss any of Montgomery's delightful wit.

Wonderfull photos showcasing proud & stately English homes. You will enjoy trying to pick out which house you'd choose to live in. Sometimes I liked the interiors better than the exteriors & vice-versa. I would have prefered the authors chose only 20 houses (instead of 40) but gave twice the amount of coverage to each one. Although it is a charming book, I rate it only 4 stars because of the following: The need for more in-depth history & info for each house; a map of Britain with locations of the homes would help; I would have liked to see even basic floorplans (there are none); some homes profiled have only a couple of interior photos & one or two external shots.
Having said that, however, it is a great book , just a little too pricey for me.

The collaborative effort of writer and British country estates expert Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd and architectural photographer Christopher Simon Sykes, Manor Houses Of England is a stunningly visual and informatively descriptive showcase of great and historic works of British country manor house architecture. Manor Houses Of England is illustrated throughout with full-color photographs on almost every two-page spread and filled from cover to cover with fascinating and descriptive information and insights about the history, construction, use, and present-day status of each these majestic buildings depicted. Very highly recommended for armchair travelers and architecture buffs, Manor Houses Of England is the next best thing to taking a personally guided, on-site tour of these awe-inspiring buildings.

Anglophiles have cause to rejoice with the publication of this rich tribute to England's stately homes. Over 300 color illustrations present both exteriors and interiors in their somewhat faded but nonetheless unparalleled glory.

For many of us the term "manor house" needs some explanation. "A 'manor' is a specific English territorial unit, originally of the nature of a feudal lordship. But a "manor house," while traditionally the seat of the lord of the manor, has come to be regarded as a romantic synonym for a small country house, particularly of the late-medieval Tudor and Stuart periods."

Forty houses were selected from more than 300 possibilities to be presented in this spectacular volume. Each is a rarity not only in appearance but in essence. Steeped in history, each evokes in the viewer visions of chivalry, romance, and mystery.

Presented in chronological order the homes trace the development of England's architecture from the early days of monasticism to the Victorian era. All are currently habitable.

We find that medieval manor houses, minimally, had a Great Hall with several wings crossing it for bedrooms and storage areas. Largely unfortified, these manor houses depended upon moats and gatehouses for safety.

The dawn of the Tudor age brought the Renaissance style to England with homes, as today, built primarily for show. The 18th century saw great Palladian house which later underwent extensive renovation.

"Manor Houses Of England" is a keepsake volume with spectacular photographs accompanied by a fascinating text that includes stories of the families who built these houses.

- Gail Cooke

This wonderful book is a reprint of the 1895 Montgomery Ward & Co. catalogue. Everything is there, along with the pictures for each item, looking just the way they did more than one hundred years ago! My family and I had a high old time thumbing through this book, laughing at the funny styles of clothing, the strange items our forbearers needed (or thought they needed), and generally being amazed at the prices. This is quite a fascinating book to read, one I recommend to any history buff!

This "Montgomery Ward & Co. Catalogue and Buyer's Guide" from Spring/Summer 1895 is better than a time capsule. Most of my ancestors were still on the far side of the Atlantic that year, but for my maternal grandfather's ancestors here are 25,000 items (most of which are illustrated by woodcut) that they could have either had in their homes or dreamed about owning. From straight-edged razors and high buttoned shoes to tea gowns and the New Improved Singer Sewing Machine. Historically, Montgomery Ward prided itself on being the friend of farmers and the official supplier to the Grange. Ward was the first to offer a product guarantee that became the key to earning the respect of rural consumers and building the business. However, in 1887 Ward's main competetior Sears put out his first catalog and upped the ante by showing the customer what they would be buying before they bought it (okay, he also offered lower prices). By the time this 600-page catalogue came out in 1895 Ward was following suit. Flip through it and see what sort of amenities were making their way out to the farms at the end of the 19th-century. You could buy a buggy for $60 or spend $200 on a piano. Here you can get a bathtub, chairs, watches, hats, and even a Star Raisin Seeder. How about a solid-gold eighteen-karat wedding band for only $5? Looking through these pages will give you a sense what it was like in 1895, when the average worker had to put in 16 hours to earn enough money to buy a hair brush or 260 hours for a one-speed bicycle. Just looking through the pages of books you could order was enlightening. Actually, this is more like a time machine than a time capsule.

Like the Sears Roebuck catalogue, which sits beside it on my shelf, this unabridged reprint is an indispensable tool for anyone who wants to know the kinds of items that might have been found in a typical middle-class home a hundred-odd years ago. In some ways it's even superior: the illustrations have reproduced more clearly, with their details better visible, and the type, though you may still want a magnifier to read it, is also more easily made out. Prices are of course included, though you'll want to allow for the fact that MW was at that time not a conventional retail house, but confined to mail-order, which allowed it to undercut the "traditional" merchants just as Net sellers can today! There's a full index right at the front, where you can easily look up whatever you may be interested in at the moment; or you can simply open the volume at random and start browsing. And, unlike Sears, it even has a toy section! Like all Dover books, its paper and binding are superior in quality, and will doubtless last very well. Since the items listed don't duplicate exactly, I strongly suggest purchasing both catalogues. As a writer of historical fiction, I use both frequently. Highly recommended.

The Revised English Bible (REB) is a revision of the New English Bible (NEB), which was a completely new translation from the original languages. The REB's predecessor paraphrased many passages, trying to achieve a "sense-for-sense" translation. This over-paraphrasing led to many poor renderings that even NEB admirers had to admit existed. Thus, scholars began working on the REB to improve accuracy and intelligibility. Such changes also produced a more dignified text better suited for public reading. In trying for "modern, timeless English" the translators even tested their final product with readers and writers to confirm real-world readability. During the revision process, translators made the REB more literal than the NEB; they did not, however, correct all its mistakes. For example, translators did correct the NEB's placement of most of Jeremiah 12:14-15, which they placed after verse seventeen. Yet, for some odd reason, the REB kept the NEB's placement of Isaiah 41:6-7 between Isaiah 40:20-21!

Yes, the REB does have its shortcomings. Still, readers can use the REB with greater confidence than they could use its predecessor.

In the REB 1 John 3:17 reads:

But if someone who possesses the good things of this world sees a fellow-Christian in need and withholds compassion from him, how can it be said that the love of God dwells in him? (REB)

The REB receives a C in accuracy and a B in readability.

As a person who is well-read but have never really read the Bible, I am so glad I found the Revised English Bible. Growing up, I was always surrounded by bibles (especially the King James Version), but they never made much of an impact on me; I could understand the words well enough, but I couldn't feel their immediacy. So when I decided to seriously read the bible, I decided to look for an modern translation. I think I found the right one in the REB. Upon reading it, I was struck by how lucid the bible's ideas were presented to me. Take for example the famous 1 Corinthian 13 (gIf I speak with the tongue of angels...h) The following is from the New International Version (starting at 13:8):

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. ... Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Compare that with the REB translation:

Love will never come to an end. Prophecies will cease; tongues of ecstasy will fall silent; knowledge will vanish. For our knowledge and our prophecy alike are partial, and the partial vanishes when wholeness comes. ... At present we see only puzzling reflections in a mirror, but one day we shall see face to face. My knowledge now is partial; then it will be whole, like God's knowledge of me. There are three things that last for ever: faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of the three is love.

Upon reading the REB version, I was struck by the rhetorical unity in Paul's argument about love: its eternal, whole nature vs. the passing, partial nature of knowledge, and how God relates to us via love. The words engage you to follow the argument to its conclusion. The rhetorical trail in the NIV, I think, is a bit murkier. This is why I love the REB so much. The bible has become a joy to read. The REB, with its beautiful sentences, shows why the bible is one of the world's great literature. It illuminates and enlightens.

Combining outstanding scholarly integrity, accuracy, clarity, and a suberb English style which is vibrant, beautiful, and remarkably readable, the Revised English Bible is arguably the finest contemporary translation of the Scriptures. It deserves a much wider use, both for personal reading and in the churches.

Although it's not easy to criticize a book which the author says took four years of his life, and I believe him, shoppers should know that at times this book would be better titled "The Late 19th Century Including a Few Vignettes From the Life of John Montgomery Ward." Yes, this book is symptomatic of the modern trend to make them at least 25% longer than they need to be. The author thinks nothing of spending page after page describing oddities of Ward's hometown which really tells us nothing more about him than the single line "he grew up in the middle class of a small town in Pennsylvania" would have. The entire first chapter is devoted exclusively to speculations on various pictures of Ward without even putting the pictures next to them. There is at least one chapter which fails to mention Ward at all. The narrative wanders off the path often, even in the early going when the reader's attention is most at risk, and stays off for long periods of time. I would have much preferred it if this book had been one of those tall affairs with a great, wide margins and little info boxes along the side. Then one could read or not read the boxes at one's option. Or, it could have been a hypertext document and then if one wanted to read more on some of these topics, click and read more, but no reader should be forced to wade through some of this material, especially as some important details are buried in the middle of it, risking the skimming reader missing it. I suppose the fault is with the editor, but it's difficult to say as words like "faro" and "turnverein" are included without explanation -- maybe originally that wasn't the case. Please note that there are 32 pages of footnotes as well. On the other hand, entirely at the author's door are some very big questions left completely unfielded. Why is there no speculation, for example, about why Ward never participated in that most common of human activities, creating children? Also, in this connection, I am surprised that the possibility that he was tricked into his first marriage by a possible false pregnancy is never considered. His wife was after all an actress and must have been familiar with the trick from the Dramatic tradition. Another important issue: who was Ward actually? What were his politics? He seems a very unlikely revolutionary. Rather, like Aristophanes and W.S. Gilbert, he seems to criticize the system from the right, not because he fails to believe in it, but because he finds those in charge to be no-talent hacks and, significantly, because he can. His "revolution" seems to have been accomplished more by cleverness and opportunism than by principle and reality so naturally it was only a matter of time before the cards came crashing down. A little more of the author's or others' judgement on this would have been welcome, or even just a more inside look at how Ward went about his recruiting and alliance building, but all we get are two sentences. Other than these issues, I did enjoy the book quite a lot and although I cannot recommend it as highly as some others, I feel no doubt that on a research basis at least no stone has been left unturned. Certainly its topic is both rare and enjoyable.

Bryan Di Salvatore has captured the early history of baseball with his fascinating biography of baseball's early days. His profile of John Montgomery Ward, a pitcher and later an infielder, provides a detailed look at the evolution of baseball in its formative years. This was a time of numerous rules changes from underhand pitching, walks counting as hits, absence of a fixed pitching rubber, changing rules on how many balls it took to walk. The author meticulously but always in interesting prose tells us about the many battles between owners and players, the reserve clause, poor playing conditions. Ball players were lazy, overpaid, carousing drinkers(sound familiar) said the owners. Owners were greedy, interested in squeezing players for every nickel(sound familiar) said the players. Clearly the era evoked has many parallels to today except the average player salaries were clearly more in line with real wages. The average ball player made 3-5X the salary of the average working man. Generally the players were more accessible to the public although in one scene John Ward complains about the annoying fan groupies. For the baseball fan this book will clearly be educational and is well worth reading. Very few books describe the pre-1900 era and this book is a rare and thorough glimpse on the emerging popularity of baseball.

A Clever Base-Ballist: The Life And Times Of John Montgomery Ward is the riveting tale of John Montgomery Ward's life and historical baseball career, from his expulsion from Penn State University for stealing chickens, to pitching baseball's second perfect game in 1880, to becoming a member of the New York Giants. More than just a biography for baseball history buffs, A Clever Base-Ballist also paints a bright, engaging picture of American life at the turn of the century. For baseball enthusiasts and millennium enthusiasts alike, A Clever Base-Ballist does not disappoint!

Generally Boice is a very helpful writer, and I thought his book "Standing on the Rock" is an excellent defence of Biblical inerrancy.

[...] he's disappointing on a literal Genesis, [...] I think it's serious enough to deduct two stars. NOT because it's wrong (although it is), but because of his REASONS for rejecting a straightforward exegesis.

On Vol. 1 p. 57-62, he writes:

'We have to admit here [concerning those who take the six days of Creation as literal days] that the exegetical basis [the arguments from the words of Scripture] of the creationists is strong. ... In spite of the careful biblical and scientific research that has accumulated in support of the creationists' view, there are problems that make the theory wrong to most (including many evangelical) scientists. ... Data from various disciplines point to a very old earth and even older universe.'

I.e. unlike everywhere else in the Bible, where he insists on the primacy of Scripture, here he is admitting that he is, in effect, adopting the primacy of 'science' (really the uniformitarian *interpretation* of data) and reinterpreting Scripture to fit.

I have enjoyed this three volume set. You cannot take this book and read it like a novel. The subject requires much study and research even though the book provides the scripture.
He does a great job handling Genesis chapter 6. This very difficult chapter is put forth quite well by Moses! Most authors and especially expositors read right over the words in an effort to avoid the contoversy. Feature this: we read how God created the Heavens and the Earth with one word yet have a hard time with chapter six. The controversy is put forth by those that WILL NOT believe what the Bible says. Brother Boice handles the topic just as God breathed it to a cloud of Biblical writers!
The genealogy sections of Genesis are given meaning and are not boring. He does and excellent job of integrating the people and the stories into the New Testement. I cannot imagine having a serious study of Genesis and NOT reading this book! But be ready, it has took me three months to finish the first 11 chapters! This set shall remain one of my most valued references in my library.

This exogesis of the first 11 chapters of Genisis is compiled, evidently from sermons preached by the late Dr. Boyce. It is easy reading and was of great assistance in developement of applications for an adult Bible Study. His view of the litteral 6 day creation was disapointing, however, (he disagrees with that viewpoint). But it did not distract from the essence of his writing and I found the book very usefull as a teaching aid.

this book has a few redeeming qualities but overall it is a book written to fit robert laguardia's belief that monty was some sort of god cast out of heaven due to his own hysterical behavior.there is very little in depth knowledge regarding films or montys approach to acting, only vague stereotypes meant to fit in laguardias angle.i highly suggest you read Patricia Bosworths bio. still in print. she actually knew him and is partial in her writing. one more thing the only other book r.la guardia wrote was a book about the days of our lives soap opera.

An excellent book. I recommend it to anyone interested in Post-World War II film history. Mr. Laguardia truly brings the life of this tragic actor into your heart. It will make you want to run out and rent Monty's movies. Because you know what he went through to make it. Laguardia's biography makes you want to truly be there to help Monty throught all his troubles. While I was reading the biography, I wanted to go back in time and be there. I loved the book. This is my third time reading it. It's a book you don't want to put down.

Raised in an unconvential family, giving him nearly unlimited access to exceptional opportunities, Montgomery Clift reached a pinnacle of dramatic achievement. Due to unknown reasons, or perhaps due to a chronic back injury he sustained in a car accident, Clift became involved in heavy narcotic usage such that his credibility as an insurable actor was compromised. LaGuardia states that the film "Freud" was filmed in 'a state of chaos,' with severe frustration and criticism from director John Huston, due to Clift's 'inability to function.' Ironically, the night one of his finest films was shown on TV, Clift lay in his bed in the dark, unable or unwilling to join his houseman in watching it. The next morning he was found dead, apparently from a heart attack.

Clift and Elizabeth Taylor, who together accomplished and popularized the "extreme close-up" in films with their on-screen radiance in "A Place in the Sun," were close friends until his death. When Clift was considered "uninsurable" due to rumors of his narcotic addiction, Taylor put up an exorbitant bond to cover his appearance in "Raintree County."

LaGuardia demonstrates a wealth of detailed information throughout this chronicle of one of the most skilled actors of our time. It is worth the read for those interested in the actor or in film history. I have read other bios of Clift and there is no comparison to the detail LaGuardia offers. I was even able to walk past the apartment in which Clift died in NYC and imagine what the floorplan inside might look like. I recommend this book to Clift aficinados as the primary source of information on his short, talented, and tormented life.