I had to stop by and read the reviews on "Bodyguard of Lies". Wow,of 8 reviews, 7 gave it 5 stars and 1 gave it 4. The 4 star review, submitted in 1996, griped that the book was "historically inaccurate" because it did not consult "recently released" material.

If that is the worst thing you can say about this book, then I'll take it. "Bodyguard..." was written in 1976 only a few years after the disclosure of ULTRA and other previously, highly classified secrets that did not come to light until decades after the war. In its humble defense, "Bodyguard of Lies" is not only the best book I have ever read on WWII or spies, but one of the best books I have ever read, period. I highly recommend this book to anyone with the slightest interest in not only WWII or espionage, but history and great writing; Brown is a writer and storyteller of the finest kind. Extremely well-documented and suspensefull, this book is far more gripping and compelling than anything Hollywood could ever come up with, and the best part is that the book is true, and "historically accurate". Read this book, then you too can write a rave review.

A relative "turned me on" to this book. Yes, it is out of print. But if you haven't read it - go find it. I found a copy through Amazon, and what a value ...! Brown takes his readers into the bowels of espionage, counter-espionage, and a host of "immaculate deceptions" concocted by those who became responsible for the success of Allied efforts during WWII. Beyond the riveting stories of mystery and mayhem created by MI-5, MI-6, the OSS, and even Churchill himself who loved this sort of thing, Brown explains WWII politics, including the cement-head of Charles DeGaulle, and the political implications of the post WWII era that were being considered in all quarters well before the end of the war. Not to mention an in-depth study of the "Shawarz Kapelle," the conspiracy within Germany to do away with Hitler.

The success of D-Day, the effects of D-Day not only on the soldiers who fought but also and especially upon those who planned the operation, the successes and failures of many deceptions designed to keep the Axis guessing, are all described in detail. D-Day was the culmination of the games, ruses and set-ups that had been going on for almost four years.

If you haven't read this book, don't let the 1976 pub. date deter you. This is a must-read for anyone interested in WWII, WWII politics and post WWII politics, and anyone interested in learning about the lengths nations would go to in order to achieve deception.

A relative "turned me on" to this book. Yes, it is out of print. But if you haven't read it - go find it. I found a copy through Amazon, and what a value ...! Brown takes his readers into the bowels of espionage, counter-espionage, and a host of "immaculate deceptions" concocted by those who became responsible for the success of Allied efforts during WWII. Beyond the riveting stories of mystery and mayhem created by MI-5, MI-6, the OSS, and even Churchill himself who loved this sort of thing, Brown explains WWII politics, including the cement-head of Charles DeGaulle, and the political implications of the post WWII era that were being considered in all quarters well before the end of the war. Not to mention an in-depth study of the "Shawarz Kapelle," the conspiracy within Germany to do away with Hitler.

The success of D-Day, the effects of D-Day not only on the soldiers who fought but also and especially upon those who planned the operation, the successes and failures of many deceptions designed to keep the Axis guessing, are all described in detail. D-Day was the culmination of the games, ruses and set-ups that had been going on for almost four years.

If you haven't read this book, don't let the 1976 pub. date deter you. This is a must-read for anyone interested in WWII, WWII politics and post WWII politics, and anyone interested in learning about the lengths nations would go to in order to achieve deception.

This is, without a dought, the most amazing piece of literature I have ever read. It is three books in one: Sos the rope, Var the sticks, and Neq the sword. Anthony intertwines them masterfully. He creates his own world that you will sucked into and accually start wishing our world was similar. The dimensions of this book are astounding. You will want to read it over and over

Battle Circle is a trilogy of Books - Sos the Rope, Var the stick and Neq the sword, available as a set in one volume. The story follows the life of a wandering warrior in a land of nomadic fighting tribes, and charts his adventures, and the changing fortunes of his empire. The book is perhapst he best work, and yet one of the least well known by this great author. The plot is watertight, and gripping, and the characters draw you into this wonderful work of storytelling. Excellent.

I've read this book several times over the years, and it remains my favorite story of post-apocalyptic survival! It is very much worth the time and money required to find a copy!

. . .this is a much stronger effort in the "Incarnations of Immortality" series than "Bearing an Hourglass".

While the first volume of this series involved Death, and the second Time, this volume turns to Fate -- in all three of her traditional aspects. Like the previous volume, the stage is set rather well in the opening chapters. Unlike the previous volume, the novel continues well! Of particular note: the relationship of the three women who share the single body of Fate; the recognized voluntary "temporariness" of their several assignments; the role that Fate has to play with relation to Free-Will (a concept Anthony seems to accept); and (on a rather humorous note) the visit of Fate and Nature to a temporary "hell" constructed for the sole purpose of convincing humanity that hell is, after all, a pretty nifty place. (The women were not fooled!)

The greatest weakness? The final battle between Fate and Satan. Totally unconvincing, even for fantasy.

Nevertheless, like "On a Pale Horse", this novel should be read by seminary students to give them fresh perspectives on the difficult questions which people ask in times of crisis.

An outstanding read.

This book was one of the best I have read in this series! With a Tangled Skien is a story on how each single life is a thread that is woven into a never ending tapestry, and how three women use their abilities to fend off outside evils who try to change the tapestry of life. Anyone who loves fantesy will love this story!!!

This is the third book of the incarnations, it is the best save only the first book "Riding a Pale Horse." The characters come to life in this amazing sci-fi fantasy. The book is set to the life of the woman destend to become fate and to face off with Satan. A wonderful book, a must read.

The Black Dog Opera Library Series had outdone themselves once again. In this 1972 recording of Mozart's last opera, we are treated to a fine performance by fine singers, a fully illustrated book with liner notes and commentary, as well as information useful in biographies on the composer and his time. Mozart was close to his death bed at the time he composed The Magid Flute. He made an opera that could be enjoyed at many levels. At one level, it is a comic, brilliant fairy tale for children, at another level, it is deeply symbolic and layed with Masonic ideals of universal brotherhood and love. Mozart and his librettist were both Freemasons, a religous "sect" that was under hot water in 18th century Vienna for its pagan origins and its advocation of ideas of the Enlightenment. The story is about Tamino, a prince who is lost in a strange land (originally, a mystic Egypt), who is rescued from a serpent by three mysterious women and promised the hand of the daughter of the Queen of the Night if he saves her from the wizard Sarastro. Together with the help of the comic bird-catcher, Papageno, he sets out on his adventure. But halfway through the opera, he discovers that he has been deceived. The Queen of the Night is the true villain and Sarastro is really a holy man. After many trials, the forces of evil are defeated and the opera ends blissfully with a victory.

Musically and dramatically, it is Mozart's greatest opera. From the striking Overture to the use of dark strings, trumpet and soaring flute passages, the individual arias which express intense emotions to the neverending theme that good triumphs over evil, the Magic Flute stands out as a great opera to begin with for newcomers and a favorite for old time opera fans.

In this recording, conductor Wolfgang Sawallisch leads the Bavarian State Orchestra in a highly effective, thoroughly dramatic and sentimental, full interpretation of Mozart's score. Tenor Peter Schreir as Tamino is exceptional, passionate in his aria "Dies Bildnis" (This portrait), and again as he plays his flute in "Wie Stark ist Nicht dein Zauberton" (How powerful is your music, magic flute), his individual lines in the ensembles and his duet with Pamina as they undergo the final trial of fire. Annelise Rothenberger, a sublime German lyric soprano, is moving in her portrayal of Pamina. She has her moments in this recording. Note how her high, melodic voice seems to come from nowhere as she confronts Sarastro and Tamino for the first time "Herr! Ich bin zwar Verbrecherin ! (Sir! I am the transgressor). Her aria "Ach Ich Fuhls" (O, I feel that happy days have passed) is the finest interpretation, full of pathos and a kind of melancholic madness, as well as her lines in her suicide attempt, finally, she is sublime as a strong woman ready to face trials with Tamino, especially striking when she sings the line "Tamino!".

Kurt Moll's Sarastro is without question the best. His voice is suited for God. So divine and sonorous and full of grace, his voice is especially noticeable in the aria "O Isis and Osiris " and "In deisen Heilen Hallen"( In these holy halls). Finally, and not to be missed, is Edda Moser's incredible interpretation of the Queen of the Night. You have not heard the true Queen of the Night, until you've heard Edda Moser. She has a Wagnerian intensity and neurosis in her lines, apt and effective for the role of a Queen bent on deception and the murder of her rival, Sarastro. Her aria "O Zittre Nicht, Mein Lieber Son" (O tremble not, beloved son" is full of lyric dramatic passages and coloratura at the end. The vengeance aria "Der Holle Rache Kocht Meine Herzen "(Hell's Anger Burns Within My Heart) is full of fire. The way she attacks the dramatic, powerful lines is out of this world and the high F's she escalates are unsurpassed.

The re-release of the legendary 1972 recording of Die Zauberflöte, conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch, is a great blessing to all who know and love this great work. Edda Moser's interpretation of the Queen of the Night is justly celebrated, achieving not only transcendently perfect delivery, but also a chilling portrait of pure evil. All of the other cast members are excellent. The spoken role of Papageno is particularly striking, sounding sufficiently pungent to remind us that the role was originally played by Emanuel Schickaneder himself. The tempi are, for the most part remarkably well-chosen. In addition, the Masonic gravity of the subject matter is constantly respected. The chorus of the armed men is properly alarming, the cantus firmus stridently insistent above the counterpoint of the strings. Even more uncommon is the treatment of the secondary scenes of Act II, especially the chorus Welche Wonne, in which the evocation of the candidate's future "new life" is infused with the trepidation inevitably attendant upon any trial of life and death. All too often, this work, which is gravely serious in its intent, is presented as a fairy tale. This recording successfully conveys the philosophical context, and does justice to Mozart's attachment to Masonry. [The only flaw which I could detect is the inclusion of a very questionable musical fragment, inserted into Act II, Scene 11 ("Pamina, wo bist du?"). I could locate no reference to this anywhere in my extensive library on the subject, and can only speculate that it might be some unacknowledged retention from one of the infamous "reworkings" of the opera which occurred after Mozart's death....At any rate, it requires an explanation....]

In view of this, it is sad to see this beautiful recording issued in association with a perfectly vile and disrespectful book about the opera. The author has the temerity to liken this work to "a Broadway musical", "a rollicking entertainment for the common man" simply because it was composed as a Singspiel, or German opera with spoken dialogue. This is equivalent to likening one of Shakespeare's comedies to a street farce. The book also suggests that Zauberflöte was composed for purposes of pure entertainment, unless it is, perchance, a "work of profound insight" dressed up in the trappings of a "cartoon". Obviously, the writer is ignorant of the significance of the Egyptian setting in the time of Mozart, when it was a clear symbol for rational ideas and liberal politics. The details of the setting delineate the struggle which was then taking place in Europe, over the true nature of Masonry, philosophy and music, and which soon came to a terrible end, for that time at least, with the banning of Freemasonry in Austria, and the loss of much of the learning about ancient philosophy which had been so laboriously gathered in circles such as that frequented by Mozart. It is largely on account of Zauberflöte, which alludes with precision to much of that learning, that it was not entirely annihilated in the chaos of the revolutionary and Napoleonic periods. Rather than misrepresenting this vitally important work, those who have the privilege of coming into contact with it should do all in their power to contribute to the very difficult, vital, and continuing attempt to understand it. While the availability of this recording is of great value, it is scandalous to see it associated with a contribution to the generally prevailing ignorance about this extremely important, and very difficult, work.

An irate Mozartian

The re-release of the legendary 1972 recording of Die Zauberflote, conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch, is a great blessing to all who know and love this great work. Edda Moser's interpretation of the Queen of the Night is justly celebrated, achieving not only transcendently perfect delivery, but also a chilling portrait of pure evil. All of the other cast members are excellent. The spoken role of Papageno is particularly striking, sounding sufficiently pungent to remind us that the role was originally played by Emanuel Schickaneder himself. The tempi are, for the most part remarkably well-chosen. In addition, the Masonic gravity of the subject matter is constantly respected. The chorus of the armed men is properly alarming, the cantus firmus stridently insistent above the counterpoint of the strings. Even more uncommon is the treatment of the secondary scenes of Act II, especially the chorus Welche Wonne, in which the evocation of the candidate's future "new life" is infused with the trepidation inevitably attendant upon any trial of life and death. All too often, this work, which is gravely serious in its intent, is presented as a fairy tale. This recording successfully conveys the philosophical context, and does justice to Mozart's attachment to Masonry. [The only flaw which I could detect is the inclusion of a very questionable musical fragment, inserted into Act II, Scene 11 {"Pamina, wo bist du?"). I could locate no reference to this anywhere in my extensive library on the subject, and can only speculate that it might be some unacknowledged retention from one of the infamous "reworkings" of the opera which occurred after Mozart's death....At any rate, it requires an explanation....]

In view of this, it is sad to see this beautiful recording issued in association with a perfectly vile and disrespectful book about the opera. The author has the temerity to liken this work to "a Broadway musical", "a rollicking entertainment for the common man" simply because it was composed as a Singspiel, or German opera with spoken dialogue. This is equivalent to likening one of Shakespeare's comedies to a street farce. The book also suggests that Zauberflöte was composed for purposes of pure entertainment, unless it is, perchance, a "work of profound insight" dressed up in the trappings of a "cartoon". Obviously, the writer is ignorant of the significance of the Egyptian setting in the time of Mozart, when it was a clear symbol for rational ideas and liberal politics. The details of the setting delineate the struggle which was then taking place in Europe, over the true nature of Masonry, philosophy and music, and which soon came to a terrible end, for that time at least, with the banning of Freemasonry in Austria, and the loss of much of the learning about ancient philosophy which had been so laboriously gathered in circles such as that frequented by Mozart. It is largely on account of Zauberflöte, which alludes with precision to much of that learning, that it was not entirely annihilated in the chaos of the revolutionary and Napoleonic periods. Rather than misrepresenting this vitally important work, those who have the privilege of coming into contact with it should do all in their power to contribute to the very difficult, vital, and continuing attempt to understand it. While the availability of this recording is of great value, it is scandalous to see it associated with a contribution to the generally prevailing ignorance about this extremely important, and very difficult, work.

An irate Mozartian

The conceit of this book is that the governors of a futuristic, terribly overcrowded world will do anything to discourage procreation. The book was written in 1962, when birth control pills were just around the corner and vasectomies were certainly heard of...so why, one might ask, postulate a society that encourages homosexuality as a means of controlling the population (as far as I know, AB had no axe to grind in this department)? There are several instances of Burgess' science being a bit off the mark, but one quickly realizes that's beside the point. Burgess was clearly less concerned with science than with his own form of speculative social anthropology. His characters are well-defined but essentially artificial, meant to propel his thoughtful social theories and populate some wryly chilling suppositions about the direction modern life might be taking. Still, to those who admire him, Burgess is a unique and brilliant wordsmith, a man who loves and knows language so well that he can twist and reinvent it for his own purposes (no one who's read "A Clockwork Orange" needs to be told that). There are funnier and more down-to-earth Burgess books, to be sure. However, if you are amused by pure wordplay and don't mind keeping a dictionary handy when you read...you'll enjoy Burgess as a whole and this book in particular. p.s.: A Burgess must-read is "Nothing Like the Sun", Mr. B's mini-biography of Shakespeare

Your bookstore is stocked full of novels predicting mankind's future, but none quite like this. With the Wanting Seed, Anthony Burgess turns the typical dystopian novel on its ear. Instead of a methodical, technorganic world, Mr. Burgess presents a smelly, macrobiotic mess of overpopulation and disharmony. Instead of a more stringent emphasis on rightwing ideals, the aforementioned overpopulation has caused an enthusiastic governmental endorsement of homosexuality and opposition to typical family ideals. Instead of a grim, foreboding atmosphere, Mr. Burgess employs a lighthearted, quirky tone, allowing readers to smirk at the ridiculousness and incongruity to which the world of the Wanting Seed has been driven. It is obvious that Mr. Burgess, the same literary practical joker who filled his best-know book, A Clockwork Orange, with make-up slang, meant to poke some well-needed fun at the dismal 1984/Brave New World genre.

But just because the Wanting Seed is a work of playful parody and dark comedy does not mean there is nothing profound about it. In fact if I had to pick the one dystopian novel towards which our society is most surely leaning, it would be this one (which is pretty amazing considering it was written in 1962). As counties like China and India are regulating procreation and instituting their own versions of Mr. Burgess' "population police" and the value of human life wilts ever downward, I wonder how close we are to vision of the Wanting Seed. The novel stands as a warning that repressing man's natural urges and diminishing his worth is not the answer to the problem. Your bookstore is stocked full of novels predicting mankind's future, but few as startling and important as this.

I first read this book when I was 14. I was doomed to dread the future from the start. In the back of my mind these words hold true more often than not. In my eyes this is one of his finest works.

Macroscope was definetily the best science fiction book I ever read! This book had me thinking all the way through as to who Schon was and why the macroscope in the story was destroying the minds of earths greatest scientists. This book is filled with adventure and the way Mr.Anthony lets you know what is going on in side the minds of the characters shows how talented he is at writing. I seriously recomend science fiction readers everywhere to read this one you will not be disappointed!

What planet are we from? Literally hundreds of books by PA here on Amazon and the greatest work, well certainly one of the greatest works, in SF is out of print! What is going on here? I am 45 years old and have been an avid reader since the age of 12. I've read most of the classic SF and even some schlock. This book ranks right up among the top 5 SF books and is a strong contender for the top slot. Think about this...I first read this book when I was in high school (1972) and I can still recall the absolute awe I felt as I read it. No other...make that few other...book(s) have the power to stick in your mind for that many years. If you only read ONE science fiction book (other than DUNE) in your life, pick up this one. You will not be disappointed. And a word to the publishers...BRING THIS BOOK BACK!

A few weeks ago during some sick time I read one of the more recent Xanth novels. It made me question why I used to read everything Anthony came out with. He is just bad, bland, and childish. Trying to understand why I used to love his work, I did a bit of internet research and found him constently listed as worst hack alive. Well, as bad as those Xanth books have gotten they would be just run of the mill to an author who didn't have Macroscope in him. It isn't that he is so bad, it is just that he is giving us THAT, when he is capable of THIS. I don't blame him for wanting to write things that will sell tons of copies to 13 year old girls, money is money, but how I wish, now that his bank-roll is secure, he would give some of us the benifit of the brilliance he has so long surpressed.
I wont go in to details about the plot, as I have seen many others here already have. I will say, however, that his characters in this book posses of level of development unseen in his current works. The dialog is much better, crediting the reader with the intelligence to infer meaning rather than having is spelled as if we were ALL 13 yaar old girls. He does not rely on excessive sexual innuendo to hold the readers attention ( neither childish as in Xanth where everyone wants to peek up skirts, sadistic as in Cathon, imaginitive as in the CLuster series, or disturbing as in Firefly ( where he tries to convince us that having sex with a pre-schooler is okay if she asks for it)). IN summation, this book has all the elements of great sciecne fiction without the literary (?) tricks he relies on today.
It is one of my favorites, but stay away from it if you like the stuff he writes today or you will never be satisfied again.

The authors weave pop culture references throughout each section and give practical advice. Most debt-relief books say things like "clip coupons" and "cancel your cable tv" but these guys understand that coupons expire and that cable IS a necessity! The very best feature of this book are the numerous websites for saving money on bills and getting low APR credit cards. Plus they never make you feel bad for getting into your debt mess since they've been there, too.

This is an awesome book! The authors obviously know their audience and offer great suggestions on ways to reduce debt. The section on dealing with credit card companies is invaluable. I took their advice and have already had the APR's on all my accounts dropped to below 8%. Both writers make it clear that becoming debt-free is not going to happen overnight, but their practical tips are things that you can do immediately to see a difference. Never are they preachy or condescending, but rather amusing, as they definitely make it clear that they've "been there, done that."
I highly recommend this book for any person who is aware of their impending financial doom and who wants to do something about it, but doesn't know quite where to begin.
I hope you find this book as inspiring as my husband and I have!

Hey, these guys sounded even worse than me when it came to spending money they didn't have. As a twentysomething working in New York, this book offered sound advice with a style and tone I could relate to. I especially liked the "real world" examples and information on buying a car (I wish I read that before buying my paycheck-eater).

It also had excellent information on where your paychecks go, understanding the ATM and credit card schemes and how to read your monthly bank statements instead of just shoving them into a drawer.

I also liked the randomly placed pop culture references

"If capitalism is a religion, then Costco is its church"

Or

"Unlike spandex or KISS reunion concert tour T-Shirts, checking accounts are not one-size-fits-all products"

You won't read that in some blah 12-steps to financial freedom guide. If you remember Cherry Coke, ALF and Joanie and Chachi, this book could be the one for you.

I confess that before reading this book I knew little of Florence Harding beyond the rumor that she poisoned her husband. After reading Mr. Anthony's excellent work I know feel that I know of her better. I'm just not sure I like her. Yes, she was an activist First Lady, sometimes even overshadowing her husband. And she certainly was single-minded in her drive to get Harding to the White House. But at what cost? She essentially abandoned her son, seeing little of him during his short life. Her involvement with her grandchildren was minimal at best. She had no close friends outside of Evalyn McLean, with the possible exception of "Doc" Sawyer, although that relationship was more one of interdependence. See what I mean about complex? Mr. Anthony has done a great job in partially rehabilitating the Duchess' historical image. It's a shame the selfish Mrs. Harding in a sense inhibited her biographer by burning nearly all of her husband's presidential papers. As an aside, I couldn't help noticing parallels between Harding's administration and the current one. See if you agree.

Florence Harding's biography is not something that I would normally want to read, let alone spend money to obtain. However, after leafing through it in our local bookstore, I added it to my cart on a whim the last time I bought from Amazon. If you are interested in American History in general and the presidency in particular (as I am), you will devour this book (as I did). The parallels to the Clintons, while unmentioned by the author, are undeniable; in fact, it would be appropriate for Hillary to attempt channeling with Florence rather than Eleanor Roosevelt! This makes the reading all the more lively and contemporary. This biography does a great service to the memory of Florence Harding, who comes off very poorly in nearly all the historical summaries I have read. She is usually portrayed as imperious, aggressive, and authoritarian -- which she was, but not without reason; and Harding is portrayed as being the victim of a loveless marriage -- which he was not, she adored him. Why is the wife always blamed for her "coldness" when a husband sleeps around? I was left with great admiration for Mrs. Harding, and a desire to learn even more about her. Congratulations, Mr. Anthony, on a monumental biography.

I haven't read a lot about the Hardings -- at least, nothing much that presented them as other than a brief, corrupt interlude in our country's history -- so it was with interest that I picked up this big, thick book on a woman I knew little about. Once I opened the cover, I was never bored, and seldom tempted to skip pages :-) It was truly fascinating to discover Florence Harding as a real person. This book does include all the rumors and intrigues that surrounded Florence and her contemporaries ... and without which you would lose sight of historical perspective, for we are all not only what we think of ourselves, but also what others think of us. But it covers more than rumors and scandal; extensively researched and well-written, this book presents a stunning portrait of a complex woman and her times. However ... the similarities between the Clintons and the Hardings has probably stimulated my interest in reincarnation more than this book's non-metaphysical author would prefer ! A good read!

This book covers a lot of "small" topics and useful examples. I recommende it as a reference book for the biginner.

"1001 Java Programmer's Tips" is the absolute best book on Java I have seen yet! I have about 5 Java books and this is the one I always reach for first. It has saved me zillions of hours of head scratching!

A very good book explaining Java 1.0 in detail. The learn by tips approach is excellent. Unfortunately this book covers version 1.0 and many of the features have been deprecated as of version 1.2. Still , this remains an excellent book.

It seems presumptuous to be definitive in the area of literature. But every now and then there is a book, such as Earthly Powers, that compells one to reach for superlatives. This is a masterful example of the literary novel, one that frequently makes its appearance on the 'top-ten' lists of 'all time greats' as compiled by those who have made it their business to read as much as possible.Burgess lavished effort on this, setting out to create a masterpiece, and he succeeded without ever forgetting the novelist's duty to perform, above all, as a storyteller for his audience.And what a story he tells!This is in essence a trip through the Twentieth Century that encompasses as many aspects as possible of what defined the era. All is seen through the eyes of an intelligent, sensitive, and sometimes bitterly confused man, Kenneth Twomey. As such, the story is his, and spans some eighty odd years.Burgess is careful to weave his tale as engagingly as he can. Despite verdant vocabulary - always contextually perfect - the pages flick past at great speed. We are not subjected to many of the more conventional literary devices utilised to pull readers in. Instead we are involved through the sheer pathos and variety of the world and age that Kenneth, Oddysean-like, must navigate.We are introduced to dozens of countries and a veritable mob of characters, none of whom ever blur or become confused in our mind, because they are drawn with such easy clarity - I have encountered very few personalities in contemporary fiction as well-realised as these.The themes that run through the book are many; love, God, war, identity, suffering, the creative impulse, guilt, peversion, philosophy, nobility and evil. Only a few of these are made obvious - the book, after all, is meant to reflect life. The rest are perched delicately for us to discern between the lines. We do not find ourselves subjected to the author shoving his own particular brand of morality down our throats; a trait rarely avoided even by luminaries within the fiction field. Burgess is far too modest to think that he should discern for our benefit the differences between right and wrong on the grand scale - that is left entirely to us. With this in mind, he is at pains to create a mood of ubiquitous evil hanging over large portions of the novel, an evil which is hard to define specifically, and it is the reader who must try to make sense of it, as themes and plots grow and elaborate over decades and continents. He does this with consummate skill.If I have been vague it is because it is impossibly difficult to get into the fabric of Earthly Powers in such a short space. It takes on far too much to lend itself to summarisation. One can only keep repeating, 'This is a masterpiece; truly a masterpiece.' Why it never received the critical acclaim it so assuredly deserved will forever remain a dreadful inditement of a literary establishment jealous of possibly its most talented virtuoso. So many critics have such petty and venal motivations. By the way, the opening line is considered by many to be one of the greatest ever written. "It was the morning of my eighty first birthday and I was in bed with my . . ." Buy it and read for yourself. This one will stay with you for years. Unless of a most violently parochial and small-minded disposition, I cannot envisage anyone failing to be thrilled and awed by a book so gigantic in theme and substance.

As the venerable English reviewer Peter Marcus noted, this is Burgess' masterpiece. While "A Clockwork Orange" is the better known book (chiefly because of the film - which most people know of but few have seen),"Earthly Powers" is without doubt the finer work. Huge in scope, covering a multitude of decades, this extraordinary acheivement is one of the few truly epic novels that actually manages to sustain the interest constantly. There is no point in explaining about Ken Toomey, Geoffrey, Hortense, Carlo and Domenico Campanati (not pronounced Campa-neighty) and the host of other characters which litter this superlative piece of literature. Their various appeals become plain as day to even the casual reader - which it is very difficult to be when faced with a book as challenging, humourous, and rewarding as this. I, too, spit on the so-called "literary" establishment who overlooked this book in favour of the frothy tripe they awarded honours to. However, so debased are the awards by overlooking this novel that, paradoxically, I am now glad Burgess' genius is not sullied and soiled by association with such scandalous ruffians as the awardsmen truly are. I'll stop now, and you'll click on the bit that says... buy, buy, buy! Or, do what I did, and get it from your local library, saving time and money.

This novel, Earthly Powers, by Anthony Burgess from 1980 strips bare the twentienth century and turns its skeleton into a wonderful narrative stream inhabited by two beautifully realized characters, Kenneth Toomey, novelist, and Don Carlo, eventually the Pope. Everyone and everything of importance in the last century becomes a part of the mix without ever clogging the story, which remains clearly focused with the clever use of the fictional creations. This book is an epic that truly deserves that title and it will give the reader many hours to reading pleasure. A wonderful reading experience.