Austin Clarke's Giller Prize winning novel THE POLISHED HOE takes place on the fictional island of Bimshire in the "Wessindes." During one long night of confession and reflection between Bimshire lawman, Sarge, and Miss Mary Gertrude Matilda, a kept woman on the Bellfeels plantation, Clarke's characters ruminate about the lives they have led. Mary calls the police station and tells them she must confess her crime. Sarge comes to the Great House where Miss Mary resides to record her statement, but is caught in a whirlwind of memories about the woman he grew up with, his own experiences and transgressions, and the contempt circulating the island regarding Mister Bellfeels.

Enriched with native tongues and a sort of stream of consciousness writing, this is a novel that brought to mind some of the great writers of all time. The prose was lilting, and I often found myself caught in a reverie as the characters related memories from their lives. It is not a book for the drama lovers who live for fast paced reads; rather it seems to have been written for those who love narration, historical fiction, and carefully crafted characterizations.

Reviewed by CandaceK
The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Almost mimicking the sense of time on a West Indian island, this mesmerizing novel begins slowly and then warms up with the Caribbean head of noon's overhead sun. Now an old woman still living on a big island plantation, Mary-Mathilda, in the process of confessing something having to do with the 'hoe' of the title to the local cops, reminisces about her past, chronicling the plantation's history as well as her own. The novel explores the brutality of plantation life not in the fields but in the Big House where as a girl, Mary M caught the manager's eye and became his mistress, the mother of his only son. Separated from her own people by her comforts and privilege, she is also separated from the white establishment by the barriers of racism, servitude, and sexual exploitation.

Almost mimicking the sense of time on a West Indian island, this mesmerizing novel begins slowly and then warms up with the heat of noontime Caribbean overhead sun. Now an old woman still living on a big island plantation, Mary-Mathilda, in the process of confessing something having to do with the 'hoe' of the title to the local cops, reminisces about her past, chronicling the plantation's history as well as her own. The novel explores the brutality of plantation life not in the fields but in the Big House where as a girl, Mary M caught the manager's eye and became his mistress, the mother of his only son. Separated from her own people by her comforts and privilege, she is also separated from the white establishment by the barriers of racism, servitude, and sexual exploitation.

It was a very complex story that moved rather quickly. It shows how people can contine to be victimized even when the childhood is over.

Zoe Parry, a survivor of ritual and sexual abuse suffered from Multiple Personality Disorder/Dissociative Identity Disorder (MPD/DID). She developed over 100 personalities and most of them were opposites. Many of her personalities were extensions of her "good" qualities, henceforth, angels. She had a legion of "demonic" personalities who thrived in cultist environments and one personality was a coven witch.

Zoe suffered with brushes with the law due to her DID. On February 3, 1978 she was jailed and subsequently hospitalized after she kidnapped a girl she baby sat for. From 1978 to the early 1990s, Zoe's life is a litany of therapeutic treatments and literally piecing herself back together.

i thought this book was wondeful. It takes you inside the mind of a woman with over a hundred personalities, and shows just how childhood abuse stays with a person. I recommend this book to anyone, especially those who are interesting in psychology or multiple personality disorder.

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Where have we heard about an additional planet, unknown to astronomers? In Sitchin of course. What about planets on cometary orbits? Baillie, Clube/Napier, Velikovsky, and other scholars, as well as Sitchin. What about periodic and predictable celestial chaos? LaViolette, Sitchin, Baillie, Clube/Napier...

The author claims that a tenth planet whistles on past the other planets at 892 year intervals, meaning that the most recent pass was no longer ago than 1109 AD, and has happened at least twice since Julius Caesar was a boy. This book may be worth reading, but not at this price. Try the local library, and if not found, ask them to purchase it for the lending collection.

Hi there. I'm the gypsy who wrote about 60% of 'The Dragon's Tail'. Brian Crowley, an orthodox Jew, wrote 5% and Mr Christopher Mundy, an American, wrote the rest. The two last named got scared and don't want to know. The publisher, Ron Bonds died of a mystery infection in April 2001. He left a widow, Nancy Bonds, who also wants to get rid of TdT in case anyone wants to buy IllumiNet off her. Don't expect rights to TDT because I own it outright. None of us ever got any royalties and nobody wants to reprint. In the last chapter we told you what would happen in America from 2001 onwards and it did. The first reviewer here hasn't even read the cover blurb because we said the last pass of the Dragon was in the 13th C.tonyaustin@bushinternet.com bye

You are holding in your hands what may prove to be the definitive casebook of humanity, reaching back some 15,000 years into the past and now made accessible by the researches of a diverse pair of lay scholars. Evidence presented here from history, science and astronomy reveals that earth undergoes dramatic climatic changes at 892 year intervals, creating a universal disaster of doomsday proportions.

The massive wave of extinctions that occurred around 15,000 years ago in the animal kingdom, the sinking of Plato's Atlantis, the voyage of Noah's Ark, the plagues that beset Egypt at the time of the Exodus, and even the Little Ice Age of the 13th century, may all have a common cause - a rogue tenth planet (we call Draco) in our Solar System. This is the outermost planet of the Solar System, orbiting the Sun only once in 892 years.

Draco caused the destruction of the planet that once orbited between Mars and Jupiter, and it still cuts through the plane of the asteroids, creating more new comets and Earth-crossing asteroids every time it visits us. When it passes by, a great shower of dust cools our climate!

Draco will sweep by Earth again in the year 2115! The real countdown to doomsday can now begin!

Peter Allen certainly loved Uganda. He spent over 30 years there, first as a policeman when the country was still a British Protectorate, then as a law lecturer, magistrate and judge after Uganda had gained independence.

His diaries of his days as a policeman are interesting - his experiences ranged from his ADC role to the Governor in the pillared residence at Entebbe to his days working in remote Karamoja, policing warring tribesmen and cattle thieves.

The more intiguing part of the book, however, relates to his years working in the judiciary under the Idi Amin government. As Uganda degenerates into a melee of government-sanctioned murder and lawlessness, Allen's diaries record his own efforts to extract at least individual instances of judicial order and discipline from the chaos enveloping him.

Clearly, the Ugandans thought of him as a bit of an oddball - ironic bearing in mind the insanity of the behaviour of many of those in Amin's regime - and his reputation as "the only white man left" no doubt excluded him from the vicious tribal politics of the time and helped in his unlikely ascent through the Judiciary.

But should the reader feel a little uneasy at Allen's readiness to carry on regardless - however corrupt and tyrannical the behaviour of the authorities that paid and promoted him? Yes, he showed no sycophancy to Amin or his governmental colleagues - his lambasting of the government in his diary and his frequent references to the civil but cold way in which he would converse with Amin and his henchmen make that clear. But he still attended their jamborees and drove their Mercedes. Yes, as he often points out, he believed strongly in the role of the judiciary in serving as a brake on the authority of executive government. But in Uganda in the 1970s and 1980s, these rules were not applying. And yes, he clearly felt that to leave the country in its time of need would be to desert the Ugandans he loved. But did he not love just a little the power, prestige and sheer idiosyncracy that rested in being an oddball English judge in a banana republic? After all, as the title of his book records, these were "Interesting Times".

Perhaps this view is too harsh. Atfer all, the easiest thing would have been to wash his hands of it all and walk away. Interestingly, he never really discusses this dilemma in his diaries. In the end he was given little choice. He left Uganda in 1986, devastated at having to depart the country he so clearly loved.

Like his earlier book about his experiences in Uganda (Days of Judgement), Sir Peter Allen's latest offering is a very well written account of Uganda's most critical era.

The diary format takes one to the scene and moment, as his life (and Uganda's story) progress from the blissful days of a British Protectorate, through the horrors of Amin's rule to the anarchy of the post-Amin period.

For anyone interested in Uganda, this is an essential document. It is the record of the experiences and observations of a man who was intimately involved with the story, yet one who was relatively detached from the political and military fighting that held the country in its grip throughout the entire period that he lived there.

I must say, however, that there is something rather unsettling about the authenticity of the good judge's entries. One gets a nagging feeling that some parts of the diaries have been edited in hindsight, so that many of his "predictions" might have been penciled in many years after they had in fact come to pass.

Of course he might have been an excellent forecaster, but he gets so many predictions correct that one just wonders. But then again, who knows.

Also there are some entries that are definitely on the wrong dates. For example he claims that President Milton Obote visited Kings College, Budo in 1968, and asked the Headmaster to stay on for another year. In fact the year was 1969, a fact I know because I was there.

Notwithstanding these minor quibbles, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, especially his entries during the colonial and early post-colnial years. His sense of humour comes through.

MKM

I found this book captivating. I particularly enjoyed the (almost) daily accounting of events - short and to the point There were several funny moments - such as when Sir Peter fell into a sack of flour and the episode where a witness at a trial was unsure of his age! His parents had told him many years ago that he was twenty and so he insisted that he was still twenty (15 or so years later).

I could feel the many bumpy rides over almost non existant roads and could almost taste the dust and feel the heat as he travelled to the many districts for which he was responsible. Yet these hardships seemed to be joyful for him as he made so many friends and encountered many wild experiences (like being shot at)!

The rise to power of Idi Amin is well captured and the brutality of the times is frightening.

Sir Peter's home was broken into many times and on occasion by his own servants and his life was threatened on numerous ocassions.

I enjoyed reading about his leaves to Britain and his conference trip to Montreal as I have also lived in both places and it made the book come alive.

I think the flavour of Uganda and perhaps most of Africa is well documented. It is not for the faint of heart. It certainly made me realize how well off we are in Canada where we take so much for granted. Health and Education for instance. What a struggle the Africans have - still - to enjoy what we assume is our right.

It was interesting to travel through Sir Peter's career and it was sad that he had to leave the country and the many good friends he had made. He obviosly loved them and their country.

This voice is loving if you're a horse, sheep, cow, dog, antelope, sheepherder, or cowperson. But, Goddess help you if you're a mountaineer, hiker, camper, easterner, urbanite, or Sierra Clubber. Perhaps John Muir does need some dethroning, but blame him for the industrialization of Yosemite National Park? Come now.

It is not often, in my experience, one has the opportunity to say, "I read the most sharply fascinating book about cows this past weekend." Not that I said this sort of thing after reading this book, but I could have. Barney Nelson performs at minimum two premier services for her readers. First, she reopens the cow case, teasing into gray complexity the traditional assignation of cows to the realm of domestic beasts. Second, Nelson continues a rehabilitation of fame for the early twentieth century writer of the West, Mary Austin.(This rehabilitation comes at the expense of John Muir over the issue of sheep herding and lambing.) Truly, after reading this book I think it is curious that the remarkable Austin is in need of reputation refurbishment in American letters.

The glory continues with the author adding a raucously noble essay on her own life. Nelson also contributes a fine essay on Ed Abbey's reading and suggested usage of Mary Austin's desert book. At last, I mention the political concerns churned up by Nelson's hearty ploughing. Much about land management, grazing rights, and habitat change finds sensible reappraisal. I do not have the expertise or experience to evaluate the suggestions of the author on this matter, but I find her suggestion of interest, that the government policies based on the research programs of some scientists are quite possibly informed by an erring sense of healthy land use and a mistaken foundational origin for the data they interpret. Overall, this book of essays wafts thoughtful chips into the air with relatively little theoretical marsh.

Nelson is a creative thinker and fresh voice injecting new ways of looking at the environment, women's place in nature, and ultimately how to reconcile our dependence upon domestic livestock. By delving into works of Thoreau, John Muir, Jack London, Ed Abbey, and the lone female voice of Mary Austin, Nelson shows how our thinking about the wild, the domestic environment, and the place of men and women in both has been shaped by assumptions that are not true. I enjoyed this book very much--there are lots of new ideas to consider, as well as plenty of research to back up Nelson's points. She writes clearly and smoothly, and is not afraid to tackle ideas that westerners have misunderstood for too long, livestock grazing for one. I was not at all familiar with the work of Mary Austin, but thanks to Nelson I can see that she should be widely studied for her environmental writings, particularly pertaining to women's role. All women, all environmentalists, all westerners, should read Nelson's book, it will be the basis for many conversations, if not debates.

The story of Napoleon's Hundred Days is so dramatic, so full of romance that it is no wonder that authors keep returning to it. The latest entry in the library of books on the end of Napoleon's public career is Paul Britten Austin's "1815: The Return of Napoleon." Anyone familiar with Paul Britten Austin's previous trilogy on Napoleon's Russian campaign will know that Mr. Austin knows how to cull his sources for the interesting and informative anecdote and weave them together into a fascinating narrative. Austin uses the same technique here. Employing primarily French sources, he follows Napoleon's route from the Golfe Juan to Paris, ending with Napoleon's entrance into the French capital.

Like Mr. Austin's previous works, this is not analytical study of the military, political and diplomatic history of Napoleon's Hundred Days. Readers can easily get that elsewhere. Rather this is the human story of a great event, told by the Frenchmen who experienced it. We see the events through the eyes of the men and women who experienced them. Austin does a good job in his notes indicating trustworthiness of his witnesses. We hear from Royalists, Bonapartists and the fence-sitters. While we have occasional diversions to Paris or some of the other cities in France, Austin sticks closely to the Route Napoléon.

One theme of the book is how those who encountered Napoleon on his return from Elba interpreted their duty, honor and allegiance. Some stand by their oaths to the King, some swear allegiance to Napoleon, Many play a waiting game, doing little or nothing one way or the other.

The book hangs or falls ultimately on the author's choice of quotes from his sources. Austin, as expected, picks his passages well, keeping the narrative flowing with judicious selections from a multitude of characters. The book is filled with human interest stories, such as the story of Col. Jubé's various trials and tribulations at Grenoble that end in his tumble down a flight of stairs. Or that of Peyrusse, Napoleon's treasurer, and his chest of gold. Readers looking for in-depth military, political or diplomatic analysis should look elsewhere, but for the human story of this exciting time, this is a book you'll want to own.

One of the most dramatic episodes of the Napoleonic period was Napoleon's breakout from his Elba by ship, landing in southern France, and marching on Paris. Army units sent to stop him, joined him instead. Hidden tricolor cockades, forbidden by the Bourbons, as were the hated ricolor flags and Napoleonic eagles, appeared from hiding places and again adorned the soldiers' shakos. Greeted enthusiastically wherever he went, Napoleon ended up in the Tuileries, Emperor of France once more. Not a shot had been fired, no blood had been shed. The Bourbons with their fat king, Louis 'the Unavoidable' had fled to Belgium.

Paul Britten Austin energetically and thoroughly presents these dramatic historic events in this new volume on 1815. In the same format as his trilogy on the 1812 campaign, the author weaves his tale of suspence, intrigue, bigger-than-life characters, mainly through first person accounts and demonstrates once again his great ability as an historian and a story teller.

This volume is the first in a two-volume series that will conclude with the rest of the stroy of the 100 Days of Napoleon's reestablished rule in France. I, for one, am looking forward to it. The present volume has set the stage, shown the characters, and whet the appetite. Unfortunately, it ends just when it is going full blast. However, it has set up the 'sequel' excellently, as well as given the readers a wealth of first hand information on the period, and the unforgettable characters that are the players in this greatest of historic dramas.

This excellent book is highly recommended. If a book on the Napoleonic period has the name Paul Britten Austen on it, buy it.

Want to read something different? Pick up this book.

American Jesus is set in NYC and follows a homeless crossmaker who, according to the book jacket, may or may not be Christ. The book describes the interminable injustices and remarkable events the crossmaker encounters on the streets, and his struggle to keep faith and hope alive in the face of hatred. Vivid and realistic minor characters help round out the story.

What I enjoyed most about the book is Virginia Austin's prose, especially her repetition of carefully chosen phrases. The pages are rich with symbolism. She expresses emotion and pain so explicitly that I could truly empathize with the characters. The first page description of a hungry dog cutting her tongue on a can of food was both heartbreaking and beautiful.

American Jesus is a worthwhile commentary on capitalism, religion, and race relations. It's a powerful book that challenges the human race to strive for peace, especially when the odds are seemingly against us.

Virginia Austin has written a wonderful, spell-binding book. It keeps you wanting to read more and to find out what will next happen to its intriguing characters. This book contains vivid descriptions, historical data regarding African-American history, religious meaning and NYC as the backdrop. It is an amazing read and is nothing like the typical best sellers - so if you're looking for a different type of a read, you have found it. You are drawn into the main character immediately and follow along with him on his journey to discover his true being. I highly recommend this masterfully written book.

I easily consider this one of the best stories that ran in the "Legend of the Dark Knight" series (this book reprints #11-15) up till now (this one and "Gothic"). Batman, the hunter, becomes the hunted when the major demands him arrested. Captain Gordon is to form a special squad to do so, which shall be master-planned by psycho-analist Dr. Hugo Strange. While Strange shall try to unravel the mystery 'who is Batman' by logical psychological deduction, a street squad will do the fieldwork. Only it turns out that Dr. Strange himself isn't very sane and that he plans to reach far more than just the arrest of Batman, using whatever means neccesary. Meanwhile Batman is having a hard time to keep himself thinking straight. Something that proves to be difficult during the schemes of the mad Dr. Strange.

This is really a well written Batman story that will especially appeal to those who like "The Killing Joke". The art looks a lot like the art of Brian Bolland and, even more importantly, the theme and atmosphere of the story are very much alike (the theme, not the plot). A dark psychological thriller. It's really good to see is that the things that happen during the story aren't just coincedences but happen for a reason, and are backed with arguments. A small example of that is that when Dr. Strange concludes that 'the man behind the mask must be a wealthy man' it's backed up with the argument "The man must be wealthy since he's up all night and therefore doesn't have time to work a job in the daytime, but still has so much expensive devises". Things don't come out of thin air, like what unfortunately seems to happen in too many other books. And like this little example, everything else that happens also fits and is made to look logical. What is also a good thing is that you don't know how it's exactly gonna end untill you're at the last couple of pages. Just when you think you figured Dr. Strange's next move out, the plot twists. It isn't predictable anywhere and therefore never becomes boring. If you're looking to pick up a good Batman story besides the ones who got a lot of attention already (like "Killing Joke", "Dark Knight Returns", "Long Halloween", "Year One" etc. etc.), this would certainly be a good choice.

This book collects the Prey storyline that ran in Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight. A very tense Batman book which also depicts the first meeting between Batman and the twisted Dr. Hugo Strange. In this book, Bats makes a lot of mistakes and he has let Dr. Strange get to him. Also introduces the Bat Signal and the Batmobile. It's really good to see Batman as a human being who goofs up and get ticked off by someone else. One disappointment I have with this book is Catwoman. It's as if she's just there. She didn't really contribute anything to the story.

This historical meaning of this book was what attracted me, plus it was bought for a girl with the same name who thought that was really cool.

This is a neat children's book written by a child. If you are a Jane Austin fan, it is a facinating look into her literary mindset at a very young age. There is not an in depth storyline, but the illustrations are sweet and it makes a nice addition to your collection of children's stories.

I like this book because it has bright colors and great illustrations. It shows kids when you share with other kids that they will somehow repay you. It also hints to your children that you can be yourself, and don't change for other people. It's fairly easy. I would recommend it to this book to kids ages 3-9. It's a very cute book.

My grand daughter just loved this book. She is almost 5. I plan on getting more rainbow fish book for her.