Alma Schindler - the goddess, the muse, the center of attention ... How did she manage that? How did she become an obsession of so many genial men, a thing of admiration of the Secessionist Vienna? But simply - she was a remarkable woman. And also, happened to be pretty and at the right place at the right time, born into an artistic family. It was said that she had a hearing defect. She would move closer to her companion in order to hear better. Men found that irresistible.

One would expect her to be vain and conceited. Through her diary, we entered her mind - she is none of that. At least, not more than any of us. She is an insecure girl. She has fears, doubts about herself, she loves passionately... Alas, her anti-Semitic feelings are shocking. At first, she is quite tolerant and objects anti-Semitic sentiments. Then she changes. One can only find the reason in propaganda being already pretty aggressive. She lives among Jewish families, loves Jewish men and marries two of them. Why then? And how did it happen that she married Mahler so quickly?

"Please God, give me some great mission, give me something great to do!" She could have been quite a good artist. Her drawings show certain talent that could have been developed into something much more. She could have taken drawing classes and maybe, her mission would have been even greater. But she pursued music even though it
seemed that she lacked the talent - not one of her opera impressions on the notepaper correspond to the real score. She never composed a great opera she dreamed of. But she left her mark in the history of arts and love.

This book is a great document. The correspondence between the authors just adds to the value. I only wish there were more photos of Alma as well as letters that she received. It would have been nice to read passionate words of her admirers. At the end, instead of an epilogue, there should have been a short biography. And a word of two about her sisters and mother would have been valuable. What happened to her sister Maria? I guess I need to start searching.

As a long-term diary writer myself I was interested in Mahler-Werfel's diary and the manner in which the voice of the nineteen-year old woman is expressed (and the next two years of her life). Often when I reread my own writings I cringe at my ideas and philosophies when I was young and it takes some time for me to empathise with myself and regain a feeling for the person I was. One of the great features of these diaries is that they truly express the voice of the nineteen-year old, they have not been edited to provide a more sophisticated voice. Perhaps Mahler-Werfel cringed a bit at herself in the way I do, perhaps that is why she never published these diaries during her lifetime, although we do know she gave it some consideration. But I think it is important that we heed the voice expressed in youthful writings because it reassociates us with the people we once were, and hopefully gives us greater empathy with the youth of today.
The most challenging aspect of these diaries is Mahler-Werfel's revelations of her growing sexual awareness with its contradictions, rapid changes of view, hesitancies, self criticism, and intemperate admissions. This is emotional and at times erotic writing. While we can allow Mahler-Werfel the licence to say what she wants about herself, it is less readily acceptable that she describes the behaviour of her partners - some of them quite historic figures. But this is the voice of youth going through very tumultuous personal times. Most people move through these times with varying degrees of ease and distress. Mahler-Werfel's writing reminded me of Wedekind's play 'Springtime Awakening'. The awakening is not satisfactory for all - and is sometimes disastrous. For Mahler-Werfel we can only speculate.
Mahler-Werfel associated with many great artistic figures - in the times of these diaries there are Gustav Klimt, Alexander Zemlinsky and Gustav Mahler. Her reflections on these figures make them more alive than many histories. For her, they were living pulsing human beings and we see them in that way.
But was Mahler-Werfel extraordinary herself? I find it hard to decide. She obviously was not your average woman of the time, and yet it is possible to see her as just a spoilt rich girl who happened to have a pretty face. In her diaries she speaks of writing a song (lied) in a day, playing the whole of Tristan on the piano in an evening. And yet her musical examples noted in the diary are so poorly notated and often so inaccurate that it is hard not to think she had little genuine talent. Perhaps someone else completed the lieder from her tenuous musical ideas. But equally possible is that she was a real talent and, as popular history tells us, was suppressed by Mahler in their marriage. To me, however, there is another reading in that marriage to Mahler enabled her to renounce her musical ambitions, which she knew would never match those of Mahler no matter how hard she worked. To be fair about her musical notation however, we need to remember that all her writings border on the unreadable (perhaps that was deliberate - a sort of code?) although the single-minded line drawings she included are quite fine in a limited way (are they all of pretty Alma herself?).
Another way to judge her musical astuteness is her reviews and critiques of the many concerts she attended. At first look they seem to match the views of the day - wildly supportive of Wagner, dismissive of Bach, Saint-Saens and even Mozart. Was she just copying the view of the day? But then there are the changes of view - suddenly the opinion on Mozart changes, she starts to see some flat spots in Wagner. This does seem to suggest self-awareness in her musical views and even if it is selective acceptance of different critical opinion she shows a capability to make the change. There is one final thought that came to me as I read the diaries - perhaps her influence was so great (it certainly wasn't trivial) that she went some way to actually forming the critical view of the day.
I was immensely fascinated by these writings. If you are interested in human development and artistic creativity I recommend you do not overlook them. One thing is certain - Mahler-Werfel was an impassioned writer as a young woman.

Alma Mahler was a fascinating woman and this diary gives an unique insight into her personality and those she knew. Her growing years, developing both emotionally and in personality come through as does her determination and zest for life. Her time with Gustav Mahler is fascinating and sheds an interesting light into his character and fears at this time. A fascinating read.

This is the first book of the series that I read and it hooked me and spurred me on to read the rest of them. Although the author, J.A. Jance is a woman, she writes very convincingly about a male character, J. P. Beaumont. We see the struggle between his personal and his professional life as he is summoned to a Shakespeare Festival where his daughter is pregnant and soon to be married. After his arrival, two actors are murdered and Beaumont uses his professional skills as a policeman to solve the murder while trying to be civil to his prospective son-in-law and his daughter's artsy friends. Beaumont has a wry way of looking at his own foibles which endears him to readers. If you enjoy this book, there are several more in the series.

This was the first Jance book I encountered. I decided to read it because it takes place in the town I live and work in. As much as I enjoyed reading about the places and cities I know well what I really enjoyed was the character of JP Beaumont. He is an ordinary man (a Seattle Cop wih an extraordinarily inherited fortune) who is caught between his work and his family. The characters seem very real and Jance's writing gives them a life and humanity that appeals strongly and makes you really care about them. The story never lets up either and you will find yourself hard pressed to put the book down. I have read every book Jance has written now and she is always on the top of my list of series that I am waiting for the next installment of!

This book provides a good introduction to Tillard's
work. It was written in response to some questions about
the sources for Tillard's larger work _Church of Churches_,
but the English translation of that book was rather
sloppy. This translation, however, is very good, and
a good introduction to the work of J.-M.-R. Tillard.

Jean Marie Tillard wrote this book as a companion volume to the previously published 'Church of Churches'. It provides at the same time a resource which demonstrates the foundation of the so-called communion ecclesiology which is predominant in the post-conciliar Catholic Church in both the Scriptures and the Tradition, as well as being a response to his critics who accused him of being too innovative in his theology of the Church. In referring to the Tradition of the Fathers of the 'undivided' Church, that is the Church of the first Christian Millennium, of the traditions of West and East (both Antiochene and Alexandrian), Fr Tillard demonstrates that the roots of communion ecclesiology are found equally, if with different emphases, in the common Tradition. No only is the breadth of Tillard's reading phenomenal, as evidenced by the extensive footnotes, but also his pastoral and ecumenical awareness are evident in his demonstration of the openness of communion ecclesiology to dialogue with other Christians as well as being a basis for solidarity with the poor. This book is a key work for understanding the depths of communion ecclesiology, and should be read by anyone wanting to deepen their vision of the Church by reference to the Scriptures and to the Fathers. Despite its importance and scholarliness, this work is surprisingly easy to read and concise.

This is a promising first outing from J.A. Jance, published in 1985. Very promising. I liked the introduction to the characters and the set up that will allow readers to hopefully bond with J.P. Beaumont and Detective Ron Peters as they learn to work together as newly partnered Homicide detectives. There was some fun dialog and situations and the slow elevator provides for several amusing incidents. Occasionally I would start to suspect whodunit (just like Beaumont) and then my suspicions would be allayed (just like Beaumont). That was pretty nicely done. Surprisingly, to me the ending was quite a satisfying wrap even though many a book with a similar ending has left me very disgruntled.

Midway through, I was concerned. A lot of focus was placed on Beau's whirlwind romantic relationship. If characters in a book can be said to have chemistry it would NOT be these two, although they did become more believable in the end. There was a fairly lengthy section where I was rather disengaged, wedding showers, shopping, setting up house, suspicion, and "Isn't there a guy named Beau in on of those mid-day soaps called 'Days of our Lives'?". I began to loose faith. Then a so-so grand finale and, surprise surprise, a thorough and believable enough wrap up to make me almost forget the tedium.

I remember being reluctant when I started Sanford's 'Prey' series and I have been COMPLETELY won over there. If we can build up from this one, Jance may develop another fan.

Buy it and all the other JP Beaumont stories.
I love Beau, love that we have grown up together.
One of my favorite characters.

Get this and all the others......I love JP Beaumont!!

In Bisbee, Arizona someone murders artist Rochelle Baxter just after her works go on display. The Cochise County Sheriff's Department led by Joanna Brady investigates the homicide only to learn that the victim's on record next of kin is the Washington State Attorney General's Office.

Seattle Homicide Detective J.P. Beaumont travels to Bisbee to learn if someone leaked Baxter's identity. Baxter was actually Latisha Wall, placed in the state's witness protection program for whistle blowing. Now the star witness is dead just before she was to testify at a trial. However, Brady does not welcome the intrusion from the northwest into her jurisdiction. Beaumont is also uncomfortable as Bisbee provides nightmarish memories for him. When a second murder occurs, the two investigators begin to cooperate as respect and romance surface leading to a pooling of their talents to ferret out a killer.

Readers of either J.A. Jance's two long running series will enjoy the partnering of the duet in a solid police procedural. The novel alternates chapters between the stars. Beaumont provides a first-person account that shows his disdain for the area yet brilliantly describes this part of Arizona. Brady's chapters are written in the third case narrating much of how the sheriff and her office work the case. The romance between the stars seems unnecessary and unreal, and the use of a seemingly available chemical as the murder weapon makes this reviewer uncomfortable. Still, series fans will enjoy the merging of the two fine law enforcement officials in an engaging police procedural.

Harriet Klausner

I've been waiting for this book for months, having read all of the previous Joanna Brady and JP Beaumont novels. After going to Jance's local signing I wasted no time digging and in devouring the book.

Jance works her magic beautifully, creating a compelling murder mystery while merging her two series into one. It was very interesting that Beaumont was written from a first person point of view while Brady was written in the third person. I thought that the switching back and forth actually added to the novel rather than being a distraction.

If I had to have one complaint, I'd have to say tha the main villain's demise is a bit disappointing but that didn't take anything away from an otherwise fabulous novel. If you're a fan of Beaumont or Brady, you'll love this one.

Ms. Jance has The Touch! For those of us who've read every word of the J.P. Beaumont and Joanna Brady series', this is a terrific addition to the collection. The "fish out of water" observations of Beaumont, on assignment from Seattle to southeastern Arizona, are trenchant, and VERY consistent with his confirmed "big-city-boy" background. In writing this review, I tried to consider the views of those who have not read all of the prior books in the two series, and who are, therefore, not aware of the chracter development that has gone before. For thse folks, this book might not be as entertaining, since the pace is very brisk, and some of the characters we've grown to know (like Butch, Joanna's husband) come off as one-dimensional. Still, this is a terrific read, and has a very strong plot and mechanics. There were a couple of loose ends that caught my attention, and I thought the sudden bloom of feelings between Jo and Beau was a left-handed twist that didn't hold up. Similarly, the passages that dealt with the initial hostility between the two leads seemed a bit over the top, although it was a necessary gambit to showcase their individual strengths. I really liked this book, as it contained somewhat less than the usual introspection by Joanna, and the factual discussion of sodium azide was an eye-opener. Not sure I'm in a hurry to see these two together again, though, as the combination of two strong leads really submerged all of the other characters, including the delightful shallow and spiteful Marliss, and the looming villainy of "Junior" Galloway. Can't wait for the next chapter(s)!

No doubt about it: this is the best book on the subject--not only the best book available, but the best book that's ever been written. If other authors know more about wrestling and about the nitty-gritty of real hand-to-hand combat--a dubious proposition--none of them has had the skill to convey that knowledge in book form. Ned Beaumont's exceptional literacy and sense of organization, and especially his unique capacity for being informative and entertaining at the same time, make this the most profitable and readable book in the self-defense field. And the concluding chapter alone constitutes one of the best treatises on physical conditioning ever seen.

If you really want to learn how to fight, forget about all those photo-crowded manuals of kung-fooey by "experts" who've never been in a fight and can hardly write a sentence. As fighter and as writer, Ned Beaumont pile drives them right into the canvas. Get a copy of "Kill as Catch Can" and wrestle the opposition right to the ground.

Professional wrestling's popularity is at an all time high while amatuer wrestling gets little, if any, recognition. Beaumont's book (an excellent companion volume to his one on boxing) takes another angle and looks at wrestling as a practical martial art, especially when a real fight goes to the mat (or floor or ground). It is jam packed with history, information on famous wrestlers, practical advice on a variety of moves, and the section on physical conditioning alone is worth the price of the book. Other reviewers agree except for the guy from the Bronx who is still living in his high school days. This book ain't his coaches manual. Read it and enjoy.

What else can I say about this book that hasn't been said already? Sure you've witnessed a few UFCs or have seen a few street fights but what really works on the street, whats the best defence? This book sums up what you need in your arsonal, superior wreslting and grappling skills with the submision and finishing moves to go with em. Anyone who thinks that karate,boxing, or some other stricking art is enough to protect them needs to read this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know how to fight no holds barred. Great for amatures who know nothing of wrestling, great even for expirienced wrestlers who know the grappling skills down to a T but have limited knowledge on submision moves or finishing (killing) moves. This book has it all and as many others have mentioned before, it has a great conditioning section to help get you in the shape you need to apply your skills to their upmost potential.

My main gripe about this book is that it isn't complete enough in terms of its being a "how-to" manual. There are no photos, just drawings -- with fighters in positions which sometimes seem anatomically unlikely. Photos would be substantial proof of the value of the author's advice, while drawings *may* be proof.

Additionally, there is a lot of unnecessary prattle and not enough in terms of the details of what to actually do. You'd expect, for example, a list of common punch-sequences to master, as found in other books.

I also wonder if the author, who claims to have knocked out dozens of opponents in a single *day*, wasn't simply blessed with unique knockout power and perhaps speed. In other words, I'm skeptical that anyone who faithfully follows the techniques in the book will actually become a... boxer unless he is similarly blessed.

Still, there is enough in here to make it worthwhile. Again, I'm a complete boxing novice, so perhaps my ignorance blinds me to the true value of this book. In any case I plan on reading several others on the subject. This one is certainly not a be-all-and-end-all.

You need a lot of things if you want to become a consistent '...-whipping' pugilist. First and foremost, you have to be strong, resilient, hard-working, and determined. Then you should pay attention to the serious lessons this book has for you.
From its contents, ex-champ Thomas and his co-authors showed that they were dedicated in their effort. They designed this book for beginners and amateurs. A lot of useful information are in it: including some basic tactics that amateurs and pros alike, often neglect. Step-by-step do-it-yourself method was used throughout. I cherished the simple outlook. The only unserious issue that you will encounter in this book is its funny illustrative figures. But, you will understand. Boxers enjoy fun too!

There's not much flash in this book, and that's the way it was meant to be. Thomas assumes you know nothing (or next to nothing) about boxing and gets you started right. Many of the "spa boxerobicise" types may look down on this book, but it's full of good common sense, won the hard way. I personally had no problems with the Champ's stories, even if they are exaggerations. Over the years, I've learned plenty from old timers who were known to "improve the truth" on occasion.

I've loved the Beaumont books since discovering the series in 1989 ... read all of them and the Arizona ones, too. (Seattle wins, hands down.) This story, with two unrelated cases as well as personal events in the lives of the main players, is one of the best in the series. Please don't let this be JP's last case! The events of this story seemed to affect JP more than some of the others, and the reader couldn't help but share his feelings. As always, Jance takes me back for another visit to Seattle, probably my favorite place in the world. I hope she's busy on another Beaumont book ... I'm waiting!

In this 14th. book in the J. P. Beaumont series, Beau and his partner Sue Danielson are investigating two separate cases. In the first one, an elderly women is found burned in her bed. Hints of blackmail and jealousy are turned up in the course of the investigation. The problem is deciding which one was the actual motive for the murder. The second case has to do with the bones of an Indian shaman which are discovered in a public park by some satanic, role-playing teenagers. There are many false leads and strange tales of fatal Indian curses which begin to have some basis in reality. In addition to working on these cases with Beau, Sue is dealing with an abusive ex-husband who is wooing their children with promises of a trip to Disneyland. When things don't go his way, he explodes into anger which effects both Sue and Beau in a life-changing series of events. This book has all the ingredients of a good mystery story, along with a developing relationship between two of its main characters. Faithful readers hope that Jance will continue this series with Beaumont headed in a new direction both professionally and personally.

J. A. Jance and her Detective Beaumont series are by far my favorite available at this point in time. Beau is not your average detective - not with his unlimited bank account and red Porsche that were the inheritance from both wife and murderess Anne Corley. Despite having enough money to spend the rest of his life on permanent vacation, Beau continues to work because putting away the bad guy and seeking justice for the good are what give his life meaning.

J. A. Jance always manages to weave personal touches and storylines into the lives of her characters while never slowing down the plot of her mysteries. In "Breach of Duty" we are treated with not one but two seperate mysteries, and an ending which will leave J. P. Beaumont looking at a whole new direction in his life.

Beau and his partner, Sue Danielson, are stuck with two mysteries: first, the discovery of old bones in Seward Park which end up belonging to a powerful Indian shaman some 10 years dead. Second, murder by arson of an older lady who happens to have $300,000 in cold, hard cash in her fridge. Beaumont and Danielson have to figure out where the money came from and where it should go to, as well as who might have murdered the old lady. Was it one of her poverty stricken relatives, or something to do with the rich and powerful Forrester family the lady once worked for?

As for the shaman's bones, they have been disturbed from their ancient burial grounds, and all those responsible and those who have been in contact with the bones are at the mercy of the shaman's curse. As the body count starts rising, can Beaumont solve the mystery and save those who have been affected?

The end of this story will bring about some dramatic changes in the life of J. P. Beaumont. I cannot wait for the next book in the series, to see where Beau's life leads him next, and to see if he can learn to let go of the responsibilities he's unfairly heaped on his own shoulders. I'm hoping that a new love interest for Beaumont - a real one with staying power and plenty of gumption and patience will turn up to reward Beau for all of the good he's done to everyone but himself. Come on Jance, let's give Beaumont the woman he deserves.

Don't let the other reviewers fool you, this is NOT a controversial book! Very little is actually said about Asian martial arts relative to the book's topic: Boxing as a Martial Art. There is not much in the way of comparison or contrast... mostly a few comments here and there emphasizing "This is how WE do it!" (WE being Westerners). Too bad, because such an indepth analysis would be great.

Sadly, there's actually little said even about Boxing as a Martial Art. Instead of showing off Boxing's strengths and weaknesses and analysis of Boxing as a complete Martial Arts system, we're basically given a book of boxing principles and fundamentals (that all boxers should already know), examples of how Champs from the first half of the 1900's used them, and the author's brief hypothesis of how they'd work in a street fight. A little bit is thrown in about dirty tricks & hand conditioning, etc. but the bulk of the book is just boxing fundamentals presenting in an ego-stroking way (ie, "If you got this down you'll KO any dojo dork that crosses your path!").

The introducing first chapter "Why Boxing?" is by far the most provocative and interesting part of the book (you'll notice that the majority of the reviews address that portion). Unfortunately, the rest of the book doesn't compare. If you're a total newbie to boxing but are considering it- this is a nice flowing read with enough ego-stroking to keep you interested. However, if you're actually a boxer, you'll probably be disappointed by the lack of new information. And if you're like me, you'll be unhappy with the lack of text dedicated to the analysis of Boxing as a Martial Art.

I just got the book and am enjoying it immensley. The author seems to put down Martial Arts of Asia but upon reading more closely he is putting down the methods employed by "modern" artists. The only total inaccuracy I have come across in the book thus far is on page 39. The author states that "the three knuckle landing is unique to Boxing". Sorry but Wing Chun uses the vertical punch landing with the bottom three knuckles as its standard weapon. There are other arts that teach it as well. The information in the book is good enough without needing to put down any other arts. Boxing is an effective art and does not need to be puffed up with inaccuracies. I agree that Boxing as taught in the ring today is ineffective and lacks the substance as that taught in the Book.

Great read. Eloquent and funny. Packed with no-nonsense advice. The most important points: Boxing is about control. You can modulate your level of force from your average bar-room brawl all the way to a deadly encounter. Many martial arts are either too "strip mall" wimpy or too "commando" deadly, but boxing is flexible. Great advice on how to properly land punches without busting your hands (something that Karate fails to do entirely). Has section on fouls, for when you're fighting for keeps. Talks about proper technique, punch combinations, mindset, footwork, training and all the goodies. Quite complete. Gives examples about boxing legends, going back to the 18th century, including turn-of-the-century bare-knuckle champs.
The only thing I would add is the back-hand punch in the fouls section, which is a useful follow-up to an elbow hook when infighting. Proves something important: A large percentage of "martial arts" are a complete waste of time if you wish to be a serious fighter. Author has praise for grappling, which complements boxing (if the fight goes to the mats, as it often does), which proves he's not biased, just realistic.

I started reading this book on a camp trip, and only finished it because it was the only book I had. The author confuses the plot line by the introductions of too many characters, still adding them 2/3rds of the way through. Also, there are 2 plot lines of the detective's personel life which have nothing to do with the main story, with one of the plot lines being totally unbelievable. I don't recommend it.

Don Stevens

If you are like me, wondering why no modern authors can resist sprinkling in many gratuitus curse words like so many R-rated movies, then maybe you should try this one. The leading character, Detective J. P. Beaumont is a flawed hero with real human qualities. His life is in turmoil as he juggles the evolving multiple homicide with a number of side issues. I wonder how he could sleep.

Most of the book is fairly believable. However, I could not get into the Grace Highsmith character, and her performance at the end was certainly "over the top." In the end, Beaumont wraps up the complicated story and the remnants of his personal life, leaving the reader satisfied.

All of Jance's books are great, but the JP Beaumont eries is by far my favorite! Check them all out, they are great reads!