Written by a recognized authority on Indian architecture and art, this book emphasizes architecture of Indian palaces and citadels. But what are palaces and its architecture without some interesting history. The description and historical background accompanying the fine-detail-high-gloss mostly-color pictures breathes life into the palaces and stokes the imagination of the reader. This book is an authoritative survey of surviving proofs of lavishness enjoyed by erstwhile Indian royalty. Highly recommended for tourists with enthusiasm for architecture as well as professional architects (This review has been taken from Recipedelights.com).

For the student of Indian architecture, history or royalty, "The Royal Palaces of India" will be a treasure. With more than 250 illustrations (206 are in color), this book brings one's imagination alive and lets your mind wander through the gates of these gorgeous palaces and forts.

Authors Michell and Martinelli explain in a somewhat academic way how kings, both Hindu and Muslim, held their courts.

The power, perks and privileges that accompanied the royalty are dimly reflected in the opulent architecture that shaped both the places and the royal life. It is hard to imagine, even with the excellent help this book provides, what the glory and splendor of these kingdoms must have been like.

The monarchs were "not merely enhanced by divinities, they were ritually empowered by gods and goddesses" and these palaces reflect, as do the cathedrals of Europe, a journey past the mundane existence of morality. Many who have visited India have seen the celebrated Taj Mahal, but it is a tomb to the wife of the great mongol ruler Shah Jahan. Now, if this is was his wife's tomb, what do you think his palace looked like? This is an engaging and enlightening book. Recommended.

A very informative, thick and large book. Has TONS of info for anyone that is interested in architecture, history, or in India in particular. Also includes many of the floor plans and multiple photos of some of the same Palaces. If you are intersted in this subject, well worth your while.
Enjoy

I enjoyed the wonderful pictures that practically fill this thin book. They truly are unique and rare photographs for the most part. However, the story as far as a biography goes is sorely lacking in any great depth. And as you might expect of one's son, told from a safe vantage point, leaving much of the true gritty details out. The text encompasses as much a play by play of Don's racing career more so than anything else. Those who want to know the true story of Don Aronow beyond his race victory's should look elsewhere, but do by this book for the pictures, they are excellent.

Michael Aronow has done a fantastic job with this book. It's a class act all the way and it features the most incredible speedboat pictures I've ever seen. The action shots, in particular, are thrilling. Terrific!

This is the best book ever written about speedboats. Unbelievable stories combined with awesome photographs. This is as close as you can get to the action.

Don Aronow was the Babe Ruth of boat racing. It's refreshing to see him finally get the recognition he deserves.

Michael Aronow did a great job.

This is a very good biography of George Washington during the French and Indian War years. It is written well, enjoyable and easy to read.
One of the things I especially appreciated was the writer explaining just how George Washington became involved with the colonial goverment, so that he was ever asked to be involved in the political situation of the time. Not many books make this clear.
The book not only covers George Washington, but also hits upon the politics of the time and many other important people involved during this exciting historical period.
I am glad I read the book and I recommend it to others. This is an especially good book for those with little knowledge of George Washington's involvement with the British government and the politics of the French and Indian War.

This is by far the best biography of the early years of the life of George Washington I have ever read. Lewis gives us not only a brilliant introduction to young Colonel George Washington, but also a vivid analysis of the period of the French and Indian War, including the people, places, and circumstances of the conflict.

The book first gives a background on an adolecent Washington and his boyhood adventures as a surveyor in western Virginia. We learn how he grew up admiring the wealth and lifestyle of his aristocratic neighbors, the Fairfaxes, and how he began a long journey to emmulate them and to be a part of their privileged world. However, Washington's own ambitions pull him in other directions as he becomes deeply involved in the brewing storm of events that would culminate with the conflict with the French and Indians over posession of the Ohio Country and the Trans-Allegheny region. We follow Washington as he attempts to make a name for himself with the Governor of the Virginia colony by accepting a mission to deliver a message to the French army marching south from Lake Erie to the Forks of the Ohio River. This single event pushes Washington from the "shadows of an ordinary life" onto the stage of history. We see as Washington botches his attempt to protect the Forks from a French invasion at Fort Necessity and his anger at his own failure to not only obtain a royal commision in the British army, but to even obtain a victory in battle. Lewis details Washington's involvment in the war from Braddock's disasterous campaign against Fort Dusquene in 1755 to his ultimate anti-climactic success at the end of the long and muddy Forbes' Road in 1758, after which Washington retires from public service to return to the simple life of a farmer forever.

I also enjoyed Lewis' attention to the background of the struggle that served as the forge of experience for young G. W. Here we are exposed to the details and origins of the problems with not only the French, but particularly the Indians living in the Ohio Country and the singularly important role they played and the failure of Washington, or any other whitemen, to grasp that importance. This is evident in both Washington's and Braddock's terrible defeats in the early war years. Lewis gives us fascinating accounts of Washington's peers, his allies, enemies. These are men like Ohio Company scout Christopher Gist, The Seneca chief Tannacharison (Half-King), friend and neighbor George Fairfax, and others. In the end Washington would emerge older and experienced from a bloody conflict prepared to take on an even greater leadership role in another later fight in the not too distant future. A great book that I highly recommend.

This adventure/mystery story may be short in length but it covers a lot of ground in its unusual view of the people of Central America as seen by the main character. I hope there are more to follow.

This fast paced story combines adventure, mystery, travel, politics, economics into a fascinating plot filled with interesting characters. Black Charlie who serves as an erratic guide in the maze in which the hero is trapped is both amusing, sad, and insightful. Although this book is easy to read and can be finished in one enjoyable session, its insights, scenes, dialogues, and ideas will continue to resonate for a long time. I look forward to Mr. King's next novels with great anticipation.

This book was recommended to me by an aquaintence and told that this book would change my life and answer many questions. At first glance it's a tough one to swallow, but if you look deep, open your heart and go in with an open mind, many MANY of life's questions (including: Why are we here?) are answered. I truely recommend this book for people who have always been dissatisfied with the answers that everyday religion don't seem to fully answer. You'll come away with a new understanding of life and the lessons we learn.

When I first read this book I was overwhelmed. I had studied philosophy, religion and spirituality for many years, but this book went further and was more explicit on the subject of why we are on earth and where we are going, than any I have ever read previously. It describes our journey through evolution, the lessons we all face and how we can overcome them. It is very inspiring and very profound. Not a quick read, but a book to turn to over and over again. I highly recommend it to the deep-thinking person.

This is the first volume in the Georgian saga by Jean Plaidy, a master storyteller and prolific writer of historical fiction. It is the tragic tale of a German Princess who would go on to become the wife and captive princess of the uncouth boor who would one day be crowned as George I of England.

William of Celle and his wife Eleanore had a beautiful, pampered daughter, Sophia Dorothea. His younger brother, Ernest Augustus, ruled in the rival principality of Hanover. He was married to Sophia, daughter of the King of Bohemia. Together they had a number of children, the oldest of whom was George Lewis, an ugly, coarse, and boorish man, born to be a soldier, rather than a statesman or diplomat.

There came a time when Sophia Dorothea, as a result of some underhanded political intrigues, was forced into a loveless marriage with her first cousin, George Lewis, much to her and her mother's despair and dismay. George Lewis was also not thrilled with the match, given as he was to coarser delights. Sophia Dorothea, however, tried to make the most of her unpleasant situation, buoyed by her own innate charm and disposition.

In the end, however, Sophia Dorothea became undone by her love for the dashing Count Konigsmarck of Sweden. Through the political machinations and intrigues of the jealous and sexually insatiable Clara von Platen, her father-in-law's long time mistress and Konigsmarck's spurned lover, Sophia Dorothea and Count Konigsmarck were betrayed. Ruined, Sophia Dorothea ended her days as a captive princess, the tragic and pitied Princess of Celle. George Lewis would go on to undeserved heights as George I of England, and the house of Hanover would become a force with which to be reckoned.

This is a wonderful account of the tragedy that befell Sophia Dorothea and an excellent one of how the house of Hanover rose to prominence in England. Well written and absorbing, it is a page turning book for all those who enjoy historical fiction.

Of Jean Plaidy's Georgian Saga books I've read so far, I rate this one the best because it has a more complex and satisfying plot. But then, this is one of the most fascinating of the romantic tragedies the British monarchy has given to the world. This book is a damned good bodice-ripper--full of lust, passion, jealousy and intrigue in the Court of Hanover. Unfortunately, the beautiful princess is not rescued by her handsome lover but is imprisoned by her loathsome husband who goes on to become King George I of England.

The story of the beautiful, tragic Sophia Dorothea is well told by this artful translator of historic biography. Plaidy's novels are fairly close to historical fact without being tediously so.

This book, told primarily from the male point of view, is a departure from the other books of Plaidy's Georgian Saga. Any tale of George III and his Queen, Charlotte, could not be told otherwise because George, firmly convinced that he should not allow any female interference in state affairs, kept Charlotte isolated and pregnant. With incompetent advisors such as Lords Bute and North, one can only wonder how female advice could have been any worse. This is the tragedy of this otherwise decent and dutiful monarch. George III is a moral exception to the Georges before him and the George who immediately followed him. One can only regret the missed opportunity for good that Charlotte could have brought to his reign.

Plaidy, once more, takes the dull notes of history and turns them into an interesting read.

In this, her fifth book in the Georgian saga, Jean Plaidy, also known to her legion of fans as Victoria Holt, has written an interesting and absorbing account of the reign of King George III. A masterful storyteller, she regales the reader with a work of historical fiction infused with period details. It is a story that will engage the most discerning of readers.

It is the story of King George III, who began his reign with the best of intentions. He desired to be the opposite of his grandfather, King George II, who had maintained a fairly licentious court. Always mindful of his duty, George III followed the wishes of his mother and her married lover, Lord Bute, who for many years was his principal advisor, and married the plain and stolid German princess, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. She would prove to be a fruitful consort, as she would ultimately bear him fifteen children.

Alas, this man, who wanted nothing more than to be a good king and family man, was unable to fulfill his desires. As a parent, he was a martinet, and as a husband, he was kindly but did not accord his wife a full partnership in their marriage, though she was a devoted spouse and acceded to his wishes. As a king, he was derisively known as the farmer king by his people, due to his penchant for farming and more plebeian pursuits, such as button making. George III was a man who probably would have been happier in the role of a country squire rather than king of the mighty British empire. Despite his best intentions, he would be remembered as the mad king during whose reign the American colonies were lost.

The destiny of George III was to be a personally tragic one. A family man, whose children reviled him, and a king, whose people mocked him, George III was to suffer the debilitation and indignity of an illness that would leave him vulnerable to those who would seek an advantage over him. His seeming madness would see his devoted wife, Charlotte, pitted against their son, the Prince of Wales, in an attempt to forestall the naming of a Regent. The reign of King George III would be rife with political intrigues, most of which would escape his notice. Jean Plaidy weaves a tapestry of events that will keep the reader fully engaged with the story of the reign of George III.

Being American I was taught the typical view of "Crazy, tyrannical King George III", who forced the American colonies to rebel. After reading this biography I have the utmost respect for George III. He was a good and honest man. He did his best for his nation and his family. Maybe a little controlling in the fact of his Royal Marriage Act and how his son's had so many mistresses and natural children or the fact that his daughters, if they married at all they did it late in life. This book makes me believe he probably would have been a happier man if he were just a country gentleman and/or farmer. After reading this bio I do not believe he can be said to lack for love of his family or his country. Parliament had more to do with the American Revolution than George III. May more people read and see the great man George III, both in family life and as a national leader, was and should be remembered as.

This book is without a doubt the funniest history book I've ever read! This is not to say that King George III's life was akin to a comedy show...in fact it was punctuated by wars, irresponsible children, incompetent doctors, and constant upheaval in the government, but there is something about the way that Christopher Hibbert conveys the pomposity and ritual of the royal court which made me laugh out loud repeatedly throughout the book. The stories from Fanny Burney, an author in her own right, but for several years one of Queen Charlotte's Assistant Keepers of the Wardrobe, are uproariously funny and intriguing. There were so many witty and brilliant people participating in the court and government of Britain at this time, with John Wilkes stirring up the English rabble in his efforts to emancipate the American Colonies, and the hilarious Horace Walpole, always good for a bon mot in any situation. King George was a sponsor of Captain Cook's voyages, a great lover of books and the compiler of 3 of history's most impressive libraries, and a patron of the theater and comedy. He was inclined to wander into the shacks of peasants along the country roads he would travel to chat with the common folk, to the utter shock of the hosts. Unfortunately his story turns tragic as the King begins to lose his mind and later on goes stark raving mad, frequently confined to a straitjacket. But in the end, King George III was greatly loved by his countrymen, and when he finally passed away, the country went into a deep period of mourning. Keep your dictionary handy because Hibbert employs a masterful and scholarly vocabulary throughout this book. This bio gets my highest recommendation! Enjoy it.

Historian Christopher Hibbert brings his considerable talent for writing personal biographies to the fascinating subject of Britain's King George III. Not only is Hibbert's scholarship solid, but he also does a wonderful jo of combining all the important elements of the King's life into an entertaining and compelling read. George III was on the throne for almost 60 years during a period of great social and political upheaval throughout the western world, yet many don't know much about him. Americans especially know little more about him that the tyranical caricature popularized during the American Revolution.

The book begins with a chapter about the King's dissolute father whose personality and relationship with his family were remarkably similar to that of George III's own son, the future George IV. Hibbert establishes George III's own unique personality by examing both his early upbringing and the key political players who helped shape his dedication to duty. George III certainly lacked the flamboyance of both his father and son. In contrast, he was sober and prudish, but nevertheless quite interesting and complex. During his reign he weathered both the American and French Revolutions, long periods of war abroad, and various periods of political unrest at home. Throughout, Hibbert paints a portrait of a monarch selflessly concerned about his subjects and dedication to providing thoughtful leadership. As for his personal life, the King was faithfully resigned to an arranged marriage with a rather plain and increasingly unpleasant woman with whom he had 15 children. The family dynamics make for great reading. His relationships with most of his sons were difficult and a sources of much frustration since they frequently refused to comply with his strict mandates. His many daughters were mostly confined to the royal household and were expected to wait attendance on the King and Queen. A few daughters managed to ecape into marriage late in life, and others had scandalous love affairs with the King's courtiers. All of this family drama was further acerbated by the mysterious "madness" that George III began to suffer from periodically in his middle age. By the time the madness begins, Hibbert has done such a wonderful job of establishing the King's decency and dignity that the reader cannot help but be moved as these very qualities are brutally stripped away by his disease. Also, there is an appreciation of the magnitude of the political crisis it precipitated.

My one complaint about this book is that, at least in this American's opinion, Hibbert almost completely glosses over the American Revolution. His general analysis - that the Americans unjustly demonized the King - has some merit, but it virtually ignores the significant economic and social changes that created the Revolution. Perhaps such political theory is beyond the scope of this personal biography, but it should be examined more thoroughly, not only with regards to the American Revolution but also with regards to how these changes were successfully integrated into the British constitutional monarchy.

To those who either study Greek, or simply are curious about the meanings of the Scriptures, this is an excellently informative tool of insight. At this low price, every Christian can afford his own Greek Bible! I would encourage all to take advantage of the opportunity.

The hard cover edition printing is deficient as variations in text darkness are readily noted on many pages. Some pages (e.g. pp. 652-653) bore large ink blotches which are undesirable. The content is from the best Greek source text and the interlinear structure (literal translation) with footnoted textual references is excellent. A superb Greek-English interlinear New Testament based on the oldest unadulterated Greek text - Textus Receptus (1550). A must for the serious student/exegetor of the Word of God. Used with a companion Greek New Testament, Bruce Metzger, 66,68, 1975, United Bible Society, it is very helpful. A FIVE STAR book except for the printing deficiency noted.

Why?

There are several interlinear NTs (AKA, "ponies") available, some with words "Strong-coded," and/or more "up-to-date" translations, while others, like Berry, stick with the KJV and the Textus Receptus Greek. At least one includes a rather extensive concordance.

The advantage of this book is, as you can see at the bottom of the sample pages, they have included all the variations in the Greek texts that have been used as the bases for most of our newer translations. Therefore, when you see words added, omitted or changed in an English version, you can see from whence it came, assuming that it is not just a paraphrase, and determine whether the modification was justified, perhaps by the number of Greek texts that support the change, or by looking into the reliability of the texts involved.

I find this help invaluable, especially since the marginal notes are usually vague about alternative renderings of a passage, if they are given at all.

You many find that you may want to use other references too, such as a Strong's Concordance, and a Vine's Dictionary, although the included lexicon is not too shabby, but the extra effort is worth it.

Robert Silverberg's idea to collect short stories and novellas from some of this era's most notable and talented Fantasy authors is pure cream-filled joy for fans of the Genre. Despite having read the pertinent series by Stephen King, Robert Jordan, Tad Williams, Terry Goodkind, and Orson Scott Card, this book opened up new worlds to explore and new chapters in some of my favorite series.

My favorites were the ones by King, Williams, Silverberg, Feist, and McCaffrey. I have lost all interest in Terry Goodkind mostly because I find his characters to be wooden and uninteresting, and this story was no more compelling than the last book of his that I read. Goodkind also has a penchant for the "gotcha" ending, something that is frustrating to any reader who struggles to find logical connections between events and character motivation.

The best of this book, however, is The Hedge Knight by George R. R. Martin. I had never heard of Martin when I picked up Legends, and the first thing I did after finishing The Hedge Knight was to go pick up his novel "A Game of Thrones." Thanks to this book, I am now a fan of what may be the best epic fantasy series ever written, and yes, that includes Tolkien, Goodkind, and Jordan. The Hedge Knight is a simple tale of a young man recently knighted trying to make a name for himself in a tournament. The plain and honest style of Martin's prose hooks you in, and suddenly you care very deeply about this hedge knight, Dunk, and what is to become of him as he runs afoul of a vain and dangerous prince. Set approximately 100 years prior to the events that begin in "A Game of Thrones," this tale is a wonderful introduction to Martin's Westeros and the rich mythology and history he has built into it.

I was also intrigued by Feist's The Wood Boy, a tale that, for all it's positioning and setting as a chapter in a tale of strange alien invaders, is about nothing more complex than human nature and the compulsions that make us what we are as a species. Silverberg's Majipoor is also a very intriguing world, and I will be investigating it in the future.

Terry Pratchett's entry is also a key one, showing that not all fantasy need to be deadly serious or take itself very seriously at all. Pratchett almost recalls Douglas Adams' contributions to Science Fiction.

I think most Fantasy fans will be very happy with this book, largely becuase it is not a one-trick pony. There's something in here for every fan of the genre. Are you into fantastic worlds of extremes and mythology? Try Majipoor. Do you like to read tales that chill you and freeze your blood? The little sisters of Eluria are your ticket. Curious about an America that might have been? Orson Scott Card is yor man. Into knights and jousting, intrigue and politics? Martin and Jordan are for you. You can hardly go wrong buying this book, because if even one of the stories catches your interest, there's a new author for you to love. Thank you, Robert Silverberg.

This is it! A collection of 11 short novels, written by the greatest fantasy writers alive, and all of the stories take place in their respective authors' most famous fictional worlds.

Stephen King contributes a haunting tale of Roland the Gunslinger titled "THE LITTLE SISTERS OF ELURIA".

Terry Pratchett takes us back to Discworld, as he tells the story of a magical contest run amok in "THE SEA AND LITTLE FISHES".

Terry Goodkind gives us the first piece of short fiction set in the world of "The Sword of Truth". Here, in "DEBT OF BONES", he tells the story of the origin of the Boundary between the worlds.

Orson Scott Card's "Alvin Maker" series is one of the most literate around. His story tells of Alvin's encounter with the "GRINNING MAN".

Ursula LeGuin earned universal acclaim for her Earthsea saga. "DRAGONFLY" is the story of a woman whose dream is to learn the magical arts.

Anne McCaffrey's novels set in the world of Pern combine fantasy and science-fiction elements to produce a unique and vibrant world. Her story is titled "RUNNER OF PERN"

Robert Silverberg is best known for his Majipoor series of novels. Here we return to the life of Lord Valentine, in an epic tale called "THE SEVENTH SHRINE"

George R.R. Martin set the fantasy world on fire with "A Game of Thrones", the first book of his epic saga "A Song of Ice and Fire". His contrbution to LEGENDS is "THE HEDGE KNIGHT: A TALE OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS".

Raymond E. Feist's novels set in the world of Riftwar and Serpentwar are some of the most popular around. His story tells of the revenge of "THE WOOD BOY".

Tad Williams is best known for his epic trilogy "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn". Here he returns to the world of Osten Ard, as he tells the tale of "THE BURNING MAN".

Robert Jordan's massive saga "The Wheel of Time", has taken fantasy to new heights. His story, "NEW SPRING", is a prequel to the epic series.

As if this weren't enough, LEGENDS features nearly 30 color/b&w illustrations, some never before published, plus a special introduction by Robert Silverberg.

LEGENDS is a huge volume, the stories long and complex. Anyone who enjoys fantasy, or great storytelling , can't afford to miss LEGENDS.

To be honest, I bought this book for Robert Jordan and Raymond E. Feist.

I do not care for the Dark Tower series, so I did not read that one.

Feist's tale of the Riftwar was exceedingly predictable, and could have been set in any fantasy world. He could have done something besides mention the Tsurani to make it seem unique to the Kingdom of the Isles.

George R. R. Martin's "The Hedge Knight" is by far the best story in the book, and his Song of Ice and Fire series might turn out to be the best fantasy series ever written. The first two books are incredible.

Terry Pratchett's story about Granny Weatherwax was so funny, I now own every Discworld book so far, and I've pre-ordered the next one from Amazon.co.uk .

Aside from skipping King's story, and the disappointment of Feist's (still decent) story, everything was wonderful. Definetly a must have.