I noticed and purchased this book on pure whim, in one of those weird moods we sometimes enter when we want to learn about something of which we have absolutely no knowledge. I did absolutely no background reading, and simply jumped right in. Mistake? I think so. And yet I still feel as though I got a great deal out of this read. "William the Conqueror" is quite fascinating, it's a sort of English/Norman/French who's who in the late 11th century, and you get a great feel for the major players and their vacillating loyalties. On the other hand, there are periodic tangents (of biblical proportions, i.e. this duke married the slave girl of this count, whose mother was involved in the treacherous coup d'etatic plot of so and so, and so on for a while). Sans those occasional outburst of, truly, excess info - this is fantastic stuff. William was able to overcome (what I feel to be) more than insurmountable odds at the beginning of his rule to change the entire face and future of the English monarchy. We can only wonder what might Europe be like today had Harold been victorious at Hastings (he almost was!), and what impact it could have on us.

A Classic in any genre! David C. Douglas has made a contribution to literatrue of monumental proportions. No mater if you are a seasoned historian or will never read another book about eourpean history again. I beg of you to make this the one. The story of a young Duke overcoming insurmountable odds, congueroring a nation, and changing the course of history. Hollywood could not write a better script. And David C. Douglas could not have written a better book.

If you are interested in the history of Norman England, or the impact the invasion of 1066 had on England (and the world!), this is the book for you. While not the 'easiest' reading, this is definitely a book for those seeking details and full accounts of the life and times of the one known by his contemporaries as 'William the Bastard'. I would rank this book right up there with Dungeon, Fire, and Sword on like-ability! This book should be on every medieval historian's bookshelf!

I think I would have enjoyed this book more had I not read Norwich's book on Shakespeare's kings before I read this one. Norwich did a much better job of going through the history and, in particular, of comparing the history to Shakespeare's plays. Plus, Norwich's writing was much more vivid and engaging.

On the other hand, Saccio does a very good job of going through the history of Shakespeare's kings in a logical manner. He does not waste words and presents a story that is quick and easy to digest. Like Norwich, Saccio focuses mainly on the kings from Richard II through Henrys IV, V, and VI to Richard III. Unlike Norwich, however, Saccio also discusses King John and Henry VIII.

For anyone who is interested in knowing what really went on in the lives of these Shakespearean kings, this book is an excellent tool. Saccio points out some of the most important fallacies in the plays and is fair in presenting honest assessments of the realities of these characters even when they conflict with the dynamic images drawn by the Bard. This second edition also has a nice afterward that comments on some of the Shakespearean scholarship of the past 25 years. It is a worthwhile read.

I wish I had this in college...it's an indispensable reference for anyone reading the history plays, and it's a clear and engaging read.

this is an indispensible companion to shakespeare's history plays. indeed, i can't imagine how one can understand the plays without a book like this that gives the historical background to the events shakespeare dramatizes. the writing is concise, the presentation always lucid and logical. i especially appreciated the family trees provided in the appendix. it's the only way you can disentangle the relations between all the characters. can't recommomend this book enough.

After reading this book, you will have an entirely new appreciation for the republican system. Note that "republican" does not refer to the political party.

Everdell explains why a republic is the most just and fit governmental system for humanity. He also relates the traits of republicanism and signs of its demise. It's definitely worthwhile reading, but be aware that the language is very dense. You really need to be interested in the topic to get through it.

Masterful, excellent history and analysis of republican (with a small r!) government. Makes clear exactly why "democratic" gov't and "republican" gov't are not the same, a point even scholars are missing. Opens my eyes and mind to what this country is about and exactly what we have been, are, and should be fighting to maintain. Makes me realize that the biggest danger of our modern "pop" culture is precisely its profound ignorance of this point. Highly recommended for all who are now confused about the meaning and worth of America. Read it, wake up, and start reading more about republican government, and maybe even get involved. Otherwise, we'll soon be in deep trouble as a culture, as far as I can see.

Everdell is strongest on the scientific and philosophic ends, his discussions of visual arts weakest. But withal this is a great achievement, a balance between a discussion of ideas and the social settings and personalities behind them. For us sandlot intellectuals, a pleasure from beginning to end.

An integral part to any Shakespeare work is the presence of footnotes! This book has a glossary, but it does not do any good because there is not sign in the actual text itself that one can look up specific words in the glossary. While the plays themselves are very enjoyable, do not purchase this edition unless you feel very confident about your ability to read Shakespearean language.

Hamlet
This play, of course, is perhaps the best known in all of English literature. Taking it's inspiration from lesser plays and tales of the same name, Shakespeare crafted the characters, dialogue and plot into a timeless tale of betrayal, the quest for justice, and ultimately a hollow victory. This play, in short, is a downer.

I will speak daggers to her, but use none.

Of course, it really thrilled the audiences, who, lacking the primetime violence of today, enjoyed seeing the blood, the gore, the violence, the swordplay. Those with a more subtle bent were very satisfied with the wonderful dialogues, full of double and self-reflexive meanings. So many of the monologues have become common parlance in our language.

A hit, a very palpable hit.

The 'on one foot' synopsis: Hamlet, prince of Denmark, is suspicious that his step-father killed his father and usurped the throne and his mother's bedchamber; he plots to get revenge; in the meantime his love-interest Ophelia dies; in a duel to the death at the end the mother dies, the step-father dies, the duel contender dies, and Hamlet dies. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

The rest is silence.

Othello
Rude I am in speech,
And little blessed with the soft phrase of peace

Surely Shakespeare was not speaking of himself here. Even his poorly-spoken characters cannot help to have an elegance and subtlety all their own. Othello is another tragedy, this one driven by jealousy. The exact cause of the jealousy can vary; Iago can be jealous of Othello, of his love for Desdemona, of Desdemona herself, or several other possibilities. The emphasis often lies in the performance, and Shakespeare's play is written broadly enough to allow for any of these to be correct interpretations.

But men are men; the best sometimes forget.

Othello satisfied the need for violence, for passion, and for intrigue. 'On one foot', Iago, servant and friend of Othello, who also hates Othello, plants the seeds of suspicion that Desdemona has been unfaithful, leading Othello down a treacherous path that leads in his ultimate murder of Desdemona.

Take note, take note, O world!
To be direct and honest is not safe.

During one performance in the American Old West, an audience member became so entranced and enraged with the actor's portrayal of Iago that he took out his pistol and shot him. The tombstone of the actor reads 'Here lies the greatest actor'.

Lear
The prince of darkness is a gentleman.

This most difficult of Shakespeare plays, both for performing and for studying, is one of the true masterpieces of English (or any) literature, and yet is underperformed and underappreciated due to the power of its complexity and of its tragedy. Indeed, often the tragedy at the end has been softened by having Cordelia survive victorious. Beware these kinds of performances--they not Shakespeare's intent, however much we wish.

Lear begins with folly, and ends in tragedy, while treachery and evil seems to creep like a vine choking off first this person, then that. The fool is the only wise one; the insane are the only protected, and the nobles increasingly lose nobility of intent and action as the events progress. Gloucester and Lear are both deceived by wicked children turned against their better offspring; all ends in tragedy for most of the lot.

Lear addresses sibling rivalries, parent/child relationships, poverty and insanity, and any number of other readily accessible issues, but all interwoven so tightly that they cannot be unravelled easily, yet all the while the world for the characters are unravelling thread by thread before our very eyes. Lear points out the folly of human planning and agency. Lear was banned from performance, actually, during 1788-1820 when George III was considered insane, and the connexion between stage and royalty would be too blurred for official comfort.

Howl, howl, howl, howl! O! you are men of stones!

Macbeth
The witches, the blood-stained hands, the play whose name must not be mentioned in a theatre lest bad luck befall the actor or production. Macbeth is all of these, and more. Loosely based upon a real historical character, the tragedy here is one of ambition.

Fair is foul, and foul is fair:
Hover through the fog and filthy air

Did Macbeth really see the ghost of Banquo at the banquet, or was it indigestion because of the haggis? Macbeth can be played with or without a conscience, which makes for differing character development, but both options are available in Shakespeare's flexible playwriting.

Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell
That summons thee to heaven or to hell

Macbeth is driven by his ambition, but also by the ambition of his wife, Lady Macbeth, as treacherous a villain in many respects as any male character in Shakespeare. Macbeth has an overgrown sense of invincibility, convinced by prophecies that his course will be successful, and ordinarily it is (until it all goes awry); it is a successful struggle to the throne, but never secure, and in the end, all is lost.

Macbeth may be the bloodiest of Shakespeare's plays, a thrill for Elizabethan audiences, and a wonder to behold as the scenes get ever more desperate and darker.

This edition
There are so many editions of Shakespeare available, and many have merits. This particular volume of the four major tragic plays provides commentary by David Bevington which is insightful and accessible; it also gives photographs of performances and stagings by the New York Shakespeare Festivals, modernised spelling and concordance listings of major passages. Not short by any means (nearly 1000 pages), this will nonetheless give a good study to the plays, with visual aids, and supportive material, all in one volume.

this is an excellent 'cheap' edition of the great tragedies. besides being edited by david bevington, considered one of the foremost shakespeare scholars, the bantam edition also includes introductory essays for each play AND the source material that shakespeare used - ie, the actual short stories or plays that the bard drew on to the write his plays. wonderful stuff and a great way to get into shakespeare.

If you are reading this, I hope that you have read the previous three books in the series (Trollslayer, Skavenslayer, Deamonslayer). If not, perhaps you are just curious to what this series is all about. If you are, go pick up a copy of Trollslayer. It is a short story anthology of Gotrek and Felix's early adventures. The first two stories alone will give you all the information you need as to whether this series is for you. Now on to the readers of the previous books...

In Dragonslayer, Gotrek and Felix face, yep you guessed it, a dragon. Ah, but it's no ordinary dragon (as you'll have to read to book to find out). No new ground is broken in this book, but I think that's exactly what King's readers want. Gotrek and Felix are familiar characters that we like just how they are. We like the kinds of adventures they have. We're not looking for deep personal dramas or romances. The Slayer series is like Raiders of the Lost Ark with an Axe! And Kings fans love it.

This book takes off directly where Daemonslayer ends making this book feel more like it's part of a series than any of the previous books. A decent amount of time is spent in a Dwarven city making for a new and interesting setting, and for the first time since Wolfridders, Gotrek gets to confront Gobbos (sort of).

It was inevitable that the duo would clash against a dragon (especially since in the game, the progression of a slayer in order is: trollslayer, giantslayer, dragonslayer, daemonslayer), and after facing off against a greater daemon, what else can you do? I still feel that, like daemonslayer, the scope of these conflicts is too soon for a series that will last 10-12 books, but it's fun none-the-less. Readers of Daemonlayer will note that this book is a little slower and less climactic than that book, but it is still one of the best in the series.

As always, my reviews are meant to be objective. Fans of the series can add an extra star.

While not as intense as its predecessor in the series, this fourth entry in the Felix and Gotrek saga (after Trollslayer, Skavenslayer and Daemonslayer) is every bit as fun.

This book follows the fearless pair and their comrades back from the horrors of the Chaos Wastes and on to a hidden mountain citadel of the dwarves. As usual, along the way there's plenty of axe hewing action and bloodspattered goodness.

The dragon of the title of course shows up, as well as a nice little horde of orcs you know you can rely on to show our heroes some special hospitality.

Not an absolutely essential entry in this series, but a very welcome addition for people like me who just can't get enough of this pair.

For people just beginning this series, I'd probably recommend Daemonslayer first.

After racing through the first books in the series, it just gets better. Immensely enjoyabe read if you are into fantasy, AD&D or sword and sorcery. Fairly light and fast moving, good humour and interesting characters (when axe is not hewing into skaven flesh). Many orcs died, and Grotek did not think it too many.
I like this series because William Kings writing style delivers fast and furious action while finding time to create interest in the fate of our doom seeking heroes. My idea of dwarves being stubborn, intractable, built like mountains and almost single minded in purpose fits in nicely with one of the main characters, Grotek.
If you enjoy Shillatoe, Dave Duncan, Weiss/Hickman, Gemmell and so forth, but wanted a bit more action (ok, and a little less depth of character) then have some fun with this series.

This is not quite as good as 1 or 2, but it is still excellent! Shakespeare grabs us with the dispute between Henry VI and York. While it seems to end peacefully it does not, and the war goes on! York's death in 1.4 is another landmark in Shakespeare's writing. The scene (2.5) where Henry finds true terror is horror, sorrow, and yet beauty and yet another moving part of the play. (The son that hath killed his father and the father that hath killed his son.) The war pauses in disaster for Henry and some comic relief is offered. But the horror starts all over again when Edward IV and Warwick have a falling out. The war starts over again, and the King of France gets involved! The scene where King Henry VI is reinstated is a scene of beauty and hope. While all of this is happening, Shakespeare carefully prepares the monstrously satanic character of Richard III. From here, the play just gets more and more bloody. A final moment of horror is offered when the eventual Richard III proudly compares himself to the one who betrayed Christ. In part 4 "Richard III," the real terror begins!

This was one of Shakespeare's earliest plays. (possibly his third) Yet, there is nothing to indicate he was only starting out. Right away he grabs our attention with the funeral of King Henry V. Henry V's brothers Bedford and Gloucester help us to see the virtues and strengths of the deceased king. The Bishop of Winchester is well drawn as a comical villain who plots and plans, but never succeeds in doing any real damage. (Not until the next play anyway.) Talbot is memorable as the selfless hero of the play. York is memorable as the hero who defeats Joan of Arc. King Henry VI himself is interesting. First we see him as a helpless infant. By the third act, we see that he has both strengths and weaknesses. He makes the mistake of dividing the command between the rivals Somerset and York. But also, we see that he does not tolerate treason or neglect of duty. There are also many memorable scenes. The garden scene that foreshadows the War of the Roses is well drawn. The scene where York comforts his dying uncle is tragic beauty. Bedford's death in 3.2 has almost a divine tone. The death of Talbot and his son is very lamentable. York's sudden rise to power is captivating. Perhaps Shakespeare's greatest achievement in this play is that he simultaneously shows us England's war with France and the dissension with England itself.

First let me say, I love William King (well not that way). I've been a fan of his since the first Gotrek and Felix story came out in the late 80's. I had always wished King would right a novel about the duo, and now he has.

Some of you may be saying, "but this is his third novel." Not exactly true. True, there are two books in the series before this one, and they are both called "A Gotrek and Felix Novel". However, those books are really short story compilations. With Trollslayer, this is more than obvious. Skavenslayer is less so because all the stories are tied to one another so closely as to make one big story, but I still hesitate to call it a novel. Daemonslayer is one big story, and it's everything you'd expect in a Slayer novel.

Present are Kings excellent characterization and over-the-top fantasy full of carnage and mayhem. In this book, Gotrek battles his toughest adversary to date and probably out of all the books; a Bloodthirster of Khorne (Greater Daemon of immense power). This certainly adds to the excitement and heightens the climax, but your left feeling like, "ok, now what?" Gotrek is now established as pretty much invincible. In the next book he fights a dragon, but so what. That shouldn't be a problem for him right?

My point it, as fun as this book is, it kinda detracts from the series. How much more can Gotrek acheive? Having Gotrek go on to slay Godly foe after Godly foe is going to get tiring in the same way Star Wars novels do. How many times can Luke, Han, and Leia save the galaxy? Don't get me wrong, I still love these books, but how much more can these two do and remain interesting? The scope of Daemonslayer is so huge and epic as it could easily serve as the ending of the series. Thankfully it doesn't, but my point is that the perhaps the scope of this tale was told too soon. The best Slayer story is still Wolfriders (found in Trollslayer) where a band of goblins is made every bit as threatening as an uber-daemon. In fact, it's the only story where Gotrek suffers a permanent wound; the loss of an eye.

The other problem is the direction Felix is taking. Sure it might be natural for Felix to become a hardened warrior in his travels with Gotrek, indeed he'd have to in order to stay alive, but it seems a little soon for that as well. It's also less interesting. Felix becomes more and more like Gotrek, and as cool as the slayer is, it's the contrast between the two that makes it interesting.

Fans of Gotrek and Felix won't be disappointed in this book (new readers need to start with Trollslayer). It's everything a Slayer novel should be, and it's much better than Skavenslayer. Props to Mr. King for successfully adapting his amazing adventures to long form.

Although this is the third installment in the series (after "Trollslayer" and "Skavenslayer"), this was my first introduction to the dynamic adventuring team of Felix and Gotrek. Felix is a human youth who has pledged himself to follow on and record the daring suicidal quest of his partner Gotrek, a dwarf who has done something so bad in his life that he has sworn himself to become a "slayer" and die in glorious battle against evil in redemption.

I bought this book in an airport bookshop because I was going to be taking a long and dull plane ride and wanted some light reading. I ended up enjoying this book so much that I could not put it down and found my flight was over in no time.

This book continues plot threads begun in previous installments such as the pesky Skaven who continue to dog their trail. But this one takes the wayward pair into the deepest, darkest perils of that grim and foreboding land stretching out endlessly to the north of the Warhammer world, the Chaos Wastes (I personally like to think of it as the southern edge of Mordor ;) )

This book is perfect for those like myself who could never get enough of Tolkien and longed to visit again that world populated by dwarves, elves and dark and evil creatures. If you're looking for "serious" fantasy with deep character development and profound messages you should probably look elsewhere, but if it's entertainment you want, this book delivers. (Don't want to spoil anything, so just let me say that this book had a great climax.)

I think that this work succeeds because King has no pretensions and does not try to make it anything more than what it is -- pure, enjoyable entertainment.

I'm happy to see that further adventures of this fun pair and their indispensible sidekick, fellow slayer dwarf Snorri Nosebiter (love that name!) are continuing to come out, and I look forward to reading them all.

Set in the Warhammer Universe, the series features Gotrek and Felix. Gotrek is a dwarf seeking a noble death as a slayer, the price paid by a dwarf who has done something terribly wrong. Felix, a journalist saved by Gotrek, follows the slayer, aiding him, chronicling his way to his noble doom. In this novel, they face a series of adventures full of blood and gore, full of battles and confrontations.

it is good for children learning to read my nephew loves it and he is learning to read from it

I love this book called "Disney's the Lion King (A Big Golden Book)" by author Justine Korman.

This is a book from the movie & I have this book & I loved it!!!

Brother, help me!!!

I loved it!!!

One Golden Book in america!!!

I loved it!!!

I found this an enjoyable book. My daughter of three just loves it! It is written in good language and just right for her age. There is also not to much written on each page, but the book still follows the video-story closely. The illustrations are bright and of high quality! Really a joy to read and re-read!

Viva Verdi! William Berger provides a useful guide to all of the Verdi operas from the obscure "Oberto" to the classic comedic masterpiece "Falstaff" which closed the operatic master's oeuvre.
Berger's book is similar to the treatment he earlier applied to Richard Wagner in his " Wagner Without Fear." This means:
a. Succinct but on target plot summaries of all Verdi's operas including the Verdi Requium.
b. Brief chapters on the staging of Verdi's operas; Verdi's works on CD and outstanding books on the Busseto genius for anyone wanting to know more about the King of Italian lyrical opera.
Berger's work is worthwhile reading for the operatic novice or the veteran opera fan who wants to brush up on the labyrinthal plot of "Il Trovotore" or explore how Verdi's music has been used as soundtrack for motion pictures.
Berger's book on Verdi is a treat for everyone enjoying opera who also relishes good writing done with wit, charm and panache! I eagerly await a similar guide on Puccini which I have learned is in the works from the pen of Berger! Highly recommended!

This short guide to Verdi's life and works is in indispensable gem for anyone wanting to learn more about Italy's greatest operatic composer! Berger gives a succincly informative sketch of the complex composer's life. He adds chapters on Verdi books, CD'S, Videos, staging of Verdi operas and a helpful glossary of operatic terms.
The most helpful and longest part of the book deals with a brief synopsis of each opera in the Verdian canon from the obscure "Oberto" to the Master's final comic masterpiece "Falstaff." Berger lists the characters of each opera, makes witty comments on the big arias and scenes in each opera and also provides historical information on the production of each opera.
I had earlier read Berger's excellent "Wagner Without Fear" and was so impressed with his writing that I eagerly turned to Berger's guide to Verdi. I understand he is now working on a similar guide to the life and operas of Puccini which will be received by this reviewer with gratitude.
If you are a novice to operatic enjoyment or a seasoned Verdian
this work will be a delight. I highly recommend it for your consideration!

Unlike another reviewer, what I really like about "Verdi with a Vengeance" is that it discusses ALL of Verdi's operas, even the early and/or less frequently performed operas. I especially like the "what to listen for" aspects, and also that it is informal and personal. I also like his discussion of different recordings and what he likes about them. I am a real Verdi-phile, and I love this little book. Only four stars because it's little and the discussions are brief. I could read a BIG book about Verdi.

*** 1/2 Stars

What started over a decade ago in a magazine devoted to the roleplaying and tabletop games by Games Workshop called Warhammer, now sees a surprising resurgence of life after all these years since Games Workshop closed their book publishing division, GW Books. Though the magazine lives on, the great stories from arguably the best fantasy world since Tolkein created Middle Earth (I actually think the world of Warhammer better). Sadly GW has seemingly abandoned even their flagship roleplaying game (and my favorite roleplaying game of all time) and all the world detail that went along with it.

But this is a review about a the second book in a series that is 10 years overdue. While Trollslayer (the first book) was only a collection of short stories (reprinted from the early magazine/anthology days), this one flows much more like a novel in it's own right. I will point out however, that the first chapter is actually a short story published years ago.

This is both a good thing and a bad thing. Good because it's nicer to read a book with more continuity, yet bad because the stories of Felix and Gotrek worked so well in the short story format. Not that I'm complaining; I've waited over 10 years for a Felix and Gotrek novel and now I have one.

I've rated this book less than I did for Trollslayer, but it's not bad. Above all, William King's writing style and characterization will keep you flipping pages even when story doesn't live up to it's potential. There are many great points to the book, and William gets to really develop the Skaven (ratmen) far beyond what he did long ago in the short story Skavenslayer.

The fun points are watching Felix and Gotrek repeatedly thwart the bumbling machinations of the Skaven, ultimately leading up the the stories climax where the Skaven assault one of the largest human cities in the world (right where our heroes happen to be). As fun as all this is, I was just a bit dissapointed at how the book focused so much on the Skaven and their plots.

One of the great things about the short stories was how you [the reader] got to explore so much of the Warhammer world through the eyes of these two wouldbe heroes. Trollslayer [the book] takes you on a wild ride starting from the first exploits of our heroes to thwart a chaos cultic ritual, to saving a border town from goblin wolfriders, to the deep underground of an ancient dwarven fortress in search of lost treasure only to find something truely horrific. And these only the first three stories of the book. Skavenslayer offers Skaven, then more Skaven, then even more Skaven.

The book is good, though not as dynamic as the first. If you liked Trollslayer, by all means get this book. I can't get enough of Felix and Gotrek.

This is the second book in the first Slayer trilogy (Trollslayer, Skavenslayer, Daemonslayer) and is probably the best one in the series. What distinguishes it from the other instalments is the light-hearted descriptions of the rat warriors. Warhammer fans will find lots of fun in this book.

Its a great book, like the whole series so far, I am an avid reader of science fantasy and this is just good easy intertainment. Felix and Gotrek make an interesting pair, cant wait for the next book.