This novel, originally published in 1876, was Eliot's last. It has remained controversial ever since, and some critics delete it from her first-rank work. It is an ideological novel, and its plot is forced at times (too many coincidences, for one thing). The central character appears to be Gwendolen Harleth at the start (note the echo of her last name with "harlot"), who pawns a necklace at a gaming table only to have it returned by a disapproving observer--the eponymous Deronda. While offended, Gwendolen is also fascinated by Daniel and finally takes him on as her conscience as the novel continues, at great length, weaving a multitude of characters and issues into a fabric with an echo-chamber effect (in the sense that various elements of the book echo each other in odd and unpredictable ways throughout the novel, such as the continuing ways that people gamble with their own fates and the lives of others). This is a novel of sensibility, a link between Austen's method and Woolf's. But it is also a romantic treatment of Zionism (well before it was a popular issue, especially in Victorian England), with all the Jewish leads ennobled and idealized. In this sense it reads differently than MIDDLEMARCH, which was strictly realistic except at the very end. It's closer to SILAS MARNER, a morality tale with symbolic characters. Gwendolen is one of the saddest and most beautiful figures in any novel. She wants so deeply to be the center of attention, and finally can't even be the title character of the novel she's in. There are so many marvellous moments in this book, it repays the time it takes to read it many times over. I do not think Eliot arrived at a satisfying structure for the book, though; her need to promote Zionism prevented it. The Oxford paperback edition is the one I read, and I can recommend it highly -- its notes are superb. But the print is very small, so if that bothers you use another edition.

Daniel Deronda is a brave piece of literature. It attempts to chronicle the budding Zionist movement and anti-semitic attitudes of Victorian society, and combine it with a more traditional George Eliot soul-searching story of a young woman (a gentile who has a complex relationship with Daniel Deronda, the young Englishman who discovers he is a Jew). While many people have quibbled about various details of the story, with some justification, the overall impact is one of awe. It's amazing how an accomplished writer defies popular criticism and explores a subject matter which was, at the time, politically incorrect.

Strictly speaking, Daniel Deronda isn't quite the same level of immaculate fiction as Middlemarch. So I think George Eliot fans will be somewhat disappointed. But on the positive side, the book is much more accessible (ie, easier to read). And the subject matter makes it required reading for everyone interested in modern Judaism/Zionism. It's fascinating to compare how Jews were perceived during the mid-1800s relative to today (..in western Europe).

Finally, the Penguin Classic edition of Daniel Deronda has both great Notes and Introductory sections (which, oddly, is supposed to be read AFTER reading the book).

George Eliot's last novel is nothing less than extraordinary. The most obvious thing is that most of it is a thumpingly good read, especially the first third - witty,lively and devoid of Eliot's sometimes irritating commentaries (Eliot has an amazing mind, and her comments can both fascinate and slow the speed of the narrative). We seem to be in a decaying world of Jane Austen, with a descendant of her Emma Wodehouse - silly, headstrong, egotistical yet alluring Gwendolen Harleth.

The tension heightens when Gwendolen finally marries Grandcourt, and both she and the reader realise she has made the most ghastly mistake. Brilliantly, Eliot portrays in disturbing detail the psychological twists and turns of the relationship, as the 'powerful' Gwendolen finds herself trapped by a silent sado-masochist. Grandcourt is actually shown to do very little out of place - which is the achievement - and we are left to imagine what Gwendolen must be going through in the bedroom. We become enmeshed in her consciousness - not always a pleasant experience. It is a brave novel for its time.

The rest of the novel concerns the eponymous Daniel, his discovery of his identity as a Jew, and his final mission to devote himself to his race. It is thought-provoking, and interesting, and much has been said about how the way the novel is really two stories. The problem really is that the Gwendolen part is so well done that a reader feels disappointed to leave her and join the less enthralling Daniel.

The ending doesn't quite thrill as other moments of the book do, and there is an over-long section relating the conversation of a philosophy society, but, thanks to Gwendolen and Grandcourt, it stands out as one of the most memorable pieces of literature in English. Take away the 'Daniel' part and it is Eliot's masterpiece - and great material for the cinema. Maybe it's because she played the aforementioned Emma, but Gwyneth Paltrow could do a fantastic job as Gwendolen - just imagine her playing the great scene where the melodramatic diamonds arrive on her wedding night, and she goes beserk and throws them around!

As a child, I remember reading the Hardy Boys books and wishing they had more action. When the casefiles came out, I got my wish. This book has set the tone for all of the casefiles. The adventures that Frank and Joe work on can and are dangerous, and can even include death. The fact that it was Joe's girlfriend, Iola Morton, is even more symbolic since Joe is the daredevil of the duo, as well as the one who is most callous towards his relationships. This story provided a real eye-opener for Joe, as well as the reader. I sometimes wonder if Iola really is alive, since the Assassins have cloned her several times. But each time she is cloned is a good reminder to Joe and Frank about what is most important in life - and this is life itself, especially that of a friend, or even a brother. Joe's attitude change showed how personally he took Iola's death and for once, I am glad to see more emotion. A great job and a great start to a new series of adventures for Dixon's longest running children's series

Forget about all the Hardy Boys books you may have read in the past, the Casefiles open a whole new world of exciting Hardy Boys adventure!
Right off the bat, Joe's longtime girlfriend, Iola, gets blown to bits by a bomb placed in the Hardy's van!
Shortly thereafter, Frank and Joe meet the mysterious Network agent, The Gray Man, and join forces with him to track down a terrorist group called the Assassions.
Join the Hardys as they travel around the world in search of Iola's killer.

This is an awesome book that is very fast paced and pulls you in the minuet you open this spectacular book! From the first page as it tells of Iola murder to the plot of a deadly gang called the Assassins! Fenton Hardy is chief of security for the Walker Campaign! His family is threatened, Frank and Joe pursue the assassin without the knowledge of their father! As they pursue they are put in the most deadliest danger ever! Join the Hardy's as they search for Iola's murder. Almost doing themselves! This is a MUST BUY BOOK! READ! AWESOME NOTHING CAN COMPARE WITH THE HARDY BOYS !

This is a good book! It has a lot of weird things that happen. Like Jean-Claude doesn't tell Nancy or Bess that he is the prince of Sarconne, or that he had himself kidnapped to get away from his cousin. The book has a lot of twists and turns but I won't reveal the ending. For everybody that likes Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Super Mysteries i recommend that you read this!

I love nancy drew and hardy boys supermysteries. that's the only time i read them now cause i love it when they're 2-gether!!This book is the absolute best one!!!

I swear Ned and Callie hold nancy and Frank back. And you know when he started to say something what it was!!! But i love that Jean-Claude is a prince!!! He seemed sooooooooo awesome.

Back to nancy and frank I totally agree with those who think that they should hook up!! I mean they never bring Callie with them so i mean COME ON!!!! Bring on the romance!!! (between nancy and frank that is, ned doesn't deserve her he'd rather study than be with her.)

I also love Bess she's a lot like me but then again i guess i am a mix of george and bess a shopping girl but tomboy in one.

The Hardy Boys, the best book series in existence, combined with respectable Nancy Drew, team up for another Hardys/Drew Super-Mystery. Packed with everything common with the Hardys (comedy, action, adventure, entertainment). Hardy/Drew combo books are always entertaining- this turns out to be great, and is (suprisingly) one of the earlier entries in the Drew/Hardys series of Supermysteries.

I have read both Java 2D grpahics books from front to back. I am working intensively with Java2D recently. The "Java 2D API Graphics" by V. Hardy is the best. It covers all the basic rendering API for Java 2D. The most amazing part is the GLF (Graphics Layer Framework) that was clearly described in this book. You can also see the full source code of how to extend Java 2D. The GLF is very valuable and the code is well written. Considering the content, it goes way beyond just Java 2D.

If you also are student of OO design patterns, you will find the framework is filled with design patterns, such as composite, factory, mementos, etc.. Although the book is more expensive, the book is beautifully done and the demo softwares are carefully crafted. You won't regret to buy and read it.

With one caveat, this book provides a thorough introduction to combining the features available in the Java 2D API. Following an introduction to many of the nuances the API itself (chapters 1-5), Mr. Hardy shows one way, but not the only way, to use the API in developing classes designed to solve real-world problems. I found this second section alone worth the price of the book. The book presupposes a firm grounding in Java and Object Oriented design; remembering, of course, that Mr. Hardy's point is not OO-design, but the underlying graphics capability of Java. Working through the code will repay you handsomely.

The third section takes you through some tool-building for creating, maintaining, storing, and retrieving images. Ignore Mr. Hardy's claims of computational intensiveness at your peril.

My only caveat is the paucity of information about printing, and developing sophisitcated printing classes. While it is true that printing entails knowing something about java.awt.print, nonetheless, learning how to build classes that provide for effective printing rather than just effective video display would have made this book near perfect. But I cavil! Buy this book if you want to learn to use the API.

This book is a great source for whoever wants to use advanced graphics with Java, even if you are not an expert in Java (or in graphics for that matter, even it helps to know a little about the basics of graphics). This book is clear , well written and fully illustrated (full color!), with a gradual approach that will introduce all the necessary concepts of graphics (simple to advanced - check the couple of pretty tough chapters in Part III). Good for basic Web sites "funky" illustrations (navigation bar with advanced shadowing effects upon selection for instance) to full PhotoShop-like application written in Java !

Very good value, I believe and a reference guide for Java 2D Graphics (for additional API info, see the Java 2D Graphics book by Jonathan B. Knudsen).

Great Job !

I was really looking forward to reading this book, being familiar with Hardy and having read two books on Ramanujan; but the book was very disappointing. The foreword by Snow is almost as long as the book itself, and really doesn't add anything of note. Instead of a foreword one could use footnotes explaining the frequent cricket terms and names of people no longer recognized by the public.
What does one learn about what math is, why people become mathematicians, the artistic beauty of math, etc?
Very little. Hardy wrote the book for the public, and basically feels that anything interesting he could say about these issues would be unintelligible. All that Hardy says can be summed up as
1) I became a mathematician because it is the only thing I could do well, 2) pure mathematics is useless but harmless [he even says that relativity theory was good because it couldn't be used for war - remember the book was written before WWII]
3) doing mathematics requires creativity, and thus is done by younger people (but Hardy himself was most creative in his 40s).
Since Hardy was already in his sixties when he wrote the book he was past his prime, and says so several times.
If you are interested in why people do math and how math can be beautiful, you won't find much in this book.
Even if you are specificaly interested in Hardy and English math at the turn of the 20th century there are much better books available.

Every discipline has a list of items that must be read if one is to be considered educated in that field. There is no doubt that this book should be required reading for any degree in mathematics. Most of the soul of mathematics is contained in the 91 pages of the 'Apology' (the first 58 pages consists of the foreword by Snow). Written in his later years when Hardy knew his mathematical powers were failing, this is a superb exposition by a brilliant, eccentric personality. He not only captures the grandeur of mathematical discovery, but also clearly articulates the feelings of a man who knows that his time has passed. First published in 1940, the twin messages are timeless.
Clearly distinguishing between the real mathematician and the puzzle solver, Hardy is exceptional in declaring what the real beauty of mathematics is. Among all the beautiful things that exist, the percentage of individuals that can truly appreciate an elegant theorem is among the smallest. However, anyone who can read this work and not see at least some of the poetic qualities of mathematics has a blind spot in their soul. One of the masterpieces of literature, this book can be understood and appreciated by anyone with an eye for the beautiful things that life has to offer.

Published in Journal of Recreational Mathematics, reprinted with permission.

Hardy was a man that comes along rarely in life, and this book is an even rarer portrait of how men like him think. As a mathematician, Hardy was excellent, his collaboration produced much fruitful work, and he is perhaps most renowned for discovering the young protege Ramanujan. But this book is not really about his work, but about his views on life, and mathematics, as a whole. Considering how little people in American society know about mathematics and its practitioners, this book, which is emminently readable, will give all people a unique view of what some mathematicians think like. The book is short, but interesting from first page to last. Hardy was past his mathematical prime when he wrote this book, but this book probably is his most influencial he ever wrote.

The introduction by C.P. Snow is more like a short biography about Hardy, and it's about the same length as Hardy's actual text. It gives us insights into what one of Hardy's friends thought of him, and it also frames the life Hardy was living in as he wrote this book.

Hardy's opinions are strong, and undoubtedly every reader will disagree here and there with him. But he shows the reader some of the gems of mathematics, and perhaps the reader will be able to appreciate those even without formal mathematical training. He also talks about war and what he thinks of it. Whatever the reader thinks about Hardy's opinions, this book gives us the opportunity to glimpse into the mind of an artist - one different than the usual meaning attached to the word, but one nonetheless - and experience a part of human life not experienced by many - the wonders of mathematics.

This work by Dr. Kibler reveals the history of this family, their life style, the impact that the members of the family had on southern society during that time period, and the impact of that time period on the family.

As an ancestor of the Hardy family he so elequently describes, I thank Dr. Kibler for the efforts he relentlessly pursued in order to reveal the life of this southern family.

Additionally, I thank the reviewers - all of you, pro and con - that have taken the time to extend their personal thoughts and feelings about Dr. Kibler's work.

I assure each and everyone one of you that the ancestors of this proud Southern family are alive and well, and that the history of the Hardy family is a Southern history that ALL of us share that reside here in the deep south. It will always remain a vital part of this family, and of this culture, through all time.

My children are well aware of their heritage, and are filled with pride to be personally related to the family that lived and survived in this historical, colorful past. My brother and sister, both residents of South Carolina, are just as proud.

God bless all of you.

Allen Key Hardy

The author of this book, Dr James Kibler, bought a derelict plantation house in the South Carolina upcountry in 1989 and proceeded to restore it. For those of us who wish we had the time, money and energy to do the same, this book is a wonderful Walter-Mittyesque escape. However, it is also something a great deal more significant, recently winning a major book award, as the non-fiction winner alongside the best-selling "Cold Mountain", the winner in the fiction category. Narrowly considered, "Our Fathers' Fields" is the history of only one house and only one family and their neighbors in one small area. However, this material is presented so that it becomes a "case history" for a more universal experience, namely the overall history of the agrarian South. The Hardy family followed the same migration routes and came from the same cultural context as those who populated the rest of the South. Southern genealogists will see many familiar surnames in this work, further increasing the sense of identification. (It is no accident that "The Bonnie Blue Flag", anthem of the Confederacy, began, "we are a band of brothers", although a band of cousins might have been more accurate). While the Hardys were quite rich by the 1830's, the beginnings of their plantation were humble -- 200 acres and a cabin, and their early pioneer story mirrored that of most families that left Virginia and headed south or west. The book looks at plantation life in the broader context of all strata and presents the history the whole Hardy family, black and white, over these generations in a sympathetic but not over-romanticised light. It is one of the very few local history works that has managed successfully to present as a cogent whole the complete history of a house: its architecture, the genealogy of its family, the cultural and historical framework in which both developed over two centuries, and such engaging details as furnishings, garden design and natural history, which other historians might have discarded as trivial but which tell us a great deal about these people and how they lived and what they thought. Dr Kibler's meticulous research has clearly become a labour of love. This comes through clearly in the book and the work is the better for it because of the insights that he has developed. The Hardy family comes alive in this book, not as stiff, enigmatic figures in a tintype but as flesh and blood folk with hopes, dreams, and opinions, who experience tragedy and loss with grace and strength. In some ways it is almost as if Kibler has acquired the viewpoint of an early planter, and some of the book reads almost like a first-hand account as a result. Dr Kibler's exhaustive cataloguing of the biodiverse flora & fauna of the area perhaps was the most telling -- it was exactly as a plantation owner would have done in the 18th and early 19th century -- reminiscent of Thomas Jefferson's Notes on the State of Virginia, or of William Byrd's diaries -- and of the "game books" at the great English country houses. The head of England's Historic Houses Association once remarked, "We don't own our houses. They own us." This quintessentially English sense of stewardship, of holding heritage in trust for future generations, survives outside of England uniquely in the American South. Through this book, James Kibler has become perhaps its foremost exponent. This book is an un-put-down-able read that has something for everyone -- history buffs, students of Southern culture, genealogists, people who like old houses, antiques or garden design. There's even a ghost story!

James Kibler does a masterful job of relating the story of a South Carolina family and their home on the Tyger River. Not only does Kibler tell a compelling story, he conveys the uniquely Southern question of the property ownership. 'Do you own land or does the land own you?' In the South, one does not just own property. He does not simply possess a piece of real estate. The land has prior claim and possesses its owner. In turn, the owner of record becomes its custodian and responsible for all that came before him.
In Massachusetts, when Bob Villa fixes up an old house, he is simply fixing up on old house. In Atlanta, (unlike the real South) they fix up an old house and call it 'property rehabilitation,' just another investment. But outside the metro-monstrosity, to rescue an ancestral home is to rescue history itself. To work in its gardens and find an occasional arrowhead or musket ball is to experience a piece of life. To salvage the work of a long ago carpenter (even though you cannot immortalize him) is to save his efforts and art for the future to enjoy. Saving someone's refuge from history is to become a part of history yourself, yet another tale that must be rescued from the condos and strip malls.
Unlike the rest of America's empire, the South remains conscious of its history. We cannot ignore what we tread on every day. We live our lives up to our necks in the results of history. In turn, there is no greater honor than to be a part of our history and its land. If Yankee legions could not destroy the land and its story, then modern corporations and termites haven't got a prayer. Here we do not measure history with years; we measure history with lots, acres, family and true Christian friends.

This review concerns the original 1930 edition. Frank and Joe are arrested following the theft of valuable mail bags from the airport and must track down the real thieves in order to clear their names. While there is nothing spectacular about this book to make it stand out from the rest, it is by no means a bad book. The mystery is interesting and there is a decent amount of action. One thing that I did like about this book was that the criminals were featured prominently thoughout the book, unlike in some other volumes where Frank and Joe don't come across the criminals until the last few pages. Many readers will find it odd that the Hardys and their friends graduate from high school in this book (especially since in #10, they are back in high school), apparently, with the beginning of the Great Depression, the author must have been unsure as to whether or not the series would continue. This is an above average book any Hardy Boys fan would enjoy reading.

The Hardy Boys The Great Plane Mystery
Franklin W. Dixon
Reviewed by S. Teran
Period 5

In the beginning of this book, the Hardy boys and their father were trying to get to their house in Bayport after they accidentally took a wrong turn. As they were going through a field, they heard a low pitched droning. They decided to ignore it. A few seconds later, out of no where, a plane came flying at them. They tried to dodge it but the wheel of the plane hit the roof of the car. The car flipped and everyone was knocked out cold. After about 10 minutes or so, they woke up unhurt but their car was almost totaled. Since the Hardys were used to the unexpected, they just went on. The next day, the Hardys flew a helicopter back to the area where they got hit by the plane. They found a shack that would normally be hidden to the naked eye in the forest. Just as they found it, a weird voice came over the radio speakers. It eerily said, "You can not escape the dead person, you know who this is, this is Clint Hill." The next day the Hardys got jobs at Stanwide, a computer/plane/helicopter industry, where Clint Hill last worked. Their jobs were to deliver notes and packages to other parts of the plant. After work and with permission, the Hardys took a helicopter out to the same location. Just as they were about to land, a tornado came towards the helicopter. The winds were too strong and forced them to crash land. No one was hurt but the helicopter was damaged beyond repair. The boys looked for clues until they saw a camouflage tarp covering a cave. Behind it, they found Clint Hill's plane. The Hardys flew to an island off the shores of a lake in Montana. There they found barrels of aviation fuel. They also found a shack like the one at Bayport. At the shack, they saw two people, Anchor and Barney. They were pilots for Stanwell. These two men were up to no good. Before they knew it, the Hardys were captured and thrown into a shack. Once the trap door opened, sleeping gas filed the room which knocked out the Hardy boys. Anchor called all the other pilots who were involved in the smuggling to come to this Island. The pilot, who flew the Hardy boys to this island, got worried and went looking for them. He found the shack and he also fell into the trap door. He was only stunned by the gas. He was able to get the boys out and call for help. He called Mr. Allen, the president of Stanwell, to come to the island. Upon arriving, Mr. Allen was shocked to see platinum and Clint Hill's crashed plane. This plane had crashed off the Cuban shores about 10 years ago. Meanwhile, the police were chasing Anchor, Peterson, and Rodax. The police eventually caught them and interrogated them for 3 days. They told the police of their hide out, the platinum and of the rest of the people who were involved in the smuggling. Mr. Allen had congratulated the Hardys on their findings and was told that someone wanted to talk to them back at Stanwell. They walked into the office and saw Clint Hill. He told the Hardys that 10 years ago, Peterson, who was the command pilot, left him stranded after the plane crashed. He was stranded in Cuba all this time. He explained that the eerie message over the radio wasn't him. It was just Peterson trying to scare people.
I liked this book so much is because it is a Mystery book. I really like Mystery books because the authors always keep you on the edge of your seat. For example, when the mysterious voice came over the radio, it said, "You can not escape the person you have killed." That part crept me out so much. I also liked this book because once I started to reading it, I couldn't stop. Before I knew about Mystery books, I never wanted to have anything to do with reading a book. The only time I would read a book is when one of my teachers would make us read or if they were instructional books on how to play Nintendo games. Franklin W. Dixon, the author of these Hardy boys mysteries, always seems to write amazing storylines.
There really was nothing that I didn't like about this book. If anything, it was just too short of a book.
My favorite part of this book is right in the beginning. It all started when the Hardys were taking a short cut through the plains when they heard a low pitch sound off in the distance. They decided to ignore it and continue as usual. The low pitched sound kept on getting louder as if it was getting closer, but of course, they still ignored it. Finally, Mr. Hardy got scared and turned off his headlights only to find another pair of lights going overhead. Something hit the top of the car to make it flip. Then the headlights mysteriously vanished.

This review concerns the revised 1965 edition. Mr. Hardy asks Frank and Joe to help him on a case concerning the theft of platinum containing electronic parts from company called Stanwide. Frank and Joe go undercover at the company to find out who is behind the thefts and soon find a number of suspects. They also find another mystery about the ghost of Clint Hill, Stanwide's chief pilot, who died in a plane crash at sea, who has been harassing one of the company's employees. This was a rather interesting book; I thought that it had one of the better plots of the books in the series. The book had plenty of action and the Hardys came into contact with the criminals quite often. I liked the part where the Hardys went undercover at Stanwide; unfortunately, it was much too short. I was a little disappointed with the ending. I found it to be rather quick and I thought that the Hardys were able to find the criminals too easily. Also, the "surprise" at the end of the book wasn't much of a surprise. Mostly; however, I enjoyed the book and I think that any Hardy Boys fan would like it.

This is simply a superb book. Its narrative force practically places you on board a number of the yachts as they head toward Hobart. It is both well researched and written, being based on many interviews with race participants, and does not skimp on the necessary factual information. The text is also well supported by an amazing group of photographs. Those who have read The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger will find this book irresistable. For those who have not, I suggest you buy both!

A gripping story of an exciting yet tragic event. The book is written in such a fashion that it is even more dramatic and nail-biting because of its lack of hype and superlatives. Were it not for the spectacular photos the storm and the heroic feats would appear to be fictitous. The stuff of exaggerated old sea stories. Every sailor, in fact anyone who has ever been on an ocean, will find this book frightening but will not be able to put it down. I started reading it on a plane, continued in a NY cab (anyone who has been in a NY cab knows how difficult that is), read it standing on the subway and finished it at 3am, all on the same day.

When I decided to read this book, I actually started with another book on the subject recommended by Sports Illustrated. Based on Amazon reviewers I selected this one and wasn't disappointed.

Mundle attempts to show the personal side of the individuals as well as the intense struggle on each boat and helicopter. This is a spellbinding story which he did a good job of relaying. I learned about sailing but more importantly, I learned what it felt like to confront your worst nightmare come true.

This is a great subject correctly described by the author and as a bonus, the pictures in the book are good also. Off-coast sailing? Not for me after this book.

This book really deserves 4 1/2 stars but I'm nice so that's why I gave it 5 stars. This book always has a twist or turn. It starts off that Frank and Joe are assigned by Chief Collig to find out why their's trouble in Shantytown which is a town of shacks( wooden broken down houses). So then there's a bank robbery and then their best friends Biff and Chet are kidnapped. They meet Alf at Shantytown. It's action pace with danger at every turn. One minute they jump overboard a ship to helping their friend after he fractures his ankle sliding down a steep hill. They have to trust their instincts in this suspenseful mystery. Can't say more or I'll reveal the end. Read The Great Airport Mystery( Hardy Boys #9) or The House on the Cliff( Hardy Boys #2). Also read the Harry Potter series. This book was a very suspenseful book. It's very adventurious and a very good book.

These books are absolutely delightful on audio tape. I grew up reading all the Nancy Drew books but, true to stereotype, never read any of The Hardy Boys. As the mother of two little boys (first and third grade) I began exploring these in our read-aloud time every evening. The boys LOVE them but the whole series (50+ books) is a bit more than I want read as an adult and a daunting quantity of material even for very advanced readers so I was delighted to come across these audio tapes. Bill Irwin does an excellent job of reading the books, treating their slightly dated language and manners with complete respect. The tapes are unabridged although still only two tapes long. My only gripe is the wait for the series as the publisher appears to be releasing only two books every six months or so!

It a great boook! I recommened it to everyone who loves The Hardy Boys like me! It was a great book piled with mysetery and suspence.

This book is OK. There is plently of good information regarding Laurel & Hardy's later work. However, the argument that their movies during this time are "surprisingly good" is not a solid argument. After Laurel and Hardy left Hal Roach, their films were mediocre. That can not be disputed. The big studios destroyed the Stan and Ollie characters, much the same as Buster Keaton's screen character and the post-Thalberg Marx Brothers characters were destroyed. MGM had a hand in all three travesties.

This book is not only a labor of love, it is a meticulously researched and beautifully written account of the careers of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy in the latter stages of their careers. Because their later film work at Twentieth Century-Fox and MGM was largely produced without their creative input, previous authors have deliberately downplayed or ignored these films in favor of their Hal Roach classics. Scott MacGillivray corrects these oversights with the most comprehensive and exhaustive study of these films that we'll ever see. Scott had access to Stan Laurel's personal documents, as well as studio records that have never seen light of day before. The rare photos are incredible, as are the eye-popping quotes from Laurel & Hardy's family, friends and co-workers. Best of all, the entire book is a sheer delight to read, and would make an excellent gift for anybody who has ever enjoyed the incredible talent of The Boys. Buy it for yourself, buy it for your friends, do it now and you won't regret it (yes, I put my money where my mouth is--I already purchased copies for my friends as gifts)!

Stan Laurel and Babe Hardy didn't have many good things to say about their Fox and MGM films of the 1940's. So the legend has persisted that these films, with a couple of possibleexceptions, are unspeakable horrors and hardly worth the trouble of taking them out of the film can. Of course, at the big movie "factories," the boys were denied the kind of creative freedom they had enjoyed at the Hal Roach Studios, and their work suffered accordingly. But the time has finally come for a reevaluation of these later films. Scott MacGillivray has done just that in FROM THE FORTIES FORWARD. While Scott doesn't shy away from criticizing the weaknesses, he demonstrates that these films are frequently much better than their reputations would lead you to believe. There is also excellent coverage of Stan and Babe's European tours, the Robert Youngson compilations, the sometimes maze-like process of film reissues, and Laurel and Hardy on television. An essential book for Laurel and Hardy fans, and an excellent companion piece to both THE MAGIC BEHIND THE MOVIES and LAUREL OR HARDY.