Ritchie covers the topic like a blanket. Everything from how to manage one's collection and stay out of legal trouble with the interviewee (and anyone you may discuss); down to remembering to punch out the little tabs on the back of each cassette in order to prevent accidental erasure.

This is a very complete and very practical guide to the processes and thinking of our country's oral historians from an author who's been in the middle of some pretty interesting stories.

Because of his ability to capture the complexity of human life in drama without filtering it through his ego, Shakespeare has often been called a mirror in which critics cast their own prejudices and preoccupations. Something similar could be said of Edmund Burke, whose timely thoughts on politics and government often illuminated timeless truths through which commentators could reflect on their own concerns.

Burke is best known for his opposition to the French Revolution of 1789, which he described in Reflections on the Revolution in France, and for his opposition to aspects of British imperialism in America and India. Even those who disagreed with his politics considered him a man of profound imagination; in fact, his early interests leaned to the literary, as in his treatise, A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful. His works suggested a literary sensibility that surpassed his contemporaries'. Largely due to the work of Russell Kirk, Robert Nisbet, and Irving Babbitt, Burke has been considered a major influence on modern conservatism.

Burke's writing, though aphoristic, quotable, and of high literary merit, can be difficult. Daniel Ritchie's intent with this anthology was to introduce the general reader to Burke's major themes by a variety of commentators. Consequently, the book has been divided into five sections: the literary imagination (Coleridge, Arnold); revolution (George Watson, Russell Kirk), constitutional and party government (Harvey Mansfield, Alexander Bickel); the radical mind (Raymond Williams, Conor Cruise O'Brien), and the conservative mind (Irving Babbitt, Robert Nisbet). In each case the critic tends to project his own interests onto the texts, which I consider less a shortcoming of the critic than an indication of Burke's transparent genius. Babbitt, for example, saw in Burke the quintessence of the humane man of letters who could balance opposites in an unsystematic world view.

Some of the essays here will probably try the patience of the general reader. I would have put Steven Blakemore's essay in the "radical mind" section of the anthology, given that I consider his deconstructive approach to be much more in line with radical literary fashion than with traditional explication de texte. But I general I found this to be a useful volume. As I have in the past, I would direct the reader toward the essays by Kirk, Nisbet, and Babbitt for their encapsulation of Burke's themes into plain, yet graceful, English.

In this practical, yet deeply enriching study of the Old Testament feasts, we see types of present grace and coming glory.

I'm biased: these reports were written by my great-grandfather, and edited by my great-uncle. That aside, what emerges from this book are well-worded images of a 21-year-old's leaving Utica, NY, for Washington and becoming part of the Army of the Potomac in 1861: marching and bivouacking; social events; provisioning; endless battle preparations; comments on society, the countryside, the mood of soldiers and civilians encountered; personal feelings. The battles in which Ritchie saw great action were those of Seven Pines (late May, 1862), Spotsylvania Court House and the North Anna (May, 1864), and Petersburg (March, 1865).

To give an idea of Ritchie's writing, here is his description of meeting Abraham Lincoln at one of the President's Tuesday evening social events:

I attended the last one and escaped unharmed... I held no conversation with any of the notables except Mr. Lincoln, the main portion of which I can recollect. A man who did not know my name introduced me to the President and he immediately extended his hand, seemed delighted to meet me and remarked with much concern, 'How do you do?' In my blandest tone I responded, 'Very well, thank you, sir' and was about to inquire after Mrs. Lincoln's health when we both dropped the subject and our conversation ceased. As I passed on I noticed that there were two or three hundred others behind me waiting to talk with Mr. Lincoln on the same subject.

The book is an easy read, because it has been well edited from Ritchie's diary, letters written home, and from his reports sent to the Utica Herald, for which he was a correspondent. The book gives a human aspect to the huge machinery of making -- and making ready for -- war. I liked it.

If you love Lawrence Clark Powell as much as I do, then you probably want to know everything about him; and this sketch by his childhood friend, the printer, Ward Ritchie, is a lovely reminiscence about growing up in early 20th century Pasadena, then an isolated semi-rural wonderland of desert and mountains, wooded streams and orange groves, recognizing - even as a child - that your best buddy was a genius, and that you both were destined for splendid things.

Ritchie Yorke was (is) a close friend of the band, and the book is written from that perspective. It is a fair historical review, with good accuracy throughout. Ritchie plays somewhat fast and loose with the "dark side" of Zeppelin, avoiding completely the groupies, the drugs, and takes a running jump over the whole Edgewater Inn story

This book is a definitely a definite biography of led zeppelin. It begins with a short biography of each of the bands members before forming the band and ends with the solo work of the remaining members up to 1998 I think. The author doesn;t go into details about drugs and sex but tells the tale using interviews from the members and from his personal experience with them. At the end of the book there is a list of the groups discography and each members solo carrier discography and a list of bootlegs. I didn't see any photos inside but there were a few papers with some B&W photos. I bought this book from a supermarket. It is recommended if you are not interested tales about excesses and orgies etc etc

This dark underwater adventure pulls your heroes beneath the seas and into the ruins of Carsall, an ancient city with a dark past. What happened? Well, an earthquake (of decidedly magical origin) swept over all, and the place became a symbol of hopelessness and treachery. Needless to say, the brave adventurers aren't told the whole story... and once they find themselves underwater, facing seawolves, sahuagin, sharks, and worse, they'll learn the horrid truth when it's least inviting! If you enjoy watching your players desperately think their way out of the worst of predicaments, you'll enjoy unleashing this one on them.

This is a "Must Have" for all grandmothers and grandaughters. It is written in a "kid friendly" manor that is appealing to all that share in the fun. Use this as a keep sake that represents the bond that occurs between grandmother and grandaughter. My mother and daughter love spending time together writting their own special thoughts in this book. It is a great gift that will be cherished forever!