Make no mistake - Kennedy loves the City of Albany and it shows throughout this book. I enjoyed this book, probably more than others might, because I went to college in Albany in the early 1980's when the book was published. Strangely I never read it back then and haven't been back to Albany in 14 years. Good for me but maybe bad for others the book stops in 1982 so it matches with my memory. But I love history combined with folklore and the stuff that makes a city or region unique. When most of America is becoming Americ-urbia all an area has left is its history. Albany is rich. It's a great read.

This book is much different from Cherry's "normal" environmental books. This is a bright and cheerful book full of wonderful illustrations. This is a great "first book" that teaches children being sick is not that bad!

I'd rate this less than zero, if the rating system allowed me to. This is completely lousy book and a huge waste of money! Many facts are wrong, which is a disgrace for someone of Ms. Zeepvat's experience. Her writing is flat and uninspiring and almost anything of interest is obtained from other books about the subject. Personally I'm sick of all these royal books that are basically re-packaged versions of previous books.

This is the first book, of the many I have read on Queen Victoria and/or her children, that focuses on Prince Leopold. Even reading the edited letters between Victoria and her daughter Vicky had very little mention of this child. The book was informative and I learned a great deal regarding her true obsessive and sometimes vicious behavior to Leopold, as a child and as a grown man. I highly recommend it.

In the many books about Queen Victoria's family that I have read, Leopold seems to be known only for his haemophilia. He seems to have been the most popular member within the royal family, although not with his mother, who seemed to see him as a convenient drone. She was notorious for trying to keep her children on a leash long into adulthood. Leopold appears to have overcome these obstacles. In his short life, he accomplished a great deal, he was the first of the royal family to attend Oxford, he was on the boards of a great many charities, he managed to travel, and he worked as an unofficial secretary to his mother.

This is a well written and researched book. The author provides information on other more obscure members of Queen Victoria's family, such as her half sister Feodora and her family. The family tree of the female side of Victoria's family is the most extensive and interesting I have seen, although it does not solve the question of where the haemophilia in the family came from.

Laurence Gardner has written an interesting theory about the lineage of Jesus that is detailed in this book. It is well worth the read if you have an open mind and read it with a grain of salt rather than regarding or disregarding it as gospel truth or bunk. As with all books, there are elements of truth and untruth. It is in the process of discernment that we seek to unravel and separate fact from fiction. This book requires the reader to think for oneself and not form a final judgement.

What I really liked about, "BLOODLINE OF THE HOLY GRAIL" was the beautiful illustrations. These illustrations by themselves make the book worth buying. I also enjoyed the graphs of several royal lines- which I do not accept as completely true. Some of the lineages are most definitely accurate, while others are speculative at best and a bit far fetched. Remember to keep an open mind as you read.

What I had some trouble accepting was the claim that Jesus married Mary Magdeline and fathered children through which the "Stewarts" and other royalty came from. I also had problems with the theory that Joseph of Arimathea was in actuality, James the Just, brother of Jesus. But, these theories should not be entirely disregarded. There may be more truth here than fiction.

The last point I would like to mention is that Gardner claims that Jesus was never really crucified and went on to live out his life elsewhere while another person was crucified in his place. This I cannot accept! There is nothing to support this claim and no concrete proof. All in all I enjoyed the reading because of the interesting context- but there is too much contraversy and some might even claim blasphemy. Read with caution!!

Sir Laurence Gardiner's 2 books: "Bloodline of the Holy Grail" and "Genesis of the Grail Kings" are two of the most interesting, well researched, and worthwhile books I've read in a long long time. Once I started both books I found them completely engrossing, and compelling reading. Although each book works well as a stand-alone work, I really recommend that readers read both books. Drawing upon priveleged genealogical records, protected by the various European Royal Houses, especially the Scots Royal House of Stewart, for "Bloodline", ; and drawing upon Mesopotamian and Sumerian records for "Genesis of the Grail Kings", Sir Laurence backs up his points with detailed fascinating research. Among some of the topics covered in the two works: -The meaning & symbolism of the Holy Grail, or Sangreal, or Blood Royal

-A bloodline has been perpetuated from ancient times to the present, having its origins in Mesopotamia & Sumeria,which was genetically enhanced first thru the ingestion of Annunaki "Star Fire", and later enhanced by ingesting alchemically altered gold that had been turned into a white powder.

-The true facts concerning Jesus' parentage, familial relationships, Davidic descent, and marriage to Mary Magdalene. -The true facts concerning many of the parables of the New Testament, in that they were coded references to political situations, not supernatural or spiritual phenomena. The evidence that many of the stories in the Old Testament are retellings and recombinations of elements from much older, more complete Mesopotamian and Sumerian records.

-The true facts concerning Jesus' birth, death and resurrection. -The importance and prominence of women such as Mary Magdalene, in the original church. -How the Roman Catholic Church rose to power and authority and wealth, and then how it sought to maintain that usurped power and authority and wealth by: Preventing the true facts on Jesus' parentage, birth, training, marriage, and resurrection to be brought to light; Suppressing the expression of intellectual and individual freedoms in Art, Literature, learning thru various instruments as the Inquisition; Denying and suppressing the importance and access of women to roles in the Church, and society.

-The rise of European Royal Houses, and in particular, the suppression of the Scots Royal House, by England. -The importance of how properly managed and properly instituted government can secure the greatest individual freedoms and liberties.

And many other points too numerous to mention.

In short, I wholeheartedly recommend BOTH books to all sincere seekers,and hope that they will find these two lifechanging works as beneficial as I have.

"WOW", was the word I most often uttered when I read this fascinating book. If you ever questioned your faith as a Christian, this book will shatter all the myths that you learned. The premise of the book is that Jesus was married (to Mary Magdalene) and fathered children. His older brother (Joseph of Aramathea)also had children and after the crucifixion(Gardner dispels the dogma that Jesus died on the Cross) settled in Britain. The book peers into the lives of the Apostles(how they came to afford walking the countryside with a rogue rabbi), the historical lives of Mary's parents, the virgin birth and the explanation of many of the miracles. He delves into the reasons why the Vatican would only permit MAry to be depicted in blue and white and Joseph as a doting and tired old man. He further uncovers the mysteries of the KNights Templar, the Holy Grail, the Rosacrucians, and the Freemasons. He finally sums through genealogical scholarship that direct descendants of Jesus and his brother, are alive today and rule as Royal families in Europe. "Wow" is what you will say as you turn each page.

I love mysteries and have read thousands of them in my lifetime. This one is badly written, the dialogue is artificial and stilted and the storyline is ridiculous. I had to force myself to finish it, and the ending made no sense based on the story. This is the type of book that makes me say, "Well, if they're printing [stuff] like this, I definitely should write a book." Don't waste your money.

Insomnia has forced me to read a lot of really bad books in the wee hours of the morning lately but this book is by far the worst I've had to endure. Molly is an extremely unappealing, one dimensional character with little personality and it's no surprise to me that her neighbors aren't interested in getting to know her. I wish I could say this book was so bad it put me to sleep, but it was too bad to even do that. Must've been a slow day at the publishing house when they accepted this one.

This one was better than the previous installment of the series, but by no means up to the first one.

I found the whole story confusing. It was very hard to keep track of who was who, and some things that were thrown in as "red herrings" made absolutely no sense at all in the end. I hope the author can get back on track, because I really enjoyed the first book of this series, but I've been let down since.

In the first 55 pages, multiple people and animals are brutally and graphically killed. I had no interest in reading further.

I had read favorable comments about William Kennedy's Albany cycle of novels, so I decided to read this one. As the first book in the series, it seemed to be the logical place to start. Having finished "Legs," all I can say is that it will be a very long time before I read another novel by William Kennedy. Perhaps the books get better as the cycle goes on. I can't say. This one certainly did not whet my appetite to find out.

The novel follows the career of a psychotic gangster named Jack "Legs" Diamond. This thug fascinates the novel's narrator, Jack's lawyer. All the other characters in the book are equally intrigued by Jack and so, we are told, is the entire American public. ("[B]ut heroes and poets followed Jack's tribulations with curiosity, ambivalent benevolence, and a sense of mystery at the meaning of their own response," writes Kennedy.) There was no mystery in my response to this character. Sociopaths just don't fascinate me. Sorry.

I don't understand the attraction that so many writers and filmmakers seem to feel for comic-book gangsters. I suppose we are to take these works seriously because they claim to portray evil in society. They purport to develop themes of moral ambiguity and pose ethical dilemmas. To search out the wellsprings and permutations of evil in the world is certainly a valid literary goal. With all the evils that flared up throughout the last century - fascism, communism, environmental degradation, and racial and ethnic bigotry, there has certainly been a lot to write about. If writers want to plumb these deep themes, that's great. But why resort to these cartoonish sketches of American gangsters to develop the themes?

The writing style in this book reminded me of the "Guy Noir" sketches from the Prairie Home Companion radio show. It's hard to say which one achieves a higher level of realism. At least Garrison Keillor is funny when he does his sketches. You can't say that much for the cliche-ridden drivel that fills page after page of this miserable novel.

If you're tempted to pick up this book because of Kennedy's reputation as a novelist of politics generally, and of machine politics Albany style specifically, avoid this one. This one has nothing to do with what he's known for - it's just a crime novel about the final months of a notorious bootlegger. If you have no interest in the nasty and short lives of gangsters, you're not missing anything by skipping this one.

All those who want Scotland to choose a different path from that of England should hesitate before choosing to believe the claims of the author of this book. To cut a long story short, base your policies on fact, not fiction.

This book is totally ridiculous, and I'm glad that children have not been taught history from it. There are plenty of decent books on the Jacobites, and this is NOT one of them.

I bought it, I read it and it conquered me. For the preview before this one, the fact do speak for themselves. Further, after a little research, I actually found out that other writers in previous years had actually come up with similar details of history (re landmass of Scotland being the first formed on this planet and the oldest hills being found in Perthshire). Anyway, that aside, the fact that the royal house of Stewart is alive and well is nothing new. People in Scotland have been aware of it for years. Latterly, Westminster tried to impose Anne Windsor as potential Queen of Scots and the outcry against the idea from grass roots Scotland was so strong that the idea was quietly abandoned. Further, letters pointing out that the Scots have their own monarchy (ie Prince Michael of Albany)were abundant. The Stewarts are back and obviously here to stay. Whatever one may think, Scotland will probably become independent by the year 2007 and the Stewart Prince will be King. A nation in the making with a great potential worldwide. For Scotland to be represented by its own constitutional royal house will be momentous for all, least of all the Scottish diaspora of 42 million people. Cannot wait for this event to take place.

"The Forgotten Monarchy of Scotland" by Prince Michael Stewart of Albany. Passionately written and researched by the the author, who`s passion is fueled by the fact that it is his own family and personal identity he is establishing in the face of a two century old conspiracy who`s source is one of the most powerful governments on earth.

Forgotten Monarchy is a minutely detailed reacessment of the history of Scotland and the emergence of the Royal Scottish family. We have all heard the old adage that history is written by the victors, well, here in Prince Michael`s book are told the details concealed by the English who wrote the victor`s history we were all taught in school. One of these surprising details is the revelation that the Stewart dynasty did not become extinct as the textbooks would have us believe.

Not just dry stories here, the details have modern significance and particularly relevant to a Scotland recently voting to have their own Parlament , not had since 1707.

Of major importence to the book is the detailing of Westminster`s conspiracy against the Stewarts in exile. Included are documents that prove that Bonnie Prince Charlie had prodigy, and they were recognised as such by governments and Royal families of Europe throughout the 19th century.

In places, Forgotten Monarchy reads like a mystery, it has everything you could want in a good mystery, conspiracy in high places, destruction of documents, attempted political assassinations. It all sounds unnervingly very modern but this conspiracy started in the 18th century and has continued to this day, fairly successfully I might add.

There are those who have publicly maintained that the claims of Prince Michael and his family are all fantasy, made up of whole cloth. If they have the courage to actually check out the documentation presented in this book they just might change their tune.

Finally, Forgotten Monarchy is an engaging story of a 17 year old man raised in Belgium who moved to Scotland in 1976 becau! se he felt that his destiny lay there in the land of his forebeares.

The last 22 years have been quite an experience for Michael Stewart, for most Scots as well as the rest of us in the english speaking world, had no idea the Stewart family had survived in exile.

Shortly after arriving in Scotland, young Prince Michael paid a visit to Lord Lovat, who also had no knowledge of the Stewarts in exile. When the Lord Lovat realised who this young man at his door was, he asked "What on earth are you doing here?"

The 17 year old`s reply is best told in his own words; "I could think of no better reply than to quote the well remembered words of Prince Charles Edward, and answered..........I am come home"

I hate to admit that I've been defeated by a book, but this one did it. I absolutely could not finish it. While the premise was good enough, and the opening engaging, the plot's jumps in time were badly handled and the story really began to drag early. I can't for the life of me imagine what Kennedy was thinking when this otherwise good author came up with such a mishmash!

Having first read Ironweed and Billy Phelan, The Flaming Corsage fit right into the mix. I found the structure a bit choppy but the story of Katrina, or is it the story of Edward's love of Katrina, to be most compelling.Every character, no matter how small, is as true as life itself. Tragedy, crime, class struggle, vengence, loss, carnality, and finally madness played out on a finely drawn historical background. I cried for them all.

I had to write something to counteract that unfair review by the gentleman from Switzerland. Is _The Flaming Corsage_ Kennedy's best? Nope (that w/b Very Old Bones, no contest). This isn't the first book to start with on Kennedy; since several characters show up from other books of Kennedy's Albany Cycle (Ironweed and Legs, I believe), it is helpful to read those first to get a better appreciation of some of the implied goings-on of this text; it certainly helps with the time-jumpyness of the story, which goes back and forth between the late 1800s and early 1900s, right before Francis Phelan drops the baby...in another book.

Kennedy has a natural gift for storytelling, but as my previous sentence might imply, there's a sort of neo-Faulknerian insularity in _Corsage_; it helps to know about the other novels Kennedy wrote, and maybe even Kennedy's own life as a budding playwright himself (interesting parallel btw. the play in this book, and Kennedy's own progress in getting his first play produced), before tackling this one; otherwise it may make for a fairly confusing 200 pages. But insiders would disagree with me on that. And that's my point.

Memo to Mr. Kennedy...when _Roscoe_ is finished, please, PLEASE come to Bellingham to promote your work!

This once charming series is starting to lose its steam.

Molly has turned into nothing more than a nosy, annoying pain in the .... She sticks her nose into situations that have nothing to do with her, and doesn't seem to think the police can manage to do their jobs withour her "tactful nudging" in the right direction. The fact that Tommy allows her to keep intruding into his investigations is just getting silly already -- almost as silly as her constantly teaming up with Stephanie and taking her orders, when she can't stand this woman.

It's time to put this series to bed before it turns to plain God-awful.

The latest installment in the Molly Masters series is charming and full of family moments that ring true to life. The mystery itself, which centers around the death of the seemingly perfect PTA president, is typical of the genre. Although entertaining enough, it certainly didn't overwhelm my imagination. Molly's encounters with her family, however, were brilliant. Her exchanges with her 16-year old daughter Karen, who is learning to drive and beginning to date, were a wonderful mixture of humor and angst. Even more touching was her discussion with her son, Nathan, who is being harassed by bullies at school. Overall, I definitely recommend this book to readers of the series!

This book was considerably better than I had expected it to be, and while Molly's fax cards were somewhat amusing, I just didn't think this book was as humorous as it was intended to be. The theme of Molly returning to her childhood home and dealing with all the people she couldn't stand in high school gave the story a dark tone that was at odds with the feeling that I was supposed to be laughing. It also seemed that O'Kane couldn't decide whether to make charicatures of the old high school stereotypes or delve beneath the surface, so when she did try for a deeper examination, the character interactions seemed unrealistic.

The mystery itself, though, was quite solid and shows promise for the series.