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To prove their various points, most books on business leadership focus strictly on either a series of standard, contemporary corporate illustrations or a single nontraditional model (such as a specific historic personality or a classic manuscript such as the Tao Te Ching). But Michael Useem, director of the Center for Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, has long used poignant real-life examples of people facing their "moments of truth"--regardless of the setting--to teach students how best to perform under the pressures they will face in the business world. In The Leadership Moment: Nine True Stories of Triumph and Disaster and Their Lessons for Us All, Useem presents some of these surprisingly effective profiles to show how others have responded when push truly comes to shove. Among them are: the story of Roy Vagelos championing an unprofitable drug that ultimately wiped out a debilitating disease in Africa; how flight director Eugene Kranz worked calmly and efficiently to return the endangered Apollo 13 astronauts safely back to Earth; and a look at Arlene Blum's pioneering all-woman ascent of the 26,545-foot Himalayan peak Annapurna in 1978. --Howard Rothman
Book Description
Are you ready for the leadership moment?
Merck's Roy Vagelos commits millions of dollars to develop a drug needed only by people who can't afford it · Eugene Kranz struggles to bring the Apollo 13 astronauts home after an explosion rips through their spacecraft · Arlene Blum organizes the first women's ascent of one of the world's most dangerous mountains · Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain leads his tattered troops into a pivotal Civil War battle at Little Round Top · John Gutfreund loses Salomon Brothers when his inattention to a trading scandal almost topples the Wall Street giant · Clifton Wharton restructures a $50 billion pension system direly out of touch with its customers · Alfredo Cristiani transforms El Salvador's decade-long civil war into a negotiated settlement · Nancy Barry leads Women's World Banking in the fight against Third World poverty · Wagner Dodge faces the decision of a lifetime as a fast-moving forest fire overtakes his firefighting crew
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Eugene Kranz returning Apollo 13; Arlene Blum leading the first women's expedition climbing the Himalayan peak of Annapurna; Roy Vagelos committing Merck to spending hundreds of millions of dollars to develop a drug needed only by people who couldn't afford it; Alfredo Christian ending the civil war in El Salvador.
These are just some of the stories in this unusual and important book about leadership. Michael Useem believes that by examining what others have done when a business, a life, or even the fate of a nation is on the line, we all can learn what works and what fails, what hastens a cause or subverts a purpose, and what must be done when we must perform and lead under pressure.
Customer Reviews:
Warren Bennis is right: "It's one helluva read.".......2007-08-23
I read this book soon after it first appeared (in 1998) and recently re-read it, curious to know how well its core concepts and insights have held up. My conclusion? Very, very well. In his remarkably informative Foreword, Warren Bennis acknowledges having several reasons why he admires Michael Useem's book and cites three. First, Useem's selection of "cases" that focus on nine "real people, not stick figures"; the cases deal with what in theater would be called "turning points" (i.e. "life-challenging, morally consequential events fraught with risk and danger"); and third, the principles that Useem examines can be applied to any organization, regardless of size or nature, and the lessons learned from the nine cases are "eternal and universal. "
Useem suggests that leadership "is at its best when the vision is strategic, the voice persuasive, the results tangible." His focus is on exceptionally difficult leadership decisions, "those fateful moments when our goals are at stake and it is uncertain if we will achieve them, and when the outcome depends on mobilizing others to realize success." He examines nine quite different leaders who found themselves in "life-challenging, morally consequential events fraught with risk and danger" and prevailed. Those who have seen the film Apollo 13 are already familiar with Eugene Kranz (portrayed by Ed Harris). However, most of those who read this book were previously not familiar with several others, notably Wagner Dodge, Arlene Blum, and Clifton Wharton. Nonetheless, valuable leadership lessons can be learned from each of the nine.
Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain is of special interest to me. Briefly, he had assumed command of the 20th Regiment of Infantry, Maine Volunteers, in May of 1863; within four days, they were marching through Virginia. Less than a year before, the 20th had mustered a thousand men at commissioning time; only 358 remained. The situation was soon complicated by the fact that 120 mutineers in the 2nd Regiment had been placed under Chamberlain's command. His orders from his superior, General George C. Meade: "make them do duty or shoot them down the moment they refused." What happened next is best revealed within Useem's compelling narrative but I can reveal that Chamberlain's combined forces played a major (if not the pivotal role) at Gettysburg, securing and then defending their position.
Useem observes that, in a crisis such as the one Chamberlain and his men faced on Little Round Top when under relentless attack, "everything is magnified, for better or for worse." Some rise to the leadership challenge and take effective action as Chamberlain did, others don't. Useem suggests several leadership lessons to be learned from that bloody, decisive day on the fields of Gettysburg. For example:
"Winning the confidence of your people now may well be invaluable in a yet-unforeseen time when you face the ultimate test...[However,] early investments in winning support among even your most stalwart opponents may make the difference between success and defeat when it counts most." This is precisely what President Abraham Lincoln did when forming his first cabinet, one that Doris Kearns Goodwin characterizes as a "team of rivals."
I commend Michael Useem on his brilliant correlation of historical information with an analysis of the leaders he has studied and the lessons to be learned from their encounters with "life-challenging, morally consequential events fraught with risk and danger."
Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out his Leading Up as well as Warren Bennis and Robert Thomas' Geeks & Geezers (recently updated and reissued as Leading for a Lifetime), Bill George's True North, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Andrew Ward's Firing Back: How Great Leaders Rebound After Career Disasters, and Leading at the Edge: Leadership Lessons from the Extraordinary Saga of Shackleton's Antarctic Expedition co-authored by Dennis N. T. Perkins, Margaret P. Holtman, Paul R. Kessler, and Catherine McCarthy.
A Different Approach to Self-Help.......2007-03-01
Biography is often a more inspiring way to learn "soft skills" than are traditional self-help books that spell out, word for word, the traits they're purchased to teach. But it's also possible, with a biography, to miss the decision-making moments, even though the actions the subject took are clear.
The Leadership Moment combines both historical and didactic approaches, by pausing in the midst of its nine hair-raising stories to briefly examine the choices that caused the next turn of events. The winning characteristics and skills are repeated in the back of the book under the picture of their respective exemplar. If you enjoy quick reads that deliver in a can't-miss fashion principles you can use, you will enjoy The Leadership Moment. Read a chapter a day before sallying forth to slay your own dragons.
Entirely worthwhile reading, the volume nonetheless has its weaknesses. Only two of the nine accounts are about women, and both of those are set in an all-female environment. (The seven males are in all-male environments.) Seven stories are unequivocal triumphs, one a brazen failure (though another man steps in to save the company), and one ambiguous: did the hero fail to lead or did his team fail to follow? The lesson author Michael Useem highlights is not altogether clear the way he tells the story.
Good leadership examples.......2005-08-31
Many of the examples used in this book are excellent case studies for leadership workshops and classes. It was a nice variety of examples from different sectors and industries.
Great leadership stories!.......2004-12-01
As part of an assignment for a Leadership/Small Group Communication course, I was directed to select the book of my choice from an Amazon book search under the topic of leadership. After poring through the descriptions of just a few of the 116,000 books in this category, I quickly identified the type of book I was looking for. I wanted something less academic/theoretical and more real life. I figured any lessons on leadership would be easier to grasp if they accompanied the stories of real people. Michael Useem's The Leadership Moment: Nine True Stories of Triumph and Disaster and Their Lessons for Us All fit the bill.
The Leadership Moment is a book of nine stories of real individuals who were faced with leadership challenges or put into positions where their decisions as leaders would greatly affect the outcome or survival of companies, countries and often, many other lives. The stories cover attempts to cure disease, retreating from a fire, returning a malfunctioning spacecraft to earth, ascending a mountain, leading men to battle, restructuring large corporations, the downfall and rise of a large company, working towards development of women in the third world and ending a civil war. Each story identifies a leader put into a critical do or die situation where their decisions and leadership qualities either led to success and meeting objectives, or led to failure and the demise of the company or death of those they were leading.
What I really liked about the book was the real life examples and the vast range of examples that Useem used. While many of us in the corporate world identify leadership as the ability to bring in financial returns or climb the corporate ladder, this book shows how leadership comes up in vastly different situations.
Useem's writing style flows well and is easy to follow. The stories are interesting and descriptive. For each story, he points out several leadership objectives that are implicated in the story. I enjoyed the book, and was able to identify how some of his leadership objectives could apply to my own career. I recommend this book to anyone looking for an interesting read on leadership.
great service.......2003-07-11
The book arrived on time, and in great condition. And they also included another book for free with the order!
Book Description
On April 6th, 2003, twenty-six Green Berets, including those of Sergeant First Class Frank Antenoris Special Forces A-Team (call sign Roughneck Nine One), led a battle against a vastly superior force at a remote crossroads near the village of Debecka, Iraq. The enemy unit had battle tanks and 150 well-trained, well-equipped, and well-commanded soldiers. The Green Berets stopped the enemy advance, then fought them until only a handful of Iraqi survivors finally fled the battlefield. In the process, Nine One encountered hordes of news media and at the peak of the fight, a US Navy F-14 dropped a 500-pound bomb into the middle of a group of supporting Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, killing and wounding dozens. This is the never-before-told, unsanitized, unedited story of the fight for the crossroads at Debecka, Iraq, and a unique inside look at a Special Forces A-Team as it recruits and organizes, trains for combat, and eventually fights a battle against a huge opposing force in Iraq.
Customer Reviews:
A Truely Good Account of our Special Forces in Action.......2007-08-22
This book goes into great detail and great honesty of the actions of a Special Forces A-Team in Iraq. Although the main author, Antenori, gets a little arrogant at times while speaking of how "great" the Special Forces are, I was able to get past it and enjoy the rest of the book.
Army Magazine Review of Roughneck Nine-One.......2007-08-13
Roughneck Nine-One: The Extraordinary Story of a Special Forces A-team at War
Army Magazine, July 2006 by Spencer, Jimmie W
Noncommissioned officers have a great deal of credibility both within the Army and with the American people. They tend to answer questions straight from the heart with little or no regard for political correctness. What you get is the unfiltered truth. If you hear it from an Army sergeant, you can pretty much "take it to the bank."
SFC Frank Antenori, U.S. Army retired, in his book Roughneck Nine-One, tells the story of a Special Forces Ateam (Green Beret) at war in a noholds-barred fashion that you would expect from a senior noncommissioned officer.
Written in a style that can only be described as soap opera-ish, he and his co-author, Hans Halberstadt, tell an extraordinary story of Special Forces A-tea m soldiers before, during and after combat. At a crossroad near the village of Debecka, Iraq, outnumbered and facing T-55 tanks, they were simultaneously locked in mortal combat, dealing with the news media and coping with the killing and wounding of dozens of supporting Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, when a U.S. Navy F-14 fighter mistakenly dropped a 500-pound bomb on the wrong target.
Antenori says of the supporting Kurds, "They reminded me of our Minutemen of 1776; they wore a mixed bag of uniforms: some were in camouflage, others in solid green, and others wore civilian clothes. Besides their rifies and ammunition, they had none of the 'battle rattle' Americans requireno CamelBaks, no kneepads, no gloves, no body armor protection. Some wore sandals instead of boots. They had left their homes early that morning after breakfast with their families. They had probably kissed their wives good-bye, picked up weapons, and gone off to spend the day at war, not sure they would come home at night. They are true militia, the kind that Special Forces Soldiers have trained and led for well over fifty years."
The reader is also given a rare glimpse into the inner workings of a Special Forces A-team, how it plans, trains, equips and deploys for combat, and the emotional roller coaster of ups and downs that it lives with day to day.
The book is in fact two stories in one; one of Special Forces soldiers in combat, at their best, and the other of constant bitching about almost everything. The combination results in a realistic story about real soldiers.
I would highly recommend this book to military historians and anyone interested in reading a good story, a true story that is easy to read and hard to put down.
SFC Antenori can add one more honor to an already impressive list of accomplishments, that of raconteur.
CSM Jimmie W. Spencer
U.S. Army Special Forces (Retired)
Roughneck Nine-One.......2007-08-06
The author is a disgruntled E-7 who served with a Green Beret unit during the outbreak of the iraq War. Most of the book is boring and filled with military jargon and terms especialy related to special forces units. The climactic battle, near Kirkuk, at the opening hours of the war is interesting, but not really groundbreaking in terms of new combat methods. The soldiers' actions were very commendable, but not Medal of Honor material. The author is somewhat arrogant and soon retired with barely twenty years' service.
Not a worthwhile read.......2007-07-11
I'm surprised at how the negative reviews below have been received, with so many people labeling the reviews as not being helpful. I personally could not agree more with the two poor reviews. Let's start with the writing. As far back as middle school, any paper I wrote that contained an over-abundant usage of words, phrases, or literary devices was returned to me so those usages could be exchanged for more varied writing choices. Antenori's editor did him a great disservice when he allowed Antenori to ride the use of foreshadowing right into the ground. I have never, EVER, read a book that used "little did we know", "we would soon find out", "in a few seconds", etc. in the excessive manner that this book did. It seemed like every other paragraph ended this way, and it becomes pretty tedious. Something is going to happen in this book that justifies all your training. We get it, Frank.
In case you think that is an unfair reason to pan the book, how about the fact that almost NOTHING of any consequence actually happens in the book until page 150. Did I mention it's only 241 pages? And for all intents and purposes, the events at the intersection are over by page 226; the rest of the pages are just wrap-up. I'm not going to lie, I read these books for the excitement and the camraderie and the insight into these brave people that put their lives on the line for us. I don't read these books to sift through 150 pages of a group of men getting shuffled around, doing relatively mundane training exercises, and generally grousing about their lot.
Finally, if I haven't made a strong enough argument yet, I'll say it: these guys were really lucky. As was said below, and even by the author, if the Iraqis had brought their offensive A-game, ODA-391 would have been in a world of hurt. It's interesting how at the end of the book, under a sub-title marked "luck", Antenori chooses not to comment on this part of the operation. Without a DOUBT these are brave, brave men, and the work of the medics was impressive, but it must be said that this was not a mission that succeeded on guts alone, but instead relied massively on pure luck. But I guess sometimes such is life. I'm so happy for those men that this was the case, but it doesn't make for the most interesting reading. In summary, I'd skip this book. There are many great military non-fiction books out there, but this isn't one. It's light on action and packed with what is clearly fluff to flesh out the telling of a decent (very) short story.
Enjoyable story... could have been shorter.......2007-05-18
I thought this was a good read. I am certainly glad SFC Antenori is on our side. This book is ultimately about his leadership during one engagement that ODA 391 found itself in. The action is great and again, I really did enjoy the book, but I was ready for it to "get going" a little before it did. I'm a serious fan of the genre so it didn't stop me from reading on. A bit shorter and I think the action would have really made it jump.
Book Description
From the USA Today bestselling author comes the first in a magical romantic fantasy trilogy.
Darkness covers the north, since the black mage has begun his assault on the kingdom of Neroche. Legend has it that only the two magical swords held by Neroche's king can defeat the mage. Now the fate of the Nine Kingdoms rests in the hands of a woman destined to wield one of those blades...
In this land of dragons and mages, warrior maids and magical swords, nothing is as it seems. And Morgan will find that the magic in her blood brings her troubles she cannot face with a sword-and a love more powerful than she has ever imagined.
Customer Reviews:
Promising beginning to Nine Kingdoms romantic Fantasy Saga leaves the reader wanting more.......2007-09-18
Lynn Kurland shows her versatility as a writer with this foray into the realm of romantic fantasy. This book is very different from her humorous time travel and historical romances, a lot more intense but totally fascinating.
The kingdom of Tor Neroche is in peril. King Adhémar's magical sword has lost its power and his brother Miach, the archmage of the realm, has discovered holes in his protection spells on their borders as well. Now their only hope is to find the wielder of the "queen's sword", the Sword of Angesand, in order to stem the tide of the dark magic encroaching on the kingdom.
Adhémar departs in search of the wielder, but the king is soon waylaid. When too much time has passed, Miach takes the form of a hawk and sets out to find him. Just when he is about to give up he sites the blaze of magic from the king's sword. Hence he finds Adhémar and so much more.
Morgan of Melksham has been charged with a mission by Nicholas of Lismòr, a man who had been like a father to her. She is to take a knife laced with magic and deliver it to the King of Tor Neroche. Morgan, a mercenary/shieldswoman hates magic but agrees to take on the task out a strong sense of duty. Ironically she nearly kills Adhémar for sneaking up behind her, but she is momentarily blinded by his handsome visage. His boastful demeanor soon has her wishing she had finished him off however, and since he is not inclined to reveal his identity, she assumes he is just one of the many sons named after the king of the realm.
Nicholas sends a band of Morgan's friends to meet her and protect her on her quest. Glines recognizes both the king and his brother Miach, but is asked to keep his knowledge to himself. Miach suspect that it was Morgan who had wrung magic from his brother's sword in battle and that she might well be the one that they seek. Since Morgan is quite vocal about her disapproval of magic, Miach tells her that he is a farmer who knows only small spells that might aid him in his work. While Adhémar merely annoys her, Morgan soon comes to trust Miach and eventually decides she might actually become fond of him. As Miach's feelings for the brave and capable warrior become stronger with each moment and more attacks begin to mount on their band, he begins to wonder if he might be able spare her the dubious duty of becoming the wielder of the magical sword.
It is not to be, his own duty dictates that he put the welfare of the kingdom before his heart and the woman he's come to love.
The magic of the dagger has been singing to Morgan and bringing strange dreams of a long forgotten past. By the time she reaches the Tor Neroche its song has become so deafening that she can barely focus on anything else. She longs to deliver her burden to the king and be done with it, but the castle has more than one surprise in store for her, and what she finds there might well destroy her. Certainly nothing in her world will ever be the same.
A happily ever after is not realized in this particular episode. The dark powers that the pair face are strong, but where there is life there is hope. Will Morgan find it in her heart to forgive Miach for his deception? What will the discovery of her heritage mean to them all? Together will they manage to save the kingdom from the darkness? Will Adhémar ever learn humility and cease being pompous? Will we learn more about the other five brothers? (Cathar is definitely intriguing.) We will have to wait and see.
While SF & F lovers are used to sagas of epic proportions Ms. Kurland's romance readers may lament having to wait for their happy ending, but with a storyline this intriguing I have a feeling it will be well worth a little patience. I highly recommend this promising beginning to the tales of the Nine Kingdoms.
Reviewed by Leslie Tramposch for PNR Reviews
The Chatty Cat.......2007-08-22
I have everything Lynn Kurland has written on my keeper shelf. I know some were disappointed that this book wasn't her usual but I enjoyed it start to finish. I like the world she created and the people in it. It was also nice to see that she didn't veer from her own unique writing style. There was no HEA ending because the story continues. I'm looking forward to the next one. This is an author that never lets me down.
different, but WOW.......2007-07-20
I have been a fan of Lynn Kurland for years, I have read EVERYTHING she has published, and have never been disappointed. This book was a departure from most of her books, however she stayed true to her basic plot line--strong, self relient girl has something to do, boy tries to help, and falls for girl, girl must stil finish what she started, but after some hardship, life is much better with boy. Ok I LOVE that, I also must say that I loved the fantasy background. (New and Different) I cant wait to read the next book, beacause as all true Kurland fans know, the plot will continue. Maybe with new characters, maybe with current ones, but the story goes on. I for one will be first in line to buy the next one. So, Lynn, if you read this--THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for your books, sharing your story telling with us mere mortals.
a great fantasy romance.......2007-06-19
If you enjoy Lynn Kurland, fantasy, and romance, you'll love this book. I can't wait for the next one!
Not what I expected.......2007-06-12
While I have always been a devoted Kurland fan, I found this book had more flaws than positives. As I admire this author, I do not intend this to belittle her work, so I will try to keep needless criticisms out of my review.
First, the story was so simplistically written that at times it seemed to be almost a young adult book. The sentences and paragraphs were short and choppy and long periods of time in the book were simply skipped. (This might work in some stories, but in this case I felt it caused the story line to lag.)
Secondly and related to this, I felt as if she could have told the story in half the time it took her as well. It seems that all the characters do is travel, get attacked, and travel some more (with repetitions of the same). (Again, this may work in some stories, but it seemed that there was so much more that could have been done to round things out.)
Third, the characters personalities are described as one way in the beginning and seem to have competely changed by the middle of the book. For example, the female main character is described as dangerous, fearless, and strong, yet at one point in the book she is so scared she can hardly sit on her horse? A monster does not scare her, but a big building does? Unfortunately, I saw this as a weak tool to make the female lead seem more vulnerable and more in need of the rather weak male lead (who could have displayed more backbone during most of the story while not taking anything away from his "big secret"). I have a hard time reconciling such poor character building with a writer who has done such a fantastic job of it in the past. The main characters seemed shallow and what romance there was seemed forced and rather childish. In fact, if I didn't know better, the difference in the quality of her characters, writing style, and plot techs is so glaring, it almost seems as if this was an entirely different writer.
Fourth, as mentioned by another reviewer, the story does literally stop cold, which is quite annoying considering I wanted to put the book down, but fought through to get some closure in the story.
Finally, while this is rather minor, some of the names of locations and people were so hard to spell and pronounce that without a glossary (a useful tool esp. in fantasy writing), the reader spends more time than needed trying to muddle them out while not forgetting what is going on in the story.
In summary, while Kurland has had admitted success with her historical romance series, I believe that her attempt at fantasy is only marginally entertaining and not to be considered a romance in any sense. Seasoned readers will probably not enjoy this one nearly as much as her past work. I agree with the other reviewer who suggested and hoped that Kurland would return to and stick with what she does best.
Average customer rating:
- J.D. Salinger, Where are you?
- A fantastic compelation of vaguely interrelating--yet highly applicaple--tales.
- Before he became a grumpy old man
- A fine collection from a master
- Very Good Read
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Nine Stories
J.D. Salinger
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
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 Salinger, J.D.
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ASIN: 0316769509 |
Amazon.com
In the J.D. Salinger benchmark "A Perfect Day for Bananafish," Seymour Glass floats his beach mate Sybil on a raft and tells her about these creatures' tragic flaw. Though they seem normal, if one swims into a hole filled with bananas, it will overeat until it's too fat to escape. Meanwhile, Seymour's wife, Muriel, is back at their Florida hotel, assuring her mother not to worry--Seymour hasn't lost control. Mention of a book he sent her from Germany and several references to his psychiatrist lead the reader to believe that World War II has undone him.
The war hangs over these wry stories of loss and occasionally unsuppressed rage. Salinger's children are fragile, odd, hypersmart, whereas his grownups (even the materially content) seem beaten down by circumstances--some neurasthenic, others (often female) deeply unsympathetic. The greatest piece in this disturbing book may be "The Laughing Man," which starts out as a man's recollection of the pleasures of storytelling and ends with the intersection between adult need and childish innocence. The narrator remembers how, at nine, he and his fellow Comanches would be picked up each afternoon by the Chief--a Staten Island law student paid to keep them busy. At the end of each day, the Chief winds them down with the saga of a hideously deformed, gentle, world-class criminal. With his stalwart companions, which include "a glib timber wolf" and "a lovable dwarf," the Laughing Man regularly crosses the Paris-China border in order to avoid capture by "the internationally famous detective" Marcel Dufarge and his daughter, "an exquisite girl, though something of a transvestite." The masked hero's luck comes to an end on the same day that things go awry between the Chief and his girlfriend, hardly a coincidence. "A few minutes later, when I stepped out of the Chief's bus, the first thing I chanced to see was a piece of red tissue paper flapping in the wind against the base of a lamppost. It looked like someone's poppy-petal mask. I arrived home with my teeth chattering uncontrollably and was told to go straight to bed."
Book Description
In the J.D. Salinger benchmark "A Perfect Day for Bananafish," Seymour Glass floats his beach mate Sybil on a raft and tells her about these creatures' tragic flaw. Though they seem normal, if one swims into a hole filled with bananas, it will overeat until it's too fat to escape. Meanwhile, Seymour's wife, Muriel, is back at their Florida hotel, assuring her mother not to worry--Seymour hasn't lost control. Mention of a book he sent her from Germany and several references to his psychiatrist lead the reader to believe that World War II has undone him.The war hangs over these wry stories of loss and occasionally unsuppressed rage. Salinger's children are fragile, odd, hypersmart, whereas his grownups (even the materially content) seem beaten down by circumstances--some neurasthenic, others (often female) deeply unsympathetic. The greatest piece in this disturbing book may be "The Laughing Man," which starts out as a man's recollection of the pleasures of storytelling and ends with the intersection between adult need and childish innocence. The narrator remembers how, at nine, he and his fellow Comanches would be picked up each afternoon by the Chief--a Staten Island law student paid to keep them busy. At the end of each day, the Chief winds them down with the saga of a hideously deformed, gentle, world-class criminal. With his stalwart companions, which include "a glib timber wolf" and "a lovable dwarf," the Laughing Man regularly crosses the Paris-China border in order to avoid capture by "the internationally famous detective" Marcel Dufarge and his daughter, "an exquisite girl, though something of a transvestite." The masked hero's luck comes to an end on the same day that things go awry between the Chief and his girlfriend, hardly a coincidence. "A few minutes later, when I stepped out of the Chief's bus, the first thing I chanced to see was a piece of red tissue paper flapping in the wind against the base of a lamppost. It looked like someone's poppy-petal mask. I arrived home with my teeth chattering uncontrollably and was told to go straight to bed."
Customer Reviews:
J.D. Salinger, Where are you?.......2006-10-06
I am among those who describe J. D. Salinger as America's least-heard-from, most-missed-author.
I don't know why he stopped writing. Maybe he thought he had said all he had to say. And in these "Nine Stories," he certainly said it all, and so eloquently.
My favorite three stories are (in descending order): "A Perfect Day for Bananafish"; "After the War with the Eskimos"; and "Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes."
"Bananafish" speaks for itself. After reading "Franny and Zooey" (certainly the most brilliant treatise on Christianity ever written, my apologies to C. S. Lewis) and "Raise High the Roofbeams, Carpenters", I understood why certain people (like Seymour Glass) are just too beautiful for this world.
"After the War with the Eskimos" can't help but touch the heart of anyone who ever loved Holden Caulfield.
"Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes" inspired me to write a story which, I fear, is terribly derivitive. My characters sound a lot more like "The Sopranos" than J. D.'s upper-crusty New Yorkers, but the pathos is the same. Salinger understands the human heart. Maybe that's why he is so silent.
A fantastic compelation of vaguely interrelating--yet highly applicaple--tales........2006-08-31
To be truthful, I had never been a big fan of Salinger's before I read this book. Personally, I found Catcher in the Rye to be overly dramatic and very cold. Two story-killing traits that are not found in Nine Stories.
What is so appealing about Nine Stories is the way Salinger weaves a fantastic story, sometimes without even coming out and saying it. Whereas other authors would fill you in on the precursors to the events discussed in a story, Salinger would rather pick up at a certain point in a conflict, and allow the reader to draw his/her own conclusions from there. One prime example of this is found in "Pretty Mouth and Green my Eyes", where the main characters discuss a court case--keeping in mind that Salinger has not said the two were lawyers. This type of "fill yourself in" reading is very appealing and allows for a more incompassing and involved reading experience.
The book features a fantastic line-up of wonderfully written tales, filled with everyday people and everyday problems. It is Salingers way of making these stories so applicaple to the reader's life that makes the stories so fascinating.
Yet one of the most appealing aspects of these short stories is Salinger's ability to keep his down to earth writing stile in a yin and yang balance with Light, airy banter between his characters. These stories allow the reader to really delve into a character's depth through their dialogue alone--a detail that is very rare inthe literature realm.
Every story is simply fantastic. This is truely a gratifying read.
Before he became a grumpy old man.......2006-08-30
Before he became a curmudgeonly hermit on the level of a B. Traven or a Thomas Pynchon, Salinger was a close and sympathetic observer of youth and life amongst the New York upper-middle classes. The short stories he wrote from the early 40s through the late 50s placed him among the ranks of the best practitioners of the art. In all, Salinger wrote approximately two dozen short stories, most of which appeared within the pages of "The NewYorker," along with those of his contemporary John Cheever, who was exploring the same territory but with a different emphasis. Salinger specialized in quirky, high-quality tales spiced with equal amounts humor, philosophy, yearning, and sadness, and the far-too-few stories in this volume are a good representative of his work. The emotional trauma of WWII - something which affected him personally and perhaps contributed to the man he is now - is depicted in differing ways in such stories as "Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut", "For Esme - With Love and Squalor," and "A Perfect Day for Bananafish." "Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes" is written almost entirely as dialogue, "The Laughing Man" takes as its theme the magic of story-telling, while "Down at the Dinghy" and "Teddy" illustrate Salinger's famous empathy with children. It's a pity and a mystery that Salinger only included nine of his many wonderful stories in this volume. Apparently, to this day he refuses to allow any of his stories to be reprinted in anthologies, and has withdrawn permission to keep his stories in new editions of such older anthologies as "Short Story Masterpieces" or "Fifty Great Short Stories." It's as if Salinger the artist for the last forty years has practiced a type of Zen self-abnegation, erasing not just his present but his past. Why write if you don't want to be read? What purpose, other than self-therapy, does art serve without an audience? (But don't despair. If you surf the samizdat of the net carefully, you'll find other stories by Salinger.)
A fine collection from a master.......2006-07-14
It seems silly to talk about the literary merits of this book of Salinger's short stories. He's a master writer with complex characters and fantastic dialogue. These stories are populated with vintage Salinger characters: high society intellectuals who have everything in the world but happiness. Although I didn't enjoy NINE STORIES as much as I liked CATCHER IN THE RYE and didn't love most of the characters as much as I loved the characters in FRANNY & ZOOEY, there are a few gems. "The Laughing Man," in which the narrator recalls his Comanche Chief (like a Boy Scout leader) and the way he enchanted the troop with his magnificent stories until his adult world crashed the party, seemed particularly relatable for some reason. And "For Esmé--With Love and Squalor," a story written by a traumatized soldier to a young girl he met on leave, is a charming and disturbing story. Overall, a very fine collection.
Very Good Read.......2006-07-08
One of the books I've returned to several times, often to just one or two of the stories that I know I can count for a good time. Despite having such a limited output, I can say without hesitation that Salinger is one of my favorites. I especially appreciate the Glass family stories. I love the way the mundane becomes so real and interesting,and often funny. Check it out!, even if you're not a fan of short stories.
Book Description
Nancy MacDonell Smith explores the origins, meaning, and remarkable staying power of the ten staples of feminine fashion:
* the little black dress
* the white shirt
* the cashmere sweater
* blue jeans
* the suit
* high heels
* pearls
* lipstick
* sneakers
* the trench coat
Tracing the evolution of each item from inception to icon status, she reveals the history and social significance of each, from the black dress's associations with danger and death to the status implications of the classic white shirt. Incorporating sources from history, literature, magazines, and cinema, as well as her own witty anecdotes, Smith has created an engaging, informative guide to modern style.
Customer Reviews:
Enjoyable, informative and surprising.......2005-10-26
While I would still qualify this as "light" reading, it's an intelligent read about a subject some have written off as too inconsequential and that others have elevated to deadly seriousness. This book strikes a nice balance, coming from the point of view that our clothing says a lot about us, whether we are conscious of it or not.
While I appreciated the author's writing style and observations (I burst out laughing when she described wannabe hip hop fans in pursuit of the perfect sneaker as foot fetishists), she didn't go out of her way to be too clever or witty (although she did quote quite a few people who arguably do, especially the designer- Manolo Blahnik?- who declares that it's all about extremities and the rest of the body is boring. Okay...) In the ten main chapters, the book provides a history of the evolution and a commentary on the social significance of each of the classic ten style items, almost all of which are interspersed with personalities who embodied the spirit of the item. (It should be noted that Audrey Hepburn and Coco Chanel made an appearance in almost every chapter. Where would modern fashion be without them?)
Some points that will stay with me: the seventies/early eighties trend towards natural and the cosmetics executive who bragged about her skill applying twelve different products to achieve the natural look; the evolution of the men's suit to embody the Greek (Greco-Roman) ideal of the perfect body; the foot fetishisms that seem to inform so many footwear designs (and a deplorable ad by Apostrophe involving fetishism and murder- remind me not to buy any of their shoes!).
While I couldn't argue with her choices, I found it odd that she did not include black boots or the perfect scarf in her list. That may have pushed her over the all-important number ten, but since she sort of cheated in her discussion of the white shirt (which refers to both the button down version and the T-shirt), I think she should have found a way. But that's a very minor complaint.
If you're interested in fashion history and modern dress, this will be an enjoyable read.
Lots of fun and familiar.......2004-02-03
It's hard to find good, lively fashion writing that's geared to the consumer -- not just to the elite insiders working in the fashion industry. This book fills a need for the everyday fashionista who loves to read intelligent copy about clothes, especially the classics already in her closet. The author knows her subject and her affection is contagious.
There's nothing much new here, but still, it's loads of fun to rehash. Reading these essays, I had a vague sense that I'd read some of the material in several other places by several other authors -- such is the familiarity of the Little Black Dress, for example. (Everyone wants to own the LBD and every fashion writer in America has written about it. Ditto the trench coat.)
But don't let that spoil the fun and romance of this delightfully fun read! It's a great little tribute to the classics, and deserves a place on your nightstand.
Amazon.com
An American could fly on a turboprop run by a regional carrier once per day and not expect to die in a crash for 8,000 years, according to one estimate. That's small consolation to the 29 people who found themselves on ASA Flight 529 in 1995, when a faulty propeller cracked and destroyed one of their plane's engines. As Gary M. Pomerantz notes in Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds--the title refers to the length of time between the engine blowing and impact--"Of all the emergency checklists, there was none on how to fly with one wing." Pomerantz says his book is "not about a plane falling, but the human spirit rising." That's only part right. Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds has plenty of human-interest angles, but it mainly holds a morbid fascination akin to rubbernecking at the scene of a highway accident. Ever wonder what people do when they know they're about to crash and believe they might die? Herein lie the answers. (Unexpectedly, they don't scream.) Pomerantz conducted hundreds of interviews for this book, from the flight's 19 survivors to family members of the deceased to the mechanic who refurbished the bad propeller before it went back on the plane. It is by turns interesting, poignant, and harrowing. Readers drawn to stories of adversity will find it riveting. --John Miller
Book Description
“An ode to the beauty and dignity of the human spirit.” —Dominick Dunne
Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds is a heart-pounding real-life drama about how ordinary people rise above their fears and muster extraordinary courage and strength in the face of danger. In this gripping and inspiring story, Gary Pomerantz brings readers deep inside the hearts and minds of twenty-nine people whose fates take a dramatic turn when the plane they are on crashes in a west Georgia hayfield. You will be amazed by how they react in those fateful moments, and by their remarkable personal journeys in the days and months that follow.
Customer Reviews:
An Exellent Book!.......2007-05-24
Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds, written by Gary M. Pomertantz, is a compelling, tragic story about ASA Flight 529. Shortly after takeoff, with a horrible explosion, the flawed propeller caused the left wing engine to break down. These circumstances left the crew with nine minutes, twenty seconds to prepare for a crash. In these nine minutes and twenty seconds, Gary Pomertantz goes deep into the hearts and minds of the passengers aboard who knew they were almost in the grip of death. Some people blamed God, others cried, and the crew members recalled their training. A dismal story with tragedies and triumphs, heroic deeds and cruel deeds, Gary Pomertantz clearly shows a person's true character will be seen through times of disaster in the scramble to survive. Gary Pomertantz writes with such lively descriptions and intense action that the reader will be experiencing the action as if it is happening right then. A truly indescribable book, Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds will be an unforgettable read with horrific and inspiring moments that will touch your heart. Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds is recommended to all readers who like a terrific drama-filled book. This book is a must-read and a real page-turner. Definitely a five-star book with two thumbs up, a reader simply cannot miss this book.
A story that stays with you.......2007-03-13
I saw this book on the front seat of a car recently as I was walking through a parking lot. I was amazed at how simply seeing the cover brought to mind very specific scenes from the narrative. It's been years since I read this book and still I can recall many moments, both horrific and inspiring, that the author relates. Most books I can hardly remember even reading! It's a powerful story.
Pretty good, but a bit of the bait and switch.......2007-01-18
It strikes me that most reviews are gushingly postive more in honor of the deceased and the survivors of the airplane crash detailed in this book. That's understandable. The story here - which is about the precise details around the cause of, events preceding, passengers affected by, occurence of, reaction to, investgation of, and industry-wide impact of a particular commerical plane crash - is gripping, and one that will forever change your attitude about flight and the frailty of life in an aluminum tube surrounded by high-test fuel. My "bait and switch" remark is in regard to the title. Only a fraction of this book concerns the nine minutes and twenty seconds that elapsed from the time that ASA Flight 529's propeller exploded to the ground impact - in fact, that is about the amount of reading time needed to cover the pertinent text. That's disappointing insofar as that was a selling point of the book - a chance to hear from survivors who experienced what any modern traveler has thought about, which is to face the reality of the risks that underlie all those frequent flier miles and little bags of peanuts (American Way magazine never mentions the wisdom of wearing cotton clothing and running shoes, or the grit that might be needed to leap with broken bones through a blazing curtain of jet fuel). No - most of the book is a respectful biographical review of the living and dead, both pre- and post-crash. So, for the reader is more interested in the miracle and the consequences of flight, an account of some gutsy and selfless flying in the face of death, and a clinical review of crash mechanics, this book will leave you wanting. For the others who are willing to be exposed to some hard but true stories of tragedy and survival, this is a fair book.
Inside an Ill Fated Airliner and The Lives of Its Passengers.......2006-05-15
The term "page turner" is often overused and books described this way are all too often overrated. However this term applies perfectly to "Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds : A True Story of Tragedy and Triumph" by Gary Pomerantz. The book provides fascinating insights into the aircraft, it's damaged propeller, the inspector was passed the propeller, the crash into a rural Georgia field and, most of all, the lives of the 29 passengers aboard ASA Flight 529.
It is clear from the details and insight in the book that Gary Pomerantz did extensive research into the crash, the people involved, and all the matters surrounding it and them. If there is any downside to this book, it is that it tends to become a little repetitive toward the end and finishes weakly.
But don't let that prevent you from ordering this book. Its a great read and highly recommended.
"Fly it as far into the crash as you can"........2006-05-05
A fellow pilot and instructor gave me this book and said "just read it". I did and it was terrific for the genre, if there is indeed one. This book brings together how a commuter turbo prop plane crashed in the mid 1990s, tracing it to a small fracture in the left propeller. I was impressed with the investigative detail Gary Pomerantz went to, with the original work done for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
One can take away many things from this book. One is the will to survive. Others include heroism, reactions under extreme stress and pain, and the strentgh of the human spirit. The pilots here should make all of us proud. Many who do not fly think that we are glorfied bus drivers. When things are going well, which is much of the time, it is easy. But when things go bad, and they went very bad on this flight, you want pros up front and the survivors of this horrific crash had the best.
Pomerentz pieced together in a very seemless way an accident that altered hundreds of peoples lives. It is a book that should be read by all who are interested in aviation or lives coming together at some critical, unthought of way. It is a must read for pilots. NEVER, EVER give up on the plane. The old test pilot adage applies: "Fly it as far into the crash as you can". They did and many survived just because of that.
Book Description
Nine strokes from an old country church toll out the death of an unknown man and call Lord Peter Wimsey to one of his most baffling cases. Set in the strange, flat fen-country of East Anglia, this is a classic tale of suspense by a master of mystery.
Customer Reviews:
The "Tailors" don't sew.......2007-09-19
This tale finds Lord Peter Wimsey and his ever-present butler, "Bunter," on a driving tour of the English countryside when Lord Peter, (who is a bit of a klutz at times), crashes the car, which keeps the two stranded for a day or so in a great and atmospheric rural location, of course, to launch into another great double-whammy mystery: an old jewel theft and murder.
Wimsey and Bunter end up staying overnight at a friendly old preacher's home and Peter gets "roped" (yes, a pun...) into an all-night bell-ringing vigil to ring in the new year at the local church, due to the reported serious illness of one of the bell-ringing team. The bells themselves are the Nine Tailors of the title, each having a separate formal name.
I'll stop there, except to say that Lord Peter ultimately has to return much later to solve the theft and the murder mysteries.
The story is expertly crafted by Sayers, a master of the mystery-writing art, and few folks will guess the ironic ending. Here are some things that I like about this mystery: It's English; it takes place early on in the 20th Century; there are "crusty" characters; the location is very good; I learned a LOT about church-bell ringing, clearly an art-form that I was previously unaware of, and; the story has a satisfying conclusion. So, what didn't I like? Well, those are mostly my own hang-ups because these are things NOT so much found in this story, but I savor mystery cliches such as creepy old houses, lots of rain, and a clear nemesis throughout such sagas.
Also, I will assert that Dorothy L. Sayers wrote BETTER mysteries than this one, (e.g., "The Unpleasantness at the Belonna Club," her best mystery ever), so I'm sort of rating this one solely against her own works. Still, this is a fine mystery and I recommend it to others who enjoy the genre.
It's also available on Audiobook and that version is VERY good, rendered by an excellent reader. I definitely recommend that you read the book first, though, because there are tons of intricate details and clues in this one that are otherwise easily missed in the audiobook version.
Ingenious Plot with Bells, Jewel, and War!.......2007-09-12
This novel of Dorothy L. Sayers would have deserved five stars, if Ian Carmichael's performance as the 20s aristocratic sleuth in the TV mini-series, Lord Peter Wimsey - The Nine Tailors, has not been so spectacular, and the story seems more effective when it was told in a chronological order in the film. Those who are interested in more recent aristocratic sleuths may want to check out Sir Philip Wild and the Emerald Necklace, an intriguing mystery novel with similar storyline and an attractive baronet as a private detective.
Ding! Dong! Go the Bells.......2007-09-12
For those interested in the intricacies of church bell ringing, look no further. This novel drones on and on about the clangers in a manner that displays Sayles' need to show off her extreme research. Cut out these 50 or so pages, and you might have a rather fine read indeed. Wimsey and his servant Bunter are endearing characters, and there are several other fine creations, including a lively parrot. Yet the mystery itself seems at times to be a wedged-in afterthought. And then there's the Superintendent's line: "She's got a stack of money and the meanness of fifty thousand Scotch Jews rolled into one." This is pure anti-Semitism and it isn't that favorable to the inhabitants of Scotland either. Truly this is one of the more overrated books I have ever read. As for Sinclair Lewis stating that this mystery might be better than Dickens' Bleak House, it makes you shudder. Either Lewis was in bed with Sayles, they were pals, she had reviewed one of his books favorably, or the man had gone crackers. I'm sticking with Dickens and Agatha Christie.
great book.......2007-09-11
I literally ordered it and got it so quickly! I also love the author and her books.
Dorothy Sayers at her best.......2007-04-11
This novel by Dorothy Sayers represents her considerable literary skills at their best. She skillfully weaves her mystery within a highly educational and entertaining presentation of bell chaining, a unique custom of the Church of England. Lord Peter Wimsey is the man!
Book Description
Collected are the first four to five years worth of burn collectors that al burian produced on his own. Al burian's writing has received all sorts of exclaim and praise from all over the world. In many ways al burian is part of the rising group of "underground" authors (aaron cometbus, cindy of doris, sarah of the urban hermit etc. etc.) who is definitely leaving their mark on modern literature. Definitely above average writing focusing on personal issues, experiences, insights and more.
Customer Reviews:
The Modern Jack Kerouac.......2005-08-20
A while ago, I had the opportunity to do a radio show for indie college station, KUOI FM 89.3. I had to choose a name for my show... and I ended up naming my first show "elaborate burn" partly in ode to the electronic group Future Sound of London and also as a nod to a brilliant modern writer, Al Burian. Follow our protagonist as he works for Kinko's copies, travels on a "hell bus" and personifies existential punk rock wanderer. This is, without a doubt, one of the BEST products to result from the "zine" fad of the 90's. Written on an ancient 1980's Macintosh and photocopied with punk rock skill this contains some of the best and most meaningful writing I've seen in years. This is, in my opinion, a modern classic, a "new classic" as they say.
When I got my show approved, in a moment of stinging irony, I was given the burn in that the Media Director spelled my show wrong resulting in the name "Elaborate BARN!" I got a harsh Burn. I then had to yell at the Media Director to please change it. Another interesting fun fact: when I read from this book on the air, people were dumb enough to think I was reading MY STORY. Wow, profoundly stupid. No, I was reading from this book and please purchase it if you find it interesting. I even said I was reading from a book and people still didn't get it. College drunkards.
Anyway, PLEASE pick this up for a read it's simply awesome. Al Burian also plays in the band Milemarker. And Hammerhead is a real rock group that actually does in fact have an album called "Into the Vortex."
If you like this you might like:
Jack Kerouac
Douglas Adams
Kurt Vonnegut
Trying harder, now........2005-03-07
The first nine Burn Collector issues, in bound, book-type format by the implacable Al Burian. This collection affected me as much as anything I can think of, at the time I was reading it. The great themes, they're all there, in less conventional formating than you may be used to. But therein lies the fractured beauty of it, too.
Overall, it's almost impossible to reach the end of this book, to read the line, "we're going to have to try harder now," and not be really affected by what that means. I definitely recommend this to anyone.
Interesting.......2002-05-15
Let's just say the Burian uses very unconventional methods to express things novelists have been saying for years: from the desolation of suburbanized America, to lousy jobs, to near death experiences. He even goes as far as submitting some interesting, yet funny, comics part way through which I found encouraged me to continue reading. Also, check out Burian's band, "Milemarker".
Average customer rating:
- The Original Spy Thrillers
- The spy who bored me
- Mr Standfast
- Classic adventure yarns
- 39-steps: Buchan wrote the book, on the classic adventure
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The Four Adventures of Richard Hannay: The Thirty-Nine Steps/Greenmantle/Mr. Standfast/the Three Hostages
John Buchan
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ASIN: 0879238712 |
Product Description
Here, from the father of spy fiction, is the grand sequence of his great master spy's adventures in four famous books: The Thirty-Nine Steps, Greenmantle, Mr. Standfast and The Three Hostages.
From the introduction by Robin W. Winks:
John Buchan is the father of the modern spy thriller. This is so even though the Hannay books are not, strictly speaking, about spies at all...They are about penetration of the enemy, about lonely escape and wild journeys, about the thin veneer that stands between civilization and barbarism even in the most elegant drawing-room in London.
The Thirty-Nine Steps shows...an attractive man, not too young...and not too old, since he must have the knowledge of maturity and substantial experience on which he will draw while being able to respond to the physical rigors of chase and pursuit. Let the hero, who appears at first to be relatively ordinary, and who thinks of himself as commonplace, be drawn against his best judgment into a mystery he only vaguely comprehends, so that he and the reader may share the growing tension together. Set him a task to perform...Place obstacles in his path the enemy, best left as ill-defined as possible, so that our hero cannot be certain who he might trust. See to it that he cannot turn to established authority to help, indeed that the police, the military, the establishment will be actively working against him.
Then set a clock ticking...
Customer Reviews:
The Original Spy Thrillers.......2006-02-06
"The Four Adventures of Richard Hannay" gathers in one volume stories written by John Buchan during and after his service as an British intelligence officer during the First World War. The first two stories were actually written and published as the war with Imperial Germany and her allies progressed, imparting a sense of urgency and uncertainty about the outcome that an historical novel written after the fact might not have captured in the same way. "The Thirty-Nine Steps", "Greenmantle", "Mr. Standfast", and "The Three Hostages" follow the career of South African mining engineer and British Army officer Richard Hannay. Hannay stumbles into the spy business through the murder of an accidental lodger in "The Thirty-Nine Steps", set in the time just before the outbreak of war, and is repeatedly called back to the spying businees, often from his military duties, in the remaining stories. Buchan's technique improved with practice; the stories develop more complicated plotlines and smoother deliveries.
Those familar with the Sherlock Holmes stories will find a similar sort of pacing in Buchan's adventure stories. Buchan relies heavily on coincidence and exotic settings in advancing his story lines, and some of the stereotypes and language will seem dated to modern readers. Some other portions of the stories will seem remarkably fresh, as for example Hannay's description of the opposition by some Britons to the War with Germany, proof, if we needed it, that human nature is remarkably constant. The story lines are engaging, and Richard Hannay is a sympathetic hero, if very much a man of his times. Buchan, a born and raised Scotsman, is often at his literary best in describing the people, land and simple details of ordinary living of Scotland and England.
Readers are highly encouraged to read the introductory essay by Robin Winks, which provides excellent background on the remarkable life of John Buchan and the context of his writing. In his description of the "Buchan Formula", Winks makes the case that Buchan is the literary forefather of later writers of spy fiction such as Jon LeCare.
This book is highly recommended to those fans of the spy genre who would like to explore its antecendants, and to those readers looking for authentic period piece stories.
The spy who bored me.......2004-11-14
Buchan hasn't held up. His people are shadows and caricatures that read like the over-made-up characters in some silent movie. He doesn't seem to have much of a grip on religion, language, ethnicity or simple human motivations. Authors fade into obscurity for a reason -- and there are reasons why book introductions, like the one offered here, take on such a defensive tone. In Buchan's case the reason is his tales of exotic adventure read like one part Kipling and 20 parts dishwater. If you must read him, don't go anywhere near "Kim" until you're well through.
Mr Standfast.......2003-07-06
Having just finished Mr Standfast I felt it a good time to review my thoughts and emotions stirred by the book.
Mr Standfast, the third Buchan novel in the General Hannay series, is a fascinating study in the era in which it was both set and authored. Being published in 1919, the events of WW1, the topic of the book, were no doubt fresh in the authors mind.
The book is not easy for the 21st Century reader with many words not frequently in current use. Keep a dictionary handy. It is however a stimulating read with a great historical
backdrop. Whilst at times farfetched and Biggles like in it's gingoistic tone, the reader is drawn into Hannay's affection for his cause. Overall, a thoroughly recommended read.
Classic adventure yarns.......2003-07-06
As my title says, the Four Adventures are real classics that spawned a whole library of imitators. Written as they were during the First World War and immediate post-war period by someone who both hob-nobbed with the political movers and shakers of the time & may have participated in some intertesting Intelligence work on his own (see Peter Hopkirk's LIKE HIDDEN FIRE for some of the "facts" behind GREENMANTLE) they capture a time a place and a people at the height of British global dominance. Given that the first three tales were written during some of the most desperate days of World War I it is no accident that there is some pro-British propaganda, but as the excellnt introduction to this edition points out, Buchan is remarkably kind to both friends and foes, and while the Bad-Guys are truly Bad, they also have their redeeming qualities. THIRTY-NINE STEPS has been made into a number of movies, none of which do it justice. GREENMANTLE is my personal favorite & reading it again for the umpteenth time last year I was struck by how remarkably prescient Buchan was as to the problems we now face with an Islamic Middle East. Mr. Standfast actually wraps things up nicely, with some excellent descriptions of fighting on the Western Front, and I always felt that THE FOUR HOSTAGES was a bit of a tag-on that really wasn't needed (the same can be said of the fifth and long out of print Hannay adventure THE ISLE OF SHEEP, which has been sensibly left out of this volume). If you like adventure stories with a strong male hero, a nice mystery, clearly defined Good and Evil, an appealing heroine (in the last three Adventures) and a good sense of history by someone who actually made part of it, this volume is for you. Readers of Alan Furst & the like will see where contemporary authors got their ideas & timing. This is a wonderful look into a now vanished world that still has clues to our troubled present.
39-steps: Buchan wrote the book, on the classic adventure.......1998-05-09
'Nuff said about the 39-steps; read the book. If I had written the 39-steps, I could have died without regret.
Buchan delved the emotional depths of strong, silent men, in the wild mystical motion of Greenmantle & in the static unshaken forces of endurance & will of Mr. Standfast. In these two tales, he brought the irresistible force & the immoveable object, the two opposing forces of nature, the storm & the rock, the Yin & the Yang, into being, in his writing.
Strangely, it is another, black, South African, the great Nelson Mandela, who typified in real life, the qualities of Buchan's fictional Boer, Peter Pienaar.
The three hostages was a cop-out, an afterthought, the dabbling of an artist who had reached the top of the mountain and was now relaxing & drawing pretty pictures for his grandchildren.
Book Description
Cat o’Nine Tales is the fifth collection of irresistible short stories from the master storyteller. Ingeniously plotted, with richly drawn characters and Jeffrey Archer’s trademark of deliciously unexpected conclusions, this new collection has the added bonus of thirteen charming illustrations by the internationally acclaimed artist Ronald Searle.
Some of these twelve stories were inspired by the two years Jeffrey Archer spent in prison, including the story of a company chairman who tries to poison his wife while on a trip to St. Petersburg---with unexpected consequences. “The Red King” is a tale about a con man who discovers that an English lord requires one more chess piece to complete a set that would be worth a fortune. In another tale of deception, “The Commissioner,” a Bombay con artist ends up in the morgue after he uses the police chief as bait in his latest scam. “The Perfect Murder” reveals how a convict manages to remove an old enemy while he’s locked up in jail, and then set up two prison officers as his alibi. In “Charity Begins at Home,” an accountant realizes he has achieved nothing in his life, and sets out to make a fortune before he retires. And then there is Archer’s favorite, “In the Eye of the Beholder,” in which a handsome star athlete falls in love with a three-hundred-pound woman . . . who happens to be the ninth-richest woman in Italy.
Jeffrey Archer is the only author to have topped international bestseller lists with his fiction, nonfiction, and short stories. Cat o’Nine Tales is Archer at his best: witty, poignant, sad, surprising, and unforgettable.
Customer Reviews:
Not a weak one among the bunch.......2007-08-27
Archer's short story collection here is perfect. Each story is interesting and has that trademark twist that keeps us coming back for more. The incredible thing is the lack of any weak stories among the bunch. Granted, some move faster than others, while a few seem to take a long time getting where they're going, but they all pay off in the end for the patient reader.
Stand out stories include "Maestro" and "The Red King". While some of the stories seem similar in theme (prison), it's understood why and makes sense. A wonderful way to pass the time.
Nice tales with a surprising angle.......2007-08-24
As always, I love Jeffrey Archer's tales/short stories, although this is not quite up to par to his previous ones.
A delectable collection from a master storyteller.......2007-08-14
I've been a long-time fan of Jeffrey Archer's works, be it his novels [Kane & Abel, First Among Equals, As The Crow Flies] or his short stories. Cat O' Nine Tales marks his fifth collection of short stories, the others being A Quiver Full of Arrows, A Twist in the Tale, Twelve Red Herrings [all three of which have also been compiled into 36: The Collected Short Stories]. The first three collections truly showcase Archer's talents as a craftsman of short stories. The fourth collection To Cut a Long Story Short, while entertaining, seemed, in my opinion, weaker than the earlier three.
This current compilation of short stories is quite well-done, though still not in the class of the earlier three. Partly based on ideas Archer obtained whilst incarcerated, e.g. The Man Who Robbed His Own Post Office & Maestro [about an Italian businessman who lands in trouble with the authorities for tax evasion], there are others that revolve around criminal motives ["The Alibi"], deception ["The Commissioner"], romance ["In the Eye of the Beholder"], and also the melancholic "Charity Begins at Home".
As is his style, Jeffrey Archer delivers these stories with a dose of wit and doesn't fail to entertain. A light and engaging read.
Cat O'Nine Tales.......2007-07-04
I have to say that Jeffrey Archer is a great writer and novelist. I do prefer his novels over his short stories though. I wasn't overly impressed with all the stories in this collection but they did provide an afternoon of entertainment, which is as long as you'll need read it. Recommend you check it out at the library first.
excellent crime caper anthology.......2007-06-23
These excellent tales will be on everyone short list for crime caper anthology of the year. Jeffrey Archer says that nine of the original stories were based on contributions from cell mates while the other three came after the author's release from prison. All twelve tales are strong entries especially since the reader does not know until finishing the story whether crime pays in ill gotten gains or with prison time. Ronald Searle's drawings enhance the stories, but it is clearly the writing "Maestro" who makes this a winning short story collection with several especially the fascinating "It Can't Be October Already" deserving consideration for Nebulas.
Harriet Klausner
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- The Pilgrim's Progress in Modern English (Pure Gold Classic) (Pure Gold Classics)
- The Plague
- The Power and the Glory (Penguin Classics)
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