Duel in the Sun: Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley, and America's Greatest Marathon

Duel in the Sun: Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley, and America's Greatest Marathon
Average customer rating:

The Race of Their Lives

Going Beyond the Running

Empathy for the stars

mile 27 and beyond

Great read

Duel in the Sun: Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley, and America's Greatest Marathon
John Brant
Manufacturer: Rodale Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies | Sports | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1594862621
Release Date: 2006-02-21

Book Description

One was a humble farm boy from Minnesota. The other was the most electrifying distance runner of his time. In 1982, they battled stride for stride for more than two hours in the most thrilling Boston Maraton ever run. Then the drama really began. . . . Thus John Brant sets the stage for the epic race that took place 23 years ago between Alberto Salazar and Dick Beardsley. Since Beardsley was only 26 and Salazar 23 at the time, everyone assumed that this would be the start of a long and glorious rivalry. Instead Beardsley soon began a descent into drug addiction that brought him perilously close to dying. Salazars decline was more gradual, his vigor slowly giving way to baffling symptoms that left him completely exhausted. Brants portraits of the painkiller-addicted Beardsley and the depression-plagued Salazar are at once sensitive and hair-raising. The supporting characters are also richly drawn, from Albertos father, Jose Salazar, a towering presence with a fascinating history and a former close friend of Fidel Castro, to Bill Squires, Beardsleys coach, a Casey Stengellike figure whose oddball goofiness masks an encyclopedic knowledge of distance running. This elegantly written story is riveting nonfiction at its very best.

Customer Reviews:

The Race of Their Lives.......2007-07-28

The 1982 Boston Marathon is arguably one of the greatest road races of all time. Alberto Salazar was the "golden boy" and the favorite. Dick Beardsley was an unknown journeyman runner (despite wins at the Grandma's Marathon and London Marathon). Their epic battle is told in stride for stride fashion with each runner sharing his thoughts, doubts and pains. Mr. Brant does an excellent job of fleshing out each runner's biography both before and after the race. I could not put this book down. This is one of the best running books I have ever read. It transends the sport and would be a very entertaining read for anyone!!

Going Beyond the Running .......2007-07-28

This narrative of the runner's lives is captivating and deeply sad. The author conveys the tragedy of each runner's lives after the marathon in such a stunning effect that we feel pain without having known them. Most people see elite runners as those who can push beyond the pain and barriers on the road and track, yet this is a stunning look and those elite's lives beyond the running.

Empathy for the stars.......2007-05-19

That April day in 82 was incredible, very few were heat acclimated. I trained in the midwest and was not. The race was run at noon adn I had heard the high was 75. The road seemed to be on fire. Beardsley had the advantage of heat training Salazar not. I was only a few minutes behind them but blew up at the base of hill #2 (Auberndale station).

The book gives a good accounting of the race and the battle of these fellows. The painfull part is their physical and emotional catastrophies after such a great performance.

Whether it be the marathon, Ironman or other endurance event one is never the same afterward. You gain experience but you also leave some of yourself behind.

mile 27 and beyond.......2007-04-21

Makes me proud to be a marathoner. Knowing the Boston course all too well, I was able to know where they were and think of myself there too. The final few moments on Hereford St... Boylston St... coming over the last hill at BC and seeing the city below, the surreal start in Hopkington...etc. Living in the Boston area in 1982 and struggling on a track team with a coach and team I hated, I remember this race and the excitement that built over the 2 hrs of Dick's & Salazar's journey...all of eastern Mass was behind them.
Years later and a few marathons under my own elastic belt, I profoundly connected with this story again when it excerpted in Runner's World and I think it appeals to runners and non runners alike, and anyone who has struggled with addiction and depression. But mostly distance runners will get this.
John Brant's writing style is melodramatic, but it works. All races are stories but this one is an epic poem.

Great read.......2007-04-18

Not just running, but real life stories of people who have risen to the top and then shows the human side of mistakes and making those something to learn from. This book is great, no question. If you are a runner, you will enjoy this.

Crown Duel (Originally Published as the Two Books Crown Duel and Court Duel) (Firebird)

Average customer rating:

She gets caught...then she gets saved over and over...
Good book for teens
Huyen
Staggeringly Unsatisfying
Courtly Intrigue - Bookwyrm Chrysalis Review

Crown Duel (Originally Published as the Two Books Crown Duel and Court Duel) (Firebird)
Sherwood Smith
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books

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The Seer and the Sword
Inda
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ASIN: 0142301515

Book Description

Young Countess Meliara swears to her dying father that she and her brother will defend their people from the growing greed of the king. That promise leads them into a war for which they are ill-prepared, which threatens the very people they are trying to protect. But war is simple compared to what follows, in peacetime. Meliara is summoned to live at the royal palace, where friends and enemies look alike, and intrigue fills the dance halls and the drawing rooms. If she is to survive, Meliara must learn a whole new way of fighting-with wits and words and secret alliances.

In war, at least, she knew in whom she could trust. Now she can trust no one.

The Firebird edition of Crown Duel combines the hardcover editions of Crown Duel and Court Duel-and features a never-before-published story by Sherwood Smith!

"A fantasy world fit for the most discriminating medieval partisan." (Publishers Weekly)

Customer Reviews:

She gets caught...then she gets saved over and over..........2007-09-28

I will admit to you that I have not read this entire book. Infact I've only made it to the very beginning of Part 2 and I am disappointed. Sherwood Smith has always been interesting to me. I am now reading the book: Inda and I think that it is very enjoyable...
But on the cover of this book is a girl, scratched and bruised with a sword in hand. Now when I pick up a book with a cover like this and reviews that are four stars or higher I expect to find some action - this is no action in this book. Nor is there any suspence.
Now please I know that I haven't read part 2 and that Part 2 may be the climax of the story so no offense to anyone that enjoyed this book.
I thought that it had potential but the only thing I read was Mel (the main character) getting captured, sleeping for days on end and then waking up to somebody saying, "Drink this, my lady." or something of that sort.
Try some books by Sherwood Smith but I don't suggest you reading this book...

Sorry for the low stars but I just expected better.

Happy Reading!

Good book for teens.......2007-09-24

Crown Duel is a pretty clean read - wih no sex, scenes of intense violence or other material usually featured in fantasy novels. The story commences well, with an underlying, slowly developing romance. There are a lot of silly parts. The main character, "Mel," is developing into a woman. And it really doesn't happen overnight. She is gaining alot of emotional maturity (as time goes by) but suffers many emotions I certainly felt myself as a teenager, and that take time to grow out of. From an adult perspective, I enjoyed Mel's character and the things she learns, but didn't identify with her as much as my younger self would of.
Alot of the storyline is summarized instead of artfully written - creating a flatter, less intense story. I read and kept reading because it was interesting, and because there was a lot of action to keep me turning the page - but the writing style needs a lot of polishing.
Part 1 and Part 2 really are like two very seperate books, as the description says they were originally published as. Not really sure why they were combined into one, except that part 1 had a pretty unsatisfactory ending.
The little short story at the end is pretty silly, but honestly very realistic: having been pregnant, that is pretty much how it feels (crying, happy, sad, all at once). It's too short even for a short story - just a few thin pages - maybe to give the book more of a "happy ending" feel?
Mel might be a better character to read about from third person-a little space can go a long way.

Huyen.......2007-09-17

This book is awsome. I love it. I thought the details she wrote in this book were amazing. You read through the book and you can picture what the scenes are going to be like. I love all the characters and the action. The action in this book is awsome! I would definately recommend this book to anyone who likes court tricks, swords, duels, king/queen/prince and so on. Its fast and fun/easy to read. Grasps your attention right away. I love it. ESPECIALLY the second part/Court Duel. I LOVE IT!

Staggeringly Unsatisfying.......2007-08-15

I found CROWN DUEL to be a long series of anti-climaxes. Again and again, our heroine is backed up into a corner, only to be rescued at the last moment. No matter how much circumstances change through the novel - as Meliara transforms from a barefoot countess to a noble with fearsome allies and power of her own - the pattern stays the same. Things get so bad that the protagonists find themselves helpless, hamstrung, and unable to act - and then some third party steps in at the crisis and poof, everything's ok again.

I was also disappointed with the character of Meliara - she is supposed to be, I believe, one of those strong-woman-warrior types, a female leader, a heroine. At first, I thought that we were witnessing her growing pains - the frequently idiotic behavior of a courageous girl on her way to becoming a battle-tested and truly admirable woman. Except she never grew up, and I had to abandon that notion. I don't think it's a coincidence that at the end of it all, Meliara's major success is throwing a fine party. Which is nice and all, but not really heroine-caliber.

The romance was similarly botched. Meliara gets a secret admirer, who courts her indirectly. This develops well enough. But the secret admirer is a real person, and his face-to-face relationship with Meliara remains so static that when the final reveal finally came along I didn't really buy it. Once again, it's too easy - Meliara recognizes her admirer in the flesh, all other troubles are swept aside, and poof, happy ending.

My favorite part of a good story is reading about the ingenious way that a protagonist solves some knotty problem or other - political, magical, romantic. I like the imagination, the strategy, the hard choices involved. I felt like I was consistently denied that payoff here, and I was really disappointed.

Courtly Intrigue - Bookwyrm Chrysalis Review.......2007-08-12

Well-worn. Dog-eared. Falling apart at the binding. These are all ways to describe my poor copy of Crown Duel. Once published as two books, Crown Duel and Court Duel, Firebird Fantasy reprinted them in 2002 as one, a very wise decision as the two stories are only halves on their own. Together the two books create a heroic tale of Mel as she leads a rebellion as a bare-foot countess, to her attempts to survive the deceptions of royal court life. I must admit, though, to loving the second book the most, and have often been tempted to just reread Court Duel, but in the end, I always want the full tale, and begin at the beginning, as any great journey should.

The first book chronicles Mel, as she and her brother, Bran, fight off an invading army sent by their greedy king. Leading a group of hastily-trained villagers, Mel employs sneaky tactics (such as harassing all night or flooding the enemy camp) to hold off the invading army. When Mel ends up injured and captured by the enemy, she is taken by the Marquis Shevraeth to the king, and sentenced to die if she doesn't surrender. Escaping, she leads them on a cross-country chase, is rescued by the Marquis, and forced to realize that while her ideas might be noble, her methods are less than successful. Feeling defeated, she retreats back home after the king dies, convinced she lost the battle.

Into the second book we go, as Mel is dragged off to court by her brother, still feeling defeated for not keeping her promise of making the kingdom a better place. At court, she finds a new kind of battle, navigating the graces and deceits of those who have been schooled as courtiers all their life. As the former king's sister and family make trouble and Mel deals with her `enemy' the Marquis being decided as the new king, Mel still manages to save the kingdom and realize love in a place she was afraid to look.

Sherwood Smith has created a world full of tiny details that form a living world. From the unique hour keeping, using colors and candles to keep time, to the detailed language of fans that the courtiers use to display their true words while trapped in the court of a corrupt king, the reader will find themselves in a vivid setting, experiencing Mel's journey with her.

I'm rather indifferent towards the cover of Crown Duel. In some senses I like it, but I also feel that it isn't all that interesting. It certainly wasn't the main element that led me to read the book.

Here's a quick lesson in cover design. Look at the books that you own, note how many have people on the cover. Now note how many of those people are looking straight at the reader. That's a way to get an instant connection with the potential book buyer while at the store. Take a look at the books facing out next time you go. I have also noticed that many YA male/non-gender books feature symbols or abstract covers, while ones aimed at girls more often use a female looking to the reader.

Average customer rating:

A very fascinating & enthralling book about a wonderful man despite all of his faults & flaws
Great Read
Pete Duel: A Biography
Indispensable for any Pete Duel fan
Pete Duel: A Biography by Paul Green

Pete Duel: A Biography
Paul Green
Manufacturer: McFarland & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0786430621
Release Date: 2007-05-30

Product Description

Actor Pete Duel, most widely known for his starring role as outlaw Hannibal Heyes in television's Alias Smith and Jones, led an unpredictable and often tumultuous life, a fact best characterized by his highly publicized 1971 suicide at the height of his television celebrity. This extensive biography delves beyond such familiar events as Duel's career and death to reveal more personal aspects, including his political involvement and environmental activism. Organized chronologically, the biography features extensive personal interviews with Duel's closest family and friends, including sister Pamela Deuel Johnson and former girlfriends Jill Andre, Beth Griswold, Kim Darby and Dianne Ray. Plus exclusive interviews with close personal friends, actors, producers, directors and writers who worked with Pete Duel.

Includes complete episode guides for his work on TV's Gidget, Love on a Rooftop and Alias Smith and Jones and an extensive filmography. Includes over 60 previously unpublished photographs.

Customer Reviews:

A very fascinating & enthralling book about a wonderful man despite all of his faults & flaws.......2007-08-14

Received this book today in the mail. Am looking forward to reading it again & again. Owning & being able to watch ALIAS SMITH & JONES on DVD made me want to learn more about this man, Pete Duel. Like above title says,a quite fascinating book from first page to last page,well worth the asking price paid for it. Wishing he hadn't made the horrible mistake he did that night in Dec.71. Really think if he had lived instead, he might have become of one of the best actors ever with his truly incredible & God-given talent.

Great Read.......2007-07-11

As a child, I was a big fan of "Alias Smith and Jones." I was devastated upon hearing of my favorite actor's death. Ever since that time, I wanted to know more about the life of Pete Duel, but didn't think the biography would ever be written. I am more than pleased with Mr. Green's effort. The book explores many previously unknown facts about the actor and provides first-hand accounts from the people who knew and loved him. I highly recommend the book.

Pete Duel: A Biography.......2007-06-27

This book for me was a real eye opener. It is told by members of his family, his friends and colleagues. The material included cannot be disputed. They are memories of people that knew Peter best. I did not know him or claim to know him and for me, any information regarding his life and tragic death was something that I was truly grateful for. Not hearing about his death back in 1971, I found out the hard way. I had tuned in to Alias Smith and Jones and discovered that Peter's character, Hannibal Heyes, aka Joshua Smith had been replaced by another actor. Very upset, I went searching for any and all information that I could find on the subject. I had come up empty handed except for a few television review books described what had happened in a few short sentences. Well, I wanted to learn more and I couldn't find anything to help me. I did discover in 2005, two Internet sites that helped me solve the mystery, but it still left me wanting more. Paul Green's book was both a revelation and a Godsend for me. I can describe the book as everything you always wanted to know about Peter but were afraid to ask. It is well written and concise. It is authorized by his sister Pamela and is not a scathing unauthorized mess of negative stories and ideas. Paul has included the good and the bad of Peter's life, if people just took the time to read these pages and understand a little of what is being presented. I cannot understand what some fans are saying about the author and this book. Is it possible that we were reading the same information? Is it possible for fans to contradict what family and friends who have been close to him are saying? I don't understand. I'll admit that I have no experience with an alcoholic relative, boyfriend or husband and those that do should have a clear picture of what was happening with this man instead of trying to put him down or analyze just what the author is saying here. I have however, had experiences with depression and epilepsy and seen firsthand what they can do. In this way I can empathize with Peter's situation and can finally put him in a positive light after all these years. The book is final closure for me as I'm sure for a lot of others who feel as I do. This book hasn't changed the way I feel about Peter Duel, in fact this information has given me the respect that he has deserved and never received, even to this day. He is still a talented handsome man and a brilliant actor whose work I admire and enjoy. Thank you, Paul, for writing an excellent book and a job well done. Please know that it is appreciated.

Indispensable for any Pete Duel fan.......2007-06-18

When I was 11 year old, Alias Smith & Jones was my favorite tv show and Hannibal Heyes, played by actor Pete Duel, was my hero. I was devastated and confused when it was reported that he'd died from a self-inflicted gunshot. Years later I tried to find out who the man was behind the happy-go-lucky ex-outlaw I knew and loved, and what could have driven him to end his own life. I discovered little more than a multitude of old tabloid-style and teen fan magazine articles, whose reliability was questionable at best. At last, more than 35 years after the actor's untimely death, Paul Green presents us with a collection of firsthand memories of Pete Duel from the people who knew him best--family, close friends, lovers, and co-workers. Most of this book consists of direct quotes and personal anecdotes, which adds immediacy and life to this unique portrait of the very talented, troubled actor whose life ended so tragically. The numerous photos from the personal collections of friends and family provide never-before seen glimpses of the actor's private life from his childhood beginnings in Penfield, New York through his last years of life as a successful actor in Hollywood. Also included is quite possibly the most complete filmography of Pete Duel available. It's an excellent guide for those seeking out Pete Duel's many excellent performances, which are available through internet fandom but are also becoming more available as old series are re-released on DVD. For fans of Pete Duel, this book is indispensable, period. But it is also fascinating reading for anyone interested in following the development of an extraordinary creative talent, and witnessing the various forces that came to play in extinguishing it far too soon, against the backdrop of the tumultuous 60's and early 70's.

Pete Duel: A Biography by Paul Green.......2007-06-18

Highly recommended. In this clear eyed, objective, and intelligently written biography author Paul Green, through interviews with Deuel's sister, Pamela Deuel Johnson and lovers, friends and colleagues cleverly tells a sometimes funny, sometimes wrenching story of the short, troubled and frustrating life of the preternaturally talented actor who arguably could have become one of the best of his generation. Green and his contributors pull no punches about Deuel's being a walking contradiction, more demanding of himself than he was of others, possessive, argumentative, rebellious, alcoholic, drug-addicted and depressed. But he was also generous, idealistic, outspoken and protective. As one friend comments, "he was a mad creative genius." As somebody who lived through the turmoil, desperation and hope of the 1960's and early 1970's I recognize Green's skill in pulling the reader back in time, particularly in the chapter Safe in the Park, which provides a riveting account of the 1968 Democratic National Convention in 1968 at which time Deuel participated as a volunteer for Senator Eugene McCarthy. In spite of an often misspent life and premature death, I finished the book respecting Peter Deuel for prevailing despite problems and serious health concerns, eventually reinventing himself as "Pete Duel" who would create the indelible character Hannibal Heyes in the last great Western Alias Smith and Jones. I would have preferred seeing Deuel as Hamlet but today when watching his work on DVD which is available through various fan sites I realize that yes, he really was as good as I remember and I find myself speculating on what might have been if Deuel hadn't been involved in a car accident at the age of sixteen which irrevocably changed his life.

Heart Duel (Celta's HeartMates, Book 3) (Berkley Sensation)

Average customer rating:

Just o.k.
The best of the series...so far...
Great story by a great author
Not up to her 2 previous books
bittersweet, rather Romeo & Juliet

Heart Duel (Celta's HeartMates, Book 3) (Berkley Sensation)
Robin D. Owens
Manufacturer: Berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Accessories:

philosophy hope in a jar daily moisturizer

ASIN: 0425196585
Release Date: 2004-04-06

Book Description

Acclaimed author Robin D. Owens returns to Celta, a world where psychic talents and desires of the heart flourish--and two star-crossed lovers defy all the odds...

Customer Reviews:

Just o.k........2007-07-06

While I found some parts of the book to be quite enjoyable, there were whole sections that I found to be extremely tedious and the ending left me disappointed.

The best of the series...so far..........2005-10-23

I have read each book in this series and I have to say this one was the best of them all. All of them were wonderful, but this one stayed with me even after I read it. I was emotional, passionate and more powerful on different emotional levels. You can feel the frustration with each character and the longing as well. It is an awesome series, but this one really was the best book this far, in my opinion. But I hope there are more to come!

Great story by a great author.......2005-04-23

I purchased this book after reading Ms. Owens first book "Heart Mate" and second book "Heart Thief". This book mixes sci-fi/fantasy and romance together, which makes it a great combo for me, as I enjoy reading both genres. I think this is a beautifully written story rich in detail of the world Ms. Owens has created. I enjoyed reading the first and second books and I enjoyed this one just as much. I can barely wait for new stories by Ms. Owens to come out.

Not up to her 2 previous books.......2005-03-13

I absolutely LOVED her first 2 books in this series, HeartMate and Heart Thief, but this book annoyed me. The main characters, HollyHeir Holm and Healer Lark, spend the whole book having the same basic conversation over and over again. Noone learns from their mistakes, even with a great oracle (Vinni, a very interesting little boy) helping them. I liked Holm in previous books, but found him unsympathic in this book. I wished for old characters to show more often, just to relieve the boredom. The ending was VERY disappointing. I will continue to buy her books, having loved the first 2 so much, but pray they live up to the first ones.

bittersweet, rather Romeo & Juliet.......2004-07-27

What's to like? Celta & all that involves, appearances by T'Ash & Danith and Ailim & Ruis (from previous novels), heartbreaking moments, especially with Holm (not giving anything away here), the kittens.

Problems: Where's the charismatic Holm we came to love in the first 2 books? I had a little trouble believing he was so inept with Lark (and only Lark). Lark is a bit annoying at times because she refuses to see past Holm's status as a fighter; it's opposed to her status as a Healer. Lark's Heartgift just doesn't seem to fit the rules; I hated it; it didn't even use her creative gift which seems to be a requirement of sorts. The bittersweet ending. Saying much more would harm one's enjoyment of the story by taking away the suspense, but I hope that the next book (or 2) addresses that which still causes my heart to ache. These problems dropped the rating to 4 stars.

Not as good as #2, but still a wonderful effort by Ms. Owens. She's on my automatic buy list (and it's a VERY small list).

Duel in the Sun: The Story of Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley, and America's Greatest Marathon

Average customer rating:

Good coverage of a great story

Duel in the Sun: The Story of Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley, and America's Greatest Marathon
John Brant
Manufacturer: Rodale Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies | Sports | Subjects | Books

Running & Jogging | Individual Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1594866287
Release Date: 2007-03-06

Book Description

The 1982 Boston Marathon was great theater: Two American runners, Alberto Salazar, a celebrated champion, and Dick Beardsley, a gutsy underdog, going at each other for just under 2 hours and 9 minutes. Neither man broke. The race merely came to a thrilling, shattering end, exacting such an enormous toll that neither man ever ran as well again. Beardsley, the most innocent of men, descended into felony drug addiction, and Salazar, the toughest of men, fell prey to depression. Exquisitely written and rich with human drama, Duel in the Sun brilliantly captures the mythic character of the most thrilling American marathon ever run—and the powerful forces of fate that drove these two athletes in the years afterward.

Customer Reviews:

Good coverage of a great story.......2007-03-29

I enjoyed the book, despite jumping among 4 stories (past and race from each runner's perspective). I would have preferred a more traditional approach; i.e., a little history of each, the race, and the aftermath. But the author chooses. The unique approach somewhat detracted, but I'm glad I got the full story.

Duel of Eagles: The Mexican and U.S. Fight for the Alamo

Average customer rating:

Overly Cynical Revisionism Detracts from the Work
Revisionist
Nothing ever changes
Finally, an honest look at Texas' sacred cow
Beautifully written, marvelous scholarship

Duel of Eagles: The Mexican and U.S. Fight for the Alamo
Jeff Long
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Mexico | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0688072526

Customer Reviews:

Overly Cynical Revisionism Detracts from the Work.......2006-07-07

The book provides a nice in-depth overview of the origins of the conflict between the Mexicans and the Texans. The description of the conflict and the Alamo Battle itself, are also well done. Unfortunately, the revisionism is written from one of the most cynical perspectives I have ever read in my entire life, and detracts from the quality of the work. To the reader, it seems that author casts most every person in the History of this conflict as overly self-serving in their motives, and contemptuous of everyone else. Any source of human conflict -- even between the various races of people within the Mexican Army -- is amplified as overly divisive. One can forget any hint of Crockett, Bowie or Travis possessing even a scintilla of idealism or purity in motive. In fact, with little exception, hardly any person within the book seems to possess many mentionable good qualities, according to the author. Long seemingly strives to debunk the myths, but in my view he is too harsh in trying to eviscerate people's characters. If you are searching for a work which validates your most cynical view not only of the Alamo but of most of the entire human race, this book will not disappoint you.

Revisionist.......2006-04-03

Some revisionist points need to be made in the interest of the whole truth, but the author is one-sided to a fault. The book is glib, full of sweeping statements, a work of opinion and propaganda, not history.

In our time, people are so used to the idea of the U.S. as the great world power that they may have trouble in understanding that in the 1830s, on the world stage, the U.S. was a minor, upstart country with an uncertain future. Mexico, on the other hand, even after its disastrous War of Independence, was perceived as the heir apparent of the fabled wealth of New Spain. Hindsight is made out to be 20-20 vision, but it is not if it prevents one from understanding how things were and how they were perceived at the time. In this way, our knowledge of what was then the future can impede our understanding of the past.

Nothing ever changes.......2004-10-29

It seems that americans have been heroicly saving the world in the name of freedom and liberty since the beginning of their glorious history. They just wanted to liberate the mexican peasants from tyranie just like they are liberating the iraquis today.

God bless the U.S.A indeed.

Finally, an honest look at Texas' sacred cow.......2004-04-19

I find Jeff Long's retelling of the Alamo fable refreshingly (if brutally) honest and well documented. He debunks alot of of the myths that surround the Battle of the Alamo. He is particarly good at providing an extensive background to the conflict. Growing up in Texas, and studying the state's History in the 4th and 7th grade, it was never too clear what the reasons behind the war were. All I was told is that a group of brave men stood fast against unsurmountable tyranny and sacrified their lives for the ultimate price of freedom. But to say that the Texas revolution was a war for independence is oversimplifying the issue... it is like saying the Civil War was just a war to end slavery. Now, some folks are fine with these simple definitions... and if you are the type of person that likes their history in neat little anecdotes and who wants their heroes to wear white and their villains to wear black, then this might not be the book for you. Reading through it the first time, I was sure that just as it opened my eyes it was going to get others very angry. Over the years, discussing this books with others that have read it has revealed this to be true.
There are many out there that feel this is book is biased and inflammatory. This could be true if Mr. Long was simply stating an opinion. But, the book is extremely well researched, and all his sources are listed for the world to see. If you don't think he is being fair in his assessment of the conflict, then look up the sources... he is not hiding anything. If it is biased, it certainly is not more so than the history books we were given to read at school. In fact, those books carried more of an agenda, and Mr. Longs account is far more accurate and even-handed.
Some legends are hard to die, and I am sure that regardless of how many books like this one are written some people will continue believing that Crockett died in a blaze of glory with his coonskin hat still on his head, and that Travis and Bowie were freedom loving martyrs that had no human fault. I applaud Mr. Longs for providing a well-researched alternative to this view, and for giving us an extensive background on the events and ideologies that lead to the conflict and the consequences that followed. If you are a real history buff that is interested in facts and who likes to get the larger picture, this book is definitely recommended. If not... then I suggest just sticking to John Wayne's 1960 melodrama for familiarity. It's available on DVD on this website as well, I'm sure.

Beautifully written, marvelous scholarship.......2004-04-19

This book is an accomplishment on many fronts. It digs where no one else wants to dig, which is the true hallmark of a historian. It reveals truths that entrenched and calcified communities wish to hide -- a sign of high scholarship and meaningful journalism. Best of all, it is wonderfully written. Jeff Long spends as much time providing ambience and atmosphere than the usual historian. You are transported there. This book is much more interesting that the childish fairytales surrounding the Alamo and Texas "independence." Thanks for expecting that your readers are adults. You won't find any pandering in this book.

The Last Duel: A True Story of Death and Honour

Average customer rating:

Don't Rappers Still Have Duels?
The Gentlemen's Deadly Folly

The Last Duel: A True Story of Death and Honour
James Landale
Manufacturer: Canongate U.S.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Scotland | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Customs & Traditions | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1841958255

Book Description

The Last Duel is a compelling investigation of one of Europe’s last recorded fatal duels by a BBC correspondent delving into his own family history. Using newly discovered archives and his family records and lore, James Landale reconstructs in vivid detail the deadly encounter between a Scottish merchant named David Landale and his banker in 1826, while also exploring the cultural and social circumstances that might explain why two rational, educated men might choose to resolve a minor business dispute by shooting at each other. Tracing the story of dueling itself, from its origins to its sudden loss of social legitimacy in the middle of the nineteenth century, Landale penetrates the curious concept called honor, which drove so many young men to an early death. The Last Duel is an utterly engrossing investigative history that, for the modern reader, renders the personal, social, and historical landscape of the time with an adept and revealing accuracy.

Customer Reviews:

Don't Rappers Still Have Duels?.......2007-04-18

The 16th century Italian poet Torquato Tasso was considered by some the finest poet of his time. In fact, Tasso was so good, that when a reader of his heard another gentleman declare that contemporary writer Ludovico Ariosto was superior, the affronted Tasso fan challenged him to a duel.

Afterwards, the mortally wounded Ariosto champion admitted that he hadn't actually read the poet in question at all. But duelling was so popular that to be contradicted in any opinion was enough cause to throw down the gauntlet.

And so to THE LAST DUEL. I see that Rob Hardy's reader review admirably sums up the gist of this book, so I will simply add that I was prompted read it after seeing a very favorable analysis of Landale's project in THE NEW YORKER. The book was rightly praised for its elegant explanation of the rise and fall of duelling, and for its close look at the titular "last duel" between George Morgan and David Landale.

As the author of the book is Landale's descendant, there is not much suspense as to the duel's outcome, but that's not the important thing here. What is fascinating about it is the closely observed history and the cultural aspects of an age of honor, a time when unread poetry could made men cross swords.

The Gentlemen's Deadly Folly.......2006-11-28

A few miles out of the town of Kirkcaldy, Scotland, in an otherwise deserted field is a pile of stones with a simple plaque reading, "Near this site the last duel in Scotland was fought on 23rd August 1826." There is not much more to learn from going to the locale, but there is a deep and fascinating story behind the little monument. James Landale has told it in _The Last Duel: A True Story of Death and Honour_ (Canongate), not only recounting the duel, its causes, and its effects, but also giving a history of dueling. The institution was a peculiar one, but it was widespread and accepted for centuries as socially useful, with intricate codes and rules to be followed. Landale has made the story of this particular duel exciting, and while he has not exactly made dueling seem like a sensible way for people to conduct themselves, his social history of the activity helps explain how gentlemen were caught up in the system. Duels are frequently encountered in literature and film, and Landale's history puts a useful perspective on them.

Linen-manufacturer David Landale (yes, a forebear of the author) was rapped by the umbrella of banker George Morgan on the high street of Kirkcaldy, and as a gentleman there was nothing he could do but issue a challenge. They had been in a financial dispute, and the furious Morgan had insisted on a written apology. He got no apology and no challenge to duel. Unable to get either, Morgan assaulted Landale with his umbrella, and the duel was on. Their seconds arranged the location and time of the duel. Thus it was that Landale met Morgan, along with their seconds and a doctor for each duelist. They took their positions ten paces from each other, and fired. For ten seconds both stood, and then Morgan crumpled to the ground, mortally wounded. Landale may have acted within the code of honor, but he had still murdered a man. He was tried for murder the next year, a trial that lasted five hours, followed by a unanimous decision from the jury which took only a couple of minutes of conference. Landale was declared not guilty, and the judge replied, "Gentlemen, this is just such a verdict as I expected from you." Landale was free to return to business, but attitudes toward dueling were changing. The last fought by Englishmen on English soil was in 1845; eventually the idea that a man's life, career, and family were less important than punctilios of honor was recognized as an outdated barbarism.

The history of dueling laid out here has more than its share of oddities. Although dueling was the privilege of gentlemen, "petticoat duels" did occasionally occur, like the one in Hyde Park in 1792 after two ladies disagreed on the actual age of one of them. The first lady put a bullet hole into the hat of the second, and then, continuing with swords, the second wounded the arm of the first. There were duels using razors as the armaments, or even billiard balls thrown at the opponent's head. In 1894, two British officers in India dueled by sealing themselves in a room with a poisonous snake; the snake bit one of them, who died, and the other won, although his hair turned white. One variant required the duelists to choose between two identical pistols, only one of which was loaded. In 1808 in Paris, there was a duel between balloonists aloft, each shooting at the other's balloon with a blunderbuss. The preposterous variations only show how silly the whole concept was. We are well rid of such notions of honor, but James Landale has given us a hugely entertaining look at the folly of dueling, and a dramatic recounting of a specific duel fought when the gentlemanly art was dying out.

Legaia 2: Duel Saga (Prima's Official Strategy Guide)

Average customer rating:

Strategy Guide vs On-Line Walkthroughs
wow, so lame
Jesus christ, this is horrible.
Not a bad guide but it isn't anything special either
proofreader, anyone?

Legaia 2: Duel Saga (Prima's Official Strategy Guide)
Jason Young
Manufacturer: Prima Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Video Games | Games & Strategy Guides | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Video & Electronic Games | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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Legaia 2: Duel Saga
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ASIN: 0761540652
Release Date: 2002-10-08

Book Description

Find the water stone and save Nohl!

• Complete character histories and statistics
• Combat strategies, including Hyper Arts and Super Arts
• Complete step-by-step walkthroughs of all regions
• Detailed maps listing item locations and preferred routes
• Comprehensive information for all items, weapons, and armor
• Tips and techniques for combining items, gardening, and cooking

Customer Reviews:

Strategy Guide vs On-Line Walkthroughs.......2006-06-30

For the money that is being charged for this item, it is better to just go on-line to any of the game stores and get a text walkthrough that is more accurate and easier to follow than this strategy guide.

wow, so lame .......2004-12-15

first of all...i truly don't recommend buying this book. It really doesn't help at all for most parts. Sure it got all the items and stuff but most of it, it doesn't tell you how to get them and the walk through are so lame....geesh
For those wishes to buy the book..all i can say is good luck getting your money worth

Jesus christ, this is horrible........2003-10-31

I am a big fan of Legaia 2: Duel Saga. It's a terrific game, and it deserved a terrific guide, due to the expansive nature of the game. It needed great lists and a great walkthrough, along with important boss strategies.

Too bad Jason Young did none of this. The lists are inaccurate and poorly done. He forgets some items entirely, and most of his descriptions are taken straight from the game. And don't even get me started on the walkthrough, as it's one of the poorest things I've seen in a long time. He'll forget how to explain how to get all of the items. He provides a list of them, then explains how to get about a quarter of them. Nice job.

Plus, the guide is short and looks HORRIBLE. It's poorly organized, the font is crap, and the details in the walkthrough are lacking. There's very little included about side quests, and the game basics are laughable at last.

Do me a favor and read my Legaia 2 guide at GameFAQs (under the name Psycho Penguin). You will get more information for free instead of paying money for this garbage.

Not a bad guide but it isn't anything special either.......2003-08-03

Legaia 2 is a HUGE game with TONS of secrets and sidequests. Eventually you'll find the need to grab a guide and while this isn't the best guide it helps to do SEVERAL things that the others here have not mentioned.

To begin, the pre-walkthrough in this guide is full of amazing detail and combat tips. It gives off great strategies of how to battle and take down your opponets. The game also has handy character bios and such as well as an arts list. However, as handy as the arts list is the list has a couple of typos. It's handy and helps but some arts they list off twice and for Sharon there's one art that isn't listed at all.

The Walkthrough is not done too badly. Before each section there's a map that points out items and other things. Then in the text it elaborates on the other points. It list the monsters at the beginning and strategies for taking down each one in the area. The guide won't take you to every item (that's what the maps are for!) but they give you an idea on where to find the ones that aren't in plain sight. All the puzzle solutions are given perfectly.

There are a few problems that exist. For example the main portion of the walkthrough is fine but boss strategies, monster strategies and all around tips are in a strange font. The font IS readable but it takes a while to distinguish between some letters (such as a "h" looks like an "b" in this font).

Screenshots are NOT crystal clear. It's a good thing that the screens you need actually can be used. Some screens are blurry while others are too bright.

The guide covers ALL the hunters guild sidequests, the centaurion challenge, helps you get every recipe, helps out in the battle arena, gives you the low down on cooking and gardening. The guide has a lot to offer really and it lives up to it all.

The guide has a complete monster list. It is all text but this isn't such a problem. Every monster is listed in here but I WISH they were listed IN the walkthrough. The guide has them completely in the back. The monster list also has a couple of typos. None too serious (as long as the HP listed is correct I'm okay). Thank goodness the ingame has a bar below each enemy.

The item, weapon and armor list give the same description as the game does. No problem there, EVERY RPG guide does that so don't worry about that. The skills list I was hoping would be much better described than the game did.

My biggest gripe with this guide is it doesn't help you find all the heaven's secrets! Some you will get such as when it helps you out on mini-games, hunters guild and a few other sidequests. But for some like finding the Supreme Weapons shop Heaven Secret it doesn't detail that at all! It also doesn't help you find all the nicknames for characters.

So the overall effort is this: It will help you get through the game and take care of a few sidequests but it won't help you master the game. The list have typos in them and while the walkthrough and extras help it isn't enough to help you get the full experience from Legaia 2.

proofreader, anyone?.......2003-03-01

Besides the poor graphics, the much-touted arts list features at least 3 typos. If you're going to rave about your inclusive list, at least spend some time proofreading. Couldn't they have afforded an editor?

And...why can't anyone get this...if you're going to list weapons and armor, why not do it by listing them in order of strength instead of alphabetically? If one of the purposes in an RPG is to strengthen characters, shouldn't the lists reflect that?

Duplicate explanations of stategy (sometimes in the very next paragraph) seem to me to be unnecessary filler. Attention could have been given to explaining conditional aspects of the game (availability of sidequests, etc.)

In short, a guide should give you what you need to thoroughly explore the game. It should not repeat the obvious information available simply by viewing the cinematics or listening in on conversations in camp (things you do in the game regardless)

Duel for the Golan: The 100-Hour Battle That Saved Israel
Average customer rating:

Excellent study of often ignored battle during 1973 war.

Duel for the Golan: The 100-Hour Battle That Saved Israel
Jerry Asher , and Eric Hammel
Manufacturer: Pacifica Press (CA)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0935553525

Book Description

The story behind the victory in the Yom Kippur War.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent study of often ignored battle during 1973 war........2002-11-23

Little is heard about the fighting on the Golan Heights between Israeli & Syrian forces during the Yom Kippur war, but those familiar with the terrain & environs of the Golan Heights & the Galilee region as a whole, can have little doubt as to the difficulties facing the combatants on both sides and the very harshness of the campaign.

This excellent book is about the conflict here during the 1973 war, where the Syrian Army massed on the Golan Heights, attempted to strike in a lighting offensive drive towards the Mediterranean Sea, thereby cutting Israel in two during the most Holy period in the Jewish calendar, with the Israeli military at it's most vulnerable.

This outstanding study details the make-up of the Syrian forces which consisted of a vast amount of new Soviet equipment/weaponry & comprising of some 1,200 main battle tanks, 1,000 armoured personnel carriers & some 1,000 artillery pieces, not to mention the vast numbers of infantry.

The book presents a number of interviews taken over a five year period from participants of both sides during the fighting and covers one of the greatest tank battles fought anywhere since World War 2, even detailing many ýintimate' accounts of ýtank against tank' battles during the combat.

We are provided with remarkable accounts of incredible courage and an analysis of how an inferior number of Israeli troops inflicted one of the greatest defeats in military history upon considerably greater Arab armoured forces. Notably, every single Israeli tank engaged in combat, being numerically inferior, was hit by hostile fire.

An exploration is provided into how the end of this conflict resulted in the Syrian Army being virtually destroyed in the field (including largely ignored or forgotten Iraqi & Jordanian contingents) and with Israeli artillery within range of striking Damascus, the Syrian capital.

Amazon.com

Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions and Death's Duel, one of the handsome series of Vintage Spiritual Classics, contains a rich collection of extraordinary writings, any one of which would be worth the price of the whole book. Andrew Motion's clear, accessible, entertaining, and erudite introduction explains the situation of both Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions--written in 1624, when Donne was feeble with a fever that doctors believed might kill him--and Death's Duel--Donne's final sermon at St. Paul's Cathedral, preached only a month before his death at age 59. Also included is Izaak Walton's The Life of Dr. John Donne, a spry and penetrating biography of the poet, written in 1640. And then there is the meat: both Devotions and Death's Duel show Donne at his very best--theatrical, humble, faithful, and doubting all at once. This is a book of severe and joyful mortality. Here is a foretaste from Devotions: "Death is in an old man's door, he appears and tells him so, and death is at a young man's back, and says nothing.... There is scarce anything that hath not killed somebody; a hair, a feather hath done it; nay, that which is our best antidote against it hath done it; the best cordial hath been deadly poison." --Michael Joseph Gross

Book Description

John Donne (1572-1631) is best known as the greatest English metaphysical poet. But there was another dimension to Donne's life and writing that, if less well known, is no less profound and beautiful.

Born into an aristocratic Catholic family, Donne joined the Church of England at the age of twenty-one out of fear of persecution. At the age of forty-three, he gave up his preoccupations with secular prestige and devoted himself utterly to religion. It was eight years later when, battered with fever, the deaths of his beloved wife, several of his children, and many dear lifelong friends, he composed Devotions upon Emergent Occasions. There is both trauma and great drama in this extended meditation on the meaning of mortality, the possibility of salvation, and the true nature of the passage of eternal life. With a new introduction by poet and biographer Andrew Motion, one of the most revered books of Christian devotion speaks to us again of the higher aspirations of man and the always-present possibility of a relationship with God.

This long out of print edition also contains Donne's last sermon, "Death's Duel" as well as the short colorful biography of him written by his contemporary Izaak Walton.

Customer Reviews:

That action concerns me.......2002-05-31

I must admit that I bought this book solely for the most famous of Donne's Meditations - Nunc lento sonitu dicunt, morieris, AKA "no man is an island". I was unaware of the circumstances which surrounded Donne's writing of the Meditations. He had taken ill with a strong and high fever, and believed that he was dying. The meditations trace his spiritual journey through his illness, starting with the beginning (The first alteration, the first grudging, or the sickness), through attempts to treat him (The physician is sent for), to treatments (They apply pigeons, to draw the vapors from the head - yuck!), until he comes to terms spiritually with his fate (From the bells of the church adjoining, I am daily remembered of my burial in the funerals of others).

These meditations make a fascinating contrast with the other work by Donne in this book: Death's Duel. This was the last sermon that Donne ever preached, one month before he died. Not only did he know that the end was near, but so did his audience, who called it "the doctor's funeral sermon". It is interesting to see how Donne's view of death had changed in the years between the two works. By the time Death's Duel was written, Donne's mother, wife, and six of his twelve children were already dead.

In spite of the fact that Donne wrote over three hundred years ago, I am still influenced by his writings. Although I am not Christian, I agree with many of Donne's thoughts on how people interact with each other, and how we effect the lives of others, though we might not realise it. "Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind." Donne, though dead, is still involved in mankind, and this book aptly displays it.

what gives me the write to title this thing when a title...........2001-03-12

for this book,devotions upon emergent occasions and deaths duel has already been so good. Wow! what more can i possibly say....alot. firstly, fascinating stuff. it was really great and jesus Christ we love him, John Donne? WOW?!! what do you think? read it really it is very nicely proportionate for me the dimensions where spectacular and also a very nice size, John Donne? Where in the world is John Donne when we need him now....bye John Donne?

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