Book Description
Here's the biggest and most exciting book of sudoku puzzles ever compiled. Over 400 new puzzles designed to satisfy all levels from beginner to expert are featured, with all kinds of challenges, all levels of difficulty, and more varieties of number-placement (and letter-placement) puzzles than any other collection available.
Customer Reviews:
Lots of Puzzles!.......2007-03-16
This will keep you busy for weeks if not months. Nice Collection of Sudoku puzzles.
Excellent.......2007-01-09
This book is so good, even my 7 year od daugther learned how to play this game.
Very NIce.......2006-12-18
I love sudoku and while in Iraq I want to keep busy. This book provides quite a bit of every puzzle sudoku has to offer
Mammoth Book of Sudoku.......2006-11-03
This is a great book. Challenging but not so hard I didn't want to keep coming back to it. Kept me busy for days.
The Mammoth Book of Sudoku: 400 New Puzzles - The Biggest and Best Collection of Sudoku Ever.......2006-08-06
Good
Average customer rating:
- I had such high hopes ...
- Nice idea, writing improvement needed
- Addicted to Arctic Adventures! Especially this one.
- What Happen's Next
- Mammoth Adventure!
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Raising The Past
Jeremy Robinson
Manufacturer: Breakneck Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Earthcore
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Antarktos Rising - A Novel
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Ancestor
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ASIN: 0978655117 |
Book Description
FROM THE ICE. . . A mammoth, flash frozen in solid ice 10,000 years ago is brought to the surface by a team of scientists. An act of sabotage frees the giant from its icy tomb and reveals the secret held inside. OUT OF THE MAMMOTH. . . The body of an ancient woman, cloaked in furs, slides out of the mammoth's belly. But it is not the woman that holds the team's attention...it is the object she is clutching...a device created by an advanced civilization. THE HUNT IS ON. . . The device is accidentally activated, summoning forces who seek its destruction. It is the key to mankind's salvation and freedom from the men behind the curtain, pulling the strings and leading humanity towards destruction.
Customer Reviews:
I had such high hopes ..........2007-10-10
I love the authors who recommended this book, so I was so excited when I got it, but I have to agree with some of the other reviewers: the grammar was so awful, it was distracting. The book itself could have used a strong hand in editing it. The plot was thin, the dialogue was unrealistic and stilted, and the characters were flat. I was intrigued by the thought of the mammoth and the excavation, but that was hardly a part of the book. For those looking for fascinating creatures and ancient or scientific discoveries, try Steve Alten or James Rollins. This books reads like a high schooler's screenplay, light on the plot and without realistic dialogue. I saw this author has another book out, and I love the cover, but after recalling this one, I can't in good faith make the purchase.
Nice idea, writing improvement needed.......2007-09-23
While I liked the core idea of this book, that two extra-galactic civilizations are opposing one another to destroy/save worlds, some of the details are inconsistent. Also the writing doesn't do a great job of making the characters realistic and wanders off into "B" movie kind of dialogue, plus they also overreact, one moment they are lucid and even giving orders and then next they are whimpering in fear somewhere, then they snap back to reality. An easy, okay read for the beach for sci-fi fans but not for my "best books" list.
Addicted to Arctic Adventures! Especially this one........2007-08-21
Raising the Past....This book is fantastic! I recommend it to anyone. A fun read with finely tuned details of the arctic and it's conditions. I didn't want the suspence that was killing me to end. Each one of the characters has a vitality all their own. This is a story that makes you think, and crave for a sequel. And hopefully there's a movie in the making! I'm glad I found this book. With the wonderful endorsements made by author James Rollins saying how great this book is...and he's right!
Can't wait for my copy of Antarktos Rising to arrive in the mail. I've found another favorite author!
What Happen's Next.......2007-08-20
Great read. I feel as if I have made a trip to the Artic, even though it has been 90 degrees in my geographical location. I can't believe how authors can come up with such diverse plots and situations. Raising the Past was so good that I couldn't put it down. Thank heavens I have a DVR cause I didn't even turn on the television until I finished it.
Some may complain about grammar and words that were misspelled. But it didn't detract from me being in the Artic, waiting for the next shoe to fall. Write another book, Mr. Robinson. I like your style !!
Mammoth Adventure!.......2007-07-07
The story begins ten thousand years ago, when a canny cavewoman is visited by strangers from another world. She accepts the object they give her, yet at the end of her life she fails to use it as they instructed. Next thing you know, her frozen remains are unwittingly discovered by a modern-day excavation team in search of the woolly mammoth. Tried and tested archaeologists are rocketed into a fight for their lives and ultimately for the whole planet.
Twists and turns of truly "mammoth" proportions follow. The action rarely eases, and new dangers heap up around every corner. The reader is fleeing along with the team, and learns the truth step by shocking step until finally the entirety of the deception is revealed. Nothing is as it seems to be. What if the idea of angels and demons really did come from opposing alien factions, warring for control of the Earth - one race said to be evil and another claiming to be good?
This is a good exercise in mind-expansion, for sure. It's mainstream fiction, although you will also find spiritual aspects - chiefly the significance of free will in the value of human society. Vast quantities of blood and gore, fights to the death, and impossible chase scenes with larger-than-life alien species make this a nail-biting thriller from beginning to end - though not necessarily to be recommended for a weak constitution. It reminded me vaguely of Jurassic Park at times, in a different setting and with different monsters.
"Raising the Past" makes a terrific cross-over effort, in two directions at once. It's ideal to draw an average reader into the science fiction scene, and may also serve as an effective introduction for someone unfamiliar with spiritual genres. It's this mix that brings you to the unique conclusion, amazingly managing to leave the world unshattered at the end. I view it as a considerable bridge-building contribution and an enrichment to the genre scene.
Average customer rating:
- Mammoth "Misunderstanding"
- great read, grabs you and keeps you enthralled
- Wonderful 3rd book
- The Mammoth Hunters by Jean M Auel
- Still Another Masterpiece by Jean Auel
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The Mammoth Hunters (Earth's Children)
Jean M. Auel
Manufacturer: Bantam
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Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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The Valley of Horses
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The Shelters of Stone (Earth's Children)
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The Clan of the Cave Bear
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Clan of the Cave Bear
ASIN: 0553280945
Release Date: 1986-11-01 |
Book Description
Once again Jean M. Auel opens the door of a time long past to reveal an age of wonder and danger at the dawn of the modern human race. With all the consummate storytelling artistry and vivid authenticity she brought to
The Clan of the Cave Bear and its sequel,
The Valley of Horses, Jean M. Auel continues the breathtaking epic journey of the woman called Ayla.
Riding Whinney with Jondalar, the man she loves, and followed by the mare’s colt, Ayla ventures into the land of the Mamutoi--
The Mammoth Hunters. She has finally found the Others she has been seeking. Though Ayla must learn their different customs and language, she is adopted because of her remarkable hunting ability, singular healing skills, and uncanny fire-making technique. Bringing back the single pup of a lone wolf she has killed, Ayla shows the way she tames animals.
She finds women friends and painful memories of the Clan she left behind, and meets Ranec, the dark-skinned, magnetic master carver of ivory, whom she cannot refuse--inciting Jondalar to a fierce jealousy that he tries to control by avoiding her. Unfamiliar with the ways of the Others, Ayla misunderstands, and thinking Jondalar no longer loves her, she turns more to Ranec. Throughout the icy winter the tension mounts, but warming weather will bring the great mammoth hunt and the mating rituals of the Summer Meeting, when Ayla must choose to remain with Ranec and the Mamutoi, or to follow Jondalar on a long journey into an unknown future.
Customer Reviews:
Mammoth "Misunderstanding".......2007-09-18
As a huge fan of "The Clan of the Cave Bear" and "The Valley of the Horses" I eagerly dove into "The Mammoth Hunters". Parts of this book are fantastic and parts are frustrating.
Rydag is a gem of a character and his journey is touching. His existence, I feel, is what moves this novel forward as Ayla learns to accept the fact that she must let her own son, Durc, go. I loved this story line!
Ayla, Jondalar, and Ranec, however, stumble through one of the most frustrating plot lines I've encountered. By the time this love triangle is resolved I've stopped caring about both Jondalar and Ranec. Neither one of them deserves Ayla and both are Neandrathals when it comes to love (apologies to the Geico Caveman!) I really, really wanted Jondalar to kill Ranec or vice-versa. Either way.
All in all, this book is still a good read. When I was done I knew that Ayla was moving on to bigger and better things. I will gladly join her on her next adventure.
great read, grabs you and keeps you enthralled.......2007-07-17
I had a hard time rereading this book, because of memories of the emotional anguish I felt the first time. It really captures your heart, and your mind. I cried the first time, and the second time I wanted to hurry through the parts that I knew were coming up and would make me cry. After reading this book my emotions would be influenced for hours afterward. If the book made me sad, I would be sad afterwards and needed to be comforted. There are few books that can do this to me, and it really shows the power of the story Auel has built up. I highly recommend it.
Wonderful 3rd book.......2007-03-31
By the time most authors have hit the third book based on the same story, their steam has run out as does the story. But "The Mammoth Hunters" is so real and believable, while maintaining the incredibly original storyline that I must give it five stars.
The Mammoth Hunters by Jean M Auel.......2007-01-09
I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN AND MY WIFE WANTED TO READ IT AFTER I FINISHED.
Still Another Masterpiece by Jean Auel.......2006-07-31
"The Mammoth Hunters" is Jean M. Auel's third book in The Clan of the Cave bear series. We return to the prehistoric past with Ayla and her mate Jondalar. After living with a clan of differently evolved people that time has forgotten, Ayla finally meets a tribe of people like herself and Jondalar.'
Ayla struggles to learn the customs of a people that her mate says are similar to his own. Turmoil between Ayla and Jondalar allows Ranec, a Mamutoi tribesman, to get emotionally closer to Ayla. Jondalar's jealously and pride make communication between himself and her impossible. After being adopted by the Mamutoi, Ayla has to decide whether to marry Ranec or hold out for the man she thinks doesn't love her anymore.
The coupling of the difficulties of people living in close quarters and dangers of surviving in an exciting prehistoric world make this book hard to put down. "The Mammoth Hunters" is another successful masterpiece by Auel.
Book Description
More than 100 contemporary short short stories of under 350 words, by authors such as Bret Lott, Judith Ortiz Cofer, Jesse Lee Kercheval, Michael Martone, Josip Novakovich, Pamela Painter, Scott Russell Sanders, Melanie Rae Thon, Denise Duhamel, William Heyen, Clint McCown and Janice Eidus.
Customer Reviews:
once again, the genius of TOM BRADLEY carries an anthology.......2003-07-17
This whole book is a sheer marvel and delight--and, as usual with the many anthologies in which his uncanny writing appears, the pole star, the capstone, the cynosure of every eye, is TOM BRADLEY'S bit, "Hugh of Provo." In a few dozen words it manages to be horrifying and hilarious, as the little neighbor girl "seeps through the drapes in vaporous form" and reintegrates on Tom's chest, to whisper offputting things in his ear. Dinty Moore is to be congratulated and envied (he will definitely be remembered) for publishing TOM BRADLEY.
Captivating, interesting, and entertaining!.......2003-07-02
While all the stories are brief, they're not for readers with short attention spans. Many of them are truly sudden. That is, they take you by surprise and give you a new way of looking at the whole idea of "brevity." Let's face it: most of life takes place in tiny moments, and the best stories here capture that to a "t." I give this fine and fun book "only" four stars because some of the pieces don't really seem like fiction but read instead like so-called "creative non-fiction" or the infernal memoir. In any case, buy, read, and enjoy!
Book Description
This follow-up volume to the black-and-white Mammoth Book of Erotic Photography celebrates the female form through these studies by top photographers around the world, as well as some impressive new talents. It features the work of 78 photographers (many of whom specialize in nudes), with approximately 8 images each, as well as a short biography and picture of each contributor.
Included is a larger than ever number of female photographers, many of whom intriguingly practice the art of self portraiture-a chance to see how gender can sometimes influence the subtle way of looking at the body.
There's also a father and daughter team; a photographer who also appears as a model in two other portfolios; the grandson of the famed American photographer Edward Weston; a mix of professional and amateur photographers; and contributions from the UK, USA, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Russia, Argentina, France, Israel, Italy, Poland, Norway, Switzerland, Japan, Australia, Canada, Czechoslovakia, and Holland
Customer Reviews:
Like a jumbo shrimp.......2007-01-22
This Mammoth book is actually a little paperback. It's filled with fine examples of fine art nude and erotic photography. It is unfortunate that the photographs could not be presented in a larger setting, so the photographers art could be fully appreciated.
A superb collection of erotic nudes........2006-12-25
Jakubowski has put together a fine collection of the best nude photography of a number of different photographers from around the world.The only criticism I have of the book is the lack of any photos that have a beach and/or desert background.
Can you say "Dull".......2006-09-21
Amazingly this is a book full of unclad women and yet the best word to describe the book IMHO is simply dull. Only a couple of the pictures even inspired the thought, 'I wish this person had developed the nebulous idea they originally had'.
Obviously none of the photographers went out of their way to find attractive models to work with and then didn't bother to use any imagination with the ones they picked up.
This book isn't worth the time to flip through if someone gave it to you.
Today's nudes.......2006-02-06
Beautiful nudes, all of them, but rather subdued to anyone looking for serious erotica. The majority of these photos are figure studies, just a simple celebration of women's youthful beauty. Many of the women have pierced this'n'that and many have tattoos, from the demure on up. In some, the marks are just the ones left by the sun or by nature (p.378 - charming!). A few add simple props, like the cover's gauzy scarf. A few others add wit in the form of a piece of fruit (p.450) or a flower (p.380)
For many artists, the erotic comes not just from nudity, but from undress. That genre displays clothes and underclothes in various states of removal. Others see lingerie as decoration in itself, ranging up to stylized, impractical items worn for their play value alone. Along that axis, pictures range from innocent to intense kinds of pinups. The outer ranges of these pictures add moderate bondage, improbably high heels, or other mild fetish elements. A few suggest or show physicality between women or of a woman with herself. The very few pictures that cross over into hard core seem decidedly out of place amid generally tasteful and elegant images.
The models are all lovely, but are all just anonymous models. Other collections assign a name (or at least a pseudonym) to each, an acknowledgement of the person in front of the camera that this collection does not allow. And, as in so many collections, European features, 20-ish and thin, predominate by a large margin. The world has so many other colors, ages, and shapes of beauty that this collection, despite more then 450 pages, comes across as incomplete. Also, I have to wonder how this collection will look in twenty years - skin has always been there, but pierced and inked skin are today's look and that will pass in time. Despite these few flaws, the collection is lovely and enticing, a worthwhile part of any collection of figure photography.
//wiredweird
Book Description
The Mammoth Book of Women’s Fantasies is the newest addition to the lustily successful Mammoth Erotica series featuring the year’s—and the world’s—best erotic fiction. Featured in this steamy collection are stories on a par with other popular Mammoth titles, which included work by notables such as Anais Nin, Anne Rice, Patrick Califia, Alison Tyler, Cara Bruce, Alice Joanou, Poppy Z. Brite, M. Christian, and Carol Queen. Selected from stories by more than 4,000 authors of erotica from around the world, these artful excursions into women’s libidos represent the current states of desire in Great Britain, the U.S., Canada, Australia, and France. All of the selections share a standard of excellence and elegance that takes their often humorous, sometimes dark, and always original fictions far beyond tired conventions.
Customer Reviews:
Pretty off the wall.......2007-01-19
I bought this bought as field research into the female mind, and can say I was not disappointed. Being boring is a relationship killer, and there are plenty of kinky thoughts from the innocent little girl next door that will certainly be used by me in the future. Buying this book in a store would be more embarrassing than renting porn. With amazon it's point and click. Guys need to know this stuff. It helps to stay one step ahead of the enemy!
A diverse selection of erotica.......2006-01-11
This is a very good selection of a wide array of stories and fantasies, but I think what makes it most erotic is that the stories are all real fantasies of regular women. The book isn't just for women either, my boyfriend was really turned on by the stories and I had to rip the book out of his hands just to read it for myself!
This was awesome.......2005-09-21
This book was filled with fantasies I couldn't come up with on my own and it was GREAT!! my boyfriend also got quite a kick out of it and made for some interesting conversations and erotic nights.
Very good erotica.......2005-03-16
All the stories in this novel are steamy!! I have only one gripe; the fact that as a woman, I thought that we wanted to read erotica that was a little less pornagraphic than this book. Not that I didn't enjoy it, just thought that it could have been a little less graphic.
sensual & sybaritic.......2004-11-29
The Mammoth Book of Women's Fantasies is lustfilled, often humorous, revealing the feminine erotic melodiously as in Krista Ford's "Of Thee I Sing" where the mouth is full with song and men, where women are brave enough to openly state, "I'm totally afraid of anal sex, but I still want it." The way the authors push boundaries may invigorate and even titilate the reader.
Book Description
As artful as it is exciting, as tasteful as it is daring, this up-market illustrated Mammoth volume offers a massive gallery of stunning images by eighty photographers who have set the trends in nude photography and made a mark with their erotica in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. Among the photographers included by the editors of this piquant and varied collection stand Robert Mapplethorpe, Helmut Newton, Wolfgang Eichler, Bob Carlos Clarke, Mario Testino, Wolfgang Tilmans, Roy Stuart, Trevor Watson, Michele Serchuk, Trevor Baker, Pascal Baetens, and Eric Kroll. All the photographers in the volume are generously represented by six pages of images that showcase their particular talent to best advantage in highly nuanced, top-quality black-and-white reproductions. Accompanying the presentation of each set of images, meticulously chosen for their aesthetic as well as their erotic appeal, are brief biographical vignettes of the photographers themselves that together provide a survey of developments and experiments that have advanced the artistry of contemporary erotic photography.
Customer Reviews:
I am one of the models in this book.......2006-02-10
Hello everyone I am one of the models in this book,I am located on page 474 and also on 479. I think the book is a tell all of peoples lives and the beauty of photography,I think that it is an expression of the photographers inner selves as well as the models pictured. Each photographer was to pick 8 pictures that they felt was a portrayal of their image and only a few were selected to be put into the book itself! How dare people that have written the reviews that knock this book,if you wanted to buy porn this is not the book for you.It is a portrayal of both the photograher and model working together to get a work of art!
It's not like these woman were forced to do this and "Hey here's the outcome!" It's the beauty of letting go, walking on the other side, and most people in this world don't explore that side or ever get the chance to!I'm happy with the results that came from this book,it's nice to look back to the time I was able to express myself through photography and have fun doing it! This book gives examples of alot of differant shadowing techniques,lighting, postioning, and timing,and it opens the minds of very few people to ask themselves, "I wonder what this person was thinking with the way they were looking at that very point?"That is the art part of this book,if you don't have an open mind then don't buy it!If you crave things unknown to you then buy it!
Moderately Interesting.......2006-02-07
This is a visual survey of (almost all female) nudes. I would not call it 'erotica' simply because I associate erotica with sex and with sexual feelings. This collection has nothing to do with sex and little to do with sexual feeling; it has everything to do with stylized poses, various visual effects (some quite interesting), and a seeming penchant for bondage dress-up.
Some of the people are quite pretty to look at; perhaps ironically, some of the most appealing pictures are of models without props or obvious poses. People are interesting--so why not just show them? This is perhaps as close to "erotic" as this collection comes.
It is amusing that this smallish book--barely larger than a standard paperback book--is entitled 'mammoth.' It is no more that than it is erotic. Still, because some of the photos are nice, I rather generously award it four stars.
The Mammoth Book of Illustrated Erotica.......2005-10-31
I think the photographs are well done, but I just do not like the book and wish I hadn't bought it.
This needs MORE than five stars!.......2004-01-08
I own many erotic photography books, I use them for inspiration when I do my paintings, etc. and I must say, this is by far the best book in my collection. It has like 480 pages of black and white photography from some of the most creative photographers ever, and the shots are classy not smutty.
Every photo looks hand-picked with the finest of quality, almost all photos are female nudes, some with couples, some with props or backgrounds... but nothing looks the same. There are many poses, many closeups and zooms, a lot of things from far away, georgous shadows and lighting, and some of it is just mindblowing.
My particular favorites:
* page 179 a naked woman handcuffed squatting with her back shown to us with a cop car in front of her - all you see is her back, the handcuffs, and the cop lights and the outline of her body... and even though there is very little detail, you can SEE how perfect the photo is and it has much emotion in it.
* page 174 an aerial shot of a nude woman lying in the middle of railroad tracks as if she had been dumped... very very emotional photo
* page 163 just one of a selection of bizarre photos that leave you staring at the photo both impressive and eyebrow-raising
* page 377 a nude girl smoking a cigarette by the window and her eyes are just PIERCING you with her hands covering her face...
I could go on and on, each page (all pages feel glossy) has a huge photo and all the pictures are classy. This is pure erotic art. There are no open crotch shots. There is full nudity, but not one photo looks like porn. Each photographer is given a couple paragraphs describing him/her and then that photographer displays their work. There is not a lot of writing in this book, which I like. It is just art art art lots of beautiful photographs that just are wonderful!
I highly recommend this book above all others. I have many books and this one just outdoes them all!
Very good book.......2003-06-18
My only complaint is that its size is very small, and it is hard to see the photographs in its full glory.
Book Description
In this truly mammoth guide, Mike Ashley analyzes and explicates the line between the real Arthurian world and the legends that surround it. Ashley gives us a firm identity not only for King Arthur, but also for Merlin, Guinevere, Lancelot, and the Knights of the Round Table—as well as identifying all the major Arthurian sites. He traces the development of each of the legends and shows how they were related to events happening at the time, bringing a new dimension of realism to the magical Arthurian world. Ashley also offers new and little known information on Arthur—including a fascinating link to the present royal family and the likelihood that Arthurian legends arose from the exploits of not just one man but at least four. With over 700 pages, this is the most complete single-volume guide to Arthurian legend and history.
Customer Reviews:
Title says it all.......2007-06-23
A perfect sourcebook for Arthurian lore, ranging from Welsh histories to modern movies and novels. Jammed packed with information, but certainly not boring to read. This book is awesome!
Not as useful as the author claims.......2005-10-17
This huge book spans the length of Arthuriana and is an interesting read. However, I was left questioning way too much. I was constantly asking myself, "from where does Mike Ashley get his information?" I'm not saying it isn't authentic, but he rarely names sources. For instance, though I've read the geneologies available to me, I've never come across certain names or connections Mike Ashley gives. He always says "the geneologies state," without saying which one. As a reader, and Arthurian scholar, I want to be able to authenticate any information given to me.
Also, his "accepted" criteria for a generation (25-30 years) is way too calculated. With women having children at early ages and men fathering children even into old age (which wasn't that old in the Dark Ages), only a few generations could completely throw Ashley's time-scale way off. Just three generations of people having children at age 20 could throw the scale off by up to 30 years!
Finally, the book is written as if definitive, though precious little known about King Arthur and his time period is definitive. In some places, Ashley gives information like it is historically accurate even though such information directly contradicts most Arthurian scholars. For instance, under the entry for "Anna," Ashley says that the "name Morgause is almost certainly derived from Gwyar." Under the entry for Morgause he implies that this name derives from Morcades or Orcades. This later explanation is the one generally accepted by Arthurian scholars, from what I've read. In fact, many of his supposed historic explanations for Arthurian characters contradict the majority of Arthurian scholars.
This might seem small, but compounded over the length of 670 pages, you have a book full of contradictions and theory presented as fact. If only I knew his resources, I might be able to give this book more than 2 stars. As is, I found it almost entirely unuseful.
A Whole Lot Of Camelot.......2005-07-17
I've had spotty luck with the Mammoth series before; some are quite decent, some are obvious hack jobs, and one or two are just loony (the Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper pops to mind). This one is divided into three rough sections, of unequal size and value.
The first attempts to break down the "historical Arthur," who Ashley defines first as "the war-leader of the Britons at Badon Hill" and only second as "the guy who Geoffrey of Monmouth was talking about." This results in a pretty thorough chase through obscure Breton king-lists, Nennius, the Ten Battles (fifty pages on them alone), the Welsh Triads, and so forth until he gets to a list of twenty, count-em, suspects. These range from Lucius Artorius Castus (the only Roman commander named 'Artorius' known to have served in Britain) to Arthwys ap Meurig (the king, perhaps, of Gwent in the seventh century, unless he wasn't). Ashley quietly plumps for an Arthur based in Gwent or Powys, but argues that Geoffrey's "Arthur" is a composite of five or six British leaders with mythic elements from Alfred and Aethelstan, and constructs a perhaps over-delicate genealogical lattice-work with which to argue that the victory at Badon was a coalition victory under a king of Dyfed named Agricola or Aircol, with one Vortipor/Gwerthefyr as the primary commander and possible "dux bellorum." This is about as good as things get without getting into Deep History. If this section has a flaw, it's probably best highlighted by Ashley's nervous-making habit of citing Laurence Gardner's Bloodline of the Holy Grail without using the words "barking mad." I'm certainly not an expert in post-Roman British chronicles, so for all I know, Gardner's research into the political-military complexities of the Saxon frontier is actually a model of meticulous restraint -- but I doubt it. Ashley does do a good job of highlighting when some fruity speculation is Gardner's and Gardner's alone -- the first time it appears. By contrast, he is politely dismissive of Geoffrey Ashe's various enthusiasms, and wisely so.
That takes us to page 306, where we begin about 200 pages of primer on the Arthurian Cycle, beginning with some potted history of the twelfth century and then into the various versions of the Tristan, Lancelot, Perceval, Galahad, Merlin, and other sub-cycles through the 14th century. This is excellent stuff, well presented; the Grail section is remarkably free of utter crazitude, although again it's no substitute for a specialist work on the topic like Richard Barber's The Holy Grail (the best single book on the topic). Then a short chapter on Malory, and another brings us up to Tennyson and the Pre-Raphaelites. This is all clear and relatively straightforward; it's also stuff I probably could have assembled myself from my bookshelves -- but not in only $13.50 worth of my time. We close up with sixty pages of Arthurian novels, narrowly defined (no That Hideous Strength or Drawing of the Dark), and ten pages of Arthurian movies -- this is all pretty disposable stuff. Its lack of attention to poetry means only tangential discussion of Eliot and (what's worse) none at all of Charles Williams.
Finally, we have about ninety pages of decent Arthurian Cycle "Who's Who" and gazetteer, more historically minded than Phyllis Ann Karr's wonderful (but primarily literary) Arthurian Companion and therefore of some good utility despite its relative brevity. A solid index in microscopic type concludes our program.
Ashley has read, and widely, all across the topic; for example, he cites John Hughes' far from seminal work Arthurian Myths and Alchemy in passing while discussing Malory and the court of Edward IV. Ashley cites Littleton and Malcor fairly, although space (and his inherent charity, perhaps) prevents full attention to their "Sarmatian thesis." He cites both Keys and Baillie on the Catastrophe of 535, and links it (too sketchily) to the discussion of the Waste Land. He even notes the possible ties between Amlawdd Wledig (from "Culhwch and Olwen") and Hamlet, although he (probably rightly) dismisses them. He misses one or two Arthurs from the fringe of the fringe -- there's no discussion, for example, of W.A. Cummins' dotty theory that King Arthur was actually a Bronze Age Wessex Culture monarch who built Stonehenge. (I'm hesitant to consider that particular absence a flaw.) Out there on the edge he does misstep occasionally; his brief discussion of St. Brendan badly confuses Brendan with Bran, both of whose immrama are relevant to the Arthurian mythos.
But on the whole, minor notches in the Sword of Strange Straps aside, this is an excellent one-volume compendium of Res Arthuria. The movie list is by far the weakest section; the various side-by-side comparisons of the various Cycles is probably the strongest, with the Gildas-to-Geoffrey section on "historical Arthurs" a close second. If you're more interested in post-Malory Arthuriana, try Norris Lacy instead. But if you need one good book on King Arthur, with a strong concentration on the pre-Galfridian material and the relevant historical background, this is probably the one to get -- you certainly won't beat the price.
Book Description
Three dozen mystery writers--among them Elizabeth Peters, Edward D. Hoch, Tom Holt, Margaret Frazer, Susanna Gregory, Derek Wilson, Marilyn Todd, and Michael Jecks--contrive deadly conundrums in the original stories commissioned especially for the volume. Its chilling, suspenseful pages include lethal doings in old Byzantium, the case of a serial killer loose in Elizabethan London, and terror in Celtic Wales, while inexplicable killings in medieval Sherwood Forest make sleuths of Robin Hood and Maid Marion and a perplexing murder in ancient Rome turns the orator Quintilian into Perry Mason. Readers of the immensely popular first Mammoth Book of Historical Whodunnits will welcome back Steven Saylor's Gordianus the Finder and his occasional employer, the lawyer Cicero (in a story never collected before in book form), Peter Tremayne's Sister Fidelma in medieval Ireland, and Mary Reed and Eric Mayer's John the Eunuch, the Emperor Justinian's Lord Chamberlain. Edward Hoch, Keith Taylor, and Cherith Baldry also turn such familiar historical figures as Christopher Columbus, John de Mandeville, and Geoffrey Chaucer into detectives in this new Mammoth collection of historical mysteries.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent!.......2007-02-15
I'm not usually a mystery fan but I found myself buying this book and I'm glad I did. I really enjoyed the time-span range of story settings. All the stories were at least good but some were really excellent. I was so pleased I got myself a copy of the first book as well.
This anthology is just remarkable..........2006-03-28
with each and every story a true gem. Prime historical crimes, in differnt settings, seen thru the eyes of each individual writer with each sleuth thoroughly enjoyable and set apart by their crime-solving methods.
A really good book for the night stand so you can read one or two stories and pick the order in which you read them. Totally engrossing and a wonderfully different read for the historical mystery buff.
Another terrific anthology series is the "Murder Most...." books.I have read most and really enjoyed.
I like to have one book with me and one anthology on the nightstand.
Enjoy the Mammoth Books..I did!
Overwhelming . . ........2002-01-29
This book is almost too much of a good thing. At 500 larger-than-normal-paperback-sized pages, it's more than a handful, believe me! So far I've only read the first 11 of 22 stories, because after a bit, they're too much of a muchness. I learned too late that this book is not exactly meant for reading the stories within from start to finish, more or less in consecutive order, and uninterrupted by other reading in between. Consequently, I found the stories beginning to mesh together rather a bit too much, and felt it unfair to continue reading just now.
As a rule, stories in an anthology of this kind are arranged by location of story, or time-frame. The latter is the approach here, and that's fine. It's a perfectly valid method. However, considering that the 22 stories begin in ancient Rome and continue only until the very early 1600s, there is bound to be some overlapping of settings. The first five stories, for instance, all share the Roman setting. Then there are the dark ages, and a raft of early Medieval, up to about 1250 or so.
I found them all to be enjoyable, although some more so than others, and will certainly be looking for books by many of these authors, who impressed me with their plotting and characters, not to mention the obvious and extensive historical research. The two authors with whom I'm most familiar-Margaret Frazer and Michael Jecks-appear in the second half of the book. A treat for next time!
Generally excellent collection of historical mysteries..........2001-10-11
This collection of 21 stories focuses strongly on the late Roman republic to the early Roman empire, and again on Elizabethan England. There are stories representing other periods, including a couple of funny pastiches of Sherlock Holmes, but if you like the Roman detective mysteries of Steven Saylor (or loved Colleen McCullough), and if you have a weakness for the intriques of Tudor England, this collection will most appeal to you.
Some of the stories, notably "Flibbertigibbet", were actually quite chilling in their depiction of torture as routine, the ritualistic execution of a captured Jesuit priest, not to mention the corpses left in the wake of an early "Jack the Ripper". If you can get past the vivid depiction of the execution, I would strongly recommend that story as an exercise in moral ambiguities. There are other strong contributions, including one based on Hamlet (a perennial favorite, it seems) and yet another on Hamlet (two Shakespeare-based mysteries). Personally, I liked Michael Jecks's "The Crediton Killings" (set in medieval England) and the two stories from the late Roman republic the best.
I use historical anthologies such as this as a way to test what is out there. For example, an author may write very well, but the narrative may be too graphic for my comfort. Others may create a short story about a detective appearing in their books, such as Sister Fidelma (the creation of Peter Tremayne), or Gordianus (the creation of Steven Saylor). Yet others (Margaret Frazer, for example) use this as an opportunity to write about a slightly different period, and without using their most well-known fictional character.
The anthology offers a reasonably wide variety of historical mysteries, ranging from literary creations (Holmes, the Shakespearean Hamlet) to the odd historical personage serving as detective. And there is of course the criminal (or possible criminal) serving as detective in one or two stories.
How does this compare to earlier iterations (The Mammoth Book of Historical Whodunnits, The Mammoth Book of Historical Detectives), or to other series? Pretty well. For the price, it kept me well-entertained, and I discovered a couple of new authors I intend to try. There are no pre-historic stories, and none set in non-European worlds of course, nor any stories set between 1610 and 1800 that I noticed. If these represent your favorite periods and/or locales, you might be slightly disappointed. On the other hand, you will have read an interesting selection of authors.
Book Description
The Mammoth Book of Eyewitness Ancient Rome is the history of the rise and fall of the Roman Empire in the words of those who saw it firsthand. Never before in such detail has there been a history of this great and influential civilization that continues to mark the landscape (the Colosseum, the Roman roads, the aqueduct at Nimes), our language, our calendar (“July” for Julius Caesar), our laws, our traditions (carrying a bride across the threshold), and our very thoughts. With all the gossip of I, Claudius and the excitement of Gladiator (but none of the historical inaccuracy), The Mammoth Book of Eyewitness Ancient Rome is a unique tour into the most important civilization in the West.
Customer Reviews:
Good companion to Gibbons.......2007-03-27
I really enjoyed this book because it wasn't just a bunch of impersonal historical facts piled into one book. These are writings and historical accounts from those who were present at the time the history was being made. This book gives a unique perspective about the Roman Empire that most history books don't.
A unique and thorough collection of rare documents!.......2006-05-22
"The Mammoth Book of Eyewitness Ancient Rome: The History of the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire in the Words of Those Who Were There" (whew!) is a 500+ page "phone book" of authentic Roman documents. The book is truly as "mammoth" as you would expect from a work with twenty-six words in the title alone, and pragmatically speaking, it's a remarkable value. For under eleven bucks, you can get this comprehensive set of writings, whereas buying just a handful of them in other sources (if such books are available for the work you want to read) would cost that much or more! A remarkable value!
I was most interested in the works of Josephus, but I quickly became enthralled by the way other works eerily paralleled our own society. Several of these writings can only be described as "how-to" books, for example. And, there's a document claiming to be written by Marc Antony himself entitled "On Going to Bed with Cleopatra", which makes one wonder if the Romans' attention was as misfocused as our own on cults of celebrity instead of important things. Over the years, you can follow along as Rome learns about the death of Christ from St. John, experiences Caligula and Nero, and dozens of other historical events. The Roman opinions clearly didn't always pan out, as our historical 20-20 vision will quickly tell you, but it's interesting to see how they viewed things at the time.
A Fun Resource, Marred By Some Creaky Translations.......2003-09-18
This Mammoth Book of Eyewitness Ancient Rome, edited by Jon Lewis, is really about the same size as a Viking Portable, so the title overstates the reality. At the same time, the book does collect a wide variety of Roman writings from all phases of its development and collapse. I've never before run across the Twelve Tables(450) BCE, anonymous rituals, Josephus, St. Augustine, Hannibal, Pliny, Suetonius, Marcus Aurelius, Horace, Caesar, Cicero, Juvenal, Constantine and too many others, known and anonymous, to name, all in one volume. It's main problem is that some of these translations are so hoary it's hard to imagine anyone ever expressed themselves in such convoluted and ornate language. Hannibal's speech to his troops is a prime example: it is unlikely his troops would have understood what he said, much less been motivated to valor, if he actually talked like he does in the translation here. Most of the pieces are good enough, though. It's fun to browse through, to get a peek at what Romans thought of themselves, and ordinary things they did, as well as great ones. The chronology at the front is very handy, too.
Books:
- The Mom Inventors Handbook: How to Turn Your Great Idea into the Next Big Thing
- The Price of Admission: How America's Ruling Class Buys Its Way into Elite Colleges -- and Who Gets Left Outside the Gates
- The Sicilian
- The Silent Language
- The Snow Walker
- The Sword of Truth, Boxed Set I, Books 1-3: Wizard's First Rule, Blood of the Fold ,Stone of Tears
- The Truth About Guys
- The Virgin's Lover
- The Zebra Murders: A Season of Killing, Racial Madness, and Civil Rights
- Their Eyes Were Watching God
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