Arthur and George

Average customer rating:

Sadly disappointing

Arthur May Have Been the Celebrity, but This Book Belongs to George

Oh, Arthur -- We Wish We Knew You Better...

mystery and prejudice

Philip Spires's review of Arthur and George by Julian Barnes

Arthur and George
Julian Barnes
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1400097037
Release Date: 2007-01-09

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A real tour de force from masterful author Julian Barnes is Arthur & George, which was short-listed for the 2005 Man Booker Prize. Late-Victorian Britain is brought to vivid life in the true story of the intersection of two lives: one an internationally famous author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and the other, an obscure country lawyer, George Edalji, son of a Parsi Midlands vicar and a Scottish mother. They start out very differently. Arthur pursues a career in medicine before he discovers that he is really a writer; George, on his way to becoming a lawyer--near-sighted, timid and friendless--is victimized by locals because he is easy to scapegoat--a half-Indian in lily-white Great Wyrley.

The victimization of George takes the form of nasty letters, the theft of a school key, and finally, the accusation that he has mutilated animals. Meanwhile, Arthur is becoming more and more famous for creating Sherlock Holmes, whom he tries to kill off once and is forced to resurrect because of his fans' outcry. He marries, fathers two children and then, when his wife is invalided by consumption, falls madly in love for the first time with Jean Leckie.

The novel's style is smoothly revelatory. We slowly come to realize that George is half-Indian, that Arthur is the famous Doyle, that the woman he loves, chastely, is not his wife and, sadly, that George will not prevail over the forces ranged against him.

When George, desperate to resume his law career after imprisonment, sends Arthur the sad chronicle of his history, Arthur sees immediately that he could not be guilty and sets out to clear his name. This case of George's lifts Arthur from the slough of despond into which he has sunk after his wife, Touie, dies. He is guilt-ridden, constantly wondering if he was attentive enough, if she could possibly have known about Jean. Realizing the immense injustice George has suffered, he is shaken out of lethargy and, in Holmesian fashion, sets out to solve the case.

Julian Barnes is a gifted writer of enormous accomplishment. This novel is thoroughly engrossing, filled with Barnes's trademark themes of identity and love, longing and loss, and ultimately, an examination of man's inhumanity to man. --Valerie Ryan

Book Description

As boys, George, the son of a Midlands vicar, and Arthur, living in shabby genteel Edinburgh, find themselves in a vast and complex world at the heart of the British Empire. Years later—one struggling with his identity in a world hostile to his ancestry, the other creating the world’s most famous detective while in love with a woman who is not his wife–their fates become inextricably connected.

In Arthur & George, Julian Barnes explores the grand tapestry of late-Victorian Britain to create his most intriguing and engrossing novel yet.

Customer Reviews:

Sadly disappointing.......2007-09-23

Julian Barnes is a wonderful writer but, sadly, this novel does not use his gifts to his advantage. Had it been by another author, I'd have put it down for good about a third of the way through. It was only my previous experience w/ Barnes's work that kept me plowing ahead.

The plotline has been recited in many other reviews; suffice it to say that Barnes did a lot of research -- probably too much for him to turn away from this work in midstream, which he should have. The novel is disjointed, too long, plodding, and lacking in a satisfying ending. Rather than "Arthur and George," read something else by Barnes.

Arthur May Have Been the Celebrity, but This Book Belongs to George.......2007-09-13

This fascinating piece of historical fiction documents the intersection of the lives of Arthur Conan Doyle and George Edalji. The author, in alternating passages, relates the stories of each as they grow up. Arthur with his precise mind and daring imagination becomes the renowned author of the Sherlock Holmes stories. George, a shy and unimaginative child of mixed ethnicity, is bullied and abused until he is finally convicted of a crime he did not commit. His case comes to Arthur's attention and gives new life to the man who is grieving over the death of his wife and his inability to commit to the woman he truly loves. They each have a dramatic effect on the other's life and their real-life encounter led to the establishment of the appeals process in the court system.

However, the strength of this book lies in the telling of their individual lives from young boy to the final years. George, in particular, will pull at your heart strings as he struggles with finding his identity in a hostile England. His unusual childhood, his unjust imprisonment, and his fight to reclaim his life as a member of the legal profession will open the reader's mind to the damage racism can do and how lives can be shattered because of bigotry.

Filled with well-researched scenes from the life of the famous Conan Doyle and poignant, heartbreaking moments from the life of the much lesser-known but equally real George Edalji, this book offers a penetrating look at the imperfect world that was 19th century England.

Oh, Arthur -- We Wish We Knew You Better..........2007-09-09

Arthur and George is a fascinating account of two very different men -- one famous, one not, whose lives crossed only briefly for a memorable historic mystery. Julian Barnes has resurrected an episode out of the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who acted as a real-life detective once or twice in his life, and created a very interesting look at life in turn-of-the-century England. George Edalji, victim of an obvious case of racism and injustice, calls upon Sir Arthur to clear his name. Conan Doyle, reeling from the death of his first wife and his guilt over loving another woman, leaps into the case with enthusiasm ... to mixed results.

Spanning the life times of both men, Julian Barnes has taken on a monumental task, and sometimes I felt as if I was standing outside a house with my nose pressed against the glass, wanting a closer look at the lives of these two men passing so quickly in front of me. Especially in the case of Conan Doyle, I felt I didn't know him at all in the first half of the book, and he only came alive to me as a real man when he met Jean Leckie. Perhaps this was the author's intention, but up until that point I felt that George Edalji was the strongest character in the book, with Conan Doyle only a shadow.

mystery and prejudice .......2007-08-09

Interesting book with Arthur Conan Doyle, inventor of Sherlock Holmes, as the protaganist. George is unjustly imprisoned, released with a blemish on his record which Doyle tries to remove.

Philip Spires's review of Arthur and George by Julian Barnes.......2007-08-07

George Edalji (that's Ay-dal-ji, by the way, since Parsee names are always stressed on the first syllable) is the son of a Staffordshire vicar of Indian origin and his Scottish wife. George is thus a half-caste, to use the language of his late-Victorian and Edwardian age. He's a diligent, if not too distinguished a scholar. He is uninterested in sport, is of small stature and doesn't see too well. He sleeps with his father behind a locked door, is in bed by 9:30, becomes a small town solicitor who develops an interest in train timetables and, by way of outlandish diversion, publishes a traveller's guide to railway law.

Arthur Conan Doyle (later Sir Arthur) is born in Edinburgh, completes medical school and generally accomplishes whatever task he sets himself, including becoming a world famous writer. Despite the fact that he kills off his creation, the detective Sherlock Holmes, ostensibly to devote time to tasks of greater gravity, popular demand insists that he raise the character from the dead. He does this and proceeds to generate even greater success than before. He marries happily twice and pursues and interest in spiritualism, amongst other good causes.

Perhaps because of who they are, the Edalji family become the butt of the campaign of poison pen letters. When they complain, all they accomplish is the focusing of further unwanted attentions on themselves. When a series of ripping attacks on animals remains unsolved, George, somehow, becomes the prime suspect. Convinced of his villainy, police, judicial system, expert witnesses, jury and press see him convicted of the crime and sent down for seven years. Good conduct sees him released after three.

Sir Arthur wishes to do good and takes up George Edalji's case. He researches the facts, analyses the possibilities, tracks down neighbours and officials who have been involved. He creates an alternative explanation of events and presents it to officialdom, seeking a pardon and compensation for George, who by this time has transferred to London to start a new life. The two men meet and the incongruity of their assumed expectations of life are as irreconcilable as they are irrelevant to their joint focus on George's case. After official review, however, the Home Office Committee eventually concludes in an ambiguous manner. Edalji was convicted of the crime and the conviction is declared unsound; but crucially he is not declared innocent. He is therefore found not guilty but then not innocent either and so not worthy of compensation. When, years later, Sir Arthur dies and his associates stage a spiritualist gathering in his honour in the Royal Albert Hall, George is invited and attends, complete with binoculars lest he miss a detail of the proceedings. The illusion of the event draws him in and at one stage he feels himself to be the centre of attention, only to find that it is a near miss. Most of the detail refers to himself and his father, but the reality then points to another who is immediately identified.

But, paradoxically, the quiet George Edalji and his Parsee (not Hindoo) father, Shapurji, were always the centre of attention simply by being who they were. Even Sir Arthur, the son's eventual champion, states this in one of his letters when he writes that it was perhaps inevitable that a dark-skinned clergyman taking a station in central England would attract other's attention of a kind that would seek to undermine him, vilify him and attempt to oust him. The message is clear, that to be different from an assumed norm is to invite hatred, envy, discrimination and eventually ignominy. It is presented as a universal assumption, an unwritten element of common sense. Thus, as an intruder, the usual rules of justice will never pertain, a reality alluded to late in the book when George, scanning the Albert Memorial with his binoculars, discovers a statuesque embodiment of the concept of justice that is not wearing a blindfold.

What is eventually so disturbing about Arthur and George, however, is the realisation that both characters are outsiders. George is set apart from his Staffordshire peers by his skin colour and perceived race. Arthur, however, lives no humdrum life. He attends private schools, qualifies as a doctor and then becomes an international celebrity by virtue of his writing. He takes up minority causes and identifies with them but, despite his obvious separateness from mainstream society, in his case his position is never interpreted as a threat or a handicap, obviously because the separateness of privilege has a different currency from the separateness of even relative poverty.

Now an enduring memory of my own school history lessons was a textbook reproduction of a mid-Victorian cartoon of the universal pyramid of creation. It had God at the apex, immediately in touch via the saints with the Empress of India and then, layered beneath in widening courses were the gentry and aristocracy, the members of government and civil service, the professional classes and merchants. The working classes could perhaps temporarily ignore their poverty in the solace offered by knowing that they are a cut above members of all other races who, themselves, were just one up from the apes. It was not many more layers down to the low animals, most of which slithered or crawled. Arthur and George ostensibly tells us much about racism and racial discrimination in a society that was portrayed as the apex of a worldwide empire, a heavenly focus for aspiration. It also tells us about the power of presumption and has much to say very quietly and by suggestion about social class and its ability, especially in Britain, to legitimise difference as originality or eccentricity in some areas, differences which elsewhere would be threats.

Philip Spires
Author of "Mission"

The Princess and the Goblin (Puffin Classics - the Essential Collection)

Average customer rating:

A Few Pro's and Con's to the Puffin Classics Edition
One of the best fantasy books period
A Classic Fantasy Tale
A Great Story to Read!
Wonderful story full of insight

The Princess and the Goblin (Puffin Classics - the Essential Collection)
George Macdonald
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140367462

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As always with George MacDonald, everything here is more than meets the eye: this in fact is MacDonald's grace-filled vision of the world. Said to be one of J.R.R. Tolkien's childhood favorites, The Princess and the Goblin is the story of the young Princess Irene, her good friend Curdie--a minor's son--and Irene's mysterious and beautiful great great grandmother, who lives in a secret room at the top of the castle stairs. Filled with images of dungeons and goblins, mysterious fires, burning roses, and a thread so fine as to be invisible and yet--like prayer--strong enough to lead the Princess back home to her grandmother's arms, this is a story of Curdie's slow realization that sometimes, as the princess tells him, "you must believe without seeing." Simple enough for reading aloud to a child (as I've done myself more than once with my daughter), it's rich enough to repay endless delighted readings for the adult. --Doug Thorpe

Book Description

Considered by W.H. Auden to be "the only English children's book in the same class as the Alice books," The Princess and the Goblin is a classic example of nineteenth-century children's literary fairy tales. Both this tale and its sequel, The Princess and Curdie, follow in the tradition of the folk tales of Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm, yet also impart to the reader a sense of MacDonald's personal vision and unique style. This volume is the only adult edition of these classics currently in print.

Download Description

Princess Irene's discovery of a secret stair to the top turret of the castle leads to a wonderful revelation. At the same time, the miner's son Curdle overhears a fiendish plot by the goblins who live below the mountain. It will take all of their wit and courage, plus the help of Irene's magic ring, to make sense of their separate knowledge and foil the goblins' schemes.

Customer Reviews:

A Few Pro's and Con's to the Puffin Classics Edition.......2007-08-03

The Princess and the Goblin is a truly delightful tale that is beautifully told by George MacDonald and deserves five stars. But, I will not attempt to review the story itself, for there are such wonderful descriptions and testimonies from other reviewers on this page concerning the content of MacDonald's work. However, I would like to describe the Puffin Classics edition in a little more detail. Please be aware that the Puffin's paperback cover is very soft and not as durable as other paperback covers. As well, the paper quality is rather grainy, which may not hold up well in the years to come. Thus, I have allotted this product four stars. On a positive note, I am pleased that the publishers kept the nostalgic illustrations by Arthur Hughes. Also, this copy has been edited well for typos and simple mistakes. With these particular points in mind, I would like to encourage the potential buyer to consider other editions of the text as well. Everyman's Childrens Library (The Princess and the Goblin (Everyman's Library Children's Classics Series)) has produced a hardback copy, which may be a better choice if the copy is to be given to a child. Also, for the MacDonald researcher or literary student, I would highly recommend the Johannesen edition(The Princess and the Goblin (George Macdonald Original Works)) since it is an authoritative edition. However, when it comes to the price, the Puffin Classics edition can not help but to be rather tempting. I hope these few notes have been helpful - Happy shopping.

One of the best fantasy books period.......2007-06-18

So it's written for children but I could hardly tell the difference. The simplicity of the storytelling made it all the more appealing and the veins of courage, humilty, and human frailty running through it were impressive and awe inspiring. Like I said it's simple but don't let that word fool you. It's brilliantly written and encourages the reader to look at his or her own character. "As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man." Proverbs 27:19 It's a lesson we could all learn if not relearn...

A Classic Fantasy Tale.......2007-04-17

Macdonald inspired C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and Lewis Carroll. He is the father of modern fantasy. This is one of his best. Directed more for kids, but like all of his tales, sophisticated enough for adults.

A Great Story to Read!.......2007-04-07

This book is a good classic for everyone to read because it is an enchanting story about a princess named Princess Irene and the adventures she has. She meets a boy miner named Curdie and she finds a great great grandmother living in the top tower room of Irene's house. Her nurse doesn't believe Irene--that she actually has a grandmother living in the top of the house. Irene eventually goes into the mountain and finds Curdie tied up. I really like the story because I like adventure and I also like mysteries and this story was sort of like a mystery (especially when I had to stop at the end of a chapter and wait to find out what happened next). I also think you could learn a lesson or two from this book: you don't have to see to believe (Curdie learned this). Irene learned that if you are not sure whether or not something is a dream or real, it can be real, and it is wonderful when it is.

Review by EGM, age seven.

Wonderful story full of insight.......2006-12-30

My mother read this book to me when I was four or five years old. The book was very memorable and my impressions of two of the main characters, Curdy and the grandmother, stayed with me over the years. I assumed the book had gone out of print and was surprised to come across it while browsing in a bookstore one day.

The story is magical and reading it again after so many years was very enjoyable. It was almost like undertaking a type of archaeological excavation deep into the recesses of my memories.

The author, George MacDonald (1824-1905), lived in Scotland and in addition to writing, was also a Christian minister. I later learned that he was very influential on C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. I personally believe that Tolkien's idea in The Hobbit of a mountain filled with goblins originated with George MacDonald's story of the goblin filled mountain in this book.

The story is a kind of allegory. There is a princess that was sent away from her father's house, a grand and beautiful palace built upon a mountain (her father is a king), to live in a house on the side of another mountain, half-way between its base and its peak. This seems to be a metaphor for the Christian idea that human spirits leave the home of their Heavenly Father, to enter mortal life. (see Wordsworth's poem: "Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting: The soul that rises with us, our life's Star, Hath had elsewhere its setting, And cometh from afar: Not in entire forgetfulness, And not in utter nakedness, But trailing clouds of glory do we come From God, who is our home...") It seems fitting to say that mortal life is found half-way down from heaven.

Curdy is a young miner who works in the mountain with his father every day. The mountain is filled with goblins that can only come out at night. The princess lives in a castle that is very mysterious. Its foundations stretch down into the mountains where the goblins live, but its upper towers are rarely visited, and a wise old woman, who turns out to be a type of symbol of heavenly guidance, lives there.

Curdy learns about the goblins' plot to invade the palace and capture the princess, and with the help of the wise old woman is able to save the princess. Curdy is not able to see the wise old woman at first because he does not believe in her. In one telling scene, the princess brings Curdy to see the old woman, but Curdy has not yet prepared himself to believe and so cannot see her. The princess is hurt because Curdy does not believe her and wants the old woman to show herself to Curdy. To this request, the old woman wisely replies that Curdy "is not yet able to believe some things. Seeing is not believing - it is only seeing." She also admonishes the princess that someone who already sees, (because they have developed faith) must be patient with others who cannot yet see, and therefore "must be content ... to be misunderstood for a while."

George MacDonald is one of my favorite storytellers. The Princess and the Goblin has a sequel, The Princess and Curdie, which is equally enjoyable. Another great book by MacDonald is The Wise Woman. MacDonald said that he didn't write for children "but for the child-like, whether they be of five, or fifty, or seventy-five."

I am in complete agreement with the reviewer who said that anyone will profit by reading this book.

Average customer rating:

Too Expensive but there's hope.
Keep This One on Your Shelf
managing human resources
HR Management Book Review
Good infos

Managing Human Resources
George W. Bohlander , Arthur W. Sherman , Scott A. Snell , and Arthur Sherman
Manufacturer: South-Western Educational Publishing
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Annual Editions: Human Resources 06/07 (Annual Editions)

ASIN: 0324007248

Book Description

Managing Human Resources retains its unique orientation to overall practicality and real-world application. Practical tips and suggestions provide effective ways of dealing with problems in communication, leadership, discipline, performance appraisal, and compensation administration.

Customer Reviews:

Too Expensive but there's hope........2007-09-30

I found the international version for over 1/2 the price on ebay on through Amazion resellers. The lone diffs between both editions are the end of chapters exercises such as Case Studies and Film examples are missing. Hence, after chapter 1, pager #s are different. No big deal. I also liked the softcover edition since it weighs far less. Page quality / stock / ink is excellent.

Keep This One on Your Shelf.......2007-07-17

All managers and HR professionals should have a copy of this textbook on their shelf. I used it for a graduate MBA class and liked it so much that I kept it instead of selling it back on this site--the true mark of a quality textbook. The examples used follow many current headlines, so it's worth picking up the latest edition available.

managing human resources.......2007-02-20

I would first of all like to say thank you for the help. I would like to know what is going on this item. I return the item about a month ago and have yet to get a reply on it. It was the wrong book that I ordered. Can someone please let me know something becuase I am in need of a refund or a credit real soon. You know how it is in this world we call earth.

Thank youl

HR Management Book Review.......2007-02-14

The book is received in extremely good conditions. It has very good and interesting topics. Perfect for anyone who is searching for material with great tools to use at work.

Good infos.......2007-01-17

This book was required for my online class. However despite the hardship I faced with the class, this book is great to explain the Human Resouce functions and what to expect. I suggest watch the videos in addition to the case studies.. That have lots of information on it. This is a beginner book on Human Resource therefore, keep in mind, you most probably have read some of the concepts else where. None the less its a great book to learn more about human resources.

Average customer rating:

should have been better
Don't waste your money!
DRAWING from the MODERN

Drawing From The Modern
Andre Breton , Paul Gauguin , Georges Bataille , Jodi Hauptman , Hans Bellmer , Constantin Brancusi , Paul Cezanne , Marc Chagall , Giorgio De Chirico , Robert Delaunay , Andre Derain , Arthur Dove , Alexandra Alexandrovna Exter , Arshile Gorky , Juan Gris , Gustav Klimt , Wilfredo Lam , Filippo Marinetti , and Joan Miro
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Binding: Hardcover

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Many of the key achievements in art of the last 125 years have been worked out on paper. From pictorial investigations that expanded the possibilities of vision to the invention of entirely new kinds of media, drawing has been the perfect laboratory for avant-garde experimentation. Drawing from the Modern traces such groundbreaking innovation through the unparalleled holdings of the drawings collection of The Museum of Modern Art. Drawing has historically been understood as a mark or line on paper--the record of a bodily gesture, an inscription of the action of the hand, an expression of the mind. Since the 1880s, however, artists have sought to interrupt these seemingly unbreakable links between mark, hand, and imagination. Defying long-held definitions of drawing and rejecting traditional materials, modern artists invented a host of practices, altering not only the field of drawing but artmaking in general. Examining masterworks from the Museum's collection of nearly 7,000 works on paper in three chronological volumes beginning in the 1880s and continuing through today, Drawing from the Modern reconsider artists' repudiation of traditional drafting methods, assault on the use of the single sheet of paper, and introduction of new materials. Going to the heart of avant-garde innovation, all three volumes showcase new formal strategies, including collage, abstraction, chance, and the integration of text and image, as well as new subject matter, including the urban experience, the body, and identity. Volume I, presented here, spans the period from 1880 to 1940, and includes work by such artists as Jean Arp, Hans Bellmer, Paul Cazanne, Arshile Gorky, Georgia O'Keeffe, Odilon Redon, and Kurt Schwitters. Volume II, available in Spring 2005, will cover 1940 to 1975, and Volume III, available in Fall 2005, will bring us from 1975 to the present day.

Customer Reviews:

should have been better.......2007-09-13

I purchased book 1 & 2 from Amazon. The illustrations are far too small to be a professionally represented art book from MOMA I've decided to save my money rather than pay out for the 3rd edition. It sounds a good buy from its description but I don't consider this trilogy to be very satisfactory.

Don't waste your money!.......2007-08-09

This is not a good artbook. The images are way too small to be satisfying. This book could have been great, but falls way short of its potential. Don't buy it, you will be disappointed.

DRAWING from the MODERN.......2006-12-27

DRAWING from the MODERN is the first of a three part series published by MOMA as catalogue to accompany the chronologically arranged exhibitions of their drawing collection; in part, celebration of the seventy fifth anniversary of the founding of the Museum.

This first book looks at the late nineteenth century through the beginning of the twentieth. Care and preservation of these drawings dictate that they are displayed infrequently, paper being a delicate medium, subject to fading, discoloration and brittleness. The publication of this series then allows us to have at hand a history of drawings seldom seen, and a visual education demonstrating how problems of that era both evolved and worked themselves out.

The introduction by Jodi Hauptman is broad and well worth reading. Aside from her entertaining "end of art" stories, she addresses artists and process leading to the dissolution of prevalent notions: relationship of "mark" to "ground", took new form; spatial notions of an orderly page, questioned; the element of chance, explored as process; the ego relationship of an artist to work, dissolving. New imagery happened: collage, abstraction, grids, enhanced emotions, metaphors of feeling, the sublime re-imaged. New subjects explored brutalities of war, notions of "city", identity, the spiritual, and the abstract.

As perhaps with all process of art, the uncertainty of change brought forth much that is new. The 139 plates of drawings both demonstrate and give testimony by leading artists of the time to new era in process. Drawing as subject matter is fascinating. To be expected, the book is well printed. Of course, what is book one without book two and three?

Nancy Gutrich

The War of the Worlds (Modern Library Classics)

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Book
Free SF Reader
Martian invasion
A science fiction classic
The War of the Worlds

The War of the Worlds (Modern Library Classics)
H. G. Wells
Manufacturer: Modern Library
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Amazon.com

This is the granddaddy of all alien invasion stories, first published by H.G. Wells in 1898. The novel begins ominously, as the lone voice of a narrator tells readers that "No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man's..."

Things then progress from a series of seemingly mundane reports about odd atmospheric disturbances taking place on Mars to the arrival of Martians just outside of London. At first the Martians seem laughable, hardly able to move in Earth's comparatively heavy gravity even enough to raise themselves out of the pit created when their spaceship landed. But soon the Martians reveal their true nature as death machines 100-feet tall rise up from the pit and begin laying waste to the surrounding land. Wells quickly moves the story from the countryside to the evacuation of London itself and the loss of all hope as England's military suffers defeat after defeat. With horror his narrator describes how the Martians suck the blood from living humans for sustenance, and how it's clear that man is not being conquered so much a corralled. --Craig E. Engler

Book Description

“No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man’s and yet as mortal as his own.” Thus begins one of the most terrifying and morally prescient science fiction novels ever penned. Beginning with a series of strange flashes in the distant night sky, the Martian attack initially causes little concern on Earth. Then the destruction erupts—ten massive aliens roam England and destroy with heat rays everything in their path. Very soon mankind finds itself on the brink of extinction. Wells raises questions of mortality, man’s place in nature, and the evil lurking in the technological future—questions that remain urgently relevant in the twenty-first century.

Customer Reviews:

Book.......2007-09-22

This is a strong book that always keeps yo guessing and on the edge of your seat. I think that this author writes some nice pieces of written masterpiece! I will be buying more!

Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

Humans are not alone in the universe, let alone in the solar system itself. Large tripod-like machines land, and they are most definitely
not friendly. It is discovered that they are from Mars, information which is not particularly useful. With advanced weaponry and materials
they set about a mission of destruction and conquest.

In the end, it appears that the biological sciences were not their strong suit, bringing about their downfall.

Martian invasion.......2007-06-11

War of the Worlds is considered the book that started science fiction. The action in the story is lacking for today's generation of action junkies, but is still an interesting look at possible human annihilation. Its popularity has created countless books and movies about aliens and other fantasy writings making it the father of Star Wars, Star Trek and Independence Day. This is a great book that is worth the read.

A science fiction classic.......2007-06-02

I don't care about the supposed disguised attacks on British imperialism that Wells portrayed in this book. I enjoyed this classic by what I think it is: a gripping narrative of an alien invasion, cleverly written, intelligent, fast-paced, without naming even the main characters!

The other merit is that this book is the genesis of all "invasion" books that followed.

A great read.

The War of the Worlds .......2007-05-18

Mars has long since sparked our imagination. For centuries, mankind has wondered whether this cold, dark, and barren planet has ever supported intelligent life. When an observer in the English conutryside, whose name is never mentioned, notices gas flumes coming from the surface of the alien world, he becomes intrigued, especially when, ten days later, a green star impacts a near-by farm. However, curiousity changes to terror,when a cylinder rises from above the wreckage and shoots out and invisble heat ray that kills everyone around but himself. Confused, bewildered, and overwhelmed, he grabs his wife and heads to the town of Leatherhead, where he leaves his wife behind to look back at the wreckage. Over the course of the novel, he discovers more and more about these machines of terror in secret. However, he learns that even the great English army is no match for these weapons, as the army is quickly devastated. The Martian cylinders continue to come and transform into menacing tripods that spray a poisonous black smoke, silencing England and eventually, London. However, when the main character walks through a deserted street, he notices that several Martians have died. With the death toll of one billion people, humanity had survived the invasion, thanks simple microbes, which were not present in the Martians' own environment. Thus, the Martians were brought to their demise when they first invaded. As the main character walks on, he sees his wife, alive, and a new life ahead. The War of the Worlds, by H.G. Wells, is an excellent science-fiction novel for its suspense, its action, and its revolutionary science-fiction.

H.G. Wells wrote a great suspense novel when he wrote War of the Worlds. When the main character notices a shooting green star fall across the sky, he becomes curious. The reader is wondering what will happen next, until the alien machine lets out all fury on the crowd before it. The reader is then thrown into amazement as the machines of terror devastate the English countryside. When the machines arrive at a small port town, the masses trying to evacuate panic, the army tries to take them down, and so the war of the worlds begins.

Action is also prominent in the War of the Worlds. When the tripods first impact the port town, there are mass sequences of explosions, in which the Royal Army does manage to shoot down one of the tripods. But the only problem is that there are several more left standing, advancing with great speed. The tripods shoot their heat rays into the water, causing it to be boiling-hot, literally frying the fleeing people who used the water as a refuge. The main character is almost crushed by one of the feet of the machine, and is almost boiled to death by the sheer heat of the water. This signifies how much action this novel contains.

H.G. Wells revolutionizes the word "science-fiction" in writing the War of the Worlds. Written at the turn of the nineteenth century, Wells wrote of intelligent life on Mars, in fact, more intelligent than us. He imagines a cold Martian world that is getting colder and less inhabitable, which is why the Martians invade, to find a warm planet to thrive in. He invents the alien cylinders and the tripods, 100 feet tall weapons with tentacle-like arms and an invisible heat ray that turns anything to flames. H.G. Wells also created the Martians themselves, creatures crushed under the weight of Earth's gravity and creatures that have no resemblance to mankind what-so-ever.

The War of the Worlds tells a story of the Martian invasion and an Englishman's attempt to survive in the process. It's best trait, however, is the fact that it has been a classic for nearly a century. Children, teens, and adults alike still find fascination in his works. The results are in the sales: his books have sold millions of copies. Besides this, the War of the Worlds, by H.G. Wells, is a an excellent science-fiction novel for its thrills, its climatic battles, and for its futuristic appeal. I rate this novel five stars out of five.

A. Chappell

The Interpreter's Bible, A Commentary in Twelve Volumes (Volume 4)

Average customer rating:

Great
Impressive
Meat for the mature.

The Interpreter's Bible, A Commentary in Twelve Volumes (Volume 4)

Manufacturer: Abingdon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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General | Bible & Other Sacred Texts | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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Interpreter's Bible, Volume 9 Acts/Romans

ASIN: 0687192102

Customer Reviews:

Great.......2002-03-27

Whenever I go to the library to do some research for a sermon, I always use the Interpreter's series both old and new... I own a few volumes at home and looking forward to obtaining more... they are a great resource of information... I recommend these volumes to the serious students of the Gospel... If you want more, here it is...

Impressive.......2001-07-31

Certainly one of the best series of commentaries that I have seen. I have several sets in my PC Study Bible software and have used others in the past, not to mention the others in our church library. This set has impressed me the most. When the new volumes come out, you can be sure they will be at the top of my list.

Meat for the mature........2000-08-31

These volumes are the best commentaries I have ever used, they are in depth and easily used by laymen and clergy alike.I would highly recommend them to any serious bible student.Nothing else is close to them.

The Rhesus Monkey Brain in Stereotaxic Coordinates

Average customer rating:

The Rhesus Monkey Brain in Stereotaxic Coordinates
George Paxinos , Xu-Feng Huang , and Arthur W. Toga
Manufacturer: Academic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

Anatomy | Basic Science | Medicine | Subjects | Books

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A Combined MRI and Histology Atlas of the Rhesus Monkey Brain
Atlas of the Human Brain, Second Edition

ASIN: 0123582555

Book Description

The Rhesus Monkey Brain in Stereotaxic Coordinates is the most comprehensive, detailed atlas of the monkey brain ever constructed. The first chapter, "Photographic and Diagrammatic Atlas of the Rhesus Monkey Brain," presents 151 plates illustrating the subcortex and parts of the cortex in high magnification, and 151 corresponding diagrams complementing each image. The second chapter, "Delineation of the Rhesus Monkey Cortex on the Basis of the Distribution of a Neurofilament Protein," consists of 64 fully labeled plates depicting an entire hemisphere. Jointly, the two chapters constitute the most serious morphological work ever undertaken on the monkey.

Key Features
* Provides the first comprehensive delineations of cortical and subcortical structures of any primate species
* Depicts the entire brain in 151 photographs paired with 151 detailed diagrams
* Alternates sections stained for Nissl substance with sections reacted for acetylcholinesterase (AChE)
* Contains 64 fully labeled photographs of brain sections reacted with an antibody to neurofilament protein (SMI32)
* Features modern concepts of brain organization and a stereotaxic grid
* Designed to become the standard reference for databasing and PET, MRI, and electrographic studies

Modern Masters, Vol. 6: Arthur Adams (Modern Masters)

Average customer rating:

Great Concept, Maybe Not So Great Quality
A worthwhile look at Mr. Adams' art
THE DAZZLING MR. ADAMS GETS HIS DUE

Modern Masters, Vol. 6: Arthur Adams (Modern Masters)
George Khoury , Eric Nolen-Weathington , and Art Adams
Manufacturer: TwoMorrows Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

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Modern Masters, Vol. 7: John Byrne (Modern Masters)
Modern Masters Volume 8: Walter Simonson
Modern Masters Volume 1: Alan Davis
Modern Masters Volume 2: George Perez
Modern Masters Volume 9: Mike Wieringo

ASIN: 1893905543

Product Description

The newest volume of the Modern Masters series looks at the life and work of one of todays top comic-book artists, Arthur Adams! Arthur burst onto the comic book scene with the widely acclaimed Longshot mini-series in 1985 and has remained a star in the field ever since. His unique style has earned him both the Russ Manning Award and the Eisner Award, as well as a legion of fans. From super-heroes such as the X-Men, Fantastic Four, and The Authority, to pop culture icons including Godzilla, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and even Gumby, Adams range of work only adds to his appeal. But it is his energetic cartooning combined with his painstaking attention to fine detail that truly amazes his fans and peers alike. Modern Masters Volume 6: Arthur Adams features an extensive, career-spanning interview lavishly illustrated with rare and unpublished art, as well as a large sketchbook section. One look and youll agreeArthur Adams is truly a Modern Master!

Customer Reviews:

Great Concept, Maybe Not So Great Quality.......2007-08-11

I've loved Art Adams' work for a while, and when I discovered that someone had put together an interview with him discussing his career and displaying his work over the years, I had to pick it up. Modern Masters: Arthur Adams is a good buy, and well worth it for comics fans, both for its content and for the artwork contained within. You'll find some great insights into Adam's career and creativity form his own mouth, as well as a nice selection of black and white finished art, sketches, conceptual work, etc. interspersed throughout the book itself and in a special gallery section at the end.

The only drawback to this book, and the reason that it doesn't get my full 5 stars, is the quality of the printing. This book doesn't have the best printing quality in terms of the ink/paper that is used - in some of the darker spots (espeically the places where there are great big blocks of black on a page) it's starting to rub off onto the facing page. However, if you treat it carefully, this probably won't be too much of an issue (I hope). All in all, a good buy - check it out.

A worthwhile look at Mr. Adams' art.......2006-03-10

I'm not a great fan of this series of books in general. I've found some of the earlier volumes to dwell over-much on the interview aspects without giving you anything really interesting by way of art. Thankfully, I have no real complaints with this volume devoted to Arthur Adams.

Like the rest of the series, it is interview-oriented. And let's face it; not everybody is a great interview subject. I've read a number of interviews with Mr. Adams, however, and found him consistently engaging. The text of this book is no different.

Best of all, there's a good selection of artwork here, including everything from thumbnail sketches to pencil drawings to fully-finished art. Everything is in black and white and/or halftone reproduction, but overall the production values are decent and everything is very legible.

If you're a fan of Mr. Adams' art, I'd say you are in for a treat with this book. And if you consider that the average cover price for a single comic book is $2.99 these days, for the price this volume can't be beat.

THE DAZZLING MR. ADAMS GETS HIS DUE.......2006-02-21

Like most comic fans, the first time I saw Art Adams' work was on the quirky mini-series Longshot. Adams is a bit of a rare breed. Unlike a lot of artists, Art did not struggle for years to get his break, rather he was in the right place at the right time which brought him the Longshot series when he was just 19 years old. He had sent samples of his work to all the Marvel editors and it was Carl Potts who first contacted Art and got him hooked up with writer Ann Nocenti to work on Longshot. Adams' detailed and unique style quickly made him a fan favorite and Adams soon found himself working on some of Marvel's top-selling books including The X-Men and New Mutants.

Adams is the latest subject of the Modern Masters series from TwoMorrows publishing and he's certainly deserving of the honor. In this book-length interview which features hundreds of samples of his art, Adams talks about his twenty plus year career in comics. Among his influences were Frank Frazetta, Michael Golden, Walt Simonson, and Barry Smith...the latter two are certainly the most evident in his work. Art discussed the creation and look of Longshot which was Nocenti's creation but with a look designed by Art. The mullet was based on the lead singer of 80's one-hit wonder band Kajagoogoo. Besides his projects for Marvel, the interview covers his work for now-defunct Comico including Gumby, Monkey Man and O'Brien for Dark Horse and Tom Strong for DC's America's Best Comics imprint. Art humorously discusses how his legendary Wolverine poster has brought him tremendous royalties, even so many years later.

Adams was certainly ahead of his time by at least a half-decade, putting out eye-popping artwork long before Todd McFarlane, Jim Lee, and the rest of the Image ilk would revolutionize the way fans looked at comic book art with their bold, in your face, splash page-happy styles. Adams was Image before it ever existed. Yet what really comes through in the interview is the humbleness and lack of ego that he has. He is fairly reserved and often even self-deprecating about his work. You can see how much of a regular guy he is as he takes readers through an average work day, admittedly often distracted by television. Art comes across as very engaging and somewhat surprised by his own success. It clearly has not gone to his head.

The interview covers the first 88 pages of the book while the last 36 pages are dedicated to displaying his fantastic art work. This gallery contains some of his famous covers, design sketches and portfolio illustrations including some simply dazzling, full-page Moneky Man and O'Brien pieces. But the most intriguing are Art's re-imagining of some old, classic Marvel & DC covers. These include his versions of The Hulk #181 as Wolverine battles the Hulk, Marvel Feature #11 with another of those classic Thing Vs. Hulk covers, and Fantasic Four #82 which is a redo of a great Jack Kirby cover.

Art Adams is a welcome edition to the Modern Masters series!

Reviewed by Tim Janson

George Washington's Indispensable Men: The 32 Aides-De-Camp Who Helped Win American Independence

Average customer rating:

this book is great! very readable!

George Washington's Indispensable Men: The 32 Aides-De-Camp Who Helped Win American Independence
Arthur S. Lefkowitz
Manufacturer: Stackpole Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0811716465

Book Description

While history has immortalized George Washington, it has largely forgotten those who helped to propel him to such greatness--the 32 men who served as his aides-de-camp. "George Washington's Indispensable Men" asserts that Washington relied heavily on these men for help in formulating policy and strategy. His aides were definitely not just "pen men," but real, behind-the-scenes advisors that potentially affected some of his greatest decisions.

Customer Reviews:

this book is great! very readable!.......2006-02-07

I wanted to relate how much I enjoyed reading this book, as most of the reviewers have said that it is "Dense" and a "reference". I have to admit that my wife (an incredibly well read Smithie) took one look at it and said "You're reading that?!"

My reaction was totally different, I could not put it down. It is highly readable, though I would describe myself as "Revolutionary War Buff" In retrospect, I loved many things about it: like the best yet description of the Battle of Monmouth, the Charles Lee smear campaign, the true close relationship between many of the aides and especially the discussion of the historiography of the myths handed from early scholars to the present.

Toward the end of the book Lefkowitz addressed my long term fascination: what it was like inside the Tent with all those educated personages about. Imagine the dsicussion of George Washington, Tench Tighlman, Alexander Hamilton, John Laurens and LaFayette, and their visitors like Ben Franklin, Elbridge Gerry, Gouvereur Morris and John Hancock. The small talk, the banter, the discussion of politics and the issues of the day; I wish I had a time capsule! This book took me one step closer to being there. I took great pleasure from it.

Mechanism Design: Analysis and Synthesis (4th Edition)

Average customer rating:

I would look elsewhere
Very bad
a must for mechanical engineers

Mechanism Design: Analysis and Synthesis (4th Edition)
Arthur G. Erdman , George N. Sandor , Sridhar Kota , Arthur G Erdman , and George N Sandor
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

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