Great addition to any library...minister and layperson alike!

This book is the Melnibonean supplement for Chaosium's Elric! roleplaying game, covering the history, geography, cities, magic, culture and peoples of the Dragon Isle. Especially useful is the in-depth descriptions and hints on playing Melnibonean characters (which is probably a staple fantasy of any Moorcock fan). The famous personalities of Melnibone are also discussed in more detail than the small sample in the main Elric! rulebook. In the last section of the book are three excellent short adventures to introduce the players to Melnibone. The first of the three, 'The Suffer Glass', captures the tone of Moorcock's novels especially well and is better than most of the gaming books published as individual adventures.

The writers have done a fine job of expanding seamlessly on the brief paragraphs describing Melnibone of Michael Moorcock's Elric books. This books provide an entertaining read for fans of the Elric series even if you don't actually rolegame since the book is light on game rules and heavy on descriptions. The only (minor) issues are the lack of detailed maps of the Dreaming City of Imrryr and some of the illustrations are not particularly inspired.

Mark O'Sullivan is one of ireland's most highly regarded writers for young people. This, his first book, was the very first winner of the prestigious Eilis Dillon Memorial Award for children's literature.

Melody for Nora uses a strong, well-told story to bring alive the often-confusing complexities of Civil War Ireland in a manner rarely seen. The book is very much about people, and the people are interesting and lifelike. But at the same time the book shows the ironies and tragedies inherent in any civil war, with conflicting loyalties and the ghosts of past actions haunting the participants.

Mark O'Sullivan has gone on to write further good books, and his reputation continues to grow, but Melody for Nora remains one of his strongest works. Few first novels are as professionally done, and even fewer as readable. The book, set during a terrible time in Ireland's history, will be one for the history books itself, since it marked the emergence of a major irish writer.

_Mesopotamia and the Bible_ is a collection of recent essays on the relationship between the two named subjects. Coeditor Mark Chavalas begins with an essay on the history of Assyriology and biblical studies. The various approaches of scholars has ranged from Malul who took an "inventorial" approach to comparisons... to G Rawlinson who felt that Assyriology had become "uncom-
fortably close to the Holy Text" (page 27)... to Delitsch who argued that ancient Israelite civilization was in fact derived from Babylonia.

Chavalas' essay is followed by two essays on methodology. S Holloway writes of three sometimes overlapping Assyrias: biblical Assyria, classical Assyria, and historical Assyria. Averbeck writes that some of the problems of comparing historiography may be resolved if attention is paid to S Talmon's principle of noting the integral relationship between a text and its society before comparing that text with another text from another society; the two may not have similar uses by their respective societies.

Among the following essays, M Chavalas surveys archaeological digs in Syria and some of the results from them. R Veenker provides an overview of the Old Babylonian period and includes Mari, Syria, Hammurabi's Babylon, and the advent of the Kassites. And perhaps the most thought-provoking essay is D Fleming's wherein he finds a *cultural link* between ancient Israel and Emar by comparing biblical religious practice with the zukru ritual of Emar.

W Pitard points out some of the similarities and differences between biblical Israel and Ugarit/the Ugarit texts. In particular Pitard argues that the comparisons between concepts of life and death at Ugarit and Israel have been overrated. Pitard points out that one really would not expect a custom to remain the same over a thousand miles or a thousand years ... or even less, of course.

W Schniedewind writes that the Arameans were not an ethnic group but a social class from the same geographic region. This he derives from the earliest texts which mention Aram. It is a locale and the people who inhabited it were Arameans. They were diverse peoples from across the Euphrates who had pastoral nomadism as a cultural bond. One is quickly reminded of Deut 26.5.

Coeditor L Younger continues his studies of Assyria and the fall of Samaria. This essay includes information on the rations apportioned to Samarian deportees by the Assyrians.

Most of the essays in this volume are very informative. The essays are written by leading scholars and usually the topic is one upon which they have spent a great deal of study. However the reader would be well advised to know that more than one essay is poorly written. Though the writers are experts in their fields, they write by shifting through lateral thoughts with no central thesis in focus.

Kool book metallica fans buy it!! the best album!

Yes! Finally a biography/photo collage, that does justice by Metallica. I picked this up a couple weeks ago because of an essay I had to write for a class of mine, and I was blown away! Metallica was the first band I ever saw live, and this truly captures the effect of the live experience. Minus the druken brawls, bonfires, and

The Mexican War Correspondence of Richard Smith Elliott, edited and annotated by Mark L. Gardner and Marc Simmons, University of Oklahoma Press, 1997, xi + 292 pgs. The book consists of what the title says it does, plus some useful material written later by Elliott but appropriately inserted by the editors. Elliott was an elected Lieutenant in the Laclede Rangers which was a unit from St. Louis and a part of the Missouri Volunteers, in turn a part of Kearny1s Army of the West during the Mexican War. Irregularly, from May 1846 to July of the next year, Elliott sent dispatches back to the St. Louis Daily Reveille, writing as John Brown. In brief, Lt. Elliott with his outfit went from his home to Santa Fe, where with few exceptions, he remained throughout his term of enlistment. Compared to many other soldiers of that time, he led an easy life. (After all, many of us pay to live in Santa Fe, although arguably the amenities may be somewhat better than they were 150 years ago.) However, Elliott's descriptions of the marches, Bent's Fort, Santa Fe and its inhabitants including the native ladies, are most interesting, as are his opinions of some of his associates and high-ranking commanders. The Introduction is helpful and the notes, we think, are the main achievement of the editors: erudite, expansive as need be, and interesting on their own ‹ as you might expect from those two well-known historians. Notes are what turns diaries or dispatches into histories; in this case a valuable piece of New Mexico history and an excellent view of a minuscule part of the Mexican War.

The MGH board review is a must for those needing to pass the ABA written exam. Sample questions are divided into separate topics that clearly help the candidate focus on expanding his or her knowledge base. There is a full length sample test at the end of the book that accurately simulates the testing situation.

This book functions as a fantastic guide for any person! It includes critical information for estate planning, and is written in laymans terms. The easy to understand text makes this often intimidating subject comfortable, and gives the reader the confidence necessary to start taking charge of his or her future and legacy!

Why am I reviewing a children's book? My second grade son had to write a book report on a bibliography. He is a big baseball fan - like his father - so he picked Mickey Mantle. As most of you know, Mickey's exploits on the baseball field are certainly worthy of his hero status. However, some of his exploits off the field hardly are appropriate for a second grader. Trying to avoid discouraging my son from his selected topic, I searched Amazon and found "Mickey Mantle - Baseball Legends."

The book is fun and interesting, focusing on Mickey's humble beginnings and his baseball accomplishments. It is very readable and manageable for a young reader. Most importantly, the book is quite appropriate for its intended younger audience. It focuses on Mickey's baseball career while avoiding other elements of Mickey's life that younger children do not need to know. A child can enjoy the book and story, while adults do not have to fear its subject.