Although this book covers many of the unusual aspects of siege warfare, it only manages to scrape the surface of them. The illustrations in the book were either useless photos or very well done drafting images. All in all, this book is great for an overview with a view intresting pictures but fails to be worth its price.

"Siege : Castles at War" is a very good read for those interested in castles. The book is essentially an adaption of two medieval scholars' NOVA television special that aired on public television (PBS)recently (1999). The authors of this book, both university professors of medieval studies, really know what they're talking about and this book is ready proof that they've spent a life researching medieval culture and warfare. I checked this book out from my local public library and have now hinted to my girlfriend that I'd like a copy for my birthday! The text is well-written, easy-to-read, factual as well as interesting, and, best of all, embellished with wonderful period illustrations. I enjoyed this book as did the sixth-grade child who I have tutoring in history. While my young tutoree enjoyed the book, the text is most definitely written for adult readers. I highly advise this book to those who want to learn more about castles and medieval warfare.

This is a great book. It has beautiful illustrations, very clear and helpful. It also has maps on each page showing where the snake lives. One minor problem, it uses a lot of technical terms like "Fossorial" and "Riparian". But (I discovered after my fourth trip to the dictionary) it has a glossary in the back.

However, one major problem. There is no clear indication which snakes are poisonous, which are a little dangerous to humans, and which are harmless. This is a big drawback. I want to know without having to read through the text for a clue if the snake that just entered my tent is going to kill me or not. Some of the time it doesn't tell you even in the text, as in some of the rattlesnakes. Of course, you assume that rattlers are not exactly friendly, but a clear symbol or icon would really help. So would a section letting you know what to do if you've been bitten by a snake.

Great descriptions and beautiful pictures of the snakes found in Utah. Anyone spending time in the natural areas of the state should enjoy this small field guide while getting to know some of Utah's scaley residents!

Mark Drakeford's book on the Kibbo Kift and the Green shirts is a book that should have be written many years ago. It helps us understand the complex nature of solutions advanced in the 30's toward depression and mass unemployment. The period is remembered for Cable Street, the National Unemployed Workers Movement, fascism, and the Spanish Civil War. The response of radical capitalism has rarely been addressed by the left or the right. Social Credit did not want to abolish capitalism, but recognised the weaknesses of that particular economic system. The study traces the development of the Green Shirts from the Kibbo Kift Kindred. As a historian I felt a certain ambiguity toward the sociological slant of this work, however one must recognise the excellent narrative and use of oral history techniques to deal with the inner life of both movements. The weakness of the book comes from a lack of in depth knowledge of the woodcraft movement that developed independently from Scouting. The realtionship between the Westlakes and Hargrave is not mentioned, nor is the link between eugenics, recapitulation theory and woodcraft in its early ideological form. Another weakness must be the simple chronological narrative Drakeford opts for. He must have gathered plenty of information on Hargrave, yet his intensely complex character is only hinted at. The elitism of the Kibbo Kift passes without too much comment, and the merger talks with the Order of Woodcraft Chivalry get no mention. This is a shame as it casts a particular light on the KKK and Hargrave. The strength of the book lies in subject. The Green shirts were the militant wing of social credit, and Drakeford has raised this fringe group before the eyes of readers of history. Drakeford has accomplished for them what CP Hill achieved for the radicals of the English revolution ie a hearing. Sociological study it may be, but it also important history.

The history of the Kibbo Kift and the Green Shirts is well documented in the book Social Movements and their Supporters - The Green Shirts in England by Mark Drakeford, Lecturer in Social Studies and Applied Social Studies at University of Wales College of Cardiff. While the first chapter is devoted to a discussion of social science methodologies, virtually impenetrable to the layman, the rest of the book is eminently readable and contains many first-hand recollections of former Kindred and Green Shirts. Published in 1997 by MacMillan Press, it can be ordered online at Amazon.

The way I can tell if a guide book is good, is how accurate the entries in my city are. In this book, they hit the nail on the head in most sections dealing in San Diego, but they also had a lot of old information. They listed clubs that have been closed for some time now. But, overall, the book seems to serve its purpose and would make a better, cooler, hipper travel companion than all the other middle of the road travel guides out on the market.

Visiting a new place but don't want to visit the rote "tourist traps" or cliched locales that everybody and their cousin has seen? This guide is PERFECT. This is how to really get the "feel" of a city, rather than mindlessly tromping to one tourist attraction after the next.

Also, sections are perfectly organized, such as: Best Live Music Clubs, Best Dance Bars, Best All-Night Eateries, Best Jazz Clubs, Best Record Stores, etc.

I used this book on a recent first outing to San Francisco; everything was "as advertised." Yes, some of the listings are out-of-date, but that's to be expected. This should actually be a website!

Buy it. Read it on the plane there. I can't recommend this enough.

By accounting for the precession of the equimoxes, Vidler has made some amazing correlations between pyramids, mountains, and stars. Maybe even more amazing is the hard-to- believe but hard-to-ignore notion that our ancestors who built the Great Pyramid, whoever they are, were telling us they knew a lot more about astromomy than we have ever given them credit for. Well-written, lots of diagrams and excellent color pictures. This book ties together some of themes that Zachariah Sitchin has discussed.

Can anything new be said about the Pyramids at Giza? Can we know anything new at all about Stonehenge? Yes! Mark Vidler's new book has advanced some fascinating correlations between the highest points on the planet and the constellations of the night sky. And here are our old Egyptian friends again, teasing us with their enigmatic 'grins' across time. But now at last we have some real science to use toward the ancient goal of unlocking the purpose of Earth's ancestor's obsession with the meanings of the stars. All of this comes not one minute too soon if Mr. Vidler is correct, we are in for incredible revelations soon! 2450 BC and 2000Ad seem to be connected in a powerful celestial play and we get front row seats!

I don't want to reveal the whole plot, but let me leave you with this tid-bit. Someone, somewhere has shown us the whole story right from the first moment of creation and the finger on the page seems to be even bigger than any notion of a master architect I myself could have ever envisioned!

My English 111 class uses this book. From a student's percpective this book is ok because the essays aren't too long. Some of them are pretty interesting. None of them are that good though.

I am a former student of the distinguished Dr. Connelly. The Sundance Reader, as far as textbooks go, was easy to follow. It was well-structured and the usual ennui that accompanies such a book was kept to a very bare minimum. Should his long-awaited autobiography become available, I will be the first online for a copy.

I personally thoroughly enjoyed this storyline, and the various artists. This is a different brand of storytelling from the Roger Stern/ Doomsday days. While I appreciate both of these modern interpretations, this story and No Limits! herald a new direction for the Superbooks that even hardened comics fans might enjoy. Under Eddie Berganza's editorship, the Super-books are using the framework of the early 90's era of Superman's redefinition and bringing in both new and classic elements to the Superman mythos. I'm a longtime comics fan, but a new Superman fan, and this is the story that pulled me in and allowed me to go back and enjoy the older stuff (all the way back to 1938). Great work, if occasionally uneven, as one tries to read four different titles by multiple writers and artists all strung together. Give this story a shot if you're a JLA fan.

This graphic novel begins on December 31st 1999 and takes place in great city of Metropolis. Brainiac 2.5 has crashed on Earth and is feeding himself off the energy in Metropolis. He takes all the power from Metropolis at the stroke of midnight and all this power upgrades him and he becomes Brainiac 13. So, basically, Superman has to stop Brainiac from taking all the power of the Planet.

This comic book features the metal men and many members of the JLA. It is exciting and difficult to put down.

There are a few things I found annoying about this though. As this was originally a group of different comics by different artists and writers, each time a new chapter starts, the characters look different. The worst is Ed McGuinness as I think he makes Superman too muscly and cartoon like. Another thing that I didn't like was the look of Brainiac 13. The artists used computers to make him look 3D. This doesn't work. The computer pictures look too fake and don't fit with the rest of the comic. But this doesn't mean it isn't a great book, with a great story. Superman will definitely be with us forever!

THE INTERACTION BETWEEN YOURDON AND TASIA IS ONLY PART OF WHAT MAKES THIS BOOK AS GOOD AS IT IS. IT REMINDS ME OF THE SHANNARA SERIES IN THE WAY THAT YOURDON MUST NOT ONLY COME TO GRIPS WITH THE POWER WITHIN HIMSELF BUT WITH HIS FATE AS WELL.

This book is one of the best I've read in a while. The interplay between Yourdon and Tasia made a great sub-plot, reminds me of when me and my fiance first met. Will there be a sequel? A very good fantasy novel. I highly recomend it.

This book is nicely crafted, with a simple story about a beautiful cat. I like it, but for some reason it did not capture my 6 yo's imagination or attention, despite her extreme interest in Egypt, pyramids, mummies, hieroglyphics and even deserts. My daughter thought the temple cat was a golden cat, in Egypt, and a sad cat. So she got the basic premise, but just hasn't been keen to read this, unlike other books that have captured her completely.

This is a wonderful book, and a great teaching tool. As a teacher, I am always looking for new ways to teach. This book was recommended by Crayola magazine on the subject of Ancient Egypt, so I checked it out at the library. I fell in love with the book because of the illustrations and original story line and will now buy this book. Most if not all of my students enjoy animals and they like that the main character is a cat who is worshipped and lives in her own temple cared for night and day by servants. It really was interesting to learn history through the eyes of an exalted feline. They enjoyed it immensely.

Expansive, if sometimes inaccurate (examples: calling Bill Walton's hometown "La Jolla" instead of the correct "La Mesa;" referring to Jacksonville guard, Rex Morgan, as a forward) account of the greatest dynasty in college basketball history. UCLA fans will truly enjoy the variety of players mentioned from past teams. The material and folklore overshadow a bland writing style. Definitely worth a look.

If you are a big UCLA basketball fan (past or present), you will love this book. It is entertaining, interesting, and full of UCLA history. I have given it to several friends.