This book is an absolute must for the food enthusiast or the information junkie. More than just a food book, /In the Devil's Garden/ deals with how food /is/ culture- it argues that much of who we are and how we interact with one another has to do with what we do, and do not, eat. Allen is an excellent information gatherer, having delved into several hundred sources for his material; but more importantly, he is adept at the witty repackaging of that information, deftly filing everything under the aegises of the seven deadly sins. Allen's style is just conversational enough, neither dry nor condescending and very humorous-- perfect for the small-article format that comprises most of the sections of the book.
The content is almost overwhelmingly eclectic, drawing on scores (perhaps hundreds) of cultures. Allen reconciles many seemingly disparate facts and draws parallels between such subjects as the crunch volume of potato chips and the animal need to kill (!), all with consummate skill and grace. Be forewarned, the book is not necessarily a good lunchtime read; many of the sections deal with food-related illness or delicacies the Western palate finds unacceptable, and one or two of the little tidbits are downright nasty (vide the eating habits of St. Veronica). Buy this as a gift and you won't be able to part with it; get two.

This is a unique look at the history of food: both funny and shocking, it shows the unbleievable ways what we eat has influenced history. It also gives a number of recipes that are quite unique. Its the kind of book you can stop and start on, a group of pieces, maybe 50, divided into "chapters" based on the seven Deadly Sins of Lust, Greed, Envy, Sloth. Mr. Allen is a very, very good writer and has found some amazing stories here and has a knack for boiling down extremely complicated historical events into enjoyable stories. He also appears to have done ann enormous amount of research into the subject.

Not your usual food book, I'd highly recommend it. For me, it really made me think twice about the meaning of what I eat. If you know a foodie friend that needs a gift, this is it.

What I have found so interesting about this book is the way people's feeling about eating have been used in political and religous ways. I had no idea of the role eating has played in so many conflicts - even the division of Europe between East and West was caused by an argument over how to bake the communion wafer. AIDS came from violating a food taboo, and even Jesus Last supper was all about the rules of eating. It's an amazing book and very, very well written - you would think with all this information it would be dry but Alan is a very funny man. While I thought the idea of organizing it around the Seven Sins was a good one, its not always completely clear why a particualr food is in a particular sin.
Not that it matters that much - by the way, my favorite was the sin of sloth "a victimless crime if ever there was one" as Allen says -a man after my own heart!
I thought the "menus" were cute and the recipes (there are about 12) looked interesting but I haven't tried any.
THis is the best book on food in history I have ever read

It's brief, rich, flavory, cheery, and mind alerting.

Stewart Lee Allen takes you along a wonderful trip around the world. In light and easy prose, you get all the information you want on the history of coffee and coffeecentric theories gathered from real serious research. But he takes away the seriousness and the graveness and actually makes you smile all the way.

Believe it or not while I was reading this book I was completely transfered into another world,into another time.Thanks to the writers talent I was enjoying being there and learn the story of coffee and so many others things.I have tried my best to read this book as slowly as I could but that was impossible as I have finished it just in one day.God,it was such a pleasant read and that was amazing because I found it hard to believe that there is a non-fiction book to be finished just in a few hours. Reading this book is magic - Having this book in your bookshelf is having an expensive souvenir and you must know that if this book weights 200 grams is worth 200 billion dollars! Because it is a story of something that is part of the life and that's of course COFFEE that we use three or more times a day. Isn't it a shame to drink Coffee and not knowing its history???

I bought the initial (Athenum Publishing.) edition in Feb. 1983. Read it so many times, and lent it so often (sorry, Art) that the spine is cracked. Bought this version in March 1998; he updated when appropriate (sadly Nylorfi is no longer available for tippets, and yes you can 'hang' yourself on it). This is a great read--the chapter on tying your own leaders is worth the price of the book. "Presenting the Fly" and "The Correct Approach" are essential reading for every fly fisher. Whitlock offers more tactics, and Joe Humphrey offers great insight, but Art is the most gifted writer on the subject of fly fishing. Buy it! Read it now. Read it each winter. Give a copy to anyone who wants to flyfish for trout with dry flies (Is there really any other way?). The only other fishing writer in his league is Frank Daignault.

Art Lee's book dispenses with the "myth" of trout fishing and presents in a clear and entertaining manner the true enjoyment of fly-fishing. " Fishing Dry Flies for Trout on Rivers and Streams" illustrates that presentation and reading the water is more important than looking like a hardware store on the stream and changing flies every two minutes. A well written and intelligent book on a subject often shrouded in a "match the hatch" mystery.

I had heard about this new biography and picked it up at a local book store. The author did a great job with this book, and finally someone has taken the time to present an excellent and fresh new history of General Grimes. So many books today say the same thing about the same officers. This book is based on hundreds of family letters, and so is very personal and exciting reading. It also has some great photos and detailed maps that are really good. There are a few typos in the book, but so what. I would rather read something new and original than the same old Pickett's Charge re-hash. Thanks to both the author and publisher for making this book available! I highly recommend it.

A must have for Burroughs fans. Burroughs & Sonic Youth fans alike will enjoy Lee Renaldos interview with Burroughs & Great photos from a visit with Bill at Home in Lawrence , Kansas. Put on the Dead City Radio Cd by William S. Burroughs as you flip thru the pages of this toad calling compendium and as you hit the last page replay Bills Thanksgiving Prayer.

Before his sudden death in 1969, Lee Allen had spent 10 years as the librarian at the Baseball Hall of Fame, and at least thirty as one of the game's most indefatigable researchers. The Hot Stove League, first published in 1955, displays Allen's dazzling erudition to great advantage. It's the only book of its kind to have made numerous lists of the best baseball books ever written.

Unlike authors of many superficially similar books, Allen doesn't just string together unverifiable tales and pointless lists. His well-written stories are organized by topic, often accompanied by tables of heretofore-uncompiled data, and inevitably based on Allen's own encyclopedic knowledge of baseball history. Lazier authors still repeat myths Allen debunked almost 50 years ago.

The Hot Stove League would be perfect bedtime reading, except that many of Allen's tales will keep readers awake all night looking for more information about his subjects.

Edwin Allen Lee can capture the emotion of an event and create a incredible story that touches your heart and soul. I am proud to have him (aka Ken "Duke" Monse'Broten) included in our book "Chicken Soup for the Prisoner's Soul." The most powerful story is "The Sunray Catcher," which takes readers on a rollercoaster of emotions. It is one of many "WOW" stories in this book.

When it comes to Western history, and narrative history, this is the absolute best book I have ever read. If you like your cavalry and Indian stories in the best "John Ford/John Wayne" tradition, with the advantage of intensive and even-handed research, you simply have to buy this book. It reads like a novel, captures all the pathos of the era, and plays fair with both sides. In Hamilton's west, there are no good guys, and no bugles and guidons glory; there is only survival, and the understanding that, in the end, might does really make right, and the strongest do indeed survive. A fantastic read, and with the footnotes and bibliography, a must for the general reader and the specialist too. AND, the best treatment of the Warren Wagon Train Raid, one of the most important events in the history of the Southern Plains, ever done. FOUR STARS!

I really like that it is written simply and is easy to understand. It breaks up the things to be done in the garden and yard into seasons so that you can easily tell what you can do during a particular time of the year! It's a great book!

This book covers Erwin Rommel's First World War experiences, from August 1914 to November 1917. Rommel served in interesting areas: France 1914-5, Romania 1916-7 and Italy 1917. The book was written in 1937 and is less a memoir than a manual on infantry operations. There is very little human detail. Nor is there any analysis of the big picture (Rommel was only a battalion commander by 1917). German troops are made to look invincible; the French, Italians and Romanians are depicted as second-rate. Rommel was a very aggressive mountain infantry officer and won the Pour le Merit in the Caporetto offensive. The tone is subtlety braggadocio. Rommel's style was overly aggressive and similar to Caesar's in the Balkans and Egypt: bold thrusts and pursuits with handfuls of troops which sometimes got Rommel into some very tight spots. He was almost killed or captured on several occasions. Note, the tactical lessons are too narrow to draw useful conclusions from other than: dig in whenever you stop, conduct reconnaissance while the main body rests/prepares and never stop pursuing a beaten foe. Logistics was evidently not one of Rommel's strengths and would later hurt him in Africa. Excellent sketch maps for most major actions. When I visited the Caporetto area in 1996 I brought Rommel's book and was easily able to relate the sketch maps to the terrain.

Rommel's Attack is a great first person account on the activities of a junior military officer, trained on the concept of problem solving and overcoming the obstacles that he finds as he accomplishes the task that present themselves to him during combat in the Great War. In a war that has been defined as a defensive engagement, Rommel is consistently able to overcome these defenses, attack effectively, and achieve his objectives. This book is a great account on one military officers utilization of his leadership ability, coupled with the effective incorporation of those around him into an effective fighting organization. Rommel also incorporates numerous sketches of troop movements, obstacles overcome, and his battle plan intentions that add to the readers ability to learn from these writings. While many see warfare of today as much different from that of the Great War, it is important to remember that conflict still requires one group to overcome another and the thought process utilized by Rommel (and explained in this book) is still as useful today as it was then. This is a excellent book for those interested in then military, but should also be a must read for those who work with others at difficult task or objectives.

A masterful description of small unit action in WWI. Its amazing how articulate Rommel is in describing preparations for attack, use of terrain, change of plans on the spot and other details involved in executing battalion level orders. At the end of each battle sequence is an Observations section in which the lessons to be drawn are dispassionately stated.

From this book its clear that during WW1 Rommel acquired most of the military characteristics that made him one of the best commanders of WW2. His emphasis on reconnaissance, deception, and surprise as well as his trademark "feel for the terrain" (fingersptizengefuhl) were all developed at the battalion level in this earlier conflict.

Another real plus in this book are the maps (actually Rommel's hand sketches) showing terrain and lines of attack.

Anyone who is interested in Rommel's military operations should start here. As a WW2 follow-on, I'd recommend Ronald Lewin's Rommel as Military Commander...for its detailed battle accounts and excellent maps. Fraser's and Irving's books are also good, but operate at a more general level and suffer from a lack of battle area maps.