Wow,the photos in the book were great but I have a bone to pick. The author says these were photographed by the soldiers. Then what about all the inhumane crimes committed by the Wehrmacht and all the photographs taken by its sadistic soldiers. Look no further than the book "German Army and Genocide" for them. Also, the author obviously has a pro-German bias. He describes the Russian soldiers as "Reds"- this is not the Russian civil war! One of the pictures describes the 'fanatic' resistance at Brest-Litvosk while always describing the 'heroics' of the Germans. Also he uses the German spelling for Soviet cities: Lemberg, Moskau, etc. There are also several errors by labeling General Vassili Chuikov (the hero of Stalingrad) as General Zhukov. Still the book is a great collection of photos.

This is by far the largest collection of eastern front photos I've ever seen. Most of the photos are never before seen snapshots taken by ordinary soldiers and this is also one of two weakest points of this book: they (photos) are not of best quality. Other weak point is captions. They are very short and mostly un-informative (caption might read for example "German soldier in trench" and nothing about where the photo was taken etc.).

This is definately not a book for eastern front enthusiast who is looking for facts about war fought in Russia, but for one who is tired of seeing same old photos we have seen during last 30 years. Quantity of photos alone makes this book worth buying.

Okay, I was looking at reviews and after looking at those done by others, I just HAD to write something! Operation Barbarossa in Photographs is absolutely great!! Paul Carell is a famous German author and is a vet of the Wehrmacht too. Yes, the book has a German bent--it was written by a German who was THERE--of course he will have a different perspective than someone sitting at home in America in the 21st century. This is a MSUT-HAVE book and is chock full of SO many good pictures you can't read in one or even two sittings, it just has to be broken up to absorb it all. I HIGHLY suggest this book for any student of the Eastern Front and/or the German Military of the Second World War.

A must-have for any student of Monet. Volumne I contains covers his biography proper, while volumes II-IV provide a COMPLETE record of the artist's body of work.

Wilderstein protrays Monet life for the most part as that of a debtor. However to his credit, he tempers the romantic "suffering artist" idealism with insight into Monet the creditor. By illustrating what a jackass the artist could also be, the author creates a deep and lively narrative.

Most of the personal insight into Monet come to us by way of coorespondance with Alice Hoeschede. Due to 'appearances' however she requested of Monet her letters be destroyed immediately and thus we're sadly left with a one-sided portrait of the man. While his artistic talents we're unparalled, it's his devotation to correspondance that allows Wildenstein to bring him back to life. Without giving away the ending, it's Monet's inability to write rather than paint that signals the end.

If you are in love with Claude Monet's Water Lily Pond paintings, this is the best book for an explanation as to their origins and where Monet found his inspiration. There is a photograph from 1926 showing the bridge covered with climbing plants.

The Japanese Bridge at Giverny, 1924 is just one of the outstanding paintings in a series of works devoted to the bridge that preoccupied Monet during his final years.

Monet loved his garden at Giverny with such a passion that one could say it bordered on obsession. Harmony in Green, The White Water Lilies, The Water Lily Pond are all explained in detail. There is even a picture of Monet photographed in his beloved garden in 1917.

In every life there is beauty and sadness. The beauty of the water lilies contrasts with the pain Monet felt when he painted Camille on her death bed.

When Monet's wife died, she not only left him without a companion, he then had small children depending on him. He spent most of his meager earnings on his wife's medical treatments and he was also deeply depressed and alone.

This type of revealing information makes him so very human and the paintings then contain a certain depth when these secrets are revealed.

I loved this book! The pictures were wonderful and the readings that went with them were as well. Learned many things that I did not know about his artwork. VERY informative...give it a try, it would make a great gift book!

Disliking an Oxford Press book makes me feel like a heretic. The majority of their Companion books are superb, remarkably concise yet thorough works of scholarship. The English Companion is an unfortunate and surprising exception.

The entry for 'New Criticism' is an efficient example of the book's shortcomings. For one thing, there's a laundry list of authors, dates, and books but very little is said of the IDEAS that characterize New Criticism. The entries are generally hamstringed by a focus on the sociopolitical and historical aspects of writers and works. The effort is laudable but inappropriate and uneconomical for a reference work. In its most extreme form, the historical emphasis goes into bizarre detail about an author's upbringing -- is it really necessary that we know where an author went to grade school and when? Entries love to entertain tales of writers' deaths and and of their insignificant travellings. I often felt as though I were reading minibiographies.

One will also notice, in the case of 'New Criticism', the absence of any mention of the 'organic'. This is ridiculous and indicative of the book's lack of attention to concepts as such. There is a non-cross-referenced mention of 'organic' under Coleridge, yet even there it is only mentioned as one of his ideas, not in terms of what the theory tried to say. I would compare it to someone's asking, 'What does X mean?' This book's reply: 'X was one of so-and-so's ideas'. Too often, the response ends there. Literary theory entries are usually on the thin side, though the deconstruction essay is solid. However, even in the longest lit theory essays there is more of an emphasis on people and movements -- far less on ideas.

Along with the lack of depth (or conceptual emphasis), there's little sense of the overall significance of ideas, works or characters (ironic given the attempts at a social-historical approach): Caliban is mentioned in the Tempest entry, and even gets his own paragraph elsewhere, but there's nothing about his character as it's been re-elaborated and re-invented by a long tradition of English writers (Auden, Browning, Joyce, and Wilde for starters). There's nothing about Caliban's portrayal in that tradition, nor mention of Caliban's mirror, etc. Under 'hubris' (which is found, in turn, under a terse account of 'the Poetics'), there's nothing about Icarus, nor is there anything about hubris as a specific theme in so many works.

Speaking of hubris, it's baffling to me that Drabble's entry is longer than either Hill's or Heaney's. The general editor would have been better off focusing more of her energy on other writers: that expansive babbling space could have been put to stronger use had a more thorough background been given on either of those poets, among others.

Readers seeking to understand why an author alludes in his work to a character or poet will be little helped by nebulous terms like 'icily poised' or 'sensuously textured', which are more suggestive of gastronomic, rather than literary, criticism. To my mind a reference's primary function should be to offer a quick source of the 'essentials' of a book or of a writer's ideas, an understanding of which would illuminate one's reading of the alluding work. While I appreciate that entries shy away from 'this or that' critiques or strict (canonical) interpretations, giving lists of facts does an injustice to the works themselves and to the way these works have been interpreted by others. (Believe it or not, people CAN come to their own conclusions even after being introduced to an opinion.)

The book's scope is appropriate to literature, as literature tends to allude to so many disparate disciplines. But if one were truly trying to give an encyclopedic account of literature, the book would have to be much bigger. In this case, specialization suffers. I would have preferred a much more focused account of 'literature' as such; I'd then supplement this with other references focused, for example, on English history. One gets the sense that too many entries end up attenuated in this book.

On the positive side the plot summaries are strong and more nuanced, though many entries are badly written (full of odd, obscuring, convoluted syntax). Again, good editorship would have recognized this.

The book primarily succeeds as an enervated survey. Nevertheless, readers will occasionally happen upon some interesting, well-summarized topics.

I'm going to check out the Cambridgean counterpart to the Oxford Companion, and I'm hoping it will give a more in-depth account of ideas and themes. The other Oxford Companions are, however, truly amazing works and deserve a close look.

An excellent resource of information about English works of art

This is one of the most practical reference books in my home library. I turn to it again and again for plot summaries and information about authors. I also find it useful for pre- (and post-) theater reading. And of course it's a real boon for solving the Sunday Times crossword puzzle.

A must-have for anyone who considers themself a reader.

The old saying "a chain is only as strong as its weakest link" is especially true of servers. If you've got bottlenecks, you're not getting the performance you should. Whether you're working with LANs, WANs or the Internet, you'll find lots of solid advice in this excellent book. If you want to improve the performance of a Windows 2000 system (and who doesn't?), this is the book for you. You'll learn to monitor, diagnose, manage, tweak, optimize, fine-tune and, in general, make the most of Windows 2000. These authors know what they're talking about! I had the pleasure of co-authoring a book last year with John Paul Mueller and I can tell you first hand how hard he works to research and write accurate, understandable books.

You really need this book on your shelf. This book is packed with really useful information in an easy to read format. I found that the book's organization makes that information easy to find. The authors don't spend a lot of time telling you things that are nice to know, but don't fix problems. They tell you what types of problems you'll see, solutions to fix them, and how to avoid the problem in the future. This has been one of the better administrative tool purchases I've made.

When I first started working with Windows 2000, I found Microsoft's documentation difficult to use, problem specific, and hard to understand. This book helped me get to the root of the performance problems with my server in a reasonably short time. I found all of the information provided by the authors was right on the mark and that unlike other books I've read, this one didn't assume I was some type of networking guru. This book is great because it covers both older and state-of-the-art network technology. I was really happy to find detailed information on fiber optics and SANs. I suppose that if you're already a networking guru that some of this information might fall into the common sense category, but for the me the book is indispensible.

Take this book with a grain of salt. I used it last October to plan a climb of Whitney via the Meysan Lake route and found the route descriptions to be woefully inadequate in conveying the difficulty of the terrain and route. I learned later that others have had the same problem with this book. We completed our hike, but are veteran backcountry travellers in good physical condition. And even we were seriously taxed by this "moderate" route. Later we saw some on-line correspondence which indicated we weren't the first ones to be suckered in by this particular route description in this particular book. Some other guide books I've since checked out describe this author's "moderate" route as "gruelling." Those writers must have actually hiked the Meysan Lake route - I suspect this author has not.

This past summer, my boyfriend and I climbed Mount Whitney (via Route 9) following the detailed narrative descriptions and maps included in this popular guidebook. The author's attention to detail sets it apart from all other books on Whitney. This comprehensive tone has everything one needs to know for a first-time hike to the summit of Whitney or for exploring a more remote, less traveled route to the top of this coveted peak. Along the way, we used the author's meticulous route descriptions to explore off-trail and visit Sky-Blue Lake, one of the most beautiful spots in the entire Sierra Nevada.

I was concerned about altitude sickness before leaving for the trek. Although I experienced the affects of the high altitude for a day, I followed the advice contained in the guidebook and was able to successfully climb the peak with no further complications. We used the bear-proof food boxes noted in the guidebook but at several camps, where bear boxes were not available, we hung our food to protect against bears. If you use the correct method when hanging your food even the most-savvy street-smart bears cannot get your grub.

I highly recommend this guidebook, as it not only details the popular Whitney Trail, but 12 other treks that get you away from the crowds and lead you through spectacular mountain terrain you will long remember. I plan to return to Whitney again this summer to capture the alpenglow on Whitney's east face. I will have this guidebook in my backpack.

/s/ A Hiking Enthusiast from Northern California

This guide is comprehensive, well written, easy to read, motivational and up-to-date by an author with impressive credentials.

I was excited to receive this fine book as a gift from my loving wife. It was a pleasure to read! I do agree with the first reviewer that there are several errors in the information presented. Ascorti pipes are no longer made by Pepino Ascorti exclusively for TinderBox. a) Pepino died in the 1980's. b) His Son, Roberto, now makes the same pipes under the Ascorti name and also under the Caminetto name and are sold at most pipe stores.

The absents of Ser Jacopo in the text is disapointing. Also I would have liked to learn much more about Tobacco itself. How it is cured and processed. More detail on the differencces in Cavindish style procesing as there is many different styles such as "American" , Danish, german etc; all different. Reviews of popular tobaccos would also be informative.

I liked the book and will read it many times in those moments by a fire with a little wine and a pipfull of a favorite tobacco. It is a good addition to pipe books though not a "Complete" book in my view.

This is highly reccomended. It is humorously written and informative. There is much to be learned by the novice pipe smoker and I'll wager that even a few veteran pipesters will find more than a few interesting facts here. The hand drawn illustrations are elegant and beautiful. Only a few pages of high gloss color photography, though. While this is a great book and should be required reading for all pipe smokers, I dare say that I was disappointed with the way that Mr. Jeffers just breezed right through the sections dealing with the mechanics of how to smoke a pipe. I, for one, need a book that lingers on this area of pipe smoking. From proper break ins to proper packing and lighting, I need more knowledge! Otherwise, a great read, though. Perhaps I'll write the book to answer all of my questions.....

I was just getting started with smoking pipes, and I wanted a guide as to what to buy and what to do, and this was really helpful. It's written in an unpretentious style, and the illustrations are clever. It's a very attractive book and I expect that I'll enjoy it for a long time (if I don't die of throat cancer - just kidding!).

Schmidt presents a 'smooth' translation of Chekhov including his insertion of '(Beat)'s. However it is not faithful to the TIME and CONTEXT of Chekhov's Russia. TIME: Chekhov's language often reflects the social customs of the period and manner with which to approach communication. It's not always meant to be economical or direct (although he is direct in his day). So an 'updated' translation which flows quickly will flatten these nuances. CONTEXT: One has to understand the development of Theater in Russia in his time. His plays are not meant for melodramatic performances (prior to his time) or 'Method' acting (our time). Hence, a translation written for performances today will be colored by the directorial style preferred today. It is important to take that into consideration. By these standards, then no translation is acceptable. However if you find one that will generously tell the reader the difficulties in translating, present the various versions, include historical resources, notes and essays, and have plenty of footnotes. Then you are likely to have a good idea. I recommend Bristow's translation from Norton.

PS - I'm reviewing this from the point of view of a director. For actors or literature students or everyday readers, it is obviously a different matter.

This translation, which incorporates the original vernacular seamlessly into a contemporary translation, is by FAR the finest translation of Chekhov's plays (especially *Uncle Vanya*) I have ever read, or am likely to. As a professor of dramatic literature, I will never again teach Chekhov without assigning my students this fine edition--may it long stay in print.

introduced me to the wonder of chekhov. it's alive. "fresh" is definitely an apt description. read cherry orchard through and then start again at the beginning. hoofa!

I took the author to long to get to the point. She went all around in circles to get to the point

This is the first Brother Cadfael I have been talked into reading, and I loved it. The characters are compelling and touching and the perpetrator of the crime is understood by the Benedictine monks, and, thus, the reader. It's the mystery that sucks you in, but it's the character development and the way the author tells of Medieval life that are the value here, I think. At the end, I teared up a bit. I'm anxious to read more about Brother Cadfael and his colleagues!

I found this (unabridged audio) book at the library - knew nothing about the series or the author. What a pleasant surprise! Very well written, a meticulously crafted story that gently unfolds in a way that engages you from the start without any bumps or discrepancies, using a language and style that seem to come from the very times that it describes. Written with an obvious affection for the characters portrayed. And Stephen Thorne's narration is equally masterful. My recent joy at discovering that there are at least 17 other books in the series had my daughters rolling their eyes like crazy in the bookstore. Can't wait to read more!

As a reporter, Paul Theroux is a great novelist. He treats his subjects as though he's reviewing their lives as performances. I've never read such a distant account by someone who spent so much time in a place. There are lots of stories of train meals. Where are the stories of family life, of children, of education, and health care? This is China from the dining car window, which wouldn't be so bad if it didn't go on for 400+ pages.

Maybe he doesn't write those stories because he seems contemptuous of everyone he meets, whether Chinese or not, from his fellow travelers to dinner companions. Perhaps interacting with such persons distracts him from all the magnificent books he's reading on the train (we get to find out about them all, it seems). Hey, Paul, if you wanna read in peace, stay off Chinese trains.

This is also a period piece, which is odd, considering the book is only 11 years old. I grew weary of the post-Cultural Revolution discussions, for example, and the constant references to Mao's thoughts (Hey, I read some of the book--lookit!). With the luddite's love for steam engines (the Chinese stopped building them the year his book was published) and quill pens, Theroux seems unable to imagine a modern China flexing its military muscles and engaged in the World Trade Organization. For all his accounting of Chinese history, he seems only able to grapple with the past two decades with much authority.

This is a highly descriptive and most unhappy account of a long and arduous journey. I can't imagine Theroux enjoyed the work. I can't say I much did, either.

I find Paul Thoreaux to be an excellent writer, even though he seems a little pessimistic sometimes. He has way of looking beyond the glittering surface of things and telling it how he sees it. There is nothing fake about his work. He captures the concept and the depression of the poverty of Warsaw and Moscow wonderfully, and depicts China's issues and complaints wonderfully. He is perfect at seeing through culture and gender to the pain that lives underneath. He is a wonderful, honest writer, and so far I am loving his book. I could almost believe that I had been to some of the places he traveled.

I do not travel much (unfortunately), except in my lazy chair, with P. Theroux. I love the way he describes the people he meets, the way he critisizes local authorities etc. He's not an xenophobic, but neverthless, stays American. He travels by train, and describes the scenery, the other travellers, the landscape, the buislings etc.