With all the real-life adventure stories on Antarctica, it seems difficult to imagine that a work of fiction could be as enthralling and as entertaining as the real thing. In most cases, truth is infinitely stranger and more interesting than fiction. The quality and lyrical tone of Arthur's writing sold me however. THe main character, MOrgan Lamont, has an obsession to recreate the tragic Scott expedition, and the author does an excellent job of imagining the obsession that all explorers/adventurers have. TRacing the character's life culminates with the actual recreation of the SCott expedition and an enthralling adventure story with a decided feminine touch to it. THe book's only weakness is the author's occasional diatribe on matters totally unrelated to the story, such as the Gulf War. THe book certainly adds to the Antarctic literature (fiction and non-fiction) and will be enjoyed by fans of serious literature and fans of the adventure and antarctic genres.

One of the survivors of Scott's ill-fated South Pole expedition called it The Worst Journey in the World. In Antarctic Navigation, Elizabeth Arthur introduces us to a young woman obsessed with reproducing that journey as completely as possible. It is a journey to a harsh and seemingly alien landscape, "the highest, driest, coldest place on earth," yet home to unique wildlife and a wild beauty. Morgan Lamont tells her story from its very beginning, with her birth and the childhood that led to her consuming passion with Antarctica and Scott. These early chapters are heartbreaking and peopled with quirky, fascinating characters who later share her South Pole expedition. Along the way we're brought into many of Morgan's pursuits and opinions, from quantum mechanics to the remake of "The Thing." While much of the journey is exquisitely rendered, the author, like her protagonist, makes choices that make the trip longer and more difficult than it has to be (at nearly 800 pages). But the complex and flawed Morgan Lamont is well worth knowing, and the effort of the journey is amply rewarded.

It has now been several years since I read this remarkable book. Every now and again a book reaches out to you from its place in the store. Each time you wander your favorite bookstore, your eyes and hands go to that certain book, and if you are lucky, you give in to an inexplicable urge to buy and read that magical volume. Antarctic Navigation was such a book for me. I could not put the book down from the moment I began to read it, and it has opened a new world to me. Arthur's compelling story, her wonderful characters, and her beautiful voice are unforgettable. I look forward to revisiting the book. But beyond that, I discovered a near mystical attraction to the Antarctic and have continued reading what I can about that mysterious place. Maybe its the busy, urban life that I lead that leaves me with a longing to experience, even vicariously, the grand solitude of the Antarctic, but whatever the explanation, I expect the interest to be lifelong.

It seems that I am more compelled to write a review if I did not enjoy a book than if I did. In part because so many people that write reviews here are one sided, in favor of the book. If you like to read what I like to read then this book is not for you. I read Robert Crais, Harlon Coben, James Hall, Carl Hiassen, some Ed McBain, Dennis LeHane, some Grisham. So, that said here goes...The book starts out very fast paced and seems well written, but quickly becomes to PC leaning way left. The internal mutterings of the main character Simon Rose become boooooring and not relevant by mid-book. The characters are well fleshed out but too real and not worthy of a larger than life story. Fortunately, Rose's tree hugging liberal background does not come up very often. Who wants to read a story that has an old hippie, long haired, Grateful Dead T-shirt wearing, tofu eating vegetarian as the main character. The pot smoking brother and the wheelchair bound best friend are all better suited for real life than a best selling mystery novel. All of the characters are non-exciting and booooring, except Janice. By the middle of the book you realize that the book is not going to get much better and finish it because you like his writing style. As it turns out this book is more like Fatal Attraction and Single White Female only not as good.

because the brilliance of his first piece, "Certifiably Insane", felt as though there was much promise for the future.

Bahr passed away before the book was published, and his widow finished the book from his notes. As a result, the ending is a little rough, but Bahr puts together a thriller, a love story, and a tome on today's definition of what constitutes "a family". In his hero, Simon Rose, Bahr has created the kind of quiet force of life that you wish would step off the pages into your own life. Simon's career in forensic psychology causes him to meet Janice Jensen - one of those villainesses that is really too evil to be as beautiful as she is. A group of interesting and caring relatives and friends frames Simon's private life, and Bahr puts together the whole book with style and an admirable way of turning a phrase!

Fantastic book, nominated for an Edgar, definitely a must-have for your collection!

Certifiably Insane is a fantastic book. Readers who enjoy the novels of Johnathon Kellerman and Stephen White will enjoy this new main character, forensic psychologist Simon Rose. I knew I loved this writer in the first chapter when I found out Simon's dog was named Tupelo Honey and his prior dog had been named Sara Smiles. The book contains fantastic character development and a great sense of humor about the funny and not so funny parts of life. I think it is a great loss for avid readers that this author passed away during the editing of this novel but I was thrilled to read his wife's note (see above) that she will be continuing with the Simon Rose character in a series. I look forward to the next installment.

First of all, this book is incredibly well written! To give such a clear and seamless presentation of such a turbulent and complicated period of history is a truly remarkable achievement. This account, far beyond being simply "readable," is exciting and engrossing, progressing much as a mystery novel or detective story, where more and more clues are presented to the reader as the story progresses. And what's really astonishing is that, all the while, the book remains scholarly, very carefully citing its sources, discussing divergent theories, and providing evidence for its assertions, all of which allows the reader to participate in the action, rather than just sitting passively by. I found myself savoring this book, reading it slowly and carefully, not wanting it to end, which is the sign of a great book! It is obvious that Turner is a very capable historian and has a remarkable grasp of nearly every facet of the early post-Roman history of Britain, and he uses his extensive knowledge to present a very convincing argument for the true identity of the historical Arthur. But the facts aren't incontrovertible, and it may be that some of his guesswork is wrong. But even that being so, this book is a pleasure to read, for it raises some fascinating possibilities that will undoubtedly remain lodged in the reader's head for a long time afterwards. And, to cap it all off, the book has a great bibliography and a truly comprehensive index -- a great aid when re-reading and for further research! All in all, this book offers something for everyone, both a unique perspective on a timeless story, and a wonderful starting point for further exploration of an extremely fascinating historical period.

and particularly refreshing in it's lack of hype about discoveries of secrets leading to some revealed truth that are all too common in this sort of book. It is simply an attempt to dig through the historical record and construct a consistent and reasonable history of Britain in the late 5th and early 6th centuries, and of the Romano-British military leader Lucius Artorius Castus, and how his story could well have become the story of King Arthur. I found it quite readable. The book is careful to document the references it draws on without drowning in footnotes, and it does a good job of balancing the historical presentation with discussions of how the stories could later have transmuted into the literary tradition of Arthur.

Turner has done a masterful job of assembling, analyzing, and interpreting the extant material about THE REAL KING ARTHUR. He presents a coherent, comprehensive, and scholarly opinion. He suggests the last Romano-British Imperator, Lucius Artorius Castus was the man we know today as Arthur. He says Arthur not only preserved the Romano-Britannic culture for two generations following the demise of the Western Roman Empire, he decisively shaped modern Scotland, and modern Wales, which still flies his 'Red Dragon', is his legacy. Although the invaders from the continent (Anglo-Saxon) eventually conquered most of the island, they did not subdue the Celtic culture which can still be found in the western parts of the United Kingdom.

Turner's book is complexly written and filled with detail. Scholars will recognize his sources...Patrick, Gildas, Nennius, Bede, the Mabinogian, and Geoffrey of Monmouth, etc. In addition, Turner draws on recent archeological evidence to support his work. His knowledge of Latin, as well as the ancient Anglo-Saxon and Celtic (Welsh, Irish, Scots) languages is impressive. Using language as a tool, Turner first identifies and then links the relevant puzzle pieces. For example, he suggests Arthur's sister Anna Ambrosia (known as Mawr-anna or "great Anna" in her lifetime because she was the sister of Arthur) and the Celtic war goddess Morrigan became conjoined in the transmission of the Arthurian tales until, by the time of the Middle Ages, the French Romances characterized her as Morgan le Fey-traitorous sister and necromancer.

Arthur's stepfather Aurelius Ambrosius was the "utherpendragon" (overall big dragoon or "chief war leader" in Celtic) or "Magister Militum" (Latin). He married Ygerna, Arthur's mother after he slew her husband Gorlois (Arthur's father) in a battle for supremacy in southwestern Britain. A more recent example of this Celtic practice occurred when the Welsh Henry VII (red rose) married Elizabeth of York (white rose) after he slew her brother Richard III, thereby uniting the royal households (Tudor Rose). Turner suggests there was no prior connection between Aurelius and Ygerna and that Anna was Aurelius' daughter by a former wife. Aurelius, lacking a male heir, adopted the adult Arthur just as Julius Caesar adopted Augustus Caesar, his sister's son. Geoffrey of Monmouth did not understand the Roman practice of adult adoption so he used the wizardry of Merlin to explain the inconsistency between Aurelius' and Ygerna's wedding date and Arthur's birth date.

Probably the most interesting sleuthing Turner does involves the identity of the real Lancelot. Apparently, Anna's son and Authur's nephew Medrawd (Celtic) or Medrautus Lanceartius (Latin) was a brilliant horse soldier known for his skill with a lance. The gallant Mordred was left to guard the home front while Arthur was away, and he became restive and adulterously involved with Arthur's second young wife the beautiful but bored Gwenhwyfar (Findabair or white phantom because she was blonde). Understanding his uncle would probably kill him for his actions, he plotted Arthur's destruction which sadly led both to their deaths at Camlann in 542 A.D. In the Middle Ages, the Romancers could not grapple with the complexity of a man who was both good and bad, so they divided Medrautus Lanceartius into Mordred and Lancelot.

I originally was assigned to read this book for a class, and it turned out to be one of my favorites regarding the issues of multicultarism and America today. Schlesinger explores many things, including inclusiveness in History texts regarding minorities, the use of hyphens when describing ethnicity (African-American, for example) and particularly, the fragmentation of ethnic groups in America. This book was utterly thought-provoking. I don't agree with everything Schlesinger says, but I'm rather glad I read it.

This is one of the best and most important books ever written. This is the only book I ever read that I actually agreed with 100% This book made me talk out loud and cheer. The Disuniting of America looks at the consquences of teaching false and sometimes incorrect multiculturalism. I agree, when did our country no longer become a melting pot? American History is something we all share in common, something that should be used to unite us not divide us. The author also makes a great case against the teaching of often made up feel good multicultural history. Having taught the old New York state global studies curriculum I know first hand that African-American Students are no more interested in African history than they are of Asian history and so on. This book should be mandatory reading for all social studies teachers.

Schlesinger served the Kennedy administration, heavily involved in advancing Civil Rights. Any memory of pre-1960s America justifies his passion. Even lynching of Blacks was not illegal until Truman made it so in 1948 and images of fire hose and German Shepard attacks on peaceful Black protestors or their White supporters remains a stark memory. His book, however, is an alert to those of reason regardless of affiliation that the movement has run off its tracks. But that hasn't stopped its wreckage from continuing to plow a path of ruin through its original intent. As Schlesinger puts it, "A culture of ethnicity has arisen to denounce the idea of a melting pot, to protect and perpetuate separate ethnic and racial communities." Its underlying philosophy is that America is not a nation of individuals but a nation of groups, he says; ethnicity is the defining experience; division into ethnic communities establishes the structure of American society and the fundamental meaning of American history. "Multiethnic dogma abandons historic purposes, replacing assimilation by fragmentation, integration by separation." Our modern movements succeed where the Klan failed.

Referencing multiculturalism he asks if it is the school's function to teach racial pride? When does obsession with difference threaten identity? Since this 1993 book this obsession has become an educational standard. Our calendar is split into months for one race pride or another (except white and European). It starts early - believing the purpose of history is therapeutic. He notes, "Once ethnic pride and self-esteem become the criterion for teaching history then certain things cannot be taught." Schlesinger asks the question, "Why does anyone suppose that pride and inspiration are available only from people of the same ethnicity?" One wonders.

Schlesinger's core warning is the same as that of the Founders, that "the virus of tribalism lies dormant, flaring up to destroy entire nations." But that has not stopped the derailment of Civil Rights. As Schlesinger notes, Black America's valid leaders - like so much from the Left that began for the right reasons - have been hijacked for the benefits of opposition, not unification.

Alan Wilson and Baram Blackett have been studying the real history of the two King Arthurs for over 40 years and their research is based only upon hard fact. Their work allows you to access every manuscript, visit every historic site and touch every stone and artefact.

Adrian Gilbert simply wrote up their voluminous research and put it into a more reader friendly style, for which we should be grateful.

No wonder the academics are scared of Wilson and Blackett. By using the ancient British (in the Welsh and Latin language) manuscripts they have been able to conclusively prove the existence of two King Arthurs, the reality of an early Christian church in Wales that predates St. Augustine (597) and, for example, that Southern Wales was the scene for Arthur 2nd's famous battle at Baedan (Mynydd Baedan). Note that modern Ordnance Survey maps omit many of the real and important historical sites. This happened as a result of the authors initial research.

Wilson and Blackett's research shows the deliberate and malicious misdating of ancient monuments and stones by supposed "experts" at the University of Wales, CADW and the Glamorgan-Gwent Archaelogical Trust Ltd, all of whom combined from the early 1980s to shut down the historians' project. Happily, with our full support, they soldier on in true Arthurian style!

The truth has always been that they are 100% correct in their conclusions and even Gilbert, ever the skeptic, has had to admit as much. Hence his late involvement in the Ancient British historical project.

Against the background of political intrigue and state-funded hostility to their work, many of us are eternally grateful that we will be able to pass on the true history of these lands and our people onto our children. We will be able to take them to see places in Wales and the West Midlands and stand in awe at sites where British history was made.

Latterly, we have begun to understand the migration histories of the Khumry-Welsh (wrongly spelled Cymry) who descended from Brutus. The reality of this "invisible kingdom", stretching from Wales through Europe to the middle East, is a remarkable story that logically follows from this important book.

Go out and BUY this book - it'll change your perception and you'll overdose on truth!

I really enjoyed reading The Holy Kingdom and although I'd be interested to read more about Prince Madoc in America this book acts as a great introduction to the work of Alan Wilson and Baram Blackett's Ancient British Historical Project.

I am heartened that the Holy Kingdom is now available in the USA; this project is of immense significance and if we are to flesh out the history of Madoc and Arthur in America in the sixth Century then we need to know where we're coming from...

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It does indeed seem as if Adrian Gilbert caught on to Wilson and Blackett rather late and had an editorial role, whereas they have done all the meaningful research.

Let's hope this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship between the publishers and these British historians. Rich in detail, racy in its commentary and sober in its reflection, The Holy Kingdom takes you to the sites of every relevant King Arthur story and even provides a twist in the tale in its debunking of the current Glastonbury hoax...

This is a great book, in so many ways...

A vital book.

The smear of misread manuscripts is not new and one that various powerful interests have tried through the ages. Anhun, or Annhun Nigri, was indeed Arthur lst as the whole picture presented by an understanding of the interlocking Welsh genealogies shows.

Blackett and Wilson have stuck to the ancient record and tried to understand how one Arthur figure could have battled and beaten the Romans at Soissy in 383 and also defeated the Saxons circa 560. Obviously there were two men!

Annhun's story is the same at that of Arthur 1st, whose burial stone Blackett and Wilson discovered several years ago near Atherstone (Arthr's Twyn, or Arthur's burial site?) in the West Midland, within the Old Bury ancient site founded circa 250 AD as the record states. The legend on the stone read Artorius - in other words Arthur. The site is at the heart of an old Welsh kingdom where experts in place names like Margaret Gelling have clearly said "English and Welsh lived together".

Hence we should not be surprised that during a period of Welsh dominance, mistakenly described as the "latter period of Roman domination" (there was no such thing), Welsh place names, burial sites and other artefacts should be discovered in the modern West Midlands within the ancient bishopric of Lichfield.

So Annhun, who died circa 388 and who was a direct descendent of Arthur/Arthwys ll ap Meurig ap Tewdrig, was indeed a vitally important figure within the Khumric dynasty and whose authenticity is not in doubt. We now know that it was Arthur, specifically, due to the discovery of the stone and evidence presented very clearly, and unambiguously, in The Holy Kingdom.

You do not need to rely simply upon one manuscript with Blackett and Wilson; all references are stated and given in copious detail in The Holy Kingdom and are available to see. All Welsh historians dating back to at least 1760 (I have the books here) and back into the 1500s, moreover, (haven't got them!) stated that Arthur was a Welsh king. Their work was based upon manuscript research; many of the authors were theological types based at Oxford University.

Wilson and Blackett have allowed the past to speak and for an Arthurian "renaissance" to take place. They, it turns out, have led this new movement based on ancient and unimpeachable evidence.

This is a massively important book and one that I can only highly recommend. As a Welshman, and welsh speaker, living in Louisville, Kentucky, I understand the issues, the reasons for attacks on the author's work and the powerful interests that would rather this all just went away.

So please purchase the Holy Kingdom from amazon.com today!

This is a tightly woven story that packs a punch in just a few pages. In fact, it was short enough that I thought there was no way to resolve the conflicts that left me hanging until the last few pages. Sure enough, Miller effectively tied up loose ends and still managed to surprise me despite ending in a similar fashion to what most would predict.

The play is about an uncle's overprotective nature, which runs so deeply as to be too close for comfort, and the fact that no one would ever be good enough for the niece living in his home. The take home message is about letting go of something you love, as well as swallowing your pride, which ultimately leads to the downfall of at least two of the characters. Eddie's failure to cut his losses and admit he was wrong left him proud but dead.

The setting gives a cool, albeit tiny, insight into what the New York waterfront must have felt like long ago, and the narration (through the eyes of the lawyer from whom Eddie sought advice) is a neat touch.

Well, after the reading the above reviews I have to say that I was compelled to write a review since I think this exsquisite piece of literature is one of the most moving plays I have ever read. A tale of wrenching and impossible desire, it exposes the danger of the subconscious and within that is a true love story. Arthur Miller has once again brilliantly created a complex and emotionally torturted man in Eddie.

A View From the Bridge is a compelling and exciting drama that delves into such issues as incest, manliness and justice. It's the story of Eddie, an illiterate longshoreman, and his anger towards his niece's affection for an illegal immigrant staying in his house. The complicated relationships between these and many other characters in the play makes A View From the Bridge a truly great piece of theatre. The play has the ingredients of a traditional Greek tragedy, complete with Alfieri, a narrator that fulfils the same purpose as Sophocles's chorus from his plays about Oedipus and Antigone. It's a really good read and unravels like a great page-turner.

As for many others, the Rider Waite deck was my first Tarot deck. It's probably -the- best deck for beginners to cut their teeth on due to its rich symbolism. Even without reading page one of any Tarot book on the market, most any intuitive person can form reasonably accurate interpretations of nearly all these cards. The illustrations are simple, yet powerful, drawing on universal archetypes that guide the reader to the wisdom that already lies in his/her subconscious.

It isn't a perfect deck (though I believe the only "perfect" deck would be one that one designed for oneself), but of all the decks I own, it's one of the very few that almost always "speaks" to me. And it speaks to me accurately. I highly recommend this deck for both beginners and experienced readers.

I purchased these cards in hope they did not look as rough as previous sets, I have seen of the Rider-Waite deck, but I was not too surprised that they do. This is not due to lack of craftsmanship, they are a nice set of cards, well packaged well-machined but the artwork, is clearly and older style. Also, I have a bias; I'm not too thrilled with lemon yellow and aqua-blue and that is the predominant color of these cards.

That being said, I'm sure these cards are faithful to the original plates, they are reproductions of. Also when I had tried to purchase these cards in a store they were nearly twice as expensive as they are here online.
Considering that, even with my disappointment they are a good deal.

I purchased these cards even though my favorite set is the Morgan-Greer deck. The Morgan-Greer deck has beautiful rich colors and full card illustrations. However, the Rider-Waite deck is one of the card sets available in the Tarot magic computer program I have. The Morgan-Greer is not. This computer program helps you learn Tarot, as well a providing readings from many sets and spreads. Of the sets on the Tarot Magic program, the Rider Waite deck illustrations more closely matches the Morgan Greer than the other decks do. I wanted to learn Tarot somewhat consistently. Also many Tarot books use the Rider-Waite deck as well. It is a handy reference deck to have.

Things that are deeply touch people are the things that survive the test of time and are well known. The Mona Lisa, for example, is considered a pivotal piece of art and is universally recognized, even though there are thousands of portraits that are both more realistic and completely finished. Somehow, this piece resonates with people in some way so that it's appeal and visceral attraction never fades.

The same is true of the Rider Deck. As noted in other reviews, there are quite literally hundreds of decks ranging from everything from baseball to vampires to dragons to unicorns. Many people collect Tarot cards, but most everyone starts here with the Rider Deck. Indeed, of the hundreds of books published on the Tarot, almost every book I've seen for the beginner to the advanced uses the Rider deck as an example. Most decks are based in the symbolism of the Rider deck as well and if they don't work as well, it's because they've glossed over the symbolism so pivotal in the Rider.

Why, then has the Rider not only survived but evolved to be an archetype of the tarot itself? I think because it speaks to us and it's the easiest to understand even at a quick glance. The symbolism is so strong that the beginner can easily remember what any given card represents (no mean feat when there are 72 cards to remember and read!) The symbolism is also so detailed and deep that the advanced caster is always able to find deeper meaning, make more and more connections between cards during a casting.

Drawn almost like an illuminated manuscript in solid colors with clear, black outlines before the age of airbrush or computer 3D rendering, there is something timeless about it that connects us to it's rich and deep history. It's not flashy or zippy, but yet it's imagery is everywhere if we choose to look for it (didn't Led Zepplin even put the tarot of The Hermit on one of their album covers??)

While there's certainly nothing wrong with exploring other decks, the Rider-Waite is the perfect place for the beginner, ESPECIALLY because any good book on the tarot will use this very deck to explain the symbolism of the cards. Learn on the Rider, become proficient at it, then, if you like, branch out into something different like Egyptian tarot or the Halloween tarot (my other favorite for it's playful holiday symbolism). Beginning with a different deck and working with it right away will not be as satisfying or as easy to understand as the Rider. Like great art, it's timeless because it resonates with us in deep and profound ways. It may not have been the first, but in many ways, it may well be the BEST.

This book is a quick read. The story is rather simple, but seems to be quite accurate with historical merit. She has avoided the cliche Arthurian stories providing a new view that I did find refreshing. Have no doubts - this story is FIRST a story about horses and quite a distant second it is a story about Arthur (Lord Artos). I wonder if she couldn't have told this tale in even fewer pages, but it did keep me interested enough to finish it quickly. If you have an interest in the farrier craft or the historical idea of bringing large horses into the service of early knights you will like this tale.

If you like horses you won't have problems to read the book right til the end. But it is rather a description of how Artos got his black horses than a story about it. None of the characters really captured me

This was a good book, but nothing special. This book tells the story of Galwyn Varianus who works for his cruel uncle. It tells of how he meets King Arthur (Lord Artos) and of how he runs away from his uncle to help King Arthur in his quest to find big strong horses to carry his knights. As soon as they get the horses, this book focuses on the horses and we are allowed to forget King Arthur. Galwyn learns how to take care of the horses, which have hoof problems. These hoof problems create a need for Horse sandals, and Galwyn becomes one of the first farriers.

If you are looking for a short, comprehensive, encyclopedic catalogue of Aesop's Fables then this book is a steal. There are 83 fables in all, including the more famous ones such as the Boy Who Cried Wolf, The Lion and the Mouse and the Goose That Laid the Golden Egg. Each fable comes with a half page or so re-telling of its story plus a one sentence synopsis of the stories' "moral" at the end.

My problem with this is that the stories are so short, there is no magic in them. They are stripped of all but the bones. I can't imagine a child being interested in the stories told this way. I would have preferred them cutting the number of stories and instead fleshing them out by a few pages. I recommend paying a few bucks more for *The Aesop for Children* (ISBN:0590479776) by M. Winter which does just that.

Culturally we are now at the point when "Slow but steady wins the race," "Look before you leap," and "Necessity is the mother of invention" are considered wise sayings passed down from generation to generation. But even if you know these proverbs you might have forgotten, or probably never knew in the first place, that they were first said by an ex-slave named Aesop two thousand years ago and each was the moral to one of his fables. This particular collection of Aesop's fables is based on the 19th-century research and translation of George Fyler Townsend, for whom the stories were moral lessons intended for an ADULT audience rather than simply children's stories about anthropomophic animals. Because he used animals with human strengths and weaknesses, Aesop's tales have been directed over the years more towards children; I heard of lot of them for the first time on a record by the Smothers Brothers. But Townsend restores the style and sophistication that are not commonly found in the juvenile editions of Aesop. In addition to the familiar fables like "The Fox and the Grapes" and "The Hare and the Tortoise" there are dozens of lesser known fables uncovered by Townsend and included in the over 300 fables included in this edition, which makes this collection one of the more comprehensive of its kind.

Culturally we are now at the point when "Slow but steady wins the race," "Look before you leap," and "Necessity is the mother of invention" are considered wise sayings passed down from generation to generation. But even if you know these proverbs you might have forgotten, or probably never knew in the first place, that they were first said by an ex-slave named Aesop two thousand years ago and each was the moral to one of his fables. This particular collection of Aesop's fables is based on the 19th-century research and translation of George Fyler Townsend, for whom the stories were moral lessons intended for an ADULT audience rather than simply children's stories about anthropomophic animals. Because he used animals with human strengths and weaknesses, Aesop's tales have been directed over the years more towards children; I heard of lot of them for the first time on a record by the Smothers Brothers. But Townsend restores the style and sophistication that are not commonly found in the juvenile editions of Aesop. In addition to the familiar fables like "The Fox and the Grapes" and "The Hare and the Tortoise" there are dozens of lesser known fables uncovered by Townsend and included in the over 300 fables included in this edition, which makes this collection one of the more comprehensive of its kind.

Highly unreliable. Schmidt has produced some very good English-language poetry, but it ain't Rimbaud. He conceals this by not printing the original on a facing page. Worse yet, he prints the Illuminations as free verse, when they were written as prose poems (on the rationale that the prose poem isn't as successful a genre in English as it is in French.) I am sternly against this kind of translation, unless you're going to go all the way and admit that what you're doing is a poem by Paul Schmidt "after" Rimbaud. But he doesn't. Rimbaud newbies are directed instead to Louise Varese's superb versions of Illuminations and A Season in Hell; those who want a complete works should go for Wallace Fowlie's less memorable but more faithful edition; total Rimbaud freaks should learn French (and mortgage the house in order to be able to afford the magnificent Pleiade edition of the originals).

i find the translation quite smooth and literary; however in comparison to other translations, schmidt tends to be overly literal, which is not always helpful and doesn't leave much space for personal interpretation, which is rather important when reading rimbaud. but even if some of the verses' meanings are "forced" onto the reader, the meaning and rhythm are conveyed properly, which makes this book a good read.

I have a collection of various translations by Arthur Rimbaud. This book was a revelation to me. The difference is remarkable. By abandoning precise translations, Schmidt allows the full beauty and vulgarity of these works to be free. There is no stilted translation present here. This book is a work of art. It may not be translation in the traditional sense, but it is its own remarkable undertaking - and I believe it will stand the test of time. Congratulations Mr. Schmidt.